Movies

It's raining, it's pouring. The old man is .... not snoring, but is ensconced in front of the desk top computer pouring over genealogy records. It's a hobby of his. I am experiencing cabin fever.

 It's not hospitable out there. So I thought I'd start on a few posts about some of the movies we have seem lately, since the Oscars are now just a week and a half away.

I'll start with one I really liked, Little Women.

Let me say, first off, that this movie is visually beautiful. The scenes, the sets, the costumes, the faces, are all wonderful.  We watched this movie in the theater on the big screen. It's a big movie. 

This is a different version of the classic story. It is told in a time line that bounces back and forth between a past and a present that are not always clear, as it also covers a period of years. It is told mostly from the perspective of Jo, who also clearly becomes Louisa May Alcott herself. There is more Feminism in this version, as we see Jo/Louisa struggle to become a published writer in a man's world. I liked this aspect. Jo shows grit. Saoirse Ronan is nominated for the Best Actress award, and she is very good in this role. 

While this movie will not win the Oscar - it isn't arty or angst filled enough - it is good entertainment, and one of my favorites. 

The second movie I'll post about today is Marriage Story. When I first looked over the list of movies, I couldn't even remember much about this movie. Maybe I had other things on my mind at the time, but it just wasn't very memorable. I Googled it to refresh my memory. We watched this  movie at home via Netflix. It is a small screen movie. 

The two stars, Scarlett Johanson and Adam Driver, are very good as a married couple who undergo the breakdown of their marriage and eventually a divorce, rife with child custody issues, bi-coastal distance separation, cut throat lawyers, and plenty of angst. Is it her fault, or his? Who is more sympathetic? You can decide, or not take sides, since both are hurting. That's pretty much where I was. 

This movie is very well done. It is realistic, the characters are well developed, and the acting is very good. It feels like you are watching real people and want to give them  some advice about the mistakes they are making. 

The third movie I'll post about today is not nominated for any big awards, but it is one of my favorites.

Rocketman is a biopic of Elton John. Told in flashbacks as he shares his story in a therapy session just after he has committed himself to an addiction rehabilitation center, it follows his early years as a child in a loveless family life, as a musical prodigy, and his discovery and rise to fame as a rock star.  Like so many of that era, he goes off the rails, but finally makes the move to save himself. 

I was not into his music at the time, it being after my own youth and not fitting into my own kids taste in music when they were teens, but I do love rock music, and the performances in this movie are wonderful, as is the acting. Taron Egerton, the actor who plays Elton John, is wonderful and also does his own singing. I don't see why he wasn't nominated for an Oscar. 

This movie is no longer in theaters and we watched it via Comcast On Demand, but it is definitely a BIG movie.