Irrelevant But Awesome

Alexa:  My reaction when the credits finally rolled on “Bright” was, “Well, that’s two hours of my life I’m never getting back.” This movie is a complete mess. It makes “A Christmas Prince” look like a Best Picture contender. On paper, the concept has potential. It juxtaposes fantasy and contemporary cop thriller genres, but it’s not a strong example of either one. I completely agree with Jason that great fantasies hinge on their world building, and I think “Bright” fails miserably in that regard. The writing is awful and the story convoluted. After a pivotal event about a third of the way through the film, the action descends from mildly interesting to painfully boring. It wants to be an allegory about racism and police brutality but its treatment of both subjects is contrived and tone-deaf (i.e. “Fairy lives don’t matter today.” Seriously?!). It’s excessively gritty to the detriment of the story. For a concept like this to work, the movie has to have at least a little fun wi...

Alexa:  I originally picked a different movie for this week, but as soon as Netflix started actively trolling repeat viewers of “A Christmas Prince” on Twitter, I had to see what all the fuss was about. Objectively, this movie is garbage. But it’s snow-dusted garbage dipped in sugar and wrapped in a big red bow. It is tailor-made for watching curled up by the fire in cozy pajamas with a glass of chardonnay. Thus, I loved every minute of it. This movie has everything – picturesque European scenery and royal makeovers, whirlwind romances and conniving ex-girlfriends, “Beauty and the Beast”-style wolf showdowns and egregious journalism ethics violations. Yes, the acting is wooden and the writing is crap and the whole thing absolutely overflows with schmaltz. It checks all the stereotypical romance boxes. But the world is kind of a dark place right now in a lot of ways. And for 90 glorious minutes, “A Christmas Prince” encourages you to give in to the Hallmark-level silliness and...

Alexa:  Somewhere in “The Dinner” is a riveting morality tale about the lengths to which parents will go to protect their children. Unfortunately the titular dinner - where four parents meet to figure out how to deal with a crime their sons have committed - is too often interrupted by cumbersome flashbacks. The four main actors all deliver stellar performances, and watching their true selves come to light over the course of the evening makes for tense, intriguing viewing. And the flashbacks certainly serve a purpose in providing some context for the protagonists’ motives and their fractured relationships, but there are too many of them and some drag on far too long. We spend lengthy stretches away from the drama at the restaurant, which ultimately diminishes the impact of those scenes. I think “The Dinner” would almost be more effective as a play with its action more contained. The characters are all flawed people - particularly Steve Coogan’s Paul - but the amount of time we ...

Alexa:  “Rogue One” was a bit of a gamble for the “Star Wars” franchise. It’s the first “anthology” film of the series that doesn’t fit neatly into the Skywalker saga. But if Disney was hoping to prove the potential of an expanded “Star Wars” cinematic universe with a wealth of unexplored territory, “Rogue One” was the perfect place to start. It’s clearly a part of the “Star Wars” world we all know and love, but it has its own unique tone and aesthetic. It’s peppered with some charming comedic moments, but at its heart it’s a true war story. It doesn’t sugarcoat or gloss over altogether the consequences of war or the sacrifices people make for the greater good, which is refreshing for a major tentpole movie. The cast is fantastic, and the characters every bit as expertly crafted as those in the flagship series. The strongest part of the movie by far is the third act, the actual mission to retrieve the Death Star plans. Some of the best performances occur during this sequence, ...

Alexa:  “Mudbound” deserves plenty of praise, but by far its greatest asset is its incredible cast. I can’t speak highly enough about the superb performances in this movie. We’re barely into awards season and “Mudbound” has already garnered two special prizes for its ensemble, which includes Jonathan Banks, Mary J. Blige, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan and Carey Mulligan. I was most blown away by Hedlund, who I primarily know from “Tron: Legacy,” and Mitchell, who I’ve never seen in anything. But this is a true ensemble film and the entire cast pulls their weight, which is crucial for a story as character-driven as “Mudbound.” I wasn’t surprised to see the movie is based on a book. Its use of multiple narrators felt like a device from a novel brought to life, and for the most part I thought that choice translated well on screen. The movie is essentially divided into three acts: one about the white McAllan family, one about the black Jackson family...