Bad Education

The true story of a couple of Long Island charmers who bilk a public school district for their own gain. Very well-acted by Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Geraldine Viswanathan, et al. There’s a slick, sleazy quality to this, which I’m told is very “Long Island.” I wish there had been a little more reward and resolution for the persistent high school journalist who blew up the whole scandal. But generally a gripping true-crime thriller about bad neckties, overdone hair, and unchecked greed. It feels nice to see a brand-new movie; something fresh, not dusted off. Thanks HBO.

Beastie Boys Story

The Spike Jones movie version of the live, spoken-word performance Ad-Rock and Mike D did last year to celebrate the release of their book. Very funny, personal, and revealing. It’s a great tribute to MCA and the music in general, and a different kind of musical biopic. Is it a documentary? Is it live theater? It’s hard to define. But it’s the most personal and reflective “thing” it could be, which makes it highly rewarding and worthwhile.

Limitless

A re-watch of the Bradley Cooper, wish-fulfillment vehicle from years ago. It succeeds because it always makes you wonder, “What would I do if I had the pill?”

Good Boys

What if the kids from E.T. or the kids from Stranger Things could make dildo jokes? Yes, there’s a plot – kind of loosely based on the Risky Business, “I just broke Dad’s favorite thing and I have to repair/replace it before Dad gets home.” It’s all just a very lazy structure on which to build a solid and funny friendship between the three middle-school dopes, caught between the board game age and the kissing girls age. The main problems in the story are just problems that they create for themselves, which seems about right for 12-year-olds.

The Gentleman

Guy Ritchie’s latest British gangster opus features a lot of the same tools and tricks as his previous movies. But there’s a wraparound structure, like an old Agatha Christie novel, or maybe Sleuth, that’s unusual for him. It confuses and misleads at first, but gives it a structurally classic feel, which is less “fun” but raises the stakes. Very male-centric. Lots of shooting and punching and slapping. And inevitably there’s a character whose accent is so strong you can only understand one out of every five words. It’s clever and entertaining.

Heavyweights

A clunky Disney movie from 1995 about a “fat camp” for kids that tries as hard as it can NOT to be mean to fat kids. The cult-like health guru, a straining Ben Stiller, is the villain who only wants money and fame for being a dietary wiz. The kids form a strong ensemble but seem to be too obsessed with candy. Ultimately, kids’ movies about underdogs culminate in some kind of showdown. A race or something to pit the misfits against the Alphas. In this case, it’s a go-cart race – something that requires less strenuous physicality, which suits the portly hero. It’s rough, it’s loud, and it’s a bit dated, so it fits in well with Meatballs and Little Darlings.

Ready or Not

Rewatched this essential horror/satire, made more “for the fun of it” than anything else, but also sticks-it to rich people full H.A.M. Knives Out with spraying blood. A treat.

The Getaway

It’s my first time watching this influential Sam Peckinpah action movie, filled with famous Hollywood cast and crew. The worldview that Steve McQueen is super-cool and THIS is how it’s supposed to be done feels outdated. Yes, there are some cool filmmaking gimmicks, but overall it feels like the mindset is from a bygone era. The idea that a marriage, no matter how violent and dysfunctional, is supposed to go the distance also feels outmoded. It seems like Carol McCoy should do what Ali MacGraw did: drop out, move to New Mexico, and release a yoga video.