The Eyes of Tammy Faye

There’s nothing WRONG with this movie. It’s just that there’s no likeable people in it. Everyone is a scumbag. Jessica Chastain affects every tiny little detail about Tammy Fay Baker – her walk, her laugh. Her makeup is perfect. And MY GOD is she annoying. It’s a real challenge to take a famous religious weirdo and try to flesh them out and make them seem sympathetic. So, kudos for trying. But blecch.

The Tragedy of Macbeth

This is kind of a bummer. Yes. I know: The play is a bummer. And it’s a tragedy -- it says so right in the title. But with the famously obtuse text, there has to be something grounding to bring you in. Movie stars help. But the sets are so foreign and minimalist and the costumes are enigmatic. The entire presentation seems determined to alienate the audience (I'm thankful for the very Coen Brothery respite from Stephen Root). I’m sure the plan was for the sets to “look cool.” But they end up hurting more than helping. There’s nothing relatable in this at all. There’s nothing to connect to. There's no furniture. It’s an Ingmar Bergman film without a Max von Sydow. It’s beautifully, perfectly made. Certain imagery is awesome. It pains me to say it, but this lacks heart.

The Last Duel

The ads for this made it look so stupid. Matt Damon’s dumb mullet. Ben Affleck’s bad, blonde mop. Just the hair alone made it look terrible. So my expectations were pretty low. But low and behold, this was tight, interesting, and poignant. A delicate, thought-provoking take on a moment in history that I would have never known. Sir Ridley brings the production value, that’s for sure, but he never lingers. In a Rashomon style, it’s told from three different points-of-view and every detail matters as the conflict escalates. You would never know the running time is long – it moves. Strangely, it’s a chore to pick this over other movie choices – the always crucial selection of the night’s entertainment. It seems long. It seems heavy. It seems rapey. But it’s a quality thing. Performances are solid. The plot is comprehensive and compelling. Wielded swords stab vigorously. It’s a nice yarn. But! Big, big, big BUT, there’s are themes, too. Themes about women, themes about dumb/ bickering men, and themes about marriage that hold up a mirror to our modern times.