The Menu

** MAJOR SPOILERS **

I usually enjoy anything that takes the piss out of the “foodies.” But I didn’t get this. I wanted to like it. Really. I feel dumb for not getting it. Reading the tone from the beginning, you know that somebody’s going to be poisoned or cannibalized or something. You just know. It’s that kind of movie. So, when the weirdness starts, it’s not that surprising. It’s puzzling why none of the diners fight back. Grab a fork and take out somebody’s eye. It might have been more interesting if we found out they were all suicidal. It’s unclear to me why a cheeseburger would be the thing that would allow the heroine to escape. I don’t really get the subtext. What was the theme of this? What’s the point? What’s the parable part of it? Seems to me that the only reason why filmmakers made THIS particular movie is because it all took place in one room and they could make a Covid pod. Otherwise, I didn’t see the point and it… (dramatic pause) …left a bad taste in my mouth.

The Banshees of Inisherin

** TOP of THE SPOILER-ALERT to YA **

I’ve been having trouble understanding the parables and analogies lately. Despite some beautiful scenery and some great acting, I don’t get why this took the dark turns that it did. An older man named “Colm” who CLEARLY loves and cares about his younger friend and drinkin’ buddy “Padraic” issues a coo-coo-bananas ultimatum based on the premise that all of this drinkin’ and talkin’ has prevented him from spending time making the music he wants to make. Well, shut up and go make music then! Quit being a baby! In a normal, real, non-parabolic setting with proper antibiotics this man would be institutionalized for his mental illness, but because it’s 1920-whatever and because they live in a sad Irish town of 23 people, Colm’s mania gets shrugged off. It’s incredibly sad and I’m not sure what to take away from this. I’m not pickin’ up what they’re puttin’ down. Could somebody call me and explain what it all symbolizes? Otherwise, maybe I’ll just watch Belfast again.

The Pale Blue Eye

This grimy period piece set at West Point Academy starts strong. Character development and world-building be damned -- filmmakers get to the murder and introduce their crime-solving genius (Christian Bale and his eye mole) quickly and expertly. The first half is an exciting, fast-paced murder mystery. But as the clues unfold, it’s difficult to keep the pieces together. Not so much the weapons or the dead bodies but the MOTIVES of the anonymous killer. As a period procedural, it succeeds for the most part. But the pace slows down near the end and the film becomes less fun and more maudlin as the real killer and the real motives are revealed. Christian Bale is always top-notch, as is the rest of the cast, many of whom are British dudes who were in "Harry Potter" at one time or another. And although it’s fiction, attention to the period details feels realistic and accurate. Admittedly, the ending is a bit of a downer, but getting there had some fun sequences.

Zombieland: Double Tap

It’s fun getting the band back together, but at times the wise-crackery gets in the way of the storytelling. Quality sequences of zombie mayhem, but a watered-down emotional core.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Chrystal Skull

Apparently, I saw this twice in one day when it first came out in 2008. I must have been drunk because I barely remember any of it. Problems with the script and the plot abound, but man! There are some juicy chases.

Good Night Oppy

A super-duper sappy and sentimental documentary about a robot. But it really works. The strong attachment to the Mars Rover by the JPL crew is genuine, and their hard work and awe of their success, building a space robot that was meant to last 90 days and lasted 14 years, often brings the interviewees to tears. Their love of science and space is awe-inspiring. It’s a very human movie, but it’s molded into a Spielbergian emotional odyssey by the filmmakers, especially the composer Blake Neely. Much of this is bittersweet, though. Because although it demonstrates what smart people can do if they work together, it’s also an indictment of our recent anti-science political leaders and the irreversible damage they’ve caused to human progress.