Elway

Unlike a lot of docs, I mostly knew all the stuff in this one, but it’s nice to be reminded. In what could be a twenty-hour series, the two-hour running-time covers only the very broadest of stokes of Elway’s career, highlighting Superbowl wins in an underdog, sports-movie structure. It’s a pleasant flashback of a lengthy struggle and an ultimate triumph. God bless the Denver Broncos.

The Holiday

Nancy Meyers is trying so hard to be Richard Curtis here that she could probably be sued for plagiarism. I’ve only just seen this 20-year-old rom com for the first time and it’s schmalzier than a sugar-covered Christmas goose. The ONLY reason why this works is that Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet completely understand the assignment; smiling and twinkling like little stars throughout the Christmas pageant. Otherwise, it’s a pleasant (if eye-rolling) diversion.

Le Mans

There are three lines of dialogue in this entire movie. 

“Did you recover from that bad crash?”

“No.” 

“Auto racing is important.” 

Otherwise, it’s one long montage filled with lights, racing cars, and vroom sounds. It would not surprise me if Steve McQueen came home from Kurick’s 2001: A Space Odessey in the theater for the first time and thought, “We could do the same thing, but with race-cars instead of space ships!” It’s basically plotless, and I could see how it could be hypnotic in a 1971 movie theater, after a few drags of “wacky tobacky.” The stylistic shots of reflections in the car paint, the engine sounds (and lack of), and the sparse use of music, characters, and plot make this all a big experiment. A gas-powered Warhol movie.

Jackpot

I would like to assert determinedly that this is the movie the new Running Man should have been, because it’s very similar to Running Man and it’s better than Running Man. That being said, this is not a very good movie. Regardless, Nora “Awkwafina” Lum and John Cena are dancing as fast as they can and tossing out zingers like Japanese Dodgers in hopes of filling the time, and for the most part it’s a pleasant diversion – a brief distraction from my existential dread and overall itchiness. Jackpot aspires for sublime nuttiness, which I admire, even if it whiffs more than hits.

Relay

This lean, low-budget action thriller shows a subculture completely foreign to me (automatically a big plus). Broad strokes: it’s about the high-stakes business of protecting and/or stifling corporate whistleblowers. Although, to make it a mystery and to make it twisty, filmmakers rely on an "unreliable narrator" device and omit key scenes – to shock and surprise. So, it’s gimmicky, and the resolution feels underwhelming. Nevertheless, the performances are good, suspense is taut, and the milieu is fascinating even if the finish isn’t.

The Phoenician Scheme

There’s lots of expected Wes Andersony-ness in this Wes Anderson movie – a flat-out comedy farce, with less of the melancholy affects of his other work. As much as I like Benicio del Toro, his leading-man “bonafides” land feather-weight blows; his ticks and tricks are better suited for supporting characters. (He’ll probably get a nom for One Battle After Another.) What we get are spy gags, explosion jokes, and the Wes Anderson signature aesthetic, which he brandishes with pride. To pick on the brand would be pointless. It’s his. Don’t buy the cow if you don’t want the milk.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

"What is it about Catholics?" Rian Johnson seems to ask. Catholicism equals moral ambiguity, which is really useful for mysteries and thrillers. Who dunnit? The priest? The nun? The gravedigger? They’re all willing to split hairs, keeping those doubts and grey areas lingering until the very end. Per this franchise, there’s a big ensemble of pros to help twist up the story. Getting to the resolution is half the fun, even if it is (spoiler alert) just a conventional McGuffin in a “pitchy pitchy woo-woo” game of hot potato. It’s fun to watch, but you don’t necessarily walk away with your soul filled to the brim with virtue.

Love Hurts

When you win your Oscar, there's a brief window to make your dream movie (I assume). For Ke Huy Quan, that dream was simple: be Jackie Chan. And that's exactly what Love Hurts is — a Jackie Chan movie starring Ke Huy Quan. He plays a lovable goofball who inexplicably knows Kung Fu, battling cartoonish villains in incongruous locations with whatever ordinary objects are nearby. Ke is thoroughly charming, even if the fight scenes are way, way too long and the story itself is a dull gangster retread. Based on the formula, mission accomplished. I hope his dreams were fulfilled.