Trailer: The Intern

We saw this trailer in front of both movies this weekend. I have to say, it looks pretty good.

Things to love:

• Robert de Niro
• Anne Hathaway
• A look at ageism from both angles (though de Niro doesn't seem to suffer much in the trailer)
• The comment about how modern men have largely become slobs (I'm guilty, too)
• The general tone

Things to fear:

• Doesn't look like it will be feminist-positive (I need a word for this)
• The inevitable twist (because movies have to have a twist) needs to be handled delicately
• I hope the supporting cast of guys are a little more than a peanut gallery of chuckleheads
• I hope the relationship doesn't go too deep too fast. There needs to be a sense of trust being built over time

I think I'll definitely be seeing this one.

Ricki and the Flash

Meryl Streep has, in short, done it again. She has used her incredible talent, and the incredible talents of those who are drawn to work with her, to illuminate an otherwise lackluster movie. The plot is simple, the characters are crudely drawn, the philosophical and emotional points are never subtle. But because of the cast, you can't help but be drawn into this painful family drama, and eventually to rejoice at the reconciliation.

Man From U.N.C.L.E.

First, a disclaimer. That title is the last time I'm going to type out all those damn periods.

Short version: Booyah. That movie was, I think, exactly what it wanted to be. It is not a tightly plotted thriller. It is not high-octane action. It is not grim and gritty. It is a fun, light-hearted romp through the over-the-top world of super-spies. It is vintage Guy Ritchie (though thankfully toned down on the violence and language). Cavill and Hammer were perfect in their roles, and Vikander was wonderful as well. It's not a movie that will make you think, but it is one that will make you laugh.

Quick poll

So it's tough to build up solid readership numbers on a blog that only posts about once a week. But this is a movie review site, and I'm just not likely to see more than one movie a week. I had a couple ideas for additional content, but I didn't know if anyone would be interested in it at all.

Would any of my readers be interested in seeing me do reviews of movies that were released years, possibly even decades, ago? These might include classics like Excalibur or slightly more obscure titles like Knightriders. Given my personal tastes, they would likely skew heavily to the geek and Disney.

Would it be weird for me to put in book reviews every once in a while? 

What about reviews of plays? I see probably a play a month on average, so it might add a nice change of pace. But it's also trickier, because it's not like most of my readers could then go out and see the play on their own.

I can tell you that I have no interest in becoming a "cinema news" site. No rumor mongering, no trailers, nothing of that sort.

Southpaw

Short version: This movie wins on acting, and pretty much acting alone. The script is serviceable but fairly cliched (with a couple important exceptions). The direction, cinematography, visuals, etc. are similarly well done but don't stand out in any way. But the acting; oh my, the acting.

Fantastic Four

Short version: Much better than I expected. Admittedly, I was expecting something along the lines of Ang Lee's Hulk, so that's not a high bar to clear. It was still not a *good* movie, but it wasn't a bad movie, either. It's a fun way to pass a couple of hours, but it's not something that anyone involved will brag about.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Short version: Very enjoyable. It had great action, some very funny moments. solid espionage plotting, and surprisingly fine acting. I think that this movie very solidly puts the franchise back on track. And may do the same for Tom Cruise's career.