Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,
It's the time of year that I try to watch DVDs that made a number of "Best of the Year" movie lists and movies that are likely to be nominated for awards.
Here's a sample of what I've seen recently:
Sully Remember the pilot who landed a plane on the Hudson River? He's Sully, and he's been a popular guy ever since. Now he's played by Tom Hanks in a movie that let's us in on the action when Sully made that fateful decision and saved the lives of all one hundred fifty-five people on board.
I love Tom Hanks. He's never bad. But I'm not crazy about this movie. It's a bit repetitive. It also turns the NTSB examiners into villains, which was not the case.
Sully earns The Janie Junebug Seal of Yeah You'll Probably Want To See It And Maybe You'll Like It More Than I Did Approval.
I watched Sully on a DVD sent to me by my good friends at Netflix.
Little Men A couple played by Greg Kinnear and Jennifer Ehle move into an apartment in a building left to them by Kinnear's father. Their young teenage son, who is very quiet and introspective, isn't thrilled about leaving Manhattan for Brooklyn until he becomes close friends with the son of the woman who rents the store in the building. The new owners of the building want to raise the rent on the store. Their dispute affects the friendship between the boys, who don't understand why the problem can't be solved.
Little Men is touching, and the acting is good, but I'm not sure why it's on so many Best of the Year lists. I'm not sorry that I took the time to watch it. Maybe I don't think it's that great because I don't understand something about it.
Little Men earns The Janie Junebug Seal of I Hope Someone Can Explain The End Of This Movie To Me Seal of Approval.
I watched this movie on Netflix Streaming. It's also available on DVD.
Sing Street I love, love, love this movie about an Irish teen whose arguing parents decide to split up, taken him out of his school, and send him to school in what is basically hell. In spite of all the shit around him, he manages to make friends and start a band. He even finds a gorgeous girl to appear in the band's videos and falls for her. His older brother, who encourages him and provides him with a proper rocker musical education, is his saving grace.
Sing Street earns The Janie Junebug Seal of Wildly Happy Ending Approval.
I watched this movie on Netflix Streaming. It's also available on DVD. Sing Street is not to be missed. I'll be thrilled if it garners some Academy Award nominations. It should be on the Best Picture list.
Happy Viewing!
Infinities of love,
Janie Junebug, who will visit as many of your blogs as her eyes will allow.
My motto as an editor: Authors are the authority on their work. I'm a full-service editor. For a reasonable fee, I'm your writing coach from the first suggested revision to the correction of the final typo.
Hi Janie - good to see you ... I loved Sully - thought it was really excellent ... the other two I've noted but not seen -- hope your eyes keep recovering ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteThanks, Hilary! God bless you for being such a faithful friend.
DeleteSing Street was a brilliant film, I loved every minute of it. I would like to see Sully but as I only ever watch films when I'm in a plane I doubt British Airways will be featuring this particular film on their in house entertainment! :D
ReplyDeleteNot a movie to show on a plane! I'm glad you liked Sing Street. It made me feel so good.
DeleteYou have beat me to all of these--LOL! ;)
ReplyDeleteYou'll get to them, though I don't know if you want to bother with Little Men. If you watch it, I hope you can explain it to me. I'm not sure what the theme is.
DeleteAh! A challenge--LOL!
DeleteI have seen Sully and I enjoyed it because it talked more about the issues behind the scenes after the air crash. Funny, I heard many people say the investigative team were made out to be villains but i didn't take it that way...especially at the end and what a great speech Hanks made. I have not seen the other 2 but I do want to see Sing Street. I should mark down what I watch per week because i am now forgetting what i saw 2 days ago:)
ReplyDeleteSully himself insisted that they change the names of the people from the NTSB because they were portrayed as much more unkind and suspicious of his decision than they really were. I wouldn't bother with Little Men.
DeleteI saw Sully and concur with you. It was OK. I like Tom Hanks and was entertained by it but found the portrayal of the NTSB annoying.
ReplyDeleteThe other movies sound interesting so I will check them out on Netflix.
How many times can you watch Sully land the plane or watch recreations of it? If you understand the point of Little Men, then please explain it to me.
DeleteThanks for the movie reviews! I really want to see Sully. Missed my chance when it was at the theaters so will have to Netflix it. I am a huge Tom Hanks fan so I'm sure I'll like it.
ReplyDeleteHadn't heard of the other two but will look for them...
Have a great day!
Michele at Angels Bark
Even though Sully isn't great, I like to see everything with Tom Hanks.
DeleteSaw Sully. It was good, but not one of Hanks' best.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite a slim movie.
DeleteI've never even heard of Sing Street but it sounds very interesting. I have zero desire to see Sully even though i like Tom Hanks. I feel like i already know enough , dont need to watch 2 hours more about it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reviews!!
Sully is only ninety minutes, and it's too long at ninety. Sing Street is brilliant.
DeleteI haven't seen a single one of these! I should get on it :)
ReplyDeleteIf you only have time for one, make it Sing Street.
DeleteThese are making best of the year lists? Given your luke warm reviews (minus Sing Street), I'm surprised. All I keep hearing about are La La Land (because it's a musical with its head up Hollywood's patoot), Moonlight and Manchester By the Sea (because they are apparently relentlessly sad). Those are the only three I've heard about being anywhere near award consideration.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm not huge on musicals, would I still like Sing Street?
Yes, because Sing Street is a bildungsroman with great acting. I don't classify it as a musical. It's also not relentlessly sad.
DeleteWe enjoyed watching Sully well enough, but yes, the conflict was largely manufactured for the movie.
ReplyDeleteExactly.
DeleteThanks for the reviews. I haven't seen any of them, so far. "Sing Street" sounds like a "must see". Lukewarm on the other two, even though I like Tom Hanks.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby and I both liked "Sully." It wasn't the BEST Tom Hanks movie we ever saw, but we enjoyed it more than we expected.
ReplyDelete"Sing Street" sounds like a movie I would LOVE. I'll be sure to watch that one.
I love Tom Hanks, too, Janie. I loved his performance.
ReplyDelete