Update on the Field (5/29/20)

Only in quarantine could we have watched a movie on seventy straight days. I think? We're pretty much inside cats as it is, so we might be able to keep the streak going pretty far. This cycle was another interesting mix of dramas, comedies, foreign films, and overall compelling stories. Here are our thoughts:

5/19/20: True Grit (2010)
Tom: This was a nearly scene-for-scene adaptation of the Charles Portis novel and I loved it. While Hailee Steinfeld's character is a complete literary creation that could never exist in the real world, once I was able to suspend that minor disbelief I was fully along for the ride. I stayed for the breaking down of hypermasculine tropes. The Coen brothers are the best.
Erin: I watched this movie when it came out and I really liked it. It’s a western with comedy, heart, and Jeff Bridges. Hailee Steinfeld is amazing as a young teen seeking vengeance for her father’s death. I could watch Jeff Bridges in Coen Brothers movies forever.

5/20/20: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Tom: It had been a while since I'd seen this one and it was truly as enjoyable as I remembered. I always enjoy when a movie, like this one, that could just be a generic action-adventure movie, has underlying heart and drama to it. Plus, Andy Serkis has a legitimate claim to the title of "Actor of this Generation."
Erin: This was such a fun movie! It’s sort of like a popcorn movie with a college degree, you know? Andy Serkis as Caesar was a revelation, and is the reason why the movie works. Do we support Caesar and the monkey rebellion? I feel like we shouldn’t be happy about a giant gorilla jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge to attack a helicopter? But we are kind of? Plus, there were scenes in Muir Woods, which was an amazing place to visit.

5/21/20: Pitch Perfect (2012)
Tom: I'm an Anna Kendrick fan. I've read her book, think she's funny on Twitter, and really enjoyed her in Up in the Air. Add Pitch Perfect to the list. While I probably won't watch the sequel(s? are there three of these movies?), I liked being tossed into the fully-established Barden University acappella group scene. The cast was all in, especially Rebel Wilson and Adam Devine. It was really good.
Erin: I have seen this movie like five million times. It’s so good okay? I don’t care. It’s corny and fluffy and full of singing, throw up, and puns.

5/22/20: Blue Jasmine (2013)
Tom: This one's hard to review because it could be viewed as Woody Allen demonizing his ex-wife Mia Farrow. And, as we all know, Woody Allen is human garbage so it was hard to go into this one with an open mind, especially since it also features Louis CK. That being said, Cate Blanchett absolutely blows the doors off in this one with her nuanced, complex acting performance. I was also really impressed with Sally Hawkins (as always) and, surprisingly, both Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Dice Clay put in great performances. It just sucks that Woody Allen made this.
Erin: Ugh see...I hate Woody Allen. He just is a trash person. So I’m going to say this: Cate Blanchett is an amazing actress. Sally Hawkins is also a wonderful performer. The end.

5/23/20: Selma (2014)
Tom: The more time that goes on, the more I appreciate how timeless Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s words and actions are. David Oyelowo brings him to life in this movie. If you have any interest in the civil rights movement at all and haven't seen this one yet, Ava Duvernay does a great job. Plus, since I last watched it in 2014, I didn't realize how deep and amazing the supporting cast is. Outside of the big names, it features Tessa Thompson, Lakeith Stanfield, Carmen Ejogo (True Detective), André Holland (Moonlight), Stephan James (If Beale Street Could Talk), Stephen Root (Barry), and Wendell Pierce (The Wire), among others. That's a powerhouse group.
Erin: I can’t believe I hadn’t seen this movie! I loved it. It is an important movie, essential viewing for all Americans in my opinion. It’s a movie that simultaneously shows how far we have come as a country, and how we haven’t budged at all as a country. Stellar everything in this--directing, writing, performances. Just a wonderful film.

5/24/20: Trainwreck (2015)
Tom: This confirms it – I am not an Amy Schumer fan. The supporting cast (particularly Bill Hader, Colin Quinn, Brie Larson, and LeBron James) brought this from a "trainwreck" to watchable for me. Like most Judd Apatow movies, it was twenty to thirty minutes too long. And even then, it was only fine. John Cena was funny too.
Erin: Awesome movie. I have seen it a bunch of times. It suffers from the typical Apatow downside (CUT HALF AN HOUR FROM EACH OF YOUR MOVIES PLEASE) but besides that, it hits all the right beats for me. Amy Schumer is an awesome writer, everyone is just so funny in this movie. It is a romantic comedy with a less-than-perfect lead, which is fascinating and really worthwhile to watch.

5/25/20: Elle (2016)
Tom: I'm not sure I've ever seen a thriller like this one. The "mystery" is solved about halfway through, and the remainder of the movie is a character study regarding how this particular woman deals with her trauma. It was really well done and honestly funnier than it had any right to be.
Erin: I was so surprised to find out that the director of this film was not French. This movie seemed French AF to me. It’s a revenge thriller starring Queen Isabelle Huppert. This is the second movie I have seen with her in it, and now I want to watch five million of her movies. There is a moodiness, an unease to this film that is really intriguing. I liked it a lot and it makes me want to continue to broaden my foreign film horizons.

5/26/20: Good Time (2017)
Tom: I'm officially a Safdie brothers fan and a Robert Pattinson fan. Having seen and having loved Uncut Gems, I was excited to watch this, and this one is basically a less polished Gems. Most of the cast consists of non-actors, with Pattinson and Jennifer Jason Leigh as the only notable names. And Barkhad Abdi from Captain Phillips. Like Gems, this one is a fast-paced exercise in discomfort and chaos. It's absolutely worth the watch.
Erin: Okay I love the Safdie brothers. Robert Pattinson is unreal in this movie. His eyes are never not expressing absolute panic throughout the entire runtime. I loved Uncut Gems so I figured I would like this one, but it really does show that the Safdie brothers are going to be on my “must watch” list from now on. Plus I saw RPatz while I was an audience member at Jimmy Kimmel a few years ago when he was promoting this movie and he was so weird that it freaked me out from watching it, but I’m glad that I did!!

5/27/20: Boy Erased (2018)
Tom: I thought this one was going to be way more boring than it was. I thought it told an effective story of the struggle between religion and sexuality in the South, and I really appreciated that it was an adaptation of a memoir. The cast was really strong, from Lucas Hedges to Russell Crowe to Nicole Kidman to Joel Edgerton. Edgerton has definitely become a new favorite from this challenge. We've seen a few movies where he's just been excellent as a director and performer.
Erin: This was a great batch once again! I really enjoyed watching this movie. It is based on a memoir of a young man who is forced to go through conversion therapy. It was absolutely compelling and horrifying. Lucas Hedges is such a star, and Nicole Kidman was so good despite donning a truly scene stealing wig. It’s a movie that will hopefully be seen by many who missed it during its initial run.

5/28/20: The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)
Tom: I think this was my favorite of the cycle. It was about a man whose grandfather built his family home in San Francisco. The family had lost the home in the 90s, but the protagonist returns to it and cares for it by painting and gardening, even though a white family has lived there for years in the gentrified neighborhood. For background, this was the director's first movie, and the lead actor was the same man that the screenplay was partially based on. You can tell how deeply personal of a story it was for him. It felt almost literary. And the cinematography and score were incredible. I highly recommend it.
Erin: This movie was AMAZING. I can’t say enough about how much I loved it. The originality, heart, cinematography, score, acting, and just flat out dedication makes this film a true marvel. Each scene pushed the story forward while still being like a little vignette of beauty and a story on its own. It is extremely clear that this was a passion project for those involved. It shines bright and I’ll remember this movie for a long time.