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| Casting a glance |
Kids these days... Quick takes on Lady Bird, Wonder, Wonderstruck and The Florida Project.
Lady Bird:
Writer/director/critical darling Greta Gerwig has winningly recreated her quirky/angsty teen years of the early oughts in Sacremento, California, finding her ideal "mini-me" stand-in in Saoirse Ronan. Laurie Metcalf also shines as the put-upon mom in this often funny, often bittersweet (though quite overrated) coming of age tale. (7/10) Now available on DVD and Blu-ray.
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| Boy Wonder |
Wonder:
This inspirational crowd-pleaser starring that charming Room-mate Jacob Tremblay as a boy born with a facial deformity is a lot better than it needed to be as far as inspirational crowd-pleasers go. Over earnest and sentimental, yes, but if you have a big heart you'll likely be tearing up within the first five minutes. (7/10) Now available on DVD and Blu-ray.
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| ...in one era and out the other... |
Wonderstruck:
Todd Haynes' gem of a family-friendly film will leave you, well, wonderstruck with its simple beauty and top drawer craftsmanship. Telling a decade-spanning story of two lost kids in search of familial connections, Wonderstruck takes place in the real world but has the magical feel of such beloved fantasies as The Wizard of Oz. A true future classic. (9/10) Now streaming on Amazon Prime.
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| Dafoe and da ho |
The Florida Project:
Just because it's set on the outskirts of the Happiest Place on Earth does not make this dreary, gross mess of a wildly-overpraised indie at all Disney-ish, let alone watchable. Filled with non-actors as foul-mouthed, obnoxious children and their mothers, poor Willem Dafoe is the one (slightly) saving grace in Sean Baker's perversely pretentious morass. (2/10) Now available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Reviews by Kirby Holt, Movie Dearest creator, editor and head writer.
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