Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

Don’t Look Up

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Apple Rating:

“Don’t Look Up” is stuffed to the brim with stars who can act.  Some of those you will see in this movie are:  Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, Timothee Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Ariana Grande and Tyler Perry.  This is a tongue-in-cheek satire which will not appeal to everyone.  The premise is that two astronomers, Randall Mindy and Kate Dibiasky,  played by DiCaprio and Lawrence, discover that a comet larger than the one that killed the dinosaurs is heading for earth. But this one is large enough to completely destroy life on the planet. The comet will arrive in six months.  As our intrepid astronomers try to warn people and get them to take the situation seriously, no one believes them or even seems to care.  The media, portrayed by Blanchett and Perry, are parodied as the typical, utterly shallow and phony entertainment influencers of today. Blanchett is only focused on how handsome Mindy is, and loses interest in him once he loses his ratings draw.  Perry is a mindless, sycophant.  And of course, alternative media steps in to provide the idiotic, anti-science opposition. The government initially takes things seriously, but thanks to the interference of a mega-donor communications company owner (Rylance), hoping to exploit the resources the comet contains, they switch to his plan.  Of course, the plan fails utterly and we are all undone.  Meryl Streep plays the president of the United States as a clueless Trump-like character, while Jonah Hill is absolutely despicable as as her son (and Chief of Staff) who doesn’t appear to have ANY people skills whatsoever, or any intelligence for that matter.  You may feel like punching both of them by the end of the movie. There are some serious topics lampooned including greed, gullibility, nepotism, media responsibility, corruption, vanity, celebrity-obsession and politics. Sounds like a rather heavy handed, if absolutely on point, pillorying the worst aspects of social media and politics? It is. If you watch, make sure you watch the mid-credit scene because you will be glad you did! I loved this, and right now you can only see it on Netflix, so no worries about going out to a theatre.

Once Upon a Time…..In Hollywood

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Apple Rating:

Wow! Another great movie from quirky writer/director Quentin Tarantino.  ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ takes place in 1969 Los Angles, which is changing from the apple pie, Ozzie and Harriet world of the 1950’s to the era of Woodstock and hippies.  In the middle of this wave of change is TV cowboy star Rick Dalton, played by Leonardo DiCaprio in one of the best performances of his career.  Dalton is confused by these changes, which see his appeal and marketability shrink.  But even though he is reduced to starring in Spaghetti Westerns, he is still committed to his career and gives each performance his all, including all the booze he can manage.  He is helped out by his stunt double/gofer/friend Cliff Booth, played of course by Brad Pitt in another career highlight performance.  The writing for these two characters is so crisp and Tarantino really fleshes them out in such a way that by the end of the movie, you not only like them, but feel like you really know them.  Since the Sharon Tate murder plays a big part of the story, it is helpful to read a little bit about if you are not familiar with Charles Manson or his followers.  Everything that you love about Quentin Tarantino movies can be found here:  witty dialogue, character development, multiple story lines, revisionist history, and a plethora of supporting/cameo appearances.  The one big hallmark of Tarantino that you won’t find though is excessive, gory violence.  Don’t get me wrong, there is violence in this movie, but it is more restrained than in any of his past movies.  I also loved how 1969 was recreated.  The small details are spot on, even down to the way Taco Bell looked when I got my first job there selling tacos and burritos.  If you are looking for a quirky, thought-provoking movie with Oscar caliber writing and performances, this is the movie for you!! Just remember, it’s “once upon a time…in Hollywood.”