Mean Girls (2024)

You hear a lot lately about how high school kids are different these days, how all the cliques and stratification and such are no longer the norm in that milieu. Well, if that’s true, the people who make movies and musicals have not caught up to the current secondary school zeitgeist. There’s a remarkable amount of overlap between this story and that ultimate expression of the teenage dramascape, Heathers—which first came into being way back in 1987. True, this work is the derivative of a musical that was based on a movie of the same name from 2004, so perhaps it has a permission slip for being behind the times socially. Or, maybe just maybe, things have never really changed all that much. Whatever the case, this film offers a distinct and enjoyable take on the familiar story of a new girl who tangles with the local power base, here set to a musical score that mostly works, with several strong songs and only a few minor misses with a couple of numbers. The script offers a generous dose of genuine laughs, while the performances of the young ladies are generally first rate (not to mention that the Plastics are gorgeous, which certainly helps the viewer maintain interest). Ultimately, the tale ends with its heart in the right place, all while presenting just enough divergence from the original story to give the new version a sense of being at least a bit fresh. I don’t know if today’s teens really are more accepting and compassionate than they used to be, or if the meanness still reigns, but at least in cinema the genuine still trumps the plastic. 

Top Gun: Maverick

Yeah. That’s cool. So when does the great movie begin? ... What? This is it? Come on, now. The idea that this flick deserves its "best movie ever" plaudits--if not ecstatic shrieks--is downright risible. This piece is enjoyable, for sure, but the reputation it has acquired since release seems to be largely the product of the affection audiences feel for the original film’s characters. One scene in this outing in particular cashes in that chip to great affect, and probably stands as the most authentic part of this entire experience. Beyond that, everything in this script is so obvious that even I could have written it. Mostly, this is an exercise in self-congratulation writ large--though one that is easy enough to watch, if you’re looking for big, loud, dumb entertainment and nothing more. There’s no shame in that--so long as everyone maintains perspective. Just fly level and straight and you’ll do fine with this one. Try to take it to Icarian heights--let alone the "danger zone"--and it will surely crash and burn.

No Sudden Move

I have a sketchy history with Steven Soderbergh movies. I also have a sketchy history with crime caper movies, the kind that are convinced of how clever they are and think that you should be convinced of it, too. So what do you think happened when I watched this flick? Well, it wasn't all that bad, but you're not too far off. The bulk of the enjoyment here comes from watching veteran, professional actors like Don Cheadle and Benicio Del Toro playing off and against each other; they're fine, especially in the early segments of the film. But the plot eventually gets away from itself, becomes too convoluted, and then attempts a ham-handed effort at injecting a bit of socioeconomic commentary and muckracking into the tale, without that element really being part of the story from the start. It also doesn't help, either, that Soderbergh--despite or perhaps because of his reputation as an innovative filmmaker--seems unaware throughout the running time that his camera--possibly smartphone--created distortions of the image throughout the picture; a lot of the frames look like they were (unnecessarily) shot with a fish-eye lens. So despite some decent aspects of this movie, it mostly comes across as a muddle.

Richard Jewell

The premise of this film, at its core, is that a couple of pretty people conspired to destroy a fat, ugly guy. Sounds about right. Perhaps I take that lesson away for personal reasons; but for my lack of a Georgia accent, I could be this guy’s cousin, and I watched this flick keenly aware that, had I ever been in the wrong place at the wrong time, I could easily have gone through what the late Mr. Jewell did. Paul Walter Hauser does good work as the title character, but it’s really Sam Rockwell and Kathy Bates who deliver the tour-de-force performances here. His outrage and her emotional depth drive home the personal dimension to a story that has a much larger scope: every time the government abuses its power, there is at least one individual who suffers terribly for that. It’s well worth taking the time to watch this movie and take that reminder to heart.

Million Dollar Arm

Damn, those Disney people sure know how to make a movie. There's absolutely nothing surprising about this flick; everything is utterly predictable, you can see every twist and turn coming a mile away. And yet it's still an enjoyable, entertaining film to watch. Twenty years ago I would have cynically dismissed a movie like this, and that may be your reaction to this one. But having lived a little and come to recognize the value of sweet, simple, charming entertainment, I can see a work like this for what it is: perhaps not something impressive, but still worthy of our attention, and worth rooting for. Also, it's nice to be reminded that people in other countries love their children, too; we don't get enough of that here in the U.S. Bottom line: no home run, but a solid single up the middle.

The Town

Apparently, that Affleck boy can make a movie. With the newly crowned Best Picture Argo still hanging in the award-season air, I watched this other, earlier case in point. What the man offered here was a well-crafted film, one with a good visual sense and excellent pacing, both of which served well an otherwise pedestrian story. A lot of what's in that story has already been well covered in other films, though I do appreciate the touch of ambiguity in the ending. One bit of absurdity, or at least a questionable choice: would any Bostonians, even Charlestown bank robbers, actually try to rip off the Red Sox? Seems highly implausible. But that doesn't spoil the movie--it's still worth a look.