Month: March 2025

Holland

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Nancy Vandergroot (Nicole Kidman) is a teacher and homemaker who lives in Holland, Michigan. Together with her husband Fred (Matthew Macfadyen) and her son Harry (Jude Hill), they seem to have the perfect life. But when Nancy starts to suspect that Fred has a secret, she joins forces with her colleague and friend Dave (Gael García Bernal) to find out what it is.

Director Mimi Cave splashed onto the scene with 2022’s Fresh which was a runaway hit. Many have wondered what she would do next though I suspect they weren’t thinking it would be this. From what I have seen so far, not many have been a fan of her sophomore outing, but I actually quite liked it!

We already know that I will watch anything that Kidman is in; she is one of the greatest actors of our time. Though this may not be one of her most iconic roles, the slightly awkward character of Nancy was fun to watch. The rest of the performances were well done too. Macfadyen’s Fred certainly gave off a mysterious air and Bernal, who harboured some secrets of his own, seemed to fit right in.

Though this didn’t take place in The Netherlands, there was enough to make me feel like I was right at home. The various tulip fields, the windmill and the Dutch songs and words that were spoken throughout were a trip. I honestly did not know there was a Holland in Michigan, but at least I do now.

The film was very slow burn. I can understand that for this reason alone it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But I couldn’t help but feel invested throughout. There was just something about it that gripped me from the beginning and while it may not have had the pay off I was hoping for, I still found it satisfying enough.

Overall Holland was an interesting film that blurred the lines between what is real and what is not. As the audience, you never really know if what is happening is in Nancy’s imagination, or if it’s real life. I liked that we could make up our own interpretation of the events that transpired and how we will never really have any answers. I felt like it worked for the story.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Snow White

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Disney’s latest live remake offering comes in the form of Snow White, the first princess. In this updated version, Snow White (Rachel Zegler) was forced by her evil stepmother (Gal Gadot) to become a servant after the death of her parents. When she learns of the Queen’s plans to kill her, she flees and teams up with some dwarves and bandits to liberate her kingdom.

There has been much controversy surrounding this film. Casting choices and misuse of CGI hindered people’s opinions long before the release. To be completely honest, I didn’t think the film was as bad as everyone was expecting it would be. There were some things I enjoyed, but it ultimately fall flat.

Zegler was born to play Snow White. She certainly looked the part and she has the singing chops to boot. I loved how they gave our heroine more of a backbone too. Additionally, the prince wasn’t even really a prince. Instead, he was a bandit by the name of Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) who has a properly fleshed out character. The romance between the two was actually warranted and they had great chemistry.

Unfortunately I cannot say I was sold by Gadot’s performance. She’s stunning, don’t get me wrong, and she rocked those costumes. I just didn’t think she was convincing enough as such a menacing villain. Her song wasn’t impactful and she doesn’t have the best singing voice, not to mention the fact that her transformation into the creepy old woman wasn’t as scarring as the animated version (that used to give me nightmares as a child). I also can’t leave out the CGI dwarves who of course caused so much controversy behind the scenes. I’m not sure why Disney made this particular choice. Dopey (Andrew Barth Feldman) may have been cute, but I still don’t think this was the right call.

Overall, Snow White wasn’t completely awful, but it wasn’t a home run either. I wasn’t surprised with the updates to story and for the most part I thought they made sense. It added depth to some of the characters. I also liked the new songs. However, it did lack that Disney magic that was evident in 2019’s Aladdin and 2015’s Cinderella.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

The Electric State

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Based on the graphic novel by Simon Stålenhag, The Electric State follows Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown), an orphan, whose life hasn’t been the same since the war. She teams up with a robot and a smuggler named Keats (Chris Pratt) to find her long lost brother who she presumed was dead.

Directed by the Russo brothers and boasted to be the most expensive Netflix project ever made, one would expect this film to be slam dunk. Unfortunately that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. While there were some glimmers of hope at the beginning, my interest in the film grew thinner and thinner as the time went on and I just didn’t really see the point anymore.

Where the film excels is in its special effects and cinematography. The various robots that the audience meets throughout come with their own individual personalities thanks to the voice talents of Anthony Mackie, Woody Harrelson, Ke Huy Quan and Jenny Slate. The world building was pretty impressive as well with the vast lands of a post apocalyptic United States. As the film took place in the nineties, I also loved the throwback songs that were featured throughout as it really helped set the tone.

Brown is great in everything she does. I’ve grown to admire her as an actor over the years and she does what she can with the role. I can imagine that talking one on one to a robot for most of the film couldn’t have been easy. I can’t help but think that Pratt is being typecasted in yet another Peter Quill sort of role. I’m also not a fan of his in general so I found watching his scenes to be a bit annoying. Stanley Tucci is supposed to be a villain, but I didn’t find him menacing whatsoever.

Pacing was also an issue for me. It felt kind of all over the place and I’m wondering if maybe it had been made into a show instead of a film would it have fared better? The same can be said about the characters. Aside from Michelle, we really didn’t have much backstory on Keats or Tucci’s Ethan Skate which left them rather one-dimensional. I also couldn’t figure out who the target audience for the film was supposed to be.

While I may not have had high expectations for The Electric State, I was still hoping it wouldn’t be that bad. I guess this is something that I should just expect from Netflix going forward though I really wish they would give us more quality films.

Rating: ♥️♥️

One Of Them Days

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Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) are best friends and roommates. They are total opposites with Dreux hoping to secure a job as franchise manager of the restaurant where she works and Alyssa drifting through life as an artist. When they discover that Alyssa’s boyfriend (Joshua David Neal) stole their rent money, they are faced with eviction. In an attempt to raise the funds by the end of the day, they’ll do whatever it takes to save their home.

One Of Them Days wasn’t initially on my radar. When I heard so many good things about it, I knew that I had to check it out for myself. This was the film that I didn’t know I needed in my life and I am glad that I gave it a go.

Hands down, this would not work if it wasn’t for the chemistry between our two leads. Palmer and SZA gelled together so incredibly well it was infectious. I was invested in their friendship right from the beginning. It had been a while since I saw Palmer in something, but her comedic timing is perfect as always. As for SZA, though she is more well known in the music scene, one couldn’t tell that this was her feature film debut.

While some of the predicaments the girls find themselves in are not at all realistic, they were still thoroughly entertaining. This is the type of film that is best if you go into it suspending all belief because then you can fully embrace the craziness of it all. And while it is mostly crazy, there are also some heartwarming moments too.

Overall, One Of Them Days has the same sort of formula we’ve seen before, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t any less enjoyable. Thanks to the dynamic duo that is Keke Palmer and SZA, this girl power caper delivers the laughs right until the credits start to roll.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Mickey 17

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Sometime in the not so distant future, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) signs up to be an expendable on a space mission. Whenever he dies, a new version of himself is automatically created. When something goes wrong one day, Mickey discovers that there are now two versions of himself alive at the same time.

I’m not usually a fan of science fiction. Most of the time that’s because the world building can be too complicated for me. I was worried that this would be the case here and I’m happy to report that it wasn’t. For the most part, I was able to follow along with the story and I actually enjoyed the film way more than I thought I would.

Pattinson was brilliant as the titular character. All the different versions of him were so interesting and unique. This wasn’t a typical role for the actor and I liked the lighter, more comedic tone that it required. The rest of the cast were stacked. Naomi Ackie smashed it as Mickey’s girlfriend Nasha. Though we never knew her backstory, she proved herself to be a bad ass character who could hold her own. Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette starred as Kenneth and Yifa Marshall, the leaders of the mission. They were so over the top, I couldn’t help but be reminded of a certain someone who is currently in power right now…

Director Bong Joon Ho is well known for his outlandish and satirical ideas. While this is quite the opposite of former Oscar winner Parasite, it is still a film that will give the audience a lot to think about.

Overall, Mickey 17 was a pleasant surprise. With fabulous performances, a crazy storyline and the beautiful backdrop of Niflheim, it was hard not to become wrapped up in this world. I do think it could have been a little bit shorter timing wise and it would have been nice to see more of the characters fleshed out, but that is something I was able to overlook.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Picture This

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Prime Video’s latest romantic comedy offering comes in the form of Picture This. Pia (Simone Ashley) has always marched to the beat of her own drum despite her family’s wishes to settle down and find a husband. When she receives a prediction that true love will find her in five dates, they step up to the plate to play matchmaker. Their plans may be thwarted, however, when her ex Charlie (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) reappears.

Ashley soared to fame in Netflix’s Sex Education and Bridgerton. For her first leading role, I thought she did a commendable job. Her character stuck to her guns no matter what and always put her passion for photography first. I had no idea she could be funny either; her little quips and one liners combined with the physical aspects worked well. Fiennes Tiffin has come a long way since the After series. I’m glad that he’s putting himself forward for different roles and getting more out there.

Laxmi (Sindhu Vee), Mukul (Adil Ray) and Sonal (Anoushka Chada) make up Pia’s mother, father and sister. They were all perfectly casted. Everyone gelled well and it did feel like a proper family. I can’t forget Pia’s best friend Jay (Luke Fetherston). Seemingly the brother she never had, their scenes were so genuine.

While the chemistry between our two leads was cute, I can’t say that the film was really a romcom. The main focus was definitely on Pia and while I preferred that direction more, I do think it would be confusing to those expecting more swoon-worthy moments.

Picture This didn’t quite deliver on the romance aspect. Where it made up for was in the running theme of family. That was where the true heart of the film laid and that is where it excelled the most.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

The Last Showgirl

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Directed by Gia Coppola, The Last Showgirl follows Shelly (Pamela Anderson), a dancer, who has been working at Le Razzle Dazzle for almost thirty years. Nobody can believe it when they hear that the show will be closing. Suddenly Shelly, along with the people she’s come to know and love, must think about what they want to do with the rest of their lives.

After hearing so much about Anderson’s career best performance, I knew that I had to check it out for myself. Having been misunderstood in the past, many have overlooked her talent. She has proved everyone wrong with this role. The fact that it was written with her in mind says a lot, but she still puts in the work and the pay off is priceless. The nominations she received were one hundred per cent warranted.

The rest of the cast are perfect in their roles too. We’ve got Jamie Lee Curtis as Shelly’s friend Annette, a former showgirl who now works as a cocktail waitress. In some ways she’s the complete opposite of our protagonist, but their friendship is heartwarming to watch. Brenda Song and Kiernan Shipka portray Mary-Anne and Jodie respectively, two fellow dancers who look up to Shelly and think of her as a mother figure. Dave Bautista steps out from his usual action persona to play Eddie, the club owner, while Billie Lourd is Shelly’s tentative daughter trying to reach out to the mother she never really knew.

What makes this film so topical is its depiction of ageism. Shelly, who is in her fifties, is considered too old to be in show business. When she goes for auditions, she’s turned away without so much as a blink of the eye. Annette is facing a similar situation. Going from a dancer to a cocktail waitress was already something she didn’t really want to do and then she finds her hours are being cut to favor other, younger women.

Overall, The Last Showgirl may seem like a simple film, but in reality it is so much more. It is a bleak look into show business that is both eye opening and upsetting. Anderson’s performance combined with the glitzy Las Vegas background are all additional reasons as to why you should check this one out for yourself.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5