Tag: Netflix

Irish Wish

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Lindsay Lohan is back in her second venture with Netflix. In Irish Wish, she stars as Maddie, a book editor who has been in love with her boss Paul (Alexander Vlahos) ever since they started working together. When Paul gets engaged to her best friend Emma (Elizabeth Tan), Maddie puts her feelings aside and travels to Ireland for the wedding. Before the big day, she makes a wish for true love and wakes up as the bride to be. But just because all of her dreams are starting to come true doesn’t mean they won’t come at a price.

Words cannot describe how happy I am to have Lohan back on the scene. Her comeback holiday hit Falling For Christmas proved that she never should have left in the first place and I have since been excited to see what she would do next. With her natural charm and comedic chops, Lohan effortlessly carries this film on her back.

Being torn between two men is no easy feat, but it is the chemistry between Lohan’s Maddie and Ed Speleers as nature photographer James that wins. From the very first moment they meet to the moments they spend together in the alternate reality, it is clear that our heroine is meant to be with him instead of Paul. Vlahos did a great job in making the audience dislike his character. In fact, the rest of the casting was pretty spot on as well with Ayesha Curry as Maddie’s other bestie Heather, Matty McCabe as Paul’s brother Kory and Jane Seymour as Maddie’s mom Rosemary.

Another selling point of the film was its Irish backdrop. The cliffside landscapes and magical wishing garden mixed with the quaint town and the beautiful Kennedy estate all elevated the magical element of the story. I’ve been to Ireland before, but now I want to go back and explore even more of it.

Lindsay Lohan is what makes Irish Wish work so well. If she wasn’t in it, I probably wouldn’t have checked it out. We’ve seen various takes on the same story before and some of the dialogue cringey and uneven. But it was still cute and a perfect way to pass time after a long and tiring week and that’s all that matters.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Damsel

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Doing what she thinks is best for her family, Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown) agrees to marry the handsome and seemingly perfect Prince Henry (Nick Robinson). When she realizes their union is a trap, it is too late – she’s thrown into a cave inhabited by a fire-breathing dragon and she must do whatever she can to survive.

Considering the fact that Netflix is known for putting out mediocre films, I went into this one with little to no expectations. Imagine my surprise when I found myself becoming invested and actually kind of enjoying myself?

While it takes way longer than it should to get going, the film did pick up in a big way. With no scene partner to work off of, Brown was completely at the forefront and I have to say that she totally delivered. Her tenacity and bravery to get to safety was thrilling to watch and I found myself waiting in bated breath to see how it would all turn out. Brown, who has been a Netflix protegee since Stranger Things, is certainly one to watch.

Though we don’t see them often, the additions of Ray Winstone, Angela Bassett and Robin Wright as the respective parents were selling points. Robinson unfortunately had quite a wooden performance as the prince thanks to some cringe worthy lines.

The special effects were mostly convincing save for a couple of green screen landscapes. The cave scenes in particular and the dragon itself was quite well done. At times it felt realistic and like the Kingdom of Aurea really does exist.

Damsel was way better than I was expecting it to be. Taking the damsel in distress trope and spinning it on its head was a brilliant idea. It’s no masterpiece by any means, but it made for an entertaining watch and that’s all that matters.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Players

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In Netflix’s latest rom-com venture, Mack (Gina Rodriguez) is a sportswriter who has been making hook up plays with her best friend Adam (Damon Wayans Jr.) and their crew (Augustus Prew, Joel Courtney and Liza Koshy) for years. When she unexpectedly falls for hotshot reporter Nick (Tom Ellis), her plans are thwarted, and she is forced to rethink everything she thought she knew about the games she crafted.

Players looked like a cute film from its trailer. The cast is great with the likes of Rodriguez, who is not only stunning but full of charisma, Wayans Jr. who has great comedic chops and the delectable Ellis fresh off his run from the streaming platform’s Lucifer. But as I settled in and the story progressed, the excitement soon disintegrated.

The chemistry between the core group of friends was playful and fun. I enjoyed the various plays they made at the beginning, like the fishing one. The tone changed, however, when Mack started pursuing Nick. The lead up was entertaining and then the cracks started to show. Nick turned out to be a pretty awful person and it was hard to watch the scenes they shared together.

In fact, the main problem I had with this movie was in its characters. It is obvious from the get go that Adam has always held a torch for Mack, but we’re grasping at straws trying to piece together their history. And then there is Mack who is clearly running away from her true feelings. She makes a lot of questionable decisions which made it hard to root for her. Perhaps having some flashbacks with her and her parents showing their strong bond would have made me understand why she was so closed off in relationships.

Overall, Players could have been a home run, but instead it never really got off the ground. Had the characters been reworked slightly with more fleshed out backstories, it would have been more compelling and well rounded. I also would have cared about them more as a result.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Good Grief

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In this story of love lost and love found, Marc (Dan Levy) is going through the loss of his mother when he dives headfirst into a comfortable marriage with the older and wealthier Oliver (Luke Evans). But when Oliver also dies unexpectedly, Marc is left with nowhere to hide. Hoping it will help, Marc enlists his two best friends Sophie (Ruth Nega) and Thomas (Himesh Patel) to join him on a trip to Paris that will surely be life changing.

Levy, who not only directed but also wrote, produced and starred in the film, has crafted a brilliant depiction of the stages of grief. It is how this grief is handled that differs for everyone involved and as the story unfolds for the audience, we see these three friends learn about life and loss as they are about to enter middle age. I always knew that Levy would be going places after his triumphs on Schitt’s Creek – this is just the icing on top of the cake for him.

The casting was well done and everyone plays their part perfectly. Levy, Nega and Patel are realistic as our trio. I like how they showed that each friendship is not always sunshine and rainbows. It’s normal to have disagreements and to be able to talk about them in a healthy way. The elusive Oliver, who we only see through flashbacks after his death, was brilliantly portrayed by Evans as was David Bradley as Oliver’s father Duncan and Celia Imrie as Marc’s lawyer Imelda.

Spanning across London and Paris, two of my most favorite cities in the entire world, I felt like I was being spoiled with the very best that a film could offer. The cinematography, especially in the latter, was beautifully shot as we spend most of the time here. I felt like I was immediately transported to the place and time and thought those nighttime shots with city illuminated in lights were beautiful.

One would expect a film called Good Grief to only be filled with sadness. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Thanks to the tight knit script, there are some laughs scattered throughout that help balance the overall tone. It is the perfect mix between drama and comedy that was needed. Though I didn’t cry while watching, the film still hit all the right note for me.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Maestro

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Director, writer and actor Bradley Cooper’s new venture is Maestro, based on conductor Leonard Bernstein. The story starts in 1946 and follows Bernstein as a young man, when he meets his wife Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan) at a party. We’re then brought into the ups and downs of their twenty five year marriage.

One thing to note before diving in is that it is not your average biopic. Usually the professional and personal life are explored and depicted for the audience to see. This take is different in that it focuses solely on Leonard and Felicia’s relationship. While said relationship was utterly romantic, I would have preferred there to be more of a balance.

Though we didn’t see much of Bernstein’s conductor side, the moments we did see were very well done. Cooper dedicated a lot of time to learning how to do the movements properly so that each scene was as authentic as possible. His hard work paid off as I found myself forgetting I was watching a movie during these sequences.

Where the film excels is in its performances. Cooper was outstanding as our protagonist and at times almost unrecognisable. I know the prosthetics got a lot of backlash in the beginning, but I think it added to making him so realistic. It was Mulligan, however, who stole the show. There was backlash against her casting as since she was not the correct ethnicity. That being said, she completely knocked it out of the park and is very deserving of her award nominations so far.

Unfortunately the rest of Maestro was not that interesting. I found the storyline to be quite drab in parts and not a lot happened. As a result, it was sometimes hard to pay attention and I lost interest somewhere in the middle. I still recommend giving it a go because the performances are incredible, but that was about it.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

May December

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Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) is an actress who has just landed her next role – portraying the woman who infamously had an affair with a seventh grader and later married him. In order to get to know her character inside and out, she travels to the town where Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Joe (Charles Melton) now live with their children. Elizabeth isn’t sure what she’ll find, but it ends up being a lot more than she bargained for.

Director Todd Haynes has set up an interesting character study for us. The way in which the scenes were set up to the unsettling feeling in the air not only added to the story, but kept me entranced from beginning to end. It’s gripping and pulls you in straight away. There was never a dull moment.

Portman and Moore are some of the best actors in the game and I can’t believe this was the first time they starred together in a feature. Their chemistry was as effortless as it was fabulous. The big surprise for me was Melton. I’m familiar with his work on Riverdale and The Sun is Also A Star, but I had no clue that he had this in him. His performance was both comedic and heartbreaking all at the same time and I’d be shocked if he didn’t get some nominations for it.

While the film had me completely mesmerised throughout, I have to say that the payoff didn’t go the way I had hoped. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the big climax, and when it didn’t come, I was left confused. I understand wanting the audience to interpret it for themselves, but I wasn’t on board.

May December is a film that I am going to remember. Not only were the performances phenomenal, knowing that the story is based on true events really does provide a bigger impact. Making my top favorites of the year is going to be hard because this one just made the list!

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️♥️.5

Family Switch

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The Walkers are your typical family: mom Jess (Jennifer Garner), dad Bill (Ed Helms), their teenagers CC (Emma Myers) and Wyatt (Brady Noon) and baby Miles (Lincoln and Theodore Sykes). They aren’t as close as they used to be as life has gotten in the way. When a mysterious event occurs at the Griffith Park Planetarium, the family end up switching bodies. In order to change back, they’ll have to walk in one another’s shoes.

Body swap stories have been around for ages. Some have been better than others, but one thing is for sure and that’s we always know more or less what to expect from them. This was the first body swap film that I’ve seen which incorporated Christmas and I loved that aspect of it.

I went into this one not expecting anything amazing. Netflix hasn’t really been delivering lately so I was bracing myself. Color me shocked when I realized I was actually enjoying myself! Sure it’s silly, predictable and some of the CGI moments, particularly with Miles acting as the dog Pickles, were done terribly, but I laughed out loud a ton.

The cast worked well together and really had me believing they were a family. Garner and Helms were perfect as the parents trying to get their teens to hang out with them. I also loved seeing Myers in something since her rise to stardom in last year’s Wednesday. My favorite moments were obviously when the switch had happened and the events that followed.

Overall, Family Switch was better than I expected it to be. It had some valuable family moments, great laughs and a banging soundtrack. I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t been feeling like myself lately, but this was exactly the type of film I needed to pick me up.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️

Pain Hustlers

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From director David Yates of various Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films comes Pain Hustlers. The story follows down on her luck mom Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) who is dreaming of a better life for herself and her daughter Phoebe (Chloe Coleman). Thanks to a chance encounter with one Pete Brenner (Chris Evans), she lands a job at the failing pharmaceutical company where he works. As drastic changes begin to occur, she can’t help but wonder if it’s been for better or for worse.

I was looking forward to this one. A film helmed by two of the biggest stars of today? Sign me right up! Unfortunately that’s about all it had going for it. So where did it all go wrong?

First and foremost, this is not the first time we’ve seen the subject tackled. This year alone we’ve had various takes on similar drug crises. This take unfortunately doesn’t add much to what we already know. There’s nothing wrong with that per se, but it doesn’t shed the light on anything new and therefore doesn’t stand out from the crowd.

The performances here are enjoyable enough. Blunt is believable as the scrappy mom who will do whatever she can to provide for her daughter. I wanted to root for her even when she continued to make questionable choices, though she certainly made it hard. Evans, on the other hand, has been playing similar variations of the same character for a while now and it’s beginning to feel tired. The two did have a good chemistry though that made their scenes work. The supporting cast in Catherine O’Hara as Liza’s mother, Andy Garcia as Dr. Neel and Brian D’Arcy James as Dr. Lydell were fine enough.

I truly believe if Pain Hustlers came out at a different point in time, it would have had more of an impact. The story is an important one, but it’s something we’ve seen many times before which didn’t help. I wanted so badly to like it, but my expectations simply weren’t met. I hate to say that it felt like a slog to get through, but I’d be lying if I didn’t.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5

Fair Play

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Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) are madly in love and newly engaged. They also work together at the same cutthroat financial hedge fund and are hiding their relationship from their coworkers. When one of them gets promoted and becomes the others’ boss, the power dynamics shift into something sinister.

Chloe Domont, a new up and coming director, is certainly one to watch. Not only did she pen a brilliant script, she seems to have such a grasp on how this industry works. The battle of the sexes has been going on for many years and this is no exception. The way that a woman is treated in such a company is the complete opposite than that of a man. The realistic depiction that unfolded on screen was so on the nose that it kind of took my breath away.

While the film wouldn’t be complete without the magnetic chemistry between the two leads, it is Dynevor who steals the show. Not only does she carry the plot along perfectly, but she does so by conveying emotion with every look and action. As the storyline progresses, she adjusts and completely sells it. I’d only seen her in Bridgerton before, but now I feel she should be casted in everything. Ehrenreich, on the other hand, was a fine match for her, but it did seem like he took a backseat at times.

Though many have said the genre is that of an erotic thriller, I don’t necessarily agree. Yes, the physicality of it all is present, but only really at the beginning. As the pace picks up, there’s a change that is needed. I also didn’t find it too thrilling and instead more of a slow burn. Nothing wrong with that whatsoever, of course, as it helped increase the impending sense of doom that hung throughout, but it could be misleading.

Overall, Fair Play has a lot going for it. I might have expected more because it’s been receiving so much praise, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was because all the financial stuff lost me. The drama and acting were more than enough to keep me entertained. I recommend everyone should check it out for that final act alone.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Love At First Sight

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Based on the novel The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, the film follows two people who meet by chance, fall in love over the span of a six hour flight, and the lengths they’ll go to to find each other again.

Hadley Sullivan (Haley Lu Richardson) is used to things going wrong in her life so when she misses her flight to London for her father’s wedding, she bites the bullet and gets herself a ticket for the next one out. Oliver Jones (Ben Hardy) is a mysterious British guy who she meets along the way. Sparks immediately fly, but when they’re separated after landing, can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

This rom com screamed cute. I liked how it was different than similar films of the same genre lately. Not only was the chemistry between Richardson and Hardy absolutely adorable, there was substance behind their characters that gave their relationship some extra oomph. Hadley is dealing with abandonment issues after her dad (Rob Delaney) leaves to teach at Oxford, while Oliver is struggling with the imminent loss of his mother (Sally Philips). Each had baggage and instead of keeping it to themselves, they wanted the other to know what was going on.

My favorite part of the whole thing was Jameela Jamil as the narrator. Right from the get go, it was like she was reading the audience a fairytale and as the movie went on, it was so fun to see her pop up in each scene. Acting as a Jiminey Cricket of sorts, she donned the hat of airplane passenger, flight attendant, customs officer, bus driver and bartender to lead Hadley to Oliver and back again. This was a fresh, interesting take that I felt really worked.

Taking place in the vibrant London, I loved attempting to count how many places I could recognize. And thanks to a soundtrack with some really catchy covers, Love At First Sight was an enjoyable enough watch for me. It may not be anything to write home about, but it’s definitely one of the better titles that Netflix has put out lately.

Rating: ♥️♥️.5