The hubs and I also watched Alexander Payne's latest film, The Holdovers, and I wasn't blown away by that flick either. I did, however, love the trailer. Whoever put that together should win an award. It's pure 70s movie trailer fare in all its glory. And Paul Giamatti's wandering eye should receive an honorable mention as well. Giamatti, who never has a bad film performance in him, will always hold my attention, so the film wasn't a total wash. The movie's run time, at just over 2 hours, was absolutely too long and the first 30 minutes prior to Dominic Cessa's character having been 'held over' winter break could have been edited down considerably.
Da'vine Joy Randolph is a gifted performer, but she's clearly never smoked and had a hard time mastering how to hold, ash and take a drag off a cigarette. If those sorts of things don't bother you when watching a performance, then you probably had an easier time staying with the film than I did (and I'm slightly jealous). Shit like that takes me right out of the story. Ditto the continuity stuff like one minute Randolph's character is holding a newly lit smoke, the next minute it's down to the butt with a long ash. Nix the film smoking entirely, I say.
For those of you who are as hung up on the details as I am, did you notice that when our three leads showed up at the Christmas shindig NO ONE closed the front door upon entering the house? The scene with Cessa, Giamatti and Randolph chatting to their host with the door wide open behind them for seemingly minutes on end in the cold-ass New England winter made me batty.
Thanks for reading and, yes, I need to take a chill pill.
I want to see "The Holdovers" but it's not on a streaming service I have. Hopefully it will eventually be somewhere I can watch it. I'll watch in particular for bad smoking, lol -- that bugs me too, as a former smoker.
ReplyDeleteExactly! I neglected to write that I'm an ex-smoker as well. We know the drill.
DeleteWhat I find most distracting is actors using tools badly - the blacksmith randomly bashing a bit of burning hot steel on an anvil, etc.
ReplyDeleteYes, I can imagine. Actions like that seem to be for our viewing 'pleasure', but for you it would be jarring.
DeleteBest Barbie film is the animation "The Princess and the Pauper". Funny. Great songs. More than 20 years old, so it is traditional rather than PC / woke. Found it online recently. Wife said I was grinning like a 6-year-old schoolgirl.
ReplyDeleteI think I recall that title. I'd be inclined to watch that one myself.
DeleteI waited for Barbie on a streaming service as well. I wasn't interested enough to track it down in a theater, and I was right with that assessment.
ReplyDeleteThe Holdovers? Yeah, I have absolutely no clue what this film is. That's how out of it I am.
Yeah, the film is 'meh', but Payne's other work like Sideways and Election ('member that?) I really enjoyed.
DeleteWell, I didn't think Barbie lived up to the hype either. I can miss minutes of dialogue if I get too caught up in details, I can't help it.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's exactly what happens. I'm like: Will no one shut the door?! It's freezing outside!
DeleteMeanwhile, actors are acting and I'm not listening. :D
Like you I'm not a Barbie fan. Didn't have any of the dolls, though my daughter had one when she was growing up. I've watch bits of the movie, like when I'm clicking around trying to find something. What I did see seemed pretty stupid to me; but I know some people felt there lots of "great" meaning to it. Different strokes for different folks I guess. Perhaps I'll watch the whole thing at some point to see if that makes a difference. The other film you mentioned I've never heard of, nor the actors...but, I really never go to the movies. I prefer to watch things from the comfort of my living room so I can pause to refill my wine glass or go potty etc.
ReplyDeleteSandy's Space
The other flick, The Holdovers, had a streaming debut recently on Netflix, I think it was, so you could check it out, if you were so inclined.
DeleteBarbie has never done it for me. Like you, I, too, wasn't given one to play with when I was little.