Lots of good options for February, with 9 films…
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
#FF19 Can You Ever Forgive Me? Is the story of a desperate literary forger.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) February 4, 2019
Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant both have strong performances that keep things interesting, but the pacing is quite slow. The story never quite hits the peak you might be waiting for.
Decent.
Io
#FF19 Io is the kind of indie sci-fi that has a decent central premise, but fails to deliver.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) February 4, 2019
From expositional dialogue to constant narration, it fails at the basics of storytelling.
The leads don’t work together, even given what little plot they have.
Skip.
Velvet Buzzsaw
#FF19 Velvet Buzzsaw feels like a continuation of Dan Gilroy’s critique of media consumption form Nightcrawler, with a focus on art.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) February 11, 2019
Well cast and well shot, a bit weird, but no more than the subject it captures (well, maybe a bit).
A fascinating film and well worth watching.
Green Book
#FF19 Green Book is good if a little… unoriginal. You’ve seen versions of this odd couple movie before but perhaps not one that flits between broad humour (that works), and some fairly serious subject.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) February 11, 2019
Tonally, it doesn’t land. It lacks weight. It’s well-acted, and entertaining
If Beale Street Could Talk
#FF19 If Beale Street Could Talk… is beautiful and tragic. It delivers its story with honesty and humanity, while examining a wonderful relationship torn apart by a putrid society.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) February 11, 2019
Non-linear storytelling and dreamy shots pull back the story perfectly. An excellent film.
The Last Laugh
#FF19 The Last Laugh was not good. A dull premise, executed in a lacklustre way, with tropes that need to die out. Very little of this film worked. A good cast squandered on a mediocre movie.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) February 11, 2019
High Flying Bird
#FF19 High Flying Bird is the story of an agent determined to end an NBA lockout.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) February 15, 2019
It’s well-paced, doesn’t dumb anything down, and the cast is tight.
Shooting on iPhones with a lot of natural light certainly gives it a distinctive look. It’s distracting, but interesting. Good.
The Breaker Upperers
#FF19 The Breaker Upperers is a good film, from its premise through its execution.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) March 3, 2019
The cast of weird characters are interesting and fun; the two leads work well; and the script delivers some good laughs.
There are a few pacing issues towards the end, but nothing overwhelming.
Three Identical Strangers
#FF19 Three Identical Strangers has most of what a good documentary needs: a good central idea to get you watching, then a whole bunch of unexpected turns.
— Gary Fleming (@garyfleming) March 3, 2019
I don’t want to say much, but I had at least one jaw-drop moment. Very watchable.
The February Winner
The winner for February is If Beale Street Could Talk; an excellent look at a relationship and the society that tears it apart. Another film of the year contender.