Movie Review Madness - Pitch Perfect 3

Pitch Perfect 3 is silly, campy fun and a great way to spend a winter two hours. Hang out with a tub of popcorn, listen to tunes, laugh, and come out smiling. The Pitches are back in fine form. 

Well, the Bellas are out of college and in the real world, and that’s a bummer. Anna Kendrick’s a music producer but feeling discouraged with the kids and crap she has to deal with. She quits. Now what?

Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson – so fabulous. Her throwaway lines are gems) is bumbling along. At a Bellas reunion, the ladies all agree they’ll do anything to sing together again. How about a USO show? They have a connection and suddenly are landing at a base in Spain. Hilarity ensues. Of course there’s a riff-off with the other bands (and they have instruments…shocking!)

Are there love connections? Yes. These ladies are on a military base for goodness sake.

Are there some daddy issues? John Lithgow appears from a long ago past to connect with Amy. But his nefarious past proves troublesome. Just go with the plot line. Rebel is vulnerable and strong.

Pitch Perfect 3 has awesome mash-ups and plenty of girl power. Don’t judge. I got my five dollars of matinee entertainment.  And hey, can’t go wrong with a George Michael finale tune – Freedom 90. Seriously, so uplifting. The Bellas are fine and ready for their own freedom in the world. Sing it loud!

Movie Review Madness - Edge of Seventeen

Edge of Seventeen is such a reminder of the old 1980s John Hughes movies – edgy teens with “real” scenarios and great soundtracks. Now it’s updated for 2016. For me, a bit too much of the “F” word, but otherwise, this movie is on target and so true and totally made me laugh (and cry on the inside) at the same time.   I felt for Nadine (a brilliant Hailee Steinfeld) – she’s an insecure high schooler who’s pretty but doesn’t know it. She’s not comfortable in her skin and lets her motor mouth run her façade.  She’s smart, well read, and nerdy (and that’s okay but she doesn’t know it).  She resents her mother (Kyra Sedgewick – who can play attractive but trying too hard and acting too young). She “hates” her brother Darian ( a very solid Blake Jenner) who’s the star football god at high school. She counts on her bestie, Krista ( Haley Lu Richardson) who cheats on her with her brother – yep, Krista is moving on.  And then there’s the smitten young man (Hayden Szeto) that Nadine takes for granted and oh, he’s so right for her.

Seventeen??  Yep, tough age.  And this movie captures all of the horror, the good, the anxiety, and more.

Gotta love Woody Harrelson who’s the English teacher that Nadine counts on. She’s always barging in on his lunch break and assumes he really has no life.  Ultimately when the chips are down and she counts on this teacher, he goes the extra mile. He has a wife and a baby and Nadine witnesses that her teacher is a real person.  Oh, she has so much to learn.

Edge of Seventeen is excellent.  It truly captures that age of uncertainty and potential.  I am fifty-eight and could feel seventeen again – that inner heartache and worry.  You’ll laugh and inner swoon. Huge thumbs up to a superb little film with a big heart.   Go see it

July Junque: Day 21 Movie Review Madness: Begin Again

Nothing blows up in Begin Again and that’s a good thing. This “little flick” stars Mark Ruffalo as a down and out music producer. He has a drinking problem, gets kicked from his own company (by a very professional looking Ludacris), and ends up in a bar listening to a girl sing. The girl is Keira Knightly and she’s contemplating a return to her native London after being dumped by her boyfriend – Adam Levine playing a singer who’s hit the big time. So Mark feels the magic of Keira and convinces her to cut a CD with him. Both are wary, but pull together friends and contacts to form a group. Nobody is getting paid as they record on the streets of New York.  (And NYC is an awesome location – Central Park, between buildings, under a bridge, etc) 

The joy of music shines through. Everybody has pushed their restart button and are trying to figure out their lives. Mark reconnects with his daughter (Hailee Steinfeld) and slowly stops annoying his ex – Catherine Keener (always good). Keira works at forgetting Adam Levine, but they do cross paths. I won’t say how that ends or begins. All in all – the music and songs are quite decent and entertaining, as are the performances. Ruffalo plays shaggy haired well, with those puppy dog eyes and lopsided grin. I will say that fortunately the movie does not give us a cliché hook up for him and Keira. That would be quite oogie. Instead it’s a friendship and that’s more powerful.  

Begin Again starts with angst, but ends with smiles, singing, and joy. This is a nice date movie, or one to enjoy on your own. Just sing.