Movie review - "Fly Me to the Moon" (2024) ***

 Sweet romantic comedy with a strong idea - background to the Moon landing - and theme - about selling, and the truth - is an enjoyable watch. It didn't have to close $100 million, this should've been a $40 million film. Maybe too much plot in the last act.

Movie review - "Blue Jay" (2016) **

 I like the stars, Sarah Poulson (who seems like the nicest person IRL) and Mark Duplass and the movie has an enjoyable low key vibe, 90s style. But there's not enough here for a feature - it's a subplot really.

Movie review - "Pillow Talk" (1959) **** (rewatching)

 Really good script. Witty. Well structured. Maybe Thelma Ritter could've been used more (her suggestion to Rock is something Rock could've thought up). Risque - bathtub scene, jokes about Rock being gay and Rock having a baby. Rock is handsome and winnings. Doris terrific. But Tony Randall also superb. Everyone is terrific.

Saw this on the big screen. Stylish. Fun.

Movie review - "You're Cordially Invited" (2025) ***

 Funny comedy with Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon battling over a wedding reservation - a decent idea, well developed. Ferrell and Witherspoon have different comedic styles - he's more up in the air she's more grounded. I didn't want to see them together - that doesn't become an issue for the last ten minutes or so. Maybe it would've been a better film with more obviously romantic co starring leads.I mean, he's ten years older which isn't that much by Hollywood standards but he seems older. I think mahybe Vince Vaughan or Ashton Kutcher would've worked more.

Movie review - "Hot Frosty" (2024) **

 Kind of like Splash with a snowman and set at Christmas. Lacey Chabert seems bored, Craig Robinson and Joe T prove they need writers, it all feels a little sluggish.

Movie review - "A Christmas Frequency" (2023) **

 Ansley Gordon is a solid lead. Novelty in seeing Denis Richards. The male lead has a literal mop of hair.  Awkward blocking.

Movie review - "Puppy Love" (2022) ***1/2

 Sweet rom com which actually has a point of difference in that it's more about the guy - the lead, a screenwriter surrogate most likely (Grant Gustin) has bad social anxiety, is very used to being alone. He mets hot mess Lucy Hale and they dislike each other but in a cute twist their dogs hook up so they're stuck together.

Hale is always good in these roles, and she and Gustin have genuine chemistry. There's a range of "turns" from wacky people the lead run into each other. Some of these go over the top, others work.

But you genuinely sense the leads fall in love and it's all very sweet.

Movie review - "Am I Ok?" (2022) ***

 Enjoyable friend-com about a later in life lesbian Dakota Johnson and her BFF Sonoya Mizuno. Done with warm and style. Occasionally the guest stars - Sean Hayes, Tig Notaro (who directed) get a little hammy in their cameos - but it's all in good fun.

Movie review - "Tell It To the Judge" (1949) **1/2

 One of Rosalind Russell's many comedies of remarriage and she's excellently teamed with Bob Cummungs who is in superb form, as is she. They are so terrific and the film full of possibilities and some strong support (Gig Young) that it's frustrating the filmmakers couldn't cobble it together.

Rosalind Russell is up for being a judget and is getting over the divorce from her ex Bob Cummungs. That's promising as are other bits - Cummings giving testimony from gangster's moll Marie McDoanld who gangstes are to get, Gig Young romancing Russell being a suave possible criminal.

Why don't they use the gangsters? Why don't they have life and death stakes? It would justfiy the lying. Why not have MacDonald love Cummings?

So many dumb ideas like Rusell being continually upset about MacDonald when there's a perfectly good reason for him to be with her, and Cummings not wanting Russell to be a judge in the first place, and not using gangsters, and MacDonald being scared all the time and Cummings fobbing her off.

Have Cummings as a prosecutor, Russell an co worker becoming a judge, make the blonde more Machiavellian and less trust worthy, have Cummings under strict instructions to lie to Russell, have Russell applied to the case, have people trying to shoot them, use the gangster, have Young be either super virtuous or super villainois.

So frustrating. Nice photography.

Movie review - "The Bride Wore Boots" (1946) **

 A comedy of remarriage that shoud've been a romantic comedy. Because they split up for dumb reasons so I didn't care, and it's so contrived keeping them apart. It's a dumb script.

The set up would've worked as a rom com. Barbara Stanwyck is a horsey outdoorsy woman who falls for booking Robert Cummings who writes about the Civil War. Both can play comed and would be ideal casting - Stanwyck looks physical Cummings can play nerds. But this central conflict isn't dramatised. It's mostly Cummings having literary groupies particularly Diana Lynn who tries to kiss him all the time and Stanwyck eventually sues for divorce. It makes everyone an idiot. Break them up for a solid reason. I mean they've got two kids one of whom is Natalie Wood.

Classy cast includes Robert Benchley, Willie Best. Patrick Knowles is dull as a rival for Stanwyck.

TV review - "Nodbody Wants This" (2024) ***1/2

 The first three or so episodes are perfect - beautifully cast, well done, funny, lovingly shot. But as the series goes on it gets increasingly silly as if madcap LA girls took over the plot room with Kristen Bell acting like a child, and Adam Brophy becoming more of a cardboard cut out, this perfect man who just accepts everything. Which is a shame because when the show plays the reality of the characters and situation a bit more, less sitcomy and more honestly, it works wonderfully well.

Movie review - "Hotel de Love" (1997) ** (re-watching)

 Gosh this is a period piece now. The talk of the differences between men and women, the self conscious literary quality, all the quirkiness. There's mugging and over playing. Saffron Burrows is beautiful but can't really act (she got better). Aden Young can act, and isn't bad, just feels a little wrong. Simon Bossell is allowed to over act as is Peter O'Brien. Everyone is fine when they tone down and emote, I've got to say. Oh, and Pippa Grandison, Ray Barrett and Juliet Blake have no trouble shifting gears.

The silly hotel has its own charm with its bright colours. It doesn't have lot of logic (would a hotel with such rooms ever appeal).  

The marriage between Julia Blake and Ray Barrett is so inherently toxic that their reunion is hopeplessly unconvicing. Likewise Simon Bossell's character is basically unhinged - at the end he goes to the airport every Friday to waiy for Grandison, is that right? Like we see them at the end, a very sweet scene... but he's been going for weeks and weeks unsuccessfully?

Movie review - "I Love You Daddy" (2017) **1/2

Louis CK pushed things to the edge, and continues to do so, but the content and timing of this one was not idea. Ten years earlier it might've been okay but who knows.

It's very Woody Allen, specifically Manhattan with its black and white widescreen photography, classical music, show business milieu, romancing actresses, being interested in the sex lives of young girls With John Malkovich as a Woody Allen style director - acclaimed as a genius, charming, funny, with a reputation as someone into young girls accused of being a molesterer. Apparently Woody Allen was offered the lead but turned it down. Malkovich plays him more as a Polanski type figure (I sense a European actor would've worked better in the role but Malkovich gives off that sensibility).

 There's a scee where Charlie Day mimes masturbating to the thought of the actress played by Rose Byrne - while Louis CK and Edie Falco are in the room. That's a little close to the bone. Anther scene has Rose Byrne going is it so bad if his daughter is with Malkovich? Plenty of things to discuss.

The cast also includes Edie Falco (as a very recognisable type - the put upon overworked producer), Pamela Adlon (kind of a cameo as CK's ex), Helen Hunt (CK's other ex), Chloe Grace Moretz (daughter), the voice of Albert Brooks. That's a hell of a cast.

I laughed a few times. Felt uncomfortable in other places. The parenting scenes seem to lack a little authenticity Maybe I'm wrong. The story telling is a little iffy - felt not quite enough story, or at least what was there wasn't developed.

Movie review - "Strange Planet" (1999) *** (re-watching)

 This holds up better than I thought it would - time has been kind, in part because it's a time capsule now, we've grown up with the cast, I guess it reminds me of my youth. There's a pang at some things - Tom Long, so handsome, puffing away with cigarettes, and also knowing Emma Kate Croghan wouldn't direct another film despite being so talented with such a clear vision. The dialogue is bright and funny, the visuals have energy, Alice Garner was lovely (I think she gives the best performance in the movie), Claudia Karvan is doing a trial run for Secret Life of Us, the characters are all differentiated.

There is a lack of authenticity about some of it - the law office stuff bumped for me. I was too mean about Karvan's character who in hindsight is a lot more complex than I gave credit for at the time (I guess this means I've evolved!) The bonds of the female friendship especially feels very real.

I do think the film had a central problem - not having the boys and girls meet until the end. I get the concept, but it meant they were working in story satellites, apart from being loosely connected via Hugo Weaving (Long's client and Karvan's lover). Thing is, it didn't have to be that way... they could have met at the first New Years. There were plenty of blocks for characters getting together - Karvan being after Hugo Weaving, Long's character wanting a kid, Watt and Jeffries getting over disastrous breakups could keep them apart for a year, ditto the neuroticism of Felix Williamsons' and Garners' characters.

The acting is good - Aaron Jeffrey feels miscast, but he tries and has a good breakdown. There's a lot of money on display - extras, party scenes. The characters have money too - Jeffries has a house with a pool! I guess he got it from his parents.

Movie review - "No Hard Feelings" (2023) ***1/2

 An old fashioned star vehicle with a modern twist - Jennifer Lawrence goes balls to the wall as a hot mess who takes money to seduce a gawky 19 year old courtesy of his rich parents. I'm not sure it would work with any other star with her combination of vulnerability, craziness, sexiness, and whole hearted commitment. Andrew Bath Feldman is an excellent co star and the support is very good but really this is the Lawrence show and that's just the way it should be.

More might've been made of class issues - I mean, the guy is an only child of rich parents he's never going to worry about money, and he might've been more grateful that Lawrence was going to spend time with him. Also the final stunt at the end was a little silly. But in general I liked this.

Movie review - "Mannequin" (1987) ***

 Good medium-budget commercial filmmaking - high concept, easy to follow, bright colours, cheap stars (Andrew McCarthy, Kim Cattral), support players hamming it up (GW Bailey, James Spader, Mescach Taylor, Estelle Getty), a surprisingly complex performance by Carole Davis as the fake love interest (meant to be the bitch but very sympathetic, she's constantly sexually harrassed), a hit song.

Taylor's Hollywood, an over the top black gay character, is progressive for its time in its own way. It's silly, best for kids, but also sprinkled with adult humour, mostly about McCarthy having sex with a wax dummy.

The film was influenced by One Touch of Venus but a bigger inspiration was Splash.

Movie review - "Anyone But You" (2023) ***

 An ad campaign basically bullied people into going to see it but I think a rom com was overdue and it's a respectibly budgeted movie - small ish cast - about attractive people in nice locations. Glen Powell and Sydney McSweeney give off supporting actor vibes but their game and good looking, both keen to strip in a good cause, it's very well directed by Will Gluck, the plotting is contrived but there are bright lines, it's a good ad for Australia.

Movie review - "Three Hearts for Julia" (1943) **

 Comedy of remarriage, which like many such tales these days comes across as a bit creepy and rapey for all the charm of Melvyn Douglas and Ann Southern. He's a journo back from Europe to reclaim wife Southern who works in an orchestra. He's been away for two years so she's had the arse - he keeps taking off on trips, and wants to move on with Lee Bowman, rich guy, and Richard Ainley, critic. This is very sympathetic. But Douglas wants her back. And because it's 1940s MGM we'll know he'll succeed.

He tries charm and then inevitably "charmingly" kidnaps her. The issues of their marriage aren't resolved, it's her giving in.

The most interesting thing is Southern plays in an all female orchestra. The conductor is a refugee from the Gestapo and briefly struggles with the notion of an all female band but that's presented cutely. The all female orchestra would've been enoug for a film - make it a three girl movie say.

Southern is sweet. Douglas has charm.  Shirley Ann Richards is in it briefly as one of the gals in the orchestra.

Richard Thorpe directed. I'm sure it came in on time and under budget.

Movie review - "Irish Wish" (2024) **1/2

 The director and her team tried to make a good film. It's got pep and looks great. Interesting costuming. Nice Irish scenery. Not many laughs but it's sweet.

Movie review - "Lost Honeymoon" (1947) **

 This is brightly handled with some skilled playing - Franchot Tone was adept at light comedy and Tom Conway livens things up; Ann Richards actually gets a deceent role and Frances Rafferty is beautiful and a lot of fun as the other woman.

But the story is so dumb and contrived. Richards was BFF of a woman who was married to Tone during the war in England (this was made by Eagle Lion and I think they were looking at co pros with England) then went back to the US. The woman has died leaving two kids. So Richards takes the kids to the US pretending to be the wife... because... ah... and Tone had amnesia during the war...

It doesn't make sense. Why doesn't Richard just tell the truth? If they'd come up with a better reason for her deception this would've been so much better.

The opening scene is clunky and feels as though maybe it was shot at a later date. More could've been made of Conway finding Richards attractive and Tone and his kds.

In a few scenes Richards flirts and sparkles and it's just like she's back at Cinesound. Rafferty, like Richards, should've had a bigger Hollywood career.

Leigh Jason directs with a nice light touch. I hadn't heard of him before. Just so dumb a story though.