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Reviews
Long Way Up (2020)
Ignore the Haters.
There's a lot of kerfuffling from some about things like "why did they spend so much time on the charging" part of the trip but... dude.
These guys are doing a trip that had never been done before - and a lot of the countries are super-hot. They have to wear heavy gear. They wanted to start mid-spring, but there was a late blast of winter.
Climate change is a thing. Nothing is predictable like it used to be. I live in the mildest part of Canada that never gets snow and we had 1.5 feet of snow in late March this year. Sh!t happens.
Anyhow.
I'm only three episodes in but I'm really loving how they're explaining the challenges of this because, in 10 years, this kind s of adventure will be commonplace.
But for now, it's awesome to have this record of Charley and Ewan doing it for the first time ever. Amazing.
30 for 30: Into the Wind (2010)
Inspiring.
Terry Fox is considered one of the greatest Canadians to ever live. He's a hero to Canadians.
If you don't know the story, he was 22 and tried to run across Canada on one leg after he lost his leg to cancer.
He died midway through the run. He ran the equivalent of more than a marathon every day - on one leg, in 1980.
To date, the Terry Fox Foundation has raised over $800 million for cancer research. He changed a country and he saved millions of lives through the advances in science since.
But the story is a look at the historic run. You really should watch it if you don't remember or know the Terry Fox story. And get a hanky. I was 6 the summer Terry ran. Nice to revisit it.
Holidate (2020)
Missed Oportunity
This needed a couple more drafts and some serious rewriting.
It had so much potential but there is just some terrible writing once it gets rolling. The leads knew it and it really hampered their chemistry.
It could have been really good, but the director dropped the ball here.
I wish I stopped watching it when I thought it had jumped the shark, because I kept hoping it would improve, but now I just feel like I've had 1 hour and 44 minutes stolen from me - plus the 5 minutes I'm spending to try and save you the effort.
One Magic Christmas (1985)
Not a fluffy, cheesy Christmas movie
If you want Hallmark, this ain't that. Not for kids under 10 or 12 either.
This is one of my all-time favourite Christmas movies but it is dark as hell for a good chunk of the movie. But that means the redemption at the end is so much sweeter.
All the other reviews give you the synopsis. Steenburgen is having the most horrible Christmas. Some divine intervention occurs. Lessons are learned by all.
There are tragic scenes, death plays a role, so if you're not able to handle realism and tragedy with your Christmas movies, it won't be for you. But if you understand that tragedy is life and beautiful resolutions can come even after that? Great. You might love this movie too.
I'm extremely excited it's on Disney+ because I've been wanting to see it again for years. It's one I would look for in TV Guide every year when I was younger and it goes in my group with A Christmas Carol, It's a Wonderful Life, and few other all-around-great stories.
The Report (2019)
Compelling but Dry (Understandably so)
I can understand some of the ambivalence people may feel about the movie because it's so tamped down, in a way. But I feel like that's rooted in what these people are doing - this is not an audit of an accounting system or busting a President's team of flunkies for being bad burglars. This is torture.
So, yeah, it can feel a bit clinical and people involved have almost turned off their emotions just to get through their days. And how do you jazz that up for tension and such? You can't.
This team pored over 6.3 million pages to do their job. I can't imagine all that they read. Just, oof.
You know what? The movie should be required viewing.
I'll likely never watch it again but I'm glad I did. Bening and Driver are terrific. Some of the pacing is problematic for me but it's all very well done by all parties, from sound through to screen talent.
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
Exactly what I needed.
It's a reminder that sometimes we meet the people we need to meet, when we need to meet them.
This is innocent, dark, inspiring, fun, funny. It reminds me of movies like The Station Agent, You Can Count on Me, Hunt for the Wilder People and What's Rating Gilbert Grape.
Like those? You'll love this.
And it's the best treatment of Down's that I've seen on film. Damn, I love this movie. And Shia Lebouef really hits a homer here, but the entire cast is stellar.
About Time (2013)
Underrated.
I loved it the first time I saw it and loved it again tonight. It's a feel-good movie and maybe it can be a bit preachy, but its message is an important one told in a lighthearted, fun way.