Brandon

“As they say on Ee-rth, "Goodbye! I love you!"” Was not expecting such a tender and warm movie. I wasn’t expecting a lot but I feel satisfied in a way. A very solid Pixar movie, I hope more to come of course. This might be the most beautifully animated Pixar movie in a while. I was absolutely blown away by the quality of colors and textures and also how every small detail moves around in the Commiverse.  The story itself is ‘Ok’, there’s not really a new concept emotionally or thematically that is brought. Just your normal coming of age story. And I feel like the movie is way too short, the climax doesn’t really feel like a climax. And our main villain is not threatening at all.  I found myself loving the relationship between Elio and Glordon, it’s so fun and full of energy that it constantly makes you happy. Overall, I’m happy to say that Pixar’s still got it.

“Can I go again?” A powerful movie about one of our greats, George Clooney. Sure this isn’t Baumbach’s strongest screenplay but for what it is it’s still worth watching especially if you’re big on Clooney. This movie wouldn’t have worked without George Clooney, he is funny in this movie as an actor going through this mid-life crisis. But Adam Sandler stands out to me, he’s this calm man and he’s just such a great friend, so just pair that with Sandler’s charm and you’ve got a great performance. And there’s also Billy Crudup who gives such a spectacular performance, just chef’s kiss. You can’t argue that this movie is visually spectacular. It has intricately designed sets that just instantly pulls you in. And the cinematography locks you into the screen.  But the screenplay is a bit wonky at times, it’s very good but not Baumbach’s best. I feel like at times this movie is way too overstuffed with things but then again it comes full circle at the end. The journey Jay Kelly takes is a fun one, a story about I guess reconnecting and reconciling with his past, his mistakes, and his regrets. How hard it is to be an actor and having to not only play characters but also having to play yourself. Overall, moral of the story is when you lose everyone you’ll still have Adam Sandler.

“Dia bukan ayah Intan, Mang Dedi ayah Intan.” Quite possibly one of the most wholesome movies of the year. A powerful story of love and how it grows, sure I have some gripes but still this is an emotional journey. Ringgo Agus Rahman gives such a powerful performance. The duality of his aggressive performance but also with his quiet and gentle demeanor makes for such a nuanced and compelling performance.  The story is structured weirdly, there’s a climax during the second act and then the third act kind of goes just about everywhere. It has so much going on that it sometimes shies away from the emotional moments it tries to give. I love the chemistry between just about everywhere single character in this movie. It feels like you are just fully transported into these people’s lives. And there’s a scene around the last 15 minute mark that almost made me shed a tear. Overall, Ringgo is undoubtedly one of the greats of Indonesian cinema.

“I don't care that we're different. What I care about... is you. Okay? I care about you.” Wow, I don’t remember the last time I found myself loving a Disney movie as much. I always loved the original, I must’ve seen it a million times. I remember always wanting a sequel and finally here we are. This movie includes a very packed cast, stay in your seat throughout at least the first minute of the end credits and just see the voice actors attached to this movie. And they all do an amazing job, both Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin. And Ke Huy Quan always brings so much energy into every role he plays. I love the story because it’s not only a rethread of the original just plastered with a new title, or a soulless story that never gives us depth to our characters. It’s a story about love, but not wholly in a romantic way, but more so in a general kind of way. That whole third act had me locked in my seat, genuinely one of the best third acts of the year and I’m not joking. And that confession scene or whatever you wanna call it is easily one of the best scenes of the year, and one of the best Disney has made. I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t seen a Disney animation movie in theaters in a long time but the visuals really impressed me. Overall, a certified banger from Disney, and let’s hope this gets a lot of love during awards season.