Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Avengers: Endgame is the serviceable capstone on a decade's worth of serviceable movies worth billions of dollars. There are millions of superfans all around the world. And this is for them. This movie is 100% fan service. One last hurrah for the old guard of Avengers. I'm unfortunately not one of those superfans. I think I missed a lot of the references to the older films. I think they didn't have as much of an emotional impact for me because I am not attached to the characters and I don't recall the details of the old movies. The explanation of time travel from The Hulk is brushed over really quickly and I didn't catch it. But I think there are some significant plot holes that I'm willing to overlook. The movie runs way too long. There are a lot of subplots they could have cut out that serve only to prolong the movie. And to top it off, I fell asleep during the climactic battle scene. We can blame jet lag, but also, I have a tendency to fall asleep during battles.

Captain Marvel (2019)

Marvel's first movie to feature a female hero is a trip back to the 90s. 90s nostalgia is apparently in right now following Bumblebee. The 90s music was a really nice touch--of course there is some Gwen Stefani. The use of music is actually reminiscent of a movie I think they were indeed trying to emulate: Top Gun. Our hero is an aspiring air force fighter pilot (they didn't let women fly back then). And the cat is named Goose, like the character from Top Gun.

Brie Larson is phenomenal. The movie fortunately does not fall into the trap of many an action movie. There is no love interest. I think it is telling that the first Marvel movie with a female hero does not focus on romance. The Bechdel test is passed in the beginning of the movie. And Samuel L Jackson's supporting part is a lot of fun. We're familiar with much of the Avengers lore, but this movie brings us back and fills in some of the gaps we didn't know existed. And Jackson is a great singer too.

The Glass Castle (2017)

The Glass Castle is very ok. I hear the book is very good, but the movie wasn't really holding my attention. I've read about some key changes between the book and the movie that sort of change the dynamic of the movie. The premise was similar-ish to Captain Fantastic with regards to the unconventional father, but this movie wasn't as novel. It was also reminiscent of the bad parenting of The Meyerowitz Stories, but this movie is less funny and explores childhood more. I thought there would be more elaboration on why they were on the run--I thought that would be the plot that moves the story along, but that's not the case. The strongest bits were the adulthood scenes in which Brie Larson reflects on how her upbringing has affected her. Brie Larson is quite good as is Woody Harrelson. I think the biggest problem with the movie is that it can't decide what it wants the audience to think. They're horrible wacky parents, but are we supposed to sympathize with the parents by the end? Do we want them to reconcile? Not really. Maybe it's a little too sentimental for me. 

Room (2015)

I came into this film with a bit of a misconception. I heard a lot about Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay giving tremendous performances (and they do), but I thought those performances were restricted to the confines of the titular room. I thought it was going to be two hours of Larson musing to her son about the outside world and keeping him entertained in the face of misery. But I was so wrong. Sure, there is some of that and it is really good, but the movie is really about adjusting to the outside world after having lived in Room for so long. And it's not like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt happy-go-lucky optimistic kind of adjusting; this is raw and powerful. This is not too much of a spoiler, but they escape from Room well before the end of the movie, to allow ample time for thoughtful introspection.

The two main characters have vastly different experiences despite living together in Room. Larson plays Joy, who was kidnapped at the age of 17. So she knows what is beyond Room and years to be free. But her son Jack complicates things. Her motives change when she has to think about her child. And the viewer soon realizes that her own agony is bottled up inside her because she is so worried about Jack that she can't worry about herself. Larson plays Joy beautifully. On the flip-side, you have Jack who was born and raised in captivity and knows nothing else. I think that the decision to give Jack narrative monologues to get inside his unimaginable child mindset was brilliant. Tremblay is a phenomenal 9-year old actor who just gives it his all. The escape scene is so powerful because of him. You feel the shock and awe and that raw emotion lingers with you for a solid 15 minutes. Full-grown actors can't even do that. 

Trainwreck (2015)

Judd Apatow takes his tried and true R-rated comedy formula, and refreshingly puts a female protagonist at the helm.  Amy Schumer pens this hilarious not-your-typical romantic comedy.  No, Schumer pokes fun at romantic comedy cliches in a satire of sorts.  Her self deprecating, biting, edgy, raunchy humor is exactly what we've come to expect from Schumer.  But at the same time, there is a good balance between humor and seriousness.

Amy Schumer and Bill Hader play great leads. They have good chemistry together, and they make each other funnier feeding off of each other's energy.  Tilda Swinton is unrecognizable in her tanned skin tone.  And the MVP award goes to LeBron James playing himself. Is there anything he can't do?  As the concerned friend and patient of Bill Hader, he is actually really funny.  

Short Term 12 (2013)

Brie Larson plays a line facilitator at a group home for troubled teenagers in an incredibly moving and emotional performance.  The film does not shy away from the inherently heavy subject matter, rather Short Term 12 embraces it quite frankly without any sugarcoating.  The beautiful camerawork brings the audience the perspective of these kids far too often neglected.  Yet somehow, this story manages to be uplifting.  This is thanks to an exceptionally strong screenplay.

The teens, too, give excellent, believable performances.  Particularly, the actors who played Jayden, Marcus and Luis stood out.  Personally, my favorite scene is Marcus's brutally honest rap "So You Know What It's Like," which many Oscar pundits had predicted would score a nomination (It certainly should have found a spot over "Alone Yet Not Alone").