Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

Did we need this Star Wars movie? No, not really. It comes between Episodes III and IV. The question it answers is "Where did the so-called New Hope come from?" It tries to distinguish itself from the Star Wars films, establishing itself without the trademark Star Wars opening crawl, iconic music, and even without light sabers. Here's my question though: is it really still Star Wars without these things? I say no. Disney is taking advantage of us, passing this off as a Star Wars movie while denying that very thing. There is no emotional investment in these characters that we know will only be around for this one film within the Star Wars universe. And consequentially, there isn't too much character development. I like Diego Luna. I like Felicity Jones. But the rest of the characters seemed rather pointless to the story. 

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

From the wizarding world of Harry Potter comes a prequel that no one really asked for. But it is a pleasantly enjoyable film. Other than a brief mention of Hogwarts and some familiar spells, the film bears no resemblance to the films we know and love from our childhood. This film brings us to the wizarding community in America, under the rule of the Magical Congress which forbids interaction with muggles, or No-Maj as the Americans so unelegantly put it. The costumes and period production design tinged with a magical aura and special effects transport you to another world as the old films used to. The film is self contained, with a clear beginning, middle and proper end. There is no need for a sequel but we're going to get it. Eddie Redmayne is delightful as Newt Scamander. I thought he was already in Harry Potter. I guess he just seems like he was a student at Hogwarts. Call it good casting. 

In the Mood for Love (2000)

I'm in such awe of this movie. I don't think I have the capacity to describe how beautiful this movie is, everything about it from the music to the acting to the reds and the incredible cinematography. So I'm not even going to try. It would be a disservice to the film. Maybe I'm just chickening out from expressing my feelings cause I'm some emotional wreck now having watched this movie. But I would like to revisit this one down the road when I'm older and have lived and experienced more. I think it will have profoundly different meaning. 

The Circle (2017)

The Circle premiered in Italy one day before it did in the US. It’s like Tom Hanks movies just get earlier release dates in Italy. He is probably one of the best parts about this movie. There was a lot of potential for The Circle. But it does not meet its potential. The questions it asks may be interesting, but they’ve apparently been done much better by Black Mirror. What this movie lacks is a satisfying ending, and character development, and thrill. I’m not sure what genre it would categorize itself as, but I found myself laughing at parts that probably shouldn’t have been funny (but Patton Oswalt is in it), but not thrilled enough in what would’ve made a cool thriller. The score is the most thrilling thing about the movie. Danny Elfman tries to channel Reznor and Ross (a la The Social Network, from which the movie certainly took some atmospheric cues). Emma Watson puts on an American accent, which I simply cannot take seriously. It’s not a bad accent necessarily, but I know she doesn’t sound like that, and it seems forced. I don’t think her British accent would’ve detracted from the character at all. If anything, I’d fault poor writing. It all seemed so unnatural. Maybe that was the point, but it made for some very awkward scenes. John Boyega has a small role that is never really fleshed out. He is reduced to two scenes and is essentially inconsequential to the plot. He is wasted. Reviewers will point to the allusions to Google and Apple and Facebook, but the real life company that most closely resembles The Circle is actually WeChat, which has integrated every aspect of Chinese life into one convenient app. We’re not talking about hypotheticals. WeChat is already doing it. I wonder if this movie will make it to China. I think they like Emma Watson and Tom Hanks, but I can’t imagine it being allowed.

Dave Chappelle: The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas (2017)

It must be good to be back after so long. After a sure-to-be-Emmy-nominated hosting gig on SNL, Dave Chappelle recorded two stand-up sets for Netflix. I don't think this was as good as the set he did on SNL. That was masterful, timely and piercingly funny. The old master of comedy and the new home for comedy--I think Netflix has securely taken that title from HBO by this point. He's still got it. He is very funny, controversial (definitely not pc) at times, but that's part of why he's so funny. He's not politically incorrect just to be provocative, he has actually put some thought into it. A lot of comedians have tackled Bill Cosby, but Chappelle takes a more nuanced look at who was once a heroic figure for the African American community.  His second special was less funny, 3/5. I don't know, it seems a little lazier to me. It wasn't as poignant or as cutting or as relevant as the first.

Louis CK 2017 (2017)

Louis CK's latest special starts out a little rough. You can tell the audience is having a hard time buying into it. And quite frankly the first couple of bits drag on too long. But he soon finds his rhythm and ends up with a pretty funny set overall. As always, he likes to do voices. His jokes don't necessarily hinge on the voices, but they add a silly dimension to his delivery. They're not even really good voices, but they're so ridiculous juxtaposed to his signature gloom and doom that you can't help but laugh. The best bit is about 9/11 deniers, who his daughter mistakenly refer to as nine 11-deniers, like 9 people who deny the existence of the number 11. It's so stupid it's funny. 

Trevor Noah: Afraid of the Dark (2017)

Trevor Noah is really good at accents and impressions. And his comedy is just the right amount of accents and politics. In another comedy special, I remember laughing very hard at his Japanese accent bit, and he diversifies this time around. His special takes you around the world in accents, and his comedy thrives on it. He does a great bit as Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama. I guess you kind of have to be able to do accents to host a show like The Daily Show. His best is the African accent that most people on TV don't dare try, (a combination of the fact that it's unique on TV and Africa is his native land). But as a regular viewer of The Daily Show, I think my favorite thing about Trevor Noah is his white-people voice. It cracks me up every time.