The wife and I went three years without seeing a movie...except for the mind-numbing stuff we took the grandchildren to.
Then, over the last month, we've suddenly watched four and can recommend them all...with one degree of enthusiasm or another.
1) Spielberg's remake of West Side Story: didn't expect to like this at all. I mean, how do you improve on an all-time classic of cinema? Answer: you can't. But the remake totally respects the original with all the great songs and choreography. No, it's not as good. It couldn't be. But it's an entertaining 2.5 hours nevertheless. Didn't check my watch once, and that's how I judge an entertaining movie.
2) The Banshees of Inisherin: Two great Irish actors, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, in a bizarre story of broken friendship where Farrell can't accept that Gleeson doesn't want to be pals anymore, even when the latter threatens to cut off his fingers to prove the point, which he ends up doing. I said to my wife: these are my people; now do you understand why I turned out so screwed up?
3) Tar: legendary lesbian music conductor played by Cate Blanchett ends up cancelled after a sex scandal that suggests she's been an insecure, predatory woman ever since achieving fame. Too long but it holds your interest, and the performance by Blanchett is superb. Helps to like classical music.
4) Hamilton: the cinematic presentation of the famous play. American history set to rap music. Crazy but it grows on you as the plot progresses. It works better if one of your all-time heroes of our country is Alexander Hamilton, which is the case with me.
