Double Feature Review: A Night of New Netflix
There are so many activities I miss during 2020, like everyone does, including going to movies, shows, concerts, all of those things. I’ve let this blog and my movie watching kind of come and go a bit. I think I’ve said that in roughly half my posts for the last 6 months but maybe someday I’ll actually get back into my rhythm. Maybe.
Thankfully, this week, due to a forced quarantine after a trip and to Netflix attacking me with ads about two movies being released within a few days of each other, I was actually excited to watch some new releases. So I figured I’d do an in-between piece - longer than my wrap-ups but not as long as my normal reviews. A movie night now and then sounds like something planned that I can look forward to once a month or so. And hopefully will give me some motivation to write about movies once again.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Starring Eddie Redmayne, Alex Sharp, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, John Carroll Lunch, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Directed and written by Aaron Sorkin
R
Run time - 2 hr, 9 min
On Netflix October 16, 2020
I know hardly anything about this real event, so unfortunately I can’t speak much to how well Sorkin stuck to the actual history. However, even I noticed there were quite a few moments that absolutely had to be “movie-fied,” those moments Sorkin is famous for with a stirring speech or a swelling moment of understanding or breakthrough. That being said, I thought The Trial of the Chicago 7 was worth a watch, even if it’s just to see this incredible cast on your screen for two hours. One complaint I do have is that I didn’t get to see nearly as much of Abdul-Mateen (currently known for his fantastic acting on the recent Watchmen series) as I would have liked. I felt I was missing seeing the whole picture from the Black Panther side of things and would have enjoyed seeing it more.
One problem for me was that I was highly aware of who these actors were every second I was watching it. I couldn’t forget who all these people are and it was hard to fully lose myself in the story. I looked at this movie how I look at a lot of historical films: probably not telling the full story but telling me enough to make me want to do my own digging into what actually happened. Sorkin’s writing is not his best but it’s still typically Sorkin: quick, witty and whip-smart, no matter whose mouth the words are coming out of. Considering it’s a movie free with a Netflix subscription, I do think it’s absolutely worth a watch, even if it isn’t the best history lesson you could ask for.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Requested Permits for the Park
Rebecca
Starring Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas
Directed by Ben Wheatley
PG-13
Run time - 2 hr, 1 min
On Netflix October 21, 2020
This movie snuck up on me! I remember one day just a month or so ago stumbling across this trailer and getting incredibly excited. I had to read Rebecca for a class and found it fascinating. It had some gothic-style horror in it that could totally mess with your head, and I was irrationally curious to see how it would translate into a movie. In full disclosure, I haven’t seen the Hitchcock film - though this adaptation made me want to. One of the best things about this movie is the casting. I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. Between the attractiveness of Hammer and James and the incredible, cold poise of Thomas, it was fascinating.
One thing I did wish for, however, was more of that eeriness that is so prominent throughout the book. There are notes of hauntings and gaslighting that almost seemed like an afterthought in this movie, which paints it all a bit more romantic than I remember. If there had more time spent on that during the middle of the film and less time and effort focused on the last thirty minutes or so, I think this could have been a truly incredible adaptation. As it was, it’s a worthwhile watch, I think even more so if you don’t have a strong attachment to the book. This movie stands on its own as a very enjoyable film, and it doesn’t matter much if you don’t know the source material.