What I Was Watching in March 2022
Okay, clearly I wasn’t thinking clearly when I thought that somehow my birthday month would afford me more time or motivation to sneak in some movies. Because if anything, that’s the exact opposite of what happened. I did treat myself to viewings of a few of my favorite films - Pride & Prejudice and Emma in celebration of turning 30. Other than that, my goal was to watch as many of the Oscar nominees as I could, and I’m pretty happy with how much I got done.
The Adam Project
Netflix
I really enjoy streaming releases because my standards are much lower, so I’m way more likely to enjoy them. And a silly sci-fi movie starring Ryan Reynolds that I don’t have to pay for or leave my couch to watch is better than a mediocre one I have to go to a theater for. It’s cute, it’s relatively predictable and it was an entertaining way to spend a couple hours.
The Verdict: 3.5/5
The Harder They Fall
Netflix
Okay, now THIS is a movie I would have gladly ventured out to the cinema. With the cast alone, it is all but perfection. I am not sure I ever expected Black western to be a genre, but I’m behind here for it. Every aspect of this movie is a triumph. The soundtrack kills, the cast is outstanding, the aesthetic is stunning and the plot kept me guessing the whole way through.
The Verdict: 4/5
Cyrano
In theaters
I know we’re only a quarter of the way through the year, but I fully believe that Cyrano will finish out 2022 in the top five movies I’ve watched this year. Peter Dinklage as a lead in a romance/comedy/drama musical is the wonderful thing I never knew I needed. I laughed, I quietly sobbed for about seventy minutes and I can’t wait to watch it again.
The Verdict: 4.5/5
Flee
Hulu
Talk about another hybrid genre. Flee was nominated for animated feature, documentary and foreign film. It’s utterly fascinating, but it didn’t grab me like I had hoped it would. It is one of the most unique animation styles I’ve ever seen and it tells a story of a life I never could have imagined before watching it. I wonder if I actually need to watch it again to truly appreciate it.
The Verdict: 3.5/5
Drive My Car
HBO Max
I had a similar reaction to this movie as I did with Flee. Everything I heard made my expectations skyrocket. And this is an incredibly moving story, but it was just too long. I was definitely drawn in by the characters, but if it had been cut down a bit, it could have been more powerful. There was too much time spent on things that didn’t seem necessary.
The Verdict: 3.5/5
The Power of the Dog
Netflix
The Power of the Dog is definitely the most overrated movie of this award season. I don’t totally understand the hype around it. It’s interesting enough, and the acting isn’t bad, but it wasn’t exactly groundbreaking. I don’t know what made this stand out among any of the other genre films about people being cruel, other than the fact it had a stacked cast. And I hate having to Google what an ending means, but maybe that’s my own issue.
The Verdict: 3/5
And thus ends award season, so I think I’ll spend some time watching some absolutely excellent trash tv and fun movies to balance it all out.