May Movie Rankings
May is gone and June arriving, it’s time for the monthly movie ranking of all the movies I’ve seen last month.
Tuner: From the score to the suspense plot, mostly everything about this movie kept me on the edge of my seat. The main character, Niki is a complex character and was able to understand his plight with struggling to provide for himself and loved ones to making enough money and following his concepts. It’s a cautionary tale that the jobs that seem the easier are really the ones you need to be careful about. The people you surround yourself with can either help or hurt you in the long run. While things could’ve been worse for Niki, I wish he could’ve gotten out before things got hairy for him where it involved authorities. One thing I wish there was expansion was Niki’s experience on the piano. While we get a beautiful piece performed by him at the end, I wish the filmmakers expanded on this as it was a pivotal key in the film in how Niki became who he was down the road. It would’ve given more depth to a character that already development/depth to him and elevate the musical aspect in the film. Despite Ruthie being an excellent pianist, Niki was better in my opinion. Overall, a great movie that any pianist would love. Just not a movie for kids.
Billie Eilish: Hit Hard and Soft: This movie was made for the fans. While it is a documentary, we see multiple sides of Billie Eilish that I appreciated. There’s a humility aspect that they explored with Billie and how much she appreciates what she has. There’s a rawness when it comes to her performances. Every single performance felt authentic and real. Her passion was evident and at one point caught myself mouthing/singing the words during the movie. Before you ask, I had the theater to myself so I was safe and didn’t have it so loud to the point where other moviegoers were disturbed. That was the beauty of this film as I was able to connect with her songs (e.g. What I was made for and Happier than Ever) which I didn’t feel with the Justin Bieber movies, One Direction, or Katy Perry movies. Sure, they were enjoyable, but the Billie Eilish movie hit on another level. One aspect I didn’t enjoy though was the 3D piece. I don’t know if this happened to anyone else, but when I went to see this film, everything blended together and at times couldn’t see the background/words displayed on the screen. It might’ve been my showing but still did take away from my enjoyment a little of the movie. However, not enough for me to bash the whole movie.
The Devil Wears Prada 2: Not a movie I was planning to see. While I do appreciate the filmmakers pushing the limits of the costume design, the film felt flat. From the performances to the storyline, the character’s journeys fell flat and not enough risks were taken in this film. It went back and forth with Runway being sold or not. The plot was all over the place and the characters showed little to no development. Despite Emily’s character showing some growth/commitment to the film, it didn’t showcase Hathaway, Streep, or Tucci’s natural acting ability. The most offensive thing was stripping Miranda’s character of any confidence or fierceness in the first film. There could’ve been a great ability to balance humility and confidence in her character but instead they pushed that aside and made her more timid and a pushover, which was so not her and a missed opportunity. Overall, the movie missed on many levels and while it had the glamour of a fashion movie, it didn’t have the depth it needed to carry the rest of the film. A major let down to any fans of the first film.