Marriage Story (Netflix, 2019) - 2/5

This is a well-crafted film that would have been better named Divorce Story. It’s slow and sad, focusing on realism in the portrayal of the characters than it does on having an interesting or meaningful story. It often seems to actively avoid portraying anything meaningful, and instead portrays nihilistic existentialism as the inescapable norm. It’s solidly produced in all other respects.

Closest comparison: It’s like While We’re Young (2014) with more futile shouting.

Setting: Modern Drama
Plot: Family Drama
Tone: Nihilistic Drama

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker - 2/5

This is the Donald Trump of movies; it immediately begins dismantling everything its predecessor did. At least a dozen of the biggest plot holes from the last movie get directly addressed, which is a noble attempt but ends up making for a choppy, uneven film. It’s crammed to the gills with about three movies worth of plot and the first third especially plays out almost like a montage. Visually it’s not as stunning as The Last Jedi and its plot meanders, only knowing where it doesn’t want to go. So there’s good news and bad news. The good news is it’s much better than Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the bad news is it’s still not very good.

Closest comparison: It’s like Dragonball Z by way of Indiana Jones.

Setting: Sci-Fi
Plot: Fantasy
Tone: Adventure

The Dead Don't Die - 3/5

This is a weird, slow movie that suffers from bland ad-lib dialogue. The first half is great: methodical setup, dry humor with measured delivery, and several interesting plot threads to investigate. Unfortunately, some of the plot threads go nowhere and the ones that do end not just strangely but often unsatisfactorily. Still, it kept me interested and chuckling for most of the runtime and although not all of the humor lands, much of it does for the zombie-movie-loving crowd.

Content warning: Gore

Closest comparison: This is a slow, strange homage to older B horror films like Night of the Living Dead and Plan 9 From Outer Space.

Setting: Zombies
Plot: Action Adventure
Tone: Dry Comedy

Inside Llewyn Davis - 3/5

This look at a folk singer’s life in the ‘60s is sometimes funny but mostly just depressing. The humor comes primarily from irony, but the inescapable facts of each situation make it more often sad than funny. Still, the acting is spot on as a host of top-tier actors fill out their idiosyncratic characters in what amount to a series of extended cameos in true Coen Brothers fashion. Like A Serious Man the plot seems to meander, but here it supports the reality of the protagonist’s life. The lack of a point to the film is counterbalanced by the soulful, emotional music throughout, which makes it worth a watch.

Closest comparison: Crazy Heart by way of A Serious Man

Setting: Indie
Plot: Biopic
Tone: Drama

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - 2/5

So much of this movie doesn't make sense, ranging characters' motivations to what people can actually do with the Force. It has a few really good shots of cinematography, and Adam Driver's acting was spot on. Most of the rest was problematic. There were 3-4 times I thought, "That was cool", but there were a good two dozen times I thought, "That was stupid". It's too long, and there's too much talking without people saying anything. Sorry guys, the movie's just not good.

Honestly, this one was right on the border for me between a 2/5 and 3/5. There was just too much that was downright stupid in it. There were three separate times during the movie when I took off my glasses and rubbed my eyes, shaking my head because the movie just made no sense.

Logan Lucky - 4/5

This movie is fantastic. Directed by Steven Soderbergh (dir. Ocean's 11) it's like what would happen if hillbillies pulled a heist. I was a bit worried it was going to be sardonic toward West Virginians but it's very much not, which I loved. It's actually really close to a 5/5 for me, but there is a small issue about who gets the money at the end and how it's divided that it would have definitely been a better movie if they had cleared up that point. But it's great, and if you like Ocean's 11 and West Virginia you should definitely go see it.