What To Watch This Holiday Weekend
Wondering what to watch this holiday weekend? Let’s face it, the family is already on your nerves and the credit
Toni Gonzales
Wondering what to watch this holiday weekend? Let’s face it, the family is already on your nerves and the credit card is maxed. Luckily for you, Hollywood is wrapping up three big releases for audiences in theaters. And let us tell ya, there are some good flicks to choose from.
Moviegoers will have the choice between hearing a group of gals deliberate, a bonafide babe belt out hit after hit or a platoon full of partiers straight from Tinseltown.
Let’s be polite and start with the ladies shall we?
“Women Talking”
Sarah Polley has helmed one of the smartest and most thought-provoking films of 2022 with “Women Talking.” Based on the novel of the same name by Miriam Toews, the film follows a faction of females in a rural religious community as they make one of the most important decisions of their lives.
At issue is their future and the future of their children. The women in this particular community have all been victim to varying degrees of assault and violence by local men in their vicinity. The women have been drugged, beaten and raped by not only their husbands, but by other men in their environment. Some women have only faint memories of the incidents while others know nothing of it except for their bruised faces and broken bones their bodies carry.
The bulk of the film is watching the women debate both the pros and the cons of staying, fighting or leaving the community altogether. Though they are a united front, each woman battles her own faith and their sense of self before arriving at a decision.
“Women Talking” is easily one of the most simple yet complex movies in some time. Simple in that 90% of the film takes place in one single location. Yet within that single location there are debates that most women have at one point or another in their own life.
Polley, despite not getting a Globe nod for directing, has made smart and deliberate decisions with “Women Talking” that add to the magnificence of this film. There is no judgment on religion one way or the other. And, in a rare move, there is very little violence depicted, despite it being the catalyst for the movie.
“Women Talking” stars Rooney Mara, Claire Foy,Jessie Buckley, Judith Ivey and Ben Whishaw.
The movie is rated PG13 and runs 1h 41m. It is in theaters this weekend.
“Women Talking” 9/10
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody”
Whitney Houston was undeniably one of the most talented singers on the planet and finally fans are getting what they have longed for – a movie. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” is getting ready to move into movie theaters this weekend.
Whitney is played by Naomi Ackie in this monumental work of the late iconic singer. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” chronicles Houston’s discovery by Clive Davis (Stanley Tucci), through her rocketed rise in music, her marriage and divorce to Bobby Brown and through to her death.
There is an enormous amount of ground to cover in this one person’s life. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” spends a good deal of time focusing on Houston’s relationship with friend Robyn Crawford and her relationship with her father. But those are perhaps the most comprehensive connections the film represents and in truth, they don’t do either justice.
The film merely skips a rock on the surface of the life that was Whitney Houston. Yes, her Super Bowl appearance is shown, and yes we see her meet her future husband. However, the film does a real injustice by not addressing other important and notable times in Houston’s life. Her drug use and rehab stints are just a little more than a mention. Her 17 movie roles are narrowed down to “The Bodyguard,” and “Cinderella.”
Simply put, it’s a watered down and generic version of her big, bright and bold life. Scratch that, it’s an over two hour and 25 minute generic version of Whitney Houston’s life. It is just a real diservice to the woman who broke so many records and is a part of people’s lives in a way few artists are anymore.
What is done well is her music. The reenactments land somewhere between “good” and “great.” There are genuine moments where she is a spot on identical twin to Whitney. Ackie has a high bar to hit and she does it well, particularly early on when she is full of hope and gratitude.
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” will make you miss Whitney, her music and her presence. Fans of her music won’t be disappointed. You will sing and bop your head along to the film. But, fans of the facts of her life may be left wanting more.
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” 6/10
“Babylon”
Be it a place in the bible, an actual religion or simply a way of life, Babylon means a great many things to a great many people. For the film “Babylon,” it means excess, indulgence and wickedness.
Taking place in Hollywood just as silent film is in the throngs of their heyday, “Babylon” follows a posse of partiers as they live life both in front of and behind the cameras. The film follows the quintessential starry eyed fresh off the farm actress (Margo Robbie) as she breaks her way into the business. Along the way she mingles with the biggest star in acting (Brad Pitt) and befriends a fellow who is thought of so little that in the beginning he is referred to simply as “The Mexican” (Diego Calva)
“Babylon” is decadent. “Babylon” is outrageous. It is depravity unlike anything you have ever seen on screen. To give you a clue of its ambitious perversion one of the following three things are seen in the film: an elephant empties his colon by showering the contents onto people, a woman urinates in the mouth of an oversized, hairy and sweaty naked man and a woman sings a song about licking a lady part (I’ll let you guess which one that is).
Spoiler alert: All three of these things are in the movie, along with so many other shocking scenes that spoiling just those three items don’t make us feel bad at all.
The thing about “Babylon” is it is polarizing. People will either love it or hate it. More times than not the movie felt like it was just after the shock value of a moment. That got old rather quickly. If you can put aside those moments like we did you will see a film about the rise and fall of a certain type of Hollywood movie. There are legit fun moments that will give way to real middle of your chest laughs.
The ending is not original, in fact you can see it as clear as the Hollywood sign if you were standing 5 feet away from it. That said, “Babylon” has colorful and rich textures on screen. It doesn’t hurt that Margot Robbie, who is spectacular in this – is in front of those colors. And “Babylon” introduces the world to Diego Calva. And folks, we are not mad about that at all.
“Babylon” 8/10
There you have it movie fans. Three good solid choices for you to decide what to watch this weekend in theaters.