March Moviecation

My last movie spree was in December. I used to be able to go a lot more than I do now, but that's not because there's a lack of movies that I want to see. My problem is how do I see everything I want to see in the limited amount of free time that I have? Enter the moviecation (trademark pending, although I do need to credit my friend Jessica with the inspiration).

This week has been a cornucopia of movies I've caught at the last minute; stuff I've been wanting to see for a while. Here's what I've seen and my thoughts.

1. Hidden Figures
Taraji was fucking robbed. Not even nominated?!? How is that possible?

This is a movie everybody should see, especially little girls, so they know that anything is possible, and that being a nerdy girl can get you in some really awesome places. But that positive message is counterbalanced by the heartbreaking history that's the main focus of the film.

Segregation has been addressed in films before. As a young(ish) white woman, I can't speak to the racism that people see every day. I've watched movies where I've seen racism played out, and it has broken my heart that people have had to experience that. This feels different. The racism is quieter somehow, and yet more pervasive. These are women who have crossed a color barrier, only to come smack up against another, and another, and another, and yet they still overcome. I watch as Taraji's character Kathryn Gobel (then Johnson) has to tell a room full of men that she has to run a mile & a half through the rain just to go to the bathroom, because there's not a colored bathroom in the building she works in and it hits home for me as it's never done before. Then there's Octavia Spencer's character Dorothy Vaughan who sees the writing on the wall as NASA brings in an IBM computer, and she teaches herself FORTRAN, and makes sure every woman in her department knows it so they would keep their jobs after human computers become obsolete. And Janelle Monae's Mary Jackson fighting to become the first African American female engineer. I watched these women and thought of Mae Jemison and I cried. It's visible progress. I know it's not done but seeing where these women started and where their actions led was so moving and inspiring. What can't we do if we just make up our minds that we are going to do it?

2. Logan
Ok, I have to admit, I'll cry at just about anything, and so yeah, I cried at Logan. So much to not give away in this one. I can see why Hugh Jackman would want to move on. It must take a hell of a lot out of an actor to do these really physically demanding roles. I would think actors get torn in cases like this. On the one hand it's a guaranteed job in an industry that isn't known for making guarantees. That would be difficult to pass up. But the whole reason you get into acting is to explore the human condition  and you do that through the variety of roles you play. So getting pigeon-holed onto a character defeats that purpose. As a fan, I want all the actors I fangirl over to do as much work as they can in a variety of roles, so as much as I'll miss Wolverine, I'm glad Jackman gets to put it behind him and move forward into new territory . And I guess we're getting a new direction to take the franchise in. I can get behind that.

3. Fences
Denzel was robbed too, but Viola Davis completely deserved her Oscar. This is one looong movie. It seems like Denzel had to speak more lines than in a Proust novel. He unfortunately reminded me some of my father. It is worth seeing for Viola's portrayal of Troy's long-suffering wife, Rose. It's two people experiencing the same disappointments in life and handling them so completely differently. Beautiful.

3. A Cure For Wellness
I'm just noting this here, but this is gonna take some going into so it's gonna get it's own post.

4. Kong: Skull Island
I was not interested in another Kong movie. The last one I saw was with Jessica Lange and that was good enough. I feel like Hollywood just rehashes, reboots, and reprises things to death and I just don't want it. I want something original.

This movie, though, is pretty nuts. It's like Jurassic Park and Apocalypse Now got hammered  on two buck chuck, had a wacky little love child, and gave it a huge monkey to play with. Pardon the pun, but it's bananas. It has the feel of a serious action flick, but the lines and situations are funny, so I spent the first few minutes wondering what the hell it actually was. Then I decided I just didn't care. I let go and enjoyed whatever it decided it wanted to be.  And I do love me some Tom Hiddleston. Sure, there were some wildly inexplicable moments, but it's not a think piece. It's not going to inspire you. It just wants to have fun and this girl is all for that. And make sure you stay through the credits. So many people left and missed out on the nerdgasm the few of us that remained were treated to.

So that's what I did on my vacation. What about you?