8th Grade

No Go
What can I say? I thought that this film was cringeworthy in parts. It didn’t draw me in at all. Even with its short runtime of less than 100 minutes, I kept checking my watch, wondering how long it would be until the screening would be over and I’d be free to live my life again.
The clueless dad is interesting only in his omissions: single moms, teenagers’ privacy, any discipline whatsoever, and why he left his daughter’s teeth so twisted going into high school. Elsie Fisher, the girl who played Kayla is very talented. Go hear her voice talent in Despicable Me
I’d pass this if I were you.

Christopher Robin

GO
“People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.” Winnie The Pooh
An enchanting story of a grown-up Christopher Robin dealing with life issues in mid 20th century England. He has a wife and child who he loves, but mostly ignores due to his work. He has forgotten his childhood and special friends until Pooh comes to London needing help locating his missing friends. They go back to the hundred-acre wood to look for Pooh’s missing friends. Once found, his friends from the hundred-acre wood help him remember how to be happy, and what is really important in life. That story isn’t new, but it is brought to wonderful new life by terrific acting by Ewan McGregor, Haley Atwell, and Bronte Carmichael.
Tigger: I’m Tigger! T-I-double G-Er!
Madeline Robin: What’s a Tigger?
Tigger: Oh, I’m glad you asked!
Eeyore: Oh no, not the song…
Tigger: [sings] The wonderful thing about Tiggers, is Tiggers are wonderful things! / Their tops are made out of rubber; their bottoms are made out of springs! / They’re bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy, fun fun fun fun fun! / But the most wonderful thing about Tiggers is, I’m the only one!

Juliet, Naked

Go
I enjoyed this movie a lot.
Duncan is a lecturer in a 3rd-rate college in a forgotten English sea-side town. He also runs the fan-club of a once-popular American singer-songwriter called Tucker Crowe, who disappeared 20-years ago after releasing an album called “Juliet”. One day a cd arrives of early versions and outtakes of the songs on “Juliet”, called “Juliet, Naked”. Duncan’s long-suffering girlfriend, Annie, writes a critical review of the disc on Duncan’s blog, eliciting a talkback from Tucker Crowe himself. Their email relationship will grow into something more serious.
Simply charming smart and delightful. A film about feeling and being stuck, a very human condition, and attempts (successful and not so successful) to deal with it. Just wonderful acting from all the leads, Ethan Hawke and Rose Byrne in particular. A kid, Azhy Robertson, charming and funny without being too precious. Wonderful believable chemistry, an intelligent and witty “romcom”, but devoid of the unrealistic mush and manipulative plot tricks typical of the genre. Oh, and a hopeful ending without saccharine, something much needed. Go see it.

BlacKkKlansman

Go
I’ll keep this short, it’s a great movie that reminds us that nothing much has changed in the good old USA when it comes to race and relations.
“BlacKkKlansman” tells the true story of a rookie African American police officer who in the 70’s infiltrated in the KKK, but that’s certainly not what the movie is about. Spike Lee tackles head-on the contemporary hot topics of racism, the police killing black Americans, and white supremacy to create an overwhelming pamphlet about the American identity – which has been hurled into a state of great confusion after the last presidential election.
Actors in “BlacKkKlansman” are great. John David Washington excels in the lead role. Adam Driver signs what is arguably his best role to date. Ryan Eggold is terrific as the local boss of the KKK, and the Finnish Jasper Pääkkönen impresses as his right hand man. The biggest surprise of all is Topher Grace, who is near-ingenious as David Duke, a well-mannered bag of sleaze in a three-piece.