The holiday break is almost here along with heaps of free time and new movies to come.
One may have heard of the new Star Wars: Rise of the Skywalker and Frozen II, but those are just the big blockbusters marketed to make the big bucks. It’s time to take a break from mainstream movies and journey to the cinema to see something new. One could still go to see these movies, but here are some to make one think twice.
Little Women is based on the famous book by Louisa May Alcott and comes out on Christmas Day. The book, first published in 1868, focuses on the American Civil War, and the movie follows the book as it tells the story of four girls trying to survive the war by leaning on each other. This movie is the sixth adaptation of the novel, with a collection of critically acclaimed stars acting in it including Saoirse Ronan (Jo March), Timothée Chalamet (Laurie), and Emma Watson (Meg March). Greta Gerwig, Academy Award-nominated director, teams up with Ronan and Chalamet (the trio previously worked together in 2017’s Lady Bird) to create a masterful film once again. As award season approaches, nominations roll out, and Ronan is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globes, where she won an award for her role in Lady Bird. Little Women’s score by Alexandre Desplat was nominated for Best Original Score – Motion Picture.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which came out Nov. 22, shows the life of Mr. Rogers as he grew to be one of the biggest faces of children’s television. Fred Rogers is portrayed by Tom Hanks, this role similar to his role as Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks. Hanks brings to life the deceased storyteller, combining his warm voice and Mr. Rogers’s multitude of sweaters and sneakers. Although the film has been heavily marketed as a biopic about Mr. Rogers’s life, it focuses more on the life of Lloyd Vogel, an Esquire journalist tasked with writing a hero article about Roger’s life story. Vogel is skeptical about Rogers’s warm persona, believing it all to be an act. Hanks was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture for his role as Mr. Rogers.
The new mystery movie, Knives Out, released in theaters Nov. 29, is well worthy of a trip to the theaters. With its star-studded cast including Daniel Craig (Detective Benoit Blanc) and Chris Evans (Ransom Drysdale) and its whodunit storyline, it makes for an interesting late-night movie. Watch as the cast follows a set of clues to find out the real killer of wealthy crime novelist, Harlan Thrombey played by Christopher Plummer. The film also includes Katherine Langford (Meg Thrombey), known for her role in Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, and It star Jaeden Martell (Jacob Thrombey). The Golden Globes nominations were announced Dec. 9 with Knives Out scoring three noms: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Ana de Armas’s role as Marta Cabrera, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Craig’s role.
In this Bonnie and Clyde-esque movie, Queen and Slim takes rising stars Daniel Kaluuya (Slim) and Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen) into a story of oppression and running from the law. Director Melina Matsoukas and writer Lena Waithe bottle up modern problems and place them into the plot of a small film. For sure the most underrated on this list, Queen and Slim is a must-see. Although this movie came out on Nov. 27, it is worth a long car ride to take the trip and see this cinematic tear-jerker.
Uncut Gems is comedian Adam Sandler’s best-rated movie to date according to Rotten Tomatoes. Best known for his ‘90s comedies, this crime film is out of the box for Sandler, but in a good way. The A24 movie released on Dec. 13, just in time for the holidays. Directors Josh and Benny Safdie take a working-class jeweler, Howard Ratner (Sandler), into a world of crime as he gets wrapped up in the world of high-class gambling and money laundering. One might have to be 17 years old to see this movie, but it is worth taking an older relative or friend to get a peek at the life of a high crime gemologist.
In those in-between days when there is not much to do, take a trip to the movie theaters. Maybe one of these movies is a life-altering film that one would never think twice about seeing until now.
