Saw this years ago and wasn’t terribly impressed, but decided to give it another shot after seeing it referenced so often in screenwriting books. Glad I did—this time around, I found it pretty clever. Nicolas Cage does a great job playing dual roles, and I loved how Robert McKee, the screenwriting guru, is both a character and a thematic presence. His principles are hilariously poked at while still being used to structure the plot—very meta and smart. I do wish the inappropriate content had been toned down, but overall, a really interesting film.
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The Death of Stalin 2017
This movie is hilarious. The dialogue is so quick and sharp as everyone’s just scrambling for power in the most awkward, ridiculous ways. It’s dark, it’s weird, and somehow still laugh-out-loud funny.
Steve Buscemi as Khrushchev was hands down my favorite—just constantly stressed and scheming, and every line delivery is gold. That scene where they’re trying to carry Stalin’s dead body without getting his pee on them? Fantastic!
Honestly, who thinks of stuff like this? Feels like it must’ve been so fun to make. Totally absurd in the best way.
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Inside Llewyn Davis 2013
Not sure I totally get this one. I feel like I need to sit with it a bit more. It’s basically about a miserable guy going through a string of miserable events, but it doesn’t really feel like a full story—more like a loop of bad luck and poor choices. It ends where it began.
That said, the cat was a clever device and gave the movie some much needed complication. I’m not into folk music, so sitting through entire…
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Joy 2015
I’m a total sucker for movies about entrepreneurs. I’ve always dreamed of inventing something or starting a successful business, so this kind of story really hits home.
Joy totally scratched that itch. Watching her push through all the chaos—failure, bad deals, and that awful family—was honestly inspiring. She never gave up, even when things looked hopeless. And the fact that she still loved her family, despite how they treated her? That got me.
It’s not perfect, but it’s a solid, motivating watch. Made me want to go build something.
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