The Unfettered Critic – April 2023
Why do people go to the movies?
Prior to 2020, you probably would have answered, “For the experience of being entertained amidst a crowd of presumably like-minded individuals who will laugh or cry or gasp at the same time I do. And for the popcorn.”
These days, it’s more like: “I have my own popcorn. I have streaming channels, and a large flatscreen (You’ve been to Costco, right?). I don’t want to pay extra unless it’s special. Is it special?”
Yeah, we’ve grown rather negative about the whole “being entertained amidst a crowd” thing. We don’t care that the Tinseltown seats can be electronically warmed or tilted or whatever. We’ve got La-Z-Boy recliners at home. And the warmth of our seats is nobody’s business but our own, okay?
So lately, we “go” to the movies at home, particularly when it’s on a streaming channel we already have.
Here’s a new question:
Why do people watch the Oscars?
Habit? Advertising? Love for a particular actor? The red carpet?
By the time you read this column, the Oscars 2023 telecast will be history. But whether our favorites won or lost isn’t really important. We’d just like to discuss some stuff that we didn’t get around to when the movies first debuted.
The topic today is: “Two Movies That Received a Lot of Buzz and May or May Not be Worthy of All the Acclaim Yet Still Have Some Worthwhile Aspects.”
Coincidentally, both were nominated in the Best Picture category for the aforementioned Oscars show.
- Anything Anywhere All At Once
Everyone, it seems, loves this movie. It is a wild and crazy ride, with bravura performances and flash-cuts between a multitude of universes (including the one where people have hot dog fingers) that will influence filmmakers for years. The actors—many of whom were nominated for major awards—went all in on their performances. If you didn’t know Michelle Yeoh’s work before, you sure should now. She is a marvel. If you thought you knew the extent of Jamie Lee Curtis’s acting chops, check again. We applaud them both.
Our problem with this film: we first saw it a few months ago—yet we actually paid to watch it on-demand the other night because we couldn’t remember most of the plot. Or if it even had one. Which made us wonder: are we too old for stuff like this, or should we have picked up some “edibles” at the local dispensary so our synapses could fully interpret what we were watching? Is this a real movie, or just a subject to discuss on Facebook?
- The Fabelmans
This one got more mixed reviews. Steven Spielberg is one of the greatest directors of our time. Now in his 70s, he decided that filming this remembrance of what made him the filmmaker he ultimately became was a now-or-never situation.
Our opinion: It is a great Home Movie, perhaps the best ever. But it is not a “Best Picture” in the Academy sense. Personal? Undeniably. Moving? Yes—but as an autobiography, a tribute to the family who loved and nurtured the future filmmaker. But it is not Cinema Paradiso. It is not 8 ½. It is not even American Graffiti, the fun, “sort-of” autobiography that Spielberg’s close friend George Lucas gave us a few decades ago. But you can recognize themes and emotions that Spielberg carried throughout his half-century career.
So we’re left with a question: Are these the kind of best pic classics that will inspire audiences for decades to come? Sadly, we don’t think so.
But we still enjoyed the (home-made) popcorn!
Paula and Terry identify as writers, with an ever-increasing number of published works to support the supposition. They live a primarily pastoral life in the enchanted town of Jacksonville.