Director: Olivia Newman Genre: Comedy / Drama / Mystery Runtime: 1 hour, 51 minutes My rating: ★★★★★ · 10/10 Where to watch: JustWatch I needed something calm. That’s what brought me to Remarkably Bright Creatures . I’ve enjoyed Sally Field’s calm demeanor in other movies, and that was what I wanted to spend an evening with. I got my calm. I also ended up with so much joy in my heart. I’ve now watched this movie three times, and I would happily watch it over and over. Only a handful of touching movies have that place in my life: Julie & Julia , Ira & Abby , Roman Holiday , and Splendor in the Grass . This one belongs with them. Sally Field plays Tova, a widow who works cleaning an aquarium and forms an unusual friendship with Marcellus, an octopus. Cameron, a younger man she begins training, also becomes part of her life. That’s enough of the premise to get you started. There are things I’m very glad I got to discover as I watched. What I loved m...
Director: Eric Appel Genre: Comedy / Family Runtime: 1 hour, 40 minutes My rating: ★★☆☆☆ · 4/10 Where to watch: JustWatch I watched The Breadwinner because I love Nate Bargatze’s comedy style. Unfortunately, I don’t think this movie does his comedy justice. There were moments of laughter, but nothing as compelling as some of his stand-up video shorts. The premise follows a dad taking care of the kids and household while his wife is away on business. For me, the situations felt too everyday and the jokes too predictable. There wasn’t much that stood out. This is an “I have nothing else to watch and need something mildly funny” placeholder. That’s also who I’d recommend it to: someone looking for exactly that. I wouldn’t be surprised if half the people watching fell asleep during it. And yes, I’ve actually watched it twice. The second time was as that very placeholder I’m describing. I enjoyed it a bit more on the second watch, but it’s still far from a ...
