I Feel Pretty


Rated PG-13
110 minutes 
Starring: Amy Schumer

If you’re familiar with Amy Schumer and any of her movies or stand up gigs – you know she can be pretty crass.  I’m not a fan of hers - but I took a chance on this movie hoping it was decent.  Much to my surprise it was and I was hooked within the first 5 minutes.

Amy plays Renee.  A normal, average size woman, with all the lumps and bumps and issues of self-doubt women have.  She feels she isn’t “entitled” to being “pretty” or expecting to get anywhere in life because of her looks.  Her and her two best friends even tried a dating service online hoping to make some matches – but even that failed and they got “0” likes.  One day she decides to go to the gym.  As she’s trying out the new spin class and getting pumped up – she falls off the bike and bumps her head.  When she wakes up – she sees herself in a whole different light.  She was granted her wish – she’s BEAUTIFUL!  She’s never seen herself more beautiful or full of confidence.  As the movie goes on, her new confidence leads to her to a new job promotion and she allows herself to flirt with a guy that becomes her boyfriend.  She continues on in her new world thinking she’s as beautiful as a model till she falls and bumps her head again.  After which she wakes up and comes to the conclusion that she’s still just Renee.  That her body never changed.  But this realization changes everything in her world.

The movie was fun, encouraging and one that lots of women can relate to!  Amy plays an average woman who took on the feelings of many women and with a huge SHOUT OUT TO ALL WOMEN - declared – that we are all “BEAUTIFUL” and “STRONG” enough to achieve anything we want REGARDLESS of size and looks!  It was nice to have a movie that made me feel good.

Library Link: I Feel Pretty (DVD)


Unsane

Rated R
1 hour 38 minutes
Starring: Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard

This movie is about a woman who is involuntarily committed to a mental institution, even though there seems to be nothing really “wrong” with her.  She had been talking with a therapist about her fears and being worried about a man that had been stalking her in the past.  During the conversation, the therapist got her to mention that there have been times where she had thought about suicide.  Once she said that, there was no going back.  She was tricked into signing a consent form and locked up as being “a danger to herself and others” and there was nothing she could do about it.  The longer it went on, the more questions there were, the more she was convinced her stalker was still after her, and the harder it became to tell if she was sane or actually going crazy.  The whole movie turned into a psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of me seat!  I liked it a lot!  Something interesting I found out after I’d watched this one is that the whole movie was shot on an iPhone and only took 10 days to film – that gave it an interesting perspective when viewing that really added to everything.

Library Link:  Unsane (DVD)


Rampage

Rated PG-13
1 hour 47 minutes
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Dean Morgan

I don’t think anyone would go into this movie expecting very much.  And they wouldn’t be disappointed!  It was entertaining, but also pretty ridiculous along the way.  It seemed to be based almost completely on the old “Rampage” video game where a giant gorilla, a huge lizard, and massive werewolf try to destroy a city while the military tries to take them out.  The gorilla is named George and grew up with Davis Okoye (Dwayne Johnson) and they are best friends, communicating with sign language and even joking around.  A secret experiment goes wrong and changes George into a creature that is growing in size and strength along with being angry all the time.  Others are affected the same way, too, including a wolf and a crocodile!  As they all come together, it becomes an all out battle to save the city.  Lots of action and corny dialogue for sure!  I liked it, even though I didn’t think I would and it was actually kind of fun if you don’t take it all too serious.

Library Link:  Rampage (DVD)


211

Rated R
1 hour 26 minutes
Starring: Nicolas Cage

What has happened to Nicolas Cage?  He used to be so huge!  And he used to be in GOOD movies!  Not so much anymore.  This movie wasn’t totally horrible, and he’s definitely been in worse ones lately, but it wasn’t very good, either.  Him and his son-in-law are both policemen and start their day by learning they have to take a “ride along” kid with them on their patrol.  Besides having to deal with having the kid with them and trying to make sure he doesn’t get hurt during the day, they stumble on a huge bank robbery that becomes a MASSIVE shootout.  Pretty basic stuff overall.  No real surprises.  Acting was pretty bad and the lines were nothing to write home about.  I actually liked Nicolas Cage in it, but even he can’t save a movie this weak!  If you like him and are just wanting something to pass the time, this might be alright, but don’t be expecting much from it, either.

Library Link:  211 (DVD)


Game Night

Rated R
1 hour 40 minutes
Starring: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams

I liked this movie!  Jason Bateman has always been one of my favorite actors and he didn’t disappoint.  I even liked Rachel McAdams as his kind of flighty wife.  The story starts out as you would probably guess with friends all getting together for game nights.  Then one of them decides to “take it up a notch” and hires a professional company that sends a man to the house with clues that will lead them to go on a hunt for kidnappers.  Things quickly get out of control after real kidnappers break in.  Everyone thinks they’re still playing a game and it’s hilarious as they try to “win” the game, along with them gradually figuring out what has happened.  I thought the whole movie was very funny with a lot of sharp wit and comedy.  I would definitely recommend it!

Library Link: Game Night (DVD)