In Dubious Battle
I genuinely believed this movie was just a ruse for James Franco and Selena Gomez to date on the sly and call it "film prep." But here we are. Franco stars in and directs this John Steinbeck adaptation about a group of California fruit pickers tired of their brutal working conditions. Franco plays the unlikely activist who helps lead them in a collective strike. The best thing about the trailer are the slew of Academy Award mentions because that is the closest this movie is getting to the Oscars. Though I am here for all that prop dirt on Selena Gomez' face. Now that's acting!
I genuinely believed this movie was just a ruse for James Franco and Selena Gomez to date on the sly and call it "film prep." But here we are. Franco stars in and directs this John Steinbeck adaptation about a group of California fruit pickers tired of their brutal working conditions. Franco plays the unlikely activist who helps lead them in a collective strike. The best thing about the trailer are the slew of Academy Award mentions because that is the closest this movie is getting to the Oscars. Though I am here for all that prop dirt on Selena Gomez' face. Now that's acting!
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I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore
This movie won the grand jury prize at Sundance and you can see why. Melanie Lynsky is a goddamn national treasure at this point and her depressed heroine is incredibly relatable and real. When she's robbed of her silver she finally loses her grip on sanity and decides to go the vigilante route with Elijah Wood in tow. What starts out as another Joe Swanberg-y mumblecore turns into a Michael Haneke-esque violent romp through middle-class ennui. The movie streams on Netflix on February 24.Collide
This movie was supposed to be made four years ago and star Zac Efron and Amber Heard, which should tell you a lot about Collide. This is only director Eran Creevy's third feature film but it's definitely his biggest attempt so far. He obviously had a huge car budget anyway. Nicholas Hoult is a former car thief pulled back into the dangerous world of auto crime after his girlfriend (played by a badly blonded Felicity Jones) is kidnapped. You get it, classic love stuff. I'm sad that this is where Sirs Anthony Hopkins and Ben Kingsley are at in their careers.Brain on Fire
Speaking freely, as a fellow writer my brain is literally always on fire but you don't see me crying about it. I'm obsessed with the tagline of this Chloe Grace Moretz tearjerker: "It's not supposed to happen, be prepared when it does." Like, wait, what's not supposed to happen? Getting a job in journalism? Living in New York on a New York Post salary? Maintaining that level of blonde economically as a junior reporter?Girls Trip
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Have you seen The Best Man Holiday? It's so weirdly good. Like it's kinda bad but it's also kinda great. Malcolm D. Lee is back with another feel-good friend reunion, this time starring Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith and Regina King. Will they cut loose? Heck yes. Will they have fights that test the limits of their friendships? You know it. Will it all turn out ok in the end because ultimately the best love is the love you have for your gal pals? I mean, it's motherfucking Girls Trip, what do you think?Follow Amil Niazi on Twitter.
This movie won the grand jury prize at Sundance and you can see why. Melanie Lynsky is a goddamn national treasure at this point and her depressed heroine is incredibly relatable and real. When she's robbed of her silver she finally loses her grip on sanity and decides to go the vigilante route with Elijah Wood in tow. What starts out as another Joe Swanberg-y mumblecore turns into a Michael Haneke-esque violent romp through middle-class ennui. The movie streams on Netflix on February 24.Collide
This movie was supposed to be made four years ago and star Zac Efron and Amber Heard, which should tell you a lot about Collide. This is only director Eran Creevy's third feature film but it's definitely his biggest attempt so far. He obviously had a huge car budget anyway. Nicholas Hoult is a former car thief pulled back into the dangerous world of auto crime after his girlfriend (played by a badly blonded Felicity Jones) is kidnapped. You get it, classic love stuff. I'm sad that this is where Sirs Anthony Hopkins and Ben Kingsley are at in their careers.Brain on Fire
Speaking freely, as a fellow writer my brain is literally always on fire but you don't see me crying about it. I'm obsessed with the tagline of this Chloe Grace Moretz tearjerker: "It's not supposed to happen, be prepared when it does." Like, wait, what's not supposed to happen? Getting a job in journalism? Living in New York on a New York Post salary? Maintaining that level of blonde economically as a junior reporter?Girls Trip
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Have you seen The Best Man Holiday? It's so weirdly good. Like it's kinda bad but it's also kinda great. Malcolm D. Lee is back with another feel-good friend reunion, this time starring Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith and Regina King. Will they cut loose? Heck yes. Will they have fights that test the limits of their friendships? You know it. Will it all turn out ok in the end because ultimately the best love is the love you have for your gal pals? I mean, it's motherfucking Girls Trip, what do you think?Follow Amil Niazi on Twitter.