Mini-Reviews: The Spectacular Now, Joy, Pompeii, The Edge of Seventeen

I've watched several films over the past few months that I just haven't felt motivated to review in depth. I don't have tons to say about any of these, but at the same time I wanted to let you all know what I thought about them! That being said, here are some mini-reviews so that you get the gist. If anyone wants to know more about any of these movies, please leave me a comment!

slashfilm.com

The Spectacular Now

Based on the novel by Tim Tharp, The Spectacular Now is a slice of teenage awkwardness. It's fairly likely you've met both an Aimee and a Sutter at some point in your life (whether in high school or college), so these characters feel fairly realistic. The question is, do you like Sutter or do you want to punch him in the face? Well, you'll probably feel both things at some point but that's sort of a good thing. My one major complaint about this one was that the volume was very inconsistent throughout. Overall a decent movie.

wsj.com

Joy

The beginning is rage-inducing and frustrating, and anyone who has family troubles will relate to this horrible dynamic, and want to punch something. The movie picks up quite well and ends up being surprisingly interesting (yes it is about a mop, but it is really about so much more than that). It was overall enjoyable, and Jennifer Lawrence does a good job with this one.

letterboxd.com

Pompeii

In truth, it was only called Pompeii to add in some fun special effects during fight scenes. A volcanic explosion really livens things up. I can't fault Kit Harrington on his performance - he did well with what he was given, even though it wasn't much. Not a bad movie, but definitely mindless and unoriginal, having strong Gladiator with Russell Crowe vibes. And I'll be honest, I can't see Keifer Sutherland in this type of role. I just couldn't take him seriously.

variety.com

The Edge of Seventeen

This teen drama plays out sort of like a reverse perspective to The Kissing Booth, but a lot crasser. The Edge of Seventeen is a portrayal of grief that isn't given the chance to heal. Certain parts of the dialogue feel very unrealistic, and Nadine's (Hailee Steinfeld) fashion sense is bad in a way that very few teenagers actually manage. These aspects really take away from the overall quality of the movie. The last 20 minutes really improve, and the film shows an accurate portrayal of self-involved adolescence. Woody Harrelson's performance especially shines in this one, and his parts really carry the film forward. This movie could have been a lot better with a touch more realism.