Change Your Image
aaronpkaufman
Reviews
Empire Records (1995)
Not great but amazing
I love this movie for the nostalgic, fun-acting, early-star, great one-liner, not-that-good-of-a-movie that it is. It's the 90s, and I go back to that time whenever I watch it. Which is often.
Don't Let Go (2019)
Enjoyable crime thriller, watch Frequency if you like this
Very decently done "who dunnit" with a twist and good acting, especially from the young girl. I can understand why people think it's original, and it's of course a great concept, but it must be said that Frequency had a very similar plot, and I highly recommend it for those who haven't see it. It's from around 20 years ago, so it makes sense the idea would recycle. If you're looking for a good flick in this genre, certainly give it a try.
Mulan (2020)
Good but could've been better
I enjoyed it, especially the cast and overall beauty of the film, but many plot points lacked reason. Made it a tough sell for me. Could have been a lot stronger with more thought to the script.
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991)
I'm right on top that, Rose!
Fun, silly, great messages about growing up and gaining a sense of responsibility. I can't help but love this movie. Feels as early-90s as it is, but I'm good with that. One of the few movies I could watch any day, likely because I grew up with it.
Chernobyl (2019)
A brilliantly told story that intentionally omits a large piece
This story of Chernobyl is well told, well acted, and of deep importance. Stories such as this must be told in order for future generations to learn from the faults of the past. And the parallels to climate change are undeniable: an event that has not occurred before with implications for uncountable years to come, battled with denial as a result of fear. This series does a marvelous job of telling the events while showing these connections. But accurately depicting the language and accents, in my opinion, is part of accurately depicting the events and the culture surrounding those events.
Despite my great appreciation of this series, I cannot help but be distracted by the choice to use English accents. I read the comments by the creator saying that putting on accents would distract from the acting and that the accent is irrelevant to what's going on in the story. Respectfully, I disagree. If that were the case, then why not just have a made up story resembling Chernobyl but taking place in a made up land, to make it applicable to any time? Why have Gorbachev have an English accent? I find this confusing. I can see some people thinking this event happened in England. Language and accents are part of what puts us in a time and place and adds to the accuracy of events. Would the Nazis be depicted with different accents? Would the events of 9/11 be depicted with George W. Bush having a Chinese accent or even a Boston accent?
This series is very well done, but to be a great retelling, I believe there is more that needs to be captured than merely the events.
I Love You, Man (2009)
Original hilarity
I just can't think of any movie like I Love You, Man. This story of a guy in search of a best man is wonderful. It destroys the clichés of being the sports-loving, beer guzzling guy and explores the relationships some guys have with each other while being completely hilarious from beginning to end, as well as highlighting the importance of the protagonist's relationship with his bride-to-be. And aside from all the great but ridiculous jokes, it manages to maintain a huge heart. I Love You, Man is basically the inverse of the "chick flick." The "bro flick" perhaps?
Housesitter (1992)
Adorable farce
A wonderful, silly, 90s farce. I'm not usually into such goofy plots, but the actors are just so enjoyable to watch that it makes it easy to love a movie that's filled with so many ridiculous lies. The perfect movie if you just want to laugh. Long live the goofy comedy!
Like Father (2018)
Simple and satisfying
Like Father is a simple movie, well told. I feel as though in order for critics to love a movie these days, especially a dramedy, it has to be dark or exceedingly witty. I miss the days when movies could have a linear plot with good characters and good acting. They didn't need to be Oscar worthy but instead just made you think a little and smile. This is one of those and nothing more. It's a pleasure to see Kelsey Grammer in a role like this; he's endearing and a bit mysterious. He and Kristen Bell have good chemistry and the relationship works well. To address the criticism that it's slow, I disagree. It's a dramedy, so it has to build a story, and I was engaged the whole time. To address the qualm that it's an ad for a cruise, it didn't bother me if it was; the story and characters were good enough that the cruise backdrop was just fun. I wish that good movies like this (the ones that aren't amazing but are solidly good), were made more often these days. A solid dramedy, with a satisfying ending, and it made me smile. I like smiling.