Barbieheimer, the crafty, endearing portmanteau of Barbie and Oppenheimer, the two biggest blockbusters of the summer, became mainstream weeks and months before the dual-day release of each movie. Moviegoers flocked to the theaters in greater fashion than even 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick. This ultra-successful, undeniably popular film has become universally accepted as helping bring people back to theaters following the COVID-19 pandemic. Some would say that it saved movie theaters entirely. As someone who sees two, three, or sometimes even more movies in the theater each month, often being one of a small handful of patrons, I am in that camp.
Category Archives: Genre
Barbie (2023)
Sometimes, when someone is describing a movie to someone who might be on the fence about it, they might say something like, “Yes, it’s a kids’ movie, but it’s made for adults. So much of the humor will go straight over a child’s head.” This rarely, if ever, works and can be a terrible tactic. Yet here I find myself again writing a review for a movie I knew I was not going to enjoy (though I would see it regardless because of the hype, favorable reviews, and gnawing curiosity), under the pretense that the movie was made for me when it was not. However, that was not the half of it. In most animated films, children are likely to be entertained and understand the story, even if that story parallels an overarching one intended for adults. Greta Gerwig’s (Lady Bird, Little Women) Barbie had all the shine of Mattel’s most iconic toy and was often shot in such a simple way that it felt like it was perhaps aimed at children, but this was not a kids’ movie. Its clever and ubiquitous marketing campaign seemed more interested in selling out as many theaters as possible for as long as possible before revealing its plot. It did work. The film grossed over $150 million domestically in its first three days. To the film’s credit, it was PG-13, though I bought into the intrigue so much that I hadn’t even looked at the rating until I left the theater.
Zodiac (2007)
Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler, Stronger) makes every movie he is in better than it would otherwise be, regardless of whether it’s a great movie, a terrible movie, or anything in between. Director David Fincher (Se7en, The Social Network) doesn’t make bad films. With Gyllenhaal and Fincher together, along with an ensemble that includes Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man 3, Natural Born Killers), Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher, Spotlight), Anthony Edwards (Top Gun, NBC’s ER), Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding, Young Guns), Brian Cox, (The Ring, HBO’s Succession), and John Carroll Lynch (The Trial of the Chicago 7, Jackie), Zodiac was bound for success. While the film connected on all fronts, it felt like it left something to be desired, though this would undoubtedly be true for anyone familiar with the story.
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
One of the most recognizable and influential films about substance abuse in cinema history is Darren Aronofsky’s (Black Swan, The Wrestler) revolutionary cult classic Requiem for a Dream. While this movie certainly is not for everyone, it ages very well. Much like films such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind or Fight Club, this one deserves a second chance for those who might have dismissed it after a first watch. This is especially true in today’s times, when drug abuse is as rampant as it is, with too many people dying because what they are purchasing and inserting into their bodies is often laced with substances unbeknownst to them.
Past Lives (2023)
The most intimate and tender movie of the first half of 2013 will land on the end-of-year top ten list for many. Past Lives, Celine Song’s feature debut, is a masterclass in storytelling, character development, and the subtle intricacies that subvert themselves in big and small relationships. Past Lives will undoubtedly be recognized during awards season, even with a nontraditional early summer release date.