Movies of a Petite Aspie

Chief and Atari (voices of Bryan Cranston and Koyu Rankin) Director/Screenwriter: Wes Anderson Voices of: Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for  thematic elements and some violent images Genres: Action, Adventure, Animation, Comedy Theatrical Release Date: April 13, 2018 (wide); currently in limited release Rotten Tomatoes Score : 92% Clip: "What's Your Favorite Food?" Isle of Dogs  is, in a way, a summation of director/writer Wes Anderson's cinematic works, from his first feature film,  Rushmore,  to the 2014 Oscar-winning The Grand Budapest Hotel .  All of Anderson's films are synonymous with a certain brand of eccentricity and creativity that is unique to him.  As varied as they are, even a casual filmgoer can easily spot a Wes Anderson film, whether it's animated or live-action -- and not just because he often enlists the same talent (such as actor Bill Murray and compos...

Nick Robinson and Katherine Langford Director: Greg Berlanti Screenwriters: Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker (based on the novel by Becky Albertalli) Starring: Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner, Josh Duhamel, Katherine Langford, Alexandra Shipp MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, sexual references, language, and teen partying Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance Theatrical Release Date: March 16, 2018 Rotten Tomatoes Score : 92%   Clip: "Why Is Straight the Default?" Love, Simon  is a coming-of-age rom-com tailor-made for 21st-century teenagers.  And it just so happens that it's the first one that features a gay lead.  Based on the best-selling YA adult by Becky Albertalli, Simon directed by Greg Berlanti, who spearheads CW shows such as Arrow and The Flash , and written by This Is Us  scribes Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker. Berlanti, Berger, and Aptaker bring numerous pop culture and political references, which certainly helps to a...

Greta Gerwig & Mickey Sumner Director: Noah Baumbach Stars: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Grace Gummer Genre(s): Comedy; Drama DVD Release Date: N ovember 12 , 2013 Rotten Tomatoes Score : 93% Frances Ha is, to put it mildly, an unusual movie, that at first glance appears to be nothing special or glamorous.  It is special, in its own quirky way, but it isn't glamorous, and literally so, seeing as the film was shot in black-and-white (a rarity in cinema these days, aside from the Oscar-winning The Artist ).  Frances Ha stars indie darling Greta Gerwig ( Damsels in Distress ) -- who also co-wrote -- as mostly-likable 27-year-old Frances, who has been spending the majority of her time with her best friend, Sophie (Mickey Sumner).  Frances aspires to be a dancer, and is apprentice in a renowned company in New York, but can't quite seem to get her footing, metaphorically speaking.  Frances Ha is only 86 minutes long, but that is more...

Action/Adventure 1. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King 2. Star Wars, Episode V - the Empire Strikes Back 3. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 4. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowhsip of the Ring 5. Star Wars, Episode VI - Return of the Jedi 6. Raiders of the Lost Ark 7. Star Wars, Episode IV - A New Hope 8. Inception 9. Avatar 10. The Matrix Animated 1. Finding Nemo 2. Toy Story 3. WALL-E 4. The Lion King 5. Shrek 6. Beauty and the Beast 7. Toy Story 3 8. Lady and the Tramp 9. Bambi 10. The Incredibles Comedy 1. Father of the Bride 2. The Princess Bride 3. Shrek 4. Heaven Can Wait 5. The Breakfast Club 6. A Fish Called Wanda 7. Roman Holiday 8. The Incredibles 9. Some Like It Hot 10. The Graduate Drama 1. It's a Wonderful Life 2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 3. Titanic 4. To Kill a Mockingbird 5. American Beauty 6. Schindler's List 7. The NeverEnding Story 8. The Green Mile 9. The Lord of the Rings: The Tw...

Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper Director : David O'Russell Stars: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert DeNiro, J acki Weaver Genre(s): Comedy; Drama; Romance   Release Date: December 25 , 2012 Rotten Tomatoes Score : 92 % Silver Linings Playbook is one of those rare romantic dramedies that sidesteps ha ck neyed plots and been-there-done-that subplots, and instead opts for a story that focuses on real, relatable characters and avoids using characters that are too perfect or not flawed enough to be believable.  Af ter all, humans are flawed, and audiences often gravitate towards films with characters with whom they can empathize ; although the two leads in Silver Linings are perhaps more flawed than are most people, these flaws draws them together and make us root for them from the very beginning.  David O' Russell ( The Fi ghter ) is one of those gifted flmmakers that takes challenging sourc e material -- it is the adaptation of M...

Julia Roberts and Lily Collins Director: Tarsem Singh Stars: Julia Roberts, Lily Collins, Armie Hammer, Nathan Lane Genre(s): Adventure; Comedy; Drama; Fantasy DVD Release Date: June 26 , 2012 Rotten Tomatoes Score : 50% Honestly, the only reason I watched Mirror Mirror , Tarsem Singh's light-as-a-feather take on Snow White, was because it received an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design.  Although I foun d the Kristen Stewart-starring Snow White tale, Snow White and the Huntsman (co incidentally, also nominated for Best Costume s) to be more well-done and exciting, Singh's comedic approach was not a s terrible as I would have expected.  I thoroughly enjoyed some bits and pieces, and I thoroughly disliked other bits and pieces.   It is interesting to contrast the bright, vibrant colors of Mirror Mirror with the bleak, dark colors of Snow White: in both circumstances, these color palettes serve th e ir purposes for the most part, though I'd gi...

Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman Director: Wes Anderson Stars: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Edward Norton Genre(s): Comedy; Drama; Romance DVD Release Date: October 26, 2012 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94% Typically, when you see that a certain film has a 94 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, you assume that movie will be fantastic; you expect it to wow you.  But Wes Anderson's latest, Moonrise Kingdom , is just...okay.  There is really nothing particularly innovative about the movie.  There's nothing particularly interesting about the movie, nothing that makes you want to brag about it to your friends.  However, it is not terrible either, which makes it all the more disappointing, because it could have been so much more than mediocre. Moonrise Kingdom has the feel of a comedy, but there are few -- if any -- laugh-out-loud moments.  Additionally, it is occasionally difficult to discern when one is meant to laugh; moments that ma...

Tommy Lee Jones, Meryl Streep, and Steve Carell Director: David Frankel Stars: Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Steve Carell  Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Romance Release Date: August 8, 2012 Rotten Tomatoes Score: 77% It's extremely difficult to review a movie when there is any type of bias involved, in terms of the reviewer's relationship to the film.  In this case, a great portion of Hope Springs was filmed in my hometown of Stonington, CT.  At times, I found myself focusing more on the setting than on dialogue and actual movie, and relished in recognizing shops, restaurants, and other sites that are only within a few minutes' walk of my home.  I had to exhibit quite a bit of restraint in the theatre to avoid squealing every time I spotted a street or other locale that I know so well.  I knew this was what it must have felt like to see Mystic Pizza in the theatre: feeling an astounding amount of pride for own's hometown is something that canno...

Guess what?  I'm back.  (Duh.)  And it's not a movie-related post.  Oh well.  I just wanted to post my wish list for this year's Emmy nominations.  Let's get started!  You may notice that I couldn't come up with 5 nominees for each category.  Lead Actress in a Comedy Tina Fey -- 30 Rock Patricia Heaton -- The Middle Martha Plimpton -- Raising Hope Amy Poehler -- Parks and Recreation    * Honorable Mention: Lea Michele -- Glee * Lead Actor in a Comedy Alec Baldwin -- 30 Rock Johnny Galecki -- The Big Bang Theory  Jim Parsons -- The Big Bang Theory *Honorable Mention: Matthew Morrison -- Glee * Supporting Actress in a Comedy Julie Bowen -- Modern Family Jane Krakowski -- 30 Rock Jane Lynch -- Glee Betty White -- Hot in Cleveland Kristen Wiig -- Saturday Night Live *Honorable Mention: Heather Morris -- Glee * Supporting Actor in a Comedy Ty Burrell -- Modern Family Chris Colfer --...