Monday Movie Review, V4 * Spotlight My Health

I usually watch one or two movies during the weekend and that’s what I do my Monday Movie Review on. Recently, however; I went through a couple weeks of being ill (not COVID), but ya know there wasn’t much I could do, so I watched movies. (I was a definite couch potato) Not one or two, but many, to the point that I couldn’t wait to go back to work. Never thought that would happen, but it did.

So the movies that I’m reviewing and sharing with you tonight I’ve watched for the first time just recently, even though several are older.

HOME AGAIN

Home Again with Reese Witherspoon, Pico Alexander and Nat Wolff.

Alice (Reese) moves back to her CA childhood home with her two daughters from NYC, pending a divorce. It’s a fresh start.

During a night, out to celebrate her 40th birthday with old high school friends, she three young men. They just arrived in the area to become filmmakers and have no place to stay. Alice agrees to letting them stay in her guesthouse temporarily.

The three quickly become part of the family including the two little girls. They are writing and pitching movies to become movie producers and actually help make life a little easier for Alice.

Until Dad surprises everyone with a visit, wanting back into their lives.

This is a good rainy afternoon movie sitting by the fire with an afghan . I suggest this flick as a good one time watch, although I may watch it again to pick up what I may have missed the first time when laughing or speculating what may happen next.

THE CHANGLING MOVIE

You know, I don’t know what to say about this movie right off the bat. I went through so many emotions while watching, that the movie stuck with me for days afterwards. Have you ever had a movie do that to you?

I’ve never been a big Angelina Jolie fan, but I was impressed with this movie. As a single Mom in the late ‘20’s I believed her performance. When her son comes up missing and what she goes through; hmm, I just can’t tell you how shocked I was that this kind of thing happened in America. Your child goes missing and the cops force another child on you five months later and DON’T believe you when you say the little guy isn’t your son. Say it isn’t so—who wouldn’t know their own child. And that’s not all this woman goes through, but I don’t want to tell anymore of the story. Except that this is based on a true story. Makes me angry just thinking about it.

There are many other good actors in this movie, but Jolie takes the show. This movie is definitely worth watching some time when you want a movie that will make you feel.

The whole family could watch, but I don’t think the younger children would understand what was going on and it’s a very mature subject. And you may need tissue. Just sayin.

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The Lake House

With Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves

This movie fascinated me. The premise of different time dimensions co-existing at the same time, makes you think. With Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, a movie couldn’t be too bad, right.

Add in the fact that they seem to be existing at different times. They find each other through letters they write to each other and “mail” through a mailbox in front of a house. A house they both lived in at different times; resulting in the making of an interesting movie.

You will be sitting in your seat trying to figure out how they can actually meet and hoping that it happens. And each time, it almost happens, you’ll be waiting with bated breath and then be plunged right back down to earth again when the two miss each other. Will it happen or won’t it!

This is a fun, romantic movie that the whole family can watch, but it’s definitely a chick flick. I think you’ll like it. I liked it so much, it’s one of the few movies that I’ve actually bought so I could watch it whenever I want.

THE UPSIDE

With Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston and Nicole Kidman

Bryan Cranston plays Phillip, an extremely rich quadriplegic who needs to hire a caregiver for his day to day life. A family friend, played by Nicole Kidman, is conducting interviews for the position.

Kevin Hart played Dell who has just been released from jail on parole and needs a job. He finds out about the open position and decides to check it out. After waiting for hours for his turn, he barges into the interview room and announces that he doesn’t have much longer to wait—he needs to pick up his son. Phillip’s assistant tries to get rid of him feeling that he is inappropriate for the job. Phillip disagrees and Dell is hired.

What follows turns into a learning experience for each main character in the movie and possibly the viewer also. The caregiver and patient learn some life lessons from each other and drag others along with them.

This movie is definitely worth a watch. It’s funny, it’s touching and unexpected. Kevin Hart is both funny and introspective; while Bryan will pull at your heart strings at times and other times you will want to just tell him to “stop it”. The movie is about the relationship between the two men and how it affects those around them.

While there are one or two “suggestive” scenes, these scenes may be over the heads of those under 12, but in this day and time, who knows. The movie is mostly OK, but I’ll put a questionable PG in there for parents to decide after they watch the movie themselves if it’s a movie appropriate for their younger kids.

This movie surprised me in a good way and I would absolutely recommend it.

HALF LIGHT

With Demi Moore, Mystery, 2006 movie

Demi plays Rachel Carson, a well-known author, who has recently lost her young son from an accidential drowning. Being devastated, she goes to a remote area of Scotland to spend some time on her own and hopefully be able to start writing again.

Not long after she gets there, she starts noticing things seem strange in the little village (population 128) near the home she is staying in. There is a seer living in the village that tells Rachel her son has followed her there and is waiting for her. As she meets more people from the village and the small island that holds the lighthouse, strange things continue to happen and Rachel starts trying to figure out the mystery she knows is there.

This movie is basically family friendly although I don’t think younger kids would understand what is going on in the movie. Definitely worth a watch

Sum Up

While I watched many more movies during my time on the couch, these five are definitely worth watching.

How about you? Do you have any really good movies you want to share? I’d love to hear as I’m always on the look out for new movies to watch, no matter how old.