Letterboxd Friday

Ruby Moley
Oct 4, 2024
5 min read

Updated: Oct 28, 2024

Published on 10 / 4 / 2024

I am a movie fanatic! I could talk about movies for hours. I used to force my parents to let me watch a movie every night as I slept. Currently, I have around 600 films rated on my Letterboxd account, and this week I added a couple more (Yes, I really watched these all in the past week while working and going to school).

Disclaimer: Some reviews mention aspects of the story that could be considered minor spoilers. I made sure no major plotlines and endings were spoiled!

American Beauty (1999)

The second this movie ended, I instantly thought "When can I watch this again." It was beautiful, thought-provoking, and the right amount of frustrating. Lester Burnham, played by Kevin Spacey, develops a go-getter attitude, doing whatever he wants, when he wants. He disrupts the order of his miserable life by taking hold of the wheel that was otherwise held tight by his temperamental wife. The film opens with Lester's narrative voice saying he will die in a year, but he doesn't know it yet. Though he explicitly tells us about his death, my jaw was still on the floor in the end.

Watching this film was like watching a movie for the first time. I couldn't take my eyes off of it, I wanted to absorb every ounce of it. I wish I could've seen this sooner. Though my life isn't miserable (I am grateful for everything I have), American Beauty really puts your own life into perspective -- am I doing what I need to do for myself? Am I stuck here because I'm making myself think I am stuck?

Finally, the soundtrack was beautifully produced by Thomas Newman. Movie soundtracks can make or break a film, and I noticed early on the effortless power the music held. Conveniently, this composer also made the score for one of my other all-time favorites, Meet Joe Black (1998). It has storytelling capabilities of its own and speaks for the characters even when they don't.

Letterboxd Rating:

Watching the Detectives (2007)

This movie was more frustrating than it was cinematic. It is a cute theme, a Letterboxd bro falling for a femme-fatale with a story deeper than what meets the eye. However, Lucy Liu plays Violet a little too well, as the stress she causes Cillian Murphy's character Neil seeps out of the screen and into your blood. Violet enjoys playing out these spontaneous skits, looping Neil in whether he likes it or not. While some of these are flirty and harmless, others, like breaking in, vandalizing, and getting the cops' attention, push Neil past his comfort point, and mine too. Violet's character stressed me out soooo much, as she constantly ignored Neil's wishes to tone it down. She pushes everything too far, and while I know some will disagree with my take, I couldn't handle it (as reflected in my rating).

Regardless, Cillian's portrayal of Neil really struck a chord with me. If my geeky self in all it's stressful glory were to be portrayed in a movie, there would be no better character than Neil! He is full of personality and creative, yet confined to the reigns of his anxiety. All the while, he is a giant romantic. Me and Neil are two peas from the same pod.

One of the most iconic scenes of this movie is thanks to the legend, Cillian Murphy. After a temporary breakup, the movie shows a montage of Neil sobbing uncontrollably as he completes his day-to-day routine. In one specific clip, he is playing baseball and crying -- it is iconic.

So thank you, Cillian Murphy, for starring in this so we can have this amazing gif:

Letterboxd Rating:

Yes, God, Yes( 2019)

This film was basically a more sexual, comedic adaption of the film Lady Bird (2017), starring Saoirse Ronan. As someone who isn't the most fond of comedies, this was an entertaining movie. It was a very casual play on a teenage upbringing in a religious environment, full of irony and sexual humor.

My biggest critique was the subtle bisexual nature of the film. I appreciated the representation, but the idea seemed to be ditched as the movie progressed. I think if this would've ended up as a lesbian film we could've really gotten some marks! Otherwise, nothing crazy or super special. Wouldn't watch again.

Letterboxd Rating:

Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 3 should've really been named The Rocket Story with the fantastic emphasis on Rocket's past. It was emotional and gut-wrenching seeing him grow up in an animal testing lab, making connections that faced disastrous ends. I felt so bad for these animals, having to remind myself constantly that they aren't real and they are okay! Rocket was always my favorite Guardian of the Galaxy, and this movie just reinforced it.

Overall, the movie had a very standard plot-- introduce a problem in the first 10 minutes and spend the rest of the movie trying to solve that one problem. There weren't any major crossover plots in this film that tie into the Marvel Universe, making this a good entry-level Marvel Movie, or a casual watch. Compared to other Marvel and GOTG films, this was quite average.

Side note, the music choices were phenomenal! The movie opened with Creep by Radiohead and featured one of my favorite Flaming Lips tracks near the middle, Do You Realize? Would highly recommend both these songs!

Letterboxd Rating:

The Deep Blue Sea (2011)

I watched this for Tom Hiddleston, and I stayed for Tom Hiddleston. This a very melancholy, dated piece that is consistently confusing, switching between the present and the past romantic memories of Hester Collyer (Rachel Weisz) and Freddie Page (Tom Hiddleston). Hiddleston's character at times reminded me of my ex, which was slightly terrifying. I also felt for Collyer's pain, begging for someone's attention that she will never get. I wanted to love this movie, as the idea, cast, and music were moving. However, this movie felt like having a migraine-- it switches around without connection in a hazy, confusing mesh. There wasn't an emotional bond established with the characters, robbing the film of depth.

Letterboxd Rating:

Adventureland (2009)

So teenage summer job friend group. Getting it on in your mother's basement. Throwing a party when your parents are gone. Flirting and drinking on the clock. Beckons of rebellious youth.

Jesse Eisenberg, who plays James Brennan, only has conversations with women two inches away from their faces in this movie. I don't know why I noticed this, but it made me giggle so much.

I thought this was preciously made. It follows so many different characters and their relationships, with the perfect mix of serious and comedic dialogue. Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, who plays Em Lewin, are masters of dry, simple humor. Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig throw in their SNL flavor with the side roles as Adventureland management, which satisfies the more straightforward humor of this comedy. And to finish it off, without spoiling the ending, it's not predictable. Nothing is worse than being able to predict a movie.

This is a casual watch that I'd recommend if you are feeling like reminiscing on life without responsibilities and having a summer fling.

Letterboxd Rating: