Being completely honest, I'm not the best judge of movies. Films that I find to be extraordinary typically have terrible reviews, while movies that I find to be bland somehow win Oscars. Nevertheless, I've seen some new movies recently and decided to give my opinions on these recent (and not-so-recent) movies.
Moonlight: Absolutely incredible. It was moving, beautiful, and every aspect of the film was strong. Moonlight was 100% deserving of Best Film. The story was not what I was expecting, but the combination of plots was exquisite, and the way it was portrayed added to the strong storyline, filming, casting, and acting. Everything about this film was brilliant, and this is one I would love to see again to see what I missed the first time around.
La La Land: I'm going to put a not-so-common opinion out there--I actually didn't like La La Land. I thought the plot was creative and had a nice twist, but I didn't find it to be executed well. The cast was wonderfully acting-wise, but vocally, I found it to be subpar. There were times I had a hard time listening to the music because it seemed to be the same thing over and over again. In addition, while the story was cute and entertaining, I thought nuances of it was just too similar to the Last Five Years by Jason Robert Brown. Perhaps if the casting had been different, and those aspects similar to the Last Five Years had been changed, I would have enjoyed it more. For now, I'll pass on watching it again for a while.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: As a Harry Potter fan, I had high expectations for this one and it met my expectations beautifully. The acting and casting was superb, the cinematography was spell-binding (no pun intended). I loved the story and found myself laughing, on the edge of my seat, and wanting to jump right into the movie to meet the charismatic characters. I also enjoyed the setting; having it set in America was so clever, and really added a new perspective on the wizarding community that the world has come to know and love.
Brooklyn: This one isn't very recent (released in 2015), but I find it to be completely underrated. I watched it for the first time fairly late at night after I had just finished the book, and I adored it. It's an adorable story, and the portrayal of the novel was wonderful. It really brought to life what I had been reading. The casting was excellent, and beautifully captured the personalities of the characters in the novel. I laughed, I cried, I smiled, and I can't wait to watch it again and again.
