Oldies But Goodies: Some Movies You Might Have Missed the First Time Around!

[I review "Fly Me To The Moon," "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,"  and the French foodie film, "The Taste of Things"]

 

Fly Me to the Moon (2024)

Remember that conspiracy theory about how the U.S. never really landed on the moon and what we saw was all faked?  Well, this rom-com has fun with that idea.

In late 1968, Manhattan advertising executive Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) is offered a high-stakes job by Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson), a covert government operative working for President-elect Richard Nixon. The U.S. space program had been put on hold partly partly because of the Vietnam War and the costs of running a space program but also because of waning interest in the Space Race in general.  The program was in need of some PR, and Berkus tasks her with revitalizing NASA's bad public image. "Sell the moon!!"  Kelly has a bit of a bad image herself and Berkus threatens to uncover it if she doesn't agree to take the job, so off to Cocoa Beach, Florida Kelly goes with her loyal assistant, Ruby.

Almost upon arrival, Kelly "meets cute" with Cole Davis (Channing Tatum), the serious and principled launch director at the Kennedy Space Center before either knows who the other is, but when they eventually meet at work, a love-hate relationship begins. There was immediate attraction between the two, but Cole is uptight and serious and doesn't approve of Kelly's techniques.  She is a force of nature and not above doing what she needs to do to get her way.  For example, when Cole tells her that his men don't do interviews, she hires actors to, not only pretend to be the space scientists so they can do interviews, but hires an actor to also be Cole. They also clash over Kelly's move to get corporate sponsorships e.g. the astronauts wearing Omega watches up in space and drinking Tang.

As NASA prepares for the historic Apollo 11 mission, Kelly suggests broadcasting the moon landing using a television camera on the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), a proposal Cole dismisses as impractical. However, Moe secretly endorses the idea and reveals an additional, shadowy directive to Kelly: she must prepare a fake moon landing to be aired if the real mission fails, a project codenamed "Artemis," a name that is an eery forshadowing for today. Once again, Moe threatens to expose Kelly's past if she doesn't cooperate, and then it comes to light that Moe wants them to broadcast the fake transmission, no matter what, even if the launch is successful.

Kelly becomes increasingly uneasy with the deception, especially as she and Cole grow closer and their romantic relationship blossoms, though it still manifests some love/hate issues. This is an opposites attract kind of rom/com.

There are some twists and turns and bumps along the way, not only in the launch, but in Cole's and Kelly's relationship and a black cat figures prominently in the outcome.

Scarlett and Channing are two beautiful people playing in the usual "I love you, I hate you" rom-com. It's fun to see their relationship play out in this scenario, and it's especially fun to see all of the behind-the-scenes machinations that go into a space launch. It's also fun to be reminded of that old conspiracy theory that the moon landing never happened and was fake,which is especially appropos today two years after this movie was released with astronauts up in space right now, flying around the moon in a spaceship called "Artemis."

Scarlett is expecially good here playing a smooth saleswoman who will do anything to get what she wants.  And I couldn't help but wonder where she has been? She hasn't done many movies in the last few years. And Channing is more subdued but still a handsome guy to watch. Oh, and keep your eye out for a cameo by Scarlett's husband, Colin Jost.  If you blink, you will miss him.

With a screenplay by Rose Gilroy and directed by Greg Berlanti, this is one of those "what if?" scenarios, and though a bit overlong, it reminded me of those old feel-good rom-coms we don't see much anymore.  But it also unintentionally made me ask myself - with another war going on and so many domestic issues, does anyone really still care about space travel?

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you have missed seeing Scarlett Johansson or are a Channing fan and you are looking for an old-fashioned rom/com in an unusual setting, you might just love this to the moon and back. Or maybe not. (Apple+)

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)

A biopic about the life and career of Alfred "Weird Al" Yankovic - well, kind of.

If you were expecting a straight forward and serious film about the life and career of Weird Al, you might be disappointed with this film, but if you can suspend disbelief and enter the world that is Weird Al's mind, you might find this very funny.

So I was an unsuspecting viewer. I thought this was Weird Al's real story, but when the film began with Al as a child interacting with his Dad (Toby Huss), I was thinking, "Gee, this film is really overdramatic and the actors are way over the top." But as the film went on and Al was a teen at a polka party and it got raided, I thought "Teenagers at a polka party?" I then realized that Weird Al wasn't called Weird Al for nothing. I was watching yet another Weird Al parody, a parody of his own life. 

Young Al's (Richard Aaron Anderson) Dad wants Al to follow him into the factory where he works, but Al wants to write parody songs.  Al's Dad is not happy, but Al's mother secretly purchases an accordion for Al. Years later, an older Al is living with his roommates Steve (Spencer Treat Clark), Jim (Jack Lancaster) and Bermuda (Tommy O'Brien), and is constantly rejected in band auditions as an accordion player, but while listening to "My Sharona" on the radio and fixing a bologna sandwich, Al is inspired to write "My Bologna," which becomes a huge hit and Al becomes a huge star...and a huge ego. 

The story goes on to show how Al wrote "I Love Rocky Road" and "Another One Rides the Bus," meeting his idol Dr. Demento (played by Rainn Wilson), who becomes his manager, how he got the name "Weird Al," and his love affair with Madonna who is dying for him to parody one of her songs - at this point, if you haven't already figured it out, that you are being drawn into a Weird Al parody of his own life, you will stop going "Huh?" When Al gets involved with a drug lord, you will certainly realize Al is having fun with you (he can't help himself), and when he eventually reconciles with his father, who shares that he grew up in an Amish community where he wasn't allowed to play the accordion, you will be shaking your head. And there is more, but you get the idea. 

It's difficult to know what is true and what is Al's imagination or exaggeration in this parody of his life written by Al and director Eric Appel.  For example, Al did become a great accordion player after a door-to-door salesman selling accordions stopped by his house when he was a young boy; Madonna did want him to parody one of her songs, but as far as I can tell, Al never had a love affair with her; nor did he take drugs despite the scene where he goes off on an LSD trip.  I also don't think he had to save Madonna from a drug lord or was on the cover of People Magazine as "The Sexiest Man Alive (duh)," but that's not the point.  This is a comedy. Al is making fun of himself, and it's a lot of fun.

Let's just say it becomes apparent very soon that this is not a biopic of Weird Al, but yet another parody from the weird mind of Weird Al. Daniel Radcliffe does a good job of playing Al and is joined by a star-studded cast of comedians in cameos playing other famous people - I mean Conan O'Brien as Andy Warhol? Will Forte, Patton Oswalt, Michael McKean, Jack Black and others make appearances.  It's fun to try to spot them.

Rosy the Reviewer says...an over-the-top biopic parody of Weird Al's life.  Can we expect anything different from Weird Al? (For rent on Amazon Prime)

The Taste of Things (2023)

Set in 1889, this film depicts the romance between Eugenie, a cook, and M. Dodin, the gourmet chef for whom she has been working for over 20 years.

Winner of several awards and chosen as the French entry for "Best International Feature Film" at the 2024 Academy Awards, the movie begins on a country estate in France in 1889. Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) works as a cook for Dodin (Benoit Magimel), a gourmet, who loves not only her cooking but it appears, he loves her too. Eugénie and Dodin, along with her assistant Violette (Galatea Bellugi) and Violette's young niece Pauline (Bonnie Chagneau-Ravoire), who is visiting for the day, prepare an intricate meal for Dodin's friends.The group meets regularly to eat and enjoy food and praise Eugénie for her artistry.  And let me tell you, they eat a LOT! 

And let me also tell you.  We see every... single... bit... of the preparation. The first 30+ minutes of the film is, well, cooking. Every ingredient gets its close-up (thank you, Mr. DeMille)! This is a film for major foodies. If there is such a thing as food porn, this is it. 

Eugénie and Dodin, both middle-aged, are in a sort of long-term romantic relationship, but maintain separate bedrooms. He has asked her to marry him several times, but she has declined, preferring that they maintain their relationship as they are. Somehow being his cook rather than his wife allows her to lock her bedroom door from time to time. However, their real joy is in developing new recipes and preparations together. 

For the first hour of the film, it's a quiet worship of food, but then Eugénie begins to experience fainting spells, and Dodin grows worried about her health. His doctor friend, Rabaz (Emmanuel Salinger), is unable to determine the cause, and Eugénie persistently claims she is fine. After one such scary fainting episode, Dodin cooks an intricate meal for her and includes an engagement ring hidden in a dessert. Talk about a slow burn. It's taken him 20 years to get that together. But Eugenie finally accepts Dodin's proposal, and they plan to marry in the "autumn of their lives."

He should have asked sooner.  

The French are known for their passion for fine food and wine, and this film captures that passion. Written and directed by Anh Hung Tran, Dodin is based on Dodin-Bouffant, from the 1924 novel by Swiss author Marcel Rouff - "La Vie et la Passion de Dodian-Bouffant, gourmet" ("The Passionate Epicure"). It is one of those slow-moving French films meant to evoke emotion through sight and sound.  And if you have emotion about food, this is for you! It's all very elegant, gentile and sensual.  The cinematography is glorious.  There is one scene where a large party is taking place on the grounds of the chateau and everyone is seated at a long table, and it looks exactly like a Renoir painting.

I love my cooking shows, so this film feeds right into that (pardon the pun), and I also love Juliette Binoche and I love love...so food, Juliette, love...what more could I ask for?  Who wouldn't want to watch the beautiful Juliette Binoche prepare gourmet food? She is a charming actress no matter what she does. She has been charming us in films for years, and she may be in the "autumn" of her life, but she is still beautiful and luminous.  I could watch her prepare food for hours.

Rosy the Reviewer says...this film might not be for everyone, but like dining at a five-star Michelin restaurant, it is an experience. If you consider yourself a foodie, you will want to see this.  It is food porn at its finest! (Hulu)

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

If You Like Documentaries... (2026)

[I review the Academy Award winning "All The Empty Rooms" as well as the true crime documentary "Murder in Monaco" and "Naked Ambition," the story of pin-up photographer Bunny Yeager]

All the Empty Rooms (2025)

News essayist Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp memorialize the untouched bedrooms of children lost to school shootings.

Steve Hartman is an American broadcast journalist best known for his coverage of human interest stories for CBS News.  He is often called in for a "feel good" moment to end the broadcast, especially after bad events so that viewers can feel positive about the world again. 

However, with the ever increasing number of school shootings and usually sensationalized news about the shooter, Hartman felt we were becoming numb to it all. Hartman decided his feel good optimism was no longer enough.  He came up with the idea to highlight the dead children instead of the shooter, so he and photographer Lou Bopp embarked upon a trip across the country memorializing the bedrooms of children lost to school shootings. He has been doing this for seven years and this film, directed and produced by Joshua Seftel, highlights the last four children and their bedrooms on this journey of his, and the film won an Oscar for Best Documentary Short at this year's Academy Awards. 

The children featured in the film are:

• Nine-year-old Hallie Scruggs, a victim of the 2023 Covenant school shooting in Nashville.

• Dominic Blackwell, 14, killed at the 2019 Saugus High School shooting in Santa Clarita, California

• Gracie Anne Muehlberger, 15, also a victim at Saugus High School

• Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares, 9, died in the Uvalde school shooting in Uvalde, Texas 2022

The parents of these children had left the rooms exactly as they were when the children last left for school feeling that as long as the room exists, so do they in a way.  There is a tube of toothpaste with the cap left off; hair ties on the knob of the bedroom door; dirty clothes in a basket. Gracie Anne Muehlberger's parents shared that she put on shows for them in her room.  Her dad read a letter she wrote to her future self when she started high school. He could barely get through it.  I couldn't either. Videos and recordings of the children are shared as they lived their lives without a care in the world.

Hartman and Bopp are also featured with their own children.  Bopp photographs his daughter every year at the beginning of a new school year and the film ends with Hartman's daughter painting his nails.

I became teary almost immediately upon starting to watch this 34 minute film that attempts to capture the devastation of these childrens' parents. And it is devastating to see those untouched rooms just as those children left them before leaving for school the very last time, but it is important to see this film, to honor these children and their brief lives, so that we don't accept these shootings as a regular part of our lives. There is not preaching here. Not much needs to be said. The pictures tell it all. 

The film ends with the names of every child killed in school shootings since Columbine.  Too many names.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a reminder to hug and say "I love you" to your children, because "these could be your children." (Netflix).

Naked Ambition (2023)

Bunny Yeager might just be the most-famous photographer you have never heard of!  This documentary biopic attempts to change that.

Bunny Yeager had a stellar career - first as a model, then a photographer of models but not just any models - we are talking pin-ups, cheesecake, nudity.  Yeager shot the very first "Playboy" centerfold (January 1955) as well as that famous photo of Ursula Andress in her bikini for the James Bond movie, "Dr. No." She single-handedly popularized the bikini and was an early adopter of "selfies (she was a model herself after all)." Yeager also went on to discover Bettie Page as well as publishing 20 books. 

So why is it that someone so prolific and famous in the photographic industry is unheard of today?  

Well, I guess it's not a shock that a woman in a male dominated industry would be ignored. And Yeager was ambitious, something that was taboo for a woman back in the day.  But writer/director Dennis Scholl and fellow director, Kareem Tabsch, want to right that wrong with this documentary and make sure everyone remembers Bunny Yeager. 

Bunny Yeager began her career as a model, but as she became a wife and mother, she decided to step away from modeling and pursue photography instead as a way to earn money with a more flexible schedule. She was dubbed "The World's Most Beautiful Photographer."  She was noted for her high standards, her interesting choices of location and she could work fast.  She was able to highlight the personalities of her subjects, probably because she was working woman to woman. She had a successful career as a photographer, but it was her collaboration with Bettie Page and "Playboy" that brought both her and Page success and changed both of their lives. Page had just been considered a fetish model until Yeager elevated her. But then along came porn and feminism and pin-ups fell out of fashion and things went downhill for Yeager, forcing her to regroup.

At only 73 minutes, the film does a good job of covering Yeager's career and showcasing her work (hundreds of photos are displayed as well as home videos), but I wish the film had gone deeper into her motivations and what she had to go through as a woman photographer specializing in pinups and nudes, having to deal with the obscenity laws of the time, the ensuing popularity of porn and the negative view feminism had for pin-up photography.

But the conversations with Yeager's daughters, Lisa Irwin and Cherilu Duval, did yield some insight into Yeager's personal life. Daughter Cherilu was particularly embarrassed by her mother's photographic choices while Lisa felt her mother empowered other women. One can't help but wonder how her daughters' differing opinions of her affected her relationships with them.

"Talking heads," which included Dita Von Teese, Hugh Hefner, photographer Bruce Weber and Larry King and others weigh in, as well as Bettie Page herself via a recording, whose voice strangely did not match her photos, but probably that was the voice of a very old Bettie Page.

The film does a good job of highlighting Yeager's achievements as a pin-up girl photographer and as the first woman photographer for "Playboy." She captured the times.  I just wish it had gone deeper into what it must have been like for her to do this work in a "man's world" in the rather prudish time of the 1950's.

Rosy the Reviewer says...Yeager was ambitious and portrayed the power of female sexuality in her photographs, and this is a fitting tribute to a woman who was an ironic feminist. It was an amazing life that I am surprised has not been made into a dramatic biopic. Maybe now it will. (Netflix)

Murder in Monaco (2025)

An examination of the mysterious murder of billionaire Edmond Safra in Monaco in 1999.

Billionaire Edmond Safra died along with one of his nurses in 1999 in a fire in his Monaco penthouse.  Authorities were initially led to believe by his other nurse, Ted Maher, that the 67-year-old billionaire was the victim of a bungled burglary, but as this documentary plays out, the circumstances surrounding Safra's death and the aftermath just got "stranger and stranger."

Edmond Safra, one of the richest men in the world, was a Lebanese-Brazilian banker living in a 10,000 square foot penthouse in Monaco with panic buttons, bullet-proof windows and a safe room. He had Parkinson's Disease and was on medications that made him paranoid.  He had full-time nursing care and was surrounded by bodyguards.  His death caused a media storm giving way to various conspiracy theories about who was responsible.  Safra was found dead of affixiation in his safe room along with his nurse, Vivian Torrente.  His other nurse, Ted Maher, escaped with stab wounds and said the assassins got in and attacked them. But how did intruders get into an apartment that appeared inpenatrable?  

The suspicious circumstances surrounding Safra's death created an international media storm giving way to various conspiracy theories about who was really responsible.  Was it Russian mobsters?  Safra conducted business with Russian oligarchs until he informed the FBI that they were trying to launder money through American banks.  Or was it his wife, Lily, a woman with some rich dead husbands in her past who yearned to be a famous socialite and who stood to inherit billions? Or was it Maher himself, the nurse who was accused of starting the fire to set the stage to rescue Safra and become a hero? And did Safra die because the authorities took too long to put out the fire and was there a cover-up, using Maher as a scapegoat?  Monaco relies on its reputation as a safe and secure haven for the very rich, so when someone is murdered there, not good. So many questions in this crazy murder mystery.

And then things get really crazy.

Written by Sam Hobkinson and directed by Hodges Usry, this true-crime documentary explores the various conspiracies surrounding Safra's death.  It's a murder mystery with a trial and a prison escape and some judicial corruption and much more.  The film features interviews with reporters, Safra's banking associates, lawyers, cell mates and exclusive interviews with Maher, whose life was a whole crazy story on its own. He eventually went on trial for Safra's death and it was the O.J. Trial of Europe. But the story doesn't end there.

The moral of this story?  Sometimes it's not that much fun being a billionaire.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you like true crime about the rich and famous with all kinds of real life twists and turns, this is for you. (Netflix)

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

March Movie Madness 2026

[When you need a break from basketball, here are some fun movies. I review "The Housemaid," "Untitled Home Invasion Romance" and "My Oxford Year"]

The Housemaid (2025)

A young woman with a troubled past hopes to start a new life as a housemaid for a wealthy couple only to discover she may have gotten herself into even worse trouble.

Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney) is living in her car until she is hired by Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried) as a live-in maid. She joins Nina's wealthy husband Andrew (Brandon Sklenar) and daughter Cece (Indiana Elle) at their home in Great Neck, Long Island and is given an attic bedroom that can be locked from the outside. Odd. And Millie has some issues. We later learn that Millie is on parole and desperate to keep her job as part of the conditions of her parole. 

But Millie is not the only one with issues. Millie learns that Nina had been institutionalized for trying to drown Cece and for attempting suicide by overdose. She has anger and OCD issues too. In fact, she is kind of a psycho and Millie starts to wonder what she has gotten herself into.  Little Cece isn't very friendly, either. Kind of a creepy kid.

And then there is the handsome Andrew. He is charming to Millie and an attraction develops. What is his deal?  And what is the deal with his and Nina's marriage? Is this the story of every woman's nightmare - the husband attracted to the nanny, or in this case, the housemaid? Or a remake of "Single White Female," but oh, noooo. 

Things are not at all as they first appear in this story based on the novel by Freida McFadden, a screenplay by Rebecca Sonnenshine and directed by Paul Feig, who famously directed "Bridesmaids" and "A Simple Favor." And this is certainly more "A Simple Favor" than "Bridesmaids." Not a comedy, though there are some moments that could be interpreted as funny. But it's mostly a thriller, all about secrets and lies, where everyone looks like a villain until the secrets, lies and real villain are revealed. It's kind of a cringey tale, but cringey in a good, thriller, edge of your seat, and kind of campy way with some major plot twists. This is the kind of movie we used to see a lot of in the 90's.

Seyfried lets it all hang out in some very unhinged, and sort of fun, moments and Sklenar is one handsome dude. Oh, and there is some hot sex (this wouldn't be a Sydney Sweeney movie without some hot sex where she can show off that bod of hers).

Rosy the Reviewer says...a fast-moving and fun thriller with a twist you won't see coming. (For rent or purchase on Amazon Prime)

Untitled Home Invasion Romance (2025)

As a last-ditch attempt to save his failing marriage, an actor stages a home invasion during a romantic getaway weekend so he can play the hero.  Doesn't work out the way he had hoped.

Jason Biggs is all grown up now and no longer obsessed with pies. He is now a director. This is his directorial debut, and here, he not only directs, but stars as Kevin, an aspiring actor, whose marriage is not going well.  So after coming off a two month separation with his wife, Suzie (Meaghan Rath), he plans a getaway vacation to rekindle their marriage. They go to the house where Suzie spent her summers as a young girl.  First mistake.  She has some traumatic memories associated with the cottage. He also gets the lame idea ot staging a home invasion at the cottage so he can be a hero and "save" his wife.  So he hires Ernie (Arturo Castro), an actor friend, to break in and be the bad guy. Second mistake. You know how those things go. Best laid plans and all of that. When someone actually dies and Kevin finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation, everything spirals out of the control and we learn about a traumatic event in Suzie's youth.

Written by Joshua Paul Johnson and Jamie Napoli, this is one of those excruciating films where one bad decision leads to a worse one and a worser one and on and on.  Let's just say that Kevin is not very smart. But in the end, it's all kind of fun in a dark way.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a surprisingly violent film but also surprisingly enjoyable...in an excruciating and violent way (For rent or purchase on Amazon Prime).

 

My Oxford Year (2025)

Anna has her life all mapped out. Until she meets Jamie and her world gets turned upside down. 

Anna De La Vega (Sofia Carson) is a hard-working, middle class Ivy Leaguer who has deferred a post-graduate offer for a job as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs to take a year off to study Victorian poetry at Oxford - a childhood dream - but then she plans to return to America for her job at Goldman Sachs for a life of financial security.  Falling in love was not part of her plan.

On her first day at Oxford, Anna gets splashed by a puddle as Jamie Davenport (Corey Mylchreest) speeds by in his vintage Jaguar sports car. They meet again later and she recognizes him as the guy who splashed her and she is not amused. And wouldn't you know? It turns out he is the teacher for one of her classes. Awww. Talk about meeting cute.  More cuteness follows as the two become closer. Jamie takes Anna to a pub (she had never been to one) and he explains that "Pubs are like churches.  We consider them sacred and attend them religiously." Jamie is a bit of a rich playboy who is difficult to pin down, but the two fall in love and they frolic in the beauty that is Oxford and the English countryside. It's all very cute.

But then, the cuteness ends. Turns out there has been a reason why Jamie has been holding back and when his secret is revealed, the film takes a dramatic turn that challenges our lovers relationship. What will happen? Well, it's rather predictable, but, hey, it's the journey.

Written by Julia Whelan, Allison Burnett and Melissa Osborne and directed by Iain Morris, we get to take part in a journey that follows two beautiful young lovers around historic Oxford and as they travel the beautiful English countryside in this literary, sweet and uplifting story.  What more could you ask for?

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you like drama, romance and a poignant story, you will enjoy this (Netflix).

See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

Get Ready for the 2026 Oscars With These Films Nominated for Best Picture: "Hamnet," "The Secret Agent" and "Marty Supreme"

[I review "Hamnet," "The Secret Agent" and "Marty Supreme"]

Okay, here are my last reviews for the ten films nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture 2026 (Yes, I have seen and reviewed them all. You are welcome.  You can always count on me).

The three films reviewed here were Golden Globe nominees and are also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture along with "Frankenstein," "One Battle After Another," "Bugonia," "F1," "Train Dreams," "Sinners," and "Sentimental Value (click on the links to see my earlier reviews)." 

Because several of these nominees for a Best Picture Oscar were also nominated for Golden Globes, I reviewed them earlier in anticipation of the Golden Globes, because Golden Globe nominations and winners are also a bellwether for what we can expect from the Oscars.  And I was right.  Most of these Oscar nominees were also Golden Globe nominees, though a couple of surprises (where did "Train Dreams" come from? And "F1?" for a Best Picture Academy Award)?

I also reviewed these Best Actor and Best Actress nominated performances: Kate Hudson for "Song Sung Blue," Ethan Hawke for "Blue Moon," and Rose Byrne for "If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You (again, click on the links for the reviews)."

Hamnet (2025)

An origin story about Shakepeare's "Hamlet."

The film begins with a written prologue stating that "Hamnet" and "Hamlet" were considered the same name. That should give you a a bit of a heads up as to where this film is going to go.

William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal), but let's call him Will, works as a tutor to help pay his family's debt. One day, he sees Agnes Hathaway (Jessie Buckley) summon her hawk with her falconry glove and he approaches her. They have a very strange medieval "meet cute" moment. When William's mother, Mary (an almost unrecognizable Emily Watson, because of her wimple), finds out about their meeting, she informs him of rumors that Agnes is the daughter of a forest witch who taught her herbal lore. He finds out that's true, well at least the herbal lore part, when later Agnes uses her knowledge to heal a cut on William's forehead. And, come to think of it, she does spend an awful lot of time in the forest. William woos Agnes with stories, which delight her so much that they have some steamy sex and Agnes gets pregnant. Not good to get pregnant in those days without being married.  Agnes's family disowns her.  But William does the right thing.  They get married and Agnes gives birth to Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), and, of course, it's in the woods.

As for William, he is just not into the rural manual labor thing and gets into a fight with his dad, John (David Wilmot), over it.  Agnes knows that William really wants to write so she gets her brother, Bartholomew (Joe Alwyn), to help William get a theatrical career in London.  Which he does, leaving Agnes and Susanna behind in Stratford.  And once again, Agnes is pregnant, and gives birth to twins Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe) and Judith (Olivia Lynes). 

Eleven years pass and now William is a successful playwright returning home only intermittently while the children grow up very close. His absences cause problems, but worse, tragedy strikes which in turn leads the way for William to write his play "Hamlet" as a way to deal with his grief.

The first 45 minutes of this film is slow going with a horrendous childbirth scene, and though there are some fun family scenes, this is not a fun movie by any means, because it's about grief and the toll that takes on a marriage. 

Based on the book by Maggie O'Farrell and adapted for the screen by O'Farrell and director Chloe Zhao, the film is nominated for eight Oscars: Best Production Design, Best Casting, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score, Best Costumer Design as well as Best Picture and nods to director Chloe Zao and Buckley.  Certainly the production design is first rate but this film is all about Jesse Buckley's amazing performance. Her facial expressions while watching "Hamlet" performed at The Globe Theatre are alone Oscar-worthy.  She has already won a Golden Globe and is likely a leading contender for the Oscar.  Mescal was snubbed for an Oscar but is also very good here.  I have a soft spot for him because he starred in "Normal People," a TV miniseries that helped me get through Covid. But it's young Jacobi Jube who won my heart.  I don't usually like child actors, especially precocious ones, but he was a delight.  I wanted to hug him.

All of that said, I didn't really enjoy this film. First of all, it's about grief so there goes the enjoyable part. Lots of sturm und drang and the acting is sometimes a wee bit over-the-top.  Also, I am not a fan of this time period.  It's too dark and I don't like the clothes.  I am much more of a "Downton Abbey" girl.  And the scenes of Agnes giving birth were excruciating.  Brought back bad memories. Likewise, our boy, Will, has some major issues, but I guess that is the case with most geniuses who write tragedies. 

Rosy the Reviewer says...fans of Shakespeare's time and "Hamlet" will probably enjoy this, but despite the fact that I can appreciate the message - the power of art to heal - all-in-all I found this film to be kind of a slog. (Available to rent on Amazon Prime) 

The Secret Agent (2025)

A college professor returns to his hometown to escape his mysterious past.

It is 1977, during Brazil's military dictatorship, and former professor and widower, Armando Solimoes (Wagner Moura), appears to be on the run, returning to his hometown of Recife during Carnival.  His young son, Fernando (Enzo Nunes), has been living there with Armando's in-laws since the death of his wife, Fatima (Alice Carvalho).  He makes contact with Dona Sebastiana (Tani Maria), who runs a refuge for dissidents and refugees, adopts the name Marcelo and gets a job working in the city's identity card office. This affords Armando the opportunity to search the files for information on this late mother who disappeared. Meanwhile, in Sao Paulo, two hitmen, Bobbi (Gabriel Leone) and Augusto (Roney Villela), have been hired by Enrique Ghirotti (Luciano Chirolli) to kill Armando.  Also a hairy severed human leg is found inside a dead tiger shark and corrupt police chief Euclides (Robeno Diogenes) and his sons, Sergio (Igor de Araujo) and Arlindo (Italo Martins), are on the case. The hairy leg goes on to attack gay couples in the park.  Huh?  

The first half of this two hour and forty minute film is murky and doesn't explain much. 

Why has Armando returned to Recife? Why is his son living with the in-laws?  Why is Armando hanging out with dissidents and now working in a city job when he is a college professor (which wasn't revealed until later)? Why did he have to change his name? Why is he searching for information about his mother?  Why are there hitmen after him and what in the hell is the deal with the human leg found inside the shark?  Armando's story is not revealed until over an hour in and some of it isn't explained at all, like the title and that hairy leg. Okay, so the leg is probably a metaphor for the hellish, dangerous and corrupt world a dictatorship can create, but it's a jarring motif.  

Though the film, written and directed by Kleber Mendonca Filho, starts out strong, creating a beautiful 1970's Brazil, a world you can get lost in, I was pretty lost for what was going on in that first hour and a half. And if you like linear movies, this is not for you.  It flashes back and forwards willy nilly without explanation.  However, Moura is quite wonderful to watch as he navigates this confusing world (he won the Golden Globe for Best Actor-Drama and is nominated for a Best Actor Oscar) and the various characters inhabiting this world are also fascinating. 

The film won a Golden Globe this year for Best Foreign Language Film (it was also nominated for Best Motion Picture-Drama).  And the film has four Oscar nominations - like the Golden Globes, it is nominated in both the Best Picture and Best International Feature Film categories, as well as a nomination for Best Casting, and a nod to Moura for Best Actor. I am thinking it will win Best International Film.

Rosy the Reviewer says..though I can appreciate the story (what I understood of it, anyway), as well as the acting, the characters, and the production values, the film was too long and slow moving and, I predict, not for everyone. And it was not a particularly enjoyable movie experience for me. I still haven't gotten over that hairy severed leg. (In Portuguese with subtitles - For rent or purchase on Amazon Prime and Apple+)

Marty Supreme (2025)

Marty Mauser is a professional table tennis player.  He wants to be the best and will do anything, and I mean anything, to get there.

It's 1952 and Marty Mauser (Timothee Chalamet) works as a shoe salesman in his uncle Murray's (Larry 'Ratso' Sloman) New York City shoe store.  But Marty's real ambition is to win the British Open table tennis tournament and win American respect for ping pong...er...table tennnis. And he will do anything to get there including pulling a gun on his coworker, Lloyd (Ralph Colucci), and demanding he open the shop's safe and give him his backpay that his uncle is withholding so he can pay for the trip. 

Meanwhile, Marty is carrying on an affair with his married childhood friend, Rachel (Odessa A'zion), and when in London, seduces former actress, Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow).  Our Marty gets around. He does well with the ladies.

But he doesn't do as well at the British Open.  Though he defeats the reigning champion in the semi-finals, he loses the final to Koto Endo (Koto Kawaguchi), a deaf Japanese player who uses a sponge racket.  Kay's husband, pen magnate Milton Rockwell (Kevin O'Leary, aka "Mr Wonderful" on the TV show "Shark Tank") offers Marty an exhibition match against Endo in Tokyo before the World Championships to promote his pens but Marty declines when Rockwell tells him he needs to throw the match to appease the Japanese audience. Marty decides he will make it there on his own...somehow.

But back home in New York, Marty's life becomes very complicated.  Rachel is pregnant and says the baby is his; he discovers he has been banned from the World Championship for fraudulently expensing a stay at the Ritz in London and he must pay a $1500 fine to the International Table Tennis Association, money he doesn't have; and there is a mobster after him for losing his dog. Long story.  Anyway, more drama with Rachel ensues, more drama with Kay. And more drama that Marty creates for himself in his quest to become the greatest ping pong player...er...table tennis champ. 

Will Marty make it to the World Championship? Or will his cocksure sense of superiority be his downfall?

Timothee Chalomet has certainly come a long way since hitting it big in 2015 with "Call Me By Your Name" and a Best Actor Oscar nomination for that performance. And his performance here is stellar as the over confident, fast talking hustler that is Marty Mauser, a performance that is also rewarded with a Best Actor Oscar nomination. He makes you care about a guy who is really kind of awful - over-confident and self-serving. But it is not just Chalamet's acting that is stellar. He can play table tennis too and did all of his own stunts in the film.  He trained with experts for over six years, even traveling with his own table, to prepare for this role. 

The rest of the actors are also good, especially A'zion. Even O'Leary held his own, though I couldn't figure out how he got into this film. Fran Drescher and Sandra Bernhard are also featured but had little to do. If you blinked you would have missed them.

The film, written by Ronald Bronstein and Josh Saftie and directed by Saftie, beautifully captures the feel of 1950's New York (despite the 1980's soundtrack) and the excitement of professional ping pong...er...table tennis.  The story is mostly compelling, but I am really tired of these overlong movies. This film did not need to be two and a half hours long.  Though it started out strong, it bogged down in the middle and didn't really recover. The whole storyline involving the dog did not need to be there.  I was wishing there was less about the dog and more table tennis action, which was amazing. 

Speaking of table tennis, that seems to be a pasttime of a bygone era.  Growing up in the 50's, it seems like everyone had a ping pong table. We had one in our basement, and I must say I was pretty good.  My brother used to like to show me off to his teenaged friends. "Here is my ten-year-old sister and she is going to beat you." I think that was the only time he ever liked me. In later years, we had one as well.  Hubby and our middle school-aged son would play but Hubby had a way of frustrating our son so there was always drama.  But it seems these days, ping pong...or should I say...table tennis, seems to have fallen out of favor with the masses, though it has been a Summer Olympics sport since 1988.

The film has nine Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Achievement in Directing. Will it win an Oscar for Best Picture?  No, but Chalamet will probably win for Best Actor (he has already won a Best Actor Golden Globe for this performance). He puts in a bravura performance that is worth seeing and will probably be rewarded.

Rosy the Reviewer says...overlong and some Huh? moments but the film had drama, exciting sports segments and sex. What more could we ask for? (In theatres and for rent on Amazon Prime)

So...

I am not going to make my usual Oscar predictions category by category as I usually do. My heart is not in it. Though I can appreciate the acting and the originality of some of the stories, I didn't find many films to be satisfying movie experiences. My favorite film of the year was "Frankenstein," but sadly I don't think it will win Best Picture. I think the Best Picture winner will either be "Sinners" or "One Battle After Another," neither of which I particularly liked, though I could appreciate the acting and the originality. As for Best Actress, I am rooting for Rose Byrne for "If I Had Legs, I'd Kick You," but Jessie Buckley is probably the front runner for "Hamnet," though both won Golden Globes for their performances.  As for Best Actor, I would like to see Leonardo win for "One Battle...," but I wouldn't mind if Michael B. Jordan won, even though I didn't like "Sinners." But Timothee Chalomet has been wracking up the awards, so it will probably be him, and it would also be deserving.  

As for the other categories, I don't really care.  This has not been my favorite year for movies.

So all of my reviews for the ten nominated films are in....

See you at the Oscars! 

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And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!