I usually go to two movies on Sunday, and sometimes Saturday. However there is too much football on television these days, with the Major League Baseball playoffs too. What draws me to watch is that I have fantasy teams for both sports.
Thus, Wednesdays have now become my go-to-films day, sometimes. The good, but scary thing about daytime, is that I could well be the only one in the theater. However, those you see attending are usually very old, and certainly non-threatening. But you got to wonder why this opportunity is available, for just the electricity bill must cancel any revenues.
As I avoid zombie, comic book, animated and many popular genres, my movie reviews now seem to be focused on the obscure. For example, while Judy did rank #7 this weekend, Monos I found at #51. However, Rotten Tomatoes reviewers rated #1 Joker at 68%, #2 The Addams Family at 43% and #3 Gemini Man at 25%. The lower the score the worse the movie.
Rotten Tomatoes My Grade
Reviewers Audiences
Monos 93 83 B-
Judy 83 86 B
I went to Monos totally in the dark, and, after the first 15 minutes of nothing much, was about to walk out, except I stayed, for I had already bought a ticket to Judy. This was a grim film of a small group of youngsters with guns on a Columbian mountain top guarding a female American engineer as hostage for The Organization, a rebel group.
Monos (means monkeys in Spanish) is the code name of this child-operated commando team guarding someone. Reminded me of Lord of the Flies. They are all grubby, and certainly haven't had a bath for months.
Later in doing some research for this posting I found out that it had a world premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award. It will be the Columbian entry for the upcoming Academy Awards. Incredibly, Monos has already won 22 awards for various facets of the film, including best musical.
This is the first time a film was made in this portion of Columbia because conditions are so harsh. While clearly Latin American, the production was international, involving the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Uruguay, Switzerland, Sweden and the USA.
A conscripted milk cow was the centerpiece of the production. The Messenger, someone who is the link to rebel headquarters, now and then shows up to oversee their drills and provide instruction. He essentially controls their life. On one trip he brings Shakira, that cow, and tells them that they can drink the milk, but it has to be protected as much as the hostage, for after the war, she will be returned to the farmer who owns it.
These youths regularly just shoot their guns in the air as something to do. Accidentally, one of them shoots the cow, who dies. The leader felt compelled to commit suicide. Go see the movie, there are lessons to be learned.
Judy is a film about the final few months of Judy Garland. There were numerous flashbacks about her stressful life as a child star, the pills she took to control her weight and allowed her to sleep, and relationship with Louis B. Mayer (mean) and Mickey Rooney (friendly, but aloof).
My initial thought was, why Renee Zellweger as Judy? She doesn't really look like her and she can't really sing like her. But it worked, because at the age of 46 Judy was spent from substance abuse and had already had a tracheotomy, which weakened her voice. Renee really did all the singing in this film.
I go to movies to make me happier. This was a sad film with a redeeming quality at the end. Her last performance was impromptu, allowed to get on stage by Lonnie Donegan (Rock Island Line, Does Your Chewing Gum Lose it's Flavor...), where she sings two songs, ending with an Over the Rainbow which she could not finish. Here is a second cut of this finale.
If you like depression and suffering, both these films are worthy of your interests. There was enough for me to make these experiences worthwhile.
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