You Hurt My Feelings (2023): Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tobias Menzies make the most out of Nicole Holofcener’s story about the little lies we tell to support the ones we care for. It’s a subject I’m deeply interested in, because I mistrust compliments, either on the basis this movie suggests or, more likely, on the basis of competence (yeah, I should just shut up and be grateful). I really liked the couple’s dynamic, the true-to-life depiction of inherent relationship friction and the protective sphere that holds people who care for each other safe with each other, in spite of the mistakes they might stumble into. In the spirit of “if the intentions are correct”, YHMF both tears at the bindings of relationships and conveys a beautiful warmth that’s inherent to shared love and life. 8
Love Me Tonight (1932): Rouben Mamoulian’s likable musical of the early 1930s is an interesting mix between clever mise-en-scène, uplifting songs and a typically loose romance between a tailor and a princess. In spite of the apparently trite plot, there is enough irreverence in this to make LMT a tongue-in-cheek story of love, that embraces its little absurdities – cinema as make-belief, rather than representation. The good old days. 7
That Peter Crouch Film (2023): One of the more surprisingly-successful football players of his generation, Peter Crouch has established himself as quite a character since the end of his career. This documentary takes us through the winding path he took in fulfilling his dreams, with some focus on bullying and combating the stigma of otherness. I’m not sure it’s inspirational, but it’s well put together and offers some good moments of levity to make for a decent genre viewing. 7
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023): The last entry in the Indiana Jones series is not particularly imaginative, but provides the fan service required to offer us all some closure. Harrison Ford, both present day and aggressively de-aged, is more of the bored professor than the energetic adventurer, as one might be in their late seventies (unless they are a president of the free world). He gets roused by the appearance of his goddaughter, who is more of a scoundrel than she looks to be, and takes Indy on a winding ride. I loved Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Fleabag, but this movie offers her little to work with, as it does Ford. And just as things appear to become a little bit exciting towards the end, it’s all over and the hat and whip are laid to rest for good. 6
Marathon (2021): If you don’t like running or runners, this is the movie for you. A struggling shoe-salesman organizes a yearly desert marathon and we follow a handful of contenders (or not) in this mildly amusing mockumentary. Running (or use some other placeholder here) takes on a purpose beyond itself, one of self-actualization which can, if done pompously, turn ridiculous. Not all gags come off as inspired in Marathon, but there’s enough here to force a smile and a silent lol or two. 6
tributary stu 