The French Dispatch

 The French Dispatch (2021)

Starring Bill Murray, Elizabeth Moss, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Benicio del Toro, Léa Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Adrian Brody, Tony Revolori, Bob Balaban, Henry Winkler, Lois Smith, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Liev Schreiber, Jeffrey Wright, Willem Dafoe, Mathieu Amalric, Edward Norton, Winston Ait Hellal, and Saoirse Ronan

Directed by Wes Anderson

Written by Wes Anderson

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: D

Little Women

Little Women (2019)

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Chris Cooper, and Meryl Streep

Directed by Greta Gerwig

Written by Greta Gerwig

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  B

The Seagull

The Seagull (2018)

Starring Annette Bening, Saoirse Ronan, Corey Stoll, Elisabeth Moss, Mare Winningham, Jon Tenney, Glenn Fleshler, Michael Zegen, Billy Howle, and Brian Dennehy

Directed by Michael Mayer

Written by Stephen Karam

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating: B

Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

Starring Saiorse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Guy Pearce, David Tennant, Jack Lowden, Joe Alwyn, and Gemma Chan

Directed by Josie Rourke

Written by Beau Willimon

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  D+

Lady Bird

Lady Bird (2017)

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Lois Smith

Directed by Greta Gerwig

Written by Greta Gerwig

Summary (in 500 words or less): High school senior Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson is navigating the difficult landscape of going to Catholic school, dealing with an overprotective mother (Laurie Metcalf) whom she can never seem to please, trying to make her out-of-work father (Tracy Letts) a bit less depressed, and contemplating whether she's ready to lose her virginity to either the good Catholic boy (Lucas Hedges) or the dark edgy musician (Timothée Chalamet).  With her best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein) by her side, Lady Bird faces the typical existential struggle of any high school senior -- what to do with the rest of her life.

• Lady Bird is a lovely, charming film.  Director Greta Gerwig takes her script and deftly balances the comedic and dramatic aspects of it.  Several laugh-out-loud moments punctuate the piece and Gerwig keeps the movie moving at a quick pace, making the most out of the film's ninety minute runtime...it doesn't overstay its welcome in the slightest.
• Saoirse Ronan has given us some fantastic performances -- her role in Brooklyn was my favorite in 2015 -- and her take on a typical high school student is no exception.  She's just a joy to watch -- so incredibly natural and easygoing, yet easily holding the audience's attention.  Saoirse isn't alone in being fantastic, however.  
• Laurie Metcalf is lovely as the prickly mom who wants the best for her daughter, but never feels as if she's living up to her potential.  
• Lucas Hedges, who I admittedly thought was slightly overpraised in 2016's Manchester on the Sea, proves that he has the acting chops to make it in the industry.  
• Stealing the show is Beanie Feldstein who has very few credits to her name, but proves capable of delivering humor and heartache.  I hope she has a future in the industry.
• Lady Bird is by no means reinventing any type of wheel.  It's a simplistic story, but it's told so exceptionally well that it doesn't really matter.  Many of Gerwig's films as an actress feel filled with a bit too much eccentricity to feel relatable.  That's not the case here as she has crafted a script that feels lived in and natural.
• Side Note:  I much appreciate the fact that film lovingly pokes fun at, yet appreciates the Catholic religion.  In fact, the concept of "faith" plays a key role in the film's final scenes and its kindness towards certain peoples' beliefs was a bit shocking frankly.  That's not to say that the film doesn't have moments where characters question things -- or even try and debunk the concept -- but it plays a nice balance.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Brooklyn

Brooklyn (2015)

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Julie Walters, Jane Brennan, Fiona Glascott, Jessica Paré, Eva Birthistle, Eileen O'Higgins, Eve Macklin, Emily Bett Rickards, Nora-Jane Noone, and Jenn Murray 

Directed by John Crowley

Brooklyn is a lovely romantic piece that not only takes place in the 1950s, but feels as if it could've been made then, without frills and bells and whistles -- simply a heartwarming story with great performances. Here we have decent, good people trying to earn a decent, good living by doing decent, good things.  It's not always easy for folks, but the story of hard work and perseverance rings true in this story of Irish immigrant Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) as she moves to Brooklyn, New York, to try and better her life. Director John Crowley does a nice job balancing some wonderful comedic moments with an incredibly compelling love story, forgoing flashiness for simplicity thereby allowing screenwriter Nick Hornby's script to really come alive with charming performances from an all-around wonderful acting ensemble.

Leaving behind her mother Mary (Jane Brennan), her older sister Rose (Fiona Glascott), and her closest friend Nancy (Eileen O'Higgins), young Eilis Lacey decides to take the plunge of many during the 1950s and move from Europe (in this case Ireland) to America.  With the help of Father Flood (Jim Broadbent), an Irish priest living in NYC, Eilis is set up with a job working at a fancy department store under the watch of the tough Miss Fortini (Jessica Paré) and given a place to stay in a small woman's boarding home headed by the hilarious Mrs. Kehoe (Julie Walters).  Depressed and unable to get out of her funk of homesickness, Eilis has a tough go until she meets the charming and very Italian Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen) at a local dance held by the Catholic Church.  The sensible and considerate Tony slowly begins to soften the hardened exterior of Eilis and the two begin to fall for one another.  Unfortunately, Eilis soon receives word of a life-changing situation in Ireland which makes Eilis question whether her loyalties should lie in her old homeland or her new one.

Anchoring Brooklyn and perhaps the greatest reason for its success is the performance of Saoirse Ronan as Eilis.  I have not been the biggest fan of Ronan in the past.  Looking back over my reviews of some of her works, I've called her "bland," "unemotional," and, perhaps most damning of all, "one of the most overrated actresses working today."  Well, that has changed with Brooklyn.  Here, she's finally given the chance to play an adult facing grown-up issues and she proves to be utterly captivating.  There's a sullenness and solemness at the start of the film as Ronan fully conveys Eilis's fear and trepidation about starting a new life in America.  As the layers of Eilis slowly unfurl, we find ourselves becoming mesmerized by her happiness.  Although the story of Eilis's journey may seem simplistic, Ronan adds depth and substance -- her eyes, her moments of silence, her ever-so-slight reactions say so much here --  creating a character who the audience roots for and fully embraces.  I obviously must change my tune about Ms. Ronan and I can only hope that the success of Brooklyn and the raves she's receiving open the doors for more adult roles in her future.

Ronan is surrounded by an extremely talented ensemble that add so much to the film.  Emory Cohen brings a believable charm and innocence to Tony.  As soon as he appears, the connection between Tony and Eilis is immediately palpable and from that moment on, I couldn't help but find myself grinning whenever the two characters interacted.  Julie Walters is a scene-stealer as a no-nonsense boarding house matron.  There are multiple scenes in Brooklyn that take place around dinner tables -- and all are hilariously wonderful -- but when Walters anchors her scenes, they really take flight and become adorably amusing.  Eve Macklin, Emily Bett Richards, Nora-Jane Noone, and Jenn Murray also take part in a good many of these dinner table discussions that are brought to life by this quartet of ladies who add much exuberance to the film.  Back in Ireland, Jane Brennan and Fiona Glascott are a huge part of the heart of the film as the mother and sister of Eilis who long for her to have a better life, but also want to see her travel an ocean away.  Domhnall Gleeson is also good in a quiet, understated role as a young Irish man who also pines for Eilis.

Although the stunning costume design by Odile Dicks-Mireaux and lovely production design by François Séguin could certainly count as such, there are no bells and whistles here as director John Crowley creates a rather straightforward classic romance.  But it's that word "classic" that's the key here.  Charm, elegance, simplicity -- all descriptors for this wonderful film.  For a film that could've absolutely been made in the era in which it is set, Brooklyn is oddly timely today given the current political landscape, although it is certainly not in any shape or form a political piece.  Instead, it's a romance for the ages that not only gives homage to the immigrants that formed our country, but also honors our country as a whole for the opportunities it can provide if you strive to work hard and be the best you can be.

The RyMickey Rating:  A-

Movie Review - The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Starring Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Matheiu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Jason Schwartzman, Léa Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson, Owen Wilson, and Tony Revolori

Directed by Wes Anderson

Director and screenwriter Wes Anderson's films are always easy to pick out by their colorful visual style, exquisite production design, sardonic, quirky humor, and the presence of Bill Murray, but with the exception of Fantastic Mr. Fox, I always tend to feel that Anderson can't quite craft a great story around his admittedly unique style.  While The Grand Budapest Hotel is one of his better efforts, I still find myself waiting for one of his live action flicks to really grab me and pull me in with its story.

Told in a flashback within a flashback, the film focuses on Monsieur Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes), the concierge at the prestigious Grand Budapest Hotel in the fictional Republic of Zubrowka in 1932.  While Gustave runs the hotel with precision, he's also well known amongst the elderly lady crowd for providing something a little bit extra during their stay.  (That "extra" would be sex...in case I was too vague.)  One such lady -- Madame Céline Villeneuve Desgoffe und Taxis (Tilda Swinton in a ton of make-up) -- has fallen in love with Gustave and while he admittedly reciprocates the feeling to her, he has too many other "duties" in the hotel to fully give himself to her.  However, after she leaves to travel back to her home, Gustave receives word that Madame D has been killed and that he must attend the reading of the will for she has left something to him.  Upon arrival, Gustave learns that Madame D has bequeathed the terribly expensive painting "Boy with Apple" to him much to the chagrin of his relatives.  Not only that, but Madame D was murdered and her sons and daughters are pointing to Gustave as the main culprit.

There are so many great things about The Grand Budapest Hotel that it pains me to not love it more.  Ralph Fiennes is fantastic as Gustave.  The dry humor and wit that exudes from every line reading and every movement from Fiennes is an enviable feat and he really is the unsung hero from the piece.  The rest of the supporting cast is pitch perfect as well with a very nice turn in particular from newcomer Tony Revolori as Gustave's lobby boy/right hand man.  Fiennes is a strong presence in the film and Revolori holds his own, providing his own bit of humor from his reactions to the oddness going on around him.  The cast itself certainly gets the tone of things from Wes Anderson himself who, as a director, has a way of creating humor simply from his direction -- the pan of a camera may be all that's needed in order to elicit a chuckle.  As I watched, I realized that not too many directors have this ability and Anderson understands how to utilize the lens itself in order to create humor.  And the production design -- top notch, melding old school and new school designs with ease, creating a storybook-like world that completely brings us into the fake land of Zubrowka.

But it's that darn story that doesn't quite elevate things.  For about an hour, I was onboard, but the thing peters out towards the end as it shifts from focusing on Gustave to focusing on Gustave's escape plan from those trying to pin him for murder.  I can't say that I want an emotional connection in Anderson's films -- that's not what I'm looking for from his pictures.  But there seems to be some fundamental piece of the puzzle missing in his live action flicks for me that fail to click with my mind on some level as the film progresses.  Perhaps it's just that I tire of the quirkiness after about an hour and I'm left with some pretty basic storytelling in nearly all his films.

Still, The Grand Budapest Hotel is a good flick -- certainly one of Anderson's better films -- with fantastic production values and great acting, but it's just missing that last bit of pizzazz from its screenplay.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Byzantium

Byzantium (2013)

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Arterton, Sam Riley, Jonny Lee Miller, Daniel Mays, and Caleb Landry Jones

Directed by Neil Jordan

As I draw to the end of my 2013 viewing (the RyMickey Awards will finally be forthcoming in September), I often wonder why I feel the need to see as much as I can movie-wise.  What's the point?  Surprises like Byzantium are why I hold off on my awards.  Now, I can't say for certain that Byzantium will land in the top of any of my categories, but I can at least say that this new take on a classic vampire story breathed new life into a genre that's been beaten down to kid-like, laughable levels as of late thanks to the popularity of the Twilight series.

The alluring Gemma Arterton is Clara and when we first encounter her she's stripping in a seedy bar in England in an attempt to bing in an income to look after her teenage sister Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan).  However, Clara and Eleanor have a secret and when one of Clara's customers reveals that he knows Clara is really a vampire, he meets an untimely end that forces the two sisters to flee their apartment for a new town.  As the two immortal women settle in, they become comfortable with their surroundings which is never a good thing considering the secrets that both Clara and Eleanor hide from everyone.

Neil Jordan's film not only tells the modern-day journey of Clara and Eleanor, but also the two hundred year-old story of how they became immortal vampires in the first place.  Both aspects of the effectively woven story written by Moira Buffini are surprisingly solid, each holding its own and deepening one another via their plots.  Jordan's film ratchets up the tension at key points, is nicely shot, and humorously gory at times -- the latter of which actually added some comedic moments to the otherwise heavy plot.

Saoirse Ronan presses on with her monopoly of mopey kid roles, but this works here because her Eleanor feels trapped not only in her sister's shadow, but also quite literally in her never-aging body that doesn't allow her to become close to anyone since her secret will be revealed should she form a long-term relationship.  Gemma Arterton continues to impress, exuding a dirty sexiness when Clara's pimping herself out to get money to pay the rent while also believably mothering the younger Eleanor in an attempt to save her from those who would do her harm.

Byzantium is much more fun than I expected it to be.  With solid craftsmanship on all levels, this one was a pleasant treat.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - How I Live Now

How I Live Now (2013)

Starring Saoirse Ronan, George MacKay, Tom Holland, and Harley Bird

Directed by Kevin Macdonald
***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

I'm fairly convinced that Saoirse Ronan is one of the most overrated actresses working today.  To me, every role I've seen her in over the past decade has been that of a mopey, angry teenager and How I Live Now is no exception.  It's not that she's particularly bad at playing bitter, but the failure to stretch herself at such a young age (or the failure for casting directors to give her a chance outside of this small box they've placed her in) is a little disconcerting.

In How I Live Now, Ronan is Daisy, an American who moves to England for the summer to live with her aunt and three cousins Eddie, Isaac, and Piper (George MacKay, Tom Holland, and Harley Bird).  Set in the near future, World War III ends up rearing its ugly head in the form of a nuclear attack on London and Daisy and her cousins are forced to fend for themselves as the unnamed enemy begins to traverse across England.  As they struggle to survive, Daisy falls for Eddie and their relationship ends up warming her chilly demeanor.

How I Live Now is a bit weird in that it plays like a young adult romance, but carries the heft of WWIII along with it.  Perhaps similarities to something like The Hunger Games would be apropos, but Kevin Macdonald's film is a bit darker in tone (and that's perhaps saying something seeing as how The Hunger Games isn't exactly light-hearted).  The aspects of the film relating to WWIII actually work okay, but the romance between Daisy and Eddie just fails on every level.  For starters, I'm not quite sure what Eddie sees in Daisy seeing as how she's so stubborn and obnoxious upon her arrival.  Secondly, the whole "cousins in love" thing just provided an uncomfortableness that I could never shake.  Thirdly, the film didn't need this aspect to succeed.  The prospect of WWIII is pretty overwhelming as it is and the film could've taken an intimate look at four kids attempting to survive without forcing in a romantic plotline in order to drive it along.

Seeing as how the film was based on a novel, I guess that left the screenwriters very little choice but to include the romance, but I just didn't get it from a storytelling perspective.  Ultimately, the love story is the film's downfall, taking perhaps an interesting premise and making it seem as if it belonged on ABC Family or the CW.

The RyMickey Rating:  D+

Movie Review - Violet & Daisy

Violet & Daisy (2013)

Staring Saoirse Ronan, Alexis Bledel, James Gandolfini, Danny Trejo, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste

Directed by Geoffrey S. Fletcher

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

I watched Violet & Daisy over a month ago and somehow this review just never happened.  I must say that I didn't dislike this weird little movie, but admittedly there isn't a whole lot to recommend it either.  It's a talky piece which is a little surprising considering its premise -- our title characters (played respectively by Alexis Bledel and Saoirse Ronan) are hired assassins whose heretofore unseen boss sends them on a job to kill Michael (James Gandolfini).  They don't know why they're tasked with the mission, but they don't ask questions.  After they arrive at Michael's empty apartment, they accidentally fall asleep only to wake up with Michael serving them cookies which makes Violet and Daisy begin questioning why this seemingly nice man has a hit out on him.  The film takes place mostly within the confines of Michael's abode with the three central characters simply talking about life.

It's weird...and ultimately not very good, but it's strangely intriguing.  Geoffrey Fletcher previously wrote Precious, winning an Oscar for that film, and Violet & Daisy is a huge departure from that piece with a vibe that feels like the love child of Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson in terms of violence and quirkiness.  Alexis Bledel is actually oddly charming and while Saoirse Ronan and the late James Gandolfini are also good, they seemingly realize that this material is a little bit beneath them.

My rating below is low, however, this one's an interesting disappointment.  I can't say I wasted my time, but I can't exactly say you won't be wasting yours if you give this one a go.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - The Host

The Host (2013)

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger, Max Irons, Boyd Holbrook, Chandler Canterbury, Frances Fisher, and William Hurt

Directed by Andrew Niccol

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

After the hell that was the Twilight series -- five movies equaling over ten hours of my life that I'll never get back -- I have no idea why I subjected myself to The Host, a sci-fi flicked based on a novel by Twilight author Stephenie Meyer.  I think the only reason is that I had some faith that Andrew Niccol -- writer of the fantastic The Truman Show -- was scripting and lensing the piece and I hoped beyond hope that he'd bring something beyond a teen romance to this piece.  Well, I couldn't have been more mistaken.

Instead of vampires and werewolves, we're subjected to a race of aliens who have taken over Earth.  Parasitically, they've invaded human bodies taking on the appearance of us, but are identifiable because of a silver ring that appears around the eye.  At the start of the film, human Melanie Stryder (Saoirse Ronan) has been captured by a seeker (Diane Kruger) and implanted with an alien life form.  However, Melanie is a strong one and she refuses to have her psyche leave her body.  As the alien sets out on a mission to find other humans to take over, Melanie is constantly yammering and pleading (in an awful Southern accented voiceover) to stop their invasion and find peace with the human race.  There's an awful love triangle that ensues when the alien inside Melanie finds Melanie's younger brother, uncle, and boyfriend -- all of whom have trouble dealing with the fact that the person in front of them looks like Melanie but isn't her at all.

Ugh...to be honest, I'm having trouble writing this one simply because I don't give a damn.  The constantly painful voiceover of human Melanie inside of the now alien Melanie makes this story nearly unfilmable.  Not that it would've been good on paper, but at least in text you can "believe" it a little more.  Here, there's really nothing unique or redeeming about this concept whatsoever.  Seriously, don't make the same mistake I did.

The RyMickey Rating:  D-

Movie Review - Hanna

Hanna (2011)

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, and Eric Bana

Directed by Joe Wright

Whereas his previous works -- Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, and The Soloist -- were more by-the-book in terms of camera angles, editing, and acting, director Joe Wright's Hanna takes on a slightly more manic and hectic tone.  Unfortunately, despite the attempts to create excitement via his lensing, the story of a young girl (the title character played by a unemotional and bland Saoirse Ronan) trained by her father (Eric Bana) to enact revenge on the CIA operatives who wreaked havoc on their family over a decade ago just doesn't have enough drive to make the whole affair interesting for some inexplicable reason.

Perhaps it's wrong to say this about a young actress, but I'm not sure Saoirse Ronan has what it takes to headline a movie.  Admittedly, I've only seen her in Atonement and The Lovely Bones, but she has managed to come across as utterly one-note in all three films.  I've yet to see depth in any performance from her and it's much more evident in this film seeing as how she plays the title character.  Her eyes are constantly glazed over and appear empty.

It also doesn't help matters that Cate Blanchett's CIA operative almost seems to be pulled straight from some James Bond/Austin Powers-type flick.  Played rather tongue-in-cheeky and with a over-the-top country accent, her character comes off as laughable as opposed to ominous.

With the two main characters (and/or their actors) providing disappointment, it's no surprise that the film falters.  While it certainly hurts that Ronan isn't captivating, director Wright doesn't quite have a good grasp on balancing the rather ingeniously edited and oftentimes wonderfully disorienting action sequences with the slower paced "dramatic" moments.  Any scenes that don't find Hanna fighting some foe overstay their welcome...much like the film itself which feels about thirty minutes too long.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - The Lovely Bones (2009)

The Lovely Bones
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli, and Saoirse Ronan
Directed by Peter Jackson

What Dreams May Come, Part II. In that movie, Robin Williams gets stuck in a purgatory-esque land between heaven and earth, and The Lovely Bones contains the same premise, more or less.

Right from the beginning we learn that young 14-year-old Susie Salmon (Ronan) has been murdered and that one of her neighbors (Tucci) is her killer. The rest of the movie swaps back and forth between Susie's dream-like visions of "the in-between" and her father's (Wahlberg) search for his daughter's killer.

Unfortunately, this movie just plain doesn't work. Granted, I've only seen the first Lord of the Rings movie, but I couldn't help but wonder why the heck this guy was so acclaimed. This movie was full of odd cuts and edits, a mishmash of nonsensical heavenly visions, and some of the oddest score and background music I've heard in a 2009 movie (I realize most don't even "hear" that, but the score is an important part to my movie-going experience).

Jackson (who also co-wrote the script) poorly directs his actors and doesn't really allow us to connect with Susie's family at all. The relationship between Susie's mother (Weisz) and father is nonexistent. Sorry, Peter, but showing them making love at the beginning isn't enough to make me believe they're actually in love...I never once felt any type of connection between Weisz and Wahlberg and their feelings for each other play a fairly important role in the film. It doesn't help that Walhberg's mopey "blahness" is utterly boring to view.

Saoirse Ronan's Susie is just too darn bright, wide-eyed, and cheery for a girl who has just been murdered. I found the character and her overbearing voiceover to simply be annoying. And speaking of annoying, the stock comedic character of Susie's grandmother (played over-the-top by Susan Sarandon) was horrendous. While she brought some much needed entertainment to this overly heavy production, she seemed like she belonged in a sitcom. For this, I don't blame Sarandon, but instead fault Mr. Jackson.

Stanley Tucci's murderous George Harvey is fine, as is Rose McIver as Susie's younger sister, Lindsey, but they're not enough to tip the scales to the positive in the acting department.

Admittedly, there are moments in this film that work. The scenes of Susie's murder and Lindsey's discovery of some pivotal evidence are racked with tension. And it was moments like those that make it a shame that Jackson and his co-writers bogged this thing down with ridiculous meta-physical mumbo jumbo.

The RyMickey Rating: D+