Movie Review Monday: The Skeleton Twins

Welcome to another awesome edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film is the dramatic comedy The Skeleton Twins starring Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig.

Skeleton Twins surrounds the troubled lives of two siblings, Maggie and Milo (Wiig and Hader, respectively), who come together after both experience failed suicide attempts after having grown apart for the past ten years. They reconnect, reassess their lives, and find a new direction for themselves.

Oddly enough, my partner and I just watched another movie about suicide on Netflix, Before I Disappear, which hits on many of the same notes as Skeleton Twins. Both are darkly comedic looks at how one person can have a profound impact one someone else, especially when they need it the most. Before I Disappear is a much smaller, and at times surreal, story where Skeleton Twins focuses much more on the relationship between Wiig and Hader's characters than the other film does.

Wiig and Hader are easily the best part about Skeleton Twins. Their interactions are engaging, raw, real, and fun. They feel like real siblings, and the movie benefits from that credibility. While the ending isn't definitive, since the film is sort of a slice of their lives, their lives go on as they will, and we just get this snapshot. The impact of the plot carries through nonetheless.

Both of these movies emphasized the power of our friends and family for our mental and emotional well-being, so be there for the people you care about and reach out when you need help.

Check out Skeleton Twins (and Before I Disappear) both streaming right now on Netflix.

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: A Long Way Down

Welcome to another awesome edition of Movie Review Monday! 

This week's movie is A Long Way Down (2014), starring Pierce Brosnan, Aaron Paul, Toni Collette, and Imogen Poots.

The premise of the movie is that four broken people all meet on the roof of a building in London on New Year's Eve, all looking to jump off and commit suicide based on their own personal struggles. They connect and eventually affirm to make a pact to not go through with their original intentions until Valentine's Day. The four individuals support each other and learn more about what led them all to be up on that roof that fateful night.

A Long Way Down is a dark dramedy, with some light elements and some sobering, sadder moments (obvious given the subject matter). All the characters are given their due and a moment to shine, creating a solid ensemble for the movie. There are also some excellent supporting characters played by the likes of Rosamund Pike and Sam Neill. An interesting aspect of the plot that pushes the story ahead is that since Brosnan plays a former television show host, the four gain some notoriety and are hounded by the press for all being together that night.

This movie seems to have not been as well received as it was with me (it has a 22% from critics and a 39% from users on Rotten Tomatoes). I found it to be a simple, emotional, and engaging movie. It is certainly not the best I've ever seen but based on my mild curiosity, it paid off. The actors all do well in the movie and I like how it ended. I don't know how it fares when compared to its source material, but I found the movie enjoyable enough.

You can watch A Long Way Down streaming right now on Netflix.

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: Reign Over Me

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's movie is 2007's Reign Over Me, starring Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler.

A rare dramatic performance from Sandler, this movie follows Cheadle's character, Alan Johnson, as he seeks to pull Sandler's character, Charlie Fineman, from a deep depression following the loss of Charlie's wife and kids in the September 11 attacks on New York City. Alan and Charlie used to be college roommates and Alan recognizes a disheveled Charlie one day and that is where the story starts. Charlie has retreated into a immature bubble where he refuses to even acknowledge his loss, cutting himself out from the rest of the world.

The main story is supported by Liv Tyler as a counselor who works to help Charlie, and Alan's wife who is played by Jada Pinkett Smith. The story is hard to watch at times, in a sort of neutral way. Charlie is quickly prone to anger when people try to get him to open up and Alan keeps trying to help him, but to no avail. You feel Charlie's emotions strongly but you also feel the frustration of Alan and those around him who are all trying to help Charlie. It gets hard to watch when Charlie is throwing his tantrums right when you think he's getting somewhere, and you just want there to be a happy ending, but there isn't. The movie is raw and real and it makes it a tough watch if you're not looking for something gut-wrenching and emotional.

This movie explores dark nuances of loss and depression that I don't feel like I've seen in a lot of other films. It deals with the compulsion some people have to fix things, and how we can't force any one, even those we care about, to do anything they aren't ready for.

I'd recommend this movie, especially as the national conversation around mental health is ongoing. It was a movie ahead of its time, I feel, and is definitely worth a viewing now.

You can stream Reign Over Me right now on Netflix.

Remember to take care of yourself, and as always, thanks for stopping by.