Month: November 2021

Today’s quick review: Weathering with You. Hodaka Morishima (Brandon Engman), a sixteen-year-old runaway, looks for work in Tokyo in the middle of the rainiest summer on record. After a long struggle, Hodaka lucks into a job with Keisuke Suga (Lee Pace), a down-on-his-luck publisher specializing in urban legends. But Hodaka only finds his true calling when he meets Hina Amano (Ashley Boettcher), a girl with the power to control the weather.

Weathering with You is a Japanese animated fantasy romance about a pair of teenage misfits who start an extraordinary business together. Using Hina’s ability to clear up cloudy skies, Hodaka and Hina set out to brighten the days of customers all around Tokyo while turning a modest profit. Along the way, they grow closer to one another, learn to take responsibility for their lives, and gradually discover the terrible cost of Hina’s gift.

Weathering with You is predominantly a visual film. The premise is a perfect justification for scenic panoramas of Tokyo, beautiful beams of sunshine, and rainstorms of every mood imaginable. Rarely do more than a few minutes go by without something breathtaking appearing on screen. The film’s visual toolkit is shallow but reliable. Even though the film relies heavily on permutations of sun, city, and rain, the visuals never lose their appeal.

In terms of story, Weathering with You is a typical anime romance. Hodaka and Hina are self-reliant teenagers struggling to claim their place in an adult world, but in spite of their love for one another, fate conspires to drive them apart. The plot doesn’t hold too many surprises, and it tends to drift to a stop when the film doesn’t actively inject more drama. In spite of this, it makes for a charming love story that’s emotionaly fulfilling.

Weathering with You is a strong pick for fans of the sentimental side of Japanese animation. Its story is solidly consstructed, if not groundbreaking, while the detail that goes into its animation and some strong visual themes make it a treat for the eyes. How much you get out of it will depend on your taste in animation and romance, but there’s enough raw quality to be worth checking out.

For a gorgeous fantasy romance with an even grander plot, try Your Name. For a young romance without the fantasy, try I Want to Eat Your Pancreas or Whisper of the Heart. For an enthusiastic adventure some similar story elements and a looser animation style, Lu Over the Wall.

7.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for gorgeous animation and a pleasant story.

Today’s quick review: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) sparks controversy in the small town of Ebbing when she puts up three billboards criticizing the local police for failing to solve her daughter’s murder. Her actions instigate a low-grade conflict with Chief Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) and his allies, one that threatens to turn violent when Officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) gets involved.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a crime drama written and directed by Martin McDonagh. The movie follows Mildred Hayes, a stubborn and unfriendly woman who sets out to goad the police into investigating the murder of her dead daughter. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a complex look at grief, revenge, and justice. Its character work and acting make it a worthwhile watch, but its subject matter makes it a difficult one.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri doesn’t offer any easy answers. For all that Mildred wants justice for the death of her daughter, her course of action is double-edged at best. Her stubbornness, the clashing personalities of the people of Ebbing, and the lingering scars of her daughter’s death all contribute to a tense situation with no real heroes. The plot unfolds organically, driven almost solely by the characters and their decisions.

The payoff is seeing the characters grow and develop over the course of the movie. None of the characters fit into tidy boxes, and even the ones who are the easiest to hate have redeeming characteristics. The movie gives the characters the freedom to make their own way and become better or worse people as a result of their own actions. But the cost of all this is that there’s no one to unequivocally root for; moral ambivalence permeates the film.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a challenging movie that not everyone will get the most of. The quality of its character work and the difficult nature of its conflict are strong points in its favor, but it has little in the way of conventional heroism, conflict, or resolution. Those who enjoy messy, realistic stories will find it to be a compelling watch. Those who prefer tidier characters and storytelling may want to skip it.

For Frances McDormand in a more optimistic role, try Fargo. For another drama about a mother taking on a corrupt police force for the sake of her child, try Changeling. For a crime thriller about a woman taking justice into her own hands, try The Brave One. For a dry black comedy from the same director, try In Bruges.

8.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for rich character arcs embedded in a hit-or-miss story.