Woo wee!! It’s December already, where has 2022 gone?? November was mostly warm and we’re definitely paying for it this month as today was c-ccc-cold. I’m a few days late in posting my recap post but hey I’ve got a good reason… I actually had minor surgery on Thursday and wasn’t even planning on posting anything yesterday. I did end up posting about the Indy 5 trailer as I started feeling a bit better on Friday afternoon. In any case, here are what I watched last month:

MOVIES WATCHED

(click on those underlined to read the full review)

Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont (2005)

Good Night Oppy (2022)

Confess Fletch (2022)

Falling For Figaro (2020)

Wakanda Forever (2022)

Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Father of the Bride (2022)

Birds of Paradise* (2021)

Causeway* (2022)

Bergman Island* (2021)

The Fabelmans (2022)

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Pinocchio (2022)

Lady Chatterley’s Lover*

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MINI REVIEWS

Confess Fletch (2022)

After becoming the prime suspect in multiple murders, Fletch strives to prove his innocence while simultaneously searching for his fiancé’s stolen art collection.

This is one of those movies that I didn’t even know existed as I never saw a promo of it, but the trailer looks so fun that my hubby and I decided to watch it right away. Jon Hamm is a lot of fun in this comedy caper, which apparently is a remake of the Chevy Chase movie in the 80s (didn’t even know about that either). The Italian setting and something about the art heist appeal to me, though it’s more mystery-light done in a lighthearted fashion. It’s a bit silly and even ridiculous at times, what with Marcia Gay Harden‘s um, hamming it up with her over-the-top performance as an Italian countess. 

Overall I had fun with this one and Hamm’s laid-back charm and great comic timing keep things afloat. Mad Men fans would get a kick out of seeing Hamm and John Slattery in a movie together, too!

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Father of the Bride (2022)

A father’s coming to grips with his daughter’s upcoming wedding through the prism of multiple relationships within a big, sprawling Cuban-American clan.

So this is a reboot of the 1991 Steve Martin version which itself is also a remake of the 1950 film. I’m not generally a fan of remakes unless they offer something new to the story. Seeing this story from a Latin perspective involving a Cuban-American bride and a Mexican groom is a fresh spin on a well-worn story. It’s a bit more serious with real stakes but still has some silly, comedic moments. 

I had just seen Adria Arjona in ANDOR and an episode of Irma Vep back to back, and it proves she’s a highly versatile actress. Andy Garcia is perfect as the uptight dad who really gets over his prejudices about what he sees as the perfect marriage prospect. The pairing of him and Gloria Estefan as a married couple is amusing,  I didn’t even know Estefan could act but she is quite good here. As an immigrant, I appreciate seeing the family’s immigrant experience woven into the story, especially as the title character grapples with generational and gender shifts that are perhaps too ‘woke’ for his comfort. The main plot of the wedding itself is predictable but there are still a few surprises in store.

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UPCOMING REVIEWS

Causeway (2022)

Lady Chatterley’s Lover* (2022)

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Women Talking* (2022)

Empire Of Light (2022)

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TV SERIES

Andor – Season 1

The Crown – Season 5

There is plenty of great TV series I’ve been watching lately, but I just haven’t had a chance to write about ’em. I’m hoping to still make a post about my top 5 series I saw this year.

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52 Films By Women pledge

Movies indicated with * (asterisk) indicate those directed by women.

I saw a total of 4 movies directed by women in November, short of my goal of six movies that I had set out for myself so I have to make up for it in December! I’ll be doing a tally of all the movies directed by women later this month, but I think I should be on track to complete the challenge of watching 52 new films directed by women this year.

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NOVEMBER MOVIE(S) OF THE MONTH

Hard to choose between these two very different films. Wakanda Forever and Glass Onion are follow-ups to highly-acclaimed films and I think both live up to the originals. Glad I got to see Glass Onion on the big screen as the island setting is positively stunning, perfect escapism from Winter in Minnesota!

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UPCOMING SCREENINGS
Babylon, Avatar: Way Of Water

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So, what’s YOUR favorite film(s) you saw in NOVEMBER?