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I don’t really have an overarching theme for my recommendations for this week’s movie binge. I was just checking out was available on Hulu and ran with it. There were a few movies I saw that I really like but I feel like are maybe underseen, so I thought that was a valid enough reason. Today’s not for the families, though. There are movies for adults, and they are all quite good and definitely a fine way to spend a Saturday or Sunday. Let us begin.
For starters, open the evening with Broadcast News. The satire from James L. Brooks probably should have won Best Picture for 1987 (off the top of my head, it’s the best movie of that year). It’s definitely Brooks’ best film. Hot take: As Good as It Gets sucks. Broadcast News has a tremendous headlining trio in William Hurt, Holly Hunter, and Albert Brooks. Hunter in particular is great. I feel like maybe the ending doesn’t hit entirely, but otherwise it’s a really good film.
After that, if you have any interest in old pop music, Love & Mercy is worth a watch. The film tells the story of Brian Wilson of Beach Boys fame. Notably, Wilson is played by two actors. The younger version is played by Paul Dano, while John Cusack plays the older version. Dano is better than Cusack, but also his parts of the film are better written and, frankly, more interesting. This is far from a great film, but it has a great performance from Dano and some good music. Also, Mike Love sucks.
Lastly, end the evening with The Prestige. I am neither a Christopher Nolan lover or hater. He’s fine as a filmmaker. However, The Prestige is my favorite of his movies. The film stars Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as two rival magicians obsessed with one-upping each other. There’s no Batman, but there is great filmmaking and acting. David Bowie plays Nikola Tesla, which is a delight conceptually. I recommend ending with this film because, like most of Nolan’s work, it’s a bit twisty and turn-y. This gives you a chance to end the night with The Prestige swimming in your head.
