#190. The Secret of My Success (1987)

 

 

A.K.A. The Secret of My Succe$s, which is a baffling place to put the dollar sign. If the word it's being used in already starts with a capital S, that's clearly where it should go, right?

 

Prior Viewings: 1

 

Both times I tried this one, I expected to find it more charming than I did. The foundation's mostly there: a winning premise, a pleasant tone, a high rise setting, a bouncy score (and plenty of it; there's gotta be twenty montages here), an extremely charismatic lead, and a few fun supporting characters. And yet, it never quite comes alive for me.

 

Much of that probably comes down to the corporate plot, which is excessively convoluted and rarely absorbing, but I think it's also because the whole thing feels so low-effort. The script doesn't really have anything new or interesting to offer, and while I generally appreciate a pronounced soundtrack, the selections are largely uninspired. In particular, I can't pretend to be okay with two separate uses of "Oh Yeah" when Ferris Bueller clearly claimed that song the year before.

 

Still, it's all certainly watchable enough. I like Michael J. Fox, I like the "two lives" shenanigans, and I like the energetic atmosphere. There's a lot of '80s appeal here, but too much of the movie is humdrum and recycled for me to recommend it, or understand how it managed to outgross Lethal Weapon, Dirty Dancing, and Predator.

 

Grade: B-

 

P.S. Another family member, Michael? This is starting to feel like a pattern.

#189. Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)

 

 

A.K.A. Innocent Moves

 

I went through a bit of a chess phase in elementary school. It didn't last long, and my interest was quickly killed by two of my cousins, both of whom stomped me every single time we played (yeah, I was one of those kids who would give up on activities if I wasn't immediately good at them), but that brief period did give me some lingering affection for the game, which probably made this movie that much more enjoyable to me.

 

Even if you know absolutely nothing about chess, though, I'd have to imagine that it's still pretty easy to relate to the themes of innocence, compassion, and conserving love for your interests without allowing stress or pressure to destroy them (which I've already felt once or twice with this very blog, meaning the movie hit home for me in more ways than one), especially when you consider the inspirational nature of the script, Steven Zaillian's warm, heartfelt direction, and the who's who of great character actors. 

 

It's all tender and moving enough that I'm mostly able to look past a few tedious conflicts, as well as Ben Kingsley's iffy performance. Man, between this, Sneakers, and Species, someone really needed to tell this guy back in the '90s that he shouldn't be attempting accents.

 

Grade: A-

 

#188. Hollywoodland (2006)

 

 

I'll say this for Hollywoodland: as fictionalized Old Hollywood detective movies from 2006 go, it's certainly better than The Black Dahlia.

 

Granted, that's not saying a whole lot. The latter was almost unwatchable, and the former's still pretty bland. I guess there's some decent atmosphere here and there (even if the saturated cinematography completely kills the immersion), and Affleck and Brody are mostly turning in good performances, but everything else feels uninspired to me, from the hokey genre tropes to the trite stabs at drama.

 

More than anything, though, I think my biggest problem probably comes down to structuring. Like, as much as I can appreciate the attempt to tell two related stories with two different protagonists, this approach results in a mystery that barely scratches the surface of its subject matter from either side. And what we're left with is a pair of underbaked halves instead of a satisfying whole, which ultimately lessens the movie's overall impact.

 

Grade: C+

P.S. Is Ben the first actor to technically play both Batman and Superman in live action?

#187. F1 (2025)

 

 

The surprise Best Picture nominee of the year, F1 probably isn't going to blow too many people away on a story level. It's basically your typical "Older guy plays by his own rules and shows the youngsters how it's done" narrative, with cookie cutter arcs and spelled-out dialogue. But the execution's ultimately strong enough that none of this really impaired my enjoyment all that much.

 

For example, the races are immaculate. They're exciting and suspenseful, and you always know what's going on (possibly to a fault; the announcer exposition felt a little condescending at times). And everything around them is mostly well-plotted and solidly structured, even if a few of the detours don't go anywhere or add a whole lot. Plus, with names like Pitt, Condon, and Bardem in the cast, adjectives like "cool" and "charismatic" are pretty much a given. 

 

So, yes, the movie's formulaic, to the point where Joseph Kosinski essentially just remade Top Gun: Maverick with cars instead of planes. But I'm certainly not immune to a superficial crowd-pleaser, and this one kept me invested and enthralled enough that I can't pretend to have any issue with the nomination.

 

Grade: A-

 

#186. The Birds (1963)

 

 

Prior Viewings: 1

 

Surely, this script, about birds that suddenly lose their minds and start terrorizing a small town for seemingly no reason, is the silliest one Hitchcock ever attached himself to, right? Like, it's the kind of concept that probably should've led to an all-time disaster (a la Birdemic), or at least been remembered as little more than a bizarre curiosity.

 

But The Birds isn't a bizarre curiosity, and that's because it's in such seasoned and capable hands. Hitch combines mysterious atmospherics, clever set pieces, and that patented mastery of suspense (a good example: his decision to rely on realistic sound design instead of a conventional score) to lend a world of credibility to this premise. And the result is one of the most vicious films of his career.

 

Here's how you know it's a genuine winner, though: even if you were to remove every single bird, you'd still be left with a compelling, cozy (there's a lot of lighthearted rom-com energy here, and I just love that quiet coastal setting), and slightly deranged movie about sexual longing and familial relationships. The character drama is as compelling and effective as the horror elements, which makes the eventual bird attacks feel seamless as far as tone, conflict, and overall consistency go.

 

Now, does it ever actually add up to anything? I'm honestly not sure (though the lack of answers/closure definitely contributes to the eerie effect), but, either way, I enjoyed this rewatch enough to place the movie just outside of its director's top tier.

 

Grade: A

 

P.S. The surviving members of that town should count themselves lucky that geese weren't involved. Take it from a Canadian: those fuckers are ruthless.

 

#185. Monkey Business (1952)

 

 

The Howard Hawks one, not the Marx Brothers one. Though, while I've never seen the latter, I have a sneaking suspicion that the two are pretty similar on a tonal level (which stands to reason, given the title).

 

Monkey Business is something of a throwback to the screwball comedies of a slightly earlier era. It doesn't necessarily reach the same delirious heights as a few other Cary Grant movies, but, between the fountain of youth premise, the two lead performances (especially Ginger Rogers, who's really going all out here), and Hawks's snappy direction, it mostly compensates with similar amounts of buoyancy and energy.

 

It's also got some of that characteristic Old Hollywood charm that you can't help but smile at, from the the director saying "Not yet, Cary" when Grant opens the front door prematurely (I'm not always big on fourth wall jokes, but that one was cute and creative enough to tickle me), to the adorable and surprisingly elaborate chimp antics, to seeing our dignified actors behave like juveniles. Sure, the whole thing's pretty rudimentary, and not exactly clever or consistent, but it's also affable, amusing, and animated enough that I can agree with its "minor classic" status. 

 

Grade: A-

#184. Instant Family (2018)

 

 

Every once in a while, you're just in the mood for something nice and sweet, y'know?

 

I won't act like Instant Family doesn't have its share of problems. The first act is somewhat rocky, the characters' decisions and reactions aren't always super believable (especially in the support group scenes, where I feel like I'm watching aliens pretend to be human), and the muddy colour grading is a bit of a tonal buzzkill. But I suppose the mood is otherwise endearing and heartwarming enough that these issues mostly melt away by the time the story takes off.

 

And what a pleasant little story. You can't help but grow to love this group, partially because the cast has so much charisma and chemistry, and partially because the script balances its tones in such a fresh way (for instance, I found many of the jokes genuinely funny, and not in the meek and bittersweet way that you tend to get in this genre). And even if the movie rarely gets as deep or authentic as it would probably prefer, the fact that it cares so much is usually enough to make it resonate.

 

Plus, it's all in service of an actual cause, so there's an additional layer of sincerity and emotional impact here.

 

Grade: B+