So, I have a little bit of catching up to do. There are two movies that I’ve seen and I’m just gonna write some very short reviews because for some reason, I seem to have come down with a bad case of writer’s block.

10 Cloverfield Lane is one of those movies that’s difficult to talk about without giving a whole bunch of stuff away. But I’ll do my best.

The film has a very interesting premise, but it’s not executed as well as it could have been. At first it seems like there’s gonna be this burning question, all the way through, ‘Is there something outside the bunker?’ Unfortunately, that question is answered much earlier than I thought it would be.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead and John Goodman both turn in fine performances, but I’m not exactly gonna be screaming on the rooftops for them to get nominated. Actually, I don’t think the movie has a chance to be nominated for an Oscar in any category.

I haven’t seen the 2008 film Cloverfield, but just knowing that this film is connected to that one makes the ending pretty obvious in retrospect, while also feeling like a cheap cop out.

I don’t really know what else to say about this movie. It’s fine if you want to see it once, and there certainly are a lot of things that work, but it doesn’t feel like it’s gonna hold up over multiple viewings.

***1/2

Florence Foster Jenkins was a pleasant surprise. It’s probably the first real ‘Oscar-bait’ film of the year. It has a surprising amount of style, heart, and a respectable amount of humor reminiscent of The King’s Speech.

For what has to be the hundredth time in her career, Meryl Streep knocks her performance out of the park. We know from Meryl’s other works that she can sing quite well, but here, she masters her off-key vocalizations and manages to be indistinguishable from the real Florence. Hugh Grant also shines as her supportive husband, and he could likely be nominated alongside Streep.

From a visual standpoint, the film dazzles with spectacular costume design and makeup, and the overall atmosphere of the film should make most Oscar voters right at home. I predict that this film could ultimately be nominated in several categories.

****1/2