Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields

I’ve waited 15+ years for Brooke to tell her story, since I first heard of the naked pictures her mom let a photographer take of Shields when she was just 10 years old. Pretty Baby is an excrutiating documentary. Shields spends most of it talking about her mother’s alcoholism and defending her. One of the moments that broke me was when she was discussing using dissociation, a coping mechanism learned during filming one of the sex scenes she was subjected to as a teenager, in a personal horrifying event. I loved that she found her voice at Princeton, because that’s what college is for, finding yourself, and her sad realization that if she hadn’t gone to college, her career would have continued rising. It’s a wonderful documentary I hope you all watch. And seriously, how is she okay?

9/10

The Quiet Girl

I really hope this gets an Oscar nom. I cried like a baby during the final scene on my flight to Boston. It’s a good thing I was wearing a mask so no one could tell, but I was sobbing uncontrollably!

9/10

The Whale

Watched on my flight back from LA. You’d think that between binge eating disorder, suicide, writing, being gay and father and daughter relationship, this film would be perfect for me. And you’re right, it was. But why so short.

7/10

A Man Called Otto

Depressing, uplifting and extremely relatable story about a grieving grumpy old man who hates everyone and everything and just wants to kill himself. I need to watch the original right away.

8/10

80 For Brady

Sally Field accidentally slapping some guy while dancing is exactly what I expected to see from this silly film I’ve waited a very long time for.

‘It figures that she would have really cool friends.’

6/10

Moving On

A wonderul rape and revenge drama about a long-term friendship where one of the characters is gay? Sounds very much like something I would have written. It may have been executed better, but it was smart, moving and funny. Moving On stars Hollywood legends and real life besties Grace and Frankie, I mean Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin and it manages to be both deep and light. I really hope these two make another 10 films together and that they take Sally Field on this journey with them. (And Rita Moreno, but it may be less realistic to get all four of them together again).

8/10

The Blue Angel

The Blue Angel focuses on sexual repression, sacrificing your own happiness for someone you love and humiliation. Truly wonderful stuff.

8/10

Orphan: The First Kill

I loved the first one, and was looking forward to this, and obviously it wasn’t nearly as good, but I liked the plot twist, and that they introduced it in the first half of the film.

6/10

Rugrats: the Movie

Only here for I Throw My Toys Around by No Doubt. But also, I’m a 90s kid, I feel like I know these characters well enough, without ever being obsessed with this series.

5/10