Movie Roundup #5

1. Decision to Leave: Police procedural/murder mystery with some great twists. It stars Park Hae-il as our tortured detective, who also played the (eventual) prime suspect in Memories of Murder almost 20 years earlier. After watching Memories of Murder last week, it was a nice change of pace to see a series of men be victims. The performances are great and the scenery is beautiful.

2. John Wick: Chapter 4: That'll do, pig. That'll do.

3. Carol: Another movie that's mostly about Cate Blanchett's performance (I'm looking at you, Tàr), as a very fancy lady going through an acrimonious divorce and custody battle in the 1950s. All separating parents would do well to watch her monologue during mediation, in which she announces that she can't be a good parent if she isn't true to herself. Bonus points for all lesbians surviving and thriving.

4. Earth Girls are Easy: This was so funny. I didn't remember that it's a musical! Geena Davis is hilarious as the most endearing bimbo this side of the Milky Way. An incredible snub that it didn't make the Hugo ballot (or even the long list!) for Best Dramatic Presentation. My favorite thing about this movie is that the three hunky aliens are for the most part only able to communicate in the language of TV commercials and female sexual desire. "Valerie, are we limp and hard to manage?"