And we’re back with our second 2020 review rundown. We’ll be looking at another six movies from this year. Though unintentional, you’ll notice a common thread of fantastic performances from actresses who deserved better than the movie they got. That’s not to say all the movies here are bad per se, just not as good as they could have been.
The High Note
Dakota Johnson is Maggie Sherwood, assistant to superstar singer Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross). Maggie has bigger dreams of becoming a producer, wishing to even work on Grace’s work. The problem, however, is Grace is entering the perceived twilight of her career, and her longtime manager Jack Robertson (Ice Cube) urges her to accept a Las Vegas residency rather than work on new music. When Maggie meets aspiring musician David Cliff (Kelvin Harrison Jr), it could be the break she’s been looking for.
The High Note is not going to blow anyone away. It’s riddled with cliches and predictable plot points. You’re not going to see anything you haven’t seen before. That being said, that’s the bread and butter of the romantic dramedy. These movies lean on the light, “comfort food” type feeling. And led by a trio of dynamite performances (plus a shockingly unreported hilarious turn from June Diane Raphael), The High Note could be just the ticket if that’s the type of movie mood you’re in.
Dakota Johnson, on the heels of last year’s fantastic Peanut Butter Falcon, continues to successfully distance herself from the abysmal Fifty Shades franchise, thankfully. I’m fully convinced her less-than-stellar performances in that trilogy were a function of the script and movie as a whole rather than her abilities as an actress. Additionally, Kelvin Harrison Jr continues to do Kelvin Harrison Jr things. The man is incredible. I’m still not over how little widespread praise there was for his roles in 2019’s Luce and Waves.
Score: 76/100
A Nice Girl Like You
Yikes. A Nice Girl Like You is…certainly a movie. Yep, you can’t deny that. But, um…I don’t know what else to say. It’s bad. It’s very, very bad. And that stinks because I’m a big Lucy Hale fan. But to be honest, she’s passable here. And in this case, that’s quite an accomplishment, given the awful script and the general terribleness of everything surrounding her. She’s had a rough 2020, with this being her follow-up to Fantasy Island, another widely panned movie from earlier this year (fwiw, I gave that a 28/100).
A Nice Girl Like You follows Lucy (Hale; yep, not stretching the creative muscles on this one) as she navigates life post-break up. After her ex-boyfriend accuses her of being “pornophobic,” she creates her own “sex to-do list” to prove him wrong.
It’s just bad. It’s flat, not funny, and doesn’t give any real thought or depth to the very real and relatable themes at play. Just keep it simple and avoid this one.
Score: 17/100
Clementine
Sydney Sweeney is perfect and can do no wrong. Let’s just get that out of the way up front. But sadly, Clementine is a clunker.
Otmara Marrero plays Karen, fresh on the heels of a breakup. She sneaks/breaks into her ex’s lake house, where she intends to decompress and get away from real life for a bit. It’s here she meets Sweeney’s Lana, and the two strike up a friendship. And that’s basically it? The two hang out, some things happen that aren’t particularly interesting, and then the movie ends.
Any goodwill comes from Sweeney and Marrero, who both do an impressive job with the barebones story. It’s a shame that some serious talent was wasted on such a do-nothing movie. It’s even more disappointing when the ending hints at what could have potentially been a darker, much more interesting story.
Score: 55/100
Emma.
Delightful. If I had to sum up Emma. in one word, that’s what I would choose. In yet another adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma novel, Anya Taylor-Joy plays the titular habitual matchmaker. As she meddles in the lives of her friends and family (in both a welcome and unwelcome manner), she begins to re-evaulate her own life and what she wants for herself.
As light and breezy a movie as you’ll find, Emma. is a fun watch, propped up on the strong shoulders of Taylor-Joy. While the supporting players all add their own layer of fun – especially Bill Nighy – it’s Taylor-Joy who stands out. And this should come as no surprise to anyone who’s seen any of her other work. I haven’t seen a bad performance from her yet.
Score: 80/100
Valley Girl
Man on man did I want Valley Girl to be good. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again was one of my favorite movies from 2018, and the Valley Girl trailer definitely gave off a similar vibe. But unfortunately, it just didn’t quite have it.
A remake of the 1983 jukebox musical of the same name, Valley Girl takes place in 1980s Encino, as “Valley girl” Julie (Jessica Rothe) breaks from her materialistic friends and lifestyle when she falls for Hollywood punk rocker Randy (Josh Whitehouse). This creates tension in Julie’s life, forcing her to come terms with whether or not the life expected of her is the life she wants.
Valley Girl follows all the same tropes of the typical romantic comedy, but that’s not an issue. At this point, the genre pretty much is what it is. Where Valley Girl failed to take advantage is the musical aspect. The numbers are fun enough on their own, but they don’t fit naturally into the story. In Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, the songs flow together seamlessly. They make sense as part of the plot. But here, they feel squeezed into place just because. It breaks up any positive momentum the movie had built up.
For some, though, that could be enough. It might make a perfectly good background movie, just tuning in for the big musical scenes. And Jessica Rothe is great as Julie. She should be a much bigger star than she is.
Score: 65/100
Eurovision Song Contest: The Ballad of Fire Saga
A wonky movie where Will Ferrell feels right at home. He and Rachel McAdams star as Lars and Sigrid, lifelong friends and amateur musicians who dream of winning the Eurovision Song Contest. When a series of “only in a movie” circumstances see them gain entry into the competition, their relationship is tested as they strive to achieve the unthinkable.
It’s part “exactly what you think it is” and part “a lot worse than you thought.” There are a couple of big laughs, along with a handful of genuinely funny moments, but too many of the jokes miss completely. There is a good bit with one Lars and Sigrit’s songs that is popular with their small hometown. Dan Stevens is probably the highlight of the movie as Alexander, Russia’s competitor in the contest. And the song-along scene is a blast, featuring several real-life participants and winners from Eurovision. But in the end, it adds to to perfectly average. If that’s all you need out of a Netflix movie, then it might hit the spot. But look elsewhere if you’re hoping for the next Anchorman or The Other Guys.
Score: 62/100
And that will do it for Review Rundown #2. I still have handful of 2020 movies I can run through, so plan on at least one or two more of these to come. But theaters are getting ready to open in the next couple weeks. I’m still undecided if I’ll be venturing out right away, but there’s a chance I’ll have some new, full reviews sooner rather than later.
