I had such a fun time sharing my all time favorite movies one week during Top Ten Tuesday and was so happy with how much we all had to talk about with movies and all the recs I got! I’ve been sharing the things I’ve added to my Netflix queue but I was thinking why don’t I round up all the things I’ve been watching sporadically? I mean, movies and tv are stories too! And I just really like any form of story-telling! For more What I’ve Been Watching posts, click here!

 

Oh man, I haven’t really watched many movies or new tv since the last time I did one of these posts in March. It’s been busier around these parts lately!

Movies I Watched

 

 

Cake

“Saddled with chronic pain, Claire Simmons has kept a sense of humor, even if it’s of the acidic, angry variety. Upset but gripped by curiosity when a member of her support group kills herself, Claire decides to excavate the truths behind the suicide.”

I was mega impressed with Jennifer Aniston! I feel like she always gets pigeon-holed in certain types of roles (some of which I totally love) and she really is a talented actress who can DO stuff like this, too. It’s definitely a very slow-moving (read: not much of a plot) type of movie but I really enjoyed it and found myself invested. The emotions and the depression from chronic pain and loss just came through so strongly and were so stirring through Jennifer’s performance. I cried at certain parts and definitely at the ending stuff — everything she’s gone through. GAH. I felt hope for her at the end that sometimes we let things overtake us for so long but there’s always a chance to pick yourself up and move forward again. I think you definitely have to dig dry/dark humor to like this one but I found it to be wonderful. Side-eying critics who don’t think Jennifer is talented.

Rating: 4/5

 

 Still Alice

“When 50-year-old linguistics professor Alice Howland begins having trouble remembering words, her symptoms ultimately lead to a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s — which forces Alice and her family to make radical changes in their lives.”

I had wanted to read the book first but never got around to it and probably won’t at this point. This was one of the most deeply sad movies I’ve ever watched. When it ended (which was a super abrupt ending that I was like WAIT IS IT OVER?) I was just bawling and Will was like “sooo wow nice pick for this Friday night.” On one hand it was a little boring and hard to follow because it jumped forward quickly/pacing felt strange but on the other hand it was really good. It was REALLY hard for me to watch because of how emotionally it chronicles a woman losing herself to a disease. It reminded me a little too much of my mom because she was successful and independent like the character Julianne Moore plays and brain cancer messed with her memory and abilities like the Alzheimer’s did in this movie which was one of the hardest things for my mom to grapple with when she was still with it — losing all those things that made her HER and defined her life. So emotionally it made me kind of a mess because I’m watching this story of a woman deteriorate just like I watched my own mom. I think Julianne Moore was fantastic in it. SO FANTASTIC. Gah, so depressing. I just went to bed after I watched it because I just felt so hollow.

Rating: 3/5

 

 

TV I Watched

Orphan Black
(all caught up to what was on tv)

“When Sarah witnesses the suicide of a woman who looks just like her, she assumes the deceased’s identity, her boyfriend and her bank account. Soon, she finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy.”

OMG I binge watched the crap out of this and I am all caught up to the current season and even got to watch a couple episodes live before the finale. HOLY WOW. Tatiana Maslany is my QUEEN. This show is incredible and twisty and GAH it is everything. I haven’t been this obsessed with a show since The 100. Clone club for LIFE!

Rating: 5/5

 

 

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

“From “30 Rock” executive producers Tina Fey and Robert Carlock comes this hilarious comedy series starring Ellie Kemper as a woman who is rescued from a doomsday cult and starts life over as a nanny for a socialite  in New York City. Armed with just a backpack, light-up sneakers and a couple of past-due library books, she takes on a world she didn’t think even existed anymore.”

I don’t tend to watch a lot of comedy shows but this one was so delightful. I mean, it’s stupid funny in ways but I love it. Ellie Kemper is so adorable and makes Kimmy’s extreme optimism and naivety so charming. It’s a quirky & fun comedy and we can’t wait for season 2. I mean, there are some stereotypes and things that seem problematic and I acknowledge that but I overall found the show to be entertaining.

Rating: 3.5/5

Baby Daddy
(caught up to current season on tv)

“New York bartender Ben unexpectedly becomes a parent when an ex-girlfriend drops off a baby girl for him to raise. But with lots of help from his mother and a childhood friend who secretly has a crush on him, he steps into the role of dad.”

Every once in a while I let Will pick the tv show we will watch. Normally I do and he’s okay with that because I know pretty much what he will like and won’t. You see, Will and I have very different taste. He loves like stupid funny kinds of shows/movies and I watch those types sparingly. So he chose Baby Daddy because it looked funny one time I was watching something else on ABC Family. I’m not going to lie…I love this show. Will and I were always howling laughing through our binge watch and it was a COMPULSIVE binge watch. It’s totally stupid funny but I really enjoyed this sitcom. Melissa Petermen is HILARIOUS as the mom and the scenes between her and Tahj Mowry are some of are favorite parts that make us just howl laughing. If you are looking for a light and funny sitcom that you won’t take too seriously, this is a good pick. I love that it deals with being in your 20’s, family, friends and dating. We are finally caught up to where it is on TV and I’m really glad we started watching it. It’s nice to have a show that makes me belly laugh so often once a week. Oh my god and the one brother, Danny, I REALLY enjoy looking at him.

Rating: Oh my god I can’t rate this. One one hand it’s like a 3 when compared to other things I love quality-wise and on the other hand it’s like a 5 just for how much I gobbled it up and love the characters and how much it makes me LOL and cackle.

Shows I Just Started

True Detective & Wayward Pines — into the first couple episodes of both so I can’t say much yet but enjoying them both!

 

 

 

Have you seen any of these movies/shows? What did you think? What have YOU been watching lately? I’d love to know anything that is standing out for you that you’d recommend to me!