Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong (2015)
The slow, painful death of the romantic comedy has been very difficult on me, since it’s one of my favorite genres. Every once in a while an indie flick comes along that could be classified as a rom-com, but other than that, zilch! I picked this film on Netflix because I thought it would be cute and fill my craving for a more recent new-to-me romantic comedy. The film follows an American expat living in Hong Kong (Bryan Greenberg) and a Chinese-American woman visiting the city on business (Jamie Chung). They meet by chance one night when she needs directions, and he offers to walk her to her destination. Romantic complications ensue as they continue to cross paths. The dialogue in this film comes across as trying a bit too hard to be witty at times, but overall the movie delivered exactly what I wanted from it. There’s very nice chemistry between the leads (no surprise there, they’re married in real life!), a sweet but somewhat sad “will they/won’t they” romance, and plenty of wonderful location shooting of Hong Kong at night. I really enjoyed watching this one and would definitely watch it again!
Note: If you’re completing the 52 Films by Women Challenge this may be one to add to your list. Written/directed by Emily Ting and available on Netflix in the US!
I Know Where Lizzie Is (2016)
This “thriller” is melodramatic, corny, and everything else we’ve come to expect from Lifetime Movie Network originals. An entertaining watch for those of us who love the cheese. This particular LMN masterpiece tells the story of a teenage girl’s kidnapping. Her amicably divorced parents are devastated and the police have very few leads, until a woman named Tracy Spencer claims that she’s psychic and knows that Lizzie is still alive. Tracy, of course, turns out to be a psychotic criminal rather than a genuine, well-meaning medium, but there are a few more twists the story, too. Especially fun to watch with friends who share your affinity for terrible TV movies.
The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
This film is SO, SO ADORABLE. An amusing adventure sure to be enjoyed by anyone who loves their pets (or loves animals in general). Several of the characters reminded me of the furry friends in my life — Chloe’s personality might as well have been copied from one of my sister’s cats! It’s no masterpiece but all I wanted it to be was cute, and it was, so I enjoyed it, haha.
Note: I also watched Real Life (1979) and Girlfriends (1978), but those will be getting full reviews for the “Modern Classics” series.
The Motion Pictures 