I, Tonya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_weoC3HT6Q
Gabriela: After watching this trailer, I’m not really sure what type of movie this is going to be. Although the teaser is very short, it does let you know that the film is about Tonya Harding, thus revealing most of the plot. Nevertheless, what I originally thought was going to be a serious drama movie took a turn for the sarcastic comedy. I’m a bit surprised to think that a movie about a woman who attacked another ice skater would be portrayed as a comedy but I am interested to see if they pull it off. I’m also intrigued to see Margot Robbie having a lead role. Although I’m hopeful that she’ll do a good job, her accent is already concerning given that she sounds more like a Brooklyn native rather than a girl from Portland.
Dajour: Short and sweet is how I’d describe this nice little teaser. I knew before watching it that this was a movie starring Margot Robbie and that worried me, seeing as the last movie I saw starring Margot Robbie I vehemently hated (looking at you, Suicide Squad). But Robbie appears to have completely transformed in this movie. Her narration, which is the main focus of the teaser, is completely compelling—the perfect mix of sarcasm, humor and frustration. I don’t know anything about Tonya Harding and this teaser certainly held back on giving away any of the plot, but from what I can see, this movie has promise. And I’d love to see Robbie given the chance to shine in a movie that isn’t terrible.
Juliana: This is one of those rare times when the narration is spot on. Margot Robbie goes from dramatic monologue to sarcastic comedy in two lines, and it’s freaking brilliant. Speaking of Robbie, she’s truly unrecognizable. Before watching this, I had a strong belief that I would never be able to watch a movie starring her again: I’d always see her as Suicide Squad’s Harley Quinn. However, she doesn’t look at all like Harley. Heck, I couldn’t even tell it was Robbie before the trailer mentioned it. The teaser doesn’t reveal much plot-wise (although, by the YouTube recommendations listed on the side, my guess is that it’s related to Tonya Harding), but it does seem like it’s one of those drama-filled-with-sarcasm combinations. Combine that with some solid acting from Robbie, and it’s definitely looking like a promising film.
Bright: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EZCBSsBxko
Gabriela: I’m a fan of Will Smith, and I’ve never been disappointed by any of his movies. This trailer, however, is making me doubtful. Not only does the film have an all over the place plot, it was also very hard for me to take the action seriously. It seems like they are trying to combine fantasy, comedy, and action all into one cookie-cutter formula in which two unlikely people team up to fight off the bad guys. In this case, however, I can’t really tell who the bad guys are or how high the degree of fantasy is. Hopefully the film does more explaining than the trailer, but I’m not too convinced that this film is going to be a hit.
Dajour: I’m not quite sure what I just watched. There was just way too much going on there. So, Will Smith is a cop, in a world where there are many races which include fairies, orcs and other magical creatures, I think. There’s a “fairy lives don’t matter” joke and Will Smith says that no race is better or worse than the other, so I’m guessing there’s going to be some social commentary in this movie. But then they catch a girl with a magical wand that can grant all wishes and have to protect her and the wand or someone will kill them… or something? I honestly don’t get it. I don’t think the movie looks bad necessarily, there just seems to be way too much going on here. If the movie is less confusing than this trailer, then it could possibly work. But, judging by the trailer alone, I’m going to have to pass on this one.
Juliana: I’m so, so, SO confused. How do I even classify this movie? Is it fantasy? Is it comedy? Is it horror? According to Wikipedia, it’s an “urban fantasy action crime thriller film”. Look, rule of thumb: when a movie’s genre is split between four different Wikipedia pages, it’s too much. I’m a huge fan of the urban fantasy genre, but I could barely keep track of what was going on. There were fairies, and then there was an orc, and then there was a girl with glowy hands (and what is she even? Is she a fairy? A witch? A convenient, super powerful plot device?), and then…I don’t know. At some point, Will Smith pulled out a sword, and I thought it was perfectly reasonable to assume it was King Arthur’s Excalibur. The plot itself seems to follow some good old “good guys must stop the evil mystical forces” arc, but, quite frankly, the world this is built on is just too complex. If it was a TV show, I’d be more optimistic, but the odds of them being able to explain everything in a two-hour run time…it’s an impossible task. If the movie manages to pull it off, I’ll be impressed.
I Love You, Daddy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRQGzS6Ce-g
Gabriela: I really enjoyed this trailer and will most likely be on the lookout for the movie. The film seems to have a cool and funny vibe to it, and it seems fresh and original. I’m curious to see if they did the trailer in black and white as a sort of marketing choice or if the whole film is going to have an old school feel. The plot of the movie is also very relevant to what’s going on in Hollywood today with Harvey Weinstein, so I’m interested to see how the movie deals with the issue and how the audience reacts to it. I’m also excited to see Chloë Grace Moretz act in this, as I’ve never really seen her in this type of role.
Dajour: Okay, I am all for this movie. I mean, I can’t tell whether the movie is going to be entirely in black and white or if they just did that for the trailer. It would be a jarring choice if the whole movie is like that considering everything else in the movie besides that and the music seems to be modern. But in the end, that choice did not bother me that much because of how charming the movie looks. There were lines that genuinely made me laugh out loud, which is expected seeing as Louis C.K. is not only starring in this, but wrote and directed it as well. The whole cast, in fact, were hilarious. And this movie has pretty crazy timing, considering it’s about an old creepy filmmaker being into minors and dating Louis C.K’s teenage daughter – and we all know what’s happening in Hollywood right now with Harvey Weinstein. So, I’m also interested to see the reactions to this movie, given all that’s going on. Current events aside, this trailer certainly did it’s job as I am definitely intrigued and will be looking out for this movie next month.
Juliana: I’m not really sure how I feel about the trailer being in black and white, and I’m even more insecure about the whole classical music playing on the background. It’s definitely a unique stylistic choice, but I kind of spent half the time pondering if the entire movie was going to be like that. Still, there’s a lot working in the film’s favor. The cast is great, the plot feels original, and there’s a good joke here and there to carry it forward. My only issue is with whoever decided to name Moretz’s character China (yes, you read that right). Aside from that, it seems OK. It’s not a great, amazingly awesome, must-rush-to-the-theatre kind of film, but it’s a good one.
