Wondering what to do with your upcoming free time? Good thing we have some suggestions for what you should be watching, playing, reading, listening to, etc.
Ben’s Movie Pick: Marty Supreme – Despite having seen Interstellar, Lady Bird, Little Women (2019), and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies, I never really understood the hype behind Timothée Chalamet. I enjoyed his performances well enough, but folks raving about him like he was some kind of generational talent seemed a bit much.
That said, once I saw Marty Supreme I finally got it.
It only makes sense that Josh Safdie, one of the brothers who helped get an all-timer performance out of Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems, could get a similar outstanding turn from Hollywood’s current go-to young guy. Also like Uncut Gems, Marty Supreme makes you feel like you’re having an anxiety attack for most of its runtime — and I mean that in the best way possible. You shouldn’t be rooting for Marty (who is a total scumbag), but between the flow of the film and Chalamet’s charm and comedic chops, the impossible is achieved by keeping you uncomfortably invested in his journey to be recognized as the best table tennis player in the world. (Perpetual Spider-Man forgetter) Gwyneth Paltrow and Odessa A’zion also deserve a ton of praise for their supporting roles too, but Marty Supreme will most likely always be the movie where I realized how great of an actor Timothée Chalamet can be when given the right material.
Ben’s Movie Pick: The Princess Bride – Everything I’m about to say regarding The Princess Bride has most definitely been said before, but there’s no way I was gonna rewatch this all-timer and not recommend it to ya’ll. It’s a widely beloved classic in the fantasy genre — if not cinema as a whole — and for good reason. The unforgettable tale of true love between Wesley and Buttercup, inconceivably quotable dialogue, iconic heroes, detestable villains, memorable score, and story-within-a-story presentation make for a film that’s the kind of cinematic magic barely a handful of even our greatest filmmakers can come close to matching. Whether you’re looking for a love story, a medieval fantasy adventure, or a laugh-out-loud comedy there’s something for you in this feel good, swash-buckling ride with a huge, powerful heart at its core. With the tragic passing of Rob and Michele Reiner we truly lost a cinematic legend, but I’m sure the director’s work here will endure and attract generations of fans to come. If you haven’t had the chance to see The Princess Bride yet, there’s only one thing I want to hear from you after this recommendation: “As you wish.”
Lauren’s Video Game Pick: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – Though Cyberpunk 2077 is now a far better game than its historically abysmal launch promised, it still didn’t completely win me over. Admittedly, as a stealth sniper I probably backed myself into a corner by making a rather boring build compared to what abilities the skill trees can actually grant. On top of that, this is one of the times in which an open world with the ability to avoid the main campaign for over 60 hours was actually detrimental to my immersion seeing as there truly is a disconnect between the “we’re dying any day now!” stakes vs buying apartments and cars for a future that may not exist, making connections with fellow criminal elements who don’t factor into the main story, and doing odd jobs that feel completely unnecessary because of those two things — I’m assuming gaining street cred does something, I just can’t tell you what. In other words, the game really would’ve been aided by a more structured release of side quests and map expansion, along with better integration of side missions with the main storyline.
Worst of all, the overall story and characters just didn’t do it for me. Sorry, Keanu Reeves. The expansion, Phantom Liberty, on the other hand… It made it all worth it, with the introduction of a new netrunner, Songbird, who drags us into a questline of protecting the president alongside Idris Elba, as her plane is brought down in a new section of Liberty City. The president is a badass — though still the president of the United States of America, so let’s set expectations accordingly — Songbird is a tragic character with a story comparable to the MC’s as she is shackled to a parasitic entity taking advantage of all she’s capable of, and, best of all, the DLC finally adds car theft for money! The story is a bit predictable, but dammit I just didn’t care because I loved the characters, the conflict of choice in what’s “right,” and the growing sense of foreboding as the story progressed. I was, finally, truly invested in the game 80 hours in (don’t look at me like that, clearing the map of NCPD encounters is a task). Everyone say thank you, Songbird.
So what do you think about these picks? What content did we miss over the past two weeks while we were spending time with these? Be sure to leave a comment below letting us know about everything (both current and simply new to you) you’ve been consuming lately!
Middle of the Row 