You know how first-time parents act? Like they’re the only people on earth who ever had a baby? Director George Clooney is like that with his baby, “Suburbicon” (2017). Clooney has big ideas about the great suburban migration of the 1950s (don’t tell anyone, but it involves racism), and he collaborates with the Coen brothers to create a pretentious, pseudosatirical horror story that delivers these big ideas in the most unentertaining, derivative, downright disgusting way possible. Clooney’s like absolutely nobody has told that story before. (Actually, Georgey, many people have, and mostly all of them told it better than you.)
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When it comes to World War II movies, there isn’t a lot of new ground to cover. So, purely for novelty’s sake, “The Monuments Men” (2014) is worth watching. The story of an American military unit tasked with saving precious European artwork from the Nazis and/or Soviets isn’t anything John Wayne ever starred in (at least not that I know of). It’s a George Clooney movie. He brings along buddy Matt Damon and fills out the cast with a bunch of other familiar names (Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, Bill Murray, etc.). It’s good, solid, earnest, predictable. Worthy of the genre.
“Good Will Hunting” (1997) is the story of a 20-year-old kid who is incredibly gifted and incredibly damaged, and the efforts of those around him to overcome the latter so the kid can take advantage of the former. The irony is that the screenplay was written by a pair of gifted twentysomethings. Perhaps you’ve heard of them. The best part is something you feel but probably don’t notice. It’s the respect shown to all the main characters. There are no bad guys. The antagonist is life itself. A truly authentic story. Bonus: One of my many crushes, Minnie Driver, co-stars.
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