Was that the one in which he scaled half the length of a hotel and had to wait in a balcony until a security guy took out a window or something? That was fab.

Honnold makes for a great documentary subject. He has almost no filter and is bracingly, often tactlessly honest. The relationship between him and his girlfriend as depicted in the film is quite something alright.

As for First Man, I liked it a great deal -- it's much more of a muted character study than a spectacle, although the moon landing section is incredible (you should really see this in a proper IMAX theater if at all possible). Neil Armstrong as Gosling plays him is the clammest clam that ever clammed and I can tell you hear and now that not everyone is going to grok watching 2+ hours of a dude in a state of almost pathological emotional repression. But hey, it worked for me.

First film after being back from TIFF -- A Simple Favor, which is loads of fun. It's like a campy version of Gone Girl, hilarious and twisted and bonkers. It kinda goes off the rails at the end but in a super-entertaining way.

I've never had much time for Blake Lively but she is AMAZEBALLS in this film. A spot-on, very witty performance. I feel like her outfits -- mostly gorgeous suits, splendidly fitted -- should have their own separate acting credit.

Just got back from a screening of THE OATH. A bit like Vonnie's assessment of A SIMPLE FAVOR, it is

hilarious and twisted and bonkers

Truly a film for our time.

I'm seen a ridiculous number of movies in the last two weeks. I think my enjoyment/quality ranking would be something like: A STAR IS BORN, THE OATH, A SIMPLE FAVOR, THE BROTHERS SISTERS, and THE HATE U GIVE.

I really liked A STAR IS BORN more than I thought I would. And THE BROTHERS SISTERS was about what I expected. As with the book, I liked it but I just wanted there to be more to it. Probably the only one I'm meh on is THE HATE U GIVE. Too long and too didactic. Very much a YA movie. I'm glad it's out there in the world, but I have a feeling I would like the book much better.

Huh. Steven Spielberg will take on West Side Story and has cast... Angel Elgort as Tony: [link]

I mean, I'm theoretically interested in a new WWS? I don't think Spielberg has done an outright musical but it could be an interesting take. But Angel Elgort is, like, the human equivalent of a shrug emoji and I'm comfuzzled as to why he keep getting cast in lead roles. Apparently he can sing.

I'm more invested in who gets cast as Maria. Auliʻi Cravalho (Moana) is a product of many different heritages, one of which is Puerto Rican. She's the right age, has that mix of sweetness and steel, and her voice is dynamite. (I watched a couple of episodes of that TV show she stars in, where she's great, except UGH, Ted Mosby). She would make a smashing Maria, I think.

While, conceptually, that sounds legit, she's so associated with Polynesian-ness that I think it might read to people as "interchangeable brown people"

My initial gut instinct is Krysta Rodriguez, who I've enjoyed on screen and adore on stage, but I'm not actually certain she can sing it. Lyric soprano singing isn't actually much in vogue right now among the musical theater set. She could maybe play Anita, though. Karen Olivo player Anita in the 2009 Broadway show and was mindblowingly good but I don't know if she's done enough screen work to get a chance.

Proximity to Lin-Manuel Miranda can only be a bonus these days.

she's so associated with Polynesian-ness that I think it might read to people as "interchangeable brown people"

Yep. That was my initial reaction when she got cast as a Latina on Rise (that TV show I mentioned, which apparently was cancelled after just one season!) So I went wiki diving and apparently Cravalho is parts native Hawaiin, Irish, Puerto Rican, Portuguese and Chinese (!)

Given that this is a movie adaptation, my suspicion is that they will cast young, which takes out many of the awesome established Broadway actresses. I could see them going for a total unknown, especially for Maria.

That kind of mix is pretty common out here. However, the school she goes to is VERY Hawaiian identity.

Yeah, that seems like the kind of role you cast a wide net for.

The Maria in the 2009 revival is still around, [link] She was good but too old if they want to go anywhere close to true age since Maria is, what, 15 or 16?