Two Movies You Need to Watch

A long time has passed since leaving off with "Monologue Meets Dialogue." It's a new decade. I learned basic Japanese. I moved from the dorm to an apartment, and then to a different apartment. I traveled more than 25,000 miles (which is a story for another time). I turned 21. I have not, however, found a new movie to add to my list of favorites. Sure, there have been good movies made - blockbusters and indie films, alike - but nothing has really resonated with me.

When I added Rachel Getting Married to my list of favorite movies in 2008, I started to notice a trend. The majority of the movies I connect with (and thus, become my favorites) have just one main character, the protagonist, who is also somehow the antagonist. His struggle is an internal one, be it emotional, psychological, or otherwise. The plot is a realistic snapshot of his life. Garden State was one of the first, and the rest followed: On the Edge, Half Nelson, Rachel Getting Married. Donnie Darko and La Vie en Rose to a certain extent, but with less realism. Interesting...

Now, thanks to Netflix and a little free time, I've finally found two new movies that fit the bill: The Vicious Kind and Fish Tank.



The Vicious Kind was one of those movies I knew I was going to love before I even started it. I first stumbled onto it maybe as long as a year ago on my Netflix: Watch Instantly page. The opening monologue - at once hilarious, pessimistic, and colorful - is enough to suck you in. I won't quote it here, primarily because it's so...colorful, but also because I don't want to spoil anything about this movie. I will say that Adam Scott is amazing in this movie, but when I first saw it, I was confused as to why Netflix labeled it a comedy. Now, having seen Scott on Parks and Recreation as well as watching both seasons of Party Down, I can honestly say that there were some HILARIOUS moments in this. I recommend seeing Adam Scott in a comedy first to get used to his caustic wit before watching this movie.



By the time Fish Tank surfaced on my Netflix, I had long forgotten the trailer that had caught my attention more than a year ago. Widely avoiding "Juno" comparisons, this movie about a lower-class British 15-year old girl feels more like watching the movie Happy-Go-Lucky. Except there's nothing happy-go-lucky about it. Fish Tank is a true snapshot of angry Mia's adolescence in which the audience is kept at a distance. You're never quite sure why she does what she does. And the most you feel for her is when her outlet - hip-hop dancing - is taken away from her.

You should definitely watch both these movies on your own so you can really sink into them. Next time you need a little alone time, make yourself some tea or a hot beverage of your choice and crawl into bed to watch one of these movies. It'll be well worth your time, I promise.