Never mind that Hollywood is a mess of preening self-regard. Movies are magic.
And never mind that The Recent Unpleasantness dimmed the magic. Movies are back.
They never left, of course. Thank you, Netflix. But for consumers, movie going has returned slowly or not at all. I remained a not-at-aller – until this week.
My last pre-Covid theater experience was in March 2020, for “The Photograph,” a quiet romantic drama.
I saw two films this week, and both spurned quiet.
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” features a mom resolving conflicted feelings about her husband and daughter – with multiple universes and sensory-assaulting action (in an IRS office!). It ends tenderly and evocatively enough to summon authentic tears.
And “Top Gun: Maverick.” Fighter jets, so (duh) lots of action and a classic story arc where good guys triumph. Your eyes moisten even as you know you’ve been used.
Netflix and its kin sell convenience, and I was happy to have them. But movies without a big screen deliver storytelling with less feeling, less sensory memory, less texture, less fun.
Ah, movies. Welcome back.
