August Movies

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August brought a new slate of films to the theater. With my Regal Unlimited membership, I caught six movies that bounced between comedy, suspense, fantasy and heart warming.

Movie watching is more than entertainment to me. It’s a form of self care, setting aside a few hours each week, just for me. And I enjoy deciphering the deeper messages within the stories and picking up life lessons.

These are the August movies.

August Movies

Check out June and July films. Then read a brief synopsis, spoiler free, of the August movies with my reason for enjoying each one.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

Cast: Lesley Manville, Jason Isaacs, Isabelle Huppert, Lambert Wilson and Alba Baptista.

Rating/Length: PG, 1 hour 55 mintues

Currently available on Prime Video HERE.

Brief Synopsis: Mrs. Harris, a widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London, falls in love with the idea of owning a couture Dior dress. Saving her hard earned money, cutting expenses and relying on her faith in “good things happen to those who expect them”, Mrs. Harris travels to Paris, cash in hand for a one of a kind dress. Her adventure changes her outlook on life…and the future of House of Dior.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is based on the novel by the same name, written by Paul Gallico.

What I love about this movie: I so looked forward to this film, due to the previews I saw. And yet it did not show at my local theater. Not to be deterred, I purchased it through Amazon Prime Video. I’m so glad that I did!

I love Mrs. Harris and her optimistic, positive outlook on life. She believes in pursuing dreams and combining desire with action. The comedy drama is an adult fairy tale in which Mrs. Harris serves as her own fairy godmother and I appreciate that! It’s a warm hearted film full of laughter and a few tears along with hope and perseverance. This beautifully done movie captured my heart.

Bullet Train

Cast: Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon and Sandra Bullock.

Rating/Length: R, 2 hours 7 minutes

Brief Synopsis: An assassin with the codename Ladybug accepts a supposedly easy and peaceful assignment, after too many gigs gone wrong. He boards the world’s fastest moving train in Japan, with the intention of completing his mission quickly and leaving the train at the next stop.

Fate has other plans as lethal adversaries from around the world end up on the same train in interconnecting missions. It’s a thrill ride that does not stop as the train hurtles toward the end of the line.

Bullet Train is based on the book by the same name, by author Kotaro Isaka.

Currently playing in theaters.

What I love about this movie: I’m a Brad Pitt fan. That drew me to this movie. What I didn’t expect was the comedic elements that made me literally laugh out loud. The action includes graphic violence however, which earns the film its R rating. What I appreciate most about Bullet Train are the synchronicities portrayed and the interconnected stories that bind the characters together. There’s a reason these strangers are all on the same train and discovering that keeps interest high through the film.

Vengeance

Cast: BJ Novak, Boyd Holbrook, Dove Cameron, Issa Rae, Ashton Kutcher and J. Smith Cameron.

Rating/Length: R, 1 hour 47 minutes

Available on Prime Video HERE.

Brief Synopsis: Ben, a writer and wannabe podcaster from New York City, travels to Texas to attend the funeral of a girl he barely remembers. The young woman’s family believes the two were a couple, with plans to marry. After the funeral the girl’s family enlists Ben’s help to find the person responsible for her death. With the hope of creating a good story, suitable for a podcast, Ben agrees. However, not all is as it seems in Texas. What begins as a search for material for a podcast becomes a true mystery to solve.

What I love about this movie: I knew nothing about this film before watching it, other than reviews were decent. Watching it unfold, I laughed in all the right places and then got caught up in the mystery…and the deeper messages about our society. I definitely thought about this one for a while. BJ Novak wrote, directed and starred in the film, an ambitious undertaking that works.

Three Thousand Years of Longing

Cast: Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba and a huge cast of other lesser known actors.

Rating/Length: R, 1 hour 48 minutes

Currently playing in theaters.

Brief synopsis: Dr. Alithea Binnie, an academic content with her solitary life, travels to Istanbul to attend a conference. While there she encounters a Djinn who offers her three wishes, in exchange for his freedom from the bottle he’s been in for thousands of years. Dr. Binnie, a practical woman, hesitates. All stories about making wishes are cautionary tales about wishes gone wrong. The Djinn pleads his case, and inadvertently enforces her caution, with stories from his past.

What I love about this movie: Three Thousand Years of Longing is a beautiful, richly visual film that relies heavily on the art of story telling. And it’s about knowing the deep desires of the heart and allowing those desire to guide our choices…and wishes. I sat spellbound for almost two hours…and left wanting to know more about this film. Of all the movies I watched in August, this is the one I’ll watch again.

Fall

Cast: Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Mason Gooding.

Rating/Length: PG-13, 1 hour 47 minutes

Currently playing in theaters.

Brief synopsis: Best friends Becky and Hunter reunite a year after a horrific tragedy causes each to go her own way. Avid adventure climbers before the tragedy, Hunter convinces her friend to join her on a new extreme climb to the top of a 2,000 foot abandoned television tower. The unthinkable happens, after the pair reaches a tiny platform at the top of the tower, stranding the girls. They need their wits and agility, along with endurance, to survive.

What I love about this movie: I expected Fall to play as a B disaster movie, set high above the ground. And it is…and it’s not. It’s more than that, with a good story, dizzying heights and unexpected twists and turns. I enjoyed this intense film although it’s not for those afraid of heights. The effects are incredible.

Beast

Cast: Idris Elba, Leah Jeffries, Iyana Halley and Sharlto Copley.

Rating/Length: R, 1 hour 33 minutes

Currently showing in theaters.

Brief synopsis: A father, who is a doctor, and his two teenaged daughters visit the African Savanna after the death of their wife and mother. They reunite with a family friend, who shows them the Savanna while also sharing with them about the animals living there and the threat of poachers. During their journey, the four become the hunted, pursued by a massive rogue lion.

What I love about this movie: Although not quite as intense as Fall, Beast kept me on edge and provided at least one jump scare. What I appreciate most was the dual story about family,..human and animal kind…and the importance of protecting that family. There’s more to Beast than a lion gone rogue and it’s hard to know exactly who all to cheer for!

Which August Movies Did You See?

I’m very much enjoying this form of self care. I initially signed up for Regal Unlimited for three months. When my subscription comes up for renewal in September, I’m happy to continue it on a month by month basis. I’m seeing a wider variety of movies and I love that.

Did you catch any of these flicks? Or did you see one that I missed? Tell me about it!

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