Watching Lately: Movie Edition

While I seem to have a steady queue of TV shows to watch, and somehow become dedicated to, I watch far fewer movies. When I do find a movie I like though, it really sticks with me - so I thought I'd share some recently discovered gems:

'Safety Not Guaranteed' is inspired by the infamous 1997 Backwoods Home Magazine ad that read: 

"Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed."

It follows Darius (Aubrey Plaza - a nod to Daria?), a magazine intern who joins writer Jeff (Jake Johnson), and a fellow intern as they investigate the ad. While Jeff uses the story as an opportunity to connect with a childhood crush, which takes a different route than you'd expect, the bulk of the work falls to the interns. Darius impresses Kenneth (Mark Duplass), the ad's seemingly paranoid writer, and becomes his traveling companion in an attempt to get the story. Without going too much away, the fact that the movie is never actually defined as fantasy keeps it grounded. The characters are also relateable and charming, and it kept me interested until the end. 

'Love Me If You Dare' or 'Jeux d'enfants' details the unusual friendship of Sophie (Marion Cotillard) and Julien (Guillaume Canet). They bond at a young age in a time of chaos for both of them, starting a destructive game of dares. Whoever holds the small tin box has the power to dare the other. The task has to be completed before the box is returned. Over the years the dares escalate and we see how the game affects who they become, their relationships, and what they are capable of enjoying in life. While the characters could be called terrible people, I felt like their unpredictable moral compass was refreshing, particularly against a backdrop that melds fantasy and reality in the defining scenes (unintentional theme?). It kept things from veering too much into fairy tale territory. If anything, this one compares to the original versions of most fairy tales where people dance themselves to death or wind up arrested.

Have you watched any good movies lately?