Ruffington

Much has been made about the fact that this is the first non-"traditional" animated feature from Studio Ghibli, and it is definitely missing some of the small details and unexpected moments that really make a Ghibli movie special. Weirdly, there are moments that are beautifully realized. There are specific animations that are pretty spectacular. But surrounded by a lot of stuff that isn't all that great. For the movie itself, I liked it well enough for about 90% of the short run time but then it just... ends? It wraps up so quickly and with no real build-up to the resolution that I was left thinking... what just happened? It's an interesting first effort, probably could've used another 6months in the oven because as it is it just feels underbaked.

Everyone's a critic, sure, but I am shocked that this movie has any positive reviews. The acting choices are so bizarre, the dialog is so strange, it's difficult to tell which is worse. I agree with the 'pro' critic who said it was easy to imagine this movie as a comedy. Even though it deals with heavy subject matter, I laughed out loud on more than one occasion because it was just so ... off. I guess the fact that it got a few laughs out of me is something, but I'd still find it tough to recommend.

Genuinely creepy, visually stunning, unusual take on the fairy tale. It may take a little getting used to, specifically with regards to the way the dialogue is written, and I can imagine that casual audiences might not take to it immediately. But overall I think it's an exceptionally stylish entry into the genre and I look forward to whatever's next from the director.

I think this movie is getting pretty unfairly dragged through the mud. Is this art? Not by a mile. Yes, it's supremely "lightweight" but sometimes that's all you want. It's a pleasant way to spend a an hour and a half and there are some legitimately hilarious lines. Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne are a pretty funny duo. I liked it well enough. -shrug-

Strange and ominous and vaguely upsetting, I found this movie to be just a little bit predictable but overall an enjoyable way to spend a couple hours at the theater. The acting is mostly top-notch. But I think this movie is bound to suffer from being overhyped and somewhat mis-marketed. It's really not much of a horror movie (even though some horrible things happen). For anyone who sees this based on commercials calling it "terrifying!" and "scariest ever!" I think they will be disappointed.

"...BUT NOTHING HAPPENS!?" might be the dumbest possible critique of The Florida Project. This is a "slice of life" movie where it's just a bunch of moments, loosely tied together, but affording the viewer pretty intimate details of a life that is totally foreign to a lot of us. Overall I thought this movie was really well done but not exactly something I'd want to watch more than once because some of it was pretty bleak. Know what you're watching; if you need a strong narrative arc or sympathetic characters or what have you, this might not be your kind of movie. But I will say this about all of Sean Baker's movies: they tend to stick with me long after I've left the theater which is more than I can say for the vast majority of other movies.