The Monuments Men
dir. George Clooney (2014)
An important story but largely unsatisfying as a film. The cast is split up in a piecemeal treasure hunt that lays little emotive groundwork for the big character moments. Clooney’s script promotes a ‘flippancy under fire’ humour that doesn’t really come off.
The Big Lebowski
dir. Joel Coen (1998)
The Big Lebowski shouldn’t work—the script is indulgent, the kidnapping/ransom plot meanders convolutedly—yet somehow it does. Jeff Bridges is unforgettable as The Dude (a mellow but acerbic hippie), backed by John Goodman as his Vietnam War- and bowling-obsessed friend.
Atomic Blonde
dir. David Leitch (2017)
Although Charlize Theron fully justifies her first billing, Atomic Blonde itself is a gratuitously stylistic and ill-considered mix of intestinal plot twists and boring-as-bat-shit-in-a-dark-cave violence. Far more intrigue (and enjoyment) could have been generated had John Goodman played every other part, simultaneously.
Monsters, Inc.
dir. Pete Docter (2001)
John Goodman and Billy Crystal are perfectly cast and animated as portal-hopping monsters whose night-scaring elicits the screams needed to power Monstropolis. The status quo turns to sweet crumble when their rival’s scheming brings a three-year-old human (presumed deadly) into their world.