Bookworm Cottage Style

When is the last time that you’ve given a movie your full attention? In the era of binge-watching, my favorite thing about movies is that there is a finite beginning and end. It is easy to put your phone away to be fully present and give the story your undivided attention for two hours. It almost feels productive. Then, when the movie is over, you can switch tasks and go on with the rest of your evening. 

The only streaming services we subscribe to are Netflix and Amazon, so I rely on my local library’s DVD collection to fill the gaps. Here are a few of the movies I’ve watched and enjoyed lately. What should be next on my watch list?

The Departed // I’ve watched this movie at least a dozen times, as it’s one of the few movies that is on the annual rewatch list in our household. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a Boston cop going undercover in Frank Costello’s (Jack Nicholson) crime gang to try and build a case against him. Matt Damon plays a crooked Boston cop who is secretly a mole for Frank Costello’s gang. It is definitely one of those movies that you have to be ready to pay attention to. Like most movies with a complex plot, I love The Departed more and more every time I see it. SO good!  

Tower Heist // This is a goofy crime comedy starring Ben Stiller and Casey Affleck as NYC luxury apartment employees getting back at a resident who defrauded their employee pension in a Ponzi scheme. I was in the mood for something funny and not overly taxing and this fit the bill perfectly.

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life // I first heard about this movie in the comments section of Cup of Jo (where all of life’s wisdom can be found), and luckily I was able to get it through my library. This one is about a French writer who loves Jane Austen and gets accepted into a writing residency in England at the estate of Jane Austen’s living family. I always feel so sophisticated when I watch a foreign film (though roughly half of this movie is in English). This was a fun little under-the-radar romantic comedy. 

True Grit // I don’t think of myself as someone who likes Westerns, but the few I have seen have all been great so I was game to give this a try. Mattie is a 14-year-old girl whose father was killed by an outlaw, so she enlists the help of a lawman and a Texas Ranger to bring him to justice. Mattie is an incredible character – a strong, witty female lead filled with gumption and courage. Sometimes Coen Brothers movies can be too weird or dark for me, but this was really enjoyable and very well done.

Little Women // I hadn’t seen Greta Gerwig’s Little Women since it was in theaters, but since “Little Women Christmas” is having a moment, I’d been craving an opportunity to cozy up with this movie in front of our wood stove, and the experience absolutely delivered. The March family is one of those warm, joyfully chaotic families that you just want to jump onscreen and spend time with. The sisters are constantly fighting and yet it is clear that they are fiercely loyal to each other. Their mom (“Marmie”) is the best, and though their dad is not a major character, I loved him too. (Ever since that clip of Bob Odenkirk talking about parenthood went viral, I can only ever see him as a warm, loving father. So perfect casting, in my opinion.) And I know that Amy is supposed to come across as selfish so this may be an unpopular opinion, but she wears her heart on her sleeve and I can’t help but smile every time she’s onscreen. Unlike the book and previous film adaptations, Greta Gerwig’s adaptation is told non-chronologically, and I adore how the ending cleverly gave Jo ownership over her character and story. Just brilliant!