Are there any simple, small-story movies made anymore? We sat through the trailers before a matinee of Logan this afternoon, and film after film promoted the same theme: dystopian future where technology is the primary threat to the survival of the species/life as we know it. There were easily ten movies advertised before we got to see our main feature. I was so depressed and slightly freaked out by the time Logan actually started. It made me wonder, do they still make movies without explosions and CGI anymore? I kept thinking about the original Bad News Bears, of all things. A quiet movie about a old drunk who finds redemption coaching Little League--would a movie like that be greenlit in this climate? (I know it was remade, but I never saw that version. I am going to assume it had extra special effects that the original never needed.) I miss character-driven stories that don't rely on enhanced reality to put butts in seats. But therein lies the problem. People don't pay a lot of money to watch quiet movies. So they won't get made. It's a damn shame. If ever I were to create a screenplay, it would be a small story. I have little faith that I'd produce a blockbuster. I don't want to write dystopia. I wouldn't sell.
Maybe I am at a disadvantage when I watch movies like the one I saw today. I was totally pulled out of the moment by the geography that doesn't line up. Okay, it was supposed to be set years in the future. I could accept that the Oklahoma City that appears in the movie is possible given the current law and economic trajectory of that state. But when they were supposed to be in the final destination for the film, I knew the geography was absolutely wrong. I have lived both in the state where they were going, and the state where they filmed the actual scenes. It just irritated me. It harshed the buzz I had from the Oklahoma scenes, where I had a sweet little surprise. There was a flash of people standing by a highway sign that said that my hometown was 15 miles away. I sat up a little straighter after that, hoping to see some landforms I recognized, but alas, it was not to be.
If you are curious whether I'd recommend the movie, I would give a qualified yes. Logan was well made. The story was interesting, and provoked a wide range of emotions. But it was distinctly the most grown-up of all the X-Men franchise. Like Deadpool (which had an extended trailer at the beginning), when they say it is not for children, believe them. It is not for children. Or people who can't handle graphic violence. Or salty language. But if you're looking for a big, loud, FX-heavy movie, go for it. For what it was, it was good.
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