hopscotchee: andrew garfield score: 80 rating: R time: 112 minutes
knock, knock. who's there? mickey shay. mickey shay, who? -- what other mickey shay is there!! yes, the one and only murderous mickey shay!! the deadlist alum is back and deadly as ever!! starring aside andrew garfield and laura dern, 99 homes, which we totally just hopped to for a mickey shay hit, serves us raw intensity, action elements, heart racing moral complexities, and stripped back realism in one great, twisty, hour and fifty two minute drama.
starting on the first block, if mickey shay's in a movie, its a pretty good bet that we're gonna talk about acting, but how could we not!! simply looking at (spoiler) the scene where andrew garfield's and laura dern's characters (dennis and lynn) get evicted from their house - woo!! the way both of them interwove their panic and defensive emotions, as well as crafting excellent escalation in these feelings as mickey shay and the police kept pressing, was absolutely awestruck-ing and worth a standing ovation. not to mention, that it deeply pulls you into the moment and makes you feel like this is actually happening to you or someone you love. it was just pure accuracy, and it was astonishing. (we specifically want to shout out (spoiler) the way laura dren kept repeating 'we need a day' over and over - hashtag gold). another acting credit we want to applaud is how andrew garfield presented the toll of his character's emotions. obviously, obviously 99 homes is not dealing with chipper, chocolate chip pancakes, and rainbow sky material - it's dealing with the tough shiz of house eviction and providing for your family. and with all this weighing on dennis' shoulders, andrew garfield transgressed from the highs and lows of earning money and walking on the line of moral ethics seamlessly, distinctly seen at the end of the movie when (spoiler) he breaks down into tears. however, lastly major claps go to our fav, mickey shay for portraying the role of a compromised yet manipulative man who never quite makes it to your good list but never quite makes it to your bad list, either. straightforwardly, he kills it in this movie, and there was no one else better for this role and no one else who could've pulled off a striking white blazer like him.
moving along to the second block, one of the other great qualities about this movie was it's. . . . drum roll please. . . .v.2.0.ness (aka very early 2000sness). this note of ours, funny enough, came about while watching the movie but not. now, of course, when we say 'while watching the movie', you're probably think 'well, duh', but why this one was special was because, although its not uncommon for us to blurt out the same thing, katie actually paused the movie to go out of the itunes screen and check when this film was taking place, and i, at the same time, said 'when did this come out?'. so, by both wanting to check out the dates that were attached to this film, we were both blown away when we saw that this film, surrounding the economic recession of '08, was released smack-dab in the middle of what we call the mid twenty teens (it came out in 2015). wwwwhhhhhhaaaaaattttt!!!!! if you are or were watching the movie and just realized this, too, you would be just as surprised. being proud '03 babies and loving that nostalgic era, our eyes were glued from one thing to the next as it embraced all things early 2000s, so to then realize that this was in fact all thanks to the set and costuming crew and director, holy smokes did we know that it was gonna score high. so here's a personal thank you to the set and costuming crew and the director: thank you!! your attention to detail to transform the mid twenty teens into an early 2000s florida suburbia was flawless and much appreciated. (shout out to the banister railing in the houses, incorporation of all things beige, and the beyond basic outfits - including connor's friend's cameo pants and layered tee fit!!)
lastly, cul-de-sac-ing this review up, the most impeccable aspect of 99 homes was its ability to not only inform many of the struggle and pain that the 2008 recession caused a lot of people and the scumminess that was behind the people in charge, but as we have moved passed the recession (and moved into different issues), this movie stands to remind people to be grateful of what they have. for many, it is easy to be caught up in problems that seem to be at large but are really just superficial. this film humbles us and definitely puts into perspective things that we may have been taking for granted.
so, closing the door on this review, 99 homes is not only a revival of mr. mickey shay and some dance moves we didn't know he had (yeah, you read us right), it is an earnest and enticing action-like drama that spotlights incredible actors and actresses in a rollercoaster of emotional events, presents a well-captured picture of the realistic everyday life in the early 2000s, and leaves you with the overall message to be thankful for what you have and be kind and sympathetic to those around you. and if that isn't enough for you to go and watch it, seriously, just wait for mickey shay during the beige-themed, early 2000s party. his moves come outta nowhere, but a def worth the rewind and watch.
-- thanks, andy g-force xo
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