The 5 Things I Hated About Trainwreck. ***SPOILERS***

Where is this scene?

DISCLAIMER*** This is a review for people who have seen the movie or don't care that I ruin it by telling you everything wrong with it. You've seen it by now RIGHT?

Okay, so, what's the deal here?

1. Amy has no qualms hopping into bed with Aaron, the subject of her article, which is a huge journalistic / ethical breach that rarely happens in real life, and is already a heavily treaded Hollywood trope as excellently detailed in this WSJ article and this Flavorwire one. (+ here's a whole long list of over 100 films that fall prey.)  I wanted her to be an intellectual badass who sleeps with whomever she wants, but also has integrity and knows where to draw the line, come on!

2. We see her losing interest when Steven (John Cena) stumbles over his bizarre attempt at dirty talk, but sex kitten freakazoid Donald (Ezra Miller) is too much for her. Oh, I've seen this setup before. But no "just right" sex scene with Aaron (Bill Hader) to balance it out?

3. Okay and Aaron. What exactly is so compelling that Amy does a total 180 to be with him. He is utterly dull and conventional with zilch sex appeal in the movie. I mean, he's nice to her dad, but that's not a reason to be with someone. Where is the magic?

4. Amy shoots off an amazing zinger to some cheerleaders at the top of the movie, something like "You're gonna lose us the vote!" And then backpedals her contempt by assuming pom poms and a skirt by the end! Her reason? She had a realization that she hated cheerleaders because they were "successful" and she was afraid of that success. Really? THAT's what shy dissed them and not because it objectifies women?

5. Last but not least. They cut the Snacky scene! Did they know that was half the reason I went to see it?

The One Film That's Surprisingly Better than 12 Years A Slave

First, sorry it's now two months past Oscar season, but I've been wanting to write about this for a while.
Second, don't worry, this post is spoiler free.  Mostly. Mwahahahah! (JK, it really is spoiler-free.)

I'll start with 12 Years a Slave.
Directed by Steve McQueen, 2013

Oh, this old trope again.

My reaction upon hearing about (and subsequently watching) 12 Years was: Do we really need another movie about American slavery? Do black actors really want to play these kind of roles? I mean, at least Django went for uncharted territory. And if you're a black actor/actress, please let me know in the comments: do you want to play/enjoy playing a slave character?!

I ask because I'm afraid that while racist attitudes still permeate so much of modern society, movies like this give us permission to feel okay about what's happening today, because hey! black people aren't slaves anymore! Hallelujah! Except that if you've seen the doc, The House I Live In (should be required viewing for every American), or read the book (am currently reading) The New Jim Crow, you will see how microscopically tiny we've actually moved the needle.

Or you know, if you've glimpsed any news about Trayvon Martin or Melissa Alexander.

Which is why we need films like Fruitvale Station. 
Directed by Ryan Coogler (that last name!), 2009

Let me show you what films can be about. 

Fruitvale Station is based on the true story of Oscar Grant and his fatal run-in with the San Francisco PD. The story unfolds with heart-wrenching tenderness and leaves you wondering how do bad things like this keep happening in this bastion of political correctness and affirmative actions. Coogler does a great job in his directorial debut, having secured both a Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at last year's Sundance. (Don't worry, that old white man crew called the Academy of course snubbed it in typical fashion, because already included one black film already!) Watch it, because....

Here's something about my family that I don't usually bring up because it's so weirdly sensational, and frankly, I hadn't seen this cousin since we were kids, but that only underscores how incidents like this — when they involve black people — are so commonplace that they can make local news and never reach national attention. So get ready for heavy. My cousin (Henry) Orlando Bryant was stunned to death by police officers in an Indiana family restaurant. We weren't very close, and most of you know I'm not close to any of my family at all, so it didn't really affect me personally. And unfortunately, I don't know much more than what's reported in the news, but clearly, there's way more stuff happening than ever gets the attention it needs and so when I see that someone is making yet another film that makes white people feel better about slavery (even by you, Brad Pitt), I want to smack them back to reality.

Hollywood, from now on, when you want to recognize an "important film", let's stop showering accolades on that old walnut about how America freed the slaves  and start supporting films that get us out of our comfort zone. I know, tall order.

Rest in peace, cuz.