‘I Care a Lot’ is decent; ‘Minari’ is one of the few films this year almost everyone at almost any stage in their life can enjoy and appreciate

 “I Care a Lot” (US Rated R)

Cast: Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Dianne Wiest, Eiza Gonzalez

Genre: Comedy/Thriller

Where to watch: Netflix

Dwight’s Rating:

What comes between “Not Bad” and “Good”?

Is it “Pretty Good”? Or is “Pretty Good” actually better than just “Good”? If that’s a yes, that would not be good.

Perhaps decent is more appropriate?

It’s times like these that I wish I had a two- and-three-quarters stars rating. Sometimes, two-and-a-half stars i.e. “Not Bad”, just doesn’t fully express what needs to be expressed, especially when the film isn’t quite up to snuff like some of the other three-star earners for the year.

So, while the new film, “I Care a Lot” is decent and highly entertaining, and better than not bad, it certainly doesn’t compare to some of the good films we’ve seen over the past year. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”, “Judas and the Black Messiah”, “Promising Young Woman” ,“Enola Holmes”, “The Trial of the Chicago 7”, “Yes God Yes”, “Pieces of a Woman”, “News of the World”, “Soul”, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” – just some of the “three-star” flicks of 2020.

So far, only two movies from last year – “One Night in Miami” and “Boys State” – earned the “Very, Very Good” three-and-a-half stars. And I haven’t seen a four-star flick in quite a while.

“I Care a Lot” has an interesting premise though, and taps into many people’s greatest fears – being alone in old age, and being taken advantage of at one of the most vulnerable times in your life.

In the film, a shady legal guardian (Rosamund Pike) lands in hot water when she tries to bilk an old woman (Dianne Wiest) who has ties to a powerful gangster (Peter Dinklage).

Maybe it’s because it starts off functioning near to the realm of reality, but then veers off course into an almost cartoonish game of cat-and-mouse reminiscent of the animated “Spy vs. Spy” from the old “Mad TV” show, that keeps “I Care a Lot” out of the “three-star” club. And as we go along, it just keeps getting more and more absurd and less and less realistic.

Essentially it becomes a full-on fantasy. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Again, this is an exciting and fun adventure, and you never know what’s coming next. But it’s also really wacky!

Thankfully, keeping it slightly grounded are some incredibly strong performances all around, from even the most insignificant character straight up to the leads.

Two-time Oscar winner Wiest, and four-time Primetime Emmy winner for “Game of Thrones” Dinklage deliver their usual excellence. But Pike is definitely the star of the show.

The British actress just won the Golden Globe for “Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy” this past Sunday for her performance as the clearly insane Marla Grayson. The role is almost comparable to her similarly spirited Oscar-nominated turn in 2014’s “Gone Girl”. (Along with Jared Leto, apparently nobody does “wack job” better than Pike.)

So, “I Care a Lot” is definitely worth-seeing for the really good Wiest and especially Dinklage and Pike. But the film is just this close from being as good as they are.

“Minari” (US Rated PG-13)

Cast: Alan S. Kim, Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Youn Yuh-jung

Genre: Drama

Where to watch: Video on Demand

Dwight’s Rating:

This one is “Good” – definitely, undoubtedly, indisputably!

“Minari” is the semi-autobiographical tale of the film’s writer and director Lee Isaac Chung.

Like with Chung’s own family, in the picture, a Korean American family moves to an Arkansas farm in search of its own American dream. Amidst the challenges of this new life in the strange and rugged Ozarks, they discover the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.

Most of the film is in Korean, with English subtitles. But this is an American picture, about a uniquely American story, and there is quite a bit of English spoken. Many of the characters go back and forth between English and Korean.

According to their bizarre rules, the folks behind the Golden Globe Awards nominated this in the “Best Foreign Language Film” category. And indeed, it did win the category this past Sunday. If it were to be nominated for Academy Awards – and there is good Oscar buzz – it certainly won’t be competing in the similar Best International Feature Film category, and would face off with all the other major pictures.

That Oscar buzz is well-deserved, though. This is a beautiful and touching story, and will be relatable to many Americans, and to many folks all over the world.

Korean-American actor Steven Yean (“The Walking Dead”) and South Korean actress Han Ye-ri are fantastic here playing the struggling parents in this family.

But they are overshadowed by two standout performances. Eight-year old Alan S. Kim’s Jacob and 73-year old Youn Yuh-jung’s Grandma Soon-ja are two of the most memorable characters of the year.

You won’t be able to get enough of them, and when they share screen time together – which they do for a great portion of the film – it is simply magical. These two are the stars of the picture, and arguably the most deserving of accolades.

In the last few years, I’ve complained about awards shows, particularly the Academy Awards, overlooking the child stars of some of the year’s most powerful films. Let’s hope this travesty does not continue this year for the talented young Master Kim.

It would also be a travesty for you to dismiss this drama because of the subtitles and any perceived language or cultural barriers. “Minari” is one of the few films this year almost everyone at almost any stage in their life can enjoy and appreciate.

• Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of “Morning Blend” on Guardian Radio and station manager. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.

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