8/12/18 - Paddington 2 - 8/10

A whirlwind of beauty, style, cleverness, and class. I was shocked by its predecessor, but the sequel topped its previous glory at every turn. A top notch effort. Andersonian in grace and inception and visual pinache. Perhaps most magical of all, it warms the heart and soul without sap or sychophancy - it is angelic and a cinematic gift.

There is a glory in the excellence of the Paddington franchise. The whimsy is ever-present, ridiculous but believable, and, above all, soul lifting. There is a lightness in being that comes from the simple joys in watching Paddington. The cuteness, the clever characters, the interlocking story elements, the dance between earnestness and playful winking. Ugh.. It just makes me gush with marmalade-sweet life joy to reconsider it. Plus, it is probably Hugh Grant’s best performance in a long while.

I could go on and on about how wonderful I really think this film is, but you should all see if for yourself. I loved it. It has something we rarely get in our modern media environment: a huge heart. Hell, it even made me shed a tear. I love Paddington 2.