Cinematic Sommelier
6.4
“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” was far superior to “Mrs. Harris goes to Amsterdam as her marriage falls apart.” It took me far too long to put things together watching this one. It pulled a lot of punches throughout, which made it difficult to follow at times. It had a hard time nailing down a tone and picking a lane. Some almost sweet moments undercut by an ironic lack of commitment.
6.4
It was trying to be so many things, and I don’t think it landed any of them. Beyond some impressive cinematography, everything else falls kind of flat. I almost said flaccid there, but that would be too on the nose, no? I’m not really sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this. A hot mess of a movie.
7.2
Better than expected… not that it was a high bar.
Definitely some iteration of dollar store “Final Destination.” That being said, it did just enough to overcome that and be its own thing by the end, which I greatly appreciated. There were a lot of cliche scenes, but that’s to be expected in a low budget horror film. Turn your brain off, and watch karma do it’s thing via ancient magical MacGuffin.
8.5
I’ll be damned… Kevin James can ACT. For real. No Paul Bart mall cop here.
A classic trope, “guy left at the altar,” turns into an incredibly heartfelt story about friendship, family, hope, and love. I didn’t expect the depth that emanated from the screen the entire runtime here. I expected goofy, and I got tears… again, for a Kevin James movie! Open that heart on your sleeve and get ready to go “awe” for a solid hour and a half.
8.7
One of those films that plays like… well, like a play. Seemingly a continuous shot, all contained within a single locale… relying on the sheer stage presence of those on screen. Engross yourself in this piece of art character study that hits you right in the feels from beginning to end as we all pull up a bar stool and get lost in the swirl of emotions. You’ll be humming along to the show tunes as you try to prevent yourself from getting too misty eyed at this one. Bravo and job well done to all involved here. Every frame of this was a work of cinematic art!
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 