Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
9.1
I’ll start by saying that it was incredibly difficult not speeding on the drive home after this two and a half hour thrill ride! An absolute work of cinematic art… a beautifully crafted film. The ultimate mix of adrenaline, brotherhood, and heart… I never expected I’d been misty-eyed following a movie about cars, but here we are. I thought it’d be good, but damn. Strap in, and you’re off to the races!
8.1
Really didn’t know what I was walking into… still not sure what the hell that was walking out. A touching, yet gruesome, and occasionally laugh out loud coming of age story… about a Hitler youth. Whose imaginary friend is the fuhrer himself. Can’t make this shit up. All together, a surprisingly good film. Definitely out in left field, but that’s what director Taika Waititi does best.
7.9
What if… a Hallmark Channel movie script accidentally got forwarded to the wrong office on the studio lot, cast two leads out of the story’s league, and set everything to a legendary soundtrack? You’d get this film. Henry Golding was destined to play the dashing lead in romantic comedies. Guy even has my vote for the next James Bond. The best of all of the rom-com tropes are on display, and just the right amount of Christmas is sprinkled on top. The twist at the end caught me almost more off-guard than “Avengers: Endgame.” Definitely a heartfelt kick-off to the holiday season.
8.7
Fully went into this expecting a b-movie on par with “Pearl Harbor.” What I got was a masterclass in directing, perfection in the cinematography department, and a truly moving story. Pretty much everything you could want out of a war film. The battle scenes were graphic, grand-scale, and captured the perfect balance of chaos and focus. The cast couldn’t have been more perfect if they tried. And the montage of “where they went after the events of the film” didn’t leave a dry eye in the house. Very well done, and well worth the longer than usual runtime.
9.1
A masterpiece on-par with the original “Shining,” in my opinion. Long, but worth every second of spell-binding storytelling. A seamless continuation of the events following the infamous winter at the Overlook Hotel. A perfect blend of new and nostalgia content, with a powerful crescendo… bellissima! I am all-in on the recent Stephen King renaissance of late. The quality of these novels, and new technology being expertly implemented… Bravo! Stephen King really is a master of his craft with the source material. No one tackles the human condition with the perfect blend horror and humor is why he’s the best. It’s what this film does so well, and King is famous for… the best characters in horror. Blew past my high expectations with ease! Definitely a must-see.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 