Author: Brett_G

Action Blockbuster

“Venom: The Last Dance”

By Brett_G on

7.7

This is a conflicting one.

Is it the best comic book saga? Not by a long shot.

Is it solid if you enjoy the quirks? Absolutely.

This end to the trilogy is surprisingly a home run, if you let it be. The campy underlying theme is still strong, some of the jokes are dumb… but the CGI and the WTF factor are off the chain! Multiple venoms, intergalactic demons, a conspiracy theorist driving in a hippie van to Area 51. This movie hits all the goofy ass notes we’ve come to know and, in a weird way, love. But what really hit home a lot stronger than anticipated was the relationship between Eddie and Venom. It really packed a punch this go-round, and anchored the movie in a nice heartfelt denouement. Strap in, and enjoy the insanity!

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Drama Romance

“Here”

By Brett_G on

7.3

Generational trauma, the musical! Just a heads up, it really hits some things that I did not expect it to and definitely got deeper in the feels than I thought it would.

The framing device and the way this thing is shot/told takes a solid half hour to get used to. At least it did for me. Having the same POV for 99% of the runtime was a huge gamble, but I feel like it paid off in the end. It wasn’t earth-shattering, but it wasn’t as jarring and off-putting as I braced for.

The cast, as expected, were superb and all turn in great performances. It plays like, well, a play… but it works.

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Drama Suspense/Thriller

“Conclave”

By Brett_G on

7.8

One word – intense.

Sorry, almost forgot – Peace be with you.

Like “Bridge of Spies” from a few years ago, but far better, in my humble opinion.

This cast is absolutely stellar. There’s so much fire power that there was an underlying temptation to overpower each scene, but they all turned in perfectly balanced performances anchored in intensity and restraint with each passing frame, in a sort of dance with one another as we all worked our way to the credits rolling.

I NEVER expected the twist in the third act… I was genuinely shocked by that bomb they dropped.

Even if you’re not Catholic, you’ll find something to enjoy in this one. A procedural drama masterclass.

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Comedy Drama Romance

“Goodrich”

By Brett_G on

7.8

This movie was surprisingly sweet! I knew it would be good with Mika Kunis and Michael Keaton, but not THIS good. It really packed an emotional punch at times, but also had these laugh out loud, gut busting moments mixed it. It effortlessly traveled the full spectrum of emotion and character exploration. I was thoroughly impressed! May we all gain this type of perspective and wisdom with age…

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Drama Romance

“We Live in Time”

By Brett_G on

6.8

Been a hot second since a movie gave me blue balls…

Can we please leave the non-linear storytelling to Christopher Nolan from now on? This thing is all over the place. And not in an intriguing way. In a “does that hairstyle mean we’re in a flashback?” way.

Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh have amazing chemistry, and there are some fun sequences… but it just left SO MUCH just… I don’t even know where. I had so much hope, movie!

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