Author: Brett_G

Documentary Drama Throwback

“All The President’s Men”

By Brett_G on

7.4

Better as a book…

Not that the movie was bad, and I understand it’s a classic and an important story. However, the book was better in this case. I know this is sacrilege as a movie critic.

The performances are spot on and the script really does a great job of hitting the essential marks in the story, but there’s only so much they could fit into the runtime, and there was simply too much to fit into a reasonable runtime. Definitely one of those “Hollywood can’t write something this crazy” stories, that Hollywood struggled to translate to the silver screen.

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Action Blockbuster Romance

“Argylle”

By Brett_G on

7.7

Not sure which was worse. Henry Cavill’s CGI mouth in “Justice League” or his haircut in this…

I was really worried during the first 45 minutes of this one. Thankfully, it took off after the first act and ended up being a really well done spy thriller romance by the time the credits rolled. Sam Rockwell can save anything. The man may not always be a lead on the marquee, but he’s a lead in our hearts. Similar to Bob Odenkirk in 2021’s “Nobody,” I never had Rockwell as the James Bond type, but I’ll be damned, he pulls it off and then some in this one! The chemistry between him and Bryce Dallas Howard was, dare I say it, even better than the “Jurassic World” trilogy.

It’s Matthew Vaughn at the helm, so you know the action will be beautiful and the soundtrack eclectic. Both promised delivered on here from beginning to end. There was so much under the hood of this one that I was not expecting, and pleasantly surprised by. The twist leading into the third act dropped my jaw, right before learning the true meaning behind the Beatles song in the background the whole time punched me in the gut. Highly recommend for a fun, albeit long sitting in the cinema!

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Horror/Thriller Science Fiction Shudder

“Suitable Flesh”

By Brett_G on

6.9

I was bummed to have missed this one in theaters. Thank God for Shudder!

Somewhere between “Freaky Friday” and “It Follows” sits this film. In the wise words of the Sex Ed/P.E. teacher in the original “Mean Girls,” “Don’t have sex, or you will get pregnant and you will die.” Turns out to be partially true. But I mean, it is Heather Graham, so can we blame the demon? Well above “suitable.” Speaking of whom, you could tell that she reveled in this role, going all-in on the crazy and embracing the scenery chewing Elizabeth Derby when she has her Mrs. Hyde moments in the spotlight. As with anything H.P. Lovecraft, get ready to get weird, sit back, and enjoy!

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Comedy

“Mean Girls”

By Brett_G on

7.1

A movie… based on a broadway play… based on a movie. What can go wrong? I’m pretty sure this is the definition of “snake eating its own tail.”

If you enjoyed the original and don’t mind some surprisingly well-fitting musical numbers (it is a musical in disguise), you’ll like this one. After HBO’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls” I’ll watch anything with Renee Rap in it. She’s joining Anna Kendrick in that hallowed territory. And she kills it as Regina George. That being said, Angourie Rice, Avantika Vandanapu, and Bebe Wood all fill the big shoes they were left by the original cast. Is it as “lightning in a bottle” as the original? No. But it does a great job of honoring the original while updating a few things along the way enough to make it feel fresh. Maybe in the third installment, “fetch” will finally happen…

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Comedy Drama Indie

“Scrambled”

By Brett_G on

7.7

An eggcelent film.

Reminiscent of “The Pod Generation” from last year, this one delves into the complicated, beautiful, messy dynamics of reproductive health in modern society. Leah McKendrick absolutely kills it here. Her performance, especially a tender moment in the third act alongside Vee Kumari had me on the edge of my seat and bought in from the first frame. Never have I ever expected myself to actually laugh out loud during a scene set in a miscarriage support group, but here we are… only to mere minutes later be inspired and a little misty eyed by the ensuing speech. Movie didn’t play it safe, and I appreciated that. The exploration of this territory with the necessary nuance and levity to counter the natural weight has been a renaissance of sorts.

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