Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
7.1
Kintsugi in film form. Broken people helping fellow broken people. The best of humanity on display.
Alan Cumming and Julia Mayorga kill it in their respective roles, while Katie Homes’s performance pushes it over the top. A study in grief, damage, recovery, and resilience. Wrapped in a wonderful sense of, well, wonder.
6.9
Two words – unnecessarily horny.
Turns out Bob Ross needed a stash of brushes to keep the babes at bay.
An absolutely ridiculous what I’m going to consider a mockumentary for the ages. Owen Wilson kills it, and somehow keeps a straight face the entire runtime. If (insert vehicle here) is a rocking, don’t come a knocking. And probably don’t take your new vegan girlfriend to the fondue place for veal. Pro tip from a single gentleman about town.
7.9
A surprisingly solid exorcist film!
Russell Crowe absolutely shines as Father Gabriele Amorth, one of the chief exorcists in the Catholic Church and foremost expert on the subject until his death.
The film itself is a bit of a masterclass in exorcism filmmaking. From the initial “exorcist shot,” to the portrayal of the rite itself throughout the film, the cast hits all of the marks beautifully, with a natural flow that lends it a realism and authenticity not many horror films achieve. The film fires on all cylinders from beginning to end, shining a light on humanity, humility, and grace.
8.5
“You’re remembered for the rules you break.”
The measure of a good “based on a true story” film is how well it can keep the attention of the audience. Did we all know the ship was going to meet its untimely demise at the hands of an iceberg? Yes. Did we all still put butts in seats and make it one of the highest grossing films of all time? You bet your ass we did.
This film keep you engaged from the opening note of “Money for Nothin’” until the credits roll.
Every single member of this cast brings their A game and keep the narrative firing on all cylinders at all times. The ability to make the mundane magnificent is something magical about this film. Whether it’s our taste for nostalgia, love for characters overcoming adversity, or love for this cast and this story, it all works.
Side note – the soundtrack is AMAZING!
6.7
Unexpectedly middle of the road. There was way too much firepower in this cast for this to be this blah…
Couple having trouble getting pregnant meets couple who takes “wrap it” a little too literally and learns the hard way that cling wrap doesn’t work the same, despite the logic that might dictate that plastic is plastic. Then everyone’s life gets ruined in a unique way and you end the movie sad for all involved in a way you never really expect… mostly because the movie never gives you any inkling it’s coming.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 