Brett_G

“Fear of Rain”

By Brett_G on October 26, 2021October 24, 2021

7.9

Strong “Words on Bathroom Walls” vibes, in the best possible way.

The art of cinema can be a compelling force. Helping us, as a society, to look in the mirror and reflect on our treatment of those with mental health issues can be a great force for good. This film struck a delicate balance between ensuring the extremes were felt and not getting too silly and over the top. They paid homage to the original Wes Craven trick of “is this the real world or is this a dream?” highlighting the unease and tension that fills the world of someone stricken with one of these terrible ailments. Not in such a way that it causes one to recoil and wish upon them a lifetime of confinement, but important steps to opening our hearts and minds to making a good faith effort to better understand and empathize with each other and the unique struggles we each may have.

Technically speaking, I felt like everything was exceptionally well balanced and that the twists that filled the third act were well earned and impactful. A term I’ve used with other films, this one keeps you in a state of productive discomfort. The edge of your seat feeling leads to the points of the story being that much more impactful by the time the credits roll. A very emotional tale and definitely a thinker of a movie. A great deal of nuance and interwoven clues that collectively form a beautifully complex piece of cinema. Extremely well done.

Netflix Rom-Com

“The Kissing Booth 3”

By Brett_G on October 25, 2021October 22, 2021

6.5

*steps onto soapbox*

My contempt for the second installment finally killed it. It completely murdered my love for this adorkable series. So much unnecessary drama, such an unoriginal story, such an out-of-date soundtrack, such poor decision-making on the part of Elle. They seriously try to retcon Noah as not being a complete asshole and worth choosing over Marco?!?! What the hell, Elle? You know what? I’m happy for Marco. He’s finally free of this stupidity. Go live your life, my man. Don’t you dare look back. These 3 (4 if you count Rachel) deserve each other’s misery. My lord… so much cringe. Burn the beach house down and salt the earth on which it stood. Sprinkle it with holy water. Please leave this as a trilogy. Instead of capturing lightning in a bottle, this series is like being struck by lightning three times in the same spot. I had to finish it, but my ride along the sunset coast ended with me pulling a Thelma and Louise into the Pacific to free myself from this crew as the credits began to roll.

Drama Indie Romance

“Summer Days, Summer Nights”

By Brett_G on October 25, 2021October 24, 2021

6.5

This may be the most by the numbers “last summer before moving away to college” movie I’ve ever seen.

If you enjoy 80’s hair bands and want a new film to watch from that genre, here it is. Not much else to elaborate on. It was exactly what I expected. No more, no less.

Drama Indie Romance

“This is the Night”

By Brett_G on October 24, 2021October 22, 2021

7.2

This is one of the strangest films of the year. By a long shot. Who pitched this?

With the subtlety of a punch to the face, this moving tells the tale of a city coming together to worship their adopted messiah, Rocky Balboa. In a better mob movie than “The Many Saints of Newark,” we follow a wannabe restaurant (or catering business) owner rising against his childhood nemesis while his sons conquer their own adversaries, all connecting with the eye of the tiger fighting spirit of the Italian Stallion.

Yo Adrian. This movie is absolutely ridiculous, but it’s got heart. It’s got a lot of fight left in it. It’ll leave you in disbelief of your own inspiration as the credits roll. Looking for something off the wall? There’s nothing more random than round-the-clock screenings of Rocky 3 bringing a community together. Gotta love the power of cinema.

Spoiler alert: My man gets the girl.

Blockbuster Drama

“Dune”

By Brett_G on October 23, 2021October 23, 2021

7.3

The prodigal son is cast out into the desert. Let me guess, for 40 days?

Yes, the Jesus metaphor is that on the nose for all 3 hours of the runtime.

I went into this film expecting spectacle, and spectacle I got. All three stories of the IMAX screen were bathed in the cinematic beauty of this film. The score crafted by the masterful Hans Zimmer thundering through my chest… all for me to leave the theater underwhelmed and confused. Similar to the “Hobbit” series, “Dune” attempted to be too careful not to overwhelm the audience with lore and instead errors on the side of feeling ultimately empty. The disbelief and shock on my face when I was greeted with “Part 1” immediately after the title flashed across the screen must have been a sight to see.

This cake is all frosting. Somewhere between “Star Wars” and “Mad Max,” the world they build is breathtaking. Then there’s nothing really behind the curtain. I felt like they were trying to avoid the cramped confusion of the cult-classic original film adaptation and overcorrected.

If you don’t care about the story, have at it. Just don’t disrespect it by watching on a TV or, God forbid, a mobile device. Highly recommend the most massive screen possible for the spectacle factor. Here’s to, I guess, hoping there’s enough box office success for them to fill in the gaps in part 2.