Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
8.4
*Chef’s Kiss*
This film is a masterclass in self-aware, fourth-wall-breaking horror-comedy filmmaking.
New technology and horror tropes to play with. Incredibly well directed suspenseful violence. The perfect balance of nostalgia and newfound room to grow into a second renaissance. Wes Craven would be proud.
A fantastically fun two hours in the theater. I highly recommend it.
8.1
Not your typical A24 film… Although, it is horrifying in its own way.
A cross between “Shameless” and “Boogie Nights.” Twisted love stories seem to be the official theme of the 2021-2022 Oscar season. Bookending the film with an NSYNC song was a bold move but is oddly fitting in this oddball of a movie. Still not sure if I’m rooting for or against Mikey…
“Going to hell for laughing at this” filmmaking at its finest. Much better than last year’s “Zola.” Definitely not suitable for children. (It’s right there in the title.) And yes, you get to see his red rocket. Or is it in reference to the redhead, Strawberry? I’m confused again about what I just witnessed. If you’re looking to feel like you have your life together, this is the film for you!
6.8
As with most Wes Anderson films, I was fascinated by what I saw but cannot explain what it was that I saw.
There was love, there was war, there was nudity. Young love. Old love. A guy with an incredible memory. A “revolution.” And the death of a legend in journalism.
Don’t cry in the theater.
I tried to make this sound like I wrote it this way.
8.9
How was this so good?!?!
Nothing about this should have felt as fresh and exciting as it did… but here we are.
The cast has terrific chemistry. The ridiculousness factor is at an 11, but I still binged the entire thing in one day and can’t wait for season 2! A classic whodunit, set in the quirkiest apartment building in New York City, with three of the most unlikely friends on the face of the earth and more dead bodies than a season of “Game of Thrones.” It was like Wes Anderson meets Quentin Tarantino, and it was a thing of beauty to behold. The three main characters rounded each other out as an ensemble much better than expected. I have been known to have a soft spot for Selena Gomez and watch pretty much anything she’s in (including the fantastic HBO Max cooking show). Still, she rises to the occasion and brings a sense of dry humor to the group that ever so naturally balances the goofier 2 of the tripod and makes it all work like a well-oiled machine. I was taken aback by how much I loved this one, as I haven’t laughed this hard since I stumbled upon “Letterkenny.” Hulu truly outdid themselves!
7.2
I’m still a bigger “Selena + Chef” fan, but this was a close second. All the typical Paris shenanigans, with a carousel of celebrity friends learning to cook. It’s gaudy to the max. If you’re not concerned with actually learning any culinary expertise, this is your show. If you want actual recipes and depth, head over to HBO Max for Selena’s rendition.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 