Documentary – Page 4 – Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare

“Love & Mercy”

By Brett_G on May 12, 2024

8.6

Alongside “Chef,” this is one of my all-time favorite indie finds on the silver screen. Paul Dano and John Cusack hold down the forts at either end of the Brian Wilson timeline as one of the most legendary figures in rock/pop music takes on a whole new depth. A fascinating tale of love, loss, and the toll that riding the razors edge between genius and instantly takes on a person and the loved ones around them.

The soundtrack is of course legendary. The love story is oddly adorable. The bar for all other biopics was set at a level that few, if any have since reached. There’s not a weak link in the cast or a wasted frame of film.

I suggest a pairing with the documentary “The Wrecking Crew.”

Documentary

“Hate to Love: Nickelback”

By Brett_G on May 11, 2024May 11, 2024

7.5

A surprisingly fun music documentary. Basically “behind the music: Nickelback” but with more personality and the fact that they had to address being one of the most inexplicably hated bands in music history… the price of infamy. Even if they really haven’t ever made a bad song. Rock on!

Documentary Paramount+

“Billy Joel: The 100th”

By Brett_G on April 26, 2024

7.5

Since there’s no official trailer for this one, may my videos from Comerica Park Summer 2022 make do.

You may think this one is a little low, and you’d be right. As a TV special, it’s exactly what you expect. You can’t go wrong with Billy Joel in concert. But it’s NOTHING compared to seeing him LIVE. There’s nothing like it, and no TV special can truly capture that magic. So pull up a chair and a bottle of red (or white), and enjoy the master at work…

Documentary Indie

“Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale”

By Brett_G on April 12, 2024April 8, 2024

6.2

Doing this back to back with a movie about resurrecting a movie theater was a rough choice. This one just didn’t resonate as well as the other. But I think differences in structure and characterization didn’t help it. A cool story, but clunky in its execution. In the spirit of the “Action Park” documentaries, it almost took off. Sadly, it just never hooked me in the way I had hoped it would. The lady talking to the boat was one of the more interesting points. Her passing being foreshadowing I did not have on my bingo card.

Documentary Indie

“Marqueetown”

By Brett_G on April 11, 2024April 8, 2024

7.8

Definitely one of the dorkier things I’ve done in a long time, but loved every frame of this one. Movies and Marquette – what’s not to love?

A tale of the rise, fall, and resurgence of independent film exhibition. The spirit of “Midwest nice.” The heartwarming story of a small town coming together to make dreams come true. For a movie geek such as myself, this was like home for an hour and a half. AND, I happened to be sitting behind someone who starred in the movie. AND was able to recognize one of the actors as one of the co-stars of “Quicksand,” another Northern Michigan original screened at the Vogue in Manistee.

As shared in the post-show Q&A, look for this one to be on PBS/Streaming in October!

https://www.marqueetown.com