Drama – Page 13 – Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare

“Poor Things”

By Brett_G on December 23, 2023December 23, 2023

7.2

What if instead of a creature who leaves a path of destruction, Frankenstein’s creature left a path of destruction by seduction? That’s I think the best way to sum up this film… It’s a hard one to pin down, but similar to “Barbie,” takes a swing at societal norms and historical lunacy with a cunning wit about it. The look and feel of the film is a cross between Wes Anderson and Tim Burton. Be warned, approximately 1/4 of the runtime is sex scene. Or disturbing closeups of Willem Dafoe. If your not ready for either, they can both be equally jarring experiences. Unlike “Saltburn,” this film pulled of its purpose much more effectively, and was more palatable, which surprised me. It’s weird, and it’s long… but if you’re looking for something different, this is definitely a film for you!

“Godzilla Minus One”

By Brett_G on December 15, 2023December 11, 2023

8.1

Far better than any of the U.S. Godzilla films. This film has stakes and substance in abundance. Well worth the subtitles.

The first 10-15 minutes of this film are truly ruthless. Where our American counterparts suffer from fear of alienating audiences, opting to play it safe, this film goes for broke at every opportunity. It delivers a much deeper message about the human experience and harkens back to the original themes of the Godzilla franchise, grappling with our use of technology and obsession with progress without regard for collateral damage and general consequences.

For such a small budget, this film also looks absolutely gorgeous, even in its destruction. The attention to detail and creativity is evident in almost every frame, and there’s a collective sense of care put into the craft that comes across throughout the entire runtime. An all-time blockbuster on the year!

Drama Suspense/Thriller

“Saltburn”

By Brett_G on December 14, 2023December 11, 2023

5.8

Umm… I’m at a loss. I’ve seen some sick and twisted things on the silver screen, but typically there is a general direction or purpose to the chaos. Not here. You’ll want to burn the thing to the ground and salt the earth so it can’t come back after this one. If there was a deeper meaning here, they lost me at drinking bath water and necrophilia. A bridge too far in my book. Even as “shock and awe” filmmaking, it didn’t stick the landing for me.

Classic Comedy Drama

“Thelma & Louise”

By Brett_G on December 6, 2023November 27, 2023

8.4

Ridley Scott – Director of “Alien,” “Blade Runner,” “Gladiator”… and “Thelma & Louise.” AND a Hans Zimmer score!

Now that I have my film geeking out of the way – holy crap was this a fun movie! For such dark subject matter, Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis make such loveable, fun characters and an approachable story that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end! The premise of the film is so simple, but the story milks so much adventure out of this road trip that it’s truly mind-blowing, yet completely believable. I never once questioned whether hitchhikers really look like Brad Pitt or the reality of these two becoming national criminals over the course of a long weekend and outrunning the FBI and multiple state law enforcement agencies.

Buck up, and enjoy the ride!

Drama Indie

“The Holdovers”

By Brett_G on November 30, 2023November 30, 2023

9.1

A new favorite Christmas film for the yearly rotation!

This film envelopes you in a warmth that is palpable from beginning to end. I wanted to go see it a second time just to enjoy the ambiance for 2 more hours. Every single frame is steeped in unshakable charm. Each character is perfectly crafted to build and play off of each other, and get to the heart of matters of life and love that many others only dare to tiptoe around during their time on the screen. It’s a film of complicated people living for the unforeseen beauty in the complication of life. Similar to “Silver Linings Playbook” or “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” this film deserves every bit of critical praise and award season success it gets. From the cast, to the cinematography, to the soundtrack, this film fires on every cylinder and never lets up. I cannot recommend this one enough, and only wish it was more than a limited theatrical release that will hopefully gain traction and a possible re-release due to it’s success in home video release. As soon as I left the theater, I knew at least one of my top films of the year with this one.