Drama – Page 18 – Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare

“Jesus Revolution”

By Brett_G on March 9, 2023

7.8

Join a Christian revolution to land a hot blonde? I’ll buy it. Respect the game.

The Jesus metaphor with this one is thrown out the window in favor of an actual Jesus lookalike. This film expertly delves into humility, hubris, and their roles in the human condition on our journeys to self realization sharing this big old rock we call earth.

Kelsey Grammar and company mail it as a cast, and make this one of the most palatable prophecy pictures I’ve seen on the silver screen in a long time. Very well done!

“American Gigolo”

By Brett_G on February 19, 2023February 19, 2023

6.8

Seemed very “Fatal Attraction,” but the genre wasn’t quite as refined yet.

He’s just a gigolo, and everywhere he goes… apparently people are trying to frame him for murder. Luckily, he’s also close friends with some of his clients, and in the world of underground crimes, it’s all about who you know.

A solid crime thriller with way more Richard Gere than I ever expected to see. At least he tries to not look as guilty as Ben Affleck in “Gone Girl.” A for effort.

The soundtrack is also a BANGER!

Drama Romance

“Magic Mike’s Last Dance”

By Brett_G on February 12, 2023February 11, 2023

7.7

I slipped in a puddle on my way out of the theater, but the movie was surprisingly great…

Dare I say, this was the best of the trilogy, AND has more heat in the first 5 minutes than the entirety of the “Fifty Shades” trilogy. The stripper-verse ends up having character arcs and everything! AND, Salma Hayek and Channing Tatum… both still got it!

Well directed, well written, well executed. I’m as shocked as you are. Almost as shocked as the theater of all women who commended me for braving an opening night showing.

Drama Indie Suspense/Thriller

“Knock at the Cabin”

By Brett_G on February 11, 2023

7.9

Holy crap was this a surprise! A good one, too boot! Unlike “old,” Shyamalan lands the plane with the help of a fantastic cast and tight narrative in this one! Dave Bautista separates from the pack of WWE stars turned actors as my current favorite. The breadth and depth of roles he’s willing to take on is promising compared to The Rock’s one size fits all persona and whatever we want to call John Cena’s trajectory at the moment.

Kristen Cui nails it as Wen, and really gives a nice dose of innocence to the screen amongst all of the malevolence and chaos. The supporting cast also does a great job of carrying their weight, but not being overbearing. It’s really well executed, and not trying to be anything it’s not, which I greatly appreciated.

Drama Indie Romance

“Empire of Light”

By Brett_G on February 8, 2023February 8, 2023

6.7

It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen a movie this calculated to win Oscar’s. There’s typically one every year that crosses the line into being ham-handed with its intent.

While there may not be much in the way of story here, the cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, along with perfectly cast set pieces. Past that, it’s a movie about loving movies, race relations, feminism, and mental illness… checking off all the boxes on a “let’s win some awards” bingo card more so than treating any of the subjects with much care, unfortunately.