Drama – Page 21 – Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare

“Air”

By Brett_G on April 9, 2023April 9, 2023

8.5

“You’re remembered for the rules you break.”

The measure of a good “based on a true story” film is how well it can keep the attention of the audience. Did we all know the ship was going to meet its untimely demise at the hands of an iceberg? Yes. Did we all still put butts in seats and make it one of the highest grossing films of all time? You bet your ass we did.

This film keep you engaged from the opening note of “Money for Nothin’” until the credits roll.

Every single member of this cast brings their A game and keep the narrative firing on all cylinders at all times. The ability to make the mundane magnificent is something magical about this film. Whether it’s our taste for nostalgia, love for characters overcoming adversity, or love for this cast and this story, it all works.

Side note – the soundtrack is AMAZING!

Drama Netflix Romance

“Unexpected”

By Brett_G on April 4, 2023April 3, 2023

6.7

Unexpectedly middle of the road. There was way too much firepower in this cast for this to be this blah…

Couple having trouble getting pregnant meets couple who takes “wrap it” a little too literally and learns the hard way that cling wrap doesn’t work the same, despite the logic that might dictate that plastic is plastic. Then everyone’s life gets ruined in a unique way and you end the movie sad for all involved in a way you never really expect… mostly because the movie never gives you any inkling it’s coming.

Documentary Drama

“Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game”

By Brett_G on April 3, 2023

7.9

Did you know that pinball was illegal in large parts of the U.S. for decades? Yeah, neither did I.

Get ready for the strangest dramatic-documentary in years as we join Roger Sharpe, pinball aficionado and columnist for GQ on his quest to document the history of the game and save its future. And actually be invested in it the whole way. I’m as surprised as you are, but here we are… time to get nostalgic and be left google mapping nearby arcades after this one. What better reason to fight city hall? Just when you thought the government banning alcohol in the United States was dumb…

https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/did-you-know-pinball-was-illegal-in-nyc-for-over-30-years

Drama Indie

“A Good Person”

By Brett_G on April 2, 2023

8.6

Broken people hurting, but also helping fellow broken people. The best and worst of humanity, and the sometimes close proximity of the two in our lives as we cross paths. A brilliant study in grief, redemption, addiction, and perseverance. Morgan Freeman kicks ass, as expected, but damn… Florence Pugh is a powerhouse on the big screen!

Make sure to have a box of tissues at the ready, and fair warning, they get into some deep shit here. It’s not for the faint of heart or those who are not in the best place emotionally to see depictions of attempted suicide, blacking out, or sexual assault.

Documentary Drama

“Spinning Gold”

By Brett_G on April 2, 2023April 2, 2023

6.5

Good, not great. Reading the book ruined the movie.

I recommend “And Party Every Day” instead. The full story of this meteoric rise and spectacular fall from grace, and everything in between is something far better than Hollywood could ever put to film. Outside of the copious amounts of cocaine, they got that right. Casablanca Records was a one of a kind story with characters so complex that this film had massive shoes to fill. Unfortunately, it came out very vanilla.

As a huge KISS fan, they did the band dirty in this film. So much history misrepresented. For shame, movie!