Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
6.5
All 6.5 points are for Ana De Armas. She’s phenomenal and deserves every bit of praise and all the awards for this one. Everything else about this film was unnecessary and uncomfortable, to put it mildly. I believe they were aiming for portraying the harsh reality of Marilyn’s life, but it goes overboard. It blows past the line that “Showgirls” drew in the sand. And that’s saying something.
5.8
It’s female “Boogie Nights.” But with a harsh realism that leaves you with a sense of discomfort and confusion by the end about the purpose of the film. But that may also be the purpose of the film. It’s a coin flip.
7.1
It’s “Stepford Wives.” Don’t worry about wracking your brain trying to figure out why this whole thing seems familiar. That’s the secret.
That being said, it’s a beautifully shot movie, with some great tension-building sequences and a phenomenal performance from Florence Pugh.
To the good stuff – the drama – you could tell there was something going on on set. Not since seeing Journey live in concert have I seen an ensemble this distant and clearly uncomfortable with each other sharing the stage or the screen. It sadly takes away from some parts, but not necessarily the totality of the movie.
6.8
There’s a great deal of firepower in this cast for the story being told. It’s essentially “The Devil Wears Prada,” but with books instead of clothing. An interesting tale of a pen name and the journey of an intern finding her way in the world. Really well done by all involved, as long as you’re not bored to tears by so much literary subject matter.
8.1
The Most Nic Cage movie to ever movie.
Lightning in a bottle. A stroke of brilliance. Lunacy, set to film. This one is everything you want it to be and more. Pedro Pascal and Nicholas Cage absolutely kill it. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll be confused.
“An intelligent film for grown-ups.”
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 