6.3
It’s “Taken,” but he has Alzheimer’s.
Category: Drama
7.8
“A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life.” – Oscar Wilde
I KNEW there was more to the old man than met the eye!
Zoey Deutch got me into the theater. This one-room play put to film that has better twists and turns than most trying to be mystery films kept me there and engaged until the credits rolled. It was like “Phantom Thread” meets “Goodfellas,” and I was all-in. The actors all do a superb job of slowly revealing their true selves and motives and keep the audience guessing almost until the film’s final frame. It was indeed a work of art.
8.2
Some will think I’m crazy for this score, but that’s what the comment section’s for. I’ve always had a soft spot for this one.
A hilarious premise gets a warm depth built around it with the relationships between the four friends and their respective gents. Each couple’s arch is played as well as cast to perfection.
This film gets to the more profound meaning better than most and tackles an array of insights with relative ease. It’s one I left the theater rather inspired by. Glad to see it hasn’t lost any of its charms since then.
6.9
I’m torn on this one.
I would have loved this one if it had not been for the excessive runtime. It just dragged on about a half-hour too long. For most of it, I felt like I got a look into the unlikely charm of Pete Davidson. I found him likable until I got too much of him and could then feel my IQ dropping precipitously by the minute. Everything just felt overplayed by the time the credits rolled. It crosses the line from entertainment to therapy sessions after a while.
All of that said, the wrestling match with Bill Burr was amazing. We might get to see a replay of it, but with Kayne here in the next week or so.
7.2
Be careful who you flirt with at the hotel bar… Or from across the courtyard. Or who you hire as your babysitter.
This was far closer to “Psycho” than I expected. Marilyn Monroe had quite the acting chops to pull off this premise. At first, I thought I was watching a romance novel projected onto the silver screen but ended up engulfed in an enigma. Despite the short run time, there is an unexpected depth to this classic, and it alone justified my purchase of a 10-film Marilyn Monroe film bundle.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 