Category: Drama

Drama Throwback

“Stolen Summer”

By Brett_G on

7.7

I’m a sucker for coming of age stories… especially ones that take place over the summer. Therefore, I was all-in on this one from the get-go.

THEN, it decides to go on and be an amazing tale of faith, connection, humanity, imperfection, humor, love, and loss… all in an hour and a half!

There’s such a strong, genuine heart to this film that gave it an unmistakable warmth and made everything incredibly approachable. It didn’t fall into the trap of being preachy, which is always my worry… a bravo and well done on this one, which I highly recommend!

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Action Blockbuster Drama

“Gladiator 2”

By Brett_G on

7.7

Not as good as the first… while copying a lot of the first… while still being pretty damn good.

Falling prey to the plight of modern blockbusters, it has way too much going on in some places, and loses some of its power in doing so. Simple doesn’t always mean boring, Hollywood.

With that out of the way – seeing boat battles in the coliseum is LEGENDARY! The spectacle often makes up for the lackadaisical storytelling at times.

I WAS ENTERTAINED! 😂 (it’s worth the runtime)

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Drama Indie

“A Real Pain”

By Brett_G on

7.7

One of those perfectly cast films that you can’t imagine anyone else starring in after viewing. These two play off each other so well it’s like they actually are related.

A film about wearing masks, told in a highly creative fashion that leverages the talents of all involved to the absolute limit. With laughs that feel so very genuine because of the emotional depth of every other feeling felt along the way with our faithful companions.

So good I watched it twice!

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Drama Romance

“Here”

By Brett_G on

7.3

Generational trauma, the musical! Just a heads up, it really hits some things that I did not expect it to and definitely got deeper in the feels than I thought it would.

The framing device and the way this thing is shot/told takes a solid half hour to get used to. At least it did for me. Having the same POV for 99% of the runtime was a huge gamble, but I feel like it paid off in the end. It wasn’t earth-shattering, but it wasn’t as jarring and off-putting as I braced for.

The cast, as expected, were superb and all turn in great performances. It plays like, well, a play… but it works.

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Drama Suspense/Thriller

“Conclave”

By Brett_G on

7.8

One word – intense.

Sorry, almost forgot – Peace be with you.

Like “Bridge of Spies” from a few years ago, but far better, in my humble opinion.

This cast is absolutely stellar. There’s so much fire power that there was an underlying temptation to overpower each scene, but they all turned in perfectly balanced performances anchored in intensity and restraint with each passing frame, in a sort of dance with one another as we all worked our way to the credits rolling.

I NEVER expected the twist in the third act… I was genuinely shocked by that bomb they dropped.

Even if you’re not Catholic, you’ll find something to enjoy in this one. A procedural drama masterclass.

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