Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
7.2
There are chicks, and they do fight.
Alec Baldwin comes in clutch as the Mickey to our blonde Rocky working her way atop this female fight club. Malin Akerman kicks ass literally and figuratively, delivering a performance as reliable as her headbutts. Lace-up your gloves, and get ready for another Bella Thorne being a badass movie.
6.5
Do you want to be really uncomfortable, then really angry, then really sad? Well, do I have the movie for you!
The beautiful backdrop of the Dakota’s serves as the setting for this menacing tale of family dynamics run amuck. Somewhere between “Taken” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” resides this film in Hollywood history. So many warning signs are ignored, and all pay a high price. The title sums it up pretty well. It all boils down to that simple request that turns out to not be so simple.
8.1
Right up there with “The Intern” for me in Robert De Niro’s repertoire. A heartfelt, laugh out loud film with a fantastic cast. Everyone fits their role perfectly, and really pulls at the heart strings at just the right times in between laughs. I wasn’t expecting as much emotional depth as I got from this hour and a half. The subtle love story, the unique play on family dynamics, this film really hit them all.
One hidden blessing of this unprecedented time is finding these usually buried films playing front and center on the big screen. The audience in the theater covered ages 8-80, and we all came out smiling under our masks.
8.9
“Someone from a half remembered dream…” <- Different movie, but it sums this one up fairly well.
This one caught me off guard. I was just on a history kick this morning, reading about the Grand Hotel. Fast forward to this afternoon, I’m teary eyed at Superman getting his heart broken by Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. John Barry (of James Bond fame) knocks it out of the park with the soundtrack that goes over the top in all the right ways to match the emotional swells of the story that unfolds.
The dream-like cinematography was a nice touch, and really added to the aesthetic of the story, which itself is a dream of sorts on the part of both main characters. Playing like a Jane Austen novel, the story checks all of the boxes. Doubly forbidden love (neither the universe nor her evil manager help in any way), a connection that transcends time, and a whirlwind timeline. The backdrop of Mackinac Island is breathtaking, and must have saved the production a small fortune, as the island is a time capsule of the time period in which the story takes place. I now understand why there is a vacation package at the resort for a yearly gathering of appreciation for this film.
The chemistry between the two leads is off the charts! The feeling of deja vu and/or destiny that emanates from the screen is uncanny, and draws the viewer in to the love story, and will leave you yelling at whichever screen you choose to view this on. The film definitely wears its heart on its sleeve. Highly recommend as a hopeless romantic and as a film critic.
Somewhere in Time Weekend
8.8
FINALLY! This isn’t buried on a streaming service no one dare uses! (Sorry, Not Sorry YouTube Red)
This one definitely swept the leg of my heart. There’s not an aspect of this show I haven’t fallen in love with. The soundtrack kicks ass. The characters develop a great depth and complexity, and we get a fresh take on a classic that breathes new life into the franchise. I never thought that Johnny Lawrence would become a sympathetic character, but it just speaks to the phenomenal acting chops of Billy Zabka. You can really tell that the actors enjoyed revisiting these characters and coming back for this project. Pure fun and nostalgia, injected straight into the viewers veins. I’m here for it!
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 