Drama – Page 5 – Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare

“Megalopolis”

By Brett_G on October 21, 2024October 20, 2024

You’ll notice this one doesn’t have a score. I’m not proud of this, but in the spirit of transparency… I walked out with ~1 hour left. It’s that bad. I couldn’t do it anymore.

I admire than Francis Ford Coppala putting his own money on the table and truly swinging for the fences with a daring piece of art… but I’ll be damned if it wasn’t one of the toughest watches of my career. And I’ve watch Tommy Wiseau’s “The Room” multiple times.

The dialogue is childish, the story is a mess at best, and the special effects are laughable (especially given the budget). Save yourself the 2 hours and go see literally anything else.

“Field of Dreams”

By Brett_G on September 17, 2024September 14, 2024

One of those movies that definitely hasn’t lost any of its magic. Walking the outfield of the actual field of dreams and swinging on the porch swing, it was palpable even all these years later. In the wise words of James Earl Jones, “America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time.”

The film itself is wacky when you strip away the veneer and shouldn’t work as well as it does, but is one of those serendipitous moments of lightning captured in a bottle… captured on film. A story of human connection, parenting, and Americana.. it’s hard to beat. James Earl Jones and Kevin Costner in a sports movie is a cheat code.

And if you’re ever driving through Iowa… I highly recommend taking a turn up the seemingly random driveway, toward the lights in the cornfield.

https://www.fieldofdreamsmoviesite.com

Comedy Drama Indie

“Between The Temples”

By Brett_G on September 12, 2024September 2, 2024

6.2

It’s okay… maybe it didn’t quite land for me? Some funny moments, but overall not one of the more memorable indies this year. It never got traction in my mind. It hits predictable notes and led to a “meh” overall impression for me.

Drama Horror/Thriller Romance Uncategorized

“It Ends With Us”

By Brett_G on September 7, 2024September 1, 2024

7.6

https://www.thehotline.org/

So… Blake Lively’s 100% in the wrong on this press tour. Damn… there’s nothing light about this movie. It’s an UNCOMFORTABLE watch. It’s a productive discomfort, but will definitely be triggering.

Going in with a fear that there would be a deference towards glorifying or worse yet romanticizing domestic violence, I was pleasantly surprised by the care that Justin Baldoni took to not only treat the subject matter with the utmost respect, but also delve into the nuance of broken people hurting other broken people when their broken pieces fit together and neither has the strength to pull out of the tailspin. The challenge of trying to help someone who needs but doesn’t want or isn’t ready for help. The weight of generational trauma.

It’s far better than the “Fifty Shades” fiasco. This one was well worth being the only guy in the theater not dragged there by his significant other.

Comedy Drama Indie

“Free Time”

By Brett_G on July 13, 2024July 13, 2024

7.4

As someone who’s currently stumbling his way towards turning 31… this movie encapsulates how its felt to be 30. Awkward. Feeling like something’s been missed, feeling like making a change, thinking I’m actually doing pretty well, thinking I need to start a cult where we all go camping by the river and hammock while catching up on our reading before all going back to our old day job and coming full circle. (Yes, that last one’s a summation of a passage of the film.)

It felt very “Office Space” in its exploration of purpose, comparison to others, and the tug of war between laser focus and aimlessness. There’s a balance to be found in the chaos and lessons to be learned but not dwelled upon along the way. I’ll try not to get too bad reflecting and pontificating here… And also avoid growing a mustache. I’m pretty sure that’s not the answer, either.