Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
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)
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!
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.
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.
7.8
This movie was surprisingly sweet! I knew it would be good with Mika Kunis and Michael Keaton, but not THIS good. It really packed an emotional punch at times, but also had these laugh out loud, gut busting moments mixed it. It effortlessly traveled the full spectrum of emotion and character exploration. I was thoroughly impressed! May we all gain this type of perspective and wisdom with age…
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 