Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
7.3
Setting your romantic movie in Paris is a cheat code. A tad unfair, no?
This one reminded me of “A Good Person” from last year. A strong entry in the “broken people helping other broken people through shared imperfections” genre. I appreciate the honest messiness between and within the characters, and the genuine discomfort injected into the second and third act. A little bit of awkwardness goes a long way in authenticity. Dan Levy and crew kill it. A solid Netflix entry to start the year!
8.1
🚨warning🚨 if you are sensitive to suicide as a subject matter, this film’s plot centers on it. https://988lifeline.org
So… maybe they should have taken that curse thing a little more seriously…
Get ready to get sad. A 2 hour train wreck in slow motion, as the Von Erich family’s meteoric rise is only matched by its tailspin and destruction. A story that has to be real to be believed. You can’t write tragedy like this. Brilliant performances by all, and a well crafted film. It’s a relenting descent into the madness of intensity and what happens when you push yourself to the breaking point and never let off the gas. Watching the motor slowly disintegrate before your eyes is admittedly hard to stomach for the over two hour runtime, but incredibly impactful.
Maybe not the best thing to go to if you want to maintain the holiday cheer, but a definite sign that it’s Oscar season, gang!
7.1
Maybe not the best laid plans, but a solid movie nonetheless.
Some of the film hit the notes I was worried about, some of it hit the high gear I was hoping it would. There are parts of the film that beat you over the head with the stereotypical college freshman taking on the world, blissfully unaware of the verbiage coming out of their mouth. Some of it hit the high gear of realizing that sometimes in the pursuit of a righteous goal, one becomes the very thing they seek to destroy. We then explore the irony of that for approximately 45 seconds. A brief glimmer of hope.
Technically, this film had me on the edge of my seat like I was re-watching “The Hurt Locker.” Something about watching someone handle explosives set to a score as tightly wound as the devices wiring was spell-binding. The story structure was also a nice creative choice that broke the tension and gave needed reprieve and backstory before diving back into a sweat session in the thick of the execution of the group’s plan. I can honestly say that the twist at the end caught me by pleasant surprise.
A solid, albeit odd film. I’m glad I finally got to see it on the big screen after months of it sitting in my Hulu watchlist.
9.1
A new favorite Christmas film for the yearly rotation!
This film envelopes you in a warmth that is palpable from beginning to end. I wanted to go see it a second time just to enjoy the ambiance for 2 more hours. Every single frame is steeped in unshakable charm. Each character is perfectly crafted to build and play off of each other, and get to the heart of matters of life and love that many others only dare to tiptoe around during their time on the screen. It’s a film of complicated people living for the unforeseen beauty in the complication of life. Similar to “Silver Linings Playbook” or “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” this film deserves every bit of critical praise and award season success it gets. From the cast, to the cinematography, to the soundtrack, this film fires on every cylinder and never lets up. I cannot recommend this one enough, and only wish it was more than a limited theatrical release that will hopefully gain traction and a possible re-release due to it’s success in home video release. As soon as I left the theater, I knew at least one of my top films of the year with this one.
6.6
So… this one’s kind of dumb. I want to say “points for originality,” but it’s ripping off “Happy Death Day,” and 400 Christmas movies. It at least keeps the runtime tight, the kills bloody, and the hero’s relationship with her sidekick genuine and fulfilling. If you don’t expect too much, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. I’m glad smaller films like this are getting a shot at the multiplex while the studios grapple with the fallout from the writers and actors strikes.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 