Indie – Page 16 – Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare

“Broker”

By Brett_G on January 21, 2023January 21, 2023

7.9

An… inspirational movie about human trafficking… with heart? Yep. I’m just as surprised as you are.

A murder mystery, buddy cop movie, and family drama all wrapped into one film. With a dash of “the hangover” story arc with the baby Carlos. Such an odd cast of characters’ paths colliding to form unlikely bonds and twists of fate from beginning to end. Similar to “Parasite,” it holds a mirror up and shines a light into a dark corner of humanity that we all are aware of, but also too often ignore. The messiness of humanity is on full display here, but also the tremendous power of love and camaraderie that can exist between veritable strangers, connected by nothing more than the common thread that connects us all as fellow humans. Well worth the subtitles, this leaves you with great questions and a good feeling towards our ability to coexist on this earth as people. Another great sleeper hit of this year’s Oscar season.

Drama Indie

“The Whale”

By Brett_G on January 21, 2023January 21, 2023

8.7

As a wise friend and fellow movie aficionado Brennan stated, “It’s great, but you won’t ever want to watch it again.” That hit the nail on the head. This movie is fantastic, but one viewing is enough to sear it into your memory forever. The subject matter here is as heavy as they come, and the performances are for the ages.

Both the best and worst of humanity are on full display for two hours, and play off of each other in a beautiful mess reflective of the humanity that it’s commenting on. Brendan Fraser deserves every reward possible for his performance, but so do the rest of this cast. Every member, no matter how much or how little time they spend on screen, provides a tremendous value to the viewer and contributes immensely to the narrative.

Do not watch if you’re not ready for a good cry. By the time the credits rolled, every person in my theater, myself included, was some degree of sobbing. It was a wild experience, and a fantastic movie. Another A24 homerun.

Comedy Drama Indie

“Vengeance”

By Brett_G on December 7, 2022December 4, 2022

7.3

The… beauty… of small towns? Haha Yeah, we’ll go with that.

A beautiful illustration of how easy it would be to simply record the things that happen around these parts and have it go viral since it’s so unbelievable. The cultural differences were so perfectly played, and made for a hilarious story of family, love, and revenge. With a WILD twist at the end, as any good true crime podcast needs to make it complete.

In summation – be careful which exes numbers you keep in your phone.

Comedy Drama Hulu Indie

“On the Count of Three”

By Brett_G on December 7, 2022December 4, 2022

7.2

Nothing like the threat of impending death to motivate one to live their best life, I guess… But instead of the usual terminal illness, this is a suicide pact. Not going to sugarcoat it and want to warn you upfront. It’s one of the strangest movies of the year by a long shot, but also a fascinating character study.

* PSA: If the trigger warnings missed the boat, always good to be aware that the National Suicide Prevention hotline can now be reached by dialing 988 in the United States.

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Drama Indie

“The Banshees of Inisherin”

By Brett_G on November 28, 2022

7.8

Have you ever lost a friend? Not that they died, just, didn’t want to be friends any longer? That’s the premise of this whole movie. But it’s as brilliant as the countryside wide shots in this film are breathtaking.

Our two main characters get in a “Grumpy Old Men” style bickering match when one is confronted with his mortality, and they are set on diverging paths. One believing friendships and the impact we have directly on people is our lasting legacy, while the other is insistent that the work we do and the things we create are our lasting legacy. With those set as our corners, let the shenanigans begin!