Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
6.9
Olivia Wilde doing Olivia Wilde things… what can you say? After the “Don’t Worry Darling” debacle, of course she’s playing this part! In a nonsensical yet hilariously insane story, this one really takes Cooper Hoffman to the edge of acceptability and back again… be ready for a WEIRD ride.
7.7
I typically hate COVID era movies, for obvious reasons… No one wants to go back to that.
This film somehow nails the absurdity and expertly skewers the insanity of those times in a way that won me over. Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal play local politicians perfectly in this masterpiece of mania. It’s really tough to adequately describe this one without losing the plot. You really have to see it to believe it! I haven’t said “what the actual fuck?!” out loud in a theater at a movie this much in a LONG time… Do with that information what you will.
7.9
Holy shit… how did I miss this one!?!?
In the vein of “Four Good Days” and “Ben is Back,” this one cracks open the worst of humanity to see the slivers of light that make it through even the darkest moments. The unexpected laughs, the deepest connection, and the basic human decency we too often overthink and overshoot. An all star cast firing on all cylinders and killing it from the first frame to the last!
6.9
The tension in this one is UNREAL… the cognitive dissonance second to none! Just in time for us millennials raised on “Barney” coming of age. Giving the strange guy who directed the “too many cooks” Adult Swim sketch a feature film budget proves to be a stroke of genius here. Too many one-liners and darkly hilarious laughs to count… definitely going to hell for laughing at this one. More blood than you expect… but also more laughs.
8.1
Ever since “The Holdovers,” I will see anything Dominic Sessa is in. He really embodies the essence of Anthony Bourdain within the pages of “Kitchen Confidential,” scars and all. I really didn’t remember how much entitlement he overcame on the journey to enlightenment. Antonio Banderas also surprises as a mentor figure in “chef,” emitting fatherly energy to the max in every frame he graces with his presence. Hell, even Stavros is likeable in this! Enjoy the tunes, reminisce on summers gone by, and remember why we all loved the humanity underpinning every episode of “Parts Unknown”…
