Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
8.5
I’ll be damned… Kevin James can ACT. For real. No Paul Bart mall cop here.
A classic trope, “guy left at the altar,” turns into an incredibly heartfelt story about friendship, family, hope, and love. I didn’t expect the depth that emanated from the screen the entire runtime here. I expected goofy, and I got tears… again, for a Kevin James movie! Open that heart on your sleeve and get ready to go “awe” for a solid hour and a half.
8.4
Humans being human… my FAVORITE!
In the vein of my recent favorite Christmas film “The Holdovers,” I think this is going to join the yearly rotation! The unlikely and undeniable charm and chemistry between Didi and Cliff is truly something special. It’s not often you get such an abnormal narrative that has the right mix of serious and silly to thread the needle and land the plan. Alas, here we are! A feel good flick that holds its own with the best of them! Highly recommend!
8.2
A Rachel McAdams rom-com… AND it includes time travel!?!?! You know I’m here for it!
What begins as a quirky tale of adolescent pursuits of summer love slowly and decisively morphs into one of the most wise, thought provoking reflections on life and love I’ve seen in ages! Bill Nighy has such a gift for being both insightful and insanely hilarious at the same time. Definitely keep a box of tissues handy, and wear your heart on your sleeve for this amazing throwback!
6.8
I loved it… then I hated it… then I landed on liking it. It went from intriguing to nauseating and back to charming. Just all over the place. Pedro Pascal fell flat and them trying to make Chris Evans the “unlikable” and “less attractive” option was a laughable decision. Dakota Johnson continues to be the female Vince Vaughn… playing her usual character amongst different supporting players.
8.2
How they seamlessly patched together such a solid romantic comedy with a slasher, I’ll never know… but here we are! It was so adorable and then so abhorrent, and then back. I couldn’t believe how intense it got in some sequences, or how hard I laughed at others. Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding’s chemistry is ELECTRIC, which really helps this thing cook. A perfect date-night movie with your arm candy… even if it’s a popcorn bucket.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 