Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
7.9
They had me at Anna Kendrick. A modern love saga telling the tales of dating in 2020. All the crazy, fun, and awkwardness. A great kickoff series for HBO Max. Adorkable to the max.
The emotional journey caught me a bit off guard, and really came together in the end. I can’t wait to see where this goes if there’s a next season. “Sex and the City” updated for millennials. Get ready to shout “just break up already” and “yas girl” at the screen way more than you’d expect of yourself.
8.5
Never thought I’d shed a tear during a Seth Rogen film, but here we are… a true long shot, but he sinks it! This was a wonderful film, with a great message. Brilliant comes to mind. Appreciating authenticity, and taking risks for what we truly care about. Mixed in with the same 4th grade humor we’ve come to know and love. And the chemistry between these two… amazing! Very well done by the bearded wonder.
7.9
Almost as great as the Taylor Swift song that graces the soundtrack for 30 seconds of the movie. Great couple years of romantic story telling in European locales before Nicholas Sparks took over full time. Great date movie back in the day. Especially a date who speaks Italian. 👍🏻 Bellissima!
7.5
Netflix has been killing it in the rom-com/straight romance movie game lately. Might be why their logo color is red? (Definite T-Swift reference) With this one, they get it right down the middle. It’s not “wow” and it’s not “meh,” but rather somewhere in between. All four (I’m pretty sure I’m counting correctly) storylines each address their own individual conundrum with an almost perfect pace and cadence. The cast all have their own individual “coming of age” summer tale, all set in locations intended to engage your sense of nostalgia. There were many set pieces that reminded me of “American Pie.” Although, you can’t go wrong with the 4th of July profession of love under the fireworks power play. I’d recommend if you’re out of things to watch in your queue and you’re on the hunt for a Saturday night in. The soundtrack is pretty amazing, as well.
7.6
Solid flick. Much like the trailer would lead you to believe, it’s your typical rom-com with some Asian stereotypes mixed in. While that may be true, there were many pleasant surprises sprinkled in this winning recipe. The surprise cameo was pretty amazing.
Anyone who has ever been stuck in a “will they/won’t they” situation will especially appreciate the story that unfolds, as the two leads really play perfectly off of each other. If you’re looking for some light fare this weekend, Netflix upholds its gold standard for feel-good rom-coms with this one.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 