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!
7.8
Sophia Coppola really knocks it out of the park with this one. Definitely the best Elvis biopic. What it did best was wading into the complication of a toxic relationship. Too often, these stories either glorify or vilify completely, and that’s inauthentic and unrealistic. This film respects its audience enough to show the bad AND the good that keeps them both fighting to overcome the bad. There’s always a reason they stay for that long. Always a time they’re striving to return to.
The colors were a welcome change. A refined beauty that is also often missing in modern Hollywood. Filmed with an intimate cinematography that draws the viewer in more and more with each frame, as we invest in a perfectly cast storyline. Really well done!
7.4
One thing I can say about this trilogy is that they never fail on the feel good front. It was the perfect way to round out a triple feature at the cinema today after two heavier films.
The Portokalos’s never fail to restore one’s faith in love and family. This film may have changed locale, but the heart of the story is as strong as ever, building off of the strengths of the first two films. Of course there is a forbidden romance, a wedding, and a relationship blossoming in time to launch the possibility of a fourth installment. I wouldn’t be upset with that, and will be one of the first in line if and when they do.
6.8
Part “Infinity Pool,” part “The Witch,” with a dash of “Mary Poppins”… I can comfortably say that I had no clue what was around the corner through 90% of this one.
The end credits were such a nice touch and pitch perfect note to end this one on. The characters were perfectly sinister, yet took their time unraveling as the story weaved its way to the credits rolling. One of the more psychologically twisted Shudder finds I’ve seen in a hot second.
7.9
Are you afraid of the future?
Do you question the motives behind maternity processes?
Do I have the film for you! I myself do not have children, and I’d be fascinated to know the way it would change my perspective on this one. From gender to societal roles and implications, this film takes a deep dive into much broader territory than I was expecting. There’s so much going on, yet it feels perfectly natural and palatable as the story unfolds and our characters journey on into the unknowns of a changing relationship with themselves, each other, and the world around them. Here I thought I’d never get to use “nature vs. nurture” in one of these things, yet here we are. It’s a fitting distillation of this film’s core.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 