Drama Romance

“Challengers”

By Brett_G on

7.6

The tennis threesome movie… love triangle movie? A bit of both. Similar to “Snack Shack,” they let love get in the way of their craft. (Although, cards on the table, I liked “Snack Shack” way more.)

This one is far from a fairy tale love story, and includes some of the most creative camera work since “Madame Web.” It was more than I expected in some ways and less in others. More of a mixed bag than I anticipated. As expected, the three leads really knock is out of the court with their respective performances, and the tension is at an 11 the entire runtime. It was really a masterclass in holding your foot to the floor in a genre that isn’t notorious for that kind of narrative structure.

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Horror/Thriller

“Tarot”

By Brett_G on

7.4

Did you enjoy the “Final Destination” series? Then you’ll like this one.

A welcomed twist on the “teens getting picked off after opening a door to the other side” genre, with solid characters, well crafted jump scares and tension filled kill sequences. A really well done spooky flick that hopefully doesn’t succumb to being just a warm up for the heavy hitters later this year. When it comes to originality like this, the more the merrier!

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Rom-Com

“Ella Enchanted”

By Brett_G on

7.1

Did I watch this to have a more well informed conversation with a girl? The world may never know… don’t worry, I’ll still have free time to watch too many movies.

I struggled to get past the basis of the film being a woman who literally can’t not obey verbal commands… but I eventually was able to surrender to the fairytale charms.

The story may not necessarily be that original, but it has its moments. And, I mean, it’s Anne Hathaway…

Solid, right down the middle, not too shabby fairy tale… tale.

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Action Blockbuster Romance

“The Fall Guy”

By Brett_G on

8.9

This one was recommended with a heavy helping of hype… and it exceeded every bit of it! The definition of “firing on all cylinders.”

I was sold immediately on the soundtrack, and will watch anything Emily Blunt is in. That being said, they somehow shoehorned in more meta commentary than a “Deadpool” movie, a love story, an action movie, a murder mystery, and a tip of the cap to stunt doubles for the ages! Unexpected as “Nobody” in 2021, this one I thought would be good, but blew past that to be on my current shortlist for best of the year. Holy crap.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a match for having this much fun in the cinema! Strap in and enjoy the ride!

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Documentary Paramount+

“Billy Joel: The 100th”

By Brett_G on

7.5

Since there’s no official trailer for this one, may my videos from Comerica Park Summer 2022 make do.

You may think this one is a little low, and you’d be right. As a TV special, it’s exactly what you expect. You can’t go wrong with Billy Joel in concert. But it’s NOTHING compared to seeing him LIVE. There’s nothing like it, and no TV special can truly capture that magic. So pull up a chair and a bottle of red (or white), and enjoy the master at work…

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