Drama Romance Throwback

“Secretary”

By Brett_G on

7.8

Where did he find that tiny saddle? One of many questions I found myself pondering with this one.

His positive punishment scheme also backfired on him here, becoming positive reinforcement real quick. Who woulda thunk it?

Being a lawyer, he should have known that you’re not allowed to ask ANY of those questions in an interview. Let alone the next hour and forty five minutes of OSHA violations. Pretty sure that spreader bar was a workplace injury waiting to happen.

Oh yeah, the actual movie – this Mr. Grey at least has some depth to him. As does Lee. James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal killed it here. They had much better source material than the “50 Shades” trilogy to work with, in defense of Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. Unlike the purely (and poorly executed) sexual nature of that series, this film puts forth a valiant effort to venture into the deeper psychology behind BDSM. The definition of character study.

I can’t remember how this one ended up in my Amazon Prime Video queue, but I’m glad I finally gave it a go.

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Comedy Drama Indie

“American Fiction”

By Brett_G on

8.6

“At least he’d be rejecting the real me.” – This line, in the context of the scene it comes from, was a gut punch for the ages.

Eccentric, esoteric, and in the end, exceptional.

I’ve been intrigued as hell about this one since I first came across the trailer. Jeffrey Wright, Sterling Brown, and Issa Rae never miss, however, this takes things to a whole other level of cerebral subtext. I’m happy to report that not only does it give “South Park” a run for its money in holding a mirror up to the occasional absurdity of our human culture, but it’s also a fabulously crafted family drama under the hood. I didn’t expect the deep emotional impact of that plot to really round out and ground a wild main plot as it did. From the first to the very last frame, I can honestly say I was in disbelief. Absolutely brilliant!

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Horror/Thriller Indie

“Founders Day”

By Brett_G on

6.2

I’m still so conflicted about this one. There were such beautifully done moments, but then a scene immediately following it that was so cringe that I found myself laughing at the absurdity. I didn’t hold the lack of character depth against them, it’s a slasher after all. That being said, “Thanksgiving” nailed what this movie was trying to do and fell short of consistently. There were some promising twists and turns, especially in the third act. The biggest downfall was the dialogue throughout. It took me out of multiple scenes and losing sympathy for multiple characters that I initially quite liked. Interestingly mixed bag here.

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Documentary Throwback

“Queen Rock Montreal”

By Brett_G on

8.3

The only thing preventing this from being a higher score is the legendary Live Aid performance. That aside, this is the band on its ascent to infamy, at the height of their powers. “Firing on all cylinders” doesn’t do the performance justice. Similar to “The Eras Tour” and “Stop Making Sense” last year (sorry for missing “Renaissance”), this is best seen in IMAX – the biggest screen and the loudest cinema you can find. They will, they will, ROCK YOU!

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Action Comedy Hulu Romance

“Self Reliance”

By Brett_G on

7.8

Anna Kendrick was in it, so you know I had to watch it.

Once I dove in, I was pleasantly surprised by this one! A mix of “Squid Game,” romantic comedy, “It Follows,” and the “Purge” series… in a blender of head-scratchers. The sweet moments and genuine chemistry between Jake Johnson and pretty much every member of the cast caught me off-guard, and really added to the movie itself. Hulu’s known for sleeper hits, and this is no exception! Definitely not your typical action or romance movie, but a fun hour and a half ride!

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