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!
137. I reviewed 137 movies this year, not counting rewatches of “JAWS.” A lot of sneak attack surprises, a couple that stole 2 hours of my life I can never get back, and a plethora of new memories in front of a silver screen, armed with my popcorn bucket and candy. As a result of the writers and actors strike, Hollywood continued one of my favorite trends of late – smaller films galore filling the multiplex! A blessing in disguise and kept alive by the fact that tentpole franchises are collapsing left and right, earning the intellectual property a much needed siesta. As we head into a new year that hopefully yields a new Nicole Kidman AMC Theaters opening, I want to thank you all for visiting my little corner of the world and entertaining my ramblings, hopefully proving helpful as you surf streaming services looking for what to watch. Here’s to a great 2024 at the movies!
Without further adieu, my top 16 films of the year (in no particular order):
“A Good Person”
“Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour”
“Oppenheimer”
“The Holdovers”
“Godzilla Minus One”
“Winnie The Pooh: Blood & Honey”
“Air”
“The Covenant”
“Barbie”
“Pinball: The Man Who Saved The Game”
“The Pod Generation”
“John Wick Chapter 4”
“Love Again”
“No Hard Feelings”
“Anyone But You”
“Bank of Dave”
7.1
It’s no “Ford v. Ferrari.”
That being said, it’s still solid. Much more family drama than racing epic. The racing scenes that are part of the film are gorgeous and as intense as they come. I want to definitely warn those heading into this one that there is carnage galore when the rubber meets the road. The early days of road racing were downright deadly, and this film doesn’t shy away from it.
The cast is full of sneak attacks, and everyone fits exceptionally well, especially the main love triangle of Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, and Shailene Woodley. The man liked fast cars and even more dangerous women. Respect.
A nice cap on my year at the movies! Look for the yearly recap tomorrow!
8.4
Me as the credits began to roll – “THIS WAS A DOCUMENTARY?!”
Feel good movie perfect for the holiday season!
The way they were able to fit such a wonderfully executed tale of financial David vs. Goliath, leveraged the overarching and impactful theme of community and the strength of small towns… I was quite frankly in awe. AND there’s a quite pleasant accompanying love story. AND a courtroom scene that took me back to “The Judge” and “A Few Good Men.” The film really fires on all cylinders and has something for everyone! Especially Def Leppard fans, or just fans of karaoke. Well done to all involved, earning a strong recommendation from me. Unlike in “A Few Good Men,” I trust you can handle the truth that they knocked it out of the park with this one.
8.1
🚨warning🚨 if you are sensitive to suicide as a subject matter, this film’s plot centers on it. https://988lifeline.org
So… maybe they should have taken that curse thing a little more seriously…
Get ready to get sad. A 2 hour train wreck in slow motion, as the Von Erich family’s meteoric rise is only matched by its tailspin and destruction. A story that has to be real to be believed. You can’t write tragedy like this. Brilliant performances by all, and a well crafted film. It’s a relenting descent into the madness of intensity and what happens when you push yourself to the breaking point and never let off the gas. Watching the motor slowly disintegrate before your eyes is admittedly hard to stomach for the over two hour runtime, but incredibly impactful.
Maybe not the best thing to go to if you want to maintain the holiday cheer, but a definite sign that it’s Oscar season, gang!
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 