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Stay Awake (2022)
A Heartbreaking Tale About the Devastation of Addiction
This film has a huge heart. Its strength lies in the three leads, Chrissy Metz, Wyatt Oleff and Fin Argus. It's understated, authentic and thank goodness didn't devolve into an Afterschool Special.
My only beef with the film was that they set up the possibility of the younger son confronting the doctor responsible for turning his mother into an addict but didn't deliver. The heartache that the brothers endured as a result of their mother disappointing them time and time again was real and I ached for them.
One subplot was a great example of subtext dealing with the youngest brother dealing with his sexuality but unable to truly express himself because he was trapped in a small town. Oleff handled the scenes like a true pro. Understated and poignant.
We need less superhero movies and more stories about the subject.
Red Rocket (2021)
An Endearing Suitcase Pimp Story
I love Sean Baker. He encapsulates the indie spirit of the 80's and the 90's with edgy stories and situations that are a bit uncomfortable.
From the transgender hookers of Tangerine, to the Motel Children of The Florida Project, to the porn star turned talent manager of Red Rocket, Baker continues to cross the line and is unflinching in realistic portrayals of the underbelly of society.
Baker conspires with lead actor Simon Rex to create a lovable but loathsome aging porn star who comes home to Texas because he has nowhere else to go, and that means begging and whining his way into his wife's home.
Rex plays Mikey to the hilt and levels lives faster than an F5 tornado in a town that reeks of desperation and resignation. His grooming of a possible up and coming female adult film star is charming, sad, yet despicable. ("Strawberry's" age was more than troubling to me, but it happens.) There are moments where you can tell that Mikey wants to truly love his protege, but he needs to pay the bills. You can see the hope in his eyes. You can see how his protege loves the attention and will do anything to take things and her budding career to the next level.
The actors and the first-time actors create a vivid ensemble that is heartbreaking to watch. Rex is hilarious at the beginning then heartbreaking as desperation sets in as his plans unravel.
Warning: this is raw, gritty, and zero is left to the imagination. Rex gives "Run, Forest Run" new meaning. This won't be playing on Disney + anytime soon.
Life Itself (2018)
The Bus Should Have It The Entire Movie
I made it through about fifteen minutes of this self-indulgent mess.
I thought that hey, Dan Fogelman, who brought us the exquisite This is Us, which is a multigenerational saga of a family constantly in transition, would be able to deliver the same type of film on the big screen.
Oh, no.
I wanted to stand with Olivia Wilde and get hit by the bus, too.
And then when Oscar blew his brains out in front of Annette Benning, it was game over for me.
And Dan, in all of his petulant foot stomping, publicly blamed the poor reception of this film on old white guys who didn't get it, bro, we got it. And you don't get that everyone is entitled to their opinion, and when you make a movie you get to be criticized and dragged when it just doesn't work for someone. That's the way art works. It's not fair. But that's life. Itself.
Heels (2021)
Friday Night Lights Meets Independent Pro Wrestling
Not a bad comparison if you ask me.
Like another great show about combat sports, Kingdom, which had a very short run despite eye popping performances, Heels acquits itself as a very solid sports drama and gives us a look behind the scenes.
At its heart and core are two flawed characters, Ace and Jack, played by Alexander Ludwig and Stephen Amell, who play off each under very well and have a great brotherly chemistry. Make no mistake, this is their show and they're acting their butts off.
The supporting cast is stellar, most notably Mary McCormack, the widow of the patriarch of the family. She has an earth mother aura to her, but she can be extremely no-nonsense. The supporting cast are not just spectators in the stands but have some great moments.
My only beef with the show is the dialogue. Sometimes there's too much pontificating when a look could say more. It's overwritten at times I started to look at my watch with the last episode. Nuance is more powerful than explaining and emoting. That's how people talk. Short sentences. Less is more. Take a hint from the best sports show ever to hit the small screen, Friday Night Lights.
Despite the dialogue (don't write for the Emmy, write for the wrestling fans), this show has a lot of depth and deals with loss with the brothers taking front and center in dealing with how to move on from their iconic father. They can both turn from Face to Heel in a nanosecond.
Should there be a Season 2, and I really hope there is, I hope they'll pick up the pace a bit by cutting the dialogue way back and showing us more. Season 1 was to establish the character. Now let's take this cool Mustang and turn it into a freakin' Ferrari.
On the Corner of Ego and Desire (2019)
Now for a Real Review...
The first reviewer stating that this film is the product of useless film programs obviously hasn't done their homework about the background of the filmmakers, nor understands the nuances of this hilarious film. Come to think of it, first reviewer aka Mr. Random, seems to have zero sense of humor whatsoever.
Now onto my review. This is a winning comedy about three hapless filmmakers who are trying to sell their completely unmarketable film to an elusive producer/sales agent. The lion's share of the movie is deftly handled by a trio of actors who shot on location, at Sundance, in the freezing cold, based on a scriptment.
98% of the film is dead on. Like any film, the pacing could have been better in sections, and the interview in the hotel with Ferrari and his intrepid trio was on shaky ground, but when you're shooting a film like this, which was totally improvised, it's a minor glitch in an otherwise very funny film, which is a comedic love letter to indie filmmakers everywhere.
Is it perfect? That's Stanley Kubrick's department, but it's definitely worth a view and anyone who understands film opposed to Random-70778 who must have been in a very bad mood when he wrote such a poison pen review.
Before I Disappear (2014)
Indie Filmmaking at its Finest
Shawn Christensen's Oscar Winning Curfew was a wonderful piece of filmmaking, and I was worried that the feature version "Before I Disappear" would be just more of the same. I was pleasantly surprised and this expanded version took wonderful to extraordinary.
One of Shawn's many accomplishments in this film was his deft transition of the Sophia character from precocious little girl to self-realized adolescent, who has it together a hell of a lot more than her uncle.
It took me a little time to warm up to Emmy Rossum's character -- as in how could she have a child that old -- but a few lines to clear that up -- and boom, all taken care of. Emmy's vulnerability and willingness to go to a very raw place near the end of the film was beautiful to watch.
Shawn's expanding the characters I loved in the short and adding new characters, played by Paul Wesley and Ron Perlman was terrific. Who knew that Wesley could bring such depth to a character that could have come off as horribly one-note?
The cinematography was brilliant. The choice of color was truly inspired.
This is definitely a virtuoso piece of indie filmmaking, and deserving of every award it has picked up on the film festival circuit. My only regret is that this film should be opening in a hell of a lot more theaters this awards season.
If you love indie filmmaking, you need to see this film as soon as possible,
Sins of Our Youth (2014)
Good, Necessary Film About Gun Control
I just had the opportunity of seeing this film at the Hollywood Film Festival, and first, good job for tackling a very tough subject. As someone who has a personal friend whose sibling committed suicide on a shooting range, and another friend who accidentally shot and killed his young brother, this resonates with me.
As much as I liked the film, I couldn't help but feel like it needed some tightening in terms of the pacing and execution of the dialog. I felt some of the dialog was little forced. A little after school special. I found myself saying "would someone really say something like that?"
Lucas Till is certainly growing as an actor. It's always great to see someone mature in their craft. This young man's star has just begun to shine, and I hope that he makes career choices that don't always stereotype him as the blond hunk du jour.. The rest of the cast was great as well, and I hope that we see these actors work together again sometime.
Rent (2005)
Excellent
When Rent first came out as a play, I listened to the soundtrack at the time and found it extremely depressing. Now about ten years later, I'm in a different place and I have to say that I'm sorry I missed the stage version.
What this movie was incredibly successful in doing was showing people who continued to live their lives in the face of devastation, with gusto and exuberance. It was filled with hope.
Sometimes we forget that in the face of something terrible, that life is too short not to live it fully. We may not agree with the lifestyle choices that these characters have made, but it's better to love than not to love at all. This is a life-affirming film, not some morbid celebration of deviant lifestyles and death as I had first perceived it ten years ago.
The principal cast members were phenomenal, and I hope that this is a launching pad to bigger things for all of them. Amazing performances all around. I can only hope that Oscar comes knocking on Rent's door.
Thank you Jonathan Larson, and Chris Columbus -- and a truly gifted cast.
Walk the Line (2005)
Biggest Miscast of a Biopic in Movie History
Although there were a few touching moments, this biopic would have been infinitely better if there were different actors in the lead roles. I don't know who, but definitely NOT Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, who just tried too darn hard in this film. Although Joaquin Phoenix gave it his best shot, he just didn't have Johnny's look. As for Reese Witherspoon, she's been in too many perky blonde girl movies that this one just made her a perky brunette and she got to pout a little. If this is the best that Hollywood had to offer in recreating the legend that is Johnny Cash from an actors point of view, then the movie industry is in a whole lot of hurt. Oscar Contender? In this year of generally crappy movies, why not? Hollywood wonders why that they're having such a bad year at the box office. Walk the Line is a prime reason why. This is a serious picture, Oscar Worthy Picture? C'mon!
Blade: Trinity (2004)
Long Infomercial for Ipods with not much else happening
Blade: Trinity should change it's name to Ipod Vampires with Wesley Snipes. What promised to be a decent film was sabotaged with some and repetitive overt product placement, and a really bad acting job by World Wrestling Federation champion Triple H. Ryan Reynolds had the thankless job of flinging one-liners off while Wesley Snipes spent most of the time kicking a** and phoning in his lines. The good news is that Reynolds got a new body out of the deal. The bad news was zero chemistry between the 3 leads, and even though I saw it at an early matinée, I felt gypped.
The Blade franchise, like (spoiler alert) the vampire world at the end of the movie, is dead. Drve a stake though its heart -- or lack thereof. It's done.