F1: The Movie

 

An aging race car driver(Pitt) is recruited by the crew chief of an F1 team (Bardem) to drive and mentor a rookie driver for a failing race franchise. Great cast and great production values, but the script falls flat and into sports movie cliche too often for this to rise above the recent pack of racing movies. Its not a bad movie by any means, but 7.9 is way too high for this film. There is only so much drama one can ring from what tires are on the car. For a better time, try Rush, Ford vs. Ferrari or Senna all of which are far superior to this. Soft Pass

Stranger Things

 

A bit of Stand by Me set in the 1980's in a small town in Indiana where a group of teens battles creatures from another dimension with the help of one particular powerful telepath. I recently streamed all 4 seasons and what started out very strong in s1 somewhat leveled out a bit in s2 and s3, but S4 tied it all together beautifully. Really strong writing and character development are accentuated by some fairly decent acting from a young relatively unknown cast. This is one of the cornerstones of the Netflix franchise right now and its easy to see why and season 4 takes the show to a whole new level. A must see.

Dinner in America

 

An on-the-run, punk rocker who performs masked falls in love with one of his obsessed fans who doesn't know who he is. A quirky well acted and well written script by Adam Rehemeir. I just came off watching snack shack and wanted to see what else this director had to say and I am glad I did. Takes a while to get going but when it does, it does so with gusto. I have to say "Watermelon Song" an original song written for this film is one of the best I've heard in years. A film that's incredibly easy to like and features a stand-out performance from Emily Skeggs as Patty. Recommended

The Life of Chuck

 

Based on the Stephen King short story, which in turn, had to be at least somewhat rooted in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself. (yes after the film i read portions of Whitman and confirmed what i had already suspected) This film is about the life of an everyday accountant named Chuck. It features an untraditional narrative that resembles It's a Wonderful Life but it unfolds backwards, giving it a very surreal feel throughout. It's narrated by Nick Offerman and features many wonderfully done scenes and cinematic moments. Directed by Mike Flannigan, who generally does horror films, and written by King, who generally writes horror novels, its seems like a match made in heaven and for the most part it is. Life of Chuck is a thinking man's picture and is meant to make folks reflect on their lives and is all the better for it. I would consider this a must see, but I wouldn't argue with anyone who didn't care for it. On a side note, after losing one of my best friends to brain cancer this one hit hard.

Snack Shack

Surprisingly beautiful coming of age story set in 1991 Nebraska about two enterprising best friends who rent the Snack Shack at the local pool. It starts off feeling a bit like Superbad, until it doesn't. However, I am certain there will be parts of the film that will resonate with most people who grew up around this time period. The cast is full of virtual unknowns, but they do a good job with a really well written script that will run you through the whole gambit of emotions. Adam Rehmeier, the relatively new writer/director is someone to keep an eye on. I wouldn't hesitate to give this a try, you may also be surprised.

Weapons

 

17 kids mysteriously disappear from the Julia Gardner's third grade classroom at 2:17 on the same night. The story is told from 5 different viewpoints each of which gives the audience a little more information. The script and style resemble something M. Night Shyamalan or even Robert Eggers might do. Initially, I was having a hard time with the script because there was a major plot hole that was hard to ignore, but it was filled-in nicely by act IV. The cast is all great. Gardner and Brolin are their usual dope selves and the supporting cast is also excellent. Overall, a fine film with a highly satisfactory ending that I don't have a problem recommending. It's not Oscar Material, but for me, Gardner and Brolin are worth the time.

Mr. Burton

 

Top-Notch bio pic that's as much about the early life Sir Richard Burton (Jenkins) as it is about Phillip Burton his teacher and adopted father. Once again the brits have outdone themselves. The script is great, always compelling, and plays out a bit like a sports bio-pic.  However, it's the acting that really puts Mr. Burton over the top. It's a masterclass in acting by Jones and Lawtey (wink, wink) and when the two are together on screen the chemistry between the two is pure movie magic. The film explores the father/son dynamic in a most untraditional way much to the betterment of the film. An incredibly moving motion picture, that does the greatest actor in the history of Wales justice and that I am happy to have seen. Highly Recommended and a gem.