Sometimes, movies have dumb names or names that are so obscure that you can’t even remember the title. This is the case with first-time directors Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz in the sentimental surprise summer hit The Peanut Butter Falcon. Starring protagonist Zak (newcomer Zack Gottsagen), whose screen chemistry with Shia LaBeouf (Man Down, Borg Vs. McEnroe) is instantaneous, the result is a sort of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn between two pals trekking and floating down the fictional marshland in North Carolina.
Category Archives: Bruce Dern
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is arguably my favorite Quentin Tarantino’s (Inglorious Bastards, Django Unchained) movie. However, that isn’t saying a lot since he is not one of my favorite directors out there. I admit that there is an audience for his movies. I’m just not a part of that audience. For me, his films are too often over the top, are loaded with extreme and unneeded violence, and contain the foulest language you’ll hear from a big-budget movie any year that one of his movies was released. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was FAR different than his previous eight films. The story was not over the top. The cursing, while present, was used to accent a verbal exchange rather than serve as the root of it. And outside of a 10-15 minute sequence, there wasn’t any over-the-top violence. This movie was long and a bit boring, but it wasn’t bad. It also had excellent acting performances.
The Mustang (2019)
Roman Coleman, the career-defining role that journeyman Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone, The Drop) has been waiting for, does not disappoint. Finally, the 42-year-old actor who you’ve seen in the background here and there and everywhere gets his opportunity to truly lead a movie. As the hardened felon-turned-horse trainer, anything can happen to anyone given the right circumstances, The Mustang, a brilliantly directed movie from first-time director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre. Roman seems to have just one desire to serve his time as quickly and with as little human interaction as possible, nearly unrecognizable with his shaved head, chiseled and tattooed body. But his problem with the latter leads to a longer than expected stay, and the explosive anger he possesses to go with that machine of a body suggests that he might not be going anywhere anytime soon.
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White Boy Rick (2018)
White Boy Rick, the most hyped movie of September 2018, Yann Demange (’71), is one of the most disappointing movies of the year. The narrative is poor. The character development is non-existent. Matthew McConaughey (Mud, Free State of Jones) seemed as interested in trying to earn a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination as he was trying to advance the story (I don’t blame him…I plan the script and the director). Newcomer Richie Merritt who stars as the story’s lead does his job, but the story is so askew that it leaves the audience not caring about what happens to him. The movie tries to make you feel sympathetic for its lead, but it just doesn’t work. It’s not Merritt’s fault. It wouldn’t have worked with anybody with Demange as the director. Not even the super talented McConaughey could rescue this movie from mediocrity.
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Nebraska (2013)
Alexander Payne’s (The Descendants, About Schmidt) Nebraska is a very likable movie that has someone convinced the critics that it is a fantastic movie worthy of Best Picture discussion. I can see how a case could be made for the acting nominations (Best Actor – Bruce Dern & Best Supporting Actress June Squibb), much more so than I can the case for Best Picture or Best Director. While 2013 was not a great movie year, there were quite a few very, very good movies To me, Nebraska was a notch below these higher-tiered movies, And, to me, it didn’t feel like directing this movie was as challenging to produce as some of the better movies that did not have a nomination for Best Director So while the storytelling was great, and this was a delightful film to watch, the fact that is in the talk for best movie of the year is a little absurd. Of the five total Oscars (Cinematography was the fifth category) it received, I see it coming home empty on the big night. Continue reading Nebraska (2013)