Talk about a gut punch of a movie. As a pro wrestling fan, I’ve known of the tragedy of the Von Erich family for years. However, while I know of the circumstances around each of the brothers, I was only familiar with the one brother who made it to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now World Wrestling Entertainment – WWE). Kerry Von Erich had a two-year run as The Texas Tornado in the early 90s. His time in WWF was when I was getting into pro wrestling, and The Texas Tornado was one of my favorites. A biopic about the Von Erich family had been in talks for years before Sean Durkin’s (The Nest, Martha Marcy May Marlene) The Iron Claw came about. I’ve read pre-screener reviews about how emotionally devastating this movie was for months. While I felt prepared for my watch, I left feeling wrecked. What a masterful feat.
Category Archives: Top 10 Movie of 2023
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Martin Scorsese’s (Casino, The Wolf of Wall Street) Killers of the Flower Moon and Oppenheimer were my most anticipated movies of 2023. It had so much of what I look for in a movie. First and foremost, it had Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant, Revolutionary Road), my favorite actor. Secondly, it looked like a tension-driven drama with fiery characters enriched in their story and setting. Thirdly, it was based on a true story. When all things else are equal, I lean on based on actual story films as a deciding factor. Even with a ridiculous run time of 3 hours and 26 minutes, I was convinced that the gripping tale wouldn’t have me counting the minutes for the film to end, which I did on multiple occasions with Scorsese’s last film, the insufferable The Irishman. While Killers of the Flower Moon might struggle to finish in my end-of-year top ten list, it was a worthwhile theater-going experience. While it felt long at times, it certainly did not drag in the way that I feared it might. Scorsese dignifiedly shed light on an important story in our country’s history.
BlackBerry (2023)
2023 is proving to be the year of the biopic. While each year produces at least a couple of well-produced and well-marketed movies about the dramatization of a particular person’s life (or people), 2023 has more than usual. It is a trend I see continuing into future years. With films about Michael Jordan (Air), George Foreman (Big George Foreman), J. Robert Oppenheimer (Oppenheimer), Emily Brontë (Emily), Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (Chevalier), Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon), Henk Rogers (Tetris), Richard Montañez (Flamin Hot), Leonard Bernstein (Maestro), Ronald Reagan (Reagan), there is no shortage as to what’s on the table for someone in Hollywood to take a stab at. The much-anticipated Tetris felt like it would be the most significant “technology” biopic of the bench. However, I felt the film to be underwhelming and wildly ambitious (the KGB?) for a movie marketed to be about a universally cherished video game, but it often felt like it was anything except.
Past Lives (2023)
The most intimate and tender movie of the first half of 2013 will land on the end-of-year top ten list for many. Past Lives, Celine Song’s feature debut, is a masterclass in storytelling, character development, and the subtle intricacies that subversive themselves in big and small relationships. Past Lives will undoubtedly be recognized during awards season, even with a nontraditional early summer release date.
Air (2023)
Ben Affleck continues to prove that he is the closest person, past or present, with a chance (however slight) to unthrone Clint Eastwood as the greatest actor/director combo ever. It will take a herculean effort to unseat Eastwood’s five Oscar nominations for directing (wins for Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby) to go along with over 35 other directing credits, as well as nearly 60 acting credits. Affleck, at just 50 years of age, very well could surpass Eastwood’s acting credits, but another 35 directing credits seems like a stretch. Air is Affleck’s fifth feature-length film. Three of his previous four (Gone Baby Gone, The Town, Argo) have resonated strongly with critics and audiences, while his fourth (Live By Night) wasn’t that far of a drop-off. What’s great about Affleck as a director is his drive and creativity. The staples of his directed movies are taut scripts, formidable, seasoned casts, and expert artisans (cinematographers, sound engineers, production designers) who he allows the freedom to shine. Air delivers on all fronts. It’s a movie that would be difficult not to enjoy.