"Pain is pain." The context of this line is what makes it great. It's so short and simple, and yet it's the main theme of this movie. It's the kind of line that makes this such a Linklater film. Sometimes his dialogue tends to have glaring cliches. But within those cliches lie flashes of brilliance. It's what makes him such an intriguing filmmaker. He shows he has the potential...
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4 Stars
<p>Movies that have received 4 out of 5 stars</p>
Micro Review (Re-watch) – Baby Driver
Watching this for the second time, I finally realize how badass it is.
4 out of 5 stars
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Review – Avengers: Infinity War
It’s hard not to be wowed by this movie. It was made to be a spectacle. The action set pieces, the special effects, the star power. It’s all epic. Which makes it difficult to assess. You have to step back from it a little bit, let those warm fuzzies you get (from watching a big movie in a big theater) dissipate. This is, famously, the culmination of the past 10 years of Mar...
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Micro Review – Michael Clayton
I'm surprised that I hadn't seen Michael Clayton yet. While watching this, it felt like a movie that I would have already seen multiple times through the years. I had this misplaced nostalgia for it, even as I felt curiosity in its newness to me. Am I completely sure I haven't seen it before? Who knows. But it's a good one.
4 out of 5 stars
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Micro Review – The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
I can't help but think this is Noah Baumbach's version of Royal Tenenbaums. He's got a connection to Wes Anderson, and sometimes that connection manifests itself in the form of stylistic and thematic similarity. Potential copycatting aside, I liked this movie. I found myself slightly annoyed by the characters at the beginning. But they endeared themselves throughout the film (D...
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Micro Review – A Quiet Place
The only thing I didn't like was the guy behind me with the Sour Patch bag, crinkling the whole damn time. But yeah. Great new take on the genre.
4 out of 5 stars
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Micro Review – Miss Sloane
I happened to watch this right after Molly's Game. This is the movie I was hoping Molly's Game would be. Miss Sloane is fast-paced while still maintaining patience with the plot and character development. It has a razor sharp script, which can be hard to follow at times, yes, but is ultimately very satisfying when everything pays off. And above everything else, Jessica Chastain...
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Micro Review – Trumbo
I tend to love movies about the filmmaking process. For that reason, I really enjoyed watching Trumbo. Aside from the fact that it has a great cast - headlined by the great Bryan Cranston and supported by the likes of Helen Mirren, Michael Stuhlbarg, Diane Lane, John Goodman and more - its story is compelling in a way that would've felt antiquated only a few years ago. But it s...
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Micro Review – Game Night
Game Night has the classic Jason Bateman humor we've come to love. Its zany plot does tend to stretch the suspension of disbelief at times. But I'm willing to overlook a bit of ridiculousness as long the laughs are there. And they are. Bateman is supported by a crew of hilarious people, highlighted by Jesse Plemons, whose awkwardness and comedic timing are perfect. I imagine th...
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Micro Review – The Witch
This is not a shock-monger. It's a slow-dripping brew of dread that builds and builds in it's eeriness until it reaches its nightmarish conclusion. There's an authenticity to this movie that I did not anticipate, and which is quite refreshing in the "horror" genre. The performances are all great too, from top to bottom. And while it was sometimes hard to follow (I eventually tu...
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