There are two distinct Terrence Malicks--the genius, and the GoPro enthusiast. Likewise, there are three David Gordon Greenes--the arthouse guy, the stoner comedy dudebro, and the mainstream nondescript filmmaker. There are also multiple Gus Van Sants. And, of course here we have one of the better Richard Linklaters'. I'll never forget the utter disappointment I felt after The Newton Boys. How could the director of Slackers do this? Last Flag Flying is an excellent film. It's pretty mainstream. It's certainly not Slackers, the Before trilogy, or even Dazed and Confused. Nor is it School of Rock. Whatever it is, it's a really solid movie with some excellent movie stars by an excellent movie director. Last Flag Flying is a buddy dramedy road movie adapted from the novel considered the spiritual sequel to The Last Detail, and takes place in 2002. It stars Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne as three men reunited after 30 years (since they served in Vietnam). This was a 4 tissue film for me. I laughed and I cried. This film balances its lightness with its darkness. I kept forgetting this was a Linklater film, but no matter, go see it. It's superb. 5/5 |
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By no means am I reviewing Apocalypse Now after seeing it for the first time. I've seen the film many times, but I'm revisiting it once again. If I space it out right, by the time I rewatch this next time, it'll be like new all over again. I'm really surprised at how much seems new to me today. Strange. In any case, this film is genius. It's an absolute masterpiece, and if you've never seen it you should fix that immediately. If you don't know anything about Apocalypse Now, I guess I could at least say that it's essentially Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness retold as a Vietnam War picture. This is an important piece of American cinema. Do it. 5/5 Right off the bat there are three excellent reasons to see Warrior. They are, in no particular order: Nick Nolte, Tom Hardy, and Joel Edgerton. Warrior is an excellent family drama about an estranged family comprised of two brothers, an AWOL but war hero Marine, an ex UFC fighter turned teacher, and their recovering alcoholic father. This is a very moving film about broken masculinities. This movie is really about the performances. Edgerton is phenomenal. He's one to watch for. I have always loved Nick Nolte. He's stellar here as the desperate, aging father. If you aren't already on the Tom Hardy train, get on! Also, check out Bronson, The Drop, and Mad Max: Fury Road. 4/5 |
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