Change Your Image
briangeorgi
Reviews
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Long, dull, and depressing.
Pros: The acting is mostly excellent (although the perpetually overrated Jesse Plemmons, once again, is about as riveting as drying paint). The cinematography is beautiful. The story - despite being drawn out to a completely self-indulgent 3-1/2 hours! - is at once disturbing and fascinating.
Cons: The running time is 3+ hours; it felt like 6. Brandon Fraser shows up in the last 40 minutes and proceeds to overact to the point that his performance should be shown in acting classes as a cautionary tale. Two-thirds of the way through the movie there's a scene of a wildfire. I swear there has to be 10 solid minutes of grass burning that, for reasons beyond me, Scorsese thinks we have to see over and over and over and over again.
I love movies. I love good movies. I love good Scorsese movies. This isn't one of them. DiCaprio is excellent. DeNiro is very good. But go rent Wolf of Wall Street or Raging Bull. Seriously, this movie kinda sucks.
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
Disappointing
I like this writer/director (McDonagh). I really like these two actors (Gleeson and Farrell). I loved the last time they all made a film (2008's excellent In Bruges). But this was strange journey.
On a positive note, the performances were stellar across the board. Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell were in top form and I'll probably always watch any movie in which they have a lead. Kerry Condon made me think "Why isn't she in much more?" and Barry Keoghan remains one of the most riveting actors on screen. Beyond the performances, the film is beautifully shot and the dialogue is often hilarious (though I recommend subtitles for anyone who isn't actually from Ireland!).
But good god, this movie gets darker and darker and more depressing as the minutes tick by and, worst of all, it left me confused. I read Alexis Potter's excellent review in the Arizona Republic and learned that the story is an allegory for the Irish Civil War. That's cool, I guess, but it was lost on this guy and sans that knowledge and background going in, I was left feeling like I spent 2 hours with a small group of drunk, depressed, unkind people who's struggles go unresolved.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Underrated
I'm not sure how this one slipped into relative obscurity. It's fast-paced, clever, and we'll-acted by three of the best looking people of the previous decade. If you've ever liked a Craig-era James Bond it's hard to imagine you won't enjoy this movie.
Caveat: It's 2 hours long and, if I'm quibbling, I can imagine it still would've worked if they'd allowed for 5-10 minutes to hit the editing room floor. Also, it's a bit of a "period piece" in that the movie takes place during the Cold War era. But so did Atomic Blonde-an equally enjoyable and comparable flick.
Give it a go. You won't be disappointed!
Last Chance U: Basketball (2021)
You Don't Have to be a Basketball Fan to Love This Series!
I find that the better documentaries are driven by character, suspense, or history. This has all three in spades! Whether or not you care about - or even know about - JUCO basketball(I didn't), you'll be caught up in this story from the first episode. It's the best I've seen in '21 and I would dare anyone watching not find yourself rooting for this flawed but lovable team and their equally flawed but inspiring coach.
Rectify (2013)
Intense, Compelling Drama
This is about a man, sentenced to death at 18 under dubious circumstances, who's released 19 years later into a world he can barely comprehend and carrying the baggage of his horrendous existence in a maximum security prison. This series won't appeal to those who are feint of heart or who need "action" to keep their attention. But it literally doesn't get any better than Rectify insofar as character development and acting are concerned! It's also a rare find in that Season I is strong but each successive season gets better and better.
I'm hard pressed to remeber a stronger ensemble of actors and the writing/directing is A+.
Ringside (2019)
All Too Real
This expertly filmed and edited documentary is yet another poignant exposé of challenges faced by poor youths growing up in the inner city. In this case, the youths are young boxing prodigies and the inner city is the infamous south side of Chicago. If you love "the sweet science" and you care to know more about the determination - and luck - it takes to beat stacked odds, this film is riveting.
Da 5 Bloods (2020)
Hard to Explain How Bad it Is
I'm literally incredulous that this movie got good reviews. I'm even more shocked that this cast would sign up for a script this absurd. The story is about as cliche as they come and the dialogue is about on par with what an average writer would've whipped up in 8th grade. All things considered, this is one of the worst movies I've seen in a long, long time. Be warned: This is 2-1/2 hours of your life you'll never get back.
Tell (2014)
Much Better Than the Ratings
Thoroughly entertaining and well-crafted from start to finish. Good performances with some genuinely funny and suspenseful moments, too.
Aquaman (2018)
Disappointing
The DC movies have, in my opinion, gotten a consistently bad rap from the critics. I thought Man of Steel, Dawn of Justice, and The Justice League were all better films than was reflected in the ratings and I enjoyed each of them. So the "55" metacritic rating wasn't going to deter me when it came to Aquaman. I was prepared to like it. I wanted to like it... I didn't like it.
It seemed not to know if was dark (Batman v. Superman) or light (Justice League) and it was pretty clear after the first 30 minutes that it wasn't going to be aspiring to Wonder Woman-level heights (overrated though that movie was). I've seen every featured actor be solid-to-excellent in other things but the performances were stilted in almost every case. Momoa, in particular, had some painfully awkward dialogue with Amber Heard. It seemed as if they were trying - hard - to force a Hemsworth/Portman-like chemistry that just wasn't there. And above all, it was silly. The theater I was in heard at least a dozen people, myself included, laughing aloud at moments that weren't supposed to be funny.
My 11-year old liked it. To that end, it's perfectly fine. But Marvel and DC have happily raised expectations over the last decade and Aquaman just doesn't make the grade.
They Shall Not Grow Old (2018)
Truly Remarkable
If you're even considering seeing this film then one would assume you've at least a passing interest in history. And if you do, this documentary is riveting: A total immersion into the experience of being a young man - in too many cases as young as 15-years old! - and the journeys each of them took as soldiers fighting in the worst of all wars.
Peter Jackson's efforts were painstaking and the result is as moving as it is groundbreaking. If you're a budding documentarian you may find this movie even more fascinating than most. Don't miss it.
Mandy (2018)
Emperor's New Clothes?
This is so bad it's hard to describe. I guess if you're into bad art school horror films or movies that pay homage to psychedelic 70s Manson-family inspired drivel with has-beens and never-weres overacting left and right, this is the film for you. For the rest of you that are pretending to dig this, just stop. It sucks and you know it.
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Umm, huh?!
If you're a fan of Phoenix, a lover of Indie flicks, and enjoy a good ol' Tale of violence and revenge this movie would appear to fit the bill. Unfortunately, it sucks... It's excruciatingly boring, though every so often the boredom is iterrupted by extreme violence in the form of is-it-or-isn't-it-a-dream sequences. We never really find out what's real or what isn't but that's ok. The good news is that the film eventually ends and we can get on with our lives (though we'll never get those 90 minutes back).
Sicario (2015)
Brilliant Movie-Making
This isn't a film for wimps. Though I've no first-hand knowledge, I imagine this film brings the viewer about as close to futility, brutality, frustration, and pure adrenaline rush that's felt by law enforcement every day as they continue waging our War on Drugs. It also weaves in storylines of smaller-time players that inevitably get caught up in this multi-billion dollar "business" of narcotics, terror, and murder.
As good as Traffic was in its day, Sicario narrows the focus somewhat, following Natalie Blunt's character throughout most of the film with only rare (but memorable) shifts to Del Toro's anti-hero. It's also less preachy than Traffic, allowing the audience to draw some of its own conclusions.
The violence is measured, at times, but shocking at others. Definitely not for the feint of heart.
Harry Brown (2009)
The Thinking Man's "Death Wish"
Have you ever wondered what "Death Wish" would've been like with an Oscar-winning actor in the lead role? Sprinkle on top that the story takes place in the projects of England and that our hero (Michael Caine) is a septuagenarian and you've got Harry Brown. It's a slow build so you have to be cool with the pacing necessary for proper character building, but the payoff has all the guilty pleasures of your traditional Common-Man-Fights-Back flick; it's just a more well-crafted movie than the standard fare.
Venom (2018)
Much better than the reviews!
This movie was well-acted, well-directed, and thoroughly entertaining. Don't get thrown by the (unfair) bad critical reviews. It is different: It's scarier than most comic book movies and the internal banter between Eddie (Tom Hardy) and his "alter ego" takes a bit of getting used to. I was in a crowded theater, though, and everyone enjoyed themselves. I'm glad I saw it on the big screen and I'm looking forward to the sequel!
Bone Tomahawk (2015)
Scary as hell!
This movie is unlike most I've seen in that I can't remeber ever seeing another Horror/Western, but the cast is eclectic and superb, the story is captivating, and it's edge-of-your-seat from start to finish.
One bit of warning: It is truly gruesome. The last 20-30 minutes, in particular isn't for the feint of heart (and especially not for kids).
A Star Is Born (2018)
Excellent!
I had high expectations and every one of them was met. Cooper did a grade-A job directing and Gaga wasn't just "great for a singer", she was simply great. Her singing was phenomenal, as expected, but her acting was worthy of an Oscar nod.