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The Fall Guy (2024)
I've Never Seen This Before
Seems like every time I sit down to watch an action or romantic comedy movie - about 30 minutes in, I find myself saying, "Well, I've seen this before." In fact, I was beginning to believe that there is only so many ways to make a film that tells an engaging story in these cinematic genres.
Enter, "The Fall Guy."
From the opening scene, it immediately becomes obvious that you are witnessing movie magic. Since the 1970's, I've lost track of the number of romantic comedy and action movies I've watched, but none of them are as original, smart, sly, funny, action-oriented, and emotional as The Fall Guy. This film is literally firing on all thrusters while it hits ALL of the above adjectives - in a single movie.
Sitting in a theater in 1979 watching "Alien", I marveled at the jump scares that movie elicited among the packed audience. Now, in 2024, The Fall Guy grabbed me in just the same way, but instead of jump scares, I found myself astonished by the ingenious plot twists; staring in awe at the insane stunts that were sprinkled throughout the movie, erupting in laughter at the constant barrage of comedic elements, cheering triumphantly during the car chase scene involving the dog, and feeling that tug of emotion when (for just a moment) Jody believes that all might be lost. I particularly enjoyed the way The Fall Guy paid homages to past movies in an almost Jeopardy-esque way, daring us to guess the name of the old film before it is revealed to us - this becomes a humorous running motif throughout the movie.
In terms of a virtuoso performance, one might compare this movie to True Lies, but I believe The Fall Guy resonates better with its audience than James Cameron's film.
Here we find Emily Blunt giving a leading lady performance that immediately and authentically connects with the audience. Her incredible talent is on full display from start to finish.
Ryan Gosling has truly given us a number of unique and distinct character portrayals over the past decade, and he delivers once again here - but this time he unleashes his athleticism at a sustained peak-performance level I've never witnessed from him before. This movie simply would not work if he had not been able to convincingly embody the character and aura of a stunt man in the way that he does.
Simply put, I've not had this much entertainment fun at a movie theater since the 1990's. Rating: 9.5 out of 10.
Proxima (2019)
Spectacular
A very original and thoroughly engaging movie. Eva Green delivers yet another accomplished performance.
What makes this film so special is its portrayal of events (travel beyond our atmosphere) and people (astronauts) that are frequently featured in movies, but from a woman's perspective.
The story captured my interest early on and held it all the way to the end. The director knew how to tell an intellectual story, in an understated way, that still incorporated drama and some suspense at just the right moments.
Zelie Boulant gives a memorable performance as the daughter of Eva Green's character.
Several languages are spoken throughout the film, but it was not a distraction at all ... in fact, the way the different languages were incorporated into the story only elevated the entire movie that much more.
The English (2022)
Tour de Force
Emily Blunt exhibits one of the widest range of acting skills among actresses performing today. Yet, what she does in this series is so unexpectedly off-the-charts that it leaves you catching your breath once the credits begin rolling after the 6th hour - a direct result of a perfect mix of tension, mystery, and romantic allure.
Chaske Spencer is a wonderful choice for the male lead actor, and he succeeds in helping the audience empathize with the injustices that befell American Indians during this time period. The chemistry between him and Emily Blunt is 100% effective and sells The English's character arc over the entire six installments.
This is a slow-burn series, almost like attending a 4th of July fireworks. The first three episodes lay the foundation of the story and its characters, just like an initial volley of fireworks. But it's the last three episodes, which bring an exponential growth in emotional drama and a sense of impending tragedy, that explode and overwhelm the viewer with irresistible scenery and top-notch action set pieces - not unlike the final rounds of a fireworks display. You simply can't look away. Episode 6, in particular, is simply unforgettable and one of Emily Blunt's career-best performances - a tour de force.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Off the rails ... and into the ditch
Although the first 30 minutes of this movie was quite compelling and showed much promise, the remainder of the film consisted of senseless vignettes that failed to engage me and included various attempts at humor which were often in poor taste, if not outright disgusting. Eventually, it became an embarrassment to watch.
Did I understand the plot? Yes. Was it easy to follow? Yes.
A movie like this begs to be watched multiple times, to discover the hidden gems inside (think, for example, of Mulholland Drive). Unfortunately, I could not bear to watch Everything Everywhere All At Once a second time, let alone a 3rd, 4th, or 5th viewing.
The Gray Man (2022)
"Basic" missteps prevented this movie from reaching its potential
As expected, Ryan Gosling was the best part of this film. That being said, the movie failed in so many other basic areas. Chris Evans' role was the best example of a cardboard character that I've seen in a long time - and his performance was simply too much of a distraction. Overall, the movie required too much suspension of disbelief - much more than I was willing to give. Great movies pay attention to the basics and allow their audiences to willfully suspend disbelief ... and enjoy the film. Unfortunately, The Gray Man fell short in this area despite all the talent that was attached to this production.
Dune (2021)
Wow - It was worth the wait!
The characters in this movie truly came alive and leapt from the script's written page, making this one of the most moving, rewarding, and emotionally visceral films I've ever watched.
The Little Things (2021)
Mesmerizing!
This movie features class acting and a unique approach to the genre. Anyone looking for a resolution that is just like many other average crime thrillers may be disappointed. It wisely avoids gratuitous violence and presents us with a refreshing exploration of human character and motivation.
Uncut Gems (2019)
Who Cares?
One of the things that great movies do is they make you care about one or more of the lead actors. While I admit Mr. Sandler created an incredible transformation to get into the character he was portraying on the screen, there was nothing in the first 65 minutes that truly made me CARE for him or any of the other characters. It was at that point that I turned the film off ... because I never got to the point that I cared enough about his (or other) character(s) to make me want to see the second half.
The foul language also did not help. It became annoying and overtly gratuitous.
Hereditary (2018)
What a waste ...
This movie was a complete mess.
It's one saving grace: it can be used as a case study on how NOT to make a horror film. Although the first 20 minutes proved to be credible, by the middle of the movie I had lost all interest in the plot. Not to mention the last 20-minute section of the movie -- which was so absurd and preposterous that I was tempted to leave the theater altogether.
An insult to intelligent movie goers, the quality of this movie is so poor that it makes it almost unbearable to watch in its entirety.
The Hateful Eight (2015)
Opportunity Squandered
Great director. Excellent ensemble cast. Such a unique plot! Not to mention the 70 mm Panavision experience (in selected theaters).
With all this going for it, "The Hateful Eight" had all the elements to become one of those movies that excels in so many areas. On paper, by design, this movie had it all.
Unfortunately, everything the movie had going for it was squandered by the gratuitous violence embedded across multiple scenes. Many of the scenes in the movie could have benefited from a "less is more" approach which would have enhanced the suspense and made this the classic thriller-western it deserved to be.
Following (1998)
No-budget film noir lacks a following
Somewhere I saw this movie described as a "no-budget film noir". Making a film on a small budget and having it come out a success is not without precedent. However, the roughness around the edges of this movie got in the way of me really enjoying it. One example is the ending credits screen, which could have been of higher quality. Black-and-white photography works well here as a story-telling tool, but shaking and jittery movements that are apparently a result of hand-held camera-work distracts the viewer's attention (unlike the Blair Witch Project, where jittery camera movements are to be expected).
This film would be great as something used in a film class to show individuality in style; however, as a commercial venture it fails to hold a candle to Memento (where Nolan really got things right) or Blood Simple.
My review: 6 out of 10
In Her Defense (1999)
It's Been Done Before
Just saw this movie today for the first time. Although the plot was plausible in most cases, I was simply amazed (and disappointed) at how similar this movie was to Body Heat. In the opening sequence (and at several points later in the movie), you can even hear the same music score that was used in Body Heat. Had this movie been slightly more original in its plot and musical score, it may have risen above the long list of average film noir movies.