So this may be a better film than the original Top Gun, because it basically is Top Gun, but longer and with a Mission: Impossible-style plot and sense of teamwork. Two Tom Cruise franchises for the price of one! Top Gun: Maverick is highly entertaining, not least because it's fun to watch Tom Cruise having fun and grinning than infectious grin. The movie doesn't really find it's groove until the final act, but the payoff is huge, with so many excellent moments from Tom, Miles Teller, and even Jon Hamm. Tom Cruise and Miles Teller have excellent chemistry, and once they are able to deploy that, the film really comes to life. Tom has said he made this movie for the fans, and there are tons of callbacks to the original film, some of which are more heavy handed than they need to be. However, I laughed out loud - both from delight and humor - so many times throughout this entire film, even in moments when I was on the edge of my seat. There are a bunch of great small moments in between the big set-pieces that the film can definitely stand up to repeat viewings. I hope the US Navy is rewarding Tom Cruise handsomely for making them the very best commercial / recruitment tool they can possibly get.
I was expecting to find this movie interesting because it's about filmmaking, but I fell in love with it because it's really about growing up Jewish in America, and it was completely relatable -- and hilarious, in so many moments -- for me. Thoughtful details like a samovar in the corner of an LA apartment (and shots framed so it stands out) are small touches that go such a long way. It also helped that I saw The Fabelmans at a cinema in NYC with a bunch of other Jews (at least this is what I am surmising, based on the moments and lines at which my fellow audience members laughed). Gabriel LaBelle is pitch perfect as Sammy Fabelman -- he's a character I would love to hang out and chat with. The insight on filmmaking and the classic coming of age story are expertly executed because it's Spielberg after all, but the way the film presents deep human and cultural truths that allowed me to connect with it and relate to its characters in a deep and meaningful way is priceless.
This film makes me want to visit Bhutan -- though perhaps not the far-flung village of Lunana, as lovely as it and its inhabitants seem to be. This is not a documentary, but it is extremely humanistic film that does not have a "Hollywood ending." Bhutan is famous for its Gross National Happiness index, and this film does indeed explore the theme of happiness, comparing and contrasting city life with rural life, as well as Bhutan vs. other countries. The characters in this film are richly formed, and I wanted to spend more time with them, getting to know them and their ways of life. During this COVID era of curtailed travel, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom offers a short, yet unforgettable, trip to the other side of the world.
I had heard of Duke Kahanamoku and knew he played a significant role in the history of surf culture, but not much beyond that. This film showcases what a remarkable man he was and tells his life story in an engaging and effective manner. Besides being a a pioneer of modern surfing, he was an Olympic swimmer, pioneered ocean life-saving techniques, and help shape the image of Hawaii. Surf documentaries are always a solid bet, and this one proves the rule.
I knew Glen Powell was going to be a major movie star from the very first time I saw Everybody Wants Some!! and he really comes into his own with Devotion (even more so than he does in Top Gun: Maverick). The sheer talent and audacity of naval aviators gets me every time, and this film depicts their skills and heroism even more powerfully since it is based on a true story. Glen Powell, Jonathan Majors, and Thomas Sadoski all give excellent nuanced and deeply felt performances. While Devotion features plenty of impressive flying, it doesn't gloss over the harrowing realities of aviation and war. Be prepared to have tears in your eyes for the last 20 or so minutes of this movie.
6. Decision to Leave
This film is a well-crafted, engaging, and complex mystery, and also a captivating romance. There is so much to take in that it can be a challenge to appreciate the excellent performances, luxuriate in the gorgeous cinematography, keep up with the mystery, and read the subtitles all at once, but it's an exercise worth trying. Ultimately, I would like to see this film a second time now that I know and understand the story, so I can pay less attention to the subtitles and appreciate all the other wonderful things on the screen.
This deceptively simple film is given great depth by Bill Nighy's masterful, controlled performance. His character begins so restrained and resigned that it is a great joy to watch him smile as he discovers small joys in the world around him. Ultimately, Living is a great reminder that each individual can have an impact -- on those around them and on the world, or a small corner of it -- greater than they realize or comprehend. The structure of the film brings this message to life in an effective, tender, and subtle way. This wonderful film is a lovely way to bring one year to a close and face the next with optimism and hope.
I was very moved by this film about found-family and unwanted children. The film manages to be equal parts lighthearted and deeply thought-provoking. All the performances are fantastic, but Song Kang-ho and Gang Dong-won give especially expressive and layered performances as characters who evolve greatly over the course of the film. Im Seung-soo is also wonderful as the plucky youngest member of the make-shift family. Seeing different parts of Korea during the characters' journey was also interesting, but the tough moral questions at the center of this film are what make it so impactful.
This is a delightful, smart, classy, hilarious movie for adults. The cast is fantastic, the story is well told, the sets & costumes are lavish, and the cameos are top shelf. I was thoroughly entertained by this film and look forward to future Benoit Blanc adventures.
I was thoroughly seduced and entertained by this sexy spy thriller that - to be spoilery - is in the vein of No Way Out. Even though I figured out the twist pretty early on, it was still enjoyable to watch the action unfold, with the main narrative in the capable hands of Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton. The film is gorgeously shot and well-edited, using flashbacks along multiple timelines to effectively and coherently tell the story. It was nice to see an old-school adult film that goes for intelligence over set-pieces.
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