Feelin' Film

A lower class Oxford student stumbles into the good graces of a wealthy classmate he adores and eventually spends a summer at his family's opulent estate. Not all is as it seems, though. At times deliciously campy and twisted, and at others painfully simplistic and melodramatic, the story plays out much how you'll expect, with provocation after provocation attempting to distract from the o...

For our conversation this week about Sony's newest (and perhaps boldest) film adaptation of the beloved simulation racing video game series, we called in our friends Logan and Micah from The Reformed Gamers Podcast . Neill Blomkamp's film incorporates many of the tropes we are familiar with in sports dramas while balancing reverence for the exciting video game that spawned this incredible...

Disney's delightful newest fairy tale pits a teenage girl and a friendly wishing star against the controlling ruler of a utopian kingdom. It's not quite as magical as their best stories, though, and instead finds its biggest strength in valuable social commentary.  Follow & Subscribe Aaron Twitter Facebook Letterboxd Patrick Twitter An Original Series Podcast Twitter Feelin' Film F...

Joaquin Phoenix in outstanding, though he exaggerates Napoleon so much at times that the film feels like pure comedy, which can be somewhat tonal whiplash when compared to the brutality of the gorgeously shot large-scale battles. What is blatantly clear is that this is not the movie Ridley Scott intended, as it's noticeably choppy; but hey, at least we'll get the full 4-hour experience eve...

For a franchise fan like me, it was a joy to spend time in Panem again. Tom Blyth shines in the central role of Coriolanus Snow, providing a simultaneously tragic and infuriating villain origin story. The strength of this prequel remains the amount of details and history about people and events from The Hunger Games series that it fills in and seeing them visualized was very satisfying. Follow &am...

This analog tale with a snappy script and grounded characters provides the warm hug that its audience needs, reminding us that a makeshift family can give a person what they need in the absence of a real one. A perfectly timed Christmas release that we'll be enjoying and being refreshed by for years to come. * Note - full spoilers in effect for entire episode * Follow & Subscribe Aaron Twi...

Incredibly thought-provoking, heartbreaking, and at times awkwardly funny, the film takes a look at a taboo/illegal romantic relationship in a sometimes deadpan and campy way. It's melodramatic like a soap opera and observes the family dynamics of those involved in this strange situation from the POV of an actress preparing for a role in a method, unhealthy way. It's crazy, but very smart,...

Not so sure about going higher and further, but at slightly over 90 minutes, at least THE MARVELS goes faster! Iman Vellani and Goose are the stars here, but an undercooked main plot and maybe the worst villain the MCU has had yet sink this thrown together mixed bag despite it being a refreshingly diverse female-led superhero flick.  Follow & Subscribe Aaron Twitter Facebook Letterboxd Patrick...

With fantastic energy, a rousing Alexandre Desplat score, two incredible central performances, and nifty documentary-esque use of archival footage/audio by the first-time narrative directors Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Diana Nyad's remarkable story of swimming from Cuba to Florida in her 60s is told. It's the kind of extreme sports, crowd-pleasing, inspirational biopic formula that is...

Two vastly different films are covered in this TIFF review episode - Ava DuVernay's adaptation of a New York Times bestseller is a sweeping, educational, and at times tragic, exploration of caste and Taika Waititi's latest comedy is a generic but crowd-pleasing underdog sports story with a surprisingly uplifting element of inclusion. 0:00 - Intro 0:53 - Origin 6:55 - Next Goal Wins Follow...

Coppola's exquisite filmmaking style and intimate approach to this rather uneasy and abusive romance shows us the non-tabloid side of the iconic pairing's relationship. From the very start it feels like a romantic horror, such a unique and unsettling experience. Showing Priscilla's all too relatable story from a female perspective can be very meaningful, even for those not in a relatio...

Scorsese’s impressive (and long) adaptation of Grann’s non-fiction account is an engaging crime story that highlights an insidious historical injustice and encourages reflection. A stronger focus on the Osage people as something other than victims and some toned down cameo performances would be welcome, but this is still a fantastic epic drama. * Note - full spoilers in effect for entire episode *...

It's made for the fans. If you're one of them, you'll probably enjoy the nostalgic experience of seeing a beloved franchise in film form, regardless of the tonal imbalance and general ridiculousness of it all. If you're just coming for a good little slasher-style horror flick, you're probably gonna be very annoyed that it's not scary or bloody at all and leave sorely disapp...

Martin Scorsese's impressive adaptation of Grann's non-fiction account feels very much in line with the director's family crime stories of the past while highlighting an important American injustice that encourages audience members to reflect. A+ acting work from Lily, Leo, and Bob carry this complex character drama and Prieto's photography is mesmerizing. The length and patient pa...

Based off of an article in the New Yorker, Maggie Betts takes a simple and straightforward case and makes a mountain out of a mole hill, amplifying racial undertones of the time period into a place of priority that distracts from what could have been a more compelling courtroom drama. The performances are great and the points being made about poor character are admirable, but ultimately this was t...

A captivating take from creator Taylor Sheridan on female strength in military special ops and espionage that treads lightly into melodrama while keeping its focus mostly on the high-stakes mission at hand. It's well-paced with great use of tactics when action is required, but the depth of character building and ideological dilemmas it presents make it special.  Follow & Subscribe Aaron Tw...

John Carney has a way of making the ordinary extraordinary in his heavily musical focused movies. This time around he gives us authentic relationships, cautious optimism, and a great soundtrack to help tell a story about messy mothers and the power music has to bring people together. * Note - full spoilers in effect for entire episode * Follow & Subscribe Aaron Twitter Facebook Letterboxd Patr...

William Friedkin always loved the gray area and characters who couldn't be defined in just one simple way, and here he masterfully explores that through a trial that forces us to consider mental illness (and specifically how that is defined), ego, and leadership experience as they relate to a major conflict in decision-making between Naval Officers that has resulted on one of them being accuse...

There is no need at all for this film to connect directly back to the original and how it chooses to do so is a complete waste of time (and Ellen Burstyn's talent). But David Gordon Green does a great job of capturing parental fear and the unique angle of dual possessions in girls with parents from different beliefs systems makes this a fresh, always intriguing story all the way to its scary a...

This is the story of a composer who is creatively reinvigorated after a romantic encounter with an eccentric tug boat captain, and if that's all it was it might have a chance at being decent enough. But a very serious pivot in central focus midway through creates a strange mishmash of ideas that never works, and some decisions about how to present certain relationship dynamics are extremely tr...

Gareth Edwards brings big ideas about humanity's war-torn relationship with A.I. and an epic science fiction scale to the screen, but while certainly nice to look at, the film unfortunately doesn't explore anything in an interesting or meaningful way and ends up feeling like a high-budget television movie setting the stage for a series that will never be. * Note - full spoilers in effect f...

Visually stunning with plenty of explosive action and an intriguing premise centered on humans seeking revenge for an A.I. nuclear attack, but unfortunately lacking in exploration of its bigger ideas, largely a reskin of STAR WARS, and only somewhat effective emotionally. Could have been, and should have been, so much more. Follow & Subscribe Aaron Twitter Facebook Letterboxd Patrick Twitter A...

I'm doing my best to continue finding a connection for each pair of reviews. This time that link is the water. One is the excellent, inspirational and rousing dramatized story of real life super athlete Diana Nyad, who swam from Cuba to Florida in her 60s, and the other is a fantasy tale about a mysterious child with healing powers who washes up on the shore of a secluded island community and...

The real life story of Philadelphia everyman Vince Papale and his unlikely journey to professional football player is a bit sanitized by the Disney production, but still covers the great success in an enjoyable manner that captures the heart of what he accomplished and what it meant to those who cheered him on. * Note - full spoilers in effect for entire episode * Follow & Subscribe Aaron Twit...

Whether you like your assassins fake, sexy, and a bit silly or old, grizzled, and seeking redemption, this episode is for you. Glen Powell oozes movie star charisma in Richard Linklater's untraditional rom-com and Michael Keaton directs himself to sleep in a dramatic story of dementia. 0:00 - Intro 0:53 - Hit Man 10:03 - Knox Goes Away Follow & Subscribe Aaron Twitter Facebook Letterboxd P...