Drama

Licorice Pizza

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Licorice Pizza
  • IMDb: link

During the 70s in San Fernando Valley a 15-year-old child actor will meet a 25-year-old photographer’s assistant on his yearbook picture day and nothing will ever be the same. Licorice Pizza offers the unlikely pairing of the charming hustler Gary (Cooper Hoffman) and the smart but somewhat lost Alana (Alana Haim) who begin as friends, become something more complicated, and then eventually give into their feelings for each other.

Other characters will come and go, including Bradley Cooper offering an insane take on John Peters in one of my favorite performances of the year, but the movie is about our leads’ (often dysfunctional) relationship. The film takes several unexpected turns including Cooper’s introduction, Gary being momentarily arrested, Alana looking for a more meaningful life working on the mayoral campaign of Joel Wachs (Benny Safdie), and Gary’s various enterprises which include a waterbed company and arcade.

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American Underdog

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: American Underdog
  • IMDb: link

Adapted from Kurt Warner‘s autobiography, American Underdog follows the unlikely journey of small-time college quarterback Kurt Warner (Zachary Levi) from college, to being completely out of football stocking shelves at a Hy-Vee, and ultimately to the NFL. Much of the film focuses on Warner’s personal life, his relationship with Brenda Meoni (Anna Paquin) and her children, and his struggles in finding life after football.

The film from directors Andrew Erwin and Jon Erwin is attempting to cash-in on a tale similar to Invincible and The Rookie. However, both of those films were produced by Disney who has a better feel for the genre. While it may not measure up to either of those two films, American Underdog is still an interesting look at the lesser-known aspects of Warner’s life although it skirts over his professional relationships in the NFL with everyone except his coaches. 

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The Hand of God

/ / Home Video
  • Title: È stata la mano di Dio
  • IMDb: link

Filippo Scotti stars as the aimless Fabietto in 80s Naples in this coming of age story from Paolo Sorrentino. We’re introduced to Fabietto’s extended dysfunctional family including his womanizing father (Toni Servillo), prankster mother (Teresa Saponangelo), older brother with dreams of becoming an actor (Marlon Joubert), and lascivious aunt (Luisa Ranieri). The film is beautifully shot by Daria D’Antonio framing our stumbling protagonist disconnected from the world long before tragedy strikes upending his life even more.

Sorrentino doesn’t seem to have a destination for Fabietto in mind. Although he grows over the course of the film taking interest in more than football, it’s hard to tell how much he’s actually learned. The untethered protagonist means the film seems aimless as well, even if that’s the point as Fabietto finally discovers he can no longer allow life to pass him by and must start making hard choices.

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The Novice

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Novice
  • IMDb: link

This character study from writer/director Lauren Hadaway introduces us to obsessive-compulsive college freshman Alex Dall (Isabelle Fuhrman) who joins the university’s rowing team. With goals to make varsity, despite having no experience in the sport, Alex throws herself fully into the project in much the same way she decided to make her weakest subject her college major and overcome what she sees as a shortcoming.

The Novice examines a side normally not highlighted in sports films. While Alex is consumed with winning, the movie is not about her heroic struggle over the odds. Instead, The Novice examines compulsion, fixation, obsession, and the winning at all costs attitude that can be destructive not just in the sport but throughout a person’s life. Alex is often offered help, much of it ignored, as she seems predestined towards proving she will either succeed or fail on her own.

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Being the Ricardos

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Being the Ricardos
  • IMDb: link

Being the Ricardos is aptly named as even though a large portion of the movie takes place on the set of I Love Lucy the film is really about the relationship between real-life husband and wife Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) and Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman). While neither of the actors much resemble who they are playing, and Kidman’s look for the movie more closely resembles bad BOTOX than Lucille Ball at times, there’s an interesting story here which is helped by the witty dialogue and pace of writer/director Aaron Sorkin‘s script.

The best aspect of the film is it showcasing how Lucille Ball fought for everything (and against everyone) to try and make the best show possible, which is the only place her marriage really worked. As if the show and her husband’s womanizing weren’t taxing enough. Ball also faces charges of being a Communist during the height of McCarthyism that threaten both her career and the future of the show.

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