The Tender Bar

This is an Amazon original movie, my wife and I watched it at home streaming on Amazon. It is set mostly on Long Island and in Connecticut but was filmed in various Massachusetts locations.

The movie is really two parts and they cut back and forth. The older part is in the early 1970s when young JR and his mother deal with their situation by moving back to her parents' home, dad is a radio voice and mostly absent. JR's uncle (Affleck in a good role) operates his own bar and gives young JR some life advice. Mom wants JR to go to Yale and become a lawyer, but JR decides he wants to be a writer.

The other half is in the 1980s when JR is at Yale, then later when he starts to get jobs as a reporter. Woven in are his frustrations with the girl he falls for but she never seems to be able to choose just him.

All in all a good and interesting movie ultimately about JR's coming of age.

There is a group of people who have troubled the cinema, and this mass is fed only by spreading negative energy.

George Clooney and Ben Affleck have been targeted by such people throughout their careers.

The film, which Clooney did a very clean job, attracts people especially with its 70's texture.

Intelligently chosen actors and actresses, excellent selection of songs, cinematography, art direction are very good.

The script is already a book adaptation.

Tye Sheridan is my favorite generation Z actor. He showed her talent in this movie as well.

A very good 'Coming of Age' movie is waiting for you and the movie gives you more than what it promises in this sense.

There is Uncle Charlie, bartender ( Ben Affleck) in a bar named "The Dickens" inspired by Charles Dickens and instead of liquor bottles in the cabinet he has a collection of books. Something more unusual is that he doles out serious advice to young 10 year old boy JR ( Daniel Ranieri) on how an ideal man should behave. This movie is based on the memoirs of famous journalist JR Moehringer, and chronicles his growth from a boy to a young man studying at Yale and later aspiring to be a writer.

JR has gone through a troubled childhood without a father, has been through a turbulent manhood ( getting dumped 9 times, getting rejected for a job) but learns a lot from Uncle Charlie constantly. ( Later in life Uncle Charlie tells him to select philosophy as a subject since there are no right answers in this subject). JR's mom however has been supporting him throughout and this keeps him going as he navigates his ups and downs. A heart-warming scene has young JR attending a " Breakfast with dad" session in school with his grandpa standing in for his missing father.

A warm, sentimental film embellished with some good acting by Ben Affleck who carries the film well and gives it class. Young Daniel Ranieri is lovable and plays his role like a seasoned professional. Credit to the handsome hunk behind the camera, that is director George Clooney who has done a competent job. The movie has a foot tapping soundtrack of, believe it or not, around thirty numbers which add to the entertainment value of the movie. The movie ends on a positive note for JR as he says that unlike the selection process to become a lawyer, one has only to have self belief and can become a writer when one is ready.

My Review - The Tender Bar (Amazon Prime)

My Rating 8/10.

I'm so pleased one of my cinephile friends recommended this very uplifting and entertaining movie as one I may like and he was so right .

It's based on the coming of age memoir of Pulitzer Prize winning author 'J. R." Moehringer novelist and journalist and his childhood experiences growing up on Long Island .

"JR"'s memoir obviously impressed other famous celebrities as he has previously written the memoirs of both the American businessman and Nike co-founder, Philip Knight (Shoe Dog), and tennis star, Andre Agassi (Open) .

"JR" as he is known in this movie has recently been commissioned with help from Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex to write his memoir .

The book is likely to draw a huge audience, which is probably why it's drawn a huge advance of $20m (£14m), which Harry says he'll donate to charity.

Now back to this delightful film beautifully directed and co produced by George Clooney . This is the 2nd collaboration between Ben Affleck and George Clooney, after both served as producers on Argo (2012).

Ben Affleck plays Uncle Charlie , JR's substitute father and proprietor of the Dickens Bar which is the social hub of the town.

Ben Affleck gives a great performance full of the humour and wisdom that this young boy desperately needs after moving back to Long Island with his mother and her family after separation from an absent and totally disfunctional father known only in the credits as "The Voice " played by Max Martini a very apt name .

In a Variety interview, Ben Affleck said "I think the world is a tough and ugly place, particularly now, so I feel good injecting this movie onto the world." The real charm of this movie is from the 2 performances from Daniel Ranieri who plays young JR and Tye Sheridan who plays JR as a young man entering the world of journalism and romance.

Interestingly after The Tender Bar I watched the 2012 movie Mud where Tye Sheridan plays a young boy befriending a fugitive Matthew McConaughey and it's easy to see why he won many acting awards and most promising newcomer.

There are some other delightful performances in this movie that doesn't feature gimmicks or pretends to be great art but just tells a touching story that's inspiring and entertaining.

I particularly enjoyed Lily Rabe as JR's mother who is determined that he will go to Yale or Harvard and become a lawyer.

Also Christopher Lloyd as Grandpa there's a beautiful scene where crusty old smelly Grandpa gets gussied up and takes young JR to the schools "Fathers Breakfast .

I actually enjoyed The Tender Bar as much as the 2020 similar plot movie Hillbilly Elegy.

The movie was good. Very touching and heartwarming, with a great sense of time and place. A little uneven at times. But Affleck gives what I think is his best, most real performance. Not his usual movie star stuff. He should be nominated for an Oscar for this.