Starrman21

Clever, peculiar, riveting, gripping, funny, dark, beautifully shot, mesmerizing, well written, perfectly cast, perfectly acted, perfectly directed and a treat for the senses...everyones actions have consequences and they are all destined to same fate... Every character came from a good place than find themselves bereft of morality, driven to unscrupulously succeed ..incapable of redemption yet compelling to the core... The notion of "no honor amongst thieves" is the common badge all the characters in Better Call Saul wear...and it's a badge that drives each character to succeed in their respective dark underbelly world.

This show is a treat and an unpredictable ride...every scene of every episode...you are drawn in immediately....enjoy!

There is nothing not to love about this film...it still holds up as a very funny film with some great characters attached.

For The Wild Life, the obvious connection and comparison will forever be Fast Times at Ridgemont High...which is fair and fitting. Like many of us, Cameron Crowe didn't just write down his reflections of his high school days...he painted a narrative as only he can. Visual, thematically accurate and draped with the soundtracks of our youth. As great as Fast Times is, The Wild Life is "equal to" on many levels and equally as enjoyable.

Fast Times takes place during a school year chronicling several different characters as they go through the trials and tribulations of going through high school...where The Wild Life chronicles the lives of some high school kids during a summer break that is coming to a close.

One of the things that never gets mentioned is how so much of the film takes place during the night...which for me was an underscore to the high school years for a lot of us who went to high school in the late 70's and early 80's. Outdoor parties, cruising around with friends, always looking for something to do and generally staying out all night...only to do it all over again, night after night....perhaps Art Linson had the same snapshot in his head when making this film...the story being told mostly in the evening has never been lost on me.

From a character perspective, Christopher Penn, Eric Stoltz, Jenny Wright, Lea Thompson, Ilan Mitchell-Smith were perfectly cast in their respective roles....with Hart Bochner, Rick Moranis, Ben Stein, Sherilyn Fenn, Michael Bowen, Angel Salazar, Robert Ridgely and Randy Quaid among others offering terrific supporting roles that enhances the film. The musical score penned by Eddie Van Halen is also a great accent to the film....just terrific pacing.

The Wild Life is a very enjoyable film that has several memorable lines, memorable scenes with a goof or two mixed in....but the film works to this day, still holds up.

Hats off to Art Linson for making a good, funny and memorable film...released in 1984...it still resonates with those of us who remember those days fondly.

Enjoy!

You don't have to be a fan of auto racing to appreciate and enjoy the film "Senna". From the start of the film to it's historical tragic ending...you are pulled into the world of open wheel racing and the life of legendary Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna.

Some people are born to do one thing and in Ayrton Senna's life he chased the dream of being the best driver of the world, welcomed the controversy and challenges that comes and welcomed the burden and responsibility with being as important to his country as anyone had ever been in Brazil's history.

Through it all, you are pulled towards the energy and confidence Senna exuded as a race car driver, you feel his passion, at times you bristle at his brash demeanor towards his racing peers but you understand and marvel at Senna the whole time. He made every car he drove better, he made every team better whom he drove for and ultimately he became the driver that everyone else wished they could be.

A perspective that this film also shows is the razor edge nature of the drivers respecting the sport and the ever changing political climate that seems to be a constant shadow of Formula One racing. No driver was ever in control, no team owner was going to get an edge.

In Senna's case, it was apparent that his success would always be envied by those who had more...yet he was the driver that everyone wanted at any price...his excellence as a driver was always on display...the glamor of being the best ever never seemed to phase him.

In the end, the film humanizes Senna to the audience and to himself...you see his mortality on trial, he knew he loved racing, he knew he could win with any car on any track under any conditions and ultimately he knew it could all go away within seconds...

Senna's impact to his sport will forever be footnoted. His impact to the people of Brazil will be timeless...Ayrton Senna was Brazil's first son.

This film is a masterpiece...it's human, heartwarming, touching, poignant and tragic...