TheCasualReviewer

SYNOPSIS: A minister of a small congregation in upstate New York grapples with mounting despair brought on by tragedy, worldly concerns and a tormented past (IMDB).

REVIEW: This one should be short. For me, this film really came down to a slow burn that didn't have a gratifying finish. I understand the battle of Hope and Despair in this film and what Toller (Ethan Hawke) is going through, however, it didn't touch me in any real or film related way. I struggle to find why this film had so much Oscar buzz back in 2017 other than the fact that it's an independent film released by A24. People raved about Ethan Hawke's acting and not to say it's bad, but not Oscar worthy. It was just another role as it was with Amanda Seyfried. If I had to pick a standout performance, I would pick the small part that Philip Ettinger played.

To conclude, nothing stood out in this film. Not the direction or acting, writing or any other pillar of making a film that makes it great and not just good. It's not one I'll go back too and I'm sure it's one that'll be forgotten. 5/10.

SYNOPSIS: Bryan (Aaron Paul) and Cassie (Emily Ratajkowski) rent a vacation home in Italy and run into Federico (Riccardo Scamarcio), a friendly local who offers to show them around. The question is, are Fredrico's intention as innocent as they seem?

REVIEW: This film really reminds me of the Directorial debut from Dave Franco that I reviewed not too long ago. A film that had smooth direction and didn't run longer than it should've, but didn't do anything different with the genre. My rule-of-thumb on films like this is if you're going to create a film in an over-saturated genre/sub-genre that you need to add either an original element or elevate whatever it is that you're copying. In this sense, it's the same as doing a live-action remake of a animation. I understood what both characters were going through, though I did feel they made the Cassie character a bit naive. And I know it's hard to tell at times, but I think it's a little easier to distinguish whether someone's being naive or just nice than they portrayed in this film. The acting was good from all parts and I don't feel like needing to expand on that since acting isn't a contributor to what I feel about this film.

In the end, there's not much to say on this film. I had no specific excitement at any moment of the film. On the other hand, nothing made me mad at the film. I just kindle say there and watched. 5.5/10.

SYNOPSIS: Jake (Ethan Hawks) spends his first day with Alonzo (Denzel Washington) as a narcotics officer finding out that it might not be as clean of a job that he was hoping for.

REVIEW: This film is completely driven by Denzel. Not to say Ethan Hawke or any of the other cast aren't great, but the life Denzel gives to Alonzo is on another planet. The charisma and aura he builds around his character makes him take control of every scene that he's in. Then you have Ethan Hawke who does really well as his straight partner. Someone who Alonzo can manipulate in the beginning because of being the newby, but not incompetent where he doesn't quickly catch on to what's really happening. David Ayer is really good at creating your average day characters and creating a solid, realistic script with them. He did the same in "End of Watch" and in "Fury." I would say that Alonzo it the outlier, but I believe that Denzel is what made that character who he is. Then you have Antoine Fuqua (Director) creating these very tense scenes between characters, like the kitchen scene with Jake and Smiley (Cliff Curtis). Scenes like this really bring the film above and beyond.

If you're looking for a crime drama that has fantastic acting and some very tense moments, this is the one. 9.1/10.