davebelin Reviews

Crash (I) (2004)

Intense and ral

[10/10 · 25 September 2022]

I was blown away by this film. I'm not a huge movie buff but this one showed up on a list of top movies so I watched it. The most enduring part for me was the flaws in all the characters- they are both good and bad. Which makes this movie raw and real. You think one person is the good guy, but he's not. Same with the bad guy. I found myself shouting at the screen because the scenes were so intense. The overlap with the characters is convenient but not overdone. The threads that tie them together get revealed throughout the movie and keeps you wondering what the connections are. The cast is outstanding. There is foreshadowing, overlap, and connections. The intensity is what I was left with. Very engaging and well done film.

The Tender Bar (2021)

A nice coming of age story

[7/10 · 21 December 2021]

We saw this at an Amazon premiere at our local movie theater. I enjoyed the story of JR growing up and learning about becoming a man from his Uncle Charlie, since his own father is absent. JR navigates his way through life and ends up attending Yale and getting a job as a writer. Charlie teaches him to respect women, fosters his love of reading and writing, teaches him to be responsible with money, and other lessons.

I wish there was a bit more character development of a few of the bar patrons - just a little one-on-one interaction with each of them with JR would have added to the story.

Overall, a nice story told well, and worth watching.

Match Point (2005)

Wanted to like it more

[5/10 · 21 December 2021]

Match Point was on a list of top movies from this decade, so I gave it a watch. It was entertaining and well-made, the casting was terrific, some very good use of symbolism, and I love the British accents. My biggest issue was that the ending was just not believable. The setup doesn't bring the viewer along to the ultimate outcome in the movie. I just wasn't convinced, and so I couldn't really enjoy the movie overall.