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ToddKatzzz
Reviews
Welcome to Marwen (2018)
Watch Every 21 Seconds if you really want to see a true story about TBI
Hollywood did it again and not in a good way. Another missed opportunity to show a powerful true story and instead they decided to bring Disneyland to the big screen which simple doesn't play with this particular storyline. My sister sufferers from a TBI after surviving a horrible car accident. A couple years back we picked up Regarding Henry and it annoyed her, it annoyed all of us that are close to her and that help take care of her, the way that film sugar coated TBI, well this film not only sugar coats TBI, it Willy Wonka's it. TBIs are ugly, devastating, messy and brutal for the one suffering from it and their caregivers. Yet they are invisible to others. Often times you'll never be able to tell by looking at someone that have a TBI, yet them and their loved ones are going through a living hell.
If any of you actually care about Traumatic Brain Injures and the 10s of millions it affects, check out the film Every 21 Seconds starring Shannon Brown and Kelly Thiebaud. I mention the lead actors names simply because these two deliver performances that perfectly capture what it's like to have a TBI (Brown) and how challenging it is to be the primary caregiver (Thiebaud) to someone with this horrible condition. Brown is captivating as the main character who suffers from a TBI, honestly one of the best performances you'll ever see in any movie period.
Similar to Welcome to Marwen, Every 21 Seconds is based on the true story of TBI survivor who also suffered his injury due to being assaulted unjustly. I stumbled across 21 when it was in theaters earlier this year in Chicago. I was floored by not only the performances of the leads, but also the authenticity and rawness of the film itself. I picked up my sister and brought her back that same day to watch a later showing. It was very emotional for her to watch it, at the end she had tears of joy, saying that this film perfectly captures the struggles of someone suffering from a TBI.
I guess we were hoping a bigger budget film like Marwen would take advantage of this great opportunity to put an authentic mainstream film out there really highlighting this devastating condition, sadly they did not.
Tag (2018)
I don't want to play anymore
I was excited to see this mainly due to some of the cast. I thought the concept was somewhat clever and it would be a fun, typical mainstream comedy. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to even my modest expectations. It seemed like once you made it through the first 20 minutes that you'd pretty much seen the entire movie and sadly that was precisely the case. There was no real conflict or motivation to keep the audience engaged. It seemed like a skit that went about an hour too long.
Overall the cast was fine, but not great. I'm a Ed Helms fan and he did a funny, yet predictable Ed Helms role. However, I just can't connect with Jake Johnson. I don't see the draw, I don't know that I've ever talked to anyone who is a fan of this guy. Perhaps if the studio instead decided to cast someone like Ike Barinholtz, it could have made a big difference for the entire ensemble. No one else in the cast really sticks out, good or bad. I think Hollywood needs to stop casting the same actors in the same type of roles over and over again. It's getting to the point where these mainstream comedies all feel the same just with different titles.
This might be worth a couple hours of your time if you check it out on cable, but I wouldn't pay to see it.
Blockers (2018)
A timely comedy that hits every beat
I'm still struggling with accepting John Cena as an actor, not sure if that changed after seeing this movie, but if he was the weak spot he was the only weak spot. This comedy definitely exceeded my expectations. It's hard to really get specific without giving up spoilers, but let's just say the writer does a great job of incorporating modern social media with good old fashioned teen age love and angst. The cast executed this vision wonderfully. There are a few wow moments, again no spoilers, but it inolves emoji interpretation and a very VERY unusual use of a beer bong. This was a nice mix of a feel good comedy and edgy at times raunchy situations.
I hope Leslie Mann finds a way to make movies for the next 30 years, she's so likeable as the lead in this just as she is in all of her movies. Also, I think Ike Barinholtz is very underrated as a comedic actor, he's awesome in this. I definitely recommend checking it out.
Smothered by Mothers (2019)
Someone call animal control
This movie was surprising on several levels. Until recently, I wasn't familiar with Shannon Brown's work. I happened to see him in a touching and intense drama, Every 21 Seconds, when it was in theaters. I actually went to watch Black Panther but showed up late and figured I was there and pretty much decided to watch the next film starting which happened to be 21 seconds, it has a cool poster and I was in the mood to catch a movie, so why not. Brown was the lead, I was floored by his portrayal of a TBI survivor and became a fan instantly. After looking him up, I stumbled across this film and was a little surprised it was a comedy. I recognized the director, Brian Herzlinger and some of the cast, Heather Matarazzo and Burt Young of course. So, it was worth checking out and I'm really glad I did.
This movie is hilarious and Brown was shockingly good. The only reason I say shockingly is because I just didn't expect the same actor that I saw play a very intense and dramatic character so well to be equally as good as the lead character in a comedy. The dude definitely has range. The film overall just has great timing all the beats are sharp, Brian Herzlinger (My Date with Drew) does a great job of telling this story.
The story centers around a wealthy, hedonistic soon to be retired football player "Bigtime Bobby Davis". This guy has it all- looks, charm, cars, mansions, women, fame. Pretty much every guy's fantasy, then through a series of bad luck and bad choices he loses it all and then some. You literally began watching being jealous and envious of him then in a matter of moments you feel sorry for the guy and thank your lucky stars that you are not in his situation. The major transition is executed flawlessly by Shannon Brown. His reactions and facial expressions are perfectly timed, he forces you to be engaged with his character.
The supporting cast is excellent as well. A wild group of characters that I'm sure Herzlinger enjoyed directing because he did a fantastic job. It couldn't have been easy with so many off the wall characters. Heather Matarazzo shines as the relentless and oft times menacing sister of the main character. The sibling dynamic between Brown and Matarazzo is so good that you'd think they were brother and sister in real life if you didn't know any better. Any guy like me that grew up with a little sister will really appreciate how well these two pull off these characters. Another standout performance was Jamie Bernadette, she plays Brown's smoking hot assistant. The chemistry between Brown and Bernadette is electric, very steamy. You just desperately want them to end up together by the end of the movie. I don't know if this was intentional by Herzlinger or not and I'm not gonna give away any spoilers. I will say that if these two ever co star in a movie together as love interests, I will be first in line to see it.
This comedy is definitely worth checking out, really tough to find many flaws with it. The ending seemed maybe a little unsettled, incomplete. Maybe they plan to do a sequel or somehow continue the story, if so, that would be great! I'd definitely like to see what happens with "Bigtime" and the rest of the crazy characters.
Every 21 Seconds (2018)
Intense true story that hits close to home.
I'm not one to write reviews, in fact this is the first one I've ever done, but I felt I had to for this movie. I saw Every 21 Seconds in Chicago while it was in theaters. I honestly hadn't heard of it (I was planning on watching Black Panther but I was late) Anyway, I thought the poster was very intriguing and it was about to start so I figured 'what the heck, why not'
It wasn't until the film started that I found out it was based on a true story. That was only the first surprise. I then found out that it was about a TBI survivor. This hit close to home as my sister is also a TBI survivor after a bad car accident. As the story progressed I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. The pacing was perfect, the characters were developed well and the performances were nothing short of amazing. In particular the lead actor, Shannon Brown, who played the TBI survivor. Again, it hit close to home. I saw so much of my sister in his genuine, honest and powerful portrayal of a TBI survivor. His angst, his sudden mood changes, going from happy and smiling to being unhinged in a matter of seconds. His confusion and panic, having to relearn simple tasks that most of us take for granted. It was exactly how my sister went through this living hell. Just a brilliant performance by Brown, I'm now a fan and will be looking for more of his movies.
The female lead, Kelly Theibaud, was also fantastic. She plays Brown's wife and main supporter. I could easily sympathize with her struggle. I could feel her pain and frustration. The chemistry between the two leads was palpable, so strong. These two brilliant actors were perfectly cast to lead the audience on this intense journey. The entire cast was strong, in addition to the leads, the main Dr played by Jim O'Heir was great. He found a way to give some much needed levity without compromising the intensity of the story.
The director and producers hit a home run here. Great portrayal of a true story and the film was cast perfectly. Other than one of the friends, there were no bad performances. Even the kids were wonderful!
So, I ended up not seeing Black Panther that day. Instead, after watching this, I immediately called my sister. I picked her up and we went back that same day to a later showing and we watched it together. She cried more times than I could count. At the end, she had tears of joy. She said this movie perfectly portrays what it's like to have a TBI. It's a great movie purely as movies go, but it's a must see for anyone that has a TBI or has a loved one who does. Thank you for making this movie!