Joey Magidson
Welcome back to my Home Movies! Today, a small indie with a hell of an ending hits “shelves” in Jungleland. Aside from that? The slate this week is once again on the smaller side. Alas. Such is the nature of 2020 being a year with so many films delayed. Anyway, we press on. Read on for more…
Joey’s Top Pick
Jungleland
A film full of folks making back decisions, the work of Charlie Hunnam and Jack O’Connell speaks for itself in Jungleland. Max Winkler‘s latest movie could be just a downer, but the performances are quite good. Hunnam and O’Connell execute Winkler’s vision, effectively investing you in their plights. The result is something fairly emotional and mostly effective. Plus, some clutch use of The Boss never hurts, at least for yours truly. Any flick that does that gets a few bonus points from me. Here‘s a bit from my highly positive review:
Jungleland echos a number of other works, from something like Warrior to even the songs of Bruce Springsteen. In fact, the aforementioned strong climax includes a perfect choice in playing Springsteen’s Dream Baby Dream over the sequence. The Boss is the poet laureate of the working class, so this working class tale is elevated by his inclusion, which pairs perfectly with a nice little score from composer Lorne Balfe.
Also Available This Week
Lupin III: The First
Manifest: The Complete Second Season (TV)
Spongebob Squarepants: The Complete 12th Season (TV)
A Thousand Cuts
The Twilight Zone (2019): The Complete Second Season (TV)
Criterion Corner
Minding the Gap
From The Criterion Collection: “This extraordinary debut from documentarian Bing Liu weaves a story of skateboarding, friendship, and fathers and sons into a coming-of-age journey of courageous vulnerability. Over the course of several years and with his camera always at the ready, Liu records the rocky paths into adulthood of Keire and Zack, two friends from his own skateboarding community in Rockford, Illinois. As he does so, deeper parallels gradually emerge that ultimately draw the filmmaker into a heartrending confrontation with his own past. With an eye for images of exhilarating poetry and a keen emotional sensitivity, Minding the Gap is a powerfully cathartic portrait of fledgling lives forged in trauma and fighting to break free.”
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