Joey Magidson
Welcome back to my Home Movies! Today, we have two really different titles leading the charge. There’s the Kurt Warner biopic in American Underdog, alongside Ridley Scott‘s House of Gucci. The slate also includes a new Criterion release this week as well. Read on for more…
Joey’s Top Pick
American Underdog
Kurt Warner’s story was ready made for Hollywood. That alone is something that makes a film version of his life interesting (as I discussed with Warner himself here). Luckily, American Underdog is not just a run of the mill sports movie, but something a little more. It’s as much a solid biopic as anything else. My review on the site has more:
American Underdog takes Warner’s story and make this a hybrid between a romantic drama/dramedy and a sports movie. Football is certainly represented, but it’s not the sole focus. Nothing here re-invests the cinematic wheel, to be sure, but it’s all done with such an affectionate touch that it’s hard not to fall for it. Cynics need not apply here, but if you’re open to the flick, it’s going to reward you.
House of Gucci
Lady Gaga‘s Oscar snub for House of Gucci looms large now, but look past that for a moment. What we have here is a big, messy film that landed with more appreciation than many expected. I spoke to writer Roberto Bentivegna about it (here), but it’s worth remembering. My review here on the site has a bit more:
House of Gucci is, essentially, well done trash. Everyone is going big here, led by a turn from Lady Gaga that demands attention. Scott is letting his cast have fun, and it shows. Now, it leads to a messy nature that hampers the film as it progresses, but the first act is a highlight. Initially, the movie has a Martin Scorsese vibe to it, which lends to some major entertainment value. For some, boredom might set in by the end, but for others, it will be compelling from the first frame to the last.
Attack On Titan: The Final Season, Part 1 (TV)
Gomorrah: The Series, Season Four (TV)
The Green Mile (on 4K)
John Carpenter’s Escape From L.A. (on 4K)
Boat People
From The Criterion Collection: “One of the preeminent works of the Hong Kong New Wave, Boat People is a shattering look at the circumstances that drove hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees to flee their homeland in the wake of the Vietnam War, told through images of haunting, unforgettable power. Three years after the Communist takeover, a Japanese photojournalist (George Lam) travels to Vietnam to document the country’s seemingly triumphant rebirth. When he befriends a teenage girl (Season Ma) and her destitute family, however, he begins to discover what the government doesn’t want him to see: the brutal, often shocking reality of life in a country where political repression and poverty have forced many to resort to desperate measures in order to survive. Transcending polemic, renowned director Ann Hui takes a deeply humanistic approach to a harrowing and urgent subject with searing contemporary resonance.”
Stay tuned for more next week…
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