The Peanut Butter Falcon

Spoiler-free!

In the movie to most thoroughly warm your heart this year, Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Downs Syndrome, runs away from the rest home where he restlessly stays with all the old people, and bumps into Tyler (Shia LaBeouf) a borderline vagabond who's struggling to hold his life together in the rural Outer Banks of North Carolina. They form an unlikely team and go on the lam together, evading vengeful fishermen, and a pretty caregiver, Eleanor (Dakota Johnson). Their destination? Friendship, adventure, and a wrestling school, where Zak plans to meet his hero and fulfill his dream of becoming a wrestler.

Written and directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz.

I feel like there's not much more I could say to tempt you if the premise doesn't already have you sold. You look at the characters there, and the situation they're put in, and the rest of the appeal of the film just falls into place. Unexpected bonds, high adventure in the American South, danger and fun laid out side-by-side; it's relaxed and easy-going like all true Southern films should be, but cares deeply about the characters and their journeys. All that it promises with perfect clarity through the set-up, and it delivers on every promise with an impassioned sense of duty. Oh, and did I mention romance? I thought romance was dead in film; not in The Peanut Butter Falcon!

There were two things I was sorely missing in 2019's line-up of new releases, and this movie filled both those holes in one go: Adventure, and romance. On the adventure side, it goes just about as far as it can without getting into a fantasy sub-genre. It has that otherworldly feel of the rural south (and I say that as someone who lives amid it) that it sinks deep into like a muddy river, and that world does the work of suspending your disbelief for you. It's true adventure -- with quests and perils, beautiful scenery and lots of walking. On that note the cinematography was lovely; there's a certain style that perfectly captures the laid-back feel of southern living, like in Jeff Nichols' Mud, and this one has it.

Even without the entertaining plot and neat, thoughtful characters, this movie is lovely to watch.

Then on the romance, it's weird to me how in general movies have lost touch with romance, especially if it's a side plot. It's somehow become annoyingly clinical, like filmmakers are afraid of having two characters gaze at each other and show the audience the moments that make the characters fall in love. I don't mind that filmmakers and trying new approaches to romance (for example this year, I appreciated the focus on friendship over romantic feelings in Five Feet Apart). Often I feel that films are holding back though, and even though this movie's romance is on the side, it wastes no time to get to it, or opportunity to develop it and make it sweet and appealing and everything romance should be.

The writers/directors are new to feature films and you can see the care of this first project in the craftsmanship. The movie remembers to pay off everything it sets up and ends every bit as well as it began, not losing steam or interest as productions with less passion behind them are wont to do. But it also is remarkably sure of itself, for the artists being new to the game. They have a great understanding of what makes films entertaining, pacing, and how to convey real meaning through the craft. The film feels personal. Apparently they made it for their friend Zack, so he could have an opportunity to dig into acting on a large stage, and that focus an intent comes through. That's what makes it appealing to audiences who don't know them or Zack from Adam.

Supporting cast includes Jon Bernthal (with less than 5 mins of screen time as usual haha) Thomas Haden Church and Bruce Dern!

I'm sure they worked hard at it, but they must have also gotten lucky, because the cast line-up is perfect, and not just because they nabbed big name stars like Shia and Dakota. They're big, and good actors, yes, but most importantly they fill out their roles beautifully. I hope Shia LeBeouf is back to stay because he's hit a new stride of acting that suits him; never more naturalistic or subtle or universally appealing as this troubled hero teetering on the edge of destruction. He's dark but not weighty. And Dakota Johnson has a soft strength to her that is impossible to mimic and ideal for this character. The more I see of her the more I love her. Zack is a perfect embodiment of this film's heart, and the three of them have grin-inducing chemistry together.

Some movies have magical timing, and this is one. It could have taken so many paths that would've led to an element not coming through properly, but instead everything fell together like clockwork, and I think the result is the best possible outcome; an immensely satisfying feeling. It certainly had perfect timing for me, swooping in, you might say, like a falcon, to save me from the frustration of films that fall short or miss opportunities to dig into the elements of stories that I want to see. I love that The Peanut Butter Falcon wasn't made for me, but because it was made for someone else, I get to see and love it as if it was.

Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood

Spoiler-free!

It boggles my mind that this film came from Quentin Tarantino. With his work so far, I've only been able to find respect, and tidbits of enjoyment as I watched the masterfully crafted scenes -- featuring characters I didn't particularly care about, doing things that I didn't really understand. I wouldn't say there's absolutely no heart or meaning to any of them, but with all that glorious violence and excessive swearing that stylishly coats the picture in distraction, "heartfelt" is certainly not the first quality that enters my head when this filmmaker's name is mentioned. Until today.

I loved how in the filming scenes, the camera becomes the in-movie scene's camera as well. The crew disappears until the scene cuts, just as it should. The magic of movies is portrayed in this movie -- but there's cynicism too.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood follows the lives of Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), an actor who was a big time hit in the 50's with a cowboy TV show, and Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), Rick's long-time friend and stunt double. Now Rick does guest appearances as villains and Cliff drives him around. Also, Rick just so happens to live right next door to Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) who is doomed to be murdered by cultist hippies. The film watches with a keen eye as they navigate Hollywood in 1969, imparting a surprising amount of insight and honesty onto the audience as it goes.

No movie can exist these days without controversy. This one has more than a few, and my two cents on the overall subject is that it's all contrived. If you don't like the way any number of real-life characters are portrayed in this film, there's no demand for you to believe or trust that characterization. This movie has a perspective and is honest about that. It's hard to say what is true, especially when fiction and reality are so blurred together as they are here; the point isn't that what the film shows us is true or really happened (most of it didn't) but it uses our knowledge of history to build a compelling, fictional narrative and story.

Great era music. And so much of it! Also, Robbie is a wonder of physical acting in this. She portrays so much, and becomes absolutely mythical. People complaining she doesn't have as many lines as the men have no concept of the power of silence.

At the heart of the story is Cliff -- an admirable guy who experiences the Hollywood film business as an impartial outsider. He lives in a trailer behind a drive-in theater with his dog, and doesn't get to do what he loves anymore -- stunt work -- so he putters around, acting as chauffeur for Rick and doing odd jobs for him, reminiscing about the days when he could show up the stuck-up elite, and generally being an all-around unappreciated hero. While Rick pretends to be a hard-boiled cowboy, Cliff is off actually being one; bringing a little more justice to the world with practiced control and a level head.

As a result, this movie succeeds in being my favorite effort of Tarantino's and my favorite role of Pitt's. I'll readily admit that I've never been a super-fan of either, but I've never been closer than I am now. The unnoticed hero is a trope that wins with me every time, and this movie pulls it off in spectacular fashion and doesn't shove it in your face; appropriately, it lets the actions of its characters speak for themselves. The rest of the movie and characters do their jobs; whether to juxtapose the hero, drive the plot, create tension, or make a one-off statement, this movie brims with talent and they do a brilliant job.

It is 2 hours and 41 minutes; and not an inch too long. Stuffed full, but not rushed or bursting. The travelling scenes were great. Whether through city by car, or desert by horse, I like that it took the time to relish moments like those.

This movie worked on me. The effect it was crafted to have; the impact it was intended to make, landed solid and stuck. Even if it hadn't, Tarantino still has an ability to make good and artful films. Its humor was funny, its style infectious, and its scenes and structure had flow. It felt indulgent, but not snobbishly; lingering where it wanted to, but having a reason, and knowing how to balance. Of course it's good; few people would deny that Tarantino can put together a movie. My unexpectedly great admiration comes from the personal meaning within all the expected Hollywood trappings.

Once Upon a Time in... is a Tarantino flick through and through; and, perhaps, a little bit more. The highlight still comes from his patent rich and memorable characters, and wild and memorable scenes. It's as brazen, gory, and careless -- as always. But it's also oddly tender, understanding, and even regretful. It feels like a fairytale. As if someone wished, and then worked hard to make that wish come true, even if briefly. Technical prowess aside, the kind of movie that bares its soul in that way is a movie worthy of the name.