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A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006)
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006)
I had never even heard of A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints until I rented Charlie Countryman (2013) at the Redbox. When you rent Charlie Countryman, you get A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints as a bonus movie. They give you a two-for-one, a double sided disc for the price of one movie. It’s a Shia LaBeouf double feature. They are both indie films. This was all the more intriguing to me, so I watched each movie the other night. You can guess what one of my next reviews will be.
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints was based on the book with the same title. Surprisingly enough, the man who wrote the book, Dito Montiel, also directed the movie. The movie is a film adaptation of Dito Montiel’s life growing up in Astoria, New York in the 1980s. The story is a look into a messed up childhood in a rough part of the city. It follows the struggles of inner city teenagers, Dito (Shia LaBeouf plays young Dito, and Robert Downey Jr. plays grown up Dito) and his friends as they are becoming adults. The circle of friends are pitted against drugs, violence, sex, love, hate, loss, and hardship. All the while, Dito wants to escape New York and try to make a better life for himself somewhere else.
The rest of the noteworthy cast includes Channing Tatum, Chazz Palminteri, Dianne Wiest, Rosario Dawson, Melonie Diaz, Martin Compston, Scott Michael Campbell, Anthony DeSando, Adam Scarimbolo, Peter Anthony Tambakis, Laila Liliana Garro, and Eric Roberts.
I’m surprised that this movie got past me 8 years ago, because the cast is excellent. I should have been aware of this film earlier. It’s another low-budget independent film that slipped through the cracks.
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints was hard to watch, at times, but it was also hard to stop watching. The film was an excellent depiction of how rundown certain areas of the country can be and how it affects the people living there. It’s indeed unfortunate, but it’s in-your-face honesty. Some people won’t be able to handle the honesty of this movie. The trashy characters, obscene language and other vulgarity, along with the sex, nudity, and mindless violence, among other things, will be too much for some.
But, you have to take the sweet from the sour. There is indeed a silver lining in this story. The headlining actors in this film are exceptional. The movie makes you feel like you are in the slums with the characters experiencing it all. The actors portray a remarkable friendship and camaraderie that helps you come back to the reality that people often try to be good even if they are bad.
The story is rigid and rocky, but the writing and acting make it all worthwhile. Here is an unknown gem for those who are willing to give it a chance.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
If you liked A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, you might also enjoy the following movies:
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
35 Best Independent Movies on Netflix Watch Instantly January 2014
35 Best Independent Movies on Netflix Watch Instantly January 2014
Often times, independent, low budget movies can be far superior to mainstream big budget films. If you are trying to find a good independent movie to watch on Netflix Watch Instantly, then you probably should not look much further than this list. After searching through all of the independent movies that are currently available on Netflix Watch Instantly, the movies on this list are the best ones, in my opinion.
I have not reviewed all of the movies that are on this list, but if a title is highlighted, then simply click on the title for a trailer, movie pictures, my rating, and my full review of that movie. If you like what you see, check out the rest of my website. As I review more films, I will add more links to this list.
Netflix actually has a very good selection of independent movies in their watch instantly library. Here is the list of the Best Independent Movies that Netflix Watch Instantly currently has to offer:
The Pianist (2002)
Memento (2000)
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993)
American Psycho (2000)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
He Was a Quiet Man (2007)
Poolhall Junkies (2002)
Detachment (2011)
Dead Man (1995)
Beautiful Girls (1996)
King of New York (1990)
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead (1995)
The Gift (2000)
Fargo (1996)
Following (1998)
Extract (2009)
Arbitrage (2012)
Clerks. (1994)
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
The Other Woman (2009)
Compulsion (2013)
Powder Blue (2009)
The World’s Fastest Indian (2005)
Swimming with Sharks (1994)
Hard Eight (1996)
Pi (1998)
Henry’s Crime (2010)
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Saved! (2004)
If you enjoyed this list, check out the rest of my Netflix related material by clicking on the Netflix Related icon towards the top of your screen. I’ll continue to add new lists, and of course, more movie reviews, so check back often at www.brockingmovies.com Movies are what I do.
Netflix Watch Instantly Movie Reviews January 2014
Netflix Watch Instantly Movie Reviews January 2014
Netflix Watch Instantly has drastically improved its movie selection over the last few years. They still have more movies that are available to rent on disc than they do to stream, but if you do a little bit of searching then you will be able to find plenty of good movies that are worth streaming.
I have seen literally hundreds of movies that are currently available on Netflix Watch Instantly and literally thousands of movies that are currently available to rent on disc.
I have been writing movie reviews for a year now, but I have been mainly focusing on reviewing newer movies. Because of this fact, I have not reviewed very many movies that are currently available on Netflix Watch Instantly. I plan on fixing this problem soon.
I will continue to update and add to the list below throughout the month of January, and make a new list each month. My lists will hopefully help you find good movies to watch and bad movies to stay away from. I will hopefully be able to help save you time searching for a good movie to stream on Netflix Watch Instantly. My reviews will tell you what are some of the best movies available on Netflix Watch Instantly and what are some of the worst movies available on Netflix Watch Instantly.
The Netflix Watch Instantly movie library changes periodically as their contracts with different movie companies run out or are renewed. Here is a list of movies that I have reviewed that are currently available on Netflix Watch Instantly. Click on each title below for my full review of that movie, my rating, the movie’s trailer, the movie’s poster, and pictures from that movie:
Yes, the list is short now, but as the days and weeks and months go by, I will have plenty of more reviews for you to read and I will help you find the hidden gems within the Netflix Watch Instantly movie library.
www.brockingmovies.com Movies are what I do.
Redbox Movie Reviews January 2014
Redbox Movie Reviews January 2014
I have seen 94 of the movies that are currently available at the Redbox. Of those 94 films, I have written a review for 61 of them. My reviews will let you know what I think are the best movies currently available at the Redbox and what are the worst movies currently available at the Redbox.
I like a wide variety of movies. My list consists of comedy movies, horror movies, action movies, drama movies, western movies, science fiction movies, foreign movies, comic book movies, family movies, war movies, etc. I’ve reviewed almost every genre you can think of, so hopefully it will suit whatever mood you are in.
Note: I will continue to update this list throughout the month of January. Each month I will keep updating a new list that will have more and more movies on it. If you like what you see, I hope that you will come back for more in the future.
Click on each title below for a trailer, pictures, cast list, my rating, and my review of that movie.
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006)
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)
Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013)
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
If you like what you see then click on this link: www.brockingmovies.com to check out the rest of my site. Movies are what I do.
Redbox Movie Reviews December 2013
Redbox Movie Reviews December 2013
I have seen 95 of the movies that are currently available at the Redbox. Of those 95 films, I have written a review for 60 of them. My reviews will let you know what I think are the best movies currently available at the Redbox and what are the worst movies currently available at the Redbox.
I like a wide variety of movies. My list consists of comedy movies, horror movies, action movies, drama movies, western movies, science fiction movies, foreign movies, comic book movies, family movies, war movies, etc. I’ve reviewed almost every genre you can think of, so hopefully it will suit whatever mood you are in.
Note: I will continue to update this list throughout the month of December. Each month I will keep updating a new list that will have more and more movies on it. If you like what you see, I hope that you will come back for more in the future.
Click on each title below for a trailer, pictures, cast list, my rating, and my review of that movie.
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
If you like what you see then click on this link: www.brockingmovies.com to check out the rest of my site. Movies are what I do.
Stuck in Love (2012)
Stuck in Love (2012)
Occasionally a love story that is not a “chick flick”, but looks like one, will fall through the cracks. Stuck in Love looked like one of those stories. The movie falls through the cracks because people assume it is a “chick flick” and they dismiss it immediately. I almost did the same thing because I’m not a fan of “chick flicks.” I’m not a fan of
“chick flicks” because well, I’m not a chick.
“Chick flicks” are so prevalent in the movie world these days that they are like a cancer that has spread. They are everywhere and their whole existence is killing the industry that they thrive on.
Stuck in Love is a dysfunctional drama about a semi-popular author (Greg Kinnear) who finds himself unable to get over his ex-wife (Jennifer Connelly), even after being divorced for more than 2 years. His son and daughter, who are also writers, are having their own struggles with love.
The film was written and directed by Josh Boone and the rest of the noteworthy cast includes Lily Collins, Kristen Bell, Logan Lerman, Nat Wolff, Liana Liberato, Stephen King, and Patrick Schwarzenegger.
I have always enjoyed movies about writers, because I have always wanted to be a writer.
The movie is only slightly formulaic and just a little bit predictable. It is not like “chick flicks” that are completely predictable because they always follow the same formula.
The film is rated-R for language, drug use, sexual situations, and adult drama. The movie is as much a teen drama as it is an adult drama.
There is a lot of language in the film, but that has become reality. You would like to think that people don’t always talk that way, but that is how it really is. We are a society that has become de-sensitized and the absence of language in the movie would have made it less realistic and less practical.
I was a little surprised when watching this movie because I thought it was going to be more about the parents in the story, rather than the kids. When, in fact, the film was just as much about the adults as it was about the kids.
The young actors in the movie did a better job than I anticipated. However,
the presence of Kinnear and Connelly help to make Stuck in Love a quirky, heart warming drama worth watching.
Once again, my dysfunctional childhood was probably the reason why I was drawn to this movie. Maybe it is just because I can relate to the craziness that is going on in the movie and that is why I like it. Growing up as the youngest in a big family, it’s hard to avoid the drama. Maybe that is why the movie seems more real to me, because dysfunction is more honest than perfection. Madness is more entertaining than predictability.
I rate this move a 7.5 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Rent.
If you liked Stuck in Love, then you may also enjoy The Big Wedding (2013), Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011), and The Way, Way Back (2013).
Current Redbox Movie Reviews November 2013
Current Redbox Movie Reviews November 2013
I have seen 91 of the movies that are currently available at the Redbox. Of those 91 films, I have written a review for 58 of them. My reviews will let you know what I think are the best movies currently available at the Redbox and what are the worst movies currently available at the Redbox.
I like a wide variety of movies. My list consists of comedy movies, horror movies, action movies, drama movies, western movies, science fiction movies, foreign movies, comic book movies, family movies, war movies, etc. I’ve reviewed almost every genre you can think of, so hopefully it will suit whatever mood you are in.
Note: I will continue to update this list throughout the month of November. Each month I will keep updating a new list that will have more and more movies on it. If you like what you see, I hope that you will come back for more in the future.
Click on each title below for a trailer, pictures, cast list, my rating, and my review of that movie.
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013)
Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)
The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
If you like what you see then click on this link: www.brockingmovies.com to check out the rest of my site. Movies are what I do.
The Way, Way Back (2013)
The Way, Way Back (2013)
Steve Carell and Sam Rockwell both have the ability to be really funny and that is why I thought that The Way, Way Back could be hilarious. If both of those guys are in the same movie together than it is bound to make you laugh right?
The movie is about Duncan, a timid 14-year-old boy (Liam James) who is dragged along on a summer vacation with his mother (Toni Collette), her jerk of a boyfriend (Steve Carell), and her boyfriend’s daughter (Zoe Levin). In order to escape the awkwardness, Duncan ventures off on his own to a nearby water park where he befriends Owen (Sam Rockwell) the manager, and gets a summer job.
The film was written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. The rest of the noteworthy cast includes Allison Janney, Maya Rudolph, Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, River Alexander, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash.
The film did not have a very promising start, and I was worried that it was not going to get any better. It was a stale dysfunctional drama until Sam Rockwell made his appearance and saved the day, and the movie. Rockwell turned the film into a “dramedy” and made it worth watching. The film literally went from awful to entertaining as if Rockwell had just flipped a switch.
Unfortunately, Carell’s character was not funny at all. Carell is usually pretty excellent when he is in a comedic role, but when his character is all drama, he is hardly likable.
The movie was a good story of how uncomfortable life can be sometimes with a divorced parent who is dating again. Maybe being a child of divorced parents myself, I related to the movie a little bit more than others might. When you are a kid who is stuck dealing with a boyfriend or girlfriend of one of your parents whom you just don’t like or get along with, it is nice to be able to escape with your friends for support. I was fortunate enough to be able to do that many times during my childhood. That is what this movie is about and that is what this movie does a good job depicting.
It’s not the funniest movie in the world and it’s not the greatest, but it is a touching story that should make you laugh.
I rate this movie a 7 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Rent.
If you liked The Way, Way Back, then you will most likely enjoy:
The Big Wedding (2013)
The Big Wedding (2013)
I come from a very dysfunctional family, but I am sure that we all do in one way or another. So maybe that is why I am drawn to dysfunctional movies.
The Big Wedding is about a couple that must pretend to be married even though they have been divorced for a very long time. Their adopted son is getting married and the family is reuniting for the wedding, but his birth mother is unaware that his adopted parents were ever separated.
The film was directed by Justin Zackham and the noteworthy cast includes Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Susan Surandon, Topher Grace, Katherine Heigl, Amanda Seyfried, Ben Barnes, Robin Williams, Christine Ebersole, David Rasche, Patricia Rae, and Ana Ayora.
The movie is inappropriate from the very first scene and delightfully dysfunctional throughout.
The film revolves more around the families of the groom and bride rather than the groom and bride themselves. That is what the movie actually has going for it because instead of being a sappy love story, it is more about the harsh reality of the lives of the family attending the wedding.
It’s very amusing to see acting legends De Niro, Keaton, Surandon, and Williams all in the same film together and all as awesome as ever.
There are tons of laughs to be had in this film. From the awkwardness of a divorced couple acting like they are married to the funny insults back and forth between siblings and the jokes that get lost in translation with the adopted kid’s foreign birth family.
The humor is raunchy and there is a lot of language.
I laughed harder than I thought I would. The Big Wedding was a pleasant surprise. It was hilarious, witty, messed up, heartfelt, and dysfunctional. It was just like family should be, or at least how my family is.
The film appears like it could be a chick flick, but don’t be fooled. It was just a pure comedy.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
If you liked The Big Wedding, then you will most likely enjoy:
Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)
Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)
Crazy, Stupid, Love. is one of the better “dramadies” that I have seen in a while.
Sweet-talking ladies man Jacob (Ryan Gosling) takes newly, almost single Cal (Steve Carell) under his wing and tries to help him get back out into the dating scene. This sets off a dysfunctional chain reaction in both of their lives and hilarity ensues along with craziness, stupidity, and love.
The film has just the right blend of laughs and drama. It may go a little overboard in one direction or the other at times, but that just helps to capitalize on the subject matter and keep the film exciting.
Carell does better when more comedy is involved and Gosling is more of a serious actor. Both actors’ styles complemented each other very well and I think that working together enabled them each to go a little bit out of their comfort zones as to what is usually the norm for them. Gosling pulled off being funny and Carell managed to get serious. Carell has proved that serious doesn’t usually work for him (i.e. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)), but it did in Crazy, Stupid, Love. Gosling didn’t become a comedian by any means. He has always managed to be pretty witty and clever, but he added funny to the mix.
The movie also has strong female characters played by Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, and Marisa Tomei. Each woman was able to bring a level of wholesomeness to their roles with a touch of quirkiness. This complemented the film quite well and helped to make it a bit unpredictable.
Other supporting cast includes Kevin Bacon, Analeigh Tipton, Jonah Bobo, Joey King, Beth Littleford, John Carroll Lynch, Josh Groban, and Liza Lapira.
Josh Groban proved that he should stick to singing and leave the acting to the actors.
The film was directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa.
If you are looking for a good date movie (whether you are married or not), look no further than Crazy, Stupid, Love. It is humorous and touching at the same time. It is not a “chick flick.” It is a film that both men and women will enjoy.
I rate this movie an 8 on a scale of 1-10.
Buy, rent, or run? Buy.
If you liked Crazy, Stupid, Love., then you will probably enjoy:
brockingmovies 