The Brutalist- I’m quite literally on the cusp of giving this film a second watch with audio description, but, I’ve been going back through and playing catch up with the quicker speed I put out to my YouTube channel. My initial reaction to The Brutalist was it was a beautifully realized low budget epic with fantastic performances, a gorgeous score, and I didn’t feel the runtime. It is by far the longest Oscar nominee, and played in theatres with an intermission. I got a screener, which did not have the audio description. i again got another screener, still without audio description, as a Spirit Awards voter. I look forward to getting the audio description very soon so I can make my final determinations on this film. But, I felt strongly enough about my first watch it made my Top 10 films of 2024. It is that good. When you factor in that it was made for less than 10 million, and in a little over a month of shooting, Brady Corbett is a God among directors.
Reagan- The right assumed people didn’t like this movie because of politics. Honestly, I have seen worse this year. It certainly is a weird and uneven film, but despite the rather film school approach to a biopic, Dennis Quaid is asked to play a very wide age range, and I thought he was good in this. I also thought he was good this year in The Substance. he was also good in The Long Game. he is also a Trump supporter. So, even though I know he voted to strip me of my rights, as a film critic, I can objectively pull out Quaid and say that a better film built around him would have worked. instead, Nancy is played by Penelope Ann Miller, who I haven’t given a second thought to since the 90’s. Even Nixon had Joan Allen. Miller is out of her depth, and I can’t imagine had a more talented director been attached, what cast might have come along. Yes, of course Jon Voight is here, but look at Clint Eastwood as an example. The man who talked to a stool at the RNC. If he had chosen at any point in his life to make a biopic about Reagan, I assume it would have at least been on the level of J. Edgar. Instead, we’re left with a meandering script that is here to celebrate a man that would hate the direction his party went. The “party of Reagan” people don’t exist, and have almost all been excised from the current political landscape. So who is this movie even for? Luckily, Reagan does have audio description, so a win for accessibility. You may not fight for my rights, but I’m still fighting for the universal right to accessibility regardless of who you voted for, or which propaganda film you plan on seeing. My grade is maybe a little surprising, but I can watch a film that is not as great, but has a performance worth watching. I think Quaid, while not at Oscar level, gave a good performance, and doesn’t deserve that Razzie nomination. Everyone else though…
Barely Rotten: Final Grade: C Audio Description: B+
Rio Bravo- It celebrated an anniversary last year, and despite not being an Oscar contender of note, it is in the National Film Registry. So, I decided to see what happened when John Wayne made a western with Dean Martin. It certainly feels old fashioned, like the westerns that populated the silver screen for a few decades. Wayne is at home in this film, but the real oddball is Dean Martin,a singer, who is given a chance to sing… in a western. It isn’t a musical, but they have a moment where the heroes sit around a campfire. Dino gets a song, and so does Ricky Nelson, another singer from this period. This was actually the breakthrough performance for Nelson, and also Angie Dickenson, both of whom won the Star Of Tomorrow awards at the Golden Globes. I think there are certainly better westerns, and I’m not sure I need to watch it again, but I certainly didn’t hate it. I was just fascinated to find audio description for it, and if I remember correctly, it was one of those old “department Of education” ones that are always well written. 65 years of Rio Bravo. I wasn’t alive, and I didn’t get a chance to see every older title before losing my sight, so I’m grateful when I see older films that have audio description.
Fresh: Final Grade: B Audio Description: A-
