Paramount+ -- 80 For Brady
This one won’t rock your world, but who doesn’t need a fun, energetic palate cleanser movie every once in a while?
80 For Brady is the type of entertainment we don’t get much anymore – It’s just a casual romp of a time, and never strives to be more.
This film – very loosely based on a true story – follows a group of women in their 80s who carry a passion and love for football, and quarterback Tom Brady specifically. They decide to go full carpe diem, and do whatever they have to in order to go to the Super Bowl and meet Brady.
Director Kyle Marvin is gifted with one of the best ensemble casts I’ve seen in a while, including Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Sally Field, Billy Porter, Harry Hamlin, chef Guy Fieri, Rob Corddry and Tom Brady himself.
It’s a fluffy good time that will pull in all sorts of audiences, and I, for one, had a really wonderful time.
Apple+ -- Tetris
I never thought I’d say this, but the movie based on the true story about the spread of Tetris’s popularity around the globe is absolutely riveting.
Businessman Henk Rogers and inventor Alexey Pajitnov join forces against huge corporations and the Russian government to figure out who will emerge with the rights to the incredible, addictive game.
God, I can’t even describe how fun this movie is. It’s like an espionage thriller and a big, bombastic comedy at the same time. It blends genres perfectly and has a lovely moral compass.
Taron Egerton – of Rocketman and Kingsman fame – proves once again he’s worth of A-list status, and Toby Jones, Nikita Efremov, Oleg Stefan and more give great supporting turns.
An adult drama that manages to thoroughly please, Tetris will fascinate you and make you want to reach for a GameBoy immediately.
On Netflix – Beef
Leave it to Netflix to raise their prices, cut off sharing of passwords, lose viewers all over the world, and then release their best original series in years.
Beef is a drama-comedy about two desperate people at the end of their rope, and what happens when a refusal to let go of hubris, anger and grudges can do to your life.
Danny and Amy are involved in a road rage incident that brings out the worst in both of them, but neither one of them can seem to just let things lie.
The situation soon becomes a shot-for-shot, cat-and-mouse game that threatens to destroy their lives.
Oscar nominee and Walking Dead alum Steven Yeun joins with legendary comedian Ali Wong for leading turns that complement each other perfectly. The ensemble cast is great, but these two really make this one work.
It’s a witty, really resonant show that everyone needs to go watch immediately.
On Amazon Prime Video – Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre
It’s incredibly unfortunate that famed director Guy Ritchie’s latest film wasn’t a hit with critics or audiences, because I thought it was a whole lot of fun.
He co-wrote this one, and he’s definitely had his ups-and-downs. From Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels to Swept Away, it’s a widely differing resume. While Fortune may not hold a handle to Ritchie’s comeback – 2019’s The Gentleman – it manages to stand on its own, and has a different tone and merit.
Fortune is more of an action-comedy, with really low stakes and a great ensemble, and is the type of popcorn film I wish had gone to the big screen.
It follows special agent Orson Fortune and his team, who recruit an A-list Hollywood star to go undercover and look into the sale of weapons technology by a formidable, rich arms dealer.
This is literally a dream cast – Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Cary Elwes, Josh Hartnett, Bugsy Malone, Eddie Marsan, and a truly fabulous, diabolical turn from Hugh Grant.
I absolutely love this movie and I laughed out loud multiple times. It’s streaming now and I think it deserves your attention.
On Disney+ -- Empire Of Light
Originally hotly-tipped as one to watch for 2022, Empire Of Light was met with a collective critic shrug at the end of the year.
It garnered only one Oscar nomination – for its gorgeous cinematography – and I can understand why it wasn’t universally-loved. It may have faltered under the weight of its lofty expectations, because it does have some great merits.
It was the follow-up film to director Sam Mendes’s 1917, a war epic in 2020 that earned Screenplay, Directing and Best Picture nods for that film and Mendes. Many expected this one to win him his second Oscar, but it just didn’t stand up.
That said, this story of middle-aged movie theatre manager Hilary and her interactions with her boss, co-workers, and the racial tension around her in an England coastal town in the 1980s is worth a watch for the performances alone.
Olivia Colman was truly Oscar-worthy here, young Michael Ward garners his biggest role to date, Toby Jones is a joy as a gruff, film-loving projectionist, and Colin Firth gets to be a formidable bad guy.
It’s a nostalgic film that made me remember my days as a movie theatre employee, and it definitely left an impact, even if it wasn’t the instant classic many hoped.
About The Author:
Jordan Parker is a freelance journalist and runs entertainment firm Parker PR. A huge lover and supporter of the local arts scene, he’s an avid filmgoer and lover of all genres.
A 2SLGBTQIA+ professional, he also works doing Events & Fundraising for the AIDS Coalition of Nova Scotia, and has a passion for giving a platform to queer events and artists.
His writing often skews toward local businesses, productions, events, and covering arts & entertainment. He’s also an avid sports fan and spends every May getting let down by the Maple Leafs in the first round of the playoffs.
Jordan believes in an open-door policy, and welcomes story pitches and questions from readers.
Email: [email protected]
