Weekly RoundUp Episode 8: Quarantine Files
Welcome to another episode of Weekly Roundup! Hope everyone is doing well and are safe during these tough times. I feel depressed quite honestly... But we’ll get through this, with the power of cinema of course. Let’s talk about a few shall we!
Spenser Confidential Grade: D+
I made it clear on my Patriots Day review back in our first year in 2017, that I found Mark Whalberg and Peter Berg a solid duo. With acclaimed titles Lone Survivor, Deep Water Horizon, and Patriots Day... I mean they made some heavy hitters together. But with Mile 22 (Haven’t seen, but trailer looked pretty bad) and now Netflix Original’s Spenser Confidential... What the hell happened man?! I’ll admit a few chuckles here and there, one well executed action scene, and Whalberg was fine. But there was many mind boggling choices. The story all in all was pretty damn stupid at times, can’t tell if it was intentionally supposed to be a bit silly, but man oh man I was actually shocked. Some characters leaves me with question marks, especially Whalberg’s love interest in the film. I believe she was suppose to be a comedic relief, but I honestly found her not only dreadfully annoying, but often does ruin the film momentum of being any good. Post Malone?! Why?! I’ll admit at least this film didn’t suffocate me the way Michael Bay’s Underground 6 did, but for Peter Berg standard... What happened to the magic bro?! Couple duds in a row is unlike Mr. Berg, I hope he can find his groove because these last two aren’t it. Overall, Spenser Confidential is crap and I don’t recommend this film at all.
Big Time Adolescence Grade: B
Big Time Adolescence debuted at Sundance Festival back in 2019, which now has finally gotten a release on HULU. I was honestly looking forward to this film due to it’s reception and it looked like Pete Davidson was going for awards... Touching emotional images can mislead you, I don’t like watching trailers guys. Me and Hulu Original films have not been on good terms, as I hated the first two releases they’ve done. I’m honestly thrilled to say HULU finally got a solid project under their belt, this is an enjoyable comedy film. I was kind of thrown off by this film, thought it be something different considering it was a Sundance selection and the images look more serious than playful. For example for a Sundance Selection film... The Cinematography is pretty damn basic, other than the third act where Pete Davidson is driving a car, it looks like a pretty normal studio film. Is that a bad thing?! Absolutely not, especially for a standard comedy it’s perfectly fine, I just expected an authentic looking indie style film. Solid performances by the entire cast, including leading buds Griffin Gluck playing Monroe and Pete Davidson playing Zeke, both had solid chemistry and a nice bonding bromance. Some have said this film is the new Superbad... I think a better comparison would be last years Good Boys, just a very fun playful comedy that you can get attach to our main characters and share some laughs along the way. A solid script as well. I felt the ending completed the moral purpose of the films message, as to letting go of relationships not needed, in order to progress your life moving forward. Plus a solid message from Monroe’s dad that we make our mark by doing, rather than just saying with no action putting into towards our words. If you need a good laugh and a good story to get through this freaking miserable time, Big Time Adolescence will give you that for 90 minutes. Overall, Big Time Adolescence is a solid comedy film and I do recommend this film, it’s on Hulu. Oh yeah I forgot to mention: Allan from Two and a Half Men is in it... You’ll recognize him later down the road.
The Platform Grade: B
If there’s one thing that spoke to me dearly about The Platform, is that I didn’t see a single paper towel roll on the dining table.... BA DA! The Platform is one film you should or should not watch during this quarantine period, for logical reasoning behind both sides. You should watch as it’ll make you feel better about your current situation at home. While you shouldn’t watch due to the fact it’s a pretty messed up film... God Forbid this is one gruesome messed up film man. The Platform was honestly dope, it felt like Cube on acid to be quite honestly. There are couple things I didn’t care about the film. One being a character does something where I honestly didn’t get why she did it at all. Some parts at the end were a bit over the top. I enjoyed the metaphor of classism in this film, even though it’s pretty obvious, it still made it’s point especially during times like this. Some solid set pieces, heavily inspired by Cube. Cinematography felt strong in this film, with great usage of color pallet. I think the horror aspect of this film is executed quite well, it’s very unsettling and disturbing at times, it’s how horror should be done instead of loud noises and annoying jump scares. I think people will get what they need out of The Platform: Entertainment, A Well Told Story, and Appreciation for your own life... Nice nice. Overall, The Platform is a damn good film and I do recommend this film it’s on Netflix. -Mitch Smietana