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Reviews
Patriot (2015)
Astonishingly Good Sophomore Season
I'd been anticipating this since the first season, and found out yesterday it was returning at midnight - (somehow missed the advertising, though I hear it was more prominent this go around).
I've never been more impressed with a second season. The tone, pacing, performances, writing, direction, et. al. are tremendous. It's a Russian nesting doll of a story. Some of the callbacks and visual humor pay-offs had me laughing harder than I have at a story in years.
It is at once thrilling, hilarious, goofy, disturbing, timely, exciting, alarming, sad, and heartwarming. There are shows and films that skillfully juggle tone, but - not like this.
I'm genuinely dumbfounded. If you are curious, start and stay with it. It rewards relentlessly.
Well Wishes (2015)
Charming. A funny, original indie throwback not without its flaws.
Wasn't expecting more than a diversion going into renting Well Wishes but I am pleasantly surprised. The movie clearly owes its debt to old-Hollywood (count all the Capra nods, maybe one too many) and it's a story with a few familiar tropes (lost job and broken heart in the first 5 minutes anyone?) but it's a confidently told story with pretty remarkable direction for what appears to be a first timer. The film commits to a silly premise and goes all the way to a natural conclusion.
The story follow Miles, a recently fired and dumped man, as he carves out a career raking coins from wish fountains. Legality and efficacy of the venture aside (c'mon, it's a movie) the fountain scenes are some of the best looking I've seen in a low budget movie and lend themselves to the funny, heightened reality the film strives for. Exposition reels in a great array of bizarre characters and a serviceable love story. Political overtones are mild, some subversive jabs in there, but mainly it's a light human interest story woven into a nice, comical farce. The cast is great, and though I don't recognize any of them, the acting is superior to any film of this size I've seen. Without spoiling anything the ending is weird enough to be memorable, and maybe it couldn't end any other way.
Well Wishes is ultimately an admittedly low-stakes affair (lighter on the drama and heavier on the bubble-gum) yet there's a clear and confident vision on display here. I was not expecting what I got. Will be looking out for what these filmmakers do next and it would take a focused effort to dislike a film this charming and disarming. It made me smile, at least.