Not Your Average Love Story..."Tumbledown"

Tumbledown  (2015)

Rated R

Starring Rebecca Hall, Jason Sudeikis, Joe Manganiello, Blythe Danner, Griffin Dunne,

Directed by Sean Mewshaw

The Story:

Hannah (Hall) is trying to get past the passing of her husband, an acclaimed folk musician, and she's attempting to do that by writing a biography about his life. Andrew (Sudeikis) is a writer from New York who is also a big fan of her husband's work, and is also working on writing a biography. Oil meets water and the two clash over just what the musician meant to Hannah and to the fans.

This is an interesting romantic dramedy that is a very, very slow burn in development.

Hannah and Andrew clearly are at odds when they first meet, and a romance between the two is the last thing you're expecting...

except for the fact that you're totally expecting it, because that's why the movie is here.

It's what the two discover when they begin working together that changes their preconceived notions about the man they are both writing about and the two end up working together to make one really good book.

Sudeikis continues to shine as a leading or supporting actor in films. He dials down his usual personality  to about an 8 (versus an 11!) and it helps sell the film. He may be unliked by Hannah, but he's not unlikable.

Hall does a fine job as the widow who doesn't quite know how to let go, and doesn't really want to either.

Final Grade:  C+

A Review To "Sabotage" Your Labor Day Holiday

Sabotage (2014)
Rated R for language and bloodshed galore

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Joe Manganiello, Josh Holloway, Terrence Howard, Mireille Enos,

Written and Directed by David Ayer

The Story:

DEA Agent Breacher (Schwarzenneger) leads his team on a raid.  During the raid, they decide to steal $10 million off the top of a stack of cash.  However when they go to retrieve it, it's missing!  They are suspended and investigated, but nobody on the team admits to stealing (and losing) the money, and eventually they are put back together as a unit.  Then, one by one, they start getting murdered by the drug lords they stole from.
Will they be able to find the murderer before it's too late?

Indifference.

That's what this movie ultimately ended up being for me.

It was a great cast, given not a whole lot to do except shoot, bleed and curse a lot.

In fact, some of the bloodshed and ways they were killed, this movie seemed like it wanted to crossover into borderline horror movie territory.

Any intrigue on who took the money, who is going to die next on the team erodes as the film moves along.

When the ultimate villain is revealed, it comes as more of a "well duh" moment, than a twist of the knife reveal to the team.

It could've been something special.

Instead, it was just something.

I'll take The Last Stand any day over this one as proof that Ah-nuhld can still make a fun movie.

Final Grade: C

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: No fun...no reason to see it again... I'd have to pass on seeing this one again.