Sean’s movie thoughts

This is good. It is based on or inspired by a real story. It is 1952 and a boat is sinking during a massive storm. Things are starting to get really tense and a couple of crew members are arguing over what to do. Another crew member (Casey Affleck) steps up. A small coast guard boat comes out to rescue them. Chris Pine plays Bernie who failed in a previous rescue effort. He is advised by some people not to go (pretend he couldn’t get the boat past a certain point because of the storm). He is joined by three members of the coast guard. Ben Foster co-stars as another Coast Guard member. The movie cuts back and forth between the two ships until the Coast Guard ship reaches the tanker. This is effective. The movie is over two hours long but does not feel overly long. There are also scenes featuring Miriam, Bernie’s fiancé, and her dealing with the situation. Some critics didn’t like those scenes but I guess they were added to prevent the movie from lacking a major female role. Also t...

Ben Foster was really good in Leave No Trace. That is a good movie but not a fun movie. I am not sure Foster has made a fun movie since Warcraft. (Warcraft is not as bad as you’ve heard.) Foster is also good in Galveston. Foster, outside of Warcraft, seems to specialize in playing damaged men or men whose best days, even if they were not that good, are long in their past. Can he find something slightly more fun? Ben Foster’s best films I have seen Leave No Trace 3:10 to Yuma The Mechanic Warcraft Galvaston I still haven’t seen Hell or High Water.  I hear it is pretty good. I might watch it before the year is year out.

Ben Foster stars as Will, a veteran, who is living in a park in Oregon with his daughter Tom. One day someone sees Tom and then the police and social services come to investigate.  A compromise is reached and a living situation is set up. Will wants to live off the land again but Tom starts to want something more. This is a good movie. It is based on a novel that I never heard of, so I cannot say if the movie adapted the novel well. Some things are alluded to instead of outright explained. Tom’s mother is not with them but i was not sure if she left the family or if she died. Also I am not sure if Tom wanted to be found. Foster is good as Will. He doesn’t overact but there is something subtly off about him. Thomasin McKenzie is good as Tom. She has been compared to Jennifer Lawrence and I am not sure I see that. (Sometimes I don’t get the appeal of Jennifer Lawrence.) I thought it was an interesting story with good performances.