The Sessions

This 2012 movie about a poet, paralyzed by polio who hires a sex surrogate is a mixed-bag to say the least. It did well with critics overall and currently holds a 93% score on 'Rotten Tomatoes', and while there are some things I liked about the film, there is just as much to criticize.

The basic plot centers around Mark O'Brien (played by John Hawkes) who is paralyzed from the neck down and decides one day that he wants to lose his virginity. So, after discussing this with a priest (played by William H. Macy) Mark hires a sex surrogate named Cheryl (played by Helen Hunt). As this journey into discovering sex continues both Mark and Cheryl start to develop strong feelings for one another. Mark regularly gives progress updates to his priest/friend after every session, and Cheryl starts to feel conflicted as the lines begin to blur between work and love.

The film does have a few things going for it; It's well shot, the cast is pretty good, and it's definitely not a story I felt like I've seen a hundred times. However, it's a bit slow and feels a lot longer than it's 95 minute runtime. The romance felt contrived, and it's probably one of the most bland movies I've seen in quite a while.

Overall, while obviously aiming to register emotional with the audience, this one just didn't work for me. It's not horrible, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it... I mean, unless you really want to see Helen Hunt naked.

I give this one a 1.5 out of 5

The Miracle Season

The Miracle Season is a 2018 film based on the true story of an Iowa volleyball team that overcomes tragedy to win the state championship. This film shamelessly goes hard for the heartstrings, but missed the mark for me completely. However, I ended up fighting back laughter during several scenes.

The story is fairly straightforward: Caroline "Line" Found is the heart of her high school volleyball team (and I guess her whole home town), but one night she gets into an auto accident and dies. Her friends/teammates are unsure if they can even play out the season without their star player, but they use Caroline's zest for life as inspiration. Against all odds, and lead by Caroline's best friend, the team comes together to win it all. It's a nice story, but It's trying a bit too hard to be a tear-jerker and it doesn't work. The cast is ok but acting is a bit over the top at times, and though I appreciate the effort in trying to make volleyball cinematic, it's not a great sports movie.

Overall, this probably should've been a Hallmark channel movie rather than a feature film. I don't want to rip on the movie too hard, because it is a true story about a girl dying but I also can't recommend this one.

I give it a 1.5 out of 5.

Love & Mercy

Released in 2014 Love & Mercy is a film about musician and the co-founder of The Beach Boys, Brian Wilson. Biopics about musicians and the music industry have always been hit or miss for me, but I found this one to be entertaining.

In terms of plot, there are a lot of the story beats you'd expect in a movie like this: the ups and downs, the pressure of fame, infighting among the group, etc. However, the added aspects of struggling with both mental illness and a manipulative therapist (played by Paul Giamatti) provide extra layers to the story. With a runtime right around 2-hours, the film never really seems to drag. A lot of that is because it's structured in such a way that it's regularly shifting between a young Brian Wilson (played by Paul Dano) and a middle-aged Wilson (played by John Cusack). The parts with Dano focus more on dynamic between Wilson and the rest of The Beach Boys, whereas the Cusack scenes are about Wilson forming a romantic relationship with Melinda Ledbetter (played by Elizabeth Banks) and the therapist that wants to control him.

Overall, I give this one a soft-recommend. All of the performances are solid, and it's a well-paced film, but it's probably not one that everyone will get into.

I give it a 3 out of 5.

10 Burt Reynolds Movies Everyone Should See

With Burt Reynolds' latest film (The Last Movie Star) now out, it seemed like a good time to add another entry to this ongoing '10 Movies Everyone Should See' series. Previous entries have included Sean Connery, Alfred Hitchcock, Tom Hanks, and James Stewart Just to name a few. (You can check those by clicking Here)  Like the rest of the series, this isn't a "Top 10" but rather more of an overall a look at a person's career.

#10 Breaking In (1989)

There were a few films that I debated on putting at the #10 spot, but this film about an expert safe-cracker and a two-bit crook teaming up to pull a few heists ultimately won out. It's not an all-time great movie, but it's a lot of fun.

#9 Boogie Nights (1997)

Boogie Nights isn't my favorite film on this list, but it's well directed, has a pretty good cast, and is one of Reynold's most critically acclaimed performances so it deserves a place a spot.

#8 The Last Movie Star (2018)

I actually had a different film in this spot originally but, after seeing The Last Movie Star I had to include it on the list. I wrote a more in-depth review (which you can check out by clicking HERE) but, the main reason it made it on to this list is that I think it's one of Burt's best acting performances.

#7 City Heat (1984)

If you like Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, and mobster movies then this is one you'll definetly want to check out. While not the best film either one of the leads has been in, I think it's enjoyable and worthwhile.

#6 Deliverance (1972)

This film about a group of friends that take a canoe trip that goes horribly wrong is not a movie I would describe as a 'fun' watch, but it's still arguably the best overall film that Burt has been in.

#5 The End (1978)

One of several films on this list that teamed up Burt Reynolds win Dom DeLuise, this one is a really underrated comedy about a man who has convinced himself that he wants to commit suicide but is too afraid to go through with it.

#4 All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)

Burt voices the animated character Charlie Barkin, a con-artist German Shepard, in this Don Bluth film. It's a solid animated feature and is certainly a unique entry on the Burt Reynolds filmography.

#3 The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)

Burt Reynolds joins Dolly Parton in this musical about, as the title would suggest, a whorehouse in Texas. Although this adaptation of a stage production received mixed reviews from critics, it is actually one of my favorites on this list.

#2 The Cannonball Run (1981)

Burt Reynolds may not have always chosen the best films but he usually chose fun ones. Cannonball Run is one of the all-time just for fun films, with a great cast of crazy characters all competing in a cross-country auto race.

#1 Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

This one is a bit of an obvious choice as it's definitely the film Burt is best known for, and for good reason. Smokey and the Bandit was a big hit at the box-office and has become something of an American classic.



Honorable Mentions: The Longest Yard(1974), Stick (1985), Mystery Alaska (1999), Gator (1976), White Lightning (1973), Fuzz, (1972), Semi-Tough (1977), 100 Rifles (1969)