Not quite a biopic (this is not Fred Rogers' life played out on the screen) but a strong testament to his impact and the importance of the ideas he expressed in his show. Occasionally it felt a bit formulaic or on the nose, but it was still moving and effective. Hanks' performance really gives off the warmth that Rogers evoked throughout his life (for any other actor, it would be an all-time performance but given how many great performances Tom Hanks has given, it's somewhere in the middle).
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The Many Saints of Newark 2021
"Pain comes from always wanting things."
To use a baseball analogy, this was an extremely long single that couldn't be legged out into a double. The easter eggs to the series are fun and I really enjoyed Nivola's performance. Also, as a major Philip Roth-head, my mind starts turning when the Newark riots come up. I also think it's something that does have a reason to exist (the Sopranos is all about history and legacy so understanding that history makes…
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Platoon 1986
On its own, this would be a pretty good film about the horror of the Vietnam War. Stone's script does trend towards the preachy at times and there are some effects and shots that feel really dated. But the nature of the Vietnam conflict probably calls for that kind of preaching. It necessitates a heavy handed-ness because of how truly awful and senseless all that death was.
Sheen and Berenger give strong performances. Sheen's naïveté sometimes came off as overwrought…
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Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 1966
An outstanding film in many ways, from the performances of Taylor and Burton to the direction, but I also think this is an excellent and perfect adaptation of a play where the film does things that you can't do on stage but also stays remarkably true to the source material. Also, this is one of the most intense and affecting films I've ever watched as Mike Nichols creates a mood that is so pervasive you don't move out of it even after the film is over. It's intense, it's terrifying and, again, features amazing performances by Burton and Taylor.
