Grant Minnick's Movie Reviews

“Pain is an unavoidable side effect.” - Brother Justin Crowe Carnivàle is an HBO original series that ran from 2003 to 2005.  The show was created by Daniel Knauf, and stars Nick Stahl, Clancy Brown, Clea DuVall, Michael J. Anderson, and Tim DeKay.  Set in 1934 during the Dust Bowl, the story follows Ben Hawkins, a young man gifted with extraordinary healing powers, but tortured by horrific visions and dreams.  After the death of his mother, he is picked up by a traveling carnival led by a little person named Samson.  Meanwhile, in a different part of the country, a pious minister named Brother Justin Crowe is building a vast following of churchgoers with the help of his sister Iris.  However, Brother Justin also suffers from terrible visions, and possesses mystical powers of his own.  Connected through their powers, Ben and Brother Justin realize that Armageddon is on the rise, and that everything is building up to one final battle between good and e...

“If we’re not clever about this, no one will get to your brother.” - Lance Corporal William Schofield 1917 is a war film directed by Sam Mendes.  It was given a limited release on Christmas of 2019, and was just given a wide release on January 10, 2020.  It stars George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Colin Firth.  The story follows two British soldiers in WWI, who are assigned to travel across enemy lines to prevent another regiment from walking into a trap set by the Germans.   Ever since I first started hearing about 1917 , I wanted to see it.  And now that I have seen it, I am confident in saying that this is not only Sam Mendeses’ best film since American Beauty , but it is also the finest war film I’ve seen since Hacksaw Ridge .  It does what good war movies should do: it immerses you in the action.  It makes you feel as if you are in the trenches or crossing enemy lines with these two soldiers. ...

Disclaimer: I have not seen every film that came out in 2019; this is a list of my favorites that I have seen.  Also, these picks are just my personal opinions.  They are the movies that I enjoyed watching the most.  There are a couple of films that are on this list that I didn’t have time to write reviews for, and I apologize for that.  If I see any 2019 movies in the year 2020 that I think should’ve made it on this list, I will let you know on my Instagram page: @grantminnick.  Now let’s get into this list!  Honorable Mentions:  Marriage Story Us Klaus Ford v Ferrari Uncut Gems 10.   A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood This film has a great message about spreading kindness, and stars a magnificent Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers.  Instead of being just another standard biopic, the movie takes a nontraditional route to get its point across. 9.   The Irishman   For a three-and-a-half-hour long drama...

“This is how I win.” - Howard Ratner Uncut Gems is a crime thriller directed by Josh and Benny Safdie.  The films stars Adam Sandler as Howard Ratner, a jeweler who is addicted to gambling.  The film also stars Lakeith Stanfield, Idina Menzel, Kevin Garnett, and Julia Fox.  When Howard neglects to pay off the money he owes to a loan shark named Arno, his life is at risk.  Things get even more complicated when famous basketball player Kevin Garnett borrows one of Howard’s most priceless gems. Uncut Gems is not at all the type of film that I expected it to be.  People have been calling it nerve-shredding and anxiety-inducing from start to finish, and while the film did have many intense moments, I didn’t think that the intensity was nonstop.  It’s not that the film wasn’t suspenseful, I just don’t think the suspense is the main focus of the movie.  It’s more about how bad things tend to happen when people make stupid desicions.  The visua...