Movie reviews of Jeffrey Rex Bertelsen

It is confident, tonally-flexible, thought-provoking, and rewarding. Review

Triple Frontier is the early contender for Best Dad Movie of the Year precisely because it isn’t a gloriously patriotic thriller but rather a heist film blindsided by gold fever and the heart-wrenching consequences of thievery. J. C. Chandor’s gripping heist epic trips once or twice due to, at times, ponderous pacing, but it is, from start to finish, buoyed up by its all-star cast. Review

It may be the final nail in the coffin that forces you to rethink your stance on the Michael Jackson allegations — after all, it’s impossible to ignore this much smoke — but it isn’t a particularly great documentary. Though I’m sure Dan Reed was more interested in letting Robson and Safechuck tell their truth than making a perfect piece of journalism, and, frankly, who can blame him? Review

It certainly isn’t a top-tier Marvel movie, but Captain Marvel is a thoroughly entertaining and engaging new chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Review

Though I appreciate the film’s message and some of its genre-awareness, as well as Liam Hemsworth’s performance, Isn’t It Romantic is a largely forgettable parody that follows the same stale formula that it’s trying to lampoon. Review

Paddleton won’t be on anyone’s radar twelve months from now, but it is a fairly realistic and utterly relatable film about learning to accept the inevitable and saying goodbye. Review

Green Book is, indeed, a lightweight feel-good film for a certain kind of audience that intends no harm. But Green Book is, in my opinion, also an incredibly tone-deaf film to champion in a year that gave us Black Panther, BlackKklansman, and so on and so forth. Review

A thought-provoking, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it heist-like sports drama, High Flying Bird is Steven Soderbergh’s version of Ballers and Moneyball, and I loved almost every minute of it. Review

It may not be great art or particularly thought-provoking, but what Adam McKay’s Vice does have going for it is that even though it can be read as a superficial tonal mess, it is a wildly entertaining film. Review

A riveting story of survival, and an outstanding actor’s vehicle for Mads Mikkelsen who gives a remarkable, tortured, and quietly moving performance in this lone survivor film that will draw comparisons to films like 127 Hours and The Revenant. Review

A strange film that I had a lot of fun with. Though it does seem like Gilroy didn’t exactly know whether he wanted to make a smart and cutting film about the art world or a fun horror film about that world, the end result is undeniably watchable even if it isn’t quite as effective or thought-provoking as I wanted it to be. Review

A meditation on class struggle and youthful frustration and loneliness in the form of a mystery film. Review

This might be his best work yet thanks in some part to a terrific screenplay that juggles multiple story angles and tones while still holding its riveting narrative core — a power struggle disguised as a love triangle. Review

A hyper-stylized and immature John Wick-esque action vehicle with obnoxious, head-ache inducing editing, pornographic scenes, and a wasted Mads Mikkelsen performance. Review

A film that will chill the hearts of its viewers due to the tragic and heartbreakingly rough journey of love these hapless lovers endure over the course of the film’s barely 90 minute runtime. Review

Shyamalan is ultimately unable to mix and match the best of both worlds from Unbreakable and Split. Review

I was shaking my head in disbelief (and swearing in disbelief, by the way) from start to finish of this jaw-dropping and brilliantly paced documentary with fascinating access to the chaos of the failed festival. Review

IO‘s complete predictability and lack of momentum stop it from becoming as memorable or worthwhile as its themes suggested it would be. Review

An impressive Danish period drama that is buoyed up by an engrossing and deeply felt performance from Danish screen legend Jesper Christensen. Review

As a comedy, it is very stale. Review

Benedict Cumberbatch is very engaging here, and, just like the film got lost in its subject, it is very easy to be enthralled by Cumberbatch’s inspired energy. Review

Because it is a positively intoxicating nostalgic film experience, but, it isn’t perfect, and, perhaps by design, I suspect that the film only really works if you have a previous relationship with the original film. Review

Has its heartwarming moments wherein the importance of family is emphasized, but her film mishandles some crucial moments of comedy and drama, and Lionheart is largely much too predictable. Review

With a tighter script Destroyer could’ve been a true cult-favorite, but the overwrought script that Kusama works with here overwhelms the film. Review