Movies: Hearts Beat Loud, Nancy, Tag

Hearts Beat Loud

It’s an interesting concept.  Single dad, vinyl record shopkeeper wants a deeper bond with his soon to be college student daughter by starting a band.

The daughter who dabbles with music, is focused on her freshman year ahead and an emerging relationship with another girl.

The cast is compact.  Nick Offerman is the dad.  Kiersey Clemons is the daughter.  Sasha Lane is the girlfriend.  Toni Collette is the landlord.  Ted Danson is the owner/bartender.  Blythe Danner is the aging mother/grandmother.

The story is interesting and entertaining.  It’s just a bit too contrived.  That said, the onscreen chemistry between the lead characters and the music is satisfying.

It is rated PG-13 for some drug references and brief language.  It’s listed as a Comedy, Drama with a run time of 97 minutes.

Rating 

Nancy

This film is unnerving and strangely creepy at the same time.  Nancy is a very strange person.  No surprise considering her home life and the one she creates for herself on the internet.  Suddenly, she thinks she may be the lost daughter of another couple some 30 years earlier.

The cast is impressive.  Andrea Riseborough is superb as the damaged and delusional Nancy.  Ann Dowd plays her mean mom.  (Note:  This is the third film we saw Ms. Dowd in this week alone!) Steve Buscemi is the older husband with J. Smith-Cameron as his wife.  There are a handful of other actors rounding out the cast.

This film is not rated.  It is undoubtedly provocative.  Fact and fiction are completely blurred in this psychological thriller.  It is not rated but is listed as a Drama.  The run time is 87 minutes.

Rating  

Tag

OK, confession time!  We saw this film only because we exhausted all other movie options available on a Monday afternoon.

Yes, it’s based on a true story about a bunch of guys who started playing tag in school some 30 years ago.  To keep the facts accurate, unlike the movie, they were/are all white guys.

The cast is extensive.  Headliners are Jeremy Renner, Jake Johnson, Ed Helms, Jon Hamm, Hannibal Buress, Brian Dennehy, Annabelle Wallis, Isla Fisher, Rashida Jones and Leslie Bibb.

The film is rated R for language, crude sexual content, drug use and brief nudity.  It is listed as a comedy.  It is NOT appropriate for children.

Reviews have been mixed.  Upon reflection, we have decided the story drifted way off target.  It’s unfortunate given the production quality and cast.  The run time is 1 hour, 45 minutes.

Rating