Clint Eastwood is one of those directors whose films are very realistic. His most recent film, Richard Jewell is a true story and Eastwood directs this drama in a way that shows how corrupt crime investigations can get. The film includes all the details that illustrate Richard Jewell’s strengths and weaknesses. It seems to be clear in this case that he is a hero, however a variety of media views him as the exact opposite. Richard Jewell is a two-and-a-half-hour movie filled with the logistics and background of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing.  Much of what the investigators uncover is misleading that negatively impacts Richard Jewell. The question that I found myself asking is, “Why would the authorities shine the harsh spotlight on Richard Jewell?”

Paul Walter Hauser plays Richard Jewell, a security guard who works security jobs in a variety of places.  Due to some career challenges, he is not at the top level of authority and is viewed as a rent-a-cop. Despite being underemployed, he takes following the law very seriously and is not a pushover.  After being terminated from his full-time position, he lands a job working security for the Olympics.  During one of the entertainment events, Jewell comes across a suspicious bag that is full of explosives and he alerts higher levels of security who were able get many of the people in the event evacuated. Initially, Jewell is considered a hero, but soon thereafter certain government investigators, press officials and security experts begin to view the bombing as terrorism and believe Richard Jewell is responsible.

Government security officials, Tom Shaw and Dan Bennet (Jon Hamm and Ian Gomez), review the scenario and paint Jewell as the enemy. Journalist Kathy Scruggs (played by Olivia Wilde) is trying to figure out the background evidence to determine if Jewell is guilty as charged. Jewell’s attorney, Watson Bryant (played by Sam Rockwell), is trying to help coach Richard learn how to speak during the investigations and figure out how to make the authorities understand he is not the terrorist. And Jewell’s mom, Bobi Jewell (played by Kathy Bates), is worried about her son due to the stress and tension caused by the unwanted negative attention.  Jewell’s world is spiraling downhill as he is pulled between those who view him as their hero and those who view him as a villain.

Richard Jewell had me perplexed at various moments throughout the movie. I kept asking myself, “Why blame Richard?” “Is it because he is socially awkward?” “Is it his appearance?” These questions and many others go unanswered. The audience does, however, get to witness Jewell questioned by the authorities and his attorney and see just how difficult the entire legal process was for him.

I felt the performances in Richard Jewell were top-notch. The script is slow at moments, but intentionally slow to help viewers have a better idea of what happened during the investigation process. Watson conducts many practice interviews with Richard and goes into deep detail with him about why honesty is important. In addition, he explains how Jewell can be manipulated by the people investigating him to help make him out to be a terrorist. Watson even goes through Jewell’s home to see if any items or apparel might raise questions with investigators.  During this mock search, Rockwell’s dialogue is artistic demonstrating his agitation with all the potential negative repercussions of what Jewell has in his home. The sad part is that Jewell has no intent of harming anyone whatsoever, his only intent is for the world to be safe. Viewers see that positive intent in the beginning of the movie and know it throughout the film.

Richard Jewell is one of those movies that I define as “almost” a masterpiece. I found it to be what I would expect in a Clint Eastwood film. It includes an opening that is slow and not that positive. The kind of opening that Eastwood used in Million Dollar Baby (2004) mixed with a serious subject and tons of curiosity. However, the conflicts in this story are quiet and not action-packed, but are presented in the correct context.  The film’s dialogue is attention-grabbing and makes Richard Jewell a captivating ride of truth vs. deceit. Therefore, I would give Richard Jewell three and a half stars.

This is one of those films where I believe Benny and Josh Safdie have made their mark as it is the best film they have ever directed. Uncut Gems is a film which combines the genres of crime, drama and mystery into a thriller that gets out of control for the star of the movie, Adam Sandler. For Sandler, this is definitely his best film ever. Of course, he is known to be someone funny and at times has performed in some dark comedies as well as dramas.   However, this one takes his career to a whole new level due to his acting, characterization, and overall performance. The film is vivid with lies and tension that hold the audience on the edge of their seats in curiosity continuously asking themselves how ugly can these conflicts get?

Adam Sandler is Howard Ratner. Ratner is a cynical, lethal, and opinionated.  He is in a multitude of binds with a world of financial problems which involve making and also losing tons of money from numerous deals he placed and has in place. However, he goes above and beyond to get as rich and maintain his lifestyle.  Ratner’s makes many risky decisions and this results in many dangerous scenarios. Ratner is a New York jeweler who comes across a gem that is from Ethiopia which he tries to sell to NBA player, Kevin Garnett. Garnett is obsessed with this item, as he believes that it will bring him luck to win.  Ratner places a high-stakes bet for Garnett’s Celtics to win and for Ratner to score big. Prior to the game though, Ratner still has a whole range of money problems that continue to follow him, along with family tensions, and he begins to struggle to keep his attitude intact. This leads to Ratner’s family being at risk, mob members following him, and people who he has bad deals with wanting to destroy Ratner. Ratner takes all the risk in hopes the gem is going to make Garnett win so he can pay off his debts and return to his lavish lifestyle.

For Sandler, who is Jewish, he plays his role in Uncut Gems amazingly well. He has the nerdy glasses, the punk haircut, the gang-type clothing, and a thick New York accent that he uses throughout the film to express his anger and frustration when his conflicts begin to get out of hand. Sandler delivers a knockout performance playing Howard Ratner. What I found intriguing with Uncut Gems was how Sandler can hold in his anger although you could tell he was going to explode or make another bad decision that opens even more ugly doors. Sandler starts to let the first world problems spiral out of control.  The movie introduced us to all the problems he had going on, and what other problems he created, or was tempted to create. When something goes awry, he loses it easily. That is what makes Uncut Gems the perfect vehicle for Sandler’s best performance of his career. I have never seen him be able to play someone that can get so violent and distraught, and it all felt so real.

For the Safdie Brothers, this takes their previous movie Good Time (2017) to a whole different level. That film geared on one man trying to get his brother out of jail. Uncut Gems gears on Ratner trying to get away from all his irreparable problems, but also wanting to make loads of money from high-stake bets. I find the Safdie Brothers are talented at creating suspenseful movies with endings that are unexpected and brilliant. They had a brilliant, but unexpected ending with Good Time, and they have accomplished the same thing with Uncut Gems. There are moments in Uncut Gems where viewers will feel that there is light at the end of the tunnel for Ratner, but there are twists that are unforeseen. Those twists had me asking myself more than once, “What just happened?” Uncut Gems will leave its audience in astonishment as it binds it all together.

Uncut Gems is a knockout performance that is also intense. However, the directing is astonishing, the screenplay is structured and luminous, and the suspense does not end. One conflict is either solved, failed, or put on hold, and then another scenario arises that is another mess for Ratner to try to figure out in a limited amount of time. The problem is the excuses that Ratner makes also have warnings with consequences and they begin to become increasingly embarrassing and risky. Experience this thriller about a con artist who cares about money, deals, and being rich and see what the outcomes of his poor decisions lead to. It is an audacious experience that I found to be one of the best films of the year. I can see Oscar buzz for Uncut Gems, and I am giving this movie four stars.

When it comes movies about teenagers trying to meet their goals and fulfill their parent’s expectations with accomplishments athletically and academically, Trey Edward Shults’s Waves is a deep and haunting experience. The movie is filled with scenarios of successes, disappointments, failures, irreparable consequences, and the life after a major tragic event. Kelvin Harrison Jr. is the lead, and this is one of his most memorable movie experiences. While I thought his performance in Luce this year was his best, his performance in Waves tops it. The film also stars Taylor Russell, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Sterling K. Brown, Alexa Demie, and Lucas Hedges. They all deliver knockout performances that makes Waves a narrative gem that I believe is one of the best films of the year. This engaging film is about a family that goes through hard stages in life and tries to navigate after harsh events have occurred.

The film takes place in South Florida and Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays Tyler. Tyler is athletic, academically inclined and has a decent set of peers.  His demanding father, Ronald (Sterling K. Brown), wants Tyler to push himself above his limits athletically with wrestling. Tyler is already in the mind-set that his life is going well and that he can deal with some distractions. Those distractions, however, cause his life to start to go down-hill. He realizes that he has some physical health issues so he should not participate in athletic events. However, he tries to still do so by experimenting with pills and all kinds of supplements to help his body be able to handle the impact of his sport. This is a bad idea and causes Tyler to be severely injured.  Still, he still has the chance to do well academically, but he starts to fall apart, because sports and exercise have been his life.

Tyler believes at one point that his life is still solid, but then he gets to a point where his world is rocky. He finds out that the girl he is dating is pregnant. And, since Tyler has already been drinking and experimenting with drugs, his attitude and anger spiral out of control and cause him to make increasingly poor decisions. His sister, Emily (Taylor Russell), realizes he is going to get himself in trouble, but she does not do much to stop him. His stepmom, Catharine (Renee Elise Goldsberry), loses her ability to prevent Tyler from doing harmful behaviors because he is already out of control. Unfortunately, Tyler does something that carries heavy criminal charges and puts him in jail for a long time. This impacts Emily because she feels her social life is going to be negatively impacted given her brother is a criminal and lots people in their school and neighborhood know what he has done to put himself in jail.

Years later, the film gears on Emily and her new relationship with her new boyfriend, Luke (Lucas Hedges). She starts to grow a close relationship with him because they are both introverted. They begin to bond and share their past experiences of why they remain quiet and do not come out of their shells. In those moments of connection and disconnection, Waves will leave viewers in tears. Slowly, Emily begins to realize that despite what her reputation may be (based on her brother’s actions), there is still good in the world and people do care. She even opens up about the issue with her dad and stepmom causing them to realize that they can still be happy if they look at what qualities they have to offer the world. Waves is one of those movies that is poetic because the message is how to live life after tragic events and how to be thankful for what there is in the world in the good times and the bad. Tyler may have messed up, but does that mean his family cannot love him? Does Emily have to remain a ghost the rest of her life? Can Emily’s father be a good role model to Emily? The film has many questions as well as answers. It is sad in some moments, but also quite uplifting.

I am giving Waves four stars, because the film defines what life can be after something unforgiveable.   It also shows that resentment and hate are not the answer. The answer is to accept and move on (over time, but positively). I loved this movie and even cried during a few scenes. I was looking for resolutions where there is hope, and Waves offered a lot of those resolutions. The message is to never give up. Do not miss Waves.