jakerr07 Reviews

The Hill (2023)

Father/Son period piece

[10/10 · 29 August 2023]

The Hill hits home (no pun intended) if you grew up in a smaller town. Growing up in the bible belt, I understand that strict, moral parental values are hard to let go of when children want to walk a different path in life.

Rickey Hill and his Father rarely see eye to eye - the conflict of baseball, faith, and their relationship can't seem to coexist. Rickey see's his skills at bat as a gift while his father sees it as a surefire way that he will be crippled forever. It's tough love verses stubbornness on his father's behalf as Rickey time and time again proves that he can fulfill his dream.

It's a rarity these days that we see such a gritty & real father/son relationship on screen and from the first scene, you're rooting for the two to salvage a bond together. Dennis Quaid and Colin Ford have great chemistry and you really believe their father and son dynamic. The child actors playing the younger version of the characters did a great job as well and the time period (late 60s/early 70s) makes for a perfect, All-American setting.

"October Sky" meets "The Natural". A winning baseball movie for the whole family.

Dauntless: The Battle of Midway (2019)

Dauntless Soars

[10/10 · 7 September 2019]

There's such a gripping story of survival and sacrifice here. Even more so knowing how accurate and detail in this film. Low budget, sure... but when so much care is put into historical accuracy and to honoring the events as they truly happened, that's where filmmaking can truly shine. Every performance is strong and you can tell that everyone involved gave it their all both in front and behind the camera. Dauntless deserves to be seen not just because it's good but also because it truly honors the heroes both during and after The Battle of Midway.

Awake (III) (2019)

Great Thriller

[10/10 · 23 August 2019]

An interesting take on a familiar plot. I didn't see much of the twists coming and I was invested in the characters. The film is beautifully shot with a great rural/small town feel that I think Hollywood needs more of. The actors were all solid and I liked that even though there was chemistry between the two leads, they didn't try to force a love story. Some good, creepy scenes and gritty moments. For what it is, it's well done and keeps you guessing. If you're a fan of Prisoners, Mindhunter, or Se7en then Awake is right up your alley.