(4/5) Can we talk for a second. This is art. This is film as art. The aesthetic is gritty from the setting and cinematography... but the performances and theme are what stand out. I didn't expect to get emotional at the end, but man, the amount of dust in my eye was unacceptable.
I think this film is hitting a cord with me because some similar scenarios are currently happening in my life. Do you let this world...this dying, ugly, unjust world turn you into a monster or do you stand on the foundation of your character, your integrity?!
Millennials and Gen Zers...this is the question we have to ask ourselves entering into adulthood, into corporate, into the workforce. I currently work in a work culture where I am a first-hand witness on the unholy marriage of willful incompetence and "white privilege." These people have been with the company for decades with no oversight or consequence, and now it is the norm. If I can get away with doing the bare minimum and still get paid, why doing more? That is the motto of the majority of people I work with.
So how do you navigate a work culture like that; on top of everything that has happened or is happening in your life outside of work? This is what this movie illustrates near perfectly.
Tye Sheridan was superb in this film. I haven't seen a lot of his films but more people should be talking about this performance. Him sharing a screen with Sean Penn, Tye did a group job. I would have liked more dialogue with Penn's character. One particular scene his reaction was not filled with words but his performance showed his heartbreak. That heartbreak led to his sad decision toward the end.
This is a film you should check out...
Asphalt City follows Ollie Cross (Tye Sheridan), a young paramedic assigned to the NYC night shift with an uncompromising and seasoned partner Gene Rutkovsky (Sean Penn). The dark nights reveal a city in crisis; Rutkovsky guides Cross, as each 911 call is often dangerous and uncertain, putting their lives on the line every day to help others. Cross soon discovers firsthand the chaos and awe of a job that careens from harrowing to heartfelt, testing his relationship with Rutkovsky and the ethical ambiguity that can be the difference between life and death (rottentomatoes.com
– The priority for the foreseeable future must be damage control.
– Tall order when Mutants everywhere are taking to the streets.
X-MEN ‘97 – Bright Eyes (S01E07)
(3/5) I landed on the same score as the first film...or first part of this story. Great cast but subpar action and lacking heart are a few words and phrases to describe this story so far. With these 2 parts I have yet to feel/care for this band of warriors. I don't feel connected to them at all. As I mentioned in the previous review, this would have been better served as series. Breakdown these connections, breakdown these characters...build something. Special effects and action shouldn't carry the entire story.
A colony on the edge of the galaxy fights for survival against a tyrannical ruling force, relying on the efforts of a small group of rebels (google.com).