Nerdy Squirrel Reviews by Pasckie Pascua

“Forgotten Love” (2023 Netflix) Polish drama adapted from the novel “Znachor” by Tadeusz Dołęga-Mostowicz . The story takes place during the period between WWI and WWII, about a surgeon who is at the peak of his medical career when his wife leaves him, taking with her his daughter.        The title is a bit cheesy, the plot is a daytime soap derivative. I didn't even notice this “Forgotten Love” as I surfed Netflix's lineup, looking for a movie to watch on a weekend. Until my living room watch comrade and BFF Cindyrella suggested that we try this obscure Polish period drama.         And so I was captivated. Although I was far from enthralled, I totally enjoyed the old school storytelling and no-frills, no-pretensions filmmaking. The 2-hr, 20 minutes feature wasn't boring at all yet no bloated sex scenes, no ultra-dramatic tensions, no swashbuckling fight scenes.         Jus...

<>“Running with the Devil” 2019, starring Nicolas Cage and Laurence Fishburne . Traces the journey of cocaine, moving from the fields to the processing facilities, and then crossing borders to reach the distributors. Hey, Mr Cage and Mr Fishburne together in a crime/narcos movie is a winnable bet, don’t you agree? Add Cole Hauser, who pretty much essays the same Rip character that he muscled around in “Yellowstone,” you are at 7-3 odds you'd enjoy this macho ride-along.        The characters are introduced as The Cook, The Man, Agent In Charge, The Boss, The Snitch, The Farmer, and The Executioner. So you know how the entire ride is gonna be. To his credit, the director Jason Cabell had a winner in 2016’s “Smoke Filled Lungs,” which he wrote, directed, and won Best Actor for at the Milan Filmmakers Film Festival. The movie also won Best Picture.        To my disappointment though, “Running…” isn’t a winner. It ...

“Dog” (2022, Tubi) comedy drama road film directed by Channing Tatum and Reid Carolin , both making their respective film directorial debuts. The film stars Mr Tatum as an Army Ranger who is tasked with escorting the military dog of his fallen friend to his funeral. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, praising the direction as well as Channing’s performance, and was also a box office success, grossing $85 million worldwide.        There's really nothing so new about the storyline. Dog movies are pretty much the same and almost all of them elicited tears from many “hooman” eyes, of course. “Dog” is no different. However, Lulu–the female Belgian Malinois–touched me at a time when Hurricane Helene was crushing me mentally, a PTSD stab that brought me back home. Wounded memories of typhoon deaths and cataclysmic destruction.        What has a dog got to do with it? Far from my home country and ...

“Manchester by the Sea” (2016, Amazon Prime), written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan . The much-acclaimed kinship drama stars Casey Affleck , who later won the 2016 Academy best actor award, for his powerful yet restrained role as Lee Chandler, a grumpy loner.        My BFF living room watch partner suggested watching it a few years ago but I said not now, if that's okay. Why? I read the Wiki info that it is a depressing movie. Until, ironically, last week or so as I wrestle with hurricane induced funk.        “Manchester…” revolves around the themes of depression , guilt , grief , responsibility, dysfunctional families , and post-traumatic stress disorder . Lee is a depressed and grief-stricken dude who becomes the legal guardian of his teenage nephew after the death of his brother.        Fine cinema as cinematic art. At the 89th Academy Awards , “Manchester by the Sea” also won ...

“Beast” (2017, Amazon Prime) British psychological thriller , written and directed by Michael Pearce, stars Jessie Buckley as 27-year old Moll, who is treated by her controlling mother as flawed and a burden. (You may wiki the rest of the premise or plot.)         Although critics consider 2018's “Wild Rose” as her breakthrough, “Beast” was Ms Buckley's first movie and may well be one of her best performances. I haven't seen all her movies (including “Wild Rose” and 2021's “The Lost Daughter,” which gave her an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress) so I can't really say “Beast” is her best. But I saw her in about 5 or 7 movies.         All that I can say is, Jessie as Moll, is power performance, restraint and forewarning like a fuse to a dynamite. So the eventual explosion (although not entirely expected) jars the viewer's nerves. Co-lead Johnny Flynn as the tortured soul Pascal is also fine but thi...

“Civil War” (2024, Max) dystopian thriller , follows a team of war journalists traveling from New York City to Washington, D.C. during a civil war fought across the United States between a despotic federal government and secessionist movements, to interview the president before rebels take the capital city.        The movie's pulse basically pumped in the last sequence: The D.C. siege. The capital city in scarred disarray, bombs exploding, swashbuckling gunfight. Yet if you already saw similar war scenes in the past, that'd be just like what it was. No big deal.        The real drama, confined in the four characters’ individual stories, would have been more interesting if those were explored beyond the movie's 109 minutes. Which means, a series would have been more compelling.  Yet all four account for themselves remarkably fine.          Kirsten Dunst as Lee Smith, ...