Rather than a full-fledged review of The Bronze, I've decided to jot down some thoughts about the movie.
1. By the end of the film I realized that in terms of the "R" rating, I think this movie pushes its boundaries even more than a film like Deadpool.
2. I feel like the filmmakers watched the episode of Seinfeld when he's underwhelmed by the gymnast he's with, and said, "No, no, no" and then proceeded to show us the most acrobatic sex scene, possibly ever.
3. I've heard a lot of reviews comparing this to Napoleon Dynamite. I'm guessing it's because of the small town setting and quirky lead character. I was more struck by its similarities to the film Young Adult. Which leads into...
4. Young Adult was made by filmmakers who crushed it in every way. The Bronze isn't nearly as polished or thoughtful.
5. Those accents! Is that what people in Ohio sound like? I live here, and I'm really gonna say no.
6. I think about characters that are hard to love (or even like) and Melissa Rauch's Hope is one of those. Unfortunately, while she starts off unlovable, her climb back up to normalcy isn't as compelling as it should be.
7. Thomas Middleditch is awkward enough to watch without any tics. Giving his character even more just seems like overkill.
8. I think what really got at me is that nearly every character is a "bad" person, but the movie doesn't embrace that. It doesn't have enough faith in itself, so it tempers them, and that waters the movie down, and doesn't make Middleditch's Ben stand out as much as he should. The contrast should be stronger.
This isn't a bad movie, but instead it's a series of missed opportunities that's anchored by a foul-mouthed protagonist who's hard to sympathize with.
**1/2
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