The Tender Bar | Film Review

 

To be honest, I'm not sure I would have picked this film had it not starred Ben Affleck (or been on Amazon Prime Video), as I'm such a huge fan. The concept itself seemed a bit familiar, a bit predictable, but I was interested to see where it would go.

In 1972, young J.R. (Daniel Ranieri) moves in with his grandfather. In search of a father figure, he turns to his uncle Charlie (Ben Affleck), who inspires older J.R. (Tye Sheridan) to become a writer.

I enjoyed this film. It wasn't amazing, but it was more interesting than I thought it would be.

The film has an amazing cast. As well as those mentioned, it also stars Lily Rabe and Christopher Lloyd, who play J.R.'s mother and grandfather.

The characters are really fun to watch. It is fun to see the different family dynamics, the dialogue is quick, realistic and authentic, and you really feel like these characters are a family.

The best thing about this film is the relationship between J.R. and his uncle Charlie. I love that the film was based on these two characters.

And with that relationship, comes the actors that portray these characters. Ben Affleck was the standout performer for this film without a doubt, he was amazing in the role. However, Daniel Ranieri almost gave him a run for his money! He's such a talented young actor and I hope we see him in more projects in the future.

Other than the relationship between these characters, not a lot actually happens in the story.

The film explores interesting ideas, but isn't as profound as it tries to be.

Overall, this was an enjoyable watch, though it definitely won't be for everyone.

6/10