Review of Red Rocket (2021) by Jamess — 03 Apr 2022
While watching Red Rocket I got the same feeling I did while watching Joe Carnahan' s Copshop. Whereas that film felt like a loving nod to Don Siegel/Walter Hill/ John Carpenter of the seventies, this film felt like Sean Baker's loving nod to Hal Ashby and films like Fat City, focusing on people living on the fringe of society, with gorgeous widescreen cinematography that reminded me of the work of Michael Cimino (The Deer Hunter).
Holding it all together is a mesmerising performance by Simon Rex, a motormouth ex porn star returning home to armpit Texas. Back in the seventies he could have easily been played by Jack Nicholson, the charming con man whose sleaze is covered by a smile and a plan.
His creepy AF relationship with a seventeen year old is cringe worthy, but both are using each other in their own way. And speaking of the seventies, much like Shampoo, which portrayed the sexual exploits of a hair dresser, this takes place during the Republican convention of 2016, with a few choice audio drops from the former president.
This review of Red Rocket (2021) was written by Jamess on 03 Apr 2022.
Red Rocket has generally received positive reviews.
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