Uncertain Age

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye take a ride with Clint Eastwood’s 2018 film The Mule. Inspired by a true story, The Mule follows Earl Stone, an elderly horticulturist who inadvertently becomes a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. As he navigates a dangerous underworld, Earl is forced to confront his past mistakes, estranged family, and the unexpected consequences of his choices. With Eastwood directing and starring, the film blends crime drama with a poignant meditation on aging, redemption, and the price of a life lived on the margins. Is The Mule a gripping and introspective late-career triumph for Eastwood, or does it stall under its own weight? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at info@uncertainage.co.

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye gaze lovingly at Paolo Sorrentino’s 2013 cinematic masterpiece, The Great Beauty. Starring Toni Servillo as the charismatic yet world-weary Jep Gambardella, the film explores the lavish decadence of Rome’s high society while contemplating art, memory, and the search for meaning in a fleeting world. With its breathtaking cinematography and melancholic humor, The Great Beautyinvites us to reflect on the passage of time and the illusions of grandeur. Is The Great Beauty an awe-inspiring meditation on life’s ephemeral nature, or does its opulence overshadow its substance? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at info@uncertainage.co.

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye dissect the 2023 film Poor Things. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Academy Award-winning Emma Stone, Poor Things is a surreal and visually stunning tale of transformation, liberation, and self-discovery. Stone plays Bella Baxter, a young woman resurrected by an unorthodox scientist, who embarks on an adventure of enlightenment and exploration, challenging societal norms along the way. Is Poor Things a brilliant and provocative reimagining of identity and autonomy, or does its eccentricity overshadow its emotional depth? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at info@uncertainage.co.

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas sharpen their critical shears for the 2022 film Master Gardener, while Dale Basye accidentally reviewed the 2005 film The Constant Gardener. This stuff happens sometimes. Is Master Gardener a compelling and meditative character study, or does it struggle to cultivate a meaningful narrative? Is The Constant Gardener a gripping political thriller that remains relevant today, or does its slow-burn storytelling lose momentum? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at info@uncertainage.co.

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye take on the 2011 film Beginners. Starring Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer, Beginners is a heartfelt drama that delves into themes of love, identity, and late-life reinvention. Plummer delivers an Oscar-winning performance as Hal, a man who comes out as gay in his seventies after the passing of his wife, while his son, played by McGregor, struggles to navigate his own relationships and personal growth. Is Beginners a poignant and beautifully acted exploration of human connection, or does it lean too heavily on sentimentality? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at info@uncertainage.co!  

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye explore a selection of Alzheimer's-themed movies, analyzing how film portrays the struggles, realities, and emotional depths of living with the disease. From heart-wrenching dramas to thought-provoking narratives, we examine how cinema captures the complexities of memory loss, identity, and caregiving. Learn more on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at info@uncertainage.co!

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas, Dale Basye and special guest writer/director/sculptor Howard Goldberg visit The Old Man: the television series starring Jeff Bridges as Dan Chase, a former CIA operative who has been living off the grid for decades. When his past catches up to him, Chase is forced to go on the run, evading both the FBI and powerful enemies who want him dead. Is the two-season show a thrilling and expertly acted cat-and-mouse game, or a tired reworking of The Fugitive-meets-24-meets Homeland? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at info@uncertainage.co! And be sure to check out Howard’s latests film Double Exposure. Learn more at howardgoldberg.com.

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye pull up a chair to spend some time with the 2018 David Lowery film, The Old Man and the Gun, where Robert Redford plays a real-life convict who escaped San Quentin to perpetrate a string of heists. Is the film—Redford’s last— a fitting farewell for the legend, or a half-baked feel-good thriller that nobody asked for? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at info@uncertainage.co!

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye are DTW (Down To Watch) the 2001 crime classic Sexy Beast, where Ben Kingsley plays pretty much the exact opposite of his Oscar-winning portrayal as Gandhi. Does the film holdup as a gripping thriller of ruthless gangsters reluctantly reuniting for one last heist, or is it a Cockney mess of violence and humor? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at info@uncertainage.co!

Welcome to Uncertain Age! This week, AR (Anna) Nicholas and Dale Basye embrace a “cantor-do” attitude and watch the 2024 Nathan Silver film, Between the Temples, where Jason Schwartzman plays a grieving cantor who finds solace and unexpected joy in an unlikely friendship with his childhood music teacher, Carol Kane. Is the film a poignant portrait of grief, loss, and the search for meaning after the death of a loved one, or is it an aimless if well-meaning vehicle for two compelling character actors? Find out on Uncertain Age! And if there’s a movie, show, or podcast you’d like us to review, let us know at info@uncertainage.co!