My Review - The Tender Bar (Amazon Prime)
My Rating 8/10.
I'm so pleased one of my cinephile friends recommended this very uplifting and entertaining movie as one I may like and he was so right .
It's based on the coming of age memoir of Pulitzer Prize winning author 'J. R." Moehringer novelist and journalist and his childhood experiences growing up on Long Island .
"JR"'s memoir obviously impressed other famous celebrities as he has previously written the memoirs of both the American businessman and Nike co-founder, Philip Knight (Shoe Dog), and tennis star, Andre Agassi (Open) .
"JR" as he is known in this movie has recently been commissioned with help from
Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex to write his memoir .
The book is likely to draw a huge audience, which is probably why it's drawn a huge advance of $20m (£14m), which Harry says he'll donate to charity.
Now back to this delightful film beautifully directed and co produced by George Clooney . This is the 2nd collaboration between Ben Affleck and George Clooney, after both served as producers on Argo (2012).
Ben Affleck plays Uncle Charlie , JR's substitute father and proprietor of the Dickens Bar which is the social hub of the town.
Ben Affleck gives a great performance full of the humour and wisdom that this young boy desperately needs after moving back to Long Island with his mother and her family after separation from an absent and totally disfunctional father known only in the credits as "The Voice " played by Max Martini a very apt name .
In a Variety interview, Ben Affleck said "I think the world is a tough and ugly place, particularly now, so I feel good injecting this movie onto the world."
The real charm of this movie is from the 2 performances from Daniel Ranieri who plays young JR and Tye Sheridan who plays JR as a young man entering the world of journalism and romance.
Interestingly after The Tender Bar I watched the 2012 movie Mud where Tye Sheridan plays a young boy befriending a fugitive Matthew McConaughey and it's easy to see why he won many acting awards and most promising newcomer.
There are some other delightful performances in this movie that doesn't feature gimmicks or pretends to be great art but just tells a touching story that's inspiring and entertaining.
I particularly enjoyed Lily Rabe as JR's mother who is determined that he will go to Yale or Harvard and become a lawyer.
Also Christopher Lloyd as Grandpa there's a beautiful scene where crusty old smelly Grandpa gets gussied up and takes young JR to the schools "Fathers Breakfast .
I actually enjoyed The Tender Bar as much as the 2020 similar plot movie Hillbilly Elegy.
