Audience Member
Lame. Waste of time.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
02/25/23
Full Review
jesse o
This is another one of those movies where quarter ratings would more accurately describe my thoughts about the film. It's definitely better than average, but it's not what I would call a good movie. So, to me, a score of 2.75 would have been more than fair for this movie. It's just a notch below solid. I don't know what the film was lacking, but it was definitely missing something that would've put it over the edge. It's not a consistent comedy, nor do I think it was meant to be. The story is definitely intriguing enough to hold your interest. It's a story about this man who decides to run for the Seattle City Council despite having absolutely no experience in politics at all. Like none whatsoever. He's also going against this councilman on this monorail that Grant, our protagonist,wishes to expand to a city wide one. It would also be less expensive, more accessible to the entire community and be healthier for the earth. As opposed to the alternative, which McIver is pushing forward, which would be louder, it would force land to be used up for this massive ground rail train. Grant also feels it would drive a wedge between the community, it would separate the rich and the poor, with the ground rail train being more accessible to those more affluent. The thing about Grant, however, is that he is clearly very passionate about what he believes in and he speaks with a rage in the tone of his voice that starts to gain him more and more followers to the point where he becomes a legitimate contender for the council seat. I liken it to how Donald Trump has gotten as far as he has. With the only minor exception that, at the very least, Grant is trying to unite the community with his monorail, whereas Trump is trying to create division. Grant is trying to make a positive change in his community versus what Trump is doing, which is trying ostracize certain parts of the United States. Whether it be muslims, mexicans, women or homosexuals, it doesn't matter, Trump is using ignorance to gain voters. At the very least, Grant, in his own special way, is fighting against something that he truly feels is dividing his community, so those are the differences. One of the subplots of the film includes speculation as to why Grant is going against the only black councilman in Seattle and the type of people that are supporting Grant because of that. Which I didn't like, because I felt it was way too forced in there. Maybe there was some of that in real life, but it doesn't really play well in the film, because it sort feels irrelevant. His politics should be the issue, not whether Grant is going after McIver because he's black. So that was kinda lame. But I do like the film in that it doesn't really shy away from portraying Grant as someone who has a lot of good ideas and a lot of love for Seattle, but he's also someone who's paranoid and sometimes even downright unlikable. It's also movie that's as much about Grant's maturation as it is about his improbable political aspirations. The acting is solid, though. Jason Biggs and Joel David Moore were both good in their roles, but their characters weren't exactly all that complex or detailed. The film is predictable, you can see where it is gonna end up, so that holds it back, but only a tad. With that said, the film, as I mentioned, just doesn't always come together as a good overall experience. It will fly by, it doesn't overstay its welcome at all. It's not good, but this is a perfectly fine movie right here.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
At the "root" of this film is a good story. It talks about the power of the people and taking on those that have so much more power than most of us can ever hope to have. Somewhere during the telling of this little homily, however, the audience gets a little bored and distracted. It wouldn't surprise me if the gist of the film was forgotten by most rather quickly.
The movie tries to be relatable. Jason Biggs' character is losing his girlfriend in the process of following his heart's career inspiration. Grant Cogswell, played by actor Joel David Moore, is a bit of a buffoon and lacks the training and refinement that many believe necessary for any serious politician. We can see our college selves in these determined young men; and yet that isn't quite enough to keep us enamored with Stephen Gyllenhaal's script. There seemed to be a certain spark missing... just a little nameless thing that could have made the magic happen on the screen.
The activists among you will enjoy this as a feel good boost. The rest of you may not really care. I'm kind of on the fence, myself, and calling it right down the middle.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
01/23/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Grassroots is a quiet little dramedy that's very well acted and pleasantly grounded. This true story looses a few points for pacing, but fans of small scale political antics should find it charming.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
01/15/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Perhaps not the greatest of political stories but there's a cast that injects plenty of interest, and make it an endearing film. It's a slightly offbeat style but suits the Seattle location.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/06/23
Full Review
Audience Member
A quirky, energetic movie perfectly suited to its subject matter.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/04/23
Full Review
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