On surface review, if the value of a film can be gauged by: there is no flying spandex, and there are no death stars, velociraptors, zombie apocalypses, or terrorist attacks.
...well then, you have a winner here...
...yet to me, this is just another exercise in femdung navel-gazing.
I don't know, a drunk struggling to sober up, no matter how attractive she (Saorsie) is, is just a sighing, ho-hum of a 1st-world-problem movie.
IOW, not interested.
Maybe that's "just me", though.
With all respect, that’s just you. There have been many great movies dealing with adult beverages over the years.
“Navel gazing” is an interesting question. When I was younger, quiet, introspective character dramas wouldn’t have interested me, at least not much. I wanted larger than life spectacle and action. My tastes have changed as I’ve gotten older.
Indie navel gazing is ok with me if it’s well done. Try Living (2022, Bill Nighy) if you want a manly example of the genre.
P.S. An afterthought: I do like other kinds of movies as well, and I’m fine with fantasy, escapism and pure entertainment if well done.
That said, my particular angle of approach for the movie ping list is to find “conservative” movies. Films that take a deep breath, step back, and pose serious questions about internal character struggles and hard choices are natural opportunities for this. At the risk of sounding pretentious, there are worthy stories that valorize the heroism found in the everyday like of ordinary people, and I’m glad that such movies are still being made.
I mentioned Days of Wine and Roses as a notable Golden Age of Hollywood movie about alcoholism. Whatever else it is, Days of Wine and Roses is not cynical — and cynicism run amick is one of the hallmarks of the modernist cancer that is corrupting culture and society generally, not just the movies. Cynicism is a tool of those who believe in nothing and want to tear down those who do.
I have a soft spot for defiantly non-cynical movies. The Outrun is anti-cynical. It’s adapted from a memoir, the author of which has walked this trail. The several scenes involving snippets of AA meetings, all short, are what reminded me of Days of Wine and Roses. If you’ve seen that, you will remember Jack Klugman’s character leading an AA meeting. You betcha they played that scene straight. How many people involved with that movie were recovering alcoholics?
I got the same feeling from The Outrun. Different time. Different place. Different lead character. Different particularities to the backstory. Same war.
It’s a “conservative” movie because it’s morally serious and honest.