A 75-year-old man with a heart condition, mourning the recent loss of his wife, ends up the first space tourist? Sounds like a cinematic essay question for a test on willing suspension of belief. Give Richard Dreyfuss an A. For “Astronaut” (2019). This elegant little film takes every implausibility (and don’t worry, there’s more than I’m mentioning here) and twists them back around until they’re art, like extraterrestrial origami. And bless Dreyfuss for saving his typical blowhard, scenery-chewing arrogance until the one moment where it actually works. It’s not the best movie this year, but it’s a most pleasant surprise.
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“Let It Ride” was a happy little diversion that brought back memories. Of 1989 Hialeah, Fla. (used to live there). Of Richard Dreyfuss (God, he’s always so obnoxious, but you sorta don’t mind – his characters evoke a big-screen version of George Costanza). Of Teri Garr (had a little thing for her, which the lingerie scene rekindled). Of Jennifer Tilly (have a big thing for her) serving as a battlefield upon which her dress and breasts wage war. It’s one of those “day in the life” movies. Dreyfuss, a semi-degenerate horse gambler with colorful friends, is having a very good day.
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