Leftovers Two Days Straight

I went to see my second viewing of Top Gun Maverick and Where the Crawdads Sing on back to back nights and wanted to comment on both.
First, Top Gun Maverick. I felt like I was more ‘present’ for this viewing which can sometimes happen the second time around. Whereas I originally claimed that the movie didn’t ‘start’ for me until the Val Kilmer scene, I see now the value of nostalgia built up during the first third of the film.
And a kudos to two actors who had a more powerful presence than any of the lame recruits (with the exception of Miles and Glen Powell (Hangman)) and they are: Charles Parnell (who reminded me of Sydney Poiter!) and Bashir Salahuddin. Excellent work by both men. And one demerit for Jon Hamm, I just didn’t really buy him as the stick up the ass military guy.
On to Where the Crawdads Sing…I didn’t sleep as predicted, but the waltz pacing of it all is boring. The main aspects holding it together are: solid acting by all and story telling that’s woven neatly between past and present. And please Taylor Swift, stick with pop music.