PREVIEW: The Tender Bar (15)

WHO’S IN IT?

Ben Affleck (Finding The Way Back), Tye Sheridan (Ready Player One), Lily Rabe (Vice), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Max Martini (Pacific Rim), Sondra James (Shiva Baby), Michael Braun (The Day Shall Come), Matthew Delamater (Scooter McGruder), Max Casella (Blue Jasmine), Rhenzy Feliz (Encanto), Ivan Leung (All Saints), Briana Middleton (Augustus), Daniel Ranieri (film debut), Ron Livingston (Office Space)

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

George Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck.), director, producer; William Monahan (The Departed), writer; Grant Heslov (Argo) and Ted Hope (The Ice Storm), producers; Dara Taylor (Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar), composer; Martin Ruhe (The Midnight Sky), cinematographer; Tanya M. Swerling (Dead Above Ground), editor

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

In 1972, nine-year-old J.R. Moehringer (Ranieri) moves with his mother Dorothy (Rabe) into the dilapidated house of his grandfather (Lloyd) in Long Island, New York. In search of a father figure, J.R. attaches himself to his charismatic uncle Charlie (Affleck), a bartender whose unconventional teaching methods shape the young boy through his childhood, leading up to when, as a young adult (Sheridan), he attempts to fulfil his dream as a writer…

IN ONE SENTENCE, WHY SHOULD YOU BE EXCITED?

George Clooney directs this wholesome and inspiring tale of author J.R. Moehringer’s coming-of-age journey, anchored by a winning supporting turn by Ben Affleck.

WHEN’S IT OUT?

FRIDAY 7TH JANUARY 2022

WHERE CAN I FIND IT?

STREAMING EXCLUSIVELY ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

[the_ad id=”14415″]

Did you like this preview? Want to be updated on all the new releases every week?

Sign up to our e-mail service today, and get our latest reviews and previews sent straight to your inbox!

Search from over ten years of movies here:

Other recent reviews:

Plainclothes (dir. Carmen Emmi)

An undercover police officer falls for his latest target…

Tron: Ares (dir. Joachim Rønning)

A super-intelligent program is sent from the digital world to ours for a bold mission…

Good Boy (dir. Ben Leonberg)

A loyal dog witnesses his owner succumb to supernatural forces…

I Swear (dir. Kirk Jones)

A young man with Tourette’s syndrome struggles to live with his condition…

BFI London Film Festival 2025 Reviews: The Secret Agent, Twinless and more!

Our first collection of reviews from this year’s BFI London Film Festival includes write-ups on some of the most anticipated titles from this year’s edition, including Sirât, Left-Handed Girl and others!

Him (dir. Justin Tipping)

An aspiring football player is put through a testing regime by a former quarterback…

The Smashing Machine (dir. Benny Safdie)

Former wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr helps usher in a new era for the sport…

The Lost Bus (dir. Paul Greengrass)

A bus driver rescues a classroom from a destructive wildfire…

Urchin (dir. Harris Dickinson)

A homeless man attempts to turn his life around…

Steve (dir. Tim Mielants)

At a struggling reform school, a headteacher attempts to make it through the day…

Optimized by Optimole