Star Wars the Last Jedi

Star Wars the Last Jedi                                                                                               December 15, 2017

I have been doing this since 1977.The first Star Wars movie mesmerized me. I never saw special effects like that before; I watched the movie elven times. It is quite a feat for a franchise to maintain relevancy and freshness for this long. This film is as good if not better than a lot of prior ones.

Star War films are a medley of classical themes from Greek Tragedy to Shakespearian drama. This film is more operatic with its sweeping battle scenes and good verse evil drama. There is the tense student master relationship between Luke Skywalker and Rey. Adam Driver’s hulking presence imbues Klylo Ren with dark secrets. A constant in these movies is John William’s soaring music. The opening notes are so ubiquitous they are instantly recognizable. The script is excellent, it incorporates elements from earlier films and portends future episodes.  

Carrie Fisher looked tired but wise; she did a good turn. She is no longer Princes Leia but is now General Leia Organa. She was in the entire film, she completed her work before dying. Her presence in this film is important to legitimize the transition to future films. Mark Hamill’s revival as Luke Skywalker is pivotal to the film. Luke has many conflicts some dark. He is weary and heavily burdened by the past and what awaits him. He is a dominant factor of the movie

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I was not enamored with Daisy Ridley in the prior film, but I feel better with her now. With her athletic body she performs action well. Her acting is a bit stiff but this is a minor distraction given the sweep of the movie.

Oscar Isaac is the new Han Solo. He is as rash and bull headed as Han but less larcenous. He has a big role in the movie and I am sure in the ones to come. John Boyega brings some humor to the part. There was always a lighted heartedness in these films. He is the romantic interest in the film, but with whom?

There is plethora of other actors; Benicio del Toro is a scoundrel (what a stretch). Laura Dern is a rebel commander with a with a challenging hairdo. I did not spot Prince William and Prince Harry, they were Strom Troopers. Hint they are tall storm Troopers.

Chewy, the franchise’s mascot, was loquacious as ever. There is a new merchandising stocking stuffer named a porgo, who needs to lay off the caffeine.  Another fantasy animal is called a crystal fox (the four-legged kind not two).

They film is doing very well in the box office, but it needs to break $800m before making a profit. Hey, with Force in your sail, that’s a chinch.

p.s.-Do not leave before the credits roll!!!

Lady Bird

Lady Bird                                                                                                                   December 14, 2017

This movie is annoying, but it grows on you. Why is it annoying? It is about the coming of age a 17 year old teenage girl who hates where she lives and has a tumultuous love/not like relationship with her mother. Her desire is to leave Sacramento and go to an East coast collage which would put a strain on the family’s precarious finances. She is also on the verge of sexual adventures, which pose their own perils. Parents of a daughter can relate, parents of a son have their own problems.

Instead of using her name she calls herself Lady Bird (a.k.a. Christine) Why? Like her pink hair she wants to stand out and call attention to herself (given the limited number of brain cells of a teenager I bet she never heard of Lady Bird Johnson). Her choice of boyfriends is problematic. In her rush to experience life she loses her virginity to a teenage boy who claims to be a virgin but is not. His prior experience does not spare from performance anxiety to the crestfallen Lady Bird.  Dissatisfied with her family’s circumstances (they literally live on the wrong side of the tracks) she pretends to live in a wealthy home of an ex-boyfriend.  She abandons close friends for flashy but false new ones.

Saoirse Ronan skillfully juggles these emotions. On the surface she is obnoxious and hallow but through conflict and experience becomes tolerable and even nice. Compared to her performance in Brooklyn, as a shy responsible young woman, this role is the exact opposite and is a testament to Ronan acting range. She is not my favorite character, but I appreciate her acting.

Laurie Metcalf plays the domineering long-suffering mother. She is fabulous in the role. Besides her contentious relationship with her daughter she bears the weigh of her family being the only one working parent and her laid off husband is battling depression. Her rubbery face is imprinted with her burdens. Despite clashes with her daughter they love each other even if it is not apparent.

The Darkest Hour

The Darkest Hour                                                                                             December 13, 2017

This movie will be challenging for American audiences. I am the tail end of the baby boomers generation and I think following generations will have less knowledge, or care about, WWII and foreign leaders. I do not mean to malign anyone, but I do not think millennials and their cohorts will be much interested in this movie. To date the box office is disappointing.

Gary Oldman resembles Winston Churchill as much as I resemble Dwayne Johnson (more body than face). Oldman’s transformation to Churchill results from copious application of makeup and prosthetics. My problem with this movie is the heavy emphasis on imitation. Accents (which are so important in defining class in England) and distinctive speech patterns were as critical as make up. Churchill had an unmistakable voice in tone and cadence. Oldman got it close.

The movie captures Churchill’s idiosyncrasies. Cigars perpetually in his mouth; whisky at breakfast, champagne at lunch and whisky in the evening. He preferred to walk barefoot at home and wears matching his and hers pink bathrobes with monogram.  I think all this emphasis on replication takes away from the performance. The film tilts towards caricature. When Danial Day Lewis played Lincoln, he did it without affectations; he became Lincoln.

The movie’s topic is 75 years in the past. The darkest hour has a dual meaning. It was a critical period for England with Europe capitulating to the Nazis and England on the verge of negotiating for peace. For Churchill his premiership was under attack from his own party. Certain licenses were than with historical facts.

The supporting cast is even more esoteric: Neville Chamberlain (the Great Appeaser), Lord Halifax (Foreign Secretary) and King George VI (same king from The King’s Speech) have critical roles. The movie gets deep into the weeds with terms of surrender, the Dunkirk disaster and the failure to get military help from America.

My review is going against popular opinion. Oldman already has a Golden Globe best actor nomination and most likely he will get an Oscar nomination. The life of a critic is perilous.

Roman J. Israel Esq.

Roman J. Israel Esq.

Roman J. Israel Esq. is struck in the 60’s. Afro, tweed jackets with wide lapels and an Angela Davis poster on his wall. He is the backroom lawyer of a two lawyer firm. When his partner dies he is rudderless. Roman is either a savant, on the spectrum, neurotic or probably all three. With his copious legal knowledge, he secures employment with new owners of the old firm.

I do not want to call the movie dull, but it only gets interesting two thirds of the way in. Being the consummate actor Denzel Washington deliverers a yeoman’s performance. He has the walk, stooped shoulders and talks without thinking which defines Roman. He has a fall from grace betraying his lofty ideals. As with all down falls there is a price to pay, and he pays dearly. His downfall gives rise to a predictable ending which eliminating   suspense.

The other actor of note is Colin Farrell. He is the counter point to Roman. Sauvé, well appointed, confident and not bad looking. Roman creates problems for Farrell and himself.

The film veers of course. It starts out as film focusing on social injustices then it turns into a conventual semi-suspense movie with a predictable ending. Denzel Washington has a string of successful movies, but this one is a misfire.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The fiercest creature in the animal kingdom is a mother, meet Mildred Hayes. Mildred, played by Frances McDormand, is the fearless iron-willed mother whose daughter was raped, murdered and set on fire. The frustrating fruitless efforts by the local police inspire her to rent three billboards to write embarrassing remarks to egg on the police. The film is called a dark comedy; it tilts more to the dark. This film has many levels and the characters are complicated. The ensemble is terrific and deliver high caliber performances. When awards are given out they will be competing amongst themselves.

McDormand is a tour de force. Her steely determination seeking results is unstoppable. Putting up insulting billboards is the least of what she does for revenge. In a one and half hour movie she smiles once. This role is the antheses of the folky laid back character she won the academy award for Fargo.

 

Woody Harrelson is Chief Willoughby the target of Mildred’s ire. This is a bit of an unusual role for Harrelson who usually plays tough guys (True Detective, Natural Born Killers). He is frustrated and compassionate with Mildred. His role is brief, but it helps to frame the movie. He is a counter point to Mildred’s angst.

Sam Rockwell is phenomenal. He nearly steals all the lime light. He plays a red neck bigoted deputy who uses brutality first and doesn’t even ask questions later. During the movie he goes through a metamorphosis driving a critical part of the movie. If there is an awards contest it will be between Rockwell and McDormand.

Just a short comment on Peter Dinklage. He does not have a big role, but his character brings needed humanity. (I know I will burn in hell).

The ending was unique.

Thank God, we are nearing awards season and the studios are bringing out their serious films. Get a front seat and see this movie.

The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water

Guillermo del Toro is one of my favorite directors. He is a master of fantasy story telling. His oeuvre includes Pan’s Labyrinth, Hell Boy and The Devil’s Backbone. This is a tender love story between a lonely mute woman and an Amphibious man (merman) captured by the government for nefarious research. The mute is played by Sally Hawkins who is a janitor at the governmental facility. In contrast to the cruelty inflicted by Michael Shannon, who plays a military officer who found the “asset” in the Amazon, Hawkins affectionately secures the creature’s confidence and affection.  Since the creature cannot speak sign language becomes their common bridge.

The movie is set in the 60’s. Dresses, cars, music and bigotry all 60’s. Racial discrimination, homophobia and disparaging the handicapped were all prevalent. The creature is an avator for these derogations and his loving relationship with Hawkins is a repudiation of blind hate.

Sally Hawkins plays a difficult role as a mute, but this constraint does not limit her expressive performance. The signing was an interesting feature of the film (in real life Hawkins is not mute). Octavia Spencer is also a janitor and Hawkins’s friend. She helps to facilitate the romantic affair between Hawkins and the merman. She gives her usual understated performance which belies her strength and guile.

Michael Shannon has created on a franchise of being mean. His sadistic performance as Colonel Strickland is over the top and intense. He torments Hawkins and Spencer which in turn makes them cohorts to protect the merman. Richard Jenkins plays a terribly lonely middle aged closeted commercial artist who is Hawkins’s neighbor and close friend. Their mutual loneliness bonds them together and Jenkins is very supportive of the burgeoning romance between Hawkins and the merman. He puts himself in peril for their love.

Some parts of the movie are quite brutal. There is also magic, but I refrain from revealing it. One benefit, by the end of the movie you will be able to sign F… You.

Justice League

Justice League                                                                                                   November 22, 2017

The main battle was not in the movie Justice League rather it was between Marvel Comics and DC. Justice League was released about one week after Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok. The box office was no contest. To date Justice League has made about $286m worldwide while Thor has $742m worldwide with a budget of $180m. Justice League cost $300m and expectations are low for making for a profit. DC continues to lag Marvel.

   

Justice League’s strength are the characters, new and old. There is Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and new characters the Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg. These new characters will most likely have their own spin off films. Ben Affleck is Batman and his performance is as stiff as plaster board. Gal Gabot is tough and sweet with more meat on her. Ezra Miller is the Flash and is the most affable and humors character. Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones) is Aquaman. Momoa plays Aquaman as a loner and a reluctant team member. Ray Fisher is Cyborg. He is the most serious and dour. Ray Fisher is a black actor and this seems to be the next DC/Marvel dual when Marvel releases Panther with a black cast.

The plot is unwieldy and disjointed. The arch villain is Steppenwolf played in motion capture which switching from live action to animated is a bit disconcerting. Steppenwolf comes back to earth to retrieve three magical mother boxes and the Justice League must stop him. To add more to the mix the Amazon’s are back. There is one silly scene where on of the mother box is rumbling back to life and the Amazons are pointing arrows and spears ready to attack a mystical mist.

Acting is not a high standard and the plot is muddled. If you are a fan of super heroes the introduction the Flash, Aquaman and Cyborg is very interesting. Rotten Tomato gave Justice League a 41 score and Thor a 92 score. In fairness they should both be adjusted. Thor in not Gone with the Wind and JL can be kicked up a few notches just for the characters.

Blade Runner 2049

Blade Runner 2049                                                                                                          October 6, 2017

Blade Runner 2049 (a.k.a. 2049) and the original Blade Runner are more like siblings than twins. They share DNA but are uniquely different. The original Blade Runner is classic film noir with gloomy rainy Los Angles of the future (2019) and murderous replicants hunted by Blade Runners. 2049 is a journey to find answers dating back to the original Blade Runner. At the heart of both movies are the perils and evolution of artificial intelligence.

 It is not necessity to see the original Blade Runner before watching 2049. 2049 is a sophisticated standalone sci-fi movie with a solid plot. Parts of the original Blade Runner are referenced in 2049 so seeing the original film will give a more holistic experience.

The movie is exhausting with a run time of 163 minutes (the original master piece is 117 minutes). There are some slow parts and surgical editing would have been welcomed.

Ryan Gosling is the replicant Blade Runner working for the LAPD. He is named K but is later called Joe. He shows some human tendencies making him reluctant to perform his duty. Gosling performance for the most part is monotone. A sadness permeates his performance. He is more introspective than Deckard (Harrison Ford).

His LAPD boss is Lt. Joshi played by Robin Wright. Wright gives her usual frosty performance. She is abusive treating Gosling like a disposable non-human. She tasks him with a secret mission.

K has a hologram girlfriend named Joi (what else) played by Ana de Armas (Cubana). When they have sex (very safe sex) another female is used as a proxy and melds with Joi. Not a critical plot point, but interesting to watch.

Jared Leto plays Niander Wallace. He takes over the failed Tyrell corporation and manufactures replicants. Eventhough, he looks like Jesus, he exudes evil. His screen time is unfortunately short but his performance is effective. Wallace’s replicant henchwoman in named Luv, played by Sylvia Hoeks (Dutch model). She beats the crap out of Gosling with round house kicks to the head. Aside from her physically she gives a very effective and surprisingly tender performance.

In last 30 minutes Harrison Ford finally shows up. He is best be described as grizzled.  Ford is in hiding in an abandoned Las Vegas like city. He gives an excellent performance. This is where parts of the original movie come into play. This is the crux of the movie. He and Gosling have great chemistry.

The director of 2049 is Denis Villeneuve director of “Arrival”. His directorial style is decidedly different from Ridley Scott’s. Both films are moody. The original is heavy with darkness and endless drizzle. 2049 is less damp but the mood is anticipatory of something profound to come.

In fear of my life I will not comment of the movie’s plot but I will say it is an intriguing extension of the original film. Philp K. Dick would have approved.

Kingsmen: The Golden Circle

Kingsmen: The Golden Circle                                                                       September 30, 2017

The first Kingsmen film was a sleeper hit racking up $414m in worldwide box office; a sure formula for a sequel. The original film was a fantastical secret agent film. This film goes further and is more cartoonish. The villain, Julianne Moore, has a 1960 replica “Happy Days” village in Cambodia complete with a diner and bowling alley. She dispatches a henchman into a meat grinder and makes hamburgers, something Wile e Coyote would do.  

The basic story line is that the Kingsman’s headquarters in London is destroyed. Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong) go to Kentucky to get help from their American counter parts, the Statemen, who are cowboys headquartered is a whisky distillery. Code names for the Kingsmen are derived from Knights of the Round Table and their American cousins are named after liquors; Whisky, Tequila, Jack Danial’s. Jeff Bridges code name is Champagne, a name eliciting more chuckles than fear.

The marque actors: Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum and Michael Gambon have basically extended cameos.  The coming attractions oversells them. The exception is Halle Berry, Ginger Ale, the Statemen’s techie, who has a more featured role. Her character is drab and unglamorous and she has the most hideous hairdo. Her sex appeal is peeled away.

Julianne Moore plays Poppy Adams the drug lord, who infects narcotics users worldwide with a fatal poison. The role is kinder to Moore than to Halle Berry, showcasing Moore’s glowing Ivory Snow looks and bright smile. Unfortunately, her hands betray her age and are best kept out of frame.

Elton John is in the movie and mercifully plays himself. He is in full regalia with rainbow feathers, sliver platform shoes and rhinestone glasses. He is a bit overweight, as we all are, but he can still bang out the piano. In a farce, such as this film, acting is not a requirement.

A major subplot of the film is the resurrection of Harry Hart, Colin Firth, who was shot in the face point blank in the first movie. I will not say how he was revived but clearly the writers are devoid of any medical knowledge.

If you are a fan of the Kingsman or Elton John, by all means see this film. Otherwise rent the first one.

Atomic Blond

Atomic Blond

There is a special place in hell for directors of coming attractions. This movie is not just a flimsy lesbian laced donnybrook depicted in movie trailers. It has all that and more. This is a very respectable spy movie set in 1989 in Berlin when the cold war was hot. This film is more like John le Carre than Ian Fleming. There are spies, double spies and triple spies. In the absence of Bond type gadgetry, commando fighting dominates the film. Theron’s muscular fighting was impressive and exhausting. Everything was a weapon: rope, hot plates, phones and of course red stiletto heels. Theron was a one woman racking crew. Towards the end of the movie Theron was black and blue. How much was real and how much was make up? Apparently, she had real commando trading in the film and she was hurt.

The movie was a bit slow on the up take. Theron’s character is being debriefed by John Goodman (CIA) and his MI6 counterpart.  Poor Goodman looks like a deflated balloon with his massive weight loss. The narrative is a bit tedious cutting back and forth between the action and the debriefing room. It is a bit distracting. James McAvoy is a British spy with many secrets. He sleazy performance is counterpoint to his usual wholesome roles. but well done overall.

Another key player is Sofia Boutella. She is a French spy who becomes Theron’s lover. The intimate scenes are more suggestive than graphic. Her screen presence, with her clothes on, is not significant but her character is important.

In the end, this film was a pleasant surprise. It wasn’t mindless Rambo type movie of scantly glad tall blondes jello wrestling (God forbid). The plot was homage to Cold War spy movies. This was also another attempt by Hollywood to woo a female audience to action films. Whereas Wonder Woman was wholesomeness on white bread, Atomic Blond is naughtiness thickly spread on black pumpernickel. The almighty buck is asexual.

p.s.-I regret to report that Charlize Theron has a manish ass. Her butt looks like two loafs of Wonder Bread pressed together rather than the classic pear-shaped derrieres of Renaissance art and certain Latino signers. Perfection is over rated. 

Dunkirk

Dunkirk

Dunkirk is ponderous. It is somber and British. Using Saving Private Ryan as a reference, Dunkirk is the polar opposite. Whereas Saving Private Ryan is dynamic and has forward motion Dunkirk is stagnant and stoic. If Christopher Nolan wanted to convey anxiety and desperation he did so splendidly.

The movie is a series of vignettes. There are the stranded troops on the beach with Kenneth Branagh as Commander Bolton. Then there are the RAF spit fighter pilots engaging Nazi planes. One of the pilots, Tom Hardy, is totally unrecognizable since he wears an aviators hat. The other piece of the movie focuses on the flotilla of small boats sailing to Dunkirk to rescue the solders. One of the best performances of the movie takes place on one of the boats with Mark Rylance and Cillian Murphy. Given the chaos of war this compartmentalization is an effective approach. The vignettes are puzzle pieces of the whole.

The film is epic in scope. The cinematography is sweeping with aerial views of the vast of the beach and the thousands of British troops waiting in neat rows for reuse. The vulnerability of the troops was striking. The coming attractions conveyed images of slaughter on the beach, but the majority of the troops were evacuated. There were attacks by the Luftwaffe on the troops but only with one or two planes.

There are moments of bravo when RAF spitfire downs a Germain plane or when the little boats arrive. It makes does little hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Some historical facts:

• ·         Of the 338,226 soldiers, the majority were rescued by the Royal Navy. The small boats ferried soldiers from the beach to waiting vessels. Some sailed back to Dover.
• ·         Why weren’t the troops slaughtered on the beach? Hitler gave his infamous Halt order stopping Panzer tanks from continuing the assault. A major blunder.
• ·         Nolan’s film is getting tagged with #ohsowhite.  There were troops of color at Dunkirk. There was the Royal Indian Army Service Corps and other soldiers from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. In the film, there is one shot of a French solider of color.

This is an important movie. Reviews are positive and the box office is healthy. As with all historical films their veracity is debated. This is a war movie of elegance. 

Spiderman Homecoming

Spiderman Homecoming

This is a very juvenile movie. It has none of the darkness of prior movies. It has the airiness of a teen movie akin to the Breakfast Club. This Spiderman is an awkward insecure fifteen-year-old living in Queens. Tom Holland is a British actor who was spared the need to master a Queen’s accent (as were the other Spidermen). Tom Holland is a journeyman for the Avengers under the supervision of Tony Stark, Robert Downy jr. Holland keeps on screwing up as teenagers do.

Parker has a rotund generic Asian side kick who provides comic relief if not angst. This movie is so PC I doubt Republicans will see it. Lots of the action takes place in the high school including detention.  Peter is infatuated with a girl that he can barely look eye to eye.

There is a villain, The Vulture, played by Michael Keaton. The Vulture is a junkman who hauls machine parts from other dimensions and makes super weapons for bad guys. He flies a winged contraption that looks like a bunch of fans wired together. He is a hand full for young Spidey and Spidey needs help.

The movie does have light moments eliciting laughs. Marisa Tomie is Aunt May. The original Aunt May was a white-haired fragile old lady. I am not complaining about Tomie, but whoever did the casting should get their glasses checked.

Given the robust box office and high Rotten Tomato score this review is anathema. Maybe it is old age but this movie is better for the kids. 

Baby Drver

                                                                                                  July 13, 2017

Baby Driver is a unique movie; it is not a sequel or a remake it is an original script. This is a terrific movie. It is a tender love story with bank robberies, unshaven dirty bad guys and amazing car chases.  Driving is a major element of the film: drifting, high speed chases, reverse driving (it made me feel inadequate). This movie has elements of Bonnie and Clyde, Bullet and some parts of Grease. The cast is terrific. The ensemble’s performance was cohesive and well-paced. The movie’s direction was gritty, dynamic and interjected with poignant moments.

The protagonist is named Baby; yeh, just Baby. How cool is that? Baby is played by Ansel Elgort. He was the wimpy brother in the Divergent series. Baby has a baby face, there is even a close up of his peach fuzz. He seems Autistic, with preputial dark Ray Ban’s, fixed ear plugs and pouty lips seldom speaking. One character asks if he is slow, which is an inside joke. The loopy personality masks his supremely virtuoso driving skills. He does not drive Porsches or Ferraris, rather more humble fare. He makes diving a Subaru sexy; there is hope for all of us. Elgort is pitch perfect for the role.

He is constantly plugged into his iPod so the music drowns out tinnitus. The music is a big part of the film. Half the tunes I recognized for the rest I had no clue (a consequence of being born in the 50’s).

Kevin Spacy is the gang mastermind who orchestrates the robberies. Baby is indentured to Spacy, but how is not made clear. Spacy is a precise task master and cold blooded. The film focuses on one last heist and Baby must be behind the wheel.

Jon Hamm is a former stock broker turned bank robber (Wow, what a stretch). Unshaven, greasy and probably smelly, he still gets the hot chic (go figure). He was corrupt in Mad Men, but here he is lethal. Jammie Foxx plays a tattooed necked killer/bank robber. He is part of the gang with Baby and Hamm, he threatens Baby.  Foxx relishes this role.

Lily James plays Debora, Baby’s love interest. She is like Sandy from Grease, but she wields a crow bar. This is love at first sight, or as the Italians would say struck by a thunderbolt. They are very tender with each other and share a strong bond.

I highly recommend this film. And please would someone tell me what is Egyptian Reggie.

The Mummy

When there are three writers on a script it is a sure sign the movie sucks, as is the case here. This movie is a mash up of “An American Werewolf in London”, “The Walking Dead” and “The Mummy (with Brendan Frasier)”. It did not have an original bone in its body, with one big exception. This is the first FEMALE MUMMY. The plot points are endless and these numb nuts writers did nothing with it. I could write a better script. To have Sofia Boutella (this is the She assassin, from the “Kingsman, The Secret Service”, with cutlery for legs) stumble around in a grey body suite with Ace bandages dangling from her limbs is a waste.

The acting was insipid. Yes, it was effortless, since no effort was made. In comparison to this schlock Curse’s the “Fourth of July “is great drama. Russell Crowe is in the movie. He is so fat he almost explodes. I think I fell asleep so I am not sure about his character.

There is a generous shot Tom almost naked with a strategically placed cloth. For a man in his fifties he looks great, toned and lean. I know how hard it is to keep an athletic body, so Tom Tom kudos.  

Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 15 and the movie has lost $95m. Now that’s scary!

Joey’s Script:

Nicole Kidman is standing on her balcony smoking heroin.

A silver moon bathes the humid night.

Nicole is the Madame of an upscale brothel catering to British royalty and the upper classes.

All the prostitutes are twins.

Lost in an opium haze Kidman does not notice the black fog gathering behind her.

The fog engulfs her.

Skeletal hands with black broken nails emerge from the fog wrapping around Kidman’s chest, pulling her in.

Kidman’s eyes wide open in terror as she is consumed by the fog, but too late.

Sofia Boutella emerges from the balcony wearing in La Perla lingerie and Jimmy Choo pumps holding her asp.  

To be continued…..

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman         

                                                                                                      June 6, 2017

Gender is a focus of this movie. Undeniably this is a female movie; the female cast (with a few male exceptions), the director even the film projectionist is female. The revenue for this film has been stunning (opening week north of $200m worldwide in the first weekend). Sexual labels aside, is this a film worth seeing?  YES !

The opening scenes in Amazonia, I mean Themyscira, were prosaic, with a little willful Diana being a naughty demi god. Quickly battles ensue and the Amazon warriors are twirling in the air shooting three arrows at a time and making three kills. This is a very impressive marriage of stunt work and CG. Besides Wonder Woman’s many powers (alas I did not see her invisible jet) it is Gal Gadot performance that makes Wonder Woman a creditable super hero. She is heroic, fearless and the best fighter you will see in a leather mini skirt. Being an undocumented demi-god she is a bit naive in the land of men. Her naiveté sets up endearing plot points with her co-star Chris Pine, who plays Steve Trevor. They definably have scene chemistry or this movie would have crash and burned (a hell of a lot better than with Bruce Wayne). Pine plays the role a bit like Captain Kirk from Star Trek, cool, cocky, self-assured but vulnerable with Wonder Woman.

The action shifts from Themyscira to World War I Europe and Wonder Woman is fully engaged in the fighting. At one point, she is a one-woman dynamo advancing the morbid trench line by yards deflecting rounds of bullets and mortar shells just with her shield and bad attitude. Interestingly her posse is all male. There is Steve Trevor, the heart throb; Saïd Taghmaoui as Sameer; master of disguise;  Ewen Bremner as Charlie, the Scottish sharpshooter and Eugene Brave Rock as the Indian Chief. Their comradery is infectious and they use their skills to fight Germain solders. Their arch enemy is General Erich Ludendorff, who with the deadly talents of a deformed female Doctor Maru, is researching toxic gases that could change the course of the war. The obvious comparison of the hideously deformed face of Dr. Maru to Diana’s beauty is evil versus good.

The film gets a bit off the rails when Wonder Woman battles Ares, God of War and Diana’s half-brother. This is lethal sibling rivalry, but it was a good platform to show case Wonder Woman’s fighting skills. The action sequences are as impressive as any successful comic centric film. No punches were pulled.

The producers of Wonder Women are using the “f” word…franchise. They see this movie as a catalyst for other DC super hero films, especially after recent flops. Hollywood desperately wants to expand the audience base for comic/adventure movies to include young females and their pocket books.  Wonder Women sequels will propel this movement. Maybe we will see the invisible jet in the next film.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2

Guardians of the Galaxy 2                                                    May 27, 2017

If you liked the first one you will like this one. The plot is metaphysically inane, but who goes to see this type of movie for the plot. The movie is about comradery and family. Joining the retuning crew is Kurt Russell as Star Lords father, Ego. This is a new vein for comic mining. There is also a cameo appearance by Sylvester Stallone, two to be exact. Very chunky, so so funny.

The rest of the crew is present. Bradly Cooper is the wise ass Rocket, a bit less acid, more humanin. Zoe Saldana as the green Gamora is a more overtly affectionate with Chris Pratt and continues her epic sister rivalry with Nubula, the blue spray painted chick with the metallic body. Groot is still Baby Groot. He is a source of endless cuteness. Best dam pay day Vin Diesel ever made and no acting required, as usual.

Drax the Destroyer is still blue and dim witted but delivers some very hilarious lines.  Michael Rooker as Yondu Udonta, the blue skinned pirate who kidnaped Star Lord as a child, has an expanded role and fits into the movie’s familial theme. His golden arrow is as lethal as before but it targets real ugly bad guys (one guy is named Taserface) . A new character is Mantis, Pom Klementieff, she is part of Ego’s crew. She sports antennae and has large black saucer eyes giving her the appearance of an insect. She is a bit innocent and unwittingly comical. There may be something going on with Drax (there may be blue bug babies in GOG 3).

Some parts of the movie were hilarious. I cannot remember the last time I laughed out loud in the theater. The audience joined in. Most were just silly one liners or some sets ups were well executed. There is a lot of fighting and killing, but it was all antiseptic. The movie is about comradery and getting despicable bad guys to do right thing.

The music is a big part of the movie. I personally like the tunes of the first movie better. But as my son would say what do I know about music! Thanks to GOG the Sony Walkman is an item on EBay. Never throw shit away!!!!

The Fate of the Furious

The Fate of the Furious                                                                                   April 18, 2017

All the Fast and Furious (F&F) hallmarks are present. Relentless action, steroid infused fights, fantastic car races, uber-pyrotechnics and a plot little more than a footnote. Some of the gags and CG are approaching cartoon status. In one scene, it was literally raining cars. There is so much testosterone in this movie Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson should have spontaneously sprouted hair like a Chiba Pet. This said, this film is probably the most fun movie of the franchise. Feeling financially secure the producers are taking themselves less seriously. Former rivals are becoming strange bed fellows.

Thank God Vin Diesel’s acting has not improved keeping the Dom Toretto mystic intact. Dwayne Johnson is the ex-foe now Toretto comrade. The two compete in the tightest tee shirt contest. Jason Statham retains his sand paper beard and has a duplicitous role of foe and friend. The transitions are entertaining. The rest of the crew Letty, Roman, Tej Parker are still good guys. Bucking baldness, Ludacris sports a full head of hair; he was funnier without it.

The arch villain is Charliz Theron (the most beautiful women in the world, in my opinion). Unsmiling with her bleached white dread locks, she almost looks unrecognizable. Her character was devoid of humor or humanity. What a waste of beauty and talent. Lindsey Lohan would have done it on the cheap baring talent.

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There are two new characters. One of them manages to humanize Jason Statham. Helen Mirrin appears briefly (I should have not mentioned her). A fun part of the movie is old friends and enemies make cameos contributing to the light heathenness of the movie.

Surprisingly, the opening scenes are in Cuba, specifically Old Havana where I was just a few weeks ago. I recognized the neighborhoods and the Capital Plaza de La Revolucion, the starting point of the mandatory drag race. What I did not see was a long-legged chick in a short floral micro mini skirt wearing red stilettos (size 6) waving a silk unmentionable to start the race. Senior moment or not that I would have remembered!

The fate in Fate of the Furious is the box office. The movie exceeded opening weekend estimates of +$100 m. Worldwide all time net box office (after production cost) for the franchise is about $3.4 billion. Incentive enough for more films. 

Get Out

Get Out                                                                                                           March 31, 2017

This is a one-handed movie. One hand to cover your eyes and the other to eat popcorn. The movie’s tension starts from the very beginning. You are not sure what is going on but something will happen.

This is a B movie. It cost $4.5m to produce (grossing $156m). Except for Allison Williams (Girls and Peter Pan), the rest of the cast lack name recognition. Some were familiar once on screen. This is not a star-studded movie, rather the ensemble carries the film. The main protagonists Daniel Kaluuya (British actor) and Allison Williams are the interracial couple visiting her parents in suburbia. What makes the movie work is anticipation and a myriad of clues. The black and white angle is played up in the movie. There are the usual racial stereotypes. What transpires goes beyond standard bigotry.

Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams give good performances. Kaluuya feels uncomfortable in a growingly white weekend gathering. The guests leering attention make him nervous. The few blacks he encounters act disturbingly strange. As for Allison Williams, anything is better than Peter Pan. She is the love interest, with an agenda. This film has a smattering of the 70’s blaxploitation movies.  The director/writer is Jordan Peele.

Since I dearly cherish my life I will not discuss the plot. It is a bit complicated and reminiscent of those cheesy TV programs Tales from the Crypt. The end of the movie veers into camp.  Rotten Tomato’s gave this movie a score of 99; maybe a bit much (It Follows, my favorite low budget horror film, has a 97 rating). Get Out is good for a laugh and hug. This movie is referred as comedy horror film; I think more horror. It is worth the price of admission price and for one handed popcorn.

Logan

                                                                                               March 17, 2017

Logan is a good movie for what it is not, cartoonish. There are no men in tights, women with bullet bras or German accented villains wearing metal helmets. Logan and Professor Xavier live in a abandoned encampment in the desert. Logan and Professor X, like all of us, are subject to the ravages of time. This vulnerability is more relatable to an adult crowd. Xavier is fighting senility, which is ironic for a mutant who could control minds. Logan’s once buffed body is etched with scares and raked with pain. Fighting and winning have taken their toll.

This said there are stock and trade Wolverine battles. He uses his talons like a five-star chef skewers kabab. Professor X’s senior moment is befuddlement but still cataclysmic, an echo of his vast power.  

There is a new crop of pre-teen mutants who were fabricated in the lab. One special mutant is an eleven-year-old named Dafne Keen, who has a special bond with Logan. The relationship is tenuous but grows warmly over time. There is a lethal element to her precociousness. Logan is the reluctant father figure reining in the wild child. They do not have a cuddly relationship and Logan’s clueless parenting skills make for funny situations.  

There are a few lulls in the movie, but these small breaks give space for reflection.  There is plenty of action for all but when you need to take your medicine before going in to battle that is a reality check. Medicare has a high deductible for decapitation.

The movie has seeds of sequels. Those cute pre-teens mutants will surely appear in forthcoming movies as strapping teens in tights and bullet bra’s. Keeping the franchise alive is imperative (all x-men films to date-$4.8b box office).

Arrival

Arrival

I saw this movie a few weeks ago, but fell asleep and missed some key parts. Yesterday I went to see Split and in the next theater Arrival was playing. I had an hour to kill so I snuck in to see Arrival.

This is an outstanding movie and in my opinion it is one of the ten best sci fi in the past ten years. Rather than action packed it is a more cerebral film. The theme of the plot is fascinating and once fully understood gives you new insight into old theories. Albert Einstein would have enjoyed this movie.

I am not a fan of flash backs but here they were integral to the story and done well. Amy Adams is wonderful as a linguist recruited by the army to decipher the symbols of the aliens called heptapods.  They look like a penyata stuck on aoctopus. Their writing is like squid ink forming complicated circles. Amy’s tragic personal story is intertwined with the aliens which adds a layer of complexity.

I encourage you to see this movie either in the theater or on demand. You will not be disappointed.

La La Land L

                                                                                          January 28, 2017

The title La La Land, means:

“the mental state of someone who is not aware of what is really happening. La-La Land —used as a nickname for Los Angeles, California”,

The film is a combination of traditional l Hollywood musicals and drama. To legitimize the film as a musical the opening scene has Angelinos stuck in traffic breaking out in joyous spontaneous song and dance. Would this work on the FDR?

The theme of the movie is “things that could have been”. Ryan Gosling is a pianist who loves jazz but compromises his principals to get steady work. Emma Stone is a barista/actress who feels defeated by dead end auditions. As with all musicals boy meets girl and hearts a flutter. For musical talents, Gosling took six months training to play the piano. He was impressive; his fingering was more complicated as the film progressed. His singing was more like those Grammy spoken word awards. Emma Stone has more of a singing voice and gives a solid Broadway rendition.

As for the dancing neither one was Fred Aster or Ginger Rogers. Their numbers were heavily choreographed. You could almost hear them saying, 123…123…123. In tribute to Busby Berkeley one number had them dancing in the air with stars courtesy of the Griffith Observatory.  

Gosling and Stone are outstanding dramatic actors and when the film focuses on their relationship without song and dance, they are in their element. The relationship is complicated as both pursue their dreams. They support each other and fall away from each other. The consequences of their actions give the film a complexity, with a ting of sadness, unusual for musicals.

Adulation for this film is wide spread. Unlike the Golden Globes the Oscars do not have a musical/comedy category. How do you compare this movie to the current crop great dramas? How do you nominate Ryan Gosling as best actor as opposed Denzel Washington or Andrew Garfield? How does Emma Stone compete with Viola Davis or Nicole Kidman or Taraji P. Henson?

Every few years Hollywood gets nostalgic. Back in 2011 the black and white silent screen film “The Artist” won best picture. This could be one of those years. 

Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures 

                                                                                           January 7, 2017

What a joyous and uplifting movie; but this is not a Disney movie. The movie tackles hard topics like racism, segregation and sex discrimination.

 This is a true story about three African-Americans mathematicians who worked on the space program at NASA Langley field Virginia in the 1960’s.They are: Taraji P. Henson as Katherine Johnson-mathematical genius , Octavia Spencer as Dorothy Vaughan, IBM programmer, Janelle Monáe as Mary Jackson, engineer.

This movie is referred to as a biographical comedy-drama film. It is humorous but certain parts are serious and historic. It never occurred to me there was discrimination NASA, but why not? It was in Virginia in the 1960’s where discrimination was accepted.   Mathematicians were called computers. These ladies were referred to as the colored computers. 

Henson is outstanding in her role. She could be submissive and stay in her place to advance but she had the courage to confront prejudice. She had to wrestle respect from her co-workers and bosses.  Her advantage was her mathematical genius, she even impressed the astronauts.  

Spencer was the over worked supervisor without a title or appropriate pay. In a quiet and relentless manner, she became the first Afro-American IBM programmer. She surreptitiously learning Fortran on her own. Spencer’s outward calmness underlies her tenacity and intelligence.

Monae was the squeaky wheel. Of the three she pushed the boundaries using moxie and her beauty. Through hard work and undiscouraged she became an engineer.

Kevin Costner played the director of the Space Task Group. Seemingly oblivious to racism until he needed his colored computers. He played a hardened bureaucrat with a heart deeply buried in his chest. Jim Parsons played the peevish head mathematician who was a racist and misogynistic. At every turn, he put up obstacles which Henson knocked down.

This movie is the flip side of The Right Stuff. These women boosted the space program with their No. 2 pencils. Hidden Figures shines a much need light on a neglected part of our history. Stick round for the credit roll to see the real-life people.

Silence

Silence

This is an epic movie. It is a clash of religions and cultures and the horrible consequences of ensuing conflict. It also has an epic run time of about three hours; this is a two-bathroom movie.

The film takes place in feudal Japan in the 16^th hundreds. The two main protagonists played by Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield are Jesuit priests on a mission to Japan to find a renowned priest, Fr. Ferreira, played by Liam Neeson. They encounter hostile resistance from the Japanese feudal lords. The two Jesuits are in peril from the day they arrive in Japan. As in Roman times the Japanese Christens conceal their faith fearing retribution. When discovered they are subjected to horrible torture reminiscent to the martyrdom of the saints. To escape punishment, they are forced to apostatize their faith.

This is Martin Scorsese’s latest film which was ten years in the making. Scorsese had considered attending the seminary and if had this film would have been his dissertation. The Japanese see Catholicism as a threat to their society and will crush it. In Japan, the Emperor is a deity and deities do not like competition.  

Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield are the new breed of stars. Driver has had a range of roles from the narcissistic lover in the HBO series Girls to Kylo Ren in Rogue One. Here he is a tormented priest agonizing between keeping his faith and saving local Christians from gruesome torture.  He delivers a complex performance of terror and devotion.

Andrew Garfield’s character plays the pivotal role. He is Driver’s companion and is subjected to the same trials and torments. His conundrum is if he does not apostatize his devoted flock would be tortured to death or if he gives up his fate he will be dammed. The later part of the film give him full range of emotions. He is most compelling in these moments.

Liam Neeson comes in at the end of the movie. His character is the catalyst for the two Jesuits’ journey. His role is important and he delivers what is needed.

One wonderful things about this movie is the Japanese cast.  Although I am not familiar with them their acting was superb. One character, Kichijiro, unintentionally provided comic relief by asking for confession for sins he keeps repeating.   He thinks confession is his get out of jail card (I certainly hope so!). The Inquisitor is played by a grandfatherly type character who dispassionately dispenses torture like someone ordering tea. His banality portends future barbarity.  

The costumes and cinematography are outstanding. Scorsese uses an effective overhead shot.  An interviewer asked him what inspired him. Scorsese said when he lived in a tenement on the Lower East Side, he looked out the window that is how he saw the city. Yeah, been there.

This movie weights heavy on your shoulders. Jesuits are God’s storm troops and are the harbingers of colonialism. The movie is a feast for the eyes and all-round the acting is superb. But it is not a date movie.