WW1984

WW1984 (HBO  Max)

I am having a bit of trouble writing this review. This movie has been widely anticipated but parts it are disappointing. The first Wonder Woman film in 2017 (for the rest of the review the shorthand will be WW2017) was a success on several fronts. It introduced a new superhero into the DC franchise and also  made a big push for the coveted female audience. Patty Jenkins received high praise for directing a mega hit which garnished  93% from Rotten Tomatoes and a box office of $882m (budget $140m).

WW1984 has some problems, mainly with the script and casting. The script for WW2017 had a continuous arch, the story was focused on WW I. Even when it expanded into mythology , when Diana battled Ares (God of war) the story remained coherent.

In WW1984 the script is all over the place and is over ambitious. It starts with the schemes of a lowly Ponzi con man, played by Pedro Pascal, and escalates  into an apocalyptic crisis. The premise  of the story is  based a combination of Aladdin and Midas myths. This approach is taken to absurd  levels. Even comics have to be somewhat rational.

Gal Gadot is beautiful and an effective superhero. Her character is basically a continuation of  WW2017. Aside from showing some new childhood experiences with the Amazons, Jenkins does not take this opportunity to further develop Diana’s character. How has she handled the last 66 years? It would make her character more interesting.

 Pedro Pascal is one of the villains. His performance is absolutely awful. He over acts, his mannerisms are exaggerated even his speech is annoying. He needed better directing .The other villain, villainess, is played by Kristen Wiig.  She is best known as a  comedian who played in  Bridesmaids and was a former member of SNL. She is miscast in this role. She first appears as a dorky gemologist and is transformed in to an uber villain. It just does not work. Her evil persona is forced and not convincing.

As you may recall in WW2017, Steve Treavor (Diana’s lover), played by Chris Pine, died while piloting a German aircraft filled with poison gas  and crashed  into the ocean.  As part of the WW1984 plot he is  brought back to life. His resurrection is lame. The writers lacked imagination or were just looking for an easy way out to bring Trevor back.

The film does have a lot of action although the main fighting scenes come  in the latter parts. I am not sure why they picked 1984. Some of the  outfits were hideous. Chris Pine wears the ubiquitous  Men’s Club jacket of the 80’s. Gadot looks stunning in anything. Part of Kristen Wiig’s transformation into the dark side is wearing  tacky outfits.

China is a big market for superhero movies. The producers anticipated a box office of $58m, but only realized $18m (Covid was not big factor). With most movie theaters closed in America current  box office is not a measure of success. WW84 was released on HBO Max for free. One explanation for doing this  was the producers wanted to keep the fan base in tack. WW2017 had a Rotten Tomato score of 93%, WW1984 scored 66%. There is word of WW III.

Soul

 

Soul (Disney)

Soul is a “ computer-animated fantasy comedy-drama” produced by Pixar. It is absolutely wonderful. As they say it is a film for all ages. This is another Pixar gem.  It is about finding purpose in life and being true to what you want to be. Aside from these serious themes the movie is funny and the animation beautiful. Soul is in the tradition of other great Pixar movies: Toy Story, Up and Monsters Inc.

For an animated film, the story is involved. Joe Gardner is a band teacher whose passion is to be part of a jazz ensemble. He has a fatal  accident and winds up on the conveyor belt to the Great Beyond. After some adventures he meets 22 in the Great Before who is a soul looking for the spark to complete her badge of traits so she can go to earth. To complete her training 22 has been coached  by some of the great minds in history and their interaction is hilarious. Joe and 22 manage to go back to earth but wind  up in the wrong bodies and 22 inhabits Joe’s body and Joe winds up in a therapy cat. The interaction between the two is the heart of the movie.

The voice actors are first class. Jamie Foxx  voices  Joe Gardner, Tina Fay voices 22, Questlove is the drummer and Phylicia Rashard is Joe’s mother. There are these soul councilors in the Great Before all named  Jerry and one dogged accountant who keeps an accurate tally of all souls who are bound to the Great Beyond. Like Toy Story the intended audience is universal.

The Midnight Sky

 

The Midnight Sky (Netflix)

The Midnight Sky is like getting a Christmas present  wrapped in fancy paper but when you open it you find pair of socks. The fancy wrapping paper in this case is the impressive cast. The socks is the plot. Most doomsday films end either in a cataclysm or salvation. Here the earth ends from tediousness.  

 George Clooney is the lead actor and he also directs. The astronauts are Felicity Jones, Kyle Chandler and David Oyelowo with others. In search of a habitable planet to save humanity the astronauts  journey to one of Jupiter’s moons. Sci-fi  makes up its own realities and if you want to have fun you go along with it. Here a google search makes plot seem silly. Why go to Jupiter which takes six years one way when you can go to Mars in eight months? Also Mars has soil and maybe water.

Clooney is an ailing  scientist at an Artic observatory which is being evacuated.  Later on in the empty station he finds a mysterious little girl who was accidentally  been left behind. At first she does not talk and tags along with Clooney. This is the sad  Clooney unlike the suave Ocean’s Eleven Clooney. With grey hair and grey bread he tends to mumble a bit (put on subtitles). Nothing really happens until he shoots at some wolves. In the subzero artic all of a sudden the ice breaks opens and Clooney is swimming  under water. This is an obvious hint at global warming. It seems Clooney is impervious to hypothermia.

Felicity Jones is in the spaceship returning to earth with her husband David Oyelowo. She is well into her pregnancy. NASA spends billions on rocket ships but  can’t afford a few busks for condoms. Everything is harmonies in the ship and nothing much happens  until there is a meteorite strike.  The ship survives but one crew member dies. The best special effect is seeing what blood looks like in zero gravity. It looks like red Milk Dudds.

 Clooney tells the crew not to return to earth because of the catastrophic conditions. So they turn around and make another six years journey back to Jupiter. Are they the last vestiges of humanity? The film is heavily laden with green messaging, a somberness which permeates the movie. There is an a’ha moment in the end which sort of  comes from left  base. The one green thing this film does not have is bucks. It cost $100m and so far has made $63k. The positive thing about the film, if you have Netflix you do not have to pay for it.

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

 

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)                                                                          December 20, 2020

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is a multi-level film. It is about the blues of the 1920’s, about race, about ambition and defiance. It is an August Wilson play of the same name and the film has the intimacy of a play. The dialogue is powerful and  emotional. It reunites actors from another August Wilson play Fences. Viola Davis, who won an Academy Award for Fences, and Denzel Washington who is a producer in Ma Rainey.

Ma Rainey was a blues singer of the 1920’s. She was not a stereotypical black woman of her time; she was a force of nature. Viola Davis plays her with defiant energy. She knew the worth of her voce and that  white producers wanted to put it on their “race records”. Davis is absolutely amazing. She is in a fat suite and with grease paint make up sporting gold teeth making her look hideous. She is the definition of sass. If her demands are not met she did not sing; it is her arrangement or nothing.

Chadwick Bosemen is the other lead who is Levee, the trumpet player. This is his last performance. To think he was being treated for colon cancer and delivered this phenomenal energetic performance is mind boggling. If he wins the Oscar it will not be out of sympathy  but for his defining performance. Levee has ambitious plans to form his own band and clashes with Ma over and their artistic differences. His inner demons are rooted in the rape of his mother as a boy and his resentment of religion for failing him. His fury results in tragedy and he destroys him.

The supporting cast is outstanding. Whereas Bosemen is in constant revolt, the rest of the band just want their money and do what Ma says. They too have their tragedies and wounds but they internalize them maintaining the accepted stereotypes of the time. The two white actors represent the record company. They put up with Ma’s demands to get her voice recorded. They pay her $200 dollars for releasing the song to the record company without royalties and  pay Levee $5 for songs he wrote. Racism does not always need a cross.

Do not see this movie because it is Chadwick Bosemen’s last film. See it for the performances of Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 99.

Tenet

 

Tenet (Amazon Prime)                                                                                   December  16, 2020

How do I begin? Tenet is a complex and confusing movie. Christopher Nolan’s movies such as Inception and Interstellar have intricate and challenging plots. Tenet is on a whole other level. It is sci-fi bent on itself. Nolan has been gestating this project for twenty years. There is an opening scene in Memento (2000) which is a precursor for Tenet. Time flows from the past to the future and back. As time rewinds you see people walking backwards and objects reversing themselves such as a bullet going back into the barrel of a gun. In some scenes the same characters appear as present and future versions of themselves. They use the word entropy a lot but I have no idea what it means (I was a history major). When you Google Tenet one of the choices is Tenet explained.

The title Tenet is a palindrome and is a metaphor for the fluidity of time. The title is derived from a Sator Square containing a five-word Latin palindrome with Tenet in the middle. The plot, plots, involve the CIA, a Russian oligarch, an Indian arms trafficker, an unwitting art expert, climate change and the end of the world.

Tenet was supposed to be the blockbuster of the year. Like other movies it was derailed by the Covid virus. The movie cost about  $350m (including marketing).Warner Brothers expects to loss about $50m, much because of delayed theater releases in the United States. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a rating of 71%.  

John David Washington (Black Klansman, Denzel’s son) plays the title role. He is the protagonist  and his name in the movie is the Protagonist. The man swaggers while sitting down. He is the ultimate CIA agent, resourceful and fearless. He does yeoman’s work, but no awards here.

The femme fatal is Elizabeth Debicki, she is married to the Russian oligarch. I do not know much about her but she is 6’ 2” and has a prominent jaw line. She is very English and willowy. She has an unhappy marriage to oligarch and he blackmails her by controlling access to her son.

The villain is played by Kenneth Branagh as Andrei Sator (remember the Sator Square). When I think of Branagh I think of a classically trained Shakespearean actor or as professor Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, but not an evil Russian villain (if they wanted evil they should have cast Harvey Keitel). I think he over acts a bit by being what he is not. His pronounced Russian accent is the most menacing thing about him.

Robert Patterson plays Neil the Protagonist’s handler. They make a good team and are together for a large part of the movie. This is a bit of a departure from his Twilight series, but he has bulked up a bit and is less dewy eyed.

The international arms dealer is played by Dimple Kapadia as Priya. She only a few scenes but is a lynch pin. She is an attractive woman of a certain age and plays her role as an adroit ruthless weapons dealer. Love her name.

Michael Caine has a brief role as a British intelligence officer. It is the wittiest part of the movie and worthy of a chuckle.

The movie is filmed in various locations around the world and there are some impressive stunts. There is no sex in the movie, none, nada, zippo!

The film is on  Amazon Prime for $19.99. I saw it twice, had to. Use subtitles, the sound mix is poor.

 

The Sound of Metal

 

The Sound of Metal (Amazon Prime)                                                   December 15,2020   

                        This is an art house movie, low budget with great acting. It is a story of transition from the norm to a new reality. Riz Ahmed plays Ruben Stone a hard rock metal drummer who after four years of drumming and performing with his girlfriend is losing his hearing and he eventually goes deaf. Deafness shatters his life. He goes to an otolaryngologist and is told he has lost about 80% of his hearing.  An cochlear implant would cost about $40k dollars, money he does not have. He winds up in a school/halfway house for the deaf. From here his journey into the deaf world begins.

An effective method in the film is when Stone cannot hear there is no sound or subtitles, as if the viewer is deaf also. Parts of the movie are done in sign which Stone starts to master by  attending classes with children. The gestures are expressive and beautiful.

Riz Ahmed gives an amazing performance. His deafness is catastrophic, he is shut out from the world he knows. His pathos and angst consume him. His frustration is maddening and explodes in to rage. He cannot accept his deafness and coping challenges him. His journey into deafness is the crux of the movie.

There are two other supporting characters of note. Olivia Cooke plays his girlfriend. She does not have many scenes but shows how their relationship progressively deteriorates as his deafness progresses. They still love each other even as their relationship is ending.

Paul Raci plays Joe who runs the school for the deaf. He gives a sincere performance of a person who exists and functions in the deaf world. From his perspective deafness is not a disability. His mission is for Rubin to accept his new situation and not be limited by it. Rubin’s resists to Joe’s help and they clash.

Rubin’s interaction with the deaf children at the school is tender and delightful. Rubin enjoys being with the children and he learns from them. They do not resent their deafness. Deafness is a handicap only if you make it so.

The movie is elegant and the ending is beautiful.  

 

Mank

 

Mank (Netflix)                                                                                                                                   December 11, 2020

Mank is the diminutive for Herman Mankiewicz who along with Orson Wells co-wrote the screenplay “Citizen Kane”. The title role of Mank is played by Gary Oldman in a bravo performance reminiscent of his Oscar winning portrayal of Churchill. Mank is an acholic, compulsive gambler gadfly who cannot keep his mouth shut insulting powerful people and testing the love and affection of those close to him. Oldman delivers a masterful performance commanding all these emotions.

This film is multilayered and has some particulars of note:

·         It is in black and white. Mimicking the movies of the 30’s and 40’s.

·         It extensively uses flashback. The flashbacks here work to give background to different plot points.

·         The characters represent (with literary license) real people of the 1930’s and 1940’s. Such as Orson Wells, Louie B. Mayer, Irving Thalberg, William Randolph Hearst, Marion Davis (Hearst’s mistress) and Upton Sinclair. The film stands of its own but having some knowledge of these individuals makes the film more interesting.

There are notable supporting actors. Lily Collins plays Rita Alexander who is Mank’s secretary transcribing his  dictation for Citizen Kane while he is convalescing from a busted leg. Mank’s behavior is cantankerous but over time they become close. Marion Davis is played by Amanda Seyfried. Her performance is subtle. On the surface she is portrayed as a wide eyed platinum blond starlet but she understands the perils posed by the film. The main character in Citizen Kane is presumed to be based on Hearst and another character is based on her. Neither feel  their portrayals are flattering and they want to stop the film. Hearst is played by Charles Dance who gives a cool and dispassionate performance; he is not rattled by Mank’s tirades. Hearst embodies the raw political and capitalist power he exerts over California at that period.

Orson Wells appears  briefly in the picture but displays his trademark arrogance and perfectionist approach to film making.  The real Louie B. Mayer was a prick and he is portrayed as such. There are numerous other actors all contributing fine performances.

Mank and Orson Wells won Oscars for the screen play of Citizen Kane in 1941. Herman Mankiewicz died at the age of 55 from complications of alcohol. In the desert of videos on demand,  this an oasis worth seeing.

First Cow

First Cow

This is an art house movie which generates a small box office but gets numerous nominations and accolades (Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 95). It has the feel of a documentary and the pace is very slow. The cinematography  is unimpressive and  the visual scenes  monotonous.

The film takes place in the 1820’s in the northwest territory, it is referred to as historical fiction. The essence of the film is the friendship between two strangers. One is a Chinese man who is running away from a murder he committed   and the other character is a cook named Cookie. One day Cookie see a girl walking with a small buck of milk. Cookie tells his partner he can make small cakes with the milk which they can sell. They call them oily cakes and they are instantly popular making them money (the cakes are like the zeppoles at the San Janeiro festa on Mott street) . Food in the wildness is bland and repetitive so the cakes are a popular treat. The milk comes from the first cow in the territory and at night they steal  milk to make their cakes. For the rest of the story is they are pursed by men of cow’s owner. Apparently stealing milk is a high crime in the wildness.

The acting is passive. Aside from the milk cow theft there is no real action. Except for two Indian women there are no female actors. The two recognizable actors are Toby Jones (Truman Capote) and Scott Shepherd (Die Hard) who have supporting role. I am unfamiliar with the protagonists , which means nothing or diminishes their performance. I watched this movie twice since the first time I feel asleep and missed some key  scenes.

Why am I writing this review? In case you want to see film  (VOD on Amazon) I  want to give you a heads up. The film gives you the milk but no cookies.

The Old Guard

The Old Guard

I will watch anything Charlize Theron is in: a perfume commercial,  as a one armed truck driver (Mad Max Fury Road), as an assassin with bad hair (Atomic Blond), as an overweight serial killer (Monster), even having sex with Seth Rogen, yuk (Long Shot). Since Charlize was in this movie I watched it. I was lost, I had no idea what was going on. My befuddlement is age related. I did not know the movie was based on a comic book of the same name. If you are over the age of thirty I recommend you to the  summary plot in Wikipedia. The Old Guard is  a band of immortal mercenaries. They do not age, their wounds heal and they can not be killed. They never say how old are but drop hints like the Crusades (one and two). One deficit of the movie their immortality is not explained.

Charlize leads of a group of three male mercenaries. A young female marine joins their ranks when she discovers she is immortal after a terrorist cuts her throat. Here too there is no backstory how she became immortal. The plot is not complicated, good guys fighting bad guys. To demonstrate their  indestructibility there is a lot of shooting, I mean a lot. They have Deadpool like regeneration with bullets popping out of their faces. There is a subplot concerning their immortality which makes it more interesting than just a shoot-m-up.

The villain in this movie is a pharmaceutical CEO who has nefarious plans for the immortals. This movie must have been made before the current pandemic because once vilified pharama CEOs are now our saviors. God help us.

Comic movies do not require much acting, but this film has some serious players. Charlize Thorn is an Oscar winner for Monster. Chiwetel Ejiofor may not be familiar to American audiences but he is an excellent British actor (see Pretty Dirty Things). The female marine is played by Kiki Layne. I do not know her work but she received very good reviews for her part in If Beale Street Could Talk.

If you have Netflix the movie is included in your package. Should you see this movie?  Sure, it beats dusting.

p.s. From the last scene, there will be a sequel.

Ford vs Ferrari

Ford vs Ferrari                                                                                                                 June 22, 2020

I do not know why I missed this movie on video on demand, my loss. This is a terrific movie based on true events. The characters are strong and dynamic and their interactions/conflicts  drive the movie. Ford vs Ferrari refers to the competition  between these two motor giants at La Mans. Ferrari being the powerhouse and Ford the upstart. Carroll Shelby, played by Matt Damon, is the chief designer for the Ford racer. Christian Bale is Ken Miles the brilliant but mercurial driver.  Bale is fantastic in the role. He literally morphs into the character incorporating the accent, facial expressions, and explosive personality. His weight loss here is reminiscent of his role in the “Machinist” but not as extreme.

This is an ensemble performance with all  actors  making compelling contributions. Matt Damon is the legendary Carroll Shelby, driver and auto designer (e.g. Shelby Mustang). He plays Shelby in an understated and controlled manner but with passion. When pushed he is capable of  punching  Miles in the face or telling the Ford execs to go pound sand. They are two opinionated great friends. The Ford execs do not come off  well (except for Lee Iacocca). Henry Ford II comes off like a jerk, and this was confirmed by Wikipedia. The Ford executives want to win La Mans, which  frames the movie.

Ken’s wife is played by Caitriona Balfe gives a strong and touching performance. She plays the supportive wife but under her calmness she knows a wrong turn could be fatal at any time. Their son gives a tender performance and humanizes Ken Miles.

Those who know me, know that  my Italian is slightly limited. But you do not have to be a polyglot to read the expression on Enzo Ferrari’s face when he reacts to the insulting offer Ford made for his company. The Italians come off just a bit elitist.

The racing scenes are intense and a big part of the narrative. The camera work is impressive given the high speeds and  the demanding course. There must have been an army of drivers.

As they say, better late than never.

The King of Staten Island

The King of Staten Island                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    June 16, 2020

This is not a funny movie. It is a semi-autobiographical story about Pete Davidson. His father died at 9 11 and much of the film deals with painful consequence of this event. Pete’s character  is a slacker named Scott. He has self-destructive traits attributable to his father’s death. What makes the memories worst is that he lives on Staten Island where half the population are firemen  and the other half cops. Also his mother, Marisa Tomei, is dating a fireman. When a boy loses his father at a young age he has to blame someone to answer the “why” question. With age he understands  there may be no answer, but not Pete.

The first half of the movie is rough with Pete doing drugs being subjected to tough love and bad relationships. The latter part of the film is a redemption movie. Pete goes from the bottom to finding acceptance from the people he pissed off. The director is Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Trainwreck, Superbad) and this is probably his most unfunny movie he has made. There were some comic scenes, but overall this is a dark tinged drama

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Pete Davidson pulls off the dramatic acting. Given his background his angst is genuine. He delivers his performance in his usual phlegmatic style with eruptions of rage. He has reprehensible traits. He uses drugs, has no job or interest in work, a lazy lover and has a far fetched dream of opening a tattoo restaurant. As a counterbalance , in one scene he is taking two kids to school and he is very tender and caring with them, like a father.

Marisa Tomei plays the mother. This was an easy role for her in the fashion of Spiderman’s Aunt May. Since I know nothing of Staten Island culture I can not comment on her accent or style of dress. Steve Buscemi plays a fireman, which in his past life he actually was. He is a bridge between Pete and his late father since they worked together. It would have been nice to have more meat on his role.

Since we are in a movie desert any mirage is welcomed. But this mirage costs $20.00 bucks. Thank you Amazon.

Cats

Cats                                                                                                                                                                       March 30, 2020

I saw the theatrical version of Cats twice. The essence of Cats is its beauty and simplicity.  Wonderful songs, great dancing and minimal  staging defined it. The story  is based on a collection of poems by T.S. Elliot. Why Tom Hooper, the director, decided to blow up this story into a rambling quasi Busby Berkeley  production is a mystery? The cast members are extremely talented, well known and expensive. They include: James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, and Francesca Hayward. The production cost $100m and the box office was $76m. Adverting costs usually doubles production, so we are talking about $200m all in. You may remember  NYC cabs with plastic roof advertisements sporting cat ears.

Is this film in the company of past cinematic bombs like, Heaven’s Gate, Pluto Nash or Hudson Hawks; I think not. Jennifer Hudson sings a powerful rendition of Memories. There were some impressive dance numbers and Francesca Hayward ,who is a principal ballerina,  gave  graceful performances. Some actors were nearly unrecognizable such as Idris Elba. I think the silliest thing in the movie were the giant sets. If a cat sat in a chair the chair was huge  making the actor look small (if you ever saw the children’s movie The Borrowers, you know what I mean) . Their cat tails danced and ears wiggled thanks to CG. The costumes were an abundance of fur but the makeup was very good. Judi Dench looked like a huge dust ball. Ian McKellen was wasted and had a minor role. Rebel Wilson kept on spreading her legs with her tail in between. If she was trying to imitate a cat, she looked more like a plump burlesque dancer.

One really bad scene was when the cats were rummaging through garbage cans and eating what were obviously cheap plastic props. It was cartoonish. Also Hooper interjected dialogue which was not part of the original Carts and it did not help the production.

Why did I spend $20 to see this on Amazon Prime? I guess it was morbid curiosity. The director is no light weight. He directed the King’s Speech and Les Misérables . The cast is outstanding and the songs are classics although they did add some diddlies that fell flat . The original Cats was a small tight production. What Hooper did was supersize it  which diminished its essence and soul. Unless you want to send your unemployment money foolishly for On Demand wait for HBO.

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A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood                                                                             March 28, 2020

I never watched Mr. Rogers on TV. On the Lower East Side when a middle aged man wearing a red sweater, or more likely an old Budweiser t-shirt, invited you into his room nothing good came of it. Enough of my cynicism. This a wonderful touching movie. The film is not only about Mr. Rogers but also his relationship  Lloyd Vogel, the Esquire writer.

Tom Hanks wonderfully conveys the genuineness and sincerity of Mr. Rogers. For humans Mr. Rogers was too perfect and this idle was the root of Lloyd Vogel’s skepticism. Lloyd Vogel is damaged goods and it is hard for him to believe in the goodness of Mr. Rogers. The heart of the film is Vogel’s resurrection of humanity after meeting Mr. Rogers.

Tom Hanks’s acting is sublime. His mannerisms and intonation capture the real Mr. Rogers. It is not simply an impression but an dramatic interpretation. Aside from the ubiquitous red sweater Tom Hanks does not resemble Mr. Rogers but his acting transforms him. Hanks received an Oscar nomination for best actor.

Lloyd Vogel is  brilliantly played by the Welsh actor Matthew Rhys. He is not a fan of Mr. Rogers and feels the assignment to interview Rogers below him. His character has a lot of baggage mainly from a strained relationship with his father. Rhys conveys skepticism and wears  his pain on his face. His  reconciliation with his father comes from his friendship with Mr. Rogers. Chris Cooper plays the father who is trying to mend things with his son but does a poor job of it. Cooper is the consummate actor and  portrays Vogel’s father as  a self-centered irresponsible cad seeking forgiveness. 

The movie’s production design is very clever. Intermittently Lego like cities are shown to depict different locations. Mr. Roger’s TV set and puppets are also featured. This makes the story more believable. It is a true story.

I watched the movie on Netflix. I had no desire to see it in the movies since I thought it was silly, my loss. In a quarantine your choices are limited, a feel good movie is a terrific substitute for Haagen Dazs.

The Invisible Man

The Invisible Man                                                                                                           March 21, 2020

I saw the Invisible Man; that’s an oxymoron. Prior to this film there were five other Invisible Man movies not including Hallow Man with Kevin Bacon. This modern interpretation has come a long way from the early versions where the invisible man was swaddled in mommy wrap with dark sunglasses and invisible thread  knocked over objects.

This movie’s strength is its ability to maintain suspense and tension, which says a lot since for three fourths of the movie you do not see the evil protagonist. Technically this is a science fiction horror movie. It had an invisible budget of $7m and a box office to date of $124m. Elisabeth Moss is lead actor. She does anxiety and fear well,  as witnessed in her other roles In Mad Men and the Handmaiden’s Tale. Her other attribute is resilience and fighting back which she does with aplomb here. The plot is not complex, but it is the waiting for something to happen that is the hook of the movie. It is like when you feel a breeze on the back of your neck and turn around and no one is there.

The other actors are not of note but give good support to Moss’s character. I would have liked to see more of the relationship with her husband to layout some foundation  from the start of the film.

For a small movie it has a big impact a big impact. Streaming now on Amazon Prime.

Bombshell

Bombshell                                                                                                                    February 6, 2020

The word bombshell can be used as a double entendre. In the news it is an important fast breaking story. In the golden age of Hollywood a bombshell was an alluring  gorgeous starlet (see Hedy Lamar, doc. “Bombshell”) . This move has both. The film is a quasi-documentary with actual footage of events and in most instances uses real names.

The film is fast paced and since most everyone knows the story it feels a bit voyeuristic, but in a good way. The ensemble is terrific. I almost did not recognize Charlize Theron as Megan Kelly; the make-up was incredible. Not only did she look like Kelly, she captured  her uncompromising  attitude. Nicole Kidman played Gretchen Carlson with a stunning resemblance and a deep sense of betrayal. Margot Robbie plays Kayla Pospisil a fictional character. She is symbolic of all the victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Roger Ailes. She is  junior to the other two news women and her ambition and naivete make her a perfect target.  Roger Ailes is played by the incomparable  John Lithgow in a fat suit. Lithgow is masterful he plays Ailes as a dictatorial pig dangling choice spots on the news as bait to ambitious young women. Katie McKinnon plays a closeted lesbian with the door ajar. Her trademark humor is tinged with sadness and fear. Even if briefly, it was great to see Malcolm McDowell as Rupert Murdoch, an uncanny resemblance.

The Fox newsroom is toxic. Everyone fears Ailes and are scared of losing their jobs. The women wear skirts at work so their legs can be seen through  glass tables. It was fun trying to see how accurately the actors resembled  the real people. Sean Hannity  had a revolver in his waist belt, oblivious  that New York  does not permit  concealed weapons.

Charlize Theron in nominated for best actress and Margot Robbie is nominated for best supporting actress, both well deserved. What about Nicole Kidman? Her performance is Oscar worthy. Gretchen was the catalyst that brought down Ailes and Kidman played her role with profound pathos and grit.

Uncut Gems

Uncut Gems                                                                                                                       January 29, 2020

This is a very  New York movie. Adam Sandler plays Howard Ratner a jeweler in the diamond district. Howard is not only addicted to gambling, but he is delusional about his ability to win. Almost all of the action takes place in Manhattan, specifically the diamond district.

Ratner is hyperactive, is never still and constantly talking. He is a liar and a kaniver. He molds reality to fit his needs. He perpetually owes money to the bookies and by sheer luck stays one step ahead until he is not. He is married (going to divorce)  with children, has a nice house, an apartment in Manhattan and a mistress. Adam Sandler is perfect for this role. He inherently has all the characteristics of Howard Ratner. I am sure he did not have to audition. All this said he gave an excellent performance. Given his body of work, this is his apex. Let’s remember we are starting very low with his early films.

The uncut gem here is an opal from Ethiopia that Howard overestimates its value. Kevin Garnett (yes that Kevin Garnett) becomes infatuated with the stone and wants to own it. So a big part of the story is the journey of the stone. As with all addicted gamblers, it is all about the bet and in this case its lethal effects.

Sandler is joined by an impressive ensemble of actors. The senior citizen  actors  include Judd Hersch, Eric Bogosian and Mike Francesa. Kevin Garnett did an impressive job playing himself. Howard’s wife is played by Idina Menzel, she played the role with all the steeliness and warmth of a Jewish wife on the verge of divorce. Howard’s mistress is played by a newcomer, Julia Fox. She was born in Milan (Ciao Bella), graduated City-As-School and for six months was a dominatrix, but she never got her license. She did a good job and did not play the bobble head bimbo.

One cool aspect of the movie, some scenes were filmed in our building, Manhattan Place (33^rd floor) where Howard kept an apartment.

The movie is entertaining.  If you are a Sandler fan this is a new welcomed dimension.

Harriet

Harriet                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               January 28, 2020

If you do not know who Harriet Tubman is, see this movie. She is a giant among feminists before there were feminists and she had a gun. Information about Tubman is limited to 19^th technology: photos, diaries, newspapers and oral history. Cynthia Erivo’s and the director flesh out Tubman as brave, passionate and fiercely committed to liberating slaves. Tubman’s passion and bravery are rooted in her grief from being separated from family and denied freedom. Erivo’s Tubman is complex with  fierce resolve and commitment to her mission…freedom. When told by other abolitionists to stop and not go back south she ignored them and made numerous journeys. In her first escape she walked 100 miles from Maryland to Philadelphia on foot.

Erivo’s plays Tubman as a messianic figure. Tubman believed  God spoke to her and pointed her and her charges in the direction to freedom. The runaway slaves believed in ability to talk to God and escaped with her. These visions may have been due from a blow to her head from an overseer; she was plagued by terrible headaches the rest of her life.

The physical brutality of slavery was not a main focus of the film. With the exception of brief shots of whip scared backs there was nothing like what was shown in “12 years a slave”. The emphasis here was escape not capture.

The film does not have a big named supporting cast, so Erivo basically carries the movie. This is one reason the movie only cost $17m. In the biz this is called  “a specialty box office”. All that said Erivo is nominated for an  Oscar for best actress and nominated for original song for Stand Up. In this movie she only sings a bit, but if you want to hear her voice catch “Bad Times at the El Royale.”

 She has just a good a chance of winning best actress as the rest.

Some facts about Tubman:

She was a conductor on the Underground Railroad (Flushing Queens was a stop). She freed 70 slaves.

She is the only women to have commanded a regiment of black soldiers during the civil war and freed 700 slaves.

She had brain surgery without anesthesia; she bit a bullet.

She died at 91

•  

Jo Jo Rabbit

Jo Jo Rabbit                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  January 23, 2020

When I was a kid I watched the Rocky and Bullwinkle show and  there was a segment called “Fractured Fairy Tales”. Jo Jo Rabbit reminded me of those cartoons. The film abounds in Nazi symbols and propaganda but they are twisted and satirized. Jo Jo is a member of the Hitler youth (more like Ariyan day care). He truly wants to be a good Nazi and wears a pint size uniform with the sacred knife but his skills do not match his ardor. The other baby goose steppers make fun of him and torment him. Jo Jo is egged on by his imaginary friend Adolf Hitler. He is Jo Jo’s friend, cheerleader and nemesis. The actor who plays Hitler, Taika Waititi, is also the director, cool.

This is a dark satirical film. This version of Nazism is not a well oiled machine. Instead of one big Heil Hitler there are little HH’s which everyone gives in turn. The Gestapo is menacing, but inept. The Gestapo officer is played by lanky Stephen Merchant in search of Jews. Even though, this is a satire the anti-Semitism and atrocities are cringe worthy.

Jo Jo Rabbit is played by Roman Griffin Davis, who is eleven and started auditioning for this film when he was nine. His performance is amazing. He has comic timing, poise and can hit the emotional mark like a seasoned actor. Scarlett Johansson is Jo Jo’s single mother who lovingly protects him and encourages him even with the gloom  of war. Johansson’s performance in this movie is diametrically opposed to her performance in a Marriage Story and is a testament to her versatility.

Sam Rockwell is a treasure. There is something signature about him. Whatever character he plays you find a bit of Rockwell. Either with  his smile, twinkle in his eye or  soft shoe. He is the “nice Nazi” captain who runs the youth camp. Rebel Wilson is a brutish camp instructor. Her performance is brief but has her trademark irreverence and sly insults delight.

Tying shoelaces is a metaphor in the movie. My interpretation is this symbolizes love and caring. I remember the first time my son tied my shoelaces and it is one of my most tender memories.

Jo Jo Rabbit is nominated for best picture. It is a long shot, but if wins it deserves it unequivocally.

1917

1917                                                                                                                                                       

January 13, 2020

This movie is like the Brits, slow excitement. The movie does reach a crescendo, but early notes are muted. This is a story of a heroic journey akin to the race to Marathon. A soldier is tasked to deliver an urgent message across enemy lines to avert the slaughter of hundreds British troops from an ambush laid by the Huns (stop the spoiler hate mail, this plot point was in the coming attractions) . 

The journey is fraught with perils and with every advancement the tempo picks up. Sometimes heroic movies are uncomplicated, it is overcoming the obstacles along the way that make them interesting.

The lead actor is George MacKay who almost carries the entire film. He displays steely determination to complete his mission overcoming daunting obstacles and life threatening situations. The battlefield is littered with dead bodies, dead horses and poodle sized rats. MacKay’s physicality is an essential part of his acting. He never stops, he is never deterred. He forges rivered littered with dead bodies and out runs a crashing biplane.

To American audiences MacKay may not be well known (speaking for myself). However, there are big named stars in the movie: Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Strong. Regrettably each actor was given less than a few minutes screen time.

The cinematography was impressive giving full force to sweeping action scenes. Much is made of the so called one continuous shot, which actually was computer manipulated. This technique heightened the sense of urgency for MacKay to complete his mission.  The war torn landscape rendered by CG gave a palpable sense of death and carnage.

This film is a noble addition to the catalogue of war movies.