The Odyssey

The Odyssey is epic. It is a master class in direction.  This journey combines several stories which, on their own, could be movies. Besides the Trojan War, Odysseus and his men encounter various adventures in their ten-year return to Ithaca. The journey back home is their motivation.

Some of the scenes are fantastical. The Cyclops and the Laestrygonians (giants) are gruesome and impressive. Christopher Nolan prefers not to use CGI. Even in the Cyclops scene, Bill Erwin is in costume and, with other mechanical devices, brings the Cyclops to life. For the ships and battles involving hundreds of soldiers, they are all real. They spent every dollar of the $250m production budget.

This is an ensemble movie. Time on screen is not proportionate, even with three hours. Matt Damon gives a stoic performance in his quest to return home. You can feel the weight of his journey. He is in most of the scenes of the movie. Nolan wanted Damon to grow his own beard; no prosthetic was used. The different lengths of beard indicate when the film was shot.

Tom Holland plays Telemachus, Odysseus’s son. He never gives up hope that his father is alive, defying the taunts of his mother’s suitors. He appears in several scenes, fighting would-be suitors for his mother and keeping his father’s memory alive. He plays the role with faithfulness to his father and by defending his mother.

Anne Hathaway plays Penelope, Odysseus’s wife. In most of the scenes, she sits behind a screen, weaving a burial shroud by day and unweaving it at night to keep the suitors at bay. After Odysseus’s twenty-year absence, Penelope does not give up hope that her husband is alive. She is defiant. This was a brave performance by Hathaway. She appeared to have no makeup or enough to make her look older and weary. No Prada was used in the making of this film.

An outstanding performance was given by John Leguizamo as Odysseus’s faithful servant. In his role, he is nearly blind, making his acting more challenging. He conveys his loyalty to Odysseus and disdain for the suitors even as they torment him.

Charlize Theron is Calypso, the nymph who keeps Odysseus on her island, feeding him lotus flowers to forget his memory. Her screen time is short. It is implied they were romantically involved, but what else are you going to do on an island for seven years?

 Zendaya is Athena, who protects Odysseus on his journey. She appears infrequently, is somber, and almost sad. Robert Pattinson is one of Penelope's suitors. He is sleazy and does a good job of it. Lupita Nyong'o is Helen of Troy. A short but important role. Elon Musk objected to a black woman portraying Helen of Troy. Where was he born?

The crescendo of the movie is Odysseus's return. He takes on all the suitors. This is the scene where Odysseus proves his identity by shooting an arrow through twelve axes handles.

The locations were an important part of the quest for authenticity. It has been well advertised that this film was shot in IMAX. I do not have much experience with IMAX film, but the audio was deafening. It was uncomfortable.

I have one observation of Nolan’s script. One of the characters uses the  F**k word. I am not a linguist, but I do not think that word was in fashion in the BC era.

This is a three-bathroom movie. Lay off the Diet Coke.

Oppenheimer

 

Oppenheimer

This is a brilliant movie. I listened to the audio book “American Prometheus”. Christopher Nolan selected  historical events of the book and remixed them into a compelling  story. The story is not sequential but effectively jumps around . There is more to the movie than the  atomic bomb. Besides his scientific endeavors he had a superficial connection to communism, an extra marital  affair and was the subject of FBI surveillance.

There is a plethora of historical characters in this film. The four main characters are:

J. Robert Oppenheimer- Cillian Murphy

General Leslie Groves- Matt Damon

Lewis Strauss- Robert Downey Jr.

Kitty Oppenheimer- Emily Blunt

Cillian Murphy bears an uncanny resemblance to Oppenheimer. He plays the role with fragility and confliction to  the atomic bomb project. The atomic bomb project is the culmination of his scientific endeavors but he understands the dangers to humanity he is unleashing. He is soft spoken and not angered even when persecuted. It is challenging  playing an emotional role while staying controlled.

Matt Damon played the good guy and the sort of bad guy. General Groves likes Oppenheimer but he has to enforce secrecy “compartmentalization” at the camp. This is an easy role for Damon. Most  of the time his conversations are civil without  confrontation, although frustrating.

Robert Downey Jr. plays a pivotal role in the movie. This movie is equally about Strauss and Oppenheimer. Strauss was Oppenheimer’s nemesis. In the scenes for Strauss’ nomination for Secretary of Commerce, Nolan filmed it in black and white making it a film within a film. Robert Downey Jr. looked haggard. He plays the role as a conniving politician with a vendetta against Oppenheimer.   

 My main complaint with Emily Blunt is that her screen time was too short. Kitty was Oppenheimer’s anger. Blunt plays Kitty as a controlled explosion. With all their marital problems she remained by Oppenheimer’s side.

The rest of the cast is fabulous.  Their varied contributions were essential to the film.

It is recommended to watch this movie in IMAX. I have never been a fan of IMAX and my position is unchanged. IMAX uses thunderous sound which sometimes makes hearing  dialogue difficult. As for the atomic bomb explosion at Trinity the scene lasted less than a few minutes out of three hours.  Buy popcorn instead.

There are two bloopers (that I saw) in the movie.

fyi- Oppenheimer died at 62 and his security clearance was  posthumously reinstated.

 

AIR

 

Air

I originally went to see Dungeons and Dragons-Honor Among Thieves, a mistake. Now I know why I never became a gamer.

On my way out I snuck into theater 15 and watched Air which is an origin story about the creation of the Air Jordon sneaker and how Nike signed Michael Jordon to their brand. A fabulous movie with a stellar cast. Matt Damon plays Sonny Vaccaro, Ben Affleck plays Phil Knight, Jason Bateman is Rob Strasser, Chris Tucker is Howard White, and the always wonderful Viola Davis plays Jordon’s mother. Besides the strong chemistry of the cast this is a great script. This is not a jock movie; it is a story of believing in some one and making a full commitment.

Over many years and movies, the relationship between Matt Damon and Ben Affleck is well established.  However, with good roles their collaboration remains fresh. Affleck is Phil Knight, CEO of Nike. Damon is pitching Michael Jordon and creating a line of sneakers on one player, which was very risky for the company. In 1984 Nike was not the juggernaut it is now; it was competing against and behind Adidas and Converse. Signing Jordon was the golden ring.

Matt Damon is a true believer and is willing to bet everything on signing Jordon. This is to the consternation of Affleck who as the CEO has to balance Damon’s passion with hard business calculus. Jason Bateman delivers his trademark understated performance. There are some funny exchanges between him and Damon. Chris Tucker was reserved but even the way he speaks is funny. Another character is David Falk played by Chris Messina. He is Jordon’s agent and some of the funniest scenes are between he and Damon. Viola Davis is the boss. She is the gate keeper to Michael Jordon. She does not negotiate she just demands. Davis plays his mother as confident and tough.  

The movie employed a gimmick. You never actually see Michael Jordon. They show the back of his head or a shoulder. I do not know if there was a copywrite issue, but it was a bit silly. The movie’s sound track is great with 80’s songs.

So, either Dungeons and Dragons or Air. Make your pick.

 

 

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 Martian

The Martian

This movie has generated a lot of hype; does it live up to it? In my opinion not all the way. As a Ridely Scott movie it garners a certain level of prestige. He has directed big hits such as Blade Runner and Alien and some foul balls like Robin Hood and Exodus: Gods and Kings. In this nearly three hour, large parts are tedious. The film is a combination of Lost in Space and This Old House. Matt Damon’s character is marooned on Mars and to survive he has to improvise how to make dirt, water, plants and fix broken machinery. At one point he actually uses duct tape (man’s best friend) to fix a broken helmet. Tension in this movie is like a deflated tire and only towards the end is some pressure applied.  

There are big stars in this movie. Supporting Matt Damon are: Jessica Chastain, Kata Mara, Kristien Wiig, Chitwetel Edjiofor, Michael Pena and Jeff Daniels. No one broke any serious drama sweat. They portrayed a steely cold can do NASA attitude. This makes good copy for NOVA but not for drama. Even in life threatening situations Damon’s character is almost placid (recall Tom Hanks in Apollo 13, you could cut tension with a knife). There was light comedy which is a plus. To keep their PG rating they could not say the F word and had to mouth it.

Jessica Chastain was the cool commander who has some key parts towards the end. Kristien Wiig is the relations executive who seemed a bit out of her element. No funnies from her. The rest of the actors were pretty straight forward. Aside from Michal Pena I was not familiar with the rest of the crew. Jeff Danial’s plays the director of NASA as a stiff. He does it really well.

As with his other Ridley Scott films cinematography is rich and spectacular. The graphics were great and the rendering of the Mars’s surface is realistic. I am sure all the NASA paraphernalia is accurate. The duct tape was real.

The last few minutes has the best suspense of the whole movie. No, I will not say what happens. Are the last few minutes’ worth the whole movie? This is not Apollo 13 or even Gravity. The Martian is a feel good can do attitude movie. I know I am swimming against the tide of raves from the critiques with this review, so please make up your own mind as you should always do.

The Monuments Men

With his mustache George Clooney looks a bit like Clark Gable. The retro look is appropriate since the movie harkens back to the war movies of the 60’s and 70’s such as the Longest Day and The Guns of Navorone.  At its core this is a buddy movie of a bunch of guys looking for stolen art. The buddy part makes this movie watchable since just looking for stolen art would make it like a PBS special (just like the real PBS special).

The casting makes for good humor and their chemistry is genuine. Clooney is the leader, behind and in front of the camera. Always dapper, he wore a tie during the whole war. Matt Damon is a curator from the Met cris-crossesing Europe looking for the art. He is so neat and clean not even in the field or in the mines does he get dirty (so how did Private Ryan get short changed?). Damon’s liaison in Paris is Cate Blanchett, a pinch faced marginalized curator (yikes!).  Rounding out the cast is John Goodman as a sculptor. I could not get the image of Goodman as Fred Flintstone working in the rock quarry out of my mind; type casting.  Bill Murray did a Bill Murray. Then there is the ubiquitous Jean Dujardin, who plays a French solider (Viola!!). He is dashing in a beret.

Chasing and finding stolen art is the back bone of the movie. Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child of Bruges and Van Eyck’s Ghent Triptych were costars of the movie. Other luminaries mentioned were Veneer, Vazquez, and Frans Hal (Picasso didn’t make it, he was torched). Passing Art History 101 is not a prerequisite but it don’t hurt.

The Nazis were there but not there. They were like a bad order in the background. One scene was ironically humorous. Question, what does a Nazi officer hiding as a farmer in the country side do with priceless works of art? You will not believe it.

No one’s acting is outstanding or memorable, but as a group they make an enjoyable and watchable movie. It is worth the price of a movie, but if you want to splurge go to the Met and visit the rest of the caste.

P.s.-There is a very nice surprise in the last scene.

Elysium

Hi, I’m back from vacation.

I wanted to see Elysium because I like sci-fi and this was the same director who did District 9, Neil Blomkamp. I liked District 9 very much. It condemned Apartheid, and the orchestrated evacuation of the “prawns” was symbolic of genocide. I had high expectations for Elysium, which regrettably were not met.

Elysium is a simple story of the have and have not’s.  The movie sets vividly depict the contrast between the two societies. Los Angles of 2154 is all squalor and over populated while Elysium is a giant sleek space station of prosperity spinning above the Earth fiercely protected against any intruders. Aside from the opulent life style no one on Elysium gets sick. They have machines that cure all, from caner to a shot gun blast to the face (yuk!).

Matt Damon is the protagonist. He is a former criminal eking out a living working in a factory that OSHA would have condemned. Damon is wasted here. Any mid weight actor could have carried off this part since action is more important than acting. What was interesting in the movie was the use of Spanish. I didn’t get it at first, but of course this Los Angles. Even Matt gets to speak some Spanish,”Hola me llamo es…Thank God for subtitles.

Jody Foster players the Über bitch as Elysium’s Secretary of State. Foster plays these roles very well, but here she over does it. Her words were like venom spiting from her lips and veins popping on her neck. She got to the point where her character looked cartoonish.

The most entertaining part of the movie was played by the South African actor Sharlto Copley. He played the nebbish administrator in District 9 who in the end was transformed into a prawn. In District 9 he seemed to be five feet two inches weighting about one hundred and two pounds. In Elysium he is a giant! He looks six feet two inches weighing about two hundred and thirty pounds, all muscle.  He beats the crap out of Damon and you can tell he enjoyed his role.

This is a B movie, more worthwhile on DVD. For all its sleekness it lacks gravity.