Cruella (Disney)

 

Cruella (Disney)

Now that Disney has dropped its  price tag of $29.99 and streamed Cruella for free, I decided to watch it. It was quite entertaining. It is a mix of camp, comedy and  darkness. This move is very un-Disney. In an early scene one character meets a disturbing demise. Disney films have dark elements. Killing Bambi’s mother, Dumbo caught in a fire and a poisoned apple are not child friendly. Cruella has the distinction of the first Disney character to use a straight razor. She must have borrowed it from John Wick. A technical point: aside from an allusion to “1,001 Dalmatians” Cruella is far different.

Emma Stone must have had a fabulous time in the role of Cruella. With all the camping there were  dramatic scenes giving  balance to the movie. Stone’s voice and posturing  were over the top but appropriate for the character. The original Cruella was a nasty. Stone plays the role more with cunning and revenge rather than cruelty. However, the three dalmatians in this film do not come off well.

Emma Thompson is the villainess as the Baroness. She must have channeled Meryl Streep from the “Devil Wears Prada” for her over the top portrayal. With her ramrod posture and barely moving lips she takes snobbery to new heights. She is a cruel and narcissistic villain.

The supporting cast is wonderful. Cruella’s two childhood friends make up her gang. Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauer play two street urchins who befriend her and become her henchmen. They provide comedy to the film. Mark Strong plays his usual granite faced persona. He plays the role with usual British reserve but strongly. There are many other characters who give wonderful performances.

Couture is a big part of the film. The dresses are excessive but not totally ridiculous. They have elements of legitimate fashion. The flaming gown was marvelous. This movie has an outstanding soundtrack of 70’s songs.

Was the price reduction worth waiting for, yes.

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.

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.