Manchester by the Sea

Manchester by the Sea

A better name for this movie would be Misery by the Sea. This movie is so depressing it could be an ad for Prozac. I fell for the Art House mystic. Rotten Tomato’s gave the film a 97 rating, the banter on in the press was effusive and I went to Times Talk to hear Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and the director Kenneth Lonergan extol the film.  One thing I did not do was read reviews or had any idea about the plot.

There are two main story lines. Affleck has been told he is the legal guardian of his nephew, played by Lucas Hedges, after his brother died and a tragic incident in the past ending his marriage to Michelle William’s character and driving him into numbing despair. Affleck’s approach to his character is low keyed almost monotoned. The only time he breaks out of his funk is to have a bar fight. Even when he rises above the fray his passion is subdued. It is even keeled numbness.

Affleck was surprised to be his nephew’s guardian. He does not want the responsibility nor does he want to return to Manchester. For his part the Hedges, the nephew, does not want to be looked after by his uncle or leave Manchester. Hedges coping mechanism after the death of his father is to try to get into the pants of his girlfriend (he has two of them). Affleck’s relationship with his nephew is raucous. They achieve a tentative truce and manage to be with each other.

Michelle Williams is Affleck’s ex-wife. She delivers an excellent performance and shows a range of emotions that frames the film. Whereas Affleck stymied his life, she has moved on, grew and started a new family. She has empathy for Affleck but he shuts her out.  A light moment in the movie was when she uttered of the “F” word in an effected Boston accent.

Flash backs are used to reveal the terrible past and how relationships crumbled. The flashbacks were done well. I though the tragic incident was a bit contrived. What made this picture so depressing was bad situations were mainly unchanged. There was no redemption. Sadness was not resolved, it just got old. It did not seem right to pay $12.00 for a depressing movie ticket when I can get all the depressing news for free.

Hacksaw Ridge

Hacksaw Ridge

This is more than a war movie. It is about love, faith, the human spirt and yes the horrors of war. Andrew Garfield gives a tour de force in his portrayal of Desmond Doss the Medal of Honor recipient. This is a true story of Doss who during WWII signal handedly as a medic saved several wounded soldiers. As a Seventh Day Advantest, he could not carry a gun and wanted to serve as a conscientious objector. His soldiers labeled him a coward.

Garfield’s performance in impassioned. It ranges from a smittened farm boy, to a wrongly persecuted coward to a war hero dedicated to saving the lives of his comrades. His execution of these phases anchors the film. Commitment to his religion is the source of his denigration by military commanders and the foundation of his courage. Garfield maneuvers these transitions with aplomb.

Vince Vaughn played his role as Sargent Howell with modified swagger (that must have been very hard). His repartee was front and center assigning tender humiliating name to the troops. This was a new level of acting for him which he executed well.

Hugo Weaver is Desmond’s tortured father a veteran of the first world war suffering from survivor’s guilt and is an abusive alcoholic. His convincing performance as a broken man who knows the horrors that will confront his son. Sam Worthington plays Captain Glover. Not much to say his performance, but it was nice seeing him again.

This movie has been compared to Saving Private Ryan. Hacksaw Ridge is more nuanced. Desmond’s back story of falling in love at first sight with his wife and remaining true to his faith give the movie more dimensions than a straight forward war movie. One thing in common with Saving Private Ryan is the horrific portrayal of war. You are no less a man or woman for closing your eyes.

Mel Gibson is many things. He is an Uber Catholic, an anti-Semite and a drunk. He is also an Academy Award winner director (Brave Heart). This film is a bravo performance and unless there is movie magic in the next two months the film may get an academy nomination.

In the end of the film there is footage of the real Desmond Doss. He was a slight man but he carried the Medal of Honor with same valor he rescued his commands. He saved an estimated 75 men. He died in 2006, he was 87 years old. God bless.

Dr. Strange

Dr. Strange

The recent crop of super hero movies has been disappointing, especially for DC. This sentient is well founded but you will be sorely remised if you skip Dr. Strange. If not the best 2016 super hero film it is right up there. The script is well written and all plot twists are comprehensible. The end does get a bit weird, a small deficit compared to the whole.

Benedict Cumberbatch is wonderful as Dr. Strange. He plays it straight showing vulnerability undermining supreme confidence. He is a renowned neurosurgeon who finds himself in the Himalayas seeking guidance (God forbid I say why). Tilda Swinton “The Ancient One “is his sensei of dark arts. Her que bald head lends credibility to the mysticism she projects. Her solemnity and tranquil confidence underlie formidable superpowers and dark secrets. As with all “grasshoppers” (Google Kung Fu 1970’s TV show) Strange gets the crap beat out of him until he masters the mysterious arts.

The villain is Mads Mikkelsen (The guy with the bleeding eye in Casino Royal). Mads is currently the go to villain, it must be that warm Nordic blood. His face glows with vengeance through sinister eyes. He is a master of the black arts and Dr. Strange’s foe. The battle scenes are epic and fit the fantastic realm of the story.

Racheal McAdams is Dr. Strange’s girlfriend in the physical world. She to is a surgeon working in the same hospital. She is always a delight to see but her role here is minimal. She is in some important scenes and her repartee with Strange provides some levity. Another character is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor who is an ally of Strange and a fellow master. There are many other characters and they all work well together making for a smoothly cohesive film. The director’s vision comes through.

The big star of the movie is the special effects, they are fantastic. The film liberally took concepts from Chris Nolan’s “Inception” with the folding cities. The scenes here are more complex and extreme; Escher would have been very impressed. There were many fight scenes and none boring. I think the special effects will be at least Oscar nominated. As proof of how good the film was I did not fall asleep, at least I think I did not.

If you think I am over selling this film, I am not. Given the elections we need a little magic to make someone go” POOF!!!”.

Deep Water Horizon

Deep Water Horizon

This is a disaster movie with sub-titles. The oil rig’s catastrophic destruction overwhelms the film. Any human-interest stories are marginalized by non-stop devastation. This is a very technical film. Laced in the dialogue are explanations of the rig’s operation and what went catastrophically wrong. Big pressure dials, lots of buttons are displayed to show the rig’s complexity. Peter Berg, the director, did an effective job depicting the disaster and fatal decisions leading up to the explosion. But the annihilation becomes wearisome.

The first hour of the movie is set up. The movie starts with Mark Walberg and Kate Hudson wife and husband waking up in bed. Walberg has lost his Calvin Kiln underwear model six pack replaced by just one pack and Hudson is puffy in the wrong places (desperately needs a manicure). From there things escalate. There are some fine performances. Kurt Russell who plays Mr. Jimmy the tough but compassionate rig boss and John Malkovich is his counter point. Malkovich is the BP executive desperate to meet deadlines by cutting expenses. The clash between Russell and Malkovich is the start of cataclysmic dominos culminating in the death of eleven men and culminating in billions of dollars in damage.

The movie gives short shrift to the ensuing ecological disaster. Over 130 million gallons of oil was released into the Gulf polluting 1,100 miles of shore lines. Countless numbers of wild life perished. BP would pay $20b to settle claims. Berg just gave one sentence at the end of the film.

Unless you are a rough neck or a bored retired catastrophe underwriter this film is not for you. 

Birth of a Nation

Birth of a Nation

The momentum of this movie was sluggish, especially the first third. The problem with doing a true story, the ending (for the most part) is known.  The lead up to the climax drags on a bit and anticipation can be a distraction.  Early scenes were a combination of benevolent treatment of young Nat by his masters interspersed with brutalization of slaves by their owners. These horrible acts molded Turner’s character and would serve as a catalyst later on.

 His elders’ saw Nat Turner as a scared child and a future leader. Early on he was tutored to read, but the Bible was the only book slaves were permitted to read. In turn he became a slave preacher. To make money his owner took him to different plantations to preach to the slaves. The real purpose was not religious instruction but another form of control. At these plantations, the cruelties he witnessed seared his mind.  

We (most of us) have seen the brutality of slavery from films like” Twelve Years a Slave” and “Roots”, nevertheless some scenes depicted were hard to watch (I closed my eyes during one shot). If the “N” word bothers you or seeing lots and lots of lynchings disturbs you, this not your movie. I do not wish to diminish the historical importance the Nat Turner’s revolt but reading about it and seeing it are two different things. This is a heroic movie, but tough to watch.

The lead actor is Nate Parker. The director is Nate Parker; the author is Nate Parker and the producer is Nate Parker. His work is commendable; but perhaps another set of eyes would have brought a different perspective. Parker’s acting was commendable and in the horrific last scenes more demanding. He was more effective as an avenging messianic leader than a soft-spoken preacher.

Armie Hammer plays Turner’s master. They go from boyhood friends to beneficent master to slave whipping owner. Hammer is so laid back he sleeps in most scenes. He portrays the dilemmas of befriending a slave and holding him accountable for transgressions required in ways dictated at the time. Penelope Ann Miller played the wife of the slave owner, I did not recognize her. Time is a cruel master.

If you are not familiar with the Nat Turner revolt of 1831, see the movie first. The Nat Turner revolt is pivotal in American history; it portends the Civil War.

p.s.-This movie has nothing to do with W.D. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation”-1915.

The Magnificent Seven (2016)

The last time there was this much testosterone in one place is when the Russian women’s track team were in town. With all the dead bodies the magnificent seven shot they used every bit of their hormone. As gruesome as this sounds the movie is uplifting and enjoyable. The bad guy, played by Peter Sarsgaad, is murdering the locals and pillaging the town for its gold. The good guy, Denzel Washington, who ironically is all dressed in black riding a black horse is hired by a widow seeking revenge for the death of her husband.

The movie harkens back to the old western films. The town is a bunch of rickety wooden buildings. There are sweeping landscapes with red rock formations shaped like castles. There were the usual western outposts: the general stores, and the undertaker looking for business. There are saloon women of questionable reputations. These “ladies” looked a hell of a lot better than the original 1960 movie (but what did I know I was 11 at the time).

 The cast is wonderful. Their comradery was a work in progress jelling together at the critical moment; they are sympatico. All seven play important roles, but Denzel Washington, Chris Platt and Ethan Hawke have air time. Denzel is a steely eyed gun slinger who leads the seven. Chris Pratt delivers comic banter, but he is a dead shot also. Ethan Hawke is a former confederate soldier haunted by past battles.  Peter Sarsgaad interpretation of evil is sublime. With his pinched sweaty face and beady eyes, he kills without compunction.  The body count in the movie is impress but without gore. The bitter taste of revenge is palatable

.

What was impressive about the movie was the minor characters contributed to movie with their own back stories and heroic deeds. The widow, played by Haley Bennett, held her own in the gun fights. She was the spirit of the resistance and a natural leader

.

Honorable mention goes to Denzel Washington’s body double. His trick riding was quite impressive. No way did Denzel do that ridding. Oh, do I assume too much? I am sure Denzel and I acquired our equestrian skills at the same place, the Merry-Go-Round at Coney Island.

Homage must be paid to Akera Kurasawa’s film the Seven Samari which inspired both versions of the Magnificent Seven. Domo Agrigato.

Hellor High Water

Hell or High Water

This film takes place in Texas; maybe West Texas, but who cares. The film features prosaic tenets of old TV westerns. There are two brothers robbing banks, the hated foreclosures bank, the fat slow moving Texas Ranger who is smarter than he looked. There was a zaftig floozy making the moves on Pine’s character but nothing happened.

The movie’s mood is sullen. The small towns are dusty and lonely. The brazen robberies are a juxtaposition to the towns phlegmatic existence. Aside from a busted nose to one gets killed during the robbery.

Chris Pine is the quite smart brother. He is the brains behind the robberies. This is a chance for Pine to break away the “Captain Kirk” persona and show more dramatic talent. He did good job, but honestly nothing was a stretch.  Ben Foster the other brother who is an ex con who is impulsive and reckless.  They rob numerous small local banks. They only take the draw money. There is a method to their madness of which becomes apparent as the movie unfolds.  It is not complicated.

Texas is land of the Second Amendment. When you pull a gun out in a bank there is a high probably lots of guns pointing back at you. This scene was one of the few funny scenes in the movie.

Jeff Bridges is the Texas Ranger pursuing the brothers. His performance nearly highjacks the movie. Not only was his character portrayal great, but he was hysterical.  He has a long suffering partner named Alberto, who is half Mexican and half Comanche. Bridges spews a continues stream of ethnic jabs, which Alberto takes in good nature. They are like an old married couple.  Bridges is the wise old cop a few months away from retirement. He is tuned into the bank robbers and they play a deadly cat and mouse game.

This movie has received high acclamation from the critics. This not a great movie?  It a good movie. If you can restrain yourself wait for On Demand.