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.