Cry Macho (HBO Max)

 

Cry Macho (HBO Max)

If Unforgiven and Million Dollar Baby were A+ and Grand Tornio was an A, this film is a sold C. I am reluctant to call this a vanity movie but at 91 Clint should hang it up. He looks like a 91 year old man with cellophane skin and bony hands. He plays a  former rodeo star and a washed up horse breeder. Stand-ins were a required for some scenes. In one shot Clint appears to be bucking a mustang but it was plain to see it was a stunt man. There was a cut away of Clint bouncing up and down to simulate the bucking horse. He punches out a bad guy sixty years his junior with one punch a la Dirty Harry. Clint still has that animal magnetism but rather than racy bedroom scenes there was a lot of hugging and hand holding instead. So much for Viagra.

Basically the film was boring. The movie is about Clint getting  the son of his ex-boss out of Mexico. The movie is an uneventful road trip. The acting of the supporting actors is uninspiring. The young actor playing the estranged son seemed to be reading lines rather than acting. The only actor of some standing was Dwight Yoakum and his screen time was limited. Clint directed this film. I cannot comment on the directorial merits but the film had a budget of $33m and a box office of $4.7m. Enough said.

I am not saying he should not go gently into that good night but he should start enjoying his Social Security. He earned it.

 

No Time to Die

 

No Time to Die

If anyone is counting this is my 200^th film review.

I saw my first Bond movie in 1962 with my sister, it was Dr. No. We had no idea what it was about but we were blown away. We never saw anything like it before with so much action and intense characters (every eleven year old boy was thankful for Ursula Andress). It was a thrilling experience and  Daniel Craig’s franchise has maintained the thrill.

This Bond movie has all the signature elements. Bond is suave and a dispassionate killer, gorgeous women of dubious  character, super villains who want world domination or large bank accounts, stunning stunts, gadgets to warm the heart of every man-child and that hallmark bass line. Bond movies have reoccurring characters from other movies such as M, Q and Moneypenny. Some are recognizable and others not. This film is so engaging all viewers will find it enjoyable.

The film has  many reveals, it is a must see. In fear of my life there is little I can say about the plot. This is Danial Craig’s last Bond movie after 15 years at the helm. He is a bit moodier in this outing. The femme fatale is Lea Seydoux. She did not strike me as the typical voluptuous Bond female rather she was more like the girl next door (I guess Ursula left an impression on me). Rami Malek is the uber villain Lyutsifer Safin. Every time I see Malek I have Freddy Mercury stuck in my head, but he really did a great job. He wasn’t cheesy and played the role as a low keyed psychopathic villain well. The newest character is Lashana Lynch as Nomi. I  absolutely cannot say anything about her. Felix Leiter is back played by Jeffrey Wright, a bit sweatier and chubbier. Christopher Waltz reprises his role as Bolfeld. His screen time is short but important to the plot. Q applies his wizardry to a new arsenal of weapons. Locations are a big part of the movie. The movie was filmed in Matera Italy, Jamaica, Cuba, Norway and the Pinewoods studios in London.

If you are a Bond fan, or not, you should really see this movie.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

 

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

It was pretty good, better than I expected. This is not a Kung Fu movie per se, although there is a lot of Kung Fu fighting. The fighting is in slowmo Kung Fu like Crouching Dragon, Hidden Tiger and not like Bruce Lee’s bone crushing blows. The story was not entirely set in a mystical Chinese landscape,  San Francisco streets were prevalent. With Marvel movies there is humorous banter provided by Awafina with her delightful Queens accent. The plot is pretty straight forward with a son/father conflict with a bit of Oedipus Rex sprinkled in. The evil guys are mythical Chinese creatures like the ones in the Chinese New Year’s street parade.

The protagonist , Shang-Chi, is played by Simu Lu a Canadian actor. He is affable akin to Jackie Chan. He does a fine job and I am sure we will see him the sequel (another Marvel tradition). Awafina has a supporting role as Shang-Chi’s friend, but not girlfriend. This uncomplication makes the film lighter and you can concentrate on the fighting. The perennial Michelle Yeoh plays Sheng-Chi’s aunt. She was a leading character in Crouching Dragon, Hidden Tiger and her presence gives the film credibility. Ben Kingsley reprises his role as Trevor Slattery as the Mandarin from Iron Man 3, another Marvel linkage. He gives a humorous performance. Special effects are a major part of the film.

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.

CODA

 

CODA (Children of Deaf Adults)-Apple TV

CODA is an oasis from the current stream of mega movies of men and women in thighs trying to kill each other and bold muscle bound men driving muscle cars. The movie is tender and heart felt. It is funny and touching. For you wimps out there prepare to shed a tear.

Ruby Rossi, portrayed by Emalia Jones, is the only hearing member of her deaf family. From a young age the family depended on her as their interpreter. She works the fishing boat with her father and brother while also attending school. The irony and genius of the movie is that Rudy is a talented singer and wants to attend the elite Berklee College of Music in Boston. So how do her deaf parents appreciate her singing? That’s the tearjerker part.

Training to be a singer conflicts with her role as their interpreter. Her choir master played by Eugenio Derbez, with humor and empathy, comes off as an inflexible task master but is actually her cheer leader and supporter. Their interaction is a counter point to her responsibly to her family. The script meshes her singing ambitions with the pull of the family to keep her as their bridge to the hearing world. This is the dynamic of the movie.

The acting is outstanding. The signing is so express you almost do not need captions. Cursing and lewdness are much more graceful when signing. The movie is also funny. The deaf father likes gangster rap because he can feel the vibration of the bass.

The actors who portray Rudy’s mother, father and brother are actually deaf. Their interactions are  expressive and a joy to watch. Nothing is lost from the story due to the lack of words. CODA belongs in the same level as “Children of a Lessor God” and “The Miracle Worker”. An Academy nomination is not out of the question.

If you cannot crash with someone who has Apple TV, which is streaming CODA for free, pay for the ticket. It will be money well spent.

 

F 9

 

F9

What can be said about Fast and Furious? What hasn’t been said about Fast and Furious? This is the ninth film in the twenty years run of the franchise. The worldwide gross box office is $6.8b at a cost of approximately of $2.1b. The films are formula driven. Fast cars, muscle bound  men, tough but attractive women, insane car chases and a plot that is an afterthought. Fast and Furious is character centric. Vin Diesel is the main character Dominic Toretto who has appeared in nearly all the films with his posse of  actors which he refers to as family.

This movie is a reunion of all the past FF characters. One character died in an earlier movie, but that did not stop the writers. Missing from this reunion is Dwight “The Rock” Johnson. Apparently there is bad blood between Johnson and Diesel. Johnson is a by the book kinda guy; on time do the shoot. Whereas Diesel is a tardy slacker who likes to schmooze with the crew. However, both manage to make $20m a film each.

The new element in this film is Dom’s estranged brother Jackob played by John Cena. I think they brought Cena in to make Diesel’s acting look better. Vin Diesel’s acting is like a car with one gear. He depends on his signature sneer to carry his acting. To dramatize the fall out between the brothers they used two younger actors as versions of Diesel and Cena. Aside from one having a round head for Diesel and the other a rectangular face for Cena, they looked nothing like them.

The film has some fantastic stunts which are either real or CG. One scene is just imbecilic with  two characters in outer space in a car with a rocket engine strapped to the back. A “ jumping the shark” moment.

The bottom line is if you did not see any prior FF films this is not for you. If you have, you know what to expect. FF 10 is in the works and will be released in 2022. If it is the last one I think it will open the door for Cena . He needs to work on his sneer.

Summer of Soul (Hulu)

 

Summer of Soul (Hulu)

This is a documentary of a forgotten musical festival in Harlem in 1969. It was formally known as the Harlem Cultural Festival and  was called the Black Woodstock. It took place over a six week period in Mount Morris Park in Harlem attended by  nearly 300,000. The concert film was overshadowed  by  Woodstock and relegated to 50 years of obscurity in a basement.

 The Harlem Cultural Festival was a series of music concerts held in Harlem during the summer of 1969 to celebrate African American music and culture and to promote the continued politics of black pride. The sounds were R&B, blues and jazz.

The film is directed by Ahmir Questlove Thompson (band leader of the Roots). It won the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the US Documentary Competition. It features Afro/Latin music from some of the great artists of the time. Some of the acts were Stevie Wonder, Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, The 5th Dimension, The Staple Singers, BB King, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Max Roach, Mongo Santamaria and Sly and the Family Stone. The performances are shown whole and not just clips along with enthusiastic reactions from the audience. It is worth seeing the film just to see Steve Wonders’ virtuoso drum solo. The Black Panthers provided security for Sly and the Family Stone when the police refused. The music is amazing and still fresh.

The film is also social commentary. 1969 was a heady year. Apollo 11 landed on the moon and the country was still raw after the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy in 1968. These assassinations erupted in riots in across major cities. New York City was spared from rioting in part due to the efforts Mayor Lindsay and the concert was seen as quelling emotions and show casing black pride. The Reverend Jessie Jackson spoke at the concert to offset the pain of the MLK assignation.

Regarding the moon landing the residents of Harlem had a more earthly opinion of the landing. They felt the money was better served addressing the poverty of their neighborhood. How can you be enthusiastic about the landing if you cannot afford a TV?

This documentary  is a resurrected jewel and is an important complement to black and American history.