The Batman

 

The Batman

This is a dark movie in tone and atmosphere. Many scenes are shot in gloomy rainy nights. Robert Pattinson’s Batman is sullen. An overriding theme of the film is vengeance. At one point Salina, Cat Woman, calls him by that name. What Pattinson lacks in dialogue he makes up in action. Like other Batmen movies special effects plays a significant role and this film does not disappoint. Pattinson’s Batman ranks high in order of popularity. Without his cowl he is an introspective Bruce Wayne. In part this is an origin story of Bruce’s parents going beyond that faithful night when they were killed in front of his eyes.

The line up of villains is impressive. Colin Farrell plays the Penguin. Here the name Penguin is a moniker for Oz Cobblepot. His prothesis makes him unrecognizable. The Penguin is an underling  to Carmine Falcone, played by John Turturro. Turturro gives one of the best performances. His outer persona in mild and even tempered but he is a cold blooded killer. The arch villain is the Riddler. He causes mayhem and murder wrapped in his riddles. The Riddler is brilliantly played by Paul Dano. This psychotic murder fits perfectly in Dano’s wheelhouse. 

The good guys are Salina, James Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth. Salina is the Cat Women played by Zoe Kravitz. This imp gives an outsized performance. She kicks ass with aplomb. She and Pattinson have good chemistry, maybe too good. Jeffery Wright plays James Gordon. He is the police officer that is aligned with Batman. Andy Serkis is Alfred Pennyworth. The Alfred character is complicated. He is a father figure, mentor and collaborator to Bruce Wayne. Serkis is a bit gruff compared to Michael Cain’s deferential Alfred. I wish his character was broader. There will be a sequel. In the insane asylum the Riddler is talking to another inmate with uncontrollable laughter.

The plot is a complicated. You may benefit from reading it in Wikipedia. Either before or after viewing the film. The Batman has become an event, see the movie and judge for yourself.

 

Uncharted

 

Uncharted

Uncharted is based on a video game series by Sony Interactive Entertainment which means I had no idea about the movie before I saw it. Basically I was underwhelmed. The plot is simplistic, involving treasure hunters seeking the lost gold of a Spanish explorer. This is an action movie dominated by fight sequences and special effects. The special effects were eye catching especially the cargo plane scene. This movie is aimed at the male 18 to 35 focus group who have been starved by the pandemic for  mindless entertainment.

Tom Holland plays the lead Nathan Drake. Holland is fast becoming the new action hero de jour. He plays the role in his usual low keyed manner, effective for the character. His partner in played by Mark Wahlberg as Sully Sullivan. Wahlberg gives his trademark cardboard cutout performance. Spicing up the movie are Sophia Ali and Tati Gabrielle. Ali is a dark eyed adventures who sides with the good guys. Gabrielle is the dominant bad guy (gal). In the fight sequences the women give as good as they get. This is Hollywood courting the female 18-35 year old cohort. Antonio Banderas plays Santiago Moncada a ruthless treasure hunter and a descendant of the family claiming the lost treasure. His role was a walk on walk off. Mercifully for him, his screen time was short.

This film garnered a Rotten Tomato score of 40 but has a box office of $228 million, nearly double its production cost. There are teasers in the end credits for a sequel; but of course. This film has hints of the Goonies but without the fun and joy.

The Tragedy of Macbeth

 

The Tragedy of Macbeth (Apple +)

There have been several productions of Macbeth in theaters and films. Joel Coen’s Macbeth is unique. His black and white interpretation uses minimalist sets with long shadows forecasting a tragic drama. His sets are more like theater rather than film.

Denzel Washington is Macbeth; his performance is masterful. He transforms Macbeth from an ambitious traitor to a paranoid monarch who’s decent into madness is complete. Washington uses his decades of acting culminating into this bravo performance. Frances McDormand’s nonverbal performance is as forceful as her dialogue. She is the cunning wife who eggs on Macbeth to his murderous deeds. Brendan Gleeson is King Duncan with only a brief performance before death cuts him short. The entire cast is stellar.

An outstanding performance is given by Kathryn Hunter as the witch (she plays all three witches). She is described as a virtuoso physical performer. As the witch she transforms  herself from a knotted soothsayer into the three witches. She uses her deep guttural voice to make her prophecies. Her acting is enough reason to see this film.

For many of us reading Macbeth was a required part of the curriculum. This Macbeth is optional.

 

Luzzu

 

Luzzu (Amazon Prime)

A Luzzu is a traditional Maltese multicolored wooden fishing boat with a pair of eyes painted on the bow to guide the fishermen back to shore. It is a metaphor for the price of change. Jesmark Scicula is the hard scrabble fisherman trying to eke out a living from fishing made harder by overfishing in the Mediterranean Sea. He has a sick baby boy and is desperate for money. His wife Denise is  the classic Maltese beauty played by Michela Farrugia, anguished by her son’s condition. Malta has socialized medicine but specialized baby formula still costs forty euros and if you want the best medical care you must pay.

Luzzu tells many tales. As Jesmark searches for more opportunities to supplement his income he spirals into the local black fishing market. The Luzzu fishermen catch a modest number of fish which for generations sustained them but with overfishing their catch is depleted. Jesmark’s growing desperate financial condition pushes him into criminal activities.

The Luzzu is leaking and needs repair. This boat belonged to his grandfather’s grandfather and is a symbol of a bygone lifestyle. To raise money he goes to the office of the European Union who encourage fisherman to give up fishing for a bounty on their boats and be reeducated  for another profession. He gets 7,000 euros for the boat and takes it to the junk yard to be trashed. He uses the money to buy a used refrigerated truck so he can transport illegal fish. His descent is complete.

The financial situation and Jesmark’s increasing involvement in the black market strains his marriage. Denise’s family is more affluent and Jesmark  resents their assistance. His mother-in-law is not generous with her help and disdains Jesmark. Her sour face needs no words.

The movie presents other signs of change. The film is shot in one of Malta’s bays. Opposite the bay is a ship container port with hulking cranes silhouetting the horizon. The scene could be easily mistaken for Elizabeth New Jersey. There is a shot of a three lane highway choked with traffic. In 1969 there were only three traffic lights in Malta. In the past immigration was the norm now guest workers emigrate to the island for work. It is debatable if all change is good but undeniably it is inevitable.

Jesmark Scicula is an actual fisherman. For a novice actor he gives a compelling performance. He received the award for best actor at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. The film was selected as the Maltese entry for the best international feature film at the 94^th Academy Awards.

The Tender Bar

 

The Tender Bar (Amazon Prime)

The Tender Bar is a tender story. It is a coming of age story based on the memoir of J.R. Moehringer and directed by George Clooney. JR, the lead character, portrayed by Daniel Ranieri, as the young JR and Tye Sheridan as his older self. JR receives several life lessons from the local bar “The Dickens” which is owned by his Uncle Charlie played by Ben Affleck. Uncle Charlie bestows worldly advice to JR such as never hit a woman even if she stabs you with a pair of scissors.

Ben Affleck is laid back as Uncle Charlie who assumes the role as the father figure. This is not a stretch for Affleck but he is endearing with JR. Daniel Ranieri is another great child actor. He displays maturity and confidence in his acting and is adorable. Christopher Lloyd plays the grandfather as a curmudgeon with a deeply buried good heart. I just wish there were more scenes with Lloyd. Tye Sheridan carries most of the film. He journeys from a working class neighborhood in Manhasset to Yale and a as a copy boy at the New York Times. His father, The Voice (a radio disk jockey), comes in and out of his life but never stays. He is a nasty alcoholic and he does hit women. Briana Middleton is the beautiful Sydney his erstwhile girlfriend who entices him and then drops him several times. Another life lesson.

The Tender Bar is easy to digest and very satisfying.

C’mon C’mon

 

C’mon C’mon (Amazon Prime)

Joaquin Phoenix is the consummate actor, playing roles from Johnny Cash to the Joker. In this movie he   portrays Johnny the title character as melancholy and moody. This sets the tone for the movie. It is shot entirely in black and white normally an effect of film noir. In some scenes characters are in deep shadow only showing part of their face.

Johnny is a radio journalist working on a project interviewing kids around the country asking them what they think about the future and their lives. He has not seen his sister Viv in a year since their mother’s death from complications from Alzheimer’s. Viv has to go away to take care of her estranged husband who is having a mental breakdown and she asks Johnny to look after his nephew Jessie played by Woody Norman. He is a precocious nine year old who gives an emotional performance of a child maneuvering the uncertainties of a family in crisis. The relationship with Johnny is rocky and over time a bond develops but not without challenges. Johnny finds out dealing with a kid is hard. Protecting him and reprimanding him is a balancing act. Much of the movie is interaction between Johnny and Jesse interspersed with scenes with Viv explaining how to deal with Jesse.

Johnny clearly loves Jesse and puts up a lot with his antics. This is not a straightforward feel good movie, it has many emotional speed bumps. If you have the holiday blues this is not your movie.

 

Don’t Look Up

 

Don’t Look Up (Netflix)

Don’t bother. This is an example of a film with a roster of A list stars and an awful script sprinkled with over acting. The star lineup includes Leonardo Di Caprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Mark Rylance, Jonah Hill and others. The film’s premise is a life ending killer comet hurtling towards earth. This is a rehashing of a number of other doomsday sci fi films.

The film starts out as farce, meanders into political satire and back to farce. Some scenes depicted far right comet deniers  with their red baseball caps. This was a veiled reference to Trumpers.

The acting was from bad to silly. Di Caprio is the lead scientist who hyperventilates and pops Xanax. Streep is the Lady President who is more worried about the midterm elections than the comet. Laurance is chicken little and no one heeds her warning. Blanchett is flippant talk show host who ignores the scientific warning.

What a waste of talent.