Top Gun
Maverick
The only other actor from the
original film is Val Kilmer. In real life Kilmer is suffering from throat
cancer. He talks in a coarse whisper (his voice was created using AI). It is a
touching moment when they embrace. Some elements of the 1986 film were recreated.
Instead of a bare chested volleyball game, there was a bare chested touch
football game (the lady wore a bra). Tom looked great for a 59 year old man
child.
Cyrano (Amazon Prime)
You know when you finally watch a film you intended to watch
and your reaction is, ”What the hell”? I had no idea Cyrano was a musical; I am
not a musical kind of guy. But in truth is this is a hybrid of a musical and a historical
story. The long meaty nose of the original Cyrano De Bergerac is replaced by the diminutive height of Peter Dinklage.
This is a clever, beautiful and tender movie. The songs are excellent and support
the narrative. I have no ability to critique singing, but the songs sounded damn good. Haley Bennett, who plays Roxanne, clearly
is a trained singer. I think Peter Dinklage does speak singing in a singular octave.
Visually the film is beautiful. The period costumes and make
up are wonderful. I think for men’s makeup they used Marilyn Mason as their
inspiration. The sets are limited to a small town and a battlefield filmed in Sicily.
I enjoyed the film more than I expected. Dinklage gave a heartfelt
performance and his unrequited love for Roxanne is palpable. Kevin Harrison Jr.
, who plays Christian de Neuvillette, is Roxanne’s tongue
tied love interest. Ben Mendelson plays Colonel De Guichi, is totally unrecognizable,
another casualty of makeup. The entire cast were excellent.
Unfortunately Cyrano was a victim of
Covid. The production cost was $30m with a box office of $6.4m but it has a
Rotten Tomato score of 86%. The good news for us it costs only $5.99 to rent.
The Northman
I did not realize Vikings had such bright and shiny teeth,
but that underscores my lack of Nordic culture. This film is one of the most brutal
and gory movies I have seen in some time. The movie has elements of Norse lore,
Shakespearean and Greek tragedy. The plot is simple; Prince Amleth seeks revenge
for the murder of his father by his uncle. The story is about the quest for
this revenge. Fantasy is in the mix with dead Vikings coming to life with dead eyes
and a magical sword that can only be drawn at night. Unless you are a Norse scholar
you should brush up on your Viking history. An outstanding feature of the movie
is the breathtaking scenery. The story is supposed to be in Iceland but most of
the filming was shot in Northern Ireland.
A very buffed Alexander Skarsgard (a.k.a Tarzan) plays Prince
Amleth. He is a brooding killing machine, which he does well. William Defoe is
Heimer the Fool barely recognizable under his hair; his screen time is brief.
Nicole Kidman is the queen and Amleth’s mother. Her character does provide a pivotable
twist in the movie. Anya Taylor-Joy (a.k.a The Queen’s Gambit) is Olga the
Slavic slave girl who becomes Amleth’s wife. Ethan Hawk is King Aurvandill
War-Ravin Amleth’s father; again too much hair and hard to recognize.
The film received a Rotten Tomatoes score of 89. The
production cost was about $90m but the worldwide box office was only $53m; it needed to make $200m to breakeven. For
the target male audience, Thor is easier to digest.
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 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 (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 (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 94th Academy Awards.
