Gideon58's Reviews

[Gideon58]

Miss Meadows
Katie Holmes is given the opportunity to prove that she is in possession of some acting chops and succeeds for the most part as the star of a quirky black comedy from 2014 called Miss Meadows that starts off promisingly, but loses its footing as the screenplay becomes a muddle of different genres but doesn't commit to any of them fully to make a truly engaging movie experience.
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Holmes loses herself in the title role, a very prim and proper young schoolteacher who reads poetry and wears tap shoes and has taken it upon herself to be a vigilante, righting wrongs where she can because she thinks nobody else will. Before the halfway point, we see Miss Meadows murder a lecherous truck driver who tries to pick her up and a psycho who has just killed three people in a fast food restaurant. A handsome sheriff is assigned to the case but falls instantly in love with Miss Meadows, though he is fully aware of her guilt and in complete denial about it.
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Director/screenwriter Karen Leigh Hopkins, who wrote the 1988 melodrama Stepmom is to be applauded for not only attempting to craft a black comedy around a unique central character and risking the project on an actress whose talent has never really stretched beyond her wholesome good looks. The story gets off to a dandy start as we watch this sweet girl, dressed like Dorothy Gale, tap dancing down the streets and reading poetry, but by the time we see the second murder, the comedy in the story begins to drain away. We then think we're going to get a thoughtful character study about what made Miss Meadows who she is. We then get a sketchy backstory which includes the death of her mother, whom we've already seen Miss Meadows have two phone conversations with, so at this point we're just scratching our heads.
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Hopkins' direction does have a certain style to it and definitely trumps her writing here...her camera work is often inventive and with the aid of film editor Joan Sobel, creates some startling images that are hard to erase from the mind. Unfortunately, the jarring changes in the storytelling style eventual dwarf the imaginative directing concepts and what we are left with is a central character of whom the screenplay is way too protective. Miss Meadows gets off too easy here and the ending was a little ambiguous for my tastes.
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I have never been a fan of Katie Holmes and I can't believe I'm saying this, but it is her performance in the title role that kept me engaged in this bizarre little film. Holmes is cast against type and turns in a gutsy performance that actually commands the screen. It's too bad the story wasn't worthy of her performance. She is well matched by Heath Ledger-look-alike James Badge Dale as Miss Meadows' loving sheriff and Jean Smart is terrific as Mom, but the appeal of this one depends on how much you love Katie Holmes. Fans of the Nicole Kidman film To Die For will have a head start here. 3

[Gideon58]

Youth (2015)
Despite solid acting and production values, the 2015 independent feature Youth is the cinematic equivalent of a beautifully gift-wrapped box with absolutely nothing inside.
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The film takes place at a large elegant hotel located at the base of the Swiss Alps where we are introduced to some of its more important guests, three of whom are various forms of artists. Fred Ballinger (Oscar winner Michael Caine) is a composer and orchestra conductor who is vacationing with his daughter (Oscar winner Rachel Weisz). He has just been approached to perform for Queen Elizabeth, conducting a series of pieces he wrote many years ago that have become his legacy. Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel) is a film director who is meeting with the screenwriters for his latest movie to finalize the screenplay and to nail down actress Brenda Morel (Oscar winner Jane Fonda) as his leading lady. Jimmy Tree (Paul Dano) is a bitter young actor whose show business success has been predicated on a film in which he played a robot and now is beginning to make a film in which he would portray Hitler.
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Paolo Sorrentino, who directed the odd Sean Penn drama This Must Be the Place is also the creative force behind this dreamy and quirky film that confuses and perplexes the viewer from scene to scene, starting with its unusual setting: The screenplay informs us that the setting of the film is a hotel, but there are scenes sprinkled throughout featuring large groups of senior citizens being led through various activities making it look like a retirement community but then Dano's character appears and seems so angry about being there, that we think this might actually be a rehab facility. Then just when we think it might be e rehab facility, the current Miss Universe checks in as one of the guests.
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Sorrentino's directorial eye is in serious overdrive here, drowning the viewer in dark and romantic imagery, unsettling fantasy sequences, and a lot of talk about people torn apart by trying to dissect who they are as opposed to what they do and how this emotional journey has apparently led them to this very expensive hotel in Switzerland, which appears to be on the outskirts of civilization and hard for the rest of the world to make contact with. I was totally confused by all the scenes of the senior citizens making it look like a retirement community which it clearly wasn't, giving the entire story a kind of sinister undertone that I don't think was the intention. I do think fans of director Wes Anderson will have a head start here.
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Sorrentino spared no expense in bringing this fantastical story to the screen...the hotel where the story unfolds is unlike anything I have ever seen. Luca Bigazzi's cinematography is breathtaking and David Lang's odd music was appropriate for this very odd story. Caine, Keitel, Dano, and Fonda do some of the strongest work of their respective careers, but the whole thing just seems pointless, not answering the questions it poses and it goes on forever. 2.5

[Gideon58]

The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie
Second only to Disney, no other Hollywood studio had the influence on the art of animation than Warner Brothers did when they introduced The Looney Tunes, which brought us the iconic Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Yosemite Sam among so many others. Back in the late 70's someone at Warners got the idea that compilation films of these classic cartoons would be some quick and easy box office revenue and 1981's The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie was the second film in this series.
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This compilation of classic Warner Brothers cartoons actually concentrates on the work of animator Friz Freleng, who started his career working for Walt Disney but later found his niche at Warner Brothers. The new material linking the classic is set up as an awards ceremony honoring classic Looney Tunes characters. it should be noted that during the narration, Bugs mentions that Freleng won five Oscars, but in reality, he won one Oscar and one Emmy, and neither were for his work at Warner Brothers.
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The tribute is divided into three parts: Part I finds Yosemite Sam bargaining with the Devil who is willing to exchabge Sam's soul for Bugs Bunny; Part II salutes 1950's television with Bugs playing Elegant Mess, a private eye squaring off with popular Looney villain Mugsy and Part III is a spoof of the Oscars which finds Bugs and Daffy Duck competing for applause.
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I can't lie, it was an absolute joy watching some of these cartoons again, some of which I haven't seen since I was a child. I can't believe this stuff still makes me laugh loud. These cartoons have not aged a bit in 50 odd years. I wish the same could be said about the new linking material, which is rather clumsily edited into the classic toons in a rather haphazard manner but the classic stuff is so funny you really don't care.
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The competitive relationship between Bugs and Daffy still works as does the foe-vs-foe relationship between Bugs and Yosemite Sam. Also loved when Sylvester joined BA (Birds Anonymous) and how can you not love those three pigs who are now a jazz combo? This stuff just doesn't get old. 4

[Gideon58]

Don't Say a Word
Despite solid production values and some interesting performances, the 2001 psychological thriller Don't Say a Word is eventually weighed down by a convoluted story that takes too long to come together and some heavy-handed direction.
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The film stars Michael Douglas as Dr. Nathan Conrad, a psychiatrist who is making breakfast for his bedridden wife on Thanksgiving morning and learns that his 8 year old daughter has been kidnapped. When the expected ransom call comes, the ransom can hardly be considered expected: Conrad is given approximately eight hours to get inside the head of a catatonic mental patient named Elizabeth (the late Brittany Murphy) to retrieve a six digit number that is locked inside Elizabeth's conscience somewhere.
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Anthony Peckham's screenplay, based on a novel by Andrew Klavan, aggravates from jump because it starts with a bank robbery and then skips ten whole years before we meet Dr. Conrad and Elizabeth and we really have no clue what these two people, who seem to have brought together by fate, have to do with the bank robbery that opened the film. They do come together eventually but the connection takes forever to materialize.
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There are some silly things that happen during the course of this story that definitely had this reviewer scratching his head, primarily the reveal that the hostage was being held in the same held in the same building where she lived? Why would you go to all the trouble of kidnapping someone and then just hold them a couple of floors up in the same building? I was also troubled by exactly how serious Elizabeth's condition was...the intensity of her illness seemed to change from scene to scene and even the slightest possibility that this girl might be faking sucked a lot of the credibility out of this story.
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Gary Fleder's overheated direction telegraphs a lot of stuff before it happens and methodically spoonfeeds us the story making the movie a very long-winded journey. Douglas is solid and Murphy seems to be having a ball playing the nutty Elizabeth, but it's the confusing story that eventually does this one in. 2.5

[Gideon58]

The Muppet Movie
It's wonderful to report that even with all the advances in the field of children's entertainment in the past 40 years, that the genius of Jim Henson can still provide viable screen entertainment with his 1979 winner The Muppet Movie.
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Three years after the enormously successful syndicated variety show The Muppet Show, premiered, the big screen beckoned and we were treated to this delightful comic road adventure that, just like the TV series, found the muppets in the middle of a story interacting with actual human actors and the effects can have the viewer rolling on the floor one minute and discovering a lump in the throat the next.
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The story is pretty straightforward...Kermit is contently sitting on a lily pad singing about rainbows when a vacationing Hollywood agent (Don DeLuise) informs Kermit that he should attend a big audition in Hollywood soon for frogs offering "the standard rich and famous contract." En route to Hollywood, just like in The Wizard of Oz, Kermit meets Fozzie Bear, Rowlf the Dog, The Great Gonzo, a rock band called Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, and, of course, the flighty and self-absorbed Miss Piggy, who all decide they want to be Hollywood stars as well. Their journey is complicated by Doc Hopper (Charles Durning), the owner of a string of french fried frog leg restaurants who wants Kermit to be his new national spokesperson.
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Jack Burns, one of the creators of the Muppets TV series, along with Jerry Juhl have constructed a clever screenplay that takes all of the characters that were part of the television series and given each character their own backstory that allows each character to take their own place in Kermit's very special journey to Hollywood. The screenplay, under the guidance of direction James Frawley, allows dozens of muppet characters and dozens of human actors a chance to shine where muppets and human form a delicately balanced cinematic world that provides pretty consistent laughs for the young and young at heart.
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The melodic score is provided by Paul Williams (who also appears in the film) and Kenny Ascher, who had just finished working with Barbara Streisand on her remake of A Star is Born. The score includes "Can You Picture That?", Never Before and Never Again", "Movin Right Along", "I'm Going Back", and, of course, the Oscar-nominated "The Rainbow Connection."
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If you pay attention, along the way you can also catch Bob Hope playing an ice cream vendor, Richard Pryor as a balloon salesman, Elliott Gould as a beauty contest MC, Madeline Kahn as bar patron, James Coburn as a nightclub owner, Mel Brooks as a mad scientist, and Orson Welles as a movie studio head. It was a little sad to note how many of the human actors featured here are no longer with us, but it didn't do too much to deter from the show this winning comic romp still provides. 3.5

[Gideon58]

It: Chapter 2
Imaginative direction, superb production values, and solid performances notwithstanding, It: Chapter 2 starts off promising, but eventually falters due to the fatal disease of "Sequel-itis", the dreaded cinematic disease where the creators of the first film work tirelessly to bring us something bigger and better, but the overly complex screenplay which attempts to blend previous backstory with new backstory, weighs the film down and makes it go on forever.
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The 2019 thriller finds the Losers Club from Derry reunited as Mike, the only member who remained in Derry for the 27 years since the events of the first film, sees a connection between some current Derry tragedies involving children and what happened to the club members all those years ago. As Mike contacts the other members, we are reminded of the pact they made at the end of the first film and the story seems to become a look at the consequences when one member of the club chooses to commit suicide rather than return to Derry as promised.
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Stephen King's original novel has been re-imagined beyond recognition by screenwriter Gary Dauberman who has decided it was not only necessary to rehash events from the first film, but to not only rehash backstory that was covered in the first film, but to create new backstory that is supposed to allegedly provide more insight into why this Pennywise was torturing these children in the first place, but because one of the members of the club commits suicide, it all seems to be irrelevant since the point of the first film was the fact that the group's safety was contingent upon them being together, staying together, and returning whenever "it" did, rendering a lot of what goes on here pointless.
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Despite the way the screenplay destroys a lot of the point of the story, director Andy Muschietti is to be applauded for the endless invention he brings to this story, including some startling visuals and unparalleled special effects that found this reviewer spending the majority of the screen time with clenched butt cheeks and jumping from my chair. I did love the methodical set up of the story...watching Mike make the calls and watching the group's reaction to what they remembered and what they didn't was interesting. That first reunion of the group in that Chinese restaurant was something that will be burned in my memory forever because its breezy beginning takes a turn we don't see coming.
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The performances are first rate, with standout work from Jessica Chastain as Beverly, James McAvoy as Bill, Jay Ryan as Ben, and especially Bill Hader as Richie (there's even a cameo from Stephen King), but the story's endlessly winded screenplay makes it hard for the viewer to stay completely invested in the overlong and ultimately silly finale, which pretty much spits in the face of everything we've already seen. 3

[Gideon58]

One Two Three
The artistry of Billy Wilder again behind the camera and a sparkling performance from legendary James Cagney in his final starring role make a winning combination in a deliciously entertaining 1961 comedy called One Two Three that takes a simple romantic comedy/generation gap comedy and sets it on a political canvas that probably ruffled some feathers back in '61.
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Cagney plays CR McNamara, an executive for Coca-Cola who is working in East Berlin but is trying to get transferred to London as head of all European production when he gets a call from his boss asking him to take in his horny teenage daughter, Scarlett (Pamela Tiffin) for a couple of weeks. A couple of weeks turn into a couple of months and one morning wild child Scarlett shows up at McNamara's office announcing that she has married an East German communist named Otto Ludwig Piffl (Horst Buccholtz), who is basically an east German hippie. McNamara initially tries to get him out of Scarlett's life but when circumstances make that impossible, McNamara decides to do what he can to turn the young radical into son-in-law material.
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Once again, Billy Wilder and longtime collaborator IAL Diamond have come up with another slightly complex comedy with a political conscience that never allows the politics to get in the way of the comedy...sort of a theatrical and a lot more intelligent Hogan's Heroes. The story doesn't paint Germans in the most flattering light, but the tongue is so effectively tucked into the cheek here that we don't take it too seriously. Fortunately, this look at American VS European and East Germany VS West Germany never gets in the way of what is a pretty conventional family comedy that looks a little more important than it is because of its setting on turbulent foreign soil.
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Sometimes the political jabbing gets to be a bit much, but we never really notice because of the razor sharp performance by Jams Cagney in the starring role. Even at this very late stage of his career, Cagney demands complete attention in his creation of this smart, fast-thinking, ambitious central character, clearly a collaboration of the actor and the director. And it goes without saying that the occasional moments that Cagney is off screen the film screeches to a brief halt, but fortunately those moments are few.
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Cagney gets solid support from the lovely Arlene Francis as his long suffering wife and there is a funny supporting turn from Leon Askin, the actor who actually got his 15 minutes a few years later playing General Burkhalter on the above referenced Hogan's Heroes. Tiffin initially grates on the nerves but relaxes into the role of Scarlett but Buccholtz' one-note performance is pretty annoying. There's also a brief appearance from Oscar winner Red Buttons, but it is the magic of Billy Wilder and James Cagney that make this one sparkle. Cagney disappeared from the screen for awhile after this, resurfacing 20 years later for a small role in the 1981 film Ragtime. 4

[Gideon58]

One Night at McCool's
A winning cast who seem to be enjoying themselves makes the 2001 comedy One Night at McCool's worth a look despite a convoluted screenplay and some hard to swallow plot contrivances.
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McCool's is the name of a seedy bar where a sexy hustler named Jewell (Liv Tyler) forever changes the lives of three men who all meet her at the bar on the same night. Matt Dillon plays Randy, the romantically challenged bartender who lives in his mother's run down house; Carl (Paul Reiser) is Randy's cousin, a married lawyer with kids who witnesses Randy saving Jewell from her alleged abusive boyfriend, Utah (Andrew Dice Clay, billed here under his real name Andrew Silverstein). John Goodman plays Detective Dehling, the police officer who is assigned to the case when Randy agrees to take the rap for Utah's murder, who also finds himself infatuated with Jewell.
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There's a whole lot in Stan Seidel's screenplay that the viewer is asked to swallow here. The story initially sets up this Jewell character as dumb as a box of rocks and therefore somewhat sympathetic, which makes her instantaneous manipulation of the Randy character a little hard to swallow, but if that's possible, manipulating a lawyer and a police detective couldn't be too much of a stretch.
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Director Harold Zwart, who also directed Agent Cody Banks does show a semblance of style in presenting this twisted black comedy. The initial set up of the story with Randy going to see a hitman (Michael Douglas), Carl seeing a shrink (Reba McIntire), and Dehling seeing a priest (Richard Jenkins) to talk about their addiction to this toxic woman is well executed and I also liked each time the three guys see Jewell for the first time, we get a slo-mo closeup of Jewell and the same music playing behind her, but somewhere around the halfway point, he loses control of what he's doing and interest begins to wane before the spectacular finale, a bloody gun battle with the Village People's "YMCA" blasting on the audio.
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Zwart has assembled a terrific cast to pull off this improbable tale who appear completely committed to the nuttiness. Dillon is a charmer as Randy and Reiser is a lot of fun as the arrogant Carol and John Goodman, as he always does, steals every scene he's in. Liv Tyler is properly pouty as Jewell and Michael Douglas makes the most of a thankless role, but this movie never completely comes together and staying with it requires a lot of work from the viewer. 3

[Gideon58]

Paris Blues
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward definitely tried something a little different for their fourth onscreen pairing. 1961's Paris Blues is a dark musical melodrama that quietly examines the passion inside musicians and how nothing or no one can ever become between a real musician and his music.
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Ram Bowen (Paul Newman) is a trombone player and sax player Eddie Cook (Sidney Poitier) are American musicians who are living in Paris, convinced this is the only place where they can play the kind of music they want to and make a living at it as well. The guys heads are turned with the arrival of a pair of American tourists named Lillian Corning (Joanne Woodward) and Connie Lampson (Diahann Carroll) who are initially drawn to our heroes because of their musical passion, but make the fatal mistake off trying to manipulate the guys into being what they want them to be.
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This on the surface simplistic story takes on an air of originality thanks to the inventive atmosphere that director Martin Ritt drapes the story in. Ritt creates an intoxicating setting for this story, setting it in the most romantic city in the world and using the inspired decision to film in black and white, which actually makes the City of Lights look just as appealing as Gene Kelly made it look in An American in Paris. The other primary contributor to the atmosphere is some of the most glorious jazz and blues music I have ever heard, under the skillful direction of Duke Ellington, the music, as it did in the 1977 musical New York New York, almost becomes another character on the canvas.
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Jack Sher and Irene Kamp's screenplay is an effective look at the delicate ego of the musician and how they clamor for the love and respect for their work and wont accept anything else. The through line of this story comes into focus pretty quickly and never strays...that is the fact that nothing can come between a true musician and his music, not even a woman. These themes are effectively illustrated when an important music publisher asks to see Ram after hearing some of his music and Ram can't accept the fact that the guy doesn't immediately proclaim him a musical genius. Of course, the casting of Poitier and Carroll allows the story to touch on racism, even if the touch is light. We even get a glimpse at a jazz guitarist and good friend of Ram's who seems to be destroying his career because of his addiction to cocaine.
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Ritt also gets solid performances from his stars. Newman lights up the screen in a slightly altered version of Hud or Eddie Felson, except that this guy plays trombone (Newman's trombone solos were performed by Murray McEachern) and Woodward, as she always does, brings a texture to the role of Lillian that is not in the screenplay. Poitier's sensitive yet explosive Eddie Cook is an acting class in itself (his sax solos were performed by Paul Gonsalves) and he creates a nice chemistry with Carroll as the slightly manipulative Connie. It's not extraordinary filmmaking but Ritt, his star quartet, and the great music made this one worth investing in. 3.5

[Gideon58]

Zelig
Woody Allen is a writer/director who has never been afraid to go where other artists fear to tread and proof of this can be found in a blazing technical achievement and cinematic oddity called Zelig which finds the Woodmeister putting his own spin on a movie genre that is frightening in its authenticity, almost making the viewer forget they are experiencing a work of fiction.
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The 1983 film is actually a documentary centered around a fictional figure named Leonard Zelig. Zelig was a human chameleon, a man able to look and act like whatever people he is associating with at the moment and blend in seamlessly, even blessed with the ability to change the pigment of his skin to blend in with people of another race. It is eventually revealed that Leonard Zelig has mental health issues that are somehow connected to this ability and a psychiatrist named Dr. Eudorah Fletcher (Mia Farrow) decides to make a study of Zelig and finds herself falling in love with him.
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This synopsis might sound like the plot of a typical Woody Allen comedy but this is anything but. Woody mounts this story in the form of an actual documentary, beginning during the 1920's and utilizing actual news and Hollywood footage that show Leonard Zelig interacting with everyone from Fanny Brice to Adolph Hitler. Woody seamlessly blends his character and the Eudorah Fletcher character into authentic news footage (with a serious assist from editor Susan E Morse), providing the story with an air of authenticity unlike anything I have ever seen. This film looks so real that I actually found myself pausing the movie in the middle and googling whether or not Leonard Zelig was a real person.
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Like most documentaries, the film follows Leonard's humble beginnings as the human chameleon who used his abilities to enter important social circles and how the pressure of moving through these circles causes him to crack and then become the obsession of Dr. Fletcher, whose care and devotion turns him into a media celebrity when he actually stops being a chameleon. Then in a turn we don't see coming, consequences of Zelig's chameleon behavior trigger a tragic relapse.
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Allen is to be applauded for creating a squirm worthy piece of screen entertainment that provides more nervous laughs than I've experienced in a long time. I also loved the choice Woody made of writers like Susan Sontag, Irving Howe, and Saul Bellow serving as commentators for the documentary while having older actors playing the fictional characters in the present, adding even more realism to the proceedings. In addition to Fanny Brice and Hitler, we also get to see Zelig and Dr. Fletcher interact with Charles Chaplin James Cagney, Carole Lombard, Joe DiMaggio, Marie Dressler, Babe Ruth, Billy Rose, William Randolph Hearst, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, among others. A cinematic curio to be sure, but a sparkling technical achievement. 4

[Citizen Rules]

I've been wanting to see Zelig for the longest time, good to see you really liked it.

[Gideon58]

The In-Laws (2003)
The inspired casting of Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks in the lead roles makes The In-Laws, the overblown 2003 remake of the 1979 comedy that starred Peter Falk and Alan Arkin, worth checking out.
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Brooks plays Jerry Peyser, a neurotic podiatrist with a deathly fear of heights, who is excitedly preparing for his daughter's wedding, but is upset about the fact that the groom's father, Steve Tobias (Douglas) has cancelled three meetings for them to meet. On the evening Jerry and Steve finally meet with their son (Ryan Reynolds) and daughter (Lyndsey Sloane), Jerry finds out that Steve is actually a CIA agent and before you can say "James Bond", Jerry finds himself waist-deep in Steve's latest mission, a mess that gets even messier when Jerry learns from the FBI that Steve is actually a rogue CIA agent who was dismissed from the agency because he was mentally unstable.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzgyMzU5Mjg0OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODQyODMyNw@@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,1529,1000_AL_.jpg
It's been about a hundred years since I've seen the original 1979 film, but what I do remember is that the film seemed to concentrate on the relationship between the in-laws and not so much on the James Bond, cloak and dagger stuff. This film, co-written by Andrew Bergman, who wrote the original, begins with a very lengthy Bond-type mini-adventure showing Steve in the middle of his current mission that is supposed to establish who Steve Tobias is, but it goes on way longer than it needs to. It's not until Jerry;goes into the restroom at a restaurant and finds Steve beating the crap out of a guy that the story really kicks in. This version of the film does beef up the expected action, but it's the relationship between these two very different guys that is the core of this story and what made the 1979 film so funny.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTIzMTYxNTM1N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNjQxNDA3._V1_.jpg
Albert Brooks' nerdy podiatrist is a perfect counterpart to Michael Douglas' ultra-smooth super spy. I loved the way the story immediately sets up the fact that Jerry has a fear of heights and then keeps the character in the air for the majority of the running time. Loved when Jerry wakes up after being drugged by Steve and finds himself on Barbra Streisand's private plane that Steve "borrowed" from her (when you go the bathroom, an instrumental version of "The Way We Were" starts playing). Their parachuting adventure and the water-logged wedding finale, which featured "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" filling the audio, were also major highlights.
https://irs.www.warnerbros.com/gallery-v2-jpeg/the_inlaws_2003_photo_40-1229335919.jpg
Michael Douglas offers one of his slickest performances as Tobias and Brooks is a lot of fun as Peyser, as is David Suchet, cast radically against type, as a bisexual bad guy who has the hots for Jerry. Ryan Reynolds makes the most of a thankless role and there is a fabulous cameo by Candice Bergen as Steve's ex-wife, but it's Douglas and Brooks that make this one worth investing in. 3.5

[Gideon58]

Betsy's Wedding
Alan Alda served as director, screenwriter, and star of Betsy's Wedding, an effervescent 1990 comedy that suffers a little due to an overly complex screenplay, but the story problems are offset by a superb ensemble cast, all working at the top of their game.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDY2NTVhZDYtMjMzMi00NzY0LWI5YmQtMGE0NDgxYzJkNDhjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg
Alda's updating of the old Spencer Tracy classic Father of the Bride finds him playing Eddie Hopper, a contractor who is thrilled to learn that his younger daughter, Betsy (Molly Ringwald) is engaged, but really can't afford to give her the lavish wedding that he wants and she doesn't. Not wanting to be out done by the groom's wealthy parents who have offered to pay for everything, Eddie turns to his greasy brother-in-law, Oscar (Joe Pesci) who gets Eddie hooked up with a mob boss (Burt Young) and his mob prince (Anthony LaPaglia), who finds himself falling for Eddie's older daughter, Connie (Ally Sheedy), a romantically-challenged cop.
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/DG54D2/betsys-wedding-1990-molly-ringwald-alan-alda-dir-btw-003-moviestore-DG54D2.jpg
Alda's intentions are on the money here, but the basic story branches out in so many directions that the viewer almost needs a scorecard to keep track of everything that's going on here. The competition with the future in-laws and how all the wedding planning is tearing the couple apart were expected parts of the story, but did we really care about scummy Oscar cheating on his wife (Catherine O'Hara, in a glorious cameo) and her cheating him out of his money? Did we really need Eddie getting advice from the ghost of his dead father (Joey Bishop, in his final film role), or Eddie's nightmares involving encounters with wild animals that always conclude with him wrestling with his wife (Madeline Kahn), mistaking her for the animal? It also seemed that Alda's take on mobster and mob life smacked of cliche...the dialogue was overly affected and the chase that ensued when someone tries to take out Burt Young's character was the film's weakest scene.
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/EFA1B1/molly-ringwald-madeline-kahn-betsys-wedding-1990-EFA1B1.jpg
What works here is this incredible cast that Alda has assembled to tell his story. It was a refreshing change watching Madeline Kahn playing it relatively straight for a change without getting lost in the shuffle. Nicholas Coster and the late Bibi Besch were a lot of fun as the groom's parents and it was a lot of fun seeing Ringwald and Sheedy playing sisters, five years after The Breakfast Club. Anthony LaPaglia is a total charmer in his De Niro-esque turn as the mob prince and Joe Pesci steals every scene he's in as the obnoxious Oscar.
https://images4.static-bluray.com/reviews/4201_5.jpg
Another thing that I did like about the screenplay for this film that I have found to be a problem with a lot of Alda's work is that he has actually given the characters their own brains and thoughts and voices. In most of Alan Alda's films, all of the characters talk exactly like Alan Alda, but that wasn't the case here. These characters were their own people and Alda never allows his character or his direction to get in the way of that, which sets this film apart from most of his film work as a writer and director and made this cinematic journey a lot of fun. And you gotta love Betsy's wedding dress. 3.5

[gbgoodies]

The In-Laws (2003)
The inspired casting of Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks in the lead roles makes The In-Laws, the overblown 2003 remake of the 1979 comedy that starred Peter Falk and Alan Arkin, worth checking out.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51T9GnpUVdL.jpg
3.5


I like the original version of The In-Laws, but I haven't seen the remake. I like both Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks, so I'll have to check it out. I added it to my watchlist.

[Gideon58]

White Oleander
A very special mother/daughter relationship and the performances by the actresses who bring the relationship to life are at the core of a riveting and squirm-worthy drama called White Oleander that takes ugly and unexplained detours here and there, but provides solid entertainment for the most part.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3c/Whiteorleander.jpg/220px-Whiteorleander.jpg
Astrid (Allison Lohman) is a sensitive, 15 year old aspiring artist who has a very special relationship with her mother, Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer), a beautiful and free-spirited poet who lives without filter. Astrid and Ingrid's relationship is forever altered when Ingrid is sent to jail for murder and Astrid gets tossed into the system, bouncing from one foster home to another, not to mention the home of an effervescent but insecure actress (Renee Zellweger).
https://moviegeneration.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/whiteoleander-still_cr.jpg
Screenwriter Mary Agnes Donoghue (Beaches)) has crafted a story revolving around a mother and daughter where the mother and daughter are kept apart for the majority of the running time. We see the evolution of Astrid as she flounders in her struggle for a real home and how so much of her unhappiness stems from the myriad secrets that her mother has kept from her. Ingrid's influence on Astrid is initially hard to grasp until those scenes where Astrid visits her mother in jail and the power that Ingrid still has over her daughter, even from behind bars, comes vividly to life. The most interesting mother/daughter relationship I have seen since Terms of Endearment.
https://i2.netflixmovies.com/dibsl9ebc/image/upload/w_1920,h_800,c_fill,g_faces,q_62/ulgdxzg9rj6gcc8d2jcv.jpg
Director Peter Kosminsky paints in some bold directorial strokes and makes some interesting choices in terms of storytelling. There is an extremely inventive piece of direction when Ingrid and the actress meet for the first time and Ingrid suggests that Astrid leave Ingrid alone with the actress so that they can talk privately. It was a bit of a shock that the viewer is not privy to this pivotal encounter between the two characters, filming the characters from a distance and forcing us to wonder what is being said. Ironically, this conversation that we never hear has profound effect on the rest of the story.
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9800000/White-Oleander-Astrid-Caps-white-oleander-9864190-720-540.jpg
Kosminsky also works wonders with a clearly hand-picked cast...Allison Lohman is incredible as Astrid, making the transition that the character goes through completely believable, Equally impressive were Amy Aquino as a sympathetic child service worker, Robin Wright Penn in a flashy turn as a foster parent, and Patrick Fugit as a love interest for Astrid, Fugit's first film after his star-making performance in Almost Famous. However, towering above them all was an absolutely sizzling performance by Michelle Pfeiffer as Ingrid, a powerhouse turn that should have earned her an Oscar nomination and made this film worth sitting through by itself. 3.5

[Steve Freeling]

The In-Laws (2003)
The inspired casting of Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks in the lead roles makes The In-Laws, the overblown 2003 remake of the 1979 comedy that starred Peter Falk and Alan Arkin, worth checking out.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51T9GnpUVdL.jpg
Brooks plays Jerry Peyser, a neurotic podiatrist with a deathly fear of heights, who is excitedly preparing for his daughter's wedding, but is upset about the fact that the groom's father, Steve Tobias (Douglas) has cancelled three meeting for them to meet. On the evening Jerry and Steve finally meet with their son (Ryan Reynolds) and daughter (Lyndsey Sloane), Jerry finds out that Steve is actually a CIA agent and before you can say "James Bond", Jerry finds himself waist-deep in Steve's latest mission, a mess that gets even messier when Jerry learns from the FBI that Steve is actually a rogue CIA agent who was dismissed from the agency because he was mentally unstable.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzgyMzU5Mjg0OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODQyODMyNw@@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,1529,1000_AL_.jpg
It's been about a hundred years since I've seen the original 1979 film, but what I do remember is that the film seemed to concentrate on the relationship between the in-laws and not so much on the James Bond, cloak and dagger stuff. This film, co-written by Andrew Bergman, who wrote the original, begins with a very lengthy Bond-type mini-adventure showing Steve in the middle of his current mission that is supposed to establish who Steve Tobias is, but it goes on way longer than it needs to. It's not until Jerry;goes into the restroom at a restaurant and finds Steve beating the crap out of a guy that the story really kicks in. This version of the film does beef up the expected action, but it's the relationship between these two very different that is the core of this story and what made the 1979 film so funny.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTIzMTYxNTM1N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNjQxNDA3._V1_.jpg
Albert Brooks' nerdy podiatrist is a perfect counterpart to Michael Douglas' ultra-smooth super spy. I loved the way the story immediately sets up the fact that Jerry has a fear of heights and then keeps the character in the air for the majority of the running time. Loved when Jerry wakes up after being drugged by Steve and finds himself on Barbra Streisand's private plane that Steve "borrowed" from her (when you go the bathroom, an instrumental version of "The Way We Were" starts playing). Their parachuting adventure and the water-logged wedding finale, which featured "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" filling the audio, were also major highlights.
https://d1t80wr11ktjcz.cloudfront.net/movieposters/h12/AllPhotos/31820/p31820_i_h12_ac.jpg?d=270x360&q=20
Michael Douglas offers one of his slickest performances as Tobias and Brooks is a lot of fun as Peyser, as is David Suchet, cast radically against type, as a bisexual bad guy who has the hots for Jerry. Ryan Reynolds makes the most of a thankless role and there is a fabulous cameo by Candice Bergen as Steve's ex-wife, but it's Douglas and Brooks that make this one worth investing in. rating_3_5
Not as good as the original, but still solid and a whole lot of fun. I gave it the same rating.

[Steve Freeling]

White Oleander
A very special mother/daughter relationship and the performances by the actresses who bring the relationship to life are at the core of a riveting and squirm-worthy drama called White Oleander that takes ugly and unexplained detours here and there, but r provides solid entertainment for the most part.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3c/Whiteorleander.jpg/220px-Whiteorleander.jpg
Astrid (Allison Lohman) is a sensitive, 15 year old aspiring artist who has a very special relationship with her mother, Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer), a beautiful and free-spirited poet who lives without filter. Astrid and Ingrid's relationship is forever altered when Ingrid is sent to jail for murder and Astrid gets tossed into the system and ends up bouncing from one foster home to another, not to mention the home of an effervescent but insecure actress (Renee Zellweger).
https://musicart.xboxlive.com/6/cfbeb4fa-0000-0000-0000-000000000009/504/image.jpg?w=1920&h=1080
Screenwriter Mary Agnes Donoghue (Beaches)) has crafted a story revolving around a mother and daughter where the mother and daughter are kept apart for the majority of the running time. We see the evolution of Astrid as she flounders in her struggle for a real home and how so much of her unhappiness stems from the myriad secrets that her mother has kept from her for her entire life. Ingrid's influence on Astrid is initially hard to grasp until those scenes where Astrid visits her mother in jail and the power that Ingrid still has over her daughter, even from behind bars, comes vividly to life. The most interesting mother/daughter relationship I have seen since Terms of Endearment.
https://i2.netflixmovies.com/dibsl9ebc/image/upload/w_1920,h_800,c_fill,g_faces,q_62/ulgdxzg9rj6gcc8d2jcv.jpg
Director Peter Kosminsky paints in some bold directorial strokes and makes some interesting choices in terms of storytelling. There is an extremely inventive piece of direction when Ingrid and the actress meet for the first time and Ingrid suggests that Astrid leave Ingrid alone with the actress so that they can talk privately. It was a bit of a shock when the viewer is not privy to this pivotal encounter between the two characters, filming the characters from a distance and forcing us to wonder what is being said. Ironically, this conversation that we never hear has profound effect on the rest of the story.
http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/9800000/White-Oleander-Astrid-Caps-white-oleander-9864190-720-540.jpg
Kosminsky also works wonders with a clearly hand-picked cast...Allison Lohman is incredible as Astrid, making the transition that the character goes through completely believable, Equally impressive were Amy Aquino as a sympathetic child service worker, Robin Wright Penn in a flashy turn as a foster parent, and Patrick Fugit as a love interest for Astrid, Fugit's first film after his star-making performance in Almost Famous. However, towering above them all was an absolutely sizzling performance by Michelle Pfeiffer as Ingrid, a powerhouse turn that should have earned her an Oscar nomination and made this film worth sitting through by itself. rating_3_5
Sounds like it's worth watching. I've been wanting to check out some of Lohman's live-action work ever since really liking her as the title character in Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

[Joel]

The creative force behind the hysterically funny Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping was not nearly as successful with a silly and improbable comedy from 2012 called The Watch that never really finds its footing as what kind of movie it wants to be.
[

I personally love this movie because of its laziness and accidental charm.

The writing is atrocious but the cast really throws some jazz down.

"He's feeding me information and I'm saying yes!"

[Gideon58]

Cape Fear (1962)
My recent viewing of the 1946 thriller The Night of the Hunter motivated me to finally sit down and take in another great performance from the iconic Robert Mitchum...the original Cape Fear, a moody psychological thriller that works thanks to a consistently fascinating story and strong direction that creates Hitchcock-calibre suspense throughout.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/dc/Cape_fear1960s.jpg/220px-Cape_fear1960s.jpg
The 1962 film stars Mitchum as Max Cady, a man who has been recently released from prison after eight years, who has come to the hometown of Sam Bowden (Gregory Peck), a lawyer who testified against him in the crime that got him put away, who not only immediately informs Bowden of his presence in town but begins paying a little too much attention to Bowden's wife, Peggy (Polly Bergen), and his daughter, Nancy (Lori Martin).
https://cdn.britannica.com/70/172370-050-2334AA9B/Gregory-Peck-Cape-Fear-Robert-Mitchum-J.jpg
James R. Webb's screenplay, based on a novel by James McDonald, is a well-rounded story that doesn't just center on a psychopath terrorizing an innocent family, but also provides insight into the psychopath and the true motives behind his terrorizing this family, something I never really got with the 1991 Martin Scorsese remake.
https://moviemoore.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/cape-fear-1962.png?w=440
The story is especially compelling because of this enigmatic character Max Cady, who establishes his penchant for evil minutes into the film, but what makes Max different from other movie psychos is that his evil is seamlessly blended with intelligence. This guy not only has a brain, but utilizes it during his incarceration studying the law which is what allowed him to get away with a lot of what he does. He knows exactly what lines he can cross and can't and stay within the law, which makes it appear like the screenplay is protecting the character, but the character is well-insulated because of his own intelligence. I was troubled as to why an intelligent guy like Cady would make such an obvious "tell" by beating up that girl he met in the bar. I guess this was supposed to establish for the viewer how dangerous Cady is, but it seemed to work against the character.
https://s3.drafthouse.com/images/made/Cape_Fear_1962_Image3_758_427_81_s.jpg
Director J. Lee Thompson is undeniably effective in creating a layer of suspense that pervades the proceedings and had me sitting on the edge of my seat for the entire running time. The film features exquisite black and white photography and Bernard Herrmann's music is perfection. Just as he was for The Night of the Hunter. Mitchum was again robbed of an Oscar nomination for his bone-chilling Max Cady, which is the backbone of this thriller. Peck is a sincere and square-jawed hero and Polly Bergen has never been better as Peggy Bowden, the terrified spouse who never looses her head. Martin Balsam, Jack Kruschen, and Telly Savalas (with hair), provide solid support and mention must be made of dancer Barrie Chase, who does a memorable turn as Cady's first victim.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b17/thepestilence123/vlcsnap-426329.png
Of course, Martin Scorsese remade this film in 1991 with Robert De Niro as Max Cady, Nick Nolte as Sam Bowden, and Jessica Lange as Bowden's wife. Scorsese did honor the original film by casting Mitchum, Peck, and Balsam in supporting roles, but I think this film is a little better than the remake thanks to subtler direction by J Lee Thompson and a more layered performance from the incredible Robert Mitchum. 4.5

[Gideon58]

The Falcon and the Snowman
Richly detailed direction by the legendary John Schlesinger and some solid performances are the primary selling points of The Falcon and the Snowman, a 1985 fact-based drama which finds a lifelong friendship destroyed by things like greed, betrayal, and, believe it or not, treason.
https://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/movie/movie_poster/the-falcon-and-the-snowman-1985/large_6ewcRrTU6Tizo0P9x7gae208rk0.jpg
This chilling true story stars Timothy Hutton as Christopher Boyce, a recent seminary dropout who returns home and steps back into the shadow of his father (Pat Hingle), a retired FBI agent until he gets a job at a government agency where he is privy to a lot of sensitive and important government documents regarding space projects, among other things that often cross his desk accidentally. Christopher's shock at the information crossing his desk impulsively motivates him to implore the assistance of childhood friend and co-alter boy Daulton Lee (Sean Penn), a drug dealer on the run for multiple charges, to help him sell government secrets to the Russian embassy in Mexico.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yUgQNj5-PaY/maxresdefault.jpg
This is another one of those stories that finds a lot of its power in it being a true story, based on a universal principle that almost no one can reconcile with...the betrayal of our country. Screenwriter Steve Zaillian has crafted a rich screenplay based on true events that takes a pretty broad look at this bizarre story from several angles we don't really see coming. Christopher's troubled relationship with his father documented at the beginning of the story seems to be pure exposition at first, but this relationship actually triggers a lot of Christopher's behavior in the story, particularly when Christopher's guilt about what he's doing kicks in. As a card carrying democrat, Christopher initially thought that selling government secrets would be an effective way to "stick it to the man", but when the seriousness of what he's doing comes to light, he's too deep to get out. I love near the end when he's being questioned by authorities about his crimes, it's a combination of arrogant pride and massive relief. It's one of Hutton's best scenes in the film.
http://thisdistractedglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/Falcon%20and%20the%20Snowman%201985%20Sean%20Penn%20Timothy%20Hutton%20pic%201.jpg
The other side of the story is the deliciously entertaining character of Daulton Lee, brought to glorious life by Sean Penn, in a performance that should have earned him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Lee thinks he has found a way out of his legal troubles with a new career as a Mexican James Bond, but his greed and carelessness not only trigger his expected downfall, but get him in much deeper trouble than he even imagined. Watching what happens to Daulton here is a sobering indictment regarding the consequences of a US citizen breaking the law in a foreign country.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PfeoPMUjPrM/S_nPlPxri_I/AAAAAAAABhQ/mMEzY6esA_Q/s1600/FalconSnowman_Disturbed.png
Schlesinger effectively mounts this story of betrayal and patriotism against a canvas based on a friendship that is eventually destroyed without ever forgetting that these two guys are best friends, despite their tumultuous pasts. I love the look on Christopher's parents face when they arrive with supplies for his new apartment and they discover Daulton is there...the tension in that scene can be cut with a knife.
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--j9np7PeA--/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/amnuqqgxdykkssuicqmi.jpg
Five years after winning an Oscar for Ordinary People, Timothy Hutton gives one of his strongest performances as the complicated Christopher and I also loved Hingle and Richard A. Dysart as Hutton and Penn's fathers, but it is the extraordinary and often explosive performance of Sean Penn that keeps this one on sizzle. Penn offers another post graduate acting class creating one of cinema's most flawed and yet entertaining characters, even though I suspect the real Daulton Lee wasn't nearly as entertaining as this one. research revealed that, after serving over 20 years a piece in prison for treason, the real Christopher Boyce and Daulton Lee have been released from prison. This is compelling documentation of true events that still makes riveting entertainment almost 35 year later. 4

[Gideon58]

101 Dalmatians (1961)
A classic from the Disney library, 101 Dalmatians doesn't have the sophistication or the imagination of the Pixar studios, but still provides sparkling entertainment for the young and the young at heart and features one of the greatest cinematic villains ever.
https://s1.dmcdn.net/v/VRX751bOzC66TE_gy/x720
Set in England, this is the story of a pair of spotted dalmatians named Pongo and Perdita who are overjoyed when Perdita gives birth to 15 puppies, but their happiness is short-lived when the puppies are kidnapped by a couple of dim-witted bad guys employed by Cruella DeVille, the evil and demented former schoolmate of Perdita's mistress, who wants to turn the puppies into coats, along with the other 84 dalmatians that Cruella has already procured for her evil fashion mission.
https://parentpreviews.com/images/made/legacy-pics/101-dalmatians_668_330_80_int_s_c1.jpg
The creative forces behind Disney classics like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty have created another imaginative story where human sensibilities are given to animals and the humans in the story are either villains or instruments of exposition. The story begins with Pongo arranging for his "pet" Roger, to meet Perdita's pet, Anita and pretty much drives the romance between the two humans, whose romance eventually hits the backburner while Pongo, Perdita, and these adorable puppies take center stage.
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/disney/images/9/92/Profile_-_Cruella.png/revision/latest?cb=20190312122644
So much of Disney's work in the 60's and 70's is set in England and I've always wondered why and I think I figured it out after viewing this film. The English have a very colorful way with language that is alternately sophisticated and humorous that allows the writers to be much more creative with the dialogue.
https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5dbb2d8b81d8b06492db17b0/1596155639346-XXXCI0SP3OAD5C4KMGPI/Disney%27s+101+Dalmatians_Roger+and+Anita+meet-cute.jpg
But the best thing about this movie, like so many other Disney animated features, is the villain, the fabulous Cruella DeVill (brilliantly voiced by Betty Lou Gershon), who lights up the screen every time she appears. If you close your eyes and listen to the character, she actually sounds a little like Bette Davis, who I'm convinced was the writers' inspiration for the character and Gershon's interpretation of the character. The voice work serves the story, especially Rod Taylor as Pongo, but voice casting wasn't the priority in 1961 animation as it is now, evidenced in a lot of the actors involved voice three or four character a piece, but they give each character a distinctive sound so the viewer doesn't really notice. The story is the thing here, and on that level, this is top-notch entertainment. The film has been followed by two animated sequels and two live action sequels which featured Glenn Close as Cruella DeVill. 4

[KeyserCorleone]

You know, I just watched the remake of Cape Fear for my Scorsese week. I'm not sure if I want to see the original or not, but I do like Gregory Peck.


That's the same rating I would give 101 Dalmatians. It's probably the worst of the Disney movies before Disney's death, but it's still a good time for dog lovers.


I am definitely adding White Oleander to my to-do list.

[Gideon58]

White Oleander is appointment viewing for Michelle Pfeiffer fans, she has never been better.

[KeyserCorleone]

White Oleander is appointment viewing for Michelle Pfeiffer fans, she has never been better.

I do need more Michelle Pfeiffer in my life. My favorite role of her's is Catwoman.

[Citizen Rules]

I do need more Michelle Pfeiffer in my life. My favorite role of her's is Catwoman. Check her out in Grease 2 (1982), she's a peach in that.

[KeyserCorleone]

I do need more Michelle Pfeiffer in my life. My favorite role of her's is Catwoman. Check her out in Grease 2 (1982), she's a peach in that.

I heard she's the only good thing about Grease 2.

[Citizen Rules]

I heard she's the only good thing about Grease 2.You heard wrong;) It's a fun movie, sort of like a 2 hour long 80s music video. The people who knock it, can't stop from comparing it to the original Grease, but other than the name and a few secondary characters, they're both very different movies.

[Gideon58]

Dolemite is My Name
A dazzling performance from Eddie Murphy is at the center of a richly entertaining biopic called Dolemite is My Name that, as good as it is, probably won't do great box office due to the fact that its subject is someone most moviegoers have never heard of and don't care about.
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61pogKgNGxL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg
This 2019 film chronicles the shooting star that was the career of Rudy Ray Moore, a second rate nightclub emcee who carved out a new career for himself creating a style of musical rhymes that would eventually morph into what we call rap today and parlay that into a movie career when he gets a chance to bring a character he created named Dolemite to the big screen,
https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/unnamed-file-e1576175786168.jpg
Screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski are no strangers to biopics having written the screenplays for The People VS Larry Flynt, Big Eyes, and the film this one most reminded me of Ed Wood because the story is centered around a show business figure who wasn't really very good at what he did but made the most of his 15 minutes.
https://localtvkfsm.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/eddie-murphy-dolemite.png
Director Craig Brewer (Hustle and Flow) mounts Rudy's story with loving respect and detail, almost too much detail, as the center of the film between Rudy's nightclub career and his movie career, starts to sag a little, but what's on either side of that center is pure gold. It was so much fun watching Rudy's humble beginnings gathering the material for his raps and making it his own. It was equally as fun watching Rudy get a hard lesson in the reality of movie making and how it's not as easy as it might appear. There is a particularly lovely moment in the film that Murphy nails where Rudy is worried about filming a sex scene because he's afraid people will laugh at his big belly.
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Eddie Murphy has not been this entertaining onscreen since Dreamgirls, offering a performance that is just as Oscar-worthy as that one was. Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, and Tituss Burgess are a lot of fun as the loyal members of Rudy's posse. Cheers as well to Keegan-Michael Key as Dolemite screenwriter Jerry Jones and an especially hilarious return to films for Wesley Snipes, playing D'Urville Martin, the flamboyantly gay director and co-star of Dolemite. Production values are on the money, especially the outrageous costumes that scream the 60's and 70's. Scenes from the original 1975 film Dolemite are actually featured near the conclusion of this film, which looked kind of silly next to this loving and lavish tribute to its star and creator. 4

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Devil in a Blue Dress
Crisp and atmospheric direction and one of Denzel Washington's most underrated performances are the primary reasons to check out 1995's Devil in a Blue Dress, a stylish homage to the film noir genre that earns its credentials through a racial tension that provides a welcome layer to the slightly complex story without beating the viewer over the head with it.
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Set in Los Angeles in the 1940's, this is the story of Easy Rawlins, an unemployed black man two months behind on his mortgage and afraid of losing his house. With an assist from his bartender/friend, Joppy, Easy gets hired by a gangster named Dewitt Albright to locate a woman named Daphne Monet, who is not only connected to Albright's boss, a big shot politician named Matthew Terrell, but to a connected millionaire named Todd Carter. It's not long before Easy finds himself waist-deep in a political/mob scandal where bodies are dropping around him like flies.
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Director and screenwriter Carl Franklin (One False Move) has mounted a stunning recreation of 1940's Los Angeles that owes a lot to films like The Maltese Falcon and Chinatown, but this story is given a unique flavor with a central character who is African American, which is consistently addressed throughout as Easy and the viewer are never allowed to forget that, in 1941, this is still a black man in a white man's world and Franklin'ss screenplay carefully examines that concept without the sledgehammer intensity that pervades so many other racially motivated dramas.
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It's fun watching what Easy goes through here...from the desperate unemployed guy to the guy with the detective sensibilities who has no idea what he has gotten himself into. Despite his reticence about the gravity of what is going on, it is almost halfway through the film before Easy even considers the fact that he may be in over his head, but by this time, several of the black hats involved are throwing enough money at him that he is unable to walk away, not to mention his watching people he really cares about die as part of this ugliness.
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Franklin's recreation of 40's LA is flawless, utilizing authentic looking settings, automobiles, and costumes that give this film an authentic period feel. Denzel Washington is slick and sexy as Easy Rawlins, delivering one of his smoothest performances that somehow has not gotten the attention it deserves and mention should also be a made of a star-making, Oscar-worthy turn by Don Cheadle, as a partner of Easy's with a very itchy trigger finger, who gets to deliver my favorite line in the film: "If you didn't want him dead, why'd you leave him with me?" This one is a lot of fun and a must for Denzel fans. 3.5

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Semi Pro
Despite a solid comic ensemble, the 2008 comedy Semi-Pro is a silly and predictable sports-oriented comedy that starts off promisingly but gets progressively dumber thanks to a swiss cheese screenplay and overly manic direction.
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It's 1976 in Flint, Michigan where we meet Jackie Moon (Will Ferrell) a disco one-hit wonder who used the profits from that record to purchase a 4th rate semi pro basketball team called the Flint Tropics, where he appoints himself the head coach and power forward. Jackie decides to jump on an upcoming opportunity for the Tropics to make it into the NBA by hiring a former NBA player named Monix (Woody Harrelson) to strengthen the team, but things don't really start happening for the team until Jackie is voted out and Monix takes over as coach.
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We've seen this story a million times in so many different movies that it's hard to bring something new to this "Underdogs go for the gold" story screenwriter Scot Armstrong's idea of bringing originality to the screen seems to consist of peppering the story with a lot of adult language and bathroom humor that does provide sporadic laughs but it's nothing that we haven't seen before. The subplot of Monix trying to reconcile with his ex-wife attempts to bring a human element to the craziness, but it just seems to bring the film to a dead halt.
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Will Ferrell is no stranger to bringing other sports to the big screen, having tackled nascar racing in Talladega Nights and figure skating in Blades of Glory, but he just seems out of his element here, working overtime to make a lot of really stupid stuff funny, including a wrestling match with a bear that was a waste of about 20 minutes screentime, not to mention the ten minutes devoted to a pair of free throws the character makes near the film's climax. If the truth be told, Ferrell's funniest contribution to the film is Jackie Moon's one-hit wonder, "Love Me Sexy."
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Ferrell and director Kent Alterman have assembled a talented cast who work very hard at pulling this mess off. Harrelson is fun as are Will Arnett and Andrew Daly as a pair of color commentators, but the real scene stealer here is Andre Benjamin as Coffee Black. Benjamin steals every scene he is in, just like he did in Be Cool and if the whole film would have been about his character, we would have had something really special here, but alas...2.5

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The Night Before (2015)
The Night Before is a labored and predictable comedy from 2015 that attempts to blend a traditional buddy comedy with fantasy elements that take too long to reveal themselves, not to mention manic direction and some questionable casting.
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This is the story of Isaac (Seth Rogen), Chris (Anthony Mackie), and Ethan (Joseph Gordon Levitt), childhood friends who have spent Christmas together for the last 14 years since the death of Ethan's parents, but their lives moving in directions promises to make the 15th their last and it looks like it's going to be something pretty special since Ethan has "procured" three tickets to the Nutcracker Ball, the Holy Grail of New York Christmas parties. We then are subject to a bunch of silly and hard to swallow adventures for the guys while they kill time waiting for the location of the party to be announced.
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Director and co-screenwriter Jonathan Levine, who directed Rogen in Long Shot and Levitt in 50/50 has mounted an outrageous comic romp that borrows from just about every buddy comedy made in the last 30 years, sometimes giving credit where credit is due but often not. The story actually starts off sweetly as we see how close these guys are and how their friendship came to be what it is, but then the story separates them and that's when staying invested in the film becomes a real chore.
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This is another one of those comedies rich with memorable set pieces and selected funny scenes, but the whole thing never really comes together and makes the film seem four hours long. The screenplay is rich with smarmy sexual entendres and a lot of raunchy language that I think was overdone in an attempt to mine more laughs out of a story that really needed all the help it could get. I never understood exactly why Isaac's wife (Jillian Bell) gives him a box of drugs to party with before he leaves. I must admit I did find the scene where Ethan gets in a fight with a couple of drunk street Santas very funny and I LOVED the character of Mr. Green, the drug dealer, but during the final act, where we start to learn that a lot of what we've witnessed wasn't actually real, we've already checked out
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The three stars do form a believable friendship though I never buy Levitt's relationship with Lizzy Caplan or Rogen's with Mindy Kaling. There were a couple of fun cameos from Miley Cyrus and James Franco, but if the truth be told, Michael Shannon steals the show as Mr. Green, though stealing this show was no major accomplishment. 2

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Once Upon a Time..in Hollywood
Despite a perfect recreation of Hollywood in the 1960's and some charismatic performances, Quentin Tarantino's highly anticipated Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood doesn't completely measure up as it should thanks to a fuzzy and long-winded story that melds fictional and non-fictional stories to mixed effect.
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It is February of 1969 and we are introduced to a television star named Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) who is the star of a popular western series called Bounty Law and his stunt double/driver/BFF Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) who seems to be content living in Rick's shadow. Just as Rick learns that he has snagged a role on a new western series called Lancer, he also learns that he has new neighbors...director Roman Polanski and his girlfriend Sharon Tate.
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To be honest, I think Tarantino has bitten off a bit more that he can chew here, attempting to involve fictional characters in non-fiction events but if any director is going to attempt something like this, I'm glad it was Tarantino. Tarantino's recreation of Hollywood in the 60's was unlike anything I have ever seen...I was especially impressed with his meticulous gathering of television series and events that were appointment television in 1969, I can't remember the last time I heard the television show Lancer mentioned or actual clips of the opening sequences of Mannix or FBI utilized as storytelling tools. Only Tarantino would find a way to make actor James Stacy, who lost an arm and a leg in a motorcycle accident a few years after the events of this fim, a major character in a film.
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Unfortunately, Tarantino's story unfolds at a deadening pace and spends WAY too much time on exposition. A good 15 minutes is spent watching Cliff come home and feed his dog, a relationship that is given screentime because it becomes important later. It really sort of brings the film, which has barely started to a screeching halt, which is deadly for a film that runs over 2 1/2 hours. I did enjoy the scene depicting Margot Robbie's Sharon Tate going to the movies to watch herself in the Matt Helm movie The Wrecking Crew and gauge audience reaction to the film, but I really didn't see what it had to do with the rest of the movie. The biggest disappointment for me was being let down by not getting what I expected from a story featuring Charlie Manson, Roman Polanksi, and Sharon Tate. The events of that tragic night in 1969 happen after this movie ends, so what was the point?
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DiCaprio does turn in an explosive and full-bodied performance that allows him a pot belly, a few wrinkles, and the ability to operate a flame-thrower and Pitt is deliciously laid back as Booth. These performances are so professional it helps to keep the viewer invested to a point. It should also be mentioned that this film marked the final film appearance of the late Luke Perry, who played Wayne Maunder, one of the stars of Lancer, but this one was definitely a mixed bag, the good slightly outweighing the bad...only slightly. 3.5

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Joker
Gotham City history has once again been re-imagined for the silver screen with 2019's Joker. a heartbreaking and unabashedly ferocious retooling of one of the most popular nemeses of the Caped Crusader that might finally, after three previous nominations, win Joaquin Phoenix his first Oscar.
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Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck, a mentally unbalanced young man who has returned to his work as a party clown and aspiring stand-up after some time being institutionalized. He frightens friends and strangers alike due to an alleged medical condition that makes him laugh uncontrollably when he really doesn't want to. He loses his job as a party clown when he takes a gun to a children's hospital where he is entertaining. His life is now reduced to the care and maintenance of his invalid mother, who sends Arthur's life into a tailspin when she reveals that he might be the illegitimate son of millionaire Thomas Wayne, which would make him the half-brother of Batman. Fleck also finds himself used by a cocky late night talk show host (Robert De Niro) and the center of a media frenzy when he murders three young men on a subway.
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The Batman legacy has gone through dozens of reincarnations since his first appearance in comic books. There was the ABC television series that aired twice a week that was turned into a movie in 1966 followed by Tim Burton's two films and the three films by Christopher Nolan. In the 1989 Tim Burton film, we were introduced to Jack Napier, an insane bad guy who killed Bruce Wayne's parents, but this character has been scrapped and reinvented by director and co-screenwriter Todd Phillips, the man behind the Hangover franchise, who has given the joker a new name, a new face, and an entire new backstory that was one of the most tragic and heartbreaking character studies I have ever seem, made all the more powerful by the fact that the guy had a condition that caused uncontrollable laughing and there was absolutely nothing about this guy's life to laugh at.
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It's the ironic tragedies of Arthur Fleck's life that made this story so powerful and so terribly sad. This was not your typical comic book movie, rich with amazing CGI special effects and a lot of fancy electronics, gadgetry and villains of the future. This was a sad and simple story of a man whose tragic life has driven him to a point of insanity that he himself is completely unaware of. This re-thinking of the character actually hearkened back to Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight more than it did to Jack Nicholson. He reminded me so much of Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. We watch people symbolically kick sand in this guy's face for the entire running time and the few times he fights back, we are behind him for the most part, but eventually, he does go too far. On the other hand, the over the top finale does find Arthur hailed as a folk hero and, just like Rupert Pupkin in another De Niro film, The King of Comedy, I'm not sure if this was really appropriate.
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Phillips is to be applauded for his expert mounting of this powerful story that's strength is in its simplicity and a Best Director nomination should be in the bag for him. It goes without saying that Joaquin Phoenix will win his first Oscar for this wrecking ball of a performance that he turns in as Arthur Fleck. This performance is explosive, unpredictable, and, at times, had me fighting tears. Phoenix is also to be applauded for the physical transformation he went through for the role, including the dropping of 52 pounds, which made the actor appear emaciated. Robert De Niro also nails his role as the talk show host as does Frances Conroy as Arthur's mother. Though I found the conclusion a little troubling, this film was a triumph for Todd Phillips and the fabulous Joaquin Phoenix. 4.5

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Marriage Story
Noah Baumbach,the New Millenium Woody Allen, who has dazzled and confused moviegoers with films like The Squid and the Whale and Margot at the Wedding, brings us his most commercially accessible work to date with a slightly overlong but engaging and contemporary entertainment called Marriage Story that is turning out to be the darling of the 2019 award season.
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The film stars Adam Driver as Charlie, a New York theater director with a leaning toward the avante garde who has his own theater company that features his wife Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) as his star. They have not only built a successful theater together but are raising a son together named Henry. Charlie is thrilled when he learns that his show is being moved to Broadway, but not so thrilled when he learns it will be without Nicole. Nicole has been pegged to film a television pilot in LA and takes Henry with her. The show gets picked up as a series and Nicole, whose family also lives in California, is content to start a new life in LA with her son, but Charlie has no intention on giving up on his life in New York, but refuses to give up his son either.
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Baumbach has once again crafted a story rich with deeply flawed characters whose passion often mangles their common sense beyond recognition, manifesting a lot of truly ugly behavior between people who really don't mean a lot of what they're saying. We know that it is a surface level anger and selfishness that is building the huge gulf between Charlie and Nicole, but we also know that this is one of those movie couples, who no matter what they say or do to each other and even though it is crystal clear that the marriage is over, these two people never have and never will stop loving each other, which is what keeps the viewer invested in some of the ugliness that happens between these two people.
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Baumbach cleverly sets up the audience for an immediate cinematic stumble with his introduction of Charlie and Nicole. The film brilliantly opens with montages of Nicole being narrated by Charlie talking about what kind of person Nicole is and montages of Charlie being narrated by Nicole and we think we're about to be introduced to the most magical marriage ever presented in the movies. The reveal of exactly what these narrations were was a winning story move that I didn't see coming. I also didn't see the nastiness that occurs in the courtroom as Charlie and Nicole sit pretty much silently and let their shark lawyers fight for custody of the child. This battle gets way uglier than Kramer Vs Kramer, but like that film, the welfare of the child is everyone's priority.
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As with most of Baumbach's work, there are all kind of squirm-worthy and surprising storyline moves made that alternately shock and leave a lump in the throat. It was so touching watching Charlie trying SO hard to be a perfect dad in front of the social worker and having the visit end on such a bizarre note. It was also odd watching Nicole's reaction to learning that the final custody agreement reached with Charlie wasn't a 50/50 deal.
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As he usually does, Baumbach gets some powerhouse performances from his cast. I have not enjoyed Scarlett Johansson onscreen this much since Match Point and Adam Driver is a revelation as Charlie...he even nails a surprise musical moment he is given near the end of the film. Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty, and Merritt Wever offer solid support, but it's Baumbach and his stars that make this one appointment viewing. 4

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Ali Wong: Baby Cobra
After watching her garner major laughs in a minor supporting role on the ABC sitcom American Housewife, I decided it was time to check out her standup roots in a 2016 Netflix concert called Ali Wong: Baby Cobra, an edgy evening of adult humor that pretty much had me on the floor for the entire running time.
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At the time of this concert, Wong was working as part of the writing team of another ABC sitcom called Fresh off the Boat and it is clear to see that writing is a definite asset for the comedienne as she proves to be a polished wordsmith, here, crafting her choice of dialogue very carefully for maximum comic effect. I would rate Wong's ability with dialogue right up there with Ellen DeGeneres and Jerry Seinfeld, she is that good. She does have a tendency to talk above her audience a bit, but never to the point of alienation.
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I must admit to being taken aback when Wong strutted onstage seven and a half months pregnant. She doesn't address being pregnant until about the halfway point of the program where she reminds us that the reason we are shocked is because female comics don't get pregnant and I realized she was right. Think about it...do you know of any female standups who have children?
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As mentioned in my opening paragraph, this is an evening of adult humor and this is definitely something that should be viewed after the kids are tucked in. A lot of comics talk about sex onstage today, but Wong's offerings about the joys and woes of heterosexual anal sex are definitely not for kids, but do provide major laughs. She also gets major laughs when she talks about her previous pregnancy where she miscarried twins, a really unpleasant subject that made me squirm and feel a little guilty about seeing the humor in it that she did.
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But where Wong really scores is in her tirade about feminism and how it has ruined all her plans for a simpler life with her "jungle asian" husband, a graduate of Harvard Business school, who she claims to have manipulated into marriage so that she doesn't have to work anymore. Ali Wong doesn't have a lot of filter in her material, but the brassy edge to her material provided an evening of standup unlike anything I have ever seen. 4

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Bombshell: The Story of Hedy Lamarr
In an attempt to try and watch the new Charlize Theron/Margot Robbie film, I discovered this heartbreaking 2017 documentary about one of the biggest movie sex symbols of the 1940's who wanted nothing to do with being a sex symbol.
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I've watched a lot of documentaries on actors since joining this site, but this is the first one where I knew virtually nothing about the subject before watching the film. The only Hedy Lamarr films I have seen are Ziegfeld Girl and Samson and Delilah so I was ripe to learn a lot of things about this breathtaking movie icon.
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What a lot of people didn't know about Lamarr, myself included, was that behind that one of a kind of face, was the mind of a rocket scientist. We learn that Hedy loved inventing and tinkering from the time she was a small child. We are shown an antique music box that, as a child, she once took completely apart and put back together again.
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The film documents her fascination with improving forms of communication, including the formation of a communications formula, that would later become the genesis for Wi-Fi and, with her third husband, a torpedo that was actually submitted to the US military and when it was learned that a movie star was instrumental in its invention, she was told she would serve the country more effectively selling war bonds.
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The documentary does cover her somewhat interesting film career, which actually began with an erotic foreign film from 1933 called Extase, which featured nudity and a scene in which she simulates an orgasm. We learn about her turbulent relationship with Louis B. Mayer, who spent a lot of time trying to control Hedy but to no avail. Most of all, we learn about a woman whose passion was science, but could not be taken seriously because she was so breathtakingly beautiful.
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In addition to her children and grandchilden, commentary is provided along the way the way by Mel Brooks, Diane Kruger, Richard Rhodes, Peter Bogdanovich, and Robert Osborne. The film also features, as a very clever hook, Lamarr's voice on a series of cassette tapes, telling a lot of her tragic story. A heartbreaking look at a movie icon who had no interest in becoming a movie icon. 3.5

[Citizen Rules]

I've been meaning to watch Bombshell: The Story of Hedy Lamarr for the the longest time. I'm glad to hear someone liked it. Have you seen Hedy in many movies?

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As I mentioned in the review, the only film of hers I've seen is Samson and Delilah

[Citizen Rules]

As I mentioned in the review, the only film of hers I've seen is Samson and DelilahI thought you might have seen her in Ziegfield Girl (1941) also starring Judy Garland and James Stewart.

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You're right, forgot all about Ziegfeld Girl, I have seen that, will have to change that in my review.

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A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Despite imaginative touches in writing and direction and solid performances, the 2019 docudrama A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood wasn't everything it could have been, thanks primarily to an air of predictability that pervaded most of the proceedings.
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The pre-release hype on this film was unlike anything I have seen in years and like a lot of movies in the last few years, was probably incorrectly marketed in order to get people into theaters to see it. If you're looking for a biopic on Fred Rogers, there is no such thing, you need to check out the documentary Won't You Be Neighbor?, which was vastly superior to this film.
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This is the story of a writer for Esquire magazine named Lloyd Vogel, cynical and "broken", who has never gotten over the death of his mother for which he blames his father and has recently become a father himself. Vogel finds his life changed forever when his editor, who is on the verge of firing him, asks him to do an interview with legendary children's program icon Fred Rogers and the genuine and unexpected friendship that blossoms between these two very different people.
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Screenwriters Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster have a provided a story that follows a pretty predictable path most of the way, but there are imaginative touches along the way, that work because this reporter is profoundly affected by his meetings with this TV icon, or at least we want to think that he is. I enjoyed the scene where Vogel passes out at the studio and wakes up as a part of Fred Rogers' imaginary neighborhood. Did find it a little troublesome that the screenplay tried to add layers to the character of Fred Rogers that I'm not so sure existed in his real life and were added here for the purpose of entertainment. Rogers' instant liking of Vogel borders on obsession and makes Rogers a little creepy, but I think that was done here to make this story a little more entertaining than it might have been when it actually happened to Vogel.
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Director Marielle Heller, who directed Melissa McCarthy to an Oscar nomination in Can You Ever Forgive Me, brings a solid directorial hand to the proceedings, respecting not only the story being told, but the characters involved, especially Fred Rogers. The final moments onscreen with Fred Rogers on a dark soundstage are lovely.
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Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks works very hard at being a believable Fred Rogers and it is a lovely performance, but Hanks never loses himself in the role the way this reviewer wanted him to. I was never able to forget I was watching Tom Hanks, but the performance is getting strong reviews and has earned the actor a Golden Globe nomination. Matthew Rhys, Emmy winner for The Americans offers a flashy performance as the tortured Lloyd Vogel and Oscar winner Chris Cooper is brilliant as his father. Also loved Susan Kelechi Watson as Lloyd's wife and Tammy Blanchard as his sister, but after everything I had heard about this film, it was a bit of a disappointment. 3.5

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Judy
Every now and then a lone performance in a motion picture can send that movie to an entirely new stratosphere where it never would have gotten without that performance...Nicholson did it in The Shining, Streisand did it in Funny Girl, Brando did it in A Streetcar Named Desire. Believe it or not, Renee Zellweger joins these very exclusive ranks with her stunning, Oscar-worthy performance as the heartbreaking Judy Garland in a riveting 2019 biopic simply and appropriately titled Judy.
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Keeping with the recent trend of most celebrity biopics, this film recreates the last year and a half in the life of the iconic singer/actress, a time when her career was bottoming out on her...she was broke despite the fact that she was constantly touring and the only way she could be with kids Lorna and Joey Luft was to have them onstage with her. A practically homeless Judy is devastated when Sid Luft threatens to sue her for custody of the kids so Judy accepts an offer to do a series of concerts in London, where she meets fifth and final husband Mickey Deans.
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Tom Edge and Peter Quilter's screenplay is surprisingly strong, based on a stage play called The End of the Rainbow that not only offers a detailed chronicle of the final tragic year of Judy's life but some brief but effective glances at the beginning of her career, including her troubled relationship with Louis B. Mayer, her unrequited love for Mickey Rooney, and the battle of the bulge that led to her addiction to all kinds of pills. This screenplay also addresses a couple of subjects that have been glossed over or completely omitted in other works about the star, like her jealousy of first daughter Liza Minnelli when she started getting successful and her position as a gay icon.
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But what kept me riveted to this film was the extraordinary work of Renee Zellweger in the title role. Zellweger understands Garland's pain and completely loses herself in this role, the way Tom Hanks should have lost himself in Fred Rogers but didn't. The way she disappears into this role rivals some of Christian Bale and Gary Oldman's best work. I was actually on pins and needles waiting for the first musical moment in the film because I didn't know whether or not Zellweger would be doing her own singing. I am happy to report that she does do her own singing which added an extra layer of richness to the performance that I didn't see coming. We know Judy's voice was a one of a kind instrument that can't be duplicated anyway, but Zellweger captured the emotions of the music and made the musical segments soar. Was especially moved by her interpretation of "By Myself" and it is Zellweger's power as an actress that allowed me to forgive the cheesy "Over the Rainbow" finale.
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Director Rupert Goold is to be applauded for his meticulous work with a great assist from film editior Melanie Oliver. Rufus Sewell was terrific as Sid Luft and Finn Wittrock brought a depth to Mickey Deans that even the real Mickey Deans didn't have, but this is Zellweger's show that should nail her the Golden Globe and possibly win her a second Oscar. 4

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A Rainy Day in New York
One of the Woodmeister's lesser efforts, 2019's A Rainy day in New York is a pretentious and talky comedy centered around the prominent theme of most of Woody Allen's work, the glory that is New York City, but is eventually weighed down by overly sophisticated writing and fuzzy characterizations.
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Gatsby Welles is a pampered young college student and semi-professional gambler who comes from a very wealthy family who plans a weekend in New York with his girlfriend, Ashleigh Enright, also from a wealthy family, who has somehow managed to land an interview with an important movie director. Gatsby plans to spend the day doing New York with Ashleigh and then taking her to a party being thrown by his parents, but a series of bizarre incidents separate the couple and keep them apart for most of the weekend.
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This is actually the kind of comedy that Woody would have written for himself and Diane Keaton thirty years ago. As a matter of fact, as the movie began, it took a minute for me to realize that the leading man was serving as narrator and not Allen himself. Woody's love of Manhattan is once again center stage, but the story is overly complex in its dialogue and execution, not to mention the characters just don't seem to meld with Woody's sophisticated dialogue and often seems to be talking above his audience.
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As one of Woody's greatest champions, I really wanted to like this one, but his writing is so much more complex than the characters and even the actors seem a little thrown by the overly wordy screenplay. It was also hard to buy the 45 year old angry New Yorker inside the 19 year old college student that Woody creates in this kid Gatsby Welles. I just didn't buy this kid breezing through school as a professional gambler and being into New York piano bars and Gershwin. There was actually a line in the movie where Gatsby states that instead of a drink, he needs a romantic piano ballad...seriously? And the fact that the Ashleigh character's brain was removed for several scenes in the movie only added to her irritation factor, which was actually at a fever pitch from her opening scene.
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Oscar nominee Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name) never quite convinces as Gatsby and Elle Fanning is pretty annoying as Ashleigh. There is some flashy support provided along the way from Liev Schreiber, Jude Law, and Cherry Jones, but this one just barely holds viewer attention. Research revealed that, with the exception of New York Stories, for which Woody only provided a third of the screenplay, this is the first and only film he's made with the words "New York" in the title, despite his well-known love of the city. Too bad the vehicle wasn't more worthy of the distinction. 3

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The Irishman
The screenplay definitely could have been a little more economic and some of the actors are getting a little too old for this kind of story, but Oscar winner cinematic storyteller Martin Scorsese proves he still has the ability to deliver a dark and sweeping fact-based mob epic with 2019's The Irishman, a compelling and often riveting film experience that delivers the goods even if it takes too long to do so.
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The film is about a former military veteran named Frank Sheeran who finds himself working as a professional hitman for a powerful godfather named Russell Bufalino, who is tight with infamous union organizer Jimmy Hoffa. The film chronicles Russell's arranging for Frank to work for Hoffa and Frank's possible involvement in Hoffa's 1975 disappearance.
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Steven Zaillian, who won an Oscar for the screenplay for Schindler's List has taken on an equally mammoth project here in this fact-based epic involving factual events and some characters that it's hard to know whether or not they were real, but has broken this story down into such intimate detail that, at times, it is difficult to remain invested in the story being presented, but Scorsese's style behind the camera and his unapologetic, in-your-face look at mob violence makes it really hard to turn away from the screen for a second out of fear of missing something very cool. Not even in Scorsese's masterpiece, Goodfellas, do I recall seeing so many people walking up to people right on the street and shooting them between the eyes. The violence in Joker was nothing compared to the violence in this film. Yet Scorsese also manages to squeeze in a lovely subplot about the gulf between Frank and his daughter, Peggy, who hates what her father does.
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The primary selling point of this epic is the Master, Scorsese, and his seemingly unlimited storytelling tools and how he manages to vary them from project to project, always to maximum effect. His use of slow motion and the tracking shot are unparalleled here. I also love his ability to document the time onscreen, whether it is through archival news footage or through brief glimpses of movie marquees in certain scenes. Loved the shots of marquees of theaters showing The Three Faces of Eve and The Shootist, quietly documenting what year it was when these scenes took place.
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The traditional Scorsese rep company was on hand here, though a lot of these actors are getting a little too old to be convincing in the beginning of these stories but they really shine in the end. De Niro does his patented wiseguy turn, but the real flash here comes from Al Pacino, chewing up the scenery as Jimmy Hoffa, and especially Joe Pesci, who could win his second Oscar after a 30 year gap for his masterfully underplayed performance as Russell Bufalino that commanded the screen. Of course, Thelma Schoonmaker's editing is Oscar worthy and a big thumbs up to Robbie Robertson's music but this is film is primarily a testament to Scorsese, who despite a little self-indulgence, still knows how to bring the goods. 4

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Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
The Wayans family were dominating movies and television in the 1990's achieving various degrees of success, from the classic variety series In Living Color to the Scary Movie franchise that rang in the new millenium. One of their earlier big screen efforts was a raunchy and over the top satire of the 90's urban drama called Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, which, though still providing sporadic laughs, has not aged very well and is definitely beginning to rust around the edges.
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This film is a satire of those growing up in the "hood" movies that populated movie screens in the 1990's with a plot that appears to be a perfect melding of Boyz in the Hood and Menace II Society, where we meet a restless teen named Ash Tray (Shawn Wayans) who is sent by his mother to live with his father (who is apparently the same age as Ash Tray) and hooks up with his old pal Loc Dog (Marlon Wayans) for a series of allegedly outrageous adventures including Ash Tray's romance with a single mother of 7 and Loc's confrontation with a dangerous group of gang bangers.
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The screenplay by Shawn and Marlon Waylons, and Phil Beauman is not only a pretty accurate knock-off Boyz in the Hood and Menace II Society. but also affectionate winks to films like Poetic Justice, South Central, Juice, Dead Presidents and a very amusing takeoff of on my favorite scene from the Adrian Lyne film 9 1/2 Weeks that was easily the funniest scene in the film, not a great accomplishment.
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This film's limited appeal comes through from the opening scenes, aimed at a very specific demographic. This film is clearly aimed at the African American movie-going population and a lot of what goes on in this film is not going to be funny to white people. I'm pretty sure the moment when a woman opens her refrigerator to reveal nothing in it but 40 once bottles of beer or the guys at the barbecue with their pants pulled down past their underwear, that most white folks won't be terribly amused.
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Director Paris Barclay does keep things moving at a nice clip, sometimes moving a little too quickly,causing the audience to lose a lot of several amusing visuals offered along the way. It wasn't until the final act of the film that I noticed that the leading lady's address was 6969 Penetration Drive. Shawn Wayans is charming as Ash Tray but Marlon Wayans continues his reputation as one of the planet's most annoying screen presences with his ridiculous Loc Dog. There are some funny bits thrown in along the way by Antonio Fargas, Lawanda Page, and a set of cameos by the stars' older brother Keenan Ivory Wayans, but this film is just sort of a time capsule to the 90's that just doesn't play too well in 2020. 2.5

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Very refreshing and fresh, thanks

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The Lion King (2019)
Director Jon Favreau, best known as the creative force behind the Iron Man franchise, triumphs as the director of the 2019 live action remake of The Ling King, a sweeping and beautifully photographed tale of Shakespearean sensibility in the animal kingdom that first came to the screen in animated form in 1994.
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For those who were living under a rock in 1994, this is the story of an animal kingdom called Pride Rock, that is ruled over by a powerful lion ruler named Mufasa, who has begun preparing his scrappy young cub, Simba, for the day he will eventually take over as the king of Pride Rock. Mufasa's plan never comes to fruition because of his death at the hands of his bitter brother, Scar, who convinces Simba that he is at fault for his father's death and talks him into leaving Pride Rock forever, until an unforeseen friendship with a pair of new friends and destiny lead Simba back home.
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Jeff Nathanson, who wrote the brilliant screenplay for Catch Me If You Can, co-wrote the solid screenplay for this film with Irene Mecchi, who wrote the original 1994 animated gem, a tale about the importance of family and how it simultaneously bring people (or animals) together or tear them apart. Nathanson and Mecchi unfold the story slowly, but not too slowly, perfectly establishing the relationship between Mufasa and Simba, which is at the heart of this story, even if Mufasa's exit from the story is early on. As the young cub Simba grows into an adult Lion, he never forgets anything his father told him and, in his heart, refuses to believe anything his father told him wasn't true.
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This is not the first Disney story to go from animation to live action, but this is definitely the strongest one so far, thanks to Jon Favreau'a extraordinary eye for detail, making sure we believe that these animals are not just talking onscreen, but they are real, despite the fact that they are talking, The characters are perfect melange of realistic looking animals and CGI technology that allows them not only to interact with each other, but give the viewer insight into whatever emotion they might be feeling at the moment and it is done so effectively, at times, the viewer will definitely experience one or two lumps in the throat. The moment where Simba realizes his dad his gone and tries to crawl into his father's limp arms definitely ignited the tear ducts for this reviewer.
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Most of the songs from the 1994 score by Elton John and Hans Zimmer have been included for this remake, including the Oscar winning "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?". And even though it does get interrupted, I cannot deny that my favorite musical moment in this film was a marvelous re-imagining of the 60's pop classic "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."
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There is some terrific voice work here, which we have come to expect from Disney. Thank God Favreau and company had the sense to make sure no one else but James Earl Jones voiced Mufasa, the only actor who reprised his role from the animated film. Mention should also be made of Alfre Woodard as Simba's mother, Seth Rogen as Pumba, Donald Glover as Simba, Billy Eichner as Timon, and a magnificent, scene-stealing turn from Chiwetel Eijefor as Scar. Production values are first rate with special nods to cinematography and sound, but more than anything, this film is a testament to the talent of Jon Favreau, who may have created his masterpiece here, even though no one may realize it. 4.5

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JoJo Rabbit
Writer and director Taika Waititi has struck gold with a dangerously unapologetic satire on the insanity that was Nazi Germany called JoJo Rabbit that breaks new ground in filmmaking and effortlessly works at offending its audience with a style and nonchalance that is so enchanting that it has caught moviegoers' attention and earned six Oscar nominations.
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This endlessly imaginative piece of cinema is centered around a 10 year old boy named JoJo who decides that he wants to follow his father's footsteps and become a Nazi, just like his imaginary friend and conscience, Adolph Hitler. JoJo is enrolled in a camp for boys that teaches young children everything they need to know about being a Nazi, including the art of hating Jews. JoJo's mother is concerned about her son's inclinations and tries to discourage him, but to no avail. JoJo's entire belief system is challenged, however, when he learns that his mother is harboring a young Jewish girl in their attic, a la Anne Frank.
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Taika Waititi ventures into some really dangerous waters here, trying to put a human face on possibly the monstrous man in world history. He does take a slightly safer route in his examination of Hitler by presenting him as a product of this young boy's mind, but even that is pretty hard to accept initially. How can it not be troubling that this young boy has centered everything he wants to be in life around the beliefs of history's greatest criminal? Even more disturbing is the fact that we learn JoJo is far from the only child prepared to give their entire existence to serving Hitler and his cause.
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Waititi's interpretation of Hitler is definitely on the unexpected side as well. Presented as an imaginary friend of the central character, he comes off as an unusual form of comic relief, almost a bit of a boob in his often varying methods of protecting JoJo one scene and ridiculing him the next. This Hitler is like no other cinematic interpretation of the man we have seen before, this guy even seems to be confused about his own jew-hating agenda ad I guess that's why we only see him as a manifestation of JoJo's mind.
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This film effectively blends a look at a boy and his relationship with a maybe not so dangerous military leader with an extremely realistic look at the ugliness of the Nazi regime which JoJo is guided through by Captain Klezendorf (Oscar winner Sam Rockwell) and the other side of it by Elsa, the young girl in the attic who wants to guide JoJo to the truth but can only do so much without endangering her own life.
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This film is handsomely mounted with unparalleled production values, including film editing that could definitely challenge Thelma Schoonmaker's work on The Irshman for that award. Roman Griffin Davis' star making performance in the title role earned him a Golden Globe nomination and Scarlett Johansson's stylish turnas his mother has earned her a Supporting Actress nomination. Of course it goes without saying that Sam Rockwell steals every scene he's in as does the writer/director does in his one-of-a-kind portrayal of Hitler in this one-of-a-kind motion picture that initially provides chuckles leading to a dark finale that will leave a lump in the throat. 4

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Ford v Ferrari
First rate production values and some flashy performances notwithstanding, 2019's Ford v Ferrari is a slightly pretentious and overly talky sports docudrama that isn't nearly as interesting as its creators think it is, providing sporadic entertainment and somehow earning a Best Picture Oscar nomination.
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This fact-based chronicle is about an American race car designer named Carroll Shelby who teams with a former driver and ace mechanic named Jim Miles to build the world's fastest race car to compete with a Ferrari at the 1966 LeMans, but are receiving major interference from their corporate sponsors, the Ford Motor company, as well as their own contemptuous relationship.
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First of all, as a technical achievement, this film is incredible...there is so much skilled cinematic handicraft put into the mounting of this film. Stunning photography, editing, sound (it received Oscar nominations for sound mixing and sound editing) cannot be denied, it's just a shame that the subject matter being showcased here was as interesting as the craftsmanship behind the project. It seems that fans of stock car racing would be in heaven here, but for those uninitiated regarding the sport, this film is pretty rough going, This reviewer actually got drowsy during the first third of the film, which laboriously introduces the characters, who are all painted in black and white. The good guys and the bad guys are clearly delineated here, providing few surprises along the way.
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The long-winded screenplay by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth, who wrote the criminally mediocre Black Mass is merciless in its utilization of mechanical terminology to the point where there are times we really haven't a clue as to what's going on here.
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There are some strong performances, especially Christian Bale as ticking time bomb Jim Miles. It was refreshing that Bale was afforded the opportunity to employ an accent closer to his actual one. Matt Damon never gets blown off the screen as Carroll Shelby though, providing a solid combative chemistry with Bale that rings true throughout. They actually have a fist fight about halfway through the film that was probably my favorite scene in the movie. Mention should also be made of Tracy Letts as Henry Ford II, Jon Bernthal as Lee Iacocca, and especially Josh Lucas as the slimy Leo Beebee, but I'm pretty sure this film would be a lot more interesting to racing fans. And I have to say that the film provides entertainment, but I don't get the Best Picture nomination. 3.5

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Little Women (2019)
The world could have continued to rotate without yet another film version of the Louisa May Alcott literary classic, Little Women but director and screenwriter Greta Gerwig is to be applauded for the loving attention she brought to her 2019 re-visioning of the classic, which is so exquisitely mounted and beautifully acted that its beauty and freshness has earned the film six Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture.
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It should be noted that this review is coming from someone to whom this film is his first exposure to this piece. I have never read the Louisa May Alcott novel and have never seen any of the four theatrical versions or two television versions of the story.
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For those, like myself, who have never encountered this story, judging from the costuming, the setting appears to be pre-Civil War where we meet the four March sisters: Jo, Amy, Meg, and Beth. Jo is an aspiring writer and in this version, the film opens with Jo selling a story and then flashing back to her tempestuous relationship with her three sisters, who all have their own issues, but through everything, never forget they are sisters, even when they might be fighting over the same man, a rakish rogue named Theodore "Laurie" Lawrence.
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This story first came to the screen in 1933 with Katharine Hepburn playing Jo. June Allyson played Jo in the 1949 version and Winona Ryder became Jo in 1994. The story even got a contemporary re-telling in 2018 with Sara Davenport playing Jo. Greta Gerwig proves herself to be a director and writer to be reckoned with as she manages to mount a story that is period appropriate and seems to respect the original Alcott vision, while instilling a contemporary sense of joyous sisterhood into the March girls that is quite infectious and makes us care about these girls.
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Because I have never seen any other versions of this story before, I'm not sure who to blame here, but I did find my head spinning, especially during the first half iof the film, trying to keep up with the plotting. Each sister had her own story and each individual story seemed to intertwine with another, but what does shine through here is that Jo is the glue that held the March family together. The film also seemed to move at a snail's pace, making this elaborately mounted soap opera a little labored at times.
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We're able to forgive a lot of this though thanks to incredible production values including stunning cinematography and costumes and a top-notch cast, led by Saoirse Ronan, who has earned her fourth Oscar nomination for her sparkling performance as Jo. Ronan adds another impressive portrayal to her resume that will contribute to her journey as a top Hollywood power player. I also loved Florence Pugh as Amy, a fire and ice performance that fascinates throughout and earned her a supporting nomination. Timothee Chalamet was robbed of a nomination for his slick and sexy Laurie and Laura Dern, nominated this year for Marriage Story, is a lovely Marmee.
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There is one thing that gnawed at me throughout while watching this though...the Louisa May Alcott novel is an American classic that young girls have been reading for decades and, for many, is considered a slice of Americana. Does it bother anyone else that Gerwig did not cast any American actresses in the four leading roles? It seems so odd that Gerwig would remake this American classic with non-American actresses, but a small quibble I guess. 3.5

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Bombshell
I'm not sure what I was expecting exactly, but I found 2019's Bombshell, a crisp and surprisingly balanced docudrama that is not just a look at the Me Too movement, but a very specific story where one particular playground became a hotbed for sexual harassment.
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This movie is set at FOX news during Donald Trump's pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination, where we are introduced to FOX news chief Roger Alles and three stages of sexual harassment involving Alles and three female FOX newswomen. Megyn Kelly was harassed by Alles a decade earlier but kept quiet; Gretchen Carlson has just gone public with her harassment and was fired for it and Gretchen's assistant, Kayla Pospisil, whose desire to become an on air correspondent begins to lead her down the same road as her colleagues.
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I think this movie surprised me because I was expecting a fictional composite of real life-events, a la an episode of Law and Order: SVU, but that's not we get here at all. Charles Randolph's take-no-prisoners screenplay is a scathing documentation of the ugliness that went on behind the scenes at FOX news and Roger Alles complete nonchalance and ignorance about what he was doing. Randolph names too many names in the course of this story for it not to be based in reality and an ugly reality it is.
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The story is constructed so that we see how Alles behavior has effected three different women in three different stages of the abuse they took from this man. Randolph and director Jay Roach effectively preserve the integrity of this story by putting names to just about every character who appears onscreen and having these monikers quietly blazed next to the actors portraying them. No one gets off easy here and though there is a semblance of justice served at the film's climax, the film also makes clear the fact that Roger Alles rang bells that can't be un-rung. It's not just our three victims, but watch poor Mrs. Alles, trying to remain as loyal as she can to the man, even though we can tell she knows the truth.
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Director Roach has mounted this story with great flash and an impressive all-star cast, headed by Charlize Theron, receiving her third Oscar nomination for Best Actress and Margot Robbie, also nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her naive Kaylie. Nicole Kidman also offers an icy turn as Gretchen Carlson, as does an unrecognizable John Lithgow as Alles, a performance that should have earned him a supporting nomination. In addition to the two acting nominations, the film is also nominated for hair and makeup, which it should win because several actors are made to look completely unrecognizable here besides Lithgow. Took me almost five minutes to ID Oscar winner Allison Janney as Alles' attorney. 4

[Gideon58]

Harriet
The final third of the film definitely lapses into melodrama, but 2019's Harriet is, for the most part, a sweeping and emotionally charged epic looking at one of black history's most unsung and misunderstood icons that works thanks to balanced characterizations, crisp direction, and a powerhouse performance from its leading lady.
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It is 1849 in the deep south and a slave named Minty is unable to secure freedom for herself and her husband in order to keep their family together so she learns about a way to escape slavery and obtain freedom in Philadelphia, where she adopts a new name for herself, Harriet Tubman. Discontent, Harriet returns to her slave home to bring her husband to freedom. That doesn't work out, but there are other slaves seeking freedom and suddenly Harriet finds herself being a conduit between slaves and freedom, whom white slave owners believe is a black man that they have dubbed Moses.
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Director and co-screenwriter Kasi Lemmons scores big here, mounting an expensive and detailed look at a part of black history that usually gets pretty short shrift during Black History month. This film touches on several topics that have been broached before in films like Django Unchained, most importantly, the difference between the life of a slave and a black man who is free and how often the free black man is not as free as he might think. What I liked in particular about this story is that it is not presented purely as black against white. Not all the black characters are tortured victims and not all of the white characters are evil slave owners, bringing a refreshing variety of levels to the conflicts thrown our heroine's way. Unfortunately, during the final third of the film, the variety vanishes and we get the good blacks vs the evil whites battling it out to a pretentious finale.
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Lemmons does show a knowledge of two things that drove blacks during these times and aided their survival in these often grueling times: Their love of God and their love of music. Through every trial that Tubman experiences in this movie, she always tells anyone who is listening that it is the love and strength of God that got her through it. I also loved the way the negro spiritual was used as a signal to slaves that Harriet was coming for them and it was time to go and, more importantly, that there was no time to think about it.
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The film is handsomely mounted with special nods to cinematography, sound, costumes, and a lush music score. Cynthia Erivo's Oscar-nominated performance in the title role is a revelation and you might also notice Lemmons' husband, Vondie Curtis Hall, playing a kindly preacher. Despite a preachy finale, it's still one of the better bopics out there. 3.5

[Gideon58]

1917
Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, the 2019 epic 1917 is an often heart-stopping yet shockingly intimate look at the ugliness of war told from an original prospective with endless cinematic style behind the camera.
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On April 6, 1917, two young soldiers named Blake and Scofield are assigned to deliver a letter to a military leader in a far-off regiment ordering him to cancel a planned attack because it is a trap set by the Germans that could result in the death of 1600 allied troops. An additional hook to the assignment is that one of the soldiers has a brother who is serving with the endangered regiment.
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A triumph for director and co-screenwriter Sam Mendes, who won the 1999 Oscar for Best Director for American Beauty and reveals a shocking expertise at a story that would seem to be foreign territory for him. Mendes is a proven commodity delivering stories of dysfunctional suburbia, but this epic story of war does provide the same sense of intimacy and skillfully crafted detail that went into American Beauty. Mendes has crafted a story that nails the ugliness of WWI without a lot of actual battle scenes, but primarily through the after-effect of what we usually see in films of this ilk.
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Mendes, aided by some brilliant cinematography by probable Oscar winner in this category Roger Deakins, creates some startling and dizzying visuals with a particular nod to the steady cam. The viewer's head eventually begins to spin as the camera winds through these underground bunkers following our two young heroes on what seems like an impossible mission, As the camera makes its way through the carnage, it doesn't stop and blatantly examine, it allows the viewer just enough of a glance at the carnage that we gasp or turn away, but we know we can't do that for too long because the only thing better than the film's arresting visuals, is its blatant unpredictability.
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Mendes makes us terrified for these two young men because we never know where the danger is coming from. There is a terrific scene where the pair come across an abandoned barracks of some kind and just as an element of comfort has been established for us with the scene, the place begins to collapse before our very eyes. With all the carnage on display here, it's hard to accept the few survivors on display, including a cow quietly grazing in a meadow and a young woman trying to care for a baby that isn't hers, but these are small quibbles in a story that provides consistent satisfaction.
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Sam Mendes' spectacular skill at crafting a perfect melange of intimacy and enormity should nail him a second Best Director Oscar, revealed at the end to be a mission of love for the director whose service to this one of a kind story is always at the center of his directorial concept. The actors involved here do their job and their job, just like Mendes, is to serve the story, which they do to maximum effect. In addition to Deakins' cinematography, the film is also to be applauded in the areas of film editing, costumes, sound, and a pulse-pounding musical score by 15-time Oscar nominee Thomas Newman. The war movie gets a fresh and exciting face lift from an unexpected source. 4.5

[Gideon58]

Parasite
Korean screenwriter and director Bong Joon Ho has deservedly earned three Oscar nominations for 2019's Parasite, a sumptuously mounted film that starts off as a delicious black comedy and social commentary that takes a dark turn at the halfway point leading to a heart-stopping finale that will linger with the viewer long after fade out. The film has earned six Oscar nominations in all, including Best Picture of the year, this year's Roma.
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Ki-Kim is the college age son of an unemployed and unmotivated Korean family living in abject poverty who has been offered a job tutoring the high school age daughter of the wealthy and pampered Park family, who aren't exactly a picture perfect family themselves. Ki-Kim manages to get jobs for his father, mother, and sister in the opulent household as well and just as the Kim family begins getting very comfortable with their new lifestyle, a secret at the Park household reveals its ugly head, taking this story in a direction that we don't see coming at all.
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Bong Joon Ho's Oscar-nominated screenplay effectively creates two very different families that provide different looks at family dysfunction with surprisingly balanced looks at both families that initially create sympathies for both families up to a point. We are so happy when the Kim family all get jobs at the Park house and really hope this is the start of a new life for them as well as a change in their attitudes about their previous life, but it is not to be. We also hope that the influence the Kims have on the pampered Park family will have a positive effect on them as well, but that is not to be either.
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The film provides just enough exposition for the story at hand, showing us just how tragic the Kim's current lifestyle is, steeped in even deeper irony by the fact that these really aren't stupid people, they're just sort of lazy and irresponsible. Ki-Kim's sister is revealed to be a computer/photoshop genius who puts together a phony college degree for her brother, but puts no effort into making a living out of her skills.
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Ho has been afforded a huge budget for this film which is evident in every frame...the film is beautifully mounted featuring exquisite cinematography and Oscar-nominated film editing. Never really been into foreign films because I don't like reading at the movies, but the reading required to keep up with what was happening onscreen wasn't too distracting. The actors serve Ho's vision appropriately, with standout work from Kang-ho Song as the Kim Patriarch and Jeong-eun Lee as the Park's first housekeeper. This is a fun and often challenging film experience that provides squirm worthy laughs throughout leading to a finale that will leave the viewer limp. 4.5

[Citizen Rules]

I thought you didn't usually watch sub titled films, or is Parasite in English language?

[ahwell]

I thought you didn't usually watch sub titled films, or is Parasite in English language?
No, it’s in Korean, I think maybe Gideon is watching all the BP noms?

[Gideon58]

No, it’s in Korean, I think maybe Gideon is watching all the BP noms?

I usually don't but I really wanted to watch ALL of the best picture nominees before the ceremony. And I have to admit, the reading wasn't too distracting, perhaps because the story was so riveting. It will definitely win Best Foreign Film, which I can say with confidence despite not having seen any of the other nominees in that category.

[Gideon58]

Doctor Sleep
Stephen King returns to his most famous work as the source material for what is, technically, an in-name only, sequel to The Shining called Doctor Sleep, which attempts to craft a new story for the sequel but suffers due to overly complex plotting and a little too much dependence on the legacy of The Shining to engage viewers.
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This film reunites the viewer with a now adult Danny Torrance, who calls himself Dan now. As one who remembers the first film can imagine, the events therein have had a profound effect on Dan, turning him into a hot mess of an alcoholic and drug addict unable to piece his life back together. As Dan begins life in a new town, he finds he must embrace his legacy of being able to "shine" when he meets a young girl who also shines, who is being pursued by an evil cult of contemporary vampires called the True Knot.
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Director and co-screenwriter Mike Flanagan, whose only work I've seen was the sadly mediocre Hush, adapted the screenplay for this film with King himself, working from King's novel and I think that's where a lot of the problems with this film lie. On paper, this story can be considered a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's 1980 classic, but the story has little or nothing to do with that film and the connections that are established within this film to The Shining are paper thin.
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King and Flanagan really try to have it both ways here. They have provided a story that could have stood on its own if King and Flanagan really had the confidence in the story that they seem to want to have, but they depend a little too much on the legacy of the first film to engage the viewer and that's a problem as well, Using the first film, there are several scenes and/or motifs from the first film that conjure up memories of the first film but they don't really work because instead of using clips from the original film, Flanagan attempts to recreate things from the first film which really don't work primarily because Flanagan is no Stanley Kubrick. I will admit the scene in the ballroom with Dan and Lloyd the bartender did work. I also loved when Dan stuck his head in the bathroom door where his father did his famous "Here's Johnny!" Unfortunately, the other attempts to recreate Kubrick's magic were an epic fail here.
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The pacing of the film is deadening, taking a little too much time with exposition and showing the Knot having complete power over two other shiners, but, inexplicably, being unable to control the real shiner, Abra. Flanagan does manage to provide scenes that shock and repel, but they also make us just want to watch The Shining. There are some solid performances as well, particularly Ewan McGregor as Dan and Rebecca Ferguson's very theatrical turn as the head of the Knot called Rose the Hat, but Flanagan's abilities as a full-bodied storyteller still seem to need a little more seasoning. 3

[Gideon58]

Uncut Gems
A blistering, raw nerve of a performance from Adam Sandler that should have earned him his first Oscar nomination is the centerpiece of 2019's Uncut Gems, a caustic and claustrophobic combination of character study and crime drama that blend to startling effect thanks to a story that actually has a spark of originality, some inventive camera work, and a dazzling performance from the leading man.
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Sandler commands the screen as Howard Ratner, a brassy New York City jeweler, gambler, and womanizer whose balancing act of his professional life, his family, and his gambling debts may finally find a solution through his acquisition of a rare opal from Ethiopia that has actually caught the eye of NBA legend Kevin Garnett, whose superstitions about the gem's power motivate his dealings with the slightly greasy Howard.
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Benny and Josh Safdie, the creative force behind the middling Robert Pattinson crime drama Good Time, are at the helm of this singularly unique cinematic experience that looks like a crime drama on the surface, but, at its essence, is really a character study revolving around a man in a business that really has never been explored with the depth that it is explored here, who has allowed his business to swallow up the rest of his life, to the point where his life is spent atop a razor-thin tightrope that leads to several different facets of his life that he struggles to keep separate but as we meet this character mid-crisis, we realize that keeping these lives separate is becoming impossible.
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This Howard Ratner character is fascinating and instantly likable, primarily because he's at the center of what seems to be an important business and seems to be very knowledgeable about jewelry and gems, but is equally clueless about the rest of his life and it is this startling dichotomy that makes the Howard character such a riveting film subject. The blend of his wiseguy lifestyle and his knowledge of gems and their worth is an intoxicating combination that puts the viewer behind this character, And because of the business he's in, simple props and set pieces take on an added importance in this story, simple things like electric doors that can only be opened by buzzers become major parts of the story.
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More than anything, it is the dazzling performance from its star that made this film more special than it really is. This is Sandler's best performance since Punch Drunk Love and I think it's criminal that he was not squeezed into the lead actor category this season. I can't say who shouldn't have been nominated because I have only seen three of the nominated performances, but Sandler's Oscar worthy work here is what keeps the viewer's attention and I have to admit that Kevin Garnett impresses in his third film appearance playing himself. The Safdies work always features superior film editing and this film is no exception, not to mention some head-spinning camerawork, but it is Adam Sandler's performance that raises the bar on this one. 4

[Gideon58]

Pain and Glory
There are some issues with story structure, but 2019's Pain and Glory is an intimate and edgy character study rich with crisp visual images that has earned its star his first Oscar nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor, as well as a nomination for Outstanding Foreign Language Film.
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Antonio Banderas nails an Oscar-baity role playing Salvador, a former movie director whose most famous film is being revived for some kind of festival, where he and the star of the film have been asked to present the film and moderate a Q & A after the screening. This event precludes a look at Salvador's past with his strong and manipulative mother, intermingled with his troubled present, which includes some pretty serious health issues and an addiction to heroine.
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Pedro Almodóvar, the Oscar-winning creative force behind films like All About My Mother and Volver, proves to have a real stylish eye with the camera and a talent for conceiving original and intriguing stories, even if the actual execution doesn't always come off as it should. Almodovar's story attempts to provide answers regarding the current state of his life by flashing back to his childhood, where it is revealed that his mother wanted him to become a priest, but we never really are provided any insight as to how Salvador became a movie director, a point that nagged at this reviewer throughout the running time.
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What Almodovar does beautifully is craft a central character that we care about, understand, and pity simultaneously. The opening scenes that introduce Salvador are quite sad, watching a man who it is made clear, once had a thriving career directing movies and doesn't care about it at all anymore. A glimmer for change is established when interest is expressed in a play he's written but has never gotten further than his desk top. This aspect of Salvador's life becomes less important as a different one takes center stage, but this, coupled with the man's addiction, legitimizes a lot of his pitiable behavior.
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Almodovar's camera work is crisp and direct with strong assists from cinematographer Jose Luis Alcaine and film editor Teresa Font. Antonio Banderas finally gets the opportunity to prove he is more than a pretty face, turning in a rich performance that earned him a Best Actor nomination. I guess I understand the nomination, though I'm not sure he was better than Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems. it should also be mentioned that I have never enjoyed Penelope Cruz onscreen as much as I did here, playing Salvador's mother in the flashback scenes. There are minor story faux pas, but it's a lovely little movie and the final twist at the end is a dandy. 3.5

[Gideon58]

A Fish Called Wanda
A clever story and some sparkling performances by a wonderful cast make the 1988 comedy A Fish Called Wanda appointment viewing.
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Set in contemporary London, this is the story of four very different people who gather to commit a jewel robbery worth approximately 13 million dollars, but things go wonky when the quartet try to double cross each other for the jewels and we learn that these people are not what they initially appear to be on the surface. George Thomason appears to be the brains behind the operation, but it seems that the real brains belong to Wanda Gershwitz, a girl who is affected by Italian the same way Gomez Addams is affected by French. Wanda is not only sleeping with George but with Otto, a dim witted thug who is aroused by the smell of his own body odor and hates being called stupid. Ken Pile is George's stuttering assistant whose life is centered around his exotic fish collection, one of whom is named Wanda.
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George is the one of the group who actually gets arrested but is still able to stash the diamonds before the rest of the crew can get to them. George is also worried about a little old lady with a pair of dogs who witnessed the getaway and dispatches Ken to get rid of her while Archie Leach, the unhappily married attorney defending George finds himself drawn into a compromising affair with the duplicitous Wanda.
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Co-directors and screenwriters John Cleese and Charles Crichton have constructed a rich comic adventure that requires complete attention from the viewer which is rewarded for the most part. It doesn't take long for us to figure out that these four people who are an alleged unit at the beginning of the movie are anything but and keeping track of who is loyal to who gets a little confusing at times, but never so confusing that the viewer wants to give up on figuring out exactly what's going on. The characters of Wanda and Otto are initially introduced as brother and sister but we are aware during their very first scene that this is a lie and we can't wait to see what other lies are going to unfold about these people.
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The other clever thing about this story is that even though it takes place in London and most of the characters are British, Cleese and Crichton are not afraid to poke fun at their people. Several stereotypes about the British are effectively skewered, almost in the manner of Mel Brooks, with a fearless commitment to the story that requires observations about the English that might offend some British, but we Yanks will find deliciously entertaining.
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Jamie Lee Curtis offers one of her brightest and sexiest performances as Wanda, the story's smartest character who anchors these nutty proceedings with complete ease and works well with Cleese, playing Archie Leach (which, BTW, is the birth name of movie legend Cary Grant). Kevin Kline's flamboyant and theatrical performance as Otto won him the 1988 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, stealing every scene he was in, proving to be an expert with physical comedy and employing all kinds of dialects and accents throughout the film, a performance that should be studied by acting students. Even with his work behind the camera, Cleese proves to be a comic powerhouse in front of the camera as well, displaying equal prowess with physical comedy and deadpan line delivery, It's probably not for all tastes, but I thought this was one was a lot of fun. BTW, that's Cleese's real life daughter, Cynthia, playing his onscreen daughter, Portia. 4

[Gideon58]

I Lost My Body
A 2019 Oscar nominee for Outstanding Animated Feature, I Lost My Body is a slightly pretentious but visually arresting animated film experience for adults that unfolds so slowly that the viewer wants to give up but patience is rewarded to a degree.
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This enigmatic French adventure opens at the refrigerator of some sort of Parisian laboratory where we see the door of the refrigerator open and witness a disembodied hand in a sandwich baggie fall out of the fridge and begin a perilous journey that includes encounters with angry pigeons and ravenous rats. it becomes clear that the hand is planning to reunite with the body from which it has been separated. We are almost simultaneously introduced to a lonely and introverted pizza delivery boy named Naoufel whose job leads him to a possible relationship with a girl named Gabrielle and a new job with her father.
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Director and co-screenwriter Jeremy Clapin has crafted a bold cinematic journey that is an adult story, which makes the viewer question why Clapin chose to tell this story through animation. The last couple of years I have learned that animation is no longer a film commodity restricted to children and this film definitely falls into that category. It reminded me a lot of 2016's My Life as a Zucchini, which initially appears to be a children's story but turns out to be anything but.
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Clapin initially presents two separate stories being told together and being told at an extremely leisurely pace, which isn't always as effective as it should be. Watching this hand navigate its way through the streets and gutters of Paris was a lot more interesting than watching the nerdy Naoufel trying to navigate relationship waters with Gabrielle. The scenes of the hand encountering an angry pigeon and getting trapped in a garbage truck were on the verge of terrifying and were a lot easier to invest in than the scenes of the nerdy pizza delivery boy. Though it cannot be denied that the first meeting between Naoufel and Gabrielle where he is trying to deliver her a pizza and she won't buzz him into the building was a lot of fun.
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The other thing that was fun about that this film is that Clapin allowed the viewer to use his imagination regarding certain parts of the story. It's never made clear to the viewer as the hand begins its journey whether or not it actually knows where it's going or not and lets the viewer decide. The hand seems to have an innate sense of danger and seems to know what situations it needs to extricate itself from, but we're never sure what else it knows beyond that.
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Clapin's animation is dark but exquisitely detailed, employing a lot of images that I have rarely seen in animated films. I was especially impressed with his views of the inside of a garbage truck and an escalator going up while the hand was going down. Bouquets to Benjamin Massoubre's editing and Dan Levy's music which were also assets in bringing this uniquely adult animated film experience to life. 4

[Gideon58]

Knives Out
A brilliant, Oscar-nominated screenplay and a dazzling ensemble cast are the primary ingredients in making 2019's Knives Out, one of the most entertaining murder mysteries I have ever seen, that was robbed of a Best Picture nomination.
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The story begins at the 85th birthday party of an obscenely wealthy publisher named Harlan Thronby (Oscar winner Christopher Plummer) where we observe the philanthropist cutting all of his greedy, money-hungry children out of his will. The next morning, Thornby is found in the attic of his home by his caregiver, Marta, with his throat cut. A detective named Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) has been hired anonymously to look into Thornby's death while Thornby's will is read, revealing Marta to be his sole beneficiary, which sets off a bizarre series of events that, of course, put Marta in danger, but also eventually lead to the truth about Thronby's death.
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Director and screenwriter Rian Johnson, whose credits include Looper and Star Wars:
Episode VIII received the film's only Oscar nomination for a richly intricate and intelligent screenplay that pays homage to movies like Ten Little Indians, Murder on the Orient Express, and even Clue but brings deliciously amusing complexity to the proceedings by giving all of the Thronby family members their own twisted personalities and agendas, molding a family of serious dysfunction who ban together when they realize that the prize they've all had their eyes on might be going outside of the family.
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Johnson's beautifully crafted screenplay actually combines the birthday party, the death, and the initial questioning of the party guests into one brilliant story arc that demands complete attention of the viewer so that the viewer understands that complete attention to these opening scenes are going to be absolutely no use in figuring out what's going on here. At the halfway point where we think everything has been revealed and we know exactly what's going on, but again, we are proven wrong. Red herrings abound throughout this fantastic laugh-filled roller coaster of a mystery, some are of use and some are not, but they are important contributions to keeping the viewer in the dark until the final reel, as they should be.
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It is mind blowing to me that Johnson's screenplay earned this film its only Oscar nomination because absolutely everything works here. The production values are so perfect that you almost don't notice them because they do exactly what they are supposed to do...serve Rian Johnson's delicious story. The film features breathtaking cinematography, art direction, editing, and music that perfectly enhance the often wacky and confusing goings-on here.
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Johnson has also assembled a perfect cast, led by Daniel Craig, nothing short of superb as Blanc, a character with a brain like Columbo hidden behind a Fog Horn Leg Horn accent. Other Thronby family members are beautifully brought to life by Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, and especially Michael Shannon. Ana De Armes also does a star-making turn as the waif-ish Marta. This is dazzling entertainment from opening to closing credits and was better than at least three of the films that did receive Best Picture nominations. One critic called this film the best murder mystery ever made. I don't know if that's true, but it's the best one I've seen. 5

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Zombieland: Double Tap
Our favorite Zombie hunters named after geographical locations return for more Zombie hi-jinks in 2019's Zombieland: Double Tap, a sequel to the 2009 hit that attempts to flesh out the characters in the first film and adds new characters that really don't bring much to the table, providing the viewer with another classic example of "Sequel-itis".
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As this story unfolds, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), are residing in the post Apocalyptic White House, which is now covered in weeds. Columbus, Tallahassee, and Wichita leave their humble abode when they learn that Little Rock has run off with a pot-smoking, guitar-playing pacifist named Berkley (Avan Jogia).
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Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the creative force behind the Deadpool movies have crafted a screenplay that seems fashioned more like another Deadpool movie than this one, including an overly cute narration to the proceedings by Columbus that knocks down the 4th wall and pretty much announces to the viewer that they are viewing a sequel. The story takes too much time with exposition, setting up the disappearance of Little Rock and the strained romantic relationship between Columbus and Wichita, which is hampered by the lack of chemistry between Eisenberg and Stone.
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Two new characters are brought into the mix with opposite effects. Rosario Dawson is a lot of fun as Nevada, a sharp-shooting Zombie hunter who finds herself drawn to Tallahassee. On the other hand, Zoey Deutch, playing a Valley Girl who has been hiding in a freezer in a mall for years to escape the Zombies, gives a performance something akin to fingernails on a chalkboard.
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Once the film gets down to business and we have the good guys versus the Zombies, the movie delivers the action we expect, it just takes a little too long to get there. The film does feature first rate cinematography and sound, it just takes a little too long to get going. Director Ruben Fleischer is to be applauded for not falling into one common trap with "Sequel-itis"...they didn't feel the need to make the movie four hours long. 3

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Cats
It was the longest running Broadway musical in history so I guess a film version was inevitable, but 2019's film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats is a pretentious, confusing, and snore-inducing musical that drags itself across the screen at a deadening pace, making an hour and 40 minute film seem 27 hours long.
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Apparently, there is a tribe of cats called the Jellicle cats that prowl the streets of London, who have some kind of annual contest where one of the cats is chosen to descend to something called the Heaviside Layer where they are awarded a new life as a Jellicle and we are subjected to a young cat named Victoria being introduced to this year's contestants.
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The original Broadway version of this musical opened in 1982 and ran for over 7400 performances, the longest running Broadway musical ever, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why. A few years ago, I tried to watch a DVD of the Broadway show, featuring most of the original cast and I turned it off after about 25 minutes. So be reminded that this review is coming from someone who loves musicals but couldn't get through the original Broadway show.
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As with any effective motion picture experience, it all starts with the written page and I think that's the primary problem with this piece. The story is confusing and not terribly interesting and we're never really quite sure what's going on. We're never really sure who this cat Victoria is and what her position is in the story. Is she a contestant? A judge? Is she a Jellicle? She appears out of nowhere at the beginning of the film and is immediately hassled by all the other cats, so I guess she's not a jellicle, but if that's true, what is her role in the story? With her role in the story never really being made clear and her also having the lion's share of the screentime, it became very difficult to figure out what was going on here. And the excitement of the Heaviside Layer made no sense. When the winner makes the final ascension, it looks more like a punishment than an honor.
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Research revealed that before the cast began shooting, they spent several weeks going to "cat school"...where they learned how to move and act like cats. I will confess that this is one part of the movie that works. The actors for the most part, do move and act like cats and it was interesting watching how their tails would react to certain situations or the way they would express affection. It was odd though that they are talking and singing for most of the story, but a couple of scenes where they are supposed to be simulating applause or joy, they do it through clawing and purring.
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Another demerit here is one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's least melodic scores, aside from the iconic "Memory", over sung here by Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson in an attempt to bring something new to the song, but it doesn't work because her interpretation of the song comes off as if she doesn't understand what she's singing about. I did enjoy Taylor Swift's "Macavity" and Sir Ian MacKellen's "Gus: The Theater Cat" though.
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Director Tom Hooper, who won an Oscar for directing The King's Speech was really out of his element here. There are some solid production values, including art direction and makeup (even though Dame Judi Dench looked a lot like Bert Lahr in The Wizard of Oz), but this was a directing assignment that should have gone to Rob Marshall, someone with experience directing musicals. Though Hooper did direct Les Miserables, another musical I couldn't get through. On the other hand, heavy-handed direction was just the tip of the iceberg of what was wrong with this hot mess of a movie musical. 1.5

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Richard Jewell
Director Clint Eastwood hits a bullseye with 2019's Richard Jewell, a riveting docudrama centered around an average Joe that documents how slow the wheels of justice often turn and how sometimes, with an assist from the media, can grind to a complete halt.
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The title character is an overweight, simple-minded soul who lives with his mother who has just gotten a job as a security guard at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. During a musical event in Centennial Park, Richard actually discovers a bomb hidden under a tower and his discovery leads to thousands of lives being saved and his being hailed as a hero. However, as the FBI begins investigating the planting of the bomb, we are shocked as Richard comes into focus as their prime suspect.
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Eastwood and screenwriter Billy Ray have mounted a compelling story centered around a completely likable character while establishing through efficient backstory why Jewell is moved so quickly from hero to suspect. It's established in the opening scenes that Jewell has always been fascinated with the law and law enforcement and, at one time, probably tried to become a police officer and couldn't. We observe him get fired as college security guard, which actually ends up being the impetus for the entire investigation.
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As we watch this investigation roll across the screen, it's aggravating watching the way this man was completely railroaded without any compelling evidence. The viewer is aware of his innocence and it takes his lawyer and a lady reporter about five minutes to figure out that he's innocent, but for some reason, the entire FBI is unable to figure it out, thinking that he must have had an accomplice because he was far enough away from the explosion when it occurred that he didn't get hurt. It's also heartbreaking watching how what happens to Jewell affects his relationship with his mother. The scene where the FBI tear their home apart and remove most of their possessions to exam them is harrowing.
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Eastwood's meticulous direction is a big plus here, providing small details that enhance the reality of the proceedings. I love the two scenes with the lady reporter in her office, one in triumph as she thinks she has exposed Richard and the other as she is read the riot act by Richard's lawyer. I also love as Richard is about to begin his final encounter with the FBI and notices a mail cart similar to the one he pushed around at the law office where he used to work.
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As always, Eastwood's attention to production values is on the money, with special nods to cinematography and editing. Eastwood also obtains rich performances from his hand-picked cast...Paul Walter Hauser gives a star making performance in the title role, offering more than one moment in the performance that will leave a lump in the throat. Oscar winner Sam Rockwell offers another one of his slick performances as Jewell's lawyer and Kathy Bates earned her 4th Oscar nomination for her devastating work as Richard's mother. Olivia Wilde is surprisingly effective as a the lady reporter, a role that I kept picturing Jennifer Jason Leigh in. The film contains virtually no music score and we don't miss it at all. Eastwood trusts the power of his story to set the mood of the proceedings and said power delivers. 4

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The Peanut Butter Falcon
The road trip/buddy movie gets a refreshing makeover with 2019's The Peanut Butter Falcon, a warm and charming indie gem that examines an unlikely friendship with some definite twists that kept a stupid grin on my face for the entire running time.
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Zak is a 22 year old young man with Downs Syndrome who lives in a nursing home and dreams of becoming a professional wrestler like his idol, Salt Water Redneck, who appears in commercials advertising his wrestling school. Zak decides he wants to attend the school and busts out of the nursing home and hides on a boat belonging to Tyler, an unemployed fisherman on the run, which is the beginning of a very special road trip since Tyler is Florida bound and the wrestling school is on the way. Throw in a sensitive nursing home employee named Eleanor who hits the road to find Zak and we have all the ingredients for a very special story.
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Co-directors and screenwriters Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz have mounted an often visually arresting story about two people who have no business becoming friends actually doing so and accepting each other without trying to change each other. What made this story so special for me is the way this character Tyler doesn't in any acknowledge the fact that Zak has Downs Syndrome. The phrase never comes out of mouth during the course of the story. Even though he lays down the law in the name of their own self-preservation, he never says no to anything Zak wants to do and never discourages his dream in anyway.
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I was also pleasantly surprised by the positioning of Eleanor in the story. Normally in this kind of story, the Eleanor character would spend the entire running time two steps behind our heroes, unable to catch up with them. In this story, Eleanor connects with the boys halfway and actually finds herself unable to fight Tyler's treatment of Zak as an independent adult. And though there is an attraction between Tyler and Eleanor, it never becomes the focus of the movie as one might expect. The focus of the movie is always on these two guys and Tyler's fierce protection of Zak and Zak's unwavering loyalty to Tyler.
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The film is beautifully scenic, thanks to some superb cinematography and film editing providing rich visual imagery throughout. Shia LaBeouf gives a real movie star performance as Tyler and Zachary Gottsagen is completely winning as the sweet natured Zak. Dakota Johnson (50 Shades of Gray) is appropriately warm as Eleanor and Thomas Haden Church is terrific as Salt Water Redneck. Mention should also be made of cameos by Bruce Dern and former WWF superstar Jake "The Snake" Roberts. The pacing of the story could have been a little stronger, but the relationship between the central characters is so completely intoxicating one barely notices. 4

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The Blues Brothers
The first and still one of the most successful films based on characters introduced on Saturday Night Live was 1980's The Blues Brothers, the big budget action comedy that still provides solid entertainment 40 years after its release.
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As the film opens Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd) is picking up his brother, Jake (the late John Belushi) after a stretch in Joliet Prison. They travel to the boarding school/orphanage where they were raised and agree to raise the $5000 in back taxes needed to keep the place open by reuniting their band and hitting the road, what Elwood refers to as "a mission from God."
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Director and co-screenwriter John Landis (Trading Places, Coming to America) is the mastermind behind this comic masterpiece. The screenplay by Landis and Dan Aykroyd is the blueprint for a raucous combination of action, comedy, and music, everything that moviegoers of the 1980's were looking for. And the fact that the stars of the movie were from the hottest comedy show on TV (SNL had only been on the air 5 seasons at the time) didn't hurt.
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Landis and Aykroyd provide just enough backstory for the musical act introduced on SNL to
springboard an outrageous comic adventure that finds our heroes being pursued by a group of angry Hitler worshipers, an angry country and western band, Jake's psycho ex-fiancee, and just about every police officer in the state of Illinois, This movie contained enough car chases, crashes, and explosions to fill three or four action movies. I also loved the irony of the boys travelling in an old black and white unit Elwood bought at a police auction. Some of the scenes are overly padded to set atmosphere for each vignette and make the movie a little longer than it needed to be, but I never really found myself checking my watch.
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In addition to all the action, the film also contains some energetic memorable musical sequences. The highlight for me were Ray Charles' cover of the old Ike and Tina Turner classic "Shake Your Tail Feather", Cab Calloway's rendition of his iconic "Minnie the Moocher" and Aretha Franklin's showstopping "Think", which became a top 40 hit for her. The finale set to "Jailhouse Rock" was also a winner.
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Aykroyd and Belushi are the perfection as the title characters, working in perfect tandem, displaying throughout the respect and affection they had for each other and, another sad reminder how a tragic a loss to the industry it was when we lost John Belushi. A plethora of once and future stars appear in supporting and cameo roles including Carrie Fisher as the psycho fiancee, Henry Gibson as the head Nazi, and John Candy as Jake's parole officer. And if you pay close attention, you will also catch appearances from Frank Oz, Charles Napier, Steve Lawrence, Tom Davis, James Brown, Chaka Kahn, Kathleen Freeman, Stephen Bishop, Twiggy, John Lee Hooker and even Steven Spielberg! A comic classic that will have your sides aching and your toes tapping. 4

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Just Mercy
The screenplay is a little on the preachy side, but the 2019 fact-based drama Just Mercy is a well-acted, if emotionally manipulative look at redneck justice and its often complete disregard of real justice that aroused emotion in this reviewer and that emotion was pure anger.
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This is the story of Bryan Stevenson, an idealistic young Harvard law school graduate who has decided to concentrate his practice on people already on death row. He moves to Monroeville, Alabama where he finds himself defending a black death row prisoner known as Johnny D, who has been convicted for the murder of an 18 year old white girl. It is this case that motivates Stevenson to create his own legal services corporation known as the Equal Justice Initiative.
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Director and co-screenwriter Destin Daniel Cretton (The Glass Castle) has mounted a true story that angers almost immediately because it shows how blatant racism can so quickly lead to miscarriages of justice. The story establishes Johnny D's innocence in the opening scene and we watch in horror as an innocent man actually finds himself on death row for a crime he didn't commit.
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The story also angers because Stevenson arrives on the scene and destroys the credibility of the conviction with economy and efficiency but can't get anywhere trying to get his client a new trial because these people just don't want to admit that they might have made a mistake. Of course this is another film, where the concept of racism is driven home with a sledgehammer...I was disgusted by the scene where Bryan visits his client for the first time and is subjected to a strip search. I have never, in fact or fiction, seen an attorney strip searched before being allowed to see a client, not to mention the unwarranted traffic stop by police on Bryan's way home after confronting the DA. These two scenes alone had my blood boiling and Stevenson's overlong journey to justice kept it on boil.
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This docudrama does not shed a flattering light on the Alabama justice system who absolutely refuse to accept the fact that they have sent an innocent man to death row. The dialogue is a little on the cliched side, but we are able to forgive for the most part because it is so well acted. Michael B. Jordan proves to be an actor of substance taking on the Stevenson role and Oscar winner Jamie Foxx brings his usual quiet strength to Jimmy D. Film editing and music are a big plus, but I wish Cretton hadn't been so overheated with his direction and trusted the story being told here, a lot of which is justified in the epilogue, which made me a little less angry about what I had just witnessed. 3.5

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Stripes (Director's Cut)
The second collaboration between zany Bill Murray and director Ivan Reitman was the 1981 comedy Stripes which does provide some laughs, but hasn't aged very well.
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Murray plays John Ringer, a restless schlub who has lost his job, his car, his apartment, and his girlfriend. Lured by a couple of commercials glamorizing the life, John decides the solution to changing his life is to join the army. He also manages to talk his best friend Russell Ziskie (the late Harold Ramis) into joining as well. Commencing basic training, Ringer immediately finds himself in a battle of wills with his drill sergeant, Sergeant Hulka (the late Warren Oates).
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This was not my first viewing of this film, but despite Bill Murray consistently bringing the funny as he always does, this film wasn't nearly as funny as I recalled. The film actually starts off extremely funny, but gets less and less funny as it moves along, not to mention a definite lack of realism. If you're looking for a realistic yet funny look at life in the military, you would be better to check out MASH or even Private Benjamin because this film really doesn't contain anything approaching the neighborhood of credibility.
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The beginning scenes establishing the character of John Ringer are actually the funniest part of the movie. Once John and Russell actually get to the army, the laughs begin to decrease, though the scene where the recruits are sitting around introducing each other is pretty funny. On the other hand, this is where the strongest part of the film kicks in: the comic conflict between Ringer and Sergeant Hulka, a character brilliantly brought to life by Warren Oates. This is the strongest part of the movie and if the screenplay had concentrated more on this relationship, this film could have been right up there with another Murray/Reitman collaboration called Ghostbusters, but the story abandons Hulka at the halfway point and concentrates on turning this group of losers into credible soldiers, but we never really buy it.
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This was my first viewing of what I believe was the director's cut, since there were three or four scenes that I had never seen before, including a somewhat funny parachuting out of a plane that found Murray and Ramis confronting some South American soldiers and another scene in a hotel in Germany that seemed to be inserted as a way to get leading lady PJ Soles out of her clothes.
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Murray is comic gold, as always, and works well with Ramis, who is never blown off the screen by Murray even though Ramis seems to spend a lot of screen time trying to keep a straight face with Murray. The only other real laughs come from John Larroquette as Captain Stillman, who, a few years later would rack up five Emmys for playing Dan Fielding on the NBC sitcom Night Court. Murray is always worth watching, but this one isn't as funny as I remember. 3

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Deep in the Heart of Texas: Dave Chappelle Live From Austin City Limits
Netfix accompanied angry genius Dave Chappelle back in 2017 when he ventured into the deep south for Deep in the Heart of Texas.
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After an oddly surreal filmed opening narrated by Oscar winner Morgan Freeman, the angry genius of Dave Chappelle was unleashed on a standing room only audience at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas bringing consistent laughs on myriad topics that have been broached by other comics, but Chappelle brings his polished and mature world view to the stage with his unparalleled storytelling skills. And I'm not sure why I feel the need to mention this, but I was actually surprised by the lack of black people in the audience...this audience looked more like an audience waiting to see George Carlin.
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Never one for bringing the expected, Chappelle impresses with his choice of material and his non-choices as well. I found it so refreshing to watch a stand up comedian in the time we're living not have to mention Donald Trump. I was beginning to think that someone had passed a law that all comedians must spend at least ten minutes onstage dissing the President. The lack of political humor here was undeniably welcome.
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On the other hand, another alleged law of stand up comedy was strictly adhered to as expected...but not really. Watching a black stand up talk about racism is definitely well-worn territory, but Chappelle puts a beautiful twist on the material that we're accustomed to from him with a beautifully crafted story about being hit with a snowball by four white teenagers in a vehicle that Chappelle brings to a fall-on-the-floor conclusion that no one saw coming that literally stopped the show. I also loved Chappelle's unfettered opinions regarding celebrity scandal and how nothing is sugar-coated. I cannot recall the last time I heard someone come right out and say that Michael Jackson was murdered by his doctor or coin the phrase "Bill Cosby rape". As uncensored as Chappelle's delivery is, it's also never really mean spirited. And nothing that ever comes out of his mouth is ever unplanned.
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I've always found it interesting that, as a heterosexual male, homosexuality always seems to come up in his show at some point. His story about an old buddy from high school coming out to him was golden as were his singularly unique thoughts regarding picking his kids up from school and masturbation. Chappelle belongs on that very exclusive list I've composed of comics who everything they say is absolutely correct. Sometime the journey to the correct is longer than it needs to be, but the destination is always worth it. 4

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The Awful Truth
One of the earliest examples of screwball comedy that seemed to shape and influence the genre was 1937's The Awful Truth, a deliciously unhinged and surprisingly sophisticated comedy that holds up thanks to Oscar-winning direction, some smart writing, and sparkling performances from its stars.
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Irene Dunne and Cary Grant light up the screen as Lucy and Jerry Warriner, a pair of married Manhattan-nites who have becomes frustrated with each other's alleged lack of fidelity and impulsively decide to divorce. Before the divorce is finalized, Lucy finds herself romantically involved with a sweet-natured but goofy oil millionaire named Daniel Leeson (Ralph Bellamy) who lives with his mother, while Jerry becomes involved with a ditzy nightclub singer (Joyce Compton) and a wealthy but clinging heiress (Molly Lamont).
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A surprisingly witty and sophisticated screenplay by Vina Delmar (based on a play by Arthur Richman) anchors the often silly goings-on here, introducing a couple who decide to divorce five minutes into the comedy, even though it is clear that these two still love each other. Love the fact that the entire story takes place before the divorce actually becomes final, reminding us throughout when the divorce becomes final. The day that Lucy and Daniel meet is 59 days before the divorce becomes final.
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Leo McCarey won his first Oscar for Best Director for a seamless combination of outrageous physical comedy and stylish storytelling through body language and looks and glances that cleverly advance story without the aid of dialogue. Loved the courtroom custody battle for the Warriner's dog, Mr. Smith, as well as the nightclub singer's musical number, that I think might have influenced the famous subway grating scene in The Seven Year Itch.
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Irene Dunne's enchanting performance as Lucy earned her an Oscar nomination as well, a performance that not only allowed her to utilize her comic skills, but her musical skills as well. Grant is style and sophisticated personified in a performance that reminded me of his work in The Philadelphia Story, but I must admit the real surprise here was a richly entertaining turn from Ralph Bellamy, never so charming onscreen before in a role that would define a lot of his film career and earned him his only Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Bellamy is so much fun here, in a role that actually allows him to sing, dance, and clown with the best of them. Bellamy's dance number with Dunne in the nightclub is definitely a comic highlight. Fans of films like It Happened One Night and The Philadelphia Story will definitely have a head start with this dazzling comedy classic. 4

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Frozen II
It's a feast for the eyes and ears, but 2019's Frozen II is another victim of "Sequel-itis"...trying so hard to be bigger and better than the first film, that it bears little or no resemblance to the first film.
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In this sequel to the 2013 film, Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel), Anna (voiced Kristen Bell), Kristoff (voiced by Jonathan Groff), Olaf (voiced by Josh Gad), and Kristoff's faithful reindeer steed Sven travel to an enchanted forest in order to save it but also encounter the origin of Elsa's powers in the process.
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It's troubling when a sequel has to spend time rehashing the first film, but what's more troubling in a sequel is when it doesn't recall the first film in any way. Usually when watching a sequel, images from the first film will flash through my head, but nothing about the first film is recalled here. I would go as far to say that entertainment can be found in this film even if you never saw the first one and I'm not so sure whether or not that's a good thing.
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Don't get it twisted though...there's a whole lot to enjoy here. The film is visually breathtaking, offering countless stunning cinematic photographs that rivet the viewer to the screen. The visually arresting look of this film is hard to resist; unfortunately, the story that accompanies the visuals is, as usual with contemporary Disney fare, overly complex and makes keeping up with what's going on a little taxing on the brain.
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The film eventually becomes an overlong commercial for female empowerment, appropriate during "Me too" I suppose, but a primary theme of the first film was the love between these sisters, despite the fact that Elsa is initially introduced as almost the villain of the piece. The idea of the first film seemed to be that Elsa and Anna could accomplish anything as long as they work together. Sadly, in this film, Elsa strikes out her own and she and the other principals are separated for the majority of the running time, not to mention some hard to swallow obstacles to safety and freedom, including a large mass of rocks that come to life and start acting like transformers. The film remains a lot more entertaining when it remains simple. I loved the opening scenes of the sisters, Kristoff, and Olaf playing charades, something I had never seen animated characters do before.
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I did love the Robert Lopez/Kristen Anderson-Lopez score, who also scored the first film, as well as CoCo. The highlights for me were "Some Things Never Change", "Show Yourself", "When I am Older" and the Oscar nominated "Into the Unknown", but if the truth be told, the musical highlight for me was a duet between Kristoff and Sven called "Lost in the Woods", mounted in the style of an old fashioned MTV music video, that stopped the show for me. As far as sequels go, there have been a lot worse, but there's enough going on here in terms of visuals and music to hold interest, but its lack of connection to the first film dilutes its power. 3.5

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Hustlers
Despite expensive trappings and some interesting performances, 2019's Hustlers is an overheated, fact-based drama that never takes a true stand regarding how the viewer is supposed to feel about this often logic-defying story filled with holes.
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The story begins in the early 2000's where we meet a young stripper named Destiny who is supporting her invalid mother and is taken under the wing of a veteran stripper named Ramona who is supporting a young daughter who make an extremely comfortable living taking advantage of the wall street big shots who frequent the club, Circa 2006/2007, a major wall street crash destroys the careers of these men. The big shots stop coming to the club and the women eventually find themselves unemployed. Feeling they have no other option, our heroines begin frequenting bars, taking guys home, drugging them, and maxing out their credit cards.
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Director and co-screenwriter Lorene Scarfaria has mounted an unsavory and surprisingly ugly story that is a lot more complex than the movie's title implies, but confuses the viewer by having our sympathies for these ladies alter from scene to scene, one act condoning what they're doing and the next painting them like hardened criminals. It was troubling the way the story implied that these women had NO other options where pursuing new careers were concerned. There is one brief scene where Destiny is glimpsed during a job interview for a position in retail which was, I guess, meant to imply that these women made attempts at straight careers. I never really bought it.
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There was just way too much going on in this story that was left unexplained. For instance, when Destiny and Ramona decide to start drugging these guys, instead of them purchasing drugs, we actually witness them cooking the drug themselves. How the hell would a couple of strippers know how to make a drug that would knock men unconscious and would not kill or cripple them? There are scenes of Ramona's crew getting themselves in some serious scrapes and Ramona being conveniently absent for no reason. Credibility really goes out the window when we see the women delivering an unconscious, naked male body to the hospital and drive away with no explanation or no attempt from hospital staff to question them about the body.
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There's a point in the film where we see that there just might be some justice coming regarding what these women are doing and I loved the scenes where the four principal females are apprehended, but the scenes become meaningless when it is revealed during the epilogue that these women served no jail time. Actually, the fact that these women served no jail time seemed to negate the whole reason for telling this story onscreen.
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Scarfaria does have a very sharp cinematic eye and gets a strong assist from film editor Kayla Empter, but this ugly, fact-based female empowerment statement never engages due the story's lack of commitment. There are eye-opening performances from Constance Wu as Destiny and especially Jennifer Lopez as Ramona, as well as cameos from Frank Whaley, Usher, Cardi B, and Lizzo, but Scarfaria never really takes a stand about what these women did and therefore it is impossible for the viewer to as well. 2.5

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The Pink Panther (1963)
Even though he made his film debut in 1950, the late Peter Sellers didn't become an official movie star until he created the role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau in a sophisticated 1963 comedy called The Pink Panther, whose central character would become so popular that he would generate a movie franchise that would last almost three decades.
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Clouseau is a bumbling French detective who travels to Switzerland when it is rumored that The Phantom, a world-renowned jewel thief, whose capture has become Clouseau's life work, will be arriving there in order to steal a rare diamond called the Pink Panther, owned by an exotic princess. Also after the diamond is Sir Charles Lytton, a dashing Englishman, who might be The Phantom, whose partners in crime appear to be his slick-talking son, George, and Clouseau's wife, Simone.
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Director and co-screenwriter Blake Edwards has crafted a surprisingly sophisticated story that unfolds slowly, but not so slowly that audience attention is challenged, but eventually turns into an often improbable, but always extremely funny film, rich with elaborate physical comedy, that doesn't really provide a lot of roll-on-the floor laughter, but did have this reviewer grinning throughout the running time.
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This film works thanks to Edwards' skill at mounting elaborate comic sequences and his casting of several actors working outside of their comfort zones. It also work because of the comic genius of Sellers, a master of physical comedy who is so funny that what is basically a supporting character, was spun off into seven more films starring Sellers.
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David Niven is charming as Sir Charles as is a young Robert Wagner as his son, George. International beauties Capucine and Claudia Cardinale are appropriately decorative as Simone and the princess, respectively. Of course, Henry Mancini's music is a big plus here, including one of the most singularly recognizable theme songs in cinema history. In addition to the seven films with Sellers, animated TV shows and films were made featuring the animated panther in the opening credits and there was also a remake in 2006 with Steve Martin that generated a sequel. There was also a film made called Inspector Clouseau starring Alan Arkin that bombed because there was only one character born to play Clouseau and his original glory can be witnessed here. 3.5

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Waves
It definitely deserves an A for effort and intentions, but 2019's Waves is a claustrophobic and disjointed tale of an imploding family that doesn't really deliver the story it has been marketing to the movie viewing public, and it doesn't help that it goes on forever.
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Director and writer Trey Edward Shults shows real style and promise as a filmmaker with this allegedly intimate look at an affluent African American family who are in multiple phases of mid crisis as the story opens and then the story takes a shocking turn at the halfway point of the film that forces this family into varied stages of isolation, guilt, regret, and forgiveness from which they may never recover.
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On the positive side, Trey Edward Shults displays a real filmmaker's eye here that makes the visual aspect of this film a distinct pleasure. His camera work is deliberate and intimate and puts the viewer right in the center of this story. His use of the steady cam is often inventive and, with the aid of co-film editor Isaac Hagy brings some startling originality to the circular camera technique, unlike anything I have ever seen. The style that Shults brings to the look of this film cannot be denied. I also like the fact that the African American family at the center of this story is well-off and that it is neither a symptom or cure for the problems they encounter.
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Unfortunately, the disjointed screenplay makes for a very long and confusing journey that concentrates almost exclusively on one member of the family for the first half of the film and then takes a rather jagged look at the rest of the family trying to regroup from the events of the first half of the film, including an out-of-nowhere romance for the daughter that is overly detailed and just not very interesting, even if the new boyfriend is beautifully played by Oscar nominee Lucas Hedges. There are also a lot things that occur in this film, some are major plot points and some aren't, that were completely unrealistic happening to this African American family. And as much as I hate to say it, I think a lot of this had to with the filmmaker being white. I think Shults definitely tighten up this story. It had no business being two hours and fifteen minutes long...definitely found myself looking at my watch during this one.
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There is some solid acting, especially a star-making turn from Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Tyler and Emmy winner Sterling K. Brown (This is Us) as the family patriarch, but this story is just too all over the place and goes on way too long. 3

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The Muppets
The Muppets is a sweet-natured and funny throwback to Muppet movies of old that not only touches upon universal themes that we expect from the Muppets but effectively utilizes the rich history of this movie and television franchise to provide a new and entertaining story that will charm kids of all ages.
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This 2011 comedy is about a muppet named Walter (voiced by Peter Linz) who travels to Los Angeles with his human brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Gary's longtime girlfriend, Mary (Amy Adams) where they learn that a wealthy oil baron named Tex Richman (Oscar winner Chris Cooper) who is planning to tear down the Muppet television studio so that he can drill for oil. The Muppets learn they can buy back the studio for $10, 000,000, so Gary, Mary, Walter, and Kermit the Frog reunite the Muppets, who have gone their separate ways, so that they can have a telethon to raise the money.
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Jason Segel and writing partner Nicholas Stroller (The Five Year Engagement) have constructed a story that not only references previous muppet movies but their classic television series that ran from 1976 to 1981. Segel and Stroller provide a story that utilizes all the characters we love, but features a central character connecting to his Muppet roots and pushes the 4th wall just enough that we never forget that we're watching a movie and makes no bones about it.
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As expected, a muppet movie would not be complete with the on again off again romance of Kermit and Miss Piggy. The scenes of locating Miss Piggy at her fashion empire in Paris are very funny and as always, Miss Piggy steals any scene she's in.
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The film features an infectious song score that is a perfect combination of Broadway style and contemporary soft rock songs that perfectly develop character and advance story. My favorite musical moments were a duet between Mary and Miss Piggy called Me Party and a duet between Gary and Walter called "Man Or Muppet". And I have to confess to a lump in the throat during a reprise of "The Rainbow Connection."
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Like all muppet movies, the film is crammed with celebrities in supporting roles and cameos. In addition to Cooper, the film also features appearances from Alan Arkin, Emily Blunt, John Krazinski, Sarah SIlverman, Jack Black, Rashida Jones, Donald Glover, Zach Galifianakas, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, and, if you don't blink, you will even catch a glimpse of late show biz legend Mickey Rooney. Fans of the franchise will definitely find entertainment value here. 3.5

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Wilson (2017)
Three-time Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson made the most of an acting showcase of a lifetime with Wilson, a 2017 comic character study whose unexpected and unmotivated detour into maudlin melodrama during its final third dilutes the sporadic quality of what we've seen up to that point.
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Wilson is lonely, foul-mouth contemporary hermit who would rather have conversations on a bus with a stranger than connect with people who actually know him. The sudden death of his father sends him on a journey that finds him reuniting with his former addict/ex-wife Pippi, who confesses to Wilson that he has a 17 year old daughter that Pippi gave up for adoption at birth. Wilson becomes obsessed with finding his daughter and, upon doing so, goes to extreme lengths to connect with her and reunite his family.
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Daniel Clowes' screenplay, based on his own graphic novel, gets off to a very amusing start by firmly establishing this singularly unique character who speaks and acts without filter to everyone, friends, family, and strangers. His often shocking behavior is hard to accept but we find ourselves siding with the character when he begins establishing a relationship with his daughter. Unfortunately, the film takes a dark turn during the final third where the story craps all over the central character and the humor of the story quietly begins to circle the drain, making the character's transition into an almost viable human being a little hard to believe, including an ending that wraps up in a way too neat little bow.
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Director Craig Johnson (The Skeleton Twins) brings care and attention to the title character, but I wish he had collaborated more closely with screenwriter Clowes because it felt like there were portions of the story that were left off screen but maybe shouldn't have been. The point where the film turns to pure melodrama is also the point where it seems like parts of the story may have been deleted for the sake of running time but would have made what happens in the final third a little more logical.
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Despite all the problems with the story, the gloriously flamboyant performance by Woody Harrelson does keep the viewer invested in what's going on. We never know what this guy is going to do or say and he somehow remains likable. This role is an actor's dream and Harrelson makes the most of it. This year's Best Supporting Actress winner, Laura Dern, is also terrific as Pippi and mention should also be made of a star-making performance by Isabella Amara as Wilson's daughter and a terrific cameo by Margo Martindale near the beginning of the film. The story definitely has its problems, but fans of Woody Harrelson will definitely find entertainment value. His performance upped the rating on this one half a bag of popcorn.
3

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The Invisible Man (2020)
The 2020 re-imagining of the cinematic classic The Invisible Man is a taut and consistently suspenseful psychological thriller that I suspect looks at the original story from a different point of view that kept this reviewer riveted to the screen for most of the running time, despite some dangling plot points that I have still been unable to legitimize, but had to let them go in favor of the big picture.
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Two weeks after escaping the home of her very wealthy and very abusive husband, Adrian, Cecelia learns that her husband has committed suicide. She learns that her husband left his $5,000,000 estate to Cecelia, but some bizarre events begin to occur that have only one explanation: that Adrian is still alive but has found a way to make himself invisible.
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The original story upon which this film was based has a long and distinguished history. The original novel, written by HG Wells, was published in 1897 and first came to the screen in 1933 with Claude Rains in the title role. I've never read the novel or seen the story onscreen before, but research revealed that the original story centered on a scientist whose ability to become invisible has him spiral into insanity, but in this film, the focus is not on the scientist, who we learn is an expert in the field of optics, but on his wife, a logical shift of focus in our current "Me too" society, but most likely changes the tone of the original story.
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Director and screenwriter Leigh Whannell has crafted a tricky psychological thriller that concentrates a little more on the psychological than the thrills, but there's certain things that happen here that confused this reviewer: Adrian is supposedly invisible and should have had complete control of his wife. Trapping her in one spot shouldn't have been an issue but she escapes from him at least half a dozen times. And with complete control of Cecelia, why was it necessary for so many innocent bystanders to die? He could have grabbed her once, thrown her in a basement and that would have been it. Not to mention the fact that why he does all this doesn't begin to justify his terror spree. And on Cecelia's side, why would she accept the $5,000,000 after her carefully executed escape during the opening scenes?
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There are some effective red herrings thrown in to confuse us, primarily the character of Adrian's brother. His agenda changes from scene to scene and we never believe anything that comes out of his mouth, especiallhy his confession to Cecelia that he was as afraid of Adrian as Cecelia was. Every appearance the character makes keeps the viewers on his toes.
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Whannell has employed first rate production values to bring this story to fruition, with special nods to art direction, film editing, and some dandy visual effects. Elisabeth Moss is extremely effective in the physically and emotionally demanding role of Cecelia, though I kept picturing Toni Collette in the role and Benjamin Wallfisch's brooding music score effectively frames the story. The movie definitely supplies its share of scares, but a few too many lapses in logic dilute its power. 3.5

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Kevin Hart: Seriously Funny
Kevin Hart once again brings the funny in a hysterical concert from 2010 called Seriously Funny where Hart not only scores with proven material based in reality but taking tried and true stand up material and looking at it from a fresh point of view bringing very fresh laughs.
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Filmed in front of a sold-out audience from Cleveland, Hart begins with one of his favorite topics from which he has always been able to mine laughs: his children. His story about hearing his daughter swear for the first time and his imitation of his son having a temper tantrum were very funny but it was during this portion of the show where, for the first time, I felt Kevin construct a definite wall of tension between himself and the audience. After the events transpired that prevented Hart from hosting the Oscars, it was not real surprising when he announced to this audience that one of his greatest fears is that his son might grow up gay. Fortunately, the story that followed supporting his fear was so funny that the tension in the air evaporated almost immediately.
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Hart talks about a lot of subjects that many other stand ups do but he always manages to look at these tried and true subjects from an altered point of view. For example, a lot of comics like to talk about sex and relationships, but Hart breaks these subjects down into more detailed sub-topics and garners huge laughs doing so. His views on women expecting too much from men, women who don't like their men having fun when they're not around, and the art of storming out of the house after an argument were uniquely Kevin and produced huge laughs.
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Something else I noticed about Hart during this concert that I hadn't really noticed before was his precise attention to the physicality that often accompanies the art of a joke or telling a funny story. The detail he put into an impression of an elderly gentleman preparing to start a car was too funny as was his impression of an uncle who had just been released from the prison and the prison was still inside him.
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I was also surprised during the opening when Hart acknowledged the fact that Shaquille O'Neal and Lebron James were in the audience and then made fun of them near the end of the show. He even managed to justify making fun of them by admitting that he hurt his knee while doing it. Another winning evening of comedy from, arguably, the funniest stand up in America today. 4

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The Banker
Like the 2016 factual drama Hidden Figures, The Banker is a story that should have been told decades ago about intelligent black people embroiled in another tale of racism, but it doesn't seem to be shoved down the viewer's throats the way it was in the 2016 drama.
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This 2020 Apple original is a fact-based story of a financial genius and real estate developer named Bernard Garrett who teams with a streetwise nightclub owner and property owner named Joe Morris in order to purchase Los Angeles properties populated by whites, climaxing with the purchase of one of the largest banks in Los Angeles. Knowing they can't get anywhere trying to do what they're doing as blacks in the 1950's, they tap a young white handyman named Matthew Steiner to act as their front man in order to broker the deals with white corporate Los Angeles. Things go sour though when success goes to Bernard's head when he decides to return to his hometown in Texas and purchase the bank there.
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Director George Nolfi, whose primary work has been as a screenwriter (The Bourne Ultimatum), has mounted an almost epic tale, told on a huge and inviting canvas that draws us in right away because, despite the fact that racism is the underlying theme of the story, it initially remains underlying as we watch Garrett and Norris build an empire
in Los Angeles, fully aware of how their black faces are going to prevent them from doing what they want to do and decide to use it to their advantage. The scenes of Garrett and Morris grooming young Steiner to be their front man are a lot of fun. It was very amusing that the first thing Morris decides they have to do is to train young Matt how to play golf, since so much business is conducted on the links.
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This film fully puts us behind Garrett and Morris and their manipulation of Matt was such a refreshing thing to watch, but the second half of the film becomes a real yet compelling downer as not only do Garrett and Morris bite off more than they can chew, but success goes to Matt's head as well. It's sad watching what happens to these guys and the consequences of their actions are revealed during the epilogue. What's interesting is that no mention is made of consequences for Matt, who also becomes part of the slightly pat conclusion.
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The film features handsome production values, including spectacular cinematography, film editing and a pulsing music score. Anthony Mackie gets the best role of his career as the serious Bernard Garrett and nails it, as does Samuel L. Jackson, offering his accustomed flashy turn as Joe Morris. Nicholas Hoult, who stole every scene he had in The Favourite, is appropriately sincere as Matt, once again proving his surprising versatility for such a young actor. The story is important because what happened to Garrett and Morris indirectly led to the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which regulated discrimination in real estate because of race. For that reason alone, this film is appointment viewing. 4

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Help!
John, Paul. George, and Ringo returned to the big screen for more cinematic hi-jinks in the 1965 comedy Help, which had more of an actual story than A Hard Day's Night but didn't have the reckless fun of the first film.
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In this 1965 film, an ancient East Indian tribe is getting ready to sacrifice one of their princesses to the Gods when they realize the sacrificial ring she is supposed to be wearing is missing from her finger. We then learn that the princess sent the ring to Ringo after seeing the group in concert so the tribe goes after Ringo and employ some very extreme measures to get the ring back.
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Richard Lester, who directed A Hard Day's Night, once again takes the director's chair for this comic romp which has more of a structured story than the first film, but still never takes itself too seriously, in a story that combines James Bond satire with Pink Panther-style slapstick comedy to provide pretty consistent laughs for most of the running time.
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Lester makes no bones about the fact that this is a movie though, providing title cards and narration to keep the viewer abreast of going on. Though when it all comes down to it, the story is just an excuse to have the Beatles stretched across a 40-foot screen singing their hit songs and Lester makes no bones about it. When it's time for the boys to sing, the action comes to a dead halt and we get a mini-music video of the fab four performing one of their classic hits. My favorite was the mounting of "Ticket to Ride" which is gloriously filmed in the Swiss Alps.
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Like the first film, Lester doesn't put any effort in teaching the guys how to act. He really didn't have to do because the fan base of the Beatles in 1965 were basically 15 year old girls who didn't care whether or not the guys could act. There are a couple of inside jokes thrown into the screenplay though regarding which one of the fab four is the most popular.
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In addition to "Ticket to Ride", other Beatle classics on display here include "You're Gonna Lose That Girl", "I Need You", "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" and the classic title tune. The story almost gets in the way of the recklessness that we expect from the Beatles, but the guys seem to be enjoying themselves and fans of A Hard Day's Night will not be disappointed. 3.5

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The Hurricane (1999)
The accustomed powerhouse performance from two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington raises the bar on 1999's The Hurricane, am elaborately mounted and overly-detailed look at the life of former middleweight boxing champion Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, who spent almost 20 years in prison for crimes he did not commit.
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Carter's life is documented from his childhood to a life that found him in and out of prison until he was arrested for the murder of three people in a bar in is hometown of Paterson, New Jersey. While incarcerated, as a partial way of dealing with his ordeal, writes a book about his life. The book is discovered years later in a 25 cent bin by a barely literate black teen named Lesra, who is living in Canada with three white guardians. Carter and the boy correspond and eventually meet and then, with the help of his guardians, decide to prove Carter's innocence.
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As one might expect, this is a story that is taut with racial tension and it has been put in the capable hands of veteran director Norman Jewison, who directed one of the greatest films ever centering around racial tension, 1967's In the Heat of the Night. Jewison efficiently keeps the racial tension as an undercurrent bubbling underneath the surface of what is really an often fascinating character study of a man who was so adamant about his innocence that he refused to live the life of a normal prisoner. He would not wear or eat what other prisoners did and would only sleep when the rest of the prison population was awake. These are, easily, the most interesting scenes in the film that give us insight into the principled and intelligent man Carter was.
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Unfortunately, the final third of the film degenerates into a murky crime drama peppered with large doses of melodrama where we watch the Canadians prove Carter's innocence in 20 minutes, while police and courts refuse to budge in their decision since Carter was convicted in 2 different jury trials where the juries were all white. Needless to say, this makes for what is an often labored cinematic journey, but we are so behind Rubin by this time that we want to experience the outcome.
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We patiently wait for the outcome because of the extraordinary performance by Denzel Washington in the title role that so rivets the viewer to the screen that we are able to forgive a lot of what is wrong with this movie. The supporting cast serve the story effectively, especially Liev Schreiber, Deborah Kara Unger, and John Hannah as the Canadian guardians, David Paymer and Harris Yulin as Rubin's lawyers and young Vicellous Reon Shannon as Lesra. There is also a classy cameo at the end of the film by Rod Steiger, who Jewison directed to a Best Actor Oscar in In the Heat of the Night. What we have here is two thirds of a really incredible film that is saved by its star. 3.5

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Extract
The creative force behind the cult classic Office Space brings similar laughs to another black comedy called Extract that seems a lot better than it is thanks to a really terrific cast.
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The 2009 film stars Jason Bateman as Joel, the owner of a flavor extract plant who is drowning in professional and personal crises including a cheating spouse, a possible lawsuit from an injured employee, and a sexy thief who he hires who starts stealing from his employees.
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Mike Judge being the writer and director of this film is what attracted me to it in the first place because of my respect for Office Space. That workplace comedy was from the point of view of the employees and this one was more from a management point of view. The undercurrent of black comedy is still there, but this story just seemed a little safer and more steeped in realism than the other film.
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Judge has given us a very likable character in Joel, the kind of everyman that Bateman can play in his sleep. We can't help but be amused as we watch the quicksand swallow him up and we want to see things work out for him, even though there are points during the story where that seems impossible.
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Judge's budget seems to be relatively modest but it doesn't detract too much from what's going on. He has assembled a terrific cast to pull of this story though, including Oscar winner JK SImmons as his assistant manager, Kristen Wiig as his unfaithful wife, and Mila Kunis as the thieving con woman. Dick Koechner has some funny moments as an annoying neighbor and there's a terrific cameo from KISS's Gene Simmons as one of those obnoxious TV lawyers. Gary Cole (so memorable as the boss in Office Space) and the director also make cameos. The movie does provide some laughs, but there's an emptiness about them that makes this movie a little tedious at times. 3

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Onward
Disney Pixar once again pulls into the winner's circle with Onward, an elaborate sword and sorcerer-type adventure wrapped in contemporary settings and sensibilities that explores universal themes approached with the imagination we have come to expect from Disney Pixar.
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This 2020 animated gem is set in a contemporary fantasy suburb called Mushroomton where we meet a teenage elf named Ian (voiced by Tom Holland) and his older brother, Barley (brilliantly voiced by Chris Pratt)who are given the opportunity to spend 24 hours with their deceased father. In order for this to happen, the brothers must embark on a perilous journey in a broken down van to find something called the Phoenix Gem in order to bring their father back to them. Unfortunately, they are unaware that the gem also contains a curse that could harm the brothers and erase the chance to reunite with their father forever.
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Director and co-screenwriter Dan Scanlon has come up with a story of perilous creatures, evil curses, and dangerous wizards and put them smack in the middle of a contemporary premise that we can all identify with. Ian is a geeky teenager who has not found his voice yet and is afraid of everything, including his smart-ass big brother who is fearless yet clueless and insensitive to his brother's feelings. The boys are confused about the fact that their elf mother (voiced by Julia Louis Dreyfuss) has a new boyfriend, a centaur who is a cop (voiced by Mel Rodriguez) but would still kill for a final 24 hours with their real father. The twist here is that even though Barley is the one who has all the passion and knowledge about the finding the gem, all the power to get to it has been given to Ian.
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And that's what makes this movie so special, watching the evolution of the relationship between the two brothers and how the brothers affect positive change in each other. I love the portion of the story where Barley gets accidentally shrunk and must completely depend on Ian. Actually, Ian and Barley reminded me a lot of Barry and Adam on the ABC sitcom The Goldbergs. I love when the guys' encounter with a motorcycle gang of pixies as well as a traffic stop where the boys are suspected of driving drunk. The scenes of the guys flying down crowded contemporary roadways on their way to find a magical gem are a lot of fun.
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As always with Disney Pixar, the film has a few too many endings and the twist that opens the final act we definitely don't see coming, but it's worth waiting for a finale that will definitely leave a lump in the throat. The animation is rich and colorful and the voice work superb, with standout work from Pratt, Louis Dreyfuss, and Octavia Spencer as The Manticore. Another fun-filled fantasy from Disney Pixar with a surprisingly contemporary flavor. 4

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Christmas in Connecticut
An enchanting performance by Barbara Stanwyck is the center piece of a sparkling romantic comedy from 1945 called Christmas in Connecticut, an irresistible combination of sophisticated drawing room comedy and silly slapstick, not to mention a terrific supporting cast.
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Stanwyck plays Elizabeth Lane, a magazine writer who has been presenting her life on paper as a wife and mother, who is an amazing cook living on a cozy farm in Connecticut. In reality, Elizabeth is unmarried, childless, and doesn't know how to boil an egg. She finds herself in hot water when the publisher of her magazine invites himself and a handsome war hero to spend Christmas at her farm.
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In order to keep her job, Elizabeth agrees to marry John Sloan, a longtime admirer who she doesn't love, but happens to own a farm. She gets her friend, a restaurant owner named Felix, to accompany her to Connecticut to cook for her, but things become immediately messy when Elizabeth falls in love with the war hero the second she lays eyes on him.
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Screenwriters Lionel Houser and Adele Comandini have created a sophisticated adult comedy that plays a little bit like an extended episode of I Love Lucy which finds the central character pretending to be someone else in order to save her job but doesn't count on actually falling in love. It's so much fun watching Elizabeth's plan to save her job go completely out the window when she actually falls in love, made all the more interesting by the fact that Elizabeth is a woman who has always been about her career and that romance has never been on her agenda. I loved Elizabeth dealing with her fake baby, always referring to her as "it."
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Peter Godfrey's direction is brisk and energetic and gets wonderful performances from a willing cast. Stanwyck is beautifully understated in a role that could have become very silly, but Stanwyck keeps the character steeped in realism. Dennis Morgan is charming as the war hero and Sydney Greenstreet proves to be quite adept at comedy in his role as Elizabeth's boss. Reginald Gardiner is fully invested in the role of the fussy, self-absorbed John Sloan and SZ "Cuddles" Sakall steals every scene he's in as Felix the cook. Mention should also be made of Fredrich Hollander's music that practically narrates the story without intruding. Solid entertainment can still be gleaned from this delicious comedy that's 75 years old. 3.5

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Earth Girls are Easy
The same year she gave her Oscar-winning performance in The Accidental Tourist, Geena Davis also starred in Earth Girls are Easy, a silly and dated comic fantasy with music that offers some imagination, but very little in terms of sense and realism.
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This 1988 film finds Davis playing Valerie, a ditzy manicurist who lives in the Valley, who has just learned about her cheating doctor/fiancee then finds her life turned upside down when a spaceship containing three hairy aliens lands.
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Julie Brown, who also plays Valerie's BFF and Charles Coffey must have co-wrote this silliness while on drugs because there's just a whole lot going on here that just doesn't make sense. I just didn't buy that Valerie took these aliens to the beauty salon where she works so that Brown can shave their hair off and they come out looking like Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey, and Damon Wayans. If their supposed to be aliens, who are different colors when we first meet them, why would they look human under the hair (not to mention that one of them is black)? We also have the expected scene of the aliens learning English after watching TV for ten minutes, but their knowledge of the language and of American pop culture seems to come out of nowhere. It was also aggravating watching poor Valerie still try to reconcile with the cheating doctor throughout.
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And despite the fact that the film takes place in the 1980's, the entire Valley Girl/beach bunny motif that serves as the backdrop for this story just comes off as so dated in 2020. Some of the stereotyped characters that appear, like the stoned pool man played by Michael McKean, just come off as silly and unfunny now.
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The film does contain a handful of songs written by Niles Rodgers and Julie Brown, that, for the most part, just seem to pad the running time. I did enjoy a production number on the beach, led by Julie Brown called "Cause I'm a Blonde", but a solo by Davis called "The Ground You Walk On" is badly dubbed and sounds canned.
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On the positive side, Geena Davis is absolutely delicious in the starring role (and looks incredible), but her performance is grounded in realism and just didn't jive with the nuttiness surrounding her and Charles Rocket was very amusing as the cheating doctor. Davis creates a viable chemistry with Goldblum though. This was the second of three films they made together, which led to an offscreen romance and brief marriage. Carrey and Wayans just seemed to be trying to out-funny each other and because they're working so hard at it, neither of them really succeed. This is basically one of those projects that probably looked better on paper than what ended up onscreen. 2

[Citizen Rules]

I loved Earth Girls are Easy and rated it a 4 for being so crazily whacked that it's fun.

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Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters
Fans of the 1984 instant comedy classic should be enthralled by a 2019 documentary called Cleanin' Up the Town: Remembering Ghostbusters
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A former film editor and cinematographer named Anthony Bueno was the creative force behind this meticulously detailed look at the creation of the surprise box office smash of 1984 that revolutionized movie comedy, an intoxicating combination of improvisational comedy and state of the art special effects. Bueno and his wife, Claire, who co-wrote the screenplay, put 12 years into the making of this documentary
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The documentary follows the film from conception, which is believed to have been Dan Aykroyd's idea, who reveals in this film that the idea for the ghostly comedy actually came from his grandfather, who was a psychologist who studied psychic phenomena. Original casting choices for the film were revealed. Murray, Eddie Murphy, and John Belushi were originally slated to play the three starring roles and John Candy was originally offered the role of Louis Tully.
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The only other "making of" documentary that I've seen was a television special about the making of Raiders of the Lost Ark and I'm not sure why, but that documentary ruined that movie for me and I never had any desire to watch it again. The Buenos have enhanced the power and magic of the film instead of diluting it.
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I was also impressed with the choices of some of the people that the Buenos chose to interview for the film. We are not only privy to interviews with Aykroyd, the late Harold Ramis, Sigorney Weaver, Ernie Hudson, William Atherton, and Annie Potts, we also get thoughts on the film making experience from Ann Drummond, who played the librarian in the opening scene, David Margulies who played the Mayor, Michael Ensign who played the hotel manager, and Jennifer Runyeon who was the college student in Murray's opening scene. It became apparent early on that we weren't going to hear from Bill Murray, which was a bit of a disappointment, but it didn't hurt the film.
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What this documentary does nail is the extraordinary technology involved in bringing this comic classic to the screen and there's a whole lot of technical talk that spins the head at times, but, just as effectively, conjures up memories of this classic comedy, reminding us what a special film it was. 4

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Five Easy Pieces
An explosive, raw nerve of a performance by the iconic Jack Nicholson anchors 1970's Five Easy Pieces, an off-beat and often humorous character study that poses a few more questions about the central character than it answers, but never fails to rivet the viewer to the screen.
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Nicholson plays Bobby Dupea, a hard-drinking, womanizing, loose cannon who works on an oil rig and is feeling somewhat trapped in his relationship with a sweet and slightly ditzy waitress named Rayell. Bobby learns that his father has taken ill and reluctantly takes a road trip, accompanied by Rayell, to see his father, a trip where bits and pieces of Bobby's past come into focus, offering some insight into the man he is.
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Bob Rafelson, who also collaborated with Nicholson on Head, The King of Marvin Gardens, and the '81 remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice, directed and co-wrote this scenic postcard character study that actual tells two different stories. The first story introduces us to this rebel without a cause Bobby who lives by the seat of his pants and with complete lack of filter. The second half of the film offers insight into what made the man we met in the first half of the film who he is.
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We don't really understand a scene early on in the film where Bobby jumps on a truck on a crowded highway, finds a piano on the truck and starts playing. However, it is revealed later that Bobby was once a promising concert pianist and gave it up. His trip back home reveals some of the circumstances that may have led to the end of Bobby's musical career, but it is never really spelled out, leaving a lot of what happened to the viewer's imagination, which I suspect was not an accident.
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This film did carve itself a niche in cinema history for one classic scene in which Bobby is in a diner having difficulty ordering an omelet and a side of wheat toast, but there is so much more to offer here as Nicholson gets to play the gamut of emotions here and nails them all. Watch the scene where he tries to keep his best friend (Billy Green Bush) from being arrested or his final conversation with his father, who is unable to speak. This scene definitely left a lump in my throat.
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Nicholson's tour-de-force performance is a winning combination of humor and intensity that earned him the second of his career twelve Oscar nominations, his first for Outstanding Lead Actor. Karen Black earned the only Oscar nomination of her career as the vulnerable and broken Rayell. Also loved Susan Anspach as Bobby's sister-in-law and Helena Kallianiotes as a butch hitchhiker. There's even a brief appearance from All in the Family's Sally Struthers in an eye-opening performance. The film also features superb cinematography from the legendary Lazlo Kovacs and music that is an initially unsettling combination of classic piano music and Tammy Wynette songs. And the final scene offered a shocking twist that this reviewer didn't see coming and bumped up the rating. A 50 year old classic that still delivers the goods. 4

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The Gentlemen
The last film I saw directed by Guy Richie was the live action version of Disney's Aladdin, but the director has returned to his comfort zone with 2019's The Gentlemen, a stylish and bloody crime drama that works thanks to a surprisingly clever double-layered story and the endlessly imaginative directorial eye of the director.
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The story initially revolves around Mickey Pearson, an American drug dealer who owns a marijuana growing empire located in London, who is now trying to sell the business, which triggers various blackmail, bribery, and extortion plots. Wrapped around this story as its initial hook, is an aspiring reporter and filmmaker named Fletcher, who has been following Pearson's business dealings for years and has fashioned what he knows into a screenplay that he is trying to sell to Raymond, Pearson's # 2 man, for a hefty sum, even though he doesn't have the whole story.
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Richie, of course, put himself on the map with films like Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, two films I have never seen but watching this film definitely motivated my going back and checking out these earlier works. This film is one of those deliciously intricate crime dramas that not only unfolds in flashback, but unfolds in starts and stops, implying that what we're witnessing may or may not have happened exactly as we're seeing, but more importantly, that we don't have the whole story and that complete attention is required.
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Other classic film dramas did flash through my head as I watched this bloody acid trip of a crime adventure. This central character, Mickey Pearson comes off as a bone-chilling cross between Tony Montana in Scarface and Kaiser Sose in The Usual Suspects. With each scene that Pearson appears in, the size of his power grows as does the length of his reach. A frightening meeting with a heroine dealer who he has already poisoned before sitting down with him brings this point home.
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Those more familiar with Richie's work will not be surprised by the stylish, almost theatrical approach to presenting this story, and Richie never allows us to forget that it is a story, constructing his own 4th wall for us through proven cinematic trickery. The film employs endlessly inventive camerawork, with a sterling assist from film editors James Herbert and Paul Machliss. The cast effectively serves Richie's work with standout work from Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey in an icy star turn as Mickey Pearson. Charlie Hunnam, Colin Farrell, and especially Hugh Grant also make every moment they have onscreen count. Fans of Richie will find a lot of gold here and newcomers to the directors' work but fans of the genre should find treasure here too. 4

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GI Blues
After the success of two his best films, Jailhouse Rock and King Creole, Elvis Presley's film career took a serious backslide with a flimsy outing from 1960 called GI Blues, which features a really tuneful score and an offbeat choice of leading lady, but suffers due to a badly dated storyline and some less than stellar production values.
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Elvis plays Tulsa McLean, an army soldier stationed in East Germany who is planning to open a nightclub back home with two of his army buddies. In order to make the money he needs to open his club, he gets in on a bet that a ladies man in his unit named Dynamite can spend the night with a beautiful nightclub dancer named Lili (Juliet Prowse). Unfortunately, Dynamite gets transferred out of the unit and guess who's drafted to take his place in seducing the beautiful dancer?
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Edmond Beloin and Henry Gibson are responsible for the rather skimpy screenplay that really doesn't play too well in 2020. There have been several Broadway musicals, Guys and Dolls and My Fair Lady among them, whose plots are centered on the concept of a bet, but these bets always seem to have a sexist component to them and that is definitely the case here. I also found the military motif for the story to be rather superfluous...the setting of the film is supposedly 1960 and I don't think there was any war going on at the time, but for guys who are supposed to be in the military, they seemed to have an awful lot of free time, During Tulsa's first date with Lili, there are a half dozen soldiers following them all over town...these soldiers have nothing else to do?
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My other problem with this film was a serious lack of care to production values. All of the musical numbers sound canned and Elvis' lip-synching to his own voice doesn't match the sound he produced recording the numbers in the sound studio. There is one song called "Pocketful of Rainbows" that Elvis and Prowse sing together, but when Prowse sings, her voice sounds like it's in a tunnel a thousand miles away from Elvis. She also kisses him at the end of the number, while the vocal track is still singing. It should also be mentioned that despite being set in Germany, it is more than obvious that most of this film never left a Hollywood soundstage.
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On the plus side, Juliet Prowse was an unusual choice of leading lady and her dance numbers were definitely among the film's few highlights. I also thought Elvis had one of the better scores he has had to sing here including "Frankfort Special", "Tonight is so Right for Love" "Shoppin Around", "Didja Ever" and the jazzy title tune. Granted, this was only Elvis' fifth film, but after Jailhouse Rock and King Creole, this Elvis outing was a real disappointment, Elvis does look great in an army uniform though. 2

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Pete Davidson: Alive From New York
I have to confess that I have always found Pete Davidson hysterically funny on Saturday Night Live, so my curiosity was naturally piqued when I happened upon this 2020 concert because, outside of Eddie Murphy, I don't recall a lot of SNL cast members doing stand-up. Sadly, the show did not live up to my expectations.
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Davidson joined the cast of SNL at the age of 20, making him one of the youngest performers ever cast on the show. Over the years, he has provided his share of comedy and controversy, the latter courtesy of his openness about his drug use, his making fun of Congressman Dan Crenshaw for his eye patch during a segment of "Weekend Update", and for his brief romance and engagement to singer Ariana Grande. It goes without saying that all these issues get addressed with Davidson's very twisted comic eye.
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Before he gets to these issues, he starts the show off with a very funny story about Louis CK ratting him out to Lorne Michaels for smoking weed in his SNL dressing room. Unfortunately, this story ends up being the funniest thing in the show.
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Davidson is a funny guy but I'm just not sure if stand-up is his forte. He spends a lot of time onstage looking at the floor and fidgeting and his transitions from subject to subject are uncomfortably abrupt. There are certain things he said that came off like they were things that got big laughs from his stoner buddies but this reviewer just didn't get.
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There were scattered laughs provided from his views on gay man/straight woman relationships, but his biggest laughs came from his tirade on Ariana Grande, which also contained the most venom. He concluded the show with some oddly unfunny stories about his father, who died in 911, which were more strange than funny. This concert made me think that Pete Davidson is a lot funnier when he is given a character to portray because the odd guy doing this stand-up wasn't nearly as funny as the guy I've been watching on SNL since 2014. 3

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The Panic in Needle Park
Some striking directorial touches and solid performances from the stars make 1971's The Panic in Needle Park a gritty and uncompromising look at addiction that still rivets the viewer despite slightly dated elements.
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The story is set at the corner of Broadway and 72nd Street near the entrance to Central Park, which is known as Needle Park, as it has become a refuge, shopping center, and gathering place for heroin addicts. In his second film, Al Pacino plays Bobby, a two bit hustler and drug addict who hooks up with Helen (Kitty Winn), a homeless girl who has just left her boyfriend after aborting his baby. The attraction between the two is immediate and it doesn't take Helen long to catch onto who Bobby is and tries to turn a blind eye to the life he leads. Things change though when Helen also begins shooting heroin, sending this pathetic couple on a downward spiral of addiction, betrayal, and crime that threatens to tear apart their toxic relationship at every turn.
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The premise and setting of this story is definitely dated because drug dealing and using openly in Central Park is something that stopped decades ago. What the story does nail though is the concept of addiction and where it leads people. We see how it is impossible for an addict to be in a relationship with someone who is not an addict and the scene where Helen decides the only way to make the relationship work is to start using, though our hearts sink, we aren't really surprised. Helen's addiction takes a predictable path to prostitution and theft and it's sickening when Bobby supports what she's doing if it will support his habit. In the character of Bobby's older brother, we see the saddest kind of addict...the self-declared recreational user who doesn't realize that he has already crossed that line over recreation into addiction.
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The other thing that really makes this film the effectively uncomfortable experience it is has to be credited to Jerry Schatzberg, a former professional photographer who became a director and it his skill with a camera lens that makes this often harrowing film experience so startling at times. Schatzberg shows unparalleled skill with the steady cam and the hand-held camera that thrust viewer right into the center of the action and often, we don't really want to be there. The scene where Bobby suffers an overdose in a hooker's apartment is shot almost exclusively with a hand-held camera with such an unapologetic viewpoint that the viewer is tempted to look away. I also love the way the camera lovingly follows Helen when she shoots heroine for the first time.
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Schatzberg's on location shooting in Manhattan is also a huge asset to creating the story's dark atmosphere. Al Pacino delivers a performance of such power that it's hard to believe that this was only his second film. He brings an explosive unpredictability to Bobby that brings unbearable tension to the story. Kitty Winn is equally impressive in the complicated role of Helen and never allows Pacino to blow her off the screen. Alan Vint and Richard Bright provide solid support as an undercover cop and Bobby's brother, respectively, but it is Schatzberg's brassy direction and the performances by Pacino and Winn that make this one still sizzle. 3.5

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The Way Back
A solid performance from Ben Affleck in the starring role notwithstanding, 2020's The Way Back is a curiously tiresome character study that suffers due to a messy screenplay that has gaping storyholes, tries to cover too much territory and a lot of that territory is borrowed from other movies.
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Affleck plays Jack Cunningham, an alcoholic construction worker who is separated from his wife and has never gotten over the death of his nine year old son. Jack was the star of his high school basketball team who walked away from the sport without any explanation after high school. He is thrown a lifeline when he is offered the job of head basketball coach at his old alma mater.
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The story tries to become more complex as Jack begins making inroads with the team, but the scene involving the basketball team and the players are given short shrift and they are all reminiscent of scenes that we've in other movies. Anyone who has seen Coach Carter, Blue Chips, or Hoosiers will recognize this section of the film, rich with stereotyped characters like the cocky player who thinks the team is nothing without him, the insecure player who is really the star and doesn't know it, and the kid who is more interested in girls than basketball.
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Of course, just as the story has us behind poor Jack and what he's doing with these boys, it completely degenerates into predictable, schmaltzy melodrama, resembling an overlong commercial for Alcoholics Anonymous.
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Gavin O'Connor. who directed Affleck in The Accountant, just seems out of his element here. His overly stylized direction is more suited to action films like The Accountant than with character stories like this. Ben Affleck works very hard in the role of Jack Cunningham, offering one of his strongest performances, rivaling his work in Gone Girl and Hollywoodland, but the muddy screenplay is fighting him all the way. His performance does make the film worth a look. 3

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The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Director and screenwriter Andrew Dominik triumphed with a probing psychological examination of a real life folk legend through the people who were actually in his orbit called The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, a haunting and handsomely mounted melange of western drama and biopic that was robbed of a 2007 Best Picture Nomination.
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It is Missouri in the year 1882 when we are introduced to Jesse James and his small gang of criminal "sidekicks", one of whom is the older brother of Robert Ford. Robert Ford is a sensitive 19-yer old who has worshiped James ever since he was a child and has made it his mission in life to become part of James' gang. By making inroads through Jesse's older brother Frank James, Robert finally finds himself face to face with his idol, inches away from his dream becoming a reality. It's not long before Robert begins to see his hero in a more realistic light and hero worship turns to resentment, which leads to Robert's somewhat reluctant part in his idol's downfall.
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Dominek's Oscar-worthy screenplay is actually based on a novel by Ron Hansen, implying that not everything we see here is completely factual, but what Dominek has crafted here, wrapped around a poetically beautiful narration, probably my favorite narration of a film ever, is a look at a legend from subjective observers that may have colored exactly who Jesse James was, but provided a look at the folk idol that we have never seen before.
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Jesse James has had a history of being portrayed as a cold-blooded killer who treated murder as a sport and made his victims turn their back to him before shooting them. The Jesse presented in this film is highly intelligent, completely trusting of no one, and only kills in the name of self-preservation. The murders we see Jesse commit in this film are always committed far from probing eyes and are only committed in the act of self-preservation.
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Even more fascinating than the presentation of James in this film is the relationship between James and young Robert Ford. The child-like innocence in Robert's eyes during his initial confrontation with Jesse is quite ingratiating. I loved the scene in which Robert rattles off the similarities between himself and Jesse and Jesse is clearly unimpressed. And this is the scene that triggers the change in Robert's feelings that give his relationship with Jesse an almost biblical connotation, where their relationship begins to resemble the relationship between Jesus Christ and Judas Iscariot...an uncomfortable blend of betrayal and mutual respect that often blurs and confuses them and us. The film also fascinates during its very disturbing denoument, in which we see Ford and many others turn James' death into a marketing empire.
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This is film is gorgeous to look at, thanks primarily to Oscar-nominated cinematography by this year's winner in that category, Roger Deakins, creating cinematic pictures that looked like paintings. The film also features superior art direction, film editing, sound, and music. Brad Pitt gives one of his most explosive performances as the enigmatic James and Casey Affleck lights up the screen as the conflicted Robert Ford, an endlessly rich performance that earned Affleck his first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Some might have considered the film a tad overlong, but I never looked at my watch. This was a film of haunting beauty that mesmerized this reviewer. 4.5

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Slap Shot
Four years after collaborating on the Best Picture Oscar winner The Sting, Paul Newman and director George Roy Hill reunited for Slap Shot, a gloriously raunchy 1977 comedy that combines seriously black humor , over the top slapstick, and surprisingly three-dimensional characters, delivering consistently delicious entertainment executed by a winning cast.
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Newman stars as Reggie Dunlop, the aging player/coach of a fourth rate Federal League hockey team called the Charlestown Chiefs who haven't been filling arenas for quite awhile and are in danger of being disbanded. In an effort to save the team and his own career, Reggie decides that the way to get fans back in the seats is for the team to get down and dirty on the ice, which puts Reggie in direct conflict with an idealistic rookie named Ned (Michel Ontkean). Reggie also decides the way to boost the morale of the team is by starting a rumor that the team might be purchased for a franchise in Florida.
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Off the ice, Reggie is still desperately in love with his wife (Jennifer Warren), who he is separated from because she loves him but hates hockey. Ned is also having marital troubles with his icy and bitter spouse (Lindsey Crouse), who actually begins to catch Reggie's eye. This complicated triangle actually is the inspired hook to the outrageous finale of this one of a kind comedy.
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Oscar winning screenwriter Nancy Dowd (Coming Home) has provided a rowdy and sexy story that's rich with outrageous characters, sexual debauchery and enough cinematic testosterone to fill three or four sports-themed movies. This movie provides consistent hilarity throughout without ever straying from realism, thanks primarily to characters who are funny because they are so human.
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George Roy Hills's direction supplies just the right amount of breeziness that the comedy requires while providing a semblance of discipline to his cast. Paul Newman embraces a very welcome change of pace here and seems to have a ball doing it. I can't remember the last time I've enjoyed watching Newman this much. Strother Martin, who starred with Newman in Cool Hand Luke, also takes advantage of a change of pace as the Chiefs' greasy manager. A minor comedy classic that has never really gotten the attention it deserved. 4

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The Shop Around the Corner
The film has inspired two film remakes and a Broadway musical, but I don't think any of them hold a candle to 1940's The Shop Around the Corner, an enchanting and sophisticated comedy/drama that still entertains after all these years thanks to a clever story that never falls into predictability, smooth direction from one of the masters of the era, and some sparkling performances.
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The story is actually set in Budapest, Hungary and stars James Stewart as Alfred Kralis, the head sales clerk in a gift shop who has been secretly corresponding with a young woman he met through a newspaper ad. A young woman named Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan) cons her way into a job at the shop and she and Alfred immediately start butting heads. It is soon revealed that Klara also has a pen pal that she has fallen in love with. Three guesses who Alfred and Klara are corresponding with? The story also introduces a subplot involving Klara and Alfred's boss (Frank Morgan), whose often insensitive treatment of his employees reveals to be in connection with domestic troubles of his own.
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Samuel Raphael's screenplay, based on a play by Nikolaus Lazlo, is an irresistible blend of star-crossed romance, heartwarming sentiment, and best of all, surprising unpredictability. The basic premise of this film appears to be pretty basic and the viewer is pretty certain they know exactly what they are going to see, but the path to the happy ending that we expect is twisted and layered and goes in a couple of directions we never see coming at all. The story of Klara and Alfred's boss really comes out of nowhere and adds an underlying layer to the story that is an unexpected delight.
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I was also impressed by the intelligence and sophistication of the characters involved and how, despite the fact that the film is essentially a comedy, most of the characters are adults and behave as such. The scene of Sullavan making the sale that leads to her being hired, the scene where Alfred is fired and is saying goodbye to his co-workers, the scene where Stewart and Morgan mend their fences, are a flawless marriage of the smile and a lump in the throat.
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A lot of the credit for this has to go to legendary director Ernst Lubitsch, whose loving service to this lovely story is evident in every frame. What could have been a very predictable movie battle of the sexes becomes a full-bodied story that warms the heart and never makes us upset for having to wait for that happy ending. Lubitsch creates a warm romantic story with just the slightest air of sexual tension between the leads that gives the story an adult romantic air, done with style and taste.
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James Stewart gives one of his most charming performances, on par with the performance that won him an Oscar the same year (The Philadelphia Story) and Margaret Sullavan brings an ethereal, almost Audrey Hepburn quality to her Klara. Frank Morgan also brings the just right combination of warmth and bluster to his boss, a rich performance that should have earned him a supporting actor nomination. Also loved Felix Bessart as Stewart's co-worker, who disappears every time the boss asks for an honest opinion and William Tracy as an ambitious delivery boy. If I had one small continuity quibble, it might be the fact that the film is set in Hungary, but Stewart and Sullavan do not employ any kind of accent in their characterizations.
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MGM remade the film as a musical nine years later called In the Good Old Summertime with Judy Garland and Van Johnson in the leads. The film was re-thought as a Broadway musical in 1964 called She Loves Me with Barbara Cook and Jack Cassidy playing the leads and was again re-thought for the screen as You've Got Mail, which was the third onscreen pairing of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. And though I've said this about other films, I'm a little surprised that I'm saying it in this case but, stick to the original. 4

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Talk to Me (2007)
A charismatic performance by Don Cheadle in the starring role does make the 2007 biopic Talk to Me worth a look, despite heavy-handed direction and a screenplay that employs every show biz biopic cliche in the book.
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Cheadle plays, Ralph "Petey" Greene, a Washington DC convict who gets hired as a DJ at a small DC radio station with the aid of a straight-laced radio executive named Dewey Hughes (Chiwetel Ejiofor) where he becomes an instant sensation with his outspoken opinions and colorful language, eventually parlaying his minor celebrity into becoming a standup comic, talk show host, and civil rights activist.
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It's difficult to believe that this Petey Greene was a real person and not just because I had never heard of him prior to seeing this film. It's hard to believe because the cliche-ridden screenplay contains every scene that we've all seen in a thousand other biopics, except this time the characters are mostly black. We're not surprised when our hero talks his way out of prison during the opening five minutes of the film and then spends the rest of the film reminding anyone he talks to that he used to be in prison. We also get the expected defying the boss at his first job scene, the rise to success montage, and the eventual fall of grace after getting to the top of the mountain, in this case, an appearance on The Tonight Show. I knew we were in trouble when he finally gets his first shot on the radio and has to run to the bathroom and throw up before he can go on the air.
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Kasi Lemmons, who directed Harriet, presides over the proceedings with a heavy and melodramatic hand, consisting of a lot of headache-inducing camera work and a general air of pretension over most of the film, trying to make everything we're seeing a lot more important than it is. This becomes evident during the second half of the film where we see a complete change in Greene after the assassination of Martin Luther King, that happens too quickly to be completely believable.
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Don Cheadle is a wonderful actor and it was because of him that I watched this film. He does not disappoint, splendid as usual, even though he is fighting the screenplay all the way. Ejiofor starts off promisingly but his performance becomes overly mannered as does Taraji P, Henson, in a performance that makes Cookie Lyon look like Meryl Streep in The French Lieutenant's Woman, Lemmon's husband, Vondie Curtis Hall makes his required appearance in one of his wife's films as a rival DJ, but this one was a real disappointment. 2

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Melinda and Melinda
The effectiveness of comedy versus tragedy as storytelling tools as well as lifestyle lessons are examined with middling success by Woody Allen in a 2004 oddity entitled Melinda and Melinda which is hampered by Allen's lack of complete commitment to his premise, but is made watchable because of some wonderful acting by a winning ensemble cast.
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The film opens with a quartet of New York playwrights sitting in a Manhattan eatery discussing the merits of comedy versus tragedy and how almost any story can be told in a comic or tragic manner. One of the writers then sets up a very basic story premise and asks his dinner companions if the story would make a better comedy or tragedy.
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The fictional premise established is that a young woman named Melinda Robicheaux arrives in Manhattan and interrupts a dinner party saying she needs a place to stay and this is where the comic and tragic stories separate for the most part. In the drama, Melinda is an old college roommate of the hostess and one of her guests. In the comedy, Melinda is a complete stranger to all the dinner party guests who happens upon the apartment after swallowing a bunch of sleeping pills and that's where the similarities in the two stories end...or so we think.
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Leave it to Woody to take one story and tell it two completely different ways, but the stories are not as different as we are led to believe at the beginning of the film. It becomes apparent quickly that Melinda's presence in the home is going to affect the marriages of the hosts of the dinner party but the effects are not what we see coming at all. More similarities and more differences in the two stories continue to materialize as the film progresses, but the point the playwrights are discussing at the beginning of the film is never really resolved.
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This was my second viewing of this film and one of the reasons I didn't review it the first time I watched it because I really didn't understand what Allen was trying to do here. The tragic story has comic elements and the comic story has tragic elements and Woody never commits to one story being more effective than the other and I realize now that this was Woody's point all along...that all stories combine comedy and tragedy, but this made for a rather confusing film experience. The tragic story didn't move me to tears or leave a lump in the throat and the comic version never had me rolling on the floor with laughter.
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What does make the film worth a look is some really terrific acting by a wonderful cast. Rahda Mitchell is absolutely luminous as the two Melindas, creating two distinctly different characters who are actually one. Chloe Sevigny, Amanda Peet, Jonny Lee Miller, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and especially Will Ferrell (playing this film's version of Woody) also provide solid support to both stories. As always, production values are first rate, especially Woody's flawless taste in music, and for Woody-philes, definitely worth a look. 3

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Christine (2016)
Christine is a somber and heavy-handed docudrama about Christine Chubbuck, a field news reporter at a small Sarasota, Florida television station who claimed immortality during the summer of 1974 when she committed suicide on air during a live television broadcast.
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This low-budget indie introduces the viewer to Chubbock at a point in her career where she is feeling unappreciated at her job and completely stressed out. It turns out that her personal life is not much more satisfying than her professional one. Health problems lead her to a doctor who advises surgery that may render her unable to bear children. Eventually, it comes to light that Christine's real problem is serious clinical depression, even though nobody seems to realize it.
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The story of Christine Chubbuck is definitely a story worthy of a screen treatment, but she deserves a better one than she gets here. The primary problem with this story is that the screenplay by Craig Shilowich (Marriage Story) is vague and meandering and we really have no idea what's going on with this women until two thirds of the way into the film. When we first meet Christine, she is an ambitious woman all about her work who is constantly butting heads with her boss over the quality of her work. She thinks everything she does is gold and can't take constructive criticism at all. She is a social hermit who keeps everyone in her life at arm's length, including her own mother, who she lives with. Her mother knocks on her door to speak to her and she converses with her through the door, not allowing her to come in. The writing is cliched and unimaginative. I was shocked to learn that this film was written by the screenwriter of Marriage Story.
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We know this woman is terribly unhappy, but the audience is completely kept in the dark as to why until the final act. The character doesn't even crack a smile until said final act, and when we finally are privy to some of the issues that have her in such an emotional vacuum, we almost don't care anymore because we've been kept in the dark for so much of the story. The scene where she is tricked into a group therapy session and actually talks about what's troubling her is where the film starts to come alive, but by that time, it's too little too late.
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This is a sad story on an important topic. Discussion of clinical depression is necessary because it is seemingly a very hard thing to diagnose, but this film just seems to have been done on the cheap. It's low budget is apparent throughout and the casting is on par with a LIFETIME TV movie. Rebecca Hall works very hard in the title role, but the performance is kind of one-note and hard to latch onto. Michael C Hall and Tracey Letts make the most of their roles as an anchorman and Christine's boss, respectively, but this film is lethargic and uninteresting for most of its running time and it really shouldn't be. 2

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Major League
Movies about rag tag sports teams beating the odds are a dime a dozen, but 1989's Major League manages to rise above its predictability thanks to some colorful characters brought to life by a perfect cast.
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The Cleveland Indians haven't had a winning season in 34 years and the new female owner of the team has brokered a deal to move the franchise to Florida and rebuild the team there on the promise that the Indians finish dead last. So she hires a catcher with bad knees from the Mexican League (Tom Berenger), a hot-headed pitcher fresh out of prison (Charlie Sheen) who has an amazing fast ball but no control of it, a voodoo worshiping hitter (Dennis Haysbert) who can't hit curve balls, and a spoiled outfielder (Corbin Bernsen) who doesn't mind making a play as long as it doesn't muss his hair, among others, to make sure the team goes down the tubes. Unbeknownst to the owner, the team gets wind of her plan and guess what happens?
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Director and screenwriter David S. Ward, who won an Oscar for writing the 1973 Best Picture Oscar winner The Sting has taken a well worn cinematic formula and brought fresh life to it by populating the story with outrageous characters who are still steeped in realism and make us care about them. We even have a player named Willie Mays Hayes (played with just the right amount of slick by Wesley Snipes) who shows up to spring training uninvited and earns himself a spot on the team. We also get just the right sized peek into these guys' personal lives as it's revealed that Berenger's character is still hung up on his ex-wife and Bernsen's marriage isn't it all it seems to be.
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There's nothing here we haven't seen before, but the story is mounted with sincerity and a surprising amount of intelligence for a sports film. I love the scene near the beginning where the players learn whether or not they have made the team not by direct communication from the coaching staff, but by going to their lockers and hoping that their isn't a small piece of red construction paper hanging in their locker. Honestly, as the guys enter the locker room, we know who's going to make it, but Ward still manages to establish a palatable tension in the scene.
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Ward also pulls some winning performances from his cast. Tom Berenger's catcher, Jake Taylor, is a perfect moral center of the team and Sheen's stone-faced work as Wild Thing perfectly fits the character. Snipes and Haysbert steal every scene they're in and Rene Russo impresses in her second film appearance as Jake's ex. Also loved the late James Gammon as Coach Lou and can't leave wrap this without mentioning the delicious scenery-chewing from the late Margaret Whitton as the bitchy team owner. What it lacks in originality it makes up in energy and an appropriate dash of warm sentiment. 3.5

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Mr. Church
A beautifully understated performance by Eddie Murphy in the title role, playing a character unlike anything he has ever done, is the centerpiece of 2016's Mr. Church a warm and emotionally charged drama of friendship and family, rich with lump-in-the-throat moments, that overcomes elements of predictability thanks to a star working clearly out of his element and a proven commodity in the director's chair.
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Henry Joseph Church is a gourmet cook who, upon the death of his employer, is sent to cook for the employer's lover, Marie, a beautiful woman dying of cancer who has a pre-teen daughter named Charlotte. Marie bonds with Mr. Church immediately, but Charlotte is a harder sell, though eventually melting into a friendship with Mr. Church that would last long after her mother's death.
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Susan McMartin's intricate screenplay, based on a true story, is a story that takes a somewhat expected path but brings levels to the story that we don't see coming. An initially troubling layer is added to the story from jump when it is revealed through a scene with Mr. Church and Marie that Charlotte doesn't know her mother is dying and this was my one problem with the story...I didn't mind that Charlotte didn't know her mother was sick, but the story never provides the moment where Charlotte does learn about her mother's condition and skips directly to her caring for her mom, knowing that she hasn't much time left. I also loved the way Charlotte fights Mr. Church's presence in her home, but never disguises the fact that she loves his cooking.
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The initial relationship established between Mr. Church and the dying Marie was a joy to watch. Marie calmly accepts what her lover did for her and there is an instant understanding between them that is quite moving. The mutual respect between them was lovely...I loved the way he always called her "ma'am" and she always called him "Mr. Church."
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The crafting of the Mr. Church character was also quite appealing...the character was quiet and intelligent , artistic, and well read. He cherished his privacy the way the screenplay did, providing minimal backstory for the character so that when bits and pieces of backstory come to light, the audience feels rewarded.
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Bruce Beresford, who directed Robert Duvall to an Oscar in Tender Mercies and Jessica Tandy to an Oscar in Driving Miss Daisy provides sensitive and detailed direction to this story, perhaps allowing the story to unfold a bit too slowly, but guiding the viewer to feel what they're supposed to feel through his camera and his storytelling eye.
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Production values are first rate, with standout work from film editor David Beatty. Eddie Murphy delivers a performance of such substance and depth, unlike anything he has ever done. It was so unsettling watching Murphy play a character completely devoid of ego, definitely a departure for him, but delivering a performance like this was the only kind of character he has ever played. Anna Paquin look-alike Britt Robertson gives an intelligent and warm performance as Charlotte and the beautiful Natascha McElhone is enchanting in the performance of her career as Marie. But it is Eddie Murphy who quietly owns this very special motion picture experience. A must for Murphy fans and, more importantly, for non-Murphy fans who will be pleasantly surprised. 4

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Dolittle
Despite incredible production values and the expected splendid performance from Robert Downey Jr., 2020's Dolittle, the third version of the classic Hugh Lofton character, is an overblown and overly complex look at the doctor who talks to animals where the real problem lies in the basic premise of the film.
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The film begins after the death of Dolittle's wife, where he has cut himself off from normal society and lives behind closed gates with his large menagerie of animals. Dolittle is summoned to the bedside of a dying Queen Victoria where he is asked to travel to a mysterious island that has a tree which contains the medicine which is believed to be a cure for the monarch.
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This story first came to the screen as a dreadful musical in 1967 with Rex Harrison playing the good doctor and the only animal who actually spoke was his beloved parrot, Polynesia. Eddie Murphy brought the character back to the screen in 1998 with the animals all voiced by celebrities. Screenwriter/director Stephen Gaughan, who won an Oscar for the screenplay to Traffic has tried to incorporate elements from both previous versions and added new layers of his own, but it doesn't really work because the entire premise of this film spits in the face of the original concept of the character of John Dolittle: Dolittle is supposed to have turned his back on humans because he likes treating animals better than he likes people. Why would John Dolittle put himself and his entire animal family at risk for the very human Queen Victoria?
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The film provides Dolittle with a new backstory that does connect with the finale (though, for reasons I couldn't fathom, was animated). The character of young Tommy Stubbins, who was introduced in the '67 film as pretty much a glorified cameo, is beefed up here but seemingly just to pad running time. The journey to the mysterious island is a labored one, which actually climaxed with a confrontation with a fire breathing dragon which, considering the story that is being told here, smacked of cliche. This movie attempts to capture the spirit behind both of the previous Dolittles, but seems to be mocking them. Gaughan's screenplay even incorporates contemporary pop culture references and language that were completely out of place in the period setting.
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There are some positives here. The film is sumptuously mounted with superb production values, with standout art direction, film editing, and sound. No expense was spared to bring this film to fruition and it aids the enjoyment a bit. Robert Downey Jr. is superb in the title role, employing a decent Welsh accent and there is outstanding voice work for the animals, especially Emma Thompson as Polynesia, Rami Malek as the gorilla named Chee Chee, John Cena as a polar bear named Yoshi, Ralph Fienines as Barry the tiger, and Jason Mantzoukas as a firefly named James, but a great film is dependent on a great story and the story here just didn't work for this reviewer. 2.5

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Louis CK: Hilarious
The same year his FX comedy series Louis premiered, Louis CK also found time to film a very funny stand up concert called Louis CK: Hilarious. The 2010 concert gets off to a slow start, but does end up delivering some big laughs.
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Performing in front of a sold out audience at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Louis starts the show with a lot of self-deprecating humor where he feels the need to explain the audience how stupid he is and how ugly he is. We've heard this kind of humor from a million other comics and it all just comes off as kind of forced, even if it did get big laughs from the live audience.
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The show picks up though when Louis gets off himself and starts commenting on society and telling actual stories that he witnessed. He had me on the floor when he started talking about New Millenium technology and how we, as a society, are so unappreciative of the miracles of modern technology. It initially seems a little dated when he talks about people complaining about their cell phones never working, but everything he says is something we have all heard people say at one time or another. This led into an equally funny routine about the miracle of flying and how we also take it for granted. Can't remember the last time I heard the Wright Brothers referenced in a comedy routine.
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His story about a man in a wheelchair being stopped at airport security garnered huge laughs. Louis proves to being a gifted storyteller, which was definitely the strongest part of the show. He got his biggest laughs telling stories centered around events he actually witnessed. Also loved his diatribe on society's misuse and overuse of certain words like "amazing" and "hilarious." On the other hand, one of the biggest laughs he got was when a cameraman got a little too intrusive.
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Like a lot of stand ups, Louis was also able to garner huge laughs about his two daughters. These stories made it obvious that Louis is raising these girls on his own and is often clueless about what he's doing. Though his adult take on what his daughters are thinking and not always saying is roll on the floor hilarious. The stories of preparing breakfast for one daughter and a big accident in the bathroom had me on the floor. The show was a little slow getting started, but Louis CK definitely knows how to bring the funny. 4

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Hollywood Shuffle
Robert Townsend was the creative force behind a slightly dated but often very clever comic farce from 1987 called Hollywood Shuffle that takes some very accurate pot shots at the foibles of being a black actor in white Hollywood.
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Townsend plays Bobby Taylor, a struggling young actor who finally nabs his first role in a movie called "Jivetime Jimmy's Revenge", that not only has him questioning his career as an actor, but his principles as a black man.
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The screenplay by Townsend and Keenan Ivory Wayans is a somewhat effective combination of a realistic look at a black actor struggling to make it in Hollywood and some very effective pot shots at tinsel town, including a hysterically funny commercial for something called the Black Acting School, a spoof of Siskel and Ebert and spoofs of Sam Spade, Dirty Harry, and Zombie movies.
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Though the point of the movie is driven home with a slight sledgehammer effect, the message Townsend is trying to communicate comes through loud and clear. It's no accident that the writer and director of "Jivetime Jimmy's Revenge" are white and we're not surprised when on the first day of filming, Bobby is told by the director that he needs to be "more black", but the influence his baby brother has on his career choices are a little hard to take.
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Townsend brings strength, sincerity, and sensitivity to the role of Bobby Taylor and co-screenwriter Wayans has some funny moments in a dual role as a fast food co-worker of Bobby's and a movie bad guy named Jheri Curl. A couple of other familiar faces pop up along the way including Damon Wayans, Franklyn Ajaye, Paul Mooney and John Witherspoon, but this is Townsend's show, though a lot of it is kind of dated, there are still laughs to be found here. 3

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Bad Boys for Life
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return for what is hopefully the final installment of the franchise, 2020's Bad Boys for Life, an overblown cops and robbers movie that falters because of a problematic screenplay and leads who are just too old to be making these kind of movies.
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The film opens with Marcus Burnett (Lawrence) celebrating the birth of his first grandchild and seriously contemplating retirement. Marcus has to put his retirement on hold when partner Mike Lowrey (Smith) gets shot and the investigation into the shooting leads to a mother and son operating an international drug cartel.
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The long winded screenplay spends too much time establishing the differences between Mike and Marcus, which were already made crystal clear in the first film, way back in 1995. The dialogue is straight out of a million other crime dramas, which is another problem with this story that differs from the first film...the humor that permeated the first two films is non-existent here, though Martin is given what is supposedly all of the funny lines in the film, but I didn't find much humor here.
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There was also a giant plot hole that nagged at me throughout. Mike gets shot and we see Marcus and his fellow officers gathered around his bed as he hangs on for dear life. All of a sudden, the story skips six months and Mike asks his boss (Joe Pantoliano) to work on the case. It appears that the force has made little or no progress regarding who shot Mike except for the make of the bullets removed from Mike's body. What the hell were these guys doing for six months? Not to mention the reveal of who these mother and son drug lords are, telegraphed throughout the film, making the actual reveal seriously anti-climactic.
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For me though, the main problem with this movie was that Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are just too old for this kind of hardcore action/adventure. Lawrence, in particular, who appears seriously out of shape, seems to be huffing and puffing throughout, looking like he could collapse from exhaustion at any moment. Needless to say, with Smith and Lawrence involved, this film was afforded a huge budget utilized on first rate production values, but the hard to swallow story and over the hill stars in denial of same really hurt this one. 2.5

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The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear
Leslie Nielsen made a second trip to the big screen as Lieutenant Frank Drebin in 1991's The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear, a roll-on-the-floor funny sequel to the 1988 film that is funnier than the first one.
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At some point between the two films, Frank broke up with girlfriend, Jane (Priscilla Presley), who has moved to Washington DC and is working for a scientist researching new energy sources. The scientist is kidnapped by Jane's new boyfriend and replaced by a double and, of course, it's Frank to the rescue.
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The success of this film must be credited to director and co-screenwriter David Zuker. who has crafted a credible spy spoof with a real story that doesn't stand up to a lot of scrutiny, because Zuker has pushed the actual story to the backburner and provides consistent laughs from the opening credits (which feature an unusual journey for a police siren) and the
ridiculously over the top finale (which features a room of sleepy banquet guests being awakened by a romance novel).
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Zuker's undeniable attention to details, especially the visual jokes, is what makes this movie so funny. Look at the pictures on the wall as Frank enters the Blue Note nightclub or the images in the background at the police station, or the elaborate set up of the very durable Nordberg (OJ Simpson) getting caught underneath a car and where it leads. Not to mention the violence that Frank inflicts on First Lady Barbara Bush. The comic cha cha between Jane and Frank as he reveals the truth about her boyfriend is also very funny.
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As for the writing, the conversation about a prize fighter from a newspaper and a henchman's ransom demands are so delicately crafted that they can only have come from the creative genius behind Airplane!. In addition to his own wit, Zuker also provides
clever winks to films like ET and Ghost
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Nielsen receives solid support from Robert Goulet as the bad guy and the brilliant Richard Griffiths in the dual role, but it's the genius of David Zuker that makes this one work. And yes, there is a third film. 3.5

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The Girl on the Train
Despite a murky and confusing screenplay, the 2016 psychological drama The Girl on the Train is worth a look, thanks to some stylish directorial touches and some superb performances.
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Based on a novel by Paula Hawkins, the film chronicles an alcoholic woman named Rachel who rides a commuter train every day and is obsessed with this woman she sees standing on the balcony of her house, located a couple of hundred yards from the tracks. It is soon revealed that Rachel's obsession is named Megan and works as a nanny for Anna, who is married to Rachel's ex-husband Tom. One day, while passing Megan's house, she sees Megan kissing someone other than her husband and shortly afterwards, Megan turns up missing.
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Not sure what screenwriter Erica Cressida Wilson did to Hawkins' book, but the story presented here confuses and defies logic at every turn. Wilson's version of the story carefully sets up Rachel's alcoholism, which results in blackouts and her losing time. We are then treated to numerous flashbacks and flash forwards in Rachel's mind, making the viewer think that Rachel is responsible for what happened to Megan and just doesn't remember. Then near the beginning of the final act, the screenplay does a complete 180 rendering everything we've seen up to that point senseless and degenerating into some heavy handed melodrama that makes the final act a little hard to take.
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Director Tate Taylor (The Help, Ma) does show some real style with the camera though that gives the story a little more substance than it deserves. His camera work definitely has some Hitchcock and De Palma influence to it, motivating complete attention from the viewer, thinking that we're going to get answers to questions that we never really do.
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Tate also manages to deliver some first rate performances from his cast, especially Emily Blunt, effectively unhinged as Rachel and the severely underrated Justin Theroux as Tom that are actually better than this story deserves. The screenplay has its problems, but the acting is top-notch and Taylor is proving himself to be a director to watch. 3

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Like a Boss
Female empowerment in the movies takes a severe beating in 2020's Like a Boss, a silly, predictable and unfunny comedy that was completely humorless and barely motivated this reviewer to crack a smile, let alone laugh out loud.
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Mia (Tiffany Haddish) and Mel (Rose Byrne) have been BFF's since they were teenagers and now run their own cosmetics company, which is on the verge of going under because of Mia's outspoken bossiness and need to party all the time, while Mel struggles with the bottom line. They are thrown a lifeline when a wealthy cosmetics empress named Claire Luna offers to bail them out for partial ownership of their company, trying to destroy Mia and Mel's friendship in the process.
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The path of this story is about as predictable as they come. We have the alleged best friends who actually have little or nothing in common and have completely different ideals and work morals temporarily torn apart by an outside force, who get wise to the force and get revenge. It's never really made clear why this Claire Luna woman wants to buy into this company on the verge of bankruptcy in the first place or why after Mia and Mel keep screwing up, she keeps giving the girls second chances.
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The so-called comedy moves at a snail's pace and has one silly scene after another. We know we're in trouble when our heroines get stoned at a baby shower and jump into a swimming pool. It only gets worse during a girls' luncheon where Haddish eats a hot pepper,
prompting a lot of belching and spitting food back onto her plate. Haddish's near tumble from a very high balcony is almost as embarrassing as the conclusion of the film which makes no sense at all.
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Tiffany Haddish is allegedly a very funny woman who is getting a serious fan base but she has failed to make me laugh with any kind of consistency and this film was no exception and I know I've mentioned in other reviews how unfunny I think Rose Byrne is. I never believe these two as BFF's and that might be at the crux of what's really wrong with this movie. Even the charismatic Salma Hayek, fitted in an atrocious red wig, fails to register as the bitchy Claire Luna. Basically, another 90 minutes of my life I'll never get back. 1

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Gravity
Alfonso Cuaron became the first Hispanic filmmaker to win the Oscar for Outstanding Achievement in Direction for 2013's Gravity, an eye-popping, heart-stopping outer space adventure that had me fidgeting in my chair, holding my breath, grinding my teeth, talking to myself, talking back to the screen, and fighting the occasional tear.
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Sandra Bullock plays Dr. Ryan Stone, a medical engineer working on a space shuttle with veteran astronaut Matthew Kowalski (George Clooney), who get stranded in space when the shuttle explodes. Ryan and Matthew are initially tethered together but when they get separated, Ryan finds herself on her own, trying to find a way back home.
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Cuaron has created a breathtaking cinematic experience that blends sci fi adventure with genuine human emotions that tend to get lost in a story like this. The leisurely opening of the movie where Kowalski casually flirts with Ryan and telling stories about drunken escapades on Bourbon Street completely belies the terrifying story that unfolds.
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Cuaron has masterfully brought to the screen exactly what gravity is, thanks to superior camerawork and film editing (Cuaron won a second Oscar for his editing of the film). The camera doesn't always follow the actors the way it would in a more conventional story. The story never forgets the concept of weightlessness and doesn't always allow us inside those astronaut helmets to see what these two people are feeling. It's as if gravity is another character in the story, the villain of the piece if you will.
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The emotionally charged aspect of the story kicks in around the halfway point when Ryan thinks she's alone. It's heartbreaking as she continues to try to reach Houston but the only radio contact she's able to make is with someone who doesn't speak English, which she regards as permission to feel what she's really feeling...genuine fear.
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In addition to Cuaron's two Oscars, the film won five other statuettes for its flawless production values, as well as a Best Picture nomination and a Lead Actress nomination for Bullock. In a word, a blazing cinematic achievement that stops the heart and rivets the viewer. 4.5

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Dave Chappelle: The Bird Revelation
Netflix was the force behind a less angry, but quietly hysterical evening with this one of a kind comic talent entitled Dave Chappelle: The Bird Revelation that not only provides huge laughs, but food for thought.
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The primary reason I loved this concert was the feeling of intimacy it provides. I'm not sure where it was filmed, but it appeared to be a tiny club where Dave could shake hands with the people seated in the front row. The curtain was closed and Dave sat on a stool at the very edge of the stage right in front of the footlights, It was like he was a guest at your own private cocktail party and he just happened to be the guy leading the conversation at the time. It felt like we were being rewarded with a viewing of something we weren't perhaps meant to see.
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Topical as always, Dave bases a lot of his comedy around the Me Too movement. As a matter of fact, a specific timeline is offered when Dave reveals that earlier that day the allegations against Charlie Rose came out. He also takes no prisoners in his opinions regarding Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, but somehow nothing he says ever seems bitchy or mean-spirited. He finds the humor in all these situations without being nasty.
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I loved his very specific take on Michael Jackson that he effortlessly weaved in between his Me Too material. He offers his own theory about Michael and Neverland Ranch and what Michael's real purpose might have been in bringing those children to the ranch that brought hysterical laughter from his audience and at the same time reveals that Dave is no fool and knows what time it was regarding Jackson.
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This was also the first concert of Chappelle's I've seen where he addresses his alleged meltdown about 12 years ago that motivated him to walk away from his top rated variety show. He offers enough information to pacify his audience but it's also clear that this is a private matter for him that he'd like to remain that way. This also led to Dave referencing a book written by a pimp named Iceberg Slim and the effect it had on his life. This was the first time a comic ever made me want to read a book.
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The intimacy of this show is really what made it so special. This is the first comedy special I have ever seen where there are moments during Dave's storytelling where he has the audience so enraptured, I swear you can hear a pin drop in that theater. Quite the accomplishment for a stand up comedian. 4.5

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The Boss Baby
The eternal question of where do babies come from is imaginatively addressed by 20th Century Fox and Dreamworks in an animated gem from 2017 called The Boss Baby that effectively blends slick and sophisticated humor and a surprising touch of warmth to great effect, even if the screenplay is a bit over-complicated.
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The title character (brilliantly voiced by Alec Baldwin) appears in a cab, wearing a suit and tie as the new baby brother of the spoiled seven year old Tim Templeton (voiced by Miles Bashki), whose parents (voiced by Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow) are employed by a company called Puppy Corp. It seems that Baby Boss is from a company called Baby Corp who fear their destruction is imminent because puppies are believed to be cuter than babies and they've received word that Puppy Corp has come up with a new product that is sure to destroy Baby Corp...a puppy that never grows old and stays a puppy.
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The Boss Baby enjoys the control of his older brother as part of his mission until it is stalled when Tim gets grounded for life. In order for Baby Boss to complete his mission and for Tim to get Baby Boss out of his life, they have to work together to bring down the CEO of Puppy Corp, the evil Francis Francis (voiced by Steve Buscemi).
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The screenplay is a little complex as it tries to tell two stories at once. The story of the manufactured brothers learning how to be real brothers is a lot more interesting than the story of Baby Corp VS Puppy Corp, making the story a little hard to follow at times, but the relationship between Boss Baby and Tim eventually becomes the core of the story and keeps the viewer invested in the sometimes confusing goings on.
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The story is rich with pop culture references and some surprising contemporary choices in music. The screenplay even manages to squeeze in Baldwin's most famous line from Glengarry Glen Ross. Some of the story's cards are played too soon as the film opens with the creation of the Boss Baby, which happens on an elaborate assembly line, giving away immediately that this is no ordinary baby. It would have been more interesting if this had been revealed later on in the story, perhaps through flashback with Boss Baby narrating.
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The film is a lot of fun and provides a lot of laughs. The initial scenes of Baby Boss' arrival and how he completely dominates Tim's parents time and attention are easy to relate to and we initially consider the title character to be the villain of the piece, but that changes when it's revealed that if he doesn't complete his mission, Baby Boss will become a regular old baby and neither we or Tim are sure that we want that.
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The animation is crisp and colorful and the story moves at a nice pace, giving us a baby eye's view of the world that is quite endearing. Like a lot of new millenium animation, there are a couple too many endings, but when the ending finally comes, it's a winner. 3.5

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A Kiss Before Dying (1956)
A Kiss Before Dying is a big budget melodrama from 1956 that is watchable, despite its eventual drowning in cinematic soap suds and some wooden performances.
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A young and devilishly handsome Robert Wagner stars as Bud Corliss, a college student who is romancing a wealthy heiress named Dorothy (Joanne Woodward) as a way of getting his hands on her inheritance. Dorothy ends up pregnant and informs Bud that she's certain if her father finds out, she will be disinherited. Bud gets out of the relationship by murdering Dorothy and making it look like a suicide and then immediately starts dating Dorothy's sister, Ellen (Virginia Leith), who, unbeknownst to Bud, has enlisted the aid of a slow-witted police detective named Gordon Grant (Jeffrey Hunter) in figuring out who murdered Dorothy, because Ellen refuses to believe her sister committed suicide.
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Lawrence Roman's screenplay, based on a novel by Ira Levin (Rosemary's Baby) doesn't bear too close scrutiny because there's a lot of stuff that happens here that just wouldn't get by 2020 movie audiences. The police actually believing that both deaths that occur during the story are suicides is just ridiculous and their figuring out what really happened takes way too long. Not to mention the stupidity of Bud typing a confession and leaving it in the typewriter for anyone to see.
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The strongest part of the film is the first third where Bud learns Dorothy is pregnant and begins plotting her demise. Director Gerd Oswald puts a lot of detail into projecting the slickness of this Bud character and how miserable he is with Dorothy. There is a bit too much time spent depicting Bud studying poison and preparing his demise of poor Dorothy but the main reason this is the best part of the movie is because Dorothy is played by Joanne Woodward, who gives the best performance in the film. It actually would have been interesting to see Woodward playing Ellen and Leith playing Dorothy.
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The MGM gloss was apparently not restricted to musicals, because this film is handsomely mounted, including some gorgeous cinematography by Lucien Ballard. Lionel Newman's music is a little on the intrusive side, but not to the point of distraction. Robert Wagner works hard at bringing the slick to Bud Corliss, but I have to admit I kept picturing James Dean in the role and Oscar winner Mary Astor is wasted in a thankless role as Bud's mother. Joanne Woodward is superb; however, her role in the film comes to an end pretty quickly. The film was remade in 1991 with Matt Dillon and Sean Young in the Wagner and Leith roles.
3

[Citizen Rules]

A Kiss Before Dying (1956) That's looks fun, I've not seen it, but I'm a big fan of Virginia Leith. I'll have to watch that sometime.

[Gideon58]

She was terrible but Joanne Woodward and Robert Wagner were good. And yes, I thought about you when I was watching it, I think you'd like it.

[Citizen Rules]

She was terrible but Joanne Woodward and Robert Wagner were good. And yes, I thought about you when I was watching it, I think you'd like it.Have you seen Toward the Unknown (1956) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049870/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_19) with William Holden and Virginia Leith? It's about test pilots, but it's mostly a drama-romance-soap opera type movie. You might like it.

[Gideon58]

No, I haven't, I'll check it out if I can find it.

[Gideon58]

Wild Oats
Despite the presence of two of the best actresses in the business in the starring roles, the 2016 comic adventure Wild Oats starts off promisingly but eventually dissolves into logic-defying silliness not worthy of the stars.
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Shirley MacLaine plays Eva Fenton, a widow who receives the insurance check from her husband's death, which is supposed to be $50,000, but it turns out to be $5,000,000 instead. After attempts to return the money to the insurance company are of no avail, Eva decides to take her best friend, Maddie (Jessica Lange) on a lavish vacation in the Canary Islands. Of course, the insurance company sends an agent (Howard Hesseman) to drag Eva back to the states while she gets involved with a charming con artist (Billy Connolly) and Maddie finds romance with a recently dumped man (Jay Hayden) half her age.
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This movie actually gets off to a very funny start. The scenes at Eva's husband's funeral have just the right touch of black comedy and the scene of Eva and Maddie trying to get a live operator on the phone at the insurance company had me on the floor. Sadly, once the ladies get to the islands, the story gets sillier and sillier as everyone in the Canary Islands seems to be on to the fact that Eva has a lot of money and she actually gets involved with some allegedly dangerous criminals who are more stupid than dangerous. Basically, what we have here is Golden Girls meets Thelma and Louise and our stars our just too old for this kind of slapstick.
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Director Andy Tennant (Hitch, Sweet Home Alabama) has been afforded a huge budget for this mess. The movie features elaborate international scenery and first rate production design, but none of this disguises the fact that this movie is just much to do about nothing. Billy Connolly exudes a modicum of charm pretending to be John Cleese and the long-absent-from-the-screen Howard Hesseman is a lot of fun as the insurance agent. And let's not forget Demi Moore, cast against type as MacLaine's persnickety daughter, but staying invested with this one was a bit of a chore. 2.5

[Citizen Rules]

Wild Oats
rating_2_5I seen that one. I agree with your review and I rated it even lower than you.

[Gideon58]

Yeah, my mad love for Jessica Lange motivated me to watch it and it was a disappointment. I think I only rated it as I high as I did out of respect for her.

[Gideon58]

Blue Collar
Before Silkwood and Norma Rae, Paul Schrader made an impressive debut as director and screenwriter with 1978's Blue Collar, a gritty and uncompromising drama that like the above referenced films, questions the validity and integrity of unions and what they are allegedly doing or not doing to protect employees.
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The setting is an automotive plant in Detroit where three employees and close knit friends have grown disgusted with the mistreatment and neglect they are getting from their union and decide to get revenge by breaking into the union safe. There's not much money in the safe but they do find a ledger with incriminating information about the union. They decide to use this ledger to blackmail the union, a fatalistic decision that not only blows up in their faces but destroys their friendship as well in a multitude of ways.
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Schrader has a proven record as a screenwriter (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Affliction) and the genesis of this talent can be found in this expertly crafted story of friendship and corruption that manages to establish the central relationship between the three lead characters, document their personal motivations for committing their crime, and show how the union appears to have their backs at the beginning of the story but eventually becomes all about self-preservation.
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As a director, Schrader shows an uncanny skill for using varied tools in displaying the effects of the story not only to the characters, but to the atmospheres they inhabit. There is a scene near the beginning of the film where we witness the workers at the local watering hole blowing off steam. There's a scene at the beginning of the final act in the same bar where the atmosphere is completely different...the place is practically empty and there's a viable tension in the air that is a creation of Schrader through his direction. He also manages to look inside these people and show how what's happening is affecting them...the scene where the three guys decide that they should stop hanging out together is a pivotal scene that charges emotions and changes the whole direction of the story.
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Schrader also managed to put together the perfect cast to bring his story to fruition. Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel, and Yaphet Kotto deliver powerhouse performances as the trio at the center of the story, with a particularly strong performance from Pryor, who is allowed to display some seriously dramatic acting chops here. Some other familiar faces pop up along the way, including Ed Begley Jr, Cliff DeYoung, Milton Seltzer, and Tracey Walter, but more than anything, this film is a testament to the talent of master storyteller Paul Schrader. 4

[MovieMeditation]

That you, Gideon, are still going as strong and consistent with your reviews is crazy to me. You are way ahead of everybody else with the tagged reviews, well done I must say. Very impressive.

[Gideon58]

That you, Gideon, are still going as strong and consistent with your reviews is crazy to me. You are way ahead of everybody else with the tagged reviews, well done I must say. Very impressive.
Coming from you, that means so much, you have no idea. Thank you.

[Gideon58]

A Futile and Stupid Gesture
It's not often that we get a biopic of someone who is really worthy of a biopic and when that biopic attempts to redefine the genre while telling the story, that's just icing on the cake. The 2018 film A Stupid and Futile Gesture takes a look at one of contemporary comedy's greatest influences while simultaneously skewering the biopic genre through a very jaundiced eye.
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This film is the story of Doug Kenney,a Harvard graduate, who along with his best friend, Henry Beard created National Lampoon Magazine, whose writing staff included future writers for SNL like Anne Beatts and Michael O'Donoghue. The magazine eventually gives birth to a radio show that provided work for original Not Ready for Prime Time Players Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, and John Belushi. The film then documents Kenney's eventual move into film making, which produced two of the greatest film comedies ever made...National Lampoon's Animal House and Caddyshack.
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The screenplay by Michael Colton and John Aboud has flashes of brilliance as it attempts to tell Kenney's story while making fun of the biopic genre at the same time, breaking the 4th wall constantly, akin to the Deadpool franchise. We are never allowed to forget we are watching a movie. Like Deadpool, the script actually references the name of the actor playing the lead role. There is such irreverence and insanity to the proceedings that at times it's difficult to remember that we're watching a movie about a real person or that anything we're witnessing ever actually happened. It was a little disconcerting watching the productions of Animal House and Caddyshack being completely fueled by cocaine.
Unfortunately, the final third of the film does fall back into standard biopic format before bouncing back for a fabulous finale.
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The cinematic concept of Doug Kinney is pretty straightforward for the most part. Kenney is presented as a man who is all about funny, what he thinks is funny, and how to keep everyone in his orbit falling off their collective chairs in laughter. He can even acknowledge what is funny even if it's not the way we expect. Loved the scene where he goes to see Airplane! and is furious because he thinks the movie is so much funnier than Caddyshack.
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Will Forte gives the performance of his career as the deranged Kenney, giving the character the right balance of warmth and wackiness. Domhnall Gleason underplays to great effect as Henry and there some great work from Natasha Lyonne as Anne Beatts, Matt Walsh as Lampoon publisher Matty Simmons, Jon Daly as Bill Murray and especially Joel McHale, uncanny as Chevy Chase. Hard to tell how close the film sticks to the facts, but it was so entertaining I really didn't care. 3.5

[gbgoodies]

A Kiss Before Dying (1956)
A Kiss Before Dying is a big budget melodrama from 1956 that is watchable, despite its eventual drowning in cinematic soap suds and some wooden performances.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c5/Kiss_before_dying_poster_1956.jpg
A young and devilishly handsome Robert Wagner stars as Bud Corliss, a college student who is romancing a wealthy heiress named Dorothy (Joanne Woodward) as a way of getting his hands on her inheritance. Dorothy ends up pregnant and informs Bud that she's certain if her father finds out, she will be disinherited. Bud gets out of the relationship by murdering Dorothy and making it look like a suicide and then immediately starts dating Dorothy's sister, Ellen (Virginia Leith), who, unbeknownst to Bud, has enlisted the aid of a slow-witted police detective named Gordon Grant (Jeffrey Hunter) in figuring out who murdered Dorothy, because Ellen refuses to believe her sister committed suicide.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kHRSh7JOKxo/maxresdefault.jpg
Lawrence Roman's screenplay, based on a novel by Ira Levin (Rosemary's Baby) doesn't bear too close scrutiny because there's a lot of stuff that happens here that just wouldn't get by 2020 movie audiences. The police actually believing that both deaths that occur during the story are suicides is just ridiculous and their figuring out what really happened takes way too long. Not to mention the stupidity of Bud typing a confession and leaving it in the typewriter for anyone to see.
https://derekwinnert.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/225.jpg
The strongest part of the film is the first third where Bud learns Dorothy is pregnant and begins plotting her demise. Director Gerd Oswald puts a lot of detail into projecting the slickness of this Bud character and how miserable he is with Dorothy. There is a bit too much time spent depicting Bud studying poison and preparing his demise of poor Dorothy but the main reason this is the best part of the movie is because Dorothy is played by Joanne Woodward, who gives the best performance in the film. It actually would have been interesting to see Woodward playing Ellen and Leith playing Dorothy.
https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/uploads/jb/image49.jpeg
The MGM gloss was apparently not restricted to musicals, because this film is handsomely mounted, including some gorgeous cinematography by Lucien Ballard. Lionel Newman's music is a little on the intrusive side, but it doesn't interfere too much. Robert Wagner works hard at bringing the slick to Bud Corliss, but I have to admit I kept picturing James Dean in the role and Oscar winner Mary Astor is wasted in a thankless role as Bud's mother. Joanne Woodward is superb; however, her role in the film comes to an end pretty quickly. The film was remade in 1991 with Matt Dillon and Sean Young in the Wagner and Leith roles.
3


I saw the remake of A Kiss Before Dying a while back, and I thought it was an interesting movie, but not a great movie. The original has been on my watchlist for a long time, but I still haven't seen it.

[Gideon58]

I purposely wanted to watch the original first. I mainly watched it because of Joanne Woodward who didn't disappoint, I just wish her role had been bigger.

[Gideon58]

Altman
Unconventional would be a masterpiece of understatement when talking about the career of five time Best Director nominee Robert Altman. There are elements of the 2014 documentary Altman that are unconventional, but i'm pretty sure Altman himself would have demanded a re-shoot at some point. Still this documentary is worthy of the subject, even if it might be a little overprotective of him.
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Like any good documentary, I did learn things about Altman I never knew before. I was unaware that Altman actually began his Hollywood career as a screenwriter and soon became a television director, which he hated because of constant kow-towing he had to do to network executives who controlled the purse strings. It was on the set of one of these TV shows, a little something called Whirlybirds, that he met an actress named Kathryn Reed, who would soon become his third wife and remain his wife until his death. Kathryn provides the narration for most of this film, which I found to be a bit of a detriment as her very dry delivery of the material gave the film a slight lumbering quality.
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Another issue I had with this documentary is that it concentrated a little too much on Altman's triumphs. The praise lavished upon MASH, Nashville, Short Cuts, The Player, and Gosford Park was lovely, but expected. I was looking forward to some insight into Altman's flops like a Perfect Couple, A Wedding, and Beyond Therapy and possibly getting some opinions from the man himself as to why the films failed. The only Altman flop that was discussed in any length was Popeye, which included a scathing television review from late film critic Gene Shalit.
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Several actors who have worked with Altman, including Michael Murphy, Elliott Gould, Sally Kellerman, James Caan, Lily Tomlin, Keith Carradine, and Robin Williams make appearances but instead of being allowed to talk about their feelings about working with Altman, they were only asked a single question...they were asked to give their definition of the imaginary adjective "Altmanesque". I would have liked to have heard a little more from these folks.
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On the plus side, this documentary did feature a lot of footage of Altman actually onset in the process of directing, something I haven't seen a lot of in films like this. There was also a moment shared by one of his sons, who shares his mixed feelings about Dad, who he felt loved him, despite the fact he was never home.
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One thing that comes across loud and clear in this film is that Altman was a director who did things his own way and if he couldn't, he didn't do them. He said something when he accepted his Lifetime Achievement Oscar that I don't think a lot of directors have been able to say. He said that he never made a film he didn't want to make and I'm pretty sure you will be surprised at what Altman considered his best work and this reveal was worth the price of admission alone. 3.5

[Gideon58]

The Sure Thing
In a movie decade that was all about teen comedies, 1985's The Sure Thing was a stand out piece of entertainment that works thanks to a charismatic performance by the star and a proven craftsman in the director's chair.
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The story opens at a New England college right before Christmas vacation. Walter "Gib" Gibson (John Cusack) is a smart and funny loafer who can't get a date but his best friend, who is going to UCLA invites him to California, having arranged a date for him with a girl who will have sex with him, no questions asked. Allison Bradbury (Daphne Zuniga) is a tightly wound bookworm who writes down her entire life in her day planner and is planning a trip to UCLA to see her boyfriend, Jason, who is a law student there. Three guesses which two people end up hitchhiking to California together?
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This sparkling romantic comedy is anchored by a smart and funny screenplay by Steve Bloom and Jonathan Roberts that actually is a contemporary re-thinking of the classic It Happened One Night where we find two people, who have absolutely nothing in common, thrown together in an impossible situation and, eventually finding romantic common ground. Yes, we know how this film is going to end about fifteen minutes in, but the journey there is so much fun and does offer a surprise or two along the way.
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There are a couple of minor plot points that are hard to reconcile but don't get in the way of the fun. It's hard to buy this guy Gib is the smartest, funniest, and best looking guy on campus and can't get a date. I also didn't understand Gib's little fantasy sequences about the sure thing, a girl he's never met. Nevertheless, we let that go and enjoy the very slow burn of the relationship between Gib and Allison. It can't be denied that a lot of that burn is supplied, not through dialogue, but by the sensitive and detailed direction by Rob Reiner, who allows his camera's eye to tell as much of the story as the script does.
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John Cusack lights up the screen in one of his most effervescent performances and creates a viable chemistry with Zuniga, whose character comes off initially very unlikable, but watching her icy exterior melt under Gib's charm is such a pleasure. A few familiar faces pop up along the way in supporting roles, including Anthony Edwards, Tim Robbins, John Putch, and a very classy cameo from Viveca Lindfors as a college professor. Nicollette Sheridan, who would gain fame later on television, is sex on legs, making her film debut in the title role, but it's Cusack in front of the camera and Reiner behind it that makes this one a winner. 3.5

[Gideon58]

The Color of Money
After six previous Oscar nominations and being awarded a Lifetime Achievement Oscar, the late Paul Newman finally won his only competitive Oscar for his 100 megawatt performance in 1986's The Color of Money, an in-name-only sequel to The Hustler that provides a compelling story with fascinating lead characters that doesn't rely on the legacy of the first film.
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It's 25 years after The Hustler when we find Eddie Felson has settled into a comfortable existence as a liquor salesman who has left pool behind him, but all that changes when he meets Vince Lauria (Tom Cruise), a dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks beast on the pool table and his smart and sexy girlfriend, Carmen (Mary Elizabeth Mastrontonio). Eddie sees a way back into the game by mentoring Vincent so that he can participate in an important tournament in Atlantic City. Unfortunately, as deadly as Vince is at the pool table, he is totally clueless about the art if the hustle and fights Eddie's training tooth and nail.
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The Oscar nominated screenplay by Richard Price is vividly smart and quietly evocative, establishing the Eddie Felson as a new character who had never been featured in another film. There are no flashbacks to the events of the first film and the only hints we have of Eddie's previous cinematic past are through other characters who knew Eddie back in the day and are shocked to see him mentoring Vincent. Eddie doesn't talk about why he stopped playing pool until about 35 minutes into the running time. We don't really get insight into the Eddie of the first film until the heartbreaking scene where Eddie realizes he has been hustled.
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It is Martin Scorsese's direction that is the greatest tool in constructing the strongest element of the film and that is the relationship between Eddie, Vince, and Carmen. It is so much fun watching Eddie initially play Vince and Carmen until he realizes that Carmen is the brains of the duo and decides to use that to his and, eventually to Vince's advantage. Scorsese's camerawork lays bare the relationship between Carmen and Vincent and shows it being bent but never broken.
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The film is handsomely mounted, including some superb editing by Scorsese's long time editor Thelma Schoonmaker and Robbie Robertson's music frames the story perfectly. Even though Newman has done better work, it was nice to see the Academy finally recognize Newman after all those years and Mastrontonio's rich performance earned her a supporting nomination as well. Cruise completely invests in a character who isn't terribly bright and wears all of his emotions on his sleeve, which was a real departure for the actor and he never allows Newman to blow him off the screen either. Newman and Scorsese fans will find a lot to love here. 3.5

[MovieMeditation]

Good write-up. Sounded a tad spoilery at points but I have not seen the movie so I wouldn’t know.

I do plan on seeing it some time though. I didn’t like the first film that much, but I do like me some Scorsese. And well, Newman is generally always a pleasure and I like the concept of the movie. Maybe I’ll get to it some day.

[Gideon58]

Don't let the fact that you didn't like The Hustler keep you from watching this. Though I think he's done better work, Newman's performance alone makes this worth watching.

[Gideon58]

Go (1999)
Go is an exhausting 1999 crime drama which attempts an unconventional storytelling method that's been done before and much better elsewhere and attempts to blind the viewer to its partial success with a lot of movie making pyrotechnics.
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At its core, this is a pretty simple story of a drug deal gone wrong, specifically involving a group of kids who work at the same supermarket and how this drug deal has some of the kids involved in a hit and run and others being chased by some dangerous criminals in Las Vegas.
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The screenplay by John August (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) comes off as sort of second rate Tarantino, attempting to tell one story from several points of view, something akin to Jackie Brown. However, the difference between this story and Jackie Brown is that the points of the octagon that made up the Jackie Brown screenplay do eventually connect by the film's conclusion but the octagonal points of this story go in a couple of bizarre directions, that really have nothing to do with the genesis of the storytelling octagon...a drug deal gone bad. The title cards featuring the names of the characters involved in each point of the view of the story come off as simultaneously pompous and condescending.
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Director Doug Liman attempts to cover up the deficiencies in the script by bombarding the viewer with music video type direction, involving a lot of headache-inducing camerawork and editing, that makes the viewer work a lot harder than need be. There is a beautifully mounted car chase on the Las Vegas trip that displays a lot of skill with action sequences, but really has very little to do with the story at hand.
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The performances are a matter of taste and just get lost in the middle of all the cinematic trickery employed by Liman. Timothy Olyphant steals every scene he's in as the drug dealer, the same way he did in The Girl Next Door. Sarah Polley was interesting as Ronna and William Fichtner is wasted in a thankless role, but this film was definitely a case of style over substance. 2.5

[Gideon58]

Neighbors (1981)
The 1981 black comedy Neighbors will always be remembered as the cinematic swan song of the late John Belushi, which is probably the only legacy this ultra bizarre comedy deserves.
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Belushi plays Earl Reese, a quiet and unassuming guy who lives in a secluded suburb with his wife, Enid (Kathryn Walker). This suburb consists of Earl's house and the rundown house next door, that looks something like Norman Bates' house, no other sign of civilization for miles around. Earl and Enid find their quiet but dull lives turned upside down when the obnoxious Vic (Dan Aykroyd) moves into the vacant house with his wife, Ramona (Cathy Moriarty) and what follows is the most illogical and crazy things between this two couples that defies description.
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This film does have a couple of things going for it, including some stylish directorial flourishes, courtesy of John G; Alvidsen, who won an Oscar for Rocky. Alvidsen sets up a very atmospheric canvas on which this story unfolds, which I'm assuming is supposed to be some sort of lampoon of shows like The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. Even the initial presentation of the story's setting...these two houses out in the middle of nowhere with a giant electrical tower between them. And you just know that electrical tower is going to figure into the story somewhere. Another Rocky alumnus, Bill Conti, provided the deliciously clever music which fits the bizarre goings on like a glove.
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It's the story that really hurts this one. Larry Gelbart's screenplay, based on a novel by Thomas Berger, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. The viewer is never given a handle on exactly who Vic and Ramona are...first we think they're con artists because Vic borrows money from Earl to buy food and then cooks a meal instead. Then we think they might be swingers because Ramona keeps throwing herself at Earl and Vic completely charms Enid. They pretend to not care when Earl accidentally dumps their car in a swamp and then later want to report him to the police. This poor schlub Earl keeps getting dumped on for no good reason and for some reason, his wife Enid is oblivious to the whole thing and wishes Earl would just be nicer to the new neighbors. As the film neared its conclusion, I was sure was going to get a "and then I woke up" scene but it never happened.
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Despite the messed up story, the four leads do deliver top-notch performances that almost make this thing work. Belushi is beautifully cast against type and is very convincing as the suburban sad sack. If the truth be told, two of his funniest scenes are in the bathroom preparing for encounters with Ramona that are completely sans dialogue. Aykroyd is an appropriate mixture of greasy and creepy as Vic and Cathy Moriarty is sex on legs as Ramona. Something definitely got lost in the translation getting this from the page to the screen, but as the final work of John Belushi, it is definitely worth checking out. 3

[Gideon58]

The Ides of March
George Clooney offers his own interpretation of the expression "Politics makes strange bedfellows" with 2011's The Ides of March, a somewhat predictable but still compelling look at dirty politics and the bodies that are often left in the wake.
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Ryan Gosling plays Stephen Meyers, an idealistic young campaign staffer for a democratic governor (Clooney) who makes the fatalistic mistake of agreeing to meet with the campaign manager of the governor's opponent, who offers Meyers a job. Though Meyers turns down the job, the mere meeting becomes the catalyst for a series of events that could spell the end of Meyer's career, further complicated by his involvement with a pretty young intern (Evan Rachel Wood).
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The Oscar nominated screenplay by Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon is a surprisingly smooth melange of political machination and personal ambition and how the blurring of the same can destroy careers and lives. The transformation that the character of Stephen Meyers goes through during the course of this story is both believable and disturbing. Watching the admiration in his eyes for the governor in the opening scenes and the look in his eyes during his final confrontation with the governor are convincing and a little sad. This is a guy who, in his heart, knew of the dirt involved in the political machine and actually seemed to believe he could rise above it.
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Clooney's direction isn't quite as subtle as his screenplay, but he definitely gets his points across. Director Clooney is initially protective of actor Clooney, initially making this dynamic liberal governor look like the second coming, but as his layers are stripped away, Clooney the director does lower his guard around that governor, evidenced in his final confrontation with Meyers and the scene where he has to fire Paul Zara (the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman), where he is provided a sense of protection through the director.
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The film is handsomely mounted and Akexandre Desplat's music underscores the action beautifully. Gosling gives a solid leading man performance and Clooney makes the path the government takes completely believable. Hoffman and Paul Giamatti also offer solid support in a political drama that doesn't offer a lot of surprises, but delivers a believable, if at times, unpleasant story. 3.5

[Gideon58]

Red (2010)
The action genre got a fresh coat of paint in 2010 with Red, an ultra-slick and sophisticated spy thriller that sizzles on all four cylinders thanks to some deft scripting, indescribable set pieces and technical gadgetry, and a cast of professionals in front of the camera.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/41/Red_ver7.jpg
A reporter for the NY Times is found murdered with a list of people who are dead or are being targeted for execution. One of those people is a retired CIA agent named Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) who decides to reassemble his old team (Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Brian Cox) in order to get the bottom of this. Thrown into the mix is a government pensions case worker (Mary-Louise Parker) who has developed a relationship with Frank over the phone, which has been bugged, so she becomes a target as well.
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/EFBER9/bruce-willis-striking-distance-1993-EFBER9.jpg
Screenwriters Jon and Erich Hoeber hit a bullseye with their crafting of this slam bang spy adventure that is a near perfect blend of enough technical gadgetry for five James Bond movies and three dimensional characters whose experience and skills never turn them into superheroes. These are human beings caught up in some extraordinary circumstances triggered by their history and not always having the ability to control the consequences of their history.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oWtmCD75zF0/hqdefault.jpg
The most intriguing part of this story was the back and forth between the good guys and the bad guys and how it kept changing thanks to some incredible state of the art technology unlike anything I have ever seen. There's a scene near the beginning of the film where Frank stashes the case worker in a hotel room in New Orleans and it only takes the bad guys a matter of hours to locate her. Or when the case worker gets nabbed by the bad guy later while almost simultaneously Frank is in the bad guy's house threatening his family. Both sides of the story stay one step ahead of each other, often by minutes, but which side is ahead changes at a startling pace throughout, courtesy of red herrings and false stars that require complete attention that totally pays off.
https://assets1.ignimgs.com/2017/09/19/2010---red-1505855837194.jpg
Bouquets to director Robert Schwentke for mounting an eye-popping action adventure populated with actual human beings that we actually come to care about. I've complained in other reviews about actors being too old to be doing action movies, but no such thing going on with Bruce Willis here. He is the personification of understated cool and a viable action hero, over three decades since Die Hard. I loved the chemistry generated by Willis and Parker, it reminded me of Dean Martin and Stella Stevens in The Silencers. John Malkovich also steals every scene he's in as the shell-shocked Marvin. Mention should also be made of a classy cameo by veteran Ernest Borgnine as a CIA records keeper. Fans of Willis and the genre will find gold here. 4

[Gideon58]

To Kill a Mockingbird
A 1962 Oscar nominee for Best Picture, To Kill a Mockingbird is a poignant and powerful story of family, justice, moral integrity, and bigotry that still conjures a strong emotional response, thanks primarily to its highly principled central character.
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Gregory Peck gives the performance of his career as Atticus Finch, an attorney and widowed father of two in 1932 Alabama, who has been asked to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman, a decision that, of course, divides the townspeople. There is also a subplot involving Finch's children, Scout and Jem, who are obsessed with what is going on next door at the Radley residence, where it is rumored that the father has had his son, Boo, locked up in the basement since he was a child.
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This film has always been thought of as a courtroom drama, but the film really is a character study of this character Atticus Finch. Horton Foote's Oscar-winning screenplay, based on Harper Lee's novel, leisurely establishes the character as a family man, first and foremost. He would walk through fire for Scout and Jem and tries to be as honest with them about any subject that might come up with them. You can see the pain in his eyes when he is forced to shoot a rabid dog to protect his children. He understands the often disturbing aspects of his work and does what he can to protect his children from it. There is a lovely scene at the beginning of the movie that actually infers that Atticus feels guilty about his wife's death and agonizes over his powerlessness over the situation.
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Foote's screenplay is almost equally divided between establishing Atticus and his family and the trial which is tearing the town apart. The trial doesn't even begin until halfway through the film, but the tension that the trial is causing bubbles underneath the surface during the first half of the story.
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Director Robert Mulligan (Love with the Proper Stranger, Summer of '42) received his only Best Director nomination for his sensitive mounting of this delicately layered story, anchored by Gregory Peck's quietly authoritative performance as Atticus Finch, which won him the 1962 Oscar for Best Actor. Brock Peters makes a strong impression as the defendant in Finch's trial and Mary Badham's exuberant tomboy, Scout, actually earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, an award she ironically lost to another child actress, Patty Duke for The Miracle Worker. This film also marked the film debut of a young Robert Duvall as the traumatized Boo Radley, a role that didn't allow Duvall to speak but he still made the most of it. A classic that earns its reputation as a classic. 4

[Gideon58]

Gold Diggers of 1935
The mad genius of cinematic dance direction, Busby Berkeley, scores again with Gold Diggers of 1935, a madcap musical romp that not only provides what fans expect from a Berkley musical, but a meatier screenplay than usual.
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The setting for these comic and musical hi-jinks is the Wentworth Plaza Hotel, which is opening up for the summer season, during which they produce a musical production as a charity event. The principal players in this musical comedy of errors include Mrs. Prentiss (Oscar winner Alice Brady), a stingy millionairess who always finances the charity event. She is accompanied by her son Humboldt (Frank McHugh) and her daughter, Ann (Gloria Stuart). We also meet the hotel desk clerk, Dick Curtis (Dick Powell) who is engaged to the hotel secretary, Betty (Glenda Farrell). Also thrown into the mix is a down on his luck theater director named Nicoleff (Adolph Menjou) and an absent-minded millionaire named T. Mosely Thorpe (Hugh Herbert),
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Mrs. Prentiss wants Ann to marry Thorpe, but Ann falls for Dick. Betty decides to blackmail Thorpe into marriage while Nicoleff manages to convince Mrs. Prentiss to let him direct the show, while he tries to squeeze some extra money out of her on the side.
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Unlike previous Berkely musicals, this one has a really clever and funny screenplay based on the concepts of money and greed and what they do to people. The opening scenes of hotel staff members being schooled on how they are to split their tips with their supervisors are very funny, as are the scenes of Nicoleff manipulating Mrs. Prentiss and the ever resourceful Betty dumping Dick when she sees the opportunity to snag a millionaire.
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Even with all this going on, we still get the one thing we expect from a Busby Berkley musical...spectacular dance numbers. Loved the opening number with the hotel staff dancing through their preparations for the hotel opening and "The Words are in my Heart", a memorable fantasy number that beings with Powell serenading Stuart and turning into an incredible production number featuring begins with about 50 or 60 chorus girls playing white baby grand pianos. All of this takes a back seat to the "Lullaby of Broadway" finale, a mini-musical within the musical that features Powell and Wini Shaw as the single guests at a nightclub being entertained by a chorus of 200 tap dancers. This finale defies description and is the very essence of what Busby Berkley is all about. Berkely didn't care about the fact that his dance numbers almost always had nothing to do with realism and would be impossible to produce in a real theater. Berkley's mission was always finding a different way to cram as many dancers on a soundstage as possible and find a unique way to stage and photograph them and this finaale just might be his masterpiece. "Lullaby of Broadway" alone is worth the price of admission alone.
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Even with all the focus on the dance numbers, Berkeley still manages to pull some terrific performances from his cast, especially Brady as Mrs. Prentiss and Menjou as Nicoleff, who steal every scene they're in. Classic musical fans will be in heaven here. 4

[Gideon58]

Crown Heights
Even though it's based on a true story, the 2017 drama Crown Heights is so manipulative and predictable, borrowing elements from similar films that have gone the same path we've seen before making the viewer want to weep for the entire system of justice in this country.
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This is the story of a man named Colin Warner, who served over 21 years for a murder he didn't commit. Warner's protestations of his innocence of course fall on deaf ears, but his brother never gives up and is able to eventually get the conviction overturned.
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Writer director Matt Ruskin has taken a true story and seems to have put a melodramatic spin on the events in an attempt to garner sympathy from the viewer. As in the Denzel Washington drama The Hurricane, Warner is instantly convicted of a felony crime with little or no real evidence. As in the recent Just Mercy, Colin's brother finally brings the transcripts of the trial to the right people and they figure out what really happened within a matter of months. The parallels between what happened in these other films and what happened in this one are just a little hard to swallow.
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The scenes of Warner trying to adjust to prison life are a little hard to believe as well. Warner's attempted bucking of prison rules and regulations, including the actual striking of a corrections officer, just because he's an innocent man were also hard to swallow. It's hard to believe that he was so ignorant about the realities of life in prison, since when we first meet the character he is stealing a car and it is later revealed that he had a lengthy mug sheet dating back to his childhood. On the other hand, it was ridiculous watching the case against Warner fall apart with phrases like "I told them what they wanted to hear" and "I just wanted them to leave me alone."
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Ruskins's approach to the story is melodramatic, but the story is well acted with a solid performance from LaKeith Stanford (Knives Out, Sorry to Bother You, Get Out) as Colin Warner and Nnamdi Asomugha as his brother, Carl, who also served as the film's producer. I wish Ruskin had brought the sincerity to the story that the actors brought to their roles. I hate that the final thought that lingered over me as the credits rolled was "What about the rest of the believed 120,000 innocent people in prison?" 3

[Gideon58]

Ad Astra
Despite a couple of dangling plot points, 2019's Ad Astra is a compelling sci-fi nail biter that, like Gravity, contains an emotional and human center that keeps the film from being just an exercise in CGI pyrotechnics.
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Oscar winner Brad Pitt plays Roy McBride, a legacy astronaut whose father was believed to have perished during a mission on the planet Neptune. Upon returning from his latest mission, Roy is informed that, not only might his father might still be alive, but that he has been keeping the fact that he is still alive a secret in order to complete his original mission. Roy is asked to travel to the moon and then to Mars in order to convey a message to his father on Neptune because the mission he is working on is a possible threat to the entire universe.
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Director and co-screenwriter James Gray does a wonderful job of combining a contemporary science fiction adventure with a story of family dysfunction that rings completely true. I loved the basic premise that is set up here...a man who has worshiped his dad from childhood who has finally comes to terms with his death being faced with the possibility that dad might still be alive, It's through Gray's direction and Pitt's performance that we see Roy has come to terms with his father's passing because the conflicted emotions that this news has brought Roy come through loud and clear.
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There were a couple plot points that confused me...there is a scene where Roy and one of his crews are attacked by an animal that resembles an orangutan and I couldn't figure out how this animal got into the module. I also didn't understand how Dad's mission threatened the entire universe, but I was able to let it go and concentrate on the big picture.
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Gray offers some nice attention to details as well. We are told that the film is set "In the near future" and we're not sure what that means initially. It becomes clear at our first glimpse of the moon, we are shocked to see that it is partially civilized now, like a earthly city. I was also impressed with the way Roy had to go through a psychological evaluation after each leg of his mission.
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Brad Pitt turns in the performance of his career, that clearly rivals his Oscar winning work in Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood and Tommy Lee Jones is absolutely lovely as his father. Production values are first rate, especially cinematography, art direction/set direction, and sound. A solid space adventure that, like The Martian, is centered around a character that we love and want what he wants. 4

[Citizen Rules]

You're going to become a sci fi fan Gideon:)

[Steve Freeling]

Red (2010)
The action genre got a fresh coat of paint in 2010 with Red, an ultra-slick and sophisticated spy thriller that sizzles on all four cylinders thanks to some deft scripting, indescribable set pieces and technical gadgetry, and a cast of professionals in front of the camera.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/41/Red_ver7.jpg
A reporter for the NY Times is found murdered with a list of people who are dead or are being targeted for execution. One of those people is a retired CIA agent named Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) who decides to reassemble his old team (Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Brian Cox) in order to get the bottom of this. Thrown into the mix is a government pensions case worker (Mary-Louise Parker) who has developed a relationship with Frank over the phone, which has been bugged, so she becomes a target as well.
https://c8.alamy.com/comp/EFBER9/bruce-willis-striking-distance-1993-EFBER9.jpg
Screenwriters Jon and Erich Hoeber hit a bullseye with their crafting of this slam bang spy adventure that is a near perfect blend of enough technical gadgetry for five James Bond movies and three dimensional characters whose experience and skills never turn them into superheroes. These are human beings caught up in some extraordinary circumstances triggered by their history and not always having the ability to control the consequences of their history.
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oWtmCD75zF0/hqdefault.jpg
The most intriguing part of this story was the back and forth between the good guys and the bad guys and how it kept changing thanks to some incredible state of the art technology unlike anything I have ever seen. There's a scene near the beginning of the film where Frank stashes the case worker in a hotel room in New Orleans and it only takes the bad guys a matter of hours to locate her. Or when the case worker gets nabbed by the bad guy later while almost simultaneously Frank is in the bad guy's house threatening his family. Both sides of the story stay one step ahead of each other, often by minutes, but which side is ahead changes at a startling pace throughout, courtesy of red herrings and false stars that require complete attention that totally pays off.
https://media.agonybooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/red2010.0101.jpg
Bouquets to director Robert Schwentke for mounting an eye-popping action adventure populated with actual human beings that we actually come to care about. I've complained in other reviews about actors being too old to be doing action movies, but no such thing going on with Bruce Willis here. He is the personification of understated cool and a viable action hero, over three decades since Die Hard. I loved the chemistry generated by Willis and Parker, it reminded me of Dean Martin and Stella Stevens in The Silencers. John Malkovich also steals every scene he's in as the shell-shocked Marvin. Mention should also be made of a classy cameo by veteran Ernest Borgnine as a CIA records keeper. Fans of Willis and the genre will find gold here. 4

I actually remember going to see this one and its sequel theatrically. Hard to believe it's been almost a decade now.

[Gideon58]

You're going to become a sci fi fan Gideon:)


I wouldn't hold your breath on that one, buddy, LOL!

[Gideon58]

Tarzan
The classic Edgar Rice Burroughs character was brought to the big screen in over 40 live action films and then Disney scored when they took a crack at it in a 1999 animated musical rethinking of Tarzan that provides a lot of what fans of the character might expect with a degree of substance that they might not.
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This take on one of cinema's most legendary movie characters begins with the character as a baby and shows how the child ended up being raised by a family of apes. The young boy is observed growing up and believing he is an ape, though he can't explain why he looks different from the animals raising him. Tarzan (voiced by Tony Goldwyn) is content living as the animal he thinks he is until the arrival of Professor Porter (voiced by Nigel Hawthorne), his daughter, Jane (voiced by Minnie Driver) and their guide, Clayton (voiced by Brain Blessed). Porter and his daughter are there merely to study gorillas, but Clayton has a more mercenary agenda and after saving Jane's life and learning of Porter's plans, Tarzan does what he can to stop them while questioning his entire existence and who he really is.
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This character has a long and distinguished history on the screen, dating all the way back to 1928 with Elmo Lincoln playing the starring role. Johnny Weissmuller is the actor most associated with the role, but from the little I know of these movies, these movies seem to start off pretty much where this one ends. This film, sensitively and without dialogue, dialogues how baby Tarzan actually ended up being raised by apes and the creators of this story never forget this fact. The main character is presented crawling through the jungle with his knuckles dragging. We're almost halfway through the film before we see the character stand upright for the first time.
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I loved the fact that the focus of this particular story was Tarzan's confusion about who he is and not so much his romance with Jane. It's lovely when he needs to be alone he retreats to one particular branch on one particular tree, something akin to Superman's fortress of solitude. The jungle animals' loyalty to Tarzan was alternately amusing and moving. There were a couple of loving winks to the audience reminding us that we are watching a movie...there's a wonderful moment where some of the animals happen upon the Porters' campsite and they glance a teapot that looked just like Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast.
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The film features ah exuberant song score by Phil Collins that works perfectly with the story despite its contemporary style. The songs include "Two Worlds", "Strangers Like Me" "Son of Man" and the Oscar-winning "You'll Be in My Heart", which became a top-40 hit for Collins.
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The animation is rich and a lot of the colors have an almost pastel quality to them that give the film a dreamy look. The film features a superior voice cast and mention should also be made of Glenn Close as Tarzan's ape mother, Rosie O'Donnell as his ape BFF and Wayne Knight as his elephant BFF. An engaging and energetic musical adventure that, caught in the right mood, could leave a lump in the throat. 3.5

[Gideon58]

The Killing of a Sacred Deer
The director of The Favourite is the creative force behind 2017's The Killing of a Sacred Deer, an edgy and unsettling psychological thriller that rivets the viewer to the screen for the most part, thanks to meticulous direction and solid performances, despite a disappointing climax.
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Steven Murphy is an arrogant surgeon who is married and the father of two children. Unbeknownst to his family, Dr, Murphy has formed a relationship with a teenager named Martin, who is the son of a man who died on Dr. Murphy's operating table. Not long after meeting Steven's family and Steven meeting Martin's mother, Martin reveals his horrifying plan of vengeance, which involves Steven making an unspeakable sacrifice and when Steven refuses to take Martin's threat seriously, his family begins to fall apart in front of his very eyes, helpless to do anything about it.
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Director and co-screenwriter Yorgos Lanthimos must be applauded for the undeniable style he has put into this often stomach-churning story, which is nothing like his more commercial work with The Favourite. He has given this often ugly and disturbing story a pristine and antiseptic canvas and employed an intrusive manner to his camerawork...so much of the story is shot from great distances, forcing complete attention from the viewer making sure that we don't miss anything. The camera often moves at a frighteningly deliberate pace which puts the viewer on the edge of his chair wondering exactly what might be coming from around the corner.
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The story unfolds just as slowly, with almost the entire first third of the film coming off as a red herring, which had this viewer completely snowed. When we are introduced to Steven and Martin at the beginning of the film, their relationship begins to appear inappropriate and by that, I mean sexual. There's a scene where Martin asks Steven to take off his shirt so that he can see the hair on his body and Steven actually does it. It's at this point, we realize the relationship is not sexual, but we still know there's something not right here, there's some kind of power that Martin has over Steven and we're clueless until Martin makes his deadly agenda clear. We don't understand how Martin's power in this scenario and we're not supposed to. Unfortunately, the finale disappoints as Steven's attempts to stop what is happening futile, which, in a way, renders the entire story futile.
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On the technical side, the film is a masterpiece, featuring stunning cinematography, art direction/set direction, sound, and the creepiest music score since Wait Until Dark. Colin Farrell has rarely been better as the tortured Steven and Nicole Kidman adds another icy performance to her resume as his wife Anna. Barry Keoghan's star-making performance as Martin made the hair on the back of neck stand up. Lanthimos won Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival for his work here and I think he might have been robbed of a Oscar nomination as well. 4

[Citizen Rules]

Did they actually kill a deer in that movie? Or is it just the title that says that?

[Gideon58]

It's just the title of the movie and if, the truth be told, one thing about the movie that I didn't understand at all was the title.

[ahwell]

Did they actually kill a deer in that movie? Or is it just the title that says that?

No as Gideon said, the title is symbolic of the Greek Myth that this is sort of based on. I highly recommend it, it's really a fantastic movie. Not sure if you've seen Yorgos's other stuff?

[Gideon58]

What Just Happened
An Oscar winning director behind the camera and a serious dose of star power in front of it make 2008's What Just Happened, an allegedly intimate look inside Hollywood, worth a look.
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This somewhat edgy black comedy chronicles a week in the life of a Hollywood producer named Ben, played by Robert DeNiro. As we meet Ben, he is juggling professional and personal crises that have him teetering on the edge. He has a film about to be released starring Sean Penn, that might not make it to the Cannes Film Festival because the director doesn't want to cut a scene where a dog is shot. He also has a film about to begin shooting starring Bruce Willis, where production has stalled because the star refuses to shave his beard. Ben is also seriously trying to get back together with his ex-wife (Robin Wright) and learn what's going on with his teenage daughter (Kristen Stewart).
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The screenplay by Art Linson, based on his own book, is supposed to be a daring look at Hollywood stripped bare giving us an up close look at the Hollywood movers and shakers who make and break careers with just a phone call and then go home and throw a cocktail party. As accurate as everything that is portrayed here might be, it all comes off as pretentious and superficial. Watching the delicate egos being massaged, the craftsman begging for work, the wives and children being neglected, and the funeral services being desecrated, I couldn't help but think that there are a lot more important things going on in the world. Not to mention the fact that a lot of the material covered here was covered more efficiently in the Robert Altman film The Player.
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Fortunately, the film does benefit from having Oscar winner Barry Levinson in the director's chair. Levinson understands the inner workings of the Hollywood machine and his camera effectively lets us inside Ben's head and the pressure and pain he's going through. Levinson's veteran directorial eye gives this story the shot of realism it needs, with a strong assist from film editor Hank Corwin.
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It was refreshing to see DeNiro appropriately cast for a change, playing a character his own age and of whom he has an understanding. DeNiro gets solid support from Catherine Keener as a hard-nosed studio head (modeled after Sherry Lansing I'm assuming), Stanley Tucci as an ambitious screenwriter, Michael Wincott as the drug-addled director, and John Turturro as a neurotic agent. Penn and Willis also seem to be enjoying playing themselves. It's no classic, but Levinson and his cast make it worth a look. 3.5

[Gideon58]

Valley Girl (1983)
Though a lot of what this film is about and what goes on here is hopelessly dated, the 1983 teen romance Valley Girl still provides a modicum of entertainment thanks to some smart female characters and a star-making performances from its leading man.
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Back in 1982, Moon Unit Zappa released a novelty record called "Valley Girl" that made fun of the teenage girls who populated the San Fernando Valley and their very special verbal vernacular that became part of pop culture for a year or so. A year after the record came out, we were blessed with the story of Julie (Deborah Foreman), a pretty and popular high school student who falls head over heels for Randy (Nicolas Cage), a punker with orange hair who lives on the other side of the Valley in Hollywood. Though Julie and Randy fall in love the second they meet, they find themselves being torn apart by Julie's stuck up friends, who can't abide their girl hooking up with a "Non-Val Dude."
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It's no coincidence when during one scene we witness Randy and Julie kissing, they are standing in front of a movie marquee that says Romeo and Juliet, because this story is basically a contemporary updating of the Shakespearean classic. Two people from two different worlds falling in love but being kept apart by outside forces. In Romeo and Juliet, the teen lovers are kept apart by their families, but in this story, it is Julie's friends that are running interference.
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One refreshing aspect of Andrew Lane and Wayne Crawford's screenplay is that, despite the Valley Girl speak, the female characters in this movie have brains and are in control of their own destinies. In this current "Me too" period, this aspect of the film is still relevant because the women in this story control most of what is going on and the men are sex objects who are dumb as a box of rocks. There is a subplot involving one of Julie's friends whose boyfriend is being pursued by her mother (Lee Purcell), but all it does is pad the running time.
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Director Martha Coolidge controls the narrative with a sensitive eye that lets the viewer see who's really in control here. The other big selling point here is a charismatic sex on legs performance by Nicolas Cage, in his first leading role, that dominates the proceeding and put him on the Hollywood map. Mention should also be made of the voluptuous Elizabeth Daily as Julie's friend Loryn, and Frederick Forrest and Colleen Camp, who are a lot of as Julie's aging hippie parents. And don't forget to listen to the lyrics of the song being played at the prom called "Jimmy are you Queer?". 3

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Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife
Shortly after her first Netflix special, Baby Cobra, Ali Wong gave birth to a baby girl. About eighteen months later, she returned to the standup mike for a 2018 Netflix special called Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife.
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During her first special, Wong got a lot of comedic mileage out of the fact that she was pregnant and expected to hear about the birth during this special. Imagine my surprise when she walked onstage for this special and was again about six months pregnant. What was even more surprising was that she didn't address the fact that she was pregnant again. What she did do was launch into a hysterically funny documentation of the first pregnancy and how becoming mother has destroyed her, physically and emotionally. Her detailed experiences of going through an emergency C section and her travails about breastfeeding had me on the floor.
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When reviewing other comics, I have spoken about the comedian's instrument, or more specifically, their voices. I really noticed the versatility of Wong's instrument during this special. It was fun listening to her voice change when she was talking about certain subjects. I especially love her stage whisper, which she always employs when she is about to let us in on a huge secret that no one else knows about, but we can all relate to.
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Her replies to people's questions about the changes in her life since becoming mother were also fall on the floor funny, especially her reply to the question of how she balances her career with being a mother. She makes no qualms about the fact that she has a nanny who does a lot of the work and also reminds us that hiring is a nanny is not cheap and how it is important it is to never to hire a nanny under the age of 62.
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As he did in the first special, Ali's husband takes a lot of hard knocks in this special. Wong again reminds us that she makes a lot more money than he does, which has allowed him to treat his own job as a time-killing hobby. She does make up for it later by explaining to us why she plans to stay married as long as she can to this man and has no interest in sex with a younger man. Wong continues to prove what a gifted writer and comic she is, always producing laughs that provide that sometimes shock, sometimes comes off as arrogance, but never fail to entertain. 4

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Greedy
The screenwriters of Splash and the director of Clue collaborated on a loopy 1994 black comedy called Greedy, which is well-acted and directed but the all over the place screenplay and fuzzy character motivations make it hard to call this one a direct bullseye.
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The late Kirk Douglas stars as Uncle Joe, a billionaire who has a bunch of grasping, greedy relatives sucking up to him, waiting for him to die. When Joe hires a pretty young thing as his nurse, the family is afraid that she is after his money so they hire a detective to track down Danny (Michael J. Fox), Joe's favorite nephew who turned his back on the family years ago to pursue his dream of becoming a professional bowler. Danny finds his own motives in question when he finds himself trying to stop a manipulative gold digger from taking his uncle for all he has.
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Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel have proven their screenwriting skills with films like Splash and Parenthood, but seem to have gone overboard in trying to provide a twist to a well-worn cinematic premise. The opening scenes introducing the bloodsucking family members are very funny, but once Danny arrives on the scene, everyone's motives come into question, especially Danny and Uncle Joe, leading to a third act plot twist that renders everything that came before it pointless, though it does manage to wrap for a dandy finale.
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Director Jonathan Lynn does keep a tight rein on things that keep the story in a realistic vein despite some of the outrageous goings-on. The cast is first rate with excellent performances from Douglas and Fox, who work surprisingly well together. The late Phil Hartman steals every scene he's in as cousin Frank, oh, and by the way, that is the director playing Uncle Joe's butler, Douglas. This one gets an "A" for effort, but the screenplay is just a little too messy for my tastes. 3

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Sid & Judy
The documentary and the biopic are blended to dazzling effect in 2019's Sid & Judy, an intimate, riveting, and consistently fascinating look at the life and career of the iconic Judy Garland, concentrating on her third marriage to Sid Luft and told mostly from Luft's point of view.
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I have always prided myself on being an expert on the life and career of Judy Garland, but even I was blown away by the endless parade of interviews, still photographs, on the set clips, and musical memories from Garland's short-lived CBS variety series from 1963 that were on display here.
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This film takes a daring and original approach to documenting Garland here that was a refreshing alternative to most Hollywood documentaries. The film opens with a recorded conversation between Sid Luft and a CBS television executive complaining about having problems with Judy on the variety show. Luft and Garland then begin providing portions of the narration about their marriage, alternating with scripted narration about certain events in their lives with Jennifer Jason Leigh providing Garland's voice and Jon Hamm providing Luft's.
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The story of Sid and Judy's marriage is seamlessly interwoven with an overlook of Garland's entire career, dating all the way back to her vaudeville roots as part of the Gumm Sisters. We are treated to a clip of George Jessel on Judy's CBS show telling the story of how he was responsible for her name being changed from Frances Gumm to Judy Garland. We are given insight into her pain regarding the death of her father and her troubled relationship with her mother. One of the most heartbreaking moments is when Garland, in her own voice, talks about how much pain her mother brought to her life.
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There's so much new stuff I actually learned that I don't want to spoil here, but I will tell you that just like "Get Happy" in Summer Stock, "Born in a Trunk" in A Star is Born was filmed after the rest of the film was completed. We were also treated to four different versions of "The Man that Got Away" with different settings and costumes that came about because of the decision to film the movie in Cinemascope. There is also a wonderful clip from the variety show where Judy talks about what happened the night she was nominated for the Oscar for the film and she was still in the hospital after giving birth to her son Joey.
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We are also gifted with some heretofore unseen footage from Judy's incredible concerts at the London Palladium, the Palace, and at Carnegie Hall that made clear that, despite her movie career, Judy Garland was a live performer and made her biggest impression that way. My heart sank a little during a clip of an interview with Jack Paar who asked her what it was like being a living legend. Her reply to this question was the essence of who Judy was and why her life and career impacted so many people, regular folks and other show biz folks alike. A unique and beautifully crafted look at one of Hollywood's greatest creations whose fire would eventually flicker out. 5

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Rat Race
The director of Ghost and Airplane struck out with a stupid and over the top slapstick comedy from 2001 called Rat Race that had to be a complete embarrassment for all involved, including three Oscar-winning actors, though it does attempt to redeem itself with a terrific finale.
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This disaster seems to be a re-thinking of the 1963 classic It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World but even at half the length, isn't anywhere near as entertaining as the Stanley Kramer comedy. This is the story of a group of Las Vegas tourists who are selected by the hotel manager (John Cleese) where they're staying for a contest. They are informed that they are participating in a race to a train station in Silver City, Nevada to open a locker there that has a gym bag containing two million dollars.
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Among the participants are a disgraced NFL referee (Cuba Gooding Jr); a middle-aged woman (Whoopi Goldberg) reunited with the daughter she gave up for adoption; a pair of con-men/brothers (Seth Green, Vince Vieluf), one of whom can't speak properly because of an infected tongue piercing; a goofy Italian with narcolepsy (Rowan Atkinson); and a compulsive gambler/family man (Jon Lovitz) vacationing with his wife (Kathy Najimy) and kids. When the con men brothers destroy a Las Vegas airport to slow the others down, the contestants have to find alternative ways to get to Silver City.
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Director Jerry Zuker and screenwriter Andy Breckman have concocted a silly story of greed that throws all logic and realism out the window in order to provide a lot of intended laughs that just never came from this reviewer. I'm not sure what scenarios came off as the most ridiculous: Was it Gooding driving a bus full of women to an I Love Lucy convention, the con men brothers abusing a cow while dangling from a hot air balloon or maybe it was Lovitz and his family stealing Adolph Hitler's Mercedes Benz from a Nazi museum? Oh, and let's not forget the young law student (Breckin Meyer) trapped in a helicopter with a pretty pilot (Amy Smart) who goes ballistic when she flies over the home of her cheating boyfriend. I also found that with all the law breaking and destruction of property that this race involves, there is not a law enforcement officer in sight during the entire story. At least in the 1963 film, the contestants did have a police officer, played by Spencer Tracy, watching everything they were doing.
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It's a little confusing when it's revealed that the race participants are being monitored back at the hotel by a bunch of wealthy businessmen from all over the world and what their stake in this silliness might be is never really explained. But just when we're about to check out completely, the film does manage to provide a really fun, if slightly predictable ending that almost made up for all of the stupidity that preceded it...almost. The performances are nothing to write home about, though Green and Lovitz provide the occasional laugh, but this film is just a big ol' mess. 1.5

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In the Heat of the Night
Director Norman Jewison created his directorial masterpiece with the 1967 classic In the Heat of the Night, a taut and sizzling drama of murder and redneck justice that won five Academy Awards including Best Picture.
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Set the small town of Sparta, Mississippi, a young black police officer named Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is sitting in a train station waiting for a train when he is arrested for the murder of a local wealthy businessman who was planning to build a new factory in town. Sparta's hard-nosed police chief Gillespie (Oscar winner Rod Steiger) is thrown when he learns that not only is Tibbs innocent of the crime, but he is a police officer from Pennsylvania who proves that the believed killer is also innocent. Tibbs is thrown when his commanding officer up north commands him to remain in Sparta and assist Gillespie in tracking down this killer.
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Stirling Silliphant's Oscar-winning screenplay, based on a novel by John Ball is a near flawless indictment of bigotry and the pursuit of justice and how so often one can block the path to the other. It is infuriating in 2020 to watch Tibbs be arrested immediately for the crime without a shred of evidence, but it is also was very entertaining to watch Gillespie's attitude change when he first learns that Tibbs is a police officer whose specialty is homicide.
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And it is the back and forth of the relationship between Gillespie and Tibbs that becomes the center of this story, while never forgetting that there is a murder at the center of the story as well. The begrudging respect Gillespie affords Tibbs is almost hard to believe in the racially charged setting of the story, but neither Silliphant nor Jewison ever forget where this story takes place and effectively project the conflict that is going on with this Gillespie character. He respects Tibbs and his skills as a detective, but also realizes the aspect of helplessness he has in protecting Tibbs from the redneck denizens who just want Tibbs to leave town. There is a scene where Tibbs is about to get about to get beaten with chains and pipes where Gillespie stops what is about to happen but lets the perpetrators walk away. I'm not sure that a similar event would play the same in 2020.
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Jewison creates an unerring tension that permeates the story throughout, creating that drippy, sweaty southern atmosphere that appropriately frames the story. The cast is perfection, topped by Steiger as Gillespie, who, after two previous nominations, won an Oscar for his intense performance as the seemingly laid back sheriff, matched scene for scene by Poitier, who appeared in another Best Picture nominee the same year, Guess Who's Coming to DInner? as well as To Sir with Love...three superb performances that were snubbed by the Academy. The wonderful supporting cast is headed by Warren Oates as a dim-witted deputy and Lee Grant as the widow of the murder victim. The film also won Jewison the second of his seven career nominations for Best Director and a Best Film Editing Oscar for future director Hal Ashby.
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Grand entertainment that still packs a wallop. Twenty-one years later, the film was adapted into a television series with Carroll O'Connor playing Gillespie and Howard Rollins Jr playing Tibbs. 4

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Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill
He's been considered the true king of stand up comedy for decades, but his 2020 Netflix special Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hour to Kill was a serious disappointment, mainly because the comedian tries a lot of stuff that he is not known for and has never done before and it just doesn't work.
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It seems that someone has planted a bug in Jerry's ear about what all the young and hip comics are doing and that he needs to be trying some of this stuff if he wants to remain "relevant." He actually starts the show with a silly filmed prologue where he is observed jumping out of a helicopter dressed in a scuba suit, dumped in the middle of the East River, swimming to shore and walking straight onstage to the Beacon Theater, concluding with the obligatory spitting water out of his mouth.
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First of all, Jerry's material seems to be returning to the unabashed arrogance that was the basis of his classic NBC sitcom. He immediately lets the audience know that the only reason he is doing this concert is because he had nothing else do and had time to kill (thus the title). The first half of the concert is an unfunny diatribe on varied topics like restaurants, texting, and portable outdoor toilets. This very dated material looks even more dated with the addition of a lot of physical comedy, not a Seinfeld forte. We don't watch Jerry for pratfalls, funny walks, and mugging. Jerry Seinfeld is the ultimate wordsmith, we watch Jerry for his writing and he lets his writing get overshadowed by a lot of silly physicality and vocal tricks that are just not a signature of Seinfeld and there's a very good reason for that. He's not very good at it.
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The second half of the concert is a slight improvement as the material gets more personal, offering a lot of clever insights about marriage, but again the physicality gets in the way of what the man does best. One thing I have always loved about Jerry Seinfeld is his uncanny ability for picking just the right word for just the right joke, but he even seemed to be lacking here. There was a joke where he was talking about how women object the tone of voice their husband often use and he compared the tone to a pitchpipe. But Jerry couldn't even think of the word "pitchpipe". He called it "that black thing that the choir director blows into." So not Jerry.
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This concert will probably disappoint even hard core Jerry fans because this is just not the Jerry we know and love. I think I laughed out loud three times. What a shame. 2.5

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The Women (1939)
From the golden year of cinema, 1939's The Women is the deliciously entertaining film version of the Claire Booth Luce stage play that is an incisive and often stinging indictment of the battle of sexes told strictly from one side of the battle.
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The story opens with the gossip-obsessed Sylvia Fowler learning from a chatterbox manicurist that Stephen Haines, the husband of her best friend, Mary, is having an affair with a vicious salesgirl named Crystal Allen. Once Mary learns the truth about what her husband is doing, she demands a divorce from her husband, even though she is still in love with the man.
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Anita Loos does an Oscar-worthy adaptation of the stage play that opened on Broadway in 1938 and ran for over 600 performances. The primary hook for the story, onstage and in the movie, is that the story is told with an all female cast of characters. Even though the story is about a failed marriage (actually more than one when all is said and done), the story is told completely from the wives' point of view...how she finds out, how her friends and family react, and what she decides to do about it, or not do, depending on your point of view.
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We immediately feel for the Mary Haines character because director George Cukor takes time at the film's opening showing us how blissfully happy Mary is with husband Stephen and her daughter, Little Mary. Further sympathy is evoked for Mary when, instead of telling Mary herself, the two-faced Sylvia innocently sends Mary to the manicurist and makes Mary learn from the horse's mouth so to speak, what is going on with her husband. This is just the beginning of the plethora of backbiting that goes on between the women in this story.
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There are some dated theories about love and marriage offered along the way. We're disgusted when Mary's own mother suggests that Mary pretends to know nothing about the affair and keep her marriage together for the sake of her own family. We are equally disgusted by the way Mary gives up on her marriage without any kind of fight. The most interesting aspect of this movie and one of its most entertaining aspects is the way Stephen Haines and other male characters in the story remain a viable part of what's going on even though we never see them. There's a terrific scene where Mary's maid is eavesdropping at Mary's door, listening to the argument between Mary and Stephen where she demands a divorce and then runs downstairs to the cook and re-enacts the entire fight she just overheard.
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George Cukor's sparkling and energetic direction shows a great deal of care to Loo's screenplay and to making sure we never really miss the male characters who are part of the story even though they're not. The film features first rate production values, including lavish sets and costumes and a slightly overlong fashion show, which, for some reason, was filmed in color while the rest of the film was in black and white. Norma Shearer is charming as the put upon Mary and Joan Crawford is a wonderfully bitchy Crystal Allen. Rosalind Russell also steals every scene she's in as the two-faced Sylvia. The film was remade as a semi musical in 1956 as The Opposite Sex with June Allyson as Mary and Joan Collins as Crystal. It was remade again in 2008 with Meg Ryan as Mary and Eva Mendes as Crystal. but neither of those versions have the sparkle and bite that this one does. 4

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The Hustle
The story first came to the screen in 1964 as Bedtime Story starring David Niven and Marlon Brando. The film was reincarnated in 1988 as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Michael Caine and Steve Martin in the starring roles. Now we have a distaff remake of the same story called The Hustle which offers sporadic laughs but isn't as funny as it should be due to the producer looking out for the star.
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This 2019 comedy stars Oscar winner Anne Hathaway as Janet, a sophisticated con artist who has been making a very comfortable living in the south of France until the arrival of Penny (Rebel Wilson), a cruder but equally effective con artist who is trying to steal her thunder. Janet decides the only way to get rid of Penny is to make a bet with her about which one of them can squeeze $500,000 out of a geeky millionaire, with the loser having to leave France for good.
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The screenplay is credited to the original screenwriters for Bedtime Story, unfortunately the story suffers because Rebel Wilson is one of the producers of the film and probably had a large say in the construction of the screenplay which clearly puts Penny in a sympathetic position. In the other two films the viewers' sympathy waffles between both characters, giving the story a little more balance than it does here. This version clearly establishes Penny as the heroine and Janet as the villainness and I don't think that was the original intention of the story, though with Wilson's purse stings backing the venture, it is not surprising that her character is made the good guy.
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Penny is not only the good guy but is supposed to be the funny guy as well. No one in this movie really gets an opportunity to be funny but Wilson and it really works to the film's detriment. Not to mention the fact that Alex Sharp, the actor playing the mark here, has all the screen presence of a box of rocks, which also works the film's detriment.
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Like Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, this film features breathtaking production values, but pretty pictures don't make a great movie by themselves. Hathaway works very hard to make her role likable, a role which allows her to employ a number of different accents, but most of this film hinges on Rebel Wilson and her personal likability factor with the viewer, which for me, has never been much. 2

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Spies in Disguise
In my review of the live action remake of Aladdin, I talked about the fact that the only thing that didn't work for me was Will Smith's performance as the Genie. How ironic that the best thing about a 2019 animated Bond spoof called Spies in Disguise is the voice work of Will Smith in the central role.
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This overly complex spy adventure is about a suave and slick spy named Lance Sterling who has been framed by an enemy agent who has stolen a dangerous weapon while disguising himself as Sterling. Sterling turns to a techno geek who makes gadgets for the agency named Walter (voiced by Tom Holland) in assisting in helping Sterling disappear. Walter is working on a disappearing formula but it isnt quite ready before Sterling drinks it. Instead of turning him invisible, the formula turns him into a pigeon, requiring Walter to accompany him when he goes after the assassin who took his face and has ruined his reputation.
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This movie was actually inspired by an animated short called Pigeon: Impossible, but Lucas Martell's adaptation for this full length animation is about as predictable as they come, bearing more than a passing resemblance to the recent Onward, where two people who are practically strangers must completely depend on each other to get what they want. In fact, Holland provides the voice for the geeky character in both movies, which really doesn't help to distinguish one movie from the other.
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What does work here is the character of Lance Sterling and Will Smith's terrific work in voicing the character. His initial arrogance is played for laughs and is definitely nothing new for Smith, but what is fun is watching Lance adjust to life as a pigeon and realizing that he can't do all the things he did as a human. I loved near the beginning of the movie when he dispatches a villain with a lethal karate chop and tries it later with his tiny little pigeon wing and realizes it doesn't have the same effect. It also helps that the animated Lance Sterling bears more than a passing resemblance to Will Smith.
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Outside of Lance/Smith, this story is rambling and confusing...when the story opens, we find Sterling dealing with the Yakuza, but when the real villain who stole his face appears, he sounds Australian. The animation is sharp and colorful, but keeping up with everything that's going on becomes exhausting around the halfway point and one might be tempted to check out, but Smith's work here will help keep the viewer invested. 3

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There's a Girl in My Soup
The late Peter Sellers is probably best remembered as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, but was given the opportunity to go straight romantic leading man in a slightly dated but saucy little battle of the sexes called There's a Girl in My Soup, which was also one of the earliest film appearances for future movie icon Goldie Hawn.
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The 1970 comedy finds Sellers playing Robert Danvers, an arrogant, womanizing television star who meets his match in a 19 year old party girl named Marian (Hawn, in her second leading role), whose no nonsense approach to sex and romance alternately baffles and fascinates Robert, leading to a no-strings relationship with Marian, that is complicated by her unresolved feelings for ex-boyfriend, a cheating musician who wants Marian back even though he has already moved another woman into his home.
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Terence Frisby's screenplay, adapted from his own stage play, attempts to be hip and contemporary, utilizing a lot of English slang for sex that not only appears dated now, but even Hawn seems a little confused about it. The story is completely British, but there didn't appear to be any changes in the story to accommodate Hawn's casting as the leading lady. Hawn was the hottest thing in Hollywood at the time, having just been nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Cactus Flower. As a matter of fact, Hawn was unable to accept the Oscar she won because she was in London making this film.
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Hawn is her usual bubbly self and gives her character an unexpected intelligence, providing a leading lady who has more in common with her leading man than he originally thinks. It's fun watching the initial sexual foreplay that begins the story, but it soon degenerates into standard predictable movie romance, climaxing in an ending that would set the feminist movement back about 500 years. Roy Boulting's stilted direction doesn't help either, keeping the film trapped in its stage origins.
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Most of the pleasure that the film still provides after all these years comes courtesy of Sellers, who is actually quite charming in a role unlike anything he had been seen in up to this point and with the addition of some mod 1970's trappings and scenery, it is the performance of Sellers that still makes this one worth a look. 3

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The Town
He first utilized the setting in Good Will Hunting and then returned to it for Gone Baby Gone. Ben Affleck once again returned to his beloved Boston as the director, co-screenwriter, and star of The Town, an overambitious crime epic that provides rather compelling drama that eventually leads to a hard-to-swallow ending.
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Affleck plays Doug McRay, a career criminal from the Boston suburb of Charlestown, who is planning his final bank robbery, while trying to tie up a loose end of his previous job, a bank manager named Claire (Rebecca Hall) who was briefly held hostage during the robbery but was released unharmed. The relationship with Claire is complicated by Doug's partner, James (Jeremy Renner), who thinks Claire needs to be eliminated and by James' sister, Krista (Blake Lively) who has a child with Doug. There's also a hard-nosed FBI agent (Jon Hamm) determined to bring Doug and his team down for good.
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The screenplay, adapted from a novel by Chuck Hogan, is an overly complex mishmash of crime drama and character study that is just a little too protective of the central characters. The story does an effective job of establishing this criminal suburb Charlestown and its reputation as a place of crime and criminals and how anyone brought up here is destined for a life of crime and how that will never change. When we are introduced to Doug and James, they are immediately established as a unit which can never be penetrated, but Doug's relationship with Claire threatens to change all that, even though Charlestown life is definitely akin to the mob...once you're in, it's pretty much impossible to get out.
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This is where the story begins to lose me...the point where Doug begins to have feelings for Claire and decides he wants out. We believe the tension it brings to his lifelong friendship with James, but it's hard to buy Krista's undying loyalty to Doug or the way Doug is able to keep Claire in the dark, but especially the way too frequent close calls that Doug and James have with the police. I actually lost count of how many times these guys got by the FBI because they were wearing phony police uniforms and sunglasses.
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Affleck's direction is superior to his screenplay. His on location shooting in Boston adds an authenticity to the proceedings and there are a couple of hair raising car chases through some very narrow Boston streets that will keep the average action fan committed to what's going on, but as the last act commences, the credibility of the story begins to slowly crumble, climaxing in a completely unbelievable ending.
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Even with all the hats he wears here, Affleck is solid as Doug and gets terrific support from Renner and Hamm. Production values are first-rate with special nods to film editing and sound, but the story and where it goes made this overlong crime tale hard to stay with. Affleck does get an "A": for effort though. 3

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The Love Bug (1968)
US sales of the Volkswagen "Beetle" probably took a serious spike after the release of the 1968 Walt Disney fantasy The Love Bug, a zany comic romp that provides plenty of laughs despite a screenplay filled with some serious holes.
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Dean Jones plays Jim Douglas, a down on his luck race car driver, who finds himself the owner of a an old used Volkswagen, that seems to have a mind of its own as it deserts its owner, the evil Peter Thorndyke (David Tomlinson) and follows Jim home where Jim's best pal Tennessee (Buddy Hackett) becomes immediately aware that the car has a mind of its own, even though Jim and Thorndyke's ex-secretary (Michele Lee) might have their doubts.
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For undiscriminating kids in 1968, there is a lot of fun stuff going on here, but as an adult viewing this film for the first time since my childhood, there's a whole lot that goes on here that's difficult to swallow. Are we supposed to believe that no one watched this car follow Jim home from Thorndyke's dealership with no driver in it? Are we supposed to believe that Jim and Carole don't believe the car has a mind of its own after it traps them in the car and sets them up on a date? Are we supposed to believe that the car knows how to squirt oil on Thorndyke's shoes?
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Even if we're able to overlook all this and accept this boy meets car love story, it doesn't make sense that after the halfway point of the film, the car seems to completely lose the mind that we've finally accepted and allows Thorndyke to sabotage the car over and over again? Are we supposed to believe that Thorndyke pours Irish coffee into the gas tank and the car gets halfway through a race before it starts to malfunction? And why don't JIm and Tennessee guard the car with their lives before the big race, which allows Thorndyke to almost completely destroy the car, which again doesn't fall apart until the end of the climactic race.
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Despite all of this, I can see why this movie was such a monster hit in 1968. Robert Stevenson's energetic direction is aided by some dizzying camerawork along some very narrow highways and Cotton Warburton's editing. Jones proves why he was one of Disney's favorite leading men and Tomlinson was the perfect mustache twirling villiain. Several familiar faces pop up aliong the way like Joe Flynn, Gary Owens, Herb Vigran, Iris Adrian, Joe E. Ross, and Ned Glass. It's definitely starting to creak around the edges, but really young kids might still find some laughs here. The film inspired several sequels and a 1997 remake. 3

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21 Bridges
A problematic screenplay notwithstanding, 2019's 21 Bridges is a pretty solid tale of Manhattan crime and corruption that distracts the viewer with a few too many red herrings, but is well directed and acted, with a viable final act twist that makes up for a somewhat saggy middle.
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Chadwick Boseman stars a hard-nosed NYPD detective who has just wrapped an internal affairs investigation who is brought in as lead investigator on a city wide manhunt for a pair of thieves who have murdered seven police officers, leading to a conspiracy that neither he nor the viewer see coming.
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The screenplay by Adam Mervis and Matthew Michael Carnahan is a little spotty and is rich with cheesy dialogue that we've been hearing in police dramas since the 1970's. The story does deserve credit for attempting to show all the characters involved as three dimensional human beings. The cop killers, despite their being cop killers, are revealed to be men of brains and conscience...they realize they have been set up from the beginning, they realize that 50 kilos of cocaine is not going to lead to a life of leisure and they don't hurt anyone they don't have to hurt. Once the story whittles down to our hero and just one of the killers, it is a little hard to believe that it takes so long for the entire NYPD to trap this guy just because he has to be brought in alive. The final act twist is a little long in its reveal, but it does explain a lot of confusion during the middle of the story and leads to a surprisingly quiet yet powerful denoument. And why are the heroes in stories like this always in the middle of an internal affairs investigation?
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Brian Kirk, whose previous experience in directing is mostly limited to television like Game of Thrones, does an impressive job of mounting this often bloody and ugly story,. His visual concept of Manhattan on lockdown is often spellbinding and shows a definite skill with the steady cam that proves he is a director to watch. He gets first rate assistance from cinematographer Paul Cameron, film editor Tim Burrell and a heart-pumping music score by Alex Belcher and Henry Jackman.
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Bosmeman continues to show his strength and versatility as a leading man and gets solid support from cinema's best female chameleon, Sienna Miller and Oscar winner JK Simmons. If the story had played out a little more logically, this could have been very special. 3.5

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Sonic the Hedgehog
The 2020 big screen re-imagining of Sonic the Hedgehog has a few things going for it, such as some spectacular production values, but fails to hold interest due to a predictable and, at times, downright schmaltzy story.
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For those who are unfamiliar with Seneca video game which was the genesis of the tile character, Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) is an alien version of the earth rodent who has been banished from his home planet and now resides in a small town called Green Hills, Montana, where he befriends a young police officer (James Marsden) who agrees to help Sonic get to San Francisco, where the magic rings that were given to him before he arrived on earth have gone to, after our hero caused a blackout in Green Hills, that not only earns attention from the government, but from an alien evil genius (Jim Carrey) who wants to take Sonic back to his planet so that he can perform experiments on him.
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After the video game, Sonic became an animated television series that premiered in 1993 with Jaleel White voicing the title character and this film might hold more appeal for fans of that series, but I just don't get the appeal here...sometimes this character is dumb as a box of rocks one scene and the smartest character in the movie the next. He seems to have some knowledge of 2020 pop culture and other scenes he doesn't. He refers to Marsden's character as "Donut Lord:" because he's a cop and that joke gets very old very quickly. The most annoying aspect of the charatcer is the fact that he NEVER stops talking, This is the first alleged superhero I have ever encountered that I just wanted to stuff a sock in his mouth.
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The story starts off predictably enough with Sonic and Marsden hitting the road to San Francisco with Carrey's evil robot lord hot on their tail. It's hard to accept the fact that Marsden and Sonic are traveling in an SVU and this evil genius has limitless technology at his fingertips and for some, reason, can't get his hand on the hedgehog, and not just because he is able to run 300 MPH, which seems to be his only real superpower, other than the ability to freeze action and adjust things to his advantage...hell Zack Morris could do that on Saved by the Bell, why should it be such a big deal here? And the scene where Sonic tears up a western bar is something out of a 70's Clint Eastwood movie.
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Every penny of the film's humongous $85,000,000 budget is up there on the screen, but it doesn't help to hide the fact that there's just not much going on here. It's not often I've found myself checking my watch during an hour-40 minute movie. Carrey really chews up the scenery though and I also loved Adam Pally as Marsden's contemporary Barney Fife and Frank C. Turner as Crazy Carl, but this one was a big disappointment. The film also concludes with the most obvious set-up for a sequel I have ever seen. Fans of the series and of the video game might enjoy it more than I did. 2.5

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Pretty Baby
The firestorm of multi-layered controversy that the film caused during its 1978 release might seem a little silly today, but Pretty Baby is still worth watching if, for no other reason, the delicately nuanced direction of French filmmaker Louis Malle.
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The setting of this steamy story is an elegant brothel in 1917 Orleans where we meet a free-spirited prostitute named Hattie (Susan Sarandon) who seems content raising her 12-year old daughter, Violet (Brooke Shields) to follow in her footsteps until the arrival of an attractive and enigmatic photographer named Bellocq (Keith Carradine) who arrives to do a photo essay on the girls. It's not long afterwards that Hattie receives a marriage proposal that forces her to leave Violet at the brothel, a move that brings an entire new dynamic to the relationship between her daughter, Violet and the young photographer.
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Screenwriter Polly Platt has crafted a bold and unapologetic story that often walks a very delicate line between good taste and soft porn that takes a sophisticated look at some very seamy subject matter that makes parallels to more universal themes. The story seems to compare prostitution to slavery. The scene where Violet is put on display for the first time as a professional finds her actually being auctioned off, like a slave. The more disturbing aspect of what happens to Violet here is her nonchalance about what she's doing. The life of prostitution is all she knows and she seems to have no desire to know any other way to live. Violet's unabashed pursuit of the photographer is completely inappropriate as is his not discouraging it, but it's a different time and place and we find ourselves drawn to something that really should make us squirm.
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Even more so than Platt's story is Louis Malle's beautifully evocative direction that drapes this somewhat seamy subject matter in such a glamorous and tasteful atmosphere that we almost forget that we're watching women selling their bodies because they don't know how to do anything else and don't care. Malle's approach to the expected nudity in the story is quite tasteful for the most part,,,minimal frontal nudity but what shocked filmgoers was how much of it involved 12 year old Brooke Shields.
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Moviegoers were not only outraged by the seemingly strong sexual content of the film, but more by some of the things that Brooke Shields had to do in this film, including frontal nudity. Strong criticism was even thrown the way of Shields' mother, Terri, because people felt the psychological effect this role would have on her daughter would damage her. Shields seemed to come out of it, unscathed though...she's still alive, still working, and this film just seems to be a postscript in her career.
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Shields is an eye-opener in this film and, if the truth be told, she never did anything in her career more interesting than this. Susan Sarandon is delicious as her mother Hattie and Keith Carradine brings a sensitive sexuality to the Bellocq character that is most appealing. Older fans might recognize the brothel piano player: that's Antonio Fargas, who got his fifteen minutes playing Huggy Bear on ABC's Starsky and Hutch. When all is said and done, it is the work of Louis Malle that still makes this viable entertainment. 3.5

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The Bellboy
Jerry Lewis had a really great cinematic concept that got away from him as the producer, director, and writer of a 1960 oddity called The Bellboy that does provide some laughs and is definitive proof why Lewis has always been considered one of the pioneers in the art of physical comedy.
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Jerry plays Stanley, a bellboy at an elegant Miami Beach hotel called the Fontainbleu, who redefines the adjective "inept.", getting into all kinds of trouble with staff and guests alike, but somehow manages to hold onto his job.
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Lewis did have a good idea, but even he must have had some reservations about it, evidenced by a prologue to the story featuring Jack Krushen as a Paramount studio head explaining to us that what we're about to see is not an average movie, featuring no story or plot, which it seems Lewis felt gave him the freedom to do what he wanted here.
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The scenes of Stanley screwing up his job in the hotel are, for the most part, very funny. Even funnier, is the fact that Stanley doesn't speak a word throughout most of the running time. It was fun watching him retrieve the luggage from a Volkswagen, trying to press a guest's trousers, or destroying a still wet clay sculpture, but when the movie moves away from Stanley's antics, so does the humor. Ironically, beginning with the arrival of Lewis at the hotel, playing himself with a very large entourage, which leads into pointless cameos by Milton Berle and the legendary Stan Laurel. There are also silly scenes outside of the hotel at a dog race track and strip club that bring the film to a complete halt.
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The film works when it stays focused on the strangely quiet Stanley and Lewis' concept of the bell staff being comparable to military soldiers. The scenes of Stanley trying to find someplace to sit in a crowded restaurant or pretending to conduct an imaginary orchestra produce big laughs, without a word of dialogue.
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Lewis does make effective use of his limited budget (under a million)...the actual hotel is beautiful and the art direction/set direction team should be credited for that, it's just too bad that Lewis couldn't completely commit to the basic concept of the film, which was good one, unfortunately, the producer and director just get a little full of themselves. 3

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Black and Blue
Despite a slightly predictable and cliche-filled screenplay, 2019's Black and Blue, is a first rate nail biter that works thanks to solid direction and the most bad ass movie heroine since Sigourney Weaver's Ripley.
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Naomie Harris, a Best Supporting Actress nominee for the 2016 Best Picture winner Moonlight, plays Alicia West, a rookie police officer who witnesses three dirty cops murdering a drug killer and catches the whole thing on her body cam. She not only finds herself targeted by these cops. but by a powerful drug kingpin, who was the victim's uncle. Before she even realizes it, Alicia finds herself squaring against the entire police department but manages to find a single ally in a neighborhood store owner and childhood acquaintance named Mouse (Tyrese Gibson).
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Screenwriter Peter A. Dowling, who also wrote the Jodie Foster thriller Flightplan has constructed a somewhat predictable story that initially starts off as a completely different kind of story. The film opens with her being stopped by police while jogging and then harassed by former friends of the hood, implying that the story is going to be about a black cop who has forgotten where she came from because she's a cop, but the real story does come into focus pretty quickly and also angers because we know this woman is innocent and can't believe no one in the department believes this woman and the allegiance of her old neighborhood seems to change with each scene.
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Love this lead character though...even though she is a rookie on the police force, Alicia is a former soldier who did two tours in Afghanistan. She is no dummy, trained for tense situations, realizes immediately that she can't trust anyone, and no matter how bad the situation escalates. The story puts on her side immediately and the scene where she discovers that her own partner (Reid Scott) was in on the plan to get her, actually brought a lump to the throat.
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More than anything, this film is a clear demonstration as to why people hate cops so much. That first scene where Alicia and her partner are riding through her old housing project is so telling...the looks of distrust and resentment on citizen's as if her joining the force was a personal betrayal. Even more upsetting was these dirty cops' reaction to finding Alicia has witnessed the whole thing...the idea that these guys would actually murder a fellow police officer in order to cover up their own crimes made me sick to my stomach. Not to mention, how long it took for the truth to come out and for these dirty cops to get what was coming to them.

Director Deon Scott has mounted a solid action thriller with first rate assistance from his film editing and second unit teams. Harris once again proves to be an actress of substance and versatility, playing one of the most durable heroines to hit the screen in awhile and Frank Grillo is completely hissable as the murderous dirty cop. Tyrese Gibson seems to have taken some acting lessons since the pathetic Baby Boy and Scott, Beau Knapp, and the bone-chilling Mike Cutler register in their roles as well. A solid action thriller that had me on the edge of my seat for most of the running time. 3.5

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Louis CK: Oh My God
Louis CK knocks it out of the park with a fall on the floor funny HBO special from 2013 called Louis CK: Oh My God that put into focus for this reviewer what sets this guy apart from other stand-ups.
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Performing in the round from a theater in Phoenix, Arizona, Louis covers a myriad of topics, some expected and some not, and without a lot of worrying about seguing from one topic to the next. His opening piece where he talks about an old woman who lives in his neighborhood who he sees walking her dog every day seemed to be sort of an odd topic to which to open the show, but once he has completed his very detailed physical description of this old lady and her dog, we are all in and cant wait to hear about whatever sordid adventures that Louis had with this old lady.
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The closest thing to a segue that I experienced during the concert was when Louis was talking about what it's like to live in Manhattan to what it was like to be aging. Louis analysis as to why life at age 45 was so much better than life when he was younger was pretty much on the money.
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There are two things that I noticed during this special that set Louis apart from a lot of other comics. In previous reviews, I have referred to Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Maher, and Ali Wong as polished wordsmiths...comics with the ability to always pick out just the right word for just the right joke. What I noticed in this special is that Louis CK is the master of the comic analogy...no matter what twisted or sorted or initially confusing things he might be talking about, Louis has an uncanny ability to follow the subject with the perfect analogy that clears up for the audience what he's talking about and has them doubled over in laughter. I was also doubled over in laughter as he talked about why men love breasts and his tirade against parents filming their kids' dance recitals on the phone and then posting them on You Tube.
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The other thing that Louis is fearless about is treading into edgy and dangerous comic territory where other comics fear to tread. His impassioned debate about why murder should be legalized and his final discourse on the state of the world entitled "Of Course...but really..." venture into unexplored comic waters but provide laughs where we're not sure we should be laughing or not...but we are.
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Louis is also to be commended for never forgetting that he is performing in the round. I watched a Kevin Hart special last year where Hart was performing in the round and had his back to an entire section of the audience for the whole show. Louis never forgot that he was performing in the round and the camera followed him appropriately. I appreciated this and I'm sure the audience did too. 4.5

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The Ox Bow Incident
A Hollywood classic that lives up to its reputation, 1942's The Ox Bow Incident is a sizzling indictment on the concept of justice and how mob mentality can mangle that concept beyond recognition. This film not only lived up to its reputation, but was a clear influence on future Hollywood classics as well.
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Cowboys Gil Carter (Henry Fonda) and Art Croft (Harry Morgan) are passing through a small town when they learn that three cattle rustlers are the primary suspects in the murder of a local farmer. Carter and Croft find themselves caught up as the townspeople immediately organize a posse to capture the trio. However, the men in the posse as well as those who stay behind, are sharply divided as whether to bring these guys back to town for a proper trial or to find them and lynch them on sight.
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This 1942 Oscar nominee for Best Picture (the only nomination the film received) is anchored by Lamar Trotti's economic and sensitive screenplay, based on a novel by Walter Clark, that doesn't waste a lot of time with exposition and gets right to the matter at hand. It's squirm worthy as we watch Carter get caught up in the middle of this witch hunt, without any proof of what's going on, but still agreeing to be sworn in as a deputy and make the ride to capture the criminals. I was intrigued when the posse was asked to raise their hands to be deputized, the only man who didn't raise his hand was the local minister, but he takes the fateful ride anyway.
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It's when the criminals are caught that the insanity of what is going on here begins to kick in. First of all, why would three men who have just committed murder be calmly sleeping outside in the open for everyone to see? Not to mention that there is nothing in their behavior when they realize what is happening that implies their guilt, though they seem to accept what's happening to them and plan to die with dignity, their heads held high. The story further aggravates because the evidence against these men is damning, but it is also circumstantial, but no one in the story seems to care about that. Even the men who want them brought back alive for trial don't seem interested in their guilt or innocence.
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This movie reminded me a lot of the 1957 classic Twelve Angry Men, which also starred Fonda, as a lone juror trying to convince the other eleven jurors that the defendant isn't guilty. There's a scene right before final action is taken where the men who want the criminals to be taken back alive for trial are asked to stand on one side of the area, away from the rest of the posse. Sadly, not even half of the posse step to the other side.
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William A, Wellam, who directed the original A Star is Born provides moody and atmospheric direction that makes this story riveting. He also gets first rate performances from Fonda and from Dana Andrews and Anthony Quinn as two of the accused killers. Anyway you slice it, required viewing for all classic film buffs. 4

[Citizen Rules]

Nicely written review! Glad you liked The Ox-Box Incident. It's a film that has always staid with me every since I first watched it.

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Enemy of the State
Flashy, state of the art direction by Tony Scott anchors Enemy of the State, a crackerjack, edge-of-your-seat action thriller that provides frightening connotations to the well-worn phrase "Big Brother is watching you."
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This riveting nail-biter stars Will Smith as Robert Dean, a hotshot DC labor lawyer in the middle of a high-powered case involving some very dangerous mobsters whose life is methodically destroyed and put in imminent danger when he inadvertently gets hold of incriminating evidence regarding a politically motivated murder. Just when he seems like he has nowhere to turn, he finds an ally in a disgraced former government agent (Gene Hackman).
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Director Scott provides meticulous direction to David Marconi's richly complex screenplay which finds an ordinary man caught in the middle of two extremely dangerous criminal situations through an accidental association from his past and how his life completely unravels with absolutely no control over what is happening to him. The truly frightening aspect of the deconstruction of Robert Dean is that, technically, it all happens courtesy of the United States government, the government that is supposed to be protecting our civil liberties, not destroying them. Despite the overall suspense presented here, Marconi's story also provides just enough comic flourish to keep what happens routed in realism.
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What's truly terrifying about this story is the alacrity with which these government people zero in on Robert and take over his life. It seems like a matter of hours that the incriminating evidence that Robert has is traced to its exact location, with the aid of almost space age technology operated by super genius technical support who know exactly what they are doing. Love the scene when they first break into Robert's house and make it appear like an amateur B&E by stealing his blender, leaving one suit in the closet and spray painting his dog. Loved the stripping of the surveillance items (including a bug in his shoe!) and the harrowing chase through that tunneled highway.
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This film is so frightening because it opens our eyes to exactly how en pointe "Big Brother" is and how none of us are safe. This is made clear with the creation of this central character, who is principled and hard working, but hardly a super hero or anything special. We really fear for him when he initially thinks it's his mobster dealings that are the cause of what is happening to him, or even worse, what happens when the mob and the government begin to collide.
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What really makes this film tick is the dazzling, almost futuristic storytelling style that director Scott brings to this terrific story, aided by superb production values, especially film editing, cinematography, music, and sound. Will Smith plays it relatively straight for a change and makes a convincing action hero thrust into the role, matched by Hackman's beautifully underplayed government ally. Jon Voight makes a superb villain and there are some offbeat casting choices in the supporting cast, including Jack Black, Jake Busey, Lisa Bonet, Loren Dean, Scott Caan, and Seth Green. Crackling entertainment from opening to closing credits. 4

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Babes in Arms
Probably the most famous of the "backyard" musicals that Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland made together, 1939's Babes in Arms is hopelessly dated in a lot of ways, but is still essential viewing for fans of the stars.
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The story centers around a group of vaudeville performers mourning the death of vaudeville with the advent of talkies, who decide to try and revive their careers by taking their acts on tour across the country. Their children, who have been raised in the theater and want careers in vaudeville as well, are distressed because their parents refuse to take them on tour with them. In order to prove to himself and the rest of the kids worthy of a show business career, young Mickey Moran (Mickey Rooney) decides to write a show that will also keep them from being shipped off to a school.work farm.
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Mickey plans to write the show for himself and his girlfriend, Patsy Barton (Garland) to star in, but Mickey needs financial help with sets and costumes and finds an angel in a former child star named Rosalie Essex (June Preisser), who agrees to finance the show on the condition that she plays the lead in the show instead of Patsy.
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This movie is actually based on a Broadway show that premiered in 1937, but major changes were made to the story and the score, most likely to make the story suited to the stars, who were probably the hottest properties of MGM at the time. Rooney had already began his series of films playing Andy Hardy and Judy Garland was in the process of filming The Wizard of Oz, which had delays in filming that gave Garland and Rooney time to squeeze this tidy little musical into their schedule.
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There are elements of the story that come off as rather silly now, but this silliness was the foundation for a lot of the show business cliches that later musicals were based on. Carol Burnett even did an elaborate spoof of this movie on her classic variety show. Despite its silliness, this movie is still watchable thanks to the boundless energy of Rooney, the vocal magic of Garland, and the undeniable chemistry they created onscreen, originating with three previous film appearances together and six more after this one.
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Mickey Rooney is an endless bundle of energy here, dominating the screen in a performance of such exuberance that it actually earned him an Oscar nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor of 1939. He is especially fun in a scene directing the show that allows him to do impressions of Clark Gable and Lionel Barrymore, which he would be allowed to reprise in the 1943 musical Thousands Cheer.
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The other noteworthy aspect of this musical is the tuneful score by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, with the exception of Judy and Mickey's opening number, "Good Morning", written by Arthur Freed, a song most people associate with Singing in the Rain. Other highlights include Garland's "I Cried for You" and the memorable "Where or When". The staging of the title number is somewhat laughable, featuring kids carrying torches like they're going to a lynching and I won't even talk about the big finale, which features Rooney and Garland in black face. Like I said, it's definitely dated, but Garland and Rooney are always worth watching. 3

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The Remains of the Day
The 1993 Merchant/Ivory production The Remains of the Day is, on the surface, a sweeping and sumptuous epic of passion, politics, duty, and romance, but is really a beautifully crafted character study of a man who has sacrificed his life, his feelings, his convictions, and opinions behind the glossy veneer of his work. A beautifully crafted story that received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
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James Stevens is a butler at an expansive British estate known as Darlington Manor where he is now employed by a wealthy American diplomat named Lewis. Stevens is anticipating a reunion with Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson), the housekeeper he worked with during his tenure at the manor under the former owner, Lord Darlington, a suspected Nazi sympathizer. The story then flashes back to Britain right before the outbreak of WWII when Stevens hires Miss Kenton to be the head housekeeper, leading to amicable working relationship and an unspoken romance.
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Ruth Prawer Jhabvala's Oscar-nominated screenplay is an urbane and sophisticated look at British aristocracy that perfectly conveys the British obsession with appearance and how diplomacy is more important than confrontation. Every word that comes out of the mouth of every character's mouth is carefully chosen and hardly anyone in this story, with the possible exception of Miss Kenton, says exactly what they mean or what they really want to say because it wouldn't be proper. Therefore, feelings and emotions get buried and become the crux of the dual stories at the forefront of this drama.
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At the core of this story is this character James Stevens, who has devoted his life to his work and, in order to do so, must bury everything he feels or believes, or at least this is how he feels. More than once, we see Stevens' opinion on certain matters broached and he refuses to offer any opinions. The irony of this is that no matter what Stevens is asked, we can see his feelings and opinion written all over his face, which is to be credited to the Oscar-nominated direction of James Ivory and the richly complex, Oscar-nominated performance from Sir Anthony Hopkins as Stevens. The other story is the non-conventional romance between Stevens and Miss Kenton, that doesn't play as a romance...the word "love" never passes between them and they never share a kiss. There is a beautifully heartbreaking scene where Miss Kenton catches Stevens reading a book and we see all his guards drop as he looks at Miss Kenton for the first time without reservation. We don't even learn Miss Kenton's first name until the final third of the film.
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This multi-layered tale is enhanced by incredible production values. Especially impressive were Tony Pierce-Roberts' cinematography, John Ralph's art direction, and Richard Robbins' moody music. Anthony Hopkins' incredible performance in the starring role is easily the finest work of his that I've seen and I'm shocked that he didn't win a second Oscar for this delicately nuanced performance, matched scene for scene by the accustomed crisp and passionate work of Emma Thompson as Miss Kenton. The supporting cast is solid, especially James Fox as Lord Darlington, Christopher Reeve as Lewis (once again proving what an underrated actor he was), Peter Vaughan as Stevens' father, and a young Hugh Grant as Darlington's slightly smarmy grandson. A sad and haunting tale that will stay with you as the credits roll. 4.5

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Spanglish
Twenty years after winning twin Oscars for writing and directing Terms of Endearment, James L. Brooks delivered another story of family dysfunction and the flawed human condition called Spanglish, which falters due to a long-winded screenplay with minor plotting issues, but this 2004 comedy-drama is worth watching thanks to Brooks' emotionally charged direction and some superb performances.
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Flor is a young Mexican single mother, who doesn't speak English, who comes to America with her young teenage daughter, who does speak English and almost immediately gets herself as a job as housekeeper to an intelligent and charming gourmet chef (Adam Sandler), his flighty and insecure wife (Tea Leoni), their two children and an outspoken mother-in-law (Cloris Leachman). Things get complicated as these two families attempt to blend into one and get a little too involved with each other's lives.
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Brooks' style as a writer and director is all over this one...these are deeply flawed characters whose behavior is devoid of filter, though rich with good intentions. These people hurt each other a lot during the course of this story, but it all comes out of a loving place. Brooks also takes a real storytelling risk centering the story around a character who doesn't speak English.
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And this is where my primary issue with this story begins. It struck me as odd that this family would hire this woman after a five minute interview with a translator and then they make no effort to learn some basic Spanish nor does Flor attempt to learn any English. Around the halfway point of the film Flor does take it upon herself to start learning how to speak English and about five minutes later, her speaking and comprehension of the language make it seem like she has always spoken English.
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On the other hand, one interesting aspect of the Flor character before she begins to learn English is that, even when being translated, there is a whole lot of stuff she's saying that the viewer doesn't understand, but we are always privy to exactly what Flor is feeling and at least partial credit for that has to go to director Brooks. There are especially squirm-worthy moments along the way, like when the mother takes Flor's daughter out for a makeover without asking or when the drunken Dad starts getting a little too close to Flor...though they never cross the line, there are scene between the two characters that are rife with sexual tension, which, again, I have to credit to director Brooks.
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It's Brooks' edgy direction that fuels this story, along with some surprisingly solid performances from some unexpected sources. Paz Vega absolutely lights up the screen in her star-making turn as Flor and Adam Sandler turns in one of the strongest performances of his career as the well-intentioned husband/father. Cloris Leachman is a complete scene-stealer as the mother-in-law, but the real surprise here was Tea Leoni, wno dominates the proceedings with her hot mess of a mother. I have never enjoyed Leoni onscreen more than I did here. Brooks' direction and the terrific performances really make this one worth checking out. 3.5

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Sullivan's Travels
Another Hollywood classic that turned out to be nothing like I imagined, the 1941 Preston Sturges comedy-drama Sullivan's Travels starts out as a cynical look at inside Hollywood, not exactly foreign territory for Sturges, but turns out to be so much more, ultimately giving us a multi-layered story that has an unexpected darkness and has possibly gotten more timely with age.
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A movie director named John L. Sullivan has made a very comfortable living directing fluffy comedies and lavish musicals, but wants to do something different. He wants to make a film out of a book called "O Brother Where Art Thou" that is centered around the plight of poor people, or "tramps", as they are referred to here. As much as Sullivan wants to make this film, he knows he has no frame of reference to work from, so he decides to hit the road in shabby clothes his belongings in a kerchief on a stick, and 10 cents to find out what it's like to be poor. As he begins his journey, he meets a beautiful aspiring actress who is not only attracted to him, but to what he's doing and begs him to let her ac momcompany him.
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Sturges, the Hollywood wunderkind who was the creative force behind films like The Lady Eve and The Miracle of Morgan's Creek has constructed a story that begins almost in the form of satire, but throws the viewer as it audaciously turns to a direction that Hollywood hadn't really moved before. This is probably Hollywood's first realistic look at the plight of the homeless, a topic that grabs the viewer because it takes a bare-faced look at something that is still going on in 2020. There are jaw-dropping scenes of hundreds of homeless people camping together and waiting for a train to steam by so that they can board it and travel to another place, like an actual homeless shelter. During the final third of the film, Sullivan makes a fateful decision to try and help the tramps that takes this film to a squirm-worthy place.
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We are initially amused by Sullivan's journey and are tickled when he is followed by an entourage from the studio where he works and eventually takes a break to freshen up. But when he and the actress hit the road again and end up as part of what would today be known as a homeless shelter, the final third of this film takes a dark and edgy turn we don't see coming. The story wraps up a little too quickly and conveniently, but Sturges definitely gets his point across.

This film was my first exposure to Joel McCrea, whose square-jawed sincerity was a perfect match for the role of John Sullivan. This film also introduced me to the alluring Veronica Lake, a sex on legs cinematic dynamo who was known for her hair falling over one of her eyes. I loved when she was in her tramp clothes and the hat she was wearing was draped over one eye as well. The chemistry between McCrea and Lake and the storytelling skills of Preston Sturges are what makes this movie as timely and riveting as it remains. 4

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The Cotton Club
Francis Ford Coppola tried something a little different with a handsomely mounted epic called The Cotton Club that attempts to combine the gangster and musical genres with limited success primarily because the movie just tries to cover too much territory.
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The legendary Harlem nightclub is used as the backdrop for this sprawling story that attempts to provide an overview of the war between black and white mobsters, the evolution of the famous nightclub that provided incredible entertainment from the finest black singers and dancers despite the fact that blacks weren't allowed to enter the nightclub and a fictionalized love triangle involving a real life mobster.
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The primary story here is about a jazz cornet player named Dixie Dwyer (Richard Gere) who finds himself the unwilling lackey of gangster Dutch Schultz (James Remar) while fighting his attraction to Dutch's girl, Vera (Diane Lane). We also meet a pair of tap dancing brothers (Gregory and Maurice Hines) who get hired at the Cotton Club but their act breaks up when one of them falls for a light-skinned singer (Lonette McKee) who plans to advance her career by passing for white. We also meet Dixie's little brother (Nicolas Cage), whose initial hero worship of Dutch turns into a competition for his business.
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Coppola really gets an "A" for effort here, but Copolla's long-winded screenplay with William Kennedy just attempts to tell too many stories at once, dividing audience focus and making it hard to stay completely invested in what's going on. If the truth be told, a story about the Cotton Club and its contributions to entertainment history would have made a great movie all by itself, but Coppola's desire to integrate his mob war story into what's going on here is what really slows this movie down. The cliched gangster dialogue that sounds like something out of old Edward G. Robinson movies isn't much help either.
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The most entertaining aspect of this movie is the dazzling musical sequences, led by the late brothers Gregory and Maurice Hines, who deliver some of the most incredible tap dancing ever captured onscreen, not to mention a believable story about the act breaking up when one of the brothers decides he wants to go solo. This film would have been a lot more entertaining with a lot less Dutch Schultz and a lot more Sandman and Clay Williams.
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Gere and Lane do provide some spark as the romantic leads, but Remar's Dutch Schultz was a little overheated. The acting honors here actually go to Bob Hoskins as Cotton Club owner and part time mobster Owney Madden and Fred Gwynne as his buddy Frenchy. A lot of familiar faces pop up along the way including Laurence Fishburne, Gwen Verdon, Lisa Jane Persky, Jennifer Grey, Allen Garfield, and Coppola's young nephew, Nicolas Cage, actually impresses in his first significant film role. As expected, production values are superb with outstanding set design and costumes a definite asset. Sadly, this film never comes together as the complete film experience Coppola attempted. 3

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The King's Speech
An eloquent melange of historical docudrama and a very special student teacher relationship, the 2010 drama The King's Speech is a lavish yet intimate look at an untold piece of history presented with such respect to history while putting such human faces on the people involved, that the film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
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It is 1925 England where it's revealed that King George VI aka The Duke of York, suffers from a speech impediment, a stammer that has plagued him as a child. Even though he is second in line to the throne, he has not been concerned about his problem until the first in line his brother, Edward begins his fateful romance with the very divorced Wallis Simpson, which eventually leads to him abdicating the throne. Feeling he must deal with this speech problem before the eventuality of Edward's abdication, the Duke, at the urging of his wife, Elizabeth, enlists the aid of a renowned speech therapist named Lionel Logue to help him with his stammer.
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The story of Edward and Wallis Simpson is well known to historians, but this ramification of the abdication was news to this viewer. The Oscar winning screenplay by David Seidler is a sophisticated yet relatable rendering of a piece of history centered around a universal theme that filmgoers can relate too...the pain of a handicap or disability and how we shouldn't use this disability to keep us from living the life we could and deserve.
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Though the film accurately establishes the history making events around it, the primary story here immediately becomes this very unusual student/teacher relationship where we are surprised to see the teacher not the least bit intimidated by who his new student is. The scene of their first meeting is absolutely brilliant as both the student and the teacher try to establish their own ground rules as to how these lessons will work. We're not surprised when the King initially refuses to let Logue be the boss, but we are surprised as to his cooperation upon his return, not to mention some of the unconventional exercises that Logue employs in helping the King, exercises we initially might not think have anything to do with speech.
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An unexpected dose of humor also enters the story when Logue allows the King to discover circumstances in which he doesn't stammer, most notably when he curses and when he sings. Tom Hooper's Oscar winning direction really comes into play here as we watch the King methodically lower his guard, trust his new teacher, and begin to ponder the possibility that these classes might actually be working. I also loved that Logue is given a personal life too...the first glimpse of him we get auditioning for a production of Richard III actually turns out to be effective foreshadowing to a plot twist we don't see coming.
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As the horrors of WWI begin to rear their ugly head, we symbolically puff our chests as we watch the King do what he has to do, including a heart wrenching speech to the people of England and we are thrilled when we realizes he can't do it without Logue at his side.
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Hooper has spared no expense in bringing this historical and enigmatic story to the screen featuring stunning production values, headed by inventive and deliberate camerawork, effective framed by Alexandre Desplat's glorious music. Hooper has assembled a perfect cast to serve this story, headed by Colin Firth, who won the Oscar for Outstanding Lead Actor for his warmly human King George and a warm and gregarious turn from the immensely talented Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue. They are provided solid support from the fabulous Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth, Guy Pearce as Edward, Derek Jacobi as the Archbishop, and the always watchable Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill. It's respectfully British without being stuffy, anchored by lead characters we can't help but love. 4

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Neptune's Daughter
MGM's Water Ballet Queen, Esther Williams actually stay dry for the most of the running time of 1949's Neptune's Daughter, a pleasant, if unremarkable, musical comedy of romance and mistaken identity that does provide the kind of entertainment that MGM musical fans expect.
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Williams plays Eve Barrett, a swimsuit designer who travels to South America to supervise the opening of a new line there, accompanied by her man crazy kid sister, Betty (Betty Garrett) who has decided she wants to marry a South American polo player. Upon their arrival, Betty meets a geeky masseur named Jack Spratt (Red Skelton) whom she mistakes for a famous polo player named Jose O'Roarke (Ricardo Montalban). Spratt decides to go ahead and pretend to be O'Roarke and falls hard for Betty, while the real O'Roarke falls for Eve, who only agrees to date O'Roarke to keep him away from Betty. O'Roarke has no idea who Betty is and doesn't care because he's crazy about Eve.
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Further complications are provided by Mike (Keenan Wynn), Eve's business partner who has been harboring a secret crush on her and by Lukie Luzette (Ted Corsia), a local gangster who has decided to rig a big upcoming polo match by kidnapping O'Roarke, but ends up with Jack Spratt instead.
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Screenwriter Dorothy Kingsley has provided an entertaining story that doesn't pay too close to details and includes an unnecessary narration by Wynn's character. It's hard to believe that Garrett mistakes Skelton for a South American, particularly since he's the only South American character in the story that speaks with no accent. There's a scene where Skelton puts on a girl's bathing suit to escape being kidnapped and we're supposed to believe that no one who seems in the suit realizes it's a man. It was also a little far-fetched that when Skelton goes into the big polo match pretending to be O'Roarke, no one notices it's not O'Roarke just because he's wearing a shirt with Jose's number on it. And the most glaring oddity to me...a South American named O'Roarke?
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But MGM musicals weren't known for being steeped in realism and this one is no exception. Skelton does provide laughs in a co-starring role, especially a scene where he is having trouble mounting a horse. I also can't deny the chemistry between Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalban, which almost makes the viewer forget a lot of the absurdity going on around them. Montalban is sex on legs in this movie. And though we have to wait for it, the final water ballet is spectacular.
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The film features a handful of songs written by Frank Loesser, including the instant standard "Baby it's Cold Outside", which won the Oscar for Best Song of 1949. The song is cleverly performed by the four leads with Montalban chasing Williams and Garrett chasing Skelton.
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The supporting cast serves the film appropriately, including an appearance by Mike Mazurki, playing another variation on the dumb thug he played in most of his films and a rare onscreen role for the man of a 1000 cartoon voices, Mel Blanc. The MGM gloss is there, including some lovely costumes by Irene for the leading ladies. There are worse ways to spend 90 minutes. 3

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The Innocents (1961)
Atmospheric direction and brilliant performances are the primary ingredients of a 1961 thriller called The Innocents that takes its time getting to a conclusion that doesn't answer all the questions posed, but piques the viewer's curiosity early on with enough red herrings that we have to know what's going on.
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Seven time Oscar nominee Deborah Kerr plays Miss Giddens, a young woman who accepts a position as a governess for two children who live on a country estate with the household staff. She was hired by the children's uncle who lives elsewhere and doesn't seem to be interested in raising his niece and nephew. Upon her arrival, Miss Giddens is witness to a series of events that, coupled with a lot of evasive answers to her questions, have her believing that these children might be possessed.
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The film is based on a novel by Henry James called The Turn of the Screw that meticulously weaves a gothic tale that keeps the viewer engaged because of the way the story unfolds so slowly. Normally, a movie that takes so much time to reveal what's going on begins to lose the viewer, but it has the exact opposite effect on this story. I love the opening scene where Miss Giddens is being interviewed by the uncle ( a classy cameo by Michael Redgrave) and she's told that she will have complete autonomy in her job and that he doesn't want to hear from her at all. We already know that something's up with these children and it's going to be up to Miss Giddens to figure it out.
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There are red herrings thrown in along the way that initially throw us off the scent but become important later. We learn that the boy, Miles, has been expelled from school but clams up when Miss Giddens questions him about it. Then when she suggests to the housekeeper that the uncle should be informed, she suggests that he not be bothered, we know something's going on, but we have no idea exactly what. I love when Miss Giddens sends everyone away to be alone with Miles at the beginning of the final act because ti's the first time she references the Uncle making her the final say in all decisions regarding the children.
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Director Jack Clayton creates the perfect atmosphere for a horror film, even if it's not a traditional horror in the sens that we think of the genre, The film is beautifully photographed in black and white and the country estate is the perfect setting for a thriller...a large mansion with many rooms and massive grounds, plenty of places to hide secrets. Deborah Kerr is splendid, as always, as the put upon Miss Giddens and Pamela Franklin and Martin Stephens are remarkable as the children. A different kind of thriller that will rivet the viewer to the screen with little effort. Remade in 2020 with Mackenzie Davis as the governess. 4

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The King of Staten Island
SNL's Pete Davidson makes a surprisingly edgy debut as the star and co-screenwriter of The King of Staten Island, a semi-autobiographical look at the young star that is absolutely nothing I expected from the young comic, other than a charismatic performance playing an unsympathetic character.
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The 2020 film finds Davidson playing Scott Carlin, an angry 24-year old young man who lives in Staten Island with his mother and sister. Scott's father was a fireman who died in the line of duty when Scott was seven and Scott has never really dealt with his feelings about what happened, which has resulted in Scott being an unemployed bum who lays around the house smoking weed with his homies all day and dreams of being a professional tattoo artist while his mother works herself to the bone as an ER nurse. Scott's lazy and pointless existence is threatened when his mother begins a relationship with a fireman who actually used to work with Scott's father.
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Director and co-screenwriter Judd Apatow have collaborated on this inside look at the Pete Davidson nobody really knows who is a lot angrier than the nutty characters Davidson has created on SNL. We know that at least part of Scott's backstory is borrowed from Davidson, whose father was a fireman who died during 9/11, but we're not sure whatever else happens in this film is based on fact. What we do know is that Apatow and Davidson have created an extremely unlikable lead character for which they offer little protection. Scott is a spoiled brat who lies at home sponging off his mother and making no effort to make a life for himself. Anyone who has seen the 2001 film Baby Boy will understand a lot of what's going on with this kid, Scott. The difference between Scott and the Jody character in Baby Boy is that Scott makes no attempt to hide or rationalize the life he's living like Jody does in Baby Boy.
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The story is told in a series of vignettes, little chapters from Scott's life but we really don't know which are actually things that happened in Pete Davidson's life and which are not. What we do know for sure that this central character has some serious issues that he has not dealt with and is blaming everyone else in the world for the meaningless vacuum that he has been living in.
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With proven comedic artists like Judd Apatow behind the camera and Davidson in front, I know I expected a lot more laughs going into this than I actually got, but I do know that I found myself riveted to the story and never found myself checking my watch, despite Apatow's accustomed self-indulgence that makes this film, like most his films, about 30 minutes longer than it needed to be.
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Davidson's unapologetic and often explosive performance in the starring role is, at times, startling but effective, even though we never really sympathize with the character. Oscar winner Marisa Tomei is superb as is mother as is Bill Burr as the fireman she starts dating. Steve Buscemi and Dominick Lombardozzi also score as fellow firemen who knew Scott's dad. Apatow's daughter, Maude, also impresses as Scott's sister as does Bel Powley as Scott's brassy girlfriend. It ventures into real unpleasantness at times and goes on a little longer than it needs to, but Davidson proves to be a filmmaker to watch. Note: Scott is the first name of Davidson's real dad. 3.5

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Swingers (1996)
Some clever writing and some charismatic performances make up for some of the dated elements of a 1996 comedy called Swingers that looks at the battle of the sexes and how sometimes friendship is more important.
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Jon Favreau, who also wrote the screenplay, plays Mike, an aspiring comedian who has moved to LA after breaking up with his girlfriend, Michelle six months ago. As hard as he's tried, Mike is still smarting from the breakup, but is surrounded by a small circle of buddies who want to help him get through it. Trent is the friend who pretends to care on the surface, but is really just relishing the opportunity to have Mike be Trent's wing man; Rob is an aspiring actor who has just lost a job to play Goofy at DIsneyland who really knows where Mike's head is at, but is too obsessed with his own career; Sue (his father was a big Johnny Cash fan) understands what Mike is going through but is tired of his whining and Charles thinks the answer to Mike's problem is non-stop partying.
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Favreau has put together a very clever screenplay that borrows from other stories but has equal amounts of originality to balance it out, We completely relate to his main character Mike and see that none of his friends really understand what he's going through but they all really mean well. Trent and Mike's trip to Vegas brought to mind Oscar and Felix's blind date with the Piegon sisters in The Odd Couple, but his golf game and his advice from Rob regarding Michelle felt original because we learn earlier in the film fro Trent how Mike acted at the beginning of the breakup but Rob is the only one who seemed to remember halfway through the movie.
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The other thing I loved that Favreau did here was give this circle of friends their own brand of uniqueness by giving them their own language. They use certain words in certain ways that most people don't. Generally, in a story of this kind, women are usually referred to as babes or chicks, but in this movie they are referred to as "babies" and the word is used with a degree of reverence not usually associated with films like this. I also loved the very special meaning that Favreau gave to the word "money" in this movie, a meaning reserved fpr these very special friends and no one else. The film has several funny scenes, my favorite being Mike trying to leave a message on an answering machine to a girl he met in a bar.
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Director Doug Liman gives the film a very voyeuristic quality with strong use of the tracking shot. There's even a scene where the principals are sitting around and discussing the classic tracking shot in Goodfellas. Favreau has rarely been so charming onscreen and receives solid support from Vince Vaughn as Trent and Ron Livingston as Rob. There is also a lovely cameo by Heather Graham near the end of the film that deserves mention. A pleasant surprise from the comic mind of Jon Favreau. 3.5

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Spielberg
HBO presented a pretentious and overlong look at the life and career of, arguably, cinema's greatest storyteller, simply titled Spielberg. I wish the simplicity of the title had been employed in the mounting of this 2017 documentary.
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The documentary opens promisingly as Spielberg talks about the film that was his greatest influence in becoming a filmmaker, Lawrence of Arabia and how it almost kept him from pursuing his dream because he felt the film set an impossibly high bar.
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We get the standard overview of Spielberg's humble beginnings as a nerdy Jewish kid who was bullied at school and embarrassed about being Jewish and how this motivated his beginnings as a teenage filmmaker. It was nice to be reminded that, like a lot of great directors, Spielberg got his start in television and that his first official assignment was directing the legendary Joan Crawford in the premiere episode of an NBC anthology series called Night Gallery. I was impressed that the story did not gloss over the impact of Duel, the 90 minute movie of the week that put Spielberg on the map, which he said was inspired by the bullying he experienced in high school.
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I really enjoyed the look at the rise of fellow directors coming up at the same time like Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, and Brian DePalma, who become sort of a directors' boys club, keeping each other informed of what they were doing and soliciting opinions from each other about their work.
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What this documentary does nail is how telling a pertinent story was at the genesis of all of Spielberg's work and where most of his stories came from. The breakup of his parents'marriage when he was a teenager was actually where the idea for films like ET: The Extra Terrestrial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, films whose basis was a family self-destructing. His anger about his belief that his father destroyed his family had a lot to do with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Catch Me if You Canand War of the Worlds. As expected, Schindler's List was his therapy regarding his religion, his most personal film where he used the least flashiest film techniques and winning his first Oscar for his efforts.
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His stories are also an extension of his political conscience and his respect for the law. I do wish this documentary had a little less footage from Spielberg's finished work which we are all familiar with. One of my favorite scenes here was when Liam Neesom revealed how Spielberg's direction of one small scene in Schindler's List almost motivated him to walk off the film. I wish there had been more of that. I also wish we had a little more insight into Spielberg bombs like Hook and The Terminal, which were barely mentioned.
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In addition to the above mentioned directors, commentary is also provided by long time Spielberg associates Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy, David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg, John Williams, writers like Tony Kirschner and film critic Janet Maslin. It's a wonderful overview of the director's incredible career, I just wish it had been a little more intimate and a little more economical. 3

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Mixed Nuts
The creators of When Harry Met Sally and You've Got Mail really stepped out of their comfort zones with an off the wall slapstick comedy called Mixed Nuts that, on the surface, is silly and pointless, but I still found myself laughing for most of the running time, thanks to a unique and winning ensemble cast, many of them stepping out of their comfort zones as well.
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It's Christmas Eve in a California coastal town when we meet Phillip (Steve Martin), who runs a crisis hot line with the assistance of the tightly wound Mrs. Munchnik (Madeline Kahn) and the devoted Catherine (Rita Wilson) who has been hiding a crush on the boss forever. Phillip has just learned from the landlord (Garry Shandling) that they're being evicted and while trying to keep the news from his staff, finds himself dealing with a neurotic pregnant woman (Juliette Lewis) and her ex-con artist boyfriend (Anthony LaPaglia); a ukelele-playing goofball (Adam Sandler) obsessed with Catherine; a pair of psychotic roller bladers (Jon Stewart, Parker Posey); a lonely transvestite named Chris (Liev Schreiber), and a grumpy downstairs neighbor (Robert Klein) whose dogs hate Mrs. Munchnik.
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Director and co-screenwriter Nora Ephron, who received an Oscar nomination for her screenplay for When Harry Met Sally has concocted a breezy, loose form slapstick comedy centered on an unusual basic premise, aided by her sister, Delia, who wrote You've Got Mail. Even with all the nuttiness that goes on here, the Ephrons do manage to give some of the principal characters a little substance. We are reminded more than once that Phillip is great talking on the phone but not so great at dealing with people face to face but steps up when he meets Chris. The dance that Phillip and Chris end up sharing is actually one of the funniest scenes in the film.
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It's not a Christmas movie in the traditional sense, but it never allows us to forget it's Christmas. There is a fruitcake that passes through about a dozen pair of hands throughout the running time and the soundtrack is populated with some terrific contemporary covers of classic Christmas songs.
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The actors' complete investment in these bizarre goings-on is a big asset. Martin is relatively laid back as the moral center of the story and creates a nice chemistry with Wilson, who has rarely been so endearing onscreen. Kahn is her accustomed mistress of comic timing, but for me, the most winning performance in the film actually comes from Liev Schreiber as the emotional transvestite who keeps calling the crisis line but insists on the address so that he can be there in person. Sandler also has some funny moments that allow him to sing and I'm pretty sure all of his musical moments were unscripted. And if you don't blink, you'll also catch brief appearances by Joely Fisher, Steven Wright, and a very young Haley Joel Osment. It's no classic, but a lot funnier than I thought it was going to be. 3.5

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The Art of Self Defense
The Karate Kid meets Fight Club in 2019's The Art of Self Defense, a dark and disturbing drama that is two thirds of a riveting and fascinating film that takes a truly bizarre detour during the final third, negating everything we have seen up to that point.
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Jesse Eisenberg stars as Casey, a geeky accountant who is mugged and brutally beaten by three guys on motorcycles one night. Polarized to the point of being unable to leave his apartment, Casey's first instinct is to buy a gun but then opts for a karate class taught by a charismatic karate master who inspires change in Casey outside of learning how to do a karate chop; however said change and what led to it turn out to be no accident.
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Director and writer Riley Stearns displays a real talent for cinematic storytelling that quietly rivets the viewer at first with a look at self-defense that is light years away from the hands on hands off methods of Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid. The art of karate is portrayed like a religion here, a way of life that requires unwavering dedication and can make unparalleled change in the life of the right student. We are drawn into the spell that the karate master weaves over Casey and enjoy the change that comes over Casey, even if it happens a little too quickly.
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Sadly, the film begins to lose me during the final third when we learn that what happened to Casey at the beginning of the film was not a random mugging, therefore diluting the power of everything that we have seen up that point. The inspirational quality given to the karate master slowly begins to evaporate and we begin to doubt whether the changes we have seen in Casey will remain intact. They do, but not in the way we think.
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Stearns does a show a little style in his storytelling. There are several red herrings near the beginning of the story that seem to go unaddressed at first, but most of them are and, surprisingly, this happens before the disappointing final third of the story. Stearns' cinematic eye is evidenced with some artsy camerawork, including a nicely selected use of slow motion and gets a solid assist from his film editor Sarah Beth Shapiro.
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Jesse Eisenberg's beautifully internalized performance as Casey is in perfect tandem with the smoldering intensity of Alessandro Nivolo's mysterious sensei. Riley Stearns had a wonderful story idea that he lets get away from him, but it was never boring and I never checked my watch. 3.5

[kinneyjeff13]

Nice movie well-written script.

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Playing By Heart
Lovers of good old fashioned melodrama should be captivated by 1998's Playing By Heart a deliciously intricate rendering of multiple stories that eventually become one, that riveted this viewer to the screen due to a deft and intelligent screenplay and some superb performances by a one-of-a-kind all-star ensemble cast.
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Paul (Sean Connery) is the producer of a cooking show starring his wife (Gena Rowlands) who must come clean about a long ago affair and the recent reveal that he has a brain tumor; A self-absorbed party girl (Angelina Jolie) finds herself drawn to a young guy (Ryan Phillippe) who is obviously attracted to her but keeps her at arm's length; A workaholic playwright/director (Gillian Anderson) has serious trust issues with men that have her pushing away a charming businessman (Jon Stewart); A man (Dennis Quaid) likes to go into bars and tell strange women sob stories about his life; A woman (Ellen Burstyn) must come to terms with the fact that her gay son (Jay Mohr) is dying of AIDS;and a married woman (Madeline Stowe) is having a no-strings affair with a man (Anthony Edwards), who is also married and wants more even though she doesn't.
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What can I say? I LOVED this movie. Director and writer Willard Carroll, whose best known credit prior to this was an animated film called The Brave Little Toaster, has meticulously constructed a group of separate stories, any one of which could have made a movie by themselves, but we never feel like it's five separate stories and we just know that someway somehow there has to be a way these stories are going to connect. We are provided clues along the way, but they are so subtle that when the stories do begin to connect, it's such a delightful surprise that we look back at the stories separately and think "I should have seen that coming."
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Carroll's screenplay is the glue that really holds this lovely story together. He has populated the story with intelligent people who say smart and clever things without ever sounding pompous or condescending. There is almost a Woody Allen quality to the writing here...this movie did not provide a lot of out loud laughs, but it did provide consistent grins and had this reviewer fighting the occasional tear.
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Carroll assembled a perfect cast to pull off this tricky story, anchored by Sean Connery and Gena Rowlands, who were absolutely magical together, creating mad chemistry playing richly flawed human beings with charm and humor. Jolie is lot of fun in a performance that perfectly compliments Ryan Phillippe's sex on legs work as the tortured Keenan. Dennis Quaid's slightly unhinged performance produced some major grins as well. Carroll has mounted his story on an impressive canvas framed perfectly by John Barry's music. Fans of films like The Way We Were and The Notebook will definitely have a head start here. 4

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Girls! Girls! Girls!
Even hardcore Elvis fans will have a hard time getting through the 1962 debacle Girls! Girls! Girls!, another lifeless musical outing that is basically an Elvis concert with just enough story wrapped around it so that it can be legitimately referred to as a movie.
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Elvis plays Ross Carpenter, a tuna boat fisherman who loses his job when his longtime boss is forced to retire because of his health and sell his business to a rival tuna fisherman named Johnson (Jeremy Slate). Ross wants to buy one of the boats that Johnson now owns and wants $10,000 for it. Ross decides the only way to afford the boat is to go to work for Johnson during the day and sing at a nightclub where his old girlfriend, Robin (Stella Stevens) is the main attraction. While trying to quell Robin's insecurities, Ross also finds himself falling for a snooty little rich girl named Laurel (Laurel Goodwin) who is willing to do anything to have Ross to herself, including emptying her bank account.
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First of all, don't let the title of this film you...the two female characters I just mentioned are pretty much the only female characters in the movie. We're accustomed to seeing Elvis surrounded by wall to wall girls so it's totally ironic that Elvis spends the majority of his screen time singing with a bunch of Asian fisherman. Yes, this is another one of those Elvis movies where the screenplay tries to present Elvis as something other than a singer and then has him singing a song every seven minutes.
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Of course, Elvis sings a whole gaggle of songs that take up about two thirds of the running time. The title tune is a lot of fun as are "I Don't Wanna Be Tied", "We're Comin in Loaded", :A Boy Like Me A Girl Like You" and one of Elvis' biggest hits, "Return to Sender." Stevens is actually given a couple of opportunities to sing as well(though her singing is dubbed by Gilda Maiken).
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Production values were definitely on the cheap here...even the scenes on the water look like they were shot on a soundstage and the dubbing of Elvis' audio onto the Elvis onscreen is just plain lazy. Elvis was clearly aware of what a mess this movie was because he appears to be phoning it in and his leading Laurel Goodwin was pretty, but no actress. She would make three more movies and wotrk in television until 1978 and has not been heard from since. The only life in this film comes from the fabulous Stella Stevens, whose role is totally thankless and Slate, becoming a worthy third of the tired romantic triangle. The most devoted Elvis fans in the world will really be put to the test with this one. 2

[Citizen Rules]

One of these days I'm going to watch every single Elvis movie, but right now I haven't seen Girls, Girls, Girls.

[Gideon58]

One of these days I'm going to watch every single Elvis movie, but right now I haven't seen Girls, Girls, Girls.


This one was pretty bad, Citizen, there are probably others you should watch first.

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I Married a Witch
There is some fuzzy plotting, but some very funny dialogue and top-notch performances by the stars make the 1942 romantic comedy I Married a Witch sparkling entertainment that had me completely captivated.
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Jennifer is a witch from the 17th century who was burned at the stake by a Jonathan Wooley. A bolt of lightening releases the souls of Jennifer and her father, Daniel from their earthly prison ( a gigantic tree) and they manage to locate the most recent descendant of Wooley, a gubernatorial candidate named Wallace, whose family has had a curse placed on them by Jennifer's family. Jennifer decides to ruin Wallace's life by breaking up his upcoming wedding by having Wallace fall in love with her, with the aid of a love potion, but Jennifer ends up consuming the potion instead.
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The screenwriters had a really terrific idea here but the story gets a little sketchy at times. I don't understand how getting drunk would make Daniel lose his powers nor do I understand why he completely turns on his daughter during the final act. It was also confusing the way Wallace develops feelings for Jennifer even though she's the one who takes the love potion. It was also odd that after everything she did to get Wallace, she was willing to give him up when it meant losing her powers. These are minor nitpicks that didn't really cloud the real joy of this movie.
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The real joy of this movie was some extremely clever dialogue, some pretty neat visual effects for 1942, and the delicious performances by the stars. Loved when Daniel was told he might get a hangover and he bellowed, "Don't tell me what I've got! I invented the hangover!". Loved watching Jennifer sliding up and down the fancy banister and trying to start a fire. There was also an adorable moment when her broom walked over to Jennifer and she told the broom, no thank you I don't want to leave now.
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The casting of the ethereal Veronica Lake in the role of Jennifer was a perfect marriage of actress and character. Like one of her contemporaries Carole Lombard, Lake was a deadly combination of sexy and funny that was totally irresistible. Lake appears to really be having a ball in this role. Fredric March once again documents his uncanny versatility with his loopy Wallace. Cecil Kellaway steals every scene he's in as Jennifer's loopy warlock father and a young Susan Hayward impresses in an early role as Wallace's bitchy fiancee.

Needless to say, this film was a partial inspiration for the classic 1960's sitcom Bewitched. In that show, however, the mortal and the witch fell in love without witchcraft, which was the central theme of this movie, that love is better than witchcraft. Lovers of classic cinema and of Bewitched should eat this one up. 3.5

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I Heart Huckabees
Director and co-screenwriter David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) is the creative force behind one of the most bizarre black comedies I have ever seen. A meticulously crafted 2004 film I Heart Huckabees redefines a phrase I have often used in reviews, "cinematic acid trip" but is never boring and features a spectacular ensemble cast completely committed to Russell's vision.
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This logic defying story begins when Albert (Jason Schwartman), a passionate young conservationist, sees a tall African doorman at three different locations in a single day. He decides to go to a pair of married detectives (Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin) to get the bottom of this coincidence, who are "existential" detective who specializes in helping people figure out what life is all about. Albert's case soon becomes intertwined with two other cases of the detectives, one is a neurotic firefighter named Tommy Corn (Mark Wahlberg) and the other is an obnoxious co-worker of Albert's named Brad (Jude Law).
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If the truth be told, I almost turned this movie off at least three times during the first 30 minutes and I'm still not sure what made me keep watching. Russell and co-screenwriter Jeff Baena have taken the concept of existentialism and almost mangles it beyond recognition, through often pretentious dialogue and visual imagery unlike anything I have ever seen. There is also a very strong feeling that a lot of what happens here was unscripted, Russell's bizarre directorial eye is brought to often confusing fruition with the aid of film editor Robert K. Lambert and visual effects supervisor Russell Barrett. The viewer is constantly barraged with so much technical hocus pocus that we can't help but think that the only logical resolution of the story is a "and then I woke up" scene which never happens. I would say that the story requires undivided attention, but it didn't help this reviewer.
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The inventive technology that went into this film is equally matched by the absolutely amazing cast Russell has assembled for this bizarre vision. Hoffman and Tomlin are magical together and Scwartzman provides his accustomed crisp performance as Albert. Wahlberg and Law also offer wonderfully unhinged performances. And for those who like to play "Spot the stars", the film also features appearances from Naomi Watts, Isabelle Huppert, Kevin Dunn, Jean Smart, Richard Jenkins, Tippi Hedren, Jonah Hill, Isla Fisher, Bob Gunton, and Scwartzman's real-life mother, Talia Shire. Not for all tastes, but the cast alone makes it worth a look. 2.5

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The Haunting (1963)
After winning his first Oscar for directing West Side Story and before winning his second Oscar for directing The Sound of Music, Robert Wise managed to squeeze in a heart-stopping psychological chiller called The Haunting that riveted this viewer to the screen thanks to a compelling, multi-layered story and some extraordinary performances.
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Hill House is a mysterious mansion that has stood for 90 years and has a history of violent and grisly deaths, which have spearheaded the belief that the mansion is haunted. Dr. John Markway is an anthropologist who is obsessed with the supernatural and obtains permission to move into the house in order to prove that Hill House is indeed haunted. He is joined in the house by a lonely spinster named Eleanor who is believed to have psychic powers, a sophisticated clairvoyant named Theodora and Luke, the son of the mansion's owner who wants to purchase it for himself. It isn't long before strange occurrences within the house imply a special connection between the house and this woman Eleanor.
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Based on the novel "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson, Nelson Gidding's screenplay subtly but directly sets up a very creepy story that eventually whittles down to a one on one battle between this woman Eleanor and this house. We are given hints that going to this house is Eleanor's destiny through the fact that she is the only character with which get some backstory and, upon her arrival at Hill House, is determined to stay no matter what happens because she's supposed to be here. The story is provided an extra level of creepy by the fact that the antagonist in this story is invisible...even though we know this house is haunted, we can't see them, but we can see them communicating with Eleanor...loved when she first pulled onto the grounds and stopped in front of the mansion and said to herself that the house was staring at her. Speaking of which, Eleanor is also the only character given inner monologues regarding what's going on with the house.
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This reviewer was also intrigued by what comes off as an underlying component of sexual tension to the story when it not only appears that Eleanor is attracted to Dr. Markway, but Theodora might be attracted to Eleanor as well, which is given another layer with the unexpected arrival of Dr. Markway's wife on the scene. It doesn't detract from the primary story, but adds a wonderfully human element to the supernatural story that we don't see coming at all.
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Julie Harris turns in an extraordinary, Oscar-worthy performance as the tortured Eleanor that commands viewer attention. She is beautifully complimented by Claire Bloom's slick and sexy Theodora. After being directed by Wise in West Side Story, Russ Tamblyn provides just the right comic relief as young Luke. Richard Johnson and Lois Maxwell complete the sterling ensemble as the Markways. Exquisite black and white cinematography and chilling music are also great aids in pulling off this chilling tale of an invisible horror. 4

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The Farewell
Despite only one feature length film to her credit, director and screenwriter Lulu Wang hits an emotionally charged bullseye with 2019's The Farewell, a warm, funny, and often moving tale of family set in a foreign culture but rich with universal themes and emotions.
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Billi is a young Chinese woman living in New York who learns that her grandmother is dying of cancer. She hops the first plane to China, even though she's not happy to learn from her parents that the family has decided to keep the truth about the grandmother's illness from her, using the upcoming wedding of Billi's cousin as an excuse for all of the family to gather around the family matriarch.
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Wang presents an emotionally manipulative story on a very touchy subject that takes on a special air thanks to its loving respect to Chinese tradition and culture. We initially understand Billi's anger because she thinks her grandmother should know the truth. Then we meet grandma who thinks she has just gotten a clean bill of health from her doctor. We see how thrilled she is to see Billi and the rest of her family and we see how pumped she is about planning this wedding and we're re-thinking our position on the whole thing. And so is Billie. Though the movie's standout scene was when grandma goes back to the doctor to changer her medication and the whole family shows up. When Billi realizes the doctor speaks English, she takes the opportunity to ask him about grandma's condition for real because no one else present speaks English, except Billi's parents, who remain silent.
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I was also impressed with the appropriate doses of humor that are woven into the story. Loved grandma causing a scene at the restaurant where the wedding dinner is going to be because she ordered lobster and the chef is preparing crab. The actual wedding dinner is a lot of fun too, rich with the kind of silliness that we've seen at a lot of movie weddings...people drinking too much, reunited military pals bragging about their kills, the awkward speeches, and bad karioke performances. The balance that Wang brings to this story only enhances its realism.
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The location filming in China is a lovely canvas for the story featuring breathtaking cinematography by Anna Franquesa Solano. Awkwafina, who provided terrific comic relief in Crazy Rich Asians, proves herself to be an actress of real substance with her gutsy performance as Billi, a performance that earned her a Golden Globe nomination. I also loved Shuzhen Zhao as the grandmother and Diana Linn as Billi's mother. A unique and moving motion picture, that if caught in the right mood, will definitely ignite some tear ducts. 4

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Stella
Bette Midler fans will definitely find entertainment value in Stella, a 1999 soap opera rich with dated plotting and cliched dialogue that is still worth a look thanks to some really terrific performances.
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This film is actually the second remake of a story called Stella Dallas that first came to the screen in 1925 with Belle Bennett in the starring role. The film was remade in 1937 with Barbara Stanwyck, who received an Oscar nomination for her performance. This version stars Bette Midler as Stella Claire, a loud-mouth, free-spirited bartender in Watertown, New York who has a one night stand with a handsome doctor named Stephen Dallas (Stephen Collins), which results in her pregnancy. Stella turns down Stephen's tentative marriage proposal and decides to raise the baby herself. We then watch the gradual evolution of this Stella character who completely devotes her life to the happiness of her daughter, Jenny (Trini Alvarado) who often feels smothered by Mom's constant attention.
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Screenwriter Robert Getchell (Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore) has made a couple of major changes to the original story that give it an entirely different feel. In the original film, Stella and Stephen actually get married and have the baby before going their separate ways. I'm guessing that Stella becomes a single mother in this remake to make her a more contemporary 1990 movie heroine...a woman doesn't need to have a man to raise a child. This is probably also why the brief relationship between Stephen and Stella have at the opening of this film is crafted with such detail. It establishes Stella as a woman of independent means and attempts to paint Stephen as a black-hearted villain, which he really isn't. This is why Stephen probably remains a more viable part of the story than in the previous versions.
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One thing I loved that director John Erman does here is establish how becoming a mother brings about a remarkable change in Stella in one very single, very effective moment in the film. The moment where the baby is placed in Stella's arms for the first time is the film's loveliest moment, where we actually see Stella become a completely different person in a matter of seconds, a person who has now decided that her life is all about her daughter's. We see it again when Stephen wants to take Jenny to New York on Christmas Eve and even though Stella would rather slit her own throat than let Jenny go, she lets her go anyway. For the most part, what we have here is a 1930's melodrama in a 1990's setting that eventually drowns in its own soap suds with a finale too corny to be believed.
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What keeps the viewer interested is a cast really committed to this sappy cinematic vision. Bette Midler is bold and gutsy as the title character, making us care about this often silly and sappy woman. Trini Alvarado (whatever happened to her?) is charming as Jenny and helps Midler create the most interesting mother/daughter movie relationship I've seen since Shirley and Debra in Terms of Endearment. John Goodman also impresses as Stella's platonic BFF as does Marsha Mason as Dr. Dallas' new girlfriend. And if you pay attention, you will also catch Ben Stiller, in his sixth feature film, playing Jenny's obnoxious first boyfriend. It' a little on the sudsy side, but hardcore Midler fans will find entertainment here. 3

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Midnight Run
Martin Brest, who triumphed as director of Beverly Hills Cop, delivered another bullseye with Midnight Run, an endlessly entertaining action comedy that features a near brilliant screenplay and surprising chemistry between the leads.
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The 1988 film stars Robert De Niro as Jack Walsh, an ex-cop turned bounty hunter who is offered $100,000 by a bondsman to bring in Jonathan "The Duke" Mardukas (Charles Grodin), a nerdy but intelligent accountant who embezzled an obscene amount of money from the mob and gave it away to charity. In addition to the mobster the Duke stole the money from, Jack also finds his mission complicated by a stone-faced FBI agent who lost his ID to Walsh and and a foul-mouthed fellow bounty hunter who the sleazy bondsman also hires to get the Duke when he thinks Jack has messed up.
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Brest gets grand assistance from an intricate, Oscar-worthy screenplay by George Gallo that requires complete attention but said attention is totally worth it as we find ourselves immediately sucked into an outrageous story that stays just within the realm of realism while providing major laughs throughout. If I had one quibble with the story, I don't think a real bounty hunter would open up about his personal life the way Jack does to the Duke. but it was necessary for this story to play out.
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The real pleasure of this film is the relationship between these two lead characters and Brest absolutely deserves a lot of credit for this. It is so much fun watching the slow burn of this relationship as we watch the always thinking Duke trying to get inside of Jack's head in hopes of tripping him up and Jack trying not to get caught up in his feelings that Jonathan is in over his head and really doesn't deserve what's happening to him. We have to wait for the eventual bonding we just know is going to happen between these guys, but they never forget their heads or their individual missions.
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De Niro and Grodin command the screen creating the core of one of the best buddy/road movies ever made. Grodin's underplaying as the Duke is especially masterful...Grodin can convey five pages of dialogue in one furtive glance. They receive solid support from Yaphet Kotto as the FBI agent with anger issues, Dennis Farina as the mobster, Joe Pantoliano as the greasy bondsman and in one of the best scene-stealing performances ever, John Ashton, who played Taggert in Beverly Hills Cop as the nasty bounty hunter out to steal Jack's thunder, a role light years away from Taggert.
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Brest has employed first rate production values in mounting some of the most outrageous action sequences ever put on film, including superb cinematography, production design and Danny Elfman's toe-tapping music. More than anything, this is a testament to the directorial eye of Martin Brest, who creates the near perfect action comedy. 4

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The Theory of Everything
Eddie Redmayne blindsided Michael Keaton when he won the Oscar for Outstanding Lead Actor of 2014 for his performance as Dr. Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, which not only profiles the work of the famed physicist but his romance with the luminous Jane as well.
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The film opens at Cambridge during the 1960's where Hawking is befuddling his professors with some outrageous theories regarding physics and cosmology and beginning a tentative romance with a fellow student named Jane. Just as Stephen is about to commit to Jane and graduate from Cambridge with a doctorate he is diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Hawking is told he has two years to live and is ready to face what's going to happen to him, but he begins to push Jane away who is not having it. She declares that she wants to spend whatever time Stephen has left at his side.
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After they are married, Stephen's mother notices that Jane is overwhelmed and needs some kind of outlet in her life besides Stephen. She suggest that Jane join the church choir, a move that alters the state of Stephen and Jane's marriage permanently.
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Admittedly, I knew close to nothing about Stephen Hawking before watching this film, which allowed me to judge it purely on entertainment value. Anthony McCarten's screenplay is based on a book by the real Jane Hawking, so trust in the facts presented is assumed.
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The lion's share of the credit for why this emotionally charged film works has to go to director James Marsh, who won an Oscar for directing a documentary called Man on Wire. Marsh scores with his leisurely yet realistic pacing of this story. I liked that once Hawking learns of his diagnosis, he's not in a wheelchair in the next scene..Marsh puts undeniable detail into the first scene where Hawking loses his footing and the first time he actually falls to the ground...that fall recalled the fatal fall that Hillary Swank took in Million Dollar Baby. Watching the ravaging of Hawking's body is heartbreaking to watch. I also loved the scene where he takes his place in his wheelchair for the first time. The progression of the disease is realistically mounted. I was also impressed by the efforts of the people in Hawking's orbit walk the tightrope of treating the man as normal as possible and making sure he received the treatment and care required.
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The production values are first rate with special nods to Benoit Delhomme's cinematography and Johann Johansson's gorgeous Oscar-nominated music. One reason I wanted to see this film because I was shocked when Redmayne won the Best Actor Oscar over Michael Keaton for Birdman, but I understand Redmayne's win now. The actor completely loses himself in this physically and emotionally demanding role and Felicity Jones, who impressed as Ruth Bader Ginsberg in A Matter of Sex is lovely as Jane. Impressive support is also provided by Charlie Cox as Jonathan the piano teacher and Simon MacBurney as Stephen's father. There's supreme entertainment here despite a lot of the squirm worthy story elements. All the more compelling because it's a true story...a true love story.4

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The Theory of Everything
.rating_4I reviewed that movie too and pretty much hated it. Actually I didn't hate it I just thought it was mediocre at best.

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Wow, really? Different strokes I guess...I also would have considered this not your type of movie, another one I'm surprised you even watched.

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Anna and the King of Siam
The 1946 melodrama Anna and the King of Siam is a sumptuously mounted, fact-based story of politics and clashing cultures that engages the viewer and stirs emotions with a darker tone than the Broadway musical it became six years later, but still provides solid entertainment.
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Based on a book by Margaret Landon, this is the story of a widowed English schoolteacher named Anna Owens who travels halfway across the world with her young son to the Asian country of Siam (which is now Thailand) to tutor the King's wives and children and finds herself in a constant battle of wills with the stubborn and tyrannical king.
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The Oscar nominated screenplay by Talbot Jennings and Sally Benson is a surprisingly serious look at 19th century politics outside of the United States blended with a dual character study of two people from completely different worlds learning to co-exist and trust each other. There is an immediate tone of sexism in the story as Mrs. Owens is informed by everyone she meets prior to the King that her opinion on most subjects is meaningless because she's a woman. What's fun about the relationship is that the King almost immediately realizes that Mrs. Anna is his intellectual superior but has no intention of letting her know.
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Of course, this story reached the Broadway stage as a musical in 1951 as The King and I starring Gertrude Lawrence as Anna and as the King, in the role that would pretty much define his career, Yul Brynner as the King, with a score by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical came to the screen in 1956 with Brynner and Deborah Kerr and earned a Best Picture nomination. I don't want to spoil this movie for viewers who have only seen the musical, but I will say that one of my favorite things about the 1956 film version of the musical that is absent here is the romantic tension between the lead characters. A feeling of mutual respect is definitely achieved in this film, but I never got a sense of romantic feelings between Anna and the King in this film.
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Director John Cromwell has mounted a beautifully looking film that features Oscar winning art direction/set direction and cinematography. Irene Dunne is nothing short of enchanting in her Oscar-worthy performance as Anna that should have earned her a nomination. As competent as Rex Harrison is as the King, it was hard for me to get the picture of Yul Brynner out of my head because his performance has become the gold standard for this role. Gale Sondergaard, the first Best Supporting Actress winner for Anthony Adverse, received another nomination for her performance as the King's #1 wife, but for me, Lee J. Cobb seemed miscast as the Kralahome. For fans and non-fans of the musical, a rich and warm melodrama with the just the right dash of humor that will warm the heart and possibly produce a tear or two. 4

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Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
The life, career, and tragic death of the Hollywood icon are uniquely and lovingly brought to the screen by HBO in a beautiful 2020 documentary called Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind which takes a different approach to offering a new look at a lot of things we already know about the star and offers new information as well.
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The documentary opens with its executive producer, Wood's daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner talking off screen about the day she learned about her mother's death and then segues into Natasha sitting down and talking to Robert Wagner and playwright Mart Crowley, Natalie's best friend, who share memories about their first meetings with Natalie, intermingled with a barrage of home movies, still photographs, and film clips.
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This documentary didn't follow the traditional chronological route of most celebrity documentaries. The interview goes straight to the end of Wagner's first marriage to Natalie, right around the time Wood's career was blowing up. It then goes back to her childhood and an emotionally charged sequence where several different people are asked to talk about the exact moment they heard about Wood's death and it was interesting to watch how every single person who was asked about this remembers in vivid detail exactly where they were, what they were doing and exactly how they felt when they got the news. It goes without saying that Robert Wagner did not participate in this section of the film.
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Don't get it twisted though...Natasha Gregson Wagner and Robert Wagner do sit down together and talk about that tragic night on the boat. It was very hard watching this part of the film because it was clearly not easy for either of them. It was genuinely moving to watch both Natasha and Wagner's eyes well up with water as Wagner talked, though I still get the feeling that Wagner is hiding something, but this is the most opening up I have seen about what happened that night from Wagner.
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There's also a nice overview of her career that revealed a lot of things I didn't know. This was my first exposure to a lot of personal and professional turmoil during the filming of The Great Race and the pain she went through when, for the first time, she and RJ were working at the same time. He was working on Hart to Hart and she was working on her final film Brainstorm which co-starred Christopher Walken, who was on the boat that night but only appears in archival footage in this documentary.
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In addition to Natasha, Wagner, and Crowley, commentary is also provided by Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Richard Benjamin, George Hamilton, Jill St. John, Natalie's daughter Courtney and stepdaughter Katie Wagner. There is also a rare appearance from Natalie's second husband Richard Gregson, who now suffers from Parkinsons. And as superficial as it might sound, another thing this documentary brought home for me was that Natalie Wood was one of the most breathtakingly beautiful women who walked the planet. Second only to Marilyn Monroe, I don't think there was any actress the camera loved more than the incredible Natalie Wood. 4.5

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Body Heat
Director and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan made an impressive feature film debut with Body Heat, a dark and steamy homage to the film noir genre that was so prevalent in the 1940's, even if it plays a lot of its cards a little too quickly.
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The 1981 film stars William Hurt as Ned Racine, a lawyer in a small Florida coastal town who finds himself entering a clandestine affair with a beautiful married woman named Matty Walker (Kathleen) who is dreadfully unhappy in her marriage, but because she signed a pre-nup, she doesn't want to walk away from her wealthy husband empty-handed, she convinces Ned to help her murder the man.
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Kasdan's screenplay starts off promisingly by establishing the undeniable heat between Ned and Matty, putting the viewer on their side, despite certain clues that everything is not as it seems. We know something's up when Matty brings Ned to her house, makes him leave, stands at the door and waits for him to throw a chair through the door so that he can get in. Another effective plot point was the way Matty talks Ned into this crime but makes him think it's his idea.
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Unfortunately, after the deed is done, the story begins to wrap up a little too quickly. So much time is spent establishing the chemistry between Ned and Matty that the exposure of their crime comes to light way too quickly. It starts when Matty makes the stupid mistake of trying to change her husband's will and everything goes down from there. The way Ned's buddies put together exactly what happened was a little rushed and convenient to be completely believable.
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Kasdan does show real style as a director...the opening scenes establishing Ned and Matty's relationship are undeniably steamy,,,the viewer can feel the sweat dripping off their bodies as it couples with the sexual heat they produce. Kasdan helps William Hurt and Kathleen Turner create one of cinema's steamiest couplings. Their chemistry burns a hole in the screen and makes this film worth checking out alone. Richard Crenna as the husband and Ted Danson and JA Preston as Ned's buddies offer solid support, but it is Kasdan's style behind the camera and the chemistry between Hurt and Turner that make this one work. Fans of the Billy Wilder classic Double Indemnity will have a head start here. 3.5

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5 Flights Up
Sparkling performances by a pair of veteran Oscar winners and some clever writing make the 2014 indie 5 Flights Up seem a lot better then it really is.
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Alex (Morgan Freeman) and Ruth (Diane Keaton) have been living in the same Brooklyn apartment for 40 years and are now seriously considering selling the apartment and moving out of Brooklyn. While holding an open house organized by Ruth's real estate agent niece, Alex and Ruth are also dealing with the very serious of their dog, Dorothy and news reports of a terrorist supposedly hiding out in the neighborhood which might affect the turnout of the open house.
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The structure of Charlie Peter's screenplay, based on a book by Jill Climent, cleverly blends an organized story with some offbeat and spontaneous humor too maximum effect. The first half the film follows Alex and Ruth's dealing with trying to sell their apartment and their conflicting feelings about it and the second half deals with them trying to find a new apartment, all the while dealing with their seriously ill dog (every shot of that dog was heartbreaking). It was also amusing watching the niece treat 40 years of memories like a businiess portfolio. Loved the way she referred to three interested possible buyers as "dog ladies", "matching sweaters", and "blue leggings." If I had one small quibble, the screenplay did feature some unnecessary narration provided by Ffreeman which felt like it was just added because they had Morgan Freeman to do it.
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During this turning point in their lives we also get a thoughtful overlook at Alex and Ruth's marriage, which surprisingly had very little to do with the fact that they were an interracial couple. I was impressed with the fact that director Richard Loncraine had the sense to cast younger actors in the flashbacks to Alex and Ruth's beginnings and did a superb job in the casting.
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The on location filming is Brooklyn and Manhattan was effective and a big thumbs up to set director Alexandra Mazur for her meticulous attention to the look of Alex and Ruth's apartment. The chemistry created by Freeman and Keaton is wonderful, completely believable as a couple who's been married for a hundred years. Cynthia Nixon's effervescent performance as the real estate agent/neice was on the money and I loved Claire van der Bloom and Korey Jackson as young Ruth and Alex. A warm and engaging comedy/drama that was a pleasant surprise. 3.5

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Dangerous When Wet
I was a little disappointed after viewing my first Esther Williams musical, Neptune's Daughter, due to the lack of screen time Esther actually spent in the water. MGM's Queen of the Aqua Musical delivers what fans of hers are looking for in the colorful and, of course, splashy musical Dangerous When Wet.
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The 1953 musical comedy stars Williams as Katie Higgins, the eldest daughter of a health-oriented famijly who begin every day with a vigorous swim. A fast talking advertising executive named Windy Weebe (Jack Carson) drafts Katie to participate in an international race to swim the English Channel. Katie's training does get disrupted by a handsome French playboy (Fernando Lamas) while Windy finds himself fending off the advances of a beautiful French swimmer (Denise Darcel).
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Dorothy Kingsley, who also wrote the screenplays for Kiss Me Kate and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers has written a story that combines classic musical comedy misunderstandings with legitimate reasons to have Esther in the water.
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There's one glaring problem with the film that I just couldn't get past and that involves the leading man. Kingsley and director Charles Walters try to pass off Argentinian actor Lamas as a Frenchman. This was not the first time that MGM pulled this either. Lamas also played an alleged Frenchman in a 1950 Jane Powell musical called Rich Young and Pretty and it's a hard thing to overlook when the guy is doing scenes with actual French actors.
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There are songs by Johnny Mandel and Arthur Schwartz like "I Got out of the Right Side of Bed", "In My Wildest Dreams" and "Ain't Nature Grand?", but the musical highlight of the movie was an elaborate animated dream sequence featuring Esther and MGM's biggest cartoon stars at the time, Tom and Jerry.
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Williams and Lamas do generate a nice chemistry onscreen (they would marry IRL thirteen years later and have a son named Lorenzo who also become an actor). Jack Carson offers breezy support as Windy and William Demarest and Charlotte Greenwood are a lot of fun as Katie's parents. Esther Williams fans will definitely find what they're looking for here. 3.5

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Do the Right Thing
With everything that is going on in this country right now, I thought it was a good time to take a look at Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, a ferocious, uncompromising, and emotionally charged look at racism that has obviously become more timely than ever. Spike Lee has always been a hit and miss director with me, but this is his masterpiece, a compelling story on the surface that creates a suspense, and I mean Hitchcock-like suspense, that we know is going to lead to an explosion, even if we're not sure exactly what kind of explosion is coming.
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The 1989 drama opens on the hottest day of the year in a racially turbulent neighborhood in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is viewed primarily through the eyes of Sal (Danny Aiello), the white owner of the local pizza parlor that has somehow has survived for decades in a neighborhood that is primarily black and Puerto Rican, and Sal's delivery boy, Mookie (Spike Lee) the slick talker who knows everyone in the neighborhood, trapped in a relationship with a girl he got pregnant (Rosie Perez). The rest of the canvas is introduced but the fuse is lit when a militant black who calls himself "Buggin Out" (Giancarlo Esposito) demands that Sal hangs some photos of black people on his celebrity wall.
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Lee nails the canvas he creates here with a lot of stereotyped characters who are all steeped in realism: There's the nosy old lady (Ruby Dee) who watches the neighborhood like a hawk; Radio Rhaheem (Bill Nunn) is an ignorant thug who carries around a boom box at full volume and refuses to turn it down; the old man (Ossie Davis) whose only mission in life is his next drink; Sal's two lazy sons (Richard Edson, John Turturro); and three old men (Frankie Faison, Robin Harris, Paul Benjamin) who sit on the sidewalk offering pointless commentary on the neighborhood madness.
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What I love about Lee's Oscar-nominated screenplay is that he spreads the blame around with equal relish. None of the characters in this story do complete right or complete wrong. They are all deeply flawed and are all racist in one way or another. This is a point that Lee drives home with a sledgehammer. Racism is about ignorance and it doesn't solve anything and there's a little bit of it in all of us. There are innocent bystanders and collateral damage here, but everyone involved in this mess does wrong.
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Lee gets some splendid performances from his ensemble cast. Danny Aiello's world weary pizza parlor owner earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Esposito, Nunn, Davis, and Dee score as well. Easily, the zenith of Spike Lee's career. 4.5

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The Stunt Man
A dazzling performance from the late Peter O'Toole is at the center of a richly entertaining action comedy called from 1980 called The Stunt Man which blends a clever look at Hollywood behind the scenes with a convoluted romantic triangle to maximum effect.
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Cameron is a former Vietnam vet who is now a fugitive from the law who unknowingly runs into the middle of a movie set for a WWI epic and causes an accident that actually kills the stunt man operating a vehicle. The brilliant egomaniac directing the film, Eli Cross, witnesses the entire thing and in order to save the film and cover his own ass, Eli blackmails Cameron into replacing the dead stunt man and pretending to be him. Things get complicated when Cameron falls in love with Nina, the film's leading lady, who still is very much involved with Eli, even though she's in deep denial about it.
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Director and co-screenwriter Richard Rush created his masterpiece here. an intoxicating blend of show business and romance, rich with enough complexities to give the story its own air of originality. Watching Cameron getting a second chance on life is a lot of fun, but it becomes so much more interesting when he gets involved with Nina because the triangle that develops here is painted in serious shades of gray. Cameron's hero worship of Cross begins to look like something else once he learns that Cross and Nina have a past...that something else might be jealousy. The other fascinating aspect of this story is this director Eli Cross,,,this guy has a serious God complex and casts a spell on everyone in his orbit. It was funny the way everybody working on this film felt that this one of a kind relationship with the guy that no one else did.
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I loved this movie because it revealed the arduous, detailed, tedious and never-ending work involved in making a movie. A lot of the professional secrets about stunt work, makeup, and other areas of production are presented without filter here, but it didn't at all destroy the magic movie-making either, it just enhanced it.
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Can't make a movie about making a movie without first rate production values and Rush and company deliver, with special nods to cinematography, editing., the quirky musical score. and, of course. the stunt work. As always, Peter O'Toole commands the screen in a charismatic star turn as Eli Cross that earned him his sixth Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Steve Railsback (so memorable as Charles Manson in the CBS minis mom okeries Helter Skelter) is kinetic and intense as the severely damaged Cameron and Barbara Hershey brings a richness to Nina that we don't see coming. A delicious valentine to Hollywood featuring a heart stopping climax that had me on the edge of my chair. 4

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Man of the House
A fuzzy screenplay and a miscast leading man are the primary issues with 1995's Man of the House, a silly and not very funny movie that was supposed to make a movie star out of Jonathan Taylor Thomas.
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Thomas plays Ben, a young boy who is not all pleased with the idea of his divorced mom (Farrah Fawcett) moving in with a US Attorney named Jack Sturges (Chevy Chase). The boy does everything he can to break up the relationship, but just as Jack is starting to make inroads with the boy, things get very complicated when some mobsters decide they want Jack dead because he sent their boss to prison for 50 years.
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Jonathan Taylor Thomas was the breakout star of the ABC sitcom Home Improvement who let his success on that show go to his head. He left the show and decided to pursue a movie career; unfortunately, this vehicle is not worthy of him at all. The premise is about as predictable as they come and most of the characters involved are silly stereotypes.
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The other problem is that leading man Chevy Chase is just miscast. This story and character do not play to Chase's strengths at all. Chase's onscreen strength was outrageous physical comedy and the sensitive stepdad just didn't work for me. Fawcett's role as the mom is basically thankless, though George Wendt has a couple of funny moments as a fellow stepfather. It wouldn't be as sad if the film had accomplished its mission to make Jonathan Taylor Thomas a movie star, but when was the last time you saw Jonathan Taylor Thomas in anything? 2

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Mississippi Burning
Alan Parker has built an impressive resume as a director that defies rhyme and reason in terms of the type of movies he likes to make. I've seen a healthy chunk of his work and there's no doubt in my mind that his masterpiece has to be 1988 Best Picture nominee Mississippi Burning, an angry and disturbing docudrama that brings three dimensional characters to an ugly true story that will manipulate viewer emotions to maximum effect.
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In 1964, three civil rights activists were murdered in Mississippi and disappeared and this film documents what happened when two very different FBI agents are sent down south to find out exactly what happened. Agent Ward (Willem Dafoe) is a buttoned-up, by-the-book, strictly by procedure kind of agent while Agent Anderson (Gene Hackman) is a little more folksy and thinks the way to find the answers they're looking for is by cozying up to the people, even though they have already formed a code of silence and have no attention of cooperating with the FBI. Agent Anderson further complicates the investigation by getting a little to close to a deputy's wife (Frances McDormand).
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Parker has mounted an emotionally charged scale on a large canvas that still maintains a sense of intimacy, with grand assistance from Chris Gerolmo's unapologetic screenplay which puts bigotry front and center and often shocks the viewer with the kind of behavior this kind of hate can manifest. My jaw dropped when the agents were sitting in their motel room and it was suddenly riddled with gunfire. It's frightening that these people were not the least bit concerned about the possible consequences of murdering a federal agent. On the other hand, I loved when Agent Ward is informed that the motel owner wants them out because it's bad for business and Ward tells his assistant to buy the hotel.
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There were a couple of minor storyline moves that I found troublesome, troublesome to the point that we're not sure if they really happened or if they were added for dramatic effect. The relationship between Anderson and the deputy's wife was particularly troubling. Anderson had to know that what he was doing was compromising the investigation and had to know that it wouldn't bode well for this woman, but it made for some compelling drama.
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In addition to Best Picture, this powerhouse docudrama received six other nominations. Gene Hackman's alternately folksy and no-nonsense Anderson earned him a Lead Actor nomination and McDormand's genteel deputy's wife earned her a supporting actress nomination, as did Parker for Best Director. Film editing and sound also received nominations and Peter Biziou's cinematography won the Oscar that year.
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Performance wise, can't wrap without mentioning Willem Dafoe's crisp and controlled performance as Agent Ward, Brad Dourif's smart-assed deputy, Stephen Tobolowsky's icy Klan leader, Gailard Sartain's nasty sheriff, and R, Lee Ermey's mayor. A shattering and thought provoking cinematic experience that provides some closure, but not enough, never enough. 4.5

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Something to Talk About
The premise is as old as the hills and the movie is about as predictable as they come, but the 1995 comedy Something to Talk About is worth watching because of some clever writing and some terrific performances.
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The film stars Julia Roberts as Grace Bichon, a woman who gave up her dream of becoming a veterinarian when she become pregnant and began managing her father's horse ranch. Grace finds her comfy existence blown out of the water when she learns her husband, Eddie (Dennis Quaid) has been cheating on her. A parallel story comes about when Grace's mother (Gena Rowlands) learns that her husband (Robert Duvall) cheated on her 30 years ago and everyone in town, including her daughters, knew about it but her.
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This movie works thanks to a clever screenplay by Oscar winner Calli Khouri (Thelma and Louise) that simultaneously shows us an imploding marriage and revealing backstory about the relationship at the same time without spelling it all out for us. There is a brief but telling scene between Eddie and Grace's sister (Kyra Sedgewick) that, without actually saying it, reveals that they once had a relationship and it is confirmed later. Khouri's crafting of the expected advice Grace is given about her marriage also provides some surprises, especially the advice Grace gets from her Aunt Rae.
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There are a couple of scenes that are standouts, one in particular that has become part of movie pop culture where Grace addresses what has happened to her during a snooty women's committee meeting. Also loved Grace's mom locking her dad out of the house and dad's lament about how other parents complain when their kids leave home and why that can't happen to them.
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What really makes this movie special is some really wonderful performances from a hand-picked cast. Julie Roberts underplays the starring role very effectively, never resorting to the histrionics that the screenplay sometimes requests. Quaid invests in a character who is really a jerk, but it's forgiven in that scene with his lawyer (a very classy cameo by the late David Huddleston). Gena Rowlands is lovely as Mom and it goes without saying that the masterful Duvall steals every scene he's in. Nothing groundbreaking here and yes, it takes a little longer to wrap up than need be, but the acting really raises the bar on this one. 3.5

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Gilda
Rita Hayworth had a long and distinguished career as the queen of Columbia, but found her signature role in the 1946 melodrama Gilda, a steamy romantic triangle co-mingled with a mob drama that doesn't entirely sustain interest until the end, but the alluring Hayworth makes it worth the watch.
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Glenn Ford stars as Johnny Farrell, a penniless professional gambler who arrives in Argentina and has his life saved one night by a wealthy casino owner named Ballin Mudson (George Macready), who hires Johnny at the casino as his right hand man. Everything is going well for Johnny until Mudson returns from a business trip with a new bride, an icy seductress named Gilda (guess who) who is immediately attracted to Johnny and vice versa, though both fight it as hard as they can.
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Marion Parsonnet's screenplay is surprisingly adult for 1946...the dialogue between Johnny and Gilda is rich with sexual double entendres and I loved the fact that in the parts of the story centered around the triangle, none of the three characters ever say exactly what they mean. I also love the way the word "hate" is substituted for the word "love" when Johnny and Gilda get honest about their feelings for each other. If I had one quibble with the screenplay, we could have done without Johnny's narration...it was unnecessary and added nothing to the story.
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What does work here is Rita Hayworth in a role that seems to have been written for her and the white hot chemistry between her and Ford, which ignite the screen through the sensitive and intense direction by Charles Vidor. The second Gilda and Johnny lay eyes on each other, the attraction is there with a sexual tension you can cut with a knife. I love when Gilda is dancing with another man and the whole time she's dancing with this guy, her eyes never leave Johnny sitting at the table...that's Hayworth and Vidor establishing the story pretty much in one scene. The third part of the triangle is not given short shrift either...Vidor makes it clear that Mudson sees the attraction and all the insecurities he has about his marriage come bubbling to the service. I love after their first meeting the way he tries to convince both Johnny and Gilda that they "hate" each other.
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The final third of the film which concentrates on the mob part of the story doesn't work as well, but it does contain a scene that's become part of movie pop culture. Hayworth's sexy and brassy interpretation of "Put the Blame on Mame" is something that has to be experienced (her singing is dubbed by Anita Ellis). This scene alone is probably a big reason why Rita Hayworth will always be remembered as Gilda. And nobody does a hair toss like Rita.
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The chemistry that Hayworth creates with Ford is no accident. since this was the second of five films they made together. Macready was overly mannered as Mudson, but it seemed to fit the character and I also enjoyed Steven Geray as Uncle Pio, the philosophical bartender. Kudos to the art direction/set direction and to Hayworth's stunning wardrobe by Jean Louis. It's not a home run. but Hayworth definitely makes this classic worth investing in. 3.5

[Citizen Rules]

GildaThat was the best written review of Gilda that I've ever read...You understand the dynamics of the film and the love triangle, way better than I did. I enjoyed reading your review:)

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Thanks Citizen

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The Straight Story
The Straight Story is a warm and engaging fact-based story that chronicles an unbelievable journey that works thanks to an amazing performance from the leading man sensitively guided by an unexpected source in the director's chair.
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The 1999 film introduces us to Alvin Straight (the late Richard Farnsworth) who learns that his brother, Lyle, has had a stroke and decides to journey from Laurens, Iowa to Mt. Zion, Wisconsin. in order to mend fences with his brother before it's too late. Everyone in his life is thrown, including his mentally-challenged daughter (Sissy Spacek), when Alvin decides to make the journey on a riding lawn mower with a small trailer attached.
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John Roach and Mary Sweeney's efficient screenplay provides just enough exposition and backstory that we need before this remarkable journey begins. We learn that Alvin's health is in a serious decline , that he can't drive because he has no license, and that he wants to make this journey alone. At two different points in the film, he is offered a ride to his brother's and he politely refuses the offer.
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Director David Lynch (The Elephant Man, Mulholland Drive) has mounted a beautifully photographed travelogue in the form of little vignettes that make up Alvin's journey, some are the expected adventures we would expect from such a journey. It was particularly amusing when he has a run in with a hysterical motorist who has just hit a deer with her car and, of course, the expected breakdown of the mower where we are led to believe that this mower will never make it to Mt. Zion. Lynch manages to keep an, on the surface, mundane story riveting by the sensitively framing of this wonderful central character, a guy who is angry, but not in denial, about being old, but vividly remembers every detail in a scene where he is reminiscing about his time in the military.
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Very impressive that an extremely theatrical director like David Lynch could provide such loving and simplistic direction to this quiet story that actually does provide a couple of detours we don't see coming, even though, for some reason, from the minute the film begins, we never doubt that Alvin is going to get to see his brother. Richard Farnsworth's achingly real performance as Alvin earned him an Outstanding Lead Actor nomination, the oldest actor in Academy history to receive a nomination in the lead category and Spacek's work as his daughter is equally splendid. The actress takes a slightly different tack at playing a mentally challenged character that was wonderfully refreshing, but it's David Lynch's simple and sensitive mounting of this story that really makes it work. 4

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Irresistible
Comedian and political satirist Jon Stewart impresses with his second full length feature as writer and director called Irresistible, a scorching black comedy of political machinations that had my blood boiling until the plot twist to end all plot twists.
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The 2020 film opens shortly after the election of Donald Trump where we are introduced to Gary Zimmer (Steve Carell), a slick talking Democratic political strategist/spin doctor, still stinging from Hillary's defeat, who sees a you tube video of Colonel Jack Hastings (Oscar winner Chris Cooper), a retired military man turned farmer giving an impassioned speech at a town meeting in a tiny hamlet called Deeraken, Wisconsin. Zimmer is moved enough by the man's enthusiasm that he decides to travel to Deerlaken and convince Hastings to run for mayor as a Democrat, even though, on paper, Hastings is a repubican.
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As Gary tirelessly works to jump start a campaign for Hastings and it appears he might make it a real race, Trump's Republican strategist/spin doctor and long time rival of Gary's, Faith Brewster (Rose Byrne), also arrives in Deerlaken putting her support behind the incumbent Republican mayor. Gary and Rose's love/hate relationship fuels both of them to bring in reinforcements in order to raise some serious money for both campaigns.
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Stewart actually starts this story off quite cleverly, starting out with a story of DC politics affecting small town sensibilities that has a very folksy, almost Capra-esque quality to it. Loved when Gary leaves his hotel room the day after his arrival in Deerlaken and everyone on the street already knows who he is and we are led to believe this is because this one of those towns where everybody knows everybody else's business. We're a little uncomfortable with Gary's gentle bullying of Col Hastings, but it's just the beginning. Gary's condescending, smart-ass way of communicating with these small town folk is rather squirm worthy.
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Once the republicans arrive on the scene the story seems to get uglier and uglier until an inspired plot twist that no one will see coming. As brilliant as the plot twist is, it should have come sooner because the movie was getting way too close to losing me until it happened. The ugliness level of this story is brilliantly illustrated in the two campaign commercials that Gary films for the Colonel and the vast difference between them. Stewart takes us to the very edge of the cliff and almost lets us fall off, pulling us to safety at the last second.
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Stewart's direction is solid and he gets some terrific performances from his cast. Carell has flashes of brilliance as Gary and Cooper gives the Colonel the perfect folksy quality the character requires. Brent Sexton is terrific as Mayor Braun, but I couldn't get past my disdain for Rose Byrne to find her convincing as a political shark. Jon Stewart does impress as a film maker without losing his political conscience, even if he lets it go a tad too far. Be sure to stay tuned through the closing credits. 3.5

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Mother's Boys
Overheated direction and a messy screenplay notwithstanding, the 1993 psychological thriller Mother's Boys is still worth a look thanks to an icy performance from Jamie Lee Curtis in the starring role.
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Jude Madigan left her husband and three sons three years ago with no explanation. She has now returned and has decided she wants her family back, despite the fact that Jude's husband, Robert , is now engaged to Callie, the assistant principal at the boys' school. When her obvious attempts to get rid of Callie fail, Jude decides the only way to get her family back is through her oldest son, Kes, who is in deep denial about his mother's leaving and seriously confused about her return.
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The basic premise of this movie is solid, but Barry Schneider's screenplay, based on a novel by Bernard Taylor, takes a sledgehammer approach, spoon-feeding the viewer with everything that happens. We get our first hint that all is not right with Jude when she visits her mother and tells mom that "she feels good." We get serious mixed signals from Robert who claims he no longer has feelings for Jude, but his initial encounters with her upon her return say otherwise. My biggest problem with the story is when Jude decides a weekend alone with oldest son, Kes is the answer and the fact that it actually seems to bring Kes to her side makes no sense whatsoever. Not to mention the fact that the new fiancee is dumb as a box of rocks, which just seemed a little convenient.
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Yves Simeoneau's manic direction doesn't help either...his camerawork is often headache inducing and inject a whole lot of overbaked and unmotivated "boos" to the story that come from nowhere but the director's imagination and take the viewer out of the reality of what's going on. The camera revolving around Callie in one scene where she gets a phone call about Robert gave me a serious headache.
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The one thing that really works here is an expertly underplayed performance by Jamie Lee Curtis as Jude. On the surface this character seems to be a re-thinking of Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction, but this character is more subtly drawn than Alex; unfortunately the screenplay plays most of its cards way too quickly, diluting the power of Curtis' work.
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Peter Gallagher works hard at keeping the husband believable, but Joanne Whalley's wooden performance only reinforces how stupid the character is. Oscar winner Vanessa Redgrave impresses in a glorified cameo as Jude's mother. The film features some excellent cinematography and editing, but this one is really for hardcore fans of Jamie Lee Curtis only. 2.5

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The Natural
Meticulous direction by Barry Levinson, the limitless charisma of Robert Redford, an impeccable supporting cast, and outstanding production values work together to make 1984's The Natural, a sports-oriented fairy tale that provides consistent entertainment for most of its slightly overlong running time.
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Redford plays Roy Hobbs, who we are introduced to as a child, who has God-given talent and passion for the sport of baseball but doesn't get onto a major league team called the New York Knights until he's at the age that most ballplayers retire. Of course, he turns the team around after winning over the crusty team manager, but things start to turn sour for Roy when he becomes involved with the girlfriend of a crooked bookie and his hometown girlfriend re-enters his life.
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There are a couple of reasons why I refer to this film as a fairy tale. First of all, this Roy Hobbs character is imbued with something almost not of this world. This is the first movie baseball player I have seen who carries his own bat around in a case like a pool cue, a bat he carved out of a tree struck with lightening. One might think the lightening might have affected this bat in some way and in first game, he literally destroys the baseball he hit on his first time at bat. All the characters surrounding Roy in this story seem to represent classic fairy tale archetypes...the crusty manager is like the old wizard, the hometown girlfriend is like the princess, the bookie is the fire-breathing dragon, and the bookie's girlfriend is the evil queen. The film sets up an immediate air of mystery because Roy refuses to talk to anyone about his past and the final big game actually puts his life in danger and the lives of other characters in serious jeopardy, jeopardy that only Roy can vanquish.
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There are even a couple of magic spells like the girlfriend standing up so Roy can see her and hit a home run. Yes, by the time we get to the climactic game, there isn't a whole lot of suspense there...there's no way Levinson and screenwriter Roger Towne would take on this incredible journey with Roy Hobbs and not have him slay that dragon. When Roy's past finally comes to light, it is a little anti-climactic, but it's a necessary reveal that sets up a lot of the dragon slaying that Roy must do before the credits roll.
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The film features handsome production values including Oscar-nominated cinematography, art direction/set direction , and Randy Newman's lush music. Redford is backed by some real pros here. As always, Robert Duvall steals every scene he's in as a hard-nosed sports writer and Wilford Brimley is terrific as the team manager. Darren McGavin was appropriately greasy as the bookie as was Robert Prosky as the team owner. Glenn Close received her third Best Supporting actress nomination in a row as the hometown girlfriend. Mention should also be made of a young Michael Madsen as an obnoxious ballplayer named Bump Bailey and a terrific cameo by Joe Don Baker as a baseball legend clearly patterned after Babe Ruth. The fairy tale provides a few unexpected bumps and an air of predictability, and goes on a little longer than it should, but the fairy tale delivers the requisite happy ending. 3.5

[adele]

Thank you for writing a very detailed review. I will find and watch this movie.

[Gideon58]

Hamilton
A big bouquet to Disney streaming services for thinking of those of us who live outside the tri-state area, making it pretty much impossible for us to experience the sparkling and highly stylized Broadway experience Hamilton, which opened on Broadway in the summer of 2015, won 11 Tony Awards and was still running when the Co-Vid virus caused the closing of the production in March of 2020.
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This 2020 film version of the musical is actually a filmed performance of the Broadway musical that was filmed in 2016 at the Richard Rodgers Theater. The musical focuses on Hamilton's arrival in New York where he meets with Aaron Burr, the Marquis de Lafayette, John Laurens, and Hercules Mulligan, who strategize about how they are going to bring their own skills to winning the revolutionary war, much to the chagrin of a panicked King George. We also watch Hamilton's fairy tale romance with Eliza Schuyler, which is complicated by Hamilton's unresolved feelings for Eliza's sister Angelica.
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It's not long before Hamilton finds himself George Washington's right hand man in battling in the British, which actually ends up getting Hamilton appointed America's first Secretary of the Treasury, a position that severely affects his relationship with Aaron Burr, as well as future presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, not to mention his son Phillip, who is determined to make the most of his father's legacy, though it is never to be.
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Even hardcore fans of the genre known as the Broadway musical will find themselves wading into virgin territory here, because this piece is unlike anything we've seen from Broadway before. The only Broadway composer whose work might rival Lin-Manuel Miranda in his style is Stephen Sondheim, though Miranda's music has the pulse of the 21st century...the majority of the libretto for this musical is done as a rap, accentuated with full musical numbers. What Miranda has done here is created the first rap opera. Miranda has taken a classic historical figure and broken down his story in a way that might be more accessible for general consumption, the same thing Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice did when they turned the last seven days in the life of Jesus into Jesus Christ Superstar.
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I would be lying if I didn't say that this musical reminded me a lot of Jesus Christ Superstar in terms of the journey that this central character makes. He starts off as sort of a messiah of the 18th century who begins to believe his own press and before we realize it, the masses that have been worshiping him have morphed into a mob who decide he must be stopped. Hamilton is portrayed as a fearless rebel not the least bit intimidated by the likes of George Washington or anybody else, quietly working his way into Washington's graces, not concerned about who to step over to accomplish his mission. Is this what the real Alexander Hamilton was like? Who knows, but it makes for one hell of an entertaining musical.
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I love the fact that director Thomas Kail filmed a stage performance of this piece, because this work is too stylized to work as a real movie, but it allows a lot more people to experience this musical who otherwise would have never had the opportunity. Lin-Manuel Miranda's funky and melodious score is the real star of the piece as it should be...not since West Side Story, have I seen the finger snap be such an integral part of a musical's orchestrations. Musical highlights include "My Shot", "A Winter's Ball", "Right Hand Man", "Ten Duel Commandments" and "Aaron Burr sir". This musical requires complete attention to the lyrics as there is no dialogue, and even though you won't catch everything, it's never uninteresting.
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Miranda is wonderful in the title role and mention should also be made of Renee Elise Goldsberry as Angelica, Lamar Odom, Jr as Burr, Jonathan Groff as the madcap King George, and especially Daveed Diggs, who is absolutely dazzling in the dual role of Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. It's not for all tastes, especially people who hate musicals. but for musical lovers who like a dash of the offbeat, treasure will be found here. 4.5

[Gideon58]

The Mating Season
A sparkling, Oscar-nominated performance by the irrepressible Thelma Ritter is the centerpiece of a lovely comedy called The Mating Season, a delicious combination of mistaken identity and romance that provides solid entertainment.
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The 1951 comedy stars Ritter as Ellen McNulty, a wisecracking widow who loses her hamburger joint in Jersey City and decides to visit her son, Val (John Lund), who has just married a wealthy socialite named Maggie Carleton (Gene Tierney). Upon Ellen's arrival, Maggie is preparing for a dinner party and mistakes Ellen for a cook she ordered from an employment agency. Val attempts to clear up the mistaken identity until he sees how much Maggie likes and depends on Ellen.
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Ellen decides to stick around when she learns that Val's boss' son (John Lorimer) still has the hots for Maggie and when Maggie's bitchy mother (Miriam Hopkins) arrives from Europe for a visit, hating Ellen and Val on sight.
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Really liked the screenplay for this comedy because it doesn't go in the directions that one might expect from the basic premise. Ellen does what she can to have her son's back without ever directly interfering with his marriage and Maggie reads Val the riot act when she learns who Ellen really is. Also enjoyed the further complication that develops when Maggie's mother thinks Val is having an affair with his own mother. The story even provides an unexpected romance for Ellen.
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Mitchell Liesen, whose directorial resume mostly consists of melodrama, lends a deliciously light hand to the proceedings here, never allowing it to get too manic, providing the right touch of sophistication that the screenplay deserves.
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Ritter received a supporting actress nomination for her terrific work here, losing to Kim Hunter for A Streetcar Named Desire, which is understandable but I also have to wonder if the role of Ellen was lead and not supporting. Gene Tierney displays a surprising flair for light comedy, as my only exposure to her work had been dramatic up to this point. I've always found John Lund kind of vanilla as an actor, but this is the strongest performance of his I've seen and his chemistry with both Ritter and Tierney is tangible. Miriam Hopkins'
flashy and theatrical turn as Maggie's mom was also roll-on-the-floor funny. And if you look closely, Ellen's two horse gambling buddies are played by Ellen Corby and Billie Bird. This delightful comedy is further documentation why Thelma Ritter's six career Oscar nominations were no fluke. 3.5

[Gideon58]

Dangerous Liaisons
Nominated for seven Academy awards including Best Picture of 1988, Dangerous Liasions is a fascinating and emotionally charged costume drama about seduction, manipulation, lust, and sexual empowerment that fascinates from opening to closing credits thanks to a beautifully crafted screenplay, meticulously detailed direction, and some powerhouse performances.
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The setting is 18th century France where the Marquis de Merteuil (Glenn Close) plots revenge against her ex-lover Valmont (John Malkovich), who has come to her because he supposedly wants to resume their relationship. Merteuil agrees to reunite with Valmont for an evening of passion if he will seduce her beautiful young niece (Uma Thurman) destroying her relationship with a handsome musician (Keanu Reeves) and produce evidence in writing that he has done the deed. Valmont agrees to do this despite the fact that he is in the middle of his own seduction of the very married Madame de Tourvel (Michelle Pfeiffer), whose husband is away.
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Though I refer to this film in the opening paragraph as a costume drama, peeling away all the costumes, the Elizabethan-styled dialogue and all the elegant trappings, what you have here is a good old fashioned soap opera, which began as a novel before becoming a stage play. We have an angry bitter woman plotting revenge on the man who wronged her and not caring a bit about all the other lives she ends up destroying in the process. We are given a clue to what a sexual deviant Valmont just by the fact that Valmont agrees to this sexual swordplay. It's confirmed for us when Valmont is observed writing a letter to one of the women he's seducing, using the backside of a naked woman as his desk.
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We almost don't notice the simplicity of the story thanks to Christopher Hampton's Oscar-winning adaptation of his own play, rich with Shakespearean dialogue that is easily translated for those paying attention. This dialogue, where most characters rarely say what they actually mean, coupled with Stephen Frear's delicate direction where most of the emotion and power of the story comes through in looks and body language that supply what the screenplay does not.
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It goes without saying that production values are without peer, including Oscar-winning art direction/set direction and costumes. Glenn Close's richly layered Merteuil earned her a lead Actress nomination and Pfeiffer's insecure Madame de Tourvel earned her a supporting actress nomination. For my money though, the acting honors here have to go to John Malkovoch, who has never been so smooth, slick, and sexy onscreen playing a guy devoid of a moral barometer oblivious of the bodies he leaves in his wake. I have never enjoyed Malkovich onscreen more and how he didn't get a nomination as well is a mystery. For those who like an old fashioned soap opera where just as many people get what's coming to them as the people who get hurt, have your fill here. The final five minutes of the film are spectacular. The story returned to the screen two years later as Valmont and was also re-thought in 1999 with teenage leads as Cruel Intentions. 4.5

[Gideon58]

The Others
Director/screenwriter Alejandro Amenábar displays impressive skill as a cinematic storyteller with 2001's The Others, a consistently suspenseful tale of the supernatural that unfolds so delicately and provides just enough red herrings that the viewer is consistently scratching his head trying to figure out exactly what's going on while being unable to keep their eyes off the screen.
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The setting is 1945 in the Channel Islands, where the viewer meets Grace, a woman who lives in large mansion, devoid of any creature comforts, with her son and daughter, awaiting for her husband to return from the war. It is immediately revealed that the children are photosensitive and cannot be exposed to bright light as a trio of servants for whom Grace advertised, arrive to work at the mansion. A series of bizarre phenomena find Grace slowly coming to believe that this mansion might be haunted.
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Amenabar's story displays influence from horror classics from the 60's like The Innocents and The Haunting, but puts his own stamp on the story through the very methodical unfolding of the story through the use of subtle plot elements, some of which offer major clues to what's going and others that are thrown in to throw the viewer off the scent. It is immediately established that Grace is a devoutly religious woman and how important it is to her that all the doors in the house be kept closed. The first real clue for this reviewer was when it was revealed that servants who arrive to help came on their own because Grace's advertisement was never published. Of course, this was only the tip of the iceberg that everything was not as it seemed here.
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The unfolding of this story is so effective because it provides an uncanny combination of suspense and instaneous "boos" without giving away exactly what was going on. This film had me riveted to the screeen, while making my head spin trying to figure out exactly what was going on here, demanding my undivided attention that Amenabar obtained complete control of until the ingenious climax.
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The film is rich with inventive camerawork, which forces the viewer's focus to dart about with a surprising lack of discipline because we're made so impatient to get to the bottom of the suspense. Amenabar even composed the appropriately creepy music that frames the story. The performances serve the story, especially Nicole Kidman's icy performance as Grace and Finnoula Flanagan as the housekeeper, Mrs. Mills, but the real star of this film is its director and writer, who shows unparalleled skill at spinning a truly gothic tale that keeps the viewer on the edge, physically and mentally. 4

[Gideon58]

Greased Lightning
A terrific performance by Richard Pryor makes Greased Lightning, a by-the-numbers biopic about the first black NASCAR driver, worth a look.
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The 1977 film traces Scott's humble beginnings as he returns from WWII and buys his own taxi, so that he can save enough money to buy his own garage, even though driving race cars has always been at the back of his mind. He marries a sweet and sexy girl named Mary (Pam Grier) and gets her pregnant. As a way of earning enough money to support his new family, his best friend Pee Wee (Cleavon Little) gets him a job bootlegging, which eventually lands him in jail, but also opens the door for his first opportunity to drive a race car.
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Yes, Wendell Scott is a real person, but this film is so cliched and predictable that this film could have been about "the first black" anything because is movie follows the same path of just about every other biopic we've seen, including the corny opening scene of the subject as a child that is supposed to establish the subject's applicable passion. And of course, because the subject is black, we are also beaten over the head with the racism that Scott had to face, not only with the blatant overuse of the "N" word, but scenes of racing spectators being separated in the stands by color and the scene in the white restaurant that refuses to serve blacks, which we've seen done many times before and much more effectively.
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Michael Schulz, who also directed Pryor in Car Wash, Which Way is Up?, and Bustin Loose, seems more concerned about making his star look good than providing an insightful look at Wendell Scott. The film seems to have been filmed on a shoestring and the spotty screenplay has some oddly placed focus. His romance of Mary is relegated to ten minutes of screentime and another ten is spent on her objecting to him being a race car driver. I would have preferred more time had been spent on Wendell's relationship with Mary than a redneck sheriff who spends the first half of the film trying to put Scott in jail and the second half trying to get Scott to endorse him in his political campaign. The whole thing comes off as condensed and spotty, probably a concession Schulz and the TPTB had to make to get the film made. Without Pryor's name attached, this film probably never would have been green lighted and I suspect that research on the real Wendell Scott would reveal nothing resembling this movie.
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What this movie does have going for it is a rock solid performance by Pryor, in a definite change of pace for him. Leaving behind the slapstick clown we're accustomed to, Pryor creates a likable and realistic character that we support from jump. Grier makes the most of her thankless leading lady role, as does Little as Pee Wee. I was also impressed with R&B guitarist Richie Havens, in his second feature film appearance as Scott's mechanic. Pryor's rich performance is definitely worth experiencing, but if you're really curious about Wendell Scott, I would suggest going to the internet. 2.5

[Inmyseat]

All About Eve is a good one from Ms.Davis.

[Gideon58]

All About Eve is a good one from Ms.Davis.

Did you mean to post this somewhere else?

[Gideon58]

Kalifornia
A frighteningly unhinged performance from Brad Pitt is the primary attraction of 1993's Kalifornia, an ugly and unapologetic psychological thriller that simultaneously repels and fascinates, despite an often logic-defying story that leaves a lot of bodies in its wake.
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Brian (David Duchovny) is a writer with a fascination for serial killers who convinces his photographer girlfriend, Carrie (Michelle Forbes) to accompany him on a cross country trip to California where they will make several stops on the way to visit the sites of several famous murders. They advertise for a couple to share the driving and expenses and the only response they receive is from Early (Pitt) and his girlfriend, Adele (Juliette Lewis) who, on the surface, appear to be common trash. What Brian and Carrie don't know is that Brian is a dangerous criminal who murdered his landlord an hour before meeting Brian and Carrie.
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Tim Metcalfe's screenplay is a no-holds barred examination into the psyche of a killer that has an air of pretension, which first surfaces through Brian's pompous and unnecessary narration that seems to imply that he is an expert on the subject rather than a student. Exposition is surprisingly economic but once the quartet hits the road, this story goes to a lot of squirm-worthy places. An undeniable sexual tension is established almost immediately between Early and Carrie, which Brian and Adele are, of course, oblivious to. It's also made clear that Adele has been physically and mentally abused by Early to the point where he is in complete control of her life, of which it seems Adele is blissfully unaware. After a bar fight that should have sent Brian running, he seems to become more fascinated with Early and thinks he's found his own personal case study on his obsession.
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Director Dominic Sena (Swordfish, Gone in 60 Seconds) displays a keen director's eye, with the aid of film editor Martin Hunter, not only presenting some ferociously unforgiving cinematic violence ( a lot aimed at innocent bystanders), but the ability to look inside the heads of these characters, especially Early, to let us know what's going on in there. Sena is the one who really allows to see that Early has no morals, scruples, conscience, or sense of decorum and it's not so much in his crimes but in his quieter moments. Watch that moment early on in the film where he catches a half-naked Carrie in her hotel room and just stares at her...this scene speaks volumes about what a psychopath Early is.
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David Duchovny brings a dignity and a surprising strength to Brian that we have to wait for and Michelle Forbes' crisp performance as Carrie has a smoldering quality underneath it that endears the outwardly cold character to the viewer. Juliette Lewis makes Adele's pathetic factor as important as her irritation factor, but it is Brad Pitt who completely commands the screen in an explosive performance that cinched the fact, this early in his career, that he was more than a pretty face and, if the truth be told, his performance is worth the price of admission alone. 3.5

[crictime]

One of my favorites from my early childhood.:)

Crictime



Mine too!

[Gideon58]

Palm Springs
Fans of the Bill Murray comedy Groundhog Day will have a head start with 2020's Palm Springs, a loopy comedy from the creative forces behind Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, featuring a deft but slightly complex story that will initially aggravate but some inventive direction and engaging performances will keep the viewer invested in the extremely bumpy road to a happy ending.
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Nyles attends a wedding with his self-absorbed girlfriend who is one of the bridesmaids and has a chance encounter with the maid of honor, Sarah, who is also the bride's sister, that leads to Nyles and Sarah being caught in some kind of time warp that finds them stuck in the day of the wedding which keeps repeating and can't figure out how to escape. Going to try and review this movie without spoilers, which could be problematic.
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Andy Siara has written a complex yet entertaining story that is an engaging combination of fantasy and reality that takes an up close look at relationships. destiny, choices, regrets, and hope that takes the concept of Bill Murray's comedy a step further, primarily because we find two people stuck in this time warp instead of one.
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With strong assists from Siara and the editing team, director Max Barbakow does an impressive job of keeping everything that happens in this story in the same day, even though they are different parts of the day. Barbakow's attention to the continuity required to pull off such a story is impressive...each time the day ends and re-starts it returns to the exact same shot of Sarah's one eye waking up while her head is on the pillow while in the background, we hear the father of the bride talking in the distance about what a great wedding day it's going to be. We also see Nyles waking up and going to straight to Sarah's bedroom, a girl he doesn't even know, followed closely by his girlfriend cheating on him.
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With each restart of the day, we sense that Nyles knows a lot more about what's going on, or more specifically, how to end it, and that's where the core of this unique story lies...has Nyles just accepted what is going on or does he have the power to end it?
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The story is well-served by Andy Samburg, whose rich performance as Niles makes the viewer want to know what's going to happen. Cristin Milioti is initially a little brusque, but eventually brings a likability to Sarah that makes us understand her connection to Miles. Oscar winner JK Simmons makes the most of a key supporting role, but it is the direction, screenplay and Samberg that are the main attractions here. 3.5

[Gideon58]

Mrs. Winterbourne
There are some dangling plot points and it's about as corny and predictable as a movie can be, but a winning cast makes a 1996 Cinderella story called Mrs. Winterbourne worth a look.
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Connie Doyle is an 18 year old girl who gets pregnant by her sleazy boyfriend, who wants nothing to do with being a dad and kicks her out. By chance, Connie ends up on a train bound for Boston, where she is befriended by a charming guy named Hugh Winterbourne who is headed home with his new bride, Patricia, who is also pregnant. There is a terrible train wreck where Hugh and Patricia lose their lives. Somehow, when Connie wakes up in the hospital, everyone thinks she's Patricia and she and her newborn are whisked away to the mansion of Hugh's mother, Grace, who lives there with Hugh's twin brother, Bill.
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Connie tries to explain to Grace and Bill who she really is, but Grace is not listening. Bill is suspicious but decides to let it go because Grace is so happy. Bill does find out who Connie really is, but falls in her love with her and chooses to keep her secret. Connie is about to wrap a ribbon around her new life when the sleazy boyfriend tracks her down and wants his slice of the Winterbourne pie.
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We really don't expect the Cinderella story we're going to get when the film opens with Grace Winterbourne confessing to a murder, but that is what we have here. Connie is blessed with the ultimate Cinderella story, in way too convenient a fashion, but unlike Vivian in Pretty Woman, Connie fights what's happening to her and does make sincere efforts to come clean which prove fruitless. The basic premise that brings about this new life for Connie is troublesome though...it's hard to believe that after a major train wreck, medical and police authorities would mistake Connie for Patricia...Patricia's body wasn't found? No tests were run on Connie during her hospital that might expose who she really was?
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It's also a bit hard to swallow that Grace accepts Connie unconditionally...I would think that most women with the kind of money Grace has would have at least had DNA testing done on the baby before adding him to her will. I also found it a little hard to believe that Grace would actually confess to murder to protect Connie, but by this time, the reality ship had sailed on this one.
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Richard Benjamin's direction is a little pedestrian, except for the terrific performances he gets from his cast. Ricki Lake works hard to overcome some cliched writing to keep Connie likable and Shirley MacLaine is smooth and understated as Grace. Brendan Fraser is charming as Bill though I never really bought Loren Dean as the sleazy Steve. A couple of other familiar faces pop up, including Peter Geraghty, Jane Krakowski, Debra Monk, and a glorious cameo by Benjamin's wife, Paula Prentiss. It's an effective time killer as long as you don't think about it too much. 3

[Gideon58]

Blindspotting
Daveed Diggs, who won a Tony Award for his charismatic performance in the Broadway smash Hamilton impressed someone enough to get his own vision on the screen as producer, co-screenwriter, and star of Blindspotting, a stylized contemporary slice of life look at friendship, rehabilitation, and racial tension that provides a lot of power, but degenerates into over the top melodramatics during its climax.
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Diggs pays Collin, a young man who has been working for a moving company with his best friend Miles, a year after getting out of prison. The story begins three days before Collin's probation is supposed to end and he is able to move out of the halfway house where he is living with an 11:00 PM curfew. On the first of the three nights, Collin witnesses a cop murder an unarmed man and can't get what he saw out of his head. During his second day, a stranger reveals why Collin was in jail and on the third day, an incident with Miles and Miles' young daughter has Collin re-evaluating his entire friendship with Miles.
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The screenplay has a real meandering quality as the film opens, seeming to be nothing more than an excuse to display Diggs' talent as a rapper, which anyone who has seen Hamiltion can already attest. Collin does seem sincere about beginning a new life, evidenced by his panic when he learns the homie that he's hanging with has six handguns in his car. The story doesn't begin to come into focus until we learn why Collin went to jail and when Collin begins to realize what a loose cannon Miles is.
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The story also takes a rather prickly approach to racism, looking at it from a point of view that I haven't seen addressed since the Spike Lee film Bamboozled. Like Michael Rappaport's character in that movie, the character of Miles seems to think he's black or wishes he was black and really relishes the fact that Collin often addresses him with the "N" word and evidence begins to mount that the "N" word might be more applicable to Miles than Collin, even though Collin still feels he has more to fear from the police than Miles does.
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The murder that Collin witnesses also seems initially irrelevant until the emotionally charged climax, which loses a lot of its power when Diggs chooses to substitute rap for a genuine encounter. Under the stylish direction of Carlos López Estrada, Diggs gives a charismatic performance in the title role as does Rafael Casal as Miles. The film builds quite nicely to a pretentious and melodramatic climax, but it's never boring. 3.5

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The Changeling
The story definitely was problematic, but 1980's The Changeling is two thirds of a really great contemporary ghost story that falls apart during the final act, but remains watchable thanks to the presence of one of the greatest actors in the business inhabiting the leading role.
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The late George C. Scott stars as John Russell, a college music professor who loses his wife and daughter in a tragic accident. After four months of drowning in his grief, John accepts a new job and with the aid of a naive real estate agent (Trish Van Devere) decides to rent a large mansion to re-start his life. Not long after moving in, John finds himself being contacted by the spirit of a child inhabiting the attic of the house, who empathizes with John's grief and "seeks his assistance" in bringing his killer to justice as well as uncovering 50 years of corruption and cover-ups.
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Most of the problems with this film spring from William Gray's screenplay. It might seem a bit of nitpick, but I really didn't understand a man trying to get over the death of his family by moving into a giant mansion all by himself. Once he does this, the story is presented to us with all the stock players we expect in a horror movie and with all the subtlety of a monster truck rally...we have the household staff who pretend to know nothing, we have the creepy secretary who warns our hero that the house doesn't want people (a line that actually made me laugh) and the mustache twirling bad guy who's been keeping secrets that have had him racked with guilt for decades.
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We accept what's going on up to a point and believe we are in the middle of a genuinely scary ghost story, but by the final third of the film, we are waist deep in so much mawkish melodrama , producing unintentional laughs that dilute what we have seen up to that point. What does work here and keeps us invested in what's going on is this central character portrayed by a great actor. Stories like this usually have women, small children, or teenagers at the center of the story and this one is given a margin of class by having the main character a middle-aged man drowning in grief.
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Scott gives his accustomed splendid performance, fighting and defeating a screenplay that's fighting him all the way and works well with real life wife Van De Vere. Mention should also be made of two time Oscar winner Melvyn Douglas as the ruthless US Senator at the bottom of the mystery. The film is handsomely mounted and does feature some inventive camerawork and visual effects. My favorite was when a necklace buried under dirt actually un-buries itself and reveals itself to Scott. I wish the attention paid to visual effects was also applied to the story, but Scott is always worth watching. 3

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edTV
Ron Howard's 1999 film edTV has been unfairly maligned by cinephiles as a poor man's variation of The Truman Show and though the stories are similar, this movie addresses a different set of issues than Peter Weir's 1998 masterpiece; unfortunately the long-winded screenplay attempts to cover too much, but what it does cover, it covers pretty effectively.
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Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey plays Ed Perkurny, a 31 year old regular Joe who works at a video store in San Francisco who is chosen by a cable television station to allow television cameras to follow him around and document his life 24/7 with the exception of sleep and bathroom time. Immediate tension is established because Ed's brother Ray (Woody Harrelson) wanted to be chosen for this job so bad he could taste it. Things get even uglier when Ed acts on his longtime crush on Ray's girlfriend, Sherry (Jenna Elfmann).
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Being fair to Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel's screenplay requires pointing out the differences between this story and The Truman Show, primarily that the world of Truman Burbank was completely fabricated and all of the people in Truman's orbit were actors, not to mention the fact that Truman somehow had no idea that he was being filmed and that this was his life from birth. In this film, a 31 year old man is paid handsomely to have his entire life filmed and learns that it's not all it's cracked up to be.
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Issues presented here are different than in Peter Weir's film because the situation is very different. Of course, the subject of celebrity obsession is addressed as the show becomes popular and everyone in the city tries to be part of Ed's orbit. One of my favorite movie topics, the business of show business is also broached as fans start treating the show like a soap opera, turning on people they don't like, forcing the network to begin to manipulate the show into what viewers want to see. Most importantly, this film addresses what celebrities have to give up as the price of celebrity...the fact that any semblance of privacy a celebrity has is gone. It's a little too convenient the way a lot of secrets in Ed's life suddenly come to light just as his star begins to rise, resulting in the final third of the film degenerating into a whole lot of melodrama that didn't mesh with the rest of the story.
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Howard's direction is centered, including some inventive camerawork and editing as is the impressive all-star cast he has assembled to pull this story off. McConaughey is appropriately sincere as Ed and receives solid support from Ellen DeGeneres and Rob Reiner as TV executives, Sally Kirkland and Martin Landau as Ed's mother and stepfather, and a lovely cameo from Dennis Hopper as Ed's real dad. A lot of other familiar faces pop up along the way, including Adam Goldberg, Bill Maher, Jay Leno, Elizabeth Hurley. Ariana Huffington, Michael Moore, Harry Shearer, and George Plimpton, but for my money, Harrelson steals the show as the jealous brother who can't stand being in his brother's shadow. No, it's not The Truman Show and it's not trying to be, but is still worth a look. 3

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Mudbound
Racism is certainly not an uncommon cinematic theme, but it gets a refreshing and more balanced treatment in 2017's Mudbound, an exquisitely mounted and emotionally charged story that not only tackles racism, but other topics like family, war, loyalty, and most importantly, hope.
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Based on a novel by Hillary Jordan, the story is set right before the outbreak of WWII in the Mississippi Delta. There is a stretch of farmland that is being worked by a God fearing black sharecropping family named the Jacksons. Hap and Florence have been running the farm aided by their four children. Their difficult but workable existence is disrupted when a white man named named Henry McAllan arrives with his new bride, Laura, their daughter. and his bigoted father. Swindled out of money he used thinking he has bought the farm, Henry is told his family can remain if they can help the Jacksons run the farm. Shortly after December 7, 1941, the Jacksons' eldest son, Ronzell, and Henry's younger brother, Jamie, are sent oversees to battle the Germans. The Jacksons and the McAllans are learning how to co-exist, but that process becomes hopelessly complicated when Ronzell and Jamie return home and become friends, despite the fact they never met overseas.
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Director and co-screenwriter Dee Rees triumphs with a story that addresses the issue of racism without beating the viewer over the head with it. The story establishes that even though it is the 1940's, desegregation is still a pipe dream, but we are pleasantly surprised as the Jacksons and the McAllans tentatively begin to bond and become part of each others' lives...I love when Florence leaves her family to help Laura have a baby because she's a midwife. Even though Henry is a man who always insists on having his way, he treats the Jacksons with respect for the most part.
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Ironically, things change when Ronzell and Jamie return from the war and become friends, a friendship that takes a bumpy road to fruition. LOVED the scene where they first meet...Jamie is leaving the store and hears a car backfire and hits the ground assuming it's gunfire and Ronzell witnesses it, knowing exactly what's going on. We love watching Ronzell and Jamie bond, but it is also made clear that both of them have returned from the war damaged, for different reasons, but damaged nevertheless. Sadly, their friendship leads to an ugly climax that shocks and saddens.
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Dees' direction is focused and sensitive aided by some dandy production values, with a special shout to the Oscar-nominated cinematography by Rachel Williams. Dees' screenplay received a nomination as did Mary J Blige for Best Supporting Actress for her powerhouse turn as Florence, the Jackson matriarch who puts everyone else's needs before her own. Blige also received a Best Original Song nomination as one of the writers of "Mighty River". According to the IMDB, Blige was the first black woman directed to an Oscar nomination by a black woman and received a songwriting nomination the same year,
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Can't leave this without mentioning other Oscar-worthy performances by Jason Clarke (so memorable as Ted Kennedy in Chappaquidick, Carey Mulligan as Laura, Jason Mitchell as Ronzell, Jonathan Banks in an especially slimy turn as Henry and Jamie's dad, and best of all, Garrett Hedlund as Jamie. What I loved most about this movie is that even though it didn't whitewash the issue of racism, it offered hope, just a glimmer of hope, that things might be different one day. 4

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Kid Galahad (1962)
Elvis plays it relatively straight for a change in one of his stronger vehicles. Kid Galahad is a surprisingly watchable film thanks to a compelling story (for an Elvis movie) and a superb supporting cast.
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This semi-musical remake of a 1937 drama starring Edward G. Robinson and Bette Davis finds Elvis playing Walter Gulick, a fresh out of the service soldier who returns to his hometown and gets a job as a sparring partner for aspiring boxers run by Willy Grogan, an innkeeper up to his neck in gambling debts who has mobsters on his tail, while trying to appease his marriage-minded girlfriend, Dolly. Naturally, it's not long before Walter displays a genuine talent for boxing and after defending Dolly in a tense situation, gets nicknamed "Kid Galahad". Complications arise when Willy is offered a way out of his mob trouble by having the Kid throw a big match and the kid falls in love with Willy's kid sister.
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It seems like we're getting a typical Elvis vehicle when the movie opens with Elvis singing his first song during the opening credits, but this turns out not to be the case. There are enough musical moments in the film to satisfy fans who MUST hear the King sing, but this is not like Blue Hawaii where Elvis sings a song every ten minutes. The story takes priority here and it's a pretty interesting one. Boxing has always been a user friendly topic for the movies, though, if the truth be told, the boxing scenes are actually the weakest part of Elvis' performance, but we're so behind this very likable character he's playing that we're willing to forgive.
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Director Phil Karlson (The Silencers) brings a lot of energy to the proceedings and gets a huge assist from the terrific cast he assembled to pull this off. Gig Young is superb as Willy, the Edward G. Robinson role, giving his accustomed slick performance that consistently entertains and he is well matched by Lola Albright as the long suffering Dolly. Charles Bronson also impresses as the Kid's trainer and corner man, as does David Lewis as a slimy mobster. Other familiar faces that pop up include Roy Roberts, Ned Glass, Thayer David, and a very young Edward Asner (with hair!). The advent of the Rocky franchise may have taken the bloom off the rose of films like this one, but this film is still better than a lot of Elvis' films and fans should definitely have a look. 3.5

[gbgoodies]

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Despite imaginative touches in writing and direction and solid performances, the 2019 docudrama A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood wasn't everything it could have been, thanks primarily to an air of predictability that pervaded most of the proceedings.
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The pre-release hype on this film was unlike anything I have seen in years and like a lot of movies in the last few years, was probably incorrectly marketed in order to get people into theaters to see it. If you're looking for a biopic on Fred Rogers, there is no such thing, you need to check out the documentary Won't You Be Neighbor?, which was vastly superior to this film.
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This is the story of a writer for Esquire magazine named Lloyd Vogel, cynical and "broken", who has never gotten over the death of his mother for which he blames his father and has recently become a father himself. Vogel finds his life changed forever when his editor, who is on the verge of firing him, asks him to do an interview with legendary children's program icon Fred Rogers and the genuine and unexpected friendship that blossoms between these two very different people.
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Screenwriters Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster have a provided a story that follows a pretty predictable path most of the way, but there are imaginative touches along the way, that work because this reporter is profoundly affected by his meetings with this TV icon, or at least we want to think that he is. I enjoyed the scene where Vogel passes out at the studio and wakes up as a part of Fred Rogers' imaginary neighborhood. Did find it a little troublesome that the screenplay tried to add layers to the character of Fred Rogers that I'm not so sure existed in his real life and were added here for the purpose of entertainment. Rogers' instant liking of Vogel borders on obsession and makes Rogers a little creepy, but I think that was done here to make this story a little more entertaining than it might have been when it actually happened to Vogel.
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Director Marielle Heller, who directed Melissa McCarthy to an Oscar nomination in Can You Ever Forgive Me, brings a solid directorial hand to the proceedings, respecting not only the story being told, but the characters involved, especially Fred Rogers. The final moments onscreen with Fred Rogers on a dark soundstage are lovely.
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Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks works very hard at being a believable Fred Rogers and it is a lovely performance, but Hanks never loses himself in the role the way this reviewer wanted him to. I was never able to forget I was watching Tom Hanks, but the performance is getting strong reviews and has earned the actor a Golden Globe nomination. Matthew Rhys, Emmy winner for The Americans offers a flashy performance as the tortured Lloyd Vogel and Oscar winner Chris Cooper is brilliant as his father. Also loved Susan Kelechi Watson as Lloyd's wife and Tammy Blanchard as his sister, but after everything I had heard about this film, it was a bit of a disappointment. 3.5


I finally watched this movie, and I agree with everything you said. I expected a biopic of Fred Rogers, but I was disappointed with what I got. Maybe I would have liked the movie if it had been advertised correctly, but I just felt like I was lured in by false advertising.

I usually like Tom Hanks, but in this movie, I thought he was miscast. I didn't feel like I was watching Fred Rogers at any point in the movie. I always knew that it was just Tom Hanks playing him.

I'll have to find the documentary Won't You Be Neighbor?, and try that instead.

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Won't You Be My Neighbor? is definitely the place to look if you really want to learn about Fred Rogers...here's a link to my review:


https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1940337-wont-you-be-my-neighbor.html

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Drive (2011)
Drive is a violent and moody nail biter from 2011 that benefits from endless style behind the camera and undeniable suspense that leads to very selective and very shocking violence unlike anything this reviewer has ever seen.
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Ryan Gosling plays a stuntman and mechanic who moonlights as a getaway driver, but whose real dream is to become a professional stock car driver. His garage mechanic boss is trying to make his dream come to fruition with the assistance of mob money. Our hero finds himself involved with his pretty young neighbor who's raising her son alone because his father's in prison. Driver's life is forever altered when the boy's father comes home and elicits Driver's help in a robbery that goes horribly wrong.
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The success of this film has to go to director Nicolas Winding Refn, who displays endless style and imagination in bringing this story to the screen and takes his sweet time doing it. In another rare instance where it works, this story unfolds at a leisurely pace...and a quiet one too. The opening scenes of the film are so quiet that there were moments this reviewer had difficulty hearing some dialogue, but dialogue is not what this film was about. This film was all about the visual and establishing this enigmatic central character, done simply by placing the camera in the vehicle with him and letting him display his skill for the viewer. The first getaway we witness is brilliantly crafted, with uncanny use of the steady cam and first rate assistance from film editor Matthew Newman. Even his co-criminals in the backseat are silent and seem to marvel in his skill as much as we do. Loved when it was revealed why the driver was listening so intently to the baseball game on the radio. Possibly the smoothest getaway I have ever seen.
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The director and screenwriter are also very efficient at establishing a real air of mystery around the driver. There is nothing revealed about Goslings character in terms of backstory. The character's backstory is revealed through his present actions. It's the story being told in the present that lets the viewer know that this guy definitely has a shady past and that the situations he gets involved here are nothing new. We never see this guy sweat and we never see him do anything really stupid. It isn't until he's in that hotel room with Blanche (Christina Hendricks), that it comes to light exactly what kind of life this guy is trying to get away from.
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The other thing that works here is the way the expected violence is depicted. We have to wait for it, but even after it starts, it's not continuous throughout the running time. The violence comes at very selective moments and when it does, it is unrelenting and apologetic, to the point of making the viewer turn away from the screen. Every act of violence depicted in this film had me literally jumping out of my chair and then anxiously anticipating the next one.
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Gosling brings a James Dean quality to the central character that is riveting. There's also a beautifully cast against type performance from Albert Brooks as a mafioso that commands the screen, but it is the dazzling direction, with the aid of a crack production team, that makes this film sizzle, shock, and paralyze the viewer. 4

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Heavenly Creatures
A decade before winning twin Oscars for co-writing and directing The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Peter Jackson put his imagination in overdrive and applied it to a real-life murder case and came up with a disturbing and riveting cinematic acid trip called Heavenly Creatures, which crafts an extraordinary cinematic universe around a rather simple story and lets the viewer form their own opinion regarding exactly what's going on here.
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This 1994 melange of fantasy, friendship and family dysfunction begins in 1953 New Zealand where two students at an all girls high school, Juliet (Oscar winner Kate Winslet) and Pauline (Melanie Lynskey) meet and become immediate best friends, but this friendship goes far beyond the normal high school friends. The girls initially bond over issues they are both having with their parents, but they become inseparable, to the point of being considered unhealthy. Once their parents decide that they need to be separated, it only strengthens their bond and threatens to destroy both girls' families.
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Jackson and Fran Walsh, who also collaborated on the Lord of the Rings screenplay received their first Oscar nomination for this fascinating, head-spinning story that builds an elaborate and fantastical drama around what is, on the surface, an ordinary murder. Jackson and Walsh apparently based their screenplay on Pauline's actual diary which was rich with the girl's highly stylized and theatrical look at her relationship with Juliet, perfectly balanced with the anger that was quietly bubbling to the surface regarding her parents and their attempt at keeping her and Juliet apart.
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And it is the relationship between Juliet and Pauline that is the most interesting aspect of the film, primarily because Jackson and Walsh never make a full commitment to exactly what the relationship is. They start off as best friends, but we know there's something more when they both come to the conclusion that they are both insane and think there's no problem with that, thinking the rest of the world insane. The screenplay goes a step further, implying that the relationship might be sexual, but at this point of the story, the fantasy elements of the story are so seamlessly mingled with the reality of the relationship that we're really not sure what the extent of the relationship is and that's no accident. It seems as if Jackson wants the viewer to decide what this relationship is all about, providing evidence to support any hypothesis that might enter the viewer's mind.r the viewer's mind.
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Jackson's direction is endlessly imaginative, rich with dizzying camerawork, including splendid use of the steady cam, not to mention an uncanny use of the close-up, which actually allows us to look inside the heads of these two girls, if only so far.
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The film is exquisitely photographed and edited, featuring an unusual song score, consisting primary of 1950's leading movie tenor, Mario Lanza. Jackson also manages to retrieve a pair of dazzling performances from Winslet and especially Melanie Lynskey as Juliet and Pauline, respectively. Those who only know Lynskey from her role as psycho Rose on the CBS sitcom Two and Half Men, will be in for quite the shock here, proving to be an actress of extraordinary depth. Diane Kent also impressed as Juliet's mother. A bizarre and fascinating cinematic journey that doesn't answer all of the questions it asks and that is no accident. 4

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Vivarium
Even the most logic-defying movie, has to offer one or two things: some kind of acceptable explanation for what we've just witnessed or an "And then I woke up" scene, which implies everything we've witnessed happened in someone's head. Unfortunately, we are offered neither of these things as the 2019 cinematic nightmare Vivarium comes full circle to its conclusion.
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We are introduced to an ordinary couple named Gemma and Tom. Gemma (Imogen Poots) is a grade school teacher and her boyfriend, Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) is the school handyman/gardener. Gemma and Tom are planning to move in together and have an appointment at a real estate office to look at a house. They are greeted by a creepy real estate agent named Martin who takes them to a huge housing development called Yonder. The development is monstrously large and all of the houses look absolutely identical. Martin gives Tom and Gemma a brief tour of the house and disappears. Gemma and Tom are plunged into an unimaginable nightmare when they realize they are trapped in this labyrnth maze of homes that all appear to be empty.
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The nightmare is given added layer when the day after their arrival, the couple find a baby in a box who begins imitating everything they say and do and ages while Tom and Gemma don't.
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Director and screenwriter Lorcan Finnegan gets an "A" for imagination, but even the most imaginative and illogical story has to have some tiny basis in realism and there is nothing here for the viewer to hold on as a possible explanation for the bizarre goings-on. We see where the story is going when Tom climbs to the top of the house and he can see nothing but Yonder as far as the eye can see, and we can even accept when Tom decides to signal for help by burning the house down and it reappears just when they find the baby, but there's nothing else for the viewer to latch onto.
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When Martin shows them the house, he goes to the fridge and shows them a housewarming gift of champagne and strawberries, the only contents of the fridge, but once Tom and Gemma accept what is happening to them, they seem to be eating every day. The house was virtually empty upon their arrival, but once the couple realize they're not going anywhere, the house suddenly supplies everything it needs.
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We're confused as the level of acceptance that Tom and Gemma have regarding what's going on changes from scene to scene. We think they're going to fight what's happening when they refuse to name the baby...Tom won't even refer to him as "him", he uses the word "it", but when we see Tom produce a hole in the perfectly manicured lawn by throwing a cigarette butt on the lawn and decides the answer to getting out is in digging that hole, we know he has given up, and frankly, so has the viewer.
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The story does eventually come full circle and offers a half-assed explanation for what we've witnessed, but it just left this viewer confused and aggravated. Finnegan employs first rate production values to this nightmare, but when nothing that happens making sense. we just don't care. 2

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Fiddler: Miracle of Miracle
The original Broadway show opened on September 22, 1964, ran for over 3000 performances, and won nine Tony Awards. It became a motion picture in 1971 that received 9 Oscar nominations including Best Picture, and won three Oscars. I have appeared in three productions of the stage musical myself (not to mention knowing the entire score by heart), so I was naturally drawn to a brilliant and fascinating documentary called Fiddler: Miracle of Miracles, a warm and informative look at the history of the iconic Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof.
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The simple opening of the film which features violinist Itzhak Perlman sitting on a Manhattan rooftop playing the famous opening of the show and gradually segues into a thorough examination of how the musical came to fruition, with a look at the stories of Sholom Alecheim, which centered around much darker themes than most people think of when they think of this musical, specifically the Holocaust and white slavery of young women, which was actually the inspiration behind the song, "Matchmaker. Matchmaker".
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We are introduced to Joseph Stein, who wrote the original libretto and Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock who wrote the score. We are treated to a television appearance by Harnick and Bock shortly after the opening where they perform the original lyrics for "Tradition", a song that was added late in the production because director Jerome Robbins felt this was the basis of the story and that the score needed to reflect that. Robbins' reputation as a tyrannical direction who often terrified his cast members is also touched on, which came partly from his inner torment regarding his sexuality and his involvement in the communist blacklisting of the 1950;s.
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As the only black cast member in three different productions of the show, I was particularly fascinated by this documentary's examination of the racial barriers this show has broken since 1964. This is a show that has transcended race over the years. The film shows productions of the musical done in Thailand, Japan, and even at a Brooklyn high school with a cast of black teenagers.
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Especially impressive were some of the people chosen to be interviewed for this film. In addition to Stein, Harnick, Bock, commentary is also provided by Oscar winner Joel Grey, who, in 2018, directed a revival of the show done in Yiddish and Austin Pendleton, the only actor featured here who was in the original Broadway production with Zero Mostel. Topol, who received a Best Actor Oscar nomination for playing Tevye in the movie is also interviewed. He shares that he had a terrible toothache while shooting "If I Were a Rich Man" and what his favorite scene in the movie was. Actor Michael Bernardi is also on hand..Bernardi played Tevye in a Broadwayt revival of the show and his father, Hershel Bernardi, took over the role of Tevye during its original run when Zero Mostel left the show. We even get to see actor Steven Skybell, who played Tevye in the Yiddish production, recording "If I were a Rich Man" in Yiddish for the cast album. Harvey Fierstein, Joshua Mostel, son of Zero, and legendary Broadway producer Harold Prince (to whom this film is dedicated) offer commentary as well.
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The film concludes with a lovely visit to present day Anatevka, neear Kiev in the Ukraine, where violinist Kelly Hall-Hopkins performs the score on the violin. Another unexpected treat was an appearance by Hamilton creator Lin Manuel Miranda, who appeared in the show as a kid and treated us to his original "Tradition" choreography and shared his staging of "To Life" for his own real life wedding. For fans of this immortal Broadway musical and anyone of the Jewish faith, this is appointment viewing. 4.5

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Mikey and Nicky
Elaine May impresses as the director and screenwriter of 1976's Mikey and Nicky, an atmospheric and squirm-worthy look at the power of friendship that takes a dramatic turn during the final third of the film we sadly don't see coming, but by this time we are already enveloped in May's stories and the brilliant performances by the stars playing the title roles.
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John Cassavetes plays Nicky, a small-time bookie who is holed up in a seedy hotel room in Philadelphia because he has stolen mob money. He knows he has to leave town but is so paralyzed with fear he has given himself an ulcer and is afraid to leave the hotel room. He decides his only option is to call his best friend from childhood and former business associate Mikey, played by Peter Falk, to help him.
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May's screenplay is deceptively clever because it initially has the feel of a black comedy where Mikey is doing everything he can to help Nicky and Nicky is fighting him every step of the way. Once he finally manages to get Nicky out of the hotel, Nicky takes Mikey on a squirm-worthy journey that includes visits to a bar, a cemetery, and a hooker and this is the point where the story that we have been nervously laughing about up to this point turns deadly serious.
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May also had the wisdom to cast two professionals who have a lot of history in film together cast as these very flawed principal characters. What Mikey puts up with from Nicky during the first half of the film would have had most people strangling Nicky, but an unexpected plot twist actually motivates a change in allegiance for the viewer that is a bit of a letdown because a lot of what we have seen up to this point seems unreal, but we are still riveted and anxiously awaiting the outcome.
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The late John Cassavetes delivers one of the most dangerously unhinged performances of his career as Nicky, matched scene for scene by Falk, which is nothing unusual, but the power of this deceptively simple story helps these actors make this story leap off the screen and into the viewer's gut. It is the work of Cassavetes, Falk, and the severely underrated Elaine May that make this sadly intense drama worth watching. 3.5

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Citizen Kane
It's considered a landmark in the art of film making and by many cinephiles the greatest film ever made. If he had done nothing else in his distinguished career, Orson Welles carved a place in movie history with the 1941 classic Citizen Kane, a dark and stylish look at a media mogul, based a real life figure, that still impresses as a master class in the art of film making that received nine Oscar nominations, but for this reviewer, the film didn't quite live up to its reputation.
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The film opens with an authentic looking newsreel centered on the death of one Charles Foster Kane, an enigmatic and newspaper publisher and politician, which has moved several members of the media to find out who the real Charles Kane was. Research and visits to his estate provide little insight into what made Kane tick, but an investigation is instigated into his life prompted by the reveal of the last word Kane uttered before his death..."rosebud."
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Welles' passion and artistry as a filmmaker is everywhere here. He is presenting a very specific portrait of a person, based on a real life figure, which is probably why the film caused the controversy that it did. As most people know, the character of Charles Foster Kane was based on William Randolph Hearst, who was actually still alive and well at the time this film was made. As the saying goes, names were changed to protect the innocent, but the story could only be disguised so much. Apparently, the thin disguise was a little too thin as Hearst forbid the film to be advertised in any of his newspapers and attempted to buy the film from RKO with the intent of destroying it.
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The Oscar-winning screenplay by Welles and Herman J. Manckiewicz is effective in its general structure but a little sketchy in some details. The film begin with a brief look into Kane's troubled childhood where a financial arrangement is arranged for his upbringing and then immediately flashes forward to him buying and taking over the New York National Inquirer. it's never really made clear how that initial contract with his mother (beautifully played by Agnes Moorehead) turned into millions. I did enjoy that scene at the Inquirer where he smells a story where the current editor doesn't and demands that he pursue it, even if it means threatening the victim. Unfortunately as the story progresses, it is overpowered by elements of melodrama that dilute the power of the story.
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It's the presentation of this character, Charles Foster Kane, that makes this film so riveting. We are fascinated watching his pursuit of power, even though power seems to be the last thing on his mind. The man is not above using his money to get what he wants while simultaneously feigning disdain for the almighty dollar. Kane's love of power over money comes through when he throws his hat in the political arena...this is the only time in the story where he really seems to enjoy what he's doing and is most destroyed when it comes to an end. It was pretty gutsy of Welles presenting a fictionalized version of a real person in such an unflattering light.
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The real star of this film is Orson Welles the director. The style and imagination that Welles puts into the visual presentation of this story can't be denied. It was so interesting the way a lot of the film was shot in shadows, giving it almost a supernatural feel. The sweeping camera work over Kane's empire seems to imply that Kane might be more powerful than a mere earthling, or might just be a figment of the viewer's imagination. The film features incredible Oscar-nominated cinematography, set direction, and film editing. The film was actually edited by future Oscar winning director Robert Wise. It gets a little too melodramatic in spots, which slows the film down, but this piece of cinema is still worth experiencing, almost 80 years later. 4

[Citizen Rules]

Citizen KaneNicely written, glad you watched this. Do you know now what Rosebud means? It actually has two meanings.

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I was so nervous about you reading this review. I know Rosebud was the sled but I missed the other meaning

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Little
Marsai Martin, who has spent the last six years playing Anthony Anderson's black-hearted daughter on the ABC sitcom Black-ish was given a shot at big screen stardom with a 2019 comedy called Little, which seems to have been inspired from a classic 1980's comedy.
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Regina Hall plays Jordan Sanders, a high-powered shark of a businesswoman who treats everyone in her path like dirt and whose biggest client has threatened to walk in 48 hours. Jordan has a spell cast over her which turns her into a 12 year old girl (Martin). Once she convinces her assistant, April (Issa Rae) that she really is Jordan, she is horrified when Child Services sends her back to the middle school she went to when she was 12 and runs afoul of a female bully who looks exactly like the bully who made her middle school life a living hell.
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This contrived and predictable comedy is obviously a re-thinking of the Tom Hanks comedy Big and it would have been nice if director and co-screenwriter Tina Gordon had given the writers of that film credit where credit is due. Unfortunately, this reversal of the 1988 classic doesn't work nearly as well. In Big, Josh Baskin accepts what happens to him to a point and makes a concerted effort to fit into the adult world. The transformed Jordan Sanders in this movie never accepts what has happened to her and makes no effort to act like a 12 year old, putting her in a lot of squirm-worthy situations and making it difficult for the audience to have sympathy for her plight.
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The one part of the story that does work is the evolution that the April character goes through during the film. As the film opens, it's made clear that April hates her boss but is also afraid of her own shadow and is clueless about how to stand up for herself. Somehow, April learns to put her big girl pants on and help Jordan without ever disrespecting her boss.
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Martin works very hard to keep 12 year old Jordan likable but the screenplay is fighting her all the way. Regina Hall appropriately chews the scenery as the adult Jordan, but it is the star-making performance by Issa Rae as April that keeps the audience invested in this film. SNL's Mikey Day also garnered some chuckles as Jordan's juvenile client, but this film is done in by its rampant predictability and a hard-to-like central character. 2

[Citizen Rules]

I was so nervous about you reading this review. I know Rosebud was the sled but I missed the other meaningYes the sled is the tie-in from the movie. But reportedly Orson Welles somehow found out that William Randolph Hearst nickname for a certain erogenous body part of his girlfriend's body, Marion Davies was called 'rosebud' by Hearst. I don't know if that's been confirmed but it's a good story anyway.

Orson was very mischievous when young and he thought he could take on one of the richest, most powerful men in the world. Instead the aftermath of Citizen Kane was that Orson's career was in shambles and for the rest of his life he had to fight for artistic control of the movies he made. Citizen Kane was the only film where he was given complete control of.

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Yeah, it's pretty obvious that Welles was playing with fire when he made this movie.

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Swing Vote
Despite a highly improbable premise, the 2008 film Swing Vote is a long-winded and manipulative Capra-esque comedy that is worth watching thanks to solid direction and an impressive all-star cast working at the top of their game.
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The story is set in a fictional town called Texaco, New Mexico. Oscar winner Kevin Costner stars as Ernest "Bud" Johnson, a hard-drinking, recently unemployed factory worker and single dad to a bright and politically conscious daughter named Molly. Even though Bud doesn't have a political bone in is body, he has agreed to meet Molly at the polling place to vote on the 2004 presidential election. Bud gets drunk and doesn't make it, so Molly manages to vote for him, but the voting machine malfunctions and the vote isn't counted. The following day, Bud learns that the entire election has come to a dead heat and that his vote alone is going to decide who is going to be the new POTUS. He has been given the right to re-vote and has been given ten days to consider said vote.
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Director and co-screenwriter Joshua Michael Stern has delivered a thoughtful and balanced story of family and politics based on a seemingly impossible premise. I've watched the returns of a lot of presidential elections on television and have often been baffled by the popular vote and the electoral college. I just don't see how a presidential election can possibly come down to one vote. There was a lot more than one vote that kept George Bush from winning Florida, prompting a recount, which really makes it hard for me to believe that an entire presidential election can come down to one vote.
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Upon accepting this ridiculous premise, it's very easy to get involved in this story that looks at the ramifications of everyone involved. The most startling aspect of watching two presidential candidates campaigning for one vote is that the candidates actually reversing their views on issues that have never been in question before. The speed at which the candidates handlers did their deep background on Bud in order to find out what his passions are was alarmingly squirm-worthy. The current POTUS parks Air Force one right in front of Bud's double wide and his democratic opponent actually gets the members of Bud's former band out of jail so that they can perform at a party for Bud. We also witness an initially sincere local news anchorwoman use poor Molly for her own personal agenda.
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The heart of this movie that keeps the viewer invested is the lovely relationship between this guy Bud and his daughter, Molly. This is one of those oft-seen parent-child relationships in the movies where the child is really the parent and the parent really doesn't have a problem with it. Geez, the guy can't get out of bed in the morning without Molly waking him up, but when Molly realizes that her dad is in over his head (partially because of her actions), she totally steps up.
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The pacing of the story is a little too leisurely, making the film longer than it needs to be, but by the halfway point, we can't wait to see how this is going to end. The film is beautifully photographed and expertly cast, headed by Costner who brings a combination of Jimmy Stewart and Bill Murray to his loopy performance as Bud. Kelsey Grammer and the late Dennis Hopper bring very human qualities to the POTUS and his democratic opponent as do Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane as their handlers. Madeline Carroll is a total charmer as Molly and there's a superb cameo by Mare Winningham as her mother. As expected with a story like this, Bill Maher, Chris Matthews, and Ariana Huffington also make appearances. The ending is beyond schmaltzy, but the journey getting there is entertaining. 3.5

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Downhill
Superb performances by the stars make 2020's Downhill, a squirm-worthy and tension-filled drama about a family torn apart through an act of God, worth a look.
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This film is based on a 2014 French/Norwegian film called Force Majuere and stars Will Ferrell and Julia Louis Dreyfuss as Pete and Billie, a couple vacationing with their two sons in the French Alps. The family is seated at an outdoor cafe when an avalanche hits the place. The family escapes unharmed, but deeper problems find their way to the surface because, as the avalanche comes to an end, Pete is walking back to the table where his family was sitting, making it appear to Billie and his sons that Pete left his family to die.
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This film starts out very promisingly, it providing more and more discomfort for the viewer as the film progresses, but then makes a couple of bad detours. We understand when Pete tries to minimize what happened and Billie isn't able to do the same, especially after a very intense confrontation with Austrian authorities that implies the act of God might not have been as natural as it seemed. We can no longer sympathize with Pete when Billie makes her sons admit to Pete (in front of other people yet), that they also felt Pete was leaving them to die.
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The story gets tricky for the viewer here, because we want to go back to the scene where the avalanche hit and figure out exactly why Pete was away from his family when the avalanche hit. It's horrible when we think what Billie says is true, yet we understand why Pete can't be honest about it. We understand the gulf that begins to grow between the couple, but we don't get is Billie coming thisclose to having sex with a handsome ski instructor and Pete getting drunk at a club, hitting on everything in a skirt. This is where the story loses this reviewer. This is something this couple needed to deal with directly and this separation Pete and Billie spits in the face of the contrived climax that made no sense after everything else we've witnessed.
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What did work here were two surprisingly solid performances by Will Ferrell and Julia Louis Dreyfuss, actors definitely working out of their comfort zones, that rivet the viewer to the screen, despite the fact that this is the last kind of movie we expected from these two. The swiss scenery is gorgeous and if for nothing else, co-directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash are to be applauded for the dramatic performances they pull from Will Ferrell and Julia Louis Dreyfuss, which definitely raise the bar on this one. 3.5

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The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
Alfred Hitchcock scored a bullseye when he actually decided to remake his own 1934 dramatic adventure The Man Who Knew Too Much, a lavishly mounted remake that completely engages the viewer with a compelling and complex story, superb performances by the stars and genuine doses of what Hitchcock provided onscreen better than any other director...suspense.
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Dr. Benjamin McKenna (James Stewart), his wife Jo (Doris Day) and their young son, Hank are vacationing in Morocco and meet a mysterious Frenchman on a bus. While visiting the marketplace the next day, the Frenchman is murdered right in front of the McKennas, but before he dies, the Frenchman whispers information about an assassination being planned in London. As the Moroccan police are questioning the McKennas about what they saw in the marketplace, Dr. McKenna gets a phone call stating that if he breathes a word about the assassination, he will never see his son again.
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John Michael Hayes' rich screenplay is a little more complex than it needs to be, but it provides plenty of mystery and thrills that unfold in a methodical manner that the viewer doesn't really pick up on. The exposition not only provides a proper set-up for what's about to happen, but offers plenty of clues that we really don't know are clues. We're not really sure why it's so important that Jo McKenna used to be a singer or why there's a whole scene of her singing a lullaby with her son before she and the doctor go out to dinner. We don't understand why this seemingly innocent old English couple is following the McKennas around and manage to manipulate them into having dinner with them. We're also not sure why we have a scene of Jo asking her husband when they can have another baby.
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It turns out that the McKennas understand a lot more than we do, especially Jo McKenna. Jo is the first to suspect that the mysterious Frenchman knows more than he's supposed to and the first one to notice the old couple following them around. And as sharp as Jo might be, we understand when she falls apart when she learns her son has been kidnapped. Love the scene where Dr. McKenna insists on sedating Jo before breaking the news to her.
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Hitchcock remains in complete control of this story with his detailed attention to the actions and body language of all the characters involved in the McKenna's nightmare. Confusion is aroused for the viewer as to how many guys are involved in this and how high up the conspiracy goes. We're even thrown a red herring or two to throw us off the scent, the scene with the taxidermist in particular.
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Hitchcock does a wonderful job of establishing the relationship between the McKennas...they are one of the most engaging movie couples I have ever scene. When he's not allowing the McKennas to tell the story, he lets his camera do it...I love in that final scene where Jo is singing at the embassy and the camera takes her voice up the several staircases, carrying Jo's voice to her son...classic Hitchcock.
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Stewart is solid, as always, as Dr. McKenna, but it is Doris Day's intelligent and vivacious performance as Jo McKenna that commands the screen here. Day's rich, Oscar-worthy performance here is right up there with her work in Love Me or Leave Me. As long and distinguished as her career was, Day didn't get to work with a lot of "A" list directors, but this film proved what she was capable of with a strong director. The song "Que Sera Sera" won the film its only Oscar nomination and its only win and became the song with which Day would be identified with for the rest of her life. A first rate nail-biter that had me on the edge of my chair for most of the running time. Nobody did it like Hitch. 4

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This Boy's Life
Kinetic direction and a trio of powerhouse performances from the leads make a fact-based drama from 1993 called This Boy's Life well worth investing in.
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Caroline (Ellen Barkin) is a single mother who decides to start a new life in Seattle with her teenage son, Tobias (Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio) and finds herself beginning a relationship with an outwardly charming mechanic named Dwight (Oscar winner Robert De Niro). When Toby starts acting out at school, Caroline decides to send Toby to live with Dwight in the neighboring town of Concrete, where it slowly comes to light that Dwight is control freak and an abusive psychopath.
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Screenwriter Robert Getchell (Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore) has crafted a story that had a surprising amount of balance considering the subject matter and considering the screenplay is based on a book by the real Tobias. We expect a one-sided look at an abusive monster, like Faye Dunaway's Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest, but we get much more than that. It was impressive that Tobias is not painted as an innocent angel in this story. He spends pretty much the first half of the film staying in trouble at school and lying to everyone about everything. We also expect Dwight to be beating the hell out of Tobias for the entire running time, but we don't get that either. Dwight's abuse is mental and emotional, and about control. Dwight doesn't actually strike Tobias until the final third of the film.
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And this is the primary reason why this movie is so compelling. We see the potential for physical abuse and as every scene rolls across the screen, we find ourselves on pins and needles wondering how Dwight's need for complete control of his family is going to manifest itself. An almost Hitchcock-like suspense is created throughout the film as the viewer waits and wonders about what Dwight is going to do next and will Tobias be able to escape.
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It's very smart the way beginning of the film firmly establishes that Caroline has a history of picking the wrong man. Even if Tobias didn't bring it up in his narration, it's Caroline's actions that bring this to light. I loved the scene where Dwight and Caroline get married...possibly the shortest movie wedding ever and during the brief shot of the pair listening to their vows, they both look miserable. Also loved when Caroline was telling Tobias about her plans to work for the Kennedy campaign but shuts up the second Dwight comes through the door.
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Michael Caton-Jones brings the story home with in your face direction that gives this story a voyeuristic feel, but it's what he does with these actors that earns him the credit regarding making this film work. De Niro has played his share of greasy characters over the years, but he has rarely been more menacing than he is here, and does a lot of the menacing with a big ol' smile on is face, making him even more menacing. Barkin is nicely controlled as the tragic Caroline, but it is DiCaprio who keeps this film sizzling with an explosive performance that leaps off the screen. The work of these three actors alone makes this film worth the time. 4