Gideon58's Reviews

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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

I thought you might have seen her in Ziegfield Girl (1941) also starring Judy Garland and James Stewart.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Very refreshing and fresh, thanks

Thanks for your ideas and sharing!

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jigsaw puzzle

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.