Gideon58's Reviews

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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".

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.