The Wolfman, The Breakfast Club and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

11/18/17 The Wolfman, Best Makeup, 2010

When I see a movie classified as 'horror', my first inclination is to go the other way, and push it to the end of the queue. But something made me request both The Wolfman and Night of the Living Dead at the same time. I'm a little ashamed to say that I returned Night of the Living Dead unwatched. I just couldn't do it (if you're curious, it's on the BBC list and the National Film Registry). However, I bravely watched The Wolfman, and it really wasn't terrible; a little suspenseful and scary, but nothing that gave me nightmares. It is set in the 1890s, in England, in a part where the sun never shines and the fog lies heavy on the moors, and where Anthony Hopkins is lord of the manor as Sir John Talbot, father to Benicio del Toro's Lawrence Talbot. Lawrence is an actor and has been estranged from his family for a long time, until Lawrence's brother, Ben, is mysteriously murdered in the woods.  It gets a little awkward when we learn that Sir John is also a werewolf, and he bites Lawrence, thereby turning him into a werewolf. It's really the gift that keeps on giving. The movie was fine; nothing terrific, the acting was a little melodramatic, but the scenery and the cinematography was beautiful. As far as winning for Best Makeup, I think it was kind of a no-brainer, the other two nominees being The Way Back and Barney's Version, which were more straight dramas, not a lot of effects or dramatic makeup.

11/18/17 The Breakfast Club, 1985, National Film Registry

I watched The Breakfast Club years ago, but not when it came out in the theaters, when I would have been the target age, and it didn't have a huge impact on me. It was added to the National Film Registry last year, and I figured I should give it a fresh viewing. In case you have not seen it, the movie tells the story of "a brain (Anthony Michael Hall), an athlete (Emilio Estevez), a princess (Molly Ringwald), a basket case (Ally Sheedy) and a criminal (Judd Nelson)", essentially stereotypes found in high school (and potentially real life). It was directed by one of the hottest directors of the 1980s, John Hughes (Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Weird Science among a few of his creative efforts), who seemed to have a hold on the teen demographic at the time. Five students are required to attend Saturday detention at school, and as ordered by the Assistant Vice Principal Vernon, they are to sit in silence and write an essay on who they think they are. Of course, this does not happen, and Saturday frequent flyer, Bender (Nelson), engages his fellow captives by cajoling, teasing and harassing them. The quintet get to know each other, challenging the others' preconceptions of them, poking at their frailties and insecurities. The movie is a definite reflection of 1985 with the soundtrack featuring the sounds of the 80s, especially in the anthemic: "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds, the clothes and the vernacular; however, it is also timeless. Teen alienation is nothing new, being shown in films like Blackboard Jungle (including the iconic "Rock around the clock") and West Side Story. High school can be a rough place, with kids not getting each other an certainly not understanding or being understood by the adults in their lives. I liked, and appreciated, the movie a lot more in my golden years.

11/19/17 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Best Film Editing, 2011

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was originally a book written by Stieg Larsson, the first of a trilogy, then the first in a Swedish film trilogy, starring Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander. The English version stars Rooney Mara as Salander and Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist, among an all-star cast that includes Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright and Joely Richardson. Salander is an anti-social computer whiz, specializing in security/background checks, who is asked to dig into the background of disgraced journalist Blomkvist. The movie follows two paths, Blomkvist's and Salander's until they converge. Blomkvist has been invited to the estate of Henrik Vanger (Plummer) to solve the mystery of his niece, Harriet, over 40 years earlier. Every family has its secrets, and Vanger's is no different, and not everyone is thrilled to have Blomkvist going back through the family's history. As Mikael learns more about the Vangers, Lisbeth is waging her own battle against her new guardian/trustee, who exchanges her trust money for sex. Lisbeth is not passive and plays the long game against the man who uses his power to humiliate and hurt her. Those scenes are brutally described in the book, and they are pretty hard to watch in the movie. Eventually, Salander and Blomkvist connect and she helps him with his research. Director David Fincher sets a fast and suspenseful pace, and the Oscar-winning editing helps that happen. The score was done by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (both winning the Oscar for Best Original Score for The Social Network), and it's pretty powerful, including a version of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" which was really fantastic. The cinematography suited the mood of the film, dark and gray up at the Vanger family home, and pretty dark everywhere else. I wasn't sure how Rooney Mara would be as Salander, especially since I read the book, I had my own idea of what she looked like, and I thought Noomi Rapace was incredible in that role. But, I didn't need to worry about that at all; Rooney Mara disappeared behind the dark makeup, punk, homemade haircut, piercings and tattoos. And attitude. She took ownership of that role, and I would have liked to see if she could have continued it in the following books, but it doesn't seem like that will happen (at least not with her or Craig). I was surprised the movie didn't do better, but it's dark and heavy and maybe not everyone's cup of tea.

Current movies: Thor, Justice League and Murder on the Orient Express

It's around this time of year that I start to see current movies in preparation for the Oscars. It's frenzied and occasionally stressful. Well, I haven't gotten to the stressful part yet, but I have seen three new movies in three days. Since they are still pretty new, I will try not to give away any spoilers.

11/22/17 Thor: Ragnarok, not yet nominated, 2017

Is it just me, or did it take forever for this movie to come out? Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Norse god of thunder, returns after 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, trying to find the Infinity Stones. Unfortunately for Thor, but lucky for us, it's not quite that easy. Thor lands in Asgard looking for Odin, only to learn that mischievous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) put Odin on Earth. As Loki and Thor have wonderful warm brotherly moment, we are introduced to Hela (Cate Blanchett), who they learn is the elder sister who has been imprisoned for being very naughty. Let's just say she has a helluva temper. She is set on destroying Asgard and Thor can't let that happen, but he faces an unexpected delay and detour in Sakaar, a world ruled by the Grandmaster (played wonderfully by Jeff Goldblum who was one of my picks for Dr. Strange). Grandmaster has gladiator-type fights with hapless lifeforms that have been picked up around the galaxy. His current champion is...well, if you haven't seen the previews, I'm not going to ruin it for you. One of my favorite new characters is also a gladiator, Korg, who kind of resembles The Thing (Korg is voiced by director Taika Waititi), and he's a fighter, but also kind and a little obtuse. You're wondering about "Ragnarok"? That pretty much means the end of the world, but you'll have to see for yourself. My brother saw this first and told me I would like it, but he thought parts were too jokey. I like a little humor with my comic book movies, but I agree, there were times it seemed to interrupt the momentum, but I got over that. I really enjoyed the movie. Cate Blanchett was AMAZING as Hela (I watched her at home the next day as Queen Elizabeth I and she was fabulous there as well), totally enjoying the life of a super villain. The story introduced the Valkyries (not quite as famous as the Amazons, but fierce women warriors) and gave Heimdall (Idris Elba) more of a role rather than just as a sentry. It was great, and it might even be super in 3D. Ohio native and member of Devo, Mark Mothersbaugh did the musical score. There is also a version of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" which I seem to like better in the context of movie soundtracks (I also heard it recently re-watching Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). Super hero movies always have the possibility of being nominated for special effects, production, costumes, hair and makeup, sound editing, etc.

11/23/17 Justice League, not yet nominated, 2017

I love the Justice League and its different incarnations in the animated world; the collection of characters and their super powers and the different personalities. So, I was cautiously optimistic at the mention of a live action version, until I learned which characters they were going to include and watched Batman v. Superman. Oh, this could be bad. I was not thrilled about the inclusion of Cyborg (as anyone heard of him outside of the Teen Titans on Cartoon Network?) and Aquaman (according to Raj from "The Big Bang Theory", "Aquaman sucks".). Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of the King of the Sea, but it seems to me hard to build a film around the aquatic world, and you're introducing three main/sort of main characters without a backstory. One of the big pluses, I think, was the incredible success of Wonder Woman this summer, it may have given some of us a reason to be hopeful if the new film focused on Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. The movie opened a week ago to reviews that ranged from tepid to awful, but I decided I wanted to see and judge for myself while it was still on the big screen. Was it as good as Thor: Ragnarok or Wonder Woman? Nah. Was it horrible? No. The movie picks up after Superman was killed in Batman v. Superman, and the world is in chaos, and it's more than Batman (Ben Affleck) and Wonder Woman can handle on their own, and they go about assembling a group of gifted humans/meta humans (we got a glimpse of them in B v S), including Aquaman (Jason Momoa), The Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher). They are joining to fight Steppenwolf, an ancient being who was vanquished millennia ago by a joint force of Atlantians, Amazonians, Green Lanterns and men of Earth (kind of Lord of the Rings - Two Towers) who returns to claim the mother boxes (similar to the Infinity Stones in the above-mentioned Thor/Avengers movies). I'll start off with what I didn't like: Aquaman (have I mentioned that?), he was mostly on land, what's the point of that? Since they mentioned the Green Lanterns, they could have re-introduced that element, which is such a rich universe to draw on. I wasn't thrilled with the time spent with Lois Lane and Mrs. Kent; Amy Adams, reprising her role, looked uncomfortable, like her shoes didn't fit or something. She is a great actress and this didn't seem worthy of her time. What I liked: the time spent on Themyscira with the Amazons, fierce and fearless; Wonder Woman stepping up as a leader and mediating force between the different egos (male) of the  new team; I apologize for my dissing of Cyborg, who added a lot to the team with his different skills and strengths; I liked the Flash and the way they portrayed his speed. I am not sure why Ben Affleck attracts so many haters for portraying Batman; I think he's fine, he's subtle, subdued, restrained; I think the problem is he is on the heels of Christian Bale and that's why people get so irate. Some critics didn't like the plot, or the lack of one; eh, I was entertained, which is what I ask for in my super hero movies: action, some good quips, and good effects. Danny Elfman. who has done the musical scores for several Batman, Spider-Man and many other action/super hero films, did the score.

11/24/17 Murder on the Orient Express, not yet nominated, 2017

#whatweretheythinking I'm not an Agatha Christie fanatic, but I would say I'm very familiar with her main characters, especially Hercule Poirot; I have watched most of the films based on her books, as well as the television series that have featured Joan Hickson who is the only Miss Marple as well as David Suchet, who is also the only Hercule Poirot (in the 1974 film, Albert Finney was Poirot), and I am currently re-reading all of her works, including her Mary Westmacott stories. So, I feel a little invested. I only wish Kenneth Branagh, who starred and directed, and Michael Green, who 'wrote' the screenplay, felt the same. I really thought the worst part was going to be the horrid moustaches that Branagh wore, mais non. The story starts in Jerusalem where Poirot is working on a case in the holy city; in a move that smacks of disrespect (and I honestly do not recall this form the book) is where Poirot cavalierly jams his walking stick into the Western Wall (it had bits of paper that contain messages from pilgrims to God); I'm pretty sure he would have been mobbed had he really done that, and Poirot always seems aware of his surroundings and the culture. Poirot and a cast of characters are on the Orient Express, departing from Istanbul. The passengers on the train are a collection of stars, new and old: Dame Judi Dench, Sir Derek Jacobi, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leslie Odom, Jr., Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp, to name most of the cast. For the most part, Green sticks to the essence of the plot: Samuel Ratchett (Depp) is an abhorrent man, who lives by questionable means and is receiving anonymous death threats. Poirot declines Ratchett's request to find out who is threatening him; so it is a little ironic that Poirot becomes responsible to find the person who murders Ratchett, even as the train is stuck in the snow. Poirot interviews all of the passengers and uncovers bits about their past. Branagh has moments where he nails Poirot spot on, but not enough, and where he misses, to me, he misses by a wide margin. In the movie, Poirot is reading Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, which I have not read in a while, but I don't remember it being one of Dickens' knee slappers, but Poirot is seen reading it, and guffawing out loud. Soon after the train gets derailed, Poirot is walking along the top of the train. As Poirot often tells his friends, Japp and Hastings (not in this story), he does not need to go out and look for "the clues", he uses his little grey cells; there is no way in hell, Hercule Poirot is unnecessarily walking around on the roof of a snowbound train. There is a scene where Josh Gad's character, MacQueen, is running outside on a train trestle or bridge, and Poirot is chasing him? WHAT? And then falls through the floor and lands with a thump, and bounces right back up. To quote a friend of mine, AYFKMRN? On more than one occasion, Poirot is walking outside without his overcoat; he does not like to be cold, and yet, there he is, with no overcoat, no muffler, and no hat. Poirot does not get physical with suspects, that's not his thing; I also don't remember him waving a gun about, certainly nothing bigger than one of those little pistols that a lady might put in her handbag. Okay, enough bashing Poirot. The cast was fine; perhaps the most interesting thing was casting Leslie Odom Jr. as Dr. Arbuthnot. As I was mentioning to a friend, there are rarely people of color in Christie's stories unless they are servants or foreigners, so I didn't have any problem with casting Odom as a black doctor, and then having the uniqueness of the situation addressed in the script. I think Dame Judi had some of the biggest shoes, or white gloves, to fill, as Princess Dragomiroff, the role was originally played by Dame Wendy Hiller, who was amazing as the autocratic and unbending Russian Princess. Johnny Depp was fine (Richard Widmark played Ratchett in the 1974 film); it's a pretty limited role; Penelope Cruz as Pilar Estravados (in the same role, Ingrid Bergman was Greta Ohlsson in her Oscar winning role) was one of my favorite characters, she wasn't really as hysterical as the viewer might think. Apparently this ridiculous production and possible sequels have the blessing of Agatha Christie's great grandson, which is concerning. I recommend reading David Suchet's memoir Poirot and Me, and watch the other versions of Murder on the Orient Express.

Two must see movies: Miss Sloane and Imitation of Life

9/30/17 Birth of a Nation, 1915, National Film Registry, #39 BBC

I honestly have no idea how to review this movie that should be an anachronism, but sadly, seems to fit into our current political and social climate. Even at the time of its release, in 1915, fifty years after the end of the Civil War, it was controversial for its portrayal of black Americans, and Northerners who opposed slavery. D.W. Griffith is considered an innovator of cinema with camera and storytelling techniques. And yet, with all of that being said, I was repulsed watching Birth of a Nation and the way it showed slaves as dancing and shucking and jiving whenever white people were around; and most, or many, of the black characters were white actors in black face. The story is told from the perspectives of two families, the Stonemans, a Northern family and the Camerons, who lived in the South. The movie follows the families as they send sons off to fight the Civil War, the Confederacy's loss (yes, they did lose) and Reconstruction. Griffith shamelessly peddles fear and uses every negative stereotype of black men that existed to show why the races shouldn't mix; Griffith seems to put forward an anti-war message (or claims to), and just thinks the races should be separate. He glorifies the Ku Klux Klan as defenders of white women and white ways. Honest to God, it was awful to watch, but having never seen it, I was hoping there would be a positive message that I could write about, but there wasn't.

10/30/17 Miss Sloane, 2016

The Penalty aside, I feel like I've been in a dry patch as far as movies go; they've been okay or so-so, or bad, but nothing has gotten me excited about writing a review like Miss Sloane starring Jessica Chastain did. Elizabeth Sloane (Chastain) is a high-octane lobbyist who says what she thinks, even if it means insulting a potential client or a co-worker. The movie starts pretty amped up and hits the nitro button around 30 minutes in. The movie uses flashbacks to unfold the story of how Sloane takes on the gun lobby with a smaller firm after she abruptly quits the high powered firm, headed by George Dupont (Sam Waterston). It's hard to tell if Sloane is really that passionate about taking on the gun lobby or she's just itching for a big fight. She does like a good argument, whether it's with her new boss, Rodolfo (Mark Strong), her former colleague, Pat Connors (the omnipresent Michael Stuhlbarg), her paid escort, Forde, or anyone else who is careless enough to get in her way. Chastain is simply fabulous (she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress), spitting out the dialogue practically effortlessly. The dialogue and fast pace reminded me of Newsroom, a smart series with a great cast, timely topics and biting wit that you should check out if you haven't seen it. I don't often watch movies again, but I would (and probably will) watch this again to see what I missed the first time. Add it to your list.

10/31/17 Imitation of Life, 1959, National Film Registry, #37 BBC

I was beginning to think I would never get to see this movie; it was on a 'long wait' on Netflix forever, and then I got it from the library and it wouldn't play, then I finally got it from Netflix. I had never heard of Imitation of Life before until it was on the lists (dun dun, I hear this sound every time I refer to 'the lists'). Lana Turner is Lora Meredith, a struggling actress who is also a single mother living in New York City. Serendipity brings her in contact with the woman who will become her steadfast, reliable friend for the rest of her life, Annie Johnson, incredibly played by Juanita Moore, who is also a single mother, in need of a job and a place to live. Annie moves into Lora's apartment with her daughter, Sarah Jane, takes care of Lora's daughter, Susie, as well as organizing the household while Lora goes on auditions. Lora fends off a handsy agent, potentially losing jobs (the timing for me watching this movie was eerie), but keeping her self-respect and turning for comfort and solace to Steve Archer, (John Gavin) a photographer who has a mad crush on Lora, even though she dumps him the minute opportunity knocks. Opportunity knocked in the form of a play that launches her career. Through all of Lora's ups and downs, man troubles, she has Annie. Annie has some problems of her own; Annie is black, but Sarah Jane is very light skinned and passes for white, often denying her mother's existence, which deeply hurts Annie. Sarah Jane resents her mother, resents that they still live with Lora and Susie, even though the small apartment has been traded in for a large house and they have benefited from Lora's success. Eventually, Sarah Jane runs away to sing in a club, and Annie tracks her down (Mr. Archer now has all kinds of contacts to help), Sarah Jane tells her to leave and never find her again. My heart just broke; you could see Annie, this indomitable woman, who would have done anything for her daughter, just crumble. Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner, who played Sarah Jane, were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress Oscars; they lost to Shelley Winters for her role in The Diary of Anne Frank; it's a tough call, and Winters was really good, but Moore would have been a well deserving winner. Lora and Annie never discuss race, unless someone else brings it up the four women consider one another family, and others looking in seem to feel the same way. There is a performance by Mahalia Jackson which gave me goosebumps. Some may think the movie is hokey or condescending, but I really enjoyed it, and I thought Moore and Turner were terrific. I cried more than once during this movie, and since it wasn't a sports movie or a documentary, that's saying a lot.