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.
