2019 movies - probable nominees: Marriage Story, Apollo 11, Bombshell

Since a lot of these are pretty fresh or may get new legs with DVD releases, I'm going to go light on plots and just give you my go/no go recommendation. It will be faster for all of us, I promise.

12/13/19 Marriage Story, 2019, not yet nominated

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson star as a married couple that is getting unmarried; their initial attempt is to do it without lawyers, but it doesn't quite go as intended. The movie is bi-coastal as Driver's Charlie is building his reputation and career as a stage director in New York City, while Johansson's Nicole wants to break away from his shadow and re-establish her acting career in Los Angeles. Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, the story follows the ebbs and flows, highs and lows of a disintegrating marriage, including the low blows, dirty pool and spewing of venom that might have slipped out or might have been intentional. Unfortunately, there's a child in the middle, and that's the cause of the fights and anguish. The performances are spot on, the feelings are palpable, even on my teeny iPad mini. Laura Dern as Nicole's lawyer, Nora, has gotten lot of rave reviews, but I couldn't stand it, and maybe that was kind of the desired result, but, it seemed way over the top to me. Alan Alda took a brief turn as Charlie's lawyer, Bert, and he never disappoints; his delivery and cadence always keep my attention. I don't know if you have to see this movie, I don't feel like I had to, except it's probably going to get nominated for something, so, then I have to. A couple friends have seen it and really liked it. 

12/20/19 Apollo 11, not yet nominated 2019

My biggest regret about this documentary on the moon landing with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin is that I didn't see it on the big screen. Damn it. The movie is made up of archival footage, including film taken by the astronauts while in space and on the moon and film of the control center. There is no voiceover or commentary, whatever audio is from the participants. It really captures the excitement that took over the whole world, and this is before social media and twenty-four hour news cycles. We board the space capsule/rocket with the crew of three (Michael Collins was the third man); hear and watch the takeoff; watch the orbit of the rocket and hear conversations between the crew and mission control; it's crazy. Even if you don't have any interest in the space program, you should watch it. I defy you to not get goosebumps. If you have kids, you should watch it with them and revel in the scientific and human achievements. There may be a nomination for best documentary, maybe editing.

12/21/19 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, not yet nominated, 2019

This was not what I thought it was going to be. I saw the documentary on Mister Rogers when it came out over a year and a half ago, so I was not sure that any feature film could really do him justice. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood isn't a bio-pic, exactly, and it's not really fiction, and it's not really about Mister Rogers. It's about the people he influenced, specifically one person, Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys), a feature writer for Esquire magazine. Lloyd has some unresolved anger issues, mainly directed at his absent father, played by Chris Cooper, and his wife, Andrea (Susan Kelechi Watson) is caught somewhat in the middle.  His editor assigns him the task of writing a brief article on Mister Rogers. Lloyd is suspicious and doesn't believe that Fred Rogers is real, and looks for an angle to expose. Director Marielle Heller really slows the pace of the film, at least it seems that way to me, and it kind of fits Mister Rogers' pace of life, and forces Lloyd to slow down a little. I think the writers were wise to take a different tack when telling Fred Rogers' story, because the documentary is still in the air, if you will, and it would have been too much comparing going in if this film followed the regular biographical line. By introducing Lloyd (who is based on writer Tom Junod), it lets viewers see Mister Rogers from a different perspective, and lets Mister Rogers tell his story (or not, because he can be quite evasive).  Tom Hanks is uncanny as Mister Rogers, the look, the mannerisms, speech patterns. I don't think you have to see this on the big screen, but I do recommend watching it (and then watching the documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor).

12/24/19 Judy, not yet nominated, 2019

Wow. Just wow. As much as Tom Hanks became Fred Rogers, Renee Zellweger became Judy Garland. I grew up listening to "Judy Live at Carnegie Hall" and of course watching The Wizard of Oz and I recently finished reading a biography of her, so I feel like I'm in a good place to review Judy. The movie focuses on the very end of her career when she had become so unreliable due to her drug use and drinking, that she was almost left no choice but to go to London for a series of concerts. The movie uses flashbacks to her early days under Louis B. Mayer and a studio system that treated actors, even stars, like cattle. It sets the table for many of the issues that Judy struggled with her entire life. The real Judy Garland had definite facial expressions and characteristics, and it seemed to me that Zellweger nailed them. Zellweger did her own singing as well, which is a gutsy move, and I she was tremendous. Garland was a complex woman, who was tiny but had a big voice, however her self-esteem often disappeared when she was off the stage. We get glimpses into Garland's personal life, with her bitter divorce from Sid Luft (Rufus Sewell) and the battle for her two youngest children, Joey and Lorna; there is the briefest of appearances by Liza Minnelli (Gemma-Leah Devereaux), her eldest child, but it only serves as an introduction to Mickey Deans (Finn Wittrock), Judy's last husband. I don't know if I would say that Judy is an entirely uplifting, feel good movie; there are definitely moments that made me feel good, but I would say I felt more melancholy and sad at the loss and waste of talent, and sadness at her loneliness. Don't let that deter you from seeing it. I will be very disappointed if Zellweger doesn't receive a Best Actress nomination; there may also be a Best Costume Design and Best Hair and Makeup.

12/25/19 Bombshell, not yet nominated, 2019

I cannot remember the last time I needed a hot shower after watching a movie, but I absolutely felt that way after seeing Bombshell; John Lithgow is creepy good as Roger Ailes, make your skin crawl creepy. Bombshell tells the story of the sexual harassment charges that were brought forward by former Fox talk show host (and Minnesota native) Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) and later corroborated by several other women at the network or formerly at the network. There are three main female protagonists, Carlson, Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) and Kayla Pospisil ( (Margot Robbie); and they are each in different phases of their relationship with Ailes; Carlson at the end, disgusted and angry; Kelly, whose career is really taking off, but she is seeing and hearing things that are making her question; Kayla (who is not a real person, as far as I can tell) is in the very beginning of her professional career and very naïve. How this all unfolds is really what the movie is about, so you are now on your own as far as that goes. We're in the Fox newsroom, so there are plenty of Fox on air personalities in the background, and making appearances walking across the screen; at times, I found that as disturbing as Roger Ailes. Some actors/characters required a lot of makeup to look like their real life counterparts, and some of the make up was really good and spot on; other times, I found it really distracting, like the poor actress, Anne Ramsay, who played Greta Van Susteren. I don't know what intern did that make up, but it was terrible; she's not even listed in the cast list on Wikipedia, and she had more screen time than others who did get listed. The performances by the three lead actresses were really good, but I think Robbie was particularly good, playing an eager conservative producer, first on Gretchen Carlson's show and then moving up (?) to Bill O'Reilly's show. She has aspirations of being on air and meeting Roger Ailes. In a smaller support role, Kate McKinnon is Jess, another producer on The O'Reilly Factor, who befriends Kayla and tries to give her pointers on the show. I should also mention Connie Britton was frightening as Beth Ailes, Roger Ailes's wife who had blind faith in her husband's behavior (it was nice (?) to see her in an atypical role). There is a lot going on here, some of which you probably heard about on the news when the scandal was breaking, some parts that were not common knowledge, and maybe some things that were totally fictionalized, and I'm not an expert on it, so I don't know. Director Jay Roach (Trumbo, Meet the Parents) kept the pace pretty fast, packing a lot of action in less than two hours. It just occurred to me that for the most part, the women in the film were restrained, occasionally understated, as if they had to keep all of their emotions in check, whereas the lead men, mainly Ailes/Lithgow, were allowed to explode and vomit verbally whenever the mood struck, which was often. Aside from needing a shower when the movie was over, I wasn't sure if I loved or liked it. I think right now, I liked it; I loved Robbie's performance; and I liked Theron's and Kidman's performances. I think there may be some nominations for technical Oscars, like editing and makeup and hair; I'm not sure how the acting nominations will play out, a possible Best Supporting Actor for Lithgow, but I don't know how you really break out the performances of Robbie, Theron and Kidman.

That's all for a while. Check my travel blog for some fun stuff in the coming days.

Woman at War (Iceland), The Peanut Butter Falcon, Ford v Ferrari

12/7/19 Woman at War, 2018

Woman at War is set in Iceland and uses the incredible landscape as part of the action. Halla is an environmental activist and choir leader who is waging a battle against heavy industry development in Iceland, and the threat to destroy natural wonder and resources. There is a subplot, a case of mistaken identity, that runs through the film that is kind of fun to watch; it plays havoc with the authorities trying to catch Halla. In the meantime, Halla receives a letter telling her she is in line to adopt a child from Ukraine, which is at risk because of her illegal activities. Halla has a twin sister, Asa, (played by the same actress, Halldora Geirhardsdottir), who doesn't always agree with her sister's extreme actions. I really enjoyed the film; the scenery is beautiful; it's quirky, but not too much that you forget what is happening or that it's annoying; and it's timely. The director very cleverly inserted the soundtrack into the movie by placing musicians and singers in the action, moving along with the story. I don't think I have ever seen this before.  

12/7/19 The Peanut Butter Falcon, 2019, not yet nominated

If I went by the title alone, I probably would have totally skipped this movie, and shame on me. Feeling guilty for not liking Joker as much as my brother did, I watched it on his recommendation. It stars Zack Gottsagen as Zak, a young man with Down's Syndrome with very big dreams; Shia LaBeouf as Tyler, a loner who is still missing his deceased brother and getting into a lot of trouble stealing crabs from other fisherman; and Dakota Johnson who is Eleanor, Zak's guardian (for lack of a better word) at the senior citizen's home where he lives. He lives there because he has no relatives and there are few resources where he lives in North Carolina. Zak seems to get along with the residents, especially Carl (Bruce Dern), who watches wrestling videos with Zak. That is Zak's dream, to go to wrestling camp and become a professional wrestler. Zak escapes the home, with help from Carl, and winds up hiding on Tyler's boat. They get off to a rocky start, but eventually forge a bond based on honesty, humor and adventure. Eleanor catches up with them and tries to take Zak back, but Tyler intervenes and tells her she should treat him like a man and not a little kid. LaBeouf was terrific, it was nice to see him acting instad of being in the news; he was totally believable (to me) with his southern accent and his relationship with Zak. Gottsagen was fun to watch; he held his own with LaBeouf, Dern and Johnson; his character was asked to go through a range of scenarios and emotions and he was amazing. The movie is PG-13, there's some swearing and violence, but I think it may actually be a good film for the family; probably not your traditional holiday film, but I think it has a holiday spirit: love, redemption and family. If it gets any nominations, I'm thinking maybe screenplay and possibly acting ('possibly' because that category can get crowded). There's a whole backstory to how and why this movie was made which you should check out on on your own.

12/8/19 Ford v Ferrari, 2019, not yet nominated

I only had the faintest idea what Ford v. Ferrari was about, and even then, I still didn't quite get it, but it got some good reviews and it's in the time frame where you expect it to be nominated. It's based on the true story of Henry Ford II and Ford Automotive's quest to build a legitimate race car to compete with Ferrari in LeMans and other races. Matt Damon is Carroll Shelby a race car driver and designer who was brought in by Ford to develop the car; Shelby brought in Ken Miles (Christian Bale) to drive and help with the design. Miles is a very difficult character, he doesn't get along with a lot of people because he doesn't suffer fools and he's very good at what he does, and he knows it. The movie looks at Ford's involvement in the design and building process as well as the butting in to the strategy of racing, to the point of ordering Miles to be excluded. Miles is a hot head and Shelby has to be the moderating source and also a visionary, which isn't easy. Because I wasn't previously familiar with the story of Shelby, Miles and Ford II, I didn't have any preconceptions or knowledge of the outcome, which helped with the suspense: I really did not know how it was going to end. Bale brought a cocky intensity to Miles, often providing commentary as he's racing, while Damon is a good counterbalance to Bale, rarely shouting, but using his Texas drawl to make people think he's not as sharp as he is, but he truly sees the big picture. As a total sidenote, I don't know if the portrayal of Henry II is accurate, but on film, Tracy Letts makes him seem to be the biggest wanker, at least to me. If you can catch this movie before it hits the DVD/streaming run, I would do it. The photography is amazing; the perspective from inside the car, and the racing shots in general are crazy. If I had to bet, I would say it will pick up nominations for sound and film editing. 

2019 films: The Irishman and Knives Out

It seems from February until Thanksgiving cinema is a vast wasteland, filled with throwaway movies. I've learned over the eight years of doing this blog that I can pretty much wait until November before I have to worry about serious Oscar contenders. Sure, there's always the odd special effects nominee or underdog picture that sneaks onto the coveted list of nominated films, but not as often as you would think. It's time to focus, because nomination morning will be here before I know it.

12/1/19 The Irishman, 2019, not yet nominated

I can't address how many, or if any, of the events in The Irishman are true or accurate, that's probably the purview of another blog and another writer (or two or three), however, Martin Scorsese's film about the purported events in the life of Frank 'The Irishman' Sheeran  (played by Robert DeNiro), Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) and other members of the mob are definitely worth watching. The three plus hours goes pretty fast (although to be honest, I had to split it out over three nights), and some of the story lines were familiar to me, and the acting was really terrific. Joe Pesci is Russell Bufalino and he exercises a lot of control and influence very quietly, he lets other people throw punches, shoot guns and otherwise get their hands dirty. Pacino is a little over the top as Hoffa, but I guess Hoffa was a larger than life character. The movie follows Sheeran's rise through the Bufalina organization, from driving trucks to work that was a little more violent, to working with/for Jimmy Hoffa. Sheeran narrates the film, taking us back through time; there are a lot of time jumps, so you do have to pay attention (sometimes I don't do that very well). There is also a parade of characters, some with similar names or appearances and it can get confusing (back to that paying attention part). It's a  little like Goodfellas meets The Sopranos. One of the things about the movie that's getting some attention is the digital de-aging of the actors, many of whom are in their 60s, taking them back to their 20s, 30s, etc. The mystery of what happened to Jimmy Hoffa and where his body is still remains a topic of interest as evidenced by the buzz the movie has received. We'll see how the nominations shake out because the movie was distributed by Netflix and had a very limited theatrical release, which rubs some voting members the wrong way, who may still be bitter that Roma (also distributed by Netflix) did so well last year.

12/5/19 Meeting Gorbachev, 2018

With all of the craziness in the world these days, especially around international relations and threats to ramp up nuclear weapons from various quarters, it felt like a good time to watch this documentary by Werner Herzog and Andre Singer about Mikhail Gorbachev. Growing up during the Cold War and actually remembering many of the events from the 1970s and 1980s, I appreciated seeing them from Gorbachev's perspective and with historical context. Gorbachev was the polar opposite of his predecessors, which while that worked to the West's advantage, it turned out to be his political death knell. In ninety minutes, Herzog takes us through Gorbachev's rise in the Communist Party; his relations with Western leaders including Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Helmut Kohl; his beloved wife, Raisa (I don't think I can name any other wife of a Soviet leader, or most leaders, but we knew Raisa) and his family; and his sad decline, in health and status. Herzog is an amazing filmmaker, and I have seen may of his feature films and his documentaries, and my only qualm with him is that sometimes he injects himself into the story. I guess it works on some level and sometimes gives us more insight, but still, I occasionally wish he would shush. If you're a political science nut or a history buff, I totally recommend watching this film.

12/6/19 Knives Out, 2019, not yet nominated

When I first saw the trailers for Knives Out, I immediately thought of Robert Altman and Gosford Park (I have since read that writer/director Rian Johnson used that film as one of his inspirations). I really don't want to give anything away about this star-studded ensemble murder-mystery because it's still out and I'm recommending it to anyone who asks and I want it to be a surprise. Christopher Plummer is Harlan Thrombey, a famous mystery writer whose death throws his family into chaos. His family members include his eldest daughter, Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her husband, Richard (Don Johnson who was actually pretty good) and their ne'er do well son, Ransom (Chris Evans); his younger son, Walt (Michael Shannon); his daughter-in-law Joni (Toni Colette); and other assorted family members. Harlan also has a nurse, Marta (Ana de Armas), who provides medical care but also friendship, and she seems to be the only person who has no expectations from Harlan. Harlan's death appears to be a suicide, but someone has contacted private detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig with a delicious Southern accent) to dig a little deeper. This is where I have to stop for fear of revealing a clue. The main setting for the film is a beautiful, creepy estate and the interior sets are clever. There is a lot to pay attention to visually. The performances are terrific, quirky, funny, surprising, and de Armas as Marta was a fabulous surprise (she was in Blade Runner 2049, which I barely remember watching), keeping up with the veteran cast and giving them a run for their money; I look forward to seeing her in more films. Benoit Blanc is a great departure for Craig, and he seems to savor it; I think he would get along famously with Hercule Poirot if that was possible on time-space continuum. I don't normally go to movies with people, but this would be an exception to the rule if I hadn't already seen it; there's a lot to discuss afterward.

12/6/19 Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Best Actress, 1974

I watched Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore totally by fluke, but since it was on The List it was a happy fluke. It was also a bit of coincidence because it was directed by Martin Scorsese forty-five years ago. Alice was one of his earliest films, squeezed in between Mean Streets and Taxi Driver. Ellen Burstyn stars as Alice Hyatt, a housewife who is married to an abusive man who has squashed her dreams of becoming a singer. After he is killed in a truck accident, Alice packs up her son, Tommy, and heads to California, making a few stops along the way. One of her longest stays is in Tucson where she lands a job at Mel & Ruby's Diner (Vic Tayback plays grumpy Mel) where she bumps heads with sassy Flo (Diane Ladd) and meets David (Kris Kristofferson) a regular customer and a local rancher who has romantic intentions. Heading into 2020, it might not seem to be a big deal to have a woman headlining a film, but in 1974, the early days of the women's movement and a time when most female roles in movies were wives, helpmates, mothers, sex kittens, it was a big deal. Alice Hyatt is forced to become the head of her small family unit, making decisions (some of them questionable), raise her son and maybe follow her dream. Burstyn brings a level of humanity and reality to Alice, she loves her son, but struggles with his wise-ass attitude; she wants to be loved, but has learned her self-respect is worth more. It's probably not a movie on most people's watch list, but it was recently on Turner Classic Movies, and if you catch it, you should give it try. It's interesting to note that Harvey Keitel appears in the movie as Ben, one of Alice's questionable decisions; it was Keitel's third film with Scorsese (third of many); Jodi Foster plays Tommy's friend, Audrey, and she starred in Scorsese's next film, Taxi Driver (along with Keitel and Robert DeNiro). Alice was turned into a 30 minute sitcom starring Linda Lavin; Tayback reprised his role as Mel; Diane Ladd was in the series as a replacement for Polly Holliday's Flo.

Three films about real life and fictional heroes: Maiden, Pavarotti and Hellboy

11/28/19 Maiden, 2018

Maiden is why I love documentaries so much. It has unapologetic protagonist in Tracy Edwards; a challenging, life-changing event in the Whitbread Round the World Race; antagonists in the form of the all-male teams against whom Tracy and her crew were competing; and an uplifting and empowering message.  In 1989, Tracy Edwards assembled an all-female crew to compete in a grueling around the world yacht race. Director Alex Holmes includes footage filmed by the crew during the race; historical news clips and interviews; and current interviews with the crew, the competition and journalists. Tracy is brash, abrupt, certain in what she wants, but not always sure of how to get it and she's balanced by her shipmates' temperaments and experience. Tracy's confidence hides her insecurities and fears of failure, and that honest portrayal is part of what makes the movie so compelling to watch. Additionally, the footage shot during the race is terrific, the waves of the ocean crashing on the boat, the icy conditions as the race goes around Cape Horn. I feel like it's been a while since I have strongly recommended a documentary (or any film, really), but let me encourage, cajole, suggest you rent Maiden. #girlpower

11/29/19 Hellboy, 2019

I watched the 2019 version of Hellboy because I've seen the previous live action films directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Ron Perlman, and I enjoyed them, so why not. David Harbour stepped into the horns as Hellboy and Ian McShane played his adopted father, Trevor Bruttenholm. I was a big fan of the original franchise, and was as skeptical as many critics and fans, so I was ready to not like it. I was pleasantly surprised. This film was rated R (the earlier films were PG-13) and they let fly the F-bombs and plenty of blood spray, but otherwise, it had demons from the other world, action, humor. The story was probably not as strong as it could have been, but depending on my mood and what I'm watching, sometimes that doesn't bother me, and it didn't bother me here. I was curious to see how this would develop and what a sequel would look like, but it doesn't sound like that's going to happen. I enjoyed it, and if you're looking for something for the long winter nights coming up and you're looking for a wisecracking demon movie, give Hellboy a watch.

11/29/19 Pavarotti, 2019

I enjoy opera, but by no stretch of the imagination am I an expert. I know what I like, I know the main voices and I've been to several operas, but that's about it. Pavarotti was more than an opera star, he was a global cultural icon, playing to hundreds of thousands of fans around the world, donating time and money to children's charities; even if you knew nothing about opera, you probably heard of Luciano Pavarotti. Director Ron Howard shows us the many sides of Pavarotti, the playful, jovial, grouchy, insecure using news footage, interviews with Pavarotti, his family, friends and critics. Howard does a terrific job of capturing Pavarotti's joie de vivre and his love of people. I feel like I learned a lot about Pavarotti, but also about opera. I know a lot of people are turned off by the thought of opera, even if they have never heard it (aside from maybe some comedic or over the top performance, like the Bugs Bunny cartoons), but some of it is really good. I don't know if this will be nominated for an Oscar since it doesn't expose any scandal, there's no underdog or any of the other usual themes in nominated films, but it's still very well done. I don't know if I can convince you to watch it, but I hope so, and maybe give the opera a try. Too much?