Back at it with Harriet, For Sama and Honeyland

I'd like to say my delay in posting these reviews was due to some wonderful reason, like I was meditating in Tibet with the Dalai Lama or I was on a secret mission or the space bar was stuck on my laptop. Alas, nothing quite so dramatic, just a lot of The Office episodes, afternoon naps and a smattering of ennui. By this time, you may have already seen the films below, and if not, given the current world situation, you may have some extra time on your hands.

1/29/20 Harriet, nominated Best Actress, Best Original Song, 2019 

A friend of mine, who is more of a movie geek than I am, didn't really like Harriet; not because the topic wasn't worthy, she just thought it should paint Harriet Tubman as less of a comic superhero and more of a real person. This was hard for me to wrap my head around, because as far as I'm concerned, the woman was pretty superhuman, I mean I get lost (really) in my own neighborhood, and I have GPS; Harriet Tubman walked hundreds of miles in the wilderness with only the stars to guide her, all the while fighting off headaches and 'spells' from a blow to the head when she was younger. AND, she wasn't traveling alone, as she was bringing slaves out of the South into the free North, and none of her 'passengers' was killed. That is pretty amazing to me. Cynthia Erivo was amazing as Harriet Tubman (who SHOULD be on the $20 by now), bringing a no nonsense and can do attitude to her mission of leading slaves to freedom. Tubman escaped from slavery in Maryland by walking, maybe hitching a ride in a wagon to Philadelphia. In an effort to save her family and be reunited with her husband, she went back to Maryland many times to help family members and others escape. There are some big names in supporting roles including Leslie Odom, Jr. as William Still, an abolitionist affiliated with the Underground Railroad; Jennifer Nettles as Eliza Brodess, the widow of Harriet's owner; and Janelle Monae as Marie Buchanon who owned a boardinghouse where Harriet found respite and friendship. I suppose it was a forgone conclusion that Renee Zellweger was going to win for her role as Judy Garland, but I was pulling for Cynthia Erivo. I also loved the song "Stand Up", especially after the performance at the Oscars. I wouldn't say that a film about slavery is necessarily a family film, except this is more than that; it's about a woman, facing horrible circumstances and incredible odds to do amazing things, never giving up. She wasn't just an inspiring woman, but an inspiring human. If you haven't seen it, I strongly recommend doing so.

2/2/20 Pain and Glory, nominated Best Actor, Best International Feature Film, 2019

Um. Yeah. I was going to write that I'm hot and cold on Pedro Almodovar films, but in all honesty, I have to say I'm mostly cold. I did not care at all about the highs and lows of director Salvador Mallo (Antonio Banderas), his loves, his drug addiction, his childhood. That's basically what the movie is about. There are highbrow critics who thought this was the best movie of 2019 or the best of Banderas's career, but I don't think so. In fact, I would put this in the category of "I stopped caring after 15 minutes". Use that two hours to see something else on this list.

2/5/20 For Sama, nominated Best Documentary Feature, 2019

Sadly, Syria has become an incubator for documentary films over the past five years (or longer?) due to the civil war, oppression and brutal attacks on its civilian population. I have not yet seen The Cave, also from Syria, but I did watch For Sama, and boy, it was tough. Waad al-Kateab is filming her daily life and that of her husband and friends as they valiantly try to tend to the sick, wounded and dying in Aleppo, Syria, while dodging bombs and coping with shortages. During filming, Waad discovers she is pregnant, which raises existential questions for her, like who would knowingly bring a child into this world? It is heartbreaking watching the doctors and nurses try to bail out a sinking ship with a paper cup, trying not to give up and hoping the and waiting for the rest of the world to help. There is a small glimmer of hope, but you have to look hard to see it, but I still think you should watch.

2/7/20 The Edge of Democracy, nominated Best Documentary Feature, 2019

I don't know if it was because I was watching this right before going to bed or what, but it took five nights to watch this documentary about the nascent democracy movement in Brazil. Petra Costa, the director, had some direct connections to former President Lula through her parents' activities in Brazil. It was definitely interesting and gave me a perspective into a country which I have been fascinated with for a long time, and it has implications for the current political situation in Brazil. Stick with it and take a few nights if you need to.

2/15/20 Honeyland, nominated Best Documentary Feature, Best International Feature Film, 2019

Honeyland was one of my favorite movies of all the nominees. It was beautifully filmed and showcased a woman I would love to meet, Hatidze Muratova, a wild beekeeper in North Macedonia, a country in the Balkans, bordering Kossovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece and Albania, a true melting pot of cultures, languages and religions. The film follows Hatidze as she collects honeycomb to 'grow' and nurture her own hives, using just smoke and maybe a face covering to protect herself from the bees. She sells the honey she harvests to buy necessities for her and her elderly mother, maybe treating herself to hair coloring. Her mother is an invalid, blind and hard of hearing, and the exchanges between the two of them are heartwarming and heartbreaking. Hatizde has lived on this land her whole life and it has been in her family for generations. Her life is about to undergo a change when a family of nomads moves in next door; at first, I think she's glad of the company, people to laugh with, share meals with, teach the children the ways of honey bees, but then it turns into one of those nightmarish movies, like Neighbors, and things don't end very well. But Hatizde has a spirit that might dim, but, I felt it still burned, even though it was subdued. I just loved this movie. If you are looking for something different, or maybe you're homeschooling and want to do some World History/Geography/Environmental studies, you would get your money's worth with this movie. Do not be afraid of the subtitles, there is so much that you can infer and feel without understanding the language. Consider all the crap movies you have watched and how you're like, well, that was two hours of my life I'll never get back, and then watch Honeyland and feel redeemed. It will do your soul good, I promise.

Annual trip to see the Shorts - 2020

For the past four or five years my friend and I have gone to one of the theaters in Uptown (Lagoon or Uptown) to watch the Animated and Live Action Shorts. There's usually a lunch involved, some people watching and a few shorts that really stay with us. As soon as the nominations are out, we start planning our day. Here are some of my thoughts.

2/8/2020 Animated Shorts

Oh, where to begin? (slight spoiler alert)  Hair Love (USA) was one of my favorites of the nominated shorts; a little African-American girl is trying to do her hair for a special occasion, but we don't know what it is yet, and she is watching videos online for help. Her father is overwhelmed by the task and almost gives up, until he hears the end of the video and recognizes it as his wife. As he follows his wife's online guidance, the hair is a success. There's more, but you will have to see it for yourself. It's available online or currently in theaters. I liked this for a lot of reasons: it was a sweet story between and father and daughter; the animation had the feel of the cartoons I grew up with (there very well could have been computers involved, but it didn't feel like that); African-American hairstyles have been in the news a lot lately, and not in any good way, but often about punitive actions being taken against people, mostly kids/teenagers, for their hair. This is a positive story on so many levels; and even though it is about an African-American family, the story is universal: fathers and daughters, learning who you are and family. This is my choice to win.

Dcera (Daughter) (Czech Republic) had an interesting, yet creepy, animation style; kind of like papier mache. It's told in a flashback style, and like many of the animated shorts, there is no discernible dialog, so you have to pay attention to the nuances and little moments to figure out what is going on. It's another father-daughter short, and at the heart of it is about not hanging on to anger and resentments because by the time you realize it, it could be too late (full disclosure: I totally know about hanging on to resentments, bitter party of one). It's a sweet story, but really, the animation was a little distracting.
Memorable (France) is about a painter who has trouble remembering what certain objects are or what they do, and seems to be forgetting who is wife is. He begins making little drawings of objects and sticking them on the objects to remind him what they are. Even though he is losing his memory, he shares a very tender moment with his wife (but he doesn't realize it's his wife), telling this woman how much he love his wife. This theme was present in a couple of shorts last year (if I recall correctly), and as dementia and Alzheimer's continues to affect and impact more people, I think we'll see more shorts on the topic. I liked the film and I thought the animation was beautiful.

Sister (USA/China) I didn't really like this short. I didn't care for the animation style, and while I understand the inspiration behind the story (China's One Child Policy), it didn't move me.

Kitbull (USA) was cute and uplifting. It's about a stray kitten who meets a pit bull, they test each other and begin playing (from a distance). The owner of the pit bull is abusive and as the kitten and pit bull become friends, they escape over the fence.

The set also includes shorts that qualified to be nominated. We thought some of these were actually better or as good as the nominated films: Maestro is really short, but clever and fun to watch. The animals of the forest come together to perform (I think it was Bellini???). It was created by Disney animation interns. Henrietta Bulkowski is about a young woman who has a disfigured spine, which makes it impossible for her to stand up straight, and also disqualifies her from going to flight school, her dream. She doesn't take no for an answer and pursues her dream. What happens at the end shows us not to give up our dreams, but also to look inward for our potential and believe in ourselves. The Bird & The Whale used painted glass to create the animation, which creates such a beautiful visual the full length animation Loving Vincent also used this technique). A young whale who can't quite sing the way the adults in the pod can comes upon a caged bird who has survived a shipwreck. They bond and as they fight to stay alive during a horrible storm, the spirit of the bird flies into the whale. Hors piste (which means back country skiing) got the audience to laugh out loud. It was really funny with no deep meaning as far as I could tell. Two rescuers land their helicopter on the top of a mountain, and as they prepare to load their patient, terrible, but funny, things happen. It's ridiculous and impossible and fun. How was this not nominated?

Lunch time at Stella's Fish Cafe. I'm very lucky I did not fall into a food coma. The Bailey's and coffee could have gone horribly wrong.

The Live Action Shorts covered a variety of topics and prompted a variety of feelings. A Sister (Belgium) was probably my favorite; it was suspenseful and intense and had two main characters (both women), the emergency services operator and the female caller. The way the film was edited adds to the tension, with the viewer only seeing and hearing the caller's side, then it switches so we see and hear from the operator's viewpoint, and then it cuts together. I think I held my breath for the last ten minutes. It was so good. Brotherhood (Canada/Tunisia/Qatar/Sweden) provided a different point of view on ISIS and the war in Syria by taking it out of Syria and Iraq and Afghanistan, for that matter, and bringing it to Tunisia in Northern Africa and showing how a family was affected by the war. Mohamed and his family live in the countryside raising sheep and goats. We meet him and two of his sons (who are actually brothers) as they are bringing back the flocks while their mother is at home. When they arrive home, his eldest son, Malek, has returned from fighting with ISIS in Syria and brought a young bride with him. There is clear distance and hurt between Malek and Mohamed because Mohamed does not agree with the strict Islam that ISIS follows and forces on others. The resentment and anger that Mohamed feels manifests itself in a way that once done, cannot be undone. I liked it because of the different story it told with characters I have not encountered yet. I almost felt like I was watching a documentary; I don't know if the actors were actors before or this was their first film, but they were very believable. The Neighbors' Window (USA) (spoiler alert) covered a gamut of emotions, initially making the audience laugh at the protagonists' actions and reactions to what was happening in the apartment across the street. The neighbors have no blinds or curtains on their windows or they choose not to use them which allows Alli and Jacob to watch them having sex. This turns into a preoccupation that neither Alli nor Jacob want to fully admit; they are in part turned on but also regretful that their marriage isn't like that anymore. The voyeurism continues for several months when they notice that the husband from across the way doesn't look very well, and then one night, Alli is looking over and sees the husband being taken away by undertakers. Her curiosity gets the better of her and walks over to the other apartment and meets the wife. As it turns out, they could see into Alli and Jacob's apartment (it wasn't one way glass and yet Alli seemed shocked) and loved how silly the kids were or how one or the other parent would feed the baby. It makes you think about being jealous, but not really having the whole story. I liked it, but I don't think it's the winner. Apparently the film was based true events. Saria (USA) (spoiler alert) made me feel angry and sad and helpless. Saria is also based on a true story about a deadly fire at a home in Guatemala for orphaned and troubled kids in 2017. Saria is the main character, she has dreams of escaping with her sister Ximena to the United States. She has an independent streak which gets her into trouble with one of the 'teachers'. Many of the girls are raped and beaten by guards. Eventually the girls stage a protest as the guards menacingly bang their shields; the boys in the other part of the home jump in and give the girls a chance to escape. Unfortunately this doesn't have a happy ending, in fact, it's quite gruesome. Everyone is eventually caught and forced back to Virgen de la Asuncion Safe Home. The girls were locked up and weren't allowed out for any reason, including to use the bathroom. Some of the girls thought if they started a fire, the guard would have to open the door. That didn't happen and 41 girls died. According to some online reading I did, no legitimate investigations or punishments or changes have been made. The young actors were from another children's home and the lead actress who played Saria, Estefania Tellez, was terrific. I think this will probably win the Oscar. Lastly, Nefta Football Club (France/Tunisia) was a great way to end the collection (unlike last year when it ended with Skin, which won, but was awful and like a punch to the face). There are two story lines happening, one involves two men who are looking for their donkey who seems to have run off; the other involves two brothers, Abdullah and Mohammed, who are trying to get home when they stop along the road and discover a donkey with headphones and some white powder. The eldest realizes what the powder is, but he tells his little brother that it's laundry detergent. It turns out the donkey was trained to stay near its home/owners by listening to Adele, but one of the guys mistakenly puts on Hadele, which was a little rockier than Adele and drove the donkey away. I won't tell you what happens to the white powder, but it was pretty awesome.

Best Picture Nominees: 1917, Parasite, Jojo Rabbit, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

1/19/20 1917, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects, 2019

National World War I Museum and Memorial, Kansas City, MO

1917 sure did get a lot of nominations, but nothing for the actors. I've seen that before, of course I can't remember when, but what does that say about the movie? Is it really the best picture? I don't know. Not for me. It was very good, great effects and the cinematography is spectacular. 1917 is set in northern France near the end of World War I. Lance Corporal Thomas Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) is given an unenviable, and almost impossible, task of crossing through no-man's land and German territory to warn another regiment. Blake is selected because his brother is in the other regiment; his friend Lance Corporal William Schofield (George MacKay) was the victim of dumb luck. Director Sam Mendes and the production designers do a phenomenal job of recreating the horrible trenches that were such a huge factor in World War I. I really don't want to give away too much of the plot (that's pretty much the company line for the other movies below). I think it was a really good decision to not cast well-known actors in the two main roles, it would have been too distracting; there were cameos by Benedict Cumberbatch and Colin Firth, and I kind of think they were a little distracting. Roger Deakins filmed the movie beautifully and with quite a bit of effort to make it look like one continuous shot. If you're still able to catch the film in the theater, I hope you can see it; some movies should be seen on the big screen and this is definitely one of those. I think it will win a lot of awards, but I don't think it's best picture.

Exhibit of Trench Warfare, National World War I Museum and Memorial, Kansas City, MO

1/25/20 Parasite, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best International Feature Film, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, 2019

South Korean film Parasite wins the award for the most misleading title. Yes, I do know why it's titled that NOW, but I didn't before I watched it, and the name was one of the reasons I didn't want to see it. Stereotypically, a movie called "Parasite" would be a horror movie, something with an invasive species or something. In case you're wondering, that doesn't happen. What does happen is a story unfolds about class wars, envy, deceit mixed with satire. Don't be put off because it's in Korean, or it has a creepy title, it is an original idea with original characters. Co-written and directed by Bong Joon-ho (Snowpiercer), Parasite has social commentary mixed with some biting sarcasm and a little bit of suspense. We first meet the Kim family, a down-on-their-luck clan, living in cramped basement quarters and leaching off the wi-fi signal of their neighbors and trying many different scams to earn money. When son, Kim Ki-woo, gets a job as an English tutor for Park Da-Hye, the daughter of the wealthy Park family, Ki-woo sees possibilities for his family to improve their situation. And that's all you'll get from me. This is another film that has been nominated for Best Picture, but no actor nominations, which I don't understand, maybe because it was really an ensemble piece with eight 'leads' (well, maybe 6), but there could have been at least a supporting nod for Lee Jeung-eun as the housekeeper. I really liked Parasite, it wasn't a remake, a sequel, a reboot or based on real events (as far as I know); I know I keep harping on the originality, but it was so fresh. I would be willing to bet that an American version will be out in the next five years. I think it will win Best International Feature Film; I haven't seen any of the other nominees, so this is going on past awards and a gut feeling. This is out now on DVD or streaming, so check it out.

Seoul, S. Korea

1/25/20 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, nominated Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, 2019

Sigh. 161 minutes, everyone I know has commented on how long The Irishman is, but nobody has complained about the length of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but they were both too long. I liked half the premise, a visit to old Hollywood and the shows of the 1950s and 1960s, a washed up actor, Rick Dalton, (Leonardo DiCaprio) trying to be relevant again. I also thought it was an interesting twist to include his stuntman/driver/gopher, Cliff Booth, (Brad Pitt) in the mix, creating the buddy movie element. Parallel to Rick and Cliff trying to find work is the introduction of the Manson Family and Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), Roman Polanski and friends; eventually they all intersect. Eh. DiCaprio and Pitt were both nominated for Oscars, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively, but I didn't see anything in DiCaprio's performance (compared to his own past performances and other 2019 nominees) that deserved an Oscar nod. I thought Pitt's performance was worthy of the nomination, I thought he was more fun to watch and had better scenes. I think the Best Actor is probably going to go Joaquin Phoenix, but I'm not sure about Best Supporting Actor.

1/26/20 Jojo Rabbit, nominated Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, 2019

Jojo Rabbit is one of my favorite movies of this year because of its originality (with a nod to Mel Brooks), humor, satire, tenderness and the three young actors. Jojo Rabbit is set in the later years of World War II, and ten year-old Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) has regular conversations with his imaginary friend Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi, who also wrote and directed) and is eager to join the Hitler Youth with his pal, Yorki (Archie Yates). His patient mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) gently chides Jojo about his dedication to the Fuhrer, while protecting him from a dangerous secret involving a young girl, Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie) hidden in the house. I'm not really sure I can describe more of the story without giving away some of the surprises I had while watching it. I enjoyed watching looking at the world through Jojo's eyes, even as horrible as it could be during a war, as he endured heartbreak, love and small victories, and learned to shed his devotion to Hitler. Also in another terrific supporting role is Sam Rockwell as Captain Klenzendorf; seemingly devoted to the cause because he has to be, not necessarily because he is a rabid believer. He shows Jojo kindness and protection that Adolf can't give. As far as the nominations go, I don't understand thinking a movie is Best Picture, but you don't nominate the director of the movie? I'm not sure how it's going to do against the other nominees, but I know who I'll be rooting for. And I can't wait to see Davis and Yates in more films. I would say if you have not seen Jojo Rabbit, do yourself a favor and watch it. I may watch it again after the awards.

I want my money back: The Lighthouse, I Lost My Body

I have two weeks to go before the Oscars and I am terribly behind due to my two weeks in Asia, so it's well worth it. I have twenty-nine movies to see and I'm not optimistic. I have legitimate concerns that my retinas will burn out.

1/25/20 Little Women, nominated Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, 2019

I was irritated the whole time I watched Little Women. Irritated it was on the list; irritated I make myself follow the list; irritated it was over two hours long. I didn't care and don't care. It's certainly not Best Picture material. 

1/25/20 I Lost My Body, nominated Best Animated Feature, 2019

It took me five tries to finish the movie, and the whole time I wanted to quit. It was the longest 81 minutes of my life. This is a candidate for an animated short, there was no need for this fantasy drama about a disembodied hand in search of its body to be EIGHTY ONE MINUTES long. There was definite potential, but it was lost, in my opinion in mopey melodrama. If this wins for Best Animated Feature, I may give this up.

1/26/20 The Lighthouse, nominated Best Cinematography, 2019

The two best things about The Lighthouse are it's less than two hours long and it was only nominated for one award. Otherwise, oh my god and I want my money back, Redbox. Horror movies usually have one of two effects on me, they either scare the crap out of me or they make me laugh because they are so ridiculous. I cried and laughed because this was so ridiculous. It was nominated for its cinematography because it was in black and white; that almost seems like the way to guarantee at least one nomination, regardless of the quality of the movie. Allegedly this was based on an unfinished Edgar Allen Poe, or at least it was the inspiration, but Poe could scare the crap out of you in a short story (did you catch the 'short' part?) and you weren't laughing. Anyway, I wrote way more than I wanted to about this movie. But, if you want to see a good movie, don't do it. As for the Oscar, I've seen the other nominees, and I think 1917 had some spectacular cinematography as did Joker.

Three more nominees: The Two Popes, American Factory and Breakthrough

12/26/19 The Two Popes, nominated Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, 2019

I cannot speak to the accuracy of The Two Popes, especially the scenes within the conclave where the Cardinals vote for the new pope. I thought the ballots were burned, so perhaps that part is speculation. At any rate, the film looks at the unusual circumstance and relationship between Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) and Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce) created when Pope Benedict stepped down from his lifetime appointment to the papacy and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis. The two men couldn't be more different or on opposite sides of almost any argument. The movie flashes back to when Jorge was a young man, before he entered the priesthood and then his time as a priest during the time of the junta in Argentina. The flashbacks show Bergoglio's flaws and his human side, which some may not believe are suited for a position that is considered infallible. Bergoglio repeatedly tries to resign his post as Cardinal, but Pope Benedict continually refuses him. The movie shows the human side of Pope Benedict as well, as he and Pope Francis watch the World Cup final between Germany and Argentina together, fact or fiction, it was an enjoyable scene to watch. Pryce is nominated for Best Actor and I think the odds are against him since Joaquin Phoenix seems to be the favorite this awards season. Hopkins is nominated for Best Supporting Actor and that may be a little more open, with two nominations for The Irishman (Joe Pesci and Al Pacino), Brad Pitt for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (haven't seen this yet) and Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. I know Hanks is usually the favorite any time he's nominated, but I thought Pesci was really, really good.

1/12/20 American Factory, nominated Best Documentary Feature, 2019

American Factory was hard to watch, I really felt the heartache and frustration and disappointment of the men and women of Moraine, Ohio, as they tried to make a new life at a new factory built and run by the Chinese glass factory Fuyao. I wasn't surprised by the culture clash and differences, but I was surprised at how big and wide the divide was, and the hostile attitudes expressed by both at the end of the film. I thought something seemed familiar about the filmmaking and the topic, the General Motors Assembly Plant, but I just found out that the filmmakers also made 2009 nominee, The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant by Julie Reichert and Steve Bognar. This was the same plant. Everything seems pretty positive and full of potential and hope to bring back good paying jobs to southwestern Ohio. The Chairman, Cao Dewang, is aware of the differences in culture and work practices and at first seems okay with it, up to a point. The Chinese are absolutely opposed to any kind of unionization and threaten to shut the plant if the unions come in. Eventually, the lower than expected wages, the safety concerns and other practices put the two sides in opposition to one another. In my Pollyanna world, I kept thinking if the two sides could talk, really talk and get some kind of understanding and not fall into stereotyping (it happens on both ends), it could have been so much more beneficial. This is the first nominated documentary I have seen, so I can't honestly say if I think it will win, but I found it powerful, relevant and full of humanity. It's distributed by Netflix, so it's available on streaming, and I strongly recommend watching it, for so many reasons. 


1/17/20 Breakthrough, nominated Best Original Song, 2019

I'll be honest, if Breakthrough wasn't on the Oscars list, I would never have watched it; I can't even say it was an unexpected find. It's not that it was terrible, it's just not my thing. When I saw the previews, I thought, nope, I won't be going. Sigh. So here we are. The movie is based on the true story of John Smith falling through a not so frozen lake in St. Charles, Missouri and being put into a medically induced coma. The doctors had no expectations of a full recovery, but his mother, Joyce (Chrissy Metz), had other ideas. She was so fervent and adamant in her belief and her prayers that you could say she willed John to get better. Movies like this really aren't my thing, so if I'm going to like it (or maybe just watch it) at least the acting needs to be good. I'm sorry, but it wasn't. Topher Grace was Pastor Jason, and while I believed Anthony Hopkins could have Pope Benedict, I did not at all believe that Topher Grace was a pastor. The music was okay; "I'm Standing with You", written by Diane Warren and performed offscreen by Chrissy Metz is nominated for Best Original Song. It was a good song, but I have a feeling that the new song by Elton John and Bernie Taupin for Rocketman, "(I'm gonna) Love Me Again". The movie wasn't my thing, but you may like it.

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.

2019 films - Toy Story 4, The Farewell and The Hustle

10/20/19 They Killed Sister Dorothy, 2008

Dorothy Stang was a nun living and working in Brazil who was brutally murdered for her work to protect the Amazon Rainforest and the poor who lived there. She crossed paths and had violent encounters with the ranchers who wanted to cut the forest down. The documentary uses interviews with her brother; Sisters in her order, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur; the peasants she helped; the ranchers she angered; and the men accused of shooting her in cold blood. It also includes footage from the trials of the men who were accused of killing her. Sister Dorothy was passionate about her love of the Amazon and the people who lived who lived, so passionate she was willing to risk her life. The fires in the Amazon recently made my viewing of this film vey timely.

11/23/19 The Farewell, 2019, not yet nominated

I don't know if The Farewell will be nominated for any Oscars, although I think Adapted Screenplay might be a possibility. A few of my movie loving friends kept telling me I needed to see The Farewell, and I finally got around to it. The screenplay, by Lulu Wang, was based on her story that she did for American Life, which was based on real life events in her family. Billi Wang (Awkwafina) and her parents live in New York City, while her grandmother still lives in China. Billi finds out from her parents (reluctantly) that Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen) has been diagnosed with lung cancer, which devastates Billi. It doesn't get better when her parents tell her they are going back to China for a 'family reunion' to say their goodbyes to Nai Nai, they're not telling her she's ill, and Billi isn't invited. It's Eastern tradition versus Western cerebralism, because Billi thinks they should be honest and tell her grandmother, but that's not how it's done in China; they don't want to worry Nai Nai, so they are all getting together for the wedding of Billi's cousin. The movie moves between those awkward family moments we all have (sibling rivalry, meeting up with relatives you haven't seen in a long time), to celebrating one's cultural and history, to dealing with the mortality of a beloved grandmother. Awkwafina was terrific (she was one of the only things I liked from Crazy Rich Asians which I otherwise pretty much loathed) and I think she showed that she doesn't just do comedy, she tapped into some pretty serious emotions and dramatic moments. I wish I would have gotten this review done before Thanksgiving in case you were looking for a break from football and Christmas movies, but you still have time to watch this during the interminable Christmas marathons, and I recommend that you do. There are subtitles, but don't let that turn you off.

11/27/19 Toy Story 4, 2019 Not yet nominated

I don't want to sound like the Grinch or Scrooge, but this was not the best animated movie ever, and it wasn't even the best Toy Story movie in the franchise. The story picks up after Woody and company are adopted by Bonnie and given a new home with her other toys. Sadly, Bonnie no longer wants to play with Bo Peep, so she is sent off to the land of misfit toys (oops, wrong movie), and Woody is heartbroken. Bonnie makes a new toy at school, called 'Forky'. Forky has some existential issues: he's garbage and should be thrown out, he doesn't want to exist as a toy. Unfortunately, he's Bonnie's favorite toy, and as he escapes the confines of the family's RV, Woody chases after him. Then all sorts of adventures and misadventures ensue: some very creepy ventriloquist dummies are the henchman for a voiceless talking doll; Woody meets up again with Bo, who is now a liberated woman, Buzz listens to his inner voice and becomes a problem solver; and Keanu Reeves becomes one of my favorite animated characters in the franchise as Duke Caboom. I do like that production crew includes old and familiar voices (Annie Potts, Don Rickles, Estelle Harris and Joan Cusack to names a few), but also brings new voices (at least to the franchise) like Carol Burnett, Carl Reiner, Carl Weathers, Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key. Of course there is the familiar sound of Randy Newman on the soundtrack. It's probably going to get nominated, because I think it's been codified into law that any Pixar film gets nominated for an Oscar, and will usually win. Now that the grown up review is done, I do think that kids will like it (but those dummies are kind of scary) and it could be a good family flick instead of watching The Santa Claus 2 again.

11/28/19 The Hustle, 2019

I kind of want my Redbox points back, because this movie wasn't even worth a free rental. I like Rebel Wilson (although I think she is going to be typecast which would be a shame) and I like Anne Hathaway, but this movie was so disappointing. I thought it was going to be funny, and it had maybe five laughs, otherwise, it was cringeworthy. Don't confuse this with the much buzzed about movie with Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers.  I didn't, but that would have been a good excuse.

Die Hard, Joker, Spider-Man and Tender Mercies

9/13/19 Reversal of Fortune, Best Actor, 1990

I remember when the Claus von Bulow case was in the news. It was very titillating, the life of the ridiculously wealthy. This was before the internet and 24 hour gossip cycles. I vaguely remember when the movie Reversal of Fortune was released, perhaps I was no longer interested. I honestly don't recall it making that big of an impression, much less being an Oscar nominated film. Glenn Close is Sunny von Bulow who really doesn't do too much in the film and Jeremy Irons won an Oscar for his portrayal of Claus von Bulow, the pompous and snooty husband of the inert Sunny. Ron Silver is famous (or infamous) defense attorney Alan Dershowitz. Claus von Bulow is accused of attempting to murder Sunny by injecting her with an overdose of insulin. von Bulow's haughty demeanor doesn't endear him to anyone, but Dershowitz takes the case to fund his other pro bono work. I am a big fan of trial dramas/mysteries/biographies, but I didn't find this suspenseful or even well acted. I was surprised to learn that Irons beat out Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves, Richard Harris in The Field and Robert DeNiro in Awakenings. I was looking forward to seeing this film, but was pretty disappointed.

9/18/19 Die Hard, National Film Registry, 1988

Until I watched Die Hard this past fall, I had never, ever seen a Die Hard film in its entirety, or even any significant portions. Honest. Most people are probably familiar with the basic premise, but in the event you are not, Bruce Willis is John McClane, a New York City police officer who is in Los Angeles to try and reunite with his wife Holly (Bonnie Bedalia). Holly is an executive who works in a swanky skyscraper. McClane arrives in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve (thus apparently cementing the film's place in the pantheon of Christmas films), at the same time terrorists, led by the inimitable Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber. Bad timing for McClane, but lucky for his wife and the attendees of the company Christmas party; oh, and bad timing for Gruber and company. McClane takes on around eight henchman equipped with automatic weapons and explosives, and no surprise, he comes out the winner (really, this is not a spoiler). He and Gruber play a game of chess as McClane tries to race the clock before Gruber accomplishes his goal of stealing over $640 million dollars in bearer bonds and destroying the skyscraper. Willis/McClane fights his way, with his gun and his smart-ass mouth, taunting Gruber, but also trying to convince the LAPD that he's not one of the bad guys. I did like Willis' performance, but Rickman steals the show (not an original thought on my part) by being the cold blooded, restrained, intellectual, mysterious bad guy. It foreshadows a little bit his role as Snape in the Harry Potter series. I liked the movie, and I'm glad I finally saw it so I can keep with any offhand references to it, but I didn't love it. I don't feel the need to watch it over and over. But, that's just me.

10/3/19 Joker, not yet nominated, 2019

I honestly do not know how to write this, because I know the vast majority of people who have seen Joker have loved it, including my brother, who was very disappointed in my response. Honestly, I had no desire to even see the movie, much less on opening night. Joaquin Phoenix is Arthur Fleck/Joker, who attempts to make a living playing a clown and aspires to stand up comedy, but he faces ridicule from his fellow clowns and abuse from kids on the street. Arthur takes care of his mother Penny (Frances Conroy) who used to work for industrialist Thomas Wayne. Arthur seems to have some mental issues that confuse fiction and reality. Robert DeNiro is Murray Franklin, a late night talk show host in the vein of Johnny Carson; Arthur fantasizes being on the Murray Franklin show and doing his stand up routine. Arthur also has feelings for his neighbor, Sophie (Zazie Beetz), and we are led to believe they have a romantic relationship. Gradually, Arthur is pushed to his breaking point by discovering the truth about his childhood and his mother's actions; his mistreatment by his fellow clowns; and ultimately, his failure on the Murray Franklin show. Even though the film is set in Gotham, and Thomas Wayne looms large in the background, there are only a few threads to link Joker to the future Batman. Phoenix is totally committed to Fleck, and there is no question his performance will be nominated for an Oscar (or, I guess it would be a huge surprise if he was not nominated), but I just didn't care. That was the only way I could explain it to my brother, I didn't care. What I saw was a man who was beaten, downtrodden, humiliated and he took his revenge by killing people and reveling in the violence. Meh.

10/13/19 Tender Mercies, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, 1983

Sometimes a movie doesn't need special effects, action scenes or over the top sex scenes. Tender Mercies is one of those movies. Written by Horton Foote (To Kill a Mockingbird), directed by Bruce Beresford (Breaker Morant, Driving Miss Daisy) and starring Robert Duvall, it takes the viewer on a quietly emotional journey that took me by surprise. Duvall is Mac Sledge, a washed up alcoholic country singer who finds a refuge with Rosa Lee (Tess Harper) and her son, Sonny. Rosa is a widow whose husband was killed in Vietnam. She lets Mac stay on her property in exchange for working on it. Mac has his demons, a failed marriage and hostile relationship to a popular country singer, Dixie (Betty Buckley), an uneven relationship with his daughter Sue Anne (Ellen Barkin) and his status as a has-been in the music world. Sonny battles the bullies at school over not having a dad (apparently the sacrifice of dying for your country wasn't enough for them) and Rosa tries to keep her gas station/motel going. Even though you kind of know that Mac and Rosa are going to get together, it's subtle and it just kind of happens, no big fireworks. Mac and Rosa get married; Mac and Sonny develop a close bond and Mac gets 're-discovered' by a local band. Duvall does his own singing in the film. Of course, you can't have all of these wonderful things happen without something to counterbalance it, so there is a tragedy, but even the tragedy is handled with reserve and restraint. It's like Mac and Rosa just absorb disappointment and sadness like body blows, but keep moving on, leaning on each other and their strong bonds and their faith. Duvall is terrifically understated and you really believe the chemistry between him and Tess Harper (who should have been nominated as Best Supporting Actress). I had no expectations of the movie, not being very familiar with it at all, but I really enjoyed it and if you're tired of CGI and/or superhero movies or just want to watch a human story, find Tender Mercies on Netflix or from the library.

10/19/19 Spider-Man: Far From Home, 2019, not yet nominated

Eh. Spider-Man: Far From Home is set after the Avengers' universe-splitting Endgame and the death of Iron Man (I'm so sorry if you haven't seen it yet, but seriously?) and Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is back at school. He and his classmates are off to Europe where they run into The Elementals and Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). Honestly, I really didn't care. I wanted to, but I couldn't. I did like that Happy, Iron Man's bodyguard/chauffeur, makes more than a cameo. I never bought Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, I liked Andrew Garfield and Toby Maguire (until Spider-Man 3, ugh). The movie was good, not great, and I would say you should see it if you're a megafan of the MCU or Spidey, but if you're ambivalent, give it a pass.

Driving Miss Daisy, The Red Shoes and 2019 nominee, Never Look Away

From a stroll in Chicago this past May, Siskel and Ebert. Two thumbs up.








6/9/19 Driving Miss Daisy, Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Makeup, Best Adapted Screenplay, 1989

One of the fun things about re-watching movies I watched 5, 10 or 20 years ago is seeing if I still feel the same way as when I first watched them. There have been some movies where I feel incredibly different, either in a good or bad way; sometimes it's been a more subtle change, like maybe I still enjoy the movie or a performance, but I don't love it. I think that's how I feel about Driving Miss Daisy. I think it's a good movie, with some terrific performances by Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman and Dan Ackroyd, and a sense of melancholy. Driving Miss Daisy was adapted from Alfred Uhry's play, and if it wasn't a play, the tight dialog and banter between the two main characters would make you think it would be a great play. Tandy plays Daisy Werthan, an elderly, Jewish widow in Georgia in the 1940s whose son (Dan Ackroyd) decides it's best if she stop driving and they find someone drive her around. That someone is Hoke Colburn (Morgan Freeman), a black man who has the patience of a saint because Miss Daisy is not always the most appreciative person in the world. The pair spend over 20 years together, occasionally getting glimpses into the other's universe, anti-Semitism directed at Miss Daisy, racism towards Hoke and just aging in an ever-changing world. Call me sentimental or simple or both, but part of what I do really like about the story is the development of relationship between Miss Daisy and Hoke, from a reluctant acceptance of a driver in her life to a true appreciation of one another and caring about each other's well being. Tandy, Freeman and Ackroyd were all nominated for Oscars, with Tandy winning for Best Actress. Was it the Best Picture of the year? I don't know, possibly not. Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, which came out the same year, was not even nominated for Best Picture, but that may be one of the movies that still has an impact thirty years later. The Dead Poets Society, which was nominated, is also one that gets referenced today, whether for Robin Williams' performance or the coming of age story; Field of Dreams is a favorite among baseball fans, and has some quotable lines, but I've only seen it once, and I don't think it was Best Picture (maybe I'll feel differently if I watch it again). 

6/22/19 The Red Shoes, Best Original Score, Best Art Direction, 1948

The Red Shoes is one of those films that gets mentioned by directors, photographers and film historians. Of course, that usually means it's pretentious and overwrought and overhyped, or maybe just not very good. I'm happy to say that 'usually' doesn't mean always and the hype about how beautiful the film looks is totally spot on. It was made by the same team that made Black Narcissus, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, which was a beautifully filmed movie that also used the Technicolor technology (that movie was overwrought). Moira Shearer who stars as the main character, Victoria Page, was originally a ballet dancer; selecting a dancer for the lead roles was intentional as opposed to actors who learned to dance. The story is a story within a story, based on the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. Of course there is a love story or two, battles of egos, men who know what's best for the young ingenue and tragedy. I'm not a ballet expert, and I don't usually seek it out, but this was gorgeous to watch, and the acting was a little melodramatic at times, but I think that's pretty much what you get for that time period. If you are a film buff/fan and have not seen The Red Shoes, I recommend watching it over the upcoming autumn/winter weekends.

8/17/19 Never Look Away, nominated Best Foreign Film, Best Cinematography, 2018

Never Look Away starts in the Nazi era in Germany and goes through the Cold War and the division of Germany in to east and west. The movie is fiction but has its basis in some facts from the life of artist Gerhard Richter. The film was written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck who also wrote and directed Oscar winner The Lives of Others, a very intense look at the East German secret police during the Cold War. The movie is three hours long and there were definitely moments where it felt like it was dragging. Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling) is a young man when the movie starts; he loves his aunt Elisabeth who is fun and artistic and very much against Hitler. What befell her at the hands of doctors sympathetic to Hitler affected Kurt for the rest of his life. Kurt tries to pursue his art, but he can't find his voice, although he finds his muse in Ellie Seeband (Paula Beer), a fashion student whose family has a room to rent. Kurt and Ellie have a furtive romance because they fear that her very strict and controlling (and creepy) father (Sebastian Koch) will forbid it. Their romance grows and Kurt begins to find his artistic voice and they escape to West Germany. Kurt also discovers a link between his past and his young aunt and Ellie's father, although it is more clear to the viewer than it is to him. It is probably very difficult for anyone who was not alive during the Cold War, the Iron Curtain and the time of the Berlin Wall and East and West Germany (do people remember what the GDR or FDR stood for?), but it impacted art, sport and the geopolitical climate for decades. It is a long movie and in German, so you have to read it, but it covers a period of history that a lot of Americans are not familiar with, and it's interesting and has some good plot twists and worth the time. 

Old and New: Broadcast News, A Raisin in the Sun, Green Book and Capernaum

All I can say is, it's a good thing I have a day job.

4/27/19 Broadcast News, National Historic Film Registry, 1987

Unfortunately for Broadcast News, Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor was also released in 1987 and won 9 Academy Awards in the same season, many in the same categories. The movie stars William Hurt, Holly Hunter and Albert Brooks as members of a newscasting team (it reminds me of an early version of the tv series The Newsroom). At times, it made me nostalgic for the old days of three channels, landlines and typewriters. Written and directed by James L. Brooks, the script is fast paced and smart, topical for its time, and yet if you updated the technology, it could be set today. 


5/8/19 A Raisin in the Sun, National Film Registry, 1961

I was prompted to bump A Raisin in the Sun to the top of my list after watching a documentary about the author/playwright, Lorraine Hansberry on PBS. To me, the fact that a black woman wrote a play that was nominated for Tony awards in 1960 is astonishing, then that she insisted on writing the screenplay as well, is groundbreaking. The story features a black family in the late 1950s, early 1960s, who are trying to decide what to do with the inheritance from their late father. The matriarch (Claudia McNeil) wants to buy a house (the family are sharing a very cramped apartment) and live the American dream; her son, Walter Lee Younger, (Sidney Poitier) has his own ideas of what to do with the money, like some pie in the sky investments with some questionable characters; Walter's sister has the radical idea of going to medical school and was hoping to take some of the inheritance money to pay for medical school. Walter's wife, Ruth (Ruby Dee) also has her sights set on a new house where their son can grow up and not sleep on the sofa. Once the decision is made to buy a house, the Younger family has to deal with the fact that despite the fact that their new neighbors don't really know them, they are politely asked not to move in. It's polite, but not very subtle that the white neighbors are not excited to have a black family in their midst. This was not fiction, but reality for many young black families of that time and even now, if we're honest. The movie is very well acted, and it's fun to see a young Poitier and Dee. The only thing that kind of bothered me, and I've noticed this when I've watched other plays turned into films, is that the dialog doesn't seem as natural; it seems stilted. I don't know if I would have noticed it if I didn't know it was based on a play. It didn't detract from the message of the story or the performances, but it's just something that caught my ear. It seemed odd to me that A Raisin in the Sun wasn't nominated for any Oscars, but it has been added to the National Film Registry.

Green Book, Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, nominated Best Actor, Best Film Editing,  2018

I don't think I am qualified to discuss all the controversy surrounding Green Book, whether it is about director Peter Farrelly's past; the true nature of the relationship/friendship between Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali, in another Oscar winning role) and Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortenson); or the 'white savior' complex. Before I saw the movie, I said it was Driving Miss Daisy in reverse, and was reluctant to see it, but of course, it was nominated and won several Oscars. So, I saw it and tried to be objective. It was a good movie; I think Mahershala Ali is an amazing actor who has the ability to transform himself from a violent drug dealer to a thoughtful and innovative pianist; I like a good buddy movie, seeing two people learn about one another, dealing with their quirks, but finding common ground; and having Vallelonga witness the discrimination and harassment that Shirley experienced and eventually sticking up for him. They learned from each other. I still think it was a reverse Driving Miss Daisy with condensed timeline and a little edgier script. I thought it was a good movie, but I didn't think it was great, or the best of the year; my hope was Black Panther, which might have been a long shot, but I think it ticked so many boxes; my other thought was Roma, but given the anti-Netflix bias, that probably wasn't going to happen.

6/1/19 Capernaum, Nominated Best Foreign Film, 2018

Some people like getting scared watching movies, others like to pee themselves laughing, and others like to have a good cry. One of the best feelings for me after watching a movie is feeling like I've been sucker punched, that I've watched something that blows me away and leaves me feeling raw. That's how I felt after I finished watching Capernaum. The star of the film, Zain Al Rafeea, was a Syrian refugee living the slums of Beirut, will break your heart. His character's name is also Zain, and he is a little boy of 12 years old who has to help support his family by selling, stealing, working and protecting. It's a lot to ask of a grown up, much less a kid. The movie is told in flashbacks, which threw me for a minute, but is a great way to tell the story of how he wound up in court suing his parents for being born. Zain is defiant and strong, but also shows that he will do anything to take care of the people he loves, whether or not they are family. Zain meets Rahil, an illegal immigrant with a young baby, who works jobs under the table and asks Zain to watch her baby. Zain and Rahil make an unlikely pair, but they come to rely on one another. I will hold off on telling you any more of the plot, because there are a few twists and turns that you should experience for yourself. Capernaum is like Roma in that it tells the stories of the unseen in their respective communities; people you know are there, but they are ignored or shunted aside when their perceived value may be gone. Both films also used non-actors in the main roles. They also both make you think. They are also both foreign films, which can sometimes turn people off. This is one of those times I am going to ask you to put aside your fear of subtitles and watch Capernaum (and Roma while we're at it) and take a chance on Zain and Rahil.