Like a Boss

I laughed a few times during this short, contrived comedy, but mostly at bits I’d already seen in the trailer. And the trailer actually managed to stitch the funny lines together better than the resulting film. Most of the modest hilarity was due to executive producer Tiffany Haddish, whose antics on screen are starting to get old. Still, her overly candid, got-attitude style works more often than not and is still preferable to her serious side, as seen in 2019’s The Kitchen.

Here we have Mia and Mel, played by Haddish and Rose Byrne or is it the other way around? It doesn’t matter. They are lifelong entrepreneurial friends who have started a struggling beauty business with two quirky pals. They are $493,000 in debt by the time they are discovered by the exotic Claire Luna, played to a Jessica Rabbit-esque extreme by Salma Hayek, who proudly proclaims, “My head is not little, it’s just that my breasts are humongous.” She proposes bailing the duo out of debt and investing heavily for a controlling interest in their company. After some negotiations she backs off a bit but then savagely begins pitting the two friends against each other in order to stage her takeover.

Perhaps Hayek wanted to play a lead comic role. She has previously starred as herself, or by way of voice-over (Sausage Party) dabbled in comedy when not playing more respectable roles as she did in 2002’s Frida. Otherwise, the now 53-year-old Latin bombshell’s decision to accept this role is a mystery. She not only did a face-plant pratfall, but also shouted her last word in the film, a screaming F-bomb, that was neither necessary nor funny.

And speaking of embarrassing outings in a parody of the beauty industry, when was the last time you saw Phoebe from Friends on screen? Lisa Kudrow appears briefly at the end of the film as Mia and Mel’s new partner. This is either a cameo or favor to someone. Her name is not even included in IMDb’s credits. Anyway, she looks like she just rolled out of bed or forgot to use the products her fictional company is selling.

Like a Boss is an attempt at a female buddy film, a series of comic sketches in a poorly edited sequence lacking effective segues or a compelling through line. That’s the fault of writers. Rose Byrne has done a variety of work, but was better in Bridesmaids. She looks a bit like Kristen Wiig, who would have been a better foil for Haddish, but perhaps was busy or has better script sense.

We chose to see this movie as a break from a series of darkly serious films, and also because it was playing at a time that worked for our schedule. I can’t even recommend waiting for this to show up on TV. Just skip it. Or see the trailer and call it a day.

Like a Boss (2020) runs 1 hour, 23 minutes and is rated R.

Should I see this movie?  

Bombshell

If creepiness were condensation, you’d need an umbrella to view Bombshell, the story of the fall of Fox News’s chief architect Roger Ailes. Wherever you stand on the political spectrum, you’ve been educated on the #MeToo movement during the evening news. This movie portrays one outrageous example of male power used to exploit women in the workplace. Of course, this workplace is known to be a cutthroat environment where integrity can be in sparse supply and good looks get you a seat at the on-air table where we all dine on the latest news and gossip. And in this particular setting you wear shorter skirts or are labeled a man-hater. Or both. “Legs - that’s why the desks are glass.”

Nicole Kidman plays Gretchen Ryan, the Stanford and Oxford educated 1989 Miss America who took a seat on Fox & Friends between Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade, two drunk-uncle-cavemen Fox shills whose banter was frequently inappropriate and often cringe worthy. Carlson seemed to be a willing participant, taking the abuse with a smile, but therein lies one element of the #MeToo phenomenon. Carlson was not willing, and when push came to shove went public with a highly calculated plan to dethrone Roger Ailes for sexual harassment.

Her biggest challenge was the need to not go it alone. Bombshell illustrates the Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox news empire’s culture of enmeshed sexual abuse in the hands of men positioned to make or break careers. The film also explores the ripples that extend into the lives and careers of support staff, families and friends of the victims. Lawyer and journalist Megyn Kelly, played astonishingly spot-on by the chameleon-like Charlize Theron, walks us through the offices, building and relationships within Fox headquarters in New York. Her own controversial comments aside, she was front and center as Donald Trump rose to power with an intense creep factor all his own that we witnessed live or on tape during the lead up to the 2016 election. Kelly’s challenge was also one that had great potential to end her career without adequate support from fellow victims.

Along comes Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie), the blondest and youngest of them all, an upstart who fashions herself an “evangelical millennial.” Hers is an amalgamated role comprising protected testimony from as many as twenty women. She seems willing to walk over just about anyone in her quest to become on-air talent, jumping into bed with a closeted lesbian/democrat played by Kate McKinnon, her new friend who eventually asks not to be involved with Kayla’s ventures into Roger’s lair. She knows that the repercussions will be immediate and severe.

Ailes is played by a suitably fattened, enraged and slimy John Lithgow. Make-up artists transformed several characters to the point at which it’s unknown whether CGI is at work. Walking the halls and in meetings we run into Greta Van Susteren, Jeanine Pirro, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and even Rudy Guliani. Here, the casting department deserves kudos for finding impersonators to fill these roles, however briefly.

It should be noted that neither Carlson nor Kelly had anything to do with the production of Bombshell (a nice pun). They are prevented by non-disclosures from ever speaking about their lawsuits. In fact Carlson has begun her own organization called Lift Our Voices to address this legal tool’s ability to cover up harassment, thereby perpetuating it.

Malcolm McDowell, age 76, plays Rupert Murdoch, who cuts Ailes a check for $65 million as he is ushered out the door. In contrast, Fox only paid out $50 million to the participants in the lawsuit. Carlson’s take was $20 million. Lachlan and James Murdoch, Rupert’s adult sons appear sporadically throughout the film, seeming more like emotionless henchman than children being groomed. Or perhaps, that’s Rupert’s intent.

Jay Roach wrote, produced and directed Bombshell, but Charlize Theron was also in a producer role. This is her 22^nd outing as producer, including Monster and Atomic Blonde.

This wasn’t a noteworthy example of filmmaking, but was interesting, engaging and a nice job of story telling. There’s no real reason to see it in a theater unless you’re eager to see it soon.

Here is an embarrassing video montage of moments from Gretchen’s eight years on Fox & Friends:

https://youtu.be/GIyzYU3oF1g

Bombshell (2019) runs 1 hour 49 minutes and is rated R.

Should I see this movie?  

1917

We have now seen the best movie of the year.

It is April 6, 1917. The “War to end all wars” will rage on until the Treaty of Versailles is signed on November 11, 1918. Armistice Day commemorated that event until it was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

This is a uniquely effective, immersive film, due to being filmed in a continuous single camera shot (technically, listed as edited to appear as one shot). Only at one point at about the mid point did the screen go black, allowing for a reset, but then continued on in single camera fashion to the end. The difficulty of doing this, both from a cinematography perspective, performance by the actors, staging, lighting and set construction are hard to conceive, but Sam Mendes pulled it all together in the best war movie since Saving Private Ryan. 

And perhaps this could have been called Saving Lieutenant Blake.

1917 was filmed in the UK on April 1, 2019. Imagine rehearsing the entire two hour journey of two young British soldiers through battlefields, trenches and bombed out villages while flares and bombs are exploding, planes are circling and crashing, through chase scenes, hand to hand combat, being swept down a raging river over a waterfall, and so much more, while cameras are following, circling and leading the audience through the action as if participating in the events first hand.

There is no provision for starting over. No “cut” or “take two” here. Beginning with orders from Colin Firth as General Erinmore, and culminating with the delivery of a crucial message to Benedict Cumberbatch as Colonel MacKenzie, Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay) endures heart pounding, stomach turning horror to prevent the slaughter of 1600 British troops in a German trap.

Producer Sam Mendes previously gave us Road to Perdition, Revolutionary Road, The Kite Runner and dozens of Penny Dreadful episodes for Showtime. George MacKay, a busy actor, but appearing here in a breakout performance, deserves a special award for this punishing role. Alongside Dean-Charles Chapman as Lance Corporal Blake, the human side of this relentlessly horrific war propels us through the early mechanization of military conflict, which was otherwise still being fought as it was during the Civil War. An underlying theme, as often is the case, is that no good deed goes unpunished. Compassion shown for the enemy frequently backfires in spectacularly tragic fashion.

This film has already taken its place among the top 25 war films of all time, and there are some heavy hitters in that crowd, from Apocalypse Now to All Quiet on the Western Front and Lawrence of Arabia.

See this on the big screen. If you suffer from PTSD, I recommend that you not suffer through this two-hour journey through Hell.

1917 (2019) Runs 1 hour 59 minutes and is rated R.

Should I see this movie?  

Uncut Gems

Sometimes I have to take a step back and differentiate between the quality and effectiveness of a film versus my enjoyment at its showing.

If you enjoy being jostled in a noisy crowd at a filthy amusement park, and being thrilled at riding a rickety roller coaster with a history of safety issues and sharing your car with drunken thugs, then Uncut Gems may be your ticket. It is well done, but hard to watch.

Adam Sandler, the star of this show, is at his Jewish best, but not the lighthearted Saturday Night Live version, singing The Chanukah Song. This is a portrayal of a gambling-addicted New York Diamond District purveyor of gems and collector of sports memorabilia working to stay ahead of his own tidal wave of self-destruction. The addict’s delusion – just one more big score – propels him through layer upon layer of a money-fueled onion of Ponzi schemes built around the hope of auctioning an uncut 3000 carat stone for over a million dollars.

Sandler, playing Howard Ratner, relies for sales leads on associates of real-life basketball legend Kevin Garnett, a six foot eleven power forward, now retired, who is still dominating the game for the Boston Celtics in Uncut Gems. Garnett, smitten with the potentially magical powers of a huge black opal mined at the expense of Ethiopian slave-workers, offers his NBA title ring as collateral for the stone, which he believes will enhance his game. And it does. But not before Howard pawns the ring for cash, makes a series of seemingly impossible bets, and wins big. Or does he?

That’s where a family member mafia type, on a break from their shared Passover meal, sends thugs to collect from Howard, and cancels the bet. Of course, the bet would have paid off, so Howard learns nothing. On to the next big thing.

Along Howard’s journey, he is left naked in the trunk of a car, thrown in a fountain, beaten several times and threatened mercilessly. Nothing stops him or even slows him down much. His gambling adrenaline has the same effect as any other stimulant.

Howard treats customers, children, his wife and family with the same glazed-eyed, addle brained juggling and leveraging of emotions and money, robbing from Peter to pay Saul, in an exhausting array of interdependent maneuvers that result in his ultimate reckoning. But not before one more attempt, successful yet again, with the aid of his devoted prostitute girlfriend, Julia, played by Julia Fox.

The real feel of this film was enhanced by performers playing themselves alongside Garnett, like rapper Ca$h Out and The Weekend.

Idina Menzel steps away from her voicing of Elsa in Disney’s Frozen, appearing here as Dinah Ratner, Howard’s wife, disgusted with his antics and agreeing to announce a divorce, “after Passover.” Judd Hirsch is along for the ride as “Gooey,” 84 years old, but still reminding us of the TV hit Taxi.

Directed by 35 year old brothers, Josh and Bennie Safdie, whose limited experience includes the money-losing 2017 film Good Time, this latest effort will establish them as players in Hollywood. The discomfort I felt throughout the movie can be attributed to the relentless pace of Sandler’s delivery from a script so loaded with F-bombs and shouting it can cause tightness in your chest if it doesn’t numb your senses.

Uncut Gems (2019) runs 2 hours 15 minutes and is rated R.

Should I see this movie?  

 Hard to say.

Jumanji: The Next Level

Fans of the Jumanji franchise will not be disappointed with this latest gathering of reluctant heroes within the now infamous action/fantasy survival game. We can consider this a sequel to 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which rebooted the 1995 origin story starring the late Robin Williams. Since then, the board game that trapped Alan Parrish in a terrifying jungle world for decades is now a broken down Atari-like vintage gaming console and cartridge that beckons players with a seducing jungle beat and pulsing electronic glow. Touching the device is all that’s required to physically transport players into the world of Jumanji as avatars of their choosing. Or, in the case of Jumanji: The Next Level, this happens without even choosing their character, swept atom by atom into the sinister collection of circuit boards and wires. As one character says upon beginning the transformation, “I hate this part!”

As a result of the game’s semi-awareness, we have a few new cast members for this outing. All of the previous teens and alter egos are here, along with Danny Devito, Danny Glover and Awkwafina. Devito and Glover are Eddie and Milo respectively, two former restaurant owners, partners who need to work through issues of aging and abandonment. Eddie is Spencer’s grandfather, recovering from hip surgery and sharing a room with his grandson, home on Christmas break from NYU. Spencer has returned to his anxiety-ridden, asthma inhaler dependent, unconfident former self, longing for the thrill and self-assuredness that he experienced as Dr. Smoulder Bravestone in the previous film. Eddie’s advice? “Go out there and get it. It’s all downhill from here. This is the best it gets. Getting old sucks.” Inspired, Spencer goes into the basement and enters the game, but emerges as Ming Fleetfoot (Awkwafina) instead of Bravestone. His friends come to the rescue, and that’s where the game makes a few of its own moves.

If this is confusing, it gets worse. The only consistent transformation is the avatar Ruby Roundhouse, played again by Karen Gillan. Many of the same body-swapping comedic elements get laughs once more, but Jack Black was funnier when channeling a pretty cheerleader in Jumanji 2. Anyone who winds up in Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s body spends time touching and admiring his heavily muscled physique, and the gag still works. And although Johnson struggles with DeVito’s gruff, New York persona, it isn’t that much of a distraction. Kevin Hart is extremely funny no matter who he becomes, and there’s a ton of action to keep the audience from thinking about anything for long.

The film regains its previous footing when the characters discover a glowing green pool that allows arbitrary body-swapping within the game. This re-establishes prior roles for a couple of characters just as two more previous players enter the game, one as a horse.

What? Just see the movie. It will make more sense.

There’s a nice cameo appearance by an actor from the original film that brings the story full circle. Producer Dwayne Johnson promised this Easter egg while the film was in production. It also sets up Jumanji 4, despite general agreement by the teens that they’re “never going in there again!” With that, drums begin beating, a herd of ostriches stampedes through town and we capture the feel of the original movie once more.

Like the Jumanji game, box office receipts have a pulsing drumbeat of their own. This franchise is a huge moneymaker. There’s little doubt that there will be a fourth and perhaps fifth film before the concept grows tired. But sometimes when things get older, as Danny DeVito comes to realize by the end of the film, “It’s a gift.”

What’s next? Jumanji: AI?

Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) runs 2 hours 3 minutes and is rated PG-13.

Should I see this movie? 

Frozen II

It has been six years since the Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Snow Queen, was released as Frozen, the highest grossing animated film of all time. The subsequent merchandising juggernaut made a sequel pretty much inevitable. Frozen II will undoubtedly do very well, drawing on fans of the first film during a choice Christmas release. But perhaps Disney animators could have better spent their time working on something new.

This latest entry into the Disney library simply tries too hard to be wonderful. Where the original film was, well, original, this is a rehash with a convoluted script, unnecessary characters and songs that just can’t compete with the award winner belted out by Elsa (Idina Menzel) several years ago.

We have come to expect visually stunning 3D animation from Disney. But the giant blue eyes and tiny turned up noses of the Arendelle-dwelling royal sisters, voiced once again by Kristin Bell and Idina Menzel (Anna and Elsa respectively) seem plastic and two dimensional on this outing. And several scenes appear to tap into Fantasia for color and kaleidoscopic inspiration. In other words, gratuitous bursts of colors, sparkling palettes, textures and patterns.

And then there’s the deliberately adorable fire salamander named Bruni. This creation was probably in production as a plush toy before the ink dried on the storyboards. The character adds nothing to the story and actually makes the film longer than it needs to be. Frozen II is one minute longer than Frozen. They could have shortened the sequel considerably without impacting the somewhat pointless story.

Another creature that was undoubtedly fun for the animators was the Earth Giant. These living rock beasts recall the efforts of much earlier animators to bring to life L. Frank Baum’s Nome King using Claymation in Disney’s 1985 Return to Oz. Large, lumbering and relentlessly frightening, these creatures become integral to the plot once it is revealed that a dam constructed by Anna and Elsa’s grandfather was a trick played on the neighboring nature-loving Northuldra tribe. This is the truth that Elsa has sought, responding to a siren-like melodious call only she can hear. It leads her into the enchanted forest described in a bedtime story told by her late father.

Olaf the snowman, cute and sparingly comedic in the first film is given a large part in Frozen II. This is sure to sell more Olaf plush toys for years to come. If you think you can’t get enough of Olaf, see this film and you’ll agree that you can.

I would have to re-watch Frozen to determine if it contained nearly as many songs as version II. It’s hard to tell which song is expected to be the big hit, but none of them stand up to Let it Go from the original. Kristoff’s turn at the mic is over-produced, with a chorus of harmonizing reindeer backing him up.

The elements water, earth, fire and air are spectacularly illustrated throughout the film. And of course, ice and snow are abundant and constantly being tossed about by Elsa. Not to be accused of creating an entirely white cast of animated characters, Lieutenant Mattias is voiced by Sterling K. Brown, and the Northuldra people are vaguely indigenous.

Kids anxious to see Frozen II will want to see this in the theater. Otherwise, I see no need to rush out. This may quickly become bait to draw new subscribers to the Disney Plus streaming service.

Frozen II (2019) runs 1 hour, 43 minutes and is rated PG.

Should I see this movie? 

Richard Jewell

On July 27, 1996 a pipe bomb exploded in Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta during the Summer Olympics. News coverage was heavy, immediate and contributed to the false accusation of Richard Jewell, a security guard who worked at the venue. This story became a regular feature on the evening news, ramping up as the FBI and the news media fed the American public a false narrative in a rush to judgment declaring Jewell guilty without evidence and before being charged. In that respect, we all participated in this gripping true story.

Clint Eastwood, age 89, brings us his most recent directorial effort since 2018’s 15:17 to Paris. Richard Jewell is a true story that should have been told much sooner. Eastwood has directed several other films in which people are falsely accused by the media and/or authority figures (Mystic River, Sully). Mr. Jewell died in 2007 at age 44, having been quietly exonerated following the confession of the actual bomber. I don’t remember that news story, do you?

As the film opened in theaters this month, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution threatened to sue over the depiction of the newspaper’s handling of the story, along with the portrayal of reporter Kathy Scruggs (deceased 2001) trading sex for a scoop. Jewell sued the newspaper for defamation after he was cleared of the crime but the case was thrown out. In an ironic twist, the newspaper is now defending its own reputation. They should know better. Meanwhile, nothing sells tickets like a good controversy.

Scruggs is played by Olivia Wilde as an aggressive, brash newsroom sleuth who seems to need help with her writing from a fellow reporter: “You know, that wordy thing you do.” She goes head to head with Jewell’s lawyer Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell), whose personal history with Jewell leads him to believe in his innocence.

But Jewell himself, wonderfully played by Paul Walter Hauser, creates numerous cringe-worthy moments, talking too much, forgetting key pieces of information and relating so heavily to law enforcement as an overzealous wannabe, trying to “help” them do their job – to his own detriment. His good old boy southern persona, along with his obesity and kindness to a fault all work to undermine his defense. At some point he comes off as just plain stupid.

A turning point occurs in a heated exchange when Bryant challenges Jewell’s failure to get mad. Jewell finally angrily admits to understanding that he is now, and has long been, the brunt of bullying and jokes. The pressure of the hounding media and the railroading FBI scrutiny tears at his otherwise unshakeable optimism and reduces his mother (Kathy Bates) to tears. John Hamm as steely FBI agent Tom Shaw employs trickery on the gullible Jewell at every turn, being more concerned with “solving” the crime than capturing the actual perpetrator.

Among the list of Producers for Richard Jewell we find Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill. DiCaprio considered a role in the film as a southern lawyer, but stayed on as a producer instead. Hill was originally intended to play the title role. He also stayed on as a producer. The film is better cast as a result of both choices.

New and original footage are intermingled throughout the film, some scenes of which were filmed at the actual location. News footage, Olympic highlights and re-enacted action on the ground all contribute to the film’s intensity and believability. In fact, an actual Katie Couric interview with the real Jewell is shown without attempting to mask or cut away from the actor.

This is a quick two-hour movie. The ending falls somewhat flat. There is no big reveal, redemption or comeuppance. And perhaps that reflects the media’s loss of interest as the story became less sensational. But that becomes something of a lesson for us as viewers and consumers of media.

Richard Jewell (2019) runs 2 hours, 9 minutes and is rated R.

Should I see this movie? 

Knives Out

“I suspect…foul play!”

And with that declaration, the death of Harlan Thrombey, family patriarch and uber-famous mystery writer, becomes a mystery unto itself.

Perhaps the best selling author of all time, outsold only by The Bible and Shakespeare might have uttered this line, launching the circuitous murder investigation in Knives Out. Of course, that author would be Agatha Christie, who brought us the sleuthing adventures of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. 

And in a tip of the hat to whodunit murder mysteries, we briefly see Angela Lansbury onscreen in an episode of the highly successful Murder She Wrote, being watched in the home of the least likely suspect in the Harlan Thrombey murder case. Or is she? The personal nurse to the wealthy 85-year old mystery writer is young Marta Cabrera, from Brazil. Or is it Ecuador? Or is it Uruguay? Or is it Paraguay? Family members have no idea, but they embarrassingly call upon her as exhibit A in their heated discussion of the American immigration controversy. This scene is a transparently modern inter-family squabble like those that may erupt around dinner tables this holiday season.

Cabrera, played by Ana de Armas, is a deer-in-the-headlights unwitting participant in a living game of Clue taking place in the Thrombey family mansion on their Massachusetts estate. Cabrera is also something of a human lie detector, being afflicted with a “regurgitory response to the telling of untruths.” Yes, she reliably vomits when she lies, and this trait plays heavily into investigative queries by both investigators and savvy family members.

Inspector Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, methodically susses out the truth with his powers of deductive logic and disarming southern drawl. Equal parts of Poriot and Columbo, his accent sets him apart from the rest of the characters and allows for the delivery of lines that pierce through a room full of chatter with a razor sharp intellect dripping in sugary syrup. It’s fun to see Craig in anything but his steely James Bond persona. Here he seems a bit more human and is clearly having more fun.

The cast of characters includes the legendary Christopher Plummer as the family patriarch along with scream-queen icon Jamie Lee Curtis as his eldest child Linda. Her husband, Richard is played by Don Johnson, who has either had a ton of work done or has aged nicely. Toni Colette, Michael Shannon and a handful of other children, grandchildren and spouses round out the dysfunctional family. Captain America’s Chris Evans plays black sheep grandson Ransom Drysdale, whose declared altruism seems out of character for his otherwise cynical and self-serving nature. What is he up to? It seems everyone has motive, circumstantial evidence abounds, and by the end of the movie you’ll have difficulty determining whom you like least. But “Greatnana” (K Callan) holds a special, silent place in the family drama. She’s Harlan’s ancient mother, so old “we don’t even know” her age. You just know she’ll eventually have something to say.

The trailer for Knives Out offers plenty to gain our interest, but does little to give away anything but the most basic plot elements. You will not know, going into this film, what’s coming out the other side. As Inpector Blanc says, “This is not a donut, but a donut hole, and within that hole is another hole that circles a point that outlines another donut, within a hole…” He never completes the confusing metaphor, but it serves to reflect the complexity of the overlapping and interwoven plots. A lurking wagon wheel sculpture of sinister cutlery features prominently throughout the inquisition, and holds a key secret of its own. It will eventually step out front and center.

Director Rian Johnson’s use of 35mm film lends a richness and warmth to scenes that are mostly filmed inside a trophy-laden Victorian house complete with a “trick door” that masks a useful window. His use of handwritten notes and characters on the run has become his standard. He directed Looper, several Breaking Bad episodes and was tapped for a Star Wars trilogy. His writing for this script was heavily influenced by the Agatha Christie murder mysteries.

You’ll find yourself guessing at clues, trying to figure out who was responsible for the “donut hole within the inner donut” and will eventually get some things right and others wrong, much like Blanc’s own journey within the film.

This is a film that must be seen before someone tells you “that one thing” that ruins the inevitable surprises, twists and turns. It is a fun and stimulating entry into the Christmas rush of releases, possibly better suited for Halloween.

Knives Out (2019) runs 2 hours 10 minutes and is rated PG-13.

Should I see this movie? 

Last Christmas

You probably know Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones, but her role in Last Christmas is more reminiscent of her character Lou Clark in Me Before You, a sappy but engaging 2016 chick flick that seems custom made for the Hallmark channel.

Here we have Clarke playing Kate, a somewhat self-sabotaging Christmas shop elf who keeps bumping into the mysterious Tom Webster, a strangely genteel suitor played by Henry Golding. We know Golding from Crazy Rich Asians as the puzzlingly English/Malaysian charmer who seems not quite Asian and not really British, but of course he is both. Also from CRA is Michelle Yeoh, Kate’s boss and “other dragon mother” who relishes the chance to play a comedic role instead of her usual hard-as-nails Asian matriarch persona.

A movie with a soundtrack entirely based on the music of George Michael was off-putting (for me). The title song has always annoyed me with its pronunciation of “Gave” the way “Have” is spoken. “Last Christmas, I gaaav you my heart.” When the song became a staple of Christmas channel holiday rotations it guaranteed I’d immediately be fiddling with the controls on my car’s stereo. But the number of covers by current artists speaks to its general popularity as a song, and also as a tribute to the talent and complexity of the late Michael.

But unlike other films that have stories scripted around a set of songs, this one nicely fits Michael’s tunes into the plot. The story is adeptly augmented by the soundtrack, not dominated by it.

And Emilia Clarke, with her highly expressive eyebrows, has managed to do the unthinkable. She has dethroned Zooey Deschanel from her long-held status as most adorable female movie elf, based on positivity, charisma and dominance within the script.

Oscar winning actress Emma Thompson wrote the script for Last Christmas. She plays Kate’s Yugoslavian mother, and saved the best comic line in the film for herself. Yes, this is a comedy, but it is also a Christmas story and a love story, filled with joy and it ultimately serves as a surprisingly powerful tearjerker. The film also exposes the ugliness of anti-immigration bigotry through the eyes of its victims. So, there’s a lot more going on in this seemingly simple film than the trailer might indicate.

The words from the Wham hit, Last Christmas take on special significance along Kate’s journey through diverse and Bohemian sections of London. You will be reminded of these words during several poignant scenes. Personally, I may just keep my hands off of the radio next time the song begins to play.

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart
But the very next day you gave it away
This year, to save me from tears
I'll give it to someone special

Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance
But you still catch my eye
Tell me, baby
Do you recognize me?
Well, it's been a year
It doesn't surprise me.

Last Christmas is a great way to kick off your holiday season. Just brace yourself for having that song stuck in your head for a while.

Last Christmas (2019) runs 1 hour 43 minutes and is rated pg-13.

Should I see this movie?  

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

I’m going to strongly recommend that you see this surprisingly engaging movie. I’m also going to recommend that you bring some Kleenex.

Is it possible that Fred Rogers has been gone for sixteen years already? And how can his show be a childhood touchstone for so many generations of viewers? Perhaps because the show’s lengthy national run between 1968 and 2001 overlaps so many early learning years among those of us who grew up watching network television. A short gap between 1976 and 1979 was addressed in the film as a period during which Fred, “ran out of things to talk about.” The first “last” show aired on February 20, 1976. On a personal note, this was the day before my mother died, and I never needed Mister Rogers more than I did then.

Fred’s own growing young sons eventually gave him plenty more to talk about, and the show resumed for another long stretch, surpassing Captain Kangaroo as the longest running children’s television program. It took Sesame Street to raise the bar further.

The surprise I mentioned earlier regarding this film was the less-than-strictly-biographical nature of the script. Sure, it was about Fred and his show, but they merely provide a wrapper for the story within, that of the relationship with his true-life friend, journalist Tom Junod. He becomes Lloyd Vogel in the film, interviewing Rogers for a short 1998 Esquire piece that becomes much longer as their friendship deepens. Try as he might, Vogel cannot peel the pretense of Fred from his “character” and is unable to separate the two for the purpose of an expose. Vogel’s wife warns, “Don’t ruin my childhood, Lloyd!” 

Eventually Rogers begins speaking through his puppets, at which point Lloyd somewhat angrily says, “Put the puppets down Fred!” Vogel is played with cynical intensity by Matthew Rhys who is currently filming a made for TV Perry Mason reboot.

Filmed in the original Neighborhood studio, cameras can now sweep through the meticulously rebuilt miniature streets with a clarity and consistency that helps our journey along. A fun use of deliberately clumsy props is employed between scenes, jetting Vogel from Pittsburgh to New York on a little wooden airplane that dangles precariously from a string on take off and landing. Here we enjoy a camera zoom out from Mister Roger’s house in the neighborhood, up and over a hill, panning to a distant shot of pre 911 Manhattan, illuminated at night and dissolving slowly into reality.

I expected a standard biopic of the Fred Rogers story. Tom Hanks was the draw for me. And in the standard opening segment, Fred changing into slippers and a sweater, I half expected a Saturday Night Live sketch to ensue. At first, Hanks seems to be channeling the wisdom of Forrest Gump, but after a while you believe you’re watching the real Mister Rogers, the utterly non-judgmental Presbyterian Minister who just wanted people to feel good about themselves, a man who, “didn’t want to eat anything that had a mother.”

We are treated to behind-the-scenes views of Rogers voicing his simple puppets, approving each take of his beloved show, and riding the subway home, serenaded by a chorus of loving fans singing his theme song. At this point there was a soft sing-along in our theater by viewers caught up in the moment. Like I said, Kleenex.

Director Marielle Heller, uses the same color-rich and up-close style as her 2018 Can You Ever Forgive Me? and delivers the most powerful cinematic minute of the year, literally a silent countdown in real time during an “exercise” that Rogers likes to use. Patrons in the restaurant in the scene, and those in the theater in which we sat, seemingly stopped breathing as Hanks looks directly into the camera. You won’t believe how long a minute can be.

If you’d like to visit the Land of Make Believe one more time, see A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. All of your old friends are here: King Friday the thirteenth, Daniel Tiger, Trolley, Mister McFeely and Lady Aberlin. Be warned, there are some mildly adult themes and scenes that might not be appropriate for your own very young children and grandchildren. For the original feel, treat them to some old shows which are certain to be available online.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019 ) runs 1 hour, 48 minutes and is rated PG.

Should I see this movie? 

The Good Liar

If you’re a fan of either Helen Mirren (age 74) or Ian McKellen (age 80), you’ll enjoy this showcase of their respective talents. I mention their ages since they factor heavily in the plot and inter-character dynamics.

The lies in The Good Liar begin while the opening credits are still rolling. Mirren, who plays Estelle, is in the comfort of her home entering profile information into a (we assume) seniors dating website. McKellen, as Brian, is also typing feverishly, entering all kinds of false information, sipping whiskey and dragging heavily on a cigarette in what appears to be his office or library. Of course his dating persona neither smokes nor drinks. She is looking for companionship and he is interested in romance.

I’ll depart from the rest of the story after their first meeting, where Brian admits that his name is actually Roy, and Estelle similarly confesses to really being Betty. As they drop their guards they quickly form a deep connection and we realize that only now can the really good lying begin. We go along for the ride, wondering about each, trusting neither. And as the film’s end approaches, wipe the slate clean for the big reveal and start all over again. Who ARE these people?

Well, in real life, Mirren is an Oscar winner with a career spanning over fifty years. And McKellen of course, is Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, but much, much more. His career is approaching sixty years, with two Oscar nominations and a reputation as one of the greatest stage and screen actors. Together they are at once adorable and devious, and oh so British.

Bill Condon, who directed Dreamgirls and Chicago is at the helm here. His experience with the difficulty of transitioning in and out of musical numbers may have benefited him as he flipped the script in The Good Liar from one character to the other, and within Roy Courtnay’s dual identity.

I think you’ll be fond of The Good Liar. And you’ll understand that statement when you see the film.

The Good Liar runs 1 hour 49 minutes and is rated R.

Should I see this movie? 

Ford v Ferrari

One of my favorite toys as a kid was an Aurora HO scale slot car racing set. The first car I bought was a light blue Ford GT 40 with black racing stripes. Even knowing that the chassis and motors for all subsequent cars were identical, the little Ford seemed to hug the track better and move faster than the rest of my growing collection.

Years later I bought a full scale used 1969 Shelby GT 350. It was brilliant yellow with black racing stripes, a roll bar and a polished wooden steering wheel. As one police officer once commented, “That thing looks like it’s going fast while it’s standing still.” It had a pleasantly growling engine and enough heart-pounding muscle to plaster you in your seat when accelerating hard from a full stop. It was clear how people got hooked on racing the minute the automobile was invented. They raced horses, didn’t they?

Even given my personal history with the Shelby-era Fords, I was unaware of the true story told in Ford v Ferrari. This is the tale of Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, who against all odds and despite interference from the “suits” within the Ford Motor Company hierarchy, convinced Henry Ford II to give them a chance to try to beat Enzo Ferrari’s team at the French Le Mans 24 hour endurance street race in 1966.

Matt Damon plays the legendary racecar designer, and Christian Bale as the first driver ever to win the Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans in one year. Or did he? Therein lies an additional chapter within this exciting racing story.

It should be noted that the theater at Saturday night’s showing of this newly released film was packed with moviegoers. This was a surprise, since we are often literally the only two people in this venue regardless of the time or day of the week. As a result we wound up in the fourth row. It’s been years since I’ve sat that close to the screen. For the same effect, if you have a large wall-mounted flat screen TV, sit on the floor about three feet in front of it, looking upward, and turn the volume to eleven. It was kind of immersive, though something of an actual pain in the neck. But for a car racing movie? We felt as if we were IN the race! I might actually recommend it.

There are a lot of great auto racing films; Grand Prix, Le Mans, Winning, Days of Thunder and the Fast and Furious franchise among them. I think this film will join those ranks. The camera work was stunning, at fender level and moving 200 mph. There are lots of gear shifting, clutch and gas pedal shots, plus a tight interior head shot of Bale as he alternately focuses and makes animated faces at events around him. His exclamations add interesting color commentary to the race in progress. There are several crashes filmed seemingly from the midst of the exploding vehicles.

But as fun as the racing becomes, grueling 24-hour ordeals in the rain and dark at times, this is a human story. Henry Ford II, played by Tracy Letts (The Sinner, Lady Bird) is a pompous tyro seeking only to live up to his grandfather’s reputation, and Godfather-like Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone) keeps taking his lunch money. This plays heavily into Carroll Shelby’s ability to manipulate Ford, whom some call “Deuce,” into granting carte blanche oversight of the Ford team’s development of a Le Mans-worthy vehicle. “Go to war!” Ford tells Shelby. Up until this point, team Ferrari has dominated the French race.

One great scene has Shelby taking the rather rotund Ford for a spin in the newly developed GT racer, a nine million dollar vehicle. If watching Ford being wedged into the little car isn’t funny enough, well, go see the movie for the rest of the ride.

Christian Bale gets to speak in his own Welsh accent in this movie. Though it may be a bit exaggerated and adapted to produce British affects, he does nicely as a bad boy with a heart of gold. His relationships with wife Molly (Caitrona Balfe) and son Peter (Noah Jupe from A Quiet Place) are additional highlights of the story.

When I grew up our family had a Pontiac LeMans. It was pronounced with the “s” as a "z." In the film, they go out of their way to employ the French pronunciation for the race: Le Mon. The course used in the depicted race no longer exists, so Production Designer Francois Audouy recreated the entire track in California, along with the finish line bunker, three stories tall, right down to the pits, grandstands, press box and even doorknobs imported from France. This was a big budget old time Hollywood production at a cost of 100 million dollars.

Damon and Bale bring the Shelby/Miles relationship to life at it’s male-bonding best. There’s as much fuel in these two as in the cars they push to their limits. The vehicles take on a life of their own through Miles’ eyes, as creatures that must be treated lovingly and respectfully in the quest for the driver’s “perfect lap.”

You’ll want to leap into your car after you leave the theater (I can’t) and leave the parking lot at 200 miles per hour. (Don’t.) But do rush to see this film up close and on the big screen with a theater crowded with racing fans and lovers of great movies. It’s a great ride.

Ford v Ferrari runs 2 hours 32 minutes and is rated PG-13.

Should I see this movie? 

Motherless Brooklyn

I once had an egg cream in the Empire State Building’s main floor diner. I went to the observation deck, an open-air fright fest that I recall being cold, cloudy and windy. I later looked back over my shoulder from street level at the World Trade Center on a gloomy day and snapped a picture that had no meaning until I rediscovered the image many years later. And that is the extent of my knowledge of New York.

I am also not a fan of jazz or of the noir genre of film popularized after World War II.  And I can’t say that I’m a particular fan of Edward Norton but am becoming increasingly fond of his work. Honestly, when I hear his name I think of Jackie Gleason’s hapless foil on The Honeymooners.

This film was clearly a work of great passion for Norton, as screenwriter, producer, director and leading male actor. A very smart Yale graduate with seemingly boundless famous friends and his own multiple talents, Norton managed in Motherless Brooklyn to create a 1950s period piece so immersive you can almost smell the cigarette smoke in a jazz club, the stench of the streets in the back alleys of Harlem and the odor of corruption that drives the plot of this film.

Norton plays Lionel Essrog, a young assistant to private investigator and mentor Frank Minna, played by Bruce Willis. Lionel, also known as “Freakshow” for his particular blend of Tourette’s syndrom with integrated Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, struggles to keep it together, but leverages during investigative work his savant-like ability to totally recall conversations. His ticks and outbursts are a visible and disruptive part of Lionel’s outward demeanor that require repeated explanation throughout the film. I am not convinced that they are a necessary part of the plot but they add an interesting dimension to his character. But it could be that Norton is seeking an Academy Award nomination (which he might win) the way Sean Penn did for I Am Sam (though he did not). There were times when I felt as if a twitch or shout was inserted as if a timer had demanded the audience be reminded of his disorder. But that is also the building nature of his nervous misfire, pent up as pressure rises and particular situations demand its release. The more he attempts to suppress it, the worse it becomes.

Frank Minna gets caught up in a plot by mobster/committeeman Moses Randolph (Alec Baldwin) against a backdrop of scenes reminiscent of Marvel Studio’s portrayal of Hell’s Kitchen. And Baldwin is literally a looming shadowy figure, much like the Wilson Fisk character from the Daredevil series but not as psychopathic. The sets for Motherless Children are seemingly the result of time travel back to the era being portrayed. Not being more familiar with New York handicaps me in fully appreciating the masterful set design details employed at every turn, even down to long streets filled with appropriately classic cars and a believable amount of garbage at the curbs. Of course, you never know what’s been digitally painted into scenes any more.

Minna’s small investigative practice is left to fend for itself following his death early in the film. The goal for Lionel then becomes to solve Frank’s murder, becoming embroiled himself in a dangerous multi-layered mess along the way. The journey spends considerable time in small bars and jazz clubs in the boroughs between several bridges built by Randolph and neighborhoods he is destroying and re-developing without regard for their residents. A subplot involves Randolph’s brilliant engineer brother Paul played by Willem Dafoe with his usual intensity.

One jazz scene is so lovingly filmed, and the audio so enthralling its no wonder the cameras lingered so long on individual musicians. Viewers can almost smell the smoke and taste the whiskey. And behind the scenes, the actual trumpet playing is by jazz great Wynton Marsalis. Singer-songwriter Thom Yorke of Radiohead wrote the song “Daily Battles,” referenced in a line by female lead Laura Rose played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, “We’ve all got our daily battles.” The line is in response to one in a series of apologies by Lionel for his uncontrollable Turrette’s outbursts.

Dialogue is often overplayed in movies like this one. But Norton writes direct, relaxed exchanges instead of exaggerated lingo of the era. He began writing the adaptation of a Jonathan Lethem novel in 2004 and then hit a writer’s block, got involved in other projects but eventually completed the script and began production. The cinematography by Dick Pope, who worked with Norton on The Illusionist (2006), has a similar rich, personal feel, and the sound track is ripped right out of the 50s with lots of rambling piano and tenor sax.

Watch for multiple Oscar nominations for this film despite its occasional cliches and rambling dialogue. Although a bit long, and despite Alec Baldwin’s performance weakening as the film progresses, it is a very different experience when compared with the many other films premiering this holiday season. You might even find yourself craving a shot of whiskey and a cigarette, preferably in a smoky jazz club, by the time it ends.

Motherless Brooklyn (2019) runs 2 hours, 24 minutes and is rated R.

Should I see this film? 

Midway

It’s fitting to see a film about a great military event on the eve of Veterans’ Day, and that is no doubt behind the timing of the release date for Midway. I do not want to disrespect the valor and sacrifice behind this actual legendary naval victory. But this is a movie review, and I can’t turn a blind eye to the faults that abound in the movie version.

There are so many fantastic war films, some of them very recent, and also true stories. Saving Private Ryan, Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, The Hurt Locker, Hacksaw Ridge. Sadly, it’s a long list, reflecting the human race’s perennial lust for conflict and battles. So, if you’re going to honor a battle that turned the course of a world war, the film should be great as well. I do not include 1968’s heavily politicized The Green Berets in the list of greats. It was a G-rated, star-studded vehicle for John Wayne to sashay through the jungle saying, “Come on, pilgrim, let’s go find Charlie.” (not a real quote)

And that brings up another point. At this racially divisive time in our history do we need to focus on the characteristics of a people we fought almost eighty years ago, re-illustrating them as barbaric in their intensity and regimented allegiance to their Emperor? Fortunately the makers of Midway chose not to portray the Japanese internment camps established between 1942 and 1945.

In this case, my first thought was that the makers of The Love Boat or Fantasy Island were responsible for casting. You know, the Hollywood stars of the moment assembling en masse to provide that much needed box office boost. Perhaps when you don’t have Robert Mitchum, Charlton Heston and Henry Fonda available as they did in 1976’s version of Midway, you resort to Dennis Quaid, Nick Jonas, Woody Harrelson and a bunch of other familiar faces to lead the charge. But seriously, Woody Harrelson as Chester Nimitz? The admiral has an aircraft carrier named after him, and here we have the star of Zombieland and Cheers being all leader-like with a head full of fake gray hair.

And of course, what cast in the year 2019 would be complete without Mandy Moore heading up a crew of officers’ wives with her now patented soulful frown and pouty persistence, generally in a tasteful nightgown? At least they didn’t have her break into song at the Officers’ Club.

The entire first half hour or more of Midway had me wishing for a note pad to capture examples of the cliché, corny and just plain poorly written dialogue. It verged at times on Mystery Science Theater 3000 level, B-movie commentary. Yes, they were trying to capture the bantering machismo of shipboard sailors and pilots from the 1940s, but I find it hard to believe that they constructed sentences this completely and stupidly. And they didn’t even seem to swear. I insist, if red-spotted Japanese Zeroes were strafing my tail over the Pacific I’d be screaming profanity at the top of my lungs.

Enough about Midway’s failings. If you can overlook the clumsy script, what they got right once they got going was a ton of aerial dog-fighting and dive bombing that keeps you on the seat of your pilot’s chair. The attack on Pearl Harbor is heart wrenching when the Arizona is attacked. Unfortunately it is used as the backdrop for a couple of awkward personnel problems in which a senior officer takes an inexperienced sailor under his wing for the first of several similar encounters.

As a history lesson and some exciting war-action footage Midway entertains and saddens, thrills and disappoints. Closing credits offer glimpses into the final days of several key characters.

An interesting segment showing the impromptu footage captured by filmmaker John Ford illustrates the accidental 16mm filming of the actual attack on Midway island used in a later short documentary.

Midway runs 2 hours 18 minutes and is rated PG-13.

Should I see this movie? 

Harriet

It’s hard to separate the incredible story of Harriet Tubman from the quality of the movie Harriet. This biopic of her life is so amazing as to be unbelievable, but as the film winds down, the factoids begin to roll, and there we see the supporting details. Further research supports the screenplay at every turn. The writers adhered scrupulously to Tubman’s biography. She was born Araminta Ross, called Minty until she adopted her mother’s first name and husband’s last name, combining them into Harriet Tubman when asked what she would like to be called as a freed slave. Following a virtually impossible solo escape from Maryland to Pennsylvania, on foot and being pursued by slave owners and bloodhounds, Tubman arrives in Philadelphia a free woman at the end of a one hundred mile trek.

But that’s where the story becomes astonishing. She made thirteen additional trips back to rescue seventy additional slaves and family members and became a prominent “conductor” on the Underground Railroad network of safe houses. She also helped abolitionist John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harpers Ferry and served as a scout and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War.

A head wound received from a slave owner at age thirteen caused her to suffer from “hypersomnia,” a condition similar to narcolepsy that causes a propensity for falling asleep suddenly and for extended periods. It is also credited with the prophetic visions and dreams that she came to attribute to guidance from God.

The film accurately portrays her use of gospel song as code to communicate her presence to those awaiting rescue. I thought this was absurd until I read that it was a real occurrence. The other source of music in the film, the soundtrack, I felt was overworked, with some sequences seeming somewhat awkward due to their intensity or mismatched use alongside the script. It pulled me out of the film in several cases. Likewise, Janelle Monae’s character (Marie Buchanon) seemed a bit too pretty and polished, and her death scene was unrealistically at the beckoning of Director Kasi Lemmons’ queue. Her role as a black business owner in Philadelphia was invented for the movie.

Similarly, the line spoken by an entrepreneurial black “slave catcher” named Walter who is also something of an opportunist, channels Roy Scheider’s Jaws line when he says, “We’re gonna need a bigger cart.” This was only a little humorous and totally out of place in this film. Other personal interludes, decision points at which slaves decided to be saved, couples reunited or goodbye were said seemed a bit too modern or heavily dialogued. These people would simply be freaking out or speechless from angst.

Harriet Tubman is a major character in U.S. history that has certainly been recognized for her achievements through the years, but in a sort of diminished capacity relative to other figures. For example, in 2016 the U.S. Treasury Secretary announced plans to add a portrait of Tubman to the front of the twenty-dollar bill, moving Andrew Jackson to the back. In 2017 the current Secretary, Steven Mnuchin put the plans on indefinite hold because “right now we have a lot of more important issues to focus on.” Here is a fantastically courageous patriot and freedom fighter being relegated to a back burner rather than “offend” the sensibilities of those who favor a man who initiated the “Trail of Tears” as part of our country’s Native American relocation and concurrent genocide.

Cynthia Erivo did a fantastic job portraying Minty/Harriet. Like Tubman, she is only five feet tall. She recently played alongside Viola Davis in 2018’s Widows.

The film Harriet pales by comparison to other movies on this topic like Twelve Years a Slave. Cicely Tyson played Tubman in the 1978 TV series called A Woman Called Moses.

I recommend that everyone who is considering seeing this film first read Uncle Tom’s Cabin for a rich flavor of the brutality that occurred leading up to the Civil War. Lincoln from 2012 would round out the experience.

Harriet runs 2 hours 5 minutes and is rated PG-13.

Should I see this movie?