The Lighthouse

Our second film while sheltering in place cost $4.99 on Amazon Prime. This one made it into a list in our local paper of movies recommended while in isolation. What the article didn’t say is that, if you’re feeling down and despairing over your current plight, there’s nowhere to go but up after you see how much worse it could be, as depicted in The Lighthouse.

Filmed in black and white and set in the late 1800s somewhere in New England, this is a tour de force for both Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. The choice of monochrome perfectly draws the viewer into the bleak and lifeless rocky setting, more often than not awash with either crashing waves or relentless rain. But the stormy human relations within the lighthouse chip away more consistently at the sanity of the two men and the viewer's tolerance.

Dafoe plays Thomas Wake, a crusty old salt so stereotypically embodying the image of New England fishermen he might have walked off the label of a Gorton’s Seafood label. He is the lighthouse master who arrives with young assistant Thomas Howard, played by Pattinson. The two have enlisted for a four-week stint in the dreary quarters at the base of the illuminated tower. This is all pre-electric, so the only energy on the rocky outcropping is that produced by a coal-fired motor that turns the overhead beacon. Drinking water is obtained from a cistern so befouled as to prevent decontamination of its contents. As a result, and due to boredom, alcohol becomes a favored beverage. As the supply of liquor runs out, it appears the men turn to a mixture of lamp fuel and honey, which erodes their remaining sanity.

Wake is a superstitious, abusive taskmaster. His heavy brogue (hard to understand at times) is almost pirate-like during frequent rambling soliloquies, poetic toasts and questionable tales of his seafaring past. Howard labors over repairs and maintenance of the weathered structure under threats of withheld wages if not performed to Wake’s increasingly demanding specifications. The truth of Howard’s own past is eventually revealed and weaponized by Wake in ensuing arguments that blow up into a full-fledged feud. When a NorEaster cancels arrival of a relief crew and supplies, things come completely unglued.

Throughout their month together, the seamen seek alone time for moments of sexual release. Howard seems obsessed with fantasies of mermaids, and there’s no telling what fuels Wakes daydreams. Eventually, the wall between the men softens somewhat, alcohol intervenes, close dancing ensues and the audience begins to wonder if the movie might be more appropriately titled Brokeback Lighthouse, or does it really take a houseful of semen to run a giant light bulb?

Robert Pattinson has come a long way since his youthful Twilight days. And Willem Dafoe, always intense and frequently sinister in his extremely busy career, never disappoints. Cinematography within the confines of this small set and in mostly harsh outdoor conditions is impressive, but lighting is so dark you want to turn up the brightness on your TV. Director Robert Eggers only other feature film is 2015’s The Witch, a low budget horror film set in 1630s New England. This film might earn him some recognition as a director, though not due to box office receipts. Released in October of 2019, the current pandemic is not to blame for its failure in the theaters.

The Lighthouse (2019) runs 1 hour, 49 minutes and is rated R.

 Should I see this movie?  

Just Mercy

A late 2019 entrant that became available early this year enjoyed only a brief stay in theaters before being relegated to streaming services. Since we are currently unable to visit our local theater, I am reviewing films that we pay to see at home.

This is a true story, another profile of American racism that makes you gasp at how recently African Americans suffered virtual lynching through rigged justice systems, in this case that of Alabama in the early 1990s.

Michael B. Jordan (Creed, Black Panther) stars as Bryan Stevenson, an idealistic recent Harvard law school grad and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. This film is adapted from Bryan’s book of the same name. It tells the story of his work to overturn the wrongful murder conviction of Walter McMillian (Jaime Foxx), waiting on death row and without hope even of an appeal.

This is the first film appearance by Jaime Foxx since 2018’s Robin Hood. While not inactive since his career best performance in 2004’s Ray in which he seemingly channeled Ray Charles, this is perhaps his most powerful role in a while. Django Unchained and The Amazing Spider Man 2 were decidedly less serious films.

Brie Larson joins the cast as Eva Ansley, cofounder and longtime Operations Director for the Equal Justice Initiative. Together, she and Stevenson begin to take on the defense of seemingly hopeless death row inmates, some of whom have been framed or otherwise railroaded in a corrupt and isolated county. They are threatened and harassed by residents of a town in which justice for the murder of a local woman requires that someone, anyone pay with their life. In this case, McMillian.

It is perhaps Stevenson’s efforts outside of courtrooms where he does his best work, getting into the heads of key people previously unwilling or frightened to tell the truth for fear of personal or professional reprisals. But even with crucial new testimonies, it takes appeals to the state Supreme Court to find willing listeners.

The success of the Equal Justice Initiative has resulted in 75 overturned convictions since its founding. There were disappointments along the way. Stevenson walks one inmate to the electric chair when his appeal is denied. This takes us into a scene that feels reminiscent of an execution gone wrong in The Green Mile, but without the graphic horror of a sadistic sabotage. The experience is life altering for witnesses.

Just Mercy is interesting in that it portrays a true story worth telling. It is somewhat predictable but encouraging nonetheless. Truth and real justice triumphing over corruption and evil are always satisfying.

This is Destin Daniel Cretton’s first directorial project since 2017’s The Glass Castle, also starring Brie Larson.

Just Mercy (2019) runs 2 hour 17 minutes and is rated PG-13.

Should I see this movie?  

The Way Back

So where have we seen this movie before? Oh yeah, in 1986 a little film called Hoosiers chronicled the true story of a team coached by a man with a checkered past, assisted by a town drunk who loves basketball. Combine both of those characters into Jack Cunningham, played by Ben Affleck, and the result could be The Way Back.

The number of similarities between the two films is noteworthy: a player who is ejected from the team for bad behavior but is later allowed to return, a team with only five players, one of whom is small in stature, a coach with anger issues who is ejected from a critical game, the need to keep alcoholic adults away from the players, and an unlikely come-from-behind championship win.

This movie is actually two films in one. The first is the above mentioned basketball story, an exciting sports movie that has you cheering for the awakening underdogs. The second is the overarching personal drama of Jack Cunningham, the best player from the best team ever to play at Bishop Hayes high school in California. Jack’s alcoholism is made abundantly clear in the opening scenes of the film. He drinks about a case and a half of beer while wrestling with his response to the request by Father Edward (John Aylward) to lead the school’s foundering team following the sudden heart attack suffered by the current coach.

Jack is a construction worker, separated from his wife for a year, daily drinking himself unconscious at a local bar where a friend of his father’s dutifully helps him home. Jack’s relationship with his father is one of the demons that has him medicating himself. But there are others, as we discover later in the film.

Ben Affleck is no stranger to drink. His own three tours through rehab and a divorce from actress Jennifer Garner provide more than adequate resources to draw upon for the role of Jack. Affleck’s acting here is powerful, convincing and heart wrenching. Jack is struggling with demons far greater than alcoholism and others revealed early in the film. And as is the case with many who suffer from the disease, Jack has to bottom out before he’ll get help. But just when you think he’s reached his low point, he’s taken down another level, and then another.

In yet another plot line, a dedicated but withdrawn player named Brandon reminds Jack of his younger self. They are both the best player on their respective teams, and they both suffer from low self-esteem fueled by their fathers.

There’s lot’s of profanity in The Way Back, to the chagrin of the team chaplain, played by Jeremy Radin. Try as he might, Father Mark can’t get Jack to stop swearing in front of the boys. And the boys seem to respect and respond to Jack’s verbal assaults.

Throughout the story, Jack’s family and friends “check up on him” in a sort of piecemeal intervention that fails to shake him out of his depressed and deeply angry state. It becomes clear that alcohol did not break up his marriage. The breakup was collateral damage to something far worse.

As exciting as the sports story in The Way Back eventually becomes, this is not a cheery movie. There’s no need to rush out and see it, but it’s definitely worth the price of admission.

The Way Back (2020) runs 1 hour 48 minutes and is rated R.

Should I see this movie?  

Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker

In one of the early scenes in the latest Star Wars movie, a lively and colorful festival is in progress. It is a festival that happens once only every 42 years. Well, that’s interesting, since 1977 is 42 years ago and that’s when the original entry into this space opera debuted.

I’m sure there are tons of hidden gems like this for hardcore fans. I’m one of the rare individuals who was disappointed by the original film, Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. I found it to be less cerebral than I’d anticipated, with more of a Flash Gordon feel, which was actually writer and producer George Lucas’s intent. It was certainly not THX 1138 or Dune, but both of those bombed at the box office, so I am clearly in the minority. The Star Wars franchise began with a blockbuster movie and spun film, merchandising and theme park gold ever since.

In preparation for seeing this final chapter in Lucas’s planned trilogy of trilogies, I watched all eight of the previous episodes on Disney Plus. That’s a big investment of time, but I’m glad I did it. It gave me perspective and some necessary history going into the concluding two plus hours. Yes, you can see this as a stand-alone science fiction drama, but the continuing characters, settings and multi-generational familial histories inform the emotions and actions of the heroes who love and hate and battle across a galaxy far, far away.

I am not going to attempt a recounting of the entire nine-part saga here. But it’s important to know that the first film in 1977 was actually the fourth part, followed every few years by another until the middle of the story was complete. After a sixteen year break in 1999 came parts 1-3, a prequel that seemed much darker and less enjoyable. These continued the every-few-year schedule until there was another long pause. Finally, in 2015 the series began wrapping up on a faster two-year sequence with new characters that featured a female heroine and direction twice by science fiction film phenomenon J. J. Abrams. When Lucas spoke publically about his intent to serialize nine movies in this way, I thought it would never happen, and I’m sure others doubted it as well.

The look back I just completed might be experienced differently by a younger generation of fans. At the time, in the late 1970s, the special effects for Star Wars Episode IV were groundbreaking and breathtaking. But the scripting and acting are quite corny by modern standards. There are cringe-worthy scenes between Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia and Harrison Ford as Han Solo that the MeToo movement would find stomach-turning. By the ninth episode, a strong, unsexualized female hero (Daisy Ridley) initiates the only kiss in the film, and a space pirate (Oscar Isaac) who asks if he can kiss a girl from his past is turned down, twice. This, in contrast to Ford’s clumsy lust for the helpless, adoring and bikini clad Fisher from 1977. Things have changed.

I found that some of the most noteworthy and consistent stars of the series were the spaceship the Millenium Falcon and two androids, R2D2 and C3PO. Chewbacca, the “Wookie” also was a loyal and lovable beast for 42 years. Cameos and guest appearances by now aged veterans of the early films are a fun addition. Sets, special effects, crafts and creatures are incredibly imaginative and beautifully produced.

Carrie Fisher’s death after the filming of episode eight presented enormous challenges for the ninth film, which was not yet scripted. A combination of a search of her entire audio catalog from previous films, clever shots filmed from her back, outtakes from other films, digital editing and strategically scripted scenes allowed her to continue as Leia Organa in the final film.

Ultimately this film feels a lot like the others. There are spectacular chase scenes, shooting battles on the ground and in space, and of course frequent light saber duels. Good versus evil continues to be represented by the light side of The Force against the dark side, always bringing us to the edge of our seats when all seems lost and relief when a miraculously timed rescue or intervention saves the day. Each film introduces an adorable little character ripe for a plush toy or action figure. In this case it is Babu Frik, a twelve-inch tall android circuitry wizard that required four puppeteers and an animatronic head to operate.

This film brings closure to a chapter in movie and American history. It has been like family to adoring fans, and I’m sure brings a sense of sadness at being over. I felt a bit of this myself, thinking back on the young man who went to see the first film in 1977. That 23 year old had no cell phone, computer, Internet or streaming television. They would not be invented for years. And now, at 65, he can watch all of these movies in bed late at night on a little device that pulls images out of the air, gorgeous images with spectacular audio transmitted without wires to little devices in his ears. Star Wars may have taken place long ago and far away, but so did my twenties. I miss them both.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) runs 2 hours 22 minutes and is rated PG-13.

Should I see this movie?  

Fantasy Island

Ultimately, this is the “Tattoo” origin story. It just takes far too long to find that out. This is a low budget reimagining of the 1978 TV show by the same name that ran for an unbelievable six years. Launching off of the even more unbelievable success of The Love Boat’s eventual ten years at sea, this represents a dry period in the history of television, despite the vast waters that surrounded each show. Both ran concurrently with the long-running comedy game show Hollywood Squares. These were simpler times, and the shows all provided a home for minor celebrities of the day.

 Mister Roarke is back, but instead of the suave and sophisticated Ricardo Montalban, we now have the rather sleepy and thuggish looking Michael Peña who has played Ponch in the movie version of CHIPS and Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena in the Netflix series Narcos. He does an adequate job with the script but is unconvincing as the docent of a living island with magical powers. He is clearly bored and feeling trapped. 

Blumhouse Productions has fun along the way, imbuing this fun and harmless concept with enough creepy horror and effects to satisfy the bloodlust of their usual fans. In the opening credits a distorted sampling of the original Fantasy Island theme can be heard. The classic phrase, “The plane, the plane” is repeated several times in case you don’t immediately understand the filmmaker’s humorous new approach. 

Of course, a seaplane full of eager victims arrives at the island hoping to live out their deepest fantasy, as expressed in a single page letter to Mr. Roarke. He has been busily preparing the Island to receive the guests and programing each scenario to “play out to its full conclusion.” Well, that’s kinda sinister! And sure enough, the fantasies all turn into nightmares and begin to intertwine with each other in a completely confusing manner. No, it’s not pretend, and yes, you can die on Fantasy Island. 

But then, you may at some point just be dying to get into your car and go home. But wait, the big reveal is at the very end of the film. I won’t spoil it here, but unless you’ve been missing Herve Villechaize for almost two hours, it’s okay if you miss it. 

 I’ve recently been informed that Roger Ebert never told people NOT to see a film, out of respect for the significant effort it takes to get a movie produced and released. But seriously, if you need a few groceries or some gas for your car, your money would be better spent on either of those tangibles. And I’m not Roger Ebert, I'm your friend.

Fantasy Island (2020) runs too long and is rated PG-13

Should I see this movie?  

The Invisible Man

I have long been a fan of HG Wells, whose writing at the end of the nineteenth century including The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau and The Invisible Man established him as the father of science fiction. The latter of these novels chronicles the random and irresponsible violence of a scientist named Griffin, whose research into optics and the refraction of light allow him to become invisible. The classic 1933 film starring Claude Rains employed bandaging to reveal the location of the unseen main character. Special effects have advanced a bit. 

1933 - Claude Rains

So it was with delight in high school English class that I dove into my copy of Invisible Man only to find that it was the Ralph Ellison 1952 novel about individual identity among African Americans of the day. It is a great book, but not what I was expecting.

There have been several remakes of this film, but the current release of The Invisible Man is a great reboot of the Wells concept, starring Elisabeth Moss in a role so reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale you’ll wonder where her red dress and white bonnet have gone. She seems to be accepting very similar roles in which she is oppressed by tormenters and control freaks, reduced to a teary-eyed and hopeless state only to emerge with a can of whoop-ass and deliver herself from bondage with her now classic self-satisfied Mona Lisa smile.

Blumhouse Productions has firmly established its creep-factor reputation with a portfolio of such movies as Glass, Get Out, The Purge and the upcoming, controversial The Hunt. They have a talent for generating edge-of-your-seat tension through the use of human monsters, seen and unseen, that are relentless and ubiquitous.

If you’ve seen the trailer, you’re aware that Moss (Cecilia) has attempted to escape from an abusive marriage with a super-rich and ingenious inventor of a method to stalk her even after his alleged death. Cecilia doesn’t buy his suicide for a minute. “This is what he does,” she argues repeatedly. Her brother-in-law reluctantly serves as executor of the late inventor’s estate, granting five million dollars to Cecilia, unless she commits a crime or is judged mentally incompetent. And that’s where this sinister game begins.

Cecilia’s husband is Adrian Griffin (another connection to the Wells original) played by Oliver Jackson-Cohen. He’s done lots of TV work, including Emerald City and The Haunting of Hill House. His brother Tom is played by Michael Dorman, the soul-less assassin from the Amazon Original Patriot. Aldis Hodge stars as Cecilia’s police officer friend and protector. He’s most known as Noah from Underground, but also from What Men Want, Straight Outta Compton and an episode of Black Mirror among many other credits.

And that’s where I’ll stop spoiling the many highly calculated plot twists that lead to the film’s eventual climax. Let’s just say, there’s no red garment here, just a little black party dress.

The special effects are good, and the science believable. Of course, web cams and cell phones are important supporting cast members, similar to those we’ve come to embrace or revile in our culture.

Filmed primarily in Australia and written and directed by local boy Leigh Wahnnell, who has successfully made the jump from acting to directing, the use of tight camera shots and darkness heighten the fear factor throughout The Invisible Man. Cecilia spends a lot of time looking over her shoulder, and the audience gets caught up in the search for signs of an invisible predator, often without success. The experience verges on interactive.

One Easter Egg: the code Cecilia punches into a security system is 1933, the year the original film was released.

The Invisible Man (2020) runs 2 hours, 4 minutes and is rated R.

Should I see this movie?  

The Rhythm Section

It’s difficult to judge audience enthusiasm on a Monday night, especially when the audience is comprised of two people, including my wife and I.

If Blake Lively was hoping to jumpstart her lagging career, this won’t be the ticket. In The Rhythm Section she plays Stephanie Patrick, a top-of-her-class Oxford student whose family changes plans to include her on a vacation, with disastrous results. The plane crashes, killing all on board, including the father of two children who occupied her unused seat.

Wallowing in guilt and grief, she proceeds to self-medicate with drugs and prostitution. You know, the usual choices. A journalist who has dedicated himself to researching the accident discovers that the plane was bombed, and he is closing in on those responsible. He just needs Stephanie’s help, but it is never really revealed why. What he has uncovered is a sinister human cocktail of terrorists, information brokers and bomb-builders, some existing only as shadowy code names like U-17. Didn’t Olivia Newton John sing about that? Or was it B-17? It doesn’t matter. The journalist’s source is known only as “B.” Even he recognizes that Stephanie has become a human cliché.

If this doesn’t sound ludicrous and contrived yet, imagine a Rocky Balboa-like sequence in which Jude Law (B) bullies and manipulates Stephanie through a training program that fashions her into an Atomic Blonde who lacks any real skills. At one point she strips to her underwear and walks into an icy lake to prove how tough she can be. Shiver harder Blake, you don’t have any goose-bumps. But she’s smart, resilient and desperate for revenge. And “B” is an ex-MI6 agent whose wife was murdered by one of the bad guys involved with the plane incident, so he has ulterior motivation.

The movie begins with a relatively unimportant scene in Tangier, and then flashes back eight months earlier to the beginning of the tale. During a handful of transitional scenes we are treated to a rather bizarre series of tunes, like when Stephanie, who has now adopted the identity of a dead assassin named Petra, marches off to fulfill her latest contract hit to the song “It’s Now or Never” by Elvis Presley. If this was an attempt to do something artistic, it came off more like a junior high school film project.

Sterling K. Brown does a nice job as a villain in his role as “Serra,” very unlike his This Is Us character. Reed Morano directed this forgettable film. We’ll be satisfied with his work on The Handmaid’s Tale. And the producers of the James Bond series can now return to their previous assignments.

Despite a warning from B to Stephanie that success in this quest is “not worth it,” she and others who provide financing for her escapades seem pretty satisfied with the results. So, don’t go looking for messages of redemption or forgiveness here.

The Rhythm Section (2020) runs 1 hour, 49 minutes and is rated R.

Should you see this movie?  

The Gentlemen

Following a weekend that featured the Academy Awards’ annual look back, it’s refreshing to dive into films that represent the year ahead. And in the wake of the seeming mass hysteria over Parasite, a sleeper like The Gentlemen is especially enjoyable. I won’t compare the two films other than to say that I like the latter much better. But I doubt that it will be nominated for any awards next year.

It’s always nice to have no expectations walking into a theater. Our choices are so frequently made based on “what’s playing at 7pm” that we tend to see movies less hyped and of shorter shelf life. Seeing two or three movies per week, we get tired of trailers we view over and over again. Not so with The Gentlemen. It crept onto our local theater’s screen seemingly without warning, or maybe teased with a poster or two in the lobby.

Matthew McConaughey along with his legendary good looks, rumored body odor and smarmy, self-absorbed Lincoln auto commercials is not a draw for me. But he perfectly suits this film as Mickey Pearson, a charming American ex-pat who has built an undetectable marijuana production empire under the expansive grounds of a dozen British royal properties. While the royals sit sipping tea and parenting monstrously over-privileged heirs, they benefit from the proceeds of a business literally beneath their feet that Mickey is trying to unload for 400 million pounds. It’s a cozy, symbiotic relationship, one that attracts the attention of other “gentlemen” of business and their gangster support systems, but one from which he wishes to retire.

The story is intriguingly unfolded as a pitch for a movie script by Hugh Grant as “Fletcher,” a backstabbing dandy who flirts with his primary mark Ray, played by Charlie Hunnam. Throughout the film, Fletcher strings Ray along with irresistible tidbits, photos and back stories that culminate in a sophisticated blackmailing scheme. Fletcher has been doing his homework, less like a journalist than a desperate gentleman wannabe. But Ray is devoted to Mickey, and ultimately it is loyalty, not connections, that rules the day.

The plot is initially difficult to follow. All of the main characters have nicknames, and their relationships are revealed at points of intersecting evil deeds. Even Pearson’s wife Rosalind (Michelle Dockery) runs an all girl exotic auto emporium and machine shop. And she turns out to be the one thing in Pearson’s ice-for-blood world that causes him to come unglued. Until then, his antisocial ruminations remain his controlled inner fantasies, while frequent self-narration stills his darkest waters.

The cast is reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, but with a smattering of panache. Familiar faces, like Henry Golding as “Dry Eye,” upstart of the Asian enterprise; Colin Farrell as “Coach,” trying hard to raise a gang of street fighters to do good, despite their occasional need to lapse into evil; and the utterly creepy Jeremy Strong as “Matthew” who thinks he has it all figured out.

Guy Ritchie, who has two sons with Madonna and never attended film school, wrote and directed this intellectually challenging whodunit, or perhaps better expressed, who-done-what? Coming on the heels of Disney’s Aladdin last year, he appears to have stored up a warehouse of violence and profanity, particularly the “C” word, so popular with British “gentlemen.”

The Gentlemen is categorized as action/comedy. The comedy is very, very dark, the kind that makes you feel somewhat ashamed for laughing, but also provides needed relief in a relentlessly sinister journey that loops back on itself in unexpected ways. It’s unlikely that anyone could effectively spoil this film for you with one or two revelations, but see it soon just in case.

The Gentlemen (2020) runs 1 hour, 53 minutes and is rated R.

Should I see this movie?  

Parasite

Honestly, are you at all reluctant to see movies with subtitles? I have to be in the right mood. They require a certain amount of mental work and you can’t look down at your popcorn for even a few seconds for fear of missing something.

Our viewing of Parasite was at noon on a Saturday, since our very un-art-house Regal 16 apparently felt that two hours of precious screen time early in the day was all that could be spared for a film that doesn’t have star power, explosions or talking animals. And if Parasite had not been nominated for Best Picture it’s unlikely we would have been given any chance to see it at all.

Metaphors abound, or are at least proclaimed to be in abundance by numerous characters in the opening scenes of Parasite. One particular “Scholar’s Rock” continues to make appearances like the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. It is a gift to the Kim family from Min, a friend of son “Kevin” who asks for a favor that sets the entire plot of the movie in motion. Min is about to study abroad, but has a crush on the daughter of the wealthy, very westernized Park family. He needs Kevin to fake credentials in order to become her English tutor, essentially keeping an eye on her in Min’s absence. Sister “Jessica” has graphic design skills that allow her to pose as an art teacher and therapist for the Park’s spoiled and energetic young son.

We meet Kevin’s family in a tiny, squalid basement apartment in Seoul, stealing WiFi from nearby sources, dependent on their cell phones and attempting to eek out a living by assembling large quantities of pizza boxes for an area business. They live at the end of an alley where drunks urinate outside their window, a window they leave open to benefit from free fumigation for stinkbugs. If we feel pity for the family of four, that’s about to change. They have a plan.

What evolves is a web of deception involving each member of the family in a complicated scheme to prey on the gullible wealthy occupants of a former architect’s mansion. The home has a secret of its own, shielding another breed of parasites that eventually emerge to battle for survival. But the Kim’s apartment imbues them with a lingering stench that betrays their true status, a station in life that comes back to haunt them, and from which there is ultimately no escape, only another plan. But as it is stated in the film, “The only plan that cannot fail is no plan at all.”

In an IMDb interview writer/director Bong Joon-Ho reveals that the idea for Parasite was just “in my brain” kind of like a parasite. The interviewer struggles to extract answers to basic question from him and two main cast members. Is this a language problem, or does he rely entirely on a deep talent for stitching together visually engaging scenes with a script that pulls the best from his actors. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s accomplished this. In 2013’s Snowpiercer, based on the French science fiction graphic novel of the same name, the few survivors of a second ice age Earth travel around the globe in a train for seventeen years. Here too, class plays an important role, elevating or oppressing characters as they struggle within the confines of the vehicle, almost like a play.

Parasite is gathering almost universally high marks from critics and audiences. It has the feel of a Guillermo del Toro production, minus the monsters, unless monstrous human actions are tallied. Its improvisational approach takes you to the edge of your seat with anxiety as a house of cards begins to crumble and characters mount a frantic attempt to cover up their antics ala Risky Business. It is an unusual mix of light comedy, crime and drama that will leave you thinking about deeper meaning long after viewing. Greed, wealth, poverty and desperation form a toxic stew conducive to parasites in this South Korean film. See it before someone spoils it for you.

Parasite (2020) runs 2 hours, 12 minutes and is rated R.

Should I see this movie?

Dolittle

If Robert Downey Jr. was concerned about being typecast as Tony Stark following eleven appearances in various Ironman and Avengers roles for Marvel Studios, this film serves as a much needed break, putting a fresh new face on a role Eddie Murphy and Rex Harrison played in 1998 and 1967 respectively.

In fact, Downey was Executive Producer for this production, which may speak to his desire for a different creative challenge. It is the most un-Ironman acting imaginable. The star’s Team Downey production company produced this very expensive film.

Take equal parts of Willy Wonka, Captain Nemo and Captain Jack Sparrow, and you have the look and feel of Doctor John Dolittle as he is very reluctantly pried from his animal sanctuary in search of the “Eden Tree” to cure the ailing Victoria, queen of England. Heartbreak over the death of his beloved wife and partner in adventure has forced him into a life of solitude with only his animal associates to converse with, in true Doctor Dolittle style. No humans allowed, at least not until young Tommy Stubbins breaches the fortified barrier to his compound with the aid of a talking parrot, voiced by Emma Thompson.

There are lots of celebrity voices at work in Dolittle. Downey’s own gruff, half-whispering British accent is complimented by Rami Malek, John Cena, Octavia Spencer, Kumail Nanjiani, Ralph Fiennes and Selena Gomez, each as an animal ranging from Ostrich to Elephant.

At first, Downey’s hooting and barking was somewhat embarrassing. Here we have the great Sherlock Holmes (2009) rolling on the floor and beating his chest in a chess game with a timid gorilla. But soon the animals acquire human voices and the audience is brought into the act.

There are quite a few funny scenes, pratfalls and jokes, some of which will go over the kiddies’ heads the way they did in old Rocky & Bullwinkle episodes. There are also several fairly intense encounters with a fire breathing dragon, attacking bats and a caged tiger that could be a bit much for really young children. At least three villainous scoundrels work hard to prevent Dolittle from succeeding in his quest.

But overall, the fairytale feel to the film, with enough high quality computer generated action to do Disney proud, kept the row of small children in front of us engaged and excitedly laughing at all the right parts.

Make sure you stay for a minute beyond the closing credits for a brief extra scene.

Dolittle (2020) runs 1 hour, 41 minutes and is rated PG.

Should I see this movie?  

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?