The Last Jedi

After the beautiful Christmas concert with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir I went home and changed into some slightly less formal attire and went to my local Megaplex for a midnight screening of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.  The theater was absolutely packed!  Many were in costume and all were excited for the latest installment in the Star Wars Saga.  Cheers and applause greeted the iconic John Williams fanfare and the opening crawl and I have to admit that I was caught up in the excitement myself!  Despite a few flaws, I loved this movie so much!  The Resistance is on the run, being pursued by the First Order, while Rey (Daisy Ridley) tries to convince a reluctant Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) to return.  Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega), and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) try to figure out a way to stop the First Order's pursuit and Rey begins learning the ways of the Force and must contend with an unsettling connection with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).  This movie is much darker in tone and is more complex than The Force Awakens and many of the characters are developed more fully.  I loved the character arc of Luke from the first trilogy to this movie, especially in terms of what it means to be a Jedi and what it means to possess the Force.  He has a wonderful scene near the end with Leia (Carrie Fisher) that will leave you gutted and I loved his scenes with Rey.  I loved the conflict within both Kylo Ren and Rey between the light and the dark and there is a truly epic lightsaber battle in Snoke's throne room.  My favorite character from The Force Awakens has always been Kylo Ren and I was happy to see more revelations about his backstory, especially his relationship with Luke (Driver gives a brilliant performance as a villain haunted by his own actions).  I also loved the new character Rose because her story arc brings up some questions that are incredibly thought-provoking, and, of course, the porgs are absolutely adorable in their interactions with Chewbacca.  Having said that, some of the characters don't really have a lot to do.  Chewbacca, C-3P0, General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson), and, to some extent, Leia (because of the creation of the Vice Admiral Holdo character, played by Laura Dern) seem to exist merely for other characters to play off of them (although many of General Hux's scenes are hilarious).  My biggest complaint, however, is with the portrayal of Supreme Leader Snoke.  I thought he was much more menacing when he was a hologram in The Force Awakens and I would have liked more backstory for him.  My complaints are very, very minor and, overall, I loved this movie!  I loved the experience of watching it because the visuals are stunning, especially the aerial dogfights between the Resistance and the First Order in the opening sequence and the awesome AT-AT Walkers in the final battle, and I loved the use of red throughout.  I think most fans of the franchise will be very happy with this installment.  Go see it on the biggest screen possible!

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

I won tickets to see Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (thanks Classic Movie Hub!) and I had the chance to see it yesterday afternoon as part of TMC's Big Screen Classics.  Even though the film is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this month, the themes are still just as relevant today.  Joanna Drayton (Katharine Houghton) brings her fiance Dr. John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) home to meet her parents.  This causes problems because, even though her parents (Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn) are liberals who have taught her to reject racial inequality, the fact that John is black forces them to confront their beliefs up close.  Joanna also invites John's parents (Roy E. Glenn and Beah Richards) to dinner which makes for a pretty tense evening.  This film is extremely thought-provoking and I was especially intrigued by the response of the family maid (Isabel Sanford), who is black, because she accuses John of trying to get above himself by marrying a white woman.  There is a lot of discussion in this film (the titular dinner begins at the very end) and there were two speeches that really struck me.  John says that his father thinks of himself as a black man while he thinks of himself as a man.  Joanna's father tells them that they will face obstacles but the only thing that really matters is how they feel about each other and I have to admit that I had a tear in my eye after that scene.  I did laugh out loud when Joanna's father hangs up the phone in the middle of his secretary's long recitation of John's  accolades after he asks her to investigate him.  Katherine Hepburn (who won an Academy Award for the role) and Spencer Tracy (who received a posthumous Academy Award nomination) are outstanding and Sidney Poitier more than holds his own with those two screen legends.  I highly recommend this film about the power of love and you are in luck because there is another opportunity to see it on the big screen on December 13 (go here for details).

Note:  I have really enjoyed the TCM Big Screen Classics series this year and I am excited that they will be continuing it in 2018!  The films are The Treasure of the Sierra Madre,  The Philadelphia Story, Vertigo, Grease, Sunset Boulevard, The Producers, Big, The Big Lebowski, South Pacific, Rebel Without a Cause, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Die Hard, and White Christmas.  Doesn't that sound fabulous?

The Man Who Invented Christmas

Yesterday afternoon (I broke my rule about not seeing movies on a Saturday afternoon and I bitterly regret it) I saw the delightful and charming movie The Man Who Invented Christmas.  It tells the story of how Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) came to write the beloved classic A Christmas Carol.  As someone who has seen this play performed more times than I can count, I absolutely loved seeing how Dickens found inspiration for the story and I loved how the characters came to life as he was writing, especially Christopher Plummer as Ebeneezer Scrooge.  As Dickens struggles to finish the book, certain autobiographical details are revealed which suggest that the book is about the reclamation of his soul as much as it is Scrooge's and the scenes where he makes amends are just as affecting as those where Scrooge does it in the book.  Dan Stevens is so charming in the role and Christopher Plummer is fantastic, as ever.  The production design is very successful in bringing Dickensian London to life and I especially loved the lighting throughout.  This movie is just the thing to give you a boost of Christmas spirit!  I would have enjoyed it immensely were it not for the theater full of kids under five who had absolutely no interest in this movie.  This is not really a movie for young children because a little familiarity with the source material is required to understand what is going on.  I highly recommend it with that proviso.

Note:  Unruly and disruptive children are the bane of my existence (hence my rule about Saturday matinees).  The teacher in me wanted to quiet them!

Last Flag Flying

One of the things I really enjoy about Richard Linklater's films is that they are all very character-driven and his latest, Last Flag Flying, is no exception.  This time Linklater gives us a trio Vietnam veterans, each with an interesting and compelling backstory, who reunite after 30 years to escort the son of one of their own home after he is killed in Iraq.  Steve Carell plays Larry Shepherd, a man almost debilitated by grief who enlists the help of his old buddies to get him through his son's burial.  Carell gives a quiet and understated performance which is one of his best to date.  Bryan Cranston is Sal Nealon, a hard drinking and skirt chasing man who is as garrulous and boisterous as Shepherd is subdued.   Cranston gives an over the top performance which provides much of the levity in an otherwise somber narrative.  Rounding out the cast is Laurence Fishburne who plays Richard Mueller, a Baptist minister exasperated by Nealon's antics.  Fishburne gives an incredibly reserved performance as a man who regrets much of his past.  As is the case with most Linklater films, this one is at its best when the three men are sitting around reminiscing and ruminating on grief, friendship, and patriotism.  The action does plod along in the final act (I admit that I was nodding off) but the flag-folding ceremony at the funeral is absolutely beautiful and the ending is incredibly poignant and brought a tear to my eye.  I highly recommend this film for the strong central performances.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Last night I had the chance to see Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, a film that is generating a lot of buzz and for good reason.  It is a dark comedy that is literally seething with unresolved anger, resentment, and bad behavior and I loved it.  Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) is angry that her daughter's rape and murder hasn't been solved yet and, hoping to keep the case in the spotlight, she hires three billboards which highlight the incompetence of the police force, specifically targeting the revered chief of police Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson).  The entire police force takes exception to this, especially Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell), and this ignites an all-out war in the small community which proves very difficult for Mildred's teenage son Robbie (Lucas Hedges).  All of the characters are deeply flawed and their antics are often completely over the top but I found them to be very compelling.  It was actually quite refreshing to see a character give vent to her emotions because I sometimes find it unrealistic when characters behave nobly in untenable situations.  However, the ambiguous ending is somewhat hopeful because two wounded people are able to find forgiveness and redemption with each other.  The script is outstanding!  I found myself laughing often (especially in the scene between Mildred and her priest) and then holding back tears just a few moments later.  Frances McDormand gives an incredible performance that is sure to be remembered come awards season but I was pretty much blown away by Sam Rockwell in an against type role and I found his character's arc to be incredibly affecting.  Lucas Hedges is accumulating quite the resume (Manchester by the Sea and Lady Bird) of solid performances and Woody Harrelson is great, as always.  I enjoyed this film very much and I would highly recommend it with the proviso that there is a lot of profanity.

Note:  I love this time of year!  I want to see everything currently playing at the Broadway!

Coco

I have been anticipating the movie Coco for a very long time because the trailers looked so magical.  I wanted to take my niece and nephew (we have a tradition of seeing a movie together over the Thanksgiving break) but Sean goes to a charter school and he had classes yesterday so, even though I extremely anxious to see it, we waited for him (which was really hard) and saw it in the evening.  I was really surprised that the theater was practically empty which is such a shame because this movie is an absolute treat!  All three of us loved it so much!  It is a heartwarming story about the importance of family as a twelve year old boy named Miguel travels to the Land of the Dead on Dia de Meurtos to uncover a mystery about his ancestors.  I found the story to be incredibly moving and I was reduced to a puddle of tears when Mama Coco sang "Remember Me" with Miguel near the end of the movie.  I really loved the way that death is portrayed and how the importance of remembering those who are gone is emphasized.  Such a great message!  Miguel is an endearing character and the ancestors he encounters in the Land of the Dead made me laugh out loud as did the border guards on the way in and out.  The animation is visually stunning with all of the vibrant colors in the Land of the Dead.  I loved all of the scenes involving marigold petals and it was interesting to learn that the petals are what guide the dead back to their family members.  The bridges of marigold petals took my breath away.  I also really loved the use of the beautiful papel picado as exposition at the beginning of the movie.  This movie is absolutely wonderful and both Sean and Tashena loved it just as much as I did!  This is the perfect movie to see with your family over the Thanksgiving holiday!

Note:  I had so much fun with Sean and Tashena!  I am glad that I get to spend so much time with them!

Lady Bird

Ever since the film Lady Bird got glowing reviews at TIFF I have been eagerly anticipating its release at my favorite art house theater and I finally had the chance to see it yesterday.  I thought that I would probably love it because I am a huge fan of Greta Gerwig's particular brand of humor (go here and here) and I have loved every one of Saoirse Ronan's performances since I saw her in Atonement but I was unprepared for the deep emotional connection that I had to the film.  It perfectly captures the narcissism of youth as it follows Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson (Ronan) throughout her senior year of high school as she struggles to assert her independence and yearns to leave her hometown and her critical mother behind.  What I loved most about this typical coming-of-age story is that two flawed people, who have an incredibly combative relationship, are finally able to realize how much they love each other.  Ronan is brilliant as is Laurie Metcalf (who plays the mother) and the scene where she drives away from the airport is completely shattering.  I also really enjoyed Lucas Hedges (who is outstanding in Manchester by the Sea) as Danny, her theatre geek boyfriend, Timothee Chalamet as Kyle, the bad boy she chases after, and Beanie Feldstein as Julie, her best friend, especially in the scene where Lady Bird and Julie listen to "Crash Into Me" by the Dave Matthews Band as they commiserate over their failed romances.  Everything about this film feels so authentic because the script is incredibly well-written and the ending, especially, made me emotional because it completely mirrored my own experience of going away to college.  I laughed and cried and, when I walked out of the theater, I wanted to call my Mom and thank her for everything she has done for me (even though she always criticized my hair).  I loved this movie so much and I highly recommend it!

Wonder

A few years ago my niece recommended the book Wonder by R.J. Palacios to me but I never had the chance to read it.  I decided to pick it up again in anticipation of the movie adaptation and I read it all week during free reading time in my classes (I noticed quite a few of my students reading it, too).  When I was over at my parents' house last week, I noticed that my Mom was reading it as well so I mentioned that we would have to see the movie when she finished with it!  My Mom is a lot like my nephew in that when I hypothetically mention doing something they both interpret it to mean that the plans are set in stone!  My Mom had planned in her mind that we were going to see it on Saturday and she talked about it all morning.  My sister gave me a head's up so I decided we better go see it!  When we got to the theater the only seats available were on the very front row because every other seat was taken.  There were lots of families with elementary school age children in the audience.  Now that is usually enough to make me run for the hills but in this instance I was actually glad to see so many kids because I think bullying is such a huge problem and I hope they got the message that kids who are different can be remarkable people.  When I picked my Mom up she made sure that I grabbed some Kleenex on the way out the door and I am actually glad that she did because I cried in about four places (my Mom cried through the whole thing and ended up sharing her Kleenex with the woman sitting next to her).  I loved this movie about a boy with a facial disfigurement who is going to school for the first time so much!  I was particularly struck by the scene where the bully's parents are called in to talk to the principal about his behavior.  Unfortunately the parents' reaction is an all too common occurrence that I see in education all of the time.  Parents want to blame the victim for being too sensitive, that their student was just playing a joke and that being picked on is just a part of living in the "real world."  I was so happy to see that the bully received a punishment despite the fact that the parents were influential members of the school board!  Bullying in never okay!  Jacob Tremblay, Julia Roberts, and Owen Wilson all give great performances.  I especially loved Izabela Vidovic as Auggie's sister and she does a great job showing the impact of having a sibling with special needs and I loved seeing Daveed Diggs (the original Lafayette/Jefferson in Hamilton) as the teacher who helps the students choose kindness.  Definitely go see this movie!

Justice League

Last night I went to a Thursday preview of Justice League, one of my most anticipated films of the fall, and I loved it!  Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), feeling tremendous guilt over the death of Superman (Henry Cavill), begins investigating a threat known as Steppenwolf (Ciaran Hinds), a mythological being released from his imprisonment by the loss of hope felt throughout the world.  Steppenwolf is trying to locate three Mother Boxes (one is entrusted to the Amazons, one to the Atlanteans, and one to humans) which, when united, will destroy the world.  He and Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) begin recruiting other meta-humans to help:  Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), Barry Allen (Ezra Miller), and Victor Stone (Ray Fisher).  After one attempt to stop Steppenwolf fails, Wayne decides to use one of the Mother Boxes to resurrect Superman stating that the team needs his leadership.  I loved so many things about this movie!  The character development is really fun for Aquaman, the Flash, and Cyborg and I look forward to their standalone movies.  Miller, especially, has a lot of fun with the role and Momoa is definitely easy on the eyes.  I also really liked the character arcs of both Bruce Wayne and Diana Prince as they grapple with their leadership roles.  The return of Superman was, perhaps, my favorite part of the movie.  I've always been a fan of the darker and grittier tone of the DCEU but I did like that this installment is much more hopeful and Superman's character is a big part of that.  The fun and rowdy crowd at my screening cheered when Superman joined the final battle.  The other aspect that I really enjoyed is that it took all of them, individuals who are loners and often viewed as misfits, to work together to defeat Steppenwolf.  Each of them, at one point in the final battle, is rescued by another.  Danny Elfman's score is a lot of fun and I loved when we got to hear some of the original Batman theme!  The only problem I had was that the visual effects, especially the scenes with Steppenwolf, looked too much like a video game.  I loved this movie despite that criticism and I think that most people will enjoy it, including die-hard DCEU fans because it is just dark and brooding enough as well as more mainstream fans because it is a lot of fun.  The crowd at my packed theater clapped and cheered well into the credits!

Note:  Stay for the mid-credits and end of credits scenes.  They are great!

Wonderstruck

Yesterday afternoon I went to see the film Wonderstruck and let me say at the outset that it is not for everyone.  I am quite sure that many people will find it tedious and boring but I, however, found it to be a lovely and often magical meditation on the need for human connection.  The story is about two children, both deaf, who travel to New York City fifty years apart looking for a lost loved one.  In 1927, Rose (Utah native Millicent Simmonds) takes the ferry from New Jersey looking for her mother (Julianne Moore) who abandoned her to be a silent film star.  In 1977, Ben (Oakes Fegley) travels by bus from Minnesota looking for the father he has never known.  After following a series of clues they both end up at the Museum of Natural History looking for an exhibit known as the Cabinet of Curiosities.  Scenes seem very episodic and there were many times when I wondered what the narrative was leading up to.  There is a connection but it is a little bit understated and, once I knew what it was, I realized that it really didn't matter.  It is more about the process of discovery, of finding out who you are and where you belong before you can find who you are looking for.  There are some achingly beautiful scenes of Rose wandering the city with such a sense of wonder on her face (Simmonds, who is actually deaf, is wonderful) at everything she is seeing and Ben has similar scenes exploring the museum.  The added dynamic of having deaf children as the protagonists made what they were seeing all the more poignant and there are long stretches of this film where there is no dialogue so the audience is forced to focus on the visual as well.  Speaking of which, the cinematography is enchanting.  The scenes in 1927 are in black and white and have the aesthetic of an old silent film while the scenes in 1977 are suffused with a soft golden hue, almost like a Polaroid photo from that era.  This film is like its own Cabinet of Curiosities:  some people are going to love it and marvel at everything there is to see and some people are going to be bored and want to find a more exciting exhibit.

Casablanca

The first time I saw Casablanca was when I was living with my Aunt June in Canada.  She loved classic movies and was appalled when she learned that I had reached the ripe old age of eighteen without having seen what she considered to be the greatest movie of all time.  She made me watch it forthwith (I watched a lot of classic movies with her that summer) and, of course, I loved it because it is all about sacrificing love for a higher purpose and that really appealed to my idealistic younger self.  It was interesting to have the opportunity to see it on the big screen yesterday as someone older and a little more cynical (this time I think Rick should have chosen love but I understand that his choice made him a more noble character).  Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is a hard-drinking club owner who is only out for himself in Casablanca, a haven for European refugees desperate for exit visas to escape the Nazis during World War II.  He ably navigates the world of black marketeers, corrupt officials, and German officers until Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) walks into his club with her husband Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), a hero of the resistance who is in need of safe passage.  Ilsa was once Rick's lover in Paris but she abandoned him and, even though he has documents that will ensure safe passage for them, he is bitter and refuses to help.  Ilsa loves Rick but admires and respects Victor and will do anything to help him continue his work with the resistance.  Even though I knew the outcome, I still found the final scene to be filled with intrigue and suspense.  In fact, I found some of the scenes to be even more poignant the second time around.  When Ilsa sees Rick for the first time in his club, the expression on her face was even more heartbreaking to me because I knew her past with Rick and I knew the outcome.  My favorite scene is when Victor has the crowd sing the "Marseillaise" to drown out the German officers singing a drinking song.  It is so incredibly powerful and it made me understand Victor's appeal for Ilsa despite her love for Rick.  I really loved anticipating all of those famous lines, and there are a lot of them, but I think my favorite one is said by the corrupt prefect of police (Claude Rains):  "I'm shocked, shocked to find gambling going on here."  I laughed out loud!  Seeing this movie reminded me that today's actors don't have anything on the likes of Humphrey Bogart and Claude Rains.  Bogart is so handsome and debonair in a dinner jacket and I was captivated by the way Rains smoked a cigarette.  Definitely try to see this brilliant movie on the big screen on Nov. 15 (go here for tickets).

Murder on the Orient Express

It seems like I have been waiting forever for Murder on the Orient Express to be released!  The wait was finally over last night because I went to an early Thursday preview with my family and boy did I love it!  I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie.  I have read every one of her mysteries multiple times and Murder on the Orient Express is a particular favorite because of the clever plot twist.  Kenneth Branagh's version is stylish and entertaining but it also adds a bit of poignancy that the other versions lack.  Hercule Poirot (Branagh) boards the Orient Express in Istanbul hoping for a few days of rest and relaxation.  However, one of the passengers, Samuel Ratchett (Johnny Depp), is stabbed to death just as the train is derailed during an avalanche.  Poirot is enlisted to solve the crime by his friend Bouc (Tom Bateman) before the murderer can strike again while the train is stranded.  Everyone, it seems, is a suspect:  Ratchett's assistant Hector MacQueen (Josh Gad), Princess Dragomiroff (Judi Dench) and her companion Hildegarde Schmidt (Olivia Colman), an American named Caroline Hubbard (Michelle Pfeiffer), the missionary Pilar Estravados (Penelope Cruz), Dr. Arbuthnot (Leslie Odom, Jr.), a governess named Mary Debenham (Daisy Ridley),  Professor Gerhard Hardman (Willem Dafoe), Ratchett's valet Edward Masterman (Derek Jacobi), Biniamino Marquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and the Count and Countess Andrenyi (Lucy Boynton and Sergei Polunin).  I really enjoyed the all-star cast, especially Pfeiffer who has an incredibly affecting scene and I can think of no one better to play an imperious princess than Dame Judi Dench.  They all have their moment to shine as they are interrogated one by one.  Branagh's iteration of the famous Belgian sleuth is a bit more emotional and tormented than the ones I've seen before and I actually really liked his portrayal (although his accent was a bit affected).  I also liked the claustrophobia of the sumptuous train cars juxtaposed with wide sweeping shots of the train traveling through the snow covered mountains.  Since I've read the book countless times and seen several versions, my enjoyment was not derived from trying to figure out "whodunnit" but from seeing a classic tale told in a new and surprising way.  I loved this movie and I would definitely recommend it!

Note:  The ending implied that Poirot's next case would be in Egypt.  Dare we hope that Death on the Nile will be next?

LBJ

Last night I went to the Broadway once again to see LBJ and I hate to admit it but I was a bit disappointed.   The film begins on that fateful day in November when President Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan) is assassinated and Lyndon Johnson (Woody Harrelson) assumes the presidency.  Then the film flashes back to when Johnson was the most powerful member of the Democratic Party as Senate Majority Leader only to lose all of his power once he becomes the Vice President.  Despite a fantastic performance by Harrelson, as well as one from Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lady Bird, my biggest problem with the film is that it really isn't about Johnson.  Rather, it is about the Kennedys.  The script takes great pains to point out that Johnson was thwarted at every turn by the Kennedys, starting with losing the 1960 presidential nomination to John Kennedy then being relegated to a bit player at the White House by Bobby Kennedy (Michael Stahl-David) and finally having the first days of his presidency overshadowed by the nation's grief over President Kennedy's death.  The film ends with President Johnson giving a speech to a joint session of Congress advocating for President Kennedy's Civil Rights Act.  His one shining moment in the film is fighting for President Kennedy's legacy.  Then we see a few seconds of text on the screen outlining everything Johnson was able to accomplish during his presidency such as his Great Society legislation, Head Start, Medicare, and Medicaid, as well is his disastrous escalation of the Vietnam War.  I wish the filmmakers had focused on that.  I also felt that for being a biopic about such a bombastic character it was rather dull.  There is a lot of talking and many of the characters are difficult to distinguish from each other.  My mind definitely wandered.  The most stirring moment came during Johnson's speech when the film was practically over.   I would recommend giving this one a miss.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer

Yorgos Lanthimos is one of the most provocative directors currently working.  His film The Lobster definitely generated more conversations with people in line for screenings at Sundance two years ago than any other film I saw.  Honestly, I still think about it and I am certain that I will be thinking about his latest film, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, for a long time to come.  Cardiologist Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) begins spending time with Martin (Barry Keoghan), the son of one of his patients who died.  Their relationship is very undefined until Martin insinuates himself into Steven's life which makes him uncomfortable.  Soon his children fall ill with a strange paralysis.  We learn that Steven may have been responsible for the death of Martin's father and, seeking justice, Martin demands that Steven kill a member of his family or all three of them, including his wife Anna (Nicole Kidman), will eventually die of their illnesses.  The narrative is deeply disturbing on so many levels and some of the images are absolutely horrifying and yet I could not look away!   Every single shot evokes such a sense of menace and the crescendo of strings at key moments adds to the general unease.  I found myself nervously laughing several times.  Farrell is absolutely brilliant, speaking the oddly stilted dialogue in a monotone voice which serves to highlight his detachment from everyone and everything (he even has his wife pretend to be under anesthesia when he has sex with her).  This makes his emotional undoing all the more powerful.  Kidman gives an incredibly intense and chilling performance as a woman who can't quite accept the fact that her perfect life is crumbling around her and Keoghan gives one of the best performances I've seen this year as a twitchy teenage psychopath.  It is definitely not for everyone (I can't remember when I've felt more uncomfortable watching a film) but it is bold and brilliant.  Whether you love it or hate it, I guarantee that you will have a strong reaction to it and, in my mind, that is what the best films are able to do!

Loving Vincent

After spending Saturday night seeing a blockbuster at the megaplex I went for something totally different on Sunday afternoon.  I saw the independent film Loving Vincent at my favorite art house theater and I was completely captivated by this beautiful and heartbreaking film!  Every one of the frames of this film was hand painted by over 100 artists to mimic the style of Vincent Van Gogh so the images on the screen are absolutely dazzling.  I was spellbound by the beauty of what I was seeing!   I also really enjoyed the narrative about the last weeks of Vincent Van Gogh's life.  Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth) is tasked by the Postmaster, his father, to deliver a letter written by Vincent to his brother Theo Van Gogh.  Roulin travels to Paris but when he learns that Theo has also died, he travels to Auvers, where Vincent died, to interview everyone who knew him during his final weeks.  What I loved about this portrayal is that Vincent is not depicted as a madman but as a profoundly lonely man who had a sensitive soul and felt things deeply.  There is a scene between Roulin and Marguerite (Soairse Ronin), the daughter of Vincent's doctor, that had me sobbing.  I also loved this film because it doesn't definitively answer the question of how Vincent died because his life is more important than his death (which is what Marguerite conveys so beautifully in that pivotal scene).  I also loved that this portrait is not from Vincent's point of view (which is how other biopics tend to present his life) because there is no way we can fully understand this enigmatic artist and the story is as much about Roulin's journey as it is Vincent's.  His paintings must speak for themselves and I have always loved his paintings!   I absolutely loved this film, as well, (I suspect that I will be haunted by it for some time to come).  I highly recommend it!

Thor: Ragnarok

Last night I finally had the opportunity to see Thor: Ragnarok and I had a blast watching this movie with a rowdy late night crowd.  Thor (Chris Hemsworth) battles against his long-lost sister Hela (Cate Blanchett) for control over Asgard but first he must escape from the Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), the leader of the planet Sakaar, by fighting in a gladiator battle with the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and enlist the help of the treacherous Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and a disillusioned Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson).  This movie is absolutely hilarious and I was laughing out loud within the first minute as was the rest of the crowd.  Hemsworth is a great comedic actor and I especially enjoyed all of Thor's goofy banter with Loki (my favorite character in the series) and the Hulk.  I also really liked the villain Hela and it is clear that Blanchett had a lot of fun with the role, vamping and strutting around.  There are so many funny lines in this movie but I think my very favorite is said by Korg, a rock creature who is also imprisoned by the Grandmaster, when he explains how he came to be working as a gladiator: "I tried to start a revolution but I didn't print enough pamphlets."  I laughed and laughed at that!  The production design is fantastic, especially on Sakaar with all of the psychedelic colors and retro patterns.  There are some great action sequences and the use of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" in the opening and final battles got my adrenaline pumping.  It is really lighthearted and zany but I actually did enjoy the story because the notion of Ragnarok, or apocalypse, where an old world is destroyed and a new and better one is reborn is particularly compelling.  I definitely recommend this entertaining movie for a great time at the movies!

Note:  There are some fabulous cameos, especially in the play performed on Asgard (pay attention to who is playing Loki!) and the scene where Thor's hair is cut (I think I prefer Thor with long hair, though).  The scene with Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) had me laughing the whole time ("I have been falling for 30 minutes!").

Goodbye Christopher Robin

I went to see an early matinee of Goodbye Christopher Robin yesterday (there aren't enough hours in the day so I had to fit it in when I could).  It tells the story of how the beloved classic Winnie-the-Pooh came into existence.  After World War I the playwright A.A. Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) returns from battle suffering from shell shock.  He decides to move to the country for some peace despite his wife Daphne’s (Margot Robbie) strenuous objections.  When Daphne decides to return to her socialite lifestyle in London and the nanny (Kelly MacDonald) is called away to tend to her mother, Milne is left on his own with his young son Christopher Robin (Will Tilston).  The two share an enchanted few weeks together roaming through the woods surrounding their house with Christopher Robin's stuffed animals.  These adventures becomes the basis of a story which is eventually published to world-wide acclaim.  The fame and adulation eventually takes a toll on the young boy who cannot escape the pressure of being Christopher Robin.  Milne achieves his greatest success but at what cost?  This is a very conventional biopic but I absolutely loved it and, at one point, I was in tears.  It is a lovely story about the relationship between a father and a son with great performances by Gleeson, Robbie, and an adorable Tilston.  The film is simply gorgeous, especially in the sun-dappled woods, and the scenes where Christopher Robin's stuffed animals come to life are enchanting and whimsical.  I did feel that the events of the older Christopher Robin's (Alex Lawther) life were really rushed but this is exactly the type of movie that I really enjoy and I highly recommend it.

Note:  Gleeson reminded me so much of Julian Sands in this role.

The Florida Project

Tangerine, a film about a transgender prostitute who roams the streets of Los Angeles on Christmas Eve looking for the boyfriend (pimp) who cheated on her while she was in prison, is Sean Baker's hilarious and heartbreaking debut.  It is a brilliant portrayal of a subculture rarely shown on the screen and I admired its authenticity (it was shot using an iPhone).  Baker's follow-up, The Florida Project, is no less brilliant.  This time his subject is a group of children who live in the cheap hotels that line the freeway leading to Disney World with the dysfunctional adults in their lives.  Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) knows that she is living in poverty but she chooses to turn every day into an imaginative adventure, whether it is getting customers at an ice cream stand to buy her a cone or wandering into a nearby field to look at cows (otherwise known as going on safari).  Her young mother Halley (Bria Vinaite) can't get a job and struggles to pay the weekly rent at the motel by selling perfume to the wealthy tourists on the way to Disney World (as well as other unsavory things).  Bobby (Willem Dafoe), the manager of the motel who clearly has his own demons, takes a proprietary interest in both Halley and Moonee and there is a brilliant scene where he chases away a pedophile who has taken an interest in the children.  Everything in the film is from Moonee's perspective and her life seems magical without ever ignoring the desperation of her situation.  This tonal balancing act is what makes this film so brilliant.  We see Moonee do many things multiple times and yet my attention never wavered.  I found Halley to be an incredibly sympathetic character.  Even though she does some truly reprehensible things I think it is best to reserve judgment to really see how she, like many people living in the margins of society, copes the best she can.  Brooklynn Prince is wonderful and I would say that this is one of Dafoe's best performances yet.  My favorite moment in the film is when Moonee says,"Do you know why this is my favorite tree?  Because it is tipped over and still growing."  That, in a nutshell, is what this amazing film is all about.  It is not for everyone but it is one of my favorite films of the year!

Breathe

Fall break continues and I spent yesterday sleeping in scandalously late and then reading all afternoon.  In the evening I went to a Thursday preview of Breathe which I had been looking forward to for quite a while.  I am a sucker for British period pieces and the trailer for this inspirational true story looked gorgeous.  However, it left me feeling a bit flat.  Andrew Garfield plays Robin Cavendish and Claire Foy plays his wife Diana.  They meet, fall in love, get married, move to Kenya, and become pregnant with their first child in rapid succession.  Then Robin is stricken with polio and is paralyzed from the neck down.  He begs everyone to just let him die but Diana demands that he fight to live.  With her help Robin is able to leave the hospital, become mobile with the help of a wheelchair that breathes for him, and travel the world advocating for the rights of the severely disabled.  Garfield and Foy give wonderful performances and the cinematography is breathtaking but there is something lacking in the story itself.  We never really get to know the characters beyond a superficial level.  Diana's devotion to Robin doesn't feel authentic because their love story is never fully explored.  Robin sees her at a cricket match, in the next scene they are going on a date, in the next Diana tells her brothers (both played hilariously by Tom Hollander) that she is getting married, and then they are in Kenya.  It is literally that quick, almost as if the filmmakers are merely ticking boxes.  The whole film moves from one episode to the next without much explanation.  Also, the difficulties that the Cavendishes must have surely faced are glossed over so that their life looks like one big garden party after another on their sprawling estate.  They laugh when the dog unplugs Robin's respirator and throw a party when they are stranded on the road in Spain.  It ends up feeling very bland and I was hoping for so much more.

The Foreigner

I am now on fall break and to celebrate I went to see The Foreigner last night. Now I am not normally a big fan of Jackie Chan action movies but, to me, the trailers for The Foreigner made it seem more like a political thriller so I decided to take a chance.  I really enjoyed it!  After a terrorist bombing claims the life of his daughter in London, a distraught Quan (Chan) goes looking for answers.  When a faction of the IRA claims responsibility, Quan looks to Liam Hennessy (Pierce Brosnan), the Deputy Minister for Northern Ireland and a former IRA member, for answers.  Hennessy is less than forthcoming, and is clearly more involved than he will admit, so Quan sets out to convince him to tell him the names of the bombers in some fabulous action scenes.  Details about both men are slowly revealed and I found the conclusion to be quite satisfying.  The story reminded me of the novels of Robert Ludlum, Frederick Forsyth, or John Le Carre, which I love, and I found the twists and turns to be very engaging (I've heard some critics say that the story is convoluted).  Chan gives an intense portrayal of a grieving father out for revenge but Brosnan is fantastic, one of his best performances in years.  The movie has a few flaws (lots of scenes with politicians talking in offices while drinking scotch) but I had a great time watching it and I recommend it to fans of action-thrillers.

Note:  This movie features Rory Fleck Byrne as Hennessey's nephew.  I may have found my latest celebrity crush.