Nobody 2: Starring Bob Odenkirk (Saul Goodman) this sequel to the original picks up where the other left off. In a John Wick way, Bob plays a family man, wife and two kids who live in the suburbs. Bob however doesn’t have an ordinary job, and he performs tasks requiring his specialized skills which John Wick would be pleased. Bob has some anger management issues as part of his package and he has a hair trigger. It seems his son has inherited some of his genes.
Bob finishes a gig for his syndicate (making a minor dent in the debt that he owes from the consequences of the first film). But he needs a break as he has promised his wife to have a vacation. He decides to return to a family amusement park of his youth in the Midwest. His own Dad, played by Back to the Future Doc Christopher Lloyd, is invited to come back to reminisce as create “new memories” with his grandchildren. We learn quickly through the local sheriff, played by Colin Hanks with a Forrest Gump haircut, which I will assume that very deliberate, getting in Bob’s face early. The town has a couple of other notable baddies including Sharon Stone. Things escalate quickly into a carnage free for all in the amusement park. It’s funny how there seems to be endless prep time for boobie traps and deadly games all while the baddies are on their way over in what was quite a small town.
For me, I cheered for Bob and his family. The baddies were bad enough with Stone chewing on bullets and being ruthless and profane. It was an hour and a half that went by quickly on an airplane ride. I am glad that I didn’t pay for it, like the original but it is an interesting new turn for Bob Odenkirk the actor who is clearly looking to shed the Breaking Bad lawyer in Albuquerque gig.
Song Sung Blue: when I had seen trailers for this movie in the theatres I was not overly enthusiastic about the premise. But like the recently reviewed Rental Family, this story based on a real life couple in Wisconsin had more depth and emotion than just a cover band expose. I will also confess that this music is what was played at my household and cottage throughout my years (I knew every one of the songs).
Hugh Jackman plays journeyman alcoholic (sober for many years) Mike Sardinia, who plays music to fill his soul instead of alcohol. He meets at a retro cover band tribute artist Clare (Kate Hudson) who is singing Patsy Cline tunes. He is immediately awestruck.
Jackman is excited to find some better paying gigs as he has a teenage daughter and a mortgage. Hudson had suggested that he had the hair to do Neil Diamond, which he had refused before because he held Diamond in such high regard. Things happen quickly and they become a couple. Then just after they have their big break (and it is a really big break) then other things happen. This all came as a surprise to me. I was surprised and felt that they dealt with real life in an authentic way.
I had seen the award nominations for Kate Hudson and was surprised. I am not surprised any longer. This isn’t just performing on stage, there were real hurdles for her character to address. Both Jackman and Hudson were very good in showing their connection. The rest of the cast includes Jim Belushi, Michael Imperioli (Chris from the Sopranos) who not for a moment did I believe that he could sing like Buddy Holly nor actually play the guitar. I was emotionally engaged in the story and had more than a few surprises. The two daughters, one was Hudson’s and the other Jackman’s, are very good as they explore being forced together because their parents have started dating. It is a charming side story. This is worth checking out and especially so if you like Neil Diamond’s music, because as Jackman insists throughout, he has way more songs than just Sweet Caroline.
Rental Family: Brendan Frasier a number of years ago was the hunky action star in such movies as The Mummy and Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Then he disappeared for a while but returned with a vengeance (acting wise) with his award winning role in The Whale. Within the role, he morphed into a John Candy-like big man with a big heart and empathetic nature. He was likeable and believable. Now his follow up picture puts him to use those skills acting in Japan.
He plays an American actor living and working in Japan. He gets the odd role, but is approached one day by a guy who runs a rental service. He employs actors, thus the need for Frasier, who assist people with emotional needs.
It is easy to dismiss this movie as a young girl in need of a Daddy figure, but that would just be scratching the surface and not embracing the depth within. Frasier, with hesitancy, decides to help out and get a paying gig. His first assignment seems simple, acting as an older groom for a young Japanese woman looking for her freedom. Freedom from her country, her family, her marital obligations and the expectations culturally that are placed upon her. The second and third gigs involve the aforementioned little girl, whose Mom wants her to get into a prestigious school, and she feels that having a “family” for the interviews will increase the likelihood for success. For Frasier it involves having the young girl like him. The story goes on.
For me this movie wins in the depth of the story. It’s not just surrogacy. Frasier connects with his clients in ways that the business owner doesn’t foresee. What the owner sees as a paycheck, Frasier sees as manipulation. He doesn’t like it. Frasier has his own life story which blends well here. The same is true for other employees and actors in the company. All the stories feel genuine and real. Frasier brings forth someone who acts in his own way, showing his humanity and doing what he feels is right for his clients. Not just reading the lines from a script that the one paying directs. It works. It is emotional and clever. Frasier once again is likeable and discloses his own layers over time. Each of the characters seems to grow as the story unfolds logically. But the emotional hook is what will stay with you as the credits roll. John Candy once did a cheesey movie called Summer Rental. This is better than that. It has some similarities to Candy’s Uncle Buck which was a better film than Summer Rental. I highly recommend this movie. Seek it out and see for yourself what you get from it.
No Other Choice: this South Korean film was released back in August. It speaks about the concept of having few or no alternatives. Set in the present day, there is a husband and wife with two children. They own a home and seem to be doing well. Husband had worked for 25 years in the paper manufacturing business, building up a business from the ground up. His company was just acquired by an American firm. Unbeknownst to him, he unceremoniously gets downsized. He had felt he had a perfect life. This goes sideways quickly.
We learn that his wife was a single mom before meeting him. His youngest, a daughter, is about 8 years old and speaks very little. What she has is a talent in playing the cello. The parents don’t hear her perform. Older son is a typical teenager. Moody and seeking independence. Upon the termination husband cannot focus. He thinks about other paper-related jobs. After a couple of rejections he becomes more anxious. So does his wife. The rest of the story explores just how far they are willing to go. This is a dark tale with some black humour thrown in. For example, husband chooses to identify paper managers in common with him and then seeks to physically eliminate them. Working on another level we see the same efforts in the businesses that the husband is applying to; they seek AI and make investments in robotics to eliminate the need for people (or even lights). From the man who “had it all” he sacrifices a lot to regain some aspect of his earlier dream. His relationship with his wife changes. He witnesses how other marriages are impacted by job changes. In this society, having a job defines you and who you are. It is well told and acted. There are some gruesome scenes with escalating intensity. Part of me thought that if husband channeled his efforts in using his skills in a more productive way, he would have landed a job elsewhere. But this I think is one of the points of the movie. He doesn’t see beyond these immediate opportunities in a given industry. He also doesn’t always help himself in making light in conversation. He wouldn’t ever be hired as a contract killer to be sure. It seems the Academy doesn’t watch many subtitled films but this was a decent one.
Die My Love: How does a relationship that starts out with love, passion and connection become filled with anger, resentment and disconnection? This movie directed by Lynne Ramsey and starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson explores this situation more fully. With an opening scene showing a young couple checking out a seemingly abandoned house, we see them move in with ideas and passion for other another. Lawrence plays wife and writer Grace and she is married to Pattinson as seemingly a general labourer who seems to spend plenty of time on the road. Supporting actors include veterans Nick Nolte and Sissy Spacek who I have not seen in a while.
They live in remote farmland presumably in rural New York. It could be Iowa or Kansas or South Dakota. There are small town people around who all seem to know each other and everyone’s business. Grace has a newborn baby son which she adores. Husband is busy with work on the road. We see Grace being challenged with loneliness and an emptiness. She can have moments with local townspeople where she is downright rude, lashing out. All the while she also has a high libido which borders on nymphomania. Husband struggles to understand her moods. The story continues to show a steady downward spiral for Grace. It is difficult to watch.
If you think that Rose Byrne in If I Had Legs I Would Kick You deserves Oscar consideration, then this performance by Lawrence should be given equal consideration. She plays a woman bordering on unhinged very well. You see in her face at times an emptiness. Where she doesn’t seem to be fully engaged. As her actions become more erratic she ratchets up the mania. This is a dark story and can be difficult to watch. As a male, once again I am troubled by a wife who is more and more challenging. It can drive him to lash out in frustration which naturally doesn’t help. I can add that it was not a good idea on his own to introduce a yappy dog into the equation especially when he had no real intention of being there for the training and discipline. It makes an already tense situation even more troublesome. This is not a public service announcement for dog ownership. I think that this movie does effectively show how ill prepared people are generally with others who have struggled with mental illness and depression. Small talk and condescending tones are not helpful. The two leads tackle the delicate subject matter well. Lawrence and Byrne may split the vote for those looking to reward a portrayal of women in distress.
Still this in the end is worthy of a viewing for the performances and exploring the subject matter in a fresh way. Sorry Baby also covers a difficult subject well. It has been a good year for such stories.
The Red Sea Diving Resort: in 2019 Netflix was involved in putting together a story about assisting native Jewish Ethiopians from their land. The was 1979 and there was change in the Ethiopian government. People were seeking asylum. Avi Levinson (played by Chris Evans without his Captain America suit) is looking to assist these desperate people and get them to Jerusalem. Also part of the cast is Ben Kingsley and Greg Kinnear as the most notable actors. Kingsley is in charge in Israel and wants to find ways to facilitate the ongoing mission. It is dangerous.
Evans after being extracted on orders back to Israel comes up with a plan to use an abandoned hotel with scuba diving to be a front to take refugees from nearby Sudan and bring them to this resort and then ferry them to Israeli boats. Ari is a risk-taker and he brings along a team of rebels (his known accomplices with required skills) to make it happen. Of course there is a villain who is a military commander who is ruthless in his dealings with the refugees. There is a cat and mouse game where Ari looks to fool the commander with his real intentions.
This was brought to my attention by a friend. It kept my attention and if only some of it is accurate it is a story that we didn’t hear about because it dealt with black African Jewish people. I am astounded at the level of investment in time, money and manpower in extracting these people by the Israeli government. Thousands ultimately were brought back to Jerusalem presumably to start new lives in peace. One wonders how well these people integrated back into Israeli society. I hope that they are doing well. Certainly I would expect that they would have sympathy with current events in Gaza as they have unfolded. It was good too to see Chris Evans do some more serious work.
Happy New Year! We enter this year with me being on the road. I have undertaken a trip to South America, from the north to the south covering 10 weeks. As a result I will continue to post given that I am away, as I expect that I will still have time to watch movies and write.
The Running Man: This is a remake of the original 1987 film with Arnold Schwartzenegger, based upon the Stephen King novel and directed by Paul Michael Glaser. At the time it was a rather comical tale with Richard Dawson (well know for hosting gameshow Family Feud, and kissing everyone) making this a strange story. The prospect of remaking this with Glen Powell as the lead named Ben Richards. I had very modest expectations for this. It ended up being better than I had expected.
There is a typical backstory provided with a nation still (even in the future) to address socialized medicine and a young couple have a sick child for whom they cannot afford the appropriate medicine. Ben Richards and his spouse have a sick daughter, and Ben has a personality that has anger management issues. He has been dismissed from numerous jobs because of insubordination. His spouse is already working two jobs. Surrounding him in this futuristic world are advertisements promising endless sums of money for participating in the reality TV gameshow where a contestant puts their life on the line. Richards despite his wife’s protests ends up deciding, or more properly, being manipulated into entering The Running Man which is the most intense, dangerous and rewarding of all of them. He is convinced by the executive producer Dan Killian, played by Josh Brolin who is absolutely everywhere these days. In a funny scene there is a movie on a screen shown and it has Josh’s father James Brolin in the role!
The rules are simple. Richards is given a head start, for which he gets a signing bonus, and must survive for thirty days. Each day he lives he must submit a video, deposited in a mailbox. Each day he lives he gets more money. Each agent that hunts him he kills he gets a bonus. No one has ever lasted the full distance with the longest being 29 days. Finally, everyone in society can be rewarded for sending film or locations of the contestants, which will be displayed by the show and the enthusiastic host. The contest each time has three contestants. They do not work together. This suits Richards as he is a loner, along with someone with a sizeable chip on his shoulder. Naturally the media used tells their own version of the story of each contestant to make the society feel compeeled to have them punished.
There are themes of TV looking for blood and not telling the truth, along with using all means fair and foul to keep the ratings high while expecting to eliminate the contestants in the more dramatic and bloody ways. Add in a society trusts completely in the media and judging those contestants without all the facts, along with the media being rich with all the beautiful people who keep the average person down and poor with no choice but to sign themselves up for these barbaric games. It is the Roman Coliseum all over again with high tech tracking them and sophisticated weapons to kill those involved. The final act was not what I was expecting, and it was satisfying. While I am happy that I was able to watch this without paying for a theatre ticket, I still was entertained. Not lost time and a better take on the Stephen King story from 1982 under pseudonym Richard Bachman.
Marty Supreme: This film has plenty of buzz surrounding it and it was just released on Christmas Eve. I saw an afternoon performance and the house was about a half full. Directed by Josh Safdie, and produced by him but also Timothee Chalamet it was a story based very loosely of the life of American ping pong player Marty Reisman. It was nominated for Golden Globes for Best Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Actor and Best Screenplay. Set in the 1950s in New York City, the story begins a young Marty Mauser working as a salesperson in a shoe shop run by his uncle. He is a good salesman. His Uncle recognizes his talent, and would like to promote him to Store Manager. Marty has different ideas. He is working only to pay for an airline ticket to London UK for the British Open Table Tennis Championships. Through circumstances, his Uncle looks to manipulate him by withholding wages to Marty, and Marty chooses one of many paths which the onlooker thinks isn’t his best choice.
You see, Marty sees himself and his talents as destined for much greater things. He is an early adopter to see the greatness of table tennis which is very popular in Asia as well as Europe. He is the American representative for the British Open tournament which shows that he has some considerable talent. It can’t match his ego and outward confidence. Marty feels that he doesn’t need to mind those he hurts and manipulates to ensure that he gets what is owed to him. He has a distant relationship with the truth in all of his relationships, both personal and professional. He talks very fast and in circles, often directly contradicting his own statements which are dismissed as easily as old clothes if it doesn’t help his present situation. It doesn’t seem to phase him how many people he hurts. In short Marty is not a likeable fellow. This holds true for others in the movie as well. He meets up with rich entrepreneur, played by Canadian Dragon’s Den personality Kevin O’Leary and his aging actress wife, played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Each of them are dispicable in their own way. Add to the cast there is Fran Drescher and Sandra Bernhard. I can say that none of these actors are people that I feel the need to spend time. It seems that all of Marty’s luck is bad, or at least resulting in unintended consequences, which puts him later in the film into a difficult situation where he is desperate for assistance. He needs to get to Japan to play for the World Championships. That requires money, and money that he doesn’t have. All his hustles can only get him so far.
Is this a Best Actor winning performance? I am not sure. It will garner a nomination in my mind without a doubt. But the challenge for me is the character itself. Marty is smart, but his intelligence is directed in ways that don’t suit him. There are some laughs within, but often they are uncomfortable as when Marty speaks his mind on people around him and where they fit into this life. For example, early on he reflects on a fellow Jewish competitor in table table, and brags that Marty will defeat this competitor in a way “that Auschwitz didn’t”. A curious phrase, and he feels entitled to say it because he, himself, is Jewish. Marty has a poor relationship with his mother, played by Drescher. No explanation is given for that. He has a young woman, played excellently by Odessa A’zion, who supports him in his questionable life choices but for reasons that are readily apparent and understandable given the times and her position. She thinks quickly on her feet and can seem to hold her own with Marty on many levels.
One curiousity for me is the use of 1980s music in the soundtrack from New Order, Peter Gabriel, Tears for Fears, and Alphaville. It flies in the face of the times for the events. It makes for an uneven experience. I also find that the final act didn’t really lay the foundation for the finale. Can a tiger change its stripes? This remains to be seen.
Jay Kelly: George Clooney stars in this recent release on Netflix. Directed and produced by Noah Baumbach, it also stars a very good ensemble cast including Adam Sandler, Billy Crudup, Emily Mortimer, Laura Dern and Stacy Keach. Clooney is playing a successful Hollywood actor (so basically himself) who is confronted about his past actions in order to get to his position. He has an entourage which includes Sandler (acting as his agent/manager) and Dern (playing his publicist). He also a couple of daughters who are almost launched, as the younger is heading off to Europe for a trip with her friends. Clooney is between movies, but about to start a new one when he thinks about trying to spend some more time with that daughter.
One of the first interactions Jay Kelly has is with a guy he knew when he was in acting achool and a starving actor looking for his big break. Played by Billy Crudup, Timothy approaches Jay and wants to chat, and Jay accepts the invitation for a drink and they end up at a bar. What starts out pleasant then becomes a little more prickly when Timothy speaks about a casting call that he had, for which he invited Jay to read with him, for which Jay got the opportunity. The scene is actually shown with the younger men. Life is filled with grey, and nothing is ever so cut and dried with a bad person and a good person. Instead a creative moment by Jay allows him to be further interviewed by the producers of the show. This launched Jay, Timothy faded away and needed to have a career change.
Other interactions take place while Jay heads out to find his daughter. The entourage of course comes along, and they drop everything and their own personal plans in order to do what Jay wants. They grumble under their breath, including Dern who speaks condescendingly about her boss. There is a pattern this year in film, where a successful father (in the arts notably) are having an opportunity to review their lives, or express themselves to those that they love through their art. We see this with William Shakespeare in Hamnet, also famous director with his daughters in Sentimental Value, and then this effort. Jay is shown as making sacrifices in order to reach the level of success where he stands. Powerful and successful people rarely don’t have such choices – and that often family life suffers with time spent with children as opposed to working on pieces of art. Jay by heading to Europe rearranges his schedule to attend a retrospective career tribute award, but he ends up there without family, without friends save for those who he pays to be there. As he says to Sandler “friends don’t take 15% of the earnings of the other friend”. It is a good performance. It is telling that Jay sees a number of occasions that he was not a trusted and reliable friend. He was always able to focus on his own interests which leads to a lonely outcome. There is a considerable, substantive, memorable body of work that he has done with his movies but for him it feels hollow. A fellow actor, the replacement actor for when Jay initially refused to attend the tribute, shows up with his wife, kids, parents for his big day. In addition to friendships, he is also shown romantic relationships. He had been married but he is solo, and he also had other women in his life previously from a role in a film. This may or may not have been a suitable partner for him. All this to say that this is worth checking out and your time. It is sad in a way, to have regrets, but it also human. However much someone may say that they would have made different choices in their life, it would seem at the time that these choices were made consciously. Would Jay Kelly feel that the life of his former friend Timothy would be satisfying for him? That question I will leave to the viewer to decide.
aka Charlie Sheen: This documentary is on Netflix. The subject matter is the former Hollywood superstar Charlie Sheen reflecting back on his life now at the age of 60yo. This high school drop out, entered acting and at the tender age of 21 years made it HUGE in the Oliver Stone Best Picture Platoon. Then in 1987 he starred in Wall Street, with his co-star Dad. He was one of the most sought after stars at the time, and all that it entails. His Dad, Martin Sheen, was also a star in such movies as Apocalypse Now, and also TV series The West Wing. Within his friends group, it included Sean Penn, Christopher Penn, his brother Emilio Estevez and Nicholas Cage. This was a classic story of too much, too soon, for the entitled Hollywood child. He just couldn’t handle it.
I was hesitant to watch this because I really didn’t feel the need to give attention to someone who has focused his efforts on tearing down his own life and self-destructing. Sure fame and money sounds glamourous and fun, and for those with a sense of control and moderation I expect that it can be. But watch other recent movie on Netflix Jay Kelly and you see what the entourage and the money brings. One is surrounded by “Yes People” who fascilitate your every whim, right or wrong. I learned a few things about Sheen in this, like he was a teenage Dad. He had a child just after high school. I learned about that close group of friends who have all been successful and that both Sean Penn and Nicolas Cage are not good influences. They have all done seemingly a lot of drugs. Sheen has just done more, and has the constitution to be able to survive it. Certainly he is talented, as one wonders how he can perform in Two And a Half Men from 2003 until 2011 (8 years) being a user of all the drugs and alcohol that he used. I did not watch the show, but I knew the premise. I was also surprised to see two ex-wives (Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller) on camera talking about their experiences in episode 2. Mueller I later learned is suing Charlie for over $15M in back child support which will perhaps bankrupt him. His Dad did not appear nor brother Emilio. But I do wonder what Charlie would have been capable of doing if it had avoided the drugs altogether. In the end, he seems to have seen the error of his way, although the smirk on his face from time to time belies that, and he wants to move forward in his life. Not sure who will take a chance on him at this point, but he has many lives, and he might use this to try and change his image and get back into the business. Only time will tell if this is the case.
Shame: I had an online discussion with a topic of Under-rated Movies, and someone listed the 2011 film Shame with Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan. I am a Michael Fassbender fan, as I think that he is an excellent actor who embodies the roles that he takes on. He is very versatile and doesn’t always do mainstream Hollywood projects. This would fall under this category. Fassbender plays Brandon Sullivan a successful thirty-something single New Yorker. He lives on his own with a good job. He also is a sex addict. It controls his life, in all aspects of it. In his relationships he is avoidant of true intimacy, and would rather pay for anonymous sex with a sex worker than spend quality time with a person of interest for him.
He also avoids his younger sister (Mulligan playing Sissy) who has been trying to reach him but to no avail and just ends up arriving unannounced at an inopportune time for Brandon. She is talented, interesting but also troubled, seemingly incapable of any type of long lasting relationship. They clash, as Brandon can be very belittling to her, tearing her down as she is cramping his lifestyle. Things happen which show time and again just how far Brandon has come with his addiction, and how he rebuffs quickly someone who can be a quality romantic match for him. His longest relationship is fourth months, and it is very telling about him. Both he and his sister suffer and comfort one another in their difficulties.
For young single men, this movie can also be a masterclass in being attractive to the opposite sex. Brandon, his boss and others on their team are at a local bar for after work drinks. His (married) boss identifies a woman at the bar with some female friends that he is attracted to. He makes it very clear to the attractive woman how he feels about her, laying it on thick in front of her female friends. Brandon walks by and makes light conversation, but shows that he is perceptive in knowing the attractive woman’s eye colour (which the boss failed to do). The woman dances with the Boss, at the Boss’ insistence, but is watching Brandon at the bar. In the end, it is Brandon who has a casual encounter with her outside the bar under a bridge. Check mate. I will also say that I wonder aloud how many male Hollywood stars would be going full monty in a movie with no body double. Needless to say Mr Fassbender obviously has no reason to be concerned. This movie does have plenty of nudity and sexual situations.
This was a very good movie. I am glad that it was brought to my attention, and I am not sure how it passed my radar back in the day. It is a very good cast, quality acting, a good story and thought provoking. It shows a very dark side of this obsession and its impact on the person who is consumed by it. When Brandon comes to a realization about his life and cleans up his apartment, you can see by the number of items thrown out that he has a real problem. This was definitely worth my time. Seek it out.
Avatar: Fire and Ash: I saw this in the theatre on the Thursday night of its new release. I attended an afternoon performance as the movie is a butt-numbing 3:17 long! The theatres won’t be thrilled with the length. It also has different formats, and although I saw it in a “base” model and avoided the 3D or AVX or other larger formats. This is a visual spectacle and certainly is worthy of the big screen.
I really liked the original Avatar that was released in 2009. I saw it in 3D and felt that this movie did an admirable job with the generally clumsy 3-D and glasses technology. It was a relatively fresh movie, with incredible visuals which pretty closely mirrored Dance With Wolves theme, while focusing on humans who have destroyed their own earth, and looking to mine the natural resources of a new world with a compelling mineral to be mined. Humans being humans (certainly white men) just bully their way through, take what they want, removing the indigenous population with no respect for their traditions and culture. They ignore the spiritual. Jake Sully with help was able to become an avatar and learn their ways.
I won’t recap the full second film, Avatar: The Way of Water, but Jake and his wife moves to another tribe on Pandora. It is a planet and there are different tribes of people who evolve with their natural world. Jake is a wanted man among the Sky People (the humans with all the machinery and technology and guns) and the new tribe isn’t certain about him being around. This new film really is more of the same. More humans acting badly, and never taking into account the culture or spiritual aspects of the indigenous world. For them, it is about money either mined or natural resources like the massive whale species in the oceans. The humans have a military presence, mostly led by Colonel Miles Quaritch who despite being killed off manages to be an avatar himself (don’t ask, as I can’t fully explain it). He wants his revenge. Quaritch manages, after a military setback, to craft an alliance with another clan of indigenous people, led by a fiery woman who worships fire, and resulting ash (thus the title of the film). She is a formidable ally once she sees the value of the human guns and technology.
Things carry on. There are epic battles which mirror the battles in the original. That’s the challenge for me. It all seems so familiar. We have been to Pandora. We have been awed by its natural beauty and creative creatures and plants. Notably I don’t see the dangerous land-based animals that are out to kill the people who enter their world. It seems that it is the military and the Fire Tribe who are the danger to those in the environment now. The oceans still have their fair share of danger. But one more time, nature in the form of Eywa, is asked to battle for the lives of the living creatures to defeat the human invaders and their machines. Fill in the spaces in between with some family drama, and issues about children (nature versus nurture) and paternity and it sums up this movie. The overall verdict? It didn’t suck but it didn’t add a lot to the Pandora universe. Jake Sully as a father is more military and catch phrases than a man well in tuned with his feelings and how he makes his children feel. I will say that his feelings in my view should carry equal weight, and the fact that he has been hunted almost all his life (certainly that life on this planet) might colour his view of the world. Certainly he has the most knowledge of the human military and how it thinks. Despite the borrowed adage from The Untouchables that one doesn’t want to bring a knife to a gun fight, it seems improbable that the natural world can put up a fight against the fire power shown by the humans and Fire People. It is a movie to see in the theatre for the overall visual spectacular and there are some stunning scenes, but the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze for me. This isn’t a Best Picture nominee and I don’t see any in the performances. I will add further that I am not anxious to be spending more time in Pandora for the fourth installment in this series slated for December 31, 2027. As a final note, I would like to see a lot less of Colonel Quaritch in the next film.
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You: There is a lot of luzz surrounding this movie, and the performance by Rose Byrne, as the best female actor performance of the year. I needed to check this out. Directed by Mary Bronstein, it is a modern story of a married woman with a child, who is nearing the end of her emotional and mental rope. Byrne plays Linda, who has a career, a young child, a husband and a life that could easily be described as “one battle after another” to borrow from another 2025 popular release.
We meet up with Byrne as she is dealing with doctors to address her child’s condition. The child is under treatment but the doctor wants the daughter to be gaining more weight. Mom and child are also in therapy. The doctors want to schudule a follow on appointment with just Mom. Mom has some challenges in finding a moment to think and when she isn’t being pestered about her parking, she is crossing swords with her own therapist (played well by Conan O’Brian).
Adding to her troubles, her apartment seems to be ganging up on her with an issue worthy of an episode in Breaking Bad! She and her daughter are moved to a dumpy motel by her landlord. For her career, she is a therapist and she counsels various clients (one who is having her own issues trying to cope with a new baby). Things happen and continue to escalate to dramatic effect. I was asked if I liked it, and here was my answer.
I think that Byrne played unhinged very well. She is a woman on the verge of losing her shit. Under a surface of smiling, she is raging inside. One might think that being a therapist might provide her some tools to deal with her many issues. But for every one, therapist or not, there must be a breaking point. This is a movie that is endured. It isn’t enjoyable, beyond the performance and recognizing that life (whatever your own personal situation) could be worse. Do alcohol and drugs help with coping? Absolutely not. I had wondered where her partner was, as they had periodic, cryptic and nasty text and telephone exchanges. The answer comes in the final act and it helps puts some pieces together. I am extremely sympathetic for the lifestyle that she and her husband lead. I think her outburst at the doctor meeting that is set up is absolutely spot on. I feel that her child is a nightmare, which may be understandable but there is no discipline or following through of any kind, with a textbook example of this taking place in a car ride wide a surprising result.
I do think that men and women would be judged differently with behaviour such as hers. Whether fairly or unfairly. I also think that, certainly in the US with access to guns, in quite a few cases this would end with an active shooter, if a man was subject to such stresses. I will say that I have never delivered a child, and I do not know the changes mentally and physically that take place for a woman who delivers a child, or later has a sick child. I am in no position to judge. I will note that I do know what having a sick child can mean, and the impact it has and I can relate with that. Everyone deals with stresses differently. I can say that lack of sleep can absolutely impair one’s judgement, with once again alcohol or drugs also not helping in a positive way. This is NOT a comedy (or a musical) despite what the Golden Globes might say. I respect the work done. I don’t think that this is the Best Actress winner.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery: I heard about this at TIFF this September and it was just released on Netflix. Directed by Rian Johnson it has an all-star cast including Daniel Craig as southern private detective Benoit Blanc, Glenn Close, Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, and also Josh O’Connor who was excellent as Prince Charles in The Crown. Knives Out mysteries are created like Agatha Christie Who-Dun-Its where multiple people have motive, and someone ends up dead. Detective Blanc enters and works to solve the mystery.
This is a complex plot and so you must pay attention. So many things are at play, with the primary story being the murder of a small town priest (played by Brolin) who has a small but committed flock, each with their own challenges. A young priest (O’ Connor) joins the parish at the insistence of his superiors in the church, and has some of his own ideas about faith and what is best for each of the members of the congregation.
For me, I was able to figure out some of this, and I would defy anyone to fully put it all together. As the final act was entered and we hear the detailed explanation of what happened, the whole thing seemed so very convoluted. It spins and spins and spins, with consequences that anyone would have a difficult time anticipating. The performances are good, with Glenn Close sticking out. I liked Josh O’Connor too as the young priest. Josh Brolin as the over-the-top priest makes his point, while looking to accomplish his own goals. But he certainly finds ways to make plenty of enemies as he proceeds. It was good to see Jeremy Renner, post his real-life accident back on New Years Day in 2023 being run over by a truck. In the end, I suppose that my expectations were high on this, all the way back to September, and yet the end result was decent. It was okay. There were some good laughs for me in this for certain situations. But overall, I was glad that I didn’t pay for this at TIFF or the theatre.
Do I think that this is a precedent for things to come in the event that Netflix takes over Warner Bros? Maybe. But I do believe that there is a place for movies in the theatre. I think that the element of being focused with no distractions is incredibly important. I also like (generally) being around other people to experience the movie together. Top Gun, various space movies, spy thrillers like Bond or Bourne, epics like Jaws or Lawrence of Arabia should be seen on the big screen.
I am so very sorry to read the shocking news from last night that acclaimed actor, director Rob Reiner (78 years old) and his wife Michelle were murdered in their Los Angeles (Brentwood) home last night. Reiner was “Meathead” in All in the Family as an actor, and he was the director of such films as This is Spinal Tap (sequel coming shortly) and other classic movies like Stand By Me, Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery and A Few Good Men. They together leave behind three children. Rob had a daughter with first wife Penny Marshall. What a senseless tragedy.
Train Dreams: This is a new release on Netflix, and stars Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, William H Macy and Kerry Condon. It is an impressive cast. I had heard a positive buzz about it as well so I wanted to see this. Sadly I was disappointed. Set in the northwest of the United States at the end of the 1800s, when the Spokane International Railway was being built. Edgerton plays ordinary labourer Robert Grainier who keeps mostly to himself, being mostly a loner, having some modest skills with carpentry as well as logging. He meets Jones playing Gladys and his world turns into a marvelous life with purpose. He finds a plot of land, and starts building his dream life with his dream girl. A daughter comes shortly thereafter. Gladys and daughter stay behind while Robert works logging, which is hard work in difficult circumstances. It is also dangerous work with little regard for safety, but rather a focus on building the line as fast as they can.
On the work site, Robert meets up with elder demolition man William H Macy (Macy blows up trees and makes way for tunnels). He has been in his role for many years and doesn’t do the backbreaking work any longer. He is too valuable and old. The two men speak of life and simple pleasures. Things happen both at the job site and to the family that I won’t detail here. Suffice to say that Robert has some hard knocks delivered to him.
Somewhere in this movie about a simple guy doing ordinary things there are much deeper life lessons. Okay. It is like me thinking about the average soldier at a castle in Europe and how he would be feeling guarding a wall, and looking out into the black for night after night, week after week. He isn’t anyone famous, nor part of any battles of note. He does his work, he takes his shift and returns to his life. This is Robert. The story is a glimpse back in time, and one of the messages I take away is that I was glad that I was born in this time rather than that. Robert lived a difficult life, exhausting and what did he get for it? Yes, as the title suggests he has some dreams, but these can act as fillers to potentially show what may have happened in circumstances where Robert simply is in no position to know. It was slow and when it ended I thought, “is that it?” And it was. Having said that, there are some very pretty pictures with quality cinematography. The forest, trees, skies and sunsets are lovely. I am unclear what lesson was gained by having the Kerry Condon character meet up with him. I did not come away from this thinking that this is one of the best films of the year. I have seen a couple recently, and this one wasn’t it.
Sorry Baby: Eva Victor directs, stars and wrote the screenplay for this movie which can be found on Appletv. It was listed in both the NY Times and Rolling Stones lists of Best Pictures for 2025. I wanted to seek it out given all the positive buzz with it. If a movie is meant to be springboard to thinking about the ideas and issues presented, I can say that this is ably accomplished. I had a couple good conversations about overall theme and individual scenes within it. Separated by chapters which are entitled with the phrase “The Year of [insert the notable event]” where the opening scene is The Year of the Baby. Further chapters are entitled “The Year When The Bad Thing Happened,” “The Year with the Questions,” and “The Year of the Good Sandwich”. We have two friends in their mid-twenties meet up to catch up on their lives. One is Eva Victor (playing Agnes) and her buddy Lydie (played by Naomi Ackie). In seemingly rural New England in a university town where Agnes lives and works they meet at her house. It is evident that they are very connected and close. The next chapter begins a series of events which happen prior to the Year of the Baby.
I won’t go further into the events that become the turning point for Agnes. What transpires is a thought-provoking review of the issues surrounding these events. It includes discussions at the university where two female members in the HR Department pay Agnes a visit. Another scene involves an awkward discussion from a doctor, and later a scene during a Jury Duty interview where Agnes had attended. There are some funny moments and lines, bordering on black comedy. It can lighten an otherwise heavy subject. For the jury duty in front of a judge and prosecutor, Agnes makes salient points reflecting her wishes and most desired outcome which isn’t how our system of justice set up at all. What can seem as an innocent encounter can turn into something very unexpected having long term consequences.
For me, I found Agnes to be a socially awkward person, who with most people seems to keep to herself, looking away and not fully engaging. It is true that we first see her with her friend post the Bad Thing, and we did not see a lot of her before it. But we also see that she does move forward, certainly in her career on the university faculty, but also in relationships (notably the almost equally awkward neighbour Gavin, played by Lucas Hedges). Clearly the event has had tremendous effect on her, as she can run from hyper-ventilating and being extremely anxious to showing her capably working in her classroom full of students, where she is provided with excellent feedback. Overall the issue at hand is well handled showing a real-life, authentic realistic portrayal, and while everyone would experience this differently, sadly it will be experienced by far too many people. Watching it, I took it all in but it was upon more reflection and discussion that I liked it more. Certainly all parents would like to protect their children from all the bad things within the world, but this is simply not possible. For me I have not experienced such circumstances but I know plenty of people that have admitted it to me that they have. It is a surprising greater number than I would have ever expected. This is worth seeking out, and certainly young women should see the murky waters that can be explored. Having said that, I don’t feel that this movie is on the same level as other recent more compelling stories including Hamnet, Sentimental Value, or One Batter After Another. For me those are the front runners.
2000 Meters to Andriivka: This PBS Frontline Special documentary was brought to my attention from a friend. I thoroughly enjoyed it as it was powerful and provided me with insight into a war that has been mostly ignored from a media perspective. Politicians like to discuss cease fires and find a way to end the conflict by imposing plans onto the Ukrainian people without paying attention to those on the front lines in the battles. This film is a small group following a group of Ukrainian soliders from 2023 looking to make a counter-offensive to regain some territory that the Russians had taken previously. It is a strip of forest in a larger field entering into a small town which has been almost entirely obliterated. Fighting is intense, and as the young soliders say they don’t talk about time, they talk in meters to the target. The language is salty, for these young volunteers. The battle utilizes machine guns and grenades offensively against mines, tunnels, machine guns and mortars (along with the occasional suicide drone strike).
The young men are brave, and adament that they will defeat the Russian invaders. When they get an opportunity to face them, they are quick to ask Russian soldiers “why are you even here”? Back in the 1970s, the Viet Nam War was on TV all the time, with casualty and injured statistics on both sides. This war, despite all the technology and internet, there is very little coverage of action. No reporters with cameras, no Life Magazine colour spreads at all. It is important in my mind to remember that ordinary citizens put their lives on the line in this conflict. People are dying, towns and infrastructure are destroyed, and for no reason. For lines on a map or the political leaders’ agenda on his own legacy. I have utmost respect for those that fight for their land, identity and families. It is evident that they are fierce fighters and won’t be going away anytime soon. I especially feel for mothers and families that are burying their sons, husbands, and fathers. There was an interview with a man in tunnel taking shelter and he is 46yo, with a wife, children and grandchildren. 46yo men were not fighting in WWII. Not on the front lines that I have ever seen (nor as evidenced by tombstones in various cemeteries). So this is must watch TV for those who want to inform themselves of this conflict and humanize it. No matter what the result I don’t forsee peace in the region if ANY of the Ukranian territory is given back over to Russia because of their unprovoked assault on a soverign nation.
Hamnet: Sometimes a movie can provide a fresh new perspective on a familiar story. In this instance it is a new surrounding story about William Shakespeare and his life along with the creation of the masterpiece tragic play Hamlet. In truth I will admit that from high school many years ago that I didn’t like this play. For me it was infuriating because of Hamlet’s inability to act; he suffered from analysis paralysis in exacting revenge for his slain father. That, of course, was the point and the tragic flaw for the young Prince.
Along comes director Chloe Zhao and the interpretation of the bestselling book from Maggie O’Farrell (unread by me). It starts with a young Shakespeare (played excellently by Paul Mescal) meeting up with a local girl who is known for being strange and “of the forest”. It seems her deceased Mom was known for being the same. The girl is played by Jesse Buckley. The two begin a relationship that moves along quickly. They are very attached and children arrive soon after. A daughter, named Suzanne and then twins (Hamnet and Judith). These are the actual real-life offspring of Shakespeare himself. I won’t delve further into the plot developments to avoid spoiling important aspects of what occurs. The family is well connected it seems, with loving parents and a caring rural community. The story continues and culminates in the final act with wife attending in London for the first performance of her husband’s new play.
This is a remarkable film with tremendous performances. The people involved are real. They act authentically and show real emotion when life happens to them. They struggle and are creatures of their times. Shakespeare has a strained relationship with his father, who wishes his son would take up his the family business rather than engage in this theatre nonsense. His mother played by Emily Watson struggles with the bohemian attitudes of her daughter-in-law. His wife is a rebel, which was an endearing feature about her when they courted. There is such emotion with these characters as they interact, and we see much like the recently reviewed Sentimental Value that a father who spends much time away from the family can express to those he clearly loves his emotions and how the events have impacted him through his work. Shakespeare as father is reaching out and reconnecting to show that he cares and he sees those he loves, despite protests to the contrary. Jesse Buckley in my view with this performance has won the Oscar. It is excellent. Such emotion. Such devotion and dedication. She shows a woman who struggles in her times while balancing motherhood and pressures of her family (including in-laws) and station. She suffers herself with the relationship with her mother. The scenes in the final act at the theatrical performance are just excellent as we see how the words of the play can reveal so much more if viewed from a different lens. In short, go see this. I have lamented that Hollywood is not creating enough human stories (unlike more independent and generally European filmmakers) but we have Steven Spielberg (who is as Hollywood as it gets) executive producing this masterpiece. Go see it. Immerse yourself in an emotional story that just may have you seeking out Hamlet one more time.
Jurassic Park Rebirth: My goodness this was bad. It was unnecessary. I had such low expectations too. This is the seventh movie in the franchise. It is remarkable to think that this is the case. For me only the original Spielberg movie is memorable. But that aside there was a discussion in the movie between Scarlett Johansson, playing a mercenary project manager, and a paleontologist (who studied under Alan Grant from the original film) who talks about dinosaur bones and packing up a museum display. It seems according to him that “people don’t care about dinosaurs any more” and “exhibits that once would have had huge crowds are now having few visitors”.
For me Johannson is out of character as a cut-throat mercenary with dubious morals about international laws who simply seems to be in the movie to fill out a tank top. Yet surprisingly she also seems to grow a conscience very quickly after initially agreeing to an enormous sum of money for completing the task at hand.
The task is to retrieve real live blood from three types of dinosaurs (air, land and sea) in order to study their hearts to produced an expensive “cure” for heart disease. The bad guy is “big pharma”, personified by actor Rupert Friend who is as slimy as you would expect. This team must go into forbidden air space where the dinosaurs have limited environmental conditions to sustain them, which makes them filled with the dinosaurs and dangerous. The team adds in (Mahershala Ali) to the team, and then by happenstance a family (father, two daughters and a young boyfriend) who have their sailboat have an encounter with the very large sea-baring dinosaur. Ironically of course it is the one that Johansson and team seek out. The challenge through all of this is that it has been done before. Sure some of these “engineered” dinosaurs which were made at a facility on another island are bigger and more strange but they aren’t new, nor exciting. It is much the same again and again. Even the star power involved can’t save this effort. I saw this on a plane and I am glad that I didn’t spend any real money on it. This is a hard pass for me.
Black Mirror: I am steadily going through each of these episodes. Some I have liked more than others. Generally I like them all as a collection of individual stories. Each stands on their own with the Star Trek theme USS Callister having a follow up sequel which was itself excellent. The last couple I have watched were the space themed Beyond the Sea in Season 6, and within Season 3 both Playtime and Nosedive.
Beyond the Sea stars Josh Hartnett, Aaron Paul (who I haven’t seen much since Breaking Bad ended) and Kate Mara. The two men are astronauts heading out for a long journey. Technology has been developed, almost like The Matrix or Avatar where by sitting in a special chair the man’s consciousness can be transported back to earth. On earth there is a synthetic version of him to interact with his wife, kids and environment. It keeps the astronauts grounded and helps the families to cope for the time that has a husband away in space.
Something happens to one of the synthetics on earth and his family which was unforeseen. The other astronaut and his wife decide to help him out and share some time back on earth. Without giving a lot away, this episode goes places that was unexpected for me. It is a dark place but very satisfying. The acting is good in this episode and generally in the series as it attracts some big star power. I liked this and it certainly makes one think about technology and benefits as well as unintended negative consequences.
Nosedive stars Bryce Dallas Howard and Alice Eve. They live in a world where, much like today, every interaction one has throughout a day is rated on a 1-5 scale. See the picture below, does this look familiar? The added feature is that the scores are compiled and the person then becomes the sum of their ratings. The higher the number, the perception is that the person is better. At least more desirable. But it also becomes the basis for discrimination. A person whose scores are trending down is shunned by those around them.
Howard lives with her brother but wants to move out into a place of her own in a desirable neighbourhood. She is sitting at 4.2 and pleasant with those around her. In order to get into this new condo and obtain favourable financing she needs a Person Score of 4.5 or higher. It is a challenge. A potential solution presents itself from old friend played by Alice Eve. She is getting married and the party is all exclusive 4.6 and up. If Howard can deliver a killer speech as Maid of Honour from higher pointed people, then her life would be (in her mind) better. Things happen from there that conspire against her. It was good. It makes me think from time to time now about whether I want to rate a particular transaction.
The next episode was Playtime where a young man with a strained relationship with his Mom heads off suddenly to travel the world. After some globe trotting near the end of his trip he is in London. He meets a young woman who he finds out works for a gaming company. They sleep together and the next day he is out looking for cash for his trip home but his bank card has been hacked. He needs money for his last few days. He meets back up with the young woman and she recommends he test out some next software from this well known company. He decides to do it. The game being tested is virtual reality which includes a temporary technology attachment to the back of your neck. The device engages with your memories as part of the simulation. Things happen with interesting consequences for the affable young man. Although not the strongest episode it was still worth checking out.
Nuremberg: I had recently rewatched the excellent 1961 film Judgment at Nuremberg in anticipation of going to see the latest movie Nuremberg being released with the excellent cast of Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, Leo Woodall and Remi Malek. The prior all-star cast movie addressed the secondary trials that were undertaken after WWII in bringing judges and other notable people to justice for their participation in the atrocities of the war. This movie deals with the trial of the Nazi High Command still living just after the war was over in May 1945. The trial was of second-in-command Hermann Goering, Rudolf Hess, and others. In total there were 23 defendants. As part of the team overlooking the inmates, there was brought in a psychiatrist, Douglas Kelly (played by Remi Malek) who was to ensure the mental stability of those to be tried.
The US had pressed for a formal trial to be undertaken by the victorious Allied forces for the actions of the Nazi government, which the Allies had just realized had been unlike anything ever done in human history. The death camps with the extermination of 6 millions Jews, plus many others was outside any action previously done. The world wished to ensure that an independent body founded in international human rights laws could bring to justice people who were responsible for such unspeakable acts.
Within this film there is footage from 1945 of the conditions at these camps as found by the Allies when they were being liberated. This footage is disturbing, but necessary for everyone to see. To his credit General Eisenhower made a point that film, pictures and eyewitness accounts should be taken of the concentration camps as they were and ordered that the US Army Signal Corps, along with other politicians and prominent people, see the camps for themselves and report on them. He foresaw that in the future there could be those who would deny that any of this had ever taken place.
For me the story with Malek and his efforts muddies the story unnecessarlily, and he takes actions that I find quite surprising (especially when interacting with Goering’s wife and child). The focus should not be him, but rather the prosecution and defense of the Nazi commnd. Sadly, unlike Judgment at Nuremberg, we do not see the defense lawyers and their arguments. Those are addressed early by the wife of Robert Jackson, the lead US prosecutor. For me, another couple aspects that stood out include that unlike Goering, Hess did not receive a sentence of death by hanging. Rather he received a life sentence, and he lived until he was 93 years old. Also, the underlying view that the world was changing, and the power dynamics had shifted from Germany to the Soviet Union and that the Western Allies realized that Germany would be an important future allie against the Soviets one day, which tempered the retribution potentially of the Nazis. I will say that it was important to bring home the point that the Nazis were human, and they didn’t have any particular gene or trait that made them monsters versus others. Rather it is pointed out that the victors get to judge the vanquished, and the Americans in bombing Japan with two nuclear weapons on women and children were unable to take a high ground and judge what the Nazis had done. Moreover, in a recent visit to Dachau concentration camp in September near Munich, the actions and propaganda of the Nazi party are eerily similar than what we are seeing from the majority authoritarian Administration in the US. Yes, it’s not Hitler, but most of the marks of a fascist regime in setting up such a system are well under way.
After the movie was over, I wanted to see whether the examination of Hermann Goering actually took place, and you can see from below that it did. For the movie, rather than showing the interplay with lawyers, it becomes the psychiatrist against the narcicisst (Goering) who believed that he would be walking free from the proceedings.
This is not an awards movie. But I do think that this is a good reminder in these times that we set up International Laws and Tribunals to review the actions of States that act like they are above review and reproach. The Rule of Law internationally is as important as it has ever been, and yet no one seems to be stepped up and looking to have it review current worldwide conflicts. This is a movie that people should see, if for nothing than a reminder of how shocking The Final Solution really was.
Sentimental Value: I had seen some positive buzz about this movie, released just a short time ago in limited theatres. It stars Stellan Skarsgard (who seems to be getting better and better at his craft as he ages despite suffering a stroke in 2022 which impacts his memory and ability to remember lines), Renate Reinsve (from The Worst Person in the World) and Elle Fanning. The movie is split between English and Norwegian with subtitles. I welcome quality acting and storytelling like this, which reflects on real, authentic human relationships, and in this instance family relationships. It covers themes like father and daughters, family trauma, communication and very real dynamics which are universal. For me, being an older person, it impacts me (I think) more deeply as there is more history in my wake, with marriages, children and notably a daughter.
The very beginning of this story speaks to a quaint, distinctive old house in Oslo. This has been a home for generations of the Borg family. We learn about some of those previous owners. Presently in the house, Skarsgard plays a well known director, Gustav Borg, who is attending the wake of his ex-wife, and his two estranged surviving daughters (Nora the elder, played by Reinsve, and Agnes the younger). Dad wishes to reconnect with his eldest daughter, who is an actress by bringing to her a new project which he says was “written for her” and would be perfect for her career. She flatly refuses to work with him, and continues performing on the stage, where she can struggle with her stage fright and emotions at times that we see. Younger daughter Agnes has a husband, and a 9yo boy. With Agnes, who had acted in Gustav’s last film project from 15 years ago as a child, Dad wants to have some more family participation. His new screenplay is very family focused, yet not completely autobiographical. The movie continues.
What I liked best about this film, and I really liked it, is that it shows the family details with conversations that are stilted and superficial and never addressing the underlying issues. There are smiles and knowing glances between those watching an interaction but there is tension. It doesn’t seem to get better. The hurt continues. Gustav is a director focused on his own needs and wants and paying little attention those around him. He is charming to strangers and persists strongly with his girls to pressure them to do what he wants. The women daughters are pleasers, who suffer while generally being compliant. They keep many thoughts to themselves, even when then strongly object to an approach. Elle Fanning plays an American Hollywood star who attends a viewing of the previous Gustav film at a Festival and approaches him about doing something “more substantial”. Fanning plays a surrogate to daughter Nora for the movie project, which Gustav is also planning on shooting in the house where the girls and the family had lived. This movie isn’t for everybody, and I think younger viewers could struggle with the pace. However they might gain some insight into how they perceive their own parent. This remains a really good film and I am glad that I saw it. It sticks with me as I think through the ways that it reflects back on my own life. Good cinema does this. It can mirror circumstances that you may have experienced before and allow you to see them for different angles. There isn’t really a “truth” per se in family situations, but different perspectives. Ultimately your parents are still your parents, and as the saying goes “blood is thicker than water”. Family carries on and the hope can be that it may cause pain, but still also provide love and support which can carry one through tougher challenges.
Black Mirror: I am steadily working my way through this series. I was least enthused about Fifteen Million Merits, which addressed a Britain’s Got Talent, X Factor like game show where participants are vying for a chance to be offered a dream job. The story addresses people who ride bikes to earn merits, and then an enormous amount of merits are needed to go on the show. The twist was surprising by the payoff didn’t really work.
However, I was very excited about two further episodes entitled Be Right Back and San Junipero which were both very good. Be Right Back stars Hayley Atwell and Domnhall Gleeson and addresses grief. Once again technology is used to provide a backdrop for a moral dilemma. But the technology they speak about isn’t too far distant in the future (at least initially in this episode). I thoroughly enjoyed this from the performances to the story and the dilemma involved.
I also enjoyed San Junipero starring Canadian Mackenzie Davis and Gugu Mbatha-Raw. This is another relationship story with an awkward woman (Davis) meeting up with a more wild woman. Together they build a bond in a unique place, as Davis learns to come out of her shell and be her authentic self. Well worth seeing.
I actually rewatched Mackenzie Davis in Terminator Dark Fate and once again was pleased with the story in this franchise. It takes an off ramp on the original John Connor story, and becomes more about the strong women involved in this time including of course Sarah Connor, being played once again by Linda Hamilton. I still stand by my review of this movie from back from November 4, 2019.
Blue Moon: Ethan Hawke stars in this movie directed by Richard Linklater. He plays Lorenz Hart in 1943 who was a very talented musical lyricist, who worked alongside the more famous Richard Rodgers (of Rodgers and Hammerstein fame). Hart worked with Rodgers for over 20 years, having met him in 1919 until Hart’s death in 1943.
The film opens with the death of Hart, drunk on the streets of New York and dying of exposure. He was an alcoholic and suffered from depression. Going back in time, the movie then goes to opening night of Oklahoma! which Rodgers worked with Oscar Hammerstein. Hart goes to Sardi’s bar/restaurant, a New York institution, and chats up the bartender, a piano player and another patron about this lovely young woman that he has met. Later on, Rodgers arrives, played by the excellent Andrew Scott, who makes time for Hart, but who can be seen to be increasingly uncomfortable in engaging further with him. Rodgers found Hart to be too unreliable with his drinking and attendance in working sessions, but still recognized the brilliance of the man with the words and ideas in songs. Songs which they worked on include “Blue Moon”, “The Lady Is a Tramp”, and “My Funny Valentine” among many.
The film is really almost a one-man show for Hawke. In an interview he described that his good friend and director Linklater had challenged him with this role, and said that he didn’t want to see any of the typical Hawke mannerisms. If he saw any, he would stop and do it again. Hart was a short balding man at around 5 feet tall. Hawke is 5’10” and so they had to do some camera tricks to make him this short. It was noticed but done well. Hawke captures an annoying, talkative, know-it-all person who was just sleighted by his collaborator in creating a memorable work without him. It is a divorce in a way. To Rodgers’ face, Hart gushes about Oklahoma, but behind his back and with others he condemns the piece as not reflecting the midwest or current values of the day (wartime USA). Hart rambles on about the young woman, who he talks about his love for her (despite those in New York scene thinking that he was actually gay) but one wonders whether she feels as he does in return. She arrives and we see how it plays out. Despite being an alcoholic, we see that Hart didn’t have a great deal of fortitude to keep the drink from running his life. It seems the part of him that made him an excellent lyricist also made him an insufferable human being. Having seen this past summer the most excellent play Good Night Oscar about an appearance by another addicted and talented pianist Oscar Levant, I could see a number of similarities between the two. In the end I think that Hawke was excellent here and it should garner a Best Actor nomination. The movie was only 1:40 long, and yet at times as an audience I felt like Rodgers in that we were spending more time than I wanted with this odd, talented, strange man. I am glad that I saw it.
Frankenstein: This is the new Guillermo Del Toro interpretation film recently released both in theatres and on Netflix. It was at TIFF this past September. It stars Oscar Isaac as the scientist Victor Frankenstein. I will preface my comments to state that I do not profess to be a Frankenstein expert in any way. I have never read the Mary Shelley book, but back in 1994 I did see the version of her story on film with Robert De Niro playing the monster and Kenneth Branaugh as Victor. I truly do not remember it. To be fair, this is 31 years ago! So this review is not going to be a comparison with that film, nor a detailed review of how this film diverges from the original material. This movie will stand on its own.
Del Toro has a certain style of film, and he tells certain stories. There is a Making Of documentary on Netflix as well which is a good overview of the filming process and his creative mind. Del Toro speaks about himself and stories that shaped him, and Frankenstein as well as Pinnochio were two stories that impacted him the most. Not surprisingly these are his last two movies, and both have been on Netflix. But both stories explore the relationship with fathers and sons, along with creators and their creations. Gipetto wanted a son and created one. Victor wanted to extend life or cheat death and created his monster. Del Toro wants to make films about people “who are full of villainy”. That is an interesting lens.
This is filmed beautifully, and once again in Toronto for much of it, in the studios on Kipling and they made and filmed the ship on the Docks area near the waterfront. The sets are detailed and the costuming is excellent. It is a period piece with it separated into three Acts, with the Victor story, the Monster story and then the final Act with them back together. Early on we see Victor’s young life with an overbearing father Leopold, played by Charles Dance from Game of Thrones fame, who berates the young Victor and treats his mother horribly. Victor becomes obsessed with making a mark on the world and science. The acting is good with Isaac, but add in Dance, Christoph Walz as the father of the fiance (played by Mia Goth) to Victor’s brother named William. Jacob Elordi plays the monster, and he has initially a very physical role and then he obtains more vocabulary to speak on his own behalf. The monster has abilities that simply belie explanation from a biological perspective. So on that front, this takes away from overall believability. I was also surprised that Victor in interacting with his creation, decides to treat the monster horribly, berating him for his lack of language skills. He shows no kindness, no joy in completing his lifetime ambition, and this perceived requirement for perfection before showing the world the achievement. So then the monster then becomes more monsterous, and begs the question about nature versus nurture.
Overall this was competent, and shows the love of the material by Del Toro. The movie byline is that “Only Monsters Play God”. There is a desire to create sympathy for the monster with mixed results. The final message reflects onto those who live in miserable cirsumstances and have no real way to escape from it. So where does it fall in comparing with other more recent horror/thriller movies? Is it better than Nosferatu which I would say that it is the closest comparison? I think that they are both decent efforts. This is not a Best Picture nomination for me. I don’t see acting honours in here either. As a movie available on Netflix, it is worthy of an evening to watch a talented director show one of his favourite stories.
Black Mirror: It was recommended to me that I check out some episodes of this series on Netflix. It was a British series at first from back in 2011, but then Netflix got involved in five further seasons from 2016 until 2025. It was recommended to me that there were a few episodes to start me out and see if I liked it. The first one was in this latest season (series 7) and the episode entitled Eulogy with Paul Giamatti. Think of this series like a modern day Twilight Zone with a more technological bent. There is a theme from the few episodes that I have seen which utilizes a technology that will interact directly with our minds and memories.
In Eulogy, Giammati plays Phillip who is a bitter, angry older man who lives on his own. He receives a random phone call with a name that was initially not familiar, and then he recognizes as a former girlfriend. It turns out that she has passed away. He is asked by the mysterious voice whether he has any memories or something that he would like to add to the memorial/wake proceedings. It can be pictures or memories, and to assist Phillip is offered to put on a small metal disk on his temple to explore the memories. Music can help. Pictures help as he can be brought back into those pictures (literally) and talk about that moment in time. What begins as a cursory review for Phillip then digs deeper and we realize that he knows this person Carol more than casually. It was a serious relationship. We come to realize that this was likely the most significant relationship in Phillip’s life and that there are lessons still to be learned. It is so very well done, and I would recommend this to anyone, especially older people, who have a past which covers relationships and lost loves and crossroads where paths were taken and others were not. We can see that the same set of circumstances viewed with both parties in mind, and their attitudes can shape things very differently.
I was then told that if I liked that, which I very much did, that I should watch an early episode in season 1, The Entire History of You and also a dating episode from Season 4 called Hang the DJ. Both were very thought provoking, and shows in a critical aspect of our lives (our relationships) how technology can play a part, in both a positive way, but also negatively. Imagine upon first meeting someone that you could press a button on a machine, and it would tell you the length of that relationship in hours, days, or years. Intriguing. Both are worthy of your time.
Then I was told, if I liked the original Star Trek with William Shatner to check out from Season 4, episode 1 USS Callister with Jesse Plemons and Cristin Milioti, from Penguin fame. Then in Season 7, there is a follow up episode (Season 7, episode 6) entitled USS Callister: Into Infinity where I will say that Cristin Milioti really shines. Together this could be a feature film. There is star power here in the acting but it is also a compelling story.
The “real world” has a new immersive video game, using the metal disk technology on the temple, where game players can enter a Star Trek-like world. The players enter this RPG (role playing game) and create an online persona. This digital version of themselves moves around that world and interacts with others. If you are a gamer, you know very much what I am talking about. These episodes explore what happens when these lines are blurred, and where a nefarious character with questionable scruples decides to manipulate others without their consent. I will leave it at that, because the result is a thrilling and fascinating exploration into the issues that are raised. I am very pleased that I was introduced to this series, and I will continue to review more episodes. I have been told that it can be hit or miss, but mostly quality programming. Check it out.
Mondays With Robbie 