August 23, 2017

As I am pouring over the latest TIFF schedule and listing of films for 2017, yesterday I managed to find at the library a copy of last year’s TIFF Top Pick, LaLa Land. I had vowed that I wasn’t going to see in the theatre nor spend money on a musical on film as previously discussed. In short I have found Hollywood’s attempts to generate a buzz about this genre to be less than successful (even when such films were awarded the top prize for a film during that year). The Artist, Chicago and others of late have not resonated with me, even when I had seen the film on stage (Chicago was seen by me in London).

Now with Lala Land we have the story starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.

I think I entered this film with an open mind. There was the hype to be sure and all the awards, but I was looking forward to it. The story is a simple one; aspiring actress is frustrated by the whole Hollywood scene, when she meets frustrated jazz pianist (Gosling) who wants to revive the dying jazz clubs and music. I did like the bright and colourful costumes and sets. They showed joy and positive energy when so much around us can be down and dark. There are a couple cute scenes. The music I felt was good, with some catchy songs. Still this didn’t excite me, and I wasn’t enthralled. I found the singing ability lacking, and in some cases hard to hear the voices of the leads. They aren’t singers. Not in a Russell Crowe or Peirce Brosnan horrible way, but not accomplished singers. And perhaps that is one of the frustrations, is that there ARE triple threats out there who can sing, dance and act. Ryan Gosling has confidence in what he is doing, it is true, but I don’t pretend that he is playing the piano. Some of it, yes but much of it is done by others I suspect. His dancing was competent but he wasn’t channeling Fred Astaire. It is a bit forced. Like the relationship between the leads. They don’t have electric chemistry together. Alison’s description about Emma Stone’s face is right on point. The math just simply doesn’t add up. She is not very attractive; she doesn’t have a killer body; she is not a singer as we have established; she is a decent actor. Her turn in Birdman as the daughter was one of her better performances, and garnered her a Supporting Actress nomination. She is quirky and simply just doesn’t do anything for me. That she WON the Best Actress award for this just floors me. If you have seen Elle, Isabelle Huppert who won the Golden Globe had a better performance. I suspect Stone won for her song performance when she auditioned for the movie in Paris, and that song about her aunt. Still I remain perplexed. In the end the romantic in me was not satisfied with the ending, but then again that was a twist that was to be expected I suppose. It made sense. There are paths that we all choose to take and they direct our lives and have consequences. The same holds true here. That we have a review of a different path and how things could have been just highlights one of life’s truths.

Despite the gaffe at the actual Awards with Warren and Faye fumbling with the wrong Best Picture card – I am pleased that this did not win. It wasn’t the Best Picture, but then again almost a year later neither was the winner Moonlight. The movie that I will remember best, and re-watch for last year will continue to be Arrival.

July 31, 2017

Last day of July, it is hard to believe really. But movies keep being released and Netflix keeps posting more films as well.

I saw War for the Planet of the Apes in the theatre this past week and it didn’t disappoint. The reviews have been good all around for this third installment of the rebooted series. The performances are good and Andy Serkis plays Caesar very well with equal leader and parent. A leader wishing for peace for his kind but one who has very human struggles internally and externally to contend with. My minor quibble with this is how they are trying in their own way to connect with the original POTA from 1969. Some is clever like an explanation for how humans become mute. Others though like Nova and Cornelius are more troublesome since the timelines just wouldn’t sync up. At least not from the original. Caesar and the Lawgiver were long since dead and buried for centuries before Taylor ever crashes into their world. But besides these minor issues this is not just a shoot em up film with endless battles. There are aspects borrowed from Apocalypse Now, channeled in many ways by Woody Harrelson. Also The Great Escape and further Schindler’s List. Add to that a little political commentary about building walls and there is a film that covers much territory. This reboot was well worth viewing and the effort.

I also caught on Netflix Toni Erdmann which was a German film nominated for Best Foreign Film and was at TIFF. It is a father and daughter film with an aging Dad and his older busy daughter. She is working on an outsourcing deal which will cut many jobs with plenty of office politics. He wants to get a glimpse into her life. I heard that Hollywood wants to remake this. It troubles me where I imagine that they would take it. The story here is subtle and touching and you have two complex people just sorting through things. There are some very funny moments. And moments that at times you think are just improbable. But I enjoyed it and wished I had seen this at TIFF. It didn’t win the Oscar. Worth checking out as well.

I read a glowing review of Valerian and it surprised me. This was not on my radar. But maybe it should be. Not sure.

I did start Miss Sloane with Jessica Chastain last night too. So far so good. She plays a driven, hard hitting lobbyist. It has the look and feel (and actors from) The Newsroom.

July 24, 2017

There was a recent be a story that a veteran from Calgary wanted to attend the film Dunkirk as he was there when it happened. He came out praising the film and realism. I will add my voice to many who have sung the praises of this film. Christopher Nolan has put together an excellent war picture that builds on the previously successful stories like Saving Private Ryan. He accomplishes this by using a story with multiple tales that in quite a few cases overlap. You need to pay attention to ensure you stay straight on this mostly linear storyline. He also in many cases keeps the dialogue to a minimal including the opening sequence with a young man running through the streets and onto the beach.
This is gripping, intense and emotional. It is scary. But scary because of the realism and randomness of war. As German attacks begin on British and French troops lined up like bowling pins along the desolate beach (with no cover) you can sense the anxiety. And fear.
I didn’t notice the Hans Zimmer score as much here as I did in Interstellar. But I did notice the high pitched buzz like in Batman as things began to ramp up and tension is rising.
This is worth seeing on a big screen. I did not see in IMAX but did in AVX. I fully expect that there are a number of awards that this should garner. Maybe even Best Picture. Maybe even Best Director. Performances are very good with Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance and Kenneth Branuagh being notable. Few female characters at all. Rylance is so very good once again following his Oscar performance in Bridge of Spies.

Episode 2 of Game of Thrones thankfully was better than Episode 1. Somebody at long last has put together the idea that the dragons may be useful against the white walkers. There are also alliances being forged that seem inevitable and necessary. Battle lines are being drawn and it is going to get interesting. The production value here is remarkable.

July 17, 2017

I have some commentary on a number of fronts today. First a further comment about expectations and how they impact one’s viewing and filter on a film or show. After much anticipation and reviewing of the previous final episode Game of Thrones returned last night. It was in a word underwhelming. Very little seemed to happen and it was more of a set up for the rest of this short season. I am hopeful that it gets ramped up quickly. Although I will say that the looking to mine dragon glass isn’t an episode I look forward to much. My memory of the past episodes can be fuzzy and I wonder about Danny in that war room that looked like Stannis was there previously – I just don’t remember the dragon stuff everywhere. More to come.

I saw Baby Driver in the theatre last week. It had some positive reviews but I knew very little about it. It had Jon Hamm (Mad Men) Jamie Foxx and Kevin Spacey. Add to this a young unknown actor to me as the baby faced driver. There are times when it becomes almost a music video with dancing and choreography. They almost lost me with that. But the underlying story about a young boy (Baby is his name) who keeps to himself and suffered a horrible accident when he was a child is compelling. He “owes” Kevin Spacey’s character and drives with various crews to pull off bank heists. He meets a girl and the story moves on from there. I like the performances. Some over the top a bit but it held my attention. Unlike GoT I didn’t have anticipation or preconceived ideas on what I was about to see and how good it will be. That helped. It is worth a viewing but likely can be seen on Netflix or TMN with not much lost.

I found Off Camera a show that interviews various celebrities and I have watched almost four. Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Chris Pine and almost finished Lake Bell. It talks about the movie industry and the experiences of these actors. I was interested to hear about the commitment to the craft and unfailing belief that they would be actors. There was no Plan B and they knew at around age 8 or earlier. Damon and Bell both wrote screenplays to create roles for themselves. Pine’s parents were both working actors – Dad was the sergeant from Chips Tv show. I didn’t know that. He is so grounded. Damon too. So I will continue to watch as I see others who intrigue. There are plenty more seasons than those on Netflix. It seems that Pine of those four had the easiest path since Star Trek came to him fairly early on and he has never looked back. Lake Bell dominates conversation and really is a one person show all herself. She wrote, starred in and ending up directing In A World.

July 10, 2017

Have a few movies to review with a recent trip on an airplane to California. There were a few to choose from as well as another watched on Netflix.

Draft Day – Kevin Costner doing his thing as the GM of the Cleveland Browns. Alison had previously reviewed this Ivan Reitman film. Plenty of name dropping and known NFL people on this draft drama. It is predictable and decent.

Logan – watched on the plane. Still don’t get it. X Men in this are basically dead. But we have this new group of kids all “mutant” in their own way. The little wolverine girl kills at least 50 people with razor fingers ablazin’. So violent. Not sure what to make of it, but I won’t kill any brain cells worrying about it either.

Beauty and the Beast – the live remake with the wrongly cast Emma Watson, who can’t really carry a tune and with a story that is supplemented with new and unremarkable songs. There are a couple small twists but really just window dressing. The original animation film was captivating, and deserved to be left alone. As far as I can tell, this is just a cash grab. I like Kevin Kline, but I don’t think he either was cast properly here. But then again, I may be too focused again on the chubby, eccentric father figure in the original.

Suicide Squad – the most disheartening aspect of this movie is the ending where they clearly indicate that there will be a sequel. But why? Jared Leto, you’re no Heath Ledger. All the shiny dental work and green hair doesn’t give you that sense of foreboding that Ledger created. The performance is just a little too over the top. And that holds true for the rest of this crew, who really is a modern day (and mutant style) Dirty Dozen. But the Dirty Dozen was a better film, and the underlying story was better. Our villain here is weak as a personality — but then again, who is possibly left who can mount any formidable attack against all the super-people flying around and destroying cities. Damn NYC gets hit a LOT! Their re-building and construction costs must be astronomical. Anyone working in those office buildings better back up their files, and take their laptop home . Just in case.

June 26, 2017

This week was a Netflix week. I saw two films.

Vacation – minus National Lampoon is a sequel of sorts to the original Chevy Chase Vacation from long ago. It even has unrecognizable Beverly D’Angelo in a brief appearance. Rusty has grown up and has a wife and two kids. He gets pushed around but as an airline pilot he is doing okay. His wife (Christina Applegate) goes through the motions. Rusty decides to take his kids to Wally World on a road trip. The family goes along but barely. Then the hijinx ensues as they befall on one piece of bad luck and another. There is much Adam Sandler type humour here and not unlike the original. I was never a fan of Chevy Chase and this movie doesn’t make me nostalgic. It was mind candy. There were a couple of guffaws but that was about it.

Moana is recently added to Netlfix and this is a Disney animated film about a Polynesian girl who is uncertain about who she is and what her destiny is. She has an overbearing father (don’t they all) who tries to keep her focused on land and at home. Grammy is a little more savvy and adventurous and knows the family’s roots and traditions. She meets in time Maui, voiced by The Rock and he was just fine. He has the smarmy cockiness required of a Demi God. Together they have an adventure worthy of Disney and worth the time to check out. It has emotion and some twists and turns but doesn’t stray too far from the familiar. In the end you are glad to have met Moana and seen some of her beautiful islands.

June 18, 2017

I have to admit that during the viewing of Cars 3 that I was looking for handles on the car doors. All of that continuing the silly but satisfying debate on whether humans inhabit the fictional world of Cars on any level.

Here is Pixar who have become the pillar of animation excellence milking a story for all the coin it can get. All very true. They are also milking one of the current themes touched by many movies these days (like Wonder Woman) around equality. And more specifically gender equality.

I still don’t like Owen Wilson. His voice grates on me and likely because every time he speaks I see that oddly shaped object in the centre of his face 🏻

The romantic side of this film is back burnered. Remember the budding romance between legal baby blue Porsche and Lightning? Anyway instead this film focuses on an aging champion racer being challenged through technology and younger competitors.

There is quality animation throughout. The story turns a couple of times but nothing is too shocking. In the end the boys enjoyed a visit back to Cars land. I was entertained but the story won’t stay with me nor will I feel the need to purchase and re-watch this (I never purchased the first and best in this series). But there are worse ways to spend time. For a night out and getting a young boy away from the computer screen and games this is effective.

June 12, 2017

This past weekend I went and saw Wonder Woman. On the whole I have to say that I was entertained. I will say for me Lynda Carter is and has always been Wonder Woman. But Miss Gadot did an admirable job. She has a terrific smile and she is very expressive with other emotions. She and Chris Pine seemed to have good chemistry as well. The female cast on the Amazon Island was well thought out and Robin Wright with longer hair shows strength and determination despite a lousy accent.

My challenge with the film was in the selection of the bad guy. If you have not seen the film, I won’t go on at length about it. But suffice it to say that the helmet was a tremendous improvement in badness. Sometimes casting makes all the difference in the impression about the character, and maybe that was the point. But I remain unconvinced.

In the end it was fun. It had a couple of laughs. I liked the theme about a powerful woman (from an island with only women) who joins early 1900s and is relegated to a second class citizen. It isn’t lost on me that a scant 100 years ago is when this takes place (nearing the end of World War I). We decided to see this rather than The Mummy which is what I gather the rest of the movie going public did as well. I cringe at the thought of this whole Justice League thing, although not as much as the resurrection of The Mummy, Dr Jekyll, The Invisible Man, Frankenstein etc.

June 5, 2017

I had every intention to go see Wonder Woman at the theatre with youngest son and girlfriend but the weather was better than expected this past weekend, so we didn’t. I would rather see WW than Captain Underpants anyday, despite Underpants getting better reviewed on rogerebert.com. So I have been catching up on Netflix.

First was Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Kids, where an impressive cast is given little to do by Tim Burton and his team. The one review summed it up by saying that it is X-Men meets Groundhog Day. Eva Green plays a headmistress for kids in a house from 1943, and each of the kids is “peculiar”. In other words they can be called mutants. although none of them puts on spandex and thinks like a superhero. Samuel l Jackson plays the baddie here with some enthusiasm, but in the end it made little sense. I can’t really recommend.

Chappie was a horrible mess. Set in South Africa, with the look and feel of District 9, this is a story about a robot that is programmable and a group of low-life thugs who want to use such a robot for their bidding. The catch is that Dev Patel, who is the creator, has the robot re-boot and start in a child-like state. The robot has to learn – to speak, to do things etc. It is slow and painful. The mannerisms of the robot become comical as he parrots those who influence him. In the end I had no connection with the robot, nor anyone else.

Sophie and the Rising Sun. Set in 1940s South Carolina where an Asian man is dumped from a bus heading south and becomes the centre of attention. He is taken on by a woman with a garden and he assists with this. This is a made-for-TV quality film that shows the small mindedness of people and once again the atrocities of how asians were treated during this time. Small towns and small minds.

Much of my time is catching up on series that I have not seen. Season 6 of Downton Abbey, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Yes, the series, like it’s Christmas and New Years setting, finishes up with a bright red bow tied up around it, and the stories have all a feel-good quality about them. New relationships, new life, second chances, and all have a smile on their faces. Maggie Smith is so good in this, but also a quality supporting cast. I simply don’t agree with the finish for Mr Barrow. And Edith becomes a much more interesting character than her sister.

I began watching House of Cards, with a new season just released, and have finished the first season and started Season 2. Kevin Spacey is so very good. I like that he interacts with the viewers to explain who he is dealing with and what the strategy with that person. His looks are precious. But we also have a character, and a wife capable of anything where the end justifies any means. Claire his wife, played by Princess Bride Robin Wright is the Lady Macbeth to his ambitious king. It is fun and fascinating to watch. I will continue to plough through Season 2.

Saturday May 20, 2017 – Alien Covenant

Alien Covenant. Saw this on Thursday. In short I enjoyed it. I think it does a very nice job of tying in with Prometheus and making more sense of a story that was quite disjointed. Girlfriend who has never seen an Alien film thought that there were some “scary moments”. I would agree. So no spoilers just sit back and enjoy. I think the re-watching of Prometheus will prepare you well.

I think that Michael Fassbender was very good here.

I also watched Extras in Prometheus and others (Alien and Aliens) and think there are some parts that could have made aspects of Prometheus more clear. I will likely see Alien Covenant again or at least get the blu-Ray.

Here are Prometheus extras:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHUhjTo16i8

Now that it is Tuesday and Alison has seen Alien: Covenant I can add a little more commentary here, without spoiling too much.

First, these deleted scenes would have been helpful in Prometheus. They provide some colour and background that are necessary to better understand Peter Weiland and his ambitions. It also talks about the goals to wipe out all human based religion. The one interesting thread of Alien Covenant and Prometheus that comes through for me is the idea of a God, and what meeting and knowing about the entity that created you can do. Weiland believes because he can create a living robot, that he has become a God. In Prometheus, David seems to have a moment of clarity with his Creators (or Engineers if you prefer) when he was speaking to Dr Shaw’s boyfriend, when he was at the pool table. David seems to be disappointed, and he puts the black goop into this man’s glass knowing that he will be changed forever.

Then the events unfold as they do in Prometheus and David and Dr Shaw leave to go and try and find the Engineers. Dr Shaw wanted to know why the Engineers wanted to destroy them, David has other plans with his alien ship payload.

Then in Covenant the opening sequence again builds on David speaking with Weiland. Weiland had believed that by being a God that he would live forever. This was not the case as he found out. In Covenant, David in his discussion with Weiland talks about his God (Weiland) dying whereas David would not. He wondered aloud about that fact, to which Weiland changes the subject for some tea. David is exploring this whole aspect of being a God, and creation, and what it all means. His ideas just don’t have the frail human body as the highest level on the hierarchy.

For me, the beauty of Covenant is how this aspect of the story is moved forward. It was so muddy in Prometheus, but it was picked up and carried forward in a way that made both movies make more sense. Along the way, sure we had some scary bits and some adventure, but at the core it was the search for the Divine, and explaining creation. Interesting too that the James Cameron contribution to the Alien story in Aliens of the Mother Alien is utterly dismissed. The eggs aren’t created and birth by another Alien. Ridley Scott keeps firmly to his own vision.

I know that, like Prometheus, I will see Covenant more times. I will pick up on more to be sure. I will have questions, for example, why would they need James Franco to “play” the Captain of the Covenant, but I will see and pick up on more details. But in the end this movie worked for me. And was enjoyable and I walked away, as you can see, thinking about it further. Another movie of course is to come. I look forward to it.