December 30, 2024 (Bye 2024)

This is the final posting for 2024. I have to admit that I feel as though this was a weaker year movie-wise. Funny that it has been a strong year in TV series on the various streaming services. Today I will review one of both. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and all the best to one and all into 2025 – already a quarter of the way through 2020s! Five years removed from COVID scarily enough.

Priscilla: This 2023 release from Sophia Coppolla is the story of the life of Priscilla Presley with Elvis. It is based on the 1985 memoir Elvis and Me from Priscilla herself. Starring Caelee Spaeny (previously unknown to me) and Jacob Elordi as Elvis we see the arc of their love story and relationship. Elvis met Priscilla in the army when he served when he was 24 and she was 14 in 1959. For those of you who are parents, let that sink in. Priscilla’s father was a Captain in the Army, with a wife and two children. Elvis was already a rock n roll star, with plenty of tabloid coverage for his relationships. The parents rightfully and notably recognized this creepy age gap, but Elvis was nothing if not persistent and willing to convince her parents that he was honourable. The parents relented over time and Priscilla was flown to be with Elvis on numerous occasions. Sometimes, she was rebuffed when he was filming some of his movies. There were long stretches of time where they were not geographically close.

They dated until 1967 when they got married and they remained married for six years until 1973. A relatively short marriage, but it was certainly eventful. Elvis was by no means the ideal husband or partner. He was grooming her from the beginning in how she dressed, her hairstyle and (to his credit) focussing on her education. He also introduced Priscilla to pills that would help one sleep, or keep you awake. In the film he is shown giving her a pill upon her arrival at Graceland to help her sleep and she didn’t awake for two days. The drug use was prevalent. Through the tabloids, Priscilla was able to see Elvis being seen with co-stars like Nancy Sinatra and later Ann-Margret who was alleged to be engaged to him. Tensions clearly escalated over this, which Elvis was shown being angry and dismissive of Priscilla. The relationship didn’t improve with the birth of daughter Lisa Marie.

I have to admit that I think that Austin Butler plays a more convincing Elvis than Elordi. I felt in the movie that whenever there was a tension building moment that the soundtrack took over and replaced the dialogue that should be taking place. It was a common occurence and was a distraction. Clearly Priscilla loved Elvis, as it was her only romantic relationship in her formative years. There are scenes when Elvis is rebuffing physical intimacy with her until he decides that the “time is right”. I don’t really know a lot more about Priscilla Presley after viewing it. I frankly don’t understand his motivations in being with someone so young when he was so famous, so wealthy and could be (and was) with anyone he chose to be with. He would have had women thowing themselves at him all the time. Priscilla ignores this for a time, but eventually sees it for what it is. I cannot recommend this film, as I really don’t feel that I got a lot out of it. No real revelations come fromit, save that Elvis was a man who very much liked very young women. Priscilla had a long life post Elvis, and is still busy to this day in her late 70s.

Black Doves: Is recently released on Netflix, and stars Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw (Q in later James Bond) and Sarah Lancashire (Julia Child in Julia series). It is a spy thriller, which seems to be all the rage between The Day of the Jackal, and The Agency, along others and I am also catching up on Slow Horses, with Gary Oldman. So what is a Black Dove exactly? Well you learn about it over time, as like a Slow Horse it is a term of art. Basically it is a group of spies who gather intelligence information and then sell that information to the highest bidder without any discrimination on who the purchaser may be. Keira Knightley is a member of the group and we learn her backstory as she gained skills to become a more lethal spy. She is married with two kids, and her husband is a current Defense Minister in the UK government. He wasn’t always that way. Knightley has a complex relationship with her husband, and she had a lover who ended up dead in an apparent professional hit. Knightley wants to know who killed him, and hunt them down for pure revenge.

Lancashire is Knightley’s boss and leader of a small group. She is concerned about Knightley’s relationship and her commitment to vengeance. It may have put more eyes on her with the wrong people. Things happen. Intrigue gets deeper as we uncover not only what happened with this lover, but also the backstory for those involved. Ben Whishaw plays Sam Young who is a Trigger Man, also known as an assassin or hired gun. Lancashire brings Ben in to oversee and protect Knightley. They have history together. It’s a good friendship where they look out for one another and will do the necessary. Ben taught Knightley her combat and weapons skills. The story moves along with Knightley balancing a political killing with a Chinese diplomat ending up inexplicably dead, with fingers being pointed in a number of directions, including the US CIA and the British. Other hired killers get involved, and as supporting actors the two female killers lead by Williams (played by Ella Lily Hyland) are a quality addition. Not only do they provide some comic relief, with some very clever writing, but also some needed assistance with some later more involved activities which in some ways are reminiscent of John Wick.

I really liked this as it got more and more involved. Knightley is put in an extremely difficult position and she takes that situation to the next level not allowing herself to be a pawn on a board. She ensures that people who threaten her or her family quickly learn that this is unacceptable. All the while she needs to protect her feelings which are complicated. I think she does an excellent job at portraying this and is equalled in the task by Whishaw battling his own character, with his background against a desire for a relationship that defines him. All six episodes were entertaining and kept me engaged. I recommend this series.

December 23, 2024

September 5: This new release written and directed by Swiss born Tim Fehlbahm. It speaks about the day when Palistinian terrorists infiltrated some of the Israeli rooms in the Olympic Village and demanded release of 200 political prisoners held in Israel. If you think you know this story, you likely do from the previous Steven Speilberg 2005 film Munich starring Eric Bana. The difference is that this movie focuses on the ABC Sports TV team who covered this story during the second week of the 1972 Munich Olympics. It also focuses on the production team at ABC for that 24 hour period from the initial hostage taking to the resolution that the local military airport. The movie interlaces archived coverage from the actual broadcast with host Jim McKay and the actors in the control room.

The team features in real life was Roone Arledge (played by Peter Sarsgaard), Geoff Mason his producer (played by John Magaro) and also Peter Jennings (played by Benjamin Walker). There are many others with various technical roles who contribute, along with a German technician who beomes more and more important as understanding the commincations among police orgaizations and news stations becomes more important.

For me with a son in the TV business now, I was fascinated at the processes taken to get a picture to the screen. We take for granted now all the computer graphics on the screen. These didn’t exist in 1972. There are satellite uplink times shared by numerous networks, hard tapes from large and heavy cameras which need to be developed, viewed and edited. Rotary dial telephones are needed to be patched into live feeds to allow the host to speak to a reporter in the field. All this gets created on the spot. Meanwhile, the unthinkable is happening with this unexpected attack by a radical group on the athletes with shots fired in the Village. The German police are inexperienced and with little training for a situation like this. It was not their finest hour. The situation continues with plenty of tension in the control room with plenty of external factors. No one seems to know just how important this series of events is playing out on the world stage.

We were at a showing where they had members of the cast and crew responding to questions from a moderator. Sarsgaard spoke about the human ability to compartmentalize, that even after watching something utterly horrific (like a man with a gun pointed at his head) we can shift back to a sporting event and cheer a good play. This ability has been honed especially these days with an inundation of news and stories, but it is shown for dramatic effect as the Olympics continued while the hostage taking was going on and competition still took place. The post script of the film talked about 900 million people watching the coverage of this. They make the argument that this is the first time the world had watched a news event live like this. I disagree. I think the shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald in November 1963 was one of the first times this occured and later in 1969 the world watched the moon landing. So in 1972, there were many times when this was happening. Part of the allure for the terrorists is knowing that there would be coverage. Overall, the was an engaging and entertaining film. 51 years prior to the atrocities of October 7, 2023 we replay a terrorist attack by Palestinians against Israel. I think is well worth watching, although I am not sure this is a big screen movie. Check it out.

The Ultimatum Season 3: On Wednesday, the final episode and the reunion show were dropped for this forgettable season. The final episode showed the remaining resolution for the four remaining couples out of six. Two as you recall had left early and left two other singles lingering without partners. I have to admit that I was surprised with two of the end decisions. It doesn’t matter which of the two it was.

One of those decisions was remedied in the Reunion show. Still this is a show where so many of those who participated appeared to be nowhere near ready to be married. But it’s really a wonder why such couples would want to put themselves and their relationship (which is clearly coming to a decision point) before the whole world to see. Sadly this group had a couple of people who were over-the-top troubled and it impacted not only their experience but also of those around them. The premise is flawed which I have talked about before, as it makes no sense to put strangers in a living situation for a Trial Marriage in order to assess their current relationship. So while this is mind candy and senseless TV for me, this is a season and a group of people that I didn’t need to spend time with.

December 16, 2024

Emilia Perez: The Golden Globe nominations were announced this past week, for the award ceremony that will take place Sunday January 5th. The awards are for both film and TV. This Netflix movie lead all nominees with ten nominations, which is the most ever for a film surpassing Barbie a year ago with nine. The nominations include Best Musical or Comedy, Best Non-English Picture, Best Female Actor (Karla Sofía Gascón), Best Supporting Actress (Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez), and Best Director among others, including two songs. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, knowing nothing about the premise.

The first big surprise is that this has singing and dancing in it. It is mostly in Spanish. Who knew that Zoe Sandana could fluently speak Spanish, along with singing and dancing? Certainly not me. The overall premise is one that I won’t share in detail, but basically there is Saldana who is a bright criminal lawyer in Mexico City, Mexico. She works hard and has other more senior lawyers take her arguments and use them (not as well as she could) on behalf of the firm’s clients. But she is a bit disillusioned. Life for her is not very fulfilling with too much work and not enough personal life. A chance meeting puts her in a position to take on a new client who will pay her handsomely for assisting with a super-secret project that this client is looking to undertake. The temptation is too great to pass up, but the audience wonders just what this will entail. Things happen, and the project is a success.

Fast forward and this client is looking in many ways to have their cake and eat it too. The underlying message being that one cannot ever fully escape their past. With the follow on message that if you live by the sword, you die by the sword, however much you look to start afresh. The client and Saldana both observe this lesson first hand. As an aside, I am surprised about the Globe nomination for Gomez. She was a singer in her past. Much of the role is not a stretch. The story overall is an interesting premise, although certainly not universally applicable, as the fact situation is very specific and I would think, in a word, unique. I guess the singing is also novel as a way to communicate the plot, with the thoguhts and feelings of those involved. Should this be the most awarded film ever in Golden Globes history? No. Then again, the awards are now more comprehensive adding different categories like Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, which I think is a way to try and reward those films making tons of money like Top Gun Maverick or Barbie. Curious though that Dune II didn’t get a nomination for this but Alien Romulus did. This is a party after all, and you want unique and plentiful guests to encourage viewership. With Dick Clark productions acquiring Hollywood Foreign Press, there is nothing but ratings to seek. This movie being in a musical category helps it. I do not see it as the Best Picture for the year.

Masters of the Air: This Apple TV series has nine episodes. Brought to us from the Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg producing tandem that created Band of Brothers for HBO back in 2001, which remains one of the best war-time series and movies in recent memory. This story focuses on the airmen who were bombing and protecting Britain during the Second World War. Starring Austin Butler from Elvis fame, and Barry Keough in some earlier episodes in this is a true-to-life telling of the stories of these airmen. The final episode shows a number of the principal players with pictures and post-war descriptions of what had happened to them, and how old they lived until.

It took me some time to get through this as I am not an Apple TV subscriber. Rather I saw some early episodes on a flight to Europe and then managed to find someone with a subscription where I could finish it. I am glad that I did. Time and again, over and over there are stories of very heroic young men who are about the same age as my youngest son. I think about the risks, the responsibility, the character and courage of each of them as they faced one day after anther in war time. The youth of today, and even the younger version of me cannot fathom this level of stress and anxiety. We have labeled it, they lived it. Of course, many came back broken men who were a shell of their former selves. PTSD is a real thing. So many came back with mental scars and addictions to alcohol and other mind-numbing substances. But they were facing a worldwide threat to a way of life. They saw foreign country after foreign country fall, and chose to setp up for what they believed in. The early bombing missions into Germany were hell as they had to fight through barrages of land based shells, but also in the air. Dogfighting with German fighter planes, while trying to deliver a bomb to a target. They were heroic, and they found a way to do the job required.

I don’t put this on par with Band of Brothers but it was better than the follow up The Pacific from 2010. I like that there is an effort to retell the stories of these men at the end of their lives. Each of them has a story to tell. Of course there are women, and women who made great sacrifices and contributions to the war effort. But generally these are the men fighting in the planes, and on the front lines. Most of the actors are unfamiliar. But they each do an admirable job at bringing forth a life unknown to most but a few family and community members. As a father, the stories hit home harder, as I think about having my children in harm’s way. But I am glad that I watched this, and I encourage others to do so. If for nothing more than to understand that 2024 is 40 years since 1984. And that 1984 is 40 years since 1944, when D-Day took place and the invasion back into France. The beginning of the end for the Nazis, who fall a little over a year later when they gave up air superiority, and the bombing of their industrial complex wiped away their ability to wage war. This is worth your time.

Interstellar: Remarkably it has been ten years since the first release of this Christopher Nolan film, starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain and John Lithgow. It has been re-released in theatres and I saw in IMAX on Friday night. Knowing the story well, this experience allowed me to more soak in all of the sub-plots and other aspects to it. Upon first viewing ten years ago I downloaded the Hans Zimmer soundtrack that I regard as one of the finest sound tracks anywhere (the use of the organ is just excellent). From the first moments of the film, it creates the mood of the entire film. There are times in an IMAX theatre when the seats shake at the deep music. Time is a key theme and this is fully explored. This is also visually stunning and and a sound sympthony, as the space ship goes through a worm hole and past a black hole, and shows us in detail a plausible argument on what it can all be about. And it is all just an argument and conjecture. Nolan loves to play with time and Einstein’s theory of relativity is given a good workout as it is explained, and how such a thing a time slippage can take place. How does one hour on a particular planet equal seven years of Earth time? Gravity.

But space aside, this is a also a very deep personal movie, with a father taking on a mission which can impct the whole world, while leaving behind his own two teen children. There are no easy choices. How do you separate one’s own desire to do what you are feel you are born to do, and wish to do, against spending time with your kids and watching them live and grow? The scenes on the Mann planet with the discussions about survival instinct, care for one’s own family versus humanity overall are very poignant.

This movie was nominated for five Oscars, all in sound, music and visual effects. Hans Zimmer did not win the Oscar for this, rather The Grand Budapest Hotel did win. The only win was Visual Effects. This is the year Birdman won the Best Picture Oscar.

If you haven’t seen this movie, then see it where it belongs in all of its grandeur. If you know the film, but want a refresher check it out. This is a movie that deserves to be seen on the big screen with big sound. It is a remarkable achievement. Some of Christopher Nolan’s best work.

December 9th, 2024

One Day (series): Netflix has released a 14-episode series based upon the book by the same name from writer David Nichols (unread by me) and is a retelling of the story from the 2011 film starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess (also not watched by me). I came into this series fresh, having no knowldge about it, which I think made it more impactful. The story is a romance set in the UK set over 20+ years as these two young people go through their lives, and how they intersect with one another from time to time.

The couple initially meet at an outdoor party in the main courtyard of their university in Edinburgh Scotland. They meet, they walk and talk with the conversation bringing them back to her apartment. They talk some more but are not intimate with one another. They part ways. Then the story, which has some episodes as short as 25 mins, becomes similar to the Neil Simon movie Same Time, Next Year, where we see where the two are each year. This carries on for twenty plus years.

I found that this started off slowly, but the viewer is richly rewarded for the payoff in the last couple episodes where the emotional groundwork has been laid. It seems that this couple is living the Blue Rodeo song Bad Timing, where they are just off. The performances by both of the leads is compelling. We see two people who are real, authentic and flawed. They both spend time trying to find a direction for their lives, with troubles, challenges with families, friends and each other as well as other romantic relationships. It is all very real. The writing is good. I like how despite being separated emotionally and geographically at times, they manage to find a way to connect. They also have direct impact on shaping the life of the other, bringing forth their own observations about their friendship and the person. They both have an ebb and flow in their lives. One can be struggling while the other is finding their stride but then life happens and things change.

The last couple of episodes definitely make the early episodes worth it, with an emotional connection coming forward that was a surprise. Having no knowledge of the story or prior movie, this benefitted me. What I can say is that I think that this is worth a second viewing for me. I think that I will see more, knowing the arc of the story. Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall as the stars have done an excellent job in showing range and growth with these two characters. I expect that there is more work coming from the both of them. Definitely worth your time.

The Day of the Jackal: In 1973, the cerebral British actor Edward Fox starred in the movie based upon the best selling book by Frederick Forsyth. This is a remake of that, and an updating of the story with a cat and mouse game, with a rogue unaffiliated assassin (independent and not part of KGB, CIA, MI6 etc) being tracked by a UK investigative service. The original movie surrounded a plot to kill French President Charles de Gaulle. This effort updates this to a German industrialist looking to be the Chancellor, and later an internet guru with a new tool that is meant to show transparently where money is being hidden throughout the world. Think of it as a target like an Elon Musk who is changing the financial world with a tool soon to be fully released.

Eddie Redmayne plays the Jackal, who leads two lives. In one he is a secretive, known assassin earning millions of dollars for each target. In the other, he is a quiet married man with a young child living in a small town in Spain. He travels a lot and is away from home plenty. His wife isn’t happy at his frequent need to be away during family events. There are many pressures on the Jackal, including a client who is refusing to pay him for the work accomplished.

Redmayne is a master of disguise in many ways like the earlier episodes of Mission Impossible. He researches, he emulates his targets and finds way to get close to his targets. He also has managed to obtain a rifle which allows him to make long distance shots that are unparalleled in history.

These long distance shots are the beginnings of tracking him down by British Intelligence, who are concerned that a rifle like this to allow the shots could be manufactured in Britain. Lashana Lynch plays Bianca, who was in the latest James Bond film No Time to Die. There were rumours back in 2021 that she might actually take on the Bond role, and was actually named 007 in that film with Daniel Craig.

I have finished the first three episodes that have been released. So far I like it. I think that they do a good job at showing the tightening noose for the Jackal. Circumstance seems to find a way to bring the Jackal out of his comfort zone, but the money offered ($100M) is just too rich to pass up. It is early in this series, but it is compelling enough for me to keep watching.

The Ultimatum Season 3: This was just dropped on Netflix and they have not released all of the episodes. This is another buuble gum season of quasi-reality TV where a number of young couples put their romantic relationships on display for all to see and scrutinize. One member of the couple has given an ultimatum to the other; marry me or move on.

The results are predictable with plenty of tears and drama. Of course the flaw in this experiment, is that you have couples who at times have been together for two or three years. They head to this show, and then are expected to split, quickly date others only in this small circle, and then match up in a “new trial marriage” complete with meeting friends and family. How odd? Why get parents and friends involved? They barely know these new people, and they are expected to be living with them. Some aren’t even living with their current partner! The difference in this season is that we have a number of participants who decide quite suddenly that they are not prepared to participate any longer. This leaves a couple of the newly paired people to be on their own, stewing in their own juices. One of those people is a 38yo artist Nick who gave the ultimatum to his 27yo girlfriend Sandy. Sandy is embracing her “new marriage” and this sets Nick tailspinning out of control. Seems he “never expected” that this would be the result. He’s the only one! So this drama continues and further episodes aree to be dropped later this week.

December 2, 2024

Gladiator II: A couple years back when I had heard rumours of a sequel being made by Ridley Scott for Gladiator, I had thought to myself, how can their be a sequel, Maximum (the Russell Crowe Gladiator) had been killed. It was a fitting ending to a good story, well told. I quibbled a bit with the CGI, especially of Rome and the Coliseum as it looked more from a video game than a Hollywood movie, but the film’s performances overshadowed some of the challenges. I was tempering my enthusiasm, as best as I try to do with highly anticipated movies like this one because in the back of my mind is that I don’t want to build it up in my head such that it cannot meet the expectations. I entered the theatre hoping for the best, thinking “I hope this doesn’t suck”.

Well sadly, this was not was I was hoping for at all. Did it suck? I wouldn’t go that far, but I would say that it is a story not worthy of the original, nor Ridley Scott. First of all, however much Russell Crowe is not “in” this movie, his image and finger prints are all over it. I hope that Crowe gets paid for his 2000 image being used so often. The only two original actors in this version is Derek Jacobi (as a senator) and Connie Nielson (who played Lucilla, the daughter of slain Emperor Marcus Aurilius).

My limited pre-screening knowledge was that this was a story about Lucius, the young son of Lucilla who had met Maximus when he was in Rome as a slave gladiator. Maximus’ last words were confirming that “Lucius is safe”. I honestly wished that I hadn’t heard even this little bit of information. It spoiled the earlier part of the movie. There are some heavy hitting acting talents on screen like Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal (who is virtually everywhere) and Paul Mescal as Lucius. For me as someone who really likes the original Best Picture as well four other Oscars. But it misses. The plot comes across for me as contrived. I had always thought, “how does Lucius get all these mad fighting skills as a prince raised in the palace”? But it goes beyond that. In Rome, as opposed to the “vision of Rome” and it becoming a Republic once again with the people running it as opposed to an Emperor, it now has twin Emperors running the country. And these twins are as outlandish and cartoonish as you can imagine. Incidentally, there have never been twin brothers on the throne as Emperor. It just doesn’t make sense, and it wasn’t necessary. It makes the current General’s issue (played by Pascal) with the leadership plain. Then it goes further with a re-enactment in the Coliseum of a naval battle. It has full ships, including oars for the boats, along with many sharks swimming in the waters. I was told that naval battles were shown, however not with sharks nor water deep enough for oars. The final straw for me is the whole issue about details about Lucius which just make sense either for me. So while this movie never approached the original, it didn’t suck, but it didn’t really reveal any reason for being. It didn’t move the overall story much. So I cannot recommend this, and see it as a lost opportunity.

Say Nothing: I had heard about this series on Disney +, as it dealt with The Troubles in Ireland during that 1970s and beyond, and a number of the prominent figures in the Irish Republican Army. It is based upon the book by Patrick Radden Keefe unread by me. This nine-part series tells the true story about the Belfast Project at Boston College, where it had been arranged to have volunteers from the IRA tell their stories on the condition that these stories wouldn’t be disclosed until the person was dead. The aim was to have the whole truth come out for later generations of Northern Irish to explain the actions of Gerry Adams. You see, Adams denies ever being a part of the IRA, let alone being one the leaders in Belfast. There was leadership, like Adams, and there would foot soldiers like Brendan Hughes, Dolours and Marian Price. Adams had become one of the negotiators for a ceasefire in the 1980s with the British, as there was a truce which didn’t mean that the British occupying force was leaving the Emerald Island for good.

This series has a number of different storylines, focusing on the two sisters and their story and involvement with the IRA movement. The story evolves from a re-telling of events according to Dolours, the redhead picture above. I won’t share any more of the details because it is a fascinating story of very difficult and complex times. The issues have evolved over the centuries. I have been to Belfast a couple of times, including taking a black cab tour explaining some of the history within Belfast. It was very eye opening, and scary that in my lifetime, these events can have unfolded with bombings in London, hunger strikes, police brutality within a walled city. But now, progress can be seen as I can take a bus to Belfast and tour the Titanic Museum and have no fear about any difficulties. I am hopeful that the peace which is very controversial, especially among staunch Republic supporters (justifably was a sell-out allowing further British occupation) but on the other hand you have to start somewhere. I don’t have all the answers. Not even close. I don’t think that Gerry Adams has all the answers either, and he is a human without character to throw his supporters and one-time friends under the bus to seek glory for himself, but has he served the greater good of the people of Northern Ireland? Time will tell the answer on that. If you want more insight into the truth of what happened, this is a series for you to view. I highly recommend this. A couple of questions though on this: with the further tale of murder and mayhem within the IRA, who benefits most from this? If the aim remains to get the British out of Ireland, how can this be done in a peaceful way? One would think that if Germany can be reunified, and the Berlin wall can fall, that Ireland should be capable of being one island once again, and entitled to self-rule.

November 25, 2024

The Prestige: I am not entirely sure how I seemed to have missed this Christopher Nolan from back in 2006. It has an impressive cast with Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and a really good cameo. I think this movie was eclipsed for me with the release of the similar themed movie about magic starring Edward Norton titled The Illusionist. I still prefer the Norton film better. But this movie has many of the Nolan trademarks and some tricks and twists along the way. There are plenty of hints that likely will trigger the viewer upon a second viewing.

In brief, Bale and Jackman are young competing magicians/illusionists who used to work together. A defining event occurs where one of them blames the other for the outcome. They split and seek out a memorable trick which will propel them into fame, fortune and notoriety. The competition between the two is so intense that they are looking to cause actual harm to the other in the tricks that they are performing. The acting is good. The story doubles back onto itself a number of times, and despite the plot recap it can still be confusing. Nolan’s movies are nothing if not tests of the audience’s ability to pay close attention at all aspects of the story and the characters within it. There are hints of course, as mentioned earlier, but cleverly the magician doesn’t give up their secrets, and this movie waits until the end to piece it all together for the audience. I think it does show the extremes that some people will undertake to become known, or remembered. They don’t necessarily see the cost to them and those that they love for this reward. I liked the movie. It isn’t Nolan’s best but it certainly isn’t wasting the considerable acting talent that is on display. Worth checking out if you have the chance.

Blitz: Saoirse Ronan has been busy with last week’s The Outrun which is Oscar-worthy and this week the Apple TV release of this WWII movie. Written and directed by Steve McQueen and using Hans Zimmer for the score, this movie tells the story of a single Mom (Rita played by Ronan) during the German bombing of England who looks to find her son (George, played by Elliott Heffernan). During what was referred to as the Blitz, which is a shortened version of the German word “blitzkrieg” where military forces are used in a coordinated way to psychologically demoralize the people using elements of surprise and strength. The German tanks were well known for effecitvely using this method of attack. The Blitz took place September 1940 until May 1941. Over one million children from London alone were relocated during this time.

I give away nothing to say that Rita’s son is mixed race, with the father a young man from Africa who was whisked away by authorities in what can only be described as a racially motivated act by the police against him. We learn this over time, but the main focus is Rita who works in a munitions factory eventually deciding to keep her 9 yo son safe by sending him by train out to the country where he would be cared for along with thousands of other children. This is a very personal story, dealing with these two people and the small family, which included Rita’s father, played by The Jam musical group’s Paul Weller.

When this generation talks about anxiety and not feeling safe, one should remember that in 1940 (just 84 years ago) in addition to their houses being bombed into oblivion, killing neighbours and friends, there was also the stress of finding food, and remaining safe by separating children from their parents. Imagine then, having a headstrong son who decides to escape back to his mother. This story is not specific to one family or person, but rather it is indicative of many such stories with children who were lost during these traumatic times. We see things as an audience that have been previously not seen by me, which was looting and theft at the time after the bombs had been dropped onto stores and houses. Seems that not everyone was looking out for the greater good for the country, but rather looking for ways to survive. We are all so removed in 2024 North American society from real war that is is difficult to contemplate what each of us would do. I would like to think that more citizens would remain true to their values, than what is seen in this movie. I also think that this movie does a really good job at showing the value of the subway stations at a time when it was not safe on the streets outside. People huddled together, slept in the stations and waited out the bombings being uncertain as to what they would come back to when emerging. I enjoyed this, and it is worth checking out.

November 18, 2024

The Outrun: A few weeks back I had written about Conclave, that I felt that I had seen the Best Actor Oscar Winner for this year with Ralph Fiennes. After seeing this new release from Producer Saoirse Ronan and her husband Jack Lowden, directed by Nora Fingscheidt, I think that I can say that I have seen the Best Actress Oscar Winner too. In some ways, it feels like having watched Emma Stone in Poor Things last year.

I will say up front that this is not an easy watch. Set in Scotland, based on the true story novel of the same name (released in 2015), the film tells the story of a young woman Rona (Ronan) and her life and lifestyle. She is a woman with an alcohol addiction problem, and you see her tell her story in reverse from the moment when she realized that she had reached rock bottom and wanted to make a change. As the story reveals itself, we see that a very young Rona grew up in a household where father had his own issues and these impacted her, and her Mom as the marriage fell apart. She managed to get away to London where she fully enjoyed the partying lifestyle in London. The drinking, the loud music, the quick hook ups all contribute to her perception that these are really good times. What she can’t recall is that as she drinks more, she becomes an angry, belligerent drunk. So her memories are selective. She struggles as we see that she had many issues stacked against her. She chooses to leave London, and go back to Scotland where she finds a home for herself on the Orkney Islands on the northern tip of Scotland. It is a solo life, in a small hut where she can detox herself, but also become closer to nature. Temptations arise, and this is no surprise when you live in a pub culture within the UK (Scotland as well as Ireland and England). She also gets to better develop her love for the ocean, and the marine biology degree that she has achieved earlier. There are moments in her struggle where I stated audibly “don’t do it”.

I like Ronan as an actor/actress. I think she is one of the most versatile and talented actors of her generation. For that, she already before starting has me hoping for the best for her. Then this character and her struggles, she shows that she needs help, is vulnerable, and is looking for some direction. As an acting performance, there are physical elements, showing yourself to be impaired but also her interactions among family, friends and romantic interests. Her range of emotion is wide from anger and rage, to crying and seeking foregiveness, to kindness and showing her interaction with people. She is a high functioning drunk, but it doesn’t take away from the allure for her addiction. I sympathize as a parent, but also for any person who is fighting with addiction. I can’t imagine not feeling satisfaction or joy from life without the adding of any substance. Others have played people with alcohol issues and done well with Oscar like Nic Cage (1996 Leaving Las Vegas) or Jessica Lange (1994 Blue Sky) or Elizabeth Taylor (1966 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?). There are many, many more. This is worth viewing, and I expect will be mentioned often between now and March 2, 2025.

The Penguin: I finished watching on Crave this limited series. I feel as though it got better and better as it went on. As it went on, I think I became to cheer more for the Cristin Milioti character, Sofia Falcone. The Penguin, Oswald Cobblepot aka Oz Cobb, played excellently by the unrecognizable Colin Farrell, it not a likeable character. He loves one thing in life, which is his Mom, and he is dedicated to a promise to provide her with a better life. To that end, he will do anything. He has no conscience. He became the middleman in a mob war, and was a driver for the young Sofia Falcone when she was young. He is trying to make it on his own, by having the warring mobs destroy one another.

The final episode brings the story full circle. There are some good plot twists and changes in momentum. Those who have been paying attention will see where it will end up going, but the avenues taken are not those that you might have expected. I think the acting and story were first rate. It ties well into the Robert Pattinson The Batman series which will have a second installment released in October 2026. This is worth checking out.

November 11, 2024 (Remembrance Day)

As we have this Monday fall on Remembrance Day here in Canada, I want to ensure that I post my respects, and undying commitment to always remember the fallen. I had family members who faught in WWII, and I have been to the Normandy beaches and seen the museums. I have walked the beaches, visited Pont du Hoc and seen the US, Canadian, British and German cemetaries in Normandy. It is a moving experience, especially seeing the dates on the headstones and realizing just how young these soldiers were. Many were late teens (17, 18, 19) and fell to protect those freedoms that we hold most dear.

Know that I will wear a poppy proudly. Know that I will pause at 11:11 this morning and stop to think and thank our veterans and those who didn’t make it back home. I will never forget.

Shaun of the Dead: Those who know me, know that I am not a zombie guy. There are some exceptions, even recently with the series The Last of Us, which was less zombie and far more a human story. But generally I steer clear. I will admit, however that I do like Simon Pegg. So this horror/comedy was overlooked by me back in 2004 when it was released.

Pegg plays Shaun and he is having trouble with his life and virtually all aspects of it. He has trouble with his job, his friends and his girlfriend. Life isn’t going as expected and he pretty much keeps to a same routine, one day flowing into the next. Pegg’s gift is that he can play the everyman, and the guy who can be oblivious to strange things happening around him. Shaun is viewed as a guy who isn’t very “take charge” and it is only after realizing what is happening that he chooses to step up. For me there were a couple of chuckles, for example the scene with Shaun and his (generally) useless buddy, who confront a zombie in the backyard. There ensues an interesting conversation as the zombie meets a terrible end. All ends as you likely would expect, with a couple tweaks. For those who like Simon Pegg, this is likely mandatory viewing. For those not enamoured with the genre or the actor then it likely can be passed over.

The Diplomat (Seasons 1 and 2): Back in 2023 Netflix released this series from the writer who had previously worked The West Wing, Debora Cahn. Starring Keri Russell, it has an impressive cast, including Rufus Sewell (as her husband), David Gyasi (previously in Interstellar), Michael McKean (from Better Call Saul) and Rory Kinnear (previously in The Imitation Game as the cop investigating).

The story is complex, and begins fairly simply with Russell who has had some previous postings in various US government hot spots (Afghanistan and others), she along with her husband Hal with whom she has a strained relationship. It seems Hal has been released from his political duties and Russell is being quickly reassigned to be the US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. She has a staff, who we get to learn about, and there is a pressing situation unfolding when a British aircraft carrier is damaged by a third party with lives being lost on board. The intrigue runs high and deep. Let the layering begin. The Ambassador makes some quick friends, but also runs afoul of others, as is likely to happen. With any espionnage story there is much that isn’t known and the layers don’t always reveal themselves easily or quickly. It is a chess game, but with a board from an Ambassador which misses pieces and some overall context. The ending of season 1 was intriguing and well done. The tension just builds and builds. The continuation of this story from the moment that ended season 1, and the further unveiling in season 2 is really well done. A master stroke in casting was the introduction of Allison Janney as the Vice President of the United States. Janney is excellent. The writing is crisp with authentic interplay between the characters. All the characters. Things that you expected to happen don’t always unfold, and there is much to be learned. It is interesting to have the women, generally, have it together, while the men in their lives, and those that surround them are a mess. Not entirely a mess, I should add, but men capable of causing tremendous stress to the women and further mixing the circumstances around. Russell’s interactions with the British Foreign Secretary are particularly fun to watch. This was worth the binge watching, and I managed the six episodes in season 2 easily over the weekend. There will be a season 3 it would seem, and I will look forward when it does.

November 4th, 2024

The Deer Hunter: I re-visited the 1978 Michael Cimino directed classic Oscar Best Picture yesterday, which I had not seen in a number of years. Starring Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, John Cazale and John Savage this drama set in steel town Clariton, Pennsylvania tells the story of good friends who three of which are about to head off to Viet Nam in the war effort. Those three are Michael (De Niro), Nick (Walken) and Steven (Savage). Savage before deploying is getting married, and there is an elaborate wedding sequence not unlike that within The Godfather. The wedding sets the stage for how the friends interact, and their romantic attachments including Steven acknowledging that he hadn’t had sex with his new bride Angela, despite the fact that she is pregnant. We also see that Michael and Nick are both romantically interested in Linda, played by Streep. The buddies together all enjoy hunting for deer in season, and they do so one last time.

Fast forward to Viet Nam, and quickly the three friends, despite being in different areas of the military end up being POWs to a group of sick gamblers who force the prisoners to play russian roulette before them. Russian roulette is one bullet put into the chamber of a handgun, and then each of two players one at a time has to put the gun to his temple and pull the trigger. The captors bet on the results. Michael the alpha male of the group decides to bravely convince his close friends on a plan to keep living. Dramatic things happen, which are heart wrenching and intense. The three friends get split up. Michael returns to Pennsylvania alone. He meets up with Linda, who despite being engaged to Nick, hasn’t heard one word from him. Michael later visits with Steven in a difficult meeting. The movie continues to a conclusion that is both shocking and reflective of the US involvement in the war.

This picture is over 3 hours long. It won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Walken). In all five Academy Awards. All well deserved. It is a really good story, with tremendous acting from all concerned. I found that it was too long, and certainly too long in the opening wedding sequence. The return for Michael is also a bit too long as well. This should have been a movie less than 3 hours. The POW sequences are some of the most iconic in film, and in stories about Viet Nam. If you have not watched this movie, it is worth your time, if for nothing else than seeing Hollywood legends working at their best. Some fun facts about this movie from some research:

The deer hunting sequences are filmed in mountainous Washington State and no where near Pennsylvania
Robert DeNiro was paid $1M in 1978 for this role, and he has stated that this was the most physically exhausting film of his career
DeNiro and Savage did their own stunts in this film
Real rats and bugs were used in the POW sequence
The slapping in the russian roulette sequences was all authentic and real
John Cazale was riddle with lung cancer during the filming and died for the film was finished and released. Robert DeNiro paid the insurance fee to allow Cazale to participate in it
Michael Camino famously followed up this film with the Hollywood bomb Heaven’s Gate, and his career never fully recovered
The film doesn’t indicate who the father of Angela’s baby was, but later Camino admitted that it was Nick’s
The wedding sequence took over five days to film. DeNiro at one point collapsed from exhaustion

Conclave: This is a new film released, directed by German-Austrian director Edward Berger. It stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini in the main screen roles. It is based on the 2016 book of the same name by Robert Harris. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and the intrigue involved from beginning to end. There were excellent performances all around, but I believe that I just witnessed the Best Actor Oscar winner in Ralph Fiennes, who carries the movie and all of its intricacies on his face. Conclave is a process within the Catholic church for the nomination and election of a new Pope to succeed a Pope who has just passed away. It involves bringing all the cardinals throughout the world to the Vatican and sequestering them until they come to a decision with a vote with one member who achieves two-thirds majority of the vote. We have seen this drama unfold fairly recently cinematically from the Dan Brown book and film Angels and Demons.

Fiennes plays the Dean, a position, by the name of Cardinal Lawrence and he is in charge of the process. The movie is fiction, and addresses a conclave in turbulent times. I think that this movie is very timely because it also addresses many of the same issues in the present US election to take place later this week. The church and leadership is divided among the traditionalists and the liberals. The traditionalists wish to go back to the old ways and old teachings with hardline stances on issues like abortion, divorce, women in the church among many. Issues that in 2024 have seen continued attendance drop within the pews throughout the country. This is compared with “the liberals” as stated by the traditionalists who fear that the core of the faith is eroding away with too much flexibility and a lack of structure. The liberals wish to accommodate people with different views and attitudes. Church in their eyes should be bringing people together and embrace their diversity. This conclave is viewed as fundamental to protecting the progress made over the past 40 years. The traditionalists feel like a war is coming and that the church needs to take a stance, and it is time take the offense, and separate “them” from “us”. What is explored are deep issues of faith and leadership. Issues like, how far are you willing to go to explore deeply into a nominees past to see whether they are fit to lead? What about a conflict of interest when you have also become a nominee? When you make such a decision, then how far are you willing to move your initial commitment in the face of new concerns? Other issues like, can one who questions their faith lead an entire church? Or would you rather vote for one who seeks out power like this, or those who claim that they have no interest? Do you vote for and choose among the “best of a bad lot”? The dynamics of any election come into play. Fiennes ably has to deal with each of these issues, in a series of events, along with external events, that are having impact on the proceedings and him personally. He is joined by John Lithgow and Stanley Tucci who have their own motivations in how things turn out. The acting and writing is superb. There are significant plots twists that keep the audience guessing and second guessing. It is so very satisfying. There are no car chases. No gun fights. No love interests, beyond the love of the church and God and doing the right thing. But there is an unusual playing out of a process that the church has been undertaking since 1492, in the most dramatic way, taking it to the extreme to make a point, and be entertaining. Each conclave has been held at the Sistine Chapel since 1878. Despite all of the traditions and outfits, this is still a story about power and those who look to wield it. I am fully expecting many award nominations to come from this picture. I agree with other reviewers who have been very positive about it. In my view, you should seek this movie out.

October 27, 2024

Lee: Any film that has Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, and Alexander Skarsgard is worthy of some attention. This movie is the life story of model and war-time photographer American Lee Miller. Miller led a fascinating and full time, which I think viewers in 2024 should view with an understanding of her times (late 30s and into war-time 1940s). These are not exactly times where women are viewed as anywhere near equal and capable, while ironically the women were expected to contribute to the war effort in previously held positions solely of men (like in factories, munitions, mining etc.). Before the war begins, Lee Miller is living in France with her bohemian friends discussing politics and how it isn’t possible for the German to be electing the despot Adolph Hitler. They believe as they sit topless outside, sipping wine and enjoying the bounty of a life of freedom in late 30s Europe. By happenstance at this gathering, she meets a handsome Brit, Roland Penrose, played by Skargard, who was an historian, art collector and supporter of those against the growing German power, and by definition the independent French. They become romantically linked.

Miller was a former successful model, we learn, who later decided to get behind the camera. She had some very good skills. We explore more of the story through the lens of a discussion with a young man in her living room. Miller is at this stage much older, drinking more heavily and still an avid smoker. Her older pictures have been found by the young man and he would like to know the stories behind them.

Winslet admirable plays this woman who for her time was a force of nature. She would not take No for an answer. Her experience as a model leads her into a role at the British Vogue magazine where she is blessed with a supportive and forward-thinking editor and boss. Miller hears how photographers are being solicited to travel to mainland Europe as the build up continues and the inevitable invasion into France. Miller wants to be there. The British refuse. She finds a way around that and becomes an on-the-ground photographer first relegated to pictures of medics on the back end of the battle but moving closer to the front lines. She depicts scenes in war that show time and again the atrocities involved. As the war is nearing the close, she finds what has been unknown until this time at the concentration camps. The pictures she takes along with her fellow American Life magazine photojournalist, played by Andy Samberg, are some of the most impactful of the time. The movie delves deeper into censorship, protection of the public versus the need for the truth to be known far and wide. It also explores family, parents, being known and how one’s legacy can be shaped by one’s own view of your contribution. This is a remarkable life of someone who refused to do what was expected of her, and put herself at risk to journal what was happening in a troubled time. In 2024, we can talk about crisis after crisis and the “world never being the same again” but in the mid-1940s millions were being killed, and battles were taking place which shaped that world, and in this one. For those on the front lines, they lived day to day. As we enter into November and Remembrance Time, we should not forget the sacrifice made for the freedoms we hold dear, and will hopefully with some common sense, well into the future. I enjoyed this, and I especially enjoyed the ending and how it was presented.

Love is Blind – Season 7: The wedding show was dropped last week as the viewers learned how managed to get to the alter and commit to their partner, rather than walking away. Funnily enough, the one couple didn’t make it there as they had a break up with one deciding that he talked to family and friends and “just wasn’t sure”. Prior to that others had crashed and burned in more or less predictable fashion. I do believe that the premise itself is flawed. Falling in love and proposing not ever setting eyes on someone is one thing, but there are all the other real world impacts (financial, geographic, cultural and political issues) all have material impact on compatability.

For this season, there was some due diligence seemingly not undertaken by the producers. I would like to think that if a contestant has children, that this would be something that would be explored fully before they entered into such an experiment. I would further expect that if that was fully vetted, that there is a follow up to ensure that it is disclosed to those people that they are talking to. I would further expect that if a contestant for a show based in Washington DC is deeply committed to living in California that this also be disclosed up front. Better yet, why not have that contestant wait for another season in California be filmed and throw your name into the ring there. I think it is unfair to expect compromise where you are already living in DC, but later talk about looking to move. I was pleased to see that parents who throughout the process were against being involved and on camera decide that they wish to set aside their trepidation about the process and show up for a memorable day for their adult child. In any way, it would be a later regret in my view. The reunion show will be a spectacle (dropping this Wednesday) and should show the aftermath of the decisions made in this season. I didn’t enjoy this season as much as the previous LIB UK version, where the people involved seemed more genuine and committed to the process. This is mind candy for those who desire some escapism.