February 19th Family Day 2018

Blue Is The Warmest Colour is a 2013 Palm D’Or Winner, a film which bested Inside Llewelyn Davis for the top honours. It is another coming of age story about a teen girl finding herself and her place, much as we have Lady Bird and Call Me By Your Name for this year’s prizes. It differs in that it is more graphic than both of those other films. Even though Timothee did some nasty things to a summer peach, there was not the European sensibilities of the nude and sexual nature of it.

It has been debated (like below) whether a man can even depict lesbian love appropriately on film, or is a pre-requisite to have a lesbian on the set who actually knows this first hand?

https://www.rogerebert.com/balder-and-dash/is-blue-a-straight-color-on-blue-is-the-warmest-color-and-representing-lesbians

For me I don’t see why a man can’t put a graphic novel on film. He can film what he read which presumably would include the thoughts and feelings of the involved characters. So I have no issue with it. The story is a long one (over three hours) and takes its time from the days of Adele (our Greek protagonist) in high school and figuring out what satisfies her to her taking on a career and being in a more domestic role. There was part of me that half expected there to be “an event” which she needs to make a choice about her relationship and her career. She works with children in school, teaching young grades like 2 or 3. Anyway, that was her calling and she knew it from a young age. With her sexuality, she saw a blue haired women (university student) just walking on the street and later meets her at a bar with a friend. They become involved. There is shown in detail the euphoria of early attachment, the honeymoon phase, and then later as life takes over the more stable steady state. It travels a familiar arc with something that happens and then some time for reflection.

For me this was a bit slow and too long. There was certain chemistry between the characters. Life is about moments, and perhaps lost opportunities as well. But I am not sure whether it was a Palm D’Or winner. It is a more rare find on Netflix where there is more graphic scenes of sex. Life is complicated and confusing at times, especially when you are young and finding yourself. Choices made can take you down a path, and it is uncertain whether that path is one for you longer term. This is a film, however, like the above two that makes me wonder about the impact of film and media on young people and their choices. Do they choose to be homosexual, and part of the decision can be through film and what they see around them, or is it born in them and inevitable and all the media in the world doesn’t change it. The Danish Girl was from early 1900s, as one example of countless throughout history. There is a longer piece that can be written on the subject, and I may get to it one of these days. Just not now.

Febraury 12th, 2018

Wind River stars Jeremy Renner, from The Town, Bourne, Arrival and many other films. He has an intensity about him. Here he plays a hunter/trapper out in Wyoming. He is divorced from his Native Indian wife, and early on you see that his daughter was missing. Another local girl goes missing too, and he happens upon her in the middle of the wilderness. She is barefoot and apparently ran 6 miles in that condition. What happened? The FBI is called in (Elizabeth Olsen), along with the local police Sheriff (Graham Greene). They enlist the help of Renner as Olsen in particular has very little experience and certainly not in those conditions or in the environment. The story unfolds. I found the resolution to be unsatisfying, and a little disappointing, at the same time think about just how many people might be suspects in this vast countryside. The point that is made however was troubling; the US keeps statistics on missing persons except for Native women. Strange. And the conditions that these people live under, with chronic unemployment, alcoholism, abuse all make for a sad commentary of the North American treatment of Native people. This was worth checking out.

January 31st, 2018 – BR2049

I re-watched Blade Runner 2049 the other night as I had purchased it and wanted to look upon again with fresh eyes. I had said in my initial review that I would speak further on it once everyone had seen it. I am certainly no spoiler of films. Enough time has passed, and fair warning that I will include spoilers shortly in this commentary on this sequel.

So we are 30 years beyond the ending of Blade Runner, in whatever variation and cut that you saw. In the end, Deckard was fleeing LA in his car with replicant Rachel. His Blade Runner colleague, played by Edward James Almos states with echoes bouncing off the walls “too bad she won’t live…..but then again, who does?”….

Blade Runner was a look and feel movie, where the set and production design is a character. Rain, buildings, billboards, street speak, noodles were all part of this futuristic world. This films takes the concepts and pushes the envelope. And push it out mightily. Blade Runner was also about its music and sounds, from Vangelis, who provided a synthetic sound backdrop to a future world perfectly. Together the sets and sounds made Blade Runner an immersive experience. There were characters sure, and a plot but you were transported into the future, and not just onto a set. Denis Villeneuve, fresh off his Arrival experience, is an excellent choice by Ridley Scott (producer) to take the banner of his brainchild forward. He believes in real. Doesn’t like green screen. He wants his actors in the sets and feeling the spaces around them. Here he has various unique locations; from downtown LA in rain and skyscrapers, to a junkyard outside San Diego, to farmer’s fields and then Vegas, in its rundown glory. I have to confess that I didn’t catch on to the Vegas bit on first viewing but got it the second. I noticed the tables before and Elvis of course in lounge, but I got the reference better here and it was more impactful. I believe that every one of the Oscar nominations here were merited, and will make this a difficult film to beat for those. We will see. One could ignore the plot completely and storyline and marvel at the music (so pronounced and contributing – now Hans Zimmer shared with Benjamin Wallfisch). Zimmer has had a brilliant career, and a frequent Scott collaborator as well as Christopher Nolan.

Now to the plot. Some have called the movie misogynistic with the treatment of the female characters and this was partly to blame for the lack of box office success (ie: women just didn’t like it). Perhaps these are the same people who felt Deckard was raping Rachel in the apartment scene with them in the original. I have stated emphatically that I disagree with that characterization. Others have stated that Deckard was the real villain in the film and also a Replicant himself. I disagree with those as well. Much of the killing to address that, and the violent killing takes place at the hands of a woman in this updated version. She is ruthless in her disposition of those seen as being in her way, almost Terminator-like.

Ryan Gosling plays a Replicant, a newer model, who is more obedient, but also a Blade Runner. He is meant to “retire” older Replicants. In his travels he hears about a “miracle” and then the bones of an old Replicant who was buried and appears to have died in child birth.

Tangentially, I was struck on second viewing with the parallels to not only Prometheus and Alien Covenant (and the themes of creation and God) but of the Christ story itself. Much effort is made on two sides to track down this unique child; one to prevent war and destruction as “the walls come down” from Gosling’s boss, but also from the new Tyrell who can’t “make” Replicants fast enough and needs to find out the truth of Replicants who can give birth. Those who know the truth are slaughtered unmercifully on either side. Stories are told and leads followed to find and seek the truth of the miraculous birth! All in the name of saving society, and more so the “souls” of the Replicants. I think that this aspect of the film, or at least my interpretation of it, make the film more impactful.

But continuing on, Gosling searches and has the belief that he himself is the child. He is the right age. He has memories that come true. Realizing later, in one the major findings of the film that he is NOT the one, also puts his life in perspective.

Layer upon this the added theme of artificial or projected beings, similar to the treatment in Her, where a character who is real falls for and has a real relationship with “an operating system” shows the modern society where the being avoids human contact with real humans to stay true to his virtual companion.

In the end, you are left with the Gosling character fulfilling what he feels is his destiny. He recognizes and rewards the earlier sacrifice of Deckard. He sees value in contributing in this way.

January 29th, 2018

With all the hype and the multiple nominations for Get Out, I got a loan from the library to check it out.

I am flabbergasted that this film has been nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director. My only explanation as I grapple with it is one of political correctness. The Oscars are tired of being labelled “White” and want to show just how inclusive and diverse that they are. Given the increased number of films allowed for the Best Picture nomination this one is a throw in (and gains you points with media).

The film itself has a basic premise, inter-racial young couple go for a visit to see her family. They have only been dating a little while and she has not told them that he is black. Then it proceeds to turn strange, and simply doesn’t feel right for our black protagonist. It has some aspects of Rosemary’s Baby in it, but also other movies like Coma etc. About three-quarters of the way through this I just began laughing to myself at how ridiculous it all was. At the end I knew that this would be a different review.

I feel saddened that a Director for Three Billboards (which will likely win most of the awards) was not nominated while Get Out’s director was. It is a head scratcher. Still after reading the article on Harvey Weinstein and how he stole the Oscars for Shakespeare in Love by spending millions on promoting it with Academy members, while Saving Private Ryan was left aside. Spielberg refused to spend the money. His film stands the test of time better. So he wins in the end. But I am mindful that it’s not the BEST films that get nominated, but rather those that put the Academy in the best light. Much like the NFL in the eyes of public opinion.

I watched Concussion on Netflix. Here is a movie about the NFL and doing research into the damage that multiple head shots have on the brain and life after the game is over. I have a couple issues with the film. First the NFL got off pretty lightly in this. Sure they denied the issue from their self-funded research but it could have been much worse (and I suspect that it was). I suspect there was a compromise made there. Then there is the whole argument in the film to dissuade our researcher; “you are trying to shut down the NFL, but bringing forward this issue”. WHAT?!! The argument goes on to say if parents are dissuaded from getting kids into playing because of dangers, the game will die. Clearly they have never been to Texas or Florida or Pennsylvania where football is a religion. See movies like Friday Night Lights, All the Right Moves, Rudy and many others about the sport. So rather than talk about how the NFL has so many charities, the multi-billion dollar business can invest in prevention and protection of players as well. This grows the game! If you claim to love these players, then you help them to deal with post-game life. That is just good business.

I have started season 2 of Peaky Blinders. Season 1 started slowly but finished really well. The BBC scores yet again with quality TV.

January 15th, 2018

I saw Darkest Hour a couple weeks ago and for me it was an excellent companion piece with Dunkirk. The film starring the ever-excellent Gary Oldman, outlines the political and war time struggles for the British during May 1940. Hitler has moved aggressively into Belgium and threatening France. Former PM Chamberlain sits as a leader of a Party where the opposition demands new leadership. The obvious first choice to them is Viscount Halifax, which was unknown to me. The next choice was Winston Churchill. There are intriguing elements going on where the TV series The Crown Season 1 fits in as well. The King who is good friends with Halifax isn’t really ready to plunge back into another war. The US sits on the sidelines, with their own commitments not to enter another war, while France is utterly useless. The history is well known, but the thoughts, feelings and mood are less so. This movie’s strength, and the strength of the excellent supporting cast is conveying that feeling about the uncertainty and fear about potentially being invaded. Oldman earns his Golden Gobe, and likely his Oscar here well. He didn’t put on the weight for the role, but the make up is never a distraction. He plays politics well too by publicly supporting the allies in mainland Europe who for the most part turtled when Hitler’s tanks came rolling in. This is a very good film. See it knowing about what happens in Dunkirk. Together they form the strength in a time where fear and trepidation were in abundant supply. If you wish to add a third excellent film for the time, you can add The Imitation Game.

I finished watching the second season of The Crown. Claire Foy will be missed in the title role of The Crown. There will be a Season 3, but they will use older actors in it. She is simply excellent here at showing on her face what goes through her entire being. The pressures of her position, not only as a sovereign but as a Wife and a Mother. Matt Smith plays Phillip and he really shines in these ending episodes as well. For him, the episode about he and Charles attending the same rugged school are outlined, and despite the Queen’s protests to protect her “different” son, Phillip is steadfast. As a husband, it would be difficult if you had “the Crown” argument thrown in your face every time you had an opinion that didn’t align with hers. The other excellent episode is that with Jackie Kennedy, where you see some of the dynamics which may or not hold true to life during a Presidential visit to Buckingham Palace. It also coincides with some political turmoil in Ghana. Once again, Foy plays the part so well. Will people who don’t care for the Monarchy like this or have any interest in it? I can’t say. Perhaps they don’t care for well acted and written stories about people during challenging times. From the Abdication of the Crown up until early 1960s, you see many different times.

I have started GLOW, as Alison Brie was nominated in her role. This is a series about the starting of the cheesey and sexist Lady Wresting. It’s quite funny, and Brie plays a part of a struggling actor just trying to pay the bills and get work. It is lighter entertainment.

January 1st, 2018 New Years Day

The dialogue and writing in any film is a crucial part in understanding the characters and how they interact but it shows so much more than that; intelligence, humour, sympathy etc. I have enjoyed Aaron Sorkin’s work for some time. From TV with The West Wing and Newsroom, his political satire and addressing news of the day was second to none. His banter among the characters as well is first rate. Then in movies like Money Ball, Steve Jobs, the Social Network again he shows his strength. His latest project is Molly’s Game with Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba. He doesn’t disappoint. Here is a story from the novel which I am currently working my way through. The movie differs from the book in not naming many of the more famous people – in the book Tobey Maguire and Leo Di Caprio figure prominently early anyway. The stories about Maguire are interesting – and I am still trying to decide if Mr X (played by Michael Cena) in the film is supposed to Maguire. In the book he wants to charge a $200 fee for his card-shuffling machine that he insists upon using. This from a multi-millionaire. Back to the film, Sorkin’s directorial debut is a good one as he shifts from the early days of Bloom in an accomplished family where she is a world class mogul skier (made the US Team) despite spinal fusion surgery due to a curvature in her spine. That career ends and before heading to law school she heads to LA for rest and warmth. There she eventually enters into a high stakes poker game as the organizer. This moves into a Federal indictment for organizing a game with Russian mob ties. She seeks out Elba to act as her lawyer. The story unfolds and you see her experiences as well as the challenges that she had along the way. You meet certain players at the table, and it all comes together in a satisfying story. Chastain is nominated for a Golden Globe, and Oscar should call as well. Sorkin is nominated too for Screenplay and will likely be nominated for an Oscar. Unsure if they win, but should be nominated. This was yet another quality film that I have seen over the holidays. I look forward to finishing the book.

I took youngest son to see Coco, the new animated film from Pixar. The guys who brought us Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Incredibles, Up etc know how to tell a story and bring emotional impact to drawings (computer and hand drawn). This is an excellent addition to their library of films. It is set with Mexico and the Day of the Dead backdrop. The characters are uniformly Mexican and it shows cultural aspects of the day which were unknown to me. The story is about family, extended family and music. There are other messages too about heroes and living your own dreams. The songs are very good and add to the story. Historically animated fables are about white princesses searching for a prince charming. Here is a Mexican boy seeking an outlet for his love of music which flies in the face of his family where the great-grandmother was left with a young daughter by a man looking to play music for the world. As a result the family banned all music. This film has been a phenomenon in Mexico and I can see why. Both young son and I thoroughly enjoyed this and can recommend without hesitation.

Darkest Hour to be seen soon. Add to that The Post when it comes out. I struggle to support any aspect of the life of Tonya Harding, despite the good reviews. It has been a very good year for film.

The Netflix documentary called Hired Gun about play-for-hire musicians was very good. These are players from bands that are all well known. I liked particularly the guitar player who plays with Mandy Moore, and then also Hilary Duff but also Alice Cooper and then Five Finger Death Punch. What a contrast!! I am continuing through season 2 of The Crown and really enjoying this as well. Claire Foy is excellent. The episode where Princess Margaret gets engaged is excellent. The quality supporting cast makes this must-watch tv.

December 25th, 2017 Christmas Day

I managed to get out on back to back nights to the theatre. This time to catch Shape of Water, and then the next day Call Me By Your Name.

Alison has previously reviewed Shape of Water. I like Del Toro’s movies because they are original and have fabulous creatures, gory action and villains you can’t help but despise. His unique style and vision makes me want to see his exposition at AGO here in Toronto. I am hopeful over the next couple weeks. Here we have a fable (written by him as well) that is beautifully shot. The set design is excellent and creates the mood which one can almost smell. Uniformly good performances by mute Sally Hawkins in it (and she deservedly getting recognized for this performance). But quality supporting actors like Michael Shannon (who seems to relish being the bad guy), Richard Jenkins (who is not recognized enough) and Octavia Spencer. The creature himself resembles the Creature from the Black Lagoon, but with some significant upgrades. The eyes, the spine, and his colouring. This story has a good pace and you care about the characters. There is sympathy and then a greater understanding of what is not being perceived at first. And there is a message is understanding of those around you who you don’t fully understand. Despite the one article that proclaims this the best film of the year, I am not so sure. Still I am glad to have seen it. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but for those who appreciate Del Toro it is another really good film from him.

Virgin Mobility offers 2 for 1 tickets to TIFF between now and early January. We saw Call Me By Your Name for $15 combined. A deal. This coming of age story of a young man who summers in Italy with his professor father mother and sister, has an American student join father as he does each year. Armie Hammer plays the student assistant who is outwardly confident and attracts attention all around for his rugged good looks. Michael Stulberg plays the professor father who delivers a speech in the end with his son that can only be described as some of the best writing since Three Billboards. It is a remarkable scene. You will note he was also playing the doctor in Shape of Water (and played the CIA guy in Arrival as well). He is in a number of quality films. The revelation in the film is the work of Timothee Chalamet. The 22yo NYC born actor is excellent in this performance showing a multi-talented young man (multiple languages, plays piano and other instruments, well read) and is coming into his own. He simply as all young people are confused about who that is (see Lady Bird for further proof on the female side). This is a simple story told very well and the leads have chemistry. Girlfriend noticed it straight away. This is getting plenty of award attention and justifiably so. And even though Timothee is amongst giants like Hanks, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Denzel Washington he will hold his own I think here. Oh, and throw in the performance of a lifetime from Gary Oldman who has been deserving for many years. I enjoyed this film and it makes me wish for a summer in Italy to swim and read and eat apricots from the tree.

Movies still to be seen include Molly’s Game, Darkest Hour, Phantom Thread, The Post. It is a good year for quality films, although they seem to be released in the last month. Hope everyone has a fabulous Christmas and all the best in 2018. Happy viewing.

December 19th 2017, Bonus Star Wars discussion

I was asked by someone how the Star Wars universe has changed since it first came out in 1977. The iconic film from relative unknown George Lucas, whose greatest success to that time was the independent American Graffiti. He wrote a story very broad in scope and time, which traced the beginnings of the Republic and then to the Empire and Jedi, and then beyond. He realized that this was way too large and cut it down to a middle story about a young man seeking to find himself and defeat evil.

Star Wars was in the beginning a white male based story with a young female princess (damsel in distress) who required rescuing. She was locked in a prison cell in an impenetrable military base. There are the Nazi-like Imperial leaders (Grand Moff Tarkin), and the army of stormtroopers, who were for all we know robots or clones. We were never sure of which (although our heroes later dress in their outfits while on the Death Star to save the Princess). Virtually all are white except for the alien creatures and the positions of power are held by the white males. The world as it was was run by the white male leaders.

The Force was held in high regard although not fully understood by many, with enough skeptics (like Han Solo) to keep it a mystery. Elder Obi Wan Kenobi teaches the young Skywalker briefly with some basic understandings. Young Luke is delivered the light sabre of his father. Through the Force, and its use, you could “see” better as eyes can deceive and they should not be trusted. Luke turns off his computer to hit the external thermal exhaust port with the missile as part of the finale for Episode IV. The young are directed by the older, and taught the ways of the Force. It is something to be learned, mastered. There were tests for suitability, and the young were the focus (Luke was initially “too old” for the training according to Yoda).

Young Luke is viewed as reckless, craving adventure and never focusing on his chores and tasks on his Uncle’s farm. He has “too much of his father in him” and this is seen as a bad thing. He does though feel for the young princess that he sees in a recorded video message and decides that once his Uncle and Aunt are wiped out that he wants to help the rebels. He is a deep believer in family, rushing back to see his Uncle before learning of their demise, and later his friends (Leia. Solo, Chewie and the droids). He curtails his training with Yoda in Empire because the vision of his friends in pain in the Cloudy City dominate his mind and he can’t shake them. He goes to save them. Luke later in Return of the Jedi hatches a plan to get Han away from Jabba the Hut, utilizing all of his friends in the plan. Leia, Chewie, the droids, Lando Calrisian all help out in saving Han. A strong theme throughout Episodes IV to VI is friendship and putting your faith and trust in your friends. The Emperor admonishes Luke for his faith in his friends. Luke’s love for his sister and protecting her is used against him by Vader to bring him out to fight and complete his path to the Dark Side.

Now we have already seen in the Force Awakens the end to Han Solo as he tries to help his son Ben, and get him away from Snoke. The son kills the father in order to show his connection with the Dark Side and prove he is ready to complete his grandfather’s (Darth Vader’s) goal. One way the older white male father figure is destroyed. Then in The Last Jedi, we have further transition over from white male dominated world, to one filled with more minorities, and more females. The Princess, and now a General is in charge of the Rebellion, as small as it remains anyway. Fishy Admiral Akbar plays a subservient role, whereas in Return of the Jedi he held more sway and power by leading the attack on the Death Star. When Leia is killed and ressurrected under her own hand, a use of the Force that we have never seen before and for which, presumably, she has never had any training, we have her replacement introduced who is Laura Dern. Another female. But look around the smaller rebel group and you see more alien creatures and more people of colour. There is Rey, female and now the heir apparent to the young Jedi. She replaces Luke, and it is made clear that she is not sprung from noble blood, nor related to the Skywalker line in any way. She is a street rat. A no one. Like the young boy at the races later who sweeps up. The young former stormtrooper Fin, shows us that stormtroopers were not all robots, and not all clones, but people. These are people who makes choices. He is black and one of the new heroes. In Jedi he meets a young weeping guard to an escape pod who is Asian. Her sister has died. Later she has escalated from a guard to a flier on one of 13 ships going to attack the First Order armada on the new Rebel base. She then kisses Fin. The Star Wars world has moved from a white male dominated society to one ruled (at least the Rebels) by women and visible minorities and almost all are not male. The First Order is still very much a male dominated world, with the exception of the silver armoured lead stormtrooper.

In this latest story, you see that there is an underlying theme of out with the old, and in with the new. Discard the old people and the old ways, and start afresh. Han has been discarded. Luke has been marginalized as he pouts about his station and failure to teach a new group of Jedi. Rey takes to learning mostly on her own. Ben Solo (Kilo Ren) has been underling to Snoke and colleague of the New Order Army General, but he sees a chance to destroy his Master and take the reins himself. How a powerful Snoke can be so easily defeated is a mystery. Youth know more than the aged it would seem. Luke teaches that the Force is everywhere, and it requires no special assembly or teaching. It simply is. This discards the Episode I meta-chlorean counts for Anakin, and centuries of teachings by the Jedi. The Jedi counsel, their place of prominence within society in the Republic is tossed aside and the once trusted honoured guardians of peace in the galaxy are removed. This is a fundamental shift in the Star Wars universe. Yoda himself comes to deal a death blow to a sacred tree with Jedi writings just to make the point.

Then we have Luke and now I better understand the underlying frustration that Mark Hamill had with this script and the treatment of his character. Luke as a character is disrespected here, and all for a laugh. He “fishes” when his Jedi ability could clearly retrieve a fish for a meal. He milks a manatee-like sea creature and drinks the milk, licking his lips. His casual behaviour and treatment is not with the reverence of a Jedi Master. Yoda played around a bit with Luke’s materials in Empire, like a food stick, but he never was portrayed in this way. Nor other Masters of the Jedi on the Council. Luke may be frustrated with the Jedi ways and teachings but it quite a quantum leap to put him in this place. Finally, Luke may have flaws but being disloyal and certainly not caring for his closest friends isn’t one of them. The idea that Luke would in any way decide to murder his own nephew, upon him believing that there was Darkness inside Ben is unthinkable. This flies in the face of everything that Luke is about. He would kill Han and Leia’s son who was sent to him for training? But it’s more than that. Luke would remain distant and unknown to his sister and brother-in-law while Han flies to his death? Luke can see through the Force as he did in Empire. He went to save his friends. Here he mopes, ashamed of his own failure. But this isn’t what he is about. He wouldn’t abandon his friends. Nor his family, especially in a time of need. Then of course, there is then the use of the Force for him to project himself, a younger version of himself even, to the new Rebel base under attack. He creates objects (dice) that are handed to a living being (Leia) and he fights with Kilo Ren. But he isn’t struck down in anger, like Obi Wan was by Vader in the original, he brought it on himself by the use of this all-new ability of the Force. He commits suicide through this Act, and dies alone. Yes he sacrifices himself, but couldn’t he, and wouldn’t he have been better served showing up himself? Another icon of the series is discarded and removed. Perhaps Luke becomes a ghost like Yoda and Obi Wan, but the meaning and importance of him clearly fades. The dilemma is you have a Leia character survive, while in real life Carrie Fisher dies, and Luke dies, while the real Mark Hamill lives. Where does that leave Episode IX to go? I don’t know but the underpinings of the previous 7 stories is virtually wiped out.

So in summary, Star Wars has shifted and changed dramatically from 1977 until now. Luke and the Skywalker family and blood are pushed to the side. The white male dominated stories are replaced with a more politically correct, but welcome trend which could use some more balance. Does it need to swing entirely the other way and have most of the male characters as bad, and the females good? I hope not. I will admit that I cannot fully agree on the new direction of Star Wars, and maybe that is a big part in my less than enthusiastic watching of the new film. Yes, it was good but it was unsettling too. It didn’t feel “right”. I am no Star Wars geek that disappoints because I didn’t call all of the surprises in advance. Young son and girlfriend can attest that I outwardly asked about the possibility of Luke dying in this episode and I had hoped secretly that it wasn’t true. Part of me likes the Jedi teachings and ways. Part of me likes the harnessing of an unknown mystical force. It is unfortunate that Han and Luke met poor ends for me. The old guard is truly passed and left in the hands of the youth and the young. In forty years time, when I am long gone, will the teens of today lament the treatment of Rey and Fin if they should be treated as so cavalierly? And die with no ceremony nor fanfare? Only time and Disney will tell.

December 18th, 2017, spoilers included Last Jedi

We are one week away from Christmas, and this year has just flown by.

First the elephant in the room is Star Wars: The Last Jedi as it was seen by all of us here. I am giving a spoiler alert as I plan on talking in some detail about this film, and where the plot goes. May I first say that the hype machine and all the trailers yet again take away from the film itself. I need to learn to avoid trailers altogether – since Blade Runner and Alien Covenant had too many. It takes away from going into a movie with fresh eyes.

Last Jedi was a long film, and I felt that it started off slow with getting the Luke story underway. And then there’s Luke as this whining, pouting dude who “just wants to be left alone to die”. Well, be careful what you wish for, I would reply. In many ways I can more fully understand the feedback and seemingly bitter soundbites that have come from Mark Hamill for this film and the arc of his character as he has talked about it. He was a grumpy old man, and now I see why. His only hope (pun intended) is now to become a ghost and drop some wisdom every now and then. I did like how Yoda came back to admonish his reckless pupil one last time before dealing with the Secret Scrolls of the Jedi. I also liked how they dealt with Rey and her storyline, and that she is not born of privilege or from some special meta-chlorean spring. Or Luke’s daughter or half-sister of Ben Solo.

What I was not so happy with are the unknown and previously unseen abilities of the characters, or those of any character before. For example, the ability to project and interact oneself with other characters. The benchmark had always seemed to be for the Jedi to re-appear as a ghost and speak with the living. Here was another whole level – think about how Luke interacts with Leia near the end. Think about he actually creates matter in the form of the dice. All of this before having the dust up outside with all the technology from the First Order.

I was also surprised with the treatment of Leia, and how seemingly they had given away in a trailer that she had been killed in the command ship. And yet, there in the middle of space (SPACE!) she does something and reveals a power that no one has ever had in a Star Wars film (not even Yoda or Darth Vader). Which then leads to a paradigm where Leia as a character is almost indestructible, but Carrie Fisher the actor has died and we are told there will be no more Leia in these films. It is a head scratcher since she died shortly after filming ended, and they could have easily killed her off in that very spot. Anyway, there are surprises and plot twists and then there are created U-turns. I feel as though much of the new parts in this episode were created out of thin air.

There is some humour and some good humour which shows that the new writer has seen Robot Chicken and appreciates it. It does beg the question on why JJ Abrams would turn over the reins on the hottest film in Hollywood to another writer and director and become just the Executive Producer. I ask though, is JJ Abrams a great director? Is he another Spielberg or Scorsese or Coppola? Or does he just take existing ideas and build upon them like Star Trek and Star Wars?

There are creatures here that are created just to make them into stuffed animals I think. From the baby-eyed penguin-like creatures, which Chewbacca in earlier times would have simply eaten without hesitation to the crystal dogs. Ah, the crystal dogs. On a planet that they are presumably native, why on earth are they running into the fortified bunker? Why not just ran away? Away from the guns and explosions? And then, of course the reveal for having them is to show this new escape route out. Ugh.

In the end, despite some flaws, everyone will see this film, and they will continue to make more. Disney is getting its money out of this investment, and then some. At $220M for the weekend (the second best weekend ever) you can be sure that there is many more to come. Oh, and the still champion of the box office is at $248M, you guessed it – The Force Awakens. Disney spent $4B to take it over in 2012. Force Awakens made $2B, and Rogue One $1B. This film will take them into the black. All in less than 5 years! I was asked by someone how Star Wars has changed since 1977, and I will detail that out from my perspective in another piece shortly. Is this the best Star Wars film yet? No. For me Empire remains the best film of the series. Episode I remains the Worst!

Turning back into the real world, on Thursday night I went out and saw the highest rated film at rotten tomatoes of all time; Lady Bird. This is Greta Gerwig’s semi autobiographical coming-of-age story around a young woman as a Senior in Sacramento CA. The young woman is played by Sairose Ronan, and she is quite simply excellent. For me, knowing that she is Irish (well, transplanted really from NY but with a thick accent) this playing the Californian teen was very good to see. The surrounding cast is uniformly excellent too. Laurie Metcalf who plays her Mom shows a middle age woman struggling to keep her family together and sanity all around her. She suffers as her family is generally in the same spot as they began 20+ years before, and her husband is struggling to keep up. She has a son who has an unexplained history which deserves some more attention with his girlfriend. It is an Oscar worthy performance. Her daughter is exploring universities and has a final year to figure out ultimately that you don’t need to find yourself and your path by the time you are 18yo. That goes for school, but also in relationships as well. The lead here changes herself to approach and be engaged with two different guys. Each reflects the reality that can occur in high school with cliques and students. This is not the best film of the year. It shouldn’t be the highest rated of all time at rotten tomatoes, but I can why it would. It has some universal truths, and is a reflection on a time and place. Between this and On Chesnil Beach, Ronan is making quality and varied choices for her career. It bodes well. Also it can be said that Timothee Chalamet has had an equally impressive year with quality choices in this film, and also the unseen by me Call Me By Your Name. He has been nominated for Best Actor there and it remains a film I wish to see.

November 27, 2017

There was a sad barometer on the state of affairs with the moviegoing public on Friday night. It happened at Queensway Theatre where the 9:40 showing of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri was being played. This film has just recently been released (and was a standout at TIFF as Alison reported on). I am saddened to say that if there were 15 people in this theatre I would be shocked. I can only imagine how many had gone out to see Thor! Sadly a film that is likely a Best Movie contender and well acted with a quality cast and script, is overlooked at the box office. In the end, that is what Hollywood cares about. And the script/screenplay is marvelous. The generous sprinkling of profanity throughout it, even with younger members of the cast was funny. Without repeating your review and the high level plots aspects, for me I liked that each character is shown in shades of grey. Neither is completely good nor bad. It shows that we all can have our moments. Many top news stories on the tip of tongues are covered (like racial issues, the media, news, brutality, homosexuality, broken families etc) are all covered. There are some stereotypes, like with young women and older men, but it does not play falsely. In the end, small town America takes it on the chin while sending a message to us all. I note that Sam Rockwell does an excellent job playing despicable characters. He has redneck down so well, from the haircut on down. Also I like Woody Harrelson a great deal here, as I did in War for the Planet of the Apes where he channeled Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now so very well. He plays a character that could be a caricature with some more depth and understanding. I really liked this film, and Karen and I spoke about it at length after it was over and the next day. There should be more movies like this, and encouragement for them to be made.

I re-watched on Netflix Field of Dreams, and this movie holds up well. Like Shawshank, it is a feel good movie that keeps its emotional impact. I like the characters and even though I don’t feel that Amy Madigan is a great actress, she does a good job here playing the wife who tolerates and supports her husband’s unusual behavior (even when he is prone to hyperbole like “this may be the last opportunity I have to do something like this”) – -all at the age of 36!!

I also re-watched Star Wars Force Awakens last night to see if I have missed any tidbits and in preparation for The Last Jedi. There is the talk about bringing Rey to the bad dude for her to have her training completed. There is Leia and Han talking about Ben and how he isn’t all bad that “there is light in him”. There was Rey being unwilling to touch Luke’s lightsaber after the first time where she saw the future and the past, but then uses it against Ben. I wonder about her, and the untrained powers that she has, and how she was able to channel them. I also wonder how the First Order recovers from yet another massive technological undertaking being blown up by a small group of individual star fighters (It makes me laugh about the Robot Chicken episode about not having fully paid for the Death Star)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F1d3QWsyk0