May 12th, 2025

Megalopolis: I have to admit that this is a difficult review. I had watched this movie months ago now, and it didn’t resonate with me. I didn’t like it, that is the ultimate memory that I had about it. Maybe it got sucked up into the vortex of unreasonable expectations since this is a new film from Francis Ford Coppola, the legendary director who had brought forward The Godfather (I and II) and Apocalypse Now. This movie had been many years in the making, and it starred Adam Driver, Giancarlo Espositio, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne and Jon Voight to name a few.

What I mostly remember is that this movie took a modern day fable approach using New York City to address characters that are from ancient Rome. The main character (Adam Driver as Cesar Catilina) is brilliant and a visionary architect but he is battling against the Mayor of the City (Esposito). But it was messy in plot and disjointed in execution.

Without going too deep into this plot, Cesar has the ability to stop time and then restart it. This ability threatens the existing order of power within the city, as he has a vision to transform the city into a utopia of sorts. This naturally flies directly in the face of the existing hierarchy. The mayor’s daughter, named Julia, seems to be able to watch Cesar’s abilities (stopping time) but she is intrigued by him. She seeks him out and then understands his vision. Things happen. Cesar’s ability leaves him temporarily and then returns. Julia helps him while seeing what her father is really all about.

One of the more curious characters in this mess is played by Shia LaBoeuf (named Clodio) who is looking to discredit Cesar with the people. The make up and acting on LaBoeuf are disconcerting and the character is wholly dispicable. This is reflective of the story all around with characters who aren’t fully formed do things which seem simple without much explanation beyond the most basic. Stupid and silly turns take place which become increasingly ridiculous to the point where I couldn’t care any further. Ultimately I didn’t care about the people, nor the relationships. I was not invested in it or cheering on a particular faction. I cannot recommend this, and would add my name to many who have been disappointed in this effort. A hard pass for me.

May 19th update: Over the weekend I visited Napa California and went to the Coppola vineyard located in Geyserville. While there I saw some fine memorabilia from Coppola films like The Godfather I and II, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Apocalypse Now. But they also had the following display below:

It was further noted on the luxurious property spanning 1400 acres that he in 2021 sold 75% of his interest in this property for $500M in order to fund the making of this movie. One would argue that it was not money well spent. The property still has some really cool items and history of the legendary filmmaker. The food at the restaurant Rustic was very good.

The Last of Us: Season 2 – Episode 4 (Day One): This episode released last Sunday shows the updated journey of Ellie and Dina as they reach Seattle. There was plenty that transpired between them. But before those details, we are introduced to Jeffrey Wright who a number of years before the present time was a soldier leading a troop into a combative zone and then meets up with the leader of a group in that city. Something dramatic and surprising takes place with his soldiers and we learn where his loyalties lie. Fast forward to the present day and Ellie is still seeking revenge tracking down the perpetrators.

Part of me is wondering where the idea of finding a cure for the disease that turns people into “the infected” has been lost. The whole point earlier in Season 1 was that Ellie COULD be a potential source for a cure because she has been bitten and survived means that she could be used medically. Instead, the battles seem to be between different factions of humans who aren’t infected. One would surmise that if the healthy humans banded together, that they could have a better chance against the infected. One of the things that these two young women do which is surprising is in having a lack (at least initially) with moving around hostile territory, by for example wandering through unknown streets in the middle of the day and in the open. They seems to have no sense of trying to hide or staying hidden. Ultimately the budding relationship between these characters is overplayed, all the while there is a serious unexpected encounter with more infected than expected. Ellie needs to reveal something to Dina which one can expect will have lasting impact. We further learn something about Dina which gives Ellie a new perspective on the whole enterprise and the reason for being in Seattle in the first place. At the same time, Ellie is more powerful now and has shown herself to be able to withstand infected attacks. This is a superpower in this world, and it will need to be further explored.

I enjoyed this episode more than the previous episode. I do think that it was unnecessary to get deeper into the relationship and the musical interlude, but overall this was good. I will continue to watch.

May 5th, 2025 (Cinco de Mayo)

The Last of Us – Season 2: The new season has been released a few weeks back, and epsiode 4 will drop this evening (as I am writing this on Sunday afternoon). Episode 1 was released April 13th, and I was anxious to see this series since the end of Season 1 in March 2023. The audience is forgiven in not remembering the details of what had occurred back then. All I could remember is that the citizens in the community Joel and Ellie were in (Salt Lake City) were managing to survive through the deception of the leaders in charge. Things happened and like any life situation, there are consequences for the actions. Joel and Ellie end up in Jackson Hole. I will preface my review of the early episodes of season 2 with the fact that I am not familiar with the video game, and I had no idea where the story went within the video game sequel. With that said, here we go. Season 2, Episode 1 opens up five years later in Jackson Hole, and Ellie and Joel aren’t really talking to one another. The older adult and parent in me sees a 19 year old young woman asserting her independence, and thinking that her parent/person of authority doesn’t know anything about her or about life in general and she is rebelling. Added to that mix there is a sense of invinsibility for young Ellie. She can be reckless, talk back and disregard her elders. Younger viewers may take issue with that characterization, and that Ellie has been deceived by Joel, although she is not fully aware of it, and she needs to form new bonds of friends and people her own age. So the episode has little to do with the zombies, and more about the dynamic between the principal characters.

I found episode 1 slow, and not very compelling. In a series where the writing and story have been so good this didn’t start off in a manner that I would have hoped. But given the history of the series, and my enjoyment of it, I was going to stick with it.

Episode 2 was worth the wait, and racheted up the intensity heavily in an action-packed story. Very quickly we move on from family dynamics and get into some imminent threats. There is a group from Salt Lake City determined to seek revenge for the actions of Joel in his escape. It is a young group, and the one female leader, named Abby (played by Kaitlyn Dever, notably from Booksmart) has great motivation for any revenge. Of course there is also the real external threat of the zombies who seem to have been dormant but not for long. In very quick order, a scouting mission from the walled town end up, with some assistance from Abby, unleash the zombie hoard. They come in numbers and attack with force. The walled town defends, for which they seem to be well provisioned. Things happen. Both Joel and Ellie are outside the walls, but separately as the zombies descend. Without spoiling anything further, fate intervenes and both Ellie and Joel have consequences for their actions with lasting impacts on them both. A new commitment for revenge is initiated, and heavy losses take place on all side both inside the walled town and outside it. It is a shocking and surprising turn which made the episode feel like a workout. At each turn there were more surprising layers and plot to sink in. My excitement and enthusiam for the series is re-ignited.

Onto episode 3, where the aftermath of all of the actions from the previous epsiode are digested. For the second of the three episodes the pace slows to take a breath. A plan is hatched which requires town council approval before it is done, given the resouces required for it. A passionate plea is made to the council and a decision is made. It is difficult to speak at length about episode 3 without addressing episode 2. But suffice it to say that a path is before the characters and another journey is to be undertaken to Seattle. For me, I find it interesting that despite the significant zombie external threat that human beings find ways to attack one another. There seems to be limited capacity for cooperation and coordinated effort to meet this common enemy. Certainly there is little effort made to research about the zombies, the plants that cause the disease and looking for a cure. Naturally the viewers know that the potential solution could be Ellie. But it is a thought that is pushed to the side given the issues that are most current. We’ll see where this season continues to take us.

Your Friends and Neighbors: Episode 5 of this new series with Jon Hamm continues with the well-written premise of a recently unemployed hedge fund manager steering himself through his divorce and two teenage kids, along with his other well heeled neighbors. There are also married and newly divorced couples, school, and work people to deal with. He has decided to begin stealing from his neighbors and using a local fence to move the product. He begins with watches, but then expands what is available. Along the way he meets up with people who can assist with his activities, and these are necessary people. As would be expected, many of the neighbor’s houses have security devices and this can pose a challenge.

Then he needs the fence, along with others who may be avilable to help move the stolen goods. Of course, he never really knows who he can trust and what their ultimate motivations are. His ex-wife, now with her new boyfriend struggles with her current situation and she may be having some doubts. His manager with his wife are making substantial changes to his house and he requires a significant influx of money. There are some comedic moments, but like White Lotus (or so I have heard) it is rich white people acting badly. No one is free from bad behaviour, and the audience shares in the Hamm voiceover as he talks through his own actions. Episode 5 ties back into the very first episode in dealing with Hamm in a house that isn’t his and finds a man dead inside. This isn’t Mad Men, but it has some fun moments, and I enjoy trying to flash forward and see where they might take this premise. So stay tuned.

March 20th, 2023

The Quiet Girl: At a time when a number of the Oscar nominees were depressing and down, like The Whale or EO, along comes this Oscar nominated entry from Ireland for Best International Picture. It is mostly in Gaelic with subtitles. It is based upon the book named “Foster” from Claire Keegan who is also a writer in the film.

Cait, is a young girl who lives in a family of modest to poor means in the early 1980s. As the movie begins, Cait is hiding from the family in the field as they search for her. You soon learn to know why. Young Mom is pregnant again, although there are already plenty of mouths to feed in the house. Dad is not exactly father of the year nor husband of the year material, if you know what I mean. Cait doesn’t say much and her actions reveal the inner turmoil that she is experiencing at home and in school. Cait’s Dad and Mom decide to send her off to spend some extended time with Mom’s cousin, who has presently no children of her own. The cousin and her husband run a dairy farm a lengthy drive away. Cait arrives and there is an awkward first meeting as she seemingly hasn’t been told what is happening. Dad absentmindedly even drives away with her suitcase. The young girl settles in and the rest of the movie is about her and her relationship with this couple.

As the title implies, much in this movie goes unsaid. Not just from the girl, but from the adults too. Everyone, as in life, has their issues to get over. Some have just had those issues longer to address. Silence can mean acceptance, but it can also be someone deep in thought or even processing how they feel at the moment. Actions say a great deal. Caring isn’t always isn’t about words, but the small acts of life. From a cookie left on a kitchen table to signify being sorry and seeking apology, to changing bedsheets or sweeping out a barn. Together it means connection. Despite what others might say or think, kindness is offering your home, your skills and resources to a virtual complete stranger, knowing that it likely won’t be welcome. I really liked this. It is a simple story well told. The ending I think is right. In a year where Best International Film is pretty much sewn up with All Quiet on the Western Front, this nevertheless is an effective story and entertaining revealing the story of this quiet, brown-haired girl.

The Last of Us – Season 1 round up: Welcome to HBO’s response to the completion of Game of Thrones with all those viewers and also those from House of the Dragon. Without repeating my introduction to the series, and how I was very reluctant to watch a series with zombies, I continue to be impressed how they overcome the zombie aspects. They are there of course, but much more of it is about human interaction, rather than humans and zombies. Our two heroes, Ellie and Joel are on a quest to find people who can help with trying to find a cure for this fungus-pandemic. What I can say is that this series builds and builds. Knowing that there will be more seasons to come, I had to wonder how they would address it.

People and their motivations stand in the way of the heroes meeting their goals. The series has nine episodes with the last one released last Sunday.

Those of you who haven’t watched so far, I would NOT recommend that you click on this back story for episode 8. I hadn’t seen these before, but I like the explanations for the episode. I have to keep reminding myself that this series is a video game with a story and scenes unto itself. Some of these are in this show, but others are not and others still are changed. In short, you don’t know what you are going to get! I am going in blind, with fresh eyes on every episode. It’s fun to watch and see where it turns. To say that the Final Episode was a surprise is an understatement. I won’t get into details here, except to say that it puts the overall story arc of being re-written or at least re-directed. I welcome it, because it means that there are many possibilities. With this series ending for a break, it is just in time for Succession to begin the last season. Kudos to HBO for keeping us entertained with good quality series back to back.

Oscars Recap: First of all, kudos for the second consecutive year for my brother to win the Oscar pool. This year he won by 1 point over Alison. Well done and really good picking. I came fourth. I think that he should be betting on his ability to predict the winners. Obviously my skills are lacking.

It wasn’t inaccurate of me to state that I felt Everything, Everywhere All At Once would have a good night at the Oscars. I just didn’t expect it to be as good as night as what eventually transpired. I had predicted Best Picture, Director and Best Supporting Actor. I called Best Supporting Actor one of the easiest calls of the night, along with All Quiet as Best International Film. I hadn’t expected Best Supporting Actress for surprised Jame Lee Curtis. Incidentally, both Best Supporting Actors gave heartfelt speeches.

There were some great outfits from people like Salma Hayek, Cara Delevigne, Jessica Chastain or Emily Blunt.

The musical performances were good generally, I missed the earlier performances by Lady Gaga gave a good live performance. She has so much talent, and dressed down decidedly for the time on stage (torn jeans and comfy top).

All Quiet on the Western Front also did very well at the Oscars. I think that the two directors from Everything, Everywhere would be fun to work with. For those of you who have actually seen the movie, we’ll see if you think it is Best Picture worthy. As I said earlier, time in my view will move on from this Best Picture which was an extravaganza for the senses, on multiple plains but hard to follow if you didn’t pay attention, and certainly not for all viewers. There were some laughs, but it is difficult to compare this type of film to others. Time will tell. I think that Jimmy Kimmel did a decent job. I always like the Matt Damon jokes.