Category Archives: Biography

2016 Films, Biography, Drama

Hidden Figures-2016

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Hidden Figures-2016

Director Theodore Melfi

Starring Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae, Octavia Spencer

Scott’s Review #619

Reviewed February 26, 2017

Grade: A-

Hidden Figures (2016) is a mainstream, “Hollywood” style film produced, written, and acted very well.

The film tells the story of three female African American mathematicians who faced many struggles and were somewhat overlooked in the early 1960s.

The women achieved historical success and allowed John Glenn to orbit planet Earth.

From a film perspective, the story is feel-good but not contrived. It feels quite fresh and features an excellent ensemble cast with good chemistry.

I enjoyed this film immensely.

Blessed with good smarts, Dorothy Vaughan (Spencer), Mary Jackson (Monae), and Katherine Johnson (Henson) were fortunate enough to work for the Langley Research Center – in 1961.

In those days, segregation still existed, and the women worked as temporary workers and used separate “colored” bathrooms and were largely excluded from the white workers.

The three women are best friends and drive to work together- each has an individual specialty, and the film focuses on each woman’s story.

The more prominent role and main story are about Katherine. Since the Russians had already achieved success in outer space, the race was on for the United States to follow suit. Katherine is assigned as a “computer” in the Space Task Group, led by Al Harrison (Kevin Costner).

Initially, Katherine is dismissed by her colleagues but eventually is accepted due to her smarts.

In subplots, Dorothy struggles to be given a Supervisory position. Mary aspires to be the first female engineer despite needing to enter an all-white school to take the necessary classes.

My favorite of the three performances is Taraji P. Henson.

The actress impresses with her spunky, well-mannered portrayal, specifically her fantastic scene when she has had enough of the segregation and difficulty performing her job.

She loses it in front of the entire team and rails against them- expecting to lose her job, instead, her boss Al, (a fantastic nice-guy role for Costner), sees her point and declares NASA will see no distinction of color.

Henson is the lead actress in the film and carries it well.

The chemistry between the three actresses makes Hidden Figures work so well and appear believable. The women always have each other’s backs and are friends outside of work, attending church and picnics together.

The film is wise to feature women’s lives outside of their professions.

A nice side story of single mother Katherine (her husband, who has died) meeting and being courted in lovely fashion by handsome National Guard member Jim Johnson (Mahershala Ali) is a sweet story, genuinely told.

The two also have nice chemistry together.

The film’s finale, as the attempted launch of John Glenn is met with problems, is compelling. Due to their genius of Katherine, she must save the day as Glenn trusts only her judgment and calculations of the ever-so-important numbers.

The scene is a “just desserts” moment for Katherine as the country rallies patriotically behind the events.

Hidden Figures plays it safe, and the actual struggles of the real women undoubtedly had darker and meaner situations, as the discrimination they faced had to have been more intense.

Still, the film strives to downplay some of the grit in favor of light-hearted, crowd-pleasing fare, but I fell for it hook, line, and sinker and enjoyed the film ride that I was given.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress-Octavia Spencer, Best Adapted Screenplay

2016 Films, Biography, Comedy, Drama

Florence Foster Jenkins-2016

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Florence Foster Jenkins-2016

Director Stephen Frears

Starring Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant

Scott’s Review #613

Reviewed January 30, 2017

Grade: B

Director Stephen Frears loves to direct films starring vehicles for mature actresses. Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, and Meryl Streep have benefited vastly from his direction (all received Oscar nominations).

In Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), Frears crafts a warm-hearted tale about a famous real-life opera singer, the title character of whom is played by Meryl Streep.

The film is likable but not up to par with other Frears’ gems, specifically Philomena (2013) or The Queen (2006).

Given the subject matter, the film is too safe for my tastes and should have been darker.

Florence Foster Jenkins was a New York City socialite and heiress who flourished in 1944. She founded the Verdi Club and did a great deal of good for music, specifically opera, which she adored.

Her husband, Bayfield, played by Hugh Grant, nicknames her “Bunny.” He reveres her, but not physically—he resides elsewhere with a girlfriend.

This is due to Bunny being afflicted with long-term syphilis, causing her to be medicated and rendering her bald and unable to engage in sexual relations.

Bunny is a wretched, flat singer; despite her passion for singing, everyone convinces her how wonderful she is because she is so well-regarded in her social circle. Many people are paid off in exchange for their support.

Due to Bunny’s medication, it is assumed that she cannot hear properly, leaving her unaware of how badly she sings. Bunny is now determined to sing at Carnegie Hall, and Bayfield must scramble to make sure no critics are anywhere in sight for the big show, saving his wife from humiliation.

Any film starring Meryl Streep is assured to be fantastic from an acting standpoint, and, per usual, she does not disappoint. Streep envelopes the role of Bunny, giving her charm and a vulnerability that only Streep can do.

Although the character knows what she wants and is stubborn, she is also kind, and we see passion oozing from her pores.

Streep is the highlight and the draw of the film.

Hugh Grant deserves kudos, and I liked the chemistry between the two actors. Although seeking physical relations with another woman may make him appear a cad, Grant also gives Bayfield sensitivity and genuine care for his wife.

They have “an arrangement,” but he hides his girlfriend when Bunny shows up unexpectedly, not wanting Bunny to be embarrassed.

Grant’s and Streep’s scenes together are tender and believable.

Like Bunny’s pianist, McMoon, Simon Helberg also positively influences the film. Hired to accompany Bunny’s singing, he is initially appalled and bemused but finally understands Bunny, coming to love and respect her for who she is.

The character is clearly gay (the film never comes out and says this), but gay themes are common in Frears films, and it is a non-issue among the principal characters, excellent, but perhaps unrealistic for that time.

A flaw of the film is the lack of any purely great moments. I suppose the climax at Carnegie Hall should have been it, but I did not wholly buy the entire film.

Even the crowd’s laughter and mocking of Bunny seem to be done in a soft, light way.

Nonetheless, Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) is a decent offering, and Streep is the ultimate selling point.

The costumes are also great.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Meryl Streep, Best Costume Design

2015 Films, Biography, British, Comedy, Drama

The Lady in the Van-2015

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The Lady in the Van- 2015

Director Nicholas Hytner

Starring Maggie Smith

Scott’s Review #610

Reviewed January 19, 2017

Grade: B

Maggie Smith can do no wrong, and I will happily enjoy watching her in anything- anytime. Since the 1950s, this lady deserves a starring role in film.

Utterly distinctive, as legendary actress Bette Davis was, Smith has a style purely her own. Her facial expressions and exasperated gasps make her one of the great film stars.

The Lady in the Van (2015) is made specifically for her, but beyond her talents, the movie is a decent, if very safe, offering.

It lacks the depth it could have.

Written by Alan Bennett, the film tells the true story of Mary Shepherd, an older woman living in a broken-down van, who befriends Bennett and eventually lives in his driveway for fifteen years before her inevitable death.

Set in northern London, a quaint and gorgeous part of the world, Mary harbors a deep secret involving her van and is revealed to have been a star piano pupil in her day.

Smith has no qualms about playing unflattering characters.

Shepherd is grizzled, abrupt, and rude, but Smith puts a lot of heart into her too, so the audience senses her vulnerability and falls in love with her.

With her sad, protruding blue eyes, wrinkles for miles, and chirpy voice, Smith is fantastic at giving her all to the role.

The rest of the cast plays their roles adequately but are limited and overshadowed at every turn. Most notable is Jim Broadbent’s wasted talent, appearing in a small and quite meaningless role.

Besides Smith’s brilliant performance, The Lady in the Van lacks layers.

The story is good, but we never see many of Mary’s struggles. How does she afford food? How is she not sick? The film skims over the darker elements of homelessness in favor of a lighthearted tale.

Fine, but what about her inevitable issues?

The film mentions other, less important stories but doesn’t fully explore them. Alex speaks to what looks like his twin brother, but is it his alter ego?

Young men come and go at night, so the presumption is that Alex is gay, and in the end, we do see Alex living with a man, but why is this so vaguely written? Why mention it at all?

This story would have been more interesting to explore, given that the real Alex Bennett wrote the film.

Other side stories are introduced but remain on the surface.

Alex’s mother suffers from Alzheimer’s, but this is not explored much, and Mary’s brother, who institutionalized her at a young age, offers no explanation as to why this was done; she had a mental illness, but the brother’s motivations are not clear.

I wanted more from the supporting characters than was offered.

Still, the bottom line is that The Lady in the Van (2015) is a Maggie Smith film, and any in which she has the lead role is pretty damned good for that reason alone.

2009 Films, Biography, Comedy, Cuisine, Drama

Julie & Julia-2009

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Julie & Julia-2009

Director Nora Ephron

Starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams

Scott’s Review #588

Reviewed January 7, 2017

Grade: A-

Julie & Julia (2009) is a darling film about cooking that centers on the legendary chef Julia Child. It is for the foodie or culinary geek in all of us.

The film is lighthearted and will ruffle no feathers, but it is a delicious, well-told treat.

The film tells of the life of Julia Child (Meryl Streep), at one time an aspiring chef, contrasted with the life of a young New Yorker, blogger Julie Powell (Amy Adams).

Julie is determined to cook all five hundred twenty-four recipes in Child’s famous cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, within one year.

The film, of course, would not be half as good without the amazing talents of Streep, who portrays Julia Child herself. All of Julia Child’s personality characteristics are portrayed exceptionally well by Streep.

Her laugh, voice, and zest for life are all perfect. Of course, since Streep is not nearly as tall a woman as Child was, liberties had to be taken by way of camera trickery.

Regardless of Streep’s performance, props for a nice performance by Adams, too.

Julie & Julia (2009) is a cute, charming, light, fun movie. I thoroughly recommend it.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Meryl Streep

2009 Films, Biography, Drama, Sports

The Blind Side-2009

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The Blind Side-2009

Director John Lee Hancock

Starring Sandra Bullock

Scott’s Review #580

Reviewed January 2, 2017

Grade: B-

The Blind Side is a 2009 film that garnered huge buzz and accolades largely based on rave reviews for Sandra Bullock’s performance.

Bullock subsequently won an Academy Award for the role (I would have awarded any of the other four nominees instead).

The story is surmised as a rich, white couple from the suburbs “rescues” a poor black football player and gives him a decent life that he otherwise would not have been able to have.

I was impressed with Bullock’s performance, but I left the theater a little disappointed.

I know this is supposedly a true story, but do we need yet another movie about a poor black kid being “rescued” by rich, white people?

Think Finding Forester from 2000.

This film is riddled with the typical stereotypes (rednecks, racist friends, political/religious views) that seem a bit overdone.

Disturbing to me are people who think The Blind Side is the best film in decades- no, it is not.

It is a feel-good, warm, fairy tale sort of movie that, besides Bullock’s performance, seems rather ordinary.

I was expecting a bit more substance given the movie’s success, and I would recommend this as a rental only for anyone who aspires to watch all of the Oscar-nominated features.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Actress-Sandra Bullock (won)

2009 Films, Biography, Drama, Sports

Invictus-2009

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Invictus-2009

Director Clint Eastwood

Starring Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman

Scott’s Review #579

Reviewed January 2, 2017

Grade: B

As sports films go, it is very difficult, especially a sports film based on real-life actions, for a director to avoid cliches and make the film not a sappy, saturated mess.

I will point out some of the latter-day Rocky films as examples of cheese, not that those are true stories.

Nevertheless, Clint Eastwood has given us Invictus, and while the film is predictable and sappy, somehow it also works as an above-average offering.

This is undoubtedly helped by the superior acting of stars Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman, who give both compelling and nuanced performances.

While not a masterpiece, for the sports genre, it is above average, as it combines a South African history lesson along with good drama.

Freeman portrays the famed Nelson Mandela during the period when he took over as President and subsequently ended apartheid. He used the 1995 World Cup rugby matches as a way to unite his people.

Damon stars as a key rugby player.

Invictus is a rousing, triumphant sports film with a happy ending one can see for miles away. There is particularly a rooting value and rallying cry to the film since the subject matter is an important social issue and historically significant.

I wish that the film might have contained more character-driven elements, but it was clear the type of film that it was.

Nothing very surprising ever developed, as the film was straightforward, but it was still a worthy effort and a feel-good film.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor-Morgan Freeman, Best Supporting Actor-Matt Damon

2016 Films, Biography, Drama, Historical Drama

Jackie-2016

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Jackie-2016

Director Pablo Larrain

Starring Natalie Portman

Scott’s Review #576

Reviewed January 1, 2017

Grade: A-

Natalie Portman carries the 2016 biographical-drama film based on the life of Jackie Kennedy and the events directly following the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963.

The film does not retread conspiracy theories or feature more than a few brief glimpses of JFK himself. Instead, it tells Jackie’s story and what she faced throughout the ordeal.

The film wisely uses flashbacks to show the famous tour of the White House, which Jackie gave shortly before the President’s death.

It is a bravura performance by Portman as Jackie.

Director Pablo Larrain, primarily known for achievements with foreign-language films (the Chilean film No (2012), comes to mind), rather than the American history genre, is successful in his work with direction.

The film is gloomy, both in tone and with the terrific brooding musical score composed by Mica Levi, with its loud, abrupt sound effects.

The overall feel of the film is foreboding and dark.

The main activity is told through a famous Life interview that Jackie Kennedy gave a week after the assassination. The reporter was Theodore H. White, who was slightly less than sympathetic in demeanor toward the First Lady.

Held in Massachusetts, Jackie is still pained in peaceful tranquility away from the limelight.

Portman successfully reveals two sides of Jackie Kennedy to the audience. Not simply the smiling debutante she always portrayed publicly, Jackie was also a complex, feisty woman.

She vehemently wanted the world to see how brutal the assassination was, how proud she was of her husband, and how she would not back down from holding a lavish and public funeral procession for her deceased husband.

Jackie was met with harsh criticism and defiance for her desire. A proud woman, she did not wish to run away and hide from the terrible events.

Jackie is mostly a quiet, introspective film. Much of the film is about Jackie being interviewed, and there are flashbacks of her giving the White House tour.

Typically, Portman portrays Jackie as prim, proper, and demure. She is always filled with class and grace.

In one riveting sequence, though, we see Jackie walking through the White House, smoking cigarettes and drinking vodka. She appears alone and vulnerable, having just lost her husband.

Portman embraces her pain, and the audience grieves with her. She is alone in more ways than one. We see her not only as a First Lady but also as a sad woman in her agony.

Portman is fantastic in her mannerisms and tone of voice.

I loved the continuous usage of flashbacks to tell the story. Still, the film does not delve into an unneeded history lesson. We all know what happened. The point of the film is to answer curiosity about Jackie.

What is most effective is the focus on Jackie’s reactions and how Jackie handled the events.

In a grotesque scene rivaling any horror film, we are right there with Jackie in the car that fateful day as a shot rings out, blowing JFK’s head wide open. Sinking into Jackie’s lap, she later candidly describes to the Life magazine reporter how she attempted to hold the remains of his head together.

We then see her wandering around, her beautiful pink suit smeared with blood.

A quiet yet compelling and mesmerizing film, Portman is the main draw. She channels emotions of heartbreak, sadness, and composure.

Jackie was a fantastic First Lady who was always graceful and proper, but Portman shows another side of her that very few people knew about.

In addition to this fine acting, Jackie (2016) is a dark, brooding film that successfully tells this woman’s story.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Natalie Portman, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature, Best Director-Pablo Larrain, Best Female Lead-Natalie Portman, Best Editing

2009 Films, Biography, Drama, Romantic Drama

The Last Station-2009

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The Last Station-2009

Director Michael Hoffman

Starring Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren

Scott’s Review #569

Reviewed December 28, 2016

Grade: A-

The Last Station (2009) is a wonderful film.

It contains many worthwhile elements- history, culture, good drama, and great acting.

Starring seasoned veterans such as Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren, the fantastic acting is as good as it gets.

The film tells the story of the final year in the life of famous Russian author Tolstoy and the relationship he has with his family- specifically his wife, Sofya, and his disciples.

The year is 1910, and Tolstoy is ailing. He has had a stormy yet passionate relationship with his wife for decades, which is explored in the film.

The film’s main point is greed and in-fighting for control of a great literary figure’s legacy and money.

The main strong point of The Last Station is the relationship between Tolstoy and Sofya- both characters are headstrong and opinionated, but also madly in love, which leads to many sessions of battle.

This is a film of substance.

Director Michael Hoffman also mixes some humor with the heavy drama.

In conclusion, you might need to use some hankies.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Helen Mirren, Best Supporting Actor-Christopher Plummer

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature, Best Director-Michael Hoffman, Best Female Lead-Helen Mirren, Best Supporting Male-Christopher Plummer, Best Screenplay

2010 Films, Biography, Boxing, Drama, Sports

The Fighter-2010

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The Fighter-2010

Director David O. Russell

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale

Scott’s Review #546

Reviewed December 11, 2016

Grade: A-

The Fighter (2010) is an excellent film. As a sports film, it has the inevitable clichés that make the entire sports film genre rather predictable.

But this film is a very well-done story and is based on real-life figures (the Ward brothers).

Tremendous acting by Wahlberg, Bale, and Melissa Leo, in the role of Mama Ward, a role of a lifetime.

The telling is a true story of Mickey Ward (Wahlberg), a boxer from Massachusetts, and his battle to stardom, dealings with family members, and his love life.

The characters may be ever so slightly overdone in the rugged, rough, Bostonian way, almost appearing New Jersey Soprano-ish instead of New England, but the message is clear: they are in the boxing world and are tough guys (and gals).

This film is much more character-driven than many similar sports movies, thank goodness, and the casting is spot-on.

There are the inevitable final boxing match and the standard reaction shots, but again sports films are riddled with clichés.

The real win is with the characters’ layered complexities as they love and hate each other.

Bale and Leo deserved their Oscars for their respective roles in The Fighter (2010), specifically Bale for the shocking weight loss and spot-on character imitation.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-David O. Russell, Best Supporting Actor-Christian Bale (won), Best Supporting Actress-Melissa Leo (won), Amy Adams, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing

2016 Films, Biography, Drama, Romantic Drama

Loving-2016

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Loving-2016

Director Jeff Nichols

Starring Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga

Scott’s Review #527

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Reviewed November 26, 2016

Grade: A

Loving (2016) is a quiet film.

Subdued and poignant, it is an important historical story to tell and jarring to be transported back to the 1950s Southern style, where interracial marriage was not only illegal, but children of interracial couples were barely considered human beings.

This is to say nothing of the views of their parents, specifically of law enforcement.

Sadly, circa 2016, we all should be aware that racism is still alive and well in the United States, and this film is a reminder of how much further we need to go.

The true story of the landmark 1967 Loving vs. Virginia Supreme Court case is the basis for this film.

The time is 1958 in Virginia, and a sweet, working-class couple, Richard and Mildred, are very much in love. Richard-white and Mildred-black are met with some sideways glances around town but generally have a strong, supportive family and friend structure, although both families are pretty poor.

They enjoy spending time with friends in bars and racing cars.

When Mildred becomes pregnant, Richard purchases a plot of land for them and asks Mildred to marry him. Despite the challenges this will create, they are wed in Washington, D.C. Once they return to Virginia, they are arrested for violating anti-miscegenation laws prohibiting interracial marriage.

The couple eventually sued the state of Virginia, leading to a unanimous Supreme Court ruling a decade later.

As a film, Loving is thoughtful and introspective.

The audience questions who we are to decide who someone loves. This can apply to same-sex couples as easily as interracial couples.

The film, led by director Jeff Nichols, creates many quiet scenes of thoughtfulness on the faces of leads Edgerton and Negga.

Furthermore, several scenes of peril encompass the film.

The Lovings constantly threaten to be discovered as they secretly return to their forbidden home state to give birth to their son, only wanting Richard’s mother to perform the birth. The tense scene where Mildred is dropped off on a deserted back road is well shot; the camera constantly focuses on the road and the threat of a car coming by at any moment.

Edgerton, a fantastic actor and director, performs tremendously as a quiet, stoic, blue-collar man who is madly in love with his wife and sees nothing wrong with it simply because it is not the norm.

He is poorly educated, but Edgerton gives him underlying intelligence and a basic understanding of cherished love and more than once calmly utters, “But I love my wife.”

To him, it is that simple. Richard will also use any necessary measures to protect his family, as any man would. Edgerton’s squinting blue eyes portray suspicion, warmth, and love.

Negga is equally compelling as calm and loyal Mildred.

One might expect Mildred to finally explode with rage as she faces obstacle after obstacle, raising three kids in an environment she does not want, yet she never does.

Negga embodies the character with sweetness, wide-eyed passion, and longing for a better life. Mildred tries not to get her hopes up with each impending court date, but Negga successfully portrays the character with many different emotions and complexities.

My favorite scenes of hers involve Mildred gazing at her husband, her eyes filled with love and pride.

Nichols wisely does not spend much time in the courtroom, a positive aspect of the film. Sure, we get the occasional scene of Richard and Mildred facing the court, but the film does not take a different approach than necessary.

Despite a landmark decision coming from Loving’s marriage, the film is a love story between a good man and a good woman who happens to be of different races.

What a lesson every viewer can learn from Loving (2016).

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Ruth Negga

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Director-Jeff Nichols, Best Female Lead-Ruth Negga

2016 Films, Biography, Drama

Lion-2016

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Lion-2016

Director Garth Davis

Starring Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman

Scott’s Review #521

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Reviewed November 19, 2016

Grade: A-

Lion (2016) is an enthralling, humanistic drama about family, lost loved ones, and the search to find them, as seen through the eyes of the same character as a child and an adult.

It features fantastic acting, specifically from stars Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire-2008) and Nicole Kidman, and also features lavish cinematography of the Indian and Australian countryside.

The film is based on a non-fiction book named “A Long Way Home.”

Introduced to a poor neighborhood in India in 1986, we meet five-year-old Saroo, a wide-eyed boy who idolizes his big brother. Their beautiful mother carries rocks for a living and relies on the boys to watch their younger sister.

The boys steal coal to help eliminate their mother’s hardships. Their father is absent.

Saroo accidentally gets on an empty train when he insists on accompanying his brother on a night job. He is transported thousands of miles away, losing his family in the process.

Twenty-five years later, and long since adopted by an Australian family, Saroo attempts to find his long-lost family using new technology- Google Earth.

In a lesser film, this subject matter might have been a sappy affair, predictable, and contrived.

But Lion soars with humanistic, emotional flair, and heartfelt, without any manipulations.

The first third of the film is focused on five-year-old Saroo. We witness his confusion, desperation, and scrapes with potential kidnappers, child molesters, and undesirables. We also see how resilient and intelligent he is, wisely outmaneuvering foes and savvy enough to avoid monstrous people.

As much as I enjoyed this film segment, it lasted slightly too long. I was ready to see Saroo as an adult and the encompassing problems to come, but this is a tiny gripe in an otherwise extraordinary film.

Lion takes off when Patel plays Saroo, who is now all grown up. Adopted by an Australian couple, John and Sue Brierley, he has lived a life of love, respect, and encouragement.

The Brierleys are a selfless couple who, in addition to Saroo, have adopted another Indian boy with deep emotional issues. This has caused hardship and problems in the household. Their reasoning for adopting is poignant; rather than bring their biological children into the world, why not save two children who need to be saved?

Patel and Kidman give emotional and raw performances. Patel is quite a find as he plays conflicted and haunted very well and is convincing in the lead role.

We witness his conflict as he struggles with not knowing what has become of his family in India, imagining their worry and the devastation of not knowing what has become of him. He also avoids telling Sue, his adoptive mother, who has her hands full with other emotional issues.

Kidman, who always delivers, is raw, emotional, and sympathetic.  As Sue struggles to be strong, her facial expressions are subtle and contained, yet dying inside with underlying pain is exceptionally relayed by Kidman in an award-worthy portrayal.

Director Garth Davis cleverly adds several scenes of Saroo longingly looking out into the ocean or simply gazing in the distance, imagining and self-reflective.

What makes these simple scenes great is through Saroo’s imagination, he imagines being with his birth mother; she is still young, and he is now an adult. Similarly, he imagines being with his brother; his brother is still ten, but Saroo is now an adult.

These are quiet, beautiful scenes that add layers to this film.

Lion (2016) is a wonderful experience in great storytelling, led by effective acting performances and a compelling screenplay that gives honesty in film-making to the true story that the film is based on.

The film is heartwarming and can be enjoyed by anyone.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor-Dev Patel, Best Supporting Actress-Nicole Kidman, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography

2015 Films, Biography, Drama

Straight Outta Compton-2015

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Straight Outta Compton-2015

Director F. Gary Gray

Starring O’Shea Jackson Jr.

Scott’s Review #517

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Reviewed November 12, 2016

Grade: B-

The rap group N.W.A. was a highly influential and controversial unit to emerge from Compton, California, in the late 1980s and featured soon-to-be solo rap artists Ice Cube and Dr. Dre.

Another member, Eazy-E, rounds out the trio featured in this film along with their manager Jerry, played by Paul Giamatti.

Straight Outta Compton (2015) tells their story.

Ice Cube and Dr. Dre produced the film, along with Eazy-E’s widow, Tomica Woods-Wright, and Ice Cube’s real-life son, O’Shea Jackson, Jr., who portrays Ice Cube.

The film is interesting as a way of learning about the rap group and their rise to and fall from stardom, but the film has a very slick and glossy style that detracts from the grittiness of the subject matter.

It feels very Hollywood and overly produced.

Especially since the language is atrocious- almost overly so- as if the point was being shoved down our throats.

Additionally, the acting, except for Giamatti, is not too impressive.

Lastly, the violence portrayed and the gang stuff seem a bit stereotypical for my tastes.

The film begins in 1986, and we meet a trio of friends. Determined to provide a raw, honest style of poetry to their music, they eventually meet their manager, Jerry, who takes them under his wing and leads them to their success.

Predictably, with success comes jealousy and contract disputes.

The film delves into this subject matter as the partying and drug use, womanizing, and violence all lead to the rap group’s constant struggles with the police force, especially since one of their top songs is anti-police.

Impressive is the real-life footage used of the 1991 beating of taxi driver Rodney King by the Los Angeles Police Department and the subsequent riots that occurred after the officers were found not guilty of any wrongdoing.

The racial tension in this city was interesting to revisit and palpable to the film’s subject matter.

The acting was noticeable to me and not in a good way. The young actor who plays Dr. Dre (Corey Hawkins) was fine, but the others (Jackson) and Jason Mitchell as Eazy-E were average at best.

In any of their dramatic scenes where they appear to be angry, it just does not work, and the scenes lack grizzle and intensity.

Conversely, any dramatic scene that held any gusto belonged to Giamatti, who was excellent in his part. He makes the others seem better, but in other ways, their inexperience is evident compared to his.

In any event, he only makes the scenes he appears in more genuine. Early in the film, when Jerry lashes out at police officers, it is a meaty scene and forceful.

The filmmakers go for a message of violence and swearing in this film, but despite this, Straight Outta Compton still seems safe and overly produced. This may have had to do with the bright, slick cameras used.

It has a studio, high-budget appearance that does not completely work. I wanted it to look grittier and dirtier and see more of the seedy side of the business instead of merely being explained to me.

Women in this film are not treated very well, and the characters who are the girlfriends are written sympathetically, but not given much substance to sink their teeth into.

In contrast, Death Row Records CEO “Suge” Knight is portrayed as a maniacal, violent man.

Straight Outta Compton is a guy’s film.

I had difficulty relating to any of the central characters except perhaps Giamatti’s, and it becomes unclear if Jerry had been ripping off the members of the rap group or if that is merely their perception.

He seems to care about the members, so that part is undefined.

Perhaps this film might hold more appeal for fans of N.W.A., which I never was, and rap is not my preferred style of music.

I can appreciate the biographical way the film explains the trio’s story, ups and downs, reunions, death, and violence, but this film could have been much better and is flawed by its over-stylized filming.

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Screenplay

2015 Films, Biography, Documentary

What Happened, Miss Simone?-2015

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What Happened, Miss Simone? -2015

Director Liz Garbus

Starring Nina Simone

Scott’s Review #499

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Reviewed October 25, 2016

Grade: B+

Nina Simone, who died in 2003 at seventy, was an iconic singer and pianist with a musical style all her own.

As important as her soulful musical creativity, Simone was also a civil rights activist during the restless 1960s and spoke out about Black Power and racial discrimination.

This led to much controversy.

What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) tells her story in a thorough, rich fashion.

Executive produced by her daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, who is interviewed throughout the documentary, the piece is standard fare, using interviews and performances by Simone.

We experience her upbringing in North Carolina, her acceptance into the prestigious Juilliard, her family’s reliance on her for money, and her years of struggle performing in dingy nightclubs.

I loved seeing the old clips of her performances. They are raw, gritty, and full of something special, almost poetic.

Simone struggled to relax; she gave every ounce of energy in her shows and knew no other way to be.

Simone is like no other, and the documentary doesn’t need to explain it. Her performances tell it all. Not one to phone in performance and arguably not really “performing” at all, Simone was as real as they come.

She immersed herself in her music – and seemed to drift off into another reality.

As an activist, Nina Simone is shown to be controversial, not against supporting violence by blacks against whites in the name of freedom.

Simone had tumultuous relationships with both her husband and daughter and has claimed to have been beaten repeatedly and forced to work.

The text draws clear comparisons to other singers, such as Aretha Franklin. There is an element to Simone that other singers of that day did not have. She had a style all her own and did not “play the game” to achieve her success.

Instead, she chose to only be true to herself.

This is not a slight against Franklin, but the documentary states that if Simone had been happier, she might have had more commercial appeal, but would she have been satisfied with that?

I doubt it, as she was an intense soul.

Shocking to me are claims of physical abuse vocalized by her daughter, but this is explained away as a result of her mental illness and not herself at times.

Prescription drugs and diagnoses weren’t what they are now.

From a critical perspective, the documentary delivers what it should: an overview of this amazing talent, warts and all.

We see her from childhood until retirement, and cannot help but pity her in a way because of her apparent mental illness, which caused her not always to be the charming celebrity we would want her to be.

What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) helped me learn something fresh about an artist I wasn’t familiar with. That is what a documentary should do.

Oscar Nominations: Best Documentary Feature

2010 Films, Biography, Courtroom, Drama, San Francisco

Howl-2010

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Howl-2010

Director Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman

Starring James Franco

Scott’s Review #491

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Reviewed October 9, 2016

Grade: B+

Howl (2010) is a compelling courtroom drama biopic starring James Franco, who is wonderfully cast.

This role, despite being in a small film with little recognition, cements Franco’s talents as an edgy actor willing to tackle challenging work rather than stick to mainstream safe fare.

Franco has become one of my favorite young actors. He is so diverse and believable in any role he takes on.

The story follows 1950s poet Allen Ginsberg and his trial to determine whether his poems were art or should be banned as indecent.

Much of the action takes place in the courtroom, and the film wisely mixes animation (in scenes of Ginsberg reading his poetry) with traditional scenes.

The film lets the viewer get to know Ginsberg’s character. He was troubled (his sexuality, delusions, stints in a mental hospital), for sure, but also had a true, authentic love of writing and poetry, which is inspiring in an age of digital technology.

Sometimes good old-fashioned words are the truest art.

Howl (2010) is an interesting little film.

2014 Films, Biography, British, Drama, Independent

Jimi: All Is By My Side-2014

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Jimi: All Is By My Side-2014

Director John Ridley

Starring André 3000

Scott’s Review #487

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Reviewed September 30, 2016

Grade: A-

Jimi: All Is By My Side (2014) wasn’t quite the film I expected. It was better!

I wasn’t expecting poor work, since the film received a Best Male Lead Independent Spirit Award nomination for André 3000 (rapper) in the title role.

I expected an overview of the rise and fall of famed rocker Jimi Hendrix. Instead, I got a more introspective piece than I expected.

The film is a British production.

Interestingly, the film avoided any Jimi Hendrix songs familiar to audiences, using only songs written in 1966 and 1967.

This surprisingly turns out to be positive for the film.

The film’s awesome achievement is its non-conformity and independence; it undoubtedly had a lot of freedom.

This is a good thing.

If this film had been targeted for a showing at local theaters, it might have been a run-of-the-mill affair, focusing on the star and the star only.

It is also shot in a less-than-glossy way, giving it an almost grainy, gritty look that I found added something.

Impressively, the supporting characters, specifically three females with whom Hendrix has relationships throughout his initial rise to fame, are prominently featured, and the story shifts at times to their perspectives and feelings, not just Hendrix’s.

The film does not focus on Hendrix’s untimely death.

We meet Hendrix (compellingly played by André 3000) performing guitar in a sparsely attended bar in New York City.

Linda, the girlfriend of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, discovers him, becomes smitten, and recognizes his immense talent.

Slowly, he is discovered (mainly in London) and rises to fame.

However, the film is not only focused on his success but also on his personal life.

Besides Linda, Hendrix becomes involved with a volatile groupie and fixture in the 1960s London music scene, Kathy, and cultured American Ida.

Instead of the female characters being written as one-dimensional and dizzy, all three are quite intelligent and layered.

While each has feelings for the star, they are forced to be reckoned with in their own right, and we grow to care about their characters as individuals.

A scene involving Jimi violently beating girlfriend Kathy with a telephone during an argument has been refuted by friends as being fictitious- Hendrix was known as a gentle, peaceful man.

A controversy has emerged about the film’s overall accuracy, but I found it introspective and fascinating.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Male Lead-André 3000

2015 Films, Biography, Comedy, Drama

Joy-2015

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Joy-2015

Director David O. Russell

Starring Jennifer Lawrence

Scott’s Review #485

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Reviewed September 24, 2016

Grade: B-

Joy is a safe, mainstream, female-centered 2015 film, a biopic written for current star Jennifer Lawrence.

She was nominated for a Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her role, and she carries the film.

Still, despite her performance, the film is nothing special and is written in a ho-hum manner.

It is simply not very compelling, and the supporting characters aren’t used as well as they could be. Despite being based on a true story, the writing is lazy and the plot far-fetched.

I expected more.

The film is another collaboration between director David O. Russell and big stars of the time, Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Robert De Niro, all used in previous Russell films.

Lawrence plays Joy, a struggling Long Island mother of two, divorced from her husband (who still lives in the basement of her house), with multiple family members living with her to form a support unit.

Joy is the family’s breadwinner.

Joy’s grandmother narrates the story, whom she calls Mimi (Diane Ladd). Mimi always knew Joy would be a success, and we see a few scenes of Joy as a child, surviving her dysfunctional family and her parents’ disputes.

DeNiro plays her womanizing father, divorced from her mother (Virginia Madsen), who lies in bed all day watching soap operas.

Cooper plays opportunist QVC executive Neil Walker, who takes a liking to Joy and helps her achieve her dream as a successful businesswoman after she patents an idea for a new, high-powered mop.

The authenticity of the time, 1989, and through the 1990s is apparent, as we see Joy working for Eastern Airlines, a company that would fold several years later.

The automobiles, dresses, and hairstyles also feel authentic to the time.

The film does these points very well. And how cute was it to see famous daytime television stars such as Susan Lucci, portraying soap opera stars, as Joy’s mother lives her life vicariously through their tangled and bizarre soap lives?

Several scenes on the television set give us glimpses of the soap stories.

The film as a whole, though, feels too neat.

Predictably, Joy faces obstacles on her way to success.  Already struggling financially, she takes out a second mortgage on her house. At first, she cannot give away mops, let alone sell them.

On the brink of giving up, she finishes a meeting with execs who laugh at her product, but Walker gives her a break because she has a pretty face.

Predictably, things don’t go well, and a rather dull subplot follows a company in Texas trying to steal Joy’s idea. When she goes and threatens them, they immediately back down and obediently give in to her every whim.

This is both unrealistic and uninteresting.

I would have liked to have seen a messy back-and-forth or some court scenes, but the Texas company is portrayed as nothing but the villain.

The writing has plot holes or missed opportunities, and many questions abound. Despite many scenes of Joy’s past, we still learn little.

Her entire family lives with her in a suburban Long Island house; why does Joy own the house instead of her mother or grandmother?

Why does Joy have a rivalry with her half-sister, Peggy? Why does Joy’s father own an auto garage and still need to stay with Joy? Why is Joy’s mother mostly in bed?

Madsen as the mother is rather cartoonish and unnecessary to the plot, and Ladd is a dynamic actress given little substance.

I didn’t buy De Niro as a cad or as someone in love with his wealthy new girlfriend, Trudy (though seeing Isabella Rossellini in the part is a win), who conveniently shows up to finance Joy.

Despite an enormously talented cast, which is fantastic to see, most of the supporting parts could have been played by anyone, as the roles aren’t that challenging, and the film is certainly a vehicle to showcase Jennifer Lawrence, David O. Russell’s current “it” girl.

This isn’t a slight against Jennifer Lawrence, since she is the best part.  She portrays Joy as a sympathetic, strong-willed, fair, decent human being with enormous struggles and a blue-collar sensibility.

Great performance, but I wish the writing and the other talents involved in the film were given better material.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Jennifer Lawrence

2012 Films, Biography, Drama, Historical Drama, Period Drama, Political Drama

Lincoln-2012

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Lincoln-2012

Director Steven Spielberg

Starring Daniel Day-Lewis

Scott’s Review #476

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Reviewed September 10, 2016

Grade: A

Lincoln is a 2012 film, which received a slew of Academy Award nominations. However, opinions about the film itself differ.

Lincoln has audiences divided over whether it’s a brilliant film or a snoozefest.

My opinion leans decisively toward the former.

I recognize that (especially the first half) the film is slow-moving, but I found it engrossing and well-made.

Even the subtle aspects (costumes, art direction, lighting) are masterfully done.

I found Daniel Day-Lewis’s (Abraham Lincoln) lengthy stories intriguing, not dull, and a wonderful history lesson.

Steven Spielberg does what he does best- he creates a Hollywood film done well. He’s also done controversial, shocking, or experimental films, but mainstream fare is his forte.

This film isn’t for everyone, but if you have the patience, it will be an enlightening experience. If nothing else, a thing or two may be learned.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Steven Spielberg, Best Actor-Daniel Day-Lewis (won), Best Supporting Actor-Tommy Lee Jones, Best Supporting Actress-Sally Field, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design (won), Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing

2011 Films, Biography, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Independent, Independent Comedy

Bernie-2011

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Bernie-2011

Director Richard Linklater

Starring Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey

Scott’s Review #472

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Reviewed August 30, 2016

Grade: C-

Bernie (2011) is a film that, surprisingly, received critical acclaim and Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations, but I was left quite disappointed.

Categorized as a dark comedy, it has a morbid premise, which isn’t the issue; I didn’t find it very good overall.

Despite being a true story of Bernie (Jack Black) marrying and murdering millionaire Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine) in Texas, the film is not compelling and is written too over-the-top.

Inexplicably, the townspeople refuse to believe Bernie’s obvious guilt.

The film has a few funny, interesting moments and is based on real events, but I didn’t feel as connected to it as I expected and, honestly, found it a bit dull.

Jack Black is impressive as the title character, but only because it is a departure from his usual slapstick film roles. I don’t get the accolades being heaped on him for his performance.

Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaughey are capable of the parts written for them, but they are one-note characters.

Meh.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature, Best Male Lead-Jack Black

1999 Films, Biography, Chick Flicks, Drama

Girl, Interrupted-1999

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Girl, Interrupted-1999

Director James Mangold

Starring Winona Ryder

Scott’s Review #461

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Reviewed August 8, 2016

Grade: B+

Girl, Interrupted is a film I viewed twice when it came out (1999) and again in 2013.

The film is a star-making performance for Angelina Jolie (then unknown) and warrants a watch for that alone. Jolie completely steals the show as she portrays a damaged mental patient during the 1960s.

The film itself is interesting as its intended star is Winona Ryder, at this point in her heyday, but completely usurped by Jolie- glaringly so.

Ryder was in prime form as the “it” girl in the 1990s. Sadly, her star has since faded.

Besides the “who is the real star of Girl, Interrupted” debate, the film itself is very good, though it has a glossy, happily-ever-after Hollywood vibe.

It is not as gritty as it could have been.

Throughout, the film has a very safe feel- even in moments of peril, as when one girl commits suicide, or another suffers from burns, it feels light.

I did not buy Whoopi Goldberg as the kindhearted nurse. Her performance was okay, but it didn’t stand out.

Ryder and Jolie are tops.

Despite the subject matter, the film suffers from a chick-flick, cliché-ridden, happy-ending sort of style, but I still immensely enjoy it.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Supporting Actress-Angelina Jolie (won)

2015 Films, Biography, Drama

Trumbo-2015

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Trumbo-2015

Director Jay Roach

Starring Bryan Cranston

Scott’s Review #449

Reviewed July 11, 2016

Grade: B+

Trumbo, starring Bryan Cranston, who is suddenly in everything these days, is a 2015 biographical drama about Dalton Trumbo, a famed, talented Hollywood screenwriter blacklisted in the 1950s.

Cranston is center stage in the film, and very good.

The film has a crisp, glossy look and excites me with its ode to old Hollywood and its mix of real-life newsreels.

Great stuff for a classic film buff!

The sets, costumes, and art direction travel back to the 1940s and 1950s, but throughout I had a constant feeling of a modern film dressed to resemble an older one and never felt true authenticity.

Still, it’s a good effort and a well-above-average Hollywood film.

A treat for cinema lovers or even those folks interested in seeing some classic black-and-white footage- a young Ronald Reagan is seen testifying, presumably against those feared to be communists.

Following World War II, there was panic throughout the United States, including liberal Hollywood, to oust anyone with thinking deemed “un-American”.

If this sounds dated now, the United States was not always as diverse as it is in 2016.

The infamous “Hollywood 10” included ten screenwriters who were Communists, or at least had communist beliefs and sympathies. The story in Trumbo focuses on Dalton Trumbo, a quirky screenwriter, always with a classy cigarette, and holder, in hand.

The story shows his passion for fairness in the United States. He sees nothing wrong with being a communist.

The supporting characters are excellent.

John Goodman, in the role of Frank King, a B-movie director who gives Trumbo a chance to write under a pseudonym, and Helen Mirren and David James Elliott, as villainous Hedda Hopper and John Wayne, respectively.

Diane Lane could have had more to do as Trumbo’s loyal wife, but sadly, Hollywood is not a woman’s world.

If I were to have any criticism of this film, it is that Trumbo is mainstream fare and not high on the edgy factor, which is only a mild complaint.

That’s not wrong, but the film screams Hollywood-branded.

For instance, throughout Trumbo’s two-year prison sentence, he faces no real threats, no beatings, no abuse, nothing. He emerges from prison with a few gray hairs and life goes on.

When Trumbo’s friend battles and finally succumbs to lung cancer, there are no long-suffering scenes, making the film on the soft side.

Again, an observation of the type of film Trumbo is more than a complaint.

The scenes of Trumbo with his three children, as the film periodically ages the children with older actors, are touching; especially the scenes with his oldest daughter, Nikola, are sweet.

She grows up to be just like her father.

Trumbo earnestly explains to young Nikola why he is a communist and asks what she would do if someone else were without food; her response is to share, a simple, sweet scene.

Through a child’s eyes, the world is so innocent.

Trumbo returns to the Hollywood of old, clean, glamorous, and extravagant, both in the film and in its retro use of old footage.

It is a nonthreatening film that tells Dalton Trumbo’s story in a safe, thorough way.

I enjoyed it tremendously.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor-Bryan Cranston

2012 Films, Biography, Documentary

Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present-2012

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Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present-2012

Directors Matthew Akers, Jeff Dupre

Starring Marina Abramovic

Scott’s Review #436

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Reviewed July 1, 2016

Grade: B+

The wonderful thing about documentary features is that they can introduce the viewer to a world of knowledge or offer an experience you might not ordinarily encounter.

This is the case for me with Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present (2012).

Knowing nothing about this inspiring artist beforehand, I had no idea who she was and had no exposure to performance art.

The film does a great job of telling Marina’s career history, extreme discipline, and the honesty of her work.

The documentary is also a biography, as it gives a history lesson of who she is and the various obstacles she has hurdled in her life.

Marina is portrayed as an extreme artist, and it was a wonderful experience learning about her.

Seeing a video of The Museum of Modern Art in nearby New York City was a treat since I have been to the museum before.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Documentary Feature

2013 Films, Biography, Comedy, Drama, HBO, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films

Behind The Candelabra-2013

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Behind the Candelabra-2013

Director Steven Soderbergh

Starring Michael Douglas, Matt Damon

Scott’s Review #411

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Reviewed June 18, 2016

Grade: A

I thoroughly enjoyed this HBO film about Liberace, whom I was too young to know much about before seeing it.

The film fully explores the excesses of his lavish lifestyle.

The standouts are Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, who are both exceptional in their portrayals of Liberace and his young lover. At times, both are unrecognizable and fully embody their characters.

I can’t attest to the story’s absolute truth, but the HBO film does a nice job of mixing joy, passion, heartbreak, sadness, and competition throughout.

The story undoubtedly bears a likeness to many Hollywood troubled relationships past and present.

2015 Films, Biography, Crime Thriller, Mob, Thriller

Legend-2015

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Legend-2015

Director Brian Helgeland

Starring Tom Hardy

Scott’s Review #405

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Reviewed May 24, 2016

Grade: B+

Tom Hardy is one of my favorite modern film actors (he should have won the 2015 Oscar for his riveting performance in The Revenant, in my humble opinion), and in Legend (2015) fans get a dual role from the handsome Brit.

Hardy portrays Reggie and Ronald Kray, two of London’s most feared and brutal gangsters.

The film belongs to Hardy in every way, shape, and form; the London locales are fantastic, and more than one scene is jaw-droppingly violent, but the film meanders quite a bit, and Ron Kray’s vocals are hard to understand.

Still, it’s a impressive effort overall.

The time is late 1950s London. Reggie Kray, the more mainstream of the Kray brothers, is a feared member of the organized crime community.

His mother coddles him and can do no wrong in her eyes. This makes any relationships difficult as his mum disapproves of his mates.

He falls in love with Frances Shea, a young woman who narrates most of the film, so it is told from an outsider’s perspective. Reggie’s brother Ron has recently been released from a mental hospital and, if off his medications, is certifiably crazy and very volatile.

He is gay and makes no bones about it.

Ron and Reggie have a love/hate relationship, and this dynamic is the most interesting aspect.

Thanks to Hardy, and because the writing isn’t Legend’s strongest suit, we see two very different characters, even though they look alike.

In the many scenes shared between the brothers, it seems two actors are playing the roles, to Hardy’s credit.

An important scene emphasizes their relationship. When a rival dares to mention Reggie’s wife’s name disparagingly, he points a gun and fires at the man’s head.

Fortunately, the gun is unloaded, and the audience breathes a sigh of relief. Yet, a worse fate awaits the victim.

After the deed is done, Reggie whispers in Ron’s ear that he killed the man “because I can’t kill you.”

This means Reggie would kill Ron if he could- shocking since they are brothers. To add to this, it is implied that he would kill his brother with the same savagery as his victim.

This makes the audience ponder.

Ron’s sexuality is impressive, especially since he isn’t written stereotypically. He is brutal, masculine, and hardcore. It’s important to note that Ron Kray was a real figure.

His entourage of boyfriends follows him around out of devotion.

Who can blame them? His charisma oozes; think of an unstable James Bond.

The twins’ relationship is the best part of the film, but as a mob film, Legend meanders quite a bit, so much that it becomes hard to see the point, if not for Hardy.

Aside from Frances, none of the supporting characters are interesting and are all rather forgettable.

The wonderful Chazz Palminteri is wasted in the role of Angelo Bruno, head of a Philadelphia crime family and friend of the Krays. His role has little meaning or interest.

A mediocre story, but with deep leading characters, Legend (2015) is an interesting film that flies under the radar and gets little notice.

Hopefully, if nothing else, it continues the success that Tom Hardy is currently achieving in modern film.

2015 Films, Biography, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama

The Big Short-2015

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The Big Short-2015

Director Adam McKay

Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell

Scott’s Review #369

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Reviewed January 10, 2016

Grade: A-

The Big Short (2015) is a confusing film, and that is its intention and also its genius.

At times, I wasn’t sure how much I liked it (or got it) and found many of the characters unlikeable, but by the end, I realized that’s exactly what the filmmakers intended: a clever tactic that makes The Big Short a success.

On the surface, the film has some humor, but at its core it’s a very dark story that left me a bit depressed and terrified by the end.

I am happy that the film is receiving accolades and is the “thinking man’s” hit movie of the season.

To summarize the film, it begins in 2005, about two years before the 2007-2008 financial crisis.

Eccentric hedge fund manager Michael Burry (Christian Bale) realizes the U.S. housing market is unstable and predicts a crash.

He tries to profit by betting against the market, a move everyone around him laughs at, especially the banks that expect a windfall at Michael’s expense.

Trader and fellow market managers Jared Vennett and Mark Baum (played by Ryan Gosling and Steve Carell) hear about Michael’s theory and try to get in on the action.

A subplot follows two younger investors who try to profit with the guidance of a retired banker (played by Brad Pitt).

The financial collapse is a tender subject and certainly no laughing matter, especially since it is so recent and affects many people.

The Big Short is touted as a comedy, which is strange.

I found that the audience didn’t know exactly what to laugh at or when. The film’s “laughs” were cynical, witty, and sometimes wicked. Many people do not get this type of humor.

In real life, people were kicked out of their homes and lost their jobs, pensions, etc., all because of greed, which The Big Short hammers home.

Several scenes include frat-boy investor/trader types getting rich by enabling almost anyone to afford a new house. Little did they realize there was a catch.

The film paints a jaded picture of Wall Street. The rich get richer at the expense of the middle class and the poor. It is an age-old sad tale.

Performance-wise, Carrell and Bale stand out.

They both play damaged characters. Bale’s Michael is socially awkward and has a false eye, but is also a genius. Carrell’s Mark is angry, grizzled, and is in therapy as a result of his brother’s suicide.

Both actors are great and have developed into credible, worthy talents. Worth mentioning are small but meaningful roles by Melissa Leo and Marisa Tomei.

The Big Short is shot in an interesting, highly unusual way.

From time to time, the action stops, and a famed celebrity (Selena Gomez, a world-renowned chef, or a model in a bubble bath) explains what’s happened so far or offers a review.

Also, more than once, the actors will turn to the camera and speak directly to the audience. A personal touch that I found effective.

In the end, the message is that not much in life has changed, and that’s frightening. As one character brilliantly puts it “people will go back to blaming the poor and the immigrants”, which is a sad message.

After millions lost everything, the world hasn’t changed much, and The Big Short makes that clear. The people responsible have gotten away with crime, the banks have been bailed out, and a new scheme is undoubtedly in place.

It’s a sad world.

The Big Short (2015) is a gritty, harsh look at reality and a terrific film.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Adam McKay, Best Supporting Actor-Christian Bale, Best Adapted Screenplay (won), Best Film Editing

2015 Films, Biography, Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, Romantic Drama, Social Issues

The Danish Girl-2015

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The Danish Girl-2015

Director Tom Hooper

Starring Eddie Redmayne

Scott’s Review #310

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Reviewed December 29, 2015

Grade: A-

The Danish Girl (2015) tells the loosely based story of Danish painters and married couple Lili Ebe and Gerda Wegener and Lili’s struggles as the first known recipient of sex reassignment surgery, unheard of at the time (1930).

The film showcases terrific acting (Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander especially) and a journey of one person’s struggle with gender identity.

The subject matter is important and timely, as the recent transgender movement has emerged at the forefront of today’s social issues.

A happy, young couple living in Copenhagen, and married for six years, Gerda and Einar are inseparable and madly in love.

They are best friends and help each other with their art. Because a female model is late, Gerda convinces Einar to stand in for her.

This event triggers a lifelong identification as a female named Lili Elbe. Lili has emerged sporadically since childhood.

Through painful self-assessment and encouragement from progressive loved ones, Lili decides to go through with a highly experimental and risky sex change operation.

Gushing with sensitivity and tenderness, and groundbreaking, though I bet even more so if made ten years ago, one feels for both lead characters, as they both go through emotional turmoil.

It would be easy to lessen Gerda’s emotions, and perhaps with a lesser actress, this might have happened, but Vikander (unknown to me before seeing this film) gives a raw, empathetic performance.

One can imagine how they would feel if their spouse identified as the opposite sex. Confusion, blame, anger, and sorrow would all be common reactions.

Gerda is strong, brave, and helpful while crumbling beneath the surface.

Vikander brings all of this to the screen flawlessly.

Similarly, Redmayne brings depth and empathy to his role.  Redmayne’s Einar is masculine, but he has something sensitive and slightly feminine about him from the start.

Was this done on purpose to soften the blow? He also appears slightly built. Redmayne lost weight to portray this role and have a softer appearance.

Actors can easily dress up in drag, but the emotional investment needs to be there, and Redmayne makes the viewer care about Lili.

One is teary-eyed along with Lili as she sees no other choice but to undergo the risky operation. We see the desperation in Lili’s eyes thanks to Redmayne’s acting skills.

I loved how supportive the characters are. Granted, Einar/Lili and Gerda move in liberal, progressive circles, but for 1930, it was wonderful to see.

Of course, Copenhagen and Paris are open-minded cities, but Lili’s childhood friend Hans, a sophisticated, macho guy, offers support. The same goes for the Doctor taking on Lili’s surgery.

These elements create a delicate, peaceful film of encouragement.

To be clear, Lili is not gay, and this is made crystal clear during the film as she meets a gay man, and the distinction between them is made.

She does, however, identify as a woman. She was born with the wrong parts.

The greatest aspect of The Danish Girl is its powerhouse acting and compelling subject matter.

One’s gender is a given for most, but watching a riveting drama about someone who is unrestful with their gender is eye-opening and still rather taboo.

2015 was a year of progressive transgender films, and The Danish Girl is among the best, handling the subject matter gracefully a without judgment.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Actor-Eddie Redmayne, Best Supporting Actress-Alicia Vikander (won), Best Production Design, Best Costume Design