Tag Archives: Stephen McKinley Henderson

2017 Films, Comedy, Daniel Zovatto, Independent, Independent Comedy, Saoirse Ronan, Stephen McKinley Henderson

Lady Bird-2017

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Lady Bird-2017

Director-Greta Gerwig

Starring-Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf

Scott’s Review #700

Reviewed November 28, 2017

Grade: A

Lady Bird is a 2017 independent film release and a wonderful effort by actor turned writer/director, Greta Gerwig, in her solo directorial debut.

No stranger to the indie syndicate herself Gerwig puts her unique stamp on the film with a rich, female-centered perspective that works quite well and that is seeping with charm and wit.

Worth noting is how the story is a semi-autobiography-one based on Gerwig’s own life and her stormy dealings with her mother. The story is well-written, well-paced, and empathetic as the audience views a slice of life through the eyes of a restless yet kindly teenager on the cusp of womanhood.

Saoirse Ronan gives a bravura performance in the title role. Her given birth name is Christine, she defiantly changes it to Lady Bird, in a show of adolescent independence, and much to her parents, Marion and Larry’s (Laurie Metcalf and Tracy Letts ) chagrin.

Christine lives in suburban Sacramento, California, and yearns for a more exciting life in New York City, and far away from what she considers Dullsville, USA. Now in her senior year- attending a Catholic high school-Christine applies to college after college, hoping to escape her daily dilemmas. Christine’s best friend Julie and somewhat boyfriend Danny (Lucas Hedges) are along for the ride.

The period is 2002- shortly after 9/11.

The brightest moments in Lady Bird are the scenes between Christine and her mother, which are plentiful. The chemistry between Ronan and Metcalf is wonderful and I truly buy them as a real mother/daughter duo, warts and all. They fight makeup, get on each other’s nerves, fight, cry, makeup, etc.

I especially love their knock-down-drag-outs, as each actress stands her ground while allowing the other room to shine- feeding off of each other.

My favorite Metcalf scene occurs while she is alone- having gotten into a tiff with Christine and giving her the silent treatment while Christine flies to New York, Marion reconsiders as she melts into a ball of tears while she drives away- regretting her decision and missing her daughter already.

Metcalf fills the scene with emotional layers as she does not speak- we simply watch in awe as her facial expressions tell everything.

Comparably, Ronan- likely to receive her third Oscar nomination at the ripe old age of twenty-three (Atonement and Brooklyn are the other nods), successfully gives a layered performance of a teenage girl struggling with her identity and restless to see different worlds and get out of what she sees as a bland city.

Of Irish descent, Ronan is remarkable in her portrayal of a California girl- sometimes selfish, sometimes sarcastic, but always likable and empathetic.

The casting from top to bottom is wonderful as the supporting players lend added meat to the story. Christine’s best friend, Julie, played by young upstart Beanie Feldstein (Jonah Hill’s sister) is compelling as the lovable, chubby, and nerdy theater geek.

Letts is perfect as Christine’s father, depressed at losing his job in the tough economy and having to compete with young talent as he sees his career slip away.

Legendary actress, Lois Smith, adds heart to the role of Sister Sarah Joan- a by-the-book nun, who proves to be a cool, old chick.

Finally, Hedges, seemingly in every film in 2016-2017, is emotionally resounding as Danny, the troubled boyfriend of Christine- struggling with his sexuality.

Gerwig simply does it all with this piece of film- she directs and writes, scripting both laugh-out-line moments and eliciting heartfelt emotion from her enchanted audience.

A hilarious scene occurs as Christine attends a dreary class assembly- an anti-abortion-themed one- by a woman who almost did not exist, but for her mother’s decision not to have an abortion.

When a bored Christine icily points out that had the woman’s mother had the abortion, she would not be forced to sit through the assembly, it is a laugh-out-loud moment.

Lady Bird, thanks to a fantastic writer and director, and superlative casting is a film that has its all-heart, emotion, humor, and great acting.

The film is intelligently written and forces the audience to quite willingly embrace its characters. Gerwig carves a story, perhaps done many times before in film, but with a fresh and energetic feel to it.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Greta Gerwig, Best Actress-Saoirse Ronan, Best Supporting Actress-Laurie Metcalf, Best Original Screenplay

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature, Best Female Lead-Saoirse Ronan, Best Supporting Female-Laurie Metcalf, Best Screenplay (won)

2016 Films, Denzel Washington, Drama, Jovan Adepo, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Viola Davis

Fences-2016

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Fences-2016

Director Denzel Washington

Starring Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Jovan Adepo

Scott’s Review #652

Reviewed June 11, 2017

Grade: B+

Denzel Washington and Viola Davis both give dynamic performances in Fences (2016), a film directed by Washington himself, and based on a stage play, written by August Wilson.

The film reunites several actors from the stage version and, while compelling, Fences does not translate as well onto the screen as hoped. Throughout the movie, I surmised how much better Fences would be on the live stage.

Still, a tremendous acting tour de force transpires, which is well worth the price of admission.

Set in 1950s Pittsburgh, Troy Maxson (Washington) is a struggling fifty-three-year-old black man who works as a trash collector alongside his best friend, Jim Bono.

Troy is married to Rose (Davis). They have a teenage son, Cory (Jovan Adepo), an aspiring high school football player. Troy’s younger brother, a mentally impaired World War II veteran, and Troy’s older son, Lyons, a fledgling musician, are also in the mix.

Everyone lives in a close-knit community, and there is a sense of comradery, though the principal characters are frequently at odds with each other as dramatic situations slowly arise.

Troy is an irate man, frequently going on rants about his time playing in the Negro baseball league and complaining about the unfairness of the world, specifically the racial injustice of the time.

The friction between Troy and Cory is thick as Cory wants to dedicate his life to football, while Troy feels his son will ultimately be disappointed. When Troy drops a startling bomb on Rose, their lives are forever changed as they work to mend the damage inflicted between them.

At its core, Fences is a family drama and the story offers conflict. Almost all the action is set in the Maxson family home, a two-story brick house. Scenes frequently play out in the backyard.

The film stays very true to its roots as a stage production, which is good and bad.

The film feels like a play, so I fantasized about how good the production would be on the stage rather than on the screen, especially since some actors (Washington and Davis) starred in that version.

What a blessing and a curse.

The film feels limiting and has a glossy “Hollywood look”. This is good, but the stage version would undoubtedly be more bare-bones, giving the production a raw feel, important in several key dramatic scenes between Troy and Rose.

Despite other opinions, I did not find Troy to be a likable character. Washington infuses power and good acting grit into the character, but I found few redeeming qualities. To say nothing of the situation with Rose, he does not treat his son Cory with much respect.

After a while, I found Troy’s repeated verbal rampages and stories irritating and wondered, “Why should we root for this man?”

Viola Davis deserved the Best Supporting Actress award she received for her turn as Rose. Dutiful, loving, and woefully underappreciated, her character rises well above a traditional housewife, as during one pivotal scene, she explodes with rage.

Davis, a fantastic “crier”, saves her best tears, in a weepy portrayal. But more than that, she exudes a strong woman, during a time when black women had it particularly tough.

I would have preferred an edgier film than Fences (2016) brings to the big screen, but the wonderful performances more than compensate for what the film otherwise lacks in darkness.

At times too safe and slightly watered down, the stage version may be the one to see.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win- Best Picture, Best Actor-Denzel Washington, Best Supporting Actress-Viola Davis (won), Best Adapted Screenplay

2016 Films, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, Stephen McKinley Henderson

Manchester by the Sea-2016

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Manchester by the Sea-2016

Director-Kenneth Lonergan

Starring-Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams

Scott’s Review #542

Reviewed December 11, 2016

Grade: A

Manchester by the Sea is a beautiful film.

Told from a slow build-up to a crescendo, and a big reveal mid-stream about one of the character’s pasts, it takes its time, and this is why it is so compelling.

The audience gets to slowly become familiar with the characters, making them rich with nuances- caring about them and their predicaments- just like good, solid story-telling should do.

The film is a slice of life, dark drama, but I did not find it to be a downer in the least bit. Rather, a film with rich writing and great characters. A good film makes you care for the characters as one would real people.

Casey Affleck is astoundingly good as the lead character, Lee Chandler, a janitor living a mundane life in Quincy, Massachusetts, and tending to a series of apartment buildings. He calmly goes about his work-dealing with indifferent, angry, or odd tenants.

Affleck portrays this man with quite a reserve and occasional outbursts of rage. His anger is confusing to us, but as the story unfolds we begin to understand what this man has been through and the reasoning behind his anger, even though he is a good person.

Lee receives a call one day with news that his brother, Joe, has died.

Through a myriad of flashbacks throughout the film, Joe is played by Kyle Chandler. Upon Joe’s death, Lee returns to Manchester (where he formerly resided) and is told he will be the guardian of his sixteen-year-old nephew, Patrick.

In the mix are the characters of Joe and Lee’s ex-wives- Elise and Randi (Michelle Williams), playing small, yet pivotal roles.

The film is dark, and many characters either suffer from emotional trauma, neurosis, or some other maladies, either physical or emotional. The slice of life analogy comes into play-everyone can relate to these characters in some way- most people have lived in towns like this, and/or have suffered crappy turns of events in life.

When Lee returns to Mansfield, he is a familiar face with a hint of mystery and lots of history. Mansfield is a small town- everyone knows each other’s business, and all of the characters are hardened, blue-collar, and tough individuals.

In addition to Affleck’s effective performance, Williams must be mentioned. She gives a tremendous, heart-wrenching performance as a good woman in pain, trying to carry on and do the right things, forging some sort of adequate existence, as is Lee.

Anyone who has gone through pain (which is everybody) can relate to these characters.

The supporting, and even the tiny characters, are perfectly cast and have hearty Boston-type accents that I loved. From Joe’s wife to Patrick’s girlfriend’s mother, to various other walk-on characters, each has a vulnerability mixed with toughness- as if life has been hard and they are wary of trust, yet they help each other and stick together.

The characters are a major positive to Manchester by the Sea.

Many reflective moments abound within the film- we often are given scenes of Lee driving down the highway- deep in thought. Or long shots of the vast Atlantic Ocean, where fishing is a large part of the character’s lives. Fishing boats and waves are monumental in the film.

These are not throwaway scenes, but rather interesting, compelling moments rich with meaning.

During the best sequence of the film, when a startling event occurs, the scenes are mixed with classical and operatic music, giving the scenes and the shocking revelations, power and meat.

It is heavy stuff, but also beautiful with an effective musical score.

Not to be drowned by the heavy drama, Manchester has some quirky, dry humor moments. When Joe is originally told about his heart condition, he and his father unintentionally call his female, Asian doctor by the wrong name.

When family friends host a party following awake, they awkwardly misunderstand each other when they attempt to fix Lee a plate of food. Finally, nobody can find the deceased Joe’s belongings at the hospital. These moments are awkward, but add some comic relief to the film.

I adore well-crafted, emotional, effective family dramas. Too often they are cliche-ridden and highly predictable.

In the case of Manchester by the Sea, the writing is brilliant, the acting top-notch, and the characters layered with intricate qualities.

This film has it all.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Kenneth Lonergan, Best Actor-Casey Affleck (won), Best Supporting Actor-Lucas Hedges, Best Supporting Actress-Michelle Williams, Best Original Screenplay (won)

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Feature, Best Male Lead-Casey Affleck (won), Best Supporting Male-Lucas Hedges, Best Screenplay, Best Editing

2012 Films, Adam Driver, Biography, Colman Domingo, Dane DeHaan, Daniel Day-Lewis, David Oyelowo, David Strathairn, Drama, Gloria Reuben, Hal Holbrook, Jackie Earle Haley, James Spader, Jeremy Strong, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lukas Haas, Michael Stuhlbarg, Period Drama, Peter McRobbie, Political Drama, Sally Field, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Steven Spielberg, Tommy Lee Jones, Walton Goggins

Lincoln-2012

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Lincoln-2012

Director Steven Spielberg

Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones

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. There appear to be differing opinions about the film itself, however.

Lincoln has audiences divided over whether it’s a brilliant film or a snore-fest.

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 found it to be a wonderful history lesson.

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

This film is not for everyone, but if you can find 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, Alan Alda, Ben Stiller, Brett Ratner, Casey Affleck, Comedy, Eddie Murphy, Gabourey Sidibe, Judd Hirsch, Lowest Rated Films, Matthew Broderick, Michael Pena, Nina Arianda, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Téa Leoni

Tower Heist-2011

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Tower Heist-2011

Director Brett Ratner

Starring Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy

Scott’s Review #160

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Reviewed August 29, 2014

Grade: D

Tower Heist (2011) is a completely formulaic, by-the-numbers comedy with absolutely no surprises or, frankly, creativity.

It tells the story of a luxury high-rise apartment manager named Josh Kovacs, weakly played by Ben Stiller and set in New York City, whose favorite tenant, a businessman named Arthur Shaw, played by Alan Alda is arrested for involvement in a Ponzi scheme.

The entire staff’s pensions have been squandered, thanks to Josh entrusting Shaw with the funds, and he strives to return the money to the rightful owners via a team of staff and an ex-con, played by Eddie Murphy. They team up and attempt to locate millions of dollars hidden in Shaw’s apartment.

If this film was a starring vehicle with Ben Stiller in mind, it was done horribly. He has been much funnier in There’s Something About Mary (1998) or Meet the Parents (2000).

Tower Heist has some similarities to the film Ocean’s Eleven (2001) since the score is recognizable and mirrors that film. The band of players is similar to that film and the look of it reminds me of it too.

Murphy plays a silly, stereotypical role, and zero chemistry exists within the group striving to retain the money.

There is also no chemistry between Stiller and Tea Leoni, who plays an FBI agent with a phony Queens accent that I found laugh-out-loud bad.

Nothing worked in this film since it was one tired gag after another and completely predictable.

I will admit that the two minor positives in Tower Heist were Alan Alda who it’s always great to see him in films, and the interesting choice of a luxurious high-rise setting with cool, ritzy interiors taken from real buildings in New York City.

Otherwise, Tower Heist (2011) is a complete dud.