A running tab of movies I’ve seen in theaters or at home, and a quick comment about them. I’ve succumbed to the idea of assigning a personal score for each film. My scale:
- 4 Stars – One of the best, well recommended
- 3 Stars – Recommended, but some issues here and there
- 2 Stars – Problematic, hard to recommend
- 1 Star – Disappointment, stay away
Little Women, December 2019 at AMC. I had never seen a production or read Little Women, and felt a little ashamed at finally getting caught up. Greta Gerwig’s production was quite good and she deserves high marks for writing and directing. Soirse Ronan is radiant and feisty as Jo and the rest of the cast was impressive. The film got no respect from the first batch of award nominations; I hope that changes for the Oscars.
The Two Popes, December 2019 on Netflix. A theatrical and largely improbable depiction of the interactions of German Pope Benedict and Argentine Cardinal Bergoglio before the latter became Pope Francis. As history, it’s dubious. As an acting exercise for Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins it’s fine but not especially well-written. 2 Stars.
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, December 2019 at Snowden with Barb and Allie. The finale (finally) of the 9-part Star Wars saga. We saw this almost out of a sense of duty, but I thought they did a reasonable job of bringing the story to a conclusion. At this point, Star Wars is an industrial marketing machine more than a mere film, but taken as a film it was fine. The three of us enjoyed it and could discuss the various plot points and characters — it’s rare for us to have common ground on any pop-culture item, and that’s part of Star Wars’ appeal and success. Good enough. 3 Stars, if you’ve already invested in the other 8 episodes, otherwise 2 Stars.
Marriage Story, December 2019 on Netflix. This well-constructed and spectacularly acted film about the breakup of a marriage was surprisingly funny and poignant. Noah Baumbach wrote and directed; I haven’t seen his previous films but will keep an eye out. [Allie corrects me that he did Francis Ha with Greta Gerwig, his long-time partner. I enjoyed that one.] This one includes some of the sharpest NY vs LA jokes since Annie Hall, layered with theater world vs Hollywood entertainment and legal caricatures, spot-on casting from recognizable archetypes (Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta…many more), and a gentle Randy Newman score. But at heart it’s Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver processing the grief and disorientation of a divorce process they don’t want, centered in battles over their son. My obligatory quibble: if they both love and care for their son so much, why aren’t either of them doing something about his reading disability? Nevertheless, the first really strong film I’ve seen this year. 4 Stars.
Knives Out, December 2019 at Snowden with Barb, Betsy Pelovitz and Charles Bailey. An old fashioned whodunit with a clever bunch of twists and an appealing cast. Making nods to the game “Clue” and TV show “Murder She Wrote,” both decades-old favorites in our house, this film feels like it could have been made decades ago. That’s not really a knock but it’s not a film that’s pushing any boundaries. A pleasant enough way to spend a rainy afternoon. 3 Stars.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, November 2019 with Allie at AMC Columbia. Allie and I wanted to see a movie on the day after Thanksgiving and this was the highest rated one I hadn’t seen. Neither of us have much of a history with Mr. Rogers — he had his heyday too late for me and too early for Allie — but I had seen last year’s documentary about him, and who doesn’t like Tom Hanks? This turned out to be a fairly saccharine, somnambulant movie about Mr. Rogers and a magazine feature writer played by Matthew Rhys (of The Americans). It makes Mr. Rogers something of a saint, which I guess he has proved to be for a generation (but not us). It was a pleasant enough film but nothing from the writing to production to even the acting really stood out. 2 Stars.
Dolemite Is My Name, December 2019 on Netflix. Eddie Murphy’s return to movie-making is energetic and intermittently funny. I didn’t know anything about the original Rudy Ray Moore, so I appreciated the education. The film itself is spotty, but then so was the subject. Eddie Murphy has clear affection for Moore and that holds the center of the film but I’m not running out to tell folks to see it. 2 Stars.
Jojo Rabbit, November 2019 at Snowden. This film has enjoyed a longer run than I’d expected in both art houses and wide release. It’s been out for about a month but I got the last seat at my sold-out showing. It’s got legs due to strong word of mouth and in fact, I finally saw it based on a positive recommendation from Allie who saw it the night before. Plus, its Rotten Tomatoes score seems to have risen in recent weeks, I guess as more positive reviews rolled in. All that said, I found it a problematic, funny yet disturbing film. Taika Waititi wrote, directed and starred (as Hitler), and though I hadn’t seen any of his previous films, he and the film arrived with a buzz. Allie and others described it as borderline Wes Anderson, and there is a bit of his offbeat humor and imagery in the margins. I felt it was a sort of unholy mash-up of Gunter Gras’s Tin Drum with Caddyshack. There are some tremendously funny laughs and off-the-wall sequences that I’m sure will be recounted for years a la Caddyshack or Animal House (I loved the German shepherd joke). But Waititi is also toying around with much darker themes — especially depictions of Jews, Germans and loss of family — without really tackling them head on. I think the film’s glib constructs may resonate far further than he intends, even if his tongue is firmly in his cheek. He absolves himself with the excuse that he’s using the perspective of a 10-year old boy, but maybe there are reasons 10-year olds don’t make movies. It’s an audacious film, and one that will probably be talked about for a long time (see Wikipedia critical response), but I’m not convinced it’s a good one. And allow me a nitpick: why are they speaking English with German accents when all the writing, signs, books and music are in German? 2 Stars, though maybe you should see it and we can talk about it.
The Good Liar, November 2019 at AMC Columbia. A fairly predictable who’s-grifting-who potboiler that mainly serves as a starring vehicle for Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen. I could see most of the major plot turns a mile away, if not the exact details. The performances are fine but nothing special. Which raises the question of why Helen Mirren is having difficulty finding good roles. This is a bit of a swing and a miss, though not nearly as bad as the execrable “Catherine the Great” series on HBO which she produced. 2 Stars.
The Irishman, November 2019 at AFI Silver Spring. I wanted to see Scorsese’s opus on a big screen so headed down to AFI during its limited release. I knew it was a mob movie in general, and united DeNiro, Pacino and Pesci. I didn’t realize it would be a sort of encyclopedia of mob activities from 1950 – 1980 or so, based on recollections of a peripheral player, the titular Irishman played by DeNiro. The film is dubious history, DeNiro is not convincingly Irish and Pacino is a comically exaggerated Hoffa. Pesci is delightfully understated and probably slated for a supporting Oscar. Mostly though, the film is these four larger-than-life movie veterans having a fine old time making a big budget mob flick. It’s watchable, but not the all-time great movie it purports to be. Give a nod to Robbie Robertson for curating an excellent soundtrack, and I need to go back to see cameos by Harvey Keitel and Steve Van Zandt (as Jerry Vale). 3 Stars.
Pain and Glory, November 2019 at Regal Silver Spring. A small jewelbox of a film, sort of Almodovar’s response to last year’s Roma by Cuaron. It’s a personal reminiscence on boyhood and life’s travails by a famous filmmaker who’s hit a fallow period due to accumulated pains, physical and psychological. Antonio Banderas is excellent as the quietly indulgent suffering artist, Penelope Cruz is radiant as the mother in his memories. The twist in the final scene is a lovely “aha” moment, but maybe a little too cute. Definitely one of the best films I’ve seen this year, the script unfolds like an origami piece, but ultimately it’s a pretty thin tissue…we’ll see how it wears over time. 4 Stars, again with some reservations.
Parasite, November 2019 at Snowden. Because this film opened on Halloween and even though it had a lot of critical buzz, I thought it was a Korean horror/slasher and stayed away. But after hearing a bit more and seeing its 99% positive reviews, I gave it a try, still without knowing much about it. Turns out, Parasite is more of a dark comedy of manners and class, with echoes of Get Out and even Down and Out in Beverly Hills. I enjoyed the set up but the second half devolved in ways that left me behind. I was reminded that writer-director Bong Joon Ho also did the 2017 film, Okja, which left Laurie and me disappointed. Parasite is better, but not worthy of the very high accolades it’s getting, in my opinion. 3 Stars.
The Lighthouse, October 2019 at AMC Columbia. I had a sufficiently vague idea of the premise of this film and went on the basis of good reviews and seeing Willem Dafoe promoting it. I quite enjoyed it. It’s a cinematic theater piece of two men tending a remote Maine lighthouse around 1900. Written and directed by Robert Eggers, whom I didn’t know, the film toys luxuriantly with myth, metaphor and madness. It’s filmed in sumptuous black and white in a nearly square format, filled at first with taciturn dialog that evolves into amusingly ludicrous soliloquies, and sequences that grow more and more delirious. My main complaint is that the film doesn’t really resolve the questions it poses, leaving them more to the viewer…though that’s probably better than reaching for a simplistic ending (e.g., “It was all a dream!”). It’s the kind of film you think they don’t make anymore, yet here it is. It’s myth without a true message, other than don’t sign up to be a lighthouse keeper. And watch out for seagulls. 4 Stars overall, particularly for cinematic fun and scene chewing by Dafoe.
The Laundromat, October 2019 on Netflix. This film is based on the Panama Papers leak about shady financial dealings and shell companies all over the world. Directed by Stephen Soderbergh and featuring an all-star cast led by Meryl Streep, this film should have been better. It plays like a warmed over sequel to The Big Short. Antonio Banderas is fun as Ramon Fonseca, and it was interesting to include the vignette on Bo Xilai and his wife. Still, the film overall is thin, too bright and breezy, and doesn’t generate the outrage that it’s aiming for. Seeing it on TV also diminished it, but I think I would have been even more disappointed if I paid to see it in a theater. 2 Stars.
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, September 2019 at Bethesda Row. This straightforward documentary of Linda Ronstadt’s life and career was fine but a little disappointing. Drawn from her autobiography and filled with glowing interviews with friends and collaborators, it’s a clean and dutiful tribute/introduction to a singer who certainly should be admired, but it doesn’t add much to what even a casual fan may already know. The performances are largely cleaned up versions of what’s already on YouTube. I should know because I’ve spent more than a few hours wandering through her catalog. I wished there had been more about her working relationships with band members songwriters since there were some great ones along the way. Some are interviewed but many go unmentioned. 3 Stars.
Hustlers, September 2019 at Snowden. Drawn by some surprisingly strong reviews and a desire for popcorn, I decided to see this movie about strippers turning the tables on Wall Street types. I thought it might be a guilty pleasure, but it was mostly just guilty. Jennifer Lopez certainly chews up the scenery every time she’s on screen, but overall the film is not very good, from the script on down. Constance Wu is unfortunately not a compelling film star, or at least not a convincing stripper. Is that a bad thing? In the context of a stripper movie, yes. 2 Stars.
Blinded By The Light, August 2019 at AMC Columbia with Barb. A warmhearted puppydog of a movie that just wants to be loved, it’s Bend It Like Beckham (also directed by Gurinder Chadha) for the Boss. The movie wears its predictable heart on its sleeve but is mostly endearing. Don’t expect too much from it, don’t dig too deep, and the movie delivers with a good soundtrack. They showed a trailer for upcoming Springsteen movie, Western Skies, that looks considerably more ponderous. Not sure I’m ready for full-on deification of St. Bruce. 3 Stars.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, July 2019, in an appropriately scruffy theater in Cambridge, MD. While Barb was getting a tan on our weekend minibreak in Cambridge, I opted to spend three hours in air conditioning with this film. It was a nostalgic and mostly fun trip back to 1969 to a Hollywood that was never quite as rosy as Quentin Tarantino makes it out to be, but that’s part of the fantasy and part of the point. This is a re-imagining of a time and tragic set of events, set on their head with a sort of happy ending instead of real-life tragedy. It’s the way Tarantino wanted 1969 to be. The craftsmanship of Tarantino and crew, and performances – especially by Brad Pitt – are terrific and lovingly produced. Why it had to be wrapped around the Manson murders is ultimately problematic and becomes more of a distraction. It’s a well-made film, maybe Tarantino’s most approachable, but I’m not convinced it’s a great one. 4 Stars, with some reservations.
The Farewell, July 2019, AMC Columbia with Barb; free screening through Sun Insider. I wanted to love this film, having seen the preview and some of the press around it (like this, this and later, this), and for its subject matter of a Chinese American family returning to China to deal with an impending death. It carried strong word of mouth out of Sundance screenings and a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and this was a free preview screening so it felt like something special. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the anticipation. It is an intensely personal story, heartfelt, filmed with great affection and on-site verity. For that it scores points, but I wanted more — either comedy or depth, but preferably both. Mostly it feels flat, suppressed, like the family’s emotions. I get that that’s partly the point, but I wished for more insight and a sharper sense of the differences between the family branches and generations. I also get that the film deserves praise for not leaning too heavily on slapstick or over-the-top dramatic developments, and makes its points with subtlety, subtext and unspoken feelings you get to fill in. But here’s a family that’s split between China, the US and Japan, has undergone the wrenching changes in China of the past few decades, and has a chance to come back together and consider what it all means. I may be asking too much, but the author, Lulu Wang, and crew seem to have missed a chance for a more engrossing and important film. 3 Stars.
Postscript: in some of the press for this film, Wang skirts over the circumstances of her parents leaving China in 1989 and hints there’s more to the story that she can’t discuss because she has so much family remaining in China. Perhaps this (and the Chinese market distribution dollars) is why she doesn’t take a sharper edge in her story. I’m liking it more in retrospect, and am ready to boost it to 4 stars.
Yesterday, July 2019, AMC Columbia with Barb. A harmless piece of rom-com fluff from the author of Love Actually, Richard Curtis. The biggest surprise is that they got permission to use Beatles songs in the first place. The second biggest is that actor Himesh Patel does a reasonable job singing and playing them. The songs hold up. But beyond that, there’s not a lot of room to go anywhere with the story other than getting the leads to realize they’re in love. It takes a while to get there, but that leaves room for more songs. 2 Stars.
Toy Story 4, June 2019, Boston AMC Commons with Barb and Allie. A perfectly serviceable but not really necessary addition to the Toy Story franchise. It it hadn’t been for three better films in the series, I would have given this 4 stars. 3 Stars.
Late Night, June 2019, Boston AMC Commons with Barb and Allie. Mindy Kaling’s behind the scenes film of a late night show hosted by Emma Thompson. Not bad, but not as sharp or funny as it should have been, given the talent. Most of the characters and plot moves were very obvious. 2 Stars.
Network and Hit the Night, June 2019 at AFI Silver. For the third installment of the AFI’s Fourth Estate Film Festival, I showed up early and was directed to the main theater to see Network. At the 7pm showtime, the audience was sparse but the lights dimmed and a film in Korean started. I figured maybe it was a short or something, so stayed with it. As time went on, it became clear that this was not a prelude to Network, but it was interesting in its own right. It turned out to be a small, oddball, intimate Q&A between a young female filmmaker ostensibly researching a new project and a diffident young man. It was like a distant cousin of Lost in Translation. Not much happened, but it was fun watching the conversation and relationship develop between the two. 3 Stars for Hit the Night.
Once it was over, I found the proper theater and caught the last 20 minutes or so of Network. It’s not really fair to comment on just that small portion, but I was struck by how histrionic and over-the-top the performances and dialogue were. Paddy Chayefsky’s Oscar-winning film, currently enjoying a second Tony-winning life on Broadway, aggressively makes Big Statement after Big Statement. I am motivated to once again see the whole film to find how well it holds together rather than just jumping into the climax. Afterwards, there was a panel with Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page, Washington Post reporter Beth Reinhard, and former NBC4 film reviewer Arch Campbell, substituting for NBC’s Chuck Todd (I didn’t find out why he wasn’t there). This was the weakest of the three panels I’d seen in this series. They seemed to focus on how much the film got right, got wrong, and predicted Fox News and Trump. For my two cents, it’s not so much that the film predicted the rise of Angry Men on television, but was filled with a whole series of rants on Big Topics beyond just television including capitalism, male-female relationships, and aging. 3 Stars for Network, based on partial view.
One interesting comment made by Beth Reinhard, which echoed Jane Mayer the week before, is how fundamentally journalism has changed now that the web can measure how each article is being read. The tension over writing for clicks (which are now posted on a big board in the newsroom, a constantly updating top ten) vs. truly informing an audience has made a real change in the newsroom and how news is managed. Narrow-minded editors and business people manage based on what can be measured. There’s room for great stories there. Maybe the next big film on journalism?
Broadcast News, June 2019 at AFI Silver. The second installment of AFI’s Fourth Estate Film Festival was this 1987 film written, directed and produced by James L. Brooks. Brooks joined journalist Jane Mayer for a Q&A following the film. The film itself stands up with great performances from Holly Hunter, William Hurt and Albert Brooks in a love triangle (inspired by Jane Mayer’s life, it turns out) set in the frenetic world of a major network’s Washington bureau. The personalities are the driving force of the story but Brooks makes a number of sharp and prescient observations about the changing (deteriorating) world of network news. I didn’t realize that Brooks had a background in TV news (a writer for CBS News) which also informed his work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The primary model for Holly Hunter’s character was Susan Zirinsky who recently became the President of CBS News, to the delight of Brooks and Mayer. Brooks told several interesting stories, including that Holly Hunter was cast only two days before production started (nearly with another lead), and that he wrote and filmed an entire other subplot about a gay Pentagon staffer who falls in love with Hurt but who ends up being used and abused as a source. Interesting insights into the what-ifs and serendipity of successful film making. 4 Stars.
Rocketman, May 2019 at AMC Columbia. The Elton John biopic was weaker than I’d hoped, surprisingly betrayed by the music which was often thin and lifeless compared with the originals (apologies to Giles Martin who produced the music). The film is set up like it wants to be a Broadway play, which I suspect it will be in relatively short order. The performances, particularly by Taron Egerton, are generally fine; John’s relationship with Bernie Taupin feels more real than anything else. I wondered why longtime John’s bandmates Nigel Olssen, Davey Johnstone and Dee Murray, who were very much part of his sound for much of the period of the film (and subsequent career), were basically nonexistent. Elton John and husband David Furness were closely involved in the production of the film and though it shows plenty of warts and psychological drama, it feels like a fantasy version of his life…which is probably just what they were going for. 2 Stars.
All the President’s Men, May 2019 at AFI Silver. This inaugural presentation in AFI’s “Fourth Estate Film Festival” featured a Q&A with journalist Bob Woodward. As Woodward noted, the film has become one of our main cultural “memories” of Watergate — it’s the first and sometimes only reference point many people have. The film itself holds up very well, and carries many resonances into today’s Trumpworld. Defenders of Trump are using much the same script and tactics used by Nixon. As Woodward pointed out, one big difference is the existence of Nixon’s tapes. Few things beat actual tapes for convincing evidence (Access Hollywood video aside). Woodward took questions for more than an hour after the film, which was easily worth the price of admission. He made an interesting case for the value of face-to-face interviews and taking the time to break through talking points and second, third and fourth layer confidences. As he’s said elsewhere, truth “emerges” but usually only through time and patience. He suggested there is a lot more to come in the Trump saga but it will take even more determined and persistent reporting and investigation. 4 Stars.
Booksmart, May 2019 at Snowden. Destined to be a generational touchstone and starmaking film in the mold of Breakfast Club, Risky Business, Mean Girls, Superbad (which I haven’t seen but keeps getting mentioned as a prototype), which doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a great movie but it does have a lot of good, funny moments. Kaitlyn Dever seems to have a long career ahead of her; the camera loves her. Olivia Wilde directed and has a knack for staging clever scenes and very close close-ups. All that said, as a Dad and definitely not in the target demographic, I cringed a lot at the excess, self-indulgence and casually decadent portrayal of a so-called “typical” Southern California high school lifestyle. I don’t think so. 3 Stars.
All Is True, May 2019 at AFI Silver Spring. Kenneth Branagh’s speculative account of Shakespeare’s last years in Stratford with his family. One of the remarkable things about Shakespeare is that so little is actually known about his real life. This film shapes a family melodrama out of a few dots of fact and rumor, and within that construct it holds together. The acting and production are fine, but not superior as they should have been, given the talent. What’s missing is the wit and crackle of Shakespeare’s dialogue. Even “Shakespeare In Love” provided more zest and an invitation to learn more. This film is flat, maudlin and a little bit boring which Shakespeare’s writing rarely was. 2 Stars.
The Mustang, April 2019 with Laurie at The Charles in Baltimore. Very well acted film, with Matthias Schoenaerts (whom neither of us had seen or recognized though he’s been acting, mostly in Europe, for more than 20 years). Based on an Arizona prison camp program where wild Mustang horses are broken by prisoners for sale, this is an austere, tough movie that is well made but not for a mass audience. 3 Stars.
The Wife, April 2019 with Laurie at home on Comcast. Glenn Close was widely and rightly hailed for her performance in this film which we missed in the theaters. It is the first film I elected to pay for On Demand so Laurie and I could see it. The film itself, however, was a big disappointment, with a weak, predictable script and rampant overacting by the rest of the cast, including Jonathan Pryce and Christian Slater. I had some notion that the story was a reflection of Mom and her life subsumed to Dad, but no, this was not at all reminiscent of Mom. 2 Stars.
Amazing Grace, April 2019 at Regal Silver Spring with Allie and Laurie. Aretha Franklin’s gospel concert/recording is wonderful, transporting us back to Aretha in her prime, singing from her soul. I was glad to see it with Laurie and Allie, and it was fun hearing other audience members humming along to the songs. It made me think I might even go to church to see and participate in performances so heartfelt and moving. Maybe, but evidently not. 4 Stars.
Apollo 11, March 2019 at AMC Columbia. Excellent summary of the Apollo 11 mission to the moon, culled almost entirely from contemporaneous video, photos and audio from NASA and other sources. The film delivers a real sense of drama and of being there alongside the astronauts and mission control workers (it’s hard not to notice how overwhelmingly white and male they all were). It’s a worthy testament and reminder of the time and mission, and the sometimes distant notion that humans can do remarkable things together. 4 Stars.
Latin History for Morons, February 2019 on Netflix. I saw this film of John Leguizamo’s stage production shortly after it appeared on Netflix, maybe in late 2018 but I’m writing it up here in retrospect. Leguizamo too frequently goes over the top in his script and performance, but the story he tells of American history through the perspective of Native Americans and Hispanic people and cultures is compelling and memorable. It is an educational evening wrapped up in a sometimes clownish package. To his credit, Leguizamo directly cites and recommends books like Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States and Charles Mann’s 1491. On his recommendation, I read the former and it was transformative. I have the latter still on my list. 3 Stars for the actual performance but 4 Stars for the show’s importance and staying power.
They Shall Not Grow Old, February 2019 at Snowden. Peter Jackson’s restoration of archival World War I film from England’s Imperial War Office. It’s an unquestioned technical achievement to bring these old black-and-white images to something resembling real life. The film affirms that if all wars all hell, this one was especially so. There’s deliberately little context or information about where or when the different scenes take place, but overall it gives a sense of being there. The voice-over remembrances of the veterans are sometimes poignant, sometimes mundane. For most, the war was a horror show. For a few, it was just going camping with the boys. Because the material is all from the British archives, it makes it seem like an entirely British war. It would be fascinating to get other perspectives, particularly from the Germans. There’s an opening explanation and post-credit how-they made-it documentary from Peter Jackson which mostly confirm that Peter Jackson is more like a hobbit than most. 3 Stars.
Stan and Ollie, January 2019 at AFI Silver Theatre. A sweet depiction of the later years of Oliver and Hardy. John C. Reilly does the better job of impersonating Hardy — Steve Coogan is a bit too Steve Coogan-y as Laurel — but overall it’s a loving tribute to two movie pioneers and showmen. A pleasing film, not earthshaking in any way, but worth a look. And worth admiring the artistry of well-honed vaudeville routines. 3 Stars.
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