Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Movie Name: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Year of Release: 2020
Director: George C. Wolfe
Starring: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, Glynn Turman, Michael Potts, Jeremy Shamos, Jonny Coyne, Taylour Paige, Dusan Brown, Joshua Harto
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis and Review:

Actor, writer, producer & director George C. Wolfe is back, following his TV film "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" and the little seen "You're not You". This time around he adapts a play written by August Wilson (who also wrote "Fences" and "The Piano Lesson"). The story takes place in 1927 in Chicago, during an afternoon, where a series of musicians are waiting for Ma Rainey to come in so they can play and make a record. She arrives late, with her girlfriend and her nephew. One of the members of the band, Levee Green has his own ambitions, and has been composing music which he hopes the producer of Ma's record will buy, and allow him to move to another level. He also lusts after Ma's girlfriend, and as the recording is met with a series of challenges, he finally gets his chance to court her. As Ma confesses her own ambitions and frustrations, the recording finally gets done, not without some additional friction, upon which she also resolves to fire Levee. As he sees his plans unravel and collapse, he lashes out at the band members. 

"Ma Raine's Black Bottom" while based on the play by August Wilson, is in itself based on the life of Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, one of the earliest African-American professional blues singers, and one of the first generation of blues singers to record. The story of the film unfolds during a single afternoon, and focuses solely on the interactions between the different characters of the band, and Ma's entourage. It's a film that for all its context and historical relevance, fails to provide much in terms of dimension to who and what drives Ma's life. We get a glimpse into her longing to control her own art, and her challenges with race inequality throughout her life, but we never know much about her beyond that. Levee on the other hand, provides this lengthy monologue on his family's life, which in turn informs who he is and how he behaves, but the film and the director itself, while attempting to be emotionally bare and confessional, ends up showcasing its stage-driven nature. This aspect of the film is actually what removes me personally most from it: there's a theatrical nature to it, that makes this feel more like a polished stage performance, more so than an actual film. The film isn't raw enough to be almost documentary, raw and exposed, and it doesn't soar enough to illustrate the blues, the impact and poetry of music, or for that matter, what propels these characters to live in this particular art universe. It features a great ensemble of performers, with Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman leading a great group of actors, but ultimately as a film, it just doesn't go beyond the illustrative. A missed opportunity.

I Am Woman

Movie Name: I Am Woman
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Unjoo Moon
Starring: Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Evan Peters, Danielle Macdonald, Chris Parnell, Matty Cardarople, Jordan Raskopoulos, Dusty Sorg, Gus Murray, Molly Broadstock, Rita Rani Ahuja
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
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Synopsis and Review:

Another film to make its premiere on Netflix, after doing the circuit of Film Festivals in 2019. Much like many of the films that Netflix releases, it's another middling effort, which asks the question if their pursuit of content, isn't toppling their quality assessment of their purchases (and even of what they produce). The film follows the story of the iconic Helen Reddy, introducing us to her when she comes to New York in the late 60s, following her win on a talent show in her native Australia. Helen arrives with her young daughter, no work permit, in order to collect her prize, namely recording a single with Mercury Records. Turns out that goes nowhere, and she finds herself in New York, with little to no money. She decides to stay in NY and pursue her ambition of becoming a professional singer. While in NY she strikes a friendship with author/journalist Lillian Roxon, then a correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald, who becomes a source of strength, but also someone who informs her about the women's liberation movement. She also meets Jeff Wald, then a secretary at the William Morris Agency, but who claims he could get her the exposure she needs to make it big. As they struggle with finances, they eventually decide to move to LA, and upon Helen's persistence and insistence, they finally get a shot at recording a single. As the 70s continue, Helen's fame grows exponentially, particularly when she composes the anthem "I Am Woman". While her professional career soars, parts of her personal life implode, particularly Jeff's further drug abuse and her alienation of close friends, in particular Lillian. 

"I Am Woman" is another music biopic, this time around focused on the career of an artist who is very associated with the Women's Liberation movement from the 70s, Helen Reddy. This political movement pops up throughout the film, but almost as a background motif or setting, never something that is clearly understood just how closely or for that  matter, how relevant it actually was for Helen. Unlike many biopics, this one doesn't showcase much of the main character's origins, focusing instead on Helen's climb to success, when she arrives in America and the hurdles she faces. It's for the most part, a very shallow film in terms of any dramatic aspects this person's life has ever experienced. Whatever slight friction, or challenges Helen faces, they're quickly brushed aside (even Jeff's drug issues, or their money woes). The film ultimately lacks a stronger script and point of view from the director. It feels like an homage, more so than an actual film with real characters, something that actually documents Helen's ascension, and also her descent from popularity and her choices to move on with her life (or for that matter to understand what she did with her life). Whereas Rupert Goold's "Judy" gave enough insight to the challenges of Judy Garland's last living years, this film tries to capture a much larger canvas, and in the end, feels generic, soporific and almost like a made for TV film. Evan Peters once again plays a perpetually damaged character, with Danielle Macdonald making for the most interesting performance of the group. Forgettable.

Soul

Movie Name: Soul
Year of Release: 2020
Director: Pete Docter, Kemp Powers
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, Phylicia Rashad, Donnell Rawlings, Questlove, Angela Bassett, Cora Champommier, Margo Hall, Daveed Diggs, Rhodessa Jones, Wes Studi
Genre: Animation, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:

Studio Pixar and director Pete Docter are back, following their winning combination for "Monsters Inc.", "Up" and "Inside Out". This time around the story focuses on Joe Gardner, a music school teacher, whose main dream has always been to play with a jazz band. One day Joe finds out about auditions to play with the Dorothea Williams band, and he aces the audition securing a spot to play with her band. Sadly as he goes to the event, he suffers an accident which leaves him close to death. When that happens, his soul/essence, finds itself going to the "Great Beyond". Joe however refuses to accept this bleak outcome, particularly as he was about to catch his big break, for which he flees, and finds himself on the "Great Before". There, being confused by a mentor, he is assigned to train 22, a cynical soul who can't seem to find meaning and purpose no matter what mentor is assigned to her. They both accidentally find themselves back on Earth, with 22 now inhabiting Joe's body, and Joe living within the body of a therapy cat. As they both struggle with this, they both come to realize hidden truths they never wanted to face, all the while Terry, an accountant who keeps track of souls who are going to the "Great Beyond", suddenly realizes Joe's amiss, and comes to Earth to track both Joe and 22.

It goes without saying that each original release hailing from Pixar is something to celebrate (the quality concerning the output of their sequels is another story altogether). This time around they (Pete Docter, Kemp Powers and their Pixar team), tackle what could have been a difficult topic for children, namely death, and find a way of making it about souls going on a journey to the unknown. They ultimately side step religion altogether, and make a film about the joys of living, friendship, sacrifice and the love of music (& Jazz in particular). It's a film that while not perfectly balanced as "Inside Out" was, particularly the slapstick when Joe and 22 come back to Earth, where one can't help but get a feeling of an almost too perfect life for Joe the teacher (and where the fact that he doesn't have a family or lives by his own is left somewhat open ended), it's still a film that soars. It soars particularly when the characters go to the Great Beyond, marrying this magic aspect of the unknown, with the abstraction of the character design and where the animation itself is simply astonishing. It's a film that is technically flawless, aesthetically stunning, featuring a terrific score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (is there anything these two can't do), and with an impeccable voice talent, including Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Alice Braga and Graham Norton. A wonderful film worth watching!

Rebecca

Movie Name: Rebecca
Year of Release: 2020
Director: Ben Wheatley
Starring: Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ann Dowd, Keeley Hawes, Sam Riley, Tom Goodman-Hill, Bill Patterson, Mark Lewis Jones, Ashleigh Reynolds, Bryony Miller, Ben Crompton, John Hollingworth, Jane Lapotaire, Colin Bennett
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis and Review:

Acclaimed British director Ben Wheatley has followed his "Happy New Year, Colin Burstead" with his first bigger budget endeavor, an adaptation of Daphe du Maurier's book, "Rebecca". The book property and its previous adaptation is of course well known for also being Alfred Hitchcock's first American film (premiered in 1940), which went on to win the Academy Award for best picture, on top of other numerous accolades. This adaptation, which is fairly faithful to the novel, takes place in the 30s/40s and finds the heroine meeting Maxim de Winter in Monte Carlo, while working as a companion for Mrs. Van Hopper. They are attracted to each other, and she soon learns Maxim is a widower. After a brief courtship, Maxim proposes to her, which she promptly accepts. After the wedding and the honeymoon, they return to Maxim's property in Cornwall, Manderley. The property is run by the strict Mrs. Danvers, who the heroine quickly discovers, continues to be immensely devoted to Maxim's first wife, Rebecca. Everywhere she goes, Mrs. de Winter becomes aware of how popular, beautiful and loved Rebecca was, including by Maxim's family, namely his grandmother. As Mrs. de Winter progressively realizes Mrs. Danvers is sabotaging her presence in the house, she also comes to terms with the fact that there's more to the whole story of Rebecca's death, than what initially was reported.

This adaptation of "Rebecca" manages to be stylish and also feel a bit rushed/unpolished. The film successfully builds up the relationship between Maxim and the unnamed heroine, with Mrs. de Winter character herself going through an actual arc through the entire narrative. We're firstly introduced to the character when she's under the oppressive authority of her American employer, and we witness how she flourishes with the attention of Maxim, only to fall under yet again, under the oppression of someone's presence, which comes in the shape of both Mrs. Danvers and the ghost of Rebecca. Towards the third act, the character finds an inner strength to fight for her wants and desires, which in reality makes her journey the most interesting one. Sadly for the supporting characters they're very much played in one register alone, including the immensely talented Kristin Scott Thomas and the always great Armie Hammer. Mrs. Danvers and her icy demeanor never truly cracks, while Maxim while anguished by guilt, never really acts as someone enamored. There are aspects to the film that are quite compelling, namely the detail about Maxim sleepwalking and the nightmares which plague the new Mrs. de Winter, however those are never really taken anywhere. Towards the third act, the film rushes into a criminal hunt, which robs the narrative of the crescendo which was building towards. Ultimately for all its style, it lacks some actual dramatic heft, one that takes it away from soap opera territory. Lily James manages to create a good character, even if lacks some nuance. The cinematography by Laurie Rose is fantastic, as is the score of the terrific Clint Mansell. While not a terrible film, it's not a memorable adaptation.

La Vita Davanti a Se/The Life Ahead

Movie Name: La Vita Davanti a Se/The Life Ahead
Year of Release: 2020
Director: Edoardo Ponti
Starring: Sophia Loren, Ibrahima Gueye, Renato Carpentieri, Iosif Diego Pirvu, Massimiliano Rossi, Abril Zamora, Babak Karimi
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review:

"The Life Ahead" is actress Sophia Loren's most recent work for the big screen since Rob Marshall's "Nine" which came out in 2009. Since then the actress acted in a made for TV film and a short, but this is her first protagonist role in quite some time, in a film coincidentally directed by her son Edoardo Ponti. The film, an adaptation of the novel "The Life Before Us" by Romain Gary, follows the story of Madam Rosa, who lives in southern Italy. She's an Holocaust survivor and also a former prostitute, who now makes ends meet by taking care of children of "working women". Her physician, Dr. Cohen asks her to take care of a young Senegalese boy, Momo who coincidentally just robbed her. Momo is getting tangled in some criminal activities, which coupled with his defensive behavior, immediately clashes with Madam Rosa's personality and expectations. Momo slowly discovers Madam Rosa has health issues, and also keeps a part of herself and her story secluded in the basement of the building, a room where she has saved artifacts and precious memories, a part of her own heritage. As their relationship evolves and becomes closer, the more Momo takes upon himself to also be a caregiver for Madam Rosa, soon realizing she fears ending up in a Hospital, and dying there, away from her home.

"The Life Ahead" while not priming for its originality, is nonetheless a film that manages to capture the relationship between these two lead characters and the microcosms of supporting characters quite well. The film definitely has certain aspects of Gus Van Sant's "Good Will Hunting" to it for instance (the rebel, working class lead who hides his vulnerability), but it allows for the relationship between the young Momo and Madam Rosa to evolve and for their roles to shift, essentially from protege to protector (and vice versa). Even if Madam Rosa's character is never fully explored as it should, nor Momo's for that matter, the film still manages to hold its interest, mostly because it attempts to capture a moment in time, the tribulations these characters go through in this particular period of their lives. The film does wrap itself up quite quickly, cutting away some interesting dramatic arcs it could depict, particularly towards the end of the narrative, but Sophia Loren manages to carry the film, creating Madam Rosa just with enough warmth, fragility and authority to capture everyone's attention. The supporting cast is equally solid, with Renator Carpentieri and Babak Karimi in particular providing good support. Worth watching.

When Harry Met Sally...

Movie Name: When Harry Met Sally...
Year of Release: 1989
Director: Rob Reiner
Starring: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby, Lisa Jane Persky, Steven Ford, Harley Jane Kozak, Michelle Nicastro, Gretchen Palmer, Kevin Rooney
Genre: Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review:

Following the well received "The Princess Bride", actor/writer/producer/director Rob Reiner, returned with what turned out to be one of the most iconic romantic comedies ever released. The film written by Nora Ephron (who by then had written two Mike Nichols's films, "Silkwood" and "Heartburn"), follows the story of Harry Burns and Sally Albright, who first meet in 1977 as they go on a road trip towards New York. Harry is at the time involved with Amanda, a friend of Sally's, and during their trip, Harrys sardonic wit and perspective on life doesn't gel with Sally's. After each one of them goes on their way, they are reunited years later at an airport, and coincidentally on the same flight. Sally is recently dating Joe, and Harry is engaged to be married to Helen. They once again don't gel with their opinions. A few more years go by, and this time around they are reunited in a bookstore, with Sally having just broken up with Joe and Harry about to get divorced. This time around, they take the time to get more acquainted and actually become friends. As they slowly get back into the dating game, they even try to fix each other up with their best friends, which turns out, fall for each other. As Sally hits an emotional rough patch upon learning of Joe's upcoming nuptials, Harry comforts her and things get even more intimate, which sends their relationship into uncharted territory.

"When Harry Met Sally..." has with time become associated not only with romantic comedies, but also with New York City itself. The film has a series of iconic moments, starting with the relationship between the acerbic and quick witted Harry, and the controlling and slightly high strung Sally, both of whom have an instant distaste for each other, but when learning more about each other, come to realize there's a lot more commonalities and interests between them than they initially thought of. The film has a series of tropes that have become associated with the genre, namely the third act, where the lead characters realize they are meant for each other, but one of them has to mature and actually see what's right in front of him. It's a film that features great chemistry and rapport between the leads, with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan perfectly embodying these two characters, the same going for the supporting couple played to perfection by Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby (though Carrie Fisher's role almost feels like a continuation of her character April, which she played in Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters"). The cinematography from Barry Sonnenfeld (who would soon embark on a successful directorial career of his own) is fantastic, as is the score from the wonderful Marc Shaiman. Even if the film lacks a bit more dimension to its characters, particularly the supporting ones, it's nonetheless an entertaining, humorous and well observed comedy always worth revisiting. 

Let Them All Talk

Movie Name: Let Them All Talk
Year of Release: 2020
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen, Dianne Wiest, Lucas Hedges, Gemma Chan, Dan Algrant, David Siegel, John Douglas Thompson
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review:

The prolific and always fantastic Steven Soderbergh is back, following the two films he released in 2019, "The Laundromat" and "High Flying Bird". His most recent endeavor follows the story of Alice, a famous Pulitzer Prize winning author who has just recently received a literary award in England. Her new agent suggests she takes a cross Atlantic cruise, since it will be safer, and it will give her also an opportunity to finalize the new manuscript she has at hands. The agent, Karen, secretly hopes this new book is a sequel to a best seller Alice had. Alice decides to invite her nephew Tyler to join her on the trip, alongside her two best friends from college, Roberta and Susan, with whom she has lost touch. Roberta in particular harbors some resentment towards Alice, since she feels she appropriated stories and personal information from her life in order to bring to life the best seller which boosted Alice's career. During the cruise, Karen strikes a friendship with Tyler, sparking an amorous interest from him, in order to get information on the progress of Alice's new book. While that is happening, Susan and Roberta are meeting different people, with Roberta in particular trying to get out of the situation her life has become. As they arrive in England, Roberta and Alice have a particularly heated exchange, something which forces Alice to rethink her next endeavor.

"Let Them All Talk" showcases one of the interesting sides of Steven Soderbergh's career, which is all about allowing characters to flourish and simply exist in the moment. Whereas he has touched upon satires (such as "The Laundromat" and "The Informant"), dramas ("King of the Hill", "Erin Brockovich" and even "Traffic"), action (with "Haywire" and even "Logan Lucky"), science fiction (with the underrated "Solaris"), there's always an interesting aspect to his smaller films, the ones where there's an improvisational stance to it, much like "Full Frontal" or "The Girlfriend Experience". These smaller films allow for the actors to focus the attention of what's taking place, which in this case, is all about Alice's journey, both as a person with her foibles, but also about Alice the author, the person receiving an award. On one hand, we witness Alice coming to terms with her past, the friends she left behind and the family who has stood by her, while on the other, we witness the author struggling with relevance, expectations, and moving forward. Woody Allen touched upon a similar topic with "Deconstructing Harry", which is actually one of his most interesting films from the 90s, but Soderbergh removes all artifice and instead, provides a clear look at the life of a well known intellectual, who is ultimately trying to stay relevant, and survive in a world she fears has left her behind. It's a film which allows for great performances from all the cast, with Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen, Dianne Wiest, Lucas Hedges, Gemma Chan, Dan Algrant, all creating vivid characterizations. If anything, the film falters in providing more dimension to the story of some characters, but it's nonetheless an engaging and entertaining film from a truly unique voice in American cinema. Worth watching.

Arctic

Movie Name: Arctic
Year of Release: 2018
Director: Joe Penna
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Maria Thelma Smaradottir, Tintrinai Thikhasuk
Genre: Drama, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review:

"Arctic" is director Joe Penna's feature directorial debut, following a series of short features and some work on TV series. The film follows the story of Overgard, a man who finds himself stranded in the Arctic Circle by himself, following the crash of his plane. He lives in the shell of the crashed vehicle, and adopts a routine of checking for fish and running a distress beacon, in the hopes someone hears it and sends a rescue party. That daily routine proves itself successful when a helicopter comes to his rescue, only to crash, killing the pilot, but leaving its other occupant badly hurt. The woman doesn't speak English, and as her condition worsens, Overgard decides to take on the elements and try to reach a seasonal refuge that according to his calculations, shouldn't be more than a few days of trekking away. As he takes on the challenge, bringing with him his fragile partner, they both face unexpected challenges, which will force Overgard to use all his resourcefulness in order to make sure they both survive.

"Arctic" has a rather straightforward premise: a man alone, surrounded by some of the harshest weather conditions, whose daily surviving routine is thrown into disarray, when his apparent savior, turns out needing to be saved. It's a film that is somewhat enigmatic about Overgard's life, focusing primarily in registering his daily processes to stay alive, and his resourcefulness when faced with life threatening situations. This journal type of observation is one of the strongest aspects of the film, even if it doesn't provide much context into the character itself. The film doesn't try to add substance to the central character, and in a way, it feels like a B-movie exercise, in the sense that it focuses itself on situations, and not so much in the character which inhabits it. That being said, the film is effective in drawing this scenario, and benefits from a great performance from the always reliable Mads Mikkelsen. The cinematography from Tomas Orn Tomasson is equally strong, making this film an entertaining endeavor worth watching.

Music with an Impact - 2020

2020 has been a traumatic year. It has also been a rewarding year in terms of the amount of fantastic music which has been released. My listing below is from the albums released in 2020. After these first 10, I listed a smaller batch of albums from different years, which I also loved and have listened for the first time in this past year, and are equally remarkable.
Below are my favorites of 2020.

Julianna Barwick - Healing is a Miracle
Rival Consoles - Articulation
Baths - Pop Music/False B Sides II
Four Tet - Parallel
Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
Roisin Murphy - Roisin Machine
Pantha Du Prince - Conference of Trees
Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
Jessie Ware - What's Your Pleasure

Caribou - Suddenly

Photay - Onism

Pantha Du Prince - Diamond Daze

More favorites from different years.

Jonsi & Alex Somers - Lost & Found
The Field - Looping State of Mind
Pvris - Use Me
Blanck Mass - Dumb Flesh
Four Tet - Beautiful Rewind
Chloe - Endless Revisions
Bibio - Phantom Brickworks

Grimes - Miss Anthropocene

Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts V: Together

Inventions - Inventions

The Midnight Sky

Movie Name: The Midnight Sky
Year of Release: 2020
Director: George Clooney
Starring: George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Kyle Chandler, Demian Bechir, Caoilinn Springall, Tiffany Boone, Ethan Peck, Sophie Rundle, Miriam Shor
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review:

Actor, writer, producer and director, George Clooney is back, following his latest directorial endeavors with "Suburbicon" and the mini-series "Catch-22". "The Midnight Sky" is an adaptation of the book by Lily-Brooks Dalton, "Good Morning, Midnight", and follows the story of Augustine Lofthouse, a scientist whom we first encounter in an Arctic research facility that is about to be evacuated, due to a dramatic occurrence which is taking place throughout the entire planet. We soon realize Augustine is a terminal patient, and has decided to stay behind, since he has no one to go back to. In his youth he briefly had a relationship with a woman, who had a child, but that relationship never flourished, including his relationship with that child. As he keeps vigilance over the unfolding of the events destroying the planet, he witnesses a child that has been left behind, who is constantly mute, but nonetheless continues to keep him company. In parallel, a crew of astronauts who went into space to check on the conditions of another planet to be inhabitable, are returning to Earth. Augustine is adamant in contacting them, in order to inform them of the toxicity of the planet, which sends him on a quest to discover another communications hub. He, much like the team in space, meet a series of hurdles, but eventually manage to communicate and exchange information, forcing everyone to make decisions of where they eventually want to go and what life lies ahead.

"The Midnight Sky" is an interesting film with lofty goals, some of which are achieved and are indeed cleverly illustrated, but ultimately feels under-developed, since it essentially tries to be many things at the same time. The film brings to mind and captures inspiration from Alfonso Cuaron's "Gravity", Danny Boyle's "Sunshine", mixed with Joe Penna's more recent "Arctic", to name but a few, in the sense that it captures two narrative threads, one with Clooney's character on a personal journey of redemption, and another with a team of astronauts trying to come home. These parallel paths however interesting they may be, are never given enough momentum to become arresting, with the most interesting one, Augustine's journey, feeling like it could be it's own film, particularly as the relationship with the young girl, we eventually realize may not be all that it seems. These two threads and stories could eventually merge, but the film would need to provide both more time, or be far more deft in its exposition, to at least provide enough time for these characters to have some dimension, and for their journeys to resonate a bit further. The supporting cast features great actors such as David Oyelowo, Felicity Jones and Demian Bechir, all of whom strangely enough, exude very little chemistry between each other. The cinematography from Martin Ruhe is beautiful as is the score of the wonderful Alexandre Desplat. It's a slightly contrived, yet finely executed film from a gifted actor/director, who has yet to find more material in tune with his sensibilities, as is the case of the excellent "Good Night, and Good Luck". 

Wonder Woman 1984

Movie Name: Wonder Woman 1984
Year of Release: 2020
Director: Patty Jenkins
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen, Lilly Aspel, Amr Waked, Lucian Perez, Gabriella Wilde, Oliver Cotton, Natasha Rothwell, Kristopher Polaha, Ravi Patel, Kelvin Yu
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis and Review:

Following the immense success of the first "Wonder Woman", director Patty Jenkins and her team started working on its follow up. The character of course made another appearance in the lackluster "Justice League", also released in 2017. This sequel has a slightly different creative team behind the script, and the overall tone and final product of the film is noticeably different. The film follows the events which helped shaped Wonder Woman/Diana Prince's assimilation into the contemporary world, but nearly 70 years have gone by since the events from the first feature. This new chapter takes place in 1984, and finds Diana residing in Washington DC where she works as a senior Anthropologist for the Smithsonian Institute. While there she meets the slightly awkward but quite accomplished Barbara Minerva, with whom she forms a quick friendship. They both bond over the uncovering of a slew of stolen artifacts, particular one, which they find out to be a "Dreamstone", which according to its inscription, makes any wishes a person has, a reality. Both Diana and Barbara unknowingly use the stone, with Diana getting a chance to once again see and interact with Steve Trevor (who takes over another man's body), while Barbara gains the same powers and abilities as Diana. Another key player comes into play in the shape of Max Lord, a businessman whose venture is going down the drain, who comes to the Smithsonian under the guise of being a benefactor, but in actuality wants to use that same stone to accomplish his sinister purposes. As Max gets his wish, reality starts cracking, the same going for Barbara who becomes quite different, whereas Diana struggles to remain herself, as the wishes have a darker side none of them could have envisioned.

Whereas the previous "Wonder Woman" fell under the mantle of a certain aesthetic and tone which was being influenced at the time by the heavy hand of Zack Snyder, it's definitely a relief to see that's not the case anymore in this film. While the previous film provided a somewhat brief character development and context building section (at least for its lead characters), until it eventually became a cacophony of digital effects for its action set pieces, this film goes in a slightly different direction. While we get to learn a bit more about the characters which populate this universe, in particular some of Diana's ethical pathos, the action set pieces are almost set aside, or for that matter, have very little relevance for the progression of the storyline. The film equally lacks a more established definition of its villainous characters, particularly Barbara, whose path goes from adorable awkward academic professional, to master unscrupulous villainess in seemingly no time at all (and for no reason, aside from the fact that she likes the powers she has). This lack of dimension to its villains is an issue which seems to haunt most of the DC film adaptations of late, with most of them being digital constructs without much dimension, motivation or even consequence (and that includes Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor in the mediocre "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice"). As it is, this film tries to be a lot of things, and fails to find its footing, not being a romantic comedy, not quite being an action film, and not quite being a relationship driven film. It has some really great supporting actors, in particular the trifecta of Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal and Chris Pine, however most of the times they feel a bit underused. It's not a terrible film, but sadly it's not a great one either. 

The Prom

Movie Name: The Prom
Year of Release: 2020
Director: Ryan Murphy
Starring: Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, Ariana DeBose, Jo Ellen Pellman, Tracey Ullman, Kevin Chamberlin, Mary Kay Place, Sofia Deler, Logan Riley, Nico Greetham, Nathaniel J. Potvin
Genre: Musical, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 1
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Synopsis and Review:

The ever prolific writer/producer/director Ryan Murphy is back, with his most recent feature since "The Normal Heart", which premiered in 2014. This time around, the film is an adaptation of a Broadway musical, and follows the story of a group of Theater actors, who after an abysmal critical reception of their latest endeavor, have a fantastical idea to sponsor/endorse an event or cause in need.  They can of course bask in the publicity this event will have,  which will further humanize and bring them the attention they urgently need to restore their flailing reputations. They decide to tackle a controversial Prom which will be taking place in Indiana, where a female student wants to have another female student as her date. The PTA and its local leader are fiercely against this, not actually realizing her daughter is the person whom Emma wants to bring as her date to the prom. As the Broadway royalty descends on Edgewater, they collectively and individually come to terms with a series of unresolved issues in their own lives, and realize that while pursuing only their best interests, their salvation lies in being a bit more selfless and invested in the well being of others.

"The Prom" manages to gather a very talented cast, with luminaries such as Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington, Tracey Ullman and Mary Kay Place, all of whom bring to life characters that are very thinly developed. The film for all its good intentions, and for all the talent involved, can't escape this feeling of a made for TV special, one filled with contrived plot points, epiphanies that are doled out left and right, ultimately lacking a more distinct point of view. What has always been interesting about films such as Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge" or Bob Fosse's "All That Jazz", to name but a few and independently of their overall quality, is the fact that those particular directors have a point of view, which truly make the musical numbers feel otherworldly, using the songs and musical numbers not only to express a character's point of view, but also to showcase an entirely different universe, which is a demonstration of their stylistic and thematic perspectives. "The Prom" sadly never truly leaves the dour reality, doesn't nurture the whimsical, and even the music itself, sounds artificial and generic. Making every character wear rhinestones doesn't make the events transformative or magical: in this particular case it makes everything look cheap and ultimately forgettable. Meryl Streep mines as much as she can for the fading star of Broadway she portrays, but she relished that character far more in Robert Zemeckis's "Death Becomes Her". For all the amorality of all the characters in that film, they still managed to have fun and be indelible. That sadly can't be found here. A missed opportunity. 

Mank

Movie Name: Mank
Year of Release: 2020
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Tuppence Middleton, Arliss Howard, Tom Pelphrey, Monika Gossmann, Joseph Cross, Sam Troughton, Toby Leonard Moore, Tom Burke, Charles Dance, Ferdinand Kingsley, Jamie McShane
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review:

A new film by David Fincher is always a momentous occasion, and this is his most recent feature since "Gone Girl", which came out in 2014. The film follows the true story of Herman J. Mankiewicz, a screenwriter in Hollywood, who crafted a long standing reputation as an impeccable writer, but also as someone with an acerbic wit, and an alcoholic. We witness his life in the late 30s, as he embarks on a new project, writing a screenplay for what will hopefully be a project directed by Orson Welles (which of course turns out to be "Citizen Kane"). The script he writes, is based on what he witnessed for years while fraternizing with William Randolph Hearst, his lover actress Marion Davies, and the general game of influences that permeated across Hollywood. The narrative also allows us to see the ideals which propelled Mankiewicz, as well as bit of his personal life, and his relationship with his wife Sara. 

Whenever one watches a film directed by David Fincher, one comes to expect a layer of professionalism and technical wizardry that is unparalleled, and "Mank" is no exception. The production design, cinematography, score, costume design, are flawless and immediately set this film apart. However, where this film ends up failing to register as much as his previous endeavors, lies on the fact that in producing and narrating a story about a writer who self sabotages his endeavors, and who wallows in alcoholism, feels a bit like stories that have been tackled in the past. For all the alienation and examination of the rotten underbelly of Hollywood, the character itself wallows and lives from it. In a way, this film reminded me of Billy Wilder's phenomenal "Sunset Boulevard", without having characters half as engaging and interesting. Considering a substantial part of the film is focused on Mank's process of writing the script, for what eventually became "Citizen Kane", it's never clearly understandable why he chose to write about the topic or characters themselves, or for that matter, what the relationship with Welles eventually turned out to be. It's a script that also never really gives much of an understanding for Mank's relationships with family members (brother, wife, children), or even colleagues. In a way, Mank comes across mostly as an observational passenger of the narrative taking place, and not an active participant in it. Still the director manages to capture the energy of film making and that entire Hollywood ecosystem of the 30s, and the supporting cast, in particular Amanda Seyfried, is truly fantastic as Marion Davies, the same going for the smaller parts given to Ferdinand Kingsley, Charles Dance and Lily Collins. Gary Oldman clearly relishes the central part, but the role and the performance comes across as a single note interpretation of the "spiraling out of control alcoholic writer", with just a few scenes in between where he provides hints of something more, a humane side which for the most part is lacking. It's an interesting film, but it also may be Fincher's least insightful one so far. 

Sweet Dreams

Movie Name: Sweet Dreams
Year of Release: 1985
Director: Karel Reisz
Starring: Jessica Lange, Ed Harris, Ann Wedgeworth, David Clennon, James Staley, Gary Basaraba, John Goodman, P.J. Soles, Terri Gardner
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3 
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Synopsis and Review:

Director Karel started his career in the 50s tackling documentaries, and as he ventured into the following decade, he was responsible for some iconic films of that period, including "Morgan!" and "Isadora". In the 80s he was not quite as prolific, starting the decade with the well received "The French Lieutenant's Woman", which he followed with this biopic of the life of country singer Patsy Cline. The film focuses on the period of life between 1956 and 1963. We witness Patsy performing and attempting to make her career go to the next level. Her husband isn't that enthusiastic about her or her career, but in one of her concerts, she meets the charismatic Charlie Dick. He openly flirts with her, though he's with someone else, and while she initially rebuffs his advances, after separating and eventually divorcing her first husband, she starts dating him, eventually marrying him. As her career gains more momentum, the antics from Charlie also escalate, including extra marital affairs, and some abuse, something that seems to quiet down when Patsy has their children. However that tranquility is brief, as alcohol and insecurities send Charlie on another binge of violence and extra marital adventures, all of which jeopardize Patsy's well being, her career and their marriage altogether. As Patsy continues her ascent to even higher levels of popularity, that trajectory is dramatically cut short, since while returning home from an event/performance, the small plane in which she was traveling crashes, killing everyone in it.

"Sweet Dreams" is a glimpse into the life of Patsy Cline, emphasizing some of the dramatic events that occurred throughout the last few years she lived, particularly the ones centered around the convoluted life she shared with her second husband. It's a film that doesn't provide much insight into Patsy's ambitions, aside from having a career and providing comfort for her children, never truly probing deep into what propelled her or fueled her singing aspirations. Considering it's a biopic, it's surprisingly shallow, detailing some of the drama she experienced in her brief life, namely the life threatening car accident, and her volatile relationship with the insecure Charlie, which included abuse, alcohol and his inability to grow up and take control of his life. It's a film that doesn't provide much insight into any of the characters, opting to portray the events in very broad strokes (basically dramatic events with musical recording scenes in between). The musical numbers also lack engagement and authenticity, they're merely staged for representation, lacking in style and ultimately, failing to capture what truly made Patsy Cline so unique and wonderful (while not every film is going to be like Bradley Cooper's "A Star is Born", one can witness the vivacity with which the musical numbers were staged in Rupert Goold's "Judy" for instance or even Michael Apted's "Coal Miner's Daughter"). The cast does what they can with the story, with Jessica Lange trying to mimic Patsy Cline as much as possible, and Ed Harris failing to add much nuance to Charlie Dick. While featuring a strong cast, it's a film that fails to elicit much enthusiasm. 

Wildlife

Movie Name: Wildlife
Year of Release: 2018
Director: Paul Dano
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Ed Oxenbould, Jake Gyllenhaal, Bill Camp, Zoe Margaret Colletti, Darryl Cox, Travis W Bruyer
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
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Synopsis and Review:

Paul Dano, the great actor who has carved an eclectic career for himself with participations in films of different scales (including Paul Thomas Anderson's "There Will Be Blood", Denis Villeneuve's "Prisoners" and James Mangold's "Knight and Day" to name but a few), has managed to create an arresting and accomplished feature with his directorial debut. Adapting a book from author Richard Ford (with his writing partner, actress/writer Zoe Kazan), the feature takes place in 1960, and follows the story of Joe, a young boy of 14 who is currently living with his parents in Montana. He has moved around a lot, due to his father's pursuits of different job opportunities across the country. His father Jerry works as a golf pro in a local country club, until he is suddenly fired, something that causes some tensions in the household. His mom Jean, in order to make ends meet, decides to take a part-time job as a swimming instructor at the YMCA, whereas Jerry becomes increasingly depressed. Wanting to escape the sense of failure, Jerry decides to take a job as a firefighter, even if it pays poorly, and very much something that both Joe and Jean voice their discontent about. As Jerry leaves, Jean's longing for a better life and other options for herself grow louder, something that is further put to a test when she meets Warren Miller, a recently separated man. Warren's attention and stability, force Jean to examine her own life and where she wants to be moving forward, something that has an impact on the family dynamics.

There's a quiet assuredness to "Wildlife" that is the more surprising considering that this is Paul Dano's debut feature. The film manages to capture its central characters progressively, drawing the family interactions firstly in very broad strokes, and as the film progresses, revealing the different layers which define the life of that household. In particular, the film manages to expose the longing and quiet despair Jean experiences, in living a life that is not fully realized according to her expectations. As Jerry leaves, Jean's needs become all the more apparent, and as she seeks paths for her personal fulfillment, she eventually realizes that the change needs to be more radical and may cost more than she anticipated. It's a film that allow for the characters to slowly understand the evolution of their own selves, and the paths that they will eventually trail. In particular, it allows for Carey Mulligan to have a richly layered performance, one that marries a sense of hope, with disappointment, longing and fear, not only for herself, but also for her child. It's a truly beautiful performance, though the remainder of the cast is equally fantastic, with Jake Gyllenhaal, Bill Camp and Ed Oxenbould all creating indelible characters. The cinematography from Diego Garcia is beautiful as is the score from David Lang. A wonderful debut in storytelling from a very talented performer.