Love and Friendship

Movie Name: Love & Friendship
Year of Release: 2016

Director: Whit Stillman

Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Chloe Sevigny, Xavier Samuel, Tom Bennett, Stephen Fry, James Fleet, Emma Greenwell, Justin Edwards, Lochlann O'Mearain, Jenn Murray, Morfydd Clark, Sophie Radermacher, Jemma Redgrave, Conor MacNeill, Conor Lambert, Kelly Campbell

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

Celebrated director Whit Stillman is back, with another successful feature, which premiered to great acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival. The film is an adaptation of Jane Austen's novella "Lady Susan", and follows the intricate events of Lady Susan Vernon's life. Lady Susan is a beautiful and recent widower of meager means, who finds herself at the mercy of living at her brother in law's house after having to leave the house of friends when the gentleman of that said house became enamored of her. Lady Susan is extremely intelligent and tries to ingratiate herself in the favors of her sister in law, so she can extend her stay for as long as she possibly can. She also becomes entangled in a romantic game of flirtation with her sister in law's brother. All the while she's also attempting to marry her daughter. She can only rely on the help of her American friend, Mrs. Johnson, who always provides solace much to her own husband's disapproval.
Whit Stillman has managed to craft a smart adaptation of a Jane Austen novella, on par with what Ang Lee create in 1995 with "Sense and Sensibility". The screenplay is crackling with wit, and finds a perfect actress in Kate Beckinsale to deliver the sharp lines with the right amount of candor, manipulation and humor. The film captures the way women were treated and perceived in society and how they learnt to navigate the limitations of what they could do and expect, particularly when it comes to their financial independence. The film centers on Lady Susan's attempts to find financial stability for herself and her daughter, using her wit, tact and beauty, but also allows for the supporting characters to have enough bandwidth to be comedic and have a point of view. The supporting actors are well cast, particularly Chloe Sevigny and Tom Bennett, both of whom provide ample support to the fantastic Kate Beckinsale. A good film worth watching.

Alice Through the Looking Glass

Movie Name: Alice Through the Looking Glass
Year of Release: 2016

Director: James Bobin

Stars: Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Mia Wasikowska, Matt Lucas, Sacha Baron Cohen, Rhys Ifans, Lindsay Duncan, Geraldine James, Leo Bill, Richard Armitage, Ed Speleers, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2

Synopsis:

The original "Alice in Wonderland" from Tim Burton premiered in 2010, to a very surprising commercial success. This sequel reunites most of the same cast, this time under new direction, but with meager results. The film finds Alice returning to London after her exploratory voyages through China. She returns to a new business situation, and also to discover that her friend in Wonderland, the Hatter is in mortal danger. In order to save her friend, Alice is forced to seek help from Time himself, and travel back to the past and try to prevent certain events from occurring and therefore save the Hatter.
Director James Bobin has made a name for himself directing the previous outings from the Muppets, and also as director for the TV series "Flight of the Conchords". "Alice Through the Looking Glass" features a mediocre screenplay from Linda Wolverton (who also wrote the original "Alice" and "Maleficent"), who manages to create a story that has absolutely no depth, no evident conflict, where sub-plots appear and disappear with little coherence, leaving the director with the responsibility to fill the gaps with as much visual effects and visual gadgets as possible. The only salvageable elements in this film are the impeccable production teams that were assembled to make it a reality: the beautiful costumes from Colleen Atwood, the cinematography from Stuart Dryburgh, the stupendous visual effects and the usually reliable Helena Bonham Carter, who also looks a bit puzzled by the ineptitude of the whole endeavor. In the end this is a film that's not even worth writing much about, since there's so little to really digest or ponder about.

X-Men: Apocalypse

Movie Name: X-Men: Apocalypse
Year of Release: 2016

Director: Bryan Singer

Stars: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, Oscar Isaac, Evan Peters, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Lucas Till, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ben Hardy, Alexandra Shipp, Olivia Munn, Josh Helman, Lana Condor, Ally Sheedy, Hugh Jackman, Tomas Lemarquis, Carolina Bartczak, T.J. McGibbon

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5

Synopsis:

The "X-Men: First Class" trilogy comes to an end, with the introduction of a new villain, the well known Apocalypse. Director Bryan Singer, working again from a screenplay from the not so reliable Simon Kinberg (he wrote "X-Men: Days of Future Past", but was also responsible for the mediocre "X-Men: The Last Stand", "Jumper" and "This Means War"), tries to bring to life the conflict between the always maligned mutants. The film places us in 1983, 10 years after the events of the last film, with the school for mutants already up and running, and with Magneto leading a quiet life in Poland. Mystique on the other hand, is in Germany saving mutants and trying to discover the whereabouts of Magneto. Without their knowledge, a mutant as old as time, is planning his return and is setting about recruiting mutants to aid him destroy the world, so he can build a new one in his image.
Bryan Singer has become an expert film maker in bringing comic book plots to life, with sufficient depth and ambition, which always makes his films have a bit more of relevance beyond what is traditionally the Marvel formula. Where "X-Men: Days of Future of Past" was a tremendous piece of entertainment with a crackling script, "Apocalypse" sadly suffers from a muddled storyline, that again rehashes some of the themes that prior films have tackled. Magneto falls again prey to a brutal crime that sets him intent on revenge, while the new mutants come to the school to learn how to deal with their emerging powers. The film has enough doses of humor, depth and a level of ease between the characters which makes everything flow comfortably, however there is a level of awkwardness to the story and to the villain's plan that makes this component of the feature look artificial and ultimately devoid of a soul. This unbalance is ultimately what makes this film less compelling than the previous outing from this director and team, but it still has enough elements to make it worth watching.

Three Kings

Movie Name: Three Kings

Year of Release: 1999

Director: David O. Russell

Stars: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze, Cliff Curtis, Nora Dunn, Jamie Kennedy, Mykelti Williamson, Judy Greer, Holt McCallany

Genre: Action, Adventure

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis & Review:

After making a name for himself with two interesting independent films, "Spanking the Monkey" and "Flirting with Disaster", director David O. Russell tackled his first big budget feature film (which was plagued with a series of conflicts between him and George Clooney, something that would follow this director's reputation to this day). "Three Kings" follows the story of a group of American soldiers in Iraque, after the end of the war. While disarming one Iraqi soldier, one of the soldiers discovers a map, and they all set off on a mission to retrieve gold they think is stored in that location (gold stolen from Kuwait). They find the gold indeed, but as they're about to leave, they free a group of Iraqi prisoners, including a dissident rebel leader, therefore violating the imposed ceasefire and triggering a firefight. The group ends up getting separated, and what follows is their attempt to help the rebels and keep the gold.
"Three Kings" was a hit both critically and commercially, placing George Clooney's career on a good track, the same going for Mark Wahlberg's. The film is a satire at the insanity of war, and how easy it is to lose perspective of what is really important (when you're in the midst of something as surreal as a war, the blurred lines of what's right and wrong are easily crossed). These "three kings" (an allusion to the Biblical tradition), are all less than holly, with their motivation being more of a mercenary, more so than the kindly saviors. These anti-heroes do get their conscience and redeem themselves, but the film does use satire to showcase how everyone ultimately wants to make a dollar out of something as dramatic as war. It's a film filled with ideas, beautifully shot (by Newton Thomas Sigel), with a great performance from George Clooney who would only get better as his career progressed. A great film from a very interesting director.

The Thomas Crown Affair

Movie Name: The Thomas Crown Affair

Year of Release: 1999

Director: John McTiernan

Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary, Ben Gazzara, Frankie Faison, Fritz Weaver, Charles Keating, Mark Margolis, Faye Dunaway, Michael Lombard, Bill Ambrozy, Robert Novak

Genre: Crime, Romance

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis & Review:

John McTiernan's eventful career suffered quite a few setbacks in the 90s with the poor critical and audience reception of "Last Action Hero" in 1993, and again with a series of problems that "The 13th Warrior" also suffered (a film where after initial test screenings, was taken over by Michael Crichton, the author of the novel upon which the film was based, and himself a film maker). The film is a remake of the feature directed by Norman Jewison in 1968, which featured Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway in the lead roles, and follows pretty much the same storyline. The film follows the story of millionaire Thomas Crown, who occasionally robs valuable artwork, as part of self imposed challenges to see if he can get away with it. Into the fray walks insurance investigator Catherine Banning, who wants to understand what's the angle behind Crown's motivations. What starts as an investigation, soon becomes a seduction game between these two highly skilled individuals.
This remake of the Norman Jewison film turned out to be one of the finest features directed (thus far) by John McTiernan. The film which starts as a crime caper, quickly evolves into a dance of seduction between these two seasoned people who both want to excel at the game of foreplay. It's a ingenious plotline that lives primarily from the chemistry that exists beyond the two leads (and not much else). The film is deftly shot, featuring beautiful locations, and two gorgeous leading actors, and aside from their game of seduction, everything else pails in comparison, even the part of the plot that has Denis Leary as a police officer trying to catch Thomas Crown. It's very much like an inferior but still sexy update of Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch a Thief", with Rene Russo clearly having fun with a character that is smart and resourceful, whereas Pierce Brosnan purely repeats his traditional James Bond style. A fun and unpretentious film from an underrated director.

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Movie Name: The Talented Mr. Ripley

Year of Release: 1999

Director: Anthony Minghella

Stars: Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jack Davenport, James Rebhorn, Sergio Rubini, Celia Weston, Philip Baker Hall

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis & Review:

After the huge success of "The English Patient", director Anthony Minghella returned to the screens with another adaptation of a great book, this time around Patricia Highsmith's "The Talented Mr. Ripley". The film focuses on Tom Ripley, a young man who is struggling to make ends meet in New York in the 1950s. While playing piano at a cocktail party he is mistaken for someone else, and suddenly finds himself going to Italy to retrieve the son of a millionaire. Upon his arrival in Italy, Tom ingratiates himself into the lives of Dickie Greenleaf and his fiancee Marge Sherwood, under the pretense he is a Jazz lover. Ripley quickly becomes accustomed to a life of luxury, but starts wearing thin on Greenleaf's patience - while on a boat trip he confides in Ripley he doesn't really want to keep engaged in that friendship, since he's marrying Marge. This causes a chain reaction from Ripley who will stop at nothing to retain what he has.
The book from Patricia Highsmith had been adapted to the screen in 1960 by Rene Clair, under the title "Purple Noon/Plein Soleil" featuring Alain Delon as Tom Ripley, however Anthony Minghella's version went back to the original source, and flushed out more Ripley's homosexuality, something that the previous version had only hinted at. The film is wonderfully shot and perfectly captures the sunny, gorgeous Italy of the 1950s (bringing to mind the films of Hitchcock and William Wyler), with Jude Law in particular capturing the debonair style and air of privilege from his character. Matt Damon deftly carries the lead character, the amoral and ruthless Tom Ripley, for whom nothing is off limits in achieving what he's after - nothing and no one stands in his way. These performances are almost out-shined by the brief and supporting turns by Cate Blanchett and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Anthony Minghella again succeeds in breathing life to a literary work of prestige, building a film that is elegant, engaging, where the sheer talent of his team brings to life a story that is dark, yet perfectly balanced. A very good film worth watching.

Sweet and Lowdown

Movie Name: Sweet and Lowdown

Year of Release: 1999

Director: Woody Allen

Stars: Sean Penn, Samantha Morton, Uma Thurman, Anthony LaPaglia, Gretchen Mol, James Urbaniak, John Waters, Brian Markinson

Genre: Drama, Comedy

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis & Review:

1999 saw another Woody Allen release, following "Celebrity" which came out in 1998. The film focuses on Emmet Ray, a jazz guitarist who achieved some acclaim in the 1930s. Emmet Ray is a womanizer who thinks that falling in love will ruin his musical career. While on a date, Emmet meets Hattie, a shy and mute laundress. After an awkward start, their relationship blossoms, but Emmet is convinced that he should not settle down with a single woman, and yet on a whim marries a socialite by the name of Blanche Williams. Emmet soon realizes this marriage is an uninspiring one and tries to go back to Hattie.
"Sweet and Lowdown" was a return to a better critical reception for Woody Allen, after "Celebrity" which was considered a minor effort in his long career. The film maintained the focus on his anti-heroes who constantly sabotage their romantic relationships and invariably find out the love of their lives is the one who got away. This film combines Woody Allen's traditional focus on relationships, with the other emphasis going to music, another one of his loves, particularly Jazz music (and the score selection for this film is impeccable, as usual). The film perfectly captures the energy and environment of the clubs of the 1930s, bringing with it an air of nostalgia that brings to mind other films such as Peter Bogdanovich's "Paper Moon". One of the indelible points of the film are the fantastic performances from Sean Penn and Samantha Morton, both of whom got Academy Award nominations, and for whom this film turned out to be a watershed moment (this was Sean Penn's second nomination after Tim Robbin's "Dead Man Walking" and Morton's big calling card, until Steven Spielberg cast her in "Minority Report"). The cinematography of Zhao Fei is stunning as is the production design of Santo Loquasto. A very good film always worth revisiting.

The Straight Story

Movie Name: The Straight Story

Year of Release: 1999

Director: David Lynch

Stars: Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Harry Dean Stanton, Everett McGill, Jane Galloway Heitz, Joseph Carpenter, Donald Wiegert, Ed Grennan, Jack Walsh, James Cada

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 9
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis & Review:

After "Lost Highway", director David Lynch tackled a decidedly different story and a very different tone for what became "The Straight Story". The film is based on a true story, and focuses on Alvin Straight's odyssey in 1994, of going to visit his brother Lyle, from Iowa to Wisconsin on a lawn mower. Alvin is a War veteran who lives with his daughter Rose, who has a mental disability. When he hears that his brother Lyle has suffered a stroke, Alvin decides to go for a visit. Since he can't drive anymore, he decides to hitch a trailer to his lawn tractor, and sets off on the 240 mile journey from Iowa to Wisconsin.
David Lynch has one of the most distinct voices in cinema, mostly because as an artist, he places on screen exactly the way he envisions the universe that surrounds him. Some of his films have been considered surreal and overly abstract, but there's definitely a common thread throughout his career: his films try to depict the different layers that exist to reality, and sometimes that reality is populated with exaggerated characters or what we traditionally consider eccentrics, but that's nonetheless his interpretations of what he sees surrounding him (and what is fed to him in terms of influences, through other films, music, art). "The Straight Story", much like "The Elephant Man", may feel like one of the most direct and accessible films he's directed, but it falls under his cannon of representing the oddities of life and of people, as part of what makes all these layers so strange and interesting. The film has his unique point of view, and has a heart, something that is embodied perfectly by Richard Farnsworth (in what turned out to be his last performance) and also by the always terrific Sissy Spacek, who embodies kindness perfectly with her subdued performance. The cinematography from Freddie Francis is beautiful (in what turned out to be his last film also). A great film from a fantastic director.

Captain America: Civil War

Movie Name: Captain America: Civil War
Year of Release: 2016

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo

Stars: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Paul Rudd, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Marisa Tomei, Jeremy Renner, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Daniel Bruhl, Chadwick Boseman, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, William Hurt, Martin Freeman, John Kani, John Slattery, Hope Davis, Alfre Woodard, Gene Farber

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

After the astounding success of "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and the equally successful "Captain America: Winter Soldier", the narrative of the Marvel lore of super powered beings continues. The film follows the events of both films mentioned earlier: in the pursuit of a previous foe, Captain America and his team inadvertently kill innocents that were in the vicinity. This in turn surfaces a lot of the concerns from governments worldwide, in terms of who is keeping the actions of the Avengers in check. This starts a discussion internally to the team, with one side trying to keep in line with what the United Nations wants, in terms of a supervised action, and another side who wants to keep that judgment internally to the team itself. Capitalizing on this friction, comes an unexpected villain, in the shape of a previous military individual who has is agenda on destroying the team as a personal vendetta against them and their actions. He leverages knowledge of past actions to drive a personal wedge between the iconic team with unexpected results.
As I have mentioned in previous considerations about Marvel's output, the level of sophistication that comes with each of their releases is quite considerable. Their films exhibit a level of professionalism and execution that is impeccable and quite impressive. The amount of talent, both in front and behind the scenes is unparalleled, and easily noticeable in the results (and far more coherent than what Zack Snyder as managed to do so far with his DC Comics versions). This film alone showcases stunning visual effects, editing, score, and even the actors in general feel at ease with their characters, giving them some extra gravitas and depth that can only be achieved when this becomes a long running endeavor. Where these films lose their spark is precisely the core of this well oiled piece of machinery: for all it's central dynamics and themes of redemption and guilt, there's really no heart or point of view to speak of. Is it entertaining? Yes, it has an entertainment value to it, but for all the heroics and noise that you see on screen, you can't help but wonder what is that it's a stake for this super powered individuals who seem to be impervious to everything. Comparing these action films with what James Cameron for instance brought forth with "Aliens" thirty years ago, the difference lies in one thing: Cameron captured the humanity and the bonds that are shaped in extreme circumstances. The Russo brothers capture the virtuosity of special effects and the barely there dynamics of paper thin characters. It's entertaining noise, but it's not enough to make a great film.