Dolemite is My Name

Movie Name: Dolemite is My Name
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Keegan-Michael Key, Wesley Snipes, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Snoop Dogg, Barry Shabaka Henley, Ivo Nandi, Chris Rock, Bob Odenkirk, Tip Harris, Luenell
Genre: Comedy, Biography
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review:

Director Craig Brewer who made a name for himself with "Hustle and Flow", followed by "Black Snake Moan" and more recently "Footloose", is back after a few years working primarily on television. His latest film, written by the fantastic duo of Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (they wrote Tim Burton's "Ed Wood" and "Big Eyes" as well as Milos Forman's "The People Vs. Larry Flynt" and "Man on the Moon"), is a biopic based on the story of actor/stand-up comedian/recording artist, Rudy Ray Moore, who became well known in the 70s for bringing the character Dolemite to the big screen. The film introduces us to Moore in the early 70s, as a working man trying to make it big in LA. He works as an assistant manager in a record store, and is desperately trying to break into show business by doing standup in a small club, where he is allowed to perform before the main event starts. His material however doesn't connect with the audiences, and he becomes increasingly frustrated with his life. He accidentally hears homeless people dole out some riotous folklore type of jokes, and decides to capture all these stories, rework them, and make them part of his repertoire. With the new material and a new visual, he starts getting a lot of attention, which explodes when he captures it on disk (vinyl records). With a contract now at hand, he decides to aim higher, and sets out to do a film, without knowing much about it, but filled with enthusiasm and dreams. 
"Dolemite is My Name" is a biopic that in a lot of ways, is a sibling to Tim Burton's "Ed Wood" (without achieving the crowning heights of humor and heart that film had). Rudy Ray Moore, much like Ed Wood, has a dream which keeps propelling him forward, against all odds, and against all naysayers. Director Craig Brewer manages to capture and bring to life this riveting universe, California in the beginning of the 70s, showcasing some profound alterations society was having (sexual revolution, women's liberation, among many others). He is particularly successful at illustrating the energy emerging from the black clubs around that time, and how voices that had been silent for so long, were finally freed to tell whatever stories they wanted. Rudy Ray Moore, who was originally from Arkansas, built a persona for himself, and through sheer persistence, enthusiasm and belief, managed to assemble a group of friends who were in his wave length, and who enabled his projects to come to life. The film illustrates these trials and tribulations with heart and humor, giving Eddie Murphy quite possibly his best role yet. The film allows him to mix his swagger, with his humor and his heart. The supporting cast is uniformly excellent, particularly Wesley Snipes, who once again proves he can actually go in any direction a good film director asks him to go. The cinematography from Eric Steelberg is fantastic, as is the Product Design from Clay A. Griffith. A good film worth watching. 

The Laundromat

Movie Name: The Laundromat
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Starring: Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, Melissa Rauch, Sharon Stone, Jeffrey Wright, David Schwimmer, James Cromwell, Will Forte, Chris Parnell, Nonso Anozie, Larry Wilmore, Matthias Schoenaerts, Rosalind Chao, Robert Patrick, Larry Clarke
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review:

Another week, another release from Netflix, this time around partnering with the stupendously talented and prolific director, Steven Soderbergh. After his announced pause, Soderbergh has released in the last two years "Unsane" and earlier this year, "High Flying Bird". He has also already completed "Let Them All Talk" which will premiere in 2020. "The Laudromat" which premiered at the Venice Film Festival of 2019, follows the type of comedy/exposé hybrid, which Adam McKay perfect with "The Big Short" (and to a lesser extent, with "Vice"). The film follows the story of Ellen Martin, who while celebrating her 40th marriage anniversary, suffers a dramatic accident on a cruise boat, which capsizes, killing 20 people in the process, including her dearly beloved partner. The company who owns the boat has it insured, and Ellen is due for a settlement, however through her lawyer, she becomes aware that in reality, the insurance company who provided the coverage, is in fact part of a fraudulent scheme, tied with offshore companies. Ellen basically has to settle for much less than she expected, however that doesn't prevent her from wanting to know more about these offshore havens, the companies that profit from them, and bring to light the fact that these money laundering havens are a safety blanket for all sorts of illegal activities.
"The Laundromat" veers into the territory Steven Soderbergh previously explored with "The Informant!", without being as clearly comedic, or as tightly written. The film is impeccably acted and staged, not in an overly didactic tone, but it lacks a tighter editing and a more dynamic pacing, which becomes crucial for films where the characters address the audience directly, and are exposing facts in a machine-gun type of style. The combination of segments, where Meryl Streep's widow commands the lion share of attention, while diverse and engaging, falter ever so slightly when Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas come onscreen, as the narrators/foil characters, to all the events taking place on the screen. These narrators are often times going through the details of what entails to create offshore accounts, handle tax write-offs and elaborate on other financial driven topics, and try deliver it in a mix of ironic and informational way (money laundering for dummies), but at times their schtick seems to go on for far too long. There are a series of characters coming and going, illustrating the tentacles of how these financial schemes operate, however the one who actually provides a beating heart to the story is Meryl Streep, who is fantastic once again, playing multiple characters. An uneven, yet worth watching film from one of the best directors working these days.

Eli

Movie Name: Eli
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Ciaran Foy
Starring: Kelly Reilly, Lili Taylor, Charlie Shotwell, Max Martini, Sadie Sink, Deneen Tyler, Katia Gomez 
Genre: Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
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Synopsis and Review:

Netflix continues its steady release of feature films, with a new horror feature which hails from Paramount Pictures, and director Ciaran Foy. The film follows the story of Eli, a young boy with a medical condition which prevents him from being outside (the contact with air, makes his skin almost burst into flames). His parents discover a miraculous cure, which comes in the shape of Dr. Horn, who has been successful at curing others with similar ailments. Eli and his parents arrive at the mansion where Dr. Horn practices, where they are informed that for in order for the treatments to be successful, there's three intense stages Eli has to go through. From the onset there's something ominous about the mansion, and Eli starts noticing reflections in the mirrors, ghosts, which start manifesting themselves with progressive intensity. As the treatments continue, Eli becomes more fragile, and the ghosts manifest themselves more demonstrably, much to his parents disbelief.  In the meantime he makes a friend with a neighboring girl, who warns him of the prior patients whose fate is unknown. Eli manages to discover that all the prior patients died, but upon confronting Dr. Horn and his parents, what he discovers is beyond everything he could have imagined.
Ciaran Foy made his directorial debut with Blumhouse's "Sinister 2", and after a television foray, this is his proper follow up. The film has a big reveal towards the end, however it's a film that at a first glance, tries to be a mix of Jeff Nichols's "Midnight Special" with Alejandro Amenabar's "The Others", but one where these influences and styles never really marry or gel effectively. While the film starts promisingly with a quick showcase of the constraints plaguing Eli's young life, once the story arrives at the mansion, it quickly takes a different turn, only to once again take a very different turn by the third act. It its attempts to be so many things, the film ends up not establishing credible characters, none of which have  much to define them, from the parents, to the staff, to Eli himself. We never really understand how he lived before, or get much context into his existence prior to when we witness them on route to the facility. Once the supernatural events start taking place, they're also staged without much inventiveness. The director smartly cast Kelly Reilly and Lili Taylor in pivotal parts, but sadly not even them can bypass the somewhat inert script. For all the talent assembled, this is a sadly missed opportunity.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Movie Name: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Joachim Ronning
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer, Harris Dickinson, Sam Riley, Robert Lindsay, Ed Skrein, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jenn Murray, Juno Temple, David Gyasi, Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton, Judith Shekoni, Miyavi
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
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Synopsis and Review:

The first "Maleficent" came out in 2014, and it was a surprise hit that year. The sequel immediately started being discussed, and the result is now out for everyone to assess. The narrative takes place after the events of the first film, with Aurora now firmly established as Queen of the Moors, attempting to maintain peace over the magical and non magical parts of her kingdom. Her suitor, Philip, proposes, much to her happiness. Upon hearing of this Maleficent, her godmother, shows apprehension but agrees to go along with a dinner invite to meet Philip's parents. Unbeknownst to any of them, Philip's mother has an agenda of her own, and has set some sinister plans in motion, with the intent to remove Maleficent, and in the process destroy all magical creatures in the kingdom. As Maleficent is attacked and recovers, she learns of others like her, and what her origins are, whereas Queen Ingrith is in full battle mode, ready to destroy everything in sight. It will take all of Maleficent's prowess and powers to detain her.
"Maleficent", which was directed by Robert Stromberg, had a screenplay by Linda Woolverton, who adapted the story from "Sleeping Beauty" by french author Charles Perrault (and these stories were themselves based on popular and rural storytelling from the 17th century). The sequel, again signed by Linda Woolverton, this time aided by Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue, follows the slim events of the first film, and decides to further establish the mythology of Maleficent as a fantastical creature. The film however, can never decide what it really wants to be: on one hand, there's the Disney enchantment aspect of it (with all the fairies, magical creatures and so on), the feministic aspect of the story (a mother learning to let go and letting her daughter make her own choices, a young woman coming of age, and even a woman making tough decisions to hold on to her semblance of power), and a magical creature of sorts understanding where she comes from. Sadly these three aspects of the story not always gel together, and while the enchantment/syrupy aspect shines through, the edgier aspects of the story, namely Michelle Pfeiffer's rough, power hungry Queen, and Angelina's Maleficent, her combustible temper and dark origins, are never truly explained or probed deeper. The screenplay sadly is where this film falters the most - Michelle Pfeiffer never truly gets a chance to show that her character is malevolent because she wants to protect her kingdom and son (instead it opts to make her a very recognizable and almost over the top villain), whereas Angelina Jolie's though creating a more nuanced and dimensional character, never gets a chance to get as dark as her character deserves to be. It's a film that ends up being fairly generic, one where the direction and point of view from Joachim Ronning is barely visible (and his strongest calling card to date was "Kon-Tiki"). The supporting cast, including Elle Fanning, Sam Riley and Chiwetel Ejiofor are solid, but have little to do, while the film itself, while looking visually fantastic, lacks substance. The costumes from Ellen Mirojnick are wonderful as is the cinematography from Henry Braham. A passable, yet forgettable entertainment.  

Train to Busan

Movie Name: Train to Busan
Year of Release: 2016
Director: Sang-ho Yeon
Starring: Yoo Gong, Yu-mi Jung, Dong-seok Ma, Su-an Kim, Eui-sung Kim, Woo-sik Choi, Sohee, Gwi-hwa Choi
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review:

Korean director Sang-ho Yeon who made a name for himself directing animated features, made his transition to live action with "Train to Busan" which premiered out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016. The film follows the story of Seok-woo, a young divorced father who is taking his daughter back to his ex-wife, and who decides to take the train to Busan in order to do so. It's his daughter's birthday, and Seok-woo who is focused mostly on his career, starts realizing a series of odd occurrences. Turns out there's a massive zombie outbreak taking place throughout the country, and that infects some of the train passengers. Seok-woo alongside a small group of other passengers have to unite forces and resources, in order to survive as they cross the country on their way to Busan, one of the few cities still resisting the outbreak.
"Train to Busan" manages to put an interesting spin on the zombie genre, by establishing the focus of the narrative as a train that is carrying all the passengers across the country. The train carries a variety of passengers, from different backgrounds of society, different demographics, all attempting to survive an outbreak that is unstoppable and unexpected. The central figure, a career driven man, is forced to grow up, reassess his priorities and come to terms with the well being of his daughter but also of the people who surround him. It's a film that unlike "Snowpiercer" from Joon-ho Bong, doesn't highlight the class divide as much, or the social workings of society, but it does force us to look at what modern living has forced us to focus on, and how dramatic occurrences bring out the humane aspect of everyone. The film is at times maudlin and overly dramatic, but the director successfully creates an aura of surprise, danger and despair. The cast is uniformly consistent, as are the visual effects that create the surprisingly realistic hordes of zombies (at times reminiscent of Marc Forster's "World War Z"). Worth watching.

Joker

Movie Name: Joker
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, Zazie Beetz, Brett Cullen, Shea Whigham, Bill Camp, Leigh Gill, Glenn Fleshler, Josh Pais, Marc Maron, Sondra James, Sharon Washington, April Grace, Douglas Hodge
Genre: Drama, Crime, Thriller
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
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Synopsis and Review:

The much celebrated and discussed "Joker" is finally in the movie theaters, after a rapturous response at the Venice Film Festival of 2019, where it walked away with the award for best film. This film follows Todd Phillips's latest directorial effort "War Dogs" which was met with a tepid response. The film takes place in the early 80s, in Gotham City, and it follows the story of Arthur Fleck, a man who works as a clown, someone who has had a past filled with harshness and some dramatic situations. He has a medical condition which prompts him to start uncontrollably laughing when under duress or stressful situations. Arthur lives with his mom, caring for her, all the while she's constantly writing to Thomas Wayne, her previous employer, whom she compliments while also mentioning he's bound to help them both once he finds out the conditions they're living in. The city is under strain and duress, with constant strikes, a wave of homelessness and unemployment. Arthur sees himself as a standup comedian, but he is ultimately a prisoner of his dreams, and a lonely figure. His progressive disenchantment with reality sends him on a path that is ultimately punctuated by violence. 
"Joker" is an interesting film, in the sense that while being a comic book adaptation, it has deliberately shied away from abiding to the formulas typically associated with the genre. Instead, it's a film that wears its homage to auteurs and filmmakers on its lapel, showcasing films by Charlie Chaplin, Brian De Palma specifically on the film, while thematically it drinks in style and ambience from the work Martin Scorsese did in the 70s, specifically with the superb "Taxi Driver" (but also "The King of Comedy"), and even a dash of what William Friedkin did with "Cruising" in 1980. The film takes us on a bumpy ride, keeping track of the trials and tribulations of Arthur Fleck, a smallish figure of a man, who progressively descends into a spiral of violence, after a lifetime of abuse, ridicule and being ignored. It's a film that portrays itself as a character study, but one that hits all the same notes, without much nuance to how the character actually evolves. The director is successful in capturing and portraying a decaying city, filled with drama, violence, where the economic strains and class struggles threaten to destroy its fine balance (or whatever is left of it). All of this of course would not make this narrative as impactful save for the wonderful Joaquin Phoenix who dominates and touches every single frame of this feature with a sense of despair, sadness, rage and longing. Phoenix has long been one of the best working actors, with Paul Thomas Anderson's "The Master" being one of his most rapturous performances. While not achieving those heights, "Joker" allows him to probe and shine light on the life of someone with a lot of problems, and ultimately someone who just stops controlling his actions and surrender to instinct. The supporting cast, particularly Robert De Niro and Frances Conroy are equally fantastic, while the cinematography from Lawrence Sher and score from Hildur Gudnadottir are superb. A film worth watching.

Gloria Bell

Movie Name: Gloria Bell
Year of Release: 2018
Director: Sebastian Lelio
Starring: Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Holland Taylor, Michael Cera, Caren Pistorius, Brad Garrett, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Rita Wilson, Barbara Sukowa, Chris Mulkey, Jesse Erwin, Sean Astin, Cassi Thomson, Alanna Ubach, Sarah Lowe
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review:

Sebastian Lelio who made waves with "A Fantastic Woman" which won the Oscar for best foreign film in 2017 for Chile, directed two films in 2018. The second to see the light of day is "Gloria Bell", a remake of one of his most well known films, "Gloria". The film follows the story of Gloria, a divorced woman in her 50s, who goes dancing quite often, and who's enjoying her life, trying to date men, and generally keeping up with her children and their lives. While her adult children have problems of their own, and somewhat avoid discussing them with her, Gloria is nonetheless always available, in good spirits, also providing support for her own mother, and a few of her good friends. While out and about Gloria meets Arnold, a somewhat quiet man, whom she becomes enamored with. He's also divorced, though more recently, and is still very much attached to his previous life, particularly his ex-wife and adult daughters. As Gloria tries to bring him into her life, by introducing him to her children, ex husband, Arnold suddenly disappears, leaving Gloria firstly shocked and then enraged by his behavior. He tries to apologize, but she's having none of it, until she decides to reconsider. As they enjoy a weekend away, Arnold's ex-life pops up again forcing yet another combustible situation.
"Gloria" placed Sebastian Lelio's name on the map, and this remake is a translation of that feature into the North American reality. The film is successful in depicting and capturing the universe of Gloria, a woman in her 50s, who after being divorced for 12 years, and living alone, is actively pursuing her relationships, both familial, but also on the dating world, attempting to find people to engage with and possibly even have a romance with. Her adult children are somewhat distant, but her mother is still an ever present figure in her life, and she's surrounded by good friends. The director manages to illustrate this universe succinctly, imbuing all the relationships with authenticity and warmth. The film never derails itself into a glamour view of the life of this woman, choosing instead to portray her and her life filled with insecurities, longings, pleasures, with a genuine sense of discovery. Julianne Moore fully inhabits this role without overdoing it. Gloria is a genuine creation of hers, one that is firmly grounded in reality, with her sadness, fears, romance, humor, sexiness, which make her more than just a simple typical character. The supporting cast is top notch, and the cinematography from Natasha Braier is wonderful as is the score of the fantastic Matthew Herbert. Worth watching.

Judy

Movie Name: Judy
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Rupert Goold
Starring: Renee Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell, Michael Gambon, Darci Shaw, Bella Ramsey, Andy Nyman, Gaia Weiss, Gemma-Leah Devereux, Royce Pierreson
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review:

Director Rupert Goold has followed his feature directorial debut "True Story", with this adaptation of the play "End of the Rainbow", by Peter Quilter. The film follows the story of Judy Garland in the late 60s, as she is struggling financially, and as result has no place to live, and has to take her young children to stay with her ex-husband. Unable to find film roles, Judy finally acquiesces and decides to take a run of shows in London, in order to gain financial stability to provide her a better living arrangement, and therefore keep her children. Judy's performances remain iconic, but she's perpetually unable to sleep, and is constantly haunted by her past, the decisions that were carried from it, and her constant resort to alcohol and medical prescriptions to live. She's also profoundly alone, and the excitement and attention from a young American suitor spark some attention in her, but that relationship also fizzles. As her performances are met with ups and downs, Judy questions what her next steps are going to be.
Like most biopics, "Judy" follows a somewhat conventional structure, even if a somewhat predictable one. The film introduces us to the last few months in the life of the iconic Judy Garland, someone whose life has been documented aplenty, and whose sad demise has also already been captured in other mini-series. This film does present the opportunity to capture a bit of the longing, loneliness and stage presence of the performer, as her life was nearing its end. The screenplay, or for that matter the director, never truly capture or go beyond the topic that succinctly can be described as "show business ruined my childhood and corrupted my adulthood". It would have been interesting to see a bit more about the motivations and struggles surrounding Judy as she matured, experienced motherhood and the disappointment of the marriages she had. We get a brief glimpse into that, primarily through the central performance. Renee Zellweger has always been a great actress, and this film once again showcases it. She dials herself inward, and truly becomes someone else, beyond the artifice of the exterior, beyond her great singing ability. She carries a burden, a sadness and melancholy that sticks to her, on every frame, even when she's on stage. It's a riveting embodiment, particularly considering this is the same performer who did Rob Marshall's "Chicago" and Sharon Maguire's "Bridget Jones's Diary". The film is lit by her presence, and does a solid work of illustrating both her performances and her epilogue. Worth watching.