Dracula

TV Show Name: Dracula
Year of Release: 2019

Creators: Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat

Stars: Claes Bang, Dolly Wells, Jonathan Aris, John Heffernan, Lydia West, Matthew Beard, Sacha Dhawan, Mark Gatiss, Joanna Scanlan, Clive Russell, Morfydd Clark, Chanel Cresswell, Lyndsey Marshall, Catherine Schell, John McRea

Genre: Drama, Horror

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
View Trailer

Synopsis and Review:

Another release from Netflix, this time around hailing from the UK and penmanship of writer/actor Mark Gatiss (well known as part of the ensemble comedy troupe who created "The League of Gentlemen", though he has written for long running shows such as "Doctor Who", "Sherlock" and "Poirot") and Steven Moffat (who has also written for the shows Gatiss has been involved with, and additionally on Steven Spielberg's "The Adventures of Tintin" and  the well known British show, "Coupling"). The film is another adaptation of the novel by Bram Stoker, and follows the adventures of Count Dracula. The mini-series tracks Dracula's events/occurrences from the time Jonathan Harker shows up at his doorsteps, through his first encounter with his foe, Van Helsing. In this iteration however, Van Helsing is a resourceful and resilient nun, whom he tries to bring to England with him, as he sets up his relocation plans, and moving to the "New World". She however manages to sabotage his plans, and on the epilogue of the show, a considerable amount of time has passed, but these eternal foes once again, have this seductive and deathly dance.
This iteration of "Dracula" does not retain the operatic, luscious, erotic and aesthetically superlative values that Francis Coppola's version put forth (and to this day, alongside FW Murnau's, are my personally favorite adaptations of the novel by Bram Stoker). The show takes quite a few liberties with the adaptation of the novel, some more successful than others. One of the most interesting aspects of this adaptation is establishing Van Helsing as a female character, one that is resourceful, unafraid and undaunted by the Count's seductive and alluring ways. It also questions the mythology behind Vampires themselves, and Dracula in particular. However in the process of doing so, of deconstructing the myth, it also makes the show lack a particular punch or deliver something as poignant, and entertaining, as what Coppola managed to build with his own. It's a show with sufficient production values to make it watchable, and while the actors are competent, none rise above that to make the characters and performances, memorable. It's a watchable show, but nothing more than that.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Movie Name: The Last Black Man in San Francisco
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Joe Talbot
Starring: Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Rob Morgan, Danny Glover, Tichina Arnold, Mike Epps, Finn Wittrock, Willie Hen, Jamal Trulove, Antoine Redus
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review:

After directing a short, "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" is director Joe Talbot's feature length debut. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival of 2019 to great reviews, and finally went into wide release in the Summer of 2019. It follows the story of two friends, Jimmie and Monty. They live with Monty's grandfather, in the outskirts of the San Francisco Bay area. Every day, they go to the city on the bus, in oder to work/restore a house that Jimmie believes has been built by his grandfather in the 1940s. The current owners of the house have unsuccessfully tried to dissuade them from coming back, but Jimmie persists, and secretly hopes he can live there once again. When the original owner of the house dies, their family goes into a tugging war over the ownership of the house/estate, causing a lull in the occupation of the house, something that Jimmie and Monty seize as an opportunity to move in. The realtor who has taken over the house, however realizes what they've done, and takes everything out. Unfazed by these events, Jimmie keeps persisting in his aspirations to own the house, even as the truth behind some events come to the surface, shaking the foundations of what he believed to be true.
"The Last Black Man in San Francisco" is a really interesting observation of someone's familial relationships, but also, a lucid statement on the life in the San Francisco Bay Area, from the point of view from someone who has lived there, but has been pushed out due to the evolution of the city (and the costs of living there). The film also manages to illustrate this brotherly relationship between the two lead characters, showcasing Monty's multi-hyphenate artistic capabilities (both as a sketcher and as a writer), and also Jimmie's quest to fulfill his dream, of once again living in the house his grandfather built, and ultimately, something that reminds him of what a family unit actually is. In between these lead characters relationship, there's a somewhat superficial observation (more in the background) of social tension between gangs, and even what can be ruled "toxic masculine behavior or expectations". The film for the most part is engaging, beautifully shot and acted, however the unfolding of the narrative in its last chapter, is also its weakest. The writers somewhat fail to showcase the crushing effects of certain actions, and the film lacks a punch that initially was so well thrown. It's still a solid reflection on a series of relevant topics, beautifully shot by Adam Newport-Berra. Worth watching.

Best Films of 2019

2019 was an interesting year for films. On one hand, the popular vote continued to go to massive superhero films, hailing primarily from Marvel, while on the other, the truly interesting and arresting stories came from either masterful storytellers, or storytellers influenced by masters of the craft. It was a year where I was dazzled and surprised by Olivia Wilde's "Booksmart", and where Tarantino's latest opus, didn't entirely convince me, but was nonetheless an entertaining endeavor. Overall it was a great year for films.

Parasite

Director: Bong Joon Ho

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Director: Celine Sciamma

Booksmart

Director: Olivia Wilde

Ad Astra

Director: James Gray

Dolor y Gloria

Director: Pedro Almodovar

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Director: Quentin Tarantino

The Irishman

Director: Martin Scorsese

Marriage Story

Director: Noah Baumbach

The Report

Director: Scott Z. Burns

1917

Director: Sam Mendes

Other films also worth watching and mentioning include Greta Gerwig's "Little Women",  Jay Roach's "Bombshell", Mike Flanagan's "Doctor Sleep", Craig Brewer's "Dolemite is My Name" and Sebastian Lelio's "Gloria Bell".
TV shows worth investigating include Leslye Headland, Natasha Lyonne and Amy Poehler's "Russian Doll" and Susannah Grant, Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman's "Unbelievable".

Films that simply failed on multiple levels include Michael Bay's "6 Underground" (one of the worst features I've seen in years), Todd Strauss-Schulson's "Isn't it Romantic" and Luc Besson's "Anna".

The Bodyguard

Movie Name: The Bodyguard
Year of Release: 1992
Director: Mick Jackson
Starring: Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston, Gary Kemp, Bill Cobbs, Ralph Waite, Tomas Arana, Michele Lamar Richards, Mike Starr, Gerry Bamman, DeVaughn Nixon, Christopher Birt, Joe Urla
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review:

Following the well received "LA Story", British film maker Mick Jackson, tackled what has since then, become his biggest hit, "The Bodyguard". The film follows the story of Frank Farmer, a former Secret Service Agent, now working as a professional bodyguard. He reluctantly takes on a new assignment, protecting Rachel Marron, an actress/singer, who has been receiving menacing threats from a stalker. These apparently harmless threats escalate to an actual attack, forcing her and her entourage to take the situation more seriously and hire Frank. These two individuals with their strong sense of control and propriety are forced to work together. This professional relationship, soon evolves into an amorous one, something that jeopardizes the security of everyone. As both Frank and Rachel decide to move beyond that romantic liaison, the constant threat, and nearby rivalries, keep everyone alert and fearful for their safety.
"The Bodyguard" turned out to be one of the biggest hits of 1992 (dethroned worldwide by the amazing success of Disney's "Aladdin"). It's the first screenplay ever written by celebrated writer/director Lawrence Kasdan, and the first film role of late Pop/R&B superstar, Whitney Houston. Originally written in the 70s, the film is remarkably thin, both in terms of characters motivations and the thriller aspect of the narrative. It's a rather formulaic film, offering nothing particularly original or creative, not even succeeding in terms of the rapport between the two leads. The last section of the film in particular, with the Oscar ceremony as the backdrop for the final coup, almost comes across as an involuntary spoof, a la "Nake Gun", without being quite as funny or over the top. Kevin Costner then coming off "Dances with Wolves", Kevin Reynolds's "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" and Oliver Stone's "JFK", was enjoying his moment in the sun, which would quickly die down (with the unfortunate "Waterworld", followed by his savagely ridiculed "The Postman"), while this would further cement Whitney Houston's popularity (the soundtrack would go on to become the largest selling soundtrack of all times). With all the talent involved, it's a film that has remarkably short rewards. 

1917

Movie Name: 1917
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, Andrew Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Madden, John Hollingworth, Adrian Scarborough, Claire Duburcq
Genre: Drama, War
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
View Trailer

Synopsis and Review:

After the mixed response to his latest James Bond endeavor, "Spectre", director Sam Mendes has gone in a different direction, and retreated to a screenplay of his own authorship (co-written with Krysty Wilson-Cairns). The film follows the story of two British soldiers, Blake and Schofield, who in 1917, at the peak of the first World War, are tasked with delivering a message to a Colonel in the fronts. This message is of paramount importance, since it contains intel in regards to their adversaries and their tactics, which can prevent the death of thousands of soldiers, including Blake's own brother. These two young men set forth on their quest, with constant dangers surrounding them, including traps left behind by the enemy forces. It will take all of their resilience, intelligence and heart to keep them going.
"1917" drinks from the fountain of inspiration of Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk". On one hand, it's a taut war-centric thriller, with hardly much dialogue, and on the other, it's a film that is certainly a bewildering technical achievement (and much like Nolan's "Dunkirk", it manages to narrate a dramatic storyline without many lines). The film maker and his crew, managed to shoot and edit the entire film as if though everything captured is a continuous take, with the camera being a partner/parallel view to everything that occurs to the lead characters. It's amazingly well done, and Roger Deakins, the cinematographer, once again proves what a cinematic virtuoso he is. It's a film that doesn't offer much in way of character development, since the two leads, and the core of the film, is indeed dominated by a sole purpose (and that's where the suspense/thriller aspect of the film lies). As their mission is met with obstacles, the friendship and bond of these two young men is tested, but not much is ventured in way of providing some humane aspect to these characters, until the very end. It's nonetheless a film possessed of a striking beauty, technically superlative, and well worth being seen. 

Parasite

Movie Name: Parasite
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Starring: Kang-ho Song, Sun-kyun Lee, Yeo-jeong Jo, Woo-sik Choi, So-dam Park, Jeong-eun Lee, Hye-jin Jang, Ji-hye Lee, Ji-so Jung, Myeong-hoon Park, Seo-joon Park, Keun-rok Park
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 9
View Trailer

Synopsis and Review:

Director Bong Joon Ho is back, following his latest and possibly most visible efforts, "Okja" (produced and distributed by Netflix) and "Snowpiercer" (which had its fair share of issues with distribution, courtesy of Harvey Weinstein). "Parasite" which has been met with critical acclaim, since premiering at the Cannes Film Festival of 2019 (where it won the Palm D'Or), follows the story of a family in South Korea, comprised of the parental figureheads, and two young adults offsprings, all of whom barely manage to survive, living in a below the level/basement type of space. When a friend of Ki-woo comes for a visit, he proposes an arrangement for Ki-woo to replace him, and start tutoring a young girl (in English), whose family is very well off. Upon visiting the family, Ki-woo, or Kevin as they start calling him, sees an opportunity to ingratiate himself further, and also bring his sister along. His sister, Ki-jung, quickly aces the interview and becomes an art teacher to the youngest son of the rich family (the Park family). With the two siblings quickly making money, they devise a scheme to get rid of the current driver the family has working for them, followed by their long standing housemaid. With the entire family now working for the Park's, who have no idea of their familial relationship or for that matter, of the dire economical standing in which they find themselves, the Park family goes on a camping trip, to celebrate the youngest son's birthday. The Kims decide to throw themselves a little celebratory party, which quickly goes awry when the former housemaid shows up knocking at the door of the Park's residence.
"Parasite" is one of the most enticing, original and multi-layered films I've witnessed in quite a while. It's a film that manages to be an incisive look at the economical disparities that occur in society, and the impact that it has on behaviors displayed by people across the board (both for those with plenty of resources and those with very few). The director builds a remarkable canvas for the existence of these two families, and how they eventually coexist (and clash). If the story starts being played off as people posing as teachers in order to make ends meet, there's definitely a change in tone, as the further layers to the narrative are unveiled. It's a surprising film that works on a variety of levels, mixing subtle humor, with class struggles, economical disparities, gender roles, all tossed with an impeccable aesthetic (and even an insightful look into the South Korean society). The cast is uniformly great, the same going for the cinematography of Kyung-pyo Hong and the score from Jaeil Jung. A fantastic film worth watching from a truly unique voice in cinema.

Little Women

Movie Name: Little Women
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Greta Gerwig
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet, Chris Cooper, Meryl Streep, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Eliza Scanlen, Jayne Houdyshell, Hadley Robinson, Dash Barber
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
View Trailer

Synopsis and Review:

Following the fantastic "Ladybird", which to this day remains as vital, mordantly funny film as I've ever seen, writer/director Greta Gerwig has returned, with a decidedly different film. "Little Women" is another adaptation of the novel by Louisa May Alcott (her novel in fact had two sequels), following the previous iterations from George Cukor (with Katherine Hepburn from 1933), Mervyn LeRoy (with June Allyson, Elizabeth Taylor and Janet Leigh from 1949), Gillian Armstrong (with Winona Ryder, Kirsten Dunst and Christian Bale from 1994), and countless mini-series. The film once again follows the story of the March clan, during the American Civil War. The four sisters are led by the energetic and dream filled Jo, who wants to be a writer, while the eldest, Meg, wants to pursue her dreams of having a family. Amy on her hand wants to become a famous painter, where the sickly Beth has the gift of music. While their father is away battling the war, the household is barely scraping by under the tutelage of the sensible, generous and warm, Marmee. As the sisters age, their romantic adventures pull them in different paths, something that Beth's worsening health darkens and threatens. Jo returns from New York to help be a caregiver, and some of her earlier decisions have unexpected consequences in the family's dynamics. 
"Little Women" is a film that demonstrates a well oiled production machine, at times failing to showcase a unique point of view under the heavy umbrella of the exquisite production design that the film has. It's a film that lives and breathes by the excellent cast that has been amassed, and once again Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet prove how good they are, and what incredible partnership they have. However this film has a particular standout in the presence of Florence Pugh, who truly builds an arch with Amy, going from infantile and self centered girl, to the throes of a young woman, demonstrating both a gravitas and a sense of self, deeply aware of women's condition in society, and how her dreams stack versus that reality, which is truly superb. The non-linear narrative also allows us to discover and get further insight on the family dynamics, even if some of the characters are very uni-dimensional (the wonderful Laura Dern, while fantastic has little to do with her character). It's a film that features great attention to detail, with a solid supporting cast, featuring Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper obviously fantastic, while Bob Odenkirk feels oddly miscast in his role of the family patriarch, and the always wonderful Tracy Letts doesn't get enough screen time. The cinematography from Yorick Le Saux is stunning, as is the score from Alexandre Desplat. A solid effort from a very interesting director.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Movie Name: Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Year of Release: 1991
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong, Earl Boen, Joe Morton, S. Epatha Merkerson, Castulo Guerra, Jenette Goldstein, Xander Berkeley, Danny Cooksey, Robert Winley
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review:

Director James Cameron followed his big budget underwater extravaganza, "The Abyss", with a return to the franchise he had started in 1984. "Terminator 2" picks up a few years following the events of the original film. Sarah Connor is locked up in a mental institution, while her son John, is now an adolescent always getting in trouble. While no one believes in Sarah's stories, Skynet once again sends a new Terminator, a more advanced one, to kill John. The human resistance once again also manages to send a protector, this time, a re-programmed terminator, less advanced than the one sent to kill John. What follows is a race to both these Terminators find their target, and successfully accomplish their missions. John's protector in the process starts learning more about being human, forging a bond both with John and Sarah Connor.
If "Terminator" was an independently financed, narrative-wise well thought out dystopian view of what the future holds, this sequel was a much bigger canvas for James Cameron to expand on the mythology he firstly introduced (not to mention "Terminator 2" had a much bigger production budget). The film was a first on a variety of levels, among them, the innovative digital effects produced by Industrial Light and Magic, which would define a new standard for all films (ILM of course developed itself at a geometric rate following the success of this film and is now one of the most well known visual effects companies in the business). James Cameron managed to refine the archetypes he built with the first film, even if for all intended purposes, this film is still very much in essence a B-movie with polished visuals. He further developed the lead characters, namely Sarah Connor, who becomes one of the figure heads of the film, this time around being a hellbent survivor, strong and also fragile, alongside the young John Connor, played by Edward Furlong. These two characters manage to really elevate the proceedings, while Schwarzenegger playing the character as the longstanding monolith, manages to be sufficiently charismatic (losing some of his menacing turn from the original film) to hold everyone's attention. James Cameron is impeccable at staging action set pieces, and this film has a series of them which are iconic and have become staples of the genre. It's a film that is deft in explaining character's motivations and dimensions, at times losing the efficiency of the first film with some sentimentality, but overall it's a finely crafted piece of entertainment. Linda Hamilton easily creates the most iconic character in the film, something she revisited once again in 2019. A very good film from an excellent storyteller.