In a movie about newspapers, there will be at least one shot of huge sheets of paper rolling off the giant printing presses. Jack and I love these soon-to-be nostalgic sequences.
Here's the complete list.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Trumbo (2015)
This fabulous true story of blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo is timely in today's climate of wiretaps and profiling. I'm so glad it was shot in color because it's stunning, with spectacular period details, cars, and the opulence of 1950s Hollywood.
Bryan Cranston (last blogged in Argo) brings the necessary frenetic energy to the title character and Diane Lane (profiled in Inside Out) is a lovely calm counterpoint as his wife Cleo. You can't go wrong with Louis C.K. and Michael Stuhlbarg (both most recently in these pages for Blue Jasmine) and they don't disappoint playing fellow screenwriter Arlen Hird and actor Edward G. Robinson, both blacklisted as well. Helen Mirren (last in Woman in Gold), besides having some strong scenes as actress-turned-gossip-columnist Hedda Hopper, gets to wear fantastic hats and dresses. Costume Designer Daniel Orlandi deserves props for the headgear, the neckwear, all of it. And we have Jay Denault (shot, among other things, Boys Don't Cry (1999), Real Women Have Curves (2002), Dinner for Schmucks, and Clear History) to thank for the luscious cinematography.
This is the first drama directed by Jay Roach (most recently helmed Little Fockers) and he did a great job, working from the debut feature script by John McNamara (who has written three TV movies, and dozens of TV episodes), based on Bruce Cook's 1977 biography Dalton Trumbo.
You can look up facts about Trumbo ahead of time, but we enjoyed learning on screen which movies he wrote. Oh, and be sure not to race out of the theatre as the credits begin, as you'll be treated to still photos and some film clips of the real people.
As I write I'm listening to this playlist of the Theodore Shapiro (last scored Infinitely Polar Bear) soundtrack. Cool jazz, fast action.
Speaking of cool, there's no accounting for the 71% critics' average on Rotten Tomatoes, though its audiences are a bit warmer at 81. Jack, Ann, and I thought it was terrific.
Bryan Cranston (last blogged in Argo) brings the necessary frenetic energy to the title character and Diane Lane (profiled in Inside Out) is a lovely calm counterpoint as his wife Cleo. You can't go wrong with Louis C.K. and Michael Stuhlbarg (both most recently in these pages for Blue Jasmine) and they don't disappoint playing fellow screenwriter Arlen Hird and actor Edward G. Robinson, both blacklisted as well. Helen Mirren (last in Woman in Gold), besides having some strong scenes as actress-turned-gossip-columnist Hedda Hopper, gets to wear fantastic hats and dresses. Costume Designer Daniel Orlandi deserves props for the headgear, the neckwear, all of it. And we have Jay Denault (shot, among other things, Boys Don't Cry (1999), Real Women Have Curves (2002), Dinner for Schmucks, and Clear History) to thank for the luscious cinematography.
This is the first drama directed by Jay Roach (most recently helmed Little Fockers) and he did a great job, working from the debut feature script by John McNamara (who has written three TV movies, and dozens of TV episodes), based on Bruce Cook's 1977 biography Dalton Trumbo.
You can look up facts about Trumbo ahead of time, but we enjoyed learning on screen which movies he wrote. Oh, and be sure not to race out of the theatre as the credits begin, as you'll be treated to still photos and some film clips of the real people.
As I write I'm listening to this playlist of the Theodore Shapiro (last scored Infinitely Polar Bear) soundtrack. Cool jazz, fast action.
Speaking of cool, there's no accounting for the 71% critics' average on Rotten Tomatoes, though its audiences are a bit warmer at 81. Jack, Ann, and I thought it was terrific.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Spotlight (2015)
This lives up to the good things we heard about the true tale of the Boston Globe's 2001 team finding proof of the Archdiocese's cover-up of child molestation. Tautly told and urgently performed, it has already won this year's Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award, which is given to a movie with a great ensemble cast.
The spotlight team at the Globe is portrayed by Mark Ruffalo (last blogged for Infinitely Polar Bear), Michael Keaton (won the Oscar last year for Birdman), Rachel McAdams (most recently in A Most Wanted Man), and Brian d'Arcy James (18 episodes of Smash (2012-13) and plenty of other work on stage and screens). Some of the other players are Liev Schreiber (last in Fading Gigolo), John Slattery (best known as Roger Sterling on 89 episodes of Mad Men (2007-15), as well as good work in The Station Agent (2003), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Reservation Road (2007), Charlie Wilson's War (2007), The Adjustment Bureau, and cameos in Iron Man 2 and Ant-Man as Tony Stark's dad Howard), Jamey Sheridan (I had a crush on him in Shannon's Deal (1990-91), and he did good work in Chicago Hope (1995-96), The Ice Storm (1997), Cradle Will Rock (1999), Life as a House (2001), Syriana (2005), twelve episodes of Homeland (2011-12), and five of Smash), and Stanley Tucci (most recently in these pages for voicing Leonardo da Vinci in Mr. Peabody & Sherman). I racked my brain to guess who did the telephone voice of Dr. Sipe, not listed in the credits nor on imdb, to no avail. In this article, however, I found out it was Richard Jenkins (last in The Company You Keep).
Tom McCarthy last directed and wrote Win Win, and is joined by co-writer Josh Singer (his second co-written screenplay and a number of teleplays), and the story trots along briskly, even at two hours and seven minutes.
The pleasant music by Howard Shore (last composed Rosewater) can be streamed from this link. There were a lot of songs listed in the end credits, but only three are listed on imdb.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences alike are rhapsodic, averaging 97 and 96. See it now locally. And you won't miss Rule #19.
With the recent announcement of nominations for the Gotham and Independent Spirit Awards, I have resurrected my yearly alphabetical list of nominees and winners. I hope I can keep it up as award season picks up speed. I've posted a bunch so far.
The spotlight team at the Globe is portrayed by Mark Ruffalo (last blogged for Infinitely Polar Bear), Michael Keaton (won the Oscar last year for Birdman), Rachel McAdams (most recently in A Most Wanted Man), and Brian d'Arcy James (18 episodes of Smash (2012-13) and plenty of other work on stage and screens). Some of the other players are Liev Schreiber (last in Fading Gigolo), John Slattery (best known as Roger Sterling on 89 episodes of Mad Men (2007-15), as well as good work in The Station Agent (2003), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Reservation Road (2007), Charlie Wilson's War (2007), The Adjustment Bureau, and cameos in Iron Man 2 and Ant-Man as Tony Stark's dad Howard), Jamey Sheridan (I had a crush on him in Shannon's Deal (1990-91), and he did good work in Chicago Hope (1995-96), The Ice Storm (1997), Cradle Will Rock (1999), Life as a House (2001), Syriana (2005), twelve episodes of Homeland (2011-12), and five of Smash), and Stanley Tucci (most recently in these pages for voicing Leonardo da Vinci in Mr. Peabody & Sherman). I racked my brain to guess who did the telephone voice of Dr. Sipe, not listed in the credits nor on imdb, to no avail. In this article, however, I found out it was Richard Jenkins (last in The Company You Keep).
Tom McCarthy last directed and wrote Win Win, and is joined by co-writer Josh Singer (his second co-written screenplay and a number of teleplays), and the story trots along briskly, even at two hours and seven minutes.
The pleasant music by Howard Shore (last composed Rosewater) can be streamed from this link. There were a lot of songs listed in the end credits, but only three are listed on imdb.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences alike are rhapsodic, averaging 97 and 96. See it now locally. And you won't miss Rule #19.
With the recent announcement of nominations for the Gotham and Independent Spirit Awards, I have resurrected my yearly alphabetical list of nominees and winners. I hope I can keep it up as award season picks up speed. I've posted a bunch so far.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Rock the Kasbah (2015)
We didn't hate (though the critics did) this Bill Murray comedy directed by Barry Levinson about a musicians' agent trying to keep his career afloat with a gig in Afghanistan, also featuring Kate Hudson, Bruce Willis, and Zooey Deschanel, among others. The actors were last blogged in The Grand Budapest Hotel, Clear History, Red 2, and Our Idiot Brother, respectively, and I profiled Levinson in What Just Happened. Screenwriter Mitch Glazer co-wrote Scrooged (1988) and The Recruit (2003), and adapted Great Expectations (1998) by himself. This one is very, very loosely based on a 2009 documentary, Afghan Star.
There are plenty of songs including a funny cover by Deschanel. This link also has some original middle Eastern music by composer Marcelo Zarvos (most recently blogged for Enough Said).
This may be the lowest Rotten Tomatoes rated movie we've ever seen. It has remained solidly in one digit and as of today the critics' average is 8% with audiences coming in at 39. When we saw it a month ago Jack said it deserved at least 40 and I say 65.
This just in--the movie has the dubious distinction of being on a list of the biggest flops of the year.
The DVD's estimated release is February 2016, though with ratings that low, it's anyone's guess if it'll happen. If it does, and it doesn't cost you much, you could watch for a while and see if you want to continue. We laughed.
There are plenty of songs including a funny cover by Deschanel. This link also has some original middle Eastern music by composer Marcelo Zarvos (most recently blogged for Enough Said).
This may be the lowest Rotten Tomatoes rated movie we've ever seen. It has remained solidly in one digit and as of today the critics' average is 8% with audiences coming in at 39. When we saw it a month ago Jack said it deserved at least 40 and I say 65.
This just in--the movie has the dubious distinction of being on a list of the biggest flops of the year.
The DVD's estimated release is February 2016, though with ratings that low, it's anyone's guess if it'll happen. If it does, and it doesn't cost you much, you could watch for a while and see if you want to continue. We laughed.
Freeheld (2015)
Based on a true story about a NJ police detective fighting to get her pension assigned to her female domestic partner before her 2006 death, this scripted drama is very good, with Julianne Moore and Ellen Page as the lovers and Michael Shannon and Steve Carell as some of their strongest supporters (last blogged in Still Alice, To Rome with Love, Mud, and Foxcatcher, respectively).
The 2007 documentary of the same name won the Oscar for Best Documentary short.
Peter Sollett (most recently in these pages for Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist) directs from a script by Ron Nyswaner (Oscar nominated for writing Philadelphia (1993), Independent Spirit nominated for writing The Painted Veil (2007), Mrs. Soffel (1984), and more).
It's been five weeks since we saw this, but I think I also liked the soundtrack by the great Hans Zimmer (last scored The Woman in Gold) with the collaboration of Johnny Marr. Several links to the entire soundtrack have been removed from youtube, but this track remains.
The movie earns a producers plethora tag with 24 listed on imdb, but The Butler remains the undefeated champion with 39.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics felt differently, averaging 47% to its audiences' 64%. After the DVD release in February, check it out and tell me what you think.
The 2007 documentary of the same name won the Oscar for Best Documentary short.
Peter Sollett (most recently in these pages for Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist) directs from a script by Ron Nyswaner (Oscar nominated for writing Philadelphia (1993), Independent Spirit nominated for writing The Painted Veil (2007), Mrs. Soffel (1984), and more).
It's been five weeks since we saw this, but I think I also liked the soundtrack by the great Hans Zimmer (last scored The Woman in Gold) with the collaboration of Johnny Marr. Several links to the entire soundtrack have been removed from youtube, but this track remains.
The movie earns a producers plethora tag with 24 listed on imdb, but The Butler remains the undefeated champion with 39.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics felt differently, averaging 47% to its audiences' 64%. After the DVD release in February, check it out and tell me what you think.
Spectre (2015)
The latest Bond picture is enjoyable enough with plenty of action, classic elements of the last 22 chapters, and the usual gorgeous locations, sets, cars, and gadgets, but is way too talky. Though the definition of chick flick is "too much talking and not enough hitting," this two and a half hour extravaganza could use a trim of at least 20 minutes of each.
The opening sequence doesn't disappoint, taking place this time during a Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City. In the music mix are kettle drummers, reminding me of the ones I loved in Mad Max: Fury Road, who can be heard offscreen later. In the action mix are some impressive stunts/computer generated effects with a wildly swinging helicopter. Other fabulous locations include Rome, Tangier, a snow-filled rural Austria, and, of course, London.
Daniel Craig returns, still pouting, for the fourth time under the directing hand of Sam Mendes for his second (both were last blogged in Skyfall). Much has been made of Monica Bellucci's (among her many credits I liked Malèna (2000), She Hate Me (2004), The Passion of the Christ (2004), and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee; I omitted the Matrix movies because I didn't particularly enjoy them but she was in them all) being the oldest Bond girl--she is now 51--but she's not in the movie very long. Léa Seydoux (most recently in Blue Is the Warmest Color) has lots more screen time, but what did you expect? She's thirty! Christoph Waltz (last in Big Eyes) also has abbreviated scenes as a villain.
Composer Thomas Newman (most recently in these pages for scoring Bridge of Spies) naturally uses the "James Bond theme," with royalties going to Monty Norman, and pays homage to John Barry and other past Bond composers. You can stream the whole soundtrack, half as long as the movie, from this link.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are averaging only 64/66 for this installment. You fans know who you are, and have probably already seen it on the big screen.
The opening sequence doesn't disappoint, taking place this time during a Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City. In the music mix are kettle drummers, reminding me of the ones I loved in Mad Max: Fury Road, who can be heard offscreen later. In the action mix are some impressive stunts/computer generated effects with a wildly swinging helicopter. Other fabulous locations include Rome, Tangier, a snow-filled rural Austria, and, of course, London.
Daniel Craig returns, still pouting, for the fourth time under the directing hand of Sam Mendes for his second (both were last blogged in Skyfall). Much has been made of Monica Bellucci's (among her many credits I liked Malèna (2000), She Hate Me (2004), The Passion of the Christ (2004), and The Private Lives of Pippa Lee; I omitted the Matrix movies because I didn't particularly enjoy them but she was in them all) being the oldest Bond girl--she is now 51--but she's not in the movie very long. Léa Seydoux (most recently in Blue Is the Warmest Color) has lots more screen time, but what did you expect? She's thirty! Christoph Waltz (last in Big Eyes) also has abbreviated scenes as a villain.
Composer Thomas Newman (most recently in these pages for scoring Bridge of Spies) naturally uses the "James Bond theme," with royalties going to Monty Norman, and pays homage to John Barry and other past Bond composers. You can stream the whole soundtrack, half as long as the movie, from this link.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are averaging only 64/66 for this installment. You fans know who you are, and have probably already seen it on the big screen.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Suffragette (2015)
It's hard to say we "enjoyed" this wrenching story of 1912 English women fighting for the right to vote, but it's powerful, beautifully shot, and we highly recommend it. Carey Mulligan (last blogged in Far from the Madding Crowd) continues to impress us with her talent as our main heroine Maud Watts, accidentally politicized. Her main adversary is Brendan Gleeson (most recently in Calvary) as the scary Inspector condoning beating and jailing of the protestors (yes, there is violence). Supporting the cause are, among others, Anne-Marie Duff (last in Before I Go to Sleep), Helena Bonham Carter (fairy godmother in Cinderella), the lovely Romola Garai (I watched her in the mini-series The Hour), and, for five minutes, Meryl Streep (most recently in Ricki and the Flash). Streep's character, Emmeline Pankhurst, however, was a real feminist icon who was the leader of British women's suffrage.
This is director Sarah Gavron's second feature, but screenwriter Abi Morgan (last in these pages for The Invisible Woman) is making quite a name for herself. The lovely photography (some bleak, and, oh, that magnificent park!) is courtesy of Eduard Grau, who shot A Single Man, though I didn't say so (I should have, as I went into some detail about the exquisite look of that picture).
Warning for those who are prone to Motion Picture Motion Sickness (MPMS), as I am: there are some sequences that will make us queasy, especially toward the end. Jack and I happened to choose to sit in the last row, but I still had to look away from time to time. This is going on the alphabetical list. We sufferers need to know what to expect.
The prolific Alexandre Desplat (Oscar-nominated for The Imitation Game and The Grand Budapest Hotel last year and won for the latter) brings another great soundtrack to the screen. It can be streamed from this link (with a few fits and starts tonight at least).
Rotten Tomatoes' critics at 72 and audiences at 76 are wrong. See this. And stay until the end for a short history lesson.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
Two months ago Jack, Jodi, and I enjoyed this story of the groundbreaking 1980s hip-hop/rap group N.W.A.--Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, and MC Ren--and their lives until the early 90s. O'Shea Jackson Jr. (in his screen debut) plays his father Ice Cube and the kid is good, not to mention his dad's spitting image. Jason Mitchell and Corey Hawkins (new to me and their first major roles) and the more experienced (but still new to me) Neil Brown Jr. and Aldis Hodge play E, Dre, Yella, and Ren, respectively, and they bring a lot of passion to the project. Paul Giamatti's Jerry Heller (the manager) has some similarities to his character in Love & Mercy. And there are about a hundred other players in the 147 minutes run time.
This is director F. Gary Gray's eighth feature (plus a bunch of videos) but the only one I've seen is the excellent The Italian Job (2003). The script is credited to Jonathan Herman (his first) and Andrea Berloff (her second) and story by S. Leigh Savidge (one documentary), Alan Wenkus (one other story credit), and Berloff.
You don't have to love hip-hop or rap to like this, although if you hate the genre, you should probably skip it. We like it well enough, and thought the movie was very good. Rotten Tomatoes' critics at 89% and audiences at 94 agree with us this time. I see it's at one second-run theatre in these parts. Or you can wait until January 19 to get it on DVD.
This is director F. Gary Gray's eighth feature (plus a bunch of videos) but the only one I've seen is the excellent The Italian Job (2003). The script is credited to Jonathan Herman (his first) and Andrea Berloff (her second) and story by S. Leigh Savidge (one documentary), Alan Wenkus (one other story credit), and Berloff.
You don't have to love hip-hop or rap to like this, although if you hate the genre, you should probably skip it. We like it well enough, and thought the movie was very good. Rotten Tomatoes' critics at 89% and audiences at 94 agree with us this time. I see it's at one second-run theatre in these parts. Or you can wait until January 19 to get it on DVD.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Our Brand Is Crisis (2015)
We knew we'd like this story of a political consultant emerging from retirement to help a Bolivian candidate and possibly win against her nemesis. Sandra Bullock's (last blogged for Gravity) performance as the heroine suggests manic depression, with the emphasis on the latter, and we thought she was great. Billy Bob Thornton (profiled in Entourage) is suitably oily as the nemesis, and Anthony Mackie (most recently Captain America: The Winter Soldier) is but one of the supportive supporting cast.
There was a 2005 documentary of the same name about James Carville's firm working the 2002 Bolivian election, and Peter Straughan (covered in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) adapted that into this script for director David Gordon Green (profiled in Prince Avalanche). Together they gave us plenty of laughs and harmed no llamas (it's Jack's favorite part of the trailer). George Clooney and his producing partner Grant Heslov (last blogged for producing The Monuments Men) are behind this project and it's their kind of humor. The movie was shot in La Paz, other parts of Bolivia, Puerto Rico, and Tulane University in New Orleans, among other locations.
David Wingo's (scored Prince Avalanche) music is good but not at all available online. I can't be sure if the movie's averaging 32% critics and 45% audiences on Rotten Tomatoes has anything to do with that unavailability. It's still running on big screens locally, but if you want to wait until the DVD release, it's scheduled for February 2016, as are several of my last movies.
There was a 2005 documentary of the same name about James Carville's firm working the 2002 Bolivian election, and Peter Straughan (covered in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) adapted that into this script for director David Gordon Green (profiled in Prince Avalanche). Together they gave us plenty of laughs and harmed no llamas (it's Jack's favorite part of the trailer). George Clooney and his producing partner Grant Heslov (last blogged for producing The Monuments Men) are behind this project and it's their kind of humor. The movie was shot in La Paz, other parts of Bolivia, Puerto Rico, and Tulane University in New Orleans, among other locations.
David Wingo's (scored Prince Avalanche) music is good but not at all available online. I can't be sure if the movie's averaging 32% critics and 45% audiences on Rotten Tomatoes has anything to do with that unavailability. It's still running on big screens locally, but if you want to wait until the DVD release, it's scheduled for February 2016, as are several of my last movies.
Steve Jobs (2015)
Jack and I think this is good, despite it not being true to its subject--they get the prickly part, but leave out the ex-hippie/charismatic guy who helped change our world. Michael Fassbender (last blogged in X-Men: Days of Future Past) is very good as the total jerk title character denying paternity of his daughter and bullying everyone in his path, Kate Winslet (most recently in Labor Day) wonderful as his long-suffering "work wife" Joanna Hoffman, and Seth Rogen (last in This Is the End) terrific as beleaguered Steve Wozniak. There's a short piece in The New Yorker (it has a few mild spoilers of good lines) about Rogen meeting Wozniak which I found interesting. And a longer one in the L.A. Times, with fewer spoilers, about how they got it wrong.
Also featured are Jeff Daniels (most recently in The Martian) as John Sculley and Katherine Waterston (first blogged in Inherent Vice) as Jobs' baby mama.
Full disclosure--when we saw it two weeks ago we were late, which we seldom are, by two minutes or ten, and the number 1984 was superimposed on the screen when we walked in. But we didn't feel lost. What I learned tonight is that the first act, 1984, was shot in 16mm film, the second, 1988, in 35mm, and the last, 1988, in digital, to reflect changing technology.
Danny Boyle (last blogged for Trance) directs from a typically wordy script by Aaron Sorkin (most recently in these pages for Moneyball).
I loved the score by Daniel Pemberton (plenty of movie and TV credits but new to me), which can be streamed from this link.
Rotten Tomatoes' folks (85% critics/78% audiences) agree with us that it's entertaining, which is way better than they liked the Ashton Kutcher-starring 2013 movie Jobs. This one is still playing locally, and the DVD release is estimated for February 2016.
Also featured are Jeff Daniels (most recently in The Martian) as John Sculley and Katherine Waterston (first blogged in Inherent Vice) as Jobs' baby mama.
Full disclosure--when we saw it two weeks ago we were late, which we seldom are, by two minutes or ten, and the number 1984 was superimposed on the screen when we walked in. But we didn't feel lost. What I learned tonight is that the first act, 1984, was shot in 16mm film, the second, 1988, in 35mm, and the last, 1988, in digital, to reflect changing technology.
Danny Boyle (last blogged for Trance) directs from a typically wordy script by Aaron Sorkin (most recently in these pages for Moneyball).
I loved the score by Daniel Pemberton (plenty of movie and TV credits but new to me), which can be streamed from this link.
Rotten Tomatoes' folks (85% critics/78% audiences) agree with us that it's entertaining, which is way better than they liked the Ashton Kutcher-starring 2013 movie Jobs. This one is still playing locally, and the DVD release is estimated for February 2016.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Rule #18 for movies and television
Someone says a name and the other person immediately knows how to spell it. Today in the movie the other person wrote down "Conn," when to my ear it could just as easily have been Kahan, Kahn, Khan, Cahn, etc.
For the complete list click here.
For the complete list click here.
Bridge of Spies (2015)
The trailers for this looked bleak but after my aunt Mary recommended it highly, Jack and I saw and loved the true story of a 1950s insurance lawyer defending a Russian spy and more. Of course, with Steven Spielberg at the helm, the production values are sky-high, and the art direction, picture cars, props, and Amy Ryan's hair and wardrobe are practically worth the price of admission. The reliable Tom Hanks (last blogged for another real-life person, Walt Disney, in Saving Mr. Banks) keeps us rooting for our hero, and Mark Rylance (new to me but winner of three Tonys and star of numerous productions in his native England) is marvelous as the commie. Ryan (most recently in Birdman) brings her character of the lawyer's wife a lovely June Cleaver attitude and the aforementioned period costumes and hairdos. Oh, this is one example where Rule #1 is broken--he gets a cold.
Spielberg (last directing gig was Lincoln) lends gravitas and the script by Matt Charman (new to me after two mini-series and one feature) and Joel & Ethan Coen (Inside Llewyn Davis) has more laughs than we expected. Production Designer Adam Stockhausen may have a shot at another Oscar after winning earlier this year for The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Thomas Newman's (most recently in these pages for The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) score is another reliable component of the overall experience and may be streamed from this link.
I have to also recommend a seven minute bit Hanks did with Jimmy Fallon on the latter's show, reading scripts by elementary school kids who were told to write something called Bridge of Spies. Very funny. Watch it here.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are in agreement with Mary and us, averaging 92/90. This should be playing for a while longer in your neighborhood until its estimated February release on DVD.
Spielberg (last directing gig was Lincoln) lends gravitas and the script by Matt Charman (new to me after two mini-series and one feature) and Joel & Ethan Coen (Inside Llewyn Davis) has more laughs than we expected. Production Designer Adam Stockhausen may have a shot at another Oscar after winning earlier this year for The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Thomas Newman's (most recently in these pages for The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) score is another reliable component of the overall experience and may be streamed from this link.
I have to also recommend a seven minute bit Hanks did with Jimmy Fallon on the latter's show, reading scripts by elementary school kids who were told to write something called Bridge of Spies. Very funny. Watch it here.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are in agreement with Mary and us, averaging 92/90. This should be playing for a while longer in your neighborhood until its estimated February release on DVD.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Truth (2015)
Jack and I liked a lot this story of 60 Minutes producer Mary Mapes and the scandal when she, her team, and Dan Rather uncovered in 2004 George W. Bush's failure to fulfill his requirements in the Texas Air National Guard in the 70s. Cate Blanchett (last blogged for Cinderella) will get the Palm Springs International Film Festival Desert Palm Achievement Award for this and the movie Carol (coming later this year) and here puts in a terrific performance as the brilliant, dogged journalist. The real Mapes, on whose memoir the movie is based, is not unattractive, but Blanchett is positively luminous wearing an Armani wardrobe designed especially for the movie.
Probably my only quibble is that the filmmakers didn't even try to make Robert Redford (most recently in Captain America: The Winter Soldier) look anything like Rather. But we appreciated the avuncular chemistry between him and Blanchett. Topher Grace (I watched and loved all 179 episodes of That 70s Show, and also liked him in Traffic (2000), P.S. (2004), In Good Company (2004) (co-starring with Dennis Quaid), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Valentine's Day, and Interstellar, though I didn't mention him in the last two) brings some passion and righteous indignation to this role. Dennis Quaid (some of his best work before this was Breaking Away (1979), The Right Stuff (1983), Suspect (1987), The Big Easy (1986), Great Balls of Fire (1989), Postcards from the Edge (1990), Flesh and Bone (1993), Wyatt Earp (1994), Something to Talk About (1995), Any Given Sunday (1999), Frequency (2000), Far From Heaven (2002), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), and the aforementioned In Good Company), Elisabeth Moss (last blogged for Top of the Lake), and John Benjamin Hickey (profiled in Get On Up) all contribute.
Screenwriter James Vanderbilt (co-wrote The Amazing Spider-Man), who makes his directing debut with high production values, agreed to shoot in Blanchett's home country of Australia so she could be near her family on the job. The soundtrack is by Brian Tyler (most recently in the pages for composing Avengers: Age of Ultron) and can be previewed on iTunes and other retailers.
One scene in the movie inspired me to write Rule #18. And many times Rule #6 is obeyed.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are lukewarm at 58% and its audiences are averaging 61. Haters gotta hate. We enjoyed it.
Probably my only quibble is that the filmmakers didn't even try to make Robert Redford (most recently in Captain America: The Winter Soldier) look anything like Rather. But we appreciated the avuncular chemistry between him and Blanchett. Topher Grace (I watched and loved all 179 episodes of That 70s Show, and also liked him in Traffic (2000), P.S. (2004), In Good Company (2004) (co-starring with Dennis Quaid), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Valentine's Day, and Interstellar, though I didn't mention him in the last two) brings some passion and righteous indignation to this role. Dennis Quaid (some of his best work before this was Breaking Away (1979), The Right Stuff (1983), Suspect (1987), The Big Easy (1986), Great Balls of Fire (1989), Postcards from the Edge (1990), Flesh and Bone (1993), Wyatt Earp (1994), Something to Talk About (1995), Any Given Sunday (1999), Frequency (2000), Far From Heaven (2002), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), and the aforementioned In Good Company), Elisabeth Moss (last blogged for Top of the Lake), and John Benjamin Hickey (profiled in Get On Up) all contribute.
Screenwriter James Vanderbilt (co-wrote The Amazing Spider-Man), who makes his directing debut with high production values, agreed to shoot in Blanchett's home country of Australia so she could be near her family on the job. The soundtrack is by Brian Tyler (most recently in the pages for composing Avengers: Age of Ultron) and can be previewed on iTunes and other retailers.
One scene in the movie inspired me to write Rule #18. And many times Rule #6 is obeyed.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are lukewarm at 58% and its audiences are averaging 61. Haters gotta hate. We enjoyed it.
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Burnt (2015)
Jack and I enjoyed this story of a hot-headed American chef trying to make a clean and sober comeback in London after many fiascos in Paris. The food stylings and music are just great. Maybe the plot's a bit pat (could be butter, er, better) but this is going on the food movie list as soon as I finish the post.
Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller (who were both last blogged in American Sniper) once again co-star as the chef and sous-chef with layered performances (and she has an interesting haircut). Daniel Brühl (most recently in The Woman in Gold), Matthew Rhys (I know him better for 109 episodes of Brothers & Sisters than for 40 episodes of The Americans--I quit watching the latter because it was so bleak), and Omar Sy (last in Jurassic World) all do well as some of Cooper's cohorts, plus I appreciated cameos by Emma Thompson (most recently in Saving Mr. Banks), Uma Thurman (I liked The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Henry & June (1990), Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993), Pulp Fiction (1994), The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996), Kill Bill 1 and 2 ((2003 and 04), Prime (2005), The Producers (2005), and five episodes of Smash in 2012), Alicia Vikander (last in Ex Machina), and Lily James (first blogged in Cinderella).
"Poor John Wells," I wrote about the director in my post for August: Osage County, since it rated low, as did this (28% critics, 60 audiences on Rotten Tomatoes). The script is by Steven Knight (The Hundred Foot Journey) and the story by Michael Kalesniko (wrote Private Parts (1997)).
Jack, who is a big fan of blues music, particularly loved the opening sequence with It Serves You Right to Suffer by John Lee Hooker remixed or something by "The Avener" (stream it here or listen to JLH's original in a much slower tempo). The rest of the music, by Rob Simonsen (last blogged for Foxcatcher), should be released in an album, but hasn't.
The haters have no taste. Savor the experience and sample this movie while you can.
Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller (who were both last blogged in American Sniper) once again co-star as the chef and sous-chef with layered performances (and she has an interesting haircut). Daniel Brühl (most recently in The Woman in Gold), Matthew Rhys (I know him better for 109 episodes of Brothers & Sisters than for 40 episodes of The Americans--I quit watching the latter because it was so bleak), and Omar Sy (last in Jurassic World) all do well as some of Cooper's cohorts, plus I appreciated cameos by Emma Thompson (most recently in Saving Mr. Banks), Uma Thurman (I liked The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Henry & June (1990), Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993), Pulp Fiction (1994), The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996), Kill Bill 1 and 2 ((2003 and 04), Prime (2005), The Producers (2005), and five episodes of Smash in 2012), Alicia Vikander (last in Ex Machina), and Lily James (first blogged in Cinderella).
"Poor John Wells," I wrote about the director in my post for August: Osage County, since it rated low, as did this (28% critics, 60 audiences on Rotten Tomatoes). The script is by Steven Knight (The Hundred Foot Journey) and the story by Michael Kalesniko (wrote Private Parts (1997)).
Jack, who is a big fan of blues music, particularly loved the opening sequence with It Serves You Right to Suffer by John Lee Hooker remixed or something by "The Avener" (stream it here or listen to JLH's original in a much slower tempo). The rest of the music, by Rob Simonsen (last blogged for Foxcatcher), should be released in an album, but hasn't.
The haters have no taste. Savor the experience and sample this movie while you can.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)