I loved this story of a lawyer who, instead of returning to his suburban home one evening, hides in the attic above his detached garage. For months. Narrating his thoughts as he spies on his wife and two daughters. Bryan Cranston (last blogged for Why Him?) is predictably wonderful in the title role, both as time goes by and in flashbacks. We also see Jennifer Garner (most recently in Danny Collins) as his wife and, as her mother Babs, hated by Wakefield, Beverly D'Angelo (some noteworthy roles were Maid to Order (1987); all the National Lampoon Vacation movies, many of which I haven't seen; and 25 episodes of Entourage, in which she was also called Babs).
Director/writer Robin Swicord, daughter-in-law of Elia Kazan and mother of Zoe Kazan, directed one other feature and adapted screenplays for, among others, Little Women (1994), Practical Magic (1998), and Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). This movie is based on a short story by E.L. Doctorow which was in turn based on a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Like so many independent movies, this has a terrific score, and, unlike many, it's available online, to stream on YouTube. The composer is Aaron Zigman (Alpha Dog (2006), Akeelah and the Bee (2006), Take the Lead (2006), Martian Child (2007), Flash of Genius, My Sister's Keeper, The Proposal, and The Company Men, to name a few).
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new winner of the producers plethora prize, unseating The Butler with 41 producers. Wow. I saw Wakefield two weeks ago during its limited run here but its estimated release on DVD and streaming is this August, 2017.
Rotten Tomatoes critics are averaging 74% and its critics 67. Again, I think that's too low.
Friday, June 30, 2017
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Beatriz at Dinner (2017)
We really liked this fish-out-of-water story of a Mexican immigrant holistic healer thrust into a wealthy couple's small party honoring a smug hotel mogul. Salma Hayek is terrific in the socially awkward title role, as is John Lithgow as her insufferable nemesis (last blogged for Savages and The Accountant, respectively). The hostess, played by Connie Britton (most recently in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), wants to be nice but doesn't really know how to bridge the social gap. The supporting players are all wonderful: David Warshofsky (after Wilson he had a series arc on Scandal) as the host, and as guests Chloë Sevigny (covered in Love & Friendship), Jay Duplass (mostly behind the camera as a director and writer), and Amy Landecker (lots of small roles, but best known, along with Duplass, for 33 episodes of Transparent as two adult children of their transgender parent).
Director Miguel Arteta (last helmed Cedar Rapids) works from an original script by Mike White (wrote Arteta's The Good Girl (2002), School of Rock (2003) and its upcoming TV series, co-wrote Nacho Libre (2006), wrote alone Year of the Dog (2007), and was series creator and co-star of 18 episodes of Enlightened). We didn't love the ending of this movie and, with friend Ellen who saw it at the same time, have thought of several alternatives we'd have liked better. But it didn't dampen our enthusiasm much.
The filming locations aren't listed on imdb so we can only guess if the gorgeous sets were really shot at a gated community in Newport Beach, but I do recall that there was a Mexican crew listed for the scenes from Beatriz' past (or dreams?).
Mark Mothersbaugh's (after founding the band Devo he has scored, to name a few, 15 episodes of Peewee's Playhouse (1986-1990), The Last Supper (1995), Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore (1998), 200 Cigarettes (1999), The Royal Tenebaums (2001), Thirteen (2003), 169 episodes of Rugrats (1991-2004), Envy (2004), 12 episodes of Big Love (2006), Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Last Vegas) music is really good but I can't find a single clip online. So, instead, I'm listening to Musik for Insomniacs on Youtube while writing.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are averaging 76% and its audiences 72. That's too low. Jack and I recommend it.
Milestone alert! The alphabetical index of movies that I've seen since September 3, 2008 will now read 950 (until I publish a post on the one I saw two weeks ago). Getting close to 1000!
Director Miguel Arteta (last helmed Cedar Rapids) works from an original script by Mike White (wrote Arteta's The Good Girl (2002), School of Rock (2003) and its upcoming TV series, co-wrote Nacho Libre (2006), wrote alone Year of the Dog (2007), and was series creator and co-star of 18 episodes of Enlightened). We didn't love the ending of this movie and, with friend Ellen who saw it at the same time, have thought of several alternatives we'd have liked better. But it didn't dampen our enthusiasm much.
The filming locations aren't listed on imdb so we can only guess if the gorgeous sets were really shot at a gated community in Newport Beach, but I do recall that there was a Mexican crew listed for the scenes from Beatriz' past (or dreams?).
Mark Mothersbaugh's (after founding the band Devo he has scored, to name a few, 15 episodes of Peewee's Playhouse (1986-1990), The Last Supper (1995), Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore (1998), 200 Cigarettes (1999), The Royal Tenebaums (2001), Thirteen (2003), 169 episodes of Rugrats (1991-2004), Envy (2004), 12 episodes of Big Love (2006), Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Last Vegas) music is really good but I can't find a single clip online. So, instead, I'm listening to Musik for Insomniacs on Youtube while writing.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are averaging 76% and its audiences 72. That's too low. Jack and I recommend it.
Milestone alert! The alphabetical index of movies that I've seen since September 3, 2008 will now read 950 (until I publish a post on the one I saw two weeks ago). Getting close to 1000!
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Wonder Woman (2017)
A fun popcorn movie, with an empathetic yet kick-ass superheroine, directed by a woman, based on a comic strip that I avidly read in elementary school, actually lives up to its hype. We saw it opening day almost four weeks ago, but I'm just getting around to writing about it, since I knew it would be playing a long time.
Israeli model/soldier/law student Gal Gadot (her name rhymes with doll afloat; she has been in several projects I haven't seen, including the Fast & Furious original and three sequels as well as Batman v Superman earlier this year) seems born to play the title role AKA Diane Prince, and not only due to the smokin' physique that she shares with her 2D origins. Chris Pine (last blogged for Hell or High Water) brings occasional lightness and humor to the love interest Steve Trevor. In Diana's back story we have Connie Nielsen (my favorites include The Devil's Advocate (1997), Rushmore (1998), Gladiator (2000), One Hour Photo (2002), and Battle in Seattle) and Robin Wright (after I wrote about her in The Congress she was in 65 episodes of House of Cards) as Diana's Amazonian mother and aunt and it's always fun to see Ewen Bremner (just in T2 Trainspotting). There are too many cast members to discuss them all but I do want to mention amusing Lucy Davis (16 episodes of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip five of Better Things, six of Maron) as Etta Candy and Elena Anaya (in The Skin I Live In she was first introduced with her beautiful face bandaged and in this she wears a prosthetic mask) as scary Dr. Maru/Dr. Poison.
Patty Jenkins (won the Independent Spirit Best First Feature for Monster (2003) and this is just her second feature) works from a screenplay by Allen Heinberg in his feature debut after a lot of TV, with the story by him, Zack Snyder (directed Man of Steel), and Jason Fuchs (just a few other credits).
Rupert Gregson-Williams (most recently in these pages for scoring Hacksaw Ridge) provides the orchestral music I'm streaming right now on youtube and there are a few songs, too.
The movie opens with a trailer for Justice League, a two-part series featuring Wonder Woman and other DC comic heroes. There are dozens of trivia items, including that the comic book was set in World War II but the filmmakers decided on World War I for this version; this has been in development for twenty years; that Gadot was pregnant during reshoots and they covered her bump with a green screen costume; and, as you may know, a theatre in Austin Texas restricted a few screenings to women only. One guy got mad and wrote the mayor. His response was creative and diplomatic.
Pretty much everyone who doesn't hate the superhero genre likes this movie--92% critics and 91 audiences on Rotten Tomatoes--and those who hate the genre know to stay away anyway. Yes, it's still playing in 3D and standard. Standard is just fine.
Israeli model/soldier/law student Gal Gadot (her name rhymes with doll afloat; she has been in several projects I haven't seen, including the Fast & Furious original and three sequels as well as Batman v Superman earlier this year) seems born to play the title role AKA Diane Prince, and not only due to the smokin' physique that she shares with her 2D origins. Chris Pine (last blogged for Hell or High Water) brings occasional lightness and humor to the love interest Steve Trevor. In Diana's back story we have Connie Nielsen (my favorites include The Devil's Advocate (1997), Rushmore (1998), Gladiator (2000), One Hour Photo (2002), and Battle in Seattle) and Robin Wright (after I wrote about her in The Congress she was in 65 episodes of House of Cards) as Diana's Amazonian mother and aunt and it's always fun to see Ewen Bremner (just in T2 Trainspotting). There are too many cast members to discuss them all but I do want to mention amusing Lucy Davis (16 episodes of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip five of Better Things, six of Maron) as Etta Candy and Elena Anaya (in The Skin I Live In she was first introduced with her beautiful face bandaged and in this she wears a prosthetic mask) as scary Dr. Maru/Dr. Poison.
Patty Jenkins (won the Independent Spirit Best First Feature for Monster (2003) and this is just her second feature) works from a screenplay by Allen Heinberg in his feature debut after a lot of TV, with the story by him, Zack Snyder (directed Man of Steel), and Jason Fuchs (just a few other credits).
Rupert Gregson-Williams (most recently in these pages for scoring Hacksaw Ridge) provides the orchestral music I'm streaming right now on youtube and there are a few songs, too.
The movie opens with a trailer for Justice League, a two-part series featuring Wonder Woman and other DC comic heroes. There are dozens of trivia items, including that the comic book was set in World War II but the filmmakers decided on World War I for this version; this has been in development for twenty years; that Gadot was pregnant during reshoots and they covered her bump with a green screen costume; and, as you may know, a theatre in Austin Texas restricted a few screenings to women only. One guy got mad and wrote the mayor. His response was creative and diplomatic.
Pretty much everyone who doesn't hate the superhero genre likes this movie--92% critics and 91 audiences on Rotten Tomatoes--and those who hate the genre know to stay away anyway. Yes, it's still playing in 3D and standard. Standard is just fine.
Thursday, June 22, 2017
The Book of Henry (2017)
We quite liked this story of a gifted 11 year old who takes care of his artist/waitress mother and 8 year old brother and then takes on a neighbor girl who's being abused by her stepfather. Though the movie swings between light and dark, comedy and tragedy, Jack and I thought it successful, but apparently some critics disagree (more on that in a moment).
Jaeden Lieberher (last blogged for St. Vincent and was also moving as troubled Johnny Masters in 11 episodes of Masters of Sex) is now 14 and is masterful at conveying Henry's on-the-spectrum skills in accounting, engineering, psychology, medicine, the stock market, you name it. We expect nothing less from, and are rewarded by, Jacob Tremblay, now 10, who won many awards for Room and gives a rich performance as little Peter. Naomi Watts (most recently in 3 Generations and also had a funny bit in St. Vincent) is wonderful as their devoted and slightly ditzy mother Susan. Maddie Ziegler (in her feature debut) is also now 14 and, as the neighbor Christine, displays her dancing chops in a well-edited third act sequence that reminds me of a favorite movie from the 1980s (write me if you want to know--it's a spoiler). Supporting strength comes from Dean Norris (last blogged for Men, Women & Children but is best known as brother-in-law Hank in 62 episodes of Breaking Bad) as the stepfather; Sarah Silverman (after I wrote about her in A Million Ways to Die in the West she was in seven episodes of Masters of Sex and has a hilarious new standup special on Netflix right now) as Susan's BFF Sheila; and Lee Pace (after A Single Man he was in, among others, Lincoln, the first Guardians of the Galaxy, and 40 episodes of Halt and Catch Fire) as a handsome (duh) doctor.
Director Colin Trevorrow (most recently in these pages for Jurassic World) works from an original script by novelist Gregg Hurwitz in his feature screenwriting debut. The imdb trivia tells me that the screenplay is twenty years old and was shot in 36 days. They had good weather those five weeks for the magnificent outdoor shots of upstate New York (fictitious town Cavalry), shot in Nyack, Croton-on-Hudson, and Manhattan by cinematographer John Schwartzman, who did the honors on Jurassic World as well.
Composer Michael Giacchino's (last blogged for Zootopia) lovely score can be streamed from this youtube playlist. The opening credits also tell us that Stevie Nicks performs a song (over the end credits)--the same song that Susan sings to her boys in an early scene. The video of the Nicks song will have spoilers for those paying close attention so you may want to wait to watch it until you've seen the movie. Included in that video are drawings from the titular book that ran during the opening credits; credits that I wish I could watch again but haven't been able to summon from the world wide web.
I've read a few of the scathing reviews and they really hate the roller coasters of emotions, explaining the 23% reviewers' average on Rotten Tomatoes. But audiences are at 70 and we'd give it an 80 or so. Let me know what you think.
Jaeden Lieberher (last blogged for St. Vincent and was also moving as troubled Johnny Masters in 11 episodes of Masters of Sex) is now 14 and is masterful at conveying Henry's on-the-spectrum skills in accounting, engineering, psychology, medicine, the stock market, you name it. We expect nothing less from, and are rewarded by, Jacob Tremblay, now 10, who won many awards for Room and gives a rich performance as little Peter. Naomi Watts (most recently in 3 Generations and also had a funny bit in St. Vincent) is wonderful as their devoted and slightly ditzy mother Susan. Maddie Ziegler (in her feature debut) is also now 14 and, as the neighbor Christine, displays her dancing chops in a well-edited third act sequence that reminds me of a favorite movie from the 1980s (write me if you want to know--it's a spoiler). Supporting strength comes from Dean Norris (last blogged for Men, Women & Children but is best known as brother-in-law Hank in 62 episodes of Breaking Bad) as the stepfather; Sarah Silverman (after I wrote about her in A Million Ways to Die in the West she was in seven episodes of Masters of Sex and has a hilarious new standup special on Netflix right now) as Susan's BFF Sheila; and Lee Pace (after A Single Man he was in, among others, Lincoln, the first Guardians of the Galaxy, and 40 episodes of Halt and Catch Fire) as a handsome (duh) doctor.
Director Colin Trevorrow (most recently in these pages for Jurassic World) works from an original script by novelist Gregg Hurwitz in his feature screenwriting debut. The imdb trivia tells me that the screenplay is twenty years old and was shot in 36 days. They had good weather those five weeks for the magnificent outdoor shots of upstate New York (fictitious town Cavalry), shot in Nyack, Croton-on-Hudson, and Manhattan by cinematographer John Schwartzman, who did the honors on Jurassic World as well.
Composer Michael Giacchino's (last blogged for Zootopia) lovely score can be streamed from this youtube playlist. The opening credits also tell us that Stevie Nicks performs a song (over the end credits)--the same song that Susan sings to her boys in an early scene. The video of the Nicks song will have spoilers for those paying close attention so you may want to wait to watch it until you've seen the movie. Included in that video are drawings from the titular book that ran during the opening credits; credits that I wish I could watch again but haven't been able to summon from the world wide web.
I've read a few of the scathing reviews and they really hate the roller coasters of emotions, explaining the 23% reviewers' average on Rotten Tomatoes. But audiences are at 70 and we'd give it an 80 or so. Let me know what you think.
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Paris Can Wait (Bonjour Anne - 2016)
Deb and I loved this tale of Anne, the American wife of a Hollywood producer, driving through France with his French colleague Jacques, with fine dining and sightseeing along the way. Diane Lane (last blogged for Trumbo) and Arnaud Viard (new to me) are charming as the odd couple and Alec Baldwin (cameo in Rules Don't Apply and linked to past posts in Concussion) is funny as the workaholic husband Michael.
This is the fiction feature debut for 81 year old director/writer Eleanor Coppola (after two documentaries and three shorts), wife of Francis (he's 78) and mother of Sofia. Francis' production company American Zoetrope helped make this and you will see an actual zoetrope in it. Crystel Fournier's (this is her first American movie and the first I've seen) cinematography is stunning, including the latest of my rules for movies and TV (click this link for the full list of 21): If a movie is set anywhere in France outside of Paris or Cannes, there will be a road lined with tall trees on both sides.
The bright score by Laura Karpman (also new to me, despite a long list of credits) can be streamed from this youtube playlist and I'm enjoying it right now as I write.
The yummy food stylings earn this a place on my list of random food movies (now up to 26).
Clearly Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences have no taste, averaging 49 and 48% respectively. This is a delicious movie for all to savor.
This is the fiction feature debut for 81 year old director/writer Eleanor Coppola (after two documentaries and three shorts), wife of Francis (he's 78) and mother of Sofia. Francis' production company American Zoetrope helped make this and you will see an actual zoetrope in it. Crystel Fournier's (this is her first American movie and the first I've seen) cinematography is stunning, including the latest of my rules for movies and TV (click this link for the full list of 21): If a movie is set anywhere in France outside of Paris or Cannes, there will be a road lined with tall trees on both sides.
The yummy food stylings earn this a place on my list of random food movies (now up to 26).
Clearly Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences have no taste, averaging 49 and 48% respectively. This is a delicious movie for all to savor.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
The Wedding Plan (2016)
Jack and I enjoyed this low-key Israeli comedy about a 30-something Orthodox woman who believes God will find her a husband in time for the wedding she planned with a fiancé who dumps her a month before the event. It's the sophomore effort of director/writer Rama Burshtien (Fill the Void) and the star, Noa Koler (her debut) is charming enough as wacky Michal (MEE-cchhal) in her bright, high-necked dresses. Also known as Through the Wall (Laavor et Hakir). Worth seeing and Rotten Tomatoes' critics agree, averaging 83% to its audiences' 65.
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