Puzzle (2018)

Jack and I loved this lovely story of a timid old-fashioned housewife whose world opens up when she finds she has a knack for jigsaw puzzles. So old fashioned that, for the first ten minutes or so, I thought the movie was set in the 1950s--her print shirtwaist dress, cluttered house, cooking, cleaning, catering to the males in her family.

Kelly Macdonald (last blogged for Goodbye Christopher Robin) adopts a vaguely New York accent to play Connecticut resident Agnes (Jack didn't buy her accent at all) with subtlety and grace. Irrfan Khan (most recently in Jurassic World) is delightful as Robert, the jaded millionaire in the spectacular Manhattan digs who appreciates Agnes' skill. Agnes' mechanic husband Louie, who does not appreciate her, is played with range by David Denman (best known to me for 31 episodes of The Office and eleven of Parenthood, as well as small parts in Men, Women & Children and Logan Lucky). Their sons Ziggy (Bubba Weiler, who is new to me) and Gabe (Austin Abrams, who co-starred in Brad's Status), are more sensitive than their dad, especially Ziggy.

This is the second time directing for Marc Turtletaub (he produced Everything Is Illuminated (2005), Little Miss Sunshine (2006), Sherrybaby (2006), Sunshine Cleaning, Jack Goes Boating, Safety Not Guaranteed, Loving, and more--I didn't see his other directing gig). Oren Moverman (last blogged for The Dinner) and Polly Mann (her debut) adapted the script from a 2009 Argentinian movie called Rompecabezas (it means puzzle in Spanish) written and directed by Natalia Smirnoff. One spoiler-prone Village Voice reviewer wondered how Agnes can be so sheltered. I didn't, really. It's just the style of the story, and probably comes from the source material.

About Robert's New York house: I've been looking online but cannot find info on it. The circular room with the engraved walls and starburst floor is worth the price of admission. Props to the location team, as well as production designer Roshelle Berliner (her work includes Choke, Precious, and Life During Wartime, to name a few).

Composer Dustin O’Halloran's (most recently in these pages for scoring Lion) soundtrack can be streamed from this spotify link and is available for sale on iTunes and Amazon. Ave Maria is sung twice, once as source music on a subway by a blind busker, sung by blind countertenor Matthew Shifrin (not available online, so here's something else).

Rotten Tomatoes' critics are averaging 83% and its audiences 85. Assemble at the theatre and see this.

A Simple Favor (2018)

I loved this stylish thriller/comedy about a nerdy obsessive single mom who meets a mysterious woman when their sons become friends. Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively are terrific as Stephanie and Emily and were last blogged for The Accountant and Café Society, respectively. Henry Golding (in his second movie role after Crazy Rich Asians) is good as Emily's smitten husband Sean.

The comedy makes this extra good, not least from the Greek chorus of judgy kindergarten parents, led by Andrew Rannells (he was the first Elder Price in The Book of Mormon on Broadway and also played Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys, both on Broadway and touring; I also watched all 22 episodes of The New Normal and his 35 of Girls, where he played Elijah), with Aparna Nancheria (familiar because of various episodes of Inside Amy Schumer, Crashing, Master of None, and High Maintenance) and Kelly McCormack (new to me).

Comedy is what we expect from director Paul Feig (most recently in these pages for helming Ghostbusters). The trailer says "from the darker side of Paul Feig." From the script by Jessica Sharzer (her feature without a co-writer), adapted from the 2017 novel by Darcey Bell, he brings laughs and suspense in equal parts.

The wardrobe by Renee Ehrlich Kalfus (profiled for her work in Hidden Figures, for which she won the Costume Designers Guild award for Excellence in Period Film) is both laughable--for some of Stephanie's fashion crimes--and spectacular--Emily looks smashing in everything.

Stephanie is a video blogger AKA vlogger. Whenever we see her video page of mommy vlogs, there's a list on the right of all her previous videos. I'd like to know how to do that--I manage a youtube page for a nonprofit and it never shows a list of only the videos we've uploaded, instead suggesting viewers look at others' work. If anyone can tell me how to fix that please write me at babetteflix at gmail.

Theodore Shapiro's (last blogged for The Polka King) sultry and exciting score, which can be streamed on spotify, is supplemented by a list of songs, many of which are French.

Jack couldn't go with me this week, which is why his opinion isn't recorded. But Rotten Tomatoes' critics are solid at 84 and its audiences 80%.

Eighth Grade (2018)

This delightful independent dramedy about an against-all-odds optimistic, though shy, girl will remind most of us of the pain of adolescence and give us a little hope for the next generation.

Elsie Fisher is marvelous as Kayla (she played one of the coach's kids in McFarland, USA, though I failed to write that, and, beginning at age five, did voices on the first two Despicable Me movies, though I failed to see them). Photography began the week after she finished eighth grade. Josh Hamilton (last blogged for Away We Go) is her befuddled and against-all odds patient dad.

Director/writer Bo Burnham makes his feature and fiction debut and apparently took script suggestions from Fisher.

This is the second soundtrack for composer Anna Meredith and it can be streamed from this spotify playlist. Listen and see if you agree with writers who've called her music uncategorizable.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics agree with us, averaging 98% and its audiences aren't far behind at 87.  It has left theatres in this area, but will be available for rent this week, beginning September 25, 2018.

Madame (2017)

I liked this cringy screwball comedy a lot. Toni Collette is very good as the tightly wound American Anne who invites her maid to a fancy dinner party in her Paris home so as to have an even number at the table. This is the best of the three movies I binged on the flight home from Europe last month.

Collette (last blogged for Hearts Beat Loud) is joined by Harvey Keitel (most recently in Youth) as her more relaxed husband Bob. The distinctive Rossy de Palma (one of Almadóvar's favorite actresses, she's been in his Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989), The Flower of My Secret (1995), Broken Embraces, and Julieta, to name a few) is wonderful as the maid Maria, as is Tom Hughes (best known to me as Prince Albert in 16 episodes of Victoria) as Bob's pot-stirring son Steve. Michael Smiley (I've seen many of his projects but couldn't place him) has the pivotal role of the art dealer.

This is the second time directing and third feature script for French director/writer Amanda Sthers (I had not heard of her and could guess how to pronounce her name but have no idea).

Matthieu Gonet's (also new to me) lovely soundtrack with the usual accordions and acoustic guitar solos to make it sound French can be streamed from this spotify link.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics do not agree with me, averaging 39%, and its audiences come in at only 57. It can be rented or bought on iTunes and Amazon right now.

All I Wish (A Little Something for Your Birthday - 2017)

Even the engaging Sharon Stone can't rise above this fluffy, trite story of a woman trying to find success and love, told one day a year, beginning with her 47th birthday.  This was not a good choice for my transatlantic movie binge last month, although I did watch it to the end.

Stone's (after I covered her in Fading Gigolo, she had a cameo in The Disaster Artist) Senna is beautiful, natch, with free-spirited style and wardrobe to match. Tony Goldwyn (dozens of credits, from Ghost (1990) to 124 episodes of Scandal) is a bit stuffy as Adam. I can't, however, ever complain about Ellen Burstyn (last blogged for Nostalgia), here as Senna's critical mother. And Liza Lapira (first came to my attention in 21 episodes of Huff, and was also good in the movie called 21 (2008), five episodes of Dexter, and Crazy, Stupid Love) is reliable as Senna's best friend.

Director/writer Sharon Walter makes her debut after a number of assistant director jobs, and is one of thirty producers, earning this picture a spot, but not a win, on my Producers Plethora Prize list

I don't remember Chris Horvath's music but have been streaming some of his other work from his website.

The critics of Rotten Tomatoes hated it even more than I did, averaging 15%. Its audiences came in at 48. Sharon Stone worshippers can rent or buy it on iTunes or Amazon.

The Boy Downstairs (2017)

I can't really recommend this story of a millennial woman and her relationship, during and after. I never warmed up to the heroine Diana and the ending didn't make sense.

Zosia Mamet (covered in Wiener-Dog) works hard as Diana, as does Matthew Shear (I've seen some of his work but don't remember him in them) as boyfriend and then ex-boyfriend Ben. Deirdre O'Connor (ditto, though she looked familiar) is warm as Diana's landlady/friend/mentor Amy and Deborah Offner (quite familiar, though not as much for her work--she's been in Crossing Delancey (1988), one episode of thirtysomething, three of Six Feet Under, a small part in Black Swan, and one episode each of High Maintenance, Orange Is the New Black, and The Jim Gaffigan show--but for the fact that she was in my elementary school class in New York City) is protective as Ben's mother. I didn't identify Sarah Ramos (60 episodes of Parethood as Maddie Braverman) but still enjoyed her curt portrayal of Meg. Diana Irvine (new to me) brings much-needed comic relief as Diana's BFF Gabby.

Director/writer Sophie Brooks makes her feature debut after one short film. Original music is by David Buckley (last blogged for The Nice Guys). No tracks, original or otherwise, are available online, and I remember little, since this was the first of three movies I watched in a row on Air France returning from Europe a month ago.

Though Rotten Tomatoes' critics average is 63% and its audiences' 43, today I've read several rave reviews--one of them calls Mamet's character "charismatic." To see whose opinion you believe you can watch it on HBO or rent or buy (!) it on Amazon or iTunes.

Love, Gilda (2018)

Jack and I loved this documentary about comedienne Gilda Radner, combining lots of archive footage with commentary by friends, family, and a flock of funny actors, writers, and producers--too many to name here and many unnamed on screen--some of whom read from Radner's own writing. There is some frank discussion of her eating disorder but Jack noticed that the movie didn't mention the word or even the concept of drugs, even in the depictions of the heady Saturday Night Live days.

This is director Lisa D'Apolito's feature debut, while composer Miriam Cutler scored RBG and dozens of other documentaries. I wish I could find streaming examples for my own, if not your enjoyment, but none of the music is available as far as I can tell.

It helps to be a fan of vintage SNL. I laughed, I cried, I could watch it again. Be alert. Some pictures are grainy and many go by quickly. Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are a little cooler than we are, averaging only 83 and 82%, respectively.

And stop leaving before the credits are over! There's a bonus at the end.

The Spy Who Dumped Me (2018)

We enjoyed this action/comedy about two women suddenly embroiled in the espionage activities of one's ex-boyfriend. Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon are hilarious and the various European location shots are good fun, as are the glamorous costumes in a few scenes. Kunis was last blogged for Bad Moms and McKinnon for the Ghostbusters reboot. The cast is big and includes Jane Curtin (mentioned in I Love You, Man), Paul Reiser (most recently in The Little Hours), Gillian Anderson (last in Viceroy's House), and Justin Theroux (introduced to the blog in Wanderlust) as the dumper.

This is the second feature for director/co-writer Susanna Fogel, who keeps the pace lively from the script co-written by David Iserson (some SNL episodes, some United States of Tara, more).

The original soundtrack by Tyler Bates is apparently not as popular as the one he wrote for Deadpool 2, since this one isn't available online. What is available, however, is this spotify playlist of songs that may be in the movie (we saw it two weeks ago and I don't remember the songs so well).

Rotten Tomatoes' critics kinda want to dump this movie, averaging 49%, as compared to its audiences at 70. This is on its way out--two screenings a day at only one theatre in our area. We liked the foreign travel photography on the big screen but wouldn't blame you if you wait--it's going to begin streaming at the usual outlets on October 16, 2018.

Stuff happens during the credits. Stay and watch.

The Bookshop (2017)

Beautiful and languid, this story of a young widow faced with challenges opening a bookshop in a 1959 small English seacoast town is not for the impatient. Jack and I liked it a lot. He pointed out the star Emily Mortimer (last blogged for The Party) almost always plays sweet characters, though sometimes frustrated, and her determined Florence Green is no exception. Patricia Clarkson's (most recently starred in The Party) Violet Gamart, however, is syrupy on the outside and pure evil on the inside, like an arsenic pancake. Bill Nighy (last in Their Finest) is reliably good as the eccentric hermit Mr. Brundish who in one scene refers to Mrs. Gamart as a harpy. 14 year old Honor Kneafsey (credits for the past seven years), with her angelic face and halo of ginger curls, is delightful as the saucy Christine.

Spanish director Isabel Coixet (her other appearance in these pages was for Elegy) adapted the Penelope Fitzgerald 1978 novel into this screenplay. It could have moved faster, but then we would not have seen the emotions washing over Mortimer's face, much as the wind blows the flora of the Northern Ireland locations, shot by Jean-Claude Larrieu (cinematography for Elegy, Queen to Play, Julieta, and much more).

Special note for the magnificent costumes by Mercé Paloma (new to me) with intricate detailing in buttons, etc.

Composer Alfonso de Vilallonga is also new to me. His dreamy string-rich score can be streamed from this spotify playlist.

The Rotten Tomatoes' critics' consensus of 55% (its audiences even worse at 47) blames the "meandering pace." Whatever. We enjoyed it!

Searching (2018)

Jack and I liked this story of a man following the digital tracks of his missing teenage daughter, displayed entirely on technological devices. Be alert--there's a lot of reading and many tiny hints to the twisty plot in this inventive format.

John Cho (last blogged for Columbus) is the dogged dad piecing together clues and Debra Messing (her movie work includes Hollywood Ending (2002), The Wedding Date (2005), and Lucky You (2007), but she's best known for 223 episodes and counting of Will & Grace, 16 of The Starter Wife, 32 of Smash, and 38 of The Mysteries of Laura) the determined detective who helps him.

This is the feature debut of director/co-writer Aneesh Chaganty, who co-wrote with Sev Ohanian (his second script). It chugs along quite well.

The music by Torin Borrowdale (new to me) can be streamed from a spotify playlist. Since it's been two weeks since we saw this, I don't remember if there are songs as well, but the playlist is great.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences, averaging 92 and 90%, are right with us on this. Due to the small screen presentation, it will be just fine to watch at home, on whatever screen you prefer, when it's released in November, 2018.

The Wife (2018)

Glenn Close is pretty much guaranteed her seventh Oscar nomination as Joan, the self-professed "kingmaker" whose king, er, husband wins the Nobel Prize in Literature in the first five minutes of the movie. She was last blogged, and nominated, for Albert Nobbs. Jonathan Pryce (most recently in The Man Who Invented Christmas) is up to the task as Joe, her partner in his recognition. Christian Slater (I remember him best in Heathers (1988) and True Romance (1993), and saw him in Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988), Pump Up the Volume (1990), and Untamed Heart (1993), but don't recall much of his career after that) is good as the relentless would-be biographer Nathaniel. Jeremy Irons' son Max (he played Helen Mirren's character's husband in the flashbacks in Woman in Gold) smolders as Joan and Joe's son David. In the flashback sequences of Joan and Joe in this movie I stared at Annie Starke (this is her fourth role, which included a small one in Albert Nobbs), thinking at first she looked exactly like Close, and then maybe not so much. My first instinct was correct--she is Close’s daughter and her credit here is "and introducing." Harry Lloyd (played the young Denis Thatcher (Jim Broadbent) in The Iron Lady flashbacks) adds quite a lot of passion and depth to Joe's character.

Swedish director Björn Runge (say b'YORN ROON-ye) is new to me but does masterful work with this screenplay by Jane Anderson (wrote The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom (1993), It Could Happen to You (1994), How to Make an American Quilt (1995), one segment of If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000), Normal (2003), The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (2005), one 2008 episode of Mad Men, and the miniseries Olive Kitteridge (2014)), adapted from the 2003 Meg Wolitzer novel of the same name.

There are location shots of Stockholm, but Scotland is mostly standing in for Sweden here.

I liked the classical score by Jocelyn Pook (best known for Eyes Wide Shut (1999), which I saw, and The Merchant of Venice (2004), which I didn't) but cannot find any links to share with you.

Jack and I both agree with Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 86%, more than its audiences at 75.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

This blockbuster summer movie is good fun. Enjoy the gorgeous locations, sets, wardrobe, satire of conspicuous consumption Singapore style, production values, and the romantic comedy at its core. Overlook the thin plot (girl goes to boyfriend's country to attend extravagant wedding and meets his wealthy, judgmental family).

Groundbreaking for being the first almost all Asian cast in decades, the movie is breaking records at the box office, too. The actors are delightful, especially Constance Wu (she was born in the USA to Taiwanese immigrants, and we loved her in 79 episodes of Fresh Off the Boat) as our heroine Rachel, who was raised in New York; Awkwafina (born Nora Lum in NYC to Korean and Chinese-American parents and was cute as the tech genius in Oceans 8) as her madcap college friend Peik Lin; and Nico Santos (born in the Philippines, he's a stand-up comic but best known to us for 56 episodes of Superstore) as flamboyant cousin Oliver.

Michelle Yeoh (born in Malaysia to Chinese parents, she has done good work in, among others, Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) is noteworthy as the icy mother Eleanor of Rachel's boyfriend Nick, played by Henry Golding (born in Malaysia to Malaysian and English parents, he's making his feature debut). Sonoya Mizuno (born in Tokyo, she was last blogged for Ex Machina) is the enthusiastic bride Arminta in the $40 million wedding in the second act.

American-born director Jon M. Chu was most recently in these pages for Now You See Me 2, his seventh feature. He keeps the ball rolling from a script co-written by Peter Chiarelli (born in Tacoma, he doesn't look Asian at all, co-wrote The Proposal and Now You See Me 2) and Adele Lim (Malaysian/Chinese, her feature debut after producing many and writing a few TV episodes), based on the 2013 novel of the same name by the Singaporean-American author Kevin Kwan.

I do have to mention the beautiful cinematography by Vanja Cernjul (he's Croatian and I've seen his work on various episodes of 30 Rock, Nurse Jackie, Bored to Death, Orange Is the New Black, and The Deuce), production design by Nelson Coates (his work includes Living Out Loud (1998), Antwone Fisher (2002), School for Scoundrels (2006), The Proposal, Flight, The Guilt Trip, and a couple of the Fifty Shades sequels, the latter of which I didn't see) and his team, and costume design by Mary E. Vogt (noted for Crazy People (1990), Batman Returns (1992), Hocus Pocus (1993), three Men in Black (1997, 2002, 2012), Inspector Gadget (1999), RV (2006), Dinner for Schmucks, and more).

Brian Tyler (composed the original score for Now You See Me 2) provides suitable rom-com music that can be streamed from this album on spotify, but you're much more likely to remember the tunes which are almost all in Asian languages--when I lived in LA I could sometimes differentiate one from another, written and spoken, but my exposure is now so limited I've lost that ability. Anyway, here's another spotify album of Asian covers of American pop songs. Notable among them are two covers of Jon Hendricks' (of Lambert Hendricks & Ross) I Want You to Be My Baby (one by Jasmine Chen and one by Grace Chang) (he wrote the song for Louis Jordan and here's Jordan performing it); two covers of Money (The Best Things in Life Are Free), first by Cheryl K and at over the end credits with Awkwafina joining her rapping in English; and Material Girl covered by Sally Yeh.

With Rotten Tomatoes' critics averaging 93%, its audiences coming in at 84, and actual audiences filling theatres around the world, you'll likely have no problem finding this locally. The photography alone is reason enough to see it on a big screen. But if you can't, it'll be available streaming and on disc in November, 2018.

Juliet, Naked (2018)

Jack and I loved this romantic comedy about Annie, fed up with her live-in boyfriend Duncan and his obsession with an elusive American (they're English) musician named Tucker Crowe, who happens to meet said musician, changing all three of their lives. Rose Byrne (last blogged for The Meddler) gives us the full range of emotions for frustrated yet hopeful Annie. I never would have suspected that she was six months pregnant while filming (I wish I had known and could have watched for the camera angles and objects said to have blocked her midsection).

Chris O'Dowd (since I wrote about him in Loving Vincent I've become a huge fan, based on season 1 of the Get Shorty series) practically steals the show as nerdy, insufferable fanboy Duncan, a college professor, and Ethan Hawke (last in Maudie) is also terrific as the balladeer who walked out of a gig decades ago leaving Duncan and fans of Duncan's Tucker Crowe website to speculate on what happened. Young Azhy Robertson (he's maybe eight years old) is adorable as Jackson, Tucker's son and Lily Brazier (in her feature debut after some English TV) is funny as Annie's madcap lesbian sister Ros.

Jesse Peretz (last helmed Our Idiot Brother) directs from a sparkling script co-written by his sister Evgenia Peretz (co-wrote Our Idiot Brother), Jim Taylor (last co-wrote Downsizing), and Tamara Jenkins (wrote and directed Slums of Beverly Hills (1998) and The Savages (2007)--she was Oscar nominated and won many awards for writing the latter), adapted from the 2009 novel by Nick Hornby (he wrote the novels on which High Fidelity (2000) and About a Boy (2002) were based). The many vinyl records in Duncan's man cave (and on the poster) made me think of High Fidelity. Judd Apatow is one of the producers, and there's a lot of humor in this, mostly, but not all, cringe-worthy.

The glorious locations in the fictitious English seaside village of Sandcliff were beautifully shot in Ramsgate and Broadstairs on the southeast coast of England, just north of Dover, by Remi Adefarasin (Oscar-nominated for Elizabeth (1998), also shot Truly Madly Deeply (1990), Sliding Doors (1998), About a Boy (2002), Match Point (2005), Scoop (2006), Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), Little Fockers, and more).

I could find only one track of the original music by Nathan Larson (most recently in these pages for The Skeleton Twins). Listen to it here. Apparently there's a pedophile with the same name running for congress in Virginia so I quit looking in disgust.

But the music here is focused on the character Tucker Crowe, with new original songs by Conor Oberst, Robyn Hitchcock, and Ryan Adams, many performed by Hawke. There's an album for sale with 15 tracks at the usual outlets. You can also stream 23 tracks from this page.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 80%, are slightly less enthusiastic than its audiences at 89. We're with the audiences this time.