Echo in the Canyon (2018)

What a fun documentary about folk-rock music in the 1960s, with historic videos, interviews, new covers of classic songs, and aerial photography of Laurel Canyon, where I lived from 1983-2001.

Tom Petty is heavily featured in conversation with Jakob Dylan (son of Bob), shot just before Petty's 2017 death. We also have contemporary footage of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Roger McGuinn, Ringo Starr, John Sebastian, Michelle Phillips, Graham Nash, and more. There's no Joni Mitchell nor Bob Dylan in this movie.

Jakob Dylan put together a cover band that released a live album of songs from that era performed by, among others, Fiona Apple, Beck, Jade Castrinos (I hadn't heard of her--apparently she sang for a time with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros--but she kills on a couple of solos), Cat Power, and Regina Spektor. It was recorded in 2015 at the Orpheum in LA and can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, and more. Later that night, we streamed songs by The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Neil Young, Mamas & Papas...well, you get the picture. Hearing Sloop John B by The Beach Boys even sent me looking for The Kingston Trio's 1958 version of it. I'm very old, and the sister of some even older fellows, one of whom must have had the record lying around our apartment.

Music manager and record label executive Andrew Slater makes his debut directing and sharing a writing credit with Eric Barrett, the latter of whom has a number of producing credits.

Here's a personal connection. While living in Laurel Canyon, I walked around the hills for an hour 3-4 times a week. One day I caught up with a woman pushing a stroller and we chatted and walked together. Turns out she was Jakob's mother-in-law and the baby was Jakob's kid.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are in agreement with us, both averaging 92%. The movie is streaming right now on Netflix.

Harriet (2019)

Tubman as an action hero? It actually works. She did run back and forth through the woods, freeing herself and dozens more from slavery before the Civil War. Cynthia Erivo is terrific in the title role and Joe Alwyn scary as Gideon Brodess, the son of her owners and her main antagonist. Leslie Odom Jr. gets second billing, though he isn't on screen that much as Mr. Still, and Janelle Monáe's wardrobe is wonderful as Marie Buchanon, a free-born African-American owner of a Philadelphia boarding house, her character invented expressly for this movie.

Director/co-writer Kasi Lemmons's script was co-written by Gregory Allen Howard. The beautiful cinematography is thanks to John Toll, whose lighting of the brown faces (not always done right), is picture perfect, day and night.

Terence Blanchard's original score can be streamed on Apple Music, Spotify, and more. Erivo is a Tony-winning actress and singer (for The Color Purple, the same year Odom won for Hamilton) and sings from time to time during the movie. Sadly, we don't get to hear any songs from Odom or Monae, but Vondie Curtis-Hall sings a little as Reverend Green.

Erivo was last blogged for Widows (I enjoyed seeing her sprinting in that movie, too, all the better without Harriet's long skirts), Alwyn for Mary Queen of Scots, Odom for Murder on the Orient Express, Monae for Welcome to Marwen, Toll for The Adjustment Bureau, and Blanchard for BlacKkKlansman. This is Lemmons' babetteflix debut, after nominations and wins for Eve's Bayou (1997) and Talk to Me (2007).

Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 73%, are way behind its audiences at 97. We found it moving, engrossing, and beautiful.

Ford v Ferrari (2019)

Despite its 2:32 length, Jack and I enjoyed this high energy drama about the first Ford car to compete against Ferrari in the 1966 24 hours of Le Mans race. The look of the movie, i.e. production value, is fantastic, with picture cars and set dressing of the period picked up by creative cinematography.

I can't help but list some of the huge and noteworthy cast: Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby, Christian Bale as driver Ken Miles, Tracy Letts as Henry Ford II also known as Deuce, John Bernthal as Lee Iacocca, Caitriona Balfe as Ken's wife Mollie, Noah Jupe as their son Peter, Josh Lucas as oily Ford PR man Leo Beebe, and Ray McKinnon as Shelby's right-hand man Phil Remington.

Bale, who had gained considerable weight to play Dick Cheney in Vice, had to lose 70 pounds in seven months to portray the lean Miles. Damon, who's a little stocky in this role, apparently admires Bale's "monk-like discipline."

The movie had been in development for almost ten years and finally came to fruition with James Mangold directing from the final script by brothers Jez and John-Henry Butterworth with Jason Keller.

The afore-mentioned cinematography is thanks to Phedon Papamichael.

Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders composed the original soundtrack, streaming on Apple Music and others. It's supplemented by terrific songs of the 60s, many in instrumental version. There's one playlist of songs on Spotify. But, although I'm an Apple Music subscriber, I can't play all of the songs on their playlist without paying extra. Wow.

Damon was last blogged for Downsizing, Bale for Vice, Letts for Lady Bird, Bernthal for The Accountant, Jupe for A Quiet Place, McKinnon for Mud, Mangold for Logan, the Butterworths for Get On Up, Papamichael for Nebraska (Oscar-nominated), and Beltrami for Free Solo. Sanders was Oscar-nominated with Beltrami for scoring The Hurt Locker.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics are averaging 92 and its audiences a speedy 98. Words to the wise--the movie is loud and the accents (Bale's English and Damon's Texan) make it hard to understand all the words, and, unfortunately, the theatre's closed caption device (my favorite local system is currently the CaptiView) was not working that day so I missed some dialogue. Try to get a device if you have any impairment.

2020 Film Independent Spirit Award nominees

Nominations came out today. The awards will be February 8, the night before the Oscars. So far I've seen only seven. I'll try to catch up because I became a voting member of Film Independent last year.

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the producer)

A HIDDEN LIFE
Producers: Elisabeth Bentley, Dario Bergesio, Grant Hill, Josh Jeter

CLEMENCY
Producers: Timur Bekbosunov, Julian Cautherley, Bronwyn Cornelius, Peter Wong

THE FAREWELL
Producers: Anita Gou, Daniele Melia, Andrew Miano, Peter Saraf, Marc Turtletaub, Lulu Wang, Chris Weitz, Jane Zheng

MARRIAGE STORY (available 12/6 on Netflix)
Producers: Noah Baumbach, David Heyman

UNCUT GEMS
Producers: Eli Bush, Sebastian Bear McClard, Scott Rudin


BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)

BOOKSMART
Director: Olivia Wilde
Producers: Chelsea Barnard, David Distenfeld, Jessica Elbaum, Megan Ellison, Katie Silberman

THE CLIMB (available now on Netflix)
Director: Michael Angelo Covino
Producers: Noah Lang, Kyle Marvin

DIANE
Director: Kent Jones
Producers: Luca Borghese, Ben Howe, Caroline Kaplan, Oren Moverman

THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO
Director/Producer: Joe Talbot
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Khaliah Neal, Christina Oh

THE MUSTANG
Director: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre
Producer: Ilan Goldman

SEE YOU YESTERDAY (available now on Netflix)
Director: Stefon Bristol
Producer: Spike Lee


BEST DIRECTOR

Robert Eggers, The Lighthouse

Alma Har’el, Honey Boy

Julius Onah, Luce

Benny Safdie, Uncut Gems

Josh Safdie, Uncut Gems

Lorene Scafaria, Hustlers


BEST SCREENPLAY

Noah Baumbach, Marriage Story

Jason Begue, Shawn Snyder, To Dust

Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Uncut Gems

Chinonye Chukwu, Clemency

Tarell Alvin McCraney, High Flying Bird


BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Fredrica Bailey, Stefon Bristol, See You Yesterday

Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen, Driveways

Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy, Blow the Man Down

Jocelyn Deboer, Dawn Luebbe, Greener Grass

James Montague, Craig W. Sanger, The Vast of Night


JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Award given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director and producer)

BURNING CANE
Writer/Director/Producer: Phillip Youmans
Producers: Ojo Akinlana, Jakob Johnson, Karen Kaia Livers, Mose Mayer, Wendell Pierce, Isaac Web, Cassandra Youmans

COLEWELL
Writer/Director: Tom Quinn
Producers: Joshua Blum, Alexandra Byer, Craig Shilowich, Matthew Thurm

GIVE ME LIBERTY
Writer/Director/Producer: Kirill Mikhanovsky
Writer/Producer: Alice Austen
Producers: Val Abel, Wally Hall, Michael Manasseri, George Rush, Sergey Shtern

PREMATURE
Writer/Director/Producer: Rashaad Ernesto Green
Writer: Zora Howard
Producers: Darren Dean, Joy Ganes

WILD NIGHTS WITH EMILY
Writer/Director/Producer: Madeleine Olnek
Producers: Anna Margarita Albelo, Casper Andreas, Max Rifkind-Barron


BEST MALE LEAD

Chris Galust, Give Me Liberty

Kelvin Harrison Jr., Luce

Robert Pattinson, The Lighthouse

Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems

Matthias Schoenaerts, The Mustang


BEST FEMALE LEAD

Karen Allen, Colewell

Hong Chau, Driveways

Elisabeth Moss, Her Smell

Mary Kay Place, Diane

Renée Zellweger, Judy


BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Willem Dafoe, The Lighthouse

Noah Jupe, Honey Boy

Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy

Jonathan Majors, The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Wendell Pierce, Burning Cane (available now on Netflix)


BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers

Taylor Russell, Waves

Zhao Shuzhen, The Farewell

Lauren “Lolo” Spencer, Give Me Liberty

Octavia Spencer, Luce


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Todd Banhazl, Hustlers

Jarin Blaschke, The Lighthouse

Natasha Braier, Honey Boy

Chananun Chotrungroj, The Third Wife

Pawel Pogorzelski, Midsommer


BEST EDITING

Julie Béziau, The Third Wife

Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie, Uncut Gems

Tyler L. Cook, Sword of Trust

Louise Ford, The Lighthouse

Kirill Mikhanovsky, Give Me Liberty


BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

INVISIBLE LIFE (Brazil)
Director: Karim Aïnouz

LES MISÉRABLES (France)
Director: Ladj Ly

PARASITE (South Korea)
Director: Bong Joon-ho

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (France)
Director: Céline Sciamma

RETABLO (Peru)
Director: Álvaro Delgado-Aparicio L.

THE SOUVENIR (United Kingdom)
Director: Joanna Hogg


BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

AMERICAN FACTORY (available now on Netflix)
Director/Producers: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert
Producers: Julia Parker Benello, Jeff Reichert

APOLLO 11
Director/Producer: Todd Douglas Miller
Producers: Evan Krauss, Thomas Baxley Peterson

FOR SAMA
Director: Edward Watts
Director/Producer: Waad al-Kateab

HONEYLAND
Director: Tamara Kotevska
Director/Producer: Ljubo Stefanov
Producer: Atanas Georgiev

ISLAND OF THE HUNGRY GHOSTS
Director/Producer: Gabrielle Brady
Producers: Gizem Acarla, Samm Haillay, Alex Kelly, Alexander Wadouh


ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (Award given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)
MARRIAGE STORY
Director: Noah Baumbach
Casting Directors: Douglas Aibel, Francine Maisler
Ensemble Cast: Alan Alda, Laura Dern, Adam Driver, Julie Hagerty, Scarlett Johansson, Ray Liotta, Azhy Robertson, Merritt Wever

BONNIE AWARD SPONSORED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES (Bonnie Tiburzi Caputo joined American Airlines in 1973 at age 24, becoming the first female pilot to fly for a major U.S. airline. In her honor, the 3rd annual Bonnie Award will recognize a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant, sponsored by American Airlines.)

Marielle Heller

Kelly Reichardt

Lulu Wang


PRODUCERS AWARD (The Producers Award, now in its 23rd year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)

Mollye Asher

Krista Parris

Ryan Zacarias


SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD (The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 26th year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)
PREMATURE

Director: Rashaad Ernesto Green

THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO
Director: Joe Talbot

THE THIRD WIFE
Director: Ash Mayfair


TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD (The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 25th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)

17 BLOCKS
Director: Davy Rothbart

AMÉRICA
Directors: Erick Stoll, Chase Whiteside

BLACK MOTHER
Director: Khalik Allah

JADDOLAND
Director: Nadia Shihab

Pain & Glory (Dolor y Gloria - 2019)

Antonio Banderas won Best Actor at Cannes (and more) for his excellent portrayal of a film director dealing with with current pain and past glory. Director/writer Pedro Almadóvar gives us the languid story featuring, among others, Penelope Cruz in flashbacks as Banderas' mother and Asier Etxeandia as an actor in Banderas' character's most famous work.

Almadóvar's work is literally colorful, once again, thanks to director of photography José Luis Alcaine.

The score by Alberto Iglesias can be streamed on Apple Music and Spotify, among others.

Banderas was last blogged for The Laundromat, Almadóvar for Broken Embraces, Cruz for Everybody Knows, Alcaine for Everybody Knows, Iglesias for Julieta.

The movie is in Spanish with subtitles, but that didn't take away from enjoyment by me, Rotten Tomatoes' critics at 97%, nor its audiences at 91.

Parasite (Gisaengchung - 2019)

Well deserving of critics' raves, this is a story of an impoverished South Korean family who worm their way into a wealthy one. It's funny, clever, and beautifully crafted by director/co-writer Bong Joon-ho and co-writer Han Jin-won. Try to avoid spoilers because some things happen that I didn't see coming and I want you to enjoy it as much as Jack and I did. Yes, it's a bit long, at 2:12, and you will have to read subtitles. In the words of the great Joan Rivers, "Oh, grow up!"

Note: it's customary in Korean names to say the family name first, e.g. John Robert Smith would be Smith John Robert. I've adhered to this tradition in this post, even though many of the names have been westernized, e.g. Joon-ho Bong, on imdb.

We meet the poor family first: Choi Woo-Sik as the son, Park So-dam as his sister, Song Kang-Ho as their father, and Jang Hye-jin as their mother. Particularly noteworthy in the rich family is Jo Yeo-jeong as that mother.

The wonderful music by Jung Jaeil is available on Apple Music, Spotify, and more. Choi sings the final tune.

Song was last blogged for Bong's Snowpiercer and Bong and Jung for Okja.

Parasite is the first Korean movie to win the Palme d’Or at Cannes and we and Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are in agreement, averaging 99 and 93%, respectively.

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Wow. Eddie Murphy is terrific in this wonderful bio-pic of Rudy Ray Moore, who, in character as Dolemite, did stand-up comedy, rapping, and eventually made “blaxploitation” movies in the 1960s-70s. Excellent supporting cast members include Craig Robinson, Keegan-Michael Key, Tituss Burgess, Mike Epps, Wesley Snipes, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Lady Reed. Don't miss the cameos from Snoop Dogg and Chris Rock.

Directed by Craig Brewer from a script by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, it had a short theatrical release and is now on Netflix. It can be classified as dramedy because it's very funny but has quite the story.

Composer Scott Bomar's original music probably won't be remembered because of all the songs, at least three of which are performed by Robinson.

The Dunbar Hotel exteriors were shot outside the actual Dunbar Hotel in LA.

Murphy was last blogged for Tower Heist, Robinson for Morris from America, Key for Toy Story 4, Snipes for Major League and Chi-Raq,  Rock for Top Five, Brewer for The Legend of Tarzan, Alexander and Karaszewski for Big Eyes. Burgess is best know to me for 51 episodes of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Randolph is Tony-nominated and no stranger to screens big and small.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics average 97% and its audiences 91. Rated R for a lot of raunch. At the end you'll see clips from the actual movies made by Moore. Don't leave!

The Current War: Director's Cut (2019)

Unlike critics, we really liked this story of the late 19th century clashes between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse over modern electricity. The all-star cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch as arrogant and megalomaniacal Thomas Edison, Michael Shannon as cool-headed George Westinghouse, Katherine Waterston as his supportive wife Marguerite, and Tom Holland as Edison's assistant Samuel Insull. Nicholas Hoult is also in the mix as Nikola Tesla.

The reason for "Director's Cut" is that an earlier version of this movie premiered at the Toronto Film Festival (also known as TIFF) in 2017 but got shelved due to Harvey Weinstein's sexual improprieties coming to light. It was re-edited with additional scenes, new composers were hired (more on the music in a moment), and it was released a few days ago.

Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon got to stay, as did screenwriter Michael Mitnick. I have no idea how accurate it is but the personal conflicts, the economics, and the science were compelling to Jack, Carina, Mark, and me.

I was transported by the music. Volker Bertelmann & Dustin O'Halloran, the original composers, have at least one track in the final movie, which I found on YouTube, and Max Richter's Spring 1, adapted from Vivaldi's Four Seasons, is available there as well. Sadly for me, the new score, by Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans, doesn't seem to be streaming anywhere.

Cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung's work is also masterful, with brilliant colors and lots of overhead and angled shots. Noteworthy as well: costume design by Michael Wilkinson and production design by Jan Roelfs.

Cumberbatch was last blogged for Avengers: Infinity War, Shannon for The Shape of Water, Waterston for Mid90s, Holland for Spider-Man: Far from Home, Gomez-Rejon for Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, O'Halloran for The Hate U Give, Bensi and Jurriaans for Boy Erased. Chung shot the Me and Earl and the Dying Girl..

During the movie I kept thinking this could get Oscar nominations for cinematography and wardrobe, if not direction. But now, after seeing that Rotten Tomatoes' critics are averaging a cruel 31%, the nominations may be less likely. It's too soon for audience reviews yet. Go see it and make up your own mind.

Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

We laughed at lot at this violent sequel to Jack's favorite movie of 2009, in which our heroes are still surviving the zombie apocalypse. Returning cast includes Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin (now 23, practically all grown up!). Zoey Deutch is hilarious as new character Madison, and there are too many others to list.

Director Ruben Fleischer returns, as do writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, joined by co-writer Dave Callaham.

The original music by David Sardy, which can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music, is supplemented by a lot of songs. Chung-hoon Chung is the cinematographer.

Harrelson was last blogged for Solo: A Star Wars Story, Eisenberg for The Art of Self Defense, Stone for The Favourite, Breslin for My Sister's Keeper which actually was made after the original Zombieland, Deutch for Why Him?, Fleischer for Gangster Squad, and Reese and Wernick for Deadpool 2.

Obviously not everyone's cup of gore, this is rated only 68% by Rotten Tomatoes' critics. Its audiences have self-selected and average a more favorable 89. We saw it two weeks ago and the movie is expected to be streaming in January. Don't leave the room before the end of the credits.

The Laundromat (2019)

This disjointed movie about corporate corruption and its innocent victims doesn't live up to the star power of Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, James Cromwell, and many, many more.

Director Steven Soderbergh proves he's not quite as reliable as we thought, working from a script by Scott Z. Burns, who adapted the non-fiction book Secrecy World: Inside the Panama Papers Investigation of Illicit Money Networks and the Global Elite by Jake Bernstein.

Soderbergh, who has stopped pretending he's retiring from movies, is once again using the stage names Peter Andrews (his father was Peter Andrew Soderbergh) for cinematographer and Mary Ann Bernard (his mother's maiden name) for film editor.

The music by David Holmes is supplemented by these songs.

Streep was last blogged for Mary Poppins Returns, Oldman for his Oscar-winning turn in Darkest Hour, Banderas for I'm So Excited, Cromwell for The Artist, Soderbergh and Holmes for Logan Lucky, Burns for Contagion.

We chose to ignore the Rotten Tomatoes' critics' rating of 41% and its audiences' of 45 to watch this on a rainy vacation day October 16. So we went to The Addams Family the next day.

The Addams Family (2019)

Silly, clever, and fun, this animated update has top-notch voice casting and lots of PG jokes as our ghoulish friends try to fit into a white-bread suburban community. Charlize Theron, Oscar Isaac, Chloë Grace Moretz, Bette Midler, Allison Janney, and Nick Kroll are just some of the actors channeling the 1950s Charles Addams cartoons, several TV serieses, and some 1990s movies.

Directed by Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon, its script is by Matt Lieberman and the original soundtrack, by Mychael Danna and Jeff Danna, can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music. Many improvisations on the motif of the original series theme are to be heard on the soundtrack.

Theron was last blogged for Long Shot, Isaac for At Eternity's Gate, Moretz for Clouds of Sils Maria, Midler for Parental Guidance, Mychael Danna for On the Basis of Sex, his brother Jeff for Thin Ice (The Convincer). Tiernan has directed dozens of episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine and Vernon has co-directed a handful of other animated features, including one with Tiernan.

Though rated at only 43% by Rotten Tomatoes' critics, similar to The Laundromat which disappointed us the day before, audiences rated The Addams Family at 69, and it pleased us on October 17.

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

We loved this dark comedy about a Nazi-in-training, whose imaginary friend is crazy Hitler, and a Jewish teenager that his mom is hiding in their house. It's at turns slapstick--part Springtime for Hitler, part Wes Anderson--and then heart-rending, as in Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008). Roman Griffith Davis is transcendent as ten-year-old Johannes AKA Jojo, as is his little buddy Yorki, played by Archie Yates. Director/writer Taika Waititi is hilarious as Hitler, Thomasin McKenzie is marvelous as the covert housemate Elsa, and we get terrific performances from Scarlett Johansson as Jojo's free-spirit mom, Sam Rockwell as a frustrated Hitler Youth officer, Rebel Wilson as one of his staff, and others, too numerous to list.

Waititi adapted the novel Caging Skies by Christine Leunens. I must mention the glorious look of this picture, with production design by Ra Vincent (oh, the wood in Jojo's apartment!), cinematography by Mihai Malaimare Jr. (bright, saturated colors!), and costumes by Mayes C. Rubeo (just wow). Michael Giacchino composed the original score, supplementing the songs, which can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, and elsewhere.

Waititi was last blogged for What We Do in the Shadows (on which Vincent was production designer), McKenzie for Leave No Trace, Johansson Avengers: Infinity War, Rockwell for Vice, Wilson for How to Be Single, Giacchino for Spider-Man: Far from Home, Malaimare shot The Hate U Give, and Rubeo did wardrobe for Avatar and more.

Critics are dumb. Rotten Tomatoes' critics' average is a mediocre 79%. Its audiences agree with us, however, coming in at 98. As of this writing the movie has 4 wins and 3 more nominations. I predict more. We saw it opening weekend.

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019)

As a jazz fan, I loved every minute of this documentary about the seminal bebop horn player. With archival footage of the man (1926-1991) and his various combos, and interviews with his children, some wives, and a host of jazz musicians, the movie is artfully edited and presented.

The director/producer is accomplished documentarian Stanley Nelson and this one is adding to his pile of award wins and nominations.

I'm enjoying listening to the playlist, available on Apple Music and Spotify, and probably more.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are all in, averaging 94 and 100%, respectively. I look forward to seeing it again if and when it streams (I think it will be on the PBS series American Masters, if it hasn't already). Right now it's playing limited runs at art houses around the world. I saw it in one such art house in early October of this year. Don't get it confused with the Davis record of the same name, released in 1957, nor with the fictionalized movie Miles Ahead, starring Don Cheadle as Davis.

Good Boys (2019)

Amusing, raunchy, profane fluff about sixth grade boys getting in over their heads in a, yep, R-rated romp. The boys are Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, and Brady Noon, and the adults include Will Forte, Lil Rel Howery, Retta, and Sam Richardson.

It's the feature debut for director Gene Stupnitsky, working from a script by himself and Lee Eisenberg.

Tremblay was last blogged for The Book of Henry, Forte for A Futile and Stupid Gesture, Howery for Brittany Runs a Marathon, and Stupnitsky and Eisenberg for writing Bad Teacher. Williams had a story arc on several episodes of The Last Man on Earth with Forte.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics' average is 79% and its audiences' is 86. It's now streaming. Jack and I saw it September 24, 2019.

Downton Abbey (2019)

All fans of the show will love this feature length sequel, as I did, providing comedy, drama, scandal, and magnificent costumes in the glorious settings, and I'm told that you can enjoy this movie even if you're not well acquainted with the series. Pretty much the whole cast from the final season returns and a few new characters join them.

Michael Engler directs from a script by series creator Julian Fellowes, and Emmy-winning composer John Lunn returns as composer with The Chamber Orchestra of London. The soundtrack can be streamed now on Apple Music and more.

The costumes by Anna Robbins are worth the price of admission, as well as production design by Donal Woods and cinematography by Ben Smithard, with Britain's familiar Highclere Castle in many exteriors.

Smithard was last blogged for The Man Who Invented Christmas.

Jack didn't watch the series so passed on joining Mark and me on September 25, 2019. Rotten Tomatoes' audiences rate it a predictable 94%, while its critics are not quite as enthusiastic, averaging 84. I see that there are a few screenings still in my area, but this will be released for the small screen just before Thanksgiving.

The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)

We loved this poignant story of a down-on-his-luck fisherman connecting with a young Down syndrome man and the nursing home administrator caring for him. Shia LaBeouf is great as the fisherman, Dakota Johnson lovely as the administrator, and Zack Gottsagen fabulous as the Down Syndrome man. Supporting cast includes Bruce Dern, Thomas Haden Church, and more.

Apparently co-directors/co-writers Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz met Gottsagen at a camp that included people with Down syndrome. Gottsagen told them he wanted to be a movie star so they wrote the movie for him, a feature debut for all three.

The lush photography shot in Savannah, Georgia, is thanks to Nigel Bluck. And the score by Jonathan Sadoff, Zachary Dawes, Noam Pikelny, and Gabe Witcher can be streamed on Apple Music, Spotify, and others.

LaBeouf was last blogged for American Honey, Johnson for Bad Times at the El Royale, Dern for Nostalgia, Church for Killer Joe, and Sadoff for Ingrid Goes West (Dawes worked on it, too),

With several film festival wins and nominations already, it's not surprising that Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are eating this up, averaging 95 and 96%, respectively. Jack and I saw it on September 18, 2019, and it'll be released to the streaming outlets a few days from now.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? (2019)

We didn't hate this story of a prickly architect leaving her family to follow her dreams, though some critics did. Cate Blanchett does the job in the title role and Kristen Wiig is funny as her uptight neighbor. And the cinematography by Shane F. Kelly and sets (production designer Bruce Curtis) are magnificent. The arctic scenes were originally set to be added in post, but Blanchett apparently convinced them to shoot on location and the production moved to Greenland, where weather was a problem.

Adapted from the novel by Maria Semple, which neither of us has read, the screenplay was co-written by the director Richard Linklater with Holly Gent and Vince Palmo. The music is by Graham Reynolds.

Blanchett was last blogged for Ocean's Eight, Wiig for Downsizing, Linklater for Boyhood, and Reynolds for Linklater's Before Midnight. Gent and Palmo adapted the script for Linklater's Me and Orson Welles, and Kelly and Curtis are frequent collaborators with Linklater as well.

Not loving it, Rotten Tomatoes' critics' average is 48% but its audiences are a bit warmer at 74. We saw it on a big screen August 28, 2019 and it's now streaming.

Blinded by the Light (2019)

Jack and I liked this delightful story of a Pakistani-British teen whose life is changed by Bruce Springsteen's music. Viviek Kalra is terrific as the frustrated boy finding joy in the Boss's work, and there's a funny cameo by Rob Brydon in a blonde wig as Matt's dad.

Directed and co-written by Gurinder Chadha, co-written by Sarfra Manzoor and Paul Mayeda Berges, based on Manzoor's memoir Greetings from Bury Park - Race, Religion, Rock 'n' Roll. "Bury Park" is not a typo.

Additional music is composed by A.R. Rahman.

Brydon was last blogged for the short film Revolting Rhymes, and Chadha, Berges, and Rahman for Viceroy's House.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are in agreement, averaging 89 and 91%, respectively. We saw this on August 23, 2019.

Sword of Trust (2019)

We're big fans of Marc Maron and liked a lot this funny story of a pawn shop owner negotiating with a lesbian couple about their antique sword. Michaela Watkins and Jillian Bell are the couple and Jon Bass is the hapless pawn shop employee.

Directed and co-written by Lynn Shelton, with Mike O'Brien co-writing, it was shot entirely in Birmingham, Alabama, so I imagine anyone familiar with that city will be tickled by the distinct location shots. No composer nor list of songs is on imdb.

Maron (podcast interviewer extraordinaire) was last blogged for Joker, Watkins and Bell for Brittany Runs a Marathon, and Shelton for Laggies. O'Brien has written for dozens of Saturday Night Live episodes.

Now streaming, it's rated 93% by Rotten Tomatoes' critics and 70 by its audiences. We saw it August 9, 2019.