Liz and I appreciated the excellence of this sad story of a teenage addict and his family, though it's hard to take. Julia Roberts (last blogged for Money Monster) is terrific as Holly, the mom who is thrilled to see her son show up on Christmas Eve. Lucas Hedges (most recently in these pages for Boy Erased) matches Roberts' star power in the title role, and the main cast is rounded out by wonderful performances by Kathryn Newton (last blogged for Blockers) as Ben's wary sister Ivy (Holly named her daughter Ivy? Really? Not a fan of that gag) and Courtney B. Vance (first came to my attention in The Last Supper (1995) and I've seen him in The Preacher's Wife (1996), Cookie's Fortune (1999), Space Cowboys (2000), four episodes of Revenge (2012), three of Masters of Sex (2014), one of Scandal (2015), eleven of American Crime Story (2016) as Johnnie Cochran, and the narrator of Isle of Dogs) as Holly's realistic husband Neal, the father of Ben's young half-siblings who adore him unconditionally.
Director/writer Peter Hedges made his feature debut writing the screenplay adapted from his own novel of What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), he was Oscar nominated for co-writing the adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel for About a Boy (2002), then he directed and wrote Pieces of April (2003), then directed and co-wrote Dan in Real Life (2007). I loved all of those. The next project of his that I saw was all 27 episodes of the series About a Boy (2014-15), which he wrote. Apparently it took some convincing for his son Lucas, already a bigger star than the dad, to play Ben.
There are obvious similarities to Beautiful Boy, which is based on memoirs of the father and son. This one, however, is an original story.
The nice exterior shots of upstate New York are brought to us by cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh (after I wrote about him in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty he shot several more, including Gifted).
As I write I'm streaming the eerie/pretty soundtrack by Dickon Hinchcliffe (just blogged for Leave No Trace) on Apple Music (it's also available on Spotify).
I'm going to take a wild guess that Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 79%, and its audiences at 76, also found the subject matter a little too difficult. I think it's worth seeing, still on a few big screens now, and available digitally in your home in March 2019.
Saturday, January 5, 2019
Thursday, January 3, 2019
Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
Liz and I enjoyed this costume drama about the rivalry between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth I in the 16th century. Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie are appropriately intense as the monarchs of Scotland and England (last blogged for The Seagull and I, Tonya, respectively).
The main men in the story are Elizabeth's consort Robert Dudley, played by Joe Alwyn (after The Sense of an Ending he was in The Favourite, though I failed to mention it); Mary's Lord Darnley, played by Jack Lowden (he appeared in '71, A United Kingdom, Denial, and Dunkirk but I'm writing about him for the first time now); David Rizzio, Mary's close friend and favorite fiddler, played by Ismael Cruz Córdova (five episodes of The Good Wife and three of The Catch); and William Cecil, Elizabeth's "work wife," played by Guy Pearce (most recently in these pages for Iron Man 3). I stared at Darnley's father Matthew Stuart, trying to figure out where I'd seen him before, until it finally came to me: Brendan Coyle was in 52 episodes of Downton Abbey as butler John Bates.
Apparently there are many historical inaccuracies in this movie. The two queens' meeting is in the trailer, and most of the movie builds up to that moment. Yet many historians vehemently state that they never met in person. Attending each queen are several people of color and an Asian person or two. That was unlikely to have happened. And, on a lighter note, though I quite liked Mary's five hoops in her right ear and the unmatched dangle in her left, it's improbable as well. Here's an amusing article about the inaccuracies. The writer mentions Ronan's carefully cultivated Scottish accent (she's actually Irish) and pooh-poohs it. There is a dalliance, however, that I won't give away (this spoiler-filled article does) that historians agree may have happened.
The costumes designed by Alexandra Byrne (covered in the Murder on the Orient Express remake) and the hair and makeup are quite wonderful and should get recognized when the Oscar nominations come out January 23. The movie's only recognition on my list of nominations and wins so far is a SAG nomination for Robbie as Best Supporting Actress.
Max Richter's (last blogged for scoring The Sense of an Ending) classical soundtrack can be streamed on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music. Jack just walked by as I was writing and said, about the music, "That sounds serious!"
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are not losing their heads over this, averaging a weak 62%, and its audiences like it even less at 43. But we thought it worth seeing.
The main men in the story are Elizabeth's consort Robert Dudley, played by Joe Alwyn (after The Sense of an Ending he was in The Favourite, though I failed to mention it); Mary's Lord Darnley, played by Jack Lowden (he appeared in '71, A United Kingdom, Denial, and Dunkirk but I'm writing about him for the first time now); David Rizzio, Mary's close friend and favorite fiddler, played by Ismael Cruz Córdova (five episodes of The Good Wife and three of The Catch); and William Cecil, Elizabeth's "work wife," played by Guy Pearce (most recently in these pages for Iron Man 3). I stared at Darnley's father Matthew Stuart, trying to figure out where I'd seen him before, until it finally came to me: Brendan Coyle was in 52 episodes of Downton Abbey as butler John Bates.
Apparently there are many historical inaccuracies in this movie. The two queens' meeting is in the trailer, and most of the movie builds up to that moment. Yet many historians vehemently state that they never met in person. Attending each queen are several people of color and an Asian person or two. That was unlikely to have happened. And, on a lighter note, though I quite liked Mary's five hoops in her right ear and the unmatched dangle in her left, it's improbable as well. Here's an amusing article about the inaccuracies. The writer mentions Ronan's carefully cultivated Scottish accent (she's actually Irish) and pooh-poohs it. There is a dalliance, however, that I won't give away (this spoiler-filled article does) that historians agree may have happened.
Celebrated British stage director Josie Rourke makes her film debut, working from a screenplay written by Beau Willimon (Oscar nominated for co-writing The Ides of March and wrote 73 episodes of House of Cards) and based on the 2004 book by John Guy.
The costumes designed by Alexandra Byrne (covered in the Murder on the Orient Express remake) and the hair and makeup are quite wonderful and should get recognized when the Oscar nominations come out January 23. The movie's only recognition on my list of nominations and wins so far is a SAG nomination for Robbie as Best Supporting Actress.
Max Richter's (last blogged for scoring The Sense of an Ending) classical soundtrack can be streamed on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music. Jack just walked by as I was writing and said, about the music, "That sounds serious!"
Rotten Tomatoes' critics are not losing their heads over this, averaging a weak 62%, and its audiences like it even less at 43. But we thought it worth seeing.
Welcome to Marwen (2018)
Despite dismal reviews, Jack and I quite liked this story of a PTSD patient who creates a miniature town of dolls in his upstate New York home. Displayed in both live action and animation, it's not for kids, with violence, war, and a PG-13 rating. It's based on the lauded 2010 documentary Marwencol (read about it here and/or rent or buy it on iTunes) about Mark Hogencamp.
Steve Carell (last blogged for Vice) is wonderful as Mark, in both his live version and heroic doll persona Hogie. Leslie Mann (her last appearance in these pages was for The Other Woman, though it was out of order chronologically) is sweet as his caring neighbor Nicol-without-an-E. Some of the other women are Janelle Monáe (last blogged for Hidden Figures) as GI Julie, Merritt Wever (after Tiny Furniture she was in seven episodes of New Girl, eighty of Nurse Jackie as Zoey, and made an appearance in Birdman) as Roberta, and Diane Kruger (most recently in these pages for The Infiltrator) as Deja. All of the dolls were animated with the actors doing motion capture.
Director/co-writer Robert Zemeckis (last blogged for Allied) and co-writer Caroline Thompson (co-wrote Edward Scissorhands (1990) and The Addams Family (1991), adapted The Secret Garden (1993) from the children's book, and co-wrote The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Corpse Bride (2005)) pay homage to Zemeckis' early work, with definite references to Back to the Future (1985) and Death Becomes Her (1992). See if you can find them.
Kudos to the production design team headed up by Stefan Dechant (worked as art director on Cast Away (2000), Jarhead (2005), Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, the True Grit remake, Oz the Great and Powerful, and The BFG, among his credits).
The soundtrack by Alan Silvestri (most recently in these pages for Avengers: Infinity War) can be streamed from Apple Music and YouTube. There are also lots of songs, listed here and here.
Rotten Tomatoes's critics have not welcomed this movie, averaging 29%, with its audiences only slightly more hospitable at 56. And, with a budget of about $39 million and an opening weekend box office of $2.4 million, it's been officially deemed a flop. We still enjoyed it and there's a chance it will recoup its costs.
Steve Carell (last blogged for Vice) is wonderful as Mark, in both his live version and heroic doll persona Hogie. Leslie Mann (her last appearance in these pages was for The Other Woman, though it was out of order chronologically) is sweet as his caring neighbor Nicol-without-an-E. Some of the other women are Janelle Monáe (last blogged for Hidden Figures) as GI Julie, Merritt Wever (after Tiny Furniture she was in seven episodes of New Girl, eighty of Nurse Jackie as Zoey, and made an appearance in Birdman) as Roberta, and Diane Kruger (most recently in these pages for The Infiltrator) as Deja. All of the dolls were animated with the actors doing motion capture.
Director/co-writer Robert Zemeckis (last blogged for Allied) and co-writer Caroline Thompson (co-wrote Edward Scissorhands (1990) and The Addams Family (1991), adapted The Secret Garden (1993) from the children's book, and co-wrote The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Corpse Bride (2005)) pay homage to Zemeckis' early work, with definite references to Back to the Future (1985) and Death Becomes Her (1992). See if you can find them.
Kudos to the production design team headed up by Stefan Dechant (worked as art director on Cast Away (2000), Jarhead (2005), Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, the True Grit remake, Oz the Great and Powerful, and The BFG, among his credits).
The soundtrack by Alan Silvestri (most recently in these pages for Avengers: Infinity War) can be streamed from Apple Music and YouTube. There are also lots of songs, listed here and here.
Rotten Tomatoes's critics have not welcomed this movie, averaging 29%, with its audiences only slightly more hospitable at 56. And, with a budget of about $39 million and an opening weekend box office of $2.4 million, it's been officially deemed a flop. We still enjoyed it and there's a chance it will recoup its costs.
Saturday, December 29, 2018
Vice (2018)
Amy, Jack, and I loved this satirical bio-pic of Dick Cheney, though it made us liberals sigh and groan, watching the VP and his wife control the country with politics and goals so divergent from our own.
Christian Bale (last blogged, and Oscar-nominated, for The Big Short) completely disappears into the role of Cheney, with his much-reviewed 45 pound weight gain and top-notch hair and makeup. As his wife Lynne, Amy Adams (most recently in these pages for Nocturnal Animals) brings passion and power to the woman behind the man who, in later times, might have become influential in her own right. Sam Rockwell's (last in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri for which he won his first Oscar) George W. Bush and Steve Carell's (most recently in Beautiful Boy) Donald Rumsfeld are terrific as well, with hair, makeup, voice inflection, and even humor. It's a huge cast, but they are the highlights.
Director/writer Adam McKay (won his first Oscar for co-writing The Big Short and was nominated for directing it) is nominated for Golden Globes directing and writing here, among the picture's six Globe nominations--Bale and Adams are also nominated for SAG awards. See my list here. I predict a Best Makeup Oscar nomination as well.
Bale studied up on heart disease for the role. So when McKay had a mild heart attack during post production, he remembered Bale's method acting which may have saved his life (watch this short video). Black and white footage of McKay's heart stent surgery is in this movie--he calls it his cameo.
The music by Nicholas Britell (last blogged for Battle of the Sexes) can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music. I don't remember the songs, other than America from West Side Story playing over the credits (here's a clip from the WSS movie).
Another bit of trivia is that a musical number was produced and shot but eventually cut because it didn't work with the narrative.
There's a very funny "crazy credits" gag, too, before America, reminding us that this is a satire, even though so much of it is true (the gag is clearly not). And another one at the very end, so don't rush out before the movie is completely over.
The cinematography by Greig Fraser (after his Oscar nomination for Lion he shot Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) may cause Motion-Picture-Motion-Sickness or MPMS (see my running list here) in sensitive people. I think. I have been bingeing movies this week and they're beginning to run together.
We three saw this in a matinee on Christmas day (the 14th year of this particular family tradition), which was opening day in this case. Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are now averaging 64 and 57%, respectively.
Christian Bale (last blogged, and Oscar-nominated, for The Big Short) completely disappears into the role of Cheney, with his much-reviewed 45 pound weight gain and top-notch hair and makeup. As his wife Lynne, Amy Adams (most recently in these pages for Nocturnal Animals) brings passion and power to the woman behind the man who, in later times, might have become influential in her own right. Sam Rockwell's (last in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri for which he won his first Oscar) George W. Bush and Steve Carell's (most recently in Beautiful Boy) Donald Rumsfeld are terrific as well, with hair, makeup, voice inflection, and even humor. It's a huge cast, but they are the highlights.
Director/writer Adam McKay (won his first Oscar for co-writing The Big Short and was nominated for directing it) is nominated for Golden Globes directing and writing here, among the picture's six Globe nominations--Bale and Adams are also nominated for SAG awards. See my list here. I predict a Best Makeup Oscar nomination as well.
Bale studied up on heart disease for the role. So when McKay had a mild heart attack during post production, he remembered Bale's method acting which may have saved his life (watch this short video). Black and white footage of McKay's heart stent surgery is in this movie--he calls it his cameo.
The music by Nicholas Britell (last blogged for Battle of the Sexes) can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music. I don't remember the songs, other than America from West Side Story playing over the credits (here's a clip from the WSS movie).
Another bit of trivia is that a musical number was produced and shot but eventually cut because it didn't work with the narrative.
The cinematography by Greig Fraser (after his Oscar nomination for Lion he shot Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) may cause Motion-Picture-Motion-Sickness or MPMS (see my running list here) in sensitive people. I think. I have been bingeing movies this week and they're beginning to run together.
We three saw this in a matinee on Christmas day (the 14th year of this particular family tradition), which was opening day in this case. Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are now averaging 64 and 57%, respectively.
Friday, December 28, 2018
Three from the Jewish Film Festival 2018
I enjoyed the 2017 releases Monkey Business, The Cakemaker, and The Last Suit, parts of the festival several weeks ago.
Of the three, my favorite was Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George's Creators, a delightful documentary about Margret and Hans Rey, who authored the beloved children's books.
Director Ema Ryan Yamazaki makes her feature debut, as does Erin Sanger, who wrote Sam Waterston's (best known for 368 episodes of Law & Order (Jack has probably seen them all), Golden-Globe nominated as Most Promising Newcomer for The Great Gatsby (1974), his work that I've enjoyed also includes Interiors (1978), Hopscotch (1980), The Killing Fields (1985) (Oscar-nominated), September (1987), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), The Man in the Moon (1991), Serial Mom (1994), Nixon (1995), 25 episodes of The Newsroom, and 55 episodes of Grace & Frankie) narration. I find that this movie started as a Kickstarter campaign. The link previews the animation used to tell the Reys' story from escaping the Nazis and beyond.
I don't remember much about Jason Cummings' (it's his second feature and his first was also a documentary) music and it's not available online, so you'll just need to rent or buy the movie. Here's the iTunes link.
Rotten Tomatoes doesn't have enough reviews to give it any averages, but don't let that deter you from seeing it.
*****************
The Cakemaker, about a German pastry chef stalking the wife and son of his dead lover in Jerusalem, is going on my list of food movies. Everything looks yummy and the story is good, too.
Stars Tim Kalkhof and Sarah Adler are new to me, despite being experienced. This is director/writer Ofir Raul Graizer's first feature.
Dominique Charpentier's (her first feature, too) lovely piano solos can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music.
The movie has a number of nominations and wins and Rotten Tomatoes' critics are eating it up, averaging 98%. Its audiences average a tasty 81. Watch it on Netflix.
*****************
In The Last Suit (AKA El último traje), an 88 year old tailor runs away from Buenos Aires to Poland to look for an old friend he knew in WWII. Miguel Ángel Solá is the cantankerous Abraham Burzstein and Ángela Molina is María. Pablo Solarz directs and wrote the screenplay. I'm not familiar with any of them.
I made a note after seeing it that the screening had terrible sound, even though we were promised a great soundtrack by Federico Jusid (scored Neruda and much more). Some of his music can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics' average is a buttoned up 78% but its audiences are looser at 92. I don't see anywhere to stream it, however. There are DVDs for sale but I wouldn't buy it, especially at those prices.
Of the three, my favorite was Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George's Creators, a delightful documentary about Margret and Hans Rey, who authored the beloved children's books.
Director Ema Ryan Yamazaki makes her feature debut, as does Erin Sanger, who wrote Sam Waterston's (best known for 368 episodes of Law & Order (Jack has probably seen them all), Golden-Globe nominated as Most Promising Newcomer for The Great Gatsby (1974), his work that I've enjoyed also includes Interiors (1978), Hopscotch (1980), The Killing Fields (1985) (Oscar-nominated), September (1987), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), The Man in the Moon (1991), Serial Mom (1994), Nixon (1995), 25 episodes of The Newsroom, and 55 episodes of Grace & Frankie) narration. I find that this movie started as a Kickstarter campaign. The link previews the animation used to tell the Reys' story from escaping the Nazis and beyond.
I don't remember much about Jason Cummings' (it's his second feature and his first was also a documentary) music and it's not available online, so you'll just need to rent or buy the movie. Here's the iTunes link.
Rotten Tomatoes doesn't have enough reviews to give it any averages, but don't let that deter you from seeing it.
*****************
The Cakemaker, about a German pastry chef stalking the wife and son of his dead lover in Jerusalem, is going on my list of food movies. Everything looks yummy and the story is good, too.
Stars Tim Kalkhof and Sarah Adler are new to me, despite being experienced. This is director/writer Ofir Raul Graizer's first feature.
Dominique Charpentier's (her first feature, too) lovely piano solos can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music.
The movie has a number of nominations and wins and Rotten Tomatoes' critics are eating it up, averaging 98%. Its audiences average a tasty 81. Watch it on Netflix.
*****************
I made a note after seeing it that the screening had terrible sound, even though we were promised a great soundtrack by Federico Jusid (scored Neruda and much more). Some of his music can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics' average is a buttoned up 78% but its audiences are looser at 92. I don't see anywhere to stream it, however. There are DVDs for sale but I wouldn't buy it, especially at those prices.
Thursday, December 27, 2018
Decoding Annie Parker (2013)
Amy and I didn't hate this story of a determined cancer patient interwoven with the work of the scientific team who discovered the BRCA gene. We watched it at home Christmas Eve because Phil had told me days before about the website and app Kanopy which allows us to stream movies with a library card account number. It is based on the true stories of Parker and Dr. Mary-Claire King and was, as you may have noticed, released theatrically four and a half years ago.
Samantha Morton (last blogged for The Messenger in 2009) is terrific in the emotional title role as is Helen Hunt (most recently in these pages for 2012's The Sessions which earned her an Oscar nomination) as the businesslike scientist King. Aaron Paul (last blogged for Smashed a few months before this movie's release) has been, like Morton and Hunt, recognized for his work in this picture.
This was director/co-writer Steven Bernstein's (cinematographer on Monster (2003)) first time directing a feature (another one followed), and the debuts of co-writers Adam Bernstein and Michael Moss as well. The timeline can be hard to follow (her hairstyles don't help). It was helpful to read later that Annie was born in 1951.
Steven Bramson's (new to me) pleasant soundtrack can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music.
Clearly we didn't check Rotten Tomatoes, with critics averaging 56% and audiences at 41, before watching this. But we weren't sorry we did.
Samantha Morton (last blogged for The Messenger in 2009) is terrific in the emotional title role as is Helen Hunt (most recently in these pages for 2012's The Sessions which earned her an Oscar nomination) as the businesslike scientist King. Aaron Paul (last blogged for Smashed a few months before this movie's release) has been, like Morton and Hunt, recognized for his work in this picture.
This was director/co-writer Steven Bernstein's (cinematographer on Monster (2003)) first time directing a feature (another one followed), and the debuts of co-writers Adam Bernstein and Michael Moss as well. The timeline can be hard to follow (her hairstyles don't help). It was helpful to read later that Annie was born in 1951.
Steven Bramson's (new to me) pleasant soundtrack can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music.
Clearly we didn't check Rotten Tomatoes, with critics averaging 56% and audiences at 41, before watching this. But we weren't sorry we did.
Roma (2018)
Amy and I enjoyed this languid story of a maid and her employers in a Mexico City neighborhood called Roma, taking place over ten months in 1970-71. Directed, written, filmed, and co-edited by Alfonso Cuarón (he won two Oscars and more for directing and editing Gravity), this movie is based on his memories and the protagonist Cleo is based on his family's maid Libo.
Yalitza Aparicio plays Cleo with no previous acting experience and, apparently, she and the other cast members got their scene pages right before shooting (the same day) so their reactions could be fresh. Marina de Tavira (she has a few dozen credits, including Nora's Will), as the lady of the family, is the exception in the cast, being a seasoned actor.
This Netflix original has no composer, but a long list of songs, about half of which can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music.
On most critics' short lists for Best Foreign Film and all-around Best Picture, this also has the amor of Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 96% and 83 from its audiences.
Yalitza Aparicio plays Cleo with no previous acting experience and, apparently, she and the other cast members got their scene pages right before shooting (the same day) so their reactions could be fresh. Marina de Tavira (she has a few dozen credits, including Nora's Will), as the lady of the family, is the exception in the cast, being a seasoned actor.
This Netflix original has no composer, but a long list of songs, about half of which can be streamed on Spotify and Apple Music.
On most critics' short lists for Best Foreign Film and all-around Best Picture, this also has the amor of Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 96% and 83 from its audiences.
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