The Greatest Showman - Review

The Greatest Showman

Hugh Jackman uses his full array of virtuoso talents as an actor, singer and dancer in the inspired true story of legendary showman B.T. Barnum, “The Greatest Showman”. A blended film of music, dance, theater, Cirque du Soleil and melodrama revolving mostly around the story of BT Barnum, his wife and children, his collection of perceived societal misfits and his passion to being a financial success.

REVIEW: I could go into the backdrop of what inspired Barnum to his success but that would take away a significant portion of the films first 30 minutes in its 1:40 minute running time. What is worth mentioning is that while Rotten Tomato has the film at about 50% I believe it is better than that score. And while the film is not great it certainly is a dazzling piece of work with its beautiful set design and costumes and dance choreography.

But the best thing about “TGS” is the music which simply is phenomenal throughout the entire film. Inspiring and moving, the songs here are by the same people who wrote the music to 2016 Oscar Nominated Film “La La Land”, only I think their work here is far more memorable. I have little doubt that “TGS” will certainly garner an Oscar Nomination in the Musical Score category and will probably be the front runner to win as well.

“TGS” is not meant to be a serious film as it clearly glosses’ and skips over some of the more controversial aspects to Barnum’s success. Instead it tends to feel more like a cheer leading homage solely to Barnum’s benevolent qualities and nothing else. But in the overall arc of the films plot there is a strong meaningful social aspect to the films story in the way Barnum recruited his odd assortment of entertainers to be in his “circus”.

Coming in all sizes, shapes, races, looks and ethnicity, “TGS” makes a very tender point of the importance of acceptance of people. And while Barnum’s motifs may have been to make a lot of money he openly embraced to his own peril a lot of people who were shunned by society for their odd looks. His circus idea helped bring them out of the shadows and into the light of humanity. And by doing so he helped give a lot of good people the feeling of self-worth and self-respect as equals in the arena of humanity.

“TGS” is a satisfying and luminous film in a tight entertaining package.

3.25 Stars

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

We pick up the never ending saga of “intergalactic good versus evil” in Episode 8, “Star Wars – The Last Jedi”, with a reprisal of one of the main characters from the original 1977 effort named Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill).

In this 2018 installment, we find Jedi Master Luke Skywalker living on his own alone. He has intentionally retreated to a life in total exile on an obscure planet on an obscure island for the purpose of achieving (in his mind) peaceful harmony through complete solitary existence; away from the galactic mayhem from his youth. But his plans to never to return to the ways of his Jedi teachings - skills are upended when he encounters Rey (Daisy Ridley), a young woman who shows strong signs of the Force he is so familiar with. Her desire to learn the ways of the Jedi forces Luke to make a hard decision that changes their lives forever.

Meanwhile back in deep space we see the battle between the Resistance and the Evil Empire (now known as the “First Order”) continuing with Kylo Ren aka as Hans Solo and Princess Leia’s son (Adam Driver) and a dried up looking lizard with his head half caved in named General Hux combining their evil talents to lead the First Order regime in an all-out assault against (now) General Leia and her fighters for the survival and supremacy of the galaxy.

REVIEW: Hey, nothing I say here is ever going to sway anyone’s opinion about whether they will see this film or not. If you are a fan, as I am, you will be compelled to see it as much on impulse as well as a matter of it simply being a part of your youth. So to that point, with a running time of 2:30 minutes, “Star Wars – The Last Jedi” overall was pleasant, beautiful to look at and generally entertaining. It is much truer to the first 3 original installments (1977 – 1983) than the later 3 installments (1999 – 2005).  So for all of the “SW” fanatics out there who like to dress up each year at the premieres of these films as Storm Troopers or Jedi or Lord Vader none of you will be disappointed at all in “The Last Jedi”.

HOWEVER, my problem with the film, especially as an older man, is I realized now this film franchise has clearly moved towards the direction of youth and youth only, seemingly catering only to millennials per-se in the way they need instant gratification from their I-Phones every second of the day. While easy enough to follow, I still found the overall story very unimaginative as part of the continuing saga of Star Wars, with equally underwhelming subplots that seemed even more mired in murkiness. And while Director Rian Johnson did a solid job in this 8th effort, structurally speaking he seemed way too preoccupied with moving his story along with pace from scene to scene as his first priority rather than to occasionally taking his foot off the camera accelerator for some emotional balance. To his credit he valiantly tried to accomplish this in key moments where deep personal reflection and introspection were required between important principles in the film,  still what came across still felt way too rushed and falling a bit flat to hear and see..

In all fairness to Director Rian Johnson he has made a fun movie to watch. But substantively speaking it is the plot's execution that seemed to being only coherent for those devoted fans who now suffer from ADHA (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder). Filled with repetitive dialog that never takes you anywhere new and certainly never offering anything in the way of magical or stirring crescendo moments to hold on to or to remember. Instead the film is just basic and solid with just a good enough beginning, just a good enough middle and just enough of an OK ending to connect viewers to the next installment probably 3 years from now.

“Star Wars – The Last Jedi” has all of the visual swashbuckling swagger of its predecessors just not the emotional purity.

3.00 Stars

Darkest Hour - Review

Darkest Hour

One of my personal favorites, British Actor Gary Oldman (JFK, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and The Professional & Batman - The Dark Knight) takes on the role of a life time as one of the world’s most iconic real life leaders in the form of his fellow countryman Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the early days of World War II with the rising Fascist German Army and Adolph Hitler.

An inspiring true story of the four weeks of May in 1940, we soon discover all of Europe is on the precipice of falling under the control and dominance of Nazi Germany with the fall of France very imminent. It is compounded by the fact that Britain faces its “darkest hour” as well with the threat of their “Island nation” being invaded from the German military juggernaut. 

As the seemingly unstoppable Nazi forces advance, the newly formed British government of Prime Minister Winston Churchill (who hardly anyone in Parliament likes) is dealing with the early crisis of 300K plus of his countryman's British army and military allies collectively trapped and cornered on the French beaches of Dunkirk. Churchill realizes the fate of not only his country but all of Western Europe hangs on the balance of his leadership. But his leadership is a daily struggle as he dominated and surrounded by men who collectively in the Parliament and cabinet find him disagreeable, petulant and ill prepared to be their leader. They relentlessly pressure him day after day to agree to a peace treaty offering from Adolph Hitler to avoid the disaster of Britain being destroyed in a war they believe they cannot win. 

But it is the singular spotlight of his sole leadership to fight at all cost against a rising evil in the world and to prevent the totally incomprehensible thought of his country ever losing their national identity as a sovereign nation “under the banner of a swastika flying over Buckingham Palace”.

Refusing to cave under to his bitter professional rivals demands of negotiating with Hitler to save the British people from a terrible cost of life, Churchill chooses instead the very long extraordinary odds of confronting Germany. First by implementing a rescue strategy called "Operation Dynamo" that virtually rescued the entire British army from the shores of Dunkirk with a civilian naval armada and then shortly there after rallying his nation in his speech before the Parliament on what his policy would be going forward........... “You all ask, what is our nation’s policy? I will say it is to wage war, by sea, land, and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy”.

REVIEW: Initially we see the film in the form of an intimate examination of the ordinary man named Churchill filled with a combination of his smart British wit, compassion and charm along with a unique perspective of what he was like as a dutiful husband. But soon after this framing of his personality has passed we see minute by minute both the film “Darkest Hour” and the actor Gary Oldman grow into a perfectly executed mutual crescendo as one of the best films for 2017.

Running about 2 hours, “Darkest Hour” essentially is a microscopic portrait of what leadership likes when seemingly dire events require someone, just one someone, to take the reigns of people's hearts, minds and human will to lead them. That one special someone by being their most morally courageous to lead them. And it is Oldman's performance we see these qualities in his Churchill; that special someone in both intricate and broad strokes with flawless acting from beginning to end.

While Oldman is in almost 95% of the film scenes and has about 80% of the lines utter in the film, the film still works as a very well-rounded balance story of other historical characters all the while showcasing one of the finest acting performances in the way of Oldman interpretation you will see this year or any other year. Gary Oldman is just phenomenal and keeps the whole historical story from ever collapsing under the weight of already familiar documented account of events during those perilous month of May in 1940. Even with knowing how things turned out this story and film always felt fresh, compelling. very consequential every step of the way.

Look I could say a lot more in the way of details about the film being superbly directed by Joe Wright along with a musical score that was both appropriate and timely in its underscoring of key moments in the film, but should you see it you will find all of this out for yourself.

Ultimately, Darkest Hour’ is one of the 10 best films you will see all year. If you are a history buff I highly recommend renting this years “Dunkirk” and the former Best Picture winner (one of my favorites of all time) “The Kings Speech” before or after "Darkest Hour". Both previously released films are situationally linked to the same historical time frame in UK World War 2 history, with both films working very well as companion and supportive pieces to the more intricate strategic events that occurred in “Darkest Hour”.

So, now the Academy of Arts and Science in Los Angeles will have to go through the perfunctory formality of nominating Gary Oldman in late January 2018 for Best Actor and then the additional perfunctory formality of making him travel all the way across the Atlantic all dressed up in his black tuxedo and tie just to accept his golden statue Oscar on live TV. He will then in turn take the time to thank all those who helped him in this great performance as well as those who were instrumental in his successful long career. Instead I would like to suggest the following idea to the Academy........., “Hey Academy why don't you just Federal Express Gary Oldman’s his Oscar today to some London store………….Save him the damn time and money on flying and air fare just to pick his well deserved trophy here in the states" (just kidding - he will win though  - a 100% lock).

Please take the time to see “Darkest Hour”, I highly recommend this excellent film, but more for Gary Oldman's work who is “Brando-esque” as Prime Minister Winston Churchill (my highest form of praise for a male actor’s work). And also I would like to recommend one other final suggestion to Gary Oldman as well,……….. “Hey Gary, you might want to keep that Tux pressed and handy anyway, knighthood from the Queen is on its way………..and you have to show up for that”.

4.00 Stars 

The Shape of Water - Review

The Shape of Water

From acclaimed story teller, Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth), comes the love story - fantasy tale “The Shape of Water”. An other worldly story set against the backdrop of the Cold War era of America verses the USSR circa 1962.

From the top we find a hidden high-security government laboratory, filled with army security, scientist and an abundance of day laborers, one of which is a slight, submissive and quiet laborer named Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins). She works at the top secretive facility as a janitor (oddly enough in high heels and dress) then clocks out at the end of her day to go home alone to a small apartment. Eliza has no friends outside of her co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) and her landlord Giles (Richard Jenkins) because she is a mute and societally shunned; trapped in a life of daily isolation from her disability. And while her lost voice is an inexplicable mystery from scars on her neck she still is quite capable of hearing and able to respond to others very elegantly via sign language all too conveniently interpreted by her coworker and best friend Zelda and Giles.

One day at work Elisa's life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment in the form of an amphibious half human – half iguana lizard looking creature that is brought into facility from the jungles of Brazil.

Captured to be examined and researched by scientist there, the creature is shackled and chained under high security protocols in a basement laboratory with an indoor pool filled with slimy green water to accommodate the natural habitat where he was found. Elisa and Zelda are charged daily with cleaning up the laboratory from their series of test and experiments conducted on the creature, as well as from the blood from the brutal treatment inflicted by the head of security by a man named “Strickland” (Michael Shannon). He is throughout the film is sadistically frustrated by the creature’s inability to communicate in a discernable language.

Elisa witnesses the brutality by Strickland one day and immedaitely feels empathy for the creature, probably relating to his dilemma of being ostracized by not communicating. Feeling that connection to the creature and using some ingenuity on her part, she finds a way daily to sneak into the lab to visit the creature on her lunch break to share her hard boiled eggs and love of music with him. What ensues is a love story aka “beauty and the beast” through their forged deep emotional connection, not from words but rather through the silent expressions of respect, of touching and the simple act of compassion.

REVIEW: “The Shape of Water” is on everyones short list as an almost a lock to be nominated for a Best Picture nomination, with Best Actress for Sally Hawkins and other Academy Award nominations for technical considerations as well. There is just one problem, it won’t be because I had a vote. While I found it very beautiful to look at and filled with some top Hollywood talent, the overall plot was slightly above average on the interesting meter that never really connected with me as something plausible or reasonable, even in the back drop of it being a pure fantasy.

It wants to be too many things. It wants to be taken seriously as a dramatic love story with its subtle homage to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers films and yet I found the relationship very one dimensional, lacking any depth as to why they were drawn to each other than Eliza having a powerful libido. I found their interplay with one another almost laughable to even contemplate. And it also wants to be some cold war era spy thriller with the full measure of a subplot of the evil empire (USSR) and espionage. In both instances theses competing plots tried to make the case of “falling in love by conquering all obstacles’ as some remarkable tale of romance. But for me it wasn’t. Rather I felt less incline to be naturally drawn to this as a genuine fantasy and more forcibly compelled to surrender to it as a tale of bestiality romance. YUCK.

While “The Shape of Water” does try earnestly to being something very lovely to contemplate with its colorful sets design, movie musical tones and overt long silent love gazes meant to suggest real romantic tension between the two principle “love lizards”.   It never generated any real dramatic tension as far as I can see. Especially with an ending which from my perspective I could see coming a mile away.

Still I give Director Del Toro credit in trying to make a prodigious piece of work with glamour and appropriate atmospherics to sell this as a “by gone era old fashion love story”. And FYI, I am always a bit of a forgiving film fan of creative people taking risk into making something completely original given Hollywood’s yearly propensity to recycle the previously recycled  year after year. So for that I applaud Del Toro efforts for having and using some imagination with the best intensions. 

But in the end, “The Shape of Water” doesn’t transcend the art of romance in any artful new way, it just demands you accept this “slimy watery love tale” without ever questioning any aspect of it which made it for me a “hard water” story to buy.

So, see it but definitely rent it on those whimsical sleepy wintery days when you want to stay in doors and nothing else worth wild is on the TV.

3.00 Stars

The Disaster Artist - Review

The Disaster Artist

Actor James Franco, acts, writes and directs, along with his real life brother Dave Franco and his best buddy Seth Rogan in the offbeat satirical and very funny film called “The Disaster Artist”. A true story about a mysterious man with unusually long black hair and an indiscernible accent named Tommy Wiseau who in 2003 made one of the worst reviewed movies ever grossing only $1,800 dollars, only to  eventually have it evolve into one the greatest cult classic’s about “how not to make a movie” called “THE ROOM”. For 14 straight years “THE ROOM” has been currently playing in theaters in most major cities at least one night a week as a testament to its unintended fame. 

 

PLOT: At the start of the film we see principally only two characters, Tommy (James Franco) and his best friend Greg Sestero (Dave Franco), a 19 year old who is aspiring to be a full time actor. Both Tommy and Greg are studying together in a San Francisco based acting class when one day the Director admonishes Greg in class as being simply not good enough to be a serious working actor in Hollywood.

Frustrated by the criticism Greg reaches out to Tommy as someone he sees in his class through his improvisational but very strange performances as genuinely fearless and passionate about his work. Agreeing to help Greg, on a whim Tommy offers Greg to simply move in with him as his roommate so as (maybe) together they can inspire each other to getting the kind of real acting work they both dream of achieving. 

 

But after several months of endless rejections, Greg during a flippant and dismissive moment at humor suggests to Tommy that he should make his own movie. Tommy sees this as a real epiphany moment to making his dreams come true to being like his iconic film hero James Dean. So he goes off not only to writing a screenplay, but also financing his entire film at the cost of $6M with a bunch of no named actors in his story “THE ROOM”. A plot that centers  a banker named Johnny, a man who has it all; great friends, a good job, and a gorgeous fiancée named Lisa , but who also has a scheme on her part of  manipulating and tearing Johnny apart for her own selfish needs while at the same time allowing herself to being seduced by Johnny’ best friend Mark.

REVIEW: Besides being completely off beat and hysterical funny at the same time, ‘The Disaster Artist” ultimately is a sweet homage to all of the countless actors who went to Hollywood with huge dreams that quickly failed; giving up, never to be heard of again. But not Tommy.  Franco’s film is essentially about Tommy Wiseau as a sweet tribute to both him as a person as well as to the idea of personal perseverance, along with what constitutes a real friendship and overall being truly passionate about something you genuinely believe it, no matter how many people make fun or criticize you.

 

While there are moments in the film that most casual film viewers will find as either weird, emotionally uncomfortable, even bizarre to contemplate, it wasn’t for me.  “The Disaster Artist” worked for all of its 1:45 minutes running time as it apparently did for the viewing audience who laughed out loud, seemingly enjoying this effort throughout as I did. But not so much as a film to make light of Tommy’s naivety, but more at the brilliance of James Franco superb acting talent playing skillfully about a man with no talent for acting while trying to act in the film with horrible acting (get it). Franco makes the full arc of Tommy’s story a fabulous tale that is sincere and honest even in the midst of watching Tommy’s direct his film rooted almost daily in some form of chaos and endless production disasters.

There is a great visual scene in “The Disaster Artist” film where Franco’s Tommy is seen shooting a scene in his making of “The Room” film that was supposed to be about Tommy having sex with his girlfriend in the movie. Tommy is so completely bad at acting that he is even horrible simulating having sex, as it looked more like some naked rhythm-less uncoordinated man humping a concrete building. Brought me to tears.

 

James Franco will almost certainly be nominated for Best Actor and deservedly so as his “The Disaster Artist” makes Tommy someone you totally root for. And if you should see this and you conclude that Tommy is a bit of a head case, as well as you deem his acting as unbearable to watch or you conclude that at times he seems more like a child stuck in a man’s body, it nevertheless is truly one of the more imaginative original pieces of film making you will see with genuine hilarity and genuine heart about a successful and yet unknown actor named Tommy Wiseau's who’s eccentricity and bad acting was an illuminating joy to watch.

3.50 Stars

Films Rebooted - For TV / New Movie

Films Rebooted - For TV  / New Movie

A Star Is Born An American Werewolf In London Blue Thunder Car Wash Creature From The Black Lagoon The Crow Das Boot Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Dune Escape From New York Every Which Way But Loose Five Fingers Of Death Friday The 13th Hellboy Hellraiser Highlander I Know What You Did Last Summer Invasion of the Body Snatchers Jacob's Ladder Little Shop Of Horrors Little Women Logan's Run Men In Black Miami Vice Momento Nightmare On Elm Street Oceans Eight Police Academy Predator Private Benjamin Rambo

Red Sonja Road House Scarface Shaft (comedy) Short Circuit Sister Act Splash Stargate Starship Troopers Super Fly Terms of Endearment The Birds The Fly The Fugitive The Green Hornet The Legend Of Conan The Lion King The Little Mermaid The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance The Matrix The Naked Gun The Seven Samurai The Ten Commandments The Thomas Crown Affair The Warriors The Wild Bunch The Wolfman Tomb Raider War Games Weird Science White Men Can't Jump Zorro