My Zoe

Last night I saw the movie My Zoe and, while it is a fascinating and thought-provoking portrait of a mother willing to go to extraordinary lengths to keep from losing her child, I found it to be very anticlimactic.  It begins as a domestic drama as Isabelle (Julie Delpy) fights an acrimonious battle with her estranged husband James (Richard Armitage) for custody of their daughter Zoe (Sophia Ally).  Then it completely shifts gears and becomes a futuristic science fiction thriller as Isabelle requests an experimental procedure that is both illegal and possibly unethical after her daughter suffers a devastating brain injury.  This involves such a strange tonal shift that it almost seems like two different movies (the screen even fades to black in between the two).  I enjoyed the first act, particularly the passive aggressive bickering between Isabelle and James as they both try to prove that they are the better parent, because both characters feel very authentic in their love for their daughter and their situation is incredibly intense and compelling.  The final act is less compelling because it requires an almost comical suspension of disbelief despite the fact that the movie is set in the near future (with some really interesting tech gadgets).  Several new characters are introduced and their actions lack any sort of motivation.  Dr. Thomas Fischer (Daniel Bruhl), a fertility specialist to whom Isabelle turns in her desperation, adamantly refuses to help her because the experiment is morally wrong and almost certain to fail but then he inexplicably changes his mind and, of course, the experiment is a success.  His wife Laura (Gemma Arterton) is horrified that he has risked everything to help a woman he barely knows but even she eventually becomes sympathetic for no discernible reason.  In my opinion, the resolution is very disappointing because the timeline jumps several years into the future without an examination of the provocative questions that have have been posed about the outcome of the experiment.  Delpy gives a passionate performance as a mother on a relentless quest but it isn't enough to keep this movie from derailing in the end.  

Crisis

There are not a lot of new releases this weekend (the new Tom & Jerry movie gets a hard pass from me) so I spontaneously decided to see Crisis even though I didn't know a lot about it.  This gritty crime thriller about the opioid epidemic is actually quite riveting and I'm glad I saw it.  DEA agent Jake Kelly (Armie Hammer), motivated by a younger sister (Lily-Rose Depp) addicted to heroin, is working undercover to bring down a multi-cartel operation smuggling fentanyl from Canada into the U.S.  Claire Reimann (Evangeline Lilly) is a recovering addict investigating the suspicious death of her son (Duke Nicholson) from an oxycodone overdose.  Dr. Tyrone Brower (Gary Oldman) is a university professor who conducts tests on prospective drugs for a large pharmaceutical company in return for grant money to fund his other research.  He has a crisis of conscience when he discovers irregularities in the test results for a non-addictive pain medication about to receive FDA approval.  The movie alternates between these three narratives until there is a loose, but incredibly thought-provoking, connection between them.  I found all three stories to be very compelling and my only criticism is that each of them could have been (should have been?) expanded and developed more for a deeper analysis because they each had the potential to stand alone.  Characters such as a university dean (Greg Kinnear), pharmaceutical company executives (Luke Evans and Veronica Ferres), the head of the DEA task force (Michelle Rodriguez), members of the Armenian drug cartel (Michael Aronov and Adam Tsekhman), and an FDA official (Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi) get a bit lost in the shuffle.  Hammer (I like him as an actor despite his recent troubles in the media), Lilly, and Oldman give powerful performances and I was always invested in each character's arc.  There will be the inevitable comparisons to Traffic (which is, admittedly, a better movie) but I think seeing this is an entertaining way to spend a Saturday night and I recommend it.

Blithe Spirit

Last night I went to see Blithe Spirit and, while it was a nice change to see a comedy after all of the serious dramas of late, I didn't like it as much as I hoped I would.  Successful crime novelist Charles Condomine (Dan Stevens) is trying to write a screenplay based on one of his books but he has been suffering from writer's block ever since his first wife and muse, Elvira (Leslie Mann), died seven years ago.  He is desperate for inspiration because he is facing a deadline imposed on him by his father-in-law.  While attending the stage show of Madame Arcati (Judi Dench), a fraudulent spiritualist and medium, he decides to incorporate the supernatural into his screenplay and invites her to perform a seance at his house to learn the tricks of the trade.  Instead, Madame Arcati inadvertently summons the ghost of Elvira, much to the dismay of Condamine's second wife Ruth (Isla Fisher), and chaos ensues.  I really wanted to like this movie because it is based on a hilarious play by Noel Coward and includes an outstanding cast with a stylish Art Deco production design and glamorous period costumes.  Despite all of this I think it lacks a certain spark.  There are changes to the source material, particularly in the final act, that make the narrative unnecessarily convoluted in the service of promoting a feminist message and the inclusion of Madame Arcati's sentimental backstory creates a strange tonal shift.  While there are moments of physical comedy that are really funny, most notably during scenes where Charles is the only one who can see Elvira, they are few and far between and the slapstick is a poor substitute for the usual witty back and forth banter that this play is known for.  I was really struck by the fact that the large crowd in my screening didn't seem to laugh very much.  Finally, Mann is the only one who delivers her lines with the charm and sophistication necessary for a Noel Coward comedy.  Everyone else seems bland in comparison.  The best thing that I can say about this movie is that it looks good (I found myself paying more attention to the details of the set design than to the action).  I was a bit disappointed in this adaptation and I would definitely recommend seeing this on the stage instead of the screen.

The Mauritanian

I finally checked the last movie off my must-see list with a screening of The Mauritanian last night.  This movie tells the true story of how Mohamedou Ould Salahi was held for fourteen years in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp without being charged with a crime.  Soon after 9/11, Salahi (Tahar Rahim) is apprehended by the U.S. government on the basis of suspicious activity and loose associations with people responsible for the attacks but no direct evidence.  Several years later, defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster), with the help of her associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley), decides to take his case because holding him is a violation of habeas corpus while Lt. Colonel Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch) decides to prosecute him for very personal reasons.  When Hollander and Couch begin their separate investigations, they both uncover the same disturbing details of his detention.  This information causes Hollander, who only wanted to protect the rule of law, to become personally invested in freeing Salahi and causes Couch, who wanted someone to blame for the death of a friend, to question the legality of the case.  In my opinion, The Report, another movie which exposes the enhanced interrogation techniques sanctioned by the Bush administration, has a much better narrative structure than The Mauritanian because the latter is very slow and meandering with flashbacks that are sometimes confusing within the timeline.  However, I was much more emotionally invested in this story because it focuses on the plight of one man (rather than the investigation of several cases as in The Report) who, despite the fact we are not really sure of his guilt or innocence until the final act, is portrayed very sympathetically.  As with The Report, I found this movie to be incredibly upsetting with many scenes that made me angry, several that moved me to tears, and several that caused me to look away (the torture scenes, especially the waterboarding, are very difficult to watch).  Rahim and Foster give outstanding performances and, while I was very moved by Cumberbatch's portrayal of Couch's disillusionment, I didn't really buy his Southern accent.  Despite a few flaws, The Mauritanian has an important and compelling story to tell so I would recommend it.

Minari

I took a little break from seeing the movies on my must-see list last week because my area received a ton of snow and I didn't feel like driving in it!  I resumed my quest once again last night by seeing Minari.  This has been one of my most anticipated movies of 2021 and I was not disappointed because I loved this incredibly moving story.  Korean immigrants Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica Yi (Han Ye-ri) leave the West Coast and move to rural Arkansas with their daughter Anne (Noel Kate Cho) and son David (Alan Kim) in the 1980s.  Jacob is thrilled to be following his dream of farming his own land but Monica is horrified to be living in a mobile home, concerned about borrowing so much money for a risky investment, and worried about living so far away from a hospital because of David's heart condition.  The two of them argue incessantly but, as a compromise to keep Monica from moving back to California, Jacob agrees to have Monica's mother, Soon-ja (Youn Yuh-jung), come from Korea to live with them and help with the children.  David struggles with his free-spirited grandmother and all of her old-fashioned ideas but he bonds with her when they plant minari seeds, which grow anywhere and have many uses.  The minari plants eventually become a metaphor as the Yi family endures hardship after hardship in this unfamiliar place while David thrives.  This is such a beautiful movie about the American dream as seen through the eyes of an immigrant family, particularly those of a seven year old boy, and Kim gives an absolutely enchanting performance. In fact, all of the performances are brilliant.  I loved the relationship between David and his grandmother and I just about cried my eyes out when she tells him not to worry about dying and then sings him to sleep.  It is a meditative, yet powerful, narrative told through the accretion of tiny details that eventually come to have enormous significance and my attention never wavered.  The cinematography is gorgeous, particularly the use of light, and the haunting piano score creates an evocative mood that had me feeling so many different emotions.  After anticipating this movie for so long I can honestly say that the hype is real!  It is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time and I highly recommend it!

Girl A

My Book of the Month selection for February was Girl A by Abigail Dean (the other options were The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson, Infinite Country by Patricia Engel, The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah, and Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers). I read it in one day because I found it so compelling! Alexandra "Lex" Gracie escapes from what the press dub the "House of Horrors," where she and her six siblings were held prisoner and abused by their religiously fanatical parents for years, when she is fifteen. As the oldest daughter, she is given the designation "Girl A" in the press and, after extensive medical and psychological treatment, she is eventually adopted, as are the rest of her siblings. Her father commits suicide when the truth is discovered but her mother is given a lengthy prison sentence. Fifteen years later Lex is now a successful attorney in New York when she learns that her mother has died in prison and has made her the executor of her will. This necessitates a return to England in order to dispose of her childhood home and it also necessitates contacting her siblings, who have all coped with their trauma in different ways, to get their approval. This causes all of her memories of the abuse to resurface. The narrative is told from Lex's point of view and alternates between the past, when the siblings are going though the abuse, and the present, when they are dealing with the effects of it. It is a fascinating exploration of what happens during a high-profile case as well as what happens after the media attention dies down. I found the discussions about the people who profited from the tragedy, such as the psychologists who lobbied to work with the siblings to bring attention (and new clients) to their practices, the family who adopted a sibling as a way to further their own cause celebre, and a relative who did nothing to help the siblings but wrote a tell-all book about the family, to be incredibly interesting and thought-provoking. I was also very intrigued by the sibling dynamic in this novel because it was not what I was expecting. Just because a group of people go through a traumatic incident together doesn't mean that they will all view it in the same light (Delilah is an especially fascinating character). Finally, it was very eye-opening to read that, while the public wants to believe in a happily-ever-after scenario for the victims once they have been rescued from their abusers, it is only the beginning of a lifetime of healing from the trauma with no easy solutions. This is a difficult novel to get through but I honestly couldn't put it down (I suspected a major plot twist with one of the siblings but, when it was revealed, it was not at all what I imagined). I highly recommend it!

A Tale of Two Cities at HCT

If I had to pick a favorite Charles Dickens novel it would definitely be A Tale of Two Cities and I count HCT's 2011 production of this classic tale as one of their best. HCT is producing this stirring musical again and I had the chance to see it last night. I loved it so much and I was absolutely thrilled to see Kyle Olsen, my favorite actor from the earlier production, reprise his role as Sydney Carton. Lucie Manette (Brittany Andam), a young woman in London who believes that she is an orphan, learns that her father Dr. Alexander Manette (David Weeks) is still alive after having been wrongfully imprisoned in the Bastille by the Marquise St. Evremonde (Josh Egbert). She travels to Paris to bring him home to London and meets Charles Darnay (Ren Cottam), the nephew of Evremonde who has renounced his ties to the aristocracy, on the journey and they fall in love. Darnay is wrongfully accused of treason upon arrival in London but the dissolute lawyer Sydney Carton (Olsen) clears his name. Carton is also secretly in love with Lucie, but when she marries Darnay, he remains a friend of the family and becomes attached to her daughter Lucie (Leilani Walker). In Paris, Evremonde is responsible for the death of a child when his carriage runs him over in front of the Defarge's wine shop. Madame Defarge (Adrien Swenson), who has a grudge against Evremonde, encourages the boy's father, Gaspard (Alix DeBirk), to murder him which ultimately leads to revolution. Darnay feels that he must return to Paris to rescue Evremonde's household but he is immediately arrested as an aristocrat, denounced by Madame Defarge who wants to wipe out all descendants of Evremonde, and sentenced to the guillotine. This prompts Carton to make the ultimate sacrifice to save Darnay and show his love for Lucie and her daughter. The story is a bit convoluted (it is Charles Dickens, after all) but I was really impressed with the clever use of projections to denote the various locations in London and Paris and this really helped me follow the action. This show is also very complicated technically with set pieces coming up from the pit, down from the rafters, and in from the wings during every scene and these transitions happen seamlessly. One of the things I liked best about the 2011 production was the set featuring cobblestone paths and a large wooden guillotine. The set for this show is very different, with large glass panels and metal grates in the floor that are illuminated with red and blue lights, but no less dramatic. All of the performances are wonderful and I especially loved Swenson's version of "Out of Sight, Out of Mind," Andam's version of "Without a Word," and her version of "Now at Last" with Cottam. However, I was absolutely captivated by Olsen's portrayal of Carton. He brought me to tears during his emotional rendition of "If Dreams Came True" and then once again as he walks up the steps to the guillotine in the final scene. I really loved this incredibly moving show and I highly recommend it. It runs on the Young Living Stage through March 20 but tickets are very limited (go here) so act quickly!

Note:  Don't miss HCT's hilarious production of The Play That Goes Wrong on the Jewel Box Stage (go here for tickets).

The World to Come

Yesterday afternoon I checked another new release off my list by seeing The World to Come.  I have been looking forward to this movie ever since I saw a trailer a few weeks ago because it is exactly the type of period piece that I love.  Abigail (Katherine Waterston) and her taciturn husband Dyer (Casey Affleck, in a quietly moving performance) are mourning the recent death of their young daughter on the frontier in the mid-19th century.  She begins the new year by recording the details of her lonely and mundane life of hard work in a ledger and continues each day.  Everything changes when Tallie (Vanessa Kirby) and her husband Finney (Christopher Abbott) begin renting a nearby farm.  Tallie visits Abigail every afternoon and they find fulfillment in their friendship which slowly becomes an all-encompassing passion.  Eventually their husbands start to suspect that their relationship might be something more.  Dyer is sad because Abigail only seems to smile when Tallie is around but Finney is angry that Tallie is not performing her wifely duties.  When Finney forces Tallie to move to another farm miles away, Abigail does not know if she can return to her empty and isolated life.  This story of forbidden love is moody, atmospheric, and restrained.  Waterston and Kirby are absolutely smoldering on screen and convey so much longing with with just a glance or the briefest touch of their hands so, when they finally do give in to their feelings, it is incredibly powerful.  I loved the juxtaposition between the dark and muted landscape whenever Abigail is with Dyer with the warm glow of lanterns inside the cabin and the sun-dappled picnics outdoors when she is with Tallie.  Just like Abigail, I eagerly anticipated the moment when Tallie would appear and light up the screen.  The dialogue is so poetic and I often felt like I was watching an adaptation of a classic 19th century novel that I read in high school.  I especially loved the reference to King Lear when they talk about being caged birds who can still sing.  The score, heavy on woodwinds, is extremely evocative and adds so much to the mood while the cinematography is almost hypnotic.  The resolution is heartbreaking but I absolutely loved this movie and I recommend it to fans of period dramas.

Judas and the Black Messiah

The next new release on my must-see list was Judas and the Black Messiah and I went to see it yesterday.  It is an amazing movie but it was also deeply upsetting to me.  Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), the Chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers, works to unify the disparate groups in Chicago in a Rainbow Coalition to protest against police brutality in the late 1960s.  FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (Martin Sheen) believes that the Black Panthers are a security threat to the United States and fears Hampton's power, dubbing him the "Black Messiah."  He encourages his agents to take him down through whatever means necessary so Special Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) coerces William O'Neal (Lakeith Stanfield), a car thief who is facing a lengthy jail sentence for impersonating an agent, into infiltrating the Black Panthers.  O'Neal eventually rises to become Hampton's chief of security while providing information to the FBI which, among other things, is used to facilitate the assassination of Hampton in a police raid.  The story is so compelling.  It is obviously a dramatization of actual events (I don't know a lot about the Black Panthers beyond the propaganda I’ve been taught all of my life) but I found the portrayal of Hampton to be incredibly sympathetic, especially in scenes where he takes all of the weapons from his followers before meeting with a rival gang, when he refuses O'Neal's offer of C-4 to blow up city hall, and when he allocates money given to him personally for a community medical center.  This characterization makes his assassination even more disturbing and I had an almost visceral reaction to its portrayal, particularly the close-up of Hampton's pregnant girlfriend Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback) as he is shot.  It was also very difficult to watch scenes involving altercations between the Black Panthers and the police in light of recent events because they highlight the fact that we still have so far to go in the fight for racial equality.  All of the performances are stellar!  Kaluuya is absolutely electrifying as the revolutionary, especially during his speeches to crowds.  Stanfield does a brilliant job of portraying O'Neal's growing disillusionment with his role as he comes to believe in what Hampton is doing and Plemons gives a highly nuanced performance, particularly in an incredibly poignant scene where Mitchell realizes, just for a moment, that what the FBI is doing is wrong.  Finally, I loved the cinematography and the score which call to mind the gritty crime dramas of the 70s.  This is a powerful movie that is, unfortunately, so relevant for today and I think everyone should see it.

Land

There are so many new movies out right now and I want to see them all!  I began last night with Land, which I have been anticipating for what seems like forever, and I really liked it.  Edee (Robin Wright) is mourning the unexpected death of her husband and son and has lost the will to live.  She buys a cabin and a piece of land in a remote area of the Rocky Mountains and retreats from the outside world.  She is clearly unprepared for the harsh conditions, possibly by design, and is near death when she is found by Miguel (Demian Bichir) and Alawa (Sarah Dawn Pledge), a hunter and nurse, respectively, who live in the nearest town.  They nurse her back to health and then Miguel offers to teach her how to trap and hunt along with other survival skills.  As he teaches Edee how to live in the wild, he also teaches her how to live with her grief.  The narrative is slow and contemplative but my attention never wavered.  Retreating into nature in order to heal is a familiar theme, and this movie doesn't really have anything new to say about it, but it is one that I particularly enjoy because I also find a great deal of solace in nature.  I found Edee's story to be particularly compelling because, while she yearns for solitude after the world becomes too much to bear, it is ultimately a human connection that helps her to heal.  I also really loved Miguel's journey to redemption because he needs Edee to help him deal with his own trauma as much as she needs him.  Both Wright and Bichir give understated but powerful performances and often convey more emotion in the silences that permeate this movie rather than through dialogue.  The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous and I loved all of the shots of the stunning scenery, in all four seasons, that are interspersed throughout.  This has a few flaws (in my opinion Into the Wild and Wild tell the same story much better) but I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

Little Fish

Last night I saw the independent film Little Fish and I found it to be deeply affecting (I was an emotional mess by the end of it).  In the near future Emma (Olivia Cooke), a veterinary tech, and Jude (Jack O'Connell), a photographer, meet each other, fall in love, and get married in the midst of a global pandemic (this movie was written and filmed before our current pandemic).  A mysterious virus known as NIA (Neuroinflammatory Affliction), which causes people to lose their memories all at once or little by little, is spreading rapidly and, since it has no cure, it is causing the breakdown of society as people suddenly forget who they are and how to do their jobs.  Jude and Emma are devastated when they see the virus destroy the relationship between their two best friends Ben (Raul Castillo) and Samantha (Soko) and they fearfully look for the signs in each other.  When Jude gets the virus, Emma does everything she can to get him into a controversial clinical trial for a possible cure and, when that option falls through, she does everything she can to keep the memory of their love alive.  The narrative involves a series of haunting and beautifully composed vignettes (including one that informs the title) about their life together in the past interspersed with attempts to remember these events in the present and this device is especially effective at portraying the ephemeral nature of memory.  The twist at the end is absolutely heartbreaking and I know that I will be thinking about it for a long time.  Cooke and O'Connell give incredibly touching performances, especially in the scenes where Jude can't remember Emma, and their chemistry together makes their love story even more poignant.  The hazy cinematography and evocative score also add to the lyrical tone.  I really loved this movie and I definitely recommend seeking it out (it is a little bit under the radar in my neck of the woods).

Malcolm & Marie

Even though Malcolm & Marie is now streaming on Netflix, I went to see it on the big screen last night because I think movies are always better the way they were meant to be seen.  At first glance this movie is a brutally honest portrait of a relationship coming undone but upon closer examination it is actually a commentary on film criticism which, in my opinion, lessens its impact.  Filmmaker Malcolm (John David Washington) and his girlfriend Marie (Zendaya) return home from the premiere of his film which has been very well received.  He is triumphant with success but she is silently seething with resentment.  He eventually realizes that something is wrong and, when he presses her for an explanation, she reveals that she is hurt because he didn't thank her during his speech.  This leads to a knock-down, drag-out battle between them in which she accuses him of appropriating her life for his film, thus questioning his authenticity as a filmmaker, and he taunts her with all of the other women used as inspiration for his main character, which diminishes her importance in his life.  It goes on and on with both characters delivering showy and bombastic monologues about life and art but, in my opinion, this movie is at its best in the quieter moments when they talk about their relationship, such as when Malcolm tells Marie that she deserves to be loved for who she is and when Marie tearfully begs Malcolm to appreciate her more.  Washington and Zendaya give fully committed performances but their interactions are just so exhausting to watch because there is never a resolution and, ironically, the dialogue sometimes lacks authenticity.  While the black and white cinematography is really striking and the camera work is interesting (especially the use of windows and mirrors), this movie isn't really either of those things.  I wish I liked it more because I am a fan of both actors but I would recommend giving it a miss.

Saint Maud

I like horror movies to be genuinely scary rather than shocking and, lately, A24 has produced some really good ones (The Witch and Hereditary come to mind).  I saw their latest release, Saint Maud, yesterday and it was incredibly unsettling from the first image until the shocking conclusion.  Maud (Morfydd Clark) is a hospice nurse who has recently converted to Catholicism in response to a traumatic incident from her past (hinted at in an ambiguous prologue).  She is assigned to care for Amanda (Jennifer Ehle), a former dancer and choreographer who has stage four lymphoma.  Maud is incredibly devout and, when Amanda expresses a fear about what happens after death in a moment of weakness, she becomes obsessed with saving her soul because she believes that it is God's will.  Amanda, filled with rage over her situation, openly mocks Maud's attempts at salvation and eventually has her dismissed which makes Maud increasingly desperate.  Is she in the grip of a religious fervor or is she having a mental breakdown?  Is there a difference?  This is an absolutely brilliant character study of a young woman who is so completely alienated from everyone and everything that she fills the void with God.  I loved the scenes where Maud tries, unsuccessfully, to make a connection and then has a series of hallucinations that can either be interpreted as religious ecstasy or a descent into madness.  Clark gives a stunning performance because she is both sympathetic and frightening as she weaves seamlessly between Maud's inner and outer worlds.  The low level lighting distorts every image, the production design featuring a Gothic house on a hill sets a sinister mood, and the atmospheric score kept me on edge throughout the entire runtime.  There are also some really intense scenes, particularly the ones involving self-flagellation, that are difficult to watch and I don't think I will forget the ending any time soon.  This is one of the best horror movies I've seen (definitely up there with The Witch and Hereditary) and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre.

Nomadland

The movie Nomadland won top honors at both TIFF and the Venice Film Festival last year and it is currently generating a lot of Oscar buzz so it has been on my must see list for quite a while.  It is now playing in IMAX theaters for a limited engagement (it will get a wider release and begin streaming on Hulu on February 19) so I went to see it yesterday.  After her husband dies and the US Gypsum plant where she has worked for many years closes down, Fern (Frances McDormand) is forced to put all of her belongings in storage and live in her van while working a seasonal job at an Amazon fulfillment center.  There she meets a woman named Linda who travels all over the U.S. in a van while working seasonal jobs and she invites her to a gathering of like-minded people in the desert.  She turns her down but when the weather gets too cold to live in her van she finds the group.  She meets other nomads who teach her basic survival skills and extol the virtues of this lifestyle.  She decides to travel through the Western states to accumulate as many memories as she can while working jobs such as a camp host at an RV park, a cook at Wall Drug, and a laborer on a beet farm.  She frequently encounters a man named Dave (David Strathairn) on her travels and they form a close friendship.  Both Dave, after deciding to move in with his son, and her sister encourage her to settle down with them but she ultimately decides that she likes the freedom of the road.  This is an incredibly powerful character study that is told very slowly through a series of vignettes which illustrate both the joys and the hardships of this lifestyle.  Just as she did with her previous film The Rider (which I loved), director Chloe Zhao has real people play fictionalized versions of themselves and this lends a certain credibility to the narrative.  McDormand gives a quietly affecting performance and I especially loved the scenes where she is overcome by nature.  The cinematography is simultaneously beautiful with wide shots of the landscape as Fern travels and gritty in the accurate portrayal of her circumstances.  I really loved this movie because, while Fern is forced into this lifestyle because of the Great Recession, there is something enchanting about giving everything away and leaving society behind to live more authentically.  I highly recommend it!

The Little Things

I had really high expectations for The Little Things because it features three Academy Award winners: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto.  I saw it last night and, while there are a few little things that keep it from being great, I enjoyed it.  Joe "Deke" Deacon (Washington), a deputy sheriff in Kern County, California, is sent to Los Angeles to retrieve some evidence and meets Sgt. Jim Baxter (Malek), the lead detective on a high profile investigation of a serial killer.  Baxter asks Deke, once a rising star in the LASD, to accompany him to the crime scene of the latest victim.  Deke is struck by the similarity to an unsolved crime that he worked during his time in L.A. which caused him to lose his marriage, his health, and his job and has obsessed him ever since.  He takes a leave of absence from Kern County to unofficially assist Baxter in the investigation and they come to suspect Albert Sparma (Leto) who may or may not be guilty.  They bring Sparma in for questioning and, even though he taunts them, they have to release him because they don't have enough evidence.  Baxter is convinced Sparma is guilty and goes to great lengths, including some that are unorthodox, to tail him.  Eventually Deke fears that Baxter will suffer his same fate if he doesn't solve the case.  This is a moody and atmospheric crime thriller that focuses more on the psychological effects of the crime on the detectives rather than on trying to solve the crime (comparisons to Seven, which is much better in my opinion, are inevitable).  It loses focus in the second act but I found the twist at the end to be incredibly intriguing.  The characters are a bit underdeveloped but all three actors give riveting performances and the back-and-forth between Malek as a young and brash detective and Washington as his world-weary mentor is very compelling while Leto is suitably creepy as a disheveled psychopath (albeit one we have seen him play before).  The little things that detract from this movie don't keep it from being entertaining and I recommend it to fans of the genre.

Supernova

Last night I went to see Supernova, a movie that I have been eagerly anticipating for months, and it broke my heart into a million pieces.  Sam (Colin Firth), a musician, and Tusker (Stanley Tucci), a writer, have been a devoted couple for decades when Tusker receives the devastating diagnosis of early-onset dementia.  Two years later Sam is ambivalent about an invitation to perform a concert but Tusker is eager for him to accept and plans an elaborate road trip to visit family and friends on the way to the venue.  The dementia is taking a toll on both of them but Sam sees this trip as an opportunity to help Tusker remember their life together while Tusker is trying to help Sam forget him.  This movie is an incredibly moving portrayal of love and loss and anyone who has ever had a loved one suffer from dementia will be absolutely devastated by it.  I started crying during a particularly poignant moment at a dinner party when Sam reads a speech written by Tusker in which he expresses his love and appreciation for Sam and I don't think I stopped until the emotional conclusion.  It is also a really understated character study that is elevated by brilliant performances from both Firth and Tucci, maybe the best of their careers.  They have tremendous chemistry with each other and are entirely believable as a couple who has been together for years.  The way that they look at each other and touch each other reveals the depth of their connection, perhaps even better than what they say (although I loved the scenes where they bicker about using the GPS).  Firth, especially, is heartbreaking in his silent anguish.  This movie really resonated with me personally, particularly a scene where Tusker struggles to remember a word, but I highly recommend it to everyone (just bring your tissues).

The Maltese Falcon

I have been so excited to see The Maltese Falcon ever since the 2021 TCM Big Screen Classics series lineup was announced!  I had the chance last night and it was so much fun watching what is widely regarded as one of the best examples of film noir, with Humphrey Bogart as the private eye and Mary Astor as the femme fatale, on the big screen.  The story begins when a beautiful woman named Ruth Wonderley (Astor) hires detective Sam Spade (Bogart) to find a missing person.  The case takes a sinister turn when his partner Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan) and Floyd Thursby, the man he is tailing, are murdered.  Spade discovers that his client, now known as Brigid O'Shaughnessy, was once Thursby's colleague and that she, Joel Cairo (Peter Lorre), Wilmer Cook (Elisha Cook, Jr.), and Kasper Gutman (Sydney Greenstreet) are all in pursuit of a mysterious black statue of a falcon, purported to be a lost tribute from the Knights Templar of Malta to Charles V of Spain, which Thursby apparently found in Istanbul.  After a series of convoluted misadventures Spade eventually finds the falcon and solves the case.  This movie is incredibly suspenseful with so many twists and turns that you can't possibly guess what it going to happen next and features one of the best MacGuffins in film history.  Bogart gives a brilliant performance as the ruthless anti-hero who quips and fights his way out of every situation with a cheeky grin on his face.  Lorre is hilarious as the eccentric Cairo and Greenstreet, in his very first screen role, steals every scene that he is in as Gutman.  Astor is also fantastic as the manipulative O'Shaughnessy and her performance in the emotionally charged final scene with Spade is epic.  I loved the hard-boiled dialogue, the use of light and shadow in the cinematography, and the stylized direction by John Huston.  It is a wildly entertaining movie and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't seen it!

The Dig

Last night I really enjoyed seeing The Dig which is a lovely period drama based on a true story.  Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan), a wealthy but lonely widow who lives on a sprauling estate in Suffolk, hires Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes), an amateur archaeologist, to excavate some large burial mounds on her land just before the start of World War II.  He soon makes what will eventually become one of the most significant discoveries of Anglo-Saxon remains in Britain.  This draws the unwanted attention of the British Museum and other professional archaeologists which tests the relationship between Edith and Basil.  There is also a subplot involving a forbidden romance between Edith's nephew Rory Lomax (Johnny Flynn), who is hired by Edith to help Basil with the dig, and Peggy Preston (Lily James), the unhappy wife of one of the archaeologists sent by the British Museum, which is complicated by his desire to join the RAF.  The action is slow and deliberate but it is surprisingly riveting because of the powerful story about trying to understand the past while facing an uncertain future and the importance of appreciating every fleeting moment.  The visuals are absolutely gorgeous with long tracking shots of characters walking through sun-dappled fields and I loved the beautiful period costumes.  The performances are brilliant with a quiet restraint between Mulligan and a curmudgeonly Fiennes and a simmering passion between James and Flynn (who I think is incredibly appealing).  I was also really impressed with Archie Barnes who plays Edith's young son Robert, especially in his scenes with Fiennes.  I loved this movie (I am a sucker for British period pieces) and I highly recommend it but it might not be for everyone.  It is in theaters for a limited engagement and then it will stream on Netflix beginning January 29.

The Survivors

I have been toying with joining the Book of the Month subscription service for a long time and, since it is a new year, I decided to go for it! Every month I get to pick a book from five options (I can also pick add-ons) and then it is delivered to me in a blue box. For my January book I selected The Survivors by Jane Harper (the other options were The Dating Plan by Sara Desai, The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr., Outlawed by Anna North, and The Removed by Brandon Hobson). I really enjoyed this selection (I read it in two days) because it is incredibly atmospheric and suspenseful. Twelve years ago, two men died and a young girl disappeared during a devastating storm in the small coastal village of Evelyn Bay, Tasmania and no one has really recovered from the trauma. In the present, Kieran Elliott returns with his partner Mia and infant daughter Audrey after a long absence to help his mother and ailing father pack up his childhood home. His visit is fraught with tension because he, along with his parents, friends, and most of the village, holds himself responsible for the tragic accident which claimed his brother and the brother of his best friend. When a young woman is found murdered on the beach, all of the memories of the former incident are stirred up again along with buried secrets, lies, and recriminations. During the murder investigation, new information comes to light about the past which connects all of the deaths and forces Kieran to confront the guilt he has held on to all these years. The narrative alternates between the events of the past and the present and sometimes the timeline is blurred which is extremely effective in creating a sense of unease as the past and present collide. Every single character has a secret and almost everyone is a suspect. Information is revealed little by little (it is definitely a slow-burn) in short chapters which does much to build suspense. Harper is particularly adept at creating a mood with her vivid descriptions of the village, the sea, the caves along the coast, and the remains of a shipwreck and I could almost hear the gulls screeching in the distance, feel the waves lapping at my feet as the tide comes in, taste the salt on the breeze, and experience the terror of walking on the beach alone in the dark and the claustrophobia of being trapped in a cave at high tide.  I also really liked the use of waves advancing and retreating as a metaphor for the secrets that are hidden and revealed in Evelyn Bay. This is more of a character study than a thriller and I was a bit disappointed in the ending because it was so abrupt after the build-up but it kept me reading into the early hours with a palpable sense of foreboding so I would definitely recommend it to fans of mysteries. I can't wait to see what the February selections are!

No Man's Land

The next movie on my list was No Man's Land and I decided to see it last night.  This is a moving take on immigration from a completely different perspective and I loved it.  Bill Greer (Frank Grillo), his wife Monica (Andie MacDowell), and his sons Lucas (Alex MacNicoll) and Jackson (Jake Allyn) live on a struggling ranch on the Texas-Mexico border.  It is a popular place for illegal immigrants to cross from Mexico into the United States but cutting through the barbed wire allows the cattle on the ranch to escape so the Greers regularly patrol the area to stop them.  Jackson is a hot prospect for the New York Yankees farm team so Bill and Lucas often leave him behind when they go on patrol but one night he follows them.  Gustavo (Jorge A. Jimenez) has a green card but his son Fernando (Alessio Valentini) has been denied one so he tries to bring him across with a few others.  They encounter the Greers at the border and a chaotic confrontation ensues in which Lucas is shot and Fernando is accidentally killed by Jackson.  Bill tries to take the blame but the Texas Ranger (George Lopez) who questions them becomes suspicious and Jackson panics and flees on horseback into Mexico.  He goes on a journey of discovery where he confronts his biases about Mexican immigrants and ultimately decides to take responsibility for his actions.  The story of redemption and forgiveness is incredibly compelling (one scene absolutely gutted me) but it is quiet and contemplative as Jackson slowly travels through Mexico and meets a series of locals who help him (it is incredibly refreshing to see Mexicans portrayed in a non-stereotypical way) so people expecting a thriller might be disappointed.  One of the many things I really liked about this movie is that it shows the toll that this type of violence takes on the people involved and there is an incredibly poignant scene where Monica and Gustavo, unaware of who the other is, are both grief-stricken while riding in the same elevator at the hospital (the composition of this scene is brilliant because the focus goes from one to the other).  I also really liked the wide shots of the beautiful Mexican landscape and the haunting Spanish guitar used in the score. Allyn (who co-wrote the script) is incredibly appealing as Jackson and portrays his character arc with a lot of empathy and humanity (I especially appreciated the fact that there isn't any fish-out-of-water humor inserted into the narrative).  This movie was much more impactful than I was expecting and I would definitely recommend it.

Our Friend

Last night I saw the movie Our Friend, a true story based on the article "The Friend" written by journalist Matthew Teague about his wife's death in Esquire magazine.  It is an incredibly moving story about the power of friendship that had me in tears several times.  Matt (Casey Affleck) is a journalist who is frequently away from home on assignment.  His wife Nicole (Dakota Johnson), an actress involved in community theatre, is often resentful about having to care for their two daughters Molly (Isabella Kai) and Evie (Violet McGraw) by herself.  Their friend Dane (Jason Segel) is a bit of a lost soul who wants to be a stand-up comic and have a family of his own but works a dead-end job at a sporting goods store and can't seem to commit to any of his girlfriends.  When Nicole's cancer diagnosis becomes terminal, Dane decides to move in with the Teagues to help out in their obviously overwhelmed household (running errands, making dinner, doing laundry, chauffeuring the girls, etc.) but he ends up helping the family mend their relationships and deal with their grief which, ultimately, helps him to heal.  The story is a very accurate portrait of the realities of cancer and how it affects patients (physically, emotionally, and mentally), their families, and their friends.  There are some incredibly poignant scenes where Matt drives through the neighborhood and sees all of their friends who are supposed to be at Nicole's book club, where Dane convinces an exhausted Matt, who feels guilty about leaving, to take a break and go hiking, and where Nicole angrily lashes out and accuses everyone of wanting her dead.  All three actors are absolutely brilliant.  I am a huge fan of Affleck and his performance in this movie almost rivals that in Manchester by the Sea for the rawness of his muted anger and grief.  Johnson gives an incredibly authentic performance, one of her best, in an emotionally complex role.  However, I was most impressed with Segel whose touching portrayal of a man at loose ends is somehow able to make the audience laugh and cry (sometimes in the same scene) and I especially loved his interactions with Kai and McGraw (the scene where the three of them sing "Call Me Maybe" made me laugh out loud).  I loved the use of Led Zeppelin in the soundtrack, particularly "Ramble On" in a bucket list montage and "Going to California" as Matt drives through the neighborhood.  My only issue with this movie is the non-linear narrative structure because, while it does effectively establish the impact of the diagnosis by jumping back and forth between before and after, it is sometimes difficult to follow the timeline.  This is a heartbreaking but, ultimately, life-affirming movie and I highly recommend it (bring tissues).

Don't Tell a Soul

Last night I impulsively decided to see Don't Tell a Soul because I was really intrigued by the premise but I was very disappointed because it could have been so much better.  Brothers Joey (Jack Dylan Grazer) and Matt (Fionn Whitehead) steal a large sum of money from an empty house that is being fumigated in order to pay the hospital bills for their mother Carol (Mena Suvari) who has lung cancer.  They are seen by a security guard named Dave Hamby (Rainn Wilson) who pursues them into the woods but then falls into an abandoned well which allows them to escape.  Matt is jubilant because they have gotten away with it but Joey is bothered by his conscience over what has happened to the guard.  He wants to contact the police but Matt, who has become as physically and verbally abusive as their father who is now dead, threatens him to keep him quiet.  Joey secretly visits Hamby at the well, bringing him food, blankets, and medicine for his injured ankle, and soon develops a rapport with him.  Joey comes to see him as a sort of surrogate father but Hamby is not who he appears to be.  Eventually Matt discovers what has been going on which leads to an epic confrontation (after a few twists and turns).  There are some big themes here, such as the generational cycle of violence within families and the hopelessness of living in an economically depressed area, but the execution is so bad that I couldn't take the social commentary seriously.  The plot goes completely off the rails in the third act because everyone inexplicably behaves in a way that is inconsistent with the characterization established in the first two acts, especially the resolution between the two brothers which, in my opinion, is not earned because it is so sudden after everything that has happened between them.  The dialogue is incredibly cringe-worthy (but it is definitely not campy or self-aware enough for this to be considered a dark comedy) and there were times when I couldn't stop myself from laughing out loud.  The performances are fine (I actually enjoyed seeing Whitehead, who is more noted for playing sensitive young men in British dramas, as a villainous psychopath) but the actors can't really do much to elevate the material.  This movie had a lot of potential with such a compelling moral dilemma and a talented cast but it suffers from bad writing, erratic plot twists, and poor character development.  Give it a miss.

The Play That Goes Wrong at HCT

I saw The Play That Goes Wrong at PTC a few years ago and I thought it was one of the funniest shows I've ever seen so I have really been looking forward to HCT's production. I was able to see it yesterday afternoon and I laughed out loud through the whole thing! The Cornley University Drama Society is performing the play The Murder at Haversham Manor by Susie H. K. Bridewell. It stars Chris (Bryan Dayley) as Inspector Carter, Jonathan (David Marsden) as Charles Haversham, Robert (Ben Abbott) as Thomas Colleymoore, Dennis (Jeffrey Whitlock) as Perkins the Butler, Sandra (Erin Royall Carlson) as Florence Colleymoore, and Max (Dan Radford) as Cecil Haversham/ Arthur the Gardner. Annie (Ali Bennett) is the Stage Manager and Trevor (Armando Serrano) is the Sound and Lighting Technician. Literally everything that can go wrong does go wrong with this play including a set that is slowly falling apart (Annie must resort to having an audience member help her construct the mantel before the show begins), misplaced and malfunctioning props, a sound designer who keeps playing Duran Duran instead of the real sound cues, a missing dog (the tech crew was searching the audience frantically for the dog before the show began and during intermission), an actor who cannot stay still while playing a dead body, an actor who cannot remember his lines, an actor who insists on using flamboyant gestures whenever he reads a line, and a leading lady who is injured halfway through the show and must be replaced first with Annie and then Trevor (with scripts in hand). However, the show must go on until the murder is solved (I've seen it twice now and I still don't know who the murderer is because I am always laughing so hard). The physical comedy is absolutely hilarious! My favorite scenes involved a long and drawn out fight between Sandra and Annie for the chance to play Florence, a sword fight between Thomas and Cecil in which the swords are broken, and an awkward kiss between Cecil and Florence (and then with Trevor later in the show). The entire cast is superb with absolutely brilliant comedic timing but my favorite performance was by Radford (he is single cast) as Cecil! I don't know where they found him but everything he does on stage is hysterically funny, especially when he milks the audience for applause! I am almost always impressed by the sets at HCT but this one might be my favorite because it falls apart so spectacularly, especially the second floor study. I highly recommend this show because I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard and I think we can all use a bit of laughter right now! Unfortunately, all shows are currently sold out because of state and county seating limitations but I would keep checking (go here) because more shows could be added during the run which continues through April 3.

The Secret Garden at CPT

My first show of 2021 was The Secret Garden at CenterPoint Theatre last night and, even though I'm not a big fan of this musical, I really loved this production. CPT chose to perform the shorter Spring version with a very minimal set and projections to keep the cast and crew safe and I think this actually puts the spotlight on the actors who all do a wonderful job! Mary Lennox (Caroline Drake) is orphaned by a cholera outbreak in India and sent to live with her uncle Archibald Craven (Zach Watts) at Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire. He has been grieving the death of his wife Lily (Laura Strong), who died in childbirth, for ten years and has closed off his heart, the house, and Lily's garden. Mary receives a cold welcome from the housekeeper Mrs. Medlock (Michelle Clark) and an indifferent one from her uncle. She is lonely and unhappy but is encouraged by a maid named Martha (Jessica Wadley) and her brother Dickon (Alex Young) to play outside and she soon discovers Lily's abandoned garden. She also discovers her cousin Colin (Colin Burke) who has been kept an invalid by Archibald's brother Neville (Russell Maxfield). As Mary brings the garden back to life, she also brings Colin and Archibald back to life. As I previously mentioned, the entire cast is phenomenal but I was especially impressed with Drake as Mary, Young as Dickon, and Burke as Colin. I always prefer the interactions between the children over the interactions between the adults in this show and these young actors are absolutely brilliant in the songs "Wick" and "Come Spirit, Come Charm." I particularly liked Young because his portrayal is so charming and charismatic. My favorite song has always been "Hold On" and Wadley gives a very powerful rendition of it. I also really enjoyed Strong's version of "Come to My Garden" because she has a beautiful voice and her duet of "Lift Me Up" with Burke gave me goosebumps because it is so emotional. Even though the set is very minimal, featuring a series of platforms at various levels, and there are only a few props, such as Mary's skipping rope and Colin's wheelchair, the costumes are quite elaborate, the lighting is dramatic, and the projections of various rooms in the manor and the gardens during the different seasons are very effective. I had a lovely time watching this show and I highly recommend it for the inspirational story of redemption and the stirring performances. It runs on Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays through January 30 and tickets are $15 for the balcony and $18 for the main floor (go here).

The Marksman

Is it really even January if there isn't a movie with Liam Neeson portraying a character with a very particular set of skills exacting revenge against someone who has wronged him?  I saw the latest iteration, The Marksman, last night and it is a mediocre action thriller elevated by a lot of heart.  Jim Hanson (Neeson) is a former Marine with a ranch on the Arizona-Mexico border.  He uses alcohol to cope with the recent death of his wife from cancer as well as the imminent foreclosure on his ranch.  Rosa (Teresa Ruiz) and her son Miguel (Jacob Perez) are on the run from the cartel and, when they cross the border onto Hanson's land, he immediately informs border patrol.  Before they can be apprehended, Mauricio (Juan Pablo Raba) and several other cartel members arrive and, since Jim's very particular skill is marksmanship (hence the title), a shoot-out ensues which kills Rosa and Mauricio's brother.  Before she dies, Rosa begs Jim to take Miguel to her family in Chicago and he reluctantly agrees (after surrendering him to border patrol and then breaking him out).  They are pursued on the road by Mauricio, who has vowed revenge for the death of his brother, and border patrol agents, including his stepdaughter (Katheryn Winnick), which leads to a confrontation on a farm in the middle of the heartland.  The plot is incredibly predictable, the villains are walking stereotypes, and the action sequences are surprisingly bland (with more hiding out than shooting out) but what makes this movie enjoyable, in my opinion, is the relationship that develops between Jim and Miguel.  Their alliance is an uneasy one in the beginning because Miguel blames Jim for his mother's death and Jim is more motivated by what is inside a mysterious bag that belonged to Rosa than any feelings for Miguel.  However, Miguel eventually penetrates Jim's curmudgeonly heart as they come to rely on each other on the road and their final resolution is powerful and heart-warming.  Perez is incredibly appealing as Miguel and Neeson displays a sensitivity that is usually not required in these action roles.  There is an off-hand comment about the government not being able to sort out the mess of immigration but this is curiously apolitical and I actually appreciated that.  This is one of the lesser Neeson revenge movies but it features enough genuine emotion for me to recommend it.

The White Tiger

When I saw the trailer for The White Tiger I was really intrigued (I have not read the best-selling novel by Aravind Adiga upon which it is based) so I decided to see it last night.  I enjoyed it because it reminded me of Slumdog Millionaire and Parasite, although it is not quite as charming as the former or as unsettling as the latter.  Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav) was the smartest student in his school when he was a boy and had great dreams of earning a scholarship to get out of his poor Indian village.  However, when his father is unable to pay the harsh landlord of the village (Mahesh Manjrekar), his grandmother pulls him from school to work in the family tea shop.  He is told that this is the best he can hope from life but he is ambitious.  He conspires to become the driver for the landlord's son Ashok (Rajkummar Rao), who has recently returned from studying in America, and his American wife Pinky (Priyanka Chopra).  Thinking himself lucky to have risen so far, Balram does everything he can to ingratiate himself to them.  While they are kind to him, they still think of themselves as better and have no compunction about betraying him to save themselves after a horrifying incident.  Balram eventually decides to become a white tiger, an aberration in nature that appears only once in a generation, and rebels against the rigid caste system that has held him down.  This is a sort of rags to riches story with quite a bit of dark humor but it is also a scathing indictment of an economic system that conspires to keep the majority of the people subservient to a privileged few.  The narrative employs flashbacks as Balram narrates his life story in a letter to the Chinese premier who is visiting India and, while this does lesson the dramatic tension a bit, it keeps the audience invested to see how a lowly servant is able to become an entrepreneur.  Gourav is incredibly appealing in the role because he makes you sympathize with Balram even though some of his actions are pretty despicable.  I do think the ending goes off the rails a little bit but I liked this movie and I would definitely recommend it.  It is now in theaters for a limited engagement and then it will stream on Netflix beginning January 22.

One Night in Miami

Last night I had the chance to see One Night in Miami and I think it is absolutely brilliant!  It is a fictionalized version of a meeting that happened between boxer Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), singer Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom, Jr.), football legend Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and activist Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) in a hotel room in Miami Beach after Clay becomes the World Heavyweight Champion by defeating Sonny Liston (Aaron D. Alexander) in 1964.  Their conversations are highly charged as they discuss the responsibility they have as successful Black men to further the civil rights movement.  The story is incredibly thought-provoking and I had tears in my eyes in the final scene because it is so powerful and, more importantly, because change is still needed even after all of these years.  The structure of the narrative is extremely effective because we are introduced to the four characters, and the struggles they face despite their fame and wealth, individually in a prologue before their meeting and then we see the effect of that meeting on their later lives in an epilogue afterwards. Regina King's direction is surprisingly dynamic considering the fact that the majority of the action takes place in the confined space of a hotel room.  My attention never wavered.  The four lead actors give absolutely phenomenal performances but I was especially impressed with Hodge, who has an imposing presence but is heartbreaking in a scene where a family friend (Beau Bridges) showers Brown with praise for his athletic prowess but won't let him inside the house, and Odom, who is defiant when Cooke is accused of selling out and then vulnerable when he laments that fact that he should have been the one to write "Blowin' in the Wind."  I loved hearing Odom sing Cooke's songs because it is impressive how well he captures his voice, particularly in an incredibly emotional version of "A Change is Gonna Come" (which is what prompted my tears at the end of the movie), and I also really enjoyed his original song "Speak Now" which plays during the credits.  This is an important and timely movie and I highly recommend it (with the proviso that there is a lot of profanity).  It is in theaters now for a limited engagement and then it will stream on Prime Video beginning January 15.

Shadow in the Cloud

Everything I heard about Shadow in the Cloud made it seem absolutely bonkers so, of course, I wanted to see it!  I had the chance last night and it was so much fun!  During World War II, Flight Officer Maude Garrett (Chloe Grace Moretz) is on a secret mission with a mysterious package that she must guard at all costs.  She catches a ride on an Allied B-17 bomber flying from New Zealand to Samoa and the male crew (Taylor John Smith, Beulah Koale, Nick Robinson, Callan Mulvey, Benedict Wall, Joe Witkowski, and Byron Coll) take great exception to having a woman on board.  They force her into the gun turret during takeoff where she hears their misogynistic comments about her over the radio.  She confronts them but they soon question both her identity and her mission.  They completely disregard her when she tells them that she sees a shadow on the wing but they are, in fact, being attacked by both Japanese bombers and winged mythological creatures which she must then fight in order to save them.  At first I thought the inclusion of the creatures was crazy, even though I was willing to suspend my disbelief in order to enjoy the movie, but I did a little bit of research and it actually does make sense within the context of World War II and they serve as a metaphor for Maude.  What I really liked about this movie is that the men are so dismissive of Maude (with some of the most cringe-worthy dialogue imaginable) but she is the one who shoots down two zeros, fights several creatures, and crash lands the plane (in some thrilling, if unrealistic, action sequences).  She proves that she is just as capable of fighting as the men (the end credits include photos of real female pilots during World War II) which is all the more powerful when the crew learns the contents of her mysterious package.  Moretz, who is hit or miss with me, is fully committed to the physicality of the role and gives a campy performance that is a lot of fun to watch.  It is as bonkers as I predicted but, if you can just go along with everything that is happening on screen, you will have a blast with this movie!  I recommend seeing it on a Friday night (the later the better) with a big tub of popcorn!

Note:  This reminded me of Overlord because they both combine World War II intrigue with elements of horror and I liked them both more than I thought I would!

Pieces of a Woman

I was interested in seeing Pieces of a Woman because Vanessa Kirby won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival last year.  I had the chance to see it last night and I was absolutely blown away by her performance.  Martha Weiss (Kirby) and Sean Carson (Shia LaBeouf) are an unlikely couple who are expecting a baby and hope to have a home birth.  When Martha goes into labor, they learn that their preferred midwife is unavailable and a replacement named Eva (Molly Parker) is sent instead.  Tragedy strikes when the baby's heartbeat slows down during the labor and, even though Eva does everything she can and eventually has them call for an ambulance, the baby dies shortly after it is born.  Martha must deal with her overwhelming grief, the disintegration of her relationship with Sean, and the pressure from her overbearing mother (Ellen Burstyn) to prosecute the midwife.  As I mentioned, Kirby gives an incredibly powerful and poignant performance.  The scene in which Martha goes into labor and gives birth happens in one long and sustained shot and it is absolutely brilliant because it is so immersive.  Martha's emotional confrontation with Eva in court is also an incredibly intense moment but I found the scene where she returns to work after her maternity leave, in another long tracking shot, to be so heartbreaking because none of her colleagues know what to say to her which adds to her isolation.  Burstyn and LaBeouf also give outstanding performances but it was sometimes difficult to watch the scenes where Sean becomes abusive towards Martha in light of the recent allegations against LaBeouf.  I loved the recurring motifs of building of a bridge and the germination of an apple seed because they represent the ways in which Sean and Martha are able to heal.  This movie is devastating to watch and, while it is not quite as good as Ordinary People or Manchester by the Sea (which, in my opinion, are two of the best movies about death and its aftermath) because it founders a bit with the addition of some unwieldy subplots, it is a very authentic portrayal of grief and I highly recommend it for the performances.  It is in theaters for a limited engagement and then begins streaming on Netflix January 7 (today).

Herself

When I was choosing my tickets for Sundance last year, I had Herself on my list but I ultimately ended up getting tickets for other films.  I hoped that it would get a wide release at some point so I was really excited to be able to see it last night in advance of it streaming on Prime Video next week.  Sandra (Clare Dunne) flees her abusive husband Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson) and takes her young daughters Molly (Molly McCann) and Emma (Ruby Rose O'Hara) with her.  She ends up living in a hotel and working two menial jobs while dealing with the never ending bureaucracy to find public housing.  Exasperated with the delays, she decides to take matters into her own hands and build a house herself.  She finds plans for a basic house online, acquires a piece of land from her employer (Harriet Walter), convinces a contractor (Conleth Hill) that she randomly meets at a home improvement store to work for free on weekends, and slowly finds a community of friends and strangers willing to help her.  As she builds this house, she also begins to rebuild her life despite the many overwhelming obstacles that she has to overcome in the process.  This is an incredibly poignant and inspirational story about empowerment and resiliency that I really enjoyed, especially the emphasis on the goodness of ordinary people which I found to be quite moving.  Dunne, who also co-wrote the screenplay, gives an affecting and believable performance that makes you want to cry and then stand up and cheer.  Even though this movie explores some really dark themes of spousal abuse, economic instability, and homelessness, it has a hopeful tone (even after the twist in the third act). The only complaint I have about this movie is that I sometimes couldn't understand the thick Irish accents but I would definitely recommend it (with the proviso that it includes some violence and language).  It is in theaters for a limited engagement and then will stream on Prime Video beginning on January 8.

Pinocchio

Last night I saw a new live-action adaptation of the classic fairy tale Pinocchio as my first movie of 2021 (and the last of the big Christmas releases).  It is much darker and stranger than the Disney animated version that we all grew up with but it is also incredibly enchanting and I really enjoyed it.  A poor Italian carpenter named Geppetto (Roberto Benigni) sees a traveling puppet show come through town and decides to make his own puppet to rival those in the troupe.  He carves the puppet Pinocchio (Federico Ielapi) out of a magical piece of wood which causes it to come to life.  Geppetto comes to regard the puppet as his son but Pinocchio longs for adventure and is easily led astray despite many warnings from the Talking Cricket (Davide Marotta).  He runs away and has a series of misadventures with beguiling characters and fantastical creatures which often require him to be rescued by the Blue Fairy (Marine Facth).  Pinocchio eventually encounters Geppetto, who has been looking for him, and begins working for a shepherd so that he can care for Geppetto when he becomes ill.  The Blue Fairy sees that Pinocchio has become worthy by his selflessness and grants his wish to be a real boy.  This is an Italian production filmed in Italy, where the story actually takes place, with Italian actors (it is dubbed in English but the voices are recognizably Italian) so it feels very authentic.  The landscape and all of the visuals are incredibly beautiful even if some of the creatures encountered by Pinocchio are bizarre (especially the Snail, who leaves a trail of slime behind wherever she goes, and the Tuna, who struggles to breathe rather dramatically).  Benigni, who is usually quite ostentatious, gives a restrained performance as Geppetto that is surprisingly affecting and Ielepi is so endearing as Pinocchio.  I was fascinated by the special effects, most of which are practical through makeup and prosthetics rather than CGI, because Pinocchio really does seem like a wooden puppet that has come to life (I especially loved how he creaks every time he moves).  As I mentioned, the story, which is very faithful to Carlo Collodi's book The Adventures of Pinocchio, has very dark themes even though it has a quirky and lighthearted tone so it might be a bit disturbing for young children (the scene where Cat and Fox hang Pinocchio from a tree is definitely unsettling).  However, I found it captivating and I would definitely recommend it to adults.