Tag: Crime

Bombshell: A Movie For Actors to Disappear into their Characters

Bombshell

The review:

Jay Roach’s Bombshell is a movie about three women taking on Roger Ailes/Fox News that is written and directed by men.* It’s one of those movies that lets actors disappear into their characters and Charlize Theron is the best at this task.** This movie is worth watching just to see a current-day workplace where women cannot wear pants.***

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $8.50
Where watched: Century Theaters Eastport with Matt
(Another cheery Christmas Eve movie selection!)

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Count me as a fan of this film, but much like Bad Moms, maybe have some actual women involved in the creation process.
**It took me about 10 minutes before I was for-sure the Megyn Kelly person was actually her. Kidman and Robbie are also good (though Robbie’s character is a composite). John Lithgow also sank into the jowls of Roger Ailes.
***The sexual harassment was one thing—it was terrible to witness Margot Robbie decide to capitulate—but PANTS! They are a commonplace thing. Everyone should be allowed to wear pants to work. Everyone!

Questions:

  • What’s your go-to women-overcoming-in-the-workplace film? (I’m having trouble thinking of anything besides this and 9 to 5)
  • If someone has told you they have been sexually harassed, should your next question be, “Did you do it?”?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Charlize Theron and Mark Duplass co-star in Tully (2018).
(This is my favorite item because in post-movie discussion, I exclaimed to Matt, “Hey! Charlize Theron and Mark Duplass were a married couple in Tully too!)
(Also because I ADORED Tully and I feel like no one watched it. Go watch Tully!)

Other reviews:

Bombshell

Motherless Brooklyn is Nearly a Very, Very Good Film

Motherless Brooklyn

The review:

Edward Norton makes a worthy detective story set in the 1950s and Motherless Brooklyn was nearly a very, very, good film.* While the Tourette’s aspect feels very much like Mr. Norton is shooting for an Academy Award nomination and thus, from that angle, is distracting, it is interesting to watch his performance and how the syndrome affects his character.** The movie is also populated with excellent actors (hooray for another good role for Gugu Mbatha-Raw!) and the mystery was engrossing.***

The verdict: Good

Cost: $6.00
Where watched: Jubitz Cinema

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*It pains me to say that it’s the slightest bit too long, like maybe we didn’t need that much time watching jazz musicians at the club. As it is, it’s a very good film.
**I found it interesting that no one in the film made fun of him, or was repulsed by for his tics and twitches. I felt like that wasn’t quite up to snuff for film set in the 1950s.
***I figured out one thing before Lionel did, which made me feel very smart.

Questions:

  • Should Edward Norton direct more films?
  • How many favors do you think Mr. Norton called in to get all those really great actors? (Never mind. Answered in the IMDB triva item below.)

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

According to writer, director, and actor Edward Norton, the principal major stars all worked for free on this, his second directorial outing.

Other Reviews:

Motherless Brooklyn

The Irishman is Too Long and Those Guys Don’t Really Look That Young

The review:

Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman is worth watching for its excellent performances—Joe Pesci was my favorite—but ultimately is a bloated, overly long story that isn’t very interesting.* This is a less-bloody Scorsese film,** and uses de-aging technology so that the main actors, all over 70, can play themselves at much younger ages.*** It may be that I’ve grown impatient with stories of manly men doing manly things,**** but this movie didn’t resonate with me at all.*****

The verdict: Skip

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider watching these other Scorsese films instead:

Further sentences:

*It might have worked better as a four-episode limited series, but I would guess Mr. Scorsese thinks he’s too good for TV.
**but its lack of drama and tension had me wishing I was re-watching The Departed
***While everyone seems to be very impressed by this technology, I didn’t find it to be successful. Robert De Niro never looked actually young and thus it wasn’t always clear which of the many time periods we were in.
****For example, I just can’t get excited about Ford vs. Ferrari, even though it’s populated with actors I love.
*****And oh my god, if I had to see one more shot of Peggy (Anna Paquin) quietly observing her father I was going to figure out how to make a compilation video and then morph that into one of those big-eyed animals crying video. We get it already! She’s the moral center of the film! She has nothing else to do than to sadly judge! Where are the female characters in this film?!?

Questions:

  • What did you think of this film that 96% of Rotten Tomato Critics found Fresh?
  • What are the pluses and minuses of de-aging actors?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Robert De Niro wanted the film to retain the same title as the book I Heard You Paint Houses.
Me too, Mr. De Niro.

Knives Out Left Me With That Good-Movie Boost

The review:

Rian Johnson shows he has skills with yet another genre* by directing Knives Out, which is 130 minutes of delight. This movie could have been weighted down by its stellar cast,** but everything clicks and jibes along as the pieces fall into place. The mystery is well-crafted,*** the movie is funny, and the mansion shows off some great set decoration, including an amazing chair.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $6.00
Where watched: St. Johns Twin Cinema with S. North

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Noir (Brick), sci-fi time travel (Looper), franchise action/adventure/sci-fi (The Last Jedi), things for the band the Mountain Goats
**There’s something enjoyable about watching actors who seem to be enjoying the acting they are doing. Ana de Armas is the linchpin who makes the movie work, and I especially loved Noah Segan as the fawning Trooper Wagner. Also, hasn’t Christopher Plummer had a good run lately?
***Though what do I know? My brain isn’t good at solving mysteries. I’m always surprised when it comes time to figure out who done what.

Questions:

  • What was the most egregious action performed by any member of the Harlan Thrombey’s family?
  • If you had to live with one of Harlan Thrombey’s family members, which would you choose?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Despite playing his mother in the film, K Callan is actually six years younger than Christopher Plummer.

Other reviews:

The Art of Self-Defense is Dark, Amusing

The review:

Riley Sterns directs Jesse Eisenberg* in The Art of Self-Defense a dark comedy that feels more intellectually funny than viscerally funny. While that first sentences feels like damning the film with faint praise, it was an enjoyable film experience and I especially enjoyed Alessandro Nivola’s** straight-faced Sensei whom I couldn’t quite get a bead on. This was one of those films that felt removed enough from the world I couldn’t fully settle in, but its artificial environment and subtle commentary and humor were well done.

The verdict: Good

Cost: $1.25 via Redbox
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Eisenberg was excellent as always; I don’t think I’ve ever not liked one of his performances.
**I also caught another excellent performance of his this year. He was Rabbi Dovid Kuperman in Sebastían Lelio’s Disobedience.

Questions:

  • What is your favorite dark comedy?
  • Has Jesse Eisenberg ever not been the tense and introverted character?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Writer and director Riley Stearns trains and teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Other reviews:

Round out your 90s Paul Thomas Anderson Film Fest with Hard Eight

The review:

Paul Thomas Anderson’s first film holds its reveal for much too long, but is worth watching for the performances.* It’s always a good sign when I’m curious about what’s going on, but also don’t really need to know because the acting is keeping me entertained.** This is clearly early PT Anderson, but early PTA is still a better movie than a lot of mid-career directors.

The verdict: Good

Cost: free via Kanopy
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Watching 90s John C. Reilly in 2019, I marvel at how even when he was young he looked middle aged. He was 21 when this was released! Aside from looking reliably middle-aged for decades, he always turns in a winning performance.
**There’s also a bit part with Philip Seymour Hoffman. He’s such a gem. I still miss him.

Questions:

  • Do you think the casino rate card trick would work today?
  • What’s your dream team of PT Anderson regulars?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

When Jimmy (Samuel L. Jackson) and Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) have their confrontation, Jimmy mentions that he knows Sydney’s friends Floyd Gondolli and Jimmy Gator. In Paul Thomas Anderson’s next movie, Boogie Nights (1997), Philip Baker Hall plays Floyd Gondolli. In Anderson’s followup to Boogie Nights, Magnolia (1999), Philip Baker Hall plays Jimmy Gator.

On the Waterfront is a Classic for a Reason

The review:

Sixty-five years later, Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront remains a potent tale of doing the right thing. All the cast members, but Marlon Brando in particular,* excel at showing the choices that are made when there aren’t many good choices to be had. Aside from Brando being Brando (back when that was a good thing) Karl Malden is excellent as a priest determined to make a difference, and Eva Marie Saint was incredible—especially given the era-specific limitations of her role.**

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: free from MCL
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Most of my exposure to Brando has been after 1980, which is far from peak Brando, so you can image how different he seemed to me in this film. One interesting observation: how he presents as very uber-male, but at times, his movement and expressions also present to my 21st century viewing eyes as effeminate (or, to use the 80s term: faggy). I think it’s because of the placidity of his face, and the amount of emotion that rolls off of him. Actors today playing straight male roles are less fluid in both their body movements–probably because they carry a lot more muscle–and their facial expressions.
**I think of her in comparison to Grace Kelly in High Noon. Saint is a bubbling factory of emotion, while Kelly is wooden.

Questions:

  • Was it method acting by Brando and Saint that made this movie so good, or were they just amazing actors in general?
  • Who do you think had the toughest choice in this film?
  • Aside from Malden, Brando, and Saint, who was your favorite actor in this film?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Sam Spiegel forgot to pay for rear-projection equipment, hence the reason why the cab where Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger play out the film’s most famous scene has blinds.

Hustlers is Worth Your Dollar Bills

The review:

Lorene Scafaria has made my favorite kind of movie with Hustlers: that which seems to be about one thing, but which is, in fact, about another.* While you could get distracted (as those guys at the strip club did) by all that flesh, in Scafaria’s deft hands this is not a movie about women who remove their clothes for economic gain, it’s about women who game a system that puts them at the bottom of the billions that are made by exploiting women’s bodies. Excellent performances all around** and there’s a lot of heart in this film.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $6.70
Where watched: Studio One Theaters

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I think it helps that it was a woman who wrote this story. Despite the various stages of undress, this was a film absent of the male gaze.
**Jennifer Lopez is such a commanding presence. The range of emotions on Constance Wu’s face was amazing. It’s great to see Mercedes Ruehl and I’m always happy when Julia Stiles is on screen.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Jennifer Lopez trained for pole dancing in preparation for the movie. She even had a detachable pole in her house.

Hot Summer Nights Gave Me What I Was Looking For

This is not a good likeness of Timothée Chalamet

The review:

Elijah Bynum gave me what I wanted with Hot Summer Nights* and also included a bonus side of 1991-era Cape Cod summer.** This is supposedly about a normal teenager who becomes a drug dealer, but really, it’s about showing how much money he and Hunter Strawberry (that was the local drug dealer’s name!) made selling drugs,*** falling in love with a girl, and making some not-great (though age-appropriate) choices. The part where I was supposed to be getting amped up came across as boring, and it’s one of those movies that I spent the next day thinking about all the things that didn’t really make sense,**** but it hooked me up with what I needed on a Friday night and thus was just fine.

The verdict: Good

(barely)

Cost: free via Kanopy, Multnomah County Library’s streaming service
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching/watching instead:

Further sentences:

*I had a hankering for a Timothée Chalamet performance, and Call Me By Your Name wasn’t handy
**Plus, I’m betting they didn’t have much money for the soundtrack so it features lesser known (a.k.a. not cliched) music of the time.
***There is not one scene of Mr. Chalamet actually dealing the large amount of drugs they were supposedly dealing
****The narrator is just the omniscient town observer, for instance. Was that just lazy writing? What about main character motivation? Why was Chalamet’s character wanting to continue to expand the business? The questions went on and on.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Part of the movie takes place around The Perfect Storm of 1991. William Fichtner (Shep), also appeared in The Perfect Storm (2000), a movie based on the true story of the Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat that was lost at sea during the storm.

I see you, typo. But I’m not going to fix you. Never trust the grammar on the IMDB quotes page.

Veronica Mars Season 4 Cannot Be Accused of Fan Service

The Review:

For reasons I won’t go into, Rob Thomas cannot be accused of fan service in Veronica Mars Season Four. The eight-episode season is chock full of what made the series so beloved* while ably transporting the formerly-teen characters into full-on adults with complicated lives.** Patton Oswalt and J.K. Simmons (as a pizza delivery man, and ex-con toady to Big Dick Casablancas, respectively) are excellent additions.***

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $11.99/month via Hulu
Where watched: at home with Matt

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Wise-cracking, dark humor, solid dad/daughter relationship, a romance that is complicated, mysteries to solve, bad choices to make, good choices to make, and the wealthy/shady beachfront town of Neptune, California.
**The multitudes of trauma the characters have experienced is being dealt with in ways both healthy and unhealthy. It’s also gently lampooned in two amusing scenes: one with a bunch of true-crime enthusiasts, another with a high school student recapping previous seasons’ plot lines by asking Veronica, “did you know that…?”
***Two questions annoyed me from the first episode. 1) Why does Neptune have a police department when that was an entire subplot of season two? 2)What in the name of all that is holy has become of Logan’s vast fortune? Both of these questions could have been answered with single sentence asides (Ever since incorporation passed in 2015 the police department has taken over in the incompetent realm. And. After the lawsuit with Trina, there wasn’t much left.) Shoddy story crafting there.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

In Season 4, the professional NBA player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, is a writer (S4, E6). He’s also the highest-scoring NBA player by total career regular season points scored (38,387).
(Stay focused on the show, IMDB trivia writer. He’s also a producer.)