Archive for November, 2019

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Posted in Biography, Drama with tags on November 26, 2019 by Mark Hobin

beautiful_day_in_the_neighborhoodSTARS3Fred Rogers was an American icon.  He hosted Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, a TV show directed at preschool-aged children.  Considering both the movie poster and the title, you’d think that A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood would be about that man.  You’d be wrong and that idiosyncrasy is what makes this production so strange.  This is, in fact, a story about a cynical somewhat misanthropic journalist named Lloyd Vogel portrayed by Matthew Rhys (FX TV’s The Americans) as seen through the eyes of American children’s host Mister Rogers played by Tom Hanks.

Lloyd Vogel works for Esquire magazine and he’s been assigned to do a profile on Mister Rogers that he doesn’t want to do. Incidentally, Vogel is based on a very real journalist named Tom Junod who wrote an article entitled “Can You Say…Hero?” published in November of 1998.  Lloyd isn’t a happy man and much of the drama explains why he is the way he is.  We are introduced to the various people in his family, his personable wife Andrea (Susan Kelechi Watson), their baby son Gavin and Lloyd’s father Jerry (Chris Cooper).  Mister Rogers assumes the role of a therapist to the writer as he tries to gently help him repair the damaged relationship that he has with his dad.

Tom Hanks is America’s sweetheart, sort of a modern-day James Stewart and watching him portray Mister Rogers is odd because he’s so famous that it is impossible for him to disappear into the role.  Hanks doesn’t look like the actual man either.  Although he does affect his beatific demeanor.  It’s a peculiar performance that has received critical acclaim but it left me cold.  He seems almost alien or otherworldly.  Fred Rodgers was unquestionably a unique personality but at least his singularly placid disposition felt natural.  Hanks’ movements, in contrast, are jerkier and appear like studied behavioral traits.  He’s so affected that the demonstration becomes an amiable parody rather than a manifestation of the individual.

Like the man himself, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is supremely gentle and restrained.  I was fascinated by how passive the whole exercise was.  Visually the feature is enchanting.  Production designer Jade Healy has used miniatures to recreate cityscapes and little vehicles like jets taking off to signify when people travel.  This mimics the look and feel of his original children’s TV program.  The set of the TV show Fred Rogers occupied is perfectly recreated at WQED in Pittsburgh, where the original series was filmed.  The “Neighborhood of Make-Believe” also makes an appearance.  This fictional kingdom populated by hand puppets is beautifully brought to life.

Director Marielle Heller is a talented filmmaker responsible for the audacious The Diary of a Teenage Girl and the even more accomplished Can You Ever Forgive Me?  I am a fan. Here she makes a lot of creative decisions that are easy to admire but hard to enjoy.  The fragments fixated on Mister Rogers are fascinating because he’s an interesting man.  The portions centered on the inaccessible Lloyd Vogel aren’t compelling.  His transformative journey goes exactly to the place to which I expected.  The screenplay by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster triggered unexpected flashbacks to when I saw Julie & Julia a decade ago.  When the comedic drama featured Julia Child the chef, it was a delight.  When Julie Powell the blogger became the focus, it was significantly less so.  Likewise, Fred Rogers is inherently appealing.   When the film concentrates on him it’s captivating.  Unfortunately, this is a biography about Lloyd Vogel.

11-21-19

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Frozen 2

Posted in Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Musical with tags on November 25, 2019 by Mark Hobin

frozen_two_ver8STARS3.5Truth be told, I enjoyed Frozen just fine in 2013, but I didn’t think it was the be all and end all of animated cinema.  I was in the minority because somehow it ended up making $1.2 billion worldwide and winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.  I was rooting for Despicable Me 2 that year incidentally and yes I’m 100% serious.  Now we have Frozen 2, a sequel to the Disney megahit.  Coming on the heels of Ralph Breaks the Internet, I suspect that Disney is in the early stages of producing many followups to their successful properties.  Pixar has been doing this for years.  I could be snarky and say you could almost throw anything up there on the screen and it would be a hit but the filmmakers didn’t play it safe.  They have put in considerable work to deepen the drama with a complicated backstory.  I appreciate the attempt, but it’s an effort that feels unnecessary.

Before we get to the adventure, however, let’s starts with the basics.  It’s not hard to see how Frozen 2 checks off the ingredients in a recipe: bring back familiar personalities we know, introduce new characters which can be marketed as great toys, pre-package girl power messaging and highlight a musical with original show tunes.  Not a problem.  I was prepared for that.  Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) return.   A magic water horse called the Nokk, a cute salamander named Bruni and a family of giant rock monsters are newly added merchandising opportunities.  It also grants us an entire soundtrack of new songs by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.  There seems to be some debate, but I contend that “Show Yourself” is the one designed to mimic “Let it Go” musically and visually in the film.  “Into the Unknown” is the ballad they’re pushing as the hit though.  The best ditty, however, is not when the soundtrack is trying to rewrite the melodies from the previous chapter.   It happens when our expectations are subverted.  Kristoff’s (Jonathan Groff) 80s influenced “Lost in the Woods” is the greatest power pop ballad that REO Speedwagon never sang.

More isn’t always better.  The story presented here proves that.  Sometimes more is just more.  The chronicle is a needlessly convoluted fantasy with more subplots.  It offers answers for questions you never thought to ask but are going to receive anyway.  Some people will adore that level of mythology.  Are you one of those people?  You have to ask yourself this question: What do you require of a cartoon?  If simplicity and clarity are what you crave, you are likely to be a bit perplexed by the elaborate exposition.  However, if you prefer more legends and fabrications, then your curiosity will be satiated.  You’re going to get a lot of expounding.  For example, the narrative will produce explanations as to why Elsa has magical abilities, and what happened to her and Anna’s parents.  I didn’t need that level of detail, but thanks for the info…I guess.  Still, it’s enjoyable enough.  The production is beautifully animated and features some nice music.  It’s a formula but it’s a formula that works.  Frozen 2 did $127 million in the U.S. during its opening weekend so be ready to take your children to a movie they will beg you to see.  That is if you haven’t seen it already.

11-21-19

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Ford v Ferrari

Posted in Action, Biography, Drama with tags on November 21, 2019 by Mark Hobin

ford_v_ferrariSTARS4There’s something refreshingly retro about Ford v. Ferrari.  A traditional well-written tale about fast cars, friendships among men and their competitive spirit.  It’s the type of macho entertainment that used to feature actors like Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Sean Connery, and James Garner.  The pictures made beaucoup bucks at the box office and still managed to get a nomination or two at the Academy Awards.  That just may happen again this year because audiences have embraced this (A+ Cinemascore), critics truly love it (92% on RT) and Oscar pundits are all abuzz.  I’m truly delighted by its popularity because I agree.  This is an enjoyable movie.

Ford v Ferrari is set in the 1960s and that time-honored sensibility makes this chronicle feel like it was made in the same period.  The saga centers on two charismatic individuals whose chemistry together sells the entire film.  There’s Matt Damon who plays Carroll Shelby, an American automotive designer and Christian Bale as Ken Miles, an English race car driver.  Together they work for the Ford Motor Company in its effort to beat Ferrari at the 1966 Le Mans race.  A cantankerous relationship is stirred between Ford and Ferrari.  This is created when the vice president, Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal), has a meeting in Italy with Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone).  There’s a variety of other assorted developments that lay the groundwork in the beginning.  It takes nearly an hour in this 152-minute production to get to the proper story.  However, every minute feels necessary because it makes what happens later that much more emotionally compelling.

There is such irony (and genuine hubris) in casting a mammoth American entity like Ford as an underdog David while portraying the significantly smaller Italian Ferrari company as the arrogant and conceited Goliath that must be defeated.  Perhaps that’s why it’s called Ford v. Ferrari in the U.S. but Le Mans ’66 everywhere else in the world.  That rivalry means more here I suppose.  However, there’s also conflict within the Ford team.  This sets up Ford as this bureaucratic corporation represented by a lot of men in suits.  The key figures are represented by CEO Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts), Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal), and Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas ) a Ford executive who insidiously becomes more of an antagonist than their fellow racing competitors.

The antagonism between Ford and Ferrari is less interesting than the battle of wills between Ford the corporation vs. Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles.  The two mavericks are trying to support a company that runs on committee.  Shelby and Miles appear to be quick-witted experts when it comes to decision making.  I have no idea whether the actual men behaved as they are portrayed here, but their interactions are extremely fascinating to watch.  Together these two actors give colorful performances that bring these personalities to life.  Ken Miles is quite a character and Christian Bale’s achievement is especially noteworthy.  Director James Mangold and Bale have an established rapport having worked together before on 3:10 to Yuma.  They clearly bring out the best in each other.

This is the ultimate Dad movie.  It’s a conventional tale about manly things.  Furthermore, it features Miles’ close relationship with his son Peter (Noah Jupe).  Their bond is a key component and a true source of emotional depth.  Sometimes true life is stranger than fiction.  The account details one development that had me consulting the history books.  I had to verify that what I saw really happened.  I like pictures that do that although situations in real life don’t always play out in a way that is as satisfying.  Nevertheless, we are still presented with some of the best car racing car sequences ever put on film.  They’re perfectly edited pieces of thrills bursting with loud and adrenaline-fueled excitement.  Special mention to editors Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland who know how to edit an action sequence to maximum effect.  The racing scenes are spectacular but in the end, it’s the performances that make this drama transcendent.  This classic narrative beautifully highlights male camaraderie.  It has all the qualities of a bygone era but it’s old fashioned in the best sense of the word.  It’s the human element that provides the most sparks.

11-14-19

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Doctor Sleep

Posted in Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller with tags on November 14, 2019 by Mark Hobin

doctor_sleep_ver2STARS3Doctor Sleep vacillates between trying to please two factions.  Some audiences will come for the adaptation of Stephen King’s 2013 novel which the author wrote as a sequel to his 1977 bestseller The Shining.  Then there are the fans of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 movie that arguably has an even more devoted following.  King himself was famously not a fan of Kubrick’s vision.  The now-classic was a gorgeous evocation of horror that relied on visual imagery, not on detailed explanations.  Conversely, Mike Flanagan (Ouija: Origin of Evil, Gerald’s Game) has directed an account that offers a lot of exposition for people hungry for answers.  This chronicle is more plot-driven with lots of folklore to deepen your understanding of what “shining” is.  Doctor Sleep tries to schizophrenically appease both camps.

The story concerns Danny Torrance, now Dan, (Ewan McGregor), best remembered as the little clairvoyant son of his mad father, Jack.  He has become an alcoholic, desperate to forget the events at the Overlook hotel.  He comforts the terminally ill while working at a hospice where the patients give him the nickname “Doctor Sleep”.  He meets another psychic, a teenage girl named Abra (Kyliegh Curran) and they band together to fight a malevolent clan called the True Knot.  The group is killing children with special powers and feeding off the steam that they emit.  It’s just as gruesome as it sounds and there’s one death in particular (Jacob Tremblay) that is extremely hard to watch.  I suspect the methodical depiction of what befalls him could be a deal-breaker for some people.  A couple of other individuals with close relationships will be introduced and then summarily killed off as well.  The tale has an uncomfortable disregard for the lives of characters whose deaths should mean more than just another offhand development.

This presentation is largely missing the stately grandeur of its precursor.  So in that respect, it will not appease the die-hards of Stanley Kubrick’s atmospheric reworking.  However, I can wholeheartedly recommend it to people who thought Kubrick’s version should’ve adhered closer to King’s original text.  If you crave exposition and plot, this is the production for you.  It’s a convoluted follow-up that attempts to give lots of unnecessary details about Dan’s extrasensory “shining” power.  The bulk of the narrative isn’t a continuation of the events from the first film but rather a saga about what Dan encounters after he grew up.   The focus is on his interactions with the True Knot, the aforementioned nomadic group of evil visionaries.  In that sense, Doctor Sleep becomes a superhero origin story of nefarious mutants with psychic powers and goofy names.  There’s Crow Daddy (Zahn McClarnon), Grandpa Flick (Carel Struycken) and Snakebite Andi (Emily Alyn Lind), among others.

Doctor Sleep is a mixed bag.  It ultimately can’t escape the shadow of the 1980 film.  “This also exists very much in the same cinematic universe that Kubrick established in his adaptation of The Shining,” director Mike Flanagan has said.  He leans heavily on imagery from Stanley Kubrick’s interpretation in several key scenes, particularly in the third act.  This might have been more thrilling if Steven Spielberg hadn’t already exploited the same iconography in 2018 with Ready Player One.  There are roughly 30 minutes of developments that include sets that tastefully recreate the Overlook Hotel.  Additionally, lookalike actors are cast playing the parts of Dan’s younger self (Roger Dale Floyd), his parents Wendy (Alex Essoe) and Jack (Henry Thomas) and Dick Hallorann (Carl Lumbly) the cook.  When this appropriates the visuals of its predecessor, it can be distracting.  Also, at 2 and a half hours it’s far too long.  Nevertheless, this movie has some good points.  Chief among them is Rebecca Ferguson who is great as the central villain Rose the Hat.  True to her moniker, she wears a top hat and exudes this Stevie Nicks vibe of beautiful witchery.  She clearly enjoys the fun of being the baddie and its a compelling performance.  When Doctor Sleep isn’t overly wrapped up in mythology and explanation and simply focuses on the performances of the main characters, it can be fitfully entertaining.

11-07-19

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Jojo Rabbit

Posted in Comedy, Drama, War with tags on November 11, 2019 by Mark Hobin

jojo_rabbit_ver2STARS4.5You wouldn’t think a comedy about a pro-Nazi boy that looks upon Adolph Hitler as a hero would be one of the most heartwarming movies of the year, but Jojo Rabbit has proven otherwise.  The inspiration for the adaptation is based upon the 2008 novel Caging Skies by Christine Leunens.  Charlie Chaplin found humor in the Third Reich with The Great Dictator and Mel Brooks did the same with The Producers.  Now writer/director Taika Waititi just may have joined their ranks with equally successful results.  I loved this film and I’m happy to say it’s one of the very best of 2019.

Jojo Rabbit is the saga of a 10-year-old German boy named Johannes Betzler.  People call him “Jojo”.  He lives in Nazi Germany during WW2 and he idolizes Adolf Hitler.  So much so that he has created an imaginary friend in him to whom he often speaks.  It’s a childlike interpretation that doesn’t fully comprehend the true nature of the dictator.  Coming to terms with that realization is the underlying basis of this drama.  It’s a comedy so the character of the Führer, played by the director, Taika Waititi, is a sillier, less serious version of him.  The filmmaker himself identifies as a Polynesian Jew so therein lies the subversive nature of this casting.

Jojo Rabbit is an affectionate account of a little boy who wants to be a part of something bigger than himself.  He attends a Hitler youth club that offers boys the validating camaraderie of a scout troop.  Meanwhile, the girls are taught the value of domestic servitude.  One day Jojo is tested on his commitment by his superior who commands him to kill a rabbit.  His inability to execute this task earns him his nickname.  Then after a grenade mishap, he is unable to continue to serve in the group.  Obviously, a child who idolizes Adolf Hitler would normally be a difficult personality to engage an audience’s sympathies.  Part of what sells the movie is the elemental compassion of young actor Roman Griffin Davis as the titular star.  He gives a brilliant performance that manages to make the character seem lovable and yet misguided.

The drama is highlighted by a stellar supporting cast.  First and foremost I must cite juvenile actor Archie Yates, the breakout star who plays Yorki, Jojo’s best friend. He’s an adorable scene stealer. Throughout the story, Jojo keeps a diary of his thoughts and we become aware of these reflections in a key scene when Jojo is confronted by an intimidating Gestapo agent played by Stephen Merchant (HBO’s Extras).  Merchant has never been more terrifying.  Jojo’s fanaticism is not shared by his single mother.  Rosie is lovingly portrayed by Scarlett Johansson in a small but important role.  She must keep her anti-Nazi feelings under wraps for fear of reprisal.  Sam Rockwell is also memorable as the Hitler Youth leader Captain “K” Klenzendorf who trains boys to hunt and throw grenades.  One day Jojo meets Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), a Jewish teen.  Their developing relationship is captivating.

Truth be told, I was already predisposed to love this picture.  I am a fan of director Taika Waititi.  His off-kilter but thoughtful sensibilities agree with my own.   Waititi has demonstrated a whimsical flair for humor with a filmography composed of fastidiously produced productions that are obsessively meticulous with visual details.  These include What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.  Taika Waititi’s painstaking aesthetic is often compared to the work of Wes Anderson.  Moonrise Kingdom is clearly an influence here because the Hitler youth rally here bears a striking similarity to the Khaki Scout summer camp.  However, Taika Waititi is an accomplished filmmaker in his own right. He has been creating pictures like this since the very beginning with his debut feature Eagle vs Shark in 2007.  Waititi has a point of view uniquely his own.  His handling of this material deftly combines real genuine heartbreak with lighthearted glee in a film about Nazis. This is one of the most beautifully realized stories of the year.

People have labeled this as satire but that really isn’t correct.  It certainly is a farce about deadly serious things.  It’s clearly anti-Nazi and anti-hate but the filmmaker’s angle is much more open and straightforward without the latent snark and sarcasm that satire requires.  The movie actually succeeds because of that sincerity.  Jojo Rabbit is a tale about humanity that manages to be an affecting, funny, dramatic and poignant depiction.  I was completely overcome with emotion at one point.  The moment occurs when Jojo is tying someone’s shoes.  When you see the drama you’ll understand why that image is so heartbreaking.  I’ve enjoyed every single production that Taika Waititi has directed but this is possibly his greatest work.

11-01-19

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Terminator: Dark Fate

Posted in Action, Science Fiction, Thriller with tags on November 2, 2019 by Mark Hobin

terminator_dark_fate_ver3STARS3The story in a nutshell: a malevolent Terminator is sent from the future to terminate a woman from the present. It is believed she will be the mother of a resistance leader in the war against the machines.  The resistance also sends somebody back to fight that Terminator.

There are 2 ways to watch this production.  With your arms folded as you realize the plot is nearly a carbon copy of the original film or with relief that the story in a Terminator movie is actually more concerned with extracting humanity and emotion from a simplified screenplay than special effects.  Deadpool director Tim Miller is at the helm and he mostly keeps things moving.  Although the screenplay by David Goyer, Justin Rhodes, and Billy Ray does sag in the middle.  What could have been a brisk efficient 98-minute actioner is stretched to an interminable 128 minutes.  The action sequences are indeed good.  I just didn’t need so many.

Terminator: Dark Fate is the 6th entry in this series.  Oscar-winning filmmaker James Cameron (Titanic) and Gale Anne Hurd created the franchise back in 1984 with The Terminator.  Then came Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991.  I don’t know about you, but as far as I’m concerned, some time passed and then we got this installment in 2019.  I’m ignoring 3 other sequels and James Cameron has wisely decided to do the same.  He’s gotten involved in the franchise for the first time since T2 and has relegated entries 3 through 5 as part of some alternate universe.  Also reuniting after 28 years are Arnold Schwarzenegger as T-800 and Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor.

Let’s not underestimate the sheer joy of rejoining these two on-screen.  OK, so the producers have decided to introduce a whole new cast as well.  I won’t discount the contributions of characters Grace (Mackenzie Davis) the modified human-cyborg sent to protect Dani (Natalia Reyes) from evil Terminator Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna).  Incidentally, the advanced Rev-9 can separate the skin from its body and act as two units at once.  I guess that’s what passes for innovation in this screenplay.  It was a little confusing at first because I don’t recall an explanation in the movie as to why he was doing this.  It just sort of happens.

The new additions to the cast are serviceable, but the real spotlight belongs to seeing Linda Hamilton again and to a lesser extent, Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Yes, their relationship arc admittedly copies what happens in T2 but that was nearly 3 decades ago.   I think enough time has passed that you can now choose to label their interaction as an homage.   Linda Hamilton is especially good.  She adopts this world-weary “seen it all before” persona.   She’s so grizzled and tough that the portrayal almost borders on parody.   I enjoyed her much in the same way it was nice having Jaime Lee Curtis return in the Halloween movie from 2018.  That follow-up also chose to ignore a collection of inferior sequels too so it’s very similar in spirit to this film.  Still, did we really need a sixth chapter in the Terminator franchise?  Simply put, no.  However, this is the best entry since T2 so there’s that.  It could’ve been a lot worse.

10-31-19

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