The Irishman

I watched The Irishman on Netflix. It was originally released in the theaters for a couple of weeks before being available on Netflix. I'm glad I waited to watch it at home. The movie is about 3½ hours long. A movie that long requires a pause button for kitchen and bathroom breaks, not to mention a stretch or two. 

No surprise that the cast was good. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel play guys in or involved with the mob. It is directed by Martin Scorsese. I think those guys have some experience with this genre.

The movie is the story of Frank Sheeran (De Niro), a WWII veteran who is a Teamster and generally shady character who does some low-level jobs for some Philadelphia mob guys. He comes to the attention of Russell Bufalino (Pesci), one of the mob bosses in Philly. Although Sheeran is Irish, he speaks Italian and they hit it off. Sheeran becomes a confidant, enforcer, and hitman for Bufalino who introduces him to Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino). Sheeran does some dirty work in Detroit for Hoffa and they become fast friends too. 

Sheeran continues to work for Bufalino and at the same time rises in the Teamster union ranks thanks to Hoffa. He becomes one of the main conduits between Hoffa and the mob. Sometimes working for Hoffa and the union and sometimes working for Bufalino and the mob. Eventually, those two factions get sideways with each other. What will Frank do?

This is one of those time-shifting movies. It is Frank as an old man in a nursing home remembering his past. Scorsese chose to use CGI tricks to depict the players as younger men. This was done instead of hiring different actors to play the younger years. For the most part, the CGI young De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci were believable. There were a few scenes when one or more of the actors' makeup/CGI was a little off. I'm not sure if they used CGI or just makeup for the guys when they got old. Most of the main actors are already in their 70s so making them old is less of a stretch. 

The flashbacks were sometimes confusing as to exactly when they took place. It also made it harder to sort out all the relationships, especially for the peripheral characters. For those of us who were around in the '50s, '60s, and '70s it is fun to see the old cars and other signs of the time. Remember Stuckey's and Howard Johnson's? They did a good job recreating the times. There were also some good tunes in the soundtrack.  

This movie is far from the best work for any of the leads. Still, 75% to 80% of De Niro or Pacino is pretty good.

If you subscribe to Netflix, watching this movie is a no brainer. It's a theater-quality production. The 3½ length also makes home viewing the right choice. 

I'm going to rate this movie a B+. Everybody in it has done better work and it is a little disjointed at times. Definitely worth a look though. 

wjh

The Good Liar

We went to see The Good Liar the other night. It turned out to be a good choice. It stars Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen so we were pretty sure the acting would be good regardless of the script. Turned out the story was OK too. 

On the surface, this is the story of a grifter, Ian McKellen, who preys on older vulnerable women among his other scams. The vulnerable woman, in this case, is Helen Mirren. She is a widow with a substantial bank account. There are a few supporting characters like Helen's grandson and Ian's partner but this is primarily a dance between the two leads. They are more than up to the task.

No spoiler alerts, but all is not as it may first appear. You may figure out some of the plot twists but I'm guessing you won't figure it all out. That is unless you read the novel by the same name. 

This is a very satisfying movie. Those of us of a certain age may enjoy it more than the younger folks. Those watching with us were considerably older than those running around the cinema complex to see Frozen.

The movie is rated R for violence, language, and brief nudity. I found the violence and language to be very minor. The brief nudity was very brief and not part of a sexual nature. 

I rate this movie a B+. Maybe not the best movie of the year but certainly worth the time. 

wjh

The Kitchen

We went to see The Kitchen this week. It was a middle of the week matinee. We had the entire auditorium to ourselves. Apparently, this movie is no longer a hot ticket, if it ever was.

The movie stars Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elizabeth Moss as the wives of three members of the Irish mob in Hell's Kitchen. Common plays an FBI agent. The movie takes place in the '70s before much of that area got cleaned up and gentrified. The husbands get busted for an armed robbery and are sent to prison. This leaves the women without any income. The head of the Irish mob promises to take care of them, but his stipend comes up woefully short. Of course, their only solution is to go into competition with the mob.

This movie has three well-known and capable actresses heading the cast. Unfortunately, it had a below-average script. Most of the characters are pretty one dimensional. The women have a way too easy time going into business skimming clients from the Irish mob. Almost instantly, they are taking in thousands of dollars. The mob guys are slow to respond and then with mild threats. 

Before long, the women hook up with an Italian mob boss from Brooklyn. From here, the conflict with the Irish mob escalates. It becomes violent and deadly. There are several gruesome killings and lots of funerals. Despite all the killings, not once are the police around. Apparently, gunfire was a normal sound in Hell's Kitchen apartment buildings. 

My problems with the movie are the unrealistic ease which with the women become successful mobsters and the 180° personality changes of the women. They start as subservient wives and wind up as violent, tough, hardened, murdering mob bosses. This personality change is particularly noticeable in the McCarthy character. She appears to be a loving wife and mother at the start.  

There are a couple of minor surprises in the movie that I won't give away. The end of the movie gives the impression that they all live happily ever after in their new mob life. 

The movie is rated R for violence and language. I rate it a C-. It's OK as a mostly mindless girl-power shoot em up providing you don't have high expectations. 

wjh

Ben Is Back

This is not a comedy. The very serious, emotional Ben Is Back is about the 24-hour visit Ben (Lucas Hedges) makes back home for Christmas. Home consists of mom (Julia Roberts), sister, stepfather, and two young half-siblings. Ben is a drug addict currently in a rehab center. Let the fun begin. 

Ben is welcomed with open arms by Holly, his mom, and young half sister and half brother. Not so much by his sister and stepfather, who don't believe Ben has kicked the addiction or the bad behavior associated with it. More details of Ben's past life are revealed during the movie. It's not pretty. Mom is just happy to have her son and first born home for the holiday. His sister has lived through his addiction and lies. The little kids haven't seen Ben as an addict and his relapses. His stepfather doesn't trust Ben and is tired of the drama and probably the rehab expenses.

The family members come to an agreement that Ben can stay for Christmas but then must go back to the rehab center. The rule is he can not be out of his mother's sight for the duration. 

As you may guess, there are complications. Mostly minor at first but it spirals into more and more serious circumstances. It winds up with Ben and Holly on a dangerous chase to find the family's kidnapped dog. The kidnapping a result of Ben's past life.

By the end of the movie, I think Holly is just as sick as Ben. His past addicted life has taken just as big a toll on her as it has on him. Crazy behavior on both parts. 

The story did not play out as I first expected. It ends with no real resolution. Not an uplifting film.

This is definitely a two person movie. Julia and Lucas dominate the story and the screen time. They both do an outstanding job. The rest of the cast is barely needed although they do a fine job. 

This was not my favorite movie. If you are a Julia Roberts fan, you will get to see a lot of her doing a very intense part. Lucas again plays a troubled youth as he did in Manchester by the Sea.

I'm going to rate this a B-. Good acting, Not an enjoyable story. 

wjh

Star in the Dust

I watched another old movie on Encore Westerns the other night. Seems that they have added a new bunch of old movies recently. They have added some Hopalong Cassidy classics. Those are pretty bad movies but still fun to watch. This movie, Star in the Dust, from 1956 caught my eye because it starred Richard Boone and a young Mamie Van Doren.  

The story was a gunman hired by the cattlemen had been convicted of killing a farmer. The cattlemen wanted to bust him out of jail and the farmers wanted to lynch him. The old sodbusters vs the cattlemen story. The local sheriff was hellbent on carrying out the sentence exactly according to the law. Not a minute early.

Richard Boone was the bad guy which was pretty much his movie career. He spent almost all of the movie in a jail cell and still managed to overact. John Agar was the moral law abiding sheriff. Mamie was the sheriff's love interest but her father was the rich banker on the side of the cattle interests. That caused conflicts and mistrust in the relationship. 

It's not much of a movie and to be honest, I didn't pay very close attention to the plot twists and the character relationships. 

There were no outstanding acting performances and the plot was one that was recycled many times. They even had a town minstrel who told the story with a song, a pretty bad song. Coleen Gray did the heavy lifting for the female part. Mamie wasn't called on to do much acting, she was there for her other assets. John Agar, who played the sheriff, was adequate as the star. He is more famous for being married to Shirley Temple. 

What I did notice is that several future TV stars were in the movie. Of course, Richard Boone was a big star for several seasons when he played Paladin on Have Gun Will Travel. Mamie's father/banker was played by Leif Erickson who went on to star in High Chaparral. Harry Morgan was a leader of the cattlemen. He achieved TV fame as Col. Sherman Potter in M*A*S*H. Paul Fix played one of the deputies. He later became Marshal Micah Torrance on The Rifleman.  

As usual with these movies, good triumphed over evil. The real bad guys, Boone and Erickson, wound up dead. The good farmers got justice over the evil cattlemen. The good sheriff, Agar, got the girl, Van Doren. The minstrel closed the movie with the ending verse to his song. 

Most old western movies are pretty corny and predictable but still fun to watch. You get to see many future stars when they were young and not necessarily very good. 

wjh

The Mule

We went to see this movie on a late Tuesday afternoon. We had the auditorium almost to ourselves. The Mule is a movie based on a true story of an old WW II veteran. It was produced and directed by Clint Eastwood. He is also the star, his first acting gig since 2012. Bradley Cooper co-stars as a DEA agent and Laurence Fishbourne as his DEA boss. Andy Garcia is the drug cartel kingpin. 

Eastwood plays Earl, a 90-year-old Korean War veteran. The backstory is that he is a somewhat famous horticulturist who specializes in daylilies. His flower and bulb business is ruined by the internet and his house and farm are foreclosed on. By this point, he is long estranged from his family. During his business days, he drove all over the country and compiled a perfect driving record. Through a friend of his granddaughter, he is recruited to be a mule for a drug cartel. Old white guy, no traffic violations, perfect mule. The plan is to make one run so he can at least help pay for his granddaughter's wedding. The run goes smoothly, the money is terrific so Earl decides to make another run. He keeps finding uses for this newfound money which requires more runs. He becomes a big man again because he helps others. Even some of his family starts to come around. 

He becomes a star mule and reaps the rewards of that. Then Andy Garcia gets killed and a new drug boss takes over. Also, the DEA  is closing in and there are family issues to deal with. I won't spoil the last part of the movie.

As usual, Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper are excellent. The other actors are fine but none of them have really large parts or stood out to me. There is some violence in the movie but this is not a big shoot-em-up. There are no big car chases although there is a kind of Smokey and the Bandit scene near the end. There are a few funny lines, some tense scenes, and some poignant scenes. There is also a lot of time spent in the pick-up truck driving across America. 

Eastwood plays a convincing old fart. Not much of a stretch since he is now 88 and pretty much looks it. There aren't any real highs or lows in the story. Few if any surprises either. It's a solid story about an old guy with many regrets and a few triumphs in the end. 

I think the movie is worth your time especially if you are an Eastwood fan. Not necessarily the Dirty Harry Eastwood but the Eastwood of the past couple of decades. I would rate it a solid B. Not great, not bad. 

wjh

Old TV

I was watching Encore Westerns late one night and a real gem came on. I use gem only in the context of nostalgia, it was not a great movie. It was Hills of Old Wyoming starring William Boyd from 1937. For you young folks, William Boyd played western hero Hopalong Cassidy for decades in movies and on TV. OK, again for the young folks, ask your grandparents who Hopalong was. This particular movie had an added bonus, it co-starred George "Gabby" Hayes. At one time or another, Gabby played the sidekick to just about every western star in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. This movie also featured Chief Big Tree who played the part of Chief Big Tree, a real acting stretch. The movie was fairly typical of the westerns from that era. Low budget, many continuity gaffes, weak story/script, and stereotypes and cliches for all the characters. The Indians were rather slow and easily influenced by the superior white men. Hoppy took on a slow staccato speech pattern with a strange accent when speaking to Chief Big Tree. Also, Boyd never took his hat off during the film so I don't know if his hair was completely white yet. He would have been about 42 when it was filmed. 

Boyd did over a couple of dozen Hopalong films in the '30s and '40s. The film series ended in 1948. Boyd bought the rights to all those films. In that year he rented one of those movies to a local TV station. It proved popular and eventually, NBC leased the whole library of movies. They made new Hopalong Cassidy TV episodes in the early '50s. There was also a radio program. Hoppy became a huge hit and began selling all kinds of merchandise like lunchboxes, plates, comics, dishes, cups, and of course, cowboy outfits. I had at least part of a Hopalong cowboy outfit when I was a kid. I remember the hat for sure but don't know if I had Hoppy holsters and guns or other outfit pieces.   

A couple of other interesting, at least to me, old TV facts from recent viewing were from Cannon and 77 Sunset Strip. 

A 1973 episode of Cannon guest starred David Jansen. The Cannon star was fat man William Conrad who was the narrator on The Fugitive TV show which starred David Jansen. 

During the '60-'61 season of 77 Sunset Strip, Richard Long joined the cast as a third private eye in the firm. He retained the character name and persona he used in the canceled Bourbon Street Beat detective series. In a '61 episode that featured Long, one of the guest stars was Peter Brock. Long and Brock would later star as brothers on The Big Valley.

Many of these old TV shows and movies don't really hold up very well but they are fun to watch. The stories are pretty thin and every show of a similar genre recycled the same stories. Like the old movie, the stereotypes are obvious and shocking. There was always a chance some future big star would be a young guest star or have a bit part. I wonder how the new programs and movies from 2018 will hold up in 50 or more years? 

wjh

A Star Is Born - 2018

The latest version of A Star Is Born recently hit the theaters. This is the fourth remake of the film. First released in 1937 starring Fredric March and Janet Gaynor, remade in 1954 starring James Mason and Judy Garland. Then again in 1976 with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. Although details differ among the films, the main plot is that an established star takes an unknown under his wing and falls in love. The talented newcomer's career then eclipses the mentor. This 2018 version stars Bradley Cooper as the established star and Lady Gaga as the new talent who he falls in love with and gives her a start in the music business. 

Lady Gaga's character's, Ally, career then takes off as Bradly Cooper's character, Jackson Maine, slides into alcohol and drug oblivion. Cooper's choice of the Jackson Maine name is an acknowledgment to the first two versions of the film where the male character was named Norman Maine. In the '76 version, Kris Kristofferson was named John Norman Howard. 

Besides starring in, Bradley Cooper directed, co-produced, and co-wrote the film. We knew that Cooper could act and Lady Gaga could sing. It turns out that Cooper can also sing and Gaga can also act. The music scenes were actual live performances, no lip-syncing. 

There are some humorous scenes too, the ones in the drag bar are especially fun. There are also several good supporting performances. Sam Elliott plays Bobby, Jacksons older brother and manager. It is a contentious relationship. Dave Chappelle is an old friend and retired musician. The relationship and background were glossed over and not developed. More like an unnecessary side story except for setting up one event in Jackson and Ally's relationship. Andrew Dice Clay does a good job as Ally's father. A limo driver who believes he had more talent than Sinatra but just didn't get a break. The rest of the supporting cast is also good. Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real appear as Maine's backup band. Lukas Nelson is Willie's son. 

The music may be the best part of the music. Bradley, Lady Gaga, and Lukas Nelson all contributed original songs to the film. 

If you are of a certain age or a film buff, you know this story well. No real surprises, no car chases, no violence. The script is not perfect but more than serviceable. Mostly just good acting and good music. That should be enough. I rate this movie an A-. Hope you give it a look and enjoy it. 

wjh

Recycling Famous Brands

I've touched on this subject before but the trend just keeps getting more ridiculous. That is the recycling of our famous brands. Apparently, the creative and marketing folks can's come up with new concepts. They now just slightly modify a well-known name or brand. Almost every trip to the grocery store, there is a new version or flavor of an old time product. 

TV and the movies are notorious for doing sequels, spinoffs, and revivals. This coming TV series, we have a new version of Magnum PI. Based on the previews I've seen, it looks like only the Hawiaan location and red Ferrari remain from the original. CBS already has the reboot of Hawaii Five-O. That same network also has the Young Sheldon spinoff of The Big Bang Theory. There are three versions of the NCIS franchise. There used to be several versions of Law and Order and CSI. This is not new, we have had numerous versions of Star Trek for the last 50 years. In the Movies, we have the Star Wars franchise and several other superhero sequels. The Ocean's series has used numbers between 8 and 13 to designate the films. How about The Fast and the Furious movies How many have there been? And all with the same script, just different cars and locales.

It is not just the entertainment industry. Food is a particularly derivative industry. There used to be one flavor of Cheerios, Oreos, Triscuits, Corn Flakes, 3 Musketeers, etc. Buying Triscuits, Wheat Thins or even Cheese-Itz is now a major decision point. They all have multiple flavors, sizes, and textures. Sea Salt, low sodium, gluten-free, no GMO, organic, and a thousand other descriptive adjectives. Some real, many complete marketing BS. Candy is and has always been gluten-free, but now it is trendy to put that on the label. Remember when yogurt was a small section in the dairy aisle? Now it takes up more room than milk. Is it really fair to call two vanilla cookies with a chocolate filling an Oreo? According to Nabisco, now almost every sandwich type cookie is an Oreo. There are dozens of flavors and combinations. While spinoffs and variations have always been around, the changes have come far more quickly of late. Oreos were mostly only available in the original flavor from 1912 until the 1970s when different shapes and sizes emerged. New flavors finally came about after 2000. 

Sometimes the new flavor or shape has absolutely no relationship to the original. It's the same for TV and movies. The current Mission: Impossible movie franchise has very little to do with the original TV series. The original was about a tight team of professionals who worked together to outsmart the adversary. Little or no violence or gunplay was necessary. Tom Cruise is a lone wolf who displays superhuman abilities and has an impressive arsenal of weapons. A low-key, brainy TV original vs an over the top bombastic movie series reboot. I'll take Peter Graves over Tom Cruise. 

There is at least one more disturbing area of this recycling trend. That is the reviving of a once iconic brand name for a new, usually crappy, product. I have seen late night infomercials that tout the Bell & Howell or Polaroid name. It's usually for some $19.99 plus shipping and handling, we'll double it for the next 10 minutes, product. Buyer beware.

I know this trend will continue and probably accelerate. In fact, I may recycle this bitch in the future.

wjh

Equalizer 2

We went to see The Equalizer 2 on an early Saturday evening. It was either this or Mama Mia 2 on a very hot afternoon. The theater was over half full for a 4:30 showing on the movie's opening weekend. A diverse crowd. 

We enjoyed the movie, so that part is out of the way. This is a kickass movie and Denzel Washington does almost all the ass kicking. The first few minutes establish Denzel as a complete hard ass at least in the past as a government agent. He takes no prisoners and four to one or five to one odds are no problem. You do not want to mess with this dude.

Then the movie slows down. Denzel is "retired" and living a quiet life as a Lyft driver. There are a couple of side stories, some of which really contributed little or nothing to the main thread. Those stories needed some development and it took time. It was well into the movie before the main theme began to evolve, slowly.

I don't want to do any spoilers. It is basically Denzel's old government team has turned mercenary and needs to be stopped.

The last third of the movie depicts how that comes about. Then the tangent stories are also tied up. Maybe happily ever after, maybe not. Denzel survives so there could be an Equalizer 3 in our future. I'd go see it.

The acting, particularly Denzel, is better than the story and script. That is not surprising. He is damn good. This movie is worth the two-hour investment. I rate this a solid B. 

wjh

Ocean's 8

It's the #1 movie right now but if you go to an early afternoon showing on a Tuesday, the theater is nearly empty. There is also a chance to be the youngest folks in the audience. Not a normal occurrence at my age.

Briefly, this is a movie about a complicated big payoff heist in the fashion of the other Ocean's films that started with the original Rat Pack Ocean's 11 in 1960 and was revived starting in 2001 by the George Clooney Ocean's 11, 12, & 13. The twist here is that it is an all-female team of criminals.

In this movie, Sandra Bullock plays Debbie Ocean, the sister of the maybe deceased Danny Ocean (George Clooney). She has just been paroled from prison. During her five-plus years in the slammer, she comes up with the perfect crime, a diamond heist in the $150 million range. Of course, she needs help so she recruits a couple of old friends and some new specialists. Originally six others to make a band of seven and then an eighth at the end, hence Ocean's 8.

It's a very involved plan that of course has it's hiccups in spite of the five years of planning. The movie is only a little over halfway through when the robbery is successfully executed. The aftermath and investigation are as interesting and complicated as the crime. There is a surprise ending that I will not divulge. If you figure it out beforehand, you are a better sleuth than we were. 

Most of the cast is very good. Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett are the main characters. A couple of the headliners don't seem to have enough to do, Mindy Kaling and Awkwafina in particular and Sarah Paulson to some extent. I thought Rihanna was very good. I also thoroughly enjoyed James Corden as the insurance investigator. 

Since the caper takes place at a Metropolitan Museum gala, there were several cameos by the "beautiful people". 

I guess technically this is a chick flick and I was with a chick who liked it, but I enjoyed it too. It was worth the time and money. I'd rate it a B+. 

wjh

Wonder

We went to see Wonder on a Thursday night after it had been out for a couple of weeks. The crowd in the theater was between 10 and 15. It was worth the trip to the local cinema.

Based on a true story, it is about a home-schooled kid who is going to a real school with other kids for the first time in the fifth grade. There is one major problem, Augie, the boy has a disfigured face. How will he be accepted or not accepted? That and how his family dynamics play out are the main topics.

It was an enjoyable movie with some real tearjerker moments. It is mostly predictable but there are a few surprises. Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson play the parents. Not bad, but nothing special. Mandy Patinkin plays the too perfect principal of the school. In fact, all the teachers in the school are a little too perfect. 

The kids carry this movie. Jacob Tremblay is outstanding as the main character Augie. He is completely believable as the deformed kid. His acting is spot on. His character goes through all the emotions. The makeup is remarkable. 

His schoolmates all do a good job. Some are good kids trying to befriend Augie. Others are jerks who bully and ridicule Augie. Just like in a real school situation. Fifth graders are not yet fully formed. they are all trying to find their place in the pecking order of the school and the world. Izabela Vidovic does well as the mostly ignored big sister. She has a subplot that also teaches some lessons. 

This is a quiet movie. With the exception of a few video games being played, there are no explosions, car chases, killings, or maiming. It is rated PG and I see no reason that most kids 10 and up can't attend this movie. In fact, I would strongly suggest that preteens and teenagers watch this film. Maybe they will learn something either from Augie's grade school experiences or older sister Via's high school travails.  

A very worthwhile movie. It is not perfect, the outcomes are predictable, some of the characters are one dimensional, and the ending is a little pat. Nevertheless, we both enjoyed it. I would give it a solid B grade.

wjh

Home Again

We went to see Home Again. For those who know me, you realize this was not my choice. It is officially a chick flick. All I knew going in is that Reese Witherspoon was the star and that it was about a single mom and kids moving from New York City to Los Angeles. 

It was probably best that is all I knew. I had no clue that the three twenty-something housemate guys were an integral part of the story. It was a nice twist on the usual recently separated couple saga.

Reese is the single mom, Candace Bergan is Reeses mom and grandmother to the kids,   

The three young guys were a writer, actor, and director/promoter trying to sell their short film as the basis for a full-length feature. After a wild 40th birthday night out for Reese, everybody crashes at her house. They wind up enchanting Candace who suggests that they stay in Reese's guest house while trying to get established in Hollywood. After initial objections, the three guys become part of the family. One becomes Reese's lover despite, or maybe because of, a 13 year age difference. They all bond with the kids. 

Eventually, the separated husband, Michael Sheen, shows up and the mayhem ensues. There are also a few other side stories. One includes a weird, self-absorbed Lake Bell which I'm sure was easy for her to play. 

Here is the trailer. Many of the best lines are contained in these 2½ minutes. 

This is not a bad film, but it certainly isn't a great film. I think the operative word would be cute. My companion liked it more than I did but she didn't think it was great either. In fact, she thought it was cute. I would give it a C+ grade. 

wjh

Manchester by the Sea

I realize that Manchester by the Sea has been out for awhile, but we just got around to it. The movie has not had a wide release in our area. At the theater we usually go to, it was only showing once on Friday at 4:40 and once on Sunday. For those of you who are impatient and want my opinion, I liked it.

The film is a character driven story. No car chases, little violence and no nudity. It is about a very damaged man, Lee, dealing with his past and the death of his brother. That now dead brother has designated Lee as guardian of his teenage son and executor of his estate. 

As expected, it is not a smooth transition. There is also the side story about Lee's family's horrific tragedy and contact with his former wife. It is well into the movie before we are let into the tragedy via flashbacks. His nephew's relationship with his estranged mother also comes into play. 

This is a very serious and often dark film. There is little comic or light relief. Nobody seems happy with their life, they just go through the motions. On the bright side, the performances are outstanding and some of the scenery is gorgeous. For those of us not from the northeast, the Massachusetts accents can be amusing. 

Casey Affleck is tremendous as the tormented and flawed Lee Chandler. Lucas Hedges is terrific as the 16 year old nephew who just lost his father. The relationship between them is the main driver of the film. Michelle Williams plays Randi, Lee's ex-wife. All the players do a good job.

The story takes an up and down winding road path to what some may see as a less than satisfactory and abrupt ending. I won't give anything away, but it does not appear that everyone lives happily ever after. Maybe not a completely happy ending, but pretty pragmatic and realistic. 

Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges and Michelle Williams and the film are nominated for a total of six Oscars including best picture. Casey and Lucas are very deserving and could win. Michelle is OK, but I don't see an Oscar for her this time. The other categories, best picture, direction, and writing are all deserving of the nominations.

I give this movie a solid A rating and recommend it. Not for everyone, but a well written, well acted, well executed film. 

wjh

Bridge of Spies

Finally got around to watching Bridge of Spies. I enjoyed it. The movie takes place in the late 1950's and early 1960's and revolves around the true events of the capture and spy exchange of U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers and Soviet spy Rudolph Abel. 

Tom Hanks plays James Donovan, the lawyer who defended Abel and negotiated the exchange. If you want to know all the details, watch the movie. It received six Academy Award nominations and Mark Rylance (Rudolph Abel) won the Oscar for best supporting actor. Steven Spielberg produced and directed the movie.

The movie is very well acted and well done. It captures the look and feel of the 50's both here in the United States and in what was then still Soviet East Germany. 

The movie shows us how paranoia can take hold and effect an entire nation. We were so scared of the USSR during this period of the Cold War that we were willing to compromise our laws and ideals. Our government knew best. Anything was fair game if it was against Russia and made us feel a little safer. The judge, lawyers, FBI, CIA and the public were all willing to ignore our Constitution and laws to convict Abel of spying. It is worth noting how easily we are willing to surrender our rights for even a false sense of security. It seems an appropriate lesson for these times. Give it a watch for a little history refresher and some entertainment. 

The movie is a little long at almost 2½ hours. It is playing this month on Showtime and available at Redbox so there should be plenty of opportunities to catch this movie if you missed it in the theaters or just want to see it again. 

The movie is a little long at almost 2½ hours. It is well worth the time though and gets a solid A from me. 

wjh

Fences

I saw this movie on New Year's Eve with some friends. Three out of four of us liked it. I was one of the three.

Fences is the story of a 50 something black man in the early 1950's. A flawed, angry, bitter man trying to make it as a garbage man. The job allows him to barely own a home and support his family. Once a star ballplayer in the Negro Leagues, his color, age and some prison time kept him from the Major Leagues. The movie chronicles his relationships with his family and the demons of his past.

The cast is fantastic. Not a weak performance in the bunch. Denzel Washington plays Troy Maxson, the lead. Viola Davis plays his wife Rose. Jovan Adepo plays Corey Maxson, Troy's teenage son with Rose. Russell Hornsby is Lyons Maxson, Troy's 30 something year old son from his first failed marriage. Mykelti Williamson (Bubba Blue from Forrest Gump) plays Gabriel Maxson, Troy's mentally disabled WWII veteran brother. Stephen Henderson depicts Jim Bono, Troy's best friend. Denzel also directs. There should be some Oscar nominations.

This is a character driven movie that takes place almost entirely in the house and yard of Troy and Rose. There are no guns or car chases although there are a couple of scenes of a slow moving garbage truck. There is a lot of dialogue and raw emotion. Denzel talks and talks. He is a hardass parent who suffers the scars from his hardass father and racial discrimination. He will not or can not change his views and attitudes, ultimately pushing away all in his life. 

I won't give away all the trials and tribulations that Troy and his family endure. For those of us old enough to remember the days of segregation, the story seems right. Before condemning any of the characters, remember, the story takes place 60 years ago in a still mostly segregated country. 

This is a long movie, 2:27, so prepare accordingly. It is rated PG-13 for some language. Most of that language is the infamous N-word by Troy. The film drags a little in places but it's worth it. The ending lacks some detail and leaves some loose ends but you'll figure it out.

A fan of character driven movies with great performances, go see it. Need some car chases and hectic action, skip it. 

BillyJim gives Fences an A. 

wjh

Love & Mercy

I rented Love & Mercy the other night. It is about two periods of Brian Wilson's life. Brian was the musical force behind the Beach Boys. He wrote or cowrote almost all their songs, arranged and produced their albums and sang lead on many of their hits. This biopic depicts Brian during the beginning of the Beach Boys in the 1960's and in the 1980's when he was under 24/7 care of a quack psychotherapist. The movie switches back and forth between the two periods. Rather than doing makeup tricks for the young and middle-aged Wilson, two different actors play the part. Paul Dano is the young 1960's version and John Cusack plays the 1980's Brian. This was a little offputting to me. I thought Dano did a good job and actually resembled the young Wilson. I had some problems with Cusack's depiction. Part of it was physical and part was that he didn't seem quite as helpless, bumbling and vulnerable as the real Brian Wilson must have been to put up with his treatment. 

There are two, maybe three villains in this story. Brian's father Murry Wilson is the bad guy in the 1960's. He was an abusive father to all three Wilson brothers, Brian, Dennis and Carl, but Brian was the oldest and most talented so he took the brunt of the abuse. He was also the most sensitive so the abuse affected him the most and it stuck with him the longest. Murry was the Beach Boys first manager and tried to control every aspect of the group. He was eventually fired but retained part ownership of their publishing company. After being fired, he sold the Beach Boys song catalog and pocketed the money. Even after that Brian was always seeking Murry's approval, which he never got.

The 1980's bad guy is Dr. Eugene Landy, an unconventional psychotherapist, who completely controlled Brian's life fo a few years. He imposed a 24/7 treatment program for Brian's addictions and mental illness. It included numerous staff members, unorthodox methods and mass quantities of drugs. He charged exorbitant fees for his services and used his influence to horn into Brian's music ventures. Landy also had a book written about Brian that Wilson has since said is mostly BS. In it Landry comes off as the great savior. He was eventually barred from practicing in California. There were also restraining orders barring Landy from having any contact with Wilson. 

Mike Love, Beach Boy and cousin of the Wilsons, also comes off as an ass. In fact, he is an ass in real life. He was against any growth in the group's music and just wanted to repeat the formula from their early hits about cars and surfing.  

There has to be a hero in this tale and it is Melinda Ledbetter who became Brian's girlfriend and eventually his wife. In the movie, she almost single-handedly saved Wilson from Dr. Landy. Amazingly, Melinda was deeply involved in the film's production. I have read much about Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. While Ledbetter played a part in Wilson breaking away from Landy, she was not the main driver. That was mostly the work of brother Carl Wilson.

Other than Mike Love, the rest of the Beach Boys were barely in the movie. Several other key players during the 1960's are also ignored. That is probably alright since this picture is about how Brian got so screwed up and how he eventually recovered enough to function once again. It is by no means a comprehensive biography of Brian's life. 

I thought Paul Dano was good as the young Brian. Paul Giamatti was OK as evil Dr. Landry but there were no shades of gray in his performance. Landry was portrayed as a 100% dick, not 99%, 100%. Giamatti also had a bad wig. John Cusack was fair as the older Brian but wasn't convincing to me. That is probably more due to my familiarity of the subject. The star of the show was Elizabeth Banks as Melinda Ledbetter. She was absolutely radiant on the screen. The character as written was a little too good to be true and the facts were twisted somewhat, but that didn't matter. Other than these four actors, hardly anyone else had significant screen time.

There were times when the switching from the 60's to the 80's was somewhat jarring and maybe not appropriate. I wanted to see a few more minutes of certain scenes, but then the switch occurred.

As mentioned, I have read fairly extensively about the Beach Boys in general and Brian Wilson in particular. Because of that, I came into this movie with many preconceived notions. That being said, I still enjoyed it. Of course, there is always the great Brian Wilson music for the soundtrack. I think it may be even more enjoyable for those less familiar with the real story.

I give Love & Mercy a solid "B" rating and would recommend it, especially to those who grew up with the music. The good news is that although Brian is still a very damaged person, he does now perform in public and continues to write and record music. 

wjh