A Reel Review: MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS

Even though the real-life story of Mary, the Queen of Scots played out on one of the biggest stages and conflicts in the 16^thcentury, her name has often landed underneath her more famous cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. Over the years Hollywood has treated her the same, almost as a footnote while the name Elizabeth earned the attention of Oscar winning actresses. Here in 2018, director Josie Rourke changes things up by bringing Mary up front and center. 

Mary (Saoirse Ronan), is a cousin of the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie), and with the Queen unable to produce an heir, Mary has an opportunity to stake a claim to the throne. 

In today’s parlance, Queen Elizabeth and Mary would be dubbed “frenemies”; two rivals with great respect for each other but both wanting the same thing. In this adaptation, the two only share the screen once, and the rest of that time we see the plotting, executing, and regrouping that the two women do to try and beat the other. Director Josie Rourke, helming her first feature film, takes us through the dense politics of the time, sprinkled with mystery as every character seems to have their own agendas. 

MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS is a talkie of a picture; lots and lots of dialogue with the occasional battle scene or outburst. There is a lot going in the plot, and a road map is nearly required to keep up with who is doing what to whom and why. The film feels like a statement on our times; both women are lied to and betrayed by the men around them, and a preacher (wonderfully played by David Tennant), leads a campaign of misinformation which costs Mary her followers. It’s a thinly veiled look at the state of things today, even though within the movie it works. 

Rourke films a beautiful looking movie and it is awesome to see on the big screen; from the vast Scottish and British landscapes to the darkness of bed-chambers and dungeons…she has a great eye for filling her frames. Editing is a little all over the place; odd cutaways happen at the wrong times, and for a dialogue-heavy film, it could have used a bit more energy and momentum. In the third act, the film has a time-jump of about 20 years, and they don’t bother to age-up Mary at all; an odd choice that is misleading for viewers. Max Richter’s score is excellent. 

Acting is very good. Saoirse Ronan goes through a lot as Mary, dealing with two marriages that end badly, staying strong in battle, and watching those that she loves die before her eyes. Margot Robbie is buried under a little too much prosthetics and makeup, as this is probably the most realistic version of Queen Elizabeth I we’ve ever seen, but she acts her way through it just fine. The rest of the cast, which includes David Tennant and Guy Pearce…all very good. 

At 125 minutes and not much action, MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS can be a grind to get through. Those familiar with the story of the real-life Mary will know how it all ends, but for the first time we get to see the person behind that name. It’s a very political and dry film, but a worthwhile look at an often-forgotten figure in history. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

A Reel Review: VICE

Writer and director Adam McKay first made a name for himself by directing Will Ferrell in hit comedies such as ANCHORMAN (2004), TALLADEGA NIGHTS (2006), and STEP BROTHERS (2008). In 2015 he stepped away from Ferrell and his comedy routine to bring us THE BIG SHORT, which examined the housing financial crisis of 2007 and took home an Oscar for it. That film used a lot of unconventional techniques to explain an extremely complex issue, and for his new film VICE, McKay gives complexity another shot as it takes a look at one of history’s most controversial and least-popular politicians. 

Dick Cheney (Christian Bale), rises through Washington D.C. with his wife Lynne (Amy Adams), forming an alliance with Donald Rumsfeld (Steve Carell) as he works his way through the Nixon and Ford administrations. After retiring from politics, he is brought back to the game by George W. Bush (Sam Rockwell) who recruits him into the nothing-job of Vice President. Hungry and ambitious for power, Cheney finds ways to elevate the job of VP before and after the events of 9/11. 

Using a non-linear, time-hopping approach, VICE follows Cheney through his life, starting with his troubled hard-partying days, and into his start as a politician. Early seeds are planted to explain his lust for power; the love of his life Lynne threatening to leave him if he doesn’t change. It’s a simple scene and a simple plot device to get the main character going, and it becomes clear that McKay isn’t out to skewer the man but to be a responsible filmmaker and flesh out his character. 

As the film progresses, things shift often. Cheney is shown as heartless (literally), backstabbing, and front-stabbing…while maintaining his role as a dedicated family man (a scene in which he embraces his daughter as she comes out to him is very well done). His drive for power, which he gains and gains in heaps, seems to reach back to his early scene with Lynne when she threatens to leave him if he doesn’t sober up, but how it went from ambition to lust is a bit of a mystery. McKay is very fair to Cheney; he lets the VP’s actions alone praise him or damn him, but VICE seems to be a spotlight on the man more than an examination.

McKay uses his tricks from THE BIG SHORT to get his point across; non-linear storytelling, narration, celebrity cameos, and heavy metaphors such as fishing for victims and ordering war-time strategies from a menu. Most of them work while others can be jarring. The film moves at a quick pace, and its 132-minute running time flies by. McKay seems to have a good eye for history, and the behind-the-scenes looks at 9/11 and the controversial 2000 election are very well done. 

Acting is outstanding and VICE stands tall as an ensemble piece. Christian Bale vanishes into Dick Cheney and is unrecognizable while nailing every tick and glance we remember from history. Amy Adams is equally great, and Sam Rockwell is a hoot as George W. Bush. Steve Carell seems to draw inspiration from Bale and does great work in morphing into Donald Rumsfeld, and Tyler Perry is surprisingly great as Colin Powell. A lot of figures from history appear and are well-cast, but the actor they hired to play Gerald Ford looks nothing like him; so bad it’s laughable. 

As great as the performances and the treatment of history is in VICE, the film often shifts tone so often that it feels like McKay couldn’t decide on a comedy or drama and he goes for both. It could have worked as either, but as both it can be jarring. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it gives VICE an oddness. But overall it is well-made, extremely well-acted, and gives a fair look at how things unfolded and how they led us to the current state of politics in 2018. Love or hate Cheney, VICE has a lot to offer. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

A Reel Review: AQUAMAN

The attempts by Warner Bros. to build a film series based on the DC Comics brand of superheroes has been embarrassing, with one good movie out of five since 2013 and a tidal wave of problems behind the scenes; ranging from controversial hires and casting, firings, re-shoots, re-edits, and oddball decisions with characters. For their sixth attempt, based on Aquaman, the super-powered hero who talks to the fishes, the odds were against them as the character is one of the weirdest and often the subject of jokes. But for director James Wan and his cast, the approach was simple; embrace the weirdness. 

Arthur Curry/Aquaman (Jason Momoa), is the son of an Atlantean princess (Nicole Kidman), and a lighthouse keeper (Tumuera Morrison), who reluctantly does heroic deeds at sea with his powers. He is brought back to the depths of the ocean by Mera (Amber Heard), and his old mentor Nuidis (Willem Dafoe), to stop the efforts of his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), who is uniting the underwater kingdoms to wage war against the Earth as revenge for their pollution of the oceans. Meanwhile, a former pirate (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), takes on the persona of the Black Manta to take revenge against Arthur. 

On the surface, AQUAMAN has a lot going on. Arthur and Mera need to unite the kingdoms under one king to stop war, and to do so they have to trot the globe following ancient clues to find a special trident that only the proper king can wield. In the meantime, Orm is using murder and threats to build his armies, Black Manta is plotting revenge, and Arthur is dealing with being in the role of a reluctant hero while unsure of his family and heritage. It all sets itself up to be a mess, but director James Wan keeps things organized well, and by embracing some classical story structure, the many plotlines work for a high-stakes adventure over land and sea. 

Despite already appearing in two films based on DC Comics, Aquaman has seemed to be a hard shell to crack. Wan doesn’t shy away from the quirkiness of the character’s abilities and instead goes for it all. Aquaman does indeed talk to the fishes, and he lives in a world where men ride sharks and big seahorses, an octopus plays the drums, and giant tentacled monsters rise from the depths. Some of it is ridiculous and eye-rolling, and the powers that Arthur and his companions have don’t get much explanation, but the film somehow clicks as a sci-fi tale; familiar but new. 

Once the fighting kicks in there’s a lot of big-wow to be had. The hand-to-hand combat scenes are brutally magnificent, and the large-scale battles are presented on a grand canvas that is stunning to see. The stakes are so large and the battles so massive that poor Black Manta often feels like an intrusion, and the film could have deleted him easily and there would be no gaping holes. Wan however does film a fantastic chase and fight with Manta taking place in Italy; weaving and swooping his camera around a village in fantastic fashion. Pacing is tight and energetic despite several stops in the momentum to provide exposition. Visual effects range from jawdropping to cartoon-like, but the design of the underwater worlds is lush and full of detail. There are attempts to de-age several actors; most of which work but some shots just look like they merely blurred out the wrinkles. The score by Rupert Gregson-Williams is very good, although some pop music choices are murder on the ears and feel way out of place. 

Jason Momoa carries the film with his charisma and bulk, and the physical work he does is most impressive. Amber Heard is a bit stiff, and Willem Dafoe is his usual self. Nicole Kidman and Tumuera Morrison are quite good together, Patrick Wilson feels like he could have worked a little harder, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta is fantastic. Julie Andrews (!) sneaks in providing the voice of a sea creature guarding the coveted trident and sounds very good. But the only issue with the overall acting has nothing to do with the actors and with the vocal effect they used on the underwater dialogue scenes; when speaking underwater the effect used makes some of it very hard to understand.

AQUAMAN does have a few spots of rough seas; occasional bad CGI, clunky dialogue, and some of the battle and fight scenes could have been trimmed tighter…but the overall adventure doesn’t sink. It would be easy to dismiss it as silly thanks to the nuttiness of the underwater creatures, and one’s enjoyment could easily rest upon how much they are willing to accept. It’s a successful voyage for DC Comics on film, and one that they can be proud of. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it

A Reel Review: SPIDER-MAN - INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

The Amazing Spider-Man, one of Marvel Comics’ most popular characters (to say the least), has been all over the place on the big-screen in terms of quality and quantity. Since 2002 there have been six films carrying his name, and two more as a supporting character…played by three different actors. The world seems dangerously close to being burned out on our friendly neighborhood web-slinger, which is why an animated version that throws everything in and out is welcome. Enter the world of the SPIDER-VERSE. 

Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), is a teen in NYC who is bitten by a radio-active spider and gains super-powers just like his idol, the amazing Spider-Man (Chris Pine). When Miles and Spidey try to stop a plan by Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) to collapse our universe with alternate dimensions, several alternate people from other universes with spider-powers arrive in our world; including an aging Spider-Man (Jake Johnson), Spider-Woman/Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), and Spider-Man Noir (Nic Cage). 

At its core, INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE has all the familiar elements of a Spider-origin story. Young Miles is trying to find his way in school and in life, while trying to figure out his relationship with his dad (Brian Tyree Henry), while bonding with his slacker uncle (Mahershala Ali). His inevitable spider-bite and discovery of his powers comes in like checkmarks in a build-a-superhero storybook kit, along with his training by the grown-up Spider-Man and eventual stumbles, falls, and rises. But keeping this story slinging are the added elements of the variations of Spider-people (and animals). Each one adds to the story in their own ways, and their backgrounds are similar, but different…and they all bring Miles to his destiny in great variety. 

There’s a lot of fun to be had once the team of Spider-people (and animals and robots) get together to fight Kingpin, who is still determined to bring in alternate dimensions to our world despite the possible Earth-ending consequences (Kingpin himself is given powerful reasons for doing so), and the battles, chases, and fights are spectacular. The 3D animation style is based on the comics of old, and it’s the closest we can come to seeing a comic moving before our eyes. The different Spider-people have animation styles that match the dimensions they come from; a cartoon pig looks like a cartoon and the Noir Spidey maintains his glorious black-and-white shading. The whole thing is a visual feast. The jokes are light but hit nicely, the pacing is brisk, and a few good twists and surprises here and there despite one surprise being predictable and telegraphed early. 

Acting is wonderful all around. Shameik Moore makes for a great Spidey and captures the essence of Miles nicely, and he is nicely paired with Jake Johnson as the older Peter Parker. Hailee Steinfeld is great as Gwen Stacy. Lily Tomlin pops in as Aunt May, and Kathryn Hahn is a surprise as an alternate version of Doctor Octopus. 

INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE has a lot of familiar pieces and parts in characters, heroes, villains, and situaitons, but it feels fresh and new and has a lot to offer long-time fans and newcomers. It’s the Spider-Man movie we really needed right now, and it shows that the superhero genre has a long way to go before running out of webs to sling. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

A Reel Review: BUMBLEBEE

An often-overlooked fact about the ongoing TRANSORMERS franchise is that it stands as the rare, if not the only occasion, where the merchandising came before any big and small-screen adaptations. The toys that transformed into robots reached peak popularity in the 1980’s with an animated series; a series that was and is so popular that fans immediately rebelled against the live-action films of the mid 2000’s due to their updating and departures from the cartoons. Perhaps finally aware of the rage of the 40-year-old men who are still demanding to see those cartoons on the big screen, the filmmakers behind BUMBLEBEE, the sixth live-action film in the franchise, take everything back to the 1980’s. 

Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), is an 18-year-old girl who is a wizard mechanic while mourning the loss of her father and adjusting to life at home with her stepfather…when she encounters Bumblebee; a soldier of the Autobots who has taken refuge on Earth after the fall of his planet Cybertron. With his ability to speak damaged and his memory wiped clean from combat, Bumblebee and Charlie form a bond and look to thwart the efforts of two evil Decepticons to bring their army to Earth, while avoiding a secret government organization after their alien technology…led by Agent Jack Burns (John Cena). 

The plot of BUMBLEBEE is simple; avoid capture and stop the efforts of the bad robots to bring more bad robots to Earth. To beef things up, the bulk of the film focuses on the bond between Charlie and Bumblebee, with both characters sharing similarities. Both Charlie and her new friend are outcasts and very much feel alone, and their adventures in avoiding peril in human and robot form bring them closer together and they both make strides in natural ways. There’s a lot of heart going on here, and for the most part it works as a lost puppy tale. 

The simplicity definitely harks back to episodes of the old cartoon (fans wanted it, they got it), and the two main characters drive this car forward. Steinfeld is great as usual, and Bumblebee comes to life with some clever body language and well-timed physical comedy. Perhaps for the first time in the TRANSFORMERS stint on the big-screen in live-action form, we actually care about what happens to the humans and the robots. 

Setting the film in 1987 works to its advantage, as director Travis Knight saturates the film in the pop culture of the time, making it a fun nostalgic trip to the past. The robots for the most part are back to their old designs from the cartoon (a major sticking point of the previous films), with popular characters such as Optimus Prime, Soundwave, Starscream, and Shockwave returning in their old animated skins…although they all amount to cameos. The visual effects are fantastic although the rock-em, sock-em robot battle scenes are still tough to follow with way too much goddamn shaky camera crap, and the film also gets bogged down here and there with one to many annoying characters who don’t contribute much. There are also a few instances of stupid things happening…but it’s far from a dealbreaker. 

Hailee Steinfeld, in her first film loaded with visual effects, does an excellent job in acting against things that were not there on set…and she sells it perfectly. She also does great work in selling us as a troubled teen girl. John Cena is one-note and gruff in his role as the commander in pursuit of the robots, but for the character it works. 

The odd part about BUMBLEBEE is that even though it breaks continuity with the 2007 film, it also borrows a lot from it and it’s hard to tell if this is supposed to be a hard reboot/reset or a true prequel. But on its own it functions just fine and has a lot in common with movies of the 1980’s which had a lot of children meeting strange visitors and having fantastic adventures. This is a throwback in many ways and should keep the cartoon fans happy for a while. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it  

A Reel Review: MARY POPPINS RETURNS

Mary Poppins. For over 50 years her name has meant a lot to the world; conjuring up memories and feelings of childhood whimsy, joyful songs, and the importance of family. Her first film in 1964 was made in simpler times, and to return her back to the big screen in 2018 meant giving her an update; to make her relevant while maintaining that magic. Such was the challenge for Disney and director Rob Marshall with MARY POPPINS RETURNS. 

Three decades after the events of the first film, Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw), is mourning the death of his wife and caring for his three children (Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh, Joel Dawson), with help from his sister Jane (Emily Mortimer). Michael has lost control of the family’s finances and is in danger of losing his family home to the ruthless bank he works for, when Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) arrives just in the nick of time to look after everyone. 

The original MARY POPPINS did not have much by way of plot and went from musical number to musical number with brief story in-between. It functioned beautifully because of its charm, earnestness, and performances, but such simplicity may be not be enough for modern audiences. Seemingly aware of this, director Rob Marshall and screenwriter David Magee beefs up this MARY POPPINS tale with real-world problems, with the very house that Michael and Jane grew up in about to be seized by the bank. Toss on Michael struggling with the loss of his wife, and a sudden disconnect from his children, and despite being set in the 1930’s, RETURNS feels very much like a modern tale. 

There’s a lot more meat to the plot this time around, and in a way that’s an improvement on the original. But staying true to its roots in film and in her literary origins, MARY POPPINS RETURNS is packed full of the whimsy and charm that we would expect. There is magic aplenty, thrilling song and dance numbers, and more than enough joy to give it the feel of classic Walt Disney. Marshall also finds time to work in important themes of lost childhood memories and what it really means to be an adult, and the script gives every character an important role to fill. 

Music is an important part of any MARY POPPINS on film, and the songs and dances are beautiful in every way. From the quiet moments of The Place Where Lost Things Go to the sonic blast of The Royal Doulton Music Hall, everything is a toe-tapper and easy to sing along to. As good as the musical numbers are, there doesn’t seem to be an iconic tune in the ballpark ofLet’s Go Fly a Kite or Supercalifragilisticexpialidocous, but time will tell on that one. There are no direct reprisals of the original songs, although the soundtrack does reuse a motif or two .  The film also hangs its hat on the lore and nostalgia of MARY POPPINS, with oodles of callbacks to the original film and the novels. 

Performances are fantastic. Emily Blunt steps into the shoes of Julie Andrews, the original Mary Poppins, with ease. Blunt plays her with that cheeky prim-and-proper with a heart perfectly, and her singing and dancing abilities are incredible. Blunt is matched with Broadway actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, who plays a lamplighter and former chimney sweep who recalls Mary’s first visit to London. Miranda is equally fantastic and has important duties to perform within the plot. The new Banks children are quite good, and Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer are both excellent. Smaller roles held down by Colin Firth and Meryl Streep are very good and keep an eye out for a few surprise cameos. 

The solution to the Banks’ problems ties right back to the original film, and the importance of one single object that we’re all familiar with is executed in a brilliant fashion. MARY POPPINS has indeed returned, coming back with an explosion of color, joy, and lessons to be learned as adults and children. Kids will love the animated sequences and the fun, and adults will be touched over the grown-up situations. Anyone who has lost someone dear, or had to say goodbye to a family home will certainly relate to this, and that sort of wide-reach makes this return practically perfect…in every way. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

Reel Anniversaries: SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and SCHINDLER'S LIST

This month marks significant anniversaries for two of Steven Spielberg’s best films; both set in the Second World War.  

Celebrating its 25^th anniversary is SCHINDLER’S LIST. 

Based on the novel Schindler’s Ark, the film followed a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand Jewish refugees from the Holocaust by offering them employment. Filmed in glorious black-and-white with the approach of a documentary, it is today considered to be one of the best films ever made, and was the recipient of seven Academy Awards (out of 12 nominations); including Best Picture and Best Director for Spielberg. It was a turning point for Spielberg, as it was a major departure from the whimsy and childhood dreams that had populated most of his works up until this point. It was also the capstone of a very successful year for Spielberg, who earlier in 1993 wowed audiences with his dinosaur adventure JURASSIC PARK. 

And celebrating its 20^thanniversary is SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. 

Loosely based on the real-life WWII stories of the Niland brothers, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN was set during the Normandy Invasion, and followed a U.S. Army squad tasked with the impossible mission of finding one soldier to send him home after all three of his brothers were killed in action. Also hailed as one of the best films ever made, RYAN had startling battle sequences which hung its helmet on realism; literally dropping audiences right into the thick madness of battle. It was nominated for 11 Oscars and won five, including Spielberg’s second win for Best Director. Today it is considered a landmark in the war film genre, and credited with a resurgence in America’s interest in WWII. 

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This Blogger has often written that WWII will never run out of stories to tell; it was just too big of an event that affected too many people. The scale of the war was massive,and the challenge for Spielberg for both SCHINDLER’S LIST and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN was to maintain that sense of scale while finding the humans underneath it all. Both films stick close to the ground and their characters, making sure that the humans come first and the largeness of the events second. Time is the best test of all things, especially films, and both of these masterworks feel timeless after 20 or 25 years. If lessons are to be learned from war, then these two works from Spielberg are the perfect starting point for all of us. 

Penny Marshall - 1943-2018

Penny Marshall; actress, director, and film producer, has passed away at 75. 

Widely known for her role as Laverne DeFazio in the TV sitcom LAVERNE & SHIRLEY, Marshall made the move behind the camera at the encouragement of her brother. She directed episodes of LAVERNE & SHIRLEY and several episodes of the short-lives sitcom WORKING STIFFS, which starred Michael Keaton and  John Belushi. 

In 1986 she entered the cinema world as a director and helmed JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH with Whoopi Goldberg to the big screen. It was a modest hit, and she followed that up with BIG in 1988 with rising star Tom Hanks, which became the first film directed by a woman to gross over $100 million. In 1990 she would direct the critical darling AWAKENINGS with Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro, which would earn three Oscar nominations...including Best Picture. She would follow that up with her most well-known film, A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN in 1992. 

Her other directing credits included RENAISSANCE MAN (1994), THE PREACHER’S WIFE (1996), and RIDING IN CARS WITH BOYS (2001). 

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There is a lot of talk these days about women behind the camera; how few of them there are and how fewer get the recognition of their male counterparts. Through all the talk the fact is often forgotten that Penny Marshall made quality films that earned box office dollars, were well liked, and have survived the test of time. She had a touch that brought out the human side in her characters, and that spoke to everyone. Penny Marshall’s career is a fine example for the industry of what women can do behind the lens. 

A Reel Review: ROMA

In the last decade, writer and director Alfonso Cuaròn has established himself as one of the premier filmmakers working today; his outer-space adventure GRAVITY (2013) was an Oscar darling, his CHILDREN OF MEN (2006) is widely considered to be one of the best films of the millennium, and his entry into the HARRY POTTER series, THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (2004), is one of the best in the wizarding franchise. With his newest film ROMA, he steps away from the wide scope he’s been working with and goes smaller and personal. 

In the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City in the early 1970’s, Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), is a housekeeper for a middle-class family, consisting of four children, parents, and their grandmother. Life is good, until unexpected events turn her world upside-down. 

ROMA does not have much by way of plot, and even by the time the closing credits sneak in, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what the plot may have been. The bulk of the film has us spending a lot of time with Cleo during her mundane, everyday tasks of cleaning, cooking, and taking care of the children. For the first hour, not much happens, and ROMA unfolds as if a bunch of hidden cameras were placed in a house to keep an eye on the housekeeper. 

Once we get past that first hour, things change dramatically as Cleo finds herself with an unexpected pregnancy, and an upset household when the father leaves the family for a mistress. These events spider-web into more happenings, including the radical father of Cleo’s baby, the children misbehaving, the mother going into a spiral, and Cleo finding herself in the middle of the 1971 riots known in the history books as the Corpus Christi Massacre. These events have a heavy impact on Cleo and the audience, as the time we spent with her in the early goings now have a payoff. 

Filmed in glorious black-and-white, ROMA looks amazing on the big screen; scenes ranging from the beach and ocean and simple tilework in the house is presented beautifully. This is Cuaròn’s first credit as a cinematographer and he does stunning work. The film is presented simply with very few cuts; there are some incredible long unbroken takes with very specific camera movement and panning. The film moves at a snail’s pace deliberately, as Cuaròn is no hurry to shove information or action in our faces; it takes a lot of patience to take in.  

With the exception of Yalitza Aparicio, the cast is mostly made of non-pro’s who have never acted before, and this adds to a very authentic feel. Aparicio in the meantime is excellent as she goes through many emotions caused by her pregnancy and other dire situations. 

ROMA is a semi-autobiographical take on Cuaròn’s own upbringing in Mexico City, and upon first viewing it’s not hard to say that the director probably gets more out of this film than general audiences would. But it’s a film that tends to sink in, and the way it is presented offers a lot of food for thought. Even though it is light on action, Spanish-speaking and sub-titled, with a hefty 135 minute run-time, those hearty enough to stick with it will definitely be rewarded. ROMA is a departure for Cuaròn as it doesn’t have the grand scale or adventure of his previous films, but by going smaller he also goes deeper, and further cements his status as one of our best directors. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it

A Reel 40: SUPERMAN

"A friend."

This month marks the 40^thanniversary of Richard Donner’s SUPERMAN. 

Here in 2018, superhero movies dominate the box office and take over every movie theatre, while having a new life in pop culture outside of their comic book origins. But before December of 1978, there were none to be found, and the notion of a comic book movie was an idea as far away as the planet Krypton. 

The journey to bring DC Comic’s most popular and heralded character began way back in 1973, when producer Ilya Salkind began the long process of acquiring the rights to the red and blue-caped strongman who was faster than a speeding bullet.  The idea was to film SUPERMAN and a sequel back-to-back, but the first film had to be put together first. By 1974 the red tape was cleared, and the first order of business was to find a leading man. Names such as Muhammad Ali, Al Pacino, James Caan, Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, and Dustin Hoffman were considered. The task of writing the screenplay would to go Mario Puzo, who was fresh off his success for writing THE GODFATHER and its sequel. 

For the director, Steven Spielberg was considered, but the producers wanted to see how his “fish movie” would succeed first. That fish movie was JAWS, and despite being a massive hit, Spielberg would not helm the man of steel into flight as he immediately committed to different film about aliens, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. By 1975, famed actor Marlon Brando had signed on to play the father of Superman, Jor-El. Shortly after, Gene Hackman took on the role of Lex Luthor, Superman’s arch-enemy. By 1977 sets were being constructed, and the directing job went to Richard Donner, who was coming off his success with the horror film THE OMEN (1976). 

The role of Superman and his alter-ego Clark Kent would finally go to Christopher Reeve, who beat out big names from 1970’s cinema such as Sylvester Stallone, Paul Newman, and Burt Reynolds. The rest of the cast was rounded out by Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Glenn Ford, Valerie Perrine, Marc McClure, Terence Stamp, and Margot Kidder as Lois Lane…Superman’s lifelong love interest. Filming began in 1977 at the famed Pinewood Studios, with location shooting in New York City, Alberta Canada, and New Mexico. The score would be composed by John Williams, who had just won another Oscar for his work on STAR WARS. 

The results were spectacular. With landbreaking special effects which truly made us believe that a man could fly, SUPERMAN wowed audiences and would finish as the second-highest grossing film of 1978 (behind GREASE), and would finish its theatrical run as the sixth-highest earner all-time. It would be nominated for three Oscars, and would win a Special Achievement Academy Award for its special effects. Reeve would win Best Newcomer at the BAFTA’s that year. In 2017 it would be added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry. 

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The success of SUPERMAN can be attributed to many things; Donner’s workman-like direction, the perfect casting, the soaring score by Williams, and the great physical performance by Reeve…who transformed before our eyes from dorky Clark Kent to the mighty Superman with no special effects needed. Reeve made the wire-work to make Superman fly function perfectly, and thanks to the pitch-perfect script, embodied Superman’s ideals of truth and justice. Richard Donner’s direction was a great balance of humor, drama, with a whole lot of human heart, and super-sequences such as Superman’s rescuing of Lois from a helicopter crash and saving an airliner, are thrilling. And on top of that, Donner found room to make it a father-son story. John Williams’ score soars as high as the man of steel himself ever did, and today tugs on the heartstrings like no other piece of music can. Forty years after its release, SUPERMAN stands as the grand-daddy of all superhero films. Despite its time-period setting, it still holds up, and still towers over many of the superhero films we get today. It is fun, majestic, true to its character, and most importantly…super. 

“They can be a great people, Kal-El; they wish to be. They only lack the light to show them the way…”

A Reel Review: The AVENGERS - ENDGAME Trailer

The universe stopped today, as Disney and Marvel studios finally unleashed the first look at the grand finale to their ten-year opus. The fourth AVENGERS film, sub-titled ENDGAME, was given a short teaser which recapped the events of the preceding film, INFINITY WAR, while offering a glimpse of hope for victory. Here’s how it landed…

HERE BE SPOILERS! 

When we last left our heroes in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, the mighty Thanos had acquired all of the powerful Infinity Stones, which enabled him to wipe out exactly one-half of the population in the universe with a single snap of the finger. This action left only a few heroes standing, including Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson), Bruce Banner/the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Thor (Chris Hemsworth). The Ant-Man was left in the vastness of the quantum realm, while Iron Man /Tony Stark was left stranded on the other side of the galaxy. 

This new teaser does a lot of catch-up for us. Stark is drifting in the big blackness of space, starving and nearly dead, while Cap and Black Widow seem shell-shocked over the happenings of the previous film. Scenes of a defeated Thor and a perplexed Banner are shown, and in an image right out of its comic origins, the mighty Thanos in semi-retirement with his armor used as a scarecrow. 

The trailer has a ton of heart, with Stark and Cap remembering their true loves, and a glimpse of a returning Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who looks like he has been through hell. The trailer is dark and ominous, letting us know that this is the biggest challenge Earth’s mightiest heroes has ever faced. As dark as it is, the very end gives us a chuckle when the Ant-Man pops up, letting us know that no matter what, Marvel still knows how to have fun. 

This was a fine trailer and the perfect way to tease Marvel’s grand finale. It doesn’t give away much, acts as a recap, and the emotion of a dying Stark and a weeping Captain America hits home right away. This was also the reveal of the title of this AVENGERS film; ENDGAME was the chosen title…and it is appropriate as this is a term that was coined by Stark many times over the last ten years. And speaking of Stark/Iron Man, it was quite perfect for this trailer to start off with him, for this run of Marvel movies started off with IRON MAN in the first place. Perfect in every way. You can watch it HERE

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AVENGERS: ENDGAME arrives on Earth on April 26, 2019. 

A Reel Preview: The Year in Film 2018 - Episode XII

This December is shaping up to be the most unique month of 2018 and looks to send out the year on a high note. The final month of the year usually brings us an avalanche of awards hopefuls and contenders, and while we do have that coming…this time we’re also treated to fan-favorites and blockbuster-designed action films. This month also brings special returns to the big screen; Steven Spielberg’s SCHINDLER’S LIST for its 25^thanniversary, and SUPERMAN for its 40^th. 

Here now is the final preview for 2018…

ROMA – Oscar winning director Alfonso Cuaron (GRAVITY), returns with this drama based on his own upbringing in Mexico City. 

MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS – Margot Robbie (I, TONYA), plays Queen Elizabeth I, and Saoirse Ronan (LADY BIRD), plays the title character in this historical drama centered around the 1569 English conflict. David Tennant and Guy Pearce (THE KING’S SPEECH), co-star. 

VOX LUX – In this drama, a pop-star (Natalie Portman), struggles to maintain her career through scandals and violence while raising her daughter. Jude Law co-stars. 

ONCE UPON A DEADPOOL – A re-edit of this year’s DEADPOOL 2, which brings it from an R rating to PG-13 and reset during Christmastime. 

SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE – This animated Marvel film brings the legacy of Spider-man to the big screen. 

MORTAL ENGINES – Peter Jackson (THE LORD OF THE RINGS), produces this adaptation of the book, in which entire cities have been mounted on wheels and prey on each other. 

THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT – Controversial director Lars von Trier (NYMPHOMANIAC, ANTICHRIST), directs this psychological horror film following a serial killer, played by Matt Dillon. 

THE MULE – Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this true-story drama about a WWII veteran in his 80’s who becomes a drug-runner. It co-stars Bradley Cooper, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Pena, Dianne Wiest, and Andy Garcia. 

MARY POPPINS RETURNS – In a casting move that is practically perfect, Emily Blunt takes on the role of the beloved Mary Poppins in this direct sequel to the 1964 Disney classic. It co-stars Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Dick Van Dyke, Angela Lansbury, Meryl Streep, and Colin Firth. It is directed by Oscar winning director Rob Marshall (CHICAGO). 

AQUAMAN – The big-screen solo-debut of one of DC Comics’ legacy characters, which has had a supporting role in JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017), and a cameo in DAWN OF JUSTICE (2016). Jason Momoa reprises the role, and he is joined by Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, and Nicole Kidman. It is directed by James Wan (SAW, THE CONJURING). 

BUMBLEBEE – In this loose prequel to the TRANSFORMERS series, the popular transforming alien-robot Bumblebee arrives to Earth and is taken in by a teenage girl. It stars Hailee Steinfeld (TRUE GRIT). 

WELCOME TO MARWEN – Steve Carell plays the victim of a violent assault who constructs a miniature WWII-era village to help himself cope. It is directed by Robert Zemeckis (BACK TO THE FUTURE, FORREST GUMP). 

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK – Barry Jenkins (MOONLIGHT), directs this romantic drama about a woman who seeks to clear the name of her wrongly accused husband. 

HOLMES & WATSON – Will Ferrell is Sherlock Holmes and John C. Reilly is Dr. Watson in this parody of the classic detective duo. 

ON THE BASIS OF SEX – Felicity Jones (ROGUE ONE), plays Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in this story about her early life. It co-stars Armie Hammer, Sam Waterston, and Kathy Bates. 

VICE – Christian Bale (THE DARK KNIGHT), plays Vice-President Don Cheney, and Sam Rockwell plays President George W. Bush in this comedy-drama. Adam McKay (THE BIG SHORT), directs. 

STAN & OLLIE – Based on the lives of the classic comedy act Laurel and Hardy, with John C. Reilly (STEP BROTHERS), and Steve Coogan (NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM) in the title roles. 

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Next month, the first movie preview for 2019. 

A Reel Review: GREEN BOOK

In the last 20 years, the directing and writing duo of the Farrelly brothers (Peter and Bobby), have brought us some of the most well-received films in the comedy genre, such as DUMB AND DUMBER (1994), KINGPIN (1996), and FEVER PITCH (2005). This year, Peter ventures out on his own in new territory; directing and co-writing a true story drama centered around two unlikely companions. 

In the 1960’s, famed African-American jazz pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), hires Italian-American bouncer Tony Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen), to be his driver and bodyguard on a musical tour of the deep south.

Co-written by Nick Vallelonga, the real-life son of Tony, GREEN BOOK embraces the old road-trip and odd-couple genre and sends it down the highway with two well-developed characters who could not be further apart. Tony is a blue-collar guy who is rough around the edges and solves conflicts with his fists, while sporting an enormous appetite and is surrounded by family. Don in the meantime is a lean gentleman, who has no family and uses his intellect and education to solve problems. The contrast between these two men is wide, but as they drive through the Jim Crow-era of the South and encounter racism at its worst, they find common ground. 

The bulk of GREEN BOOK unspools with Tony and Don in the car, interrupted by Don’s wonderful performances and encounters with segregation laws, with the latter storylines acting as an eye-opener. Don is embraced as a wonderful performer among rich white people, but still isn’t allowed to eat with them or use their toilets. Tony in the meantime has his own prejudices to put aside, and his turn to see humanity over all else is long, but natural. 

Peter Farrelly keeps the pacing tight and humor well-timed. The laughs are huge but never ridiculous, and the dramatic scenes are very well directed. The music of the time really gives the film a kick, and it is a joy to watch from head to tail. 

Performances are wonderful. Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali are electric together, and each get major moments to shine. Linda Cardellini plays Tony’s wife and turns in one of her best roles. 

If GREEN BOOK has any flaw, there is one character trait/problem that Don has which is not given any reason for existing, and it doesn’t seem to have a solution by movie’s end. But it’s a minor gripe in what is a charming, fun, and eye-opening film. Peter Farrelly has proven that he has some serious chops away from the comedy genre. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it