An Ugly Night in the Neighborhood

Unlike the vast majority of moviegoers last weekend, I wasn’t much in the mood for happy feel-good movies like ‘Frozen 2’ or the therapeutic ‘A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood’ starring Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers.  OTOH I love morally ambiguous, hard-boiled crime thrillers like ‘Heat,’ ‘The Town’ and the criminally (pun fully intended) underrated ‘Triple 9.’  “Black Panther” Chadwick Boseman’s new movie, ’21 Bridges,’ seems to fit the bill from what I’ve seen of its trailer so I decided to give it a look despite its rather lackluster score on Rotten Tomatoes.

 

’21 Bridges,’ so named because there are that number of bridges in and out of Manhattan that had to be “locked down” during an intensive manhunt in the ungodly pre-dawn hours, begins with a crime gone hideously awry when two small-time drug robbers’ seemingly easy snatch-and-run job ran afoul of what I would call a “most unfortunate coincidence.”  Okay, they unexpectedly ran into cops who miraculously appeared at the scene of the crime and had to shoot their way out, killing seven of New York’s finest before they could make good their getaway.  The rest of the movie then follows Detective Andre Davis (Boseman), who’s under investigation by Internal Affairs for being trigger-happy, as he and his forced-on partner, Narcotics Detective Frankie Burns (Sienna Miller), attempt to track down and apprehend the cop killers by 5:00 a.m. before the city wakes up to the hustle-and-bustle of everyday life.

 

’21 Bridges’ is a dark, suspenseful and gripping thriller told with the immediacy of desperate men on both sides of the law going about their business with single-minded conviction.  It has a certain “clock is ticking” real-time feel to it, like those ’24’ TV shows where Kiefer Sutherland runs around town racing against time trying to stave off one crisis after another.  While ’21 Bridges’ is gritty, ultra-violent and operated in shades of gray rather than in simple black-and-white, it is nevertheless a solid, competently made thriller that I would heartily recommend.

 

Grade: B+

 

Secrets and Lies

The latest film from accomplished director/screenwriter Bill Condon (‘Chicago,’ ‘Dreamgirls,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘The Greatest Showman’) is ‘The Good Liar,’ which doesn’t have a single song‑and-dance number in it but reunites the eclectic director with ‘Mr. Holmes’ star Ian McKellen in a slow-burning, twist-filled mystery/revenge potboiler set in contemporary England.

 

In ‘The Good Liar,’ the 80-year old McKellen takes on the role of a dirty rotten scoundrel, a con-man who swindles big-time investors through his well-designed and elaborate schemes and one who’s not above pushing a man onto the subway tracks when confronted afterwards.  Not simply content with stealing money from unsuspecting businessmen, he set his eyes on the nest egg (over $2 million pounds sterling) of 74-year old Helen Mirren who, as a retired Oxford professor, picked the wrong man on “Silver Singles” so to speak.  Alas, he seems to develop a particular “fondness” for her as he grew to know her more.  Is he having second thoughts and growing a soft spot, or will he proceed with his plan to enrich himself and render her penniless?

 

Let’s just say that, unless you ruin the movie by reading the plot on Wikipedia, the twist ending of ‘The Good Liar’ will surprise and maybe even shock you.  This movie is ultimately about settling a score, and how people can hold a grudge for over half a century and bide their time exacting sweet revenge.  As such I find it rather incredible, but that doesn't mean it wasn’t altogether entertaining.

 

Grade: B
 

Car Wars

The box office winner (at $21 million domestic and $52 million worldwide) of the past weekend is ‘Ford v Ferrari,’ based on the true story of the rivalry between Ford Motor Company and the world famous Italian racing/sports car manufacturer in the 1960’s.  No doubt it will be easily buried in a massive ‘Frozen’ avalanche the next couple of days, but it’s not a bad start out of the gate at all for this fascinating, well-told and acted movie from ‘The Wolverine’ and ‘Logan’ director James Mangold.

 

You may have heard of this story. Ford attempted a friendly take-over bid for Ferrari back in 1963, which failed spectacularly when it was “played” by Enzo Ferrari to get Fiat to up its bid for the cash-strapped Italian racecar (can be spelled forward or backward, it makes no difference) company.  Adding insult to injured pride, Enzo then made a comment (conveyed second-hand by then Ford executive Lee Iacocca) that Ford “makes ugly little cars in ugly little factories.”  And oh, by the way, he also allegedly said that Henry Ford the Second may be fat.  Them are “fightin’ words” you might say, and an enraged Henry II immediately hired American racing legend and sportscar maker Carroll Shelby, one of the few Americans who won the prestigious and grueling marathon of a race known as the “24 Hours of Le Mans” or just simply Le Mans.  Given carte blanche, Shelby (Matt Damon) recruited his friend and fellow racecar driver/mechanic Ken Miles (Christian Bale) to help engineer the perfect Ferrari killer (the GT40) and to settle this grudge and win the war in the name of baseball, mom and apple pie, I mean Henry Ford  II's wounded pride, by beating Ferrari in their own game at Le Mans.

 

‘Ford v Ferrari’ is a splendid movie that’s simply impossible not to love.  It’s got compelling drama, heart-felt bromance and a fascinating real-life story, topped off with exciting, heart-pounding racecar action revving with rpm.  Admittedly I may be a bit biased here because I like movies about car racing in general, but going by the crowd reaction in the theater this film transcends beyond being just another feel-good “sports movie.”   It’s about friendship, overcoming near impossible odds and, of course, the triumph of the American can-do spirit.  No wonder it’s already getting some early buzz about being an Oscar contender.

Grade: A
 

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Angels have Fallen

I feel kinda sorry for Elizabeth Banks.  The actress-cum-producer/director’s reboot attempt of ‘Charlie’s Angels’ flopped at the box office, prompting her to make dumb excuses like “the movie bombed because people just don’t want to see females in lead action roles,” presumably by which she meant because men, the main audience of such movies, are sexist and would prefer to see their own gender filling those roles.  I went to see ‘Charlie’s Angels’ anyway, before she made those comments mind you, because I fondly remember watching reruns of the syndicated TV show as a kid and liked the campy 2000 and 2003 CA movies starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu well enough. Mostly it’s probably because I thought Brit actress Naomi Scott is pure hotness.

 

In CA 2019, Bosley is a rank rather than a person.  “Charlie’s Angels” (patent pending) is now an international espionage/law enforcement agency, staffed with lovely but lethal female 007’s all over the world and answering to a slew of Bosleys acting as handlers much like CIA station chiefs manage the agents under their charge.  The movie follows the adventures of two sassy angels – what about the third, you ask? – played by Kristen Stewart and Ella Balinska as they attempt to stop a mysterious criminal mastermind from “weaponizing” an energy device thingamajig that looks suspiciously like the Tesseract in the Marvel universe, with the help of a nerdy computer scientist-turned-whistleblower played by Naomi Scott (there’s the answer to your third angel question).

 

CA 2019 took on the style and sheer over-the-top ridiculousness of the ‘Fast & Furious’ movies while trying too hard to be fun and flirty and sexy at the same time.  It has its rare moments, but the movie fell flat for the most part due to its paper-thin (and rather dumb) plot, easily predicted "twist," tired action sequences that lost their “wow” factor about three or four ‘Fast & Furious’ movies ago, and the mere fact that Stewart, Balinska and Scott just couldn’t manage to replicate the same campy synergy Diaz, Barrymore and Liu had in the 2000 and 2003 films.  Those McG flicks grossed about $260 million apiece by the way, Elizabeth Banks, so don’t tell me that men don’t go see women kick ass in the movies.

Grade: C

 

 

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Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 horror classic ‘The Shining,’ based on Master of Horror Stephen King’s 1977 novel of the same name, is rightfully on most top 10 lists of the greatest horror movies of all time.  Combining a great gothic scary story, creepy atmosphere in a haunted hotel and excellent performances by Jack Nicholson as a loving father transformed into deranged psycho-killer (“Here’s Johnny!”), Shelley Duvall and others, ‘The Shining’ is arguably the most successful Stephen King adaptation next to the one about a killer clown with red balloons who dwells in the sewers.

 

Which is why it's a bit mindboggling that ‘Doctor Sleep,’ the long-awaited (for Stephen King fans at least you would think) sequel to ‘The Shining’ and also adapted from King’s best-selling 2013 follow-up novel, failed to awaken (pun intended) moviegoers to go see it, managing a disappointing $57 million at the worldwide box office after nearly two weeks of release on a budget of $45 to $55 million.  'Doctor Sleep' is the story about a grown-up Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) who uses his “shine” and knowledge to aid a young girl against the predations of the supernatural True Knot gang, led by the beautiful but evil “Rose the Hat,” who torture and kill kids in order to steal their "shine" (psychic essences) in the form of steam so they can maintain their immortality.

 

While ‘The Shining’ takes place almost entirely in the Overlook Hotel, ‘Doctor Sleep’ jumps across various locales in America before reaching its climactic showdown between the forces of Good (Danny and the girl) and Evil (Rose the Hat) at the famous but now-abandoned and decrepit former winter lodging.  It is only fitting for such an epic battle, and the slow build-up setting up the final act is also well done.  Don’t let the two-hour, thirty-two minute running time of ‘Doctor Sleep’ discourage you from seeing this excellent film because it will do anything but (put you to sleep).

Grade: A

 

Midway: Total War

1942 was a year of reckoning for the Axis Powers.  It was the year when Germany lost the initiative (if not the war) in the hellish rubbles of Stalingrad.  Just a few months earlier in the Pacific, Japan was dealt a blow she never recovered from in a decisive naval and air battle over a 2.4-square mile atoll called Midway, a major showdown pitting the might of the imperial Japanese navy (IJN) in its heyday and the legendary Harvard‑educated strategist Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto against a reeling US Navy still licking its wounds in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor.  Schlocky B-movie director and producer Roland Emmerich (‘Independence Day,’ ‘Stargate,’ ‘The Day After Tomorrow’) updates the 1976 movie starring Charlton Heston and Henry Fonda with the latest advances in computer imagery and moviemaking technique, bringing this exciting “battle of the carriers” to life as we’ve never seen before.

 

‘Midway’ is what I would call an “old-fashioned” war movie, the kind that rugged Hollywood leading men like John Wayne and Robert Mitchum used to star in.  With its "Who’s Who?" ensemble cast including Ed Skrein, Luke Evans, Patrick Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart and one of the Jonas brothers, ‘Midway’ is a robust and full-blooded modern war epic, packed with enough “Top Gun” machismo and aerial derring-do featuring SBD Dauntlesses and TBF Avengers to make a giddy 10-year old boy grab his WWII model airplane and run out of the house waving it around making engine noises.

 

With action as its main bread-and-butter rather than storytelling or strong characterizations (the history isn’t deep and the characters are only thinly sketched), it’s not surprising that ‘Midway’ isn’t enamored by the critics (42 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), but that's like faulting something for being true to itself.  What we have here is a solid action-driven WWII war movie from the same guy who gave us 'Independence Day' so many years ago, unencumbered by forced romantic subplots ('Pearl Harbor,' anyone?) and contrived characters.  It is a simple movie set in a simpler time during which things were more black and white than it is today.

Grade: A-

The Rise of Legion

James Cameron’s 1984 sci-fi thriller ‘The Terminator,’ starring Austrian muscle-man Arnold Schwarzenegger, is easily hands-down one of my favorite movies of all time, with its bleak depiction of a post-apocalyptic landscape ruled by a calculating and merciless AI called “Skynet.”   A cautionary tale of unchecked technology running amok and mankind sowing the seeds of its own destruction, Terminators, whether as skeletal chrome-plated killer robots eliminating their erstwhile masters with built-in arm blasters or cool sunglasses-wearing facsimiles in disguise, have rightfully taken their place as one of the most iconic “monsters” in cinematic history.

 

35 years after the original movie, we are treated to the sixth installment of the Terminator franchise, which has certainly seen its share of hits-and-misses (more the latter of late), in ‘Terminator: Dark Fate.’  A direct sequel to 1991’s ‘T2: Judgment Day,’ considered by many to be the best in the series (although I still liked the original a little better), ‘Dark Fate’ picks up 22 years after the events of ‘Judgment Day’ and is set in an alternate timeline (has it gone “Marvel”?) that’s eerily similar to the one that was averted.  Instead of ‘Skynet,’ the dark future portrayed in ‘Dark Fate’ is ruled by an equally merciless AI called “Legion” which, like Skynet, sent a killer robot called Rev-9 back in time to terminate the leader of the resistance who’s been a thorn in its side, an unassuming young Mexican woman named Daniella (“Dani”).

 

‘Dark Fate’ borrowed (okay, so it blatantly ripped off) the plotlines of ‘The Terminator’ and ‘Judgment Day.’  As the soldier sent back in time to protect Dani, Grace (Mackenzie Davis) played the exact same role as Michael Biehn’s Kyle Reese sent back to save Sarah Connor in the first film, and septuagenarian Arnold Schwarzenegger essentially reprised his role in T2 as the “reformed” terminator T-800 aiding Grace and Dani (female John Connor) against the implacable Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna), the latest and greatest Terminator model of them all even if he still ultimately failed in his mission – big surprise.  Why not?  Those two are the best in the franchise, aren’t they?

 

Grade: B+ 

 

Rich Family, Poor Family

I’m a big fan of South Korean cinema, having seen a number of notable films from that country in many genres over the last two decades such as ‘Joint Security Area,’ ‘Shiri,’ ‘Taegukgi,’ ‘A Tale of Two Sisters,’ ‘War of the Arrows,’ ‘Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance,’ ‘Lady Vengeance,’ ‘The Host,’ ‘The Good, the Bad, the Weird,’ ‘Masquerade,’ ‘The Villainess,’ ‘Train to Busan’ and of course, ‘Oldboy,’ the 2003 neo-noir mind-fuck of a suspense thriller later remade for American moviegoers by Spike Lee starring Josh Brolin.  So when a colleague at work (thanks, Bob!) recommended the latest offering from S. Korea, a rather mysterious feature that took Cannes by storm earlier this year by winning the prestigious Palme d’Or, he didn’t have to tell me twice.

 

‘Parasite’ tells the tale of a down-on-its-luck family of four struggling to make ends meet and, more importantly, how far they will go to improve their collective fortunes.  When an opportunity presents itself, what will you do?  It is a fascinating premise that not only delves into human nature but also examines how seemingly innocuous occurrences can have a “snowball effect” and spin out of control on a path to destruction.  The less said about the plot and twists of this movie the better, because boy oh boy you will never see what’s coming and when it does you will be floored.

 

Unlike ‘Midway’ above, ‘Parasite’ is a movie the critics will lavish universal acclaim upon (99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) because it has a great story which defies our expectations, solid acting from its cast of characters and tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, all served up with a generous dose of delicious dark comedy.  The fact that it also provides social commentary by highlighting the divide between the rich and poor is just an added bonus.

Grade: A+

  

The Good Little Aryan (Rabbit)

Some of the best comedies are set in the most unexpected times and places.  ‘Jojo Rabbit,’ the latest feature from the talented Taika Waititi (‘What We Do in the Shadows,’ ‘Thor: Ragnarok’), adapts Christine Leunen’s novel ‘Caging Skies’ into a scathingly funny satire of Nazi Germany’s final days as seen through the eyes of a young “Hitler Youth” fanatic who happens to have a wacky imaginary friend named Adolf.

 

British newcomer Roman Griffin Davis plays Jojo Betzler, a 10-year old who, like many others in his position at the time, dreamed of greatness and glory for his beloved Fatherland as promised by his idol, Adolf Hitler.  In fact, he speaks with his so-called “best friend” - to the chagrin of his non-imaginative real life best friend, Yorgi (Archie Yates) - every day.  So imagine his dismay when he discovered that his dear mama Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) harbors a Jew (Elsa played by Thomasin McKenzie) in the attic, henceforth pitting his loyalty to the state (and imaginary friend) against his love for his mother and his own sense of self‑preservation.

 

‘Jojo Rabbit’ isn’t the first movie to successfully mine humor from what has to be the greatest human tragedy of the last century; Roberto Benigni’s 1997 Oscar winner ‘Life is Beautiful’ pretty much did the same thing to great effect, so let’s not get unduly sensitive here.  Loony, heart-warming and extraordinarily wonderful, ‘Jojo Rabbit’ is a refreshingly different coming-of-age comedy about the ultimate redemption of a boy, with a hugely talented cast including Waititi as the imaginary Adolf himself.

 

Grade: A

 

The Wickies Men

Since his debut feature 'The Witch' made quite a splash in the indie horror genre and recouped 10 times its meager budget of $4 million back in 2016, theatre designer-turned-director Robert Eggers has proven that he’s not just a “one hit wonder” and is in fact a young talent (at 36 years old) to keep an eye on.  His sophomore effort, the equally unique and anachronistic black & white film ‘The Lighthouse,’ is another masterpiece of creeping dread and slow-burning suspense from a bygone era.

 

‘The Lighthouse’ is about strange occurrences at a lighthouse on a small island off the New England coast in the late 19^th Century, starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as two unfortunate lighthouse keepers (or “wickies”) on a routine 4-week rotation to ensure that the lighthouse operates smoothly for its intended purpose in maritime navigation.  While important during an age without GPS, what the men are entasked to do can only be described as most boring and tedious.  Is it any surprise that madness would follow?

 

Like ‘The Witch,’ ‘The Lighthouse’ is steeped in history and New England myth, with superstitions of mermaids and sailors reincarnated as seagulls.  There is a certain old-fashioned, even vintage quality to Eggers’ filmmaking technique that harks back to the early days of Hollywood, not simply just because this movie was shot entirely in B&W but also due to its overall style, tone and feel.  And like ‘The Witch,’ the English dialogue in ‘The Lighthouse’ can be hard to follow to today’s audience, but don’t let that discourage you from seeing this excellent film.

Grade: A

 

Edison versus Westinghouse

Originally slated for release back in 2017, ‘The Current War’ (as in electric current, not “now” current), was unfortunate in having its distribution rights owned by The Weinstein Company at a time when Harvey's "casting couch" activities finally caught up with him in our enlightened Hollywood.  So when the final theatrical cut of the film hit cinemas at last on October 25 two years later, it did so with little marketing or fanfare.  I wouldn’t even have caught on to it had I not browsed through my weekly list of potential movies to watch on Rotten Tomatoes.

 

For those of you who know your scientific history, the movie’s subject should be familiar.  In the late 19^th Century (a mere coincidence that the other movie reviewed this week was also set at that time), brilliant – how many times have we heard that pun - American inventor Thomas Edison (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) perfected the incandescent light bulb and went about setting up a network of DC power generators to light up American homes.  A rival in the form of entrepreneur/industrialist George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) emerged, propounding his own ideas based on AC power, which has more potential and eventually became the winner of the so-called “War of the Currents.”  Key to Westinghouse’s efforts was the famous European scientist and engineer Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult), a legend in science (and science fiction).

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The Current War’ could easily have fallen into the trap of being just another boring lesson from the dusty annals of history, but director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon manages to give the movie a brisk and snappy pacing pitting the two men against each other while highlighting (and at times embellishing, no doubt) actual historical events.  This film is far from perfect, but it’s more than illuminating enough for us to give it a watch.

Grade: B