This was a actually good film about a great con-man. Or con-teenager. Frank, Jr (Leonardo DiCaprio, very natural in this role) is devastated when his larger-than-life father, Frank, Sr (Christopher Walken) gets into trouble with the IRS for tax fraud and his parent's divorce. Not liking his new school, he runs away. But he also wants a lavish lifestyle so he starts to impersonate an airline pilot and then sick of moving around, he fakes his way into a hospital by becoming a doctor, only he's still only eighteen and gets sick at the sight of blood and then, to impress a girl's father, he becomes a lawyer and learns quite a bit from just watching TV.
By the time, he's proposed to young, innocent Brenda Strong, not the actress (Amy Adams), the FBI is well on his tale, and in fact, he's already alluded them several times. But Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) is determined to catch him and make him pay. After all, by this time, he's written over four million dollars in fraudulent checks.
But he's caught, on Christmas Eve as he always calls Carl on Christmas Eve. It's France and its snowing, but Frank is caught but then, on the plane ride home, he is told that his father has passed away and devastated, he locks himself in the bathroom and escapes out of the toilet, which has got to be disgusting.
Unfortunately, he finds that his mother has indeed remarried and has a new, young daughter so Frank surrenders and is sentenced to twelve years in prison. However, over the years, he has become such an expert on forgery that Carl turns out to recruit him to work for them. Sure, it's a desk job, but it must be challenging, though Frank quickly tires of the whole thing. He leaves, but does return, to Carl's sheer relief. Now, Frank is an expert in forgeries and is paid a lot of money to help out, instead being a deterrent.
Overall, the film is solid and fascinating, with plenty of material for several films, though the screenplay weaves everything together pretty well, except for the odd introduction of Frank making an appearance on the show To Tell the Truth, which is when he launches into his story and never looks back. That's just weird. The performances make you forget that flaw, DiCaprio is brilliant, an effortless performance and Hanks is also solid, you can't tell when he's telling the truth and when he is trying to trap Frank. Pay attention for some cameos from Elizabeth Banks, Ellen Pompeo and Jennifer Garner. Grade: A-
Friday, August 31, 2018
Saturday, August 25, 2018
On Chesil Beach (2018)
This is a rather simple film but a brilliant one nevertheless.
Florence (Saiorse Ronan) and Edward (Billy Howle) are newlyweds but though they frequently declare that they love each other, the chemistry is lacking. Florence keeps pushing off the inevitable while Edward can't wait to rip off her clothes. Both of virgins and both are terrified but Edward wants the sex while Florence does not and after their first failed attempt, Florence is so disgusted, she flees which leads to the title confrontation. Despite it being love at first sight, Florence is so repulsed by sex, she is okay with him getting that elsewhere just as long as they're together. She gave into that so quickly and immediately wrote herself off as a lost cause when it came to that sort of thing and Edward just let her walk away, just gave up on their fledgling marriage. And Florence is a saint, handling Edward's mentally unstable mother (Anne-Marie Duff) with grace and dignity.
That night effects them for the rest of their lives. While Florence finds success, both professionally and personally, Edward opens a record store and while he has friends there is no one special in his life. Even when Florence's ultimate dream comes true, Edward is there to support her just as he promised he would be decades ago. When Florence catches his eye, both start crying silent tears.
Each main actor is utterly brilliant, each little nuance is captured and they both make the characters come alive off the very pages they were written on. There is nary a false note in this film, though pay close attention to the flashback scene in Florence's mind right after she pushes Edward off of her, that is likely a telling scene and its over too soon. Was she assaulted or just terrified at feeling something real for once in her life? And how does she overcome these feelings with Charles (Mark Donald), the cello player in Florence's quintet. But overcome them she does, eventually having three children with him, while Edward remains alone and bitter.
Naturally, when Florence admits she's not that interested in sex, I don't blame Edward for feeling incredibly betrayed, she had no right to do that to him and shame on them for not being more open with each other before marriage. While Edward is pulling off her underpants, she asks him how many women he'd been with before her. That is something that should have already been discussed. And even after everything falls apart, they still don't talk about it anyone else.
Despite the largely depressing nature of the film, it is nevertheless based on a masterful piece of literature even if it is all my fears personified. Grade: A-
Florence (Saiorse Ronan) and Edward (Billy Howle) are newlyweds but though they frequently declare that they love each other, the chemistry is lacking. Florence keeps pushing off the inevitable while Edward can't wait to rip off her clothes. Both of virgins and both are terrified but Edward wants the sex while Florence does not and after their first failed attempt, Florence is so disgusted, she flees which leads to the title confrontation. Despite it being love at first sight, Florence is so repulsed by sex, she is okay with him getting that elsewhere just as long as they're together. She gave into that so quickly and immediately wrote herself off as a lost cause when it came to that sort of thing and Edward just let her walk away, just gave up on their fledgling marriage. And Florence is a saint, handling Edward's mentally unstable mother (Anne-Marie Duff) with grace and dignity.
That night effects them for the rest of their lives. While Florence finds success, both professionally and personally, Edward opens a record store and while he has friends there is no one special in his life. Even when Florence's ultimate dream comes true, Edward is there to support her just as he promised he would be decades ago. When Florence catches his eye, both start crying silent tears.
Each main actor is utterly brilliant, each little nuance is captured and they both make the characters come alive off the very pages they were written on. There is nary a false note in this film, though pay close attention to the flashback scene in Florence's mind right after she pushes Edward off of her, that is likely a telling scene and its over too soon. Was she assaulted or just terrified at feeling something real for once in her life? And how does she overcome these feelings with Charles (Mark Donald), the cello player in Florence's quintet. But overcome them she does, eventually having three children with him, while Edward remains alone and bitter.
Naturally, when Florence admits she's not that interested in sex, I don't blame Edward for feeling incredibly betrayed, she had no right to do that to him and shame on them for not being more open with each other before marriage. While Edward is pulling off her underpants, she asks him how many women he'd been with before her. That is something that should have already been discussed. And even after everything falls apart, they still don't talk about it anyone else.
Despite the largely depressing nature of the film, it is nevertheless based on a masterful piece of literature even if it is all my fears personified. Grade: A-
Life of the Party (2018)
Overall, this movie was not the worst way to spend a Friday night.
Deanna Miles (Melissa McCarthy) is blind-sided by her husband (Matt Walsh) decides that he's going to divorce her, and sell the house which is his name only. After all, he's been having an affair with the real estate agent, Marcie Strong (Julie Bowen, too pretty for Walsh, making them an unbelievable couple). Upset that she dropped out of college to have her lovely daughter, Maddie (Molly Gordon), she decides to go back to college.
At first, Maddie isn't thrilled to have her mother, but eventually warms to the idea. Even though Deanna is in full Mom mode at first, Maddie eventually forces her to loosen up and soon becomes kind of a party girl and even catches the eye of frat boy Jack (Luke Benward). Though she tries to keep the relationship casual, she can't ignore the huge age difference, and tries to push off his advances. Jack is too clingy for a college guy, leave it to Hollywood to make attractive males too good to be true.
But there is a twist with Jack, he's Marcie's son. Yeah, they managed to slip a genuine surprise into this film. And even after Deanna ruins the wedding reception of Dan and Marcie, Jack doesn't hate her though he probably should have.
In the end, Deanna is able to earn enough money to stay in school with a little help from her friends and does graduate, after all, brains were the one thing she was never missing.
Deanna is absolutely a resilient character and McCarthy does a great job but the rest of the characters aren't nearly as well written. There's Helen (Gillian Jacobs) who was in a coma for eight years, which should never be funny but it is, and Leonor (Heid Gardner), Deanna's odd roommate who hardly ever leaves the room.
Still, the laughs are there and seeing Maya Rudolph is always welcome and boy, am I glad that I never encountered anyone having sex in the library stacks. Grade: B
Deanna Miles (Melissa McCarthy) is blind-sided by her husband (Matt Walsh) decides that he's going to divorce her, and sell the house which is his name only. After all, he's been having an affair with the real estate agent, Marcie Strong (Julie Bowen, too pretty for Walsh, making them an unbelievable couple). Upset that she dropped out of college to have her lovely daughter, Maddie (Molly Gordon), she decides to go back to college.
At first, Maddie isn't thrilled to have her mother, but eventually warms to the idea. Even though Deanna is in full Mom mode at first, Maddie eventually forces her to loosen up and soon becomes kind of a party girl and even catches the eye of frat boy Jack (Luke Benward). Though she tries to keep the relationship casual, she can't ignore the huge age difference, and tries to push off his advances. Jack is too clingy for a college guy, leave it to Hollywood to make attractive males too good to be true.
But there is a twist with Jack, he's Marcie's son. Yeah, they managed to slip a genuine surprise into this film. And even after Deanna ruins the wedding reception of Dan and Marcie, Jack doesn't hate her though he probably should have.
In the end, Deanna is able to earn enough money to stay in school with a little help from her friends and does graduate, after all, brains were the one thing she was never missing.
Deanna is absolutely a resilient character and McCarthy does a great job but the rest of the characters aren't nearly as well written. There's Helen (Gillian Jacobs) who was in a coma for eight years, which should never be funny but it is, and Leonor (Heid Gardner), Deanna's odd roommate who hardly ever leaves the room.
Still, the laughs are there and seeing Maya Rudolph is always welcome and boy, am I glad that I never encountered anyone having sex in the library stacks. Grade: B
Sunday, August 19, 2018
BlackkKlansman (2018)
Directed by the legendary Spike Lee, this film is good but not as good as Do the Right Thing (1989), but you should watch it anyway.
Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is the only African American on the Colorado Springs Police Force and some do not welcome him. His first job is in the records room but then is forced to go undercover to attend a rally arranged by the Black Student Union President, Patrice (Laura Harrier) from Colorado University. And from there, he continues and decides to infiltrate the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, though Klan is not a word that is uttered, instead calling it the organization. The members are downright nasty, hating blacks and Jews. The whole organization is downright disgusting. And Ron's boss is sceptacle about the whole thing. Obviously, a partner is needed. Enter white Ron Stallworth, aka Philip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) who enters this undercover assignment reluctantly but does give it his all, though his own life is potentially in danger as he is Jewish. While Ron watches at a distance, and takes photographs, Philip goes in to the house and meets the guys wearing a wire the whole time. White Ron and Felix (Jasper Paakkonen) argue over the Holocaust, Felix believes the whole thing is a hoax while Ron states that it is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. Both of which are just awful and the worst. Eventually, Black Ron makes phone contact with David Duke (Topher Grace). David believes that because of Ron's perfect diction, he is speaking with a white man but he is fooled at the very end in an epic scene.
The film gets intense as Felix's wife, Connie (Ashlie Atkinson) goes to plant a bomb at Patrice's house during Ron's induction ceremony, the juxtaposition is epic. But White Ron's cover is nearly blown as one of the fellow members is someone whom Philip arrested a few years ago. Black Ron follows Connie to Patrice's house and as he tries to arrest her, another cop comes along and nearly arrests Ron and then the switch is flipped but the bomb was planted in Patrice's car, killing Felix and Ivanhoe (Paul Walter Hauser) and sending Connie to prison for some time. Ron is freed and then is able to get the corrupt cop, Landers (Frederick Weller) to confess to bigotry, among other things. Unfortunately, the ending falls slightly flat to me. Patrice decides that she cannot date the enemy, in this case, that enemy is Ron as a police officer but stands with him nevertheless as the arm themselves to answer the knocking at the door. Then it cuts to the actual scenes from Charlottesville, Virginia August, 2017 where one person was killed. That actual footage is far more violent than anything shown in the film. And that actually happened. There are still bigots out there.
Despite the film being set in the 70s, with completely accurate clothing, cars, sets and music, the film is shockingly relevant and many of the lines uttered are ones that could be heard in the news and perhaps that is the scariest part.
Now, the film is rather good despite the morbid subject matter, the acting is solid and the script is tight, with both humorous and dark moments, the film shows that sometimes justice is given but other times, it is not and nothing can be done to stop this, except speaking up to give the power to all the people. Grade: A-
Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is the only African American on the Colorado Springs Police Force and some do not welcome him. His first job is in the records room but then is forced to go undercover to attend a rally arranged by the Black Student Union President, Patrice (Laura Harrier) from Colorado University. And from there, he continues and decides to infiltrate the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, though Klan is not a word that is uttered, instead calling it the organization. The members are downright nasty, hating blacks and Jews. The whole organization is downright disgusting. And Ron's boss is sceptacle about the whole thing. Obviously, a partner is needed. Enter white Ron Stallworth, aka Philip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) who enters this undercover assignment reluctantly but does give it his all, though his own life is potentially in danger as he is Jewish. While Ron watches at a distance, and takes photographs, Philip goes in to the house and meets the guys wearing a wire the whole time. White Ron and Felix (Jasper Paakkonen) argue over the Holocaust, Felix believes the whole thing is a hoax while Ron states that it is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. Both of which are just awful and the worst. Eventually, Black Ron makes phone contact with David Duke (Topher Grace). David believes that because of Ron's perfect diction, he is speaking with a white man but he is fooled at the very end in an epic scene.
The film gets intense as Felix's wife, Connie (Ashlie Atkinson) goes to plant a bomb at Patrice's house during Ron's induction ceremony, the juxtaposition is epic. But White Ron's cover is nearly blown as one of the fellow members is someone whom Philip arrested a few years ago. Black Ron follows Connie to Patrice's house and as he tries to arrest her, another cop comes along and nearly arrests Ron and then the switch is flipped but the bomb was planted in Patrice's car, killing Felix and Ivanhoe (Paul Walter Hauser) and sending Connie to prison for some time. Ron is freed and then is able to get the corrupt cop, Landers (Frederick Weller) to confess to bigotry, among other things. Unfortunately, the ending falls slightly flat to me. Patrice decides that she cannot date the enemy, in this case, that enemy is Ron as a police officer but stands with him nevertheless as the arm themselves to answer the knocking at the door. Then it cuts to the actual scenes from Charlottesville, Virginia August, 2017 where one person was killed. That actual footage is far more violent than anything shown in the film. And that actually happened. There are still bigots out there.
Despite the film being set in the 70s, with completely accurate clothing, cars, sets and music, the film is shockingly relevant and many of the lines uttered are ones that could be heard in the news and perhaps that is the scariest part.
Now, the film is rather good despite the morbid subject matter, the acting is solid and the script is tight, with both humorous and dark moments, the film shows that sometimes justice is given but other times, it is not and nothing can be done to stop this, except speaking up to give the power to all the people. Grade: A-
Monday, August 13, 2018
Blockers (2018)
Well, it finally happened, a film about three oddball parents set out to stop their respective daughters from having sex on the night of their senior prom.
The girls have always been friends, since they were little but the parents have fallen out of touch. Lisa (Leslie Mann) is thrilled that her daughter, Julie (Kathryn Newton) is going to college so close by while Hunter (Ike Barinholtz) is more or less estranged from his daughter, Sam (Gideon Adlon) since his divorce from her mother (June Diane Raphael) but he does figure out her sexuality before she does.
The third member of the unlikely trio is Mitchell (John Cena) who raised his daughter, Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan) to love sports but he is also deeply sensitive.
Julie is the only one in a solid relationship, with the dreamy Austin (Graham Phillips) and after six months of dating, she's ready to have sex with him. For whatever reason, Kayla decides to join her and then, not wanting to feel left out, so does Sam.
But Lisa discovers this and Mitchell is not going to have his daughter have sex with a guy who has a man-bun (Miles Robbins). So the three set off on this crazy journey, but at first, Hunter wants to stop the other two though this also jumps on board because he wants his daughter to do what is right.
The night takes a million twists and turns some of which are just ridiculous and disgusting, like chugging beer through your butt and barf filling up the rented limo.
And then, it ends at a hotel. Sam ends up not having sex because touching Chad's penis makes her feel nothing and she finally comes to terms with her sexuality. Kayla also doesn't have sex because she just doesn't know Connor well enough yet but they do other stuff.
Julie is the only who loses her v-card and Lisa is okay with it.
Though the film is ridiculous, the teenage daughters strong characters and are anything but the typical damsels in distress. They have control of the situation and fortunately, the guys they pick are good guys but then again, this is a mainstream Hollywood film, so they would be good guys.
And the parents are stronger for letting their daughters go, knowing that they have done their jobs and can sit back and watch their daughters change the world. Lisa's not afraid of growing old by herself and Hunter has no fears whatsoever and Mitchell has decided to spice up his sex life with his wife, Marcie (Sarayu Blue, always great) so the adults are also alright.
The film, as a whole, is merely average, with only a few genuinely funny moments scattered throughout but the acting is decent and it does have a good message through all the grossness. Grade: B
The girls have always been friends, since they were little but the parents have fallen out of touch. Lisa (Leslie Mann) is thrilled that her daughter, Julie (Kathryn Newton) is going to college so close by while Hunter (Ike Barinholtz) is more or less estranged from his daughter, Sam (Gideon Adlon) since his divorce from her mother (June Diane Raphael) but he does figure out her sexuality before she does.
The third member of the unlikely trio is Mitchell (John Cena) who raised his daughter, Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan) to love sports but he is also deeply sensitive.
Julie is the only one in a solid relationship, with the dreamy Austin (Graham Phillips) and after six months of dating, she's ready to have sex with him. For whatever reason, Kayla decides to join her and then, not wanting to feel left out, so does Sam.
But Lisa discovers this and Mitchell is not going to have his daughter have sex with a guy who has a man-bun (Miles Robbins). So the three set off on this crazy journey, but at first, Hunter wants to stop the other two though this also jumps on board because he wants his daughter to do what is right.
The night takes a million twists and turns some of which are just ridiculous and disgusting, like chugging beer through your butt and barf filling up the rented limo.
And then, it ends at a hotel. Sam ends up not having sex because touching Chad's penis makes her feel nothing and she finally comes to terms with her sexuality. Kayla also doesn't have sex because she just doesn't know Connor well enough yet but they do other stuff.
Julie is the only who loses her v-card and Lisa is okay with it.
Though the film is ridiculous, the teenage daughters strong characters and are anything but the typical damsels in distress. They have control of the situation and fortunately, the guys they pick are good guys but then again, this is a mainstream Hollywood film, so they would be good guys.
And the parents are stronger for letting their daughters go, knowing that they have done their jobs and can sit back and watch their daughters change the world. Lisa's not afraid of growing old by herself and Hunter has no fears whatsoever and Mitchell has decided to spice up his sex life with his wife, Marcie (Sarayu Blue, always great) so the adults are also alright.
The film, as a whole, is merely average, with only a few genuinely funny moments scattered throughout but the acting is decent and it does have a good message through all the grossness. Grade: B
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Eighth Grade (2018)
This was a truly excellent film.
Kayla (Elsie Fisher) is getting ready to finish eighth grade. She is not pretty, with one eye lower than the other and only of average weight, and that's what makes her brilliant. She doesn't have many friends and is begging for followers on her YouTube channel. She is voted most quietest for the yearbook. Now, while that is not a compliment, I would have been thrilled to get voted any superlative in either middle school or high school.
The only reason she gets invited to Kennedy Graves's (Catherine Oliviere's) party is because of some volunteer work her father did. But she goes anyway though no one wants her there. I feel her, she's the only girl there in a one-piece. On the other hand, she meets Kennedy's awkward cousin, Gabe (Jake Ryan) who actually might be the most interesting character in the film.
So the party is a disaster but when she shadows a high schooler, Olivia (Emily Robinson), that goes surprisingly well and Olivia certainly takes a shine to Kayla so much so that they go to the mall to hang out later.
Unfortunately, the night ends in disaster. One of Olivia's friends, Riley (Daniel Zolghadri) goes to drop off Olivia though she wants him to take Kayla home first. It then gets incredibly awkward and painful to watch. Though Riley doesn't rape her, doesn't even touch her, he violates her nevertheless. He is truly one of the biggest dicks on screen this year. He wanted to take her virginity so she would know what to later. He is absolutely dreadful. We never hear from Olivia again and Kayla stops recording videos.
Instead, Kayla and her father (Josh Hamilton) have a nice touching moment, she tells Kennedy for being a bitch and has a delightfully awkward friend hang/date with Gabe and records an inspiring video for her to watch when she graduates high school.
An excellent film with a great soundtrack and gritty scenery, the film is also grounded in its completely solid performances. Fisher will have a brilliant career. The use of voiceovers is strategic and great and the cinematography is shaky but truly great. Bo Burnham gets into the mind of a teenage girl and delivers the best film of the year so far. Grade: A
Kayla (Elsie Fisher) is getting ready to finish eighth grade. She is not pretty, with one eye lower than the other and only of average weight, and that's what makes her brilliant. She doesn't have many friends and is begging for followers on her YouTube channel. She is voted most quietest for the yearbook. Now, while that is not a compliment, I would have been thrilled to get voted any superlative in either middle school or high school.
The only reason she gets invited to Kennedy Graves's (Catherine Oliviere's) party is because of some volunteer work her father did. But she goes anyway though no one wants her there. I feel her, she's the only girl there in a one-piece. On the other hand, she meets Kennedy's awkward cousin, Gabe (Jake Ryan) who actually might be the most interesting character in the film.
So the party is a disaster but when she shadows a high schooler, Olivia (Emily Robinson), that goes surprisingly well and Olivia certainly takes a shine to Kayla so much so that they go to the mall to hang out later.
Unfortunately, the night ends in disaster. One of Olivia's friends, Riley (Daniel Zolghadri) goes to drop off Olivia though she wants him to take Kayla home first. It then gets incredibly awkward and painful to watch. Though Riley doesn't rape her, doesn't even touch her, he violates her nevertheless. He is truly one of the biggest dicks on screen this year. He wanted to take her virginity so she would know what to later. He is absolutely dreadful. We never hear from Olivia again and Kayla stops recording videos.
Instead, Kayla and her father (Josh Hamilton) have a nice touching moment, she tells Kennedy for being a bitch and has a delightfully awkward friend hang/date with Gabe and records an inspiring video for her to watch when she graduates high school.
An excellent film with a great soundtrack and gritty scenery, the film is also grounded in its completely solid performances. Fisher will have a brilliant career. The use of voiceovers is strategic and great and the cinematography is shaky but truly great. Bo Burnham gets into the mind of a teenage girl and delivers the best film of the year so far. Grade: A
Friday, August 10, 2018
Chappaquiddick (2018)
Ted Kennedy (Jason Clarke) would never become president and after watching this, he should have never been re-elected senator.
While most of America has their eyes peeled to the TV as the astronauts are heading to the moon, Ted Kennedy heads to Martha's Vineyard for the annual regatta. That evening, he and his cousin, Joseph Gargan (Ed Helms) host a party for some of the Kennedy secretaries including Rachel (Olivia Thirlby) and Mary Jo Kopechne (Kate Mara) whom Teddy tries to convince to come back and work for the Kennedys. The night ends in tragedy as Teddy has had too much to drink and swerves off a bridge, causing Mary Jo to drown in the pond. How Teddy survives with no more than a scratch is a miracle but then the cover-up and lies surrounding the incident are unacceptable. Teddy doesn't immediately call the cops, instead going back and telling his cousin and the State Attorney General, Paul Markham (Jim Gaffigan) both of whom urge him to report it. But he doesn't. His father, Joe Kennedy (Bruce Dern) mutters "Alibi" and at first, Teddy does try to cover it up in his own odd way, trying to say that Mary Jo was driving. He doesn't stick with that story but instead, he had a concussion, which could have been the truth if they actually consulted a physician. Oh, and you never give sedatives to a concussion victim, sleeping is one of the worst things for them, which all the experts should have known.
They manipulate the story but fortunately the moon landing takes some of the sweat off Teddy, at least temporarily but then it in the front pages for the rest of week. Joe is livid with how this is being handled and nearly leaves until Teddy asks him to draft a resignation speech which he does.
Through the handling, there is no autopsy of Mary Jo but Teddy does go to her funeral and her parents don't appear to blame Teddy, which I don't necessarily understand, though that neck brace was in poor taste. The court date is moved up and Teddy pleads guilty to leaving the scene of an accident but his two month jail sentence is suspended which is not acceptable. And he remains senator for forty more years until he dies. But he doesn't get elected President.
Overall, the film is very well put together and it really shows how the atmosphere was. Now, Teddy would have never gotten away with that, people would have requested his head on a platter. Clarke is pretty good in his role though his accent waivers slightly throughout but he is Australian portraying an America though he absolutely looks the part. It is such a well-done film about a horrible chapter in the Kennedy family legacy. Grade: B+
While most of America has their eyes peeled to the TV as the astronauts are heading to the moon, Ted Kennedy heads to Martha's Vineyard for the annual regatta. That evening, he and his cousin, Joseph Gargan (Ed Helms) host a party for some of the Kennedy secretaries including Rachel (Olivia Thirlby) and Mary Jo Kopechne (Kate Mara) whom Teddy tries to convince to come back and work for the Kennedys. The night ends in tragedy as Teddy has had too much to drink and swerves off a bridge, causing Mary Jo to drown in the pond. How Teddy survives with no more than a scratch is a miracle but then the cover-up and lies surrounding the incident are unacceptable. Teddy doesn't immediately call the cops, instead going back and telling his cousin and the State Attorney General, Paul Markham (Jim Gaffigan) both of whom urge him to report it. But he doesn't. His father, Joe Kennedy (Bruce Dern) mutters "Alibi" and at first, Teddy does try to cover it up in his own odd way, trying to say that Mary Jo was driving. He doesn't stick with that story but instead, he had a concussion, which could have been the truth if they actually consulted a physician. Oh, and you never give sedatives to a concussion victim, sleeping is one of the worst things for them, which all the experts should have known.
They manipulate the story but fortunately the moon landing takes some of the sweat off Teddy, at least temporarily but then it in the front pages for the rest of week. Joe is livid with how this is being handled and nearly leaves until Teddy asks him to draft a resignation speech which he does.
Through the handling, there is no autopsy of Mary Jo but Teddy does go to her funeral and her parents don't appear to blame Teddy, which I don't necessarily understand, though that neck brace was in poor taste. The court date is moved up and Teddy pleads guilty to leaving the scene of an accident but his two month jail sentence is suspended which is not acceptable. And he remains senator for forty more years until he dies. But he doesn't get elected President.
Overall, the film is very well put together and it really shows how the atmosphere was. Now, Teddy would have never gotten away with that, people would have requested his head on a platter. Clarke is pretty good in his role though his accent waivers slightly throughout but he is Australian portraying an America though he absolutely looks the part. It is such a well-done film about a horrible chapter in the Kennedy family legacy. Grade: B+
Sunday, August 5, 2018
Wonderstruck (2017)
This film could have been good, but instead, it was nothing special.
The film interweaves two plots which occur fifty years apart. Rose (Millicent Simmonds) flees her controlling father to head to New York as her favorite actress is there to perform a show. She finds her beloved actress, Lillian Mayhew (Julianne Moore) way too quickly and the twist? Lillian is her mother and none too happy to see her. Rose then heads off to a museum where is the on the run from some guards until her brother, Walter (Cory Michael Smith) finds her and lets her stay with him. However, as Rose is deaf, the world is silent with just the overhead score and few subtitles so while her home life was miserable, you don't get the idea of how she wanted to escape to New York but that move opened doors for her that were previously closed.
Fifty years later, 1977, Ben (Oakes Fegley) is still nursing his grief over the loss of his mother, Elaine (the underused Michelle Williams) when he loses his hearing in a freak accident. During a thunderstorm, he dials the phone and a bolt of lightning strikes the electric pole. That's how his hearing is lost and I just can't believe how would actually happen. Despite his new struggle, he nevertheless sets off to New York City to find his father has the only clue he has in a bookmark with an address and name. His adventure is far more exciting than Rose's and it takes the whole film. He makes a friend along the way and does miraculously run into family. Turns out, Rose is Ben's grandmother, but her son (his father) has since passed away. It was a bit bizarre how Rose pieced that puzzle together. So Ben has found the answers he sought.
Despite the difference of the techniques, the film doesn't tell much. Moore and Williams are not used enough and they are too good to be used so little. However, there is one good quote from the film: Everyone is standing the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars. Watch Hugo instead, that is a much better film. Grade: B
The film interweaves two plots which occur fifty years apart. Rose (Millicent Simmonds) flees her controlling father to head to New York as her favorite actress is there to perform a show. She finds her beloved actress, Lillian Mayhew (Julianne Moore) way too quickly and the twist? Lillian is her mother and none too happy to see her. Rose then heads off to a museum where is the on the run from some guards until her brother, Walter (Cory Michael Smith) finds her and lets her stay with him. However, as Rose is deaf, the world is silent with just the overhead score and few subtitles so while her home life was miserable, you don't get the idea of how she wanted to escape to New York but that move opened doors for her that were previously closed.
Fifty years later, 1977, Ben (Oakes Fegley) is still nursing his grief over the loss of his mother, Elaine (the underused Michelle Williams) when he loses his hearing in a freak accident. During a thunderstorm, he dials the phone and a bolt of lightning strikes the electric pole. That's how his hearing is lost and I just can't believe how would actually happen. Despite his new struggle, he nevertheless sets off to New York City to find his father has the only clue he has in a bookmark with an address and name. His adventure is far more exciting than Rose's and it takes the whole film. He makes a friend along the way and does miraculously run into family. Turns out, Rose is Ben's grandmother, but her son (his father) has since passed away. It was a bit bizarre how Rose pieced that puzzle together. So Ben has found the answers he sought.
Despite the difference of the techniques, the film doesn't tell much. Moore and Williams are not used enough and they are too good to be used so little. However, there is one good quote from the film: Everyone is standing the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars. Watch Hugo instead, that is a much better film. Grade: B
Saturday, August 4, 2018
Big Little Lies: Season One Recap and Reaction
The book is excellent and the mini-series is great too, with one of the best casts ever before seen on the small screen.
Brimming with strong women, the plot starts when Amabella wrongly accuses Ziggy of choking her on the first day of first grade orientation. It sets off a spiral of the secret lives of these women. There’s Renata (Laura Dern) Amabella’s CEO working mother, Jane (Shailene Woodley) the new young single mother whose son was conceived from a horrible abuse of power, not to mention the two main characters: Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) and Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman) whose life appears just one notch of perfect though that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Brimming with strong women, the plot starts when Amabella wrongly accuses Ziggy of choking her on the first day of first grade orientation. It sets off a spiral of the secret lives of these women. There’s Renata (Laura Dern) Amabella’s CEO working mother, Jane (Shailene Woodley) the new young single mother whose son was conceived from a horrible abuse of power, not to mention the two main characters: Madeline Mackenzie (Reese Witherspoon) and Celeste Wright (Nicole Kidman) whose life appears just one notch of perfect though that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Over the seven episodes, the plot slowly unwinds as the viewer wonders who was murdered and how as the police are doing tons of interviews and learning about the environment that the wealthy community existed. Stay-at-home moms and working moms do not always get along and sometimes, they can be downright nasty to each other.
Madeline also must deal with her ex-husband, Nathan (James Tupper) whose new daughter is in the same class as Madeline’s daughter with her second husband (Adam Scott). There is still plenty of hostility between the two and even Ed and Bonnie (Zoe Kravitz) Nathan’s new wife are not immune. Madeline and Nathan bicker over their shared daughter, Abigail (Kathryn Newton) who eventually moves in with Nathan. And Madeline also has a secret, she cheated on perfect Ed with the director of the local musical production which she may or may not reveal to Ed after her near-death experience in the finale.
But Celeste’s secret life is just dreadful. Her husband is the incredibly wealthy, younger Perry (Alexander Skarsgaard) but he is horribly abusive and way to turned on by her in a way unbecoming for a man of his age.
Jane’s life isn’t great, though she seems to have money though she never seems to be working, which is one of the few problems with this mini-series. However, it comes at a cost. She is still deeply scarred from the rape years ago and wants revenge, even going as far as buying a gun. But things seem to be looking up for her as she scores a date with the local barista, Tom (Joseph Cross).
There are a few problems with this mini-series and the main one is in the finale. Perry discovers Celeste is planning to leave him, after the school gala, as she has finally had enough of his abuse, plus, it is rubbing off on their young sons. Perry is livid and can’t have her leave him. So, for the first time, he starts abusing her in public in front of Jane, Madeline and Renata. Bonnie notices something is amiss and she is the one who shoves Perry down the stairs. But you don’t understand why. Bonnie is a spiritual character who is largely non-violent and the mini-series doesn’t go into her background the way the book does. In the book, you learn that her father was abusive so she is especially sensitive to wife-beatings but the film glosses over that. The mini-series also doesn’t go into Ziggy’s (Iain Armitage) conception scene in which Perry mentions his deep desire for children.
That being said, this series is excellent, superbly written and acted, with each actor truly getting under their respective character’s skins. This show deserved all the awards it was bestowed. Grade: A-
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