Sylvie's Love (2020)

 There should be more films like, period pieces starring African Americans about African Americans.

Tessa Thompson shines as Sylvie Johnson, who whittles her time away during the hot summer watching the TV at her father's record store where she meets jazz saxophonist Robert Holloway (Nnamdi Asomugha). While the attraction is immediate and mutual, she's engaged to Lacy Parker (Alano Miller, a solid if typical 1950s male). That doesn't stop them from hooking up but Robert gets a gig in Paris and she lets him despite being pregnant with his child (once again, use protection, people). 

Flash forward, five years later, both have careers on the up-swing and Sylvie manages to land a job as an assistant producer for Lucy Wolper's (Wendi McLendon-Covey) cooking show, something that she loves. However, Laci (who married her because he loves her) isn't truly supportive and eventually, after Robert re-enters the picture, the marriage does crumble. And when Robert catches wind of this news, he gives up his shiny career to become a family man but he can no longer find a career in music and his trip to Detroit back fires badly so now it is his turn to lie to Sylvie and dumps her and returns to Detroit with his tail between his legs.

Fortunately, Sylvie changes her mind and gets him back, so happy endings for all. While the film is somewhat of a slow-burn, it is exquisitely filmed and styled with great, brilliant acting and while the Civil Rights movement is mentioned, it is only in the background as this film focuses on two people trying to pursue their dreams and each other at the same time. The film also managed to give the characters (and there were probably a tad too many of them) personalities, in addition to truly capturing the spirit of the time period which I always marvel at. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Pay attention to the dinner Sylvie and Lacy host for a new account he will get. While the white couple is gracious, they are also racists and Lacy was awarded the account solely because of the color of his skin. While Sylvie is offended, Lacy doesn't care. He's all about the money.

-Both McLendon-Covey (as the Julia Child inspired TV chef who loathes high heels) and Eva Longoria's Carmen needed far more screen time. Ditto for Ryan Michelle Bathe as the original producer for Lucy's show who hires Sylvie. 

-Once again, use protection. There are so many forms of it, even in the 1950s and I believe that it was legal in New York where this film occurs. 

-I liked that they wrapped up the film by showing the epilogue over the credits.  

The Midnight Sky (2020)

 This was mostly a good film, though I felt that there were perhaps some scientific inaccuracies.

Augustine Lofthouse (George Clooney) decides to stay behind in Antarctica to keep watch over the research station as the entire continent is evacuated due to a mysterious illness gripping the planet (sound familiar?). However, this illness is far worse than the dreaded COVID as basically by the time the film begins Augustine is the last person left alive or so we're led to believe. However, a research shuttle is still roaming around in space and Augustine is determined to give them a message so they don't return to a dead planet.

The film then flips back and forth between Augustine and Iris (Caoilinn Springer) whom he discovers was left behind as he fights to get to another satellite station to deliver the message and the research space ship, Aether who is manned by five diverse astronauts who have their own struggles including Sully's (Felicity Jones's) pregnancy and the ship being somehow thrown off course. 

And then when Augustine finally gets his message to the ship, pilot Tom Mitchell (Kyle Chandler) refuses to believe that everyone is dead and decides to take a return pod and go back to Earth anyway and Sanchez (Damian Bichir) decides to join him, to give Maya Lawrence (Tiffany Boone) who tragically dies in a meteor shower, leaving just Sully and the Captain Gordon Adewole (David Oleyowo) to make the return trip, while back on Earth Augustine, ill enough to need daily dialysis treatments dies, revealing that young Iris was merely a figment of his imagination, finally giving him the relationship with his daughter, certainly his deepest regret. It is revealed that Sully is actually his daughter, which I figured out almost immediately during the first flashback to a younger Augustine. 

While I hate twists like that, I did find this film satisfying though I found parts unrealistic or inaccurate such as when Augustine falls into the deep, cold water due to cracking ice, he manages to swim for a bit and it isn't until he rises that the hypothermia sets in, which just made no sense. On the other hand, Aether sling-shotting around the Earth to use Earth's gravity to return to Jupiter's moon which can manage to support life just as was done in another brilliant solidary space film, based on a book, The Martian. 

Still, the film was brilliantly acted and went by quickly and relatively smoothly and I did truly enjoy it. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Gordon is revealed to be the father of Sully's unborn child and it appears that there certainly some love there but the pregnancy catches them both off-guard which leads me to a constant point I've made time and time again: there is this lovely little invention called a condom which is pretty effective, if one is used. 

-The same also applies to Iris's parents when they meet. Ethan Peck (grandson of the brilliant actor Gregory) is young Augustine turning in a brilliant performance, even matching his voice to meet Clooney's while Sophie Rundle shines as Jean Sullivan enamored by Augustine though she lies and tells him that she isn't pregnant when she actually is. 

-There are some interesting name choices for Sully's unborn daughter, hopefully they pick Caroline, by far one of the better choices. 

-Shockingly Maya doesn't recognize the classic Neil Diamond song "Sweet Caroline". I guess she was too young when that song was played on the radio but this is the slightly distant future. 

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)

 Here is another great film told in almost real time. 

Ma Rainey (the unrecognizable but brilliant Viola Davis) is a celebrated jazz musician and is in Chicago to record some of her songs but of course, there is plenty of drama, namely between the studio musicians. Levee (Chadwick Boseman) is the trumpet player, talented, cocky and as the film progresses, mentally unhinged, and he has his own arrangement of one of Ma's songs which she hates. He also is a songwriter and wants to start his own band and become just as famous as Ma. Ma is certainly a diva, but she knows that she can act like a bitch because she has something they want and once they have that, they will cut her loose which is basically correct and is what she more or less states halfway through the film.

The film is illuminating to see how the two interact though they have very few scenes together but Levee gets what he wants, he gets fired because he doesn't respect Ma despite being warned by the other musicians and making eyes at Ma's young lover, Dussie Mae (Taylour Paige) who may or may not be lesbian but is rather hungry for fame herself, considering she is fine with almost immediately having sex with Levee. But Mr. Strudyvant (Jonny Coyne) doesn't think that the songs will be hits but buys them off him anyway and then things take a turn for the worse. Levee has known the other musicians for bit by now, but is a different kind of person than they are, he doesn't believe in God and heard his mother be raped when he was just eight years old and when he and Cutler (Colman Domingo) get into a fight, he has no issue pulling out a switchblade and when the wise pianist, Toledo (Glynn Turman) accidentally steps of Levee's shoe (though I failed to see a scuff mark) and doesn't make the proper reparations, Levee stabs him and eventually he fades away, never to be seen in the movies again, while Ma stares into the abyss in the back of her shiny new car, upset that the white man will make more money off her voice than she will. 

While Viola Davis receives top billing, Boseman is certainly the lead and delivers certainly one of the greatest performances of his career, demonstrating a wide range of emotions while Davis is equally as brilliant in a role that is smaller but absolutely just as important. The screenplay is solid too, giving each character a personality that still shines through from page to screen though a couple of cuts are too jarring. Still, you do feel like it is 1927 and that is no small feat. Grade: A-

Valley Girl (2020)

 This film wasn't as bad as expected even though the plot's been done a thousand times before. 

Julie Richman (Jessica Rothe) is a typical rich teenager, enjoys shopping with her friends but she longs for more though they don't understand why, considering she's dating the perfect guy, the perfectly blond and bland Mickey (Logan Paul). Nevertheless, she wants something real and by chance meets Randy (Josh Whitehouse), who is a bit rough around the edges with tattoos (the horror) but this is 80s after all. 

Nonetheless, they get together but she has a perfect life and no one approves of this relationship while Randy is encouraging of her dreams but is also a screw-up and Mickey isn't thrilled despite his new relationship with Julie's former friend, Karen (Chloe Bennet). 

Of course they get back together, in a bit of contrived turn of events, Randy and his friends end up playing at Julie's prom, but honestly, until then, I found the film relatively realistic in a throwback to the 1980s sort of way and I liked the songs, classic 80s. However, while the performances were solid, if they were going to make this a genuine musical they should have gotten stronger singers because while Rothe and Whitehouse try, they are better at acting than singing. Still, this film wasn't a bad way to spend a Saturday night. Grade: B

Side Notes:

-The scene Julie has with her parents (Rob Huebel and the always lovely Judy Greer) is great and she has the best and most important line in the film: "Maybe I'm not as needy and boring as you."

-For the record, a man should be able to take care of his family but a woman can do that, too.

-In the end, I did like Julie's other two friends much more than Karen, Stacy (Jessie Ennis), who eventually ends up going to Dartmouth and the dancer Loryn (Ashleigh Murray).

-Randy's friend, Jack (the underused Mae Whitman) is also a delight though her character is painfully underdeveloped. 

-Apparently, this was filmed back in 2017 but was shelved for years. 

The Prom (2020)

 I don't really know where to go with this film. Sure, it's packed with talent and the musical numbers are spectacular, but I found the plot relatively old and tired and the cast great and miscast at the same time.

Indianans can't stand different so when Emma (Jo Ellen Pellman) wants to take her girlfriend to prom but of course, the PTA throws a hissy fit and cancels prom and some narcissistic has-been Broadway stars take pity, wanting to get positive attention and join her cause. 

I thought that when Emma arrives at prom just an hour in, I thought the film would be over but there was a twist, the PTA planned a second, secret prom and didn't tell Emma about it which leads us attempting to get her fellow students to become more tolerant and raise awareness for her story and find the funding for another prom. 

Personally, I found Mrs. Greene's (Kerry Washington's) change of heart, from rigid, perfectionist PTA president to accepting her gay daughter (Ariana Debose) in a matter of hours to be unrealistic. And having Broadway stars Dee Dee Allen (Meryl Streep) and Barry (James Corden) be friends with Angie (Nicole Kidman) and Trent (Andrew Rannells) who are in the chorus line, all be friends is also ridiculous. 

Still, despite everything, the acting is solid (despite some awkward pairings) and I'm a sucker for great musical numbers and this film contained several, I just wish this film was better to match the talent in it. Grade: B

Side Notes:

-The pairing of Meryl Streep and Keegan-Michael Key (as the high school principal) was predictable and while they had good chemistry, the age difference was not something I could get behind and nearly threw up for the first kiss.

-I think Andrew Rannell's Trent would make a natural drama teacher. 

-I can't believe that there hasn't been a musical on Eleanor Roosevelt's life yet. 

Mank (2020)

 Citizen Kane is largely considered the greatest film of all time and I can certainly agree with that. This film sort of details how the screenplay come about. 

Herman Mankewicz (Gary Oldman) is an alcoholic, washed out once celebrated screenwriter for MGM though he loathes Louis B. Mayer (Arliss Howard) with a passion. He meets the lovely Marion Davies (a surprisingly great Amanda Seyfried) who is in love with William Randolph Hearst (Charles Dance), the newspaper mogul. The film then proceeds through various flashbacks including the election of John Merriam and Upton Sinclair for Congress and how the studio manipulates the election and Mank, as he insists on being called, is furious with how the situation was handled. 

And then the screenplay is finished and it mirrors Hearst's life so much that lawsuits are threatened left and right, from Mank's younger brother, Joe (Tom Pelphrey), Marion, and even Mank's long suffering wife, called Poor Sara throughout (Tuppence Middleton) beg him to change everything but he refuses and the wunderkind Orson Welles (Tom Burke) likes it even though he balks when Mank wants the credit.

While this film is flashback heavy and the propaganda film probably deserve its own film, it is still very well done, with brilliant cinematography in moody black and white, flashbacks to the classic that is based on and Oldham manages to convince everyone that he's still in his forties, when he's actually over sixty. But he's excellent and Seyfried is pitch perfect in her smaller role. And you do manage to feel as though you're transported back to 1940 which is no easy feat. Grade: B+

Side Notes:
-Lily Collins provides good support as one of Mank's two secretaries whose husband is fighting over in Europe.

-The ending notes should have been in a different font color as they were difficult to read in white.

-Also, if someone wants to commit suicide, you should take the gun, not just the bullets. 

A Few Good Men (1992)

 This is a solid film if it is about a depressing topic and the film title sums up the amount of men I actually believe are good in this world. 

Though the term hate crime is never used, a young Hispanic marine is hazed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where he dies shortly after the tragic incident. Naturally, the young marines are charged with many crimes even though they claim they were only acting on orders from their superior officers. Cavalier young, hot-shot attorney, Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) is assigned to defend them and, quite frankly, he doesn't take the job that seriously, certainly not at first much to the chagrin of interior affairs investigator Joanne Galloway (Demi Moore, proving that she's more than just a pretty face). Now, do they have proof that the coronels ordered this 'Code Red'? Not at all, but that doesn't stop them from putting their life on hold, burning the midnight oil along with Danny's 'assistant' Sam (Kevin Pollak) to win this case and there are plenty of holes none of which are made clear until Coronel Nathan Jessup (Jack Nicholson), conceited, sexist and an asshole who both ordered his men not to touch Santiago (the victim) but also ordered a transfer (which actually wasn't the case) as Santiago's life was in grave danger, so Danny argues that both couldn't be the case. And eventually Jessup admits that he ordered the code red so Santiago could be whipped into shape so people's lives weren't going to be in danger, as Jessup's job of protecting the country is far superior to all other jobs so he should get a free pass but he doesn't. However, the men doesn't completely get away with the hazing, they're still found guilty of conduct unbecoming of a marine, which is accurate and receive dishonorable discharges which is exactly what they wished to avoid, but they still killed a man. And Danny gets to be the hero, which is a position he never imagined he'd find himself in. But he's the oddball hero of the story nonetheless.

Smartly written by Aaron Sorkin, this is a tight screenplay and the acting is superb considering this film is packed wall to wall with talent and it forces you to think, should Jessup have made that order for the 'greater good'? Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Jessup is also extremely sexist, telling Danny that Joanne outranks him and that there is nothing sexier than getting a blow job from your superior officer. Gross, but nobody calls him out on it.

-Danny really does think better with his bat. He's a huge baseball fan, it appears to be all he watches and plays on a softball league. 

-Do Danny and Joanne get together, we'll never know. 

Hillbilly Elegy (2020)

I don't really know what to say about this film, it was better than what the critics have been seeing but far from the spectacular masterpiece it should have been.

Taking place over essentially a thirty-six hour time period, it traces JD Vance (Gabriel Basso as the adult, Owen Asztalos as a teenager) as he tries to navigate a fancy dinner at Yale with attorneys so he can score a killer summer internship so he can pay for law school when he gets a call from his sister, Lindsay (Haley Bennett) informing him that his mother, Bev (Amy Adams) overdosed again. Over the course of two sleepless nights, with plenty of flashbacks included, we learn of how JD is trying to overcome his past even though it keeps sucking him back in.

 We learn how difficult JD's childhood was and while it was interesting, Bev's downfall would have been much more interesting how she went from being second in her class to putting herself through nursing school as a single mother to becoming addicted to painkillers and going from man to man. Bev loves her kids but the moment they say anything that rubs her the wrong way, she resorts to violence, still, JD refuses to tattle on her to the police when given the opportunity. 

His main ally is his grandmother, Mamaw (Glenn Close) who loves him but also wants him to help his mama pass a drug test. After she lets him move in with her, she's both nasty but sacrifices for him and puts him first, something his mother rarely did. Because of her sacrifice, he gets a job and starts to work hard at school and excels, joining the army, going to college and then entering law school.

While the plot is sort of paint-by-the-numbers, Close is great though she isn't really given the opportunity to shine until the third act, Adams was both good and miscast at the same time, going a great job in a role that doesn't seem to suit her sunny desposition. Basso also manages to shine in a bland-ish role. Bennett is steady throughout. I just feel that overall, this film was a missed opportunity of epic proportion, despite the really, slightly gritty feel of the film with solid score. Grade: B

Side Notes:

-Freida Pinto is also good as JD's law school girlfriend, Usha, whom he eventually marries. She also manages to look the same as she did in Slumdog Millionaire, more than a decade ago.

-We only get a taste of Bev's childhood, but it was also quite terrible but Mamaw was stronger than her and fought back bitterly.

-We also never get an explanation of why Papaw (Bo Hopkins) lives separately from his wife, daughter and grandkids.

-Aunt Lori, Bev's sister, is mentioned but never shown. 

-The father of Lindsay and JD, whether the same or different, is never mentioned either and that information would have been helpful. 

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

This film is a delightful for some good family-friendly viewing.

Personally, I found the pace a bit annoying but the songs were great and the acting was good but it was a good, uplifting film.

Jeronicus Jangle (first Justin Cornwell, then Forest Whitaker) is a celebrated inventor and might have just stumbled onto his big break when his neglected assistant, Gustafson (first Miles Barrow, then Keegan-Michael Key) steals his most precious invention, a talking doll (voiced by Ricky Martin) who is actually probably the true villain, despite being a doll but this doll is vain and self-centered and doesn't wish to be replicated and thus the story truly begins.

Thirty years pass and Jeronicus is a bitter recluse, his wife has died, his daughter left and he's about to go bankrupt when his creative granddaughter arrives at his doorstep. Journey (Madalen Mills) is exactly what he needs, sweet and brings a fresh mind and life into the old shop not that he wants her to. 

Throughout the rest of the film the plot runs its predictable course, with Jeronicus working on invention that Journey finishes but it is stolen by Gustafson and then recovered by Journey and Edison (Kieron L. Dyer), the apprentice and then fixed by Jeronicus and his adult daughter, Jessica (Anika Noni Rose) and nearly stolen again by Gustafson, saved by Journey and then seen by Delacroix (Hugh Bonneville), the banker who won't evict Jeronicus after all. So the ending is a happy one.

While the plot may not be thrilling or inventive, the musical numbers are truly great with talent packed on every inch of your screen and the inventions that are created, including the different math system are great. And Mills is a great talent. Her career should be long and varied as there seems to be nothing she can't accomplish. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-The widowed postmistress, Ms. Johnston (Lisa Davina Phillip) flirts shamelessly and obliviously with Jeronicus and eventually, he does realizes it and takes her up on her offer.

-Anika Noni Rose outsings everyone else.  

The China Syndrome (1979)

 This is a great film that accurately shows the portrayal of a news reporter and life inside a nuclear power plant. 

Accidentally on purpose, during a tour of Ventana Power Plant, cameraman Richard Adams (Michael Douglas) films an incident while TV journalist Kimberly Wells (Jane Fonda) watches in horror as the men inside develop looks of sheer terror as they click buttons around to abate the situation. However, the film Richard has captured is illegal so instead he steals it to get to the bottom of things. And learns that there was almost a nuclear meltdown which could have killed countless lives including their own. It isn't until Kimberly point-blank asks shift supervisor Jack Godell (Jack Lemmon) if anyone was in danger when he realizes that the vibrations felt earlier where indeed super bad, one of the towers needs to be shut down and probably rebuilt but naturally, this can't happen. A new plant is about to open so they rush through the investigation and don't heed their employees' concerns; they sabotage the doctored x-rays, nearly killing a man in the process which forces Jack to take extreme measures but the plant owners do to, cutting the power, breaking through the locked doors and shooting Jack from behind, we just have to hope that the truth gets out.

While the high stacks at the end are a bit unrealistic unlike the slow burn of Silkwood, this film nevertheless is smartly written and brilliantly acted with Fonda and Lemmon both fully deserving of their Oscar nominations, with each expression clearly etched in their face as the film progresses along. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-A good side plot is Kimberly's career, where she's relegated to the fluff pieces because she's nothing more than eye candy to the viewers and she is incredibly popular and a good boost to ratings. Hopefully after this tragic incident, she will finally be taken seriously with her career.

-Kimberly also owns a turtle, who bizarrely just roams freely around her house which is a little odd.  

Love with the Proper Stranger (1963)

 As a Natalie Wood fan, I'm glad that I've finally been able to see this film but now that I have, I'm not really sure if it was worth the wait. Sure, it's super dated but some lines are truly brilliant while the whole plot seems problematic and at times, just plain unrealistic. 

Angie Rossini (Wood) is the only daughter of a large, loud and beyond overprotective Italian family in New York. She's a clerk at Macy's and is pregnant. She manages to track down the father, Rocky (Steve McQueen) and asks him for a doctor. 

Now, Rocky isn't exactly a catch, a struggling New York musician whose relationship with Barb (Edie Adams) is never fully explained, but it appears by modern standards that they are an unmarried couple living together but are not yet married, mainly because Rocky has a typical male opinion of marriage, he thinks its a trap. 

Still, he helps her find a doctor which begins their journey together, and it is a journey. First, they need more money so he finds his parents and visits them for the first time in months and they have to run away because Angie's brother has found them which leads them to an abandoned apartment that somehow has pictures of Rocky when he was younger. And he starts Angie from having the illegal and certainly unsafe abortion, but goes about it the wrong way. She's hysterical and he slaps her before wrapping his arms around her. He fesses up to her brothers and offers to marry her but she refuses his proposal, not wanting to trap him. Instead, Angie gets over being scared and gets her own little apartment and decides to marry the cook, Anthony (Tom Boseley) whose crazy about her. Sure, she doesn't love him but at least he wants to. Naturally, this doesn't sit well with Rocky and eventually he comes around, in a grand romantic gesture sort of way, so they get their happy ending, though I hardly call it happy, as I find Rocky to be deeply flawed and certainly dated romantic hero and his character would not hold up by today standards. 

That all being said, Angie deserved more screen time, being the far more interesting character who also goes through tons of development, deciding to give up on the fairy tale dream of true love and be more realistic. However, the steps her brothers go to keep on tabs on her is just insane, paying a kid to call them from a pay phone with her location. Still, the acting is solid, with great performances from Wood and even McQueen, which was a surprise, both are trying not to fall in love with each other or do them any favors but they drawn together anyway. That being said, the film doesn't hold up well, and romance is supposed to be timeless, which is just a shame. Grade: B

Light in the Piazza (1962)

 This was an interesting take on a typical romance film. 

Meg Johnson (Olivia de Haviland) and her daughter, Clara (Yvette Mimieux) are visiting Italy where she meets by happenstance and then by pre-arranged coincidence a native Italian Fabrizio (George Hamilton) who is able to ignore Clara's disability. Clara was kicked by a horse when she was ten and it left her with permanent brain damage and forever largely stuck with the mind of that ten-year-old. But they fall in love anyway as they both still seem to be on the same page despite the language barrier. Still, Meg decides to end it but after her husband, Noel (Barry Sullivan) comes to visit them in Rome and decides that an adult care facility is the best place for her so Meg decides to gamble and takes Clara back to Florence where her relationship with Fabrizio continues at warp speed. However, after glancing at Clara's passport, Fabrizio's father (Rossano Brazzi) abruptly walks out before they sign paperwork with the priest. In yet another twist, it turns out that Clara is roughly six years older than Fabrizio and in another twist, it appears that Fabrizio is also slightly mentally handicapped and is actually twenty-three. So they get married and appear to be very happy and Meg feels comfortable with her decision so everyone is happy and I guess the viewer is as well.

While De Haviland received most of the praise for her performance, certainly one of the best of her career, I found Mimieux to be better with a more difficult one, having to act like a ten-year-old and having meltdowns in public. The plot was also good with two interesting twists, ones that I couldn't predict which is always nice. And the scenery and cinematography is very lush actually filming in Italy. While I wouldn't consider this a must-watch, it was a great film nevertheless. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-I don't think dogs should drink tea.

-The film needed to show more of the toil Clara's issues had on her parents' marriage. 

-The important issue of faith is also hinted at as it should have been, it was nice to see that finally being brought into a film. 

-Despite Clara's issues, she seems to be able to pick up a foreign language very quickly.  

The True Story of the Ned Kelly Gang (2019)

 First of all, I'd avoid this movie. Apparently, it's not true which makes the whole thing stupid and quite frankly, unrealistic. 

 Though the performances are great and the underlaying plot is decent, showing how native Australians don't wish to be ruled by the Brits, I feel that the turning point in the film comes far too late. It's not what young Ned (Orlando Schwerdt) is sold to a bushranger Harry Power (Russell Crowe) but rather when Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick (Nicholas Hoult) calls out the parentage of Ned's (now George MacKay's) love, Mary (Thomasin McKenzie) young son, it's the fiancé of Ned's mother, Ellen (Essie Davis) so things turn ugly in a hurry but his plans are dashed as he buys into the flattery of a hostage. 

While the idea might have been alright, the time period is a bit board and that train does not appear to be period appropriate. I just feel that all the good actors and performances are completely wasted. Grade: C-

Side Notes:

-In case anyone is counting, this the third film where George MacKay impregnates a girl with what is perceived to be a one night stand (following Daisy Ridley in Ophelia and Amandla Stenberg in Where Hands Touch), all of which are seriously flawed films. 

-Also, how in the world was Mary able to get letters to and from Ned while he was forming an army. 

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

 Let the line for the best films of the year line up behind this one. 

During the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago, many riots ensue and now, eight men, from different peaceful organizations are put on trial. And it is a long and bizarre trial with a prejudice and slightly senial judge, Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella). He makes it harder and harder for defense counsel (the great Mark Rylance and Ben Shankman) to get anywhere with cross-examination and he is especially cruel to the lone African American defendant, Bobby Sears's (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's) attorney is in the hospital but he isn't allowed to defend himself, which is just ridiculous, and there are plenty of twists and turns along the way, including what defendant Abbie Hoffman (the shockingly great Sacha Baron Cohen) insists is true from the beginning, this is a political trial and it is, though the jury won't know it as the key witness, the former attorney general under President Johnson who found that the police started the riots but now that Nixon is President, things are different. And then there is the real reason so many were hurt in Chicago, the police cracked open Rennie Davis's (Alex Sharp's) skull. He works for the Student for a Democratic Society and it inspires Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) to get super pissed off, and everything went south quickly. Police brutality is nothing new, it's been happening for decades, and they were just trying to peacefully protest the Vietnam War. 

Aaron Sorkin is an Academy Award winning screenwriter and this is certainly one of his best films, condensing a ridiculously long trial into something palatable without missing a beat, or really anything important, wrapping everything up nicely in the end, though the happy isn't necessarily a happy one but it does show that the prosecution's attorney, Richard Schultz (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) does have a heart. Each character (out of the main characters) is crafted with a distinct personality and is brilliant.  The acting is impeccable and nothing seems to be out of place, editing in actual news footage flawlessly. This is not a film to be missed. Grade: A

Side Notes:

-John Carroll Lynch, as a life-long pacifist, Jeremy Strong as Abbie's right-hand man who falls in love with a mole, and the lesser known Noah Robbins and Daniel Flaherty finish out the Chicago 7.

-Schultz does convince the judge to declare a mistrial for Bobby Sears, which is only fair considering he was only in the city for four hours.

-Pay attention for a small role from Kelvin Harrison, Jr as Fred Hampton, the leader of the Chicago branch of the Black Panthers. 

-Two of the sympathetic jurors are sent threatening notes allegedly from the Black Panthers, though that is a bunch of hogwash. That mystery is never solved. 

-There are some great lines in this film, my favorite is probably Lynch's David Dellinger telling Abbie that of course he has money on him, he's a grown man. 

-Michael Keaton also has a killer cameo, even though he basically portrays the same character as he does in Spotlight, another superb film. 

-The lead defense counsel, Bill Kunstler is charged with twenty-four counts of contempt of court throughout this trial.

-A five month recovery from a gallbladder surgery is very long. 

-It should never be okay for a defendant to have to appear in court bound and gagged, that is just appalling. 

-Tom Hayden would eventually go out to be a representative and would also marry and cheat on the lovely Jane Fonda. 

Forrest Gump (1994)

 Based on a book, this film details the extraordinary life of the fictional Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) who has a slightly low IQ but has numerous hidden talents and often just happens to be in the right place at the right time. 

He has a gift for running and thus gets a football scholarship for college, serves in Vietnam and saves his fellow soldiers, winning a Presidential medal of honor. He plays ping pong, becoming a minor celebrity, starts a shrimping business with Lt. Dan Taylor (Gary Sinise) in honor of his deceased friend, Bubba (Mykelti Williamson), always killing off the minority first, and then runs across the country just because it makes sense. 

But despite all the success and fame, he is driven by his love for his best and life-long friend, Jenny Curran (Robin Wright) who has had a rough life compared to Forrest but she isn't blessed with his luck and makes some wretched decisions but they do finally end up together in the end, only to have their happy ending tragically cut short but Jenny's untimely death. 

Despite the excellent acting, including a small but pivotal part for Sally Field as Forrest's mother, and special effects which include a blending of archival news footage and splicing Forrest into history, the film amounts to nothing more than a trifle, a brilliant trifle but a trifle nonetheless. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-I guess I should the slightly questionable parentage of Jenny's son, Forrest, Jr (Haley Joel Osment), considering she is exhausted when she arrives to visit Forrest and then leaves abruptly after taking his virginity. We'll never know for sure, but it is something that I feel should be questioned.

-The virus Jenny dies of is never mentioned but it widely thought that she had AIDs. 

-There are a lot of ways to cook or prepare shrimp. 

-Jenny's childhood including being molested by her father, but he does get arrested while she was still young though it is never mentioned what for. Her sisters are never mentioned again. 

-I'm glad that Dan finally got some legs and found love along the way. His life would have made a good film too. 

The Heiress (1949)

 This is a excellent film packed full of great performances.

In what is essentially a four-person drama, the roles are custom-made for the actors portraying them. Catherine Sloper (Olivia de Haviliand) is a wealthy young woman but she is painfully shy and socially awkward. Her doctor father, Austin (Ralph Richardson) claims that he has tried to do what's best for her, but he also basically states that she will never hold a candlestick to her beloved, beautiful and talented mother who died in childbirth. Everything changes when young idler, Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift) comes along. He whispers sweet nothings in Catherine's ear and she falls for it, but her father puts an end to her engagement, believing probably correctly, that Morris is only with Catherine for her money and certainly he admits that she has no other redeeming qualities. 

And it turns out that he's right. After threatening to disown Catherine, meaning that she will have to survive a mere $10,000 per year (and this is roughly 1850), she and Morris decides to run away together but is honest with him and tells him about her father's threat. So Morris stands her up, leaving her bitter and alone with the very man she hates the most. She doesn't even come to her father's deathbed when he asks for her. 

But Catherine gets her just desserts. When Morris comes back, begging for her love, she says that she will take him back, even though he remains penniless and now, deep in debt, but instead she leaves him banging on the door, she has deserted him this time. 

Sure, this film doesn't have a happy ending and Catherine goes from dreamy eyed to cold-hearted in the course of the film, but she also finally gains control of her life, maybe not in the way she wanted and deserved, but at least she has the freedom she's always longed for. And Morris, that scumbag and asshole, also gets what he deserved.

De Haviliand won an Oscar for her performance and fully deserved it. The scenery and costumes are also great. This film, despite the unhappy ending, is still a must watch. Grade: A

Side Notes:

-Catherine finally gains her tongue too late and tells off her father in a great scene. Her father should have taught her independence and conversation years ago.

-I wonder if her father even really wanted her to get married.

-Catherine has the best line, after her aunt Lavinia (Miriam Hopkins) wonders how she could be so cruel to Morris but she states that she has learned from the masters.

-We'll never know if Morris was marrying Catherine for her money or because he actually loved her. Personally, I think it was just for the money.

Troop Zero (2020)

 This film contains a bunch of oddball characters who somehow together form a family. 

Christmas Flint (McKenna Grace) has a down-on-his-luck lawyer for a father (Jim Gaffigan) and a fascination with everything outer space. She has a reputation for wetting the bed and her only friend, Joseph (Charlie Shotwell) is struggling his sexuality. 

When Christmas finds out that she could have a chance to put a message into space, she jumps at it, forming a Birdie Troop along with Joseph and three other misfits, Anne-Claire (Bella Higginbotham) who is a wannabe evangelist with only one eye, Hell-No Price (Milan Ray) who is somewhat of a bully, forcing other kids to pay a toll if she catches up with them and Smash (Johanna Colon) who smashes things as her name says. Leading them is her dad's secretary, Rayleen (the always great Viola Davis) who does so reluctantly but manages to find hidden talents in the troop which gets them through to the jubilee where they face off against the picture perfect but nasty other troop from Wiggly, led by the sneakily cruel Miss Massey (Allison Janney). Needless to say, the skit Troop Zero has arranged is actually good and elaborate but their fancy costumes are not appreciated and then Christmas does wet herself, as she was nervous. 

Though Troop Zero doesn't win, the engineer with NASA is so impressed with them that he records them anyway. And Christmas finally has some solid friends and Rayleen has decided to finally go back to pursuing her law degree, not letting her past infatuation with a man get in her way.  So everyone's a winner.

Despite the film not being much or only having half of a happy ending, the quirky characters are acted brilliantly. And the idea was done well. Grade: B

Side Notes:
-Who names their child Christmas?

-It would have been super nice to learn Hell-No and Smash's real names. 

-It is also amazing that all of those kids could pee on demand in support of Christmas.

-Fluffy, the dog, needed more screen time. 

-Leaving the children basically alone in the woods is illegal. 

The High Note (2020)

 This film was not a comedy, romance, drama nor musical so it failed on many levels. 

First of all, Maggie (Dakota Johnson) is the main character, the white girl struggling to make her dreams come true, as though there aren't enough films like that already. Maggie is an assistant for the fictitious superstar Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross) who wants to  put out new music but her new songs have nothing on her hits. Maggie wishes to be a producer and does discover a hot, young singer, David (Kelvin Harrison, Jr, finally in a nice guy role) who somehow already has money. He is quite talented and Maggie thinks she has his big break in the palm of her hands but when she springs that he will be opening for Grace Davis, he walks away causing Maggie to lose her job. 

So this is when I predicted that David was Grace's estranged son and I was right which led me to the issue of when David sees her and greets as 'Mom' when they've barely seen each other in his lifetime and the fact that Grace has a child isn't public knowledge so that scene was not played out nor written well. 

Of course everything works out in the end, Maggie gets her dream job and the guy while Grace is able to finally put out new music. It's just such a shame that this film fails on so many level when the roles are good and the acting is great. Too bad the film wasn't inventive or daring in any sort of way. Grade: C+

How to Build a Girl (2020)

 Finally a film that highlights all of Beanie Feinstein's talents. 

Beanie shines as sixteen-year-old Johanna Morrigan who has two interesting parents (Paddy Considine and Sarah Solemani) who breed border collies. She also has four younger brother, including the newborn twins. She is also a total bookworm with no friends except for her heroines on her wall but then she gets a job reviewing rock bands and suddenly, she has a life. But it comes at a cost. Sure, she's making money and paying the bills even buying her parents a new van but she learns that being mean pays more than being nice so she criticizes all the bands, sure she does it with style but she is nasty nonetheless. However, she learns that this is not the way to be and family matters more than your job and alleged friends. So, she improves or rebuilds herself coming back into the love her family has to offer. 

Fortunately, while this film has been done before, and yes, just as Johanna said, her life did get a kickstart thanks to a man, her younger brother Krissy (Laurie Kynaston), who refers her apply for the job, but this was still a great film with funny, sweet, sensitive and sad moments are genuine and authentic, what more could a film ask for? Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Pay attention to the quick cameos from Chris O'Dowd and Emma Thompson.

-I wonder how Johanna was served alcohol when she's underage. 

-Winning an award for asshole of the year is not something I'd be particularly proud of. 

-Also, who names a child Lupin?

Philadelphia (1993)

 This film contains two of the best performances of all-time.

Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) believes that he was fired from his high powered corporate law firm in Philadelphia so he asks personal injury attorney, Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) to defend him. Joe is reluctant at first, fearful that AIDs is contagious and that homosexuality is disgusting. But he does change his mind after running into Andrew at a law library. 

This begins one of the great courtroom dramas ever, with both sides presenting great cases as Andrew's health rapidly deteriorates. The firm tries to say that Andrew was fired for incompetence (losing an important suit filing at the eleventh hour) while he feels otherwise. Also, how the brief disappear off both his desk and computer, that's just weird. First, they need to prove that the partners knew Andrew had AIDs as he kept his personal life personal and then prove that that is why he was fired. This film, unlike most, actually shows part of how the jury came to their opinion, which is great. And the jury comes back with a verdict in favor of Andrew, awarding him tons of money in punitive damages, though whatever happiness Andrew has is short-lived as his death is nigh.

While the screenplay is incredibly tight, with intricate legal dialogue and Denzel's catchphrase: Explain it to me like I'm a six-year-old. The acting is also impeccable, Hanks won an Oscar and Washington should have at least been nominated. Everyone else is also pitch-perfect in their smaller roles. This is a film to be watched and cherished. Grade: A

Side Notes:

-Pay attention for cameos or smaller roles from Anna Deavere Smith, Mary Steenburgen, Jason Robards, Bradley Whitford, Ann Dowd and Joanne Woodward. 

-I do wonder how Andrew got AIDs from a quick hook-up in a gay movie theater but didn't give it to his devoted, long-term partner, Miguel (Antonio Banderas). 

Bad Education (2020)

 This was a great film until the somewhat bizarre ending. 

Dr. Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman) is the superintendent of Roslyn High School on Long Island which is ranked fourth out of all the public high schools in the country, which is super great but he's determined to be number by building this SkyWay, a multimillion dollar project which will connect both ends of the building together. However, the project isn't all what it seems as student journalist, Rachel (Geraldine Viswanathan) uncovers a bunch of lies and deceits, fraud runs rampant. First, business manager, Pam Gluckin (Allison Janney) is forced to resign but the problems runs far deeper. Rachel's the fearless one, though the board tries to get them to press charges but Frank won't as that would ruin the district's reputation so no charges are pressed until the deception is uncovered as there are plenty of fake companies who've been taking money from the school for years. Needless to say, the public's trust in their school district is ruined and several people are jailed, as they should be, yet, thanks to a loophole, Frank still receives a hefty pension despite all of his wrongdoings. 

Fortunately, the acting is superb and the screenwriting is tight except for the odd ending when Frank's wildest fantasy comes true, only it doesn't but at least it makes national headlines. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-The important side plot involves Frank cheating on his long-term domestic partner with one of his former students and his long-term partner has been part of Frank's crazy schemes. 

-Also pay attention to the scene-stealing Annaleigh Ashford as the naïve niece of Pam who also unwittingly falls into the scheme of fraud.  

Silkwood (1983)

 This is a great film highlighting Meryl Streep's incredible talent.

Karen Silkwood (Streep) works at a nuclear plant, with long hours and different working conditions, being on her feet all day. She lives with her boyfriend, Drew (Kurt Russell), who fixes cars in his spare time and their friend, Dolly (Cher) who harbors a crush on Karen but also may have been the reason for Karen's downfall. Karen's main concern at the beginning is getting the weekend off so she can visit her kids who live out of state, why she moved so far away from them is never explained. But when she returns, she learns that her section of the plant suffered a contamination which starts her slow decent into realizing how dangerous her job is and she quickly becomes more involved with the union, within just weeks becoming a spokeswoman for them, which leads to complications in her personal life. 

Changes are thrown her way after she's transferred to another branch, working with the creepy Winston (Craig T. Nelson) who doctors pictures of the insufficient rods which is incredibly dangerous. This is what fascinates the fancy union men the most, as they gloss over the fact that are only two shower stalls for 75 people per shift, which is also wretched. However, Karen's life is derailed after she tests positive for internal radiation and they strip her house bare. She understands that her life will slowly decline and it probably would have, except for the fact that she dies in a tragic car wreck which may or may not have been purposeful, as the plant was furious with her actions. But she was just trying to save lives so she died a hero. 

The film is a bit oddly paced and slow at times, though the performances are all natural and great with Oscar nominations earned by Streep and Cher. And the screenplay has clever ways of explaining Karen's job at the plant. It's just a shame that the big guy won, but unfortunately, the big guy almost always wins. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-The Confederate flag that Drew owns is a bit problematic nowadays. 

-However, they don't care that Dolly starts to date Angela (Diana Scarwid). Angela works at a funeral home and eventually goes back to her husband, talk about awkward. 

-Be on the look out for cameos from Bruce McGill, David Straithairn and Tess Harper. 

The Verdict (1982)

 This is a chilling film, but at least the good guy wins.

Boston, 1980, a medical malpractice case finally makes it to trial. A comatose woman's estate is suing the Catholic Church that applied the incorrect anesthetic, leaving her in a vegetative state with a stillborn baby and no answers.. Down-on-his-luck, alcoholic attorney Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) is assigned the case and though he initially wants to settle, he turns down the 'generous' offer and opts to take the case to trial. Except his star witness 'disappears'. Whether that doctor is murdered or forced to take a Caribbean vacation is anyone's guess. So, his case slowly falls apart, until his mentor, Mick (Jack Warden) uncovers the admitting nurse so she comes to testify and provides the smoking gun though the overly biased judge (Milo O'Shea) declares it inadmissible. The doctor didn't read Debra's chart and gave her the wrong drug, causing her to choke on her own vomit, causing her to become a vegetable for life. Debra ate just one hour before arriving at the hospital, not nine as the chart was tampered with to say and then Nurse Costello (Lindsay Crouse) was threatened that if she didn't tamper with the note, the doctors would have her fired. So yeah, there is a bunch of shady stuff going on behind the scenes. 

Though the film is slow at the start, it packs an emotional punch and the acting is great. Newman delivers another good performance and at least the doctors are found negligent by the jury as they clearly made some devastating and unforgivable mistakes and should be punished. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Beware of Charlotte Rampling's Laura Fisher, she's a mole and while I'm against violence, she deserves to be slapped for her going against her fellow woman.

-This is the second film in which James Mason (the opposing council Concannon) and Rampling star. The first was the great Georgy Girl. Mason received supporting nominations for both, Rampling wasn't nominated for either. 

Hud (1963)

 This is an excellent film, which is also essentially a four person drama. 

Paul Newman is brilliant as the jackass Hud Bannon the younger son of a respected rancher. The father and son do not get along especially after it is determined that the cows could have foot and mouth disease is absolutely wretched. Hud wants to sell before the diagnosis is final while his moral father absolutely refuses. Turns out the two haven't gotten along for years as Hud just doesn't care about anyone other than himself. And that was before Hud was driving drunk and killed his brother, leaving his nephew, Lonnie (Brandon De Wilde) an orphan. Still, Lonnie adores his uncle ignoring Hud's womanizing and boozing ways, until Hud nearly rapes their respected housekeeper, Alma (Patricia Neal). In end, Hud gets what he wants, the ranch all to himself but there is nothing for him. Alma and Lonnie left, not together, separately and Homer (Melvyn Douglas), Hud's father died tragically. 

Despite the somewhat depressing nature of the film, the acting is impeccable and while new ground isn't necessarily broken, the themes are timeless and done quite well. And Homer is one of the most moral characters ever portrayed in cinema. Newman is at the top of his game here despite being a total ass. I also liked the ambiguous ending. He still has the potential to be a wealthy man, if oil is found on the land or he could be even poorer than at the start of the film. Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Douglas is one of two actors who won an Oscar for portraying a Homer in 1962. Sydney Poitier won his for Lilies of the Field's Homer Smith. 

-Alma has some of the best lines in history: "I've done my time with one cold-hearted bastard, I'm not looking for another." And "I don't like pigs."

-Though Lonnie appalled that Hud nearly raped Alma, he still chalks it up to the fact that Hud was drunk, which he was. But at least Hud apologizes, which is more than most. He's still a jerk though. 

 

Da 5 Bloods (2020)

 This film is basically Treasure of the Sierra Madre set in Vietnam. 

Four Vietnam vets gather to go back to collect the body of their fallen soldier, Norman (the late, great Chadwick Boseman) and to unbury some gold, so they will be rich. Naturally, nothing goes to plan. First, Paul's (Delroy Lindo's) son, David (Jonathan Masters) somehow manages to join them and then Eddie (Norm Lewis) turns out to be broke and dies after stepping on a landmine. And just when you think things might finally work out, think again, rebel soldiers refuse to let them keep their gold so they have endure yet another battle in Vietnam, leaving only a wounded Otis (Clarke Peters) alive out of the original 5, which is good thing as he just discovered that he knocked up his Vietnamese mistress so he has another adult daughter. 

The film is superbly acted though it is an extremely bloody film, realistically so. I wasn't thrilled with the plot, though it wasn't super predictable (I did predict that the woman was Otis's daughter and though Paul was adamant that nothing was going to kill him, I figured that he would die), I still didn't like the whole kidnapping the bomb disfuser people which involved one of the most bizarre love stories I've seen in some time. Fortunately, the film has somewhat of a happy ending, with plenty of the money going to charities, worthy charities, though the one is fictitious, created solely for the film though it should be real. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-In another choice, during the flashback scenes, the same actors are used to portray their younger selves, without any attempt to make them look younger, which is bizarre. 

-I don't understand why Norman was rescued but not Eddie. 

-Money really is the root of all evil. 

Mr. Jones (2020)

 Gareth Jones is probably not a name you've heard of before, but you should remember him.

Despite the adverse odds, he tells the truth about Stalin's Ukraine and how wretched the country was, starving child after starving child, dead bodies in the road and only two bits of food per person per day even though he is discredited by a Pulitzer winner. 

Portrayed by James Norton, Jones is fearless, escaping from his Soviet handler and seeing the real 1934 Ukraine where there is plenty of grain but none of it is for the people who grew but is rather shipped to Moscow where there is enemy suppression and it is difficult to express your own opinion. 

The film is incredibly bleak, with its stark cinematography and intense score but where it fails is that it juxtapositions clips of George Orwell's Animal Farm, as Gareth's truth is the basis for that book. I feel that that gave the film an odd feel and served as the framework for this film. Unfortunately, Gareth didn't get a happy ending, he was killed in 1935 after his tour guide turned on him. Which is just a shame, more people needed the scruples of Gareth to make this world a better place. Grade: B+ 

Side Notes:

-Vanessa Kirby's character, Ada Brooks, is a bit of an odd character, she writes in Moscow but doesn't trust her handler anymore but isn't as brave as Gareth. Their kiss scene is incredibly awkward.

-Eating tree bark is disgusting and a poor excuse for a meal. 

-Why does Stalin want his people to starve? They have worth. 

-Gareth watches a living child get picked up and placed in a dead pile. I wasn't upset that he didn't try to save the child, then again, he probably couldn't have done much but still. 

His Girl Friday (1940)

This film takes a bizarre topic and turns into a screwball comedy loaded with dialogue. 

A man is set to be executed for shooting a police officer while he was (or wasn't) insane. But Walter Burns (Cary Grant) just doesn't want to lose his ex-wife, Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) so he contrives her to write the story. 

Despite the excellence of the plot, and Hildy as a strong character, Walter, is downright wretched, having Bruce (Ralph Bellamy) write a life insurance policy and then has him robbed, picked up by a fake prostitute and given fake money. So he's a jerk but this film shows how important making a difference is to Hildy. 

Still, the acting and timing is impeccable, and the story is fascinating, despite the blatant plot holes. I mean, is convicted killer Earl Williams (John Qualen) really going to stay quiet in that desk for as long as he does while the action happens all around him, please, I don't believe that for a second. And the governor gave the convicted murderer a last minute and the mayor (Clarence Kolb) tries to do away with the reprieve. Too bad this film is dated, as it is a gem. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Of note, the police officer killed was 'colored', yet there are no African American roles in the film. 

-Cary Grant does have one of the best lines, "He looks like that actor fellow, Ralph Bellamy," when he is actually Ralph Bellamy. That line almost made the film worth it. 

Dave (1993)

 This film is ridiculous, never could happen in real life but I certainly wish it could kind of film. 

The American President, Bill Mitchell (the lovable Kevin Kline) is an asshole, cheating on his lovely wife, Ellen (Sigourney Weaver), no coincidence, with that name. But more than that, he's corrupt, guilty of several crimes and cares about no one but himself, not even his cute corgis. But then, by some bizarre twist of fate, the secret service tracks down Dave Kovic (also Kevin Kline) who runs a temp agency and seems to beloved by all to be a fake President as he just so happens to be a lookalike. President Mitchell, instead of fulfilling his duties that he was elected to do, goes off to have sex with his mistress (Laura Linney) but instead, has a near fatal stroke. 

With machinations of his own, President Mitchell's Chief of Staff, Bob Alexander (Frank Langella), decides to let Dave continue to 'playing' the President so he can undermine both the President and the VP, Gary Nance (Ben Kingsley), outing them as part of the scandal involving campaign finance so he can become President. 

However, things don't exactly turn out like they've planned. The First Lady figures out that something has happened to her husband and Dave enlists his accountant friend to help solve saving some homeless shelters and then he decides to find a job for every American who wants a job. Naturally, he also forces Bob to resign which backfires but Dave comes up with a back-up plan, and fakes having a stroke so he can go back to his regular life, which is more or less what happens.

Yes, this is a bizarre love story as Dave falls in love Ellen who is far too good for Bill but it also a story of what a President should be, someone who actually cares for the American people, which is so different from what we currently have, some humanity and decency in the office. Despite the numerous laws broken, I wish this could happen in real life. Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-The VP really had nothing better to do than do go to Africa for a goodwill mission?

-Until Dave mentioned it, I thought he was a pro-bono attorney.

-I also found it surprising that Dave had been married but it didn't stick. He seems too nice for someone to have left him. 

Ford v Ferrari (2019)

 This film is a stylish, lavish but lengthy production.

Detailing the year in which Ford Company, led by Tracy Letts, is hellbent to beat Ferrari after a deal between the two companies falls apart. Ford uses its vast wealth to hire Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) to design a car to beat Ferrari and he enlists his best but temperamental driver, Ken Miles (Christian Bale) to help and race for Ford. 

So they set off, and there are setbacks mostly because Ford doesn't trust Ken and Carroll to do the jobs they hired them to do and of course, they have to accomplish the impossible, designing a car that can last for twenty-four hours at an incredibly high speed. It isn't easy but they do manage to succeed, only Ford doesn't want Ken to race because Ken isn't the biggest fan of Fords and isn't the greatest team player and isn't one to shy away from voicing his opinions. So Ford isn't a huge fan of Ken's despite him being the best man for the job. 

But they manage to beat Ferrari by figuring out how to completely change the brake system in the pits, so while the victory should be sweet, Ken loses on a technicality. The ending, though is painfully sad but shows how strong the friendship between the two of them is, which is ultimately what this film is all about, loyalty. 

Despite the length, which certainly could have been trimmed down, the screenplay is great, allowing the characters plenty of time to breath and develop their fully fleshed out characters. And the art direction is impeccable. This film shows Damon and Bale at the top of their game.Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-There are good supporting performances from Josh Lucas, Jon Bernthal, Noah Jupe and Caitriona Balfe. 

-Also of note, only one African American gets screen time and he has no lines. 

-We never learn what brings the Miles family to America. 

A Cry in the Dark (1988)

 You really should have zipped up that tent, Meryl. It likely would have saved you a bunch of problems and your baby might still be alive. 

From the moment Lindy Chamberlain (Meryl Streep) screeches "That dingo's got my baby," everything is under scrutiny. The media instantly takes everything the Chamberlains say and twists it, turning them into the villains of their own story, First, they are found to have no involvement in baby Azalea's death, but then the case is reopened and Lindy is put on trial. What ensues is one of the great courtroom dramas of all time. 

Despite not having a body, some of Azalea's clothes are uncovered and the crude forensics of the 1980s determine that it isn't likely a dingo is responsible for Azalea's death but the timeline and method proclaimed, that Lindy slit her daughter's throat with sewing scissors in a limited time frame, with her elder son by her side is completely ridiculous, she is nevertheless found guilty and gives birth to her second daughter behind bars. 

While Streep and Sam Neill's performance carries the film, it is also an interesting character study of how the Chamberlains rely on their faith to get them through this impossible time. They have both supporters and adversaries. The film shows random people reacting to how the trial is going. I feel that this should have never gone to trial and should have been chalked up as a tragic accident. Fortunately, the screenplay is tight and Streep and Neill have never been better. And it forces you to think how could an entire country condemn the couple for the disappearance of Azalea? Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Props given to including the part where the nurse gives Lindy pills and a pump to dry up her milk. Breastfeeding is not something enough films discuss.

-Sam Neill's character, Michael, is an odd duck, breaking down on the stand, not comprehending the questions asked. He also doesn't seem supportive of Lindy during her pregnancy, but he loves her deeply and refuses her request to divorce her if she is convicted. 

Richard Jewell (2019)

This was a very good film, with one near fatal flaw.
Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser) is a lump of a man, but he is smart enough, just lacks a little common sense, such as pushing a smart-mouthed college student, illegally drinking beer in his dorm room. But he still adores law enforcement and is thrilled to have a job working security at the 1996 Olympics, Centennial Park where nightly concerts are held. That night, in addition to battling diarrhea, he also argues with some young men over shooting beer cans but then discovers a book bag, just shoved under a bench. Now, most would have ignored it, thinking that someone just stashed it, not wanting to carry on their backs while watching the concerts, but not Richard, he insists that it get called in and it's a good thing that he does. Turns out, it's a bomb, so they try to clear the area but the bomb explodes anyway, killing two and injuring more than one hundred.
And Richard goes from hero to suspect in the blink of an eye, thanks to his former boss calling in his suspicions to the FBI.
Here is where the fatal flaw happens. Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde), a hungry reporter for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, goes to her FBI contact, Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm) and bribes him with sex to get a tip that Jewell is being investigated. Not only is that scene untrue, it's also demeaning to women. It highlights the loose morals of both characters. Honestly, while I like Wilde and think she's a solid actress, I felt that her character was unnecessary. The film worked well without her, with the scenes between Richard and his attorney, Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell) and his mother, Bobi (the great Kathy Bates). It dealt with how the FBI was pulling at threads trying to get Richard to be the guilty party when they knew he couldn't have done it. It took them eighty-eight days to figure that out.
It also details how disruptive the press and FBI can be in your life. They take everything from the house, down to Bobi's underwear and tupperware, and she's devastated. I don't blame her.
Despite the incorrect actions of Kathy's character, the film has heart and great performances. It's a shame that that one mistake turned this film from a top film of the year to one that's just middle of the road. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-The Jewell's beagle is just adorable.
-At first I was upset that they created a slight romantic angle between Watson and his secretary, Nadya (Nina Arianda) but it turns out, that was true. They got married and had two children.
-Also, what sort of first name is Watson? I feel bad for him.
-I can't believe that it took the FBI six years to find the actual bomber, Eric Rudolph. He hid for six years and then just confessed? That's probably another film.
-Sam Rockwell was quite good in this film as well and probably should have been in bigger contention for major awards than he was.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

While this film was overly long, it was also three hours of looking at Leonardo DiCaprio and that is always worthwhile. He's far too good looking and talented to be real.
This film traces Jordan Belfort's (DiCaprio's) journey from naive and sober young stockbroker to one of the richest men in the country who gained everything he owned through illegal methods and money-laundering. He divorces his first wife, Teresa (Cristin Milloti) and marries that also way too attractive and talented Margot Robbie, the lovely Naomi who gives him two children despite knowing that he's a drug addict and womanizer.
Certainly, the film is a bit bizarre, almost like The Big Short, with narration and the occasional breaking of the third wall. And that scene where Jordan and his vice president minion, Donnie (Jonah Hill, with bleached teeth) are super high is just bizarre but also shows how great those two actors are. And it is a miracle that Jordan was able to drive home and didn't kill anyone, sure he banged into a bunch of cars and fixed objects (which is also unacceptable), but at least no one got hurt.
Sure, none of these characters are good role models or even good humans, but the acting is great and the film has a real feel to it. It is also ridiculous how Scorsese can go from the family-friendly (and brilliant) Hugo to this film where drugs, sex and cursing are in absolutely every scene. Nevertheless, it is great. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-Despite fourth billing, Matthew McConaghey's role is nothing more than a cameo, with roughly five minutes of screen time. He's still great.
-I'm surprised that Naomi didn't divorce him earlier.
-Jordan receives only three years in prison, that's light for everything he did.
-Kyle Chandler is brilliant as the investigating FBI agent. He's also great. I love when he plays the good guy.

Sweetness in the Belly (2020)

While the title has nearly nothing to do with the film, it was good nevertheless, white washed, but good anyway.
Sure, it is completely bizarre that non-religious British parents are going to abandon their daughter at a Sufi mosque in Morocco, but you kind of just have to go with it.
Now, Lilly (a surprisingly good Dakota Fanning) is an adult, and has fled the battle-torn Ethiopia for Britain, where she has special status due to the color of her skin, though she is too naive to realize that. But she's one of the first to be given an apartment, though she isn't lonely for long, opening it up to a new mother, Amina (Wunmi Mosaku), her newborn and young son. Amina's husband was beaten and jailed and she was raped at a refugee camp, so her pain is not the same as Lilly's. Lilly was also separated from her doctor lover Aziz (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who fought for the resistance against the military. Needless to say, only one of them has a happy ending, though there is promise for the other.
While Lilly's character is a bit unrealistic, Fanning finally shows the promise of becoming a great actress, not to mention the rest of the cast is pitch perfect as well, and the screenplay is tight, in what is hopefully a good translation from the printed page. It shows how resilent people can be which is never something that can be overlooked. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-Big Bang Theory's Kunal Nayyar is decent in his small role as a British doctor. Lilly really likes her doctors.
-Lilly is also very eager to change bedpans.
-The side project that Amina and Lilly start of reuniting refugees with their families unfortunately gets stuck on the back burner and is merely an afterthought, when it should have been the focal point of the plot.

Palm Springs (2020)

While time loops in films are not new, this one still manages still to be fresh with an important message.
Nyles (Andy Samberg) is the boyfriend of Misty (an underused Meredith Hagner) who is a bridesmaid at the wedding of peppy young couple, Abe (Tyler Hoechlin) and Tala (Camila Mendes). Here, he befriends the maid of honor and Tala's sister, Sarah (Cristin Milloti) and saves her from giving a disastrous toast. But then, she falls into a cave and gets stuck with Nyles, reliving her sister's wedding over and over again, except for what they do changes, sometimes with good success, other times, not so much.
There is even a twist that not even I saw coming, which while I wasn't happy with it, the film goes in a direction that makes the time loop saga refreshing. While Nyles continues living the day, just trying to have a good time, Sarah, instead is hellbent and determined to find a way out and when she finally finds a plan that she thinks may work, Nyles is reluctant to join her, not wanting to take the chance of dying or jumping into an unknown point in time.
Sure, the ending is a bit odd and a moment is just ridiculous, and the important point is sort of muddled over, but it is there nevertheless and worthy of a discussion. And Samberg and Milloti have unexpectedly great chemistry which always ends plenty to a film. Grade: B
Side Notes:
-J.K. Simmons and Peter Gallagher have interesting small roles.
-Why would anyone ever wear a Hawaiian shirt and swim trunks to a wedding?
-If you don't think a marriage will work out, you shouldn't go through with it.
-You will feel bad for the goat, who plays a shockingly important role.

Wild Rose (2019)

Rose-Lynn Harlan (Jessie Buckley) believes she should have been born in America, given her love of country music. But instead, she was born in Glasgow where she has made plenty of mistakes and bad choices, one right after another.
She's just been released from prison where her kids barely remember her and she's stuck as a cleaning lady, but fortunately for her, Susannah (Sophie Okonedo) her boss soon becomes her biggest fan, giving her opportunity after opportunity but Rose-Lynn just isn't honest with her and thus, her actual life gets in the way.
And it doesn't help that the only person she can lean on is her mother, Marion (Julie Walters) but even she's skeptical and pissed off that Rose-Lynn constantly breaks her promises to the kids. However, she comes through in the end, giving Rose-Lynn the Nashville money.
Nashville turns out to be a good thing, though she doesn't make it, she is inspired nevertheless and finally finds success in her hometown, a place where she's finally glad to be.
While the film has been done before, some ordinary person just trying to get famous, Jessie Buckley gives such a memorizing performance that the idea does seem fresh and she's great a singer. The supporting cast is also great. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-The father or fathers of her children is not in the picture nor is he even mentioned.
-For someone who is banned from the Glasgow Grand Ole Opry, Rose-Lynn is there a lot anyway.

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Any other year, Tom Cruise would have won an Oscar for his memorizing role as Ron Kovic. Too bad he was up against Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot, which is one of the best performances of all time.
Cruise ages from the bright-eyed, naive teenager to the hardened and paralyzed veteran, who rapidly also becomes disillusioned with the Vietnam War, just as so many Americans also were.
Moving swiftly (too swiftly, skipping over his time at basic training and his first tour in Vietnam), the has glimpses of his second tour, where he accidentally shoots a fellow American in the hazy orange sunlight, before getting shot in the shoulder and foot (not sure how that would lead him to getting paralyzed from the chest down). Not only will he never walk again, despite his stubborn pride insisting otherwise, he also can't have children, which I think affects just as much, if not more than the whole never walking again.
When he returns to his hometown, he is greeted as a hero, even though his own younger brother (he is the oldest of six) is against the war. Ron has tons of struggles, including drinking. It isn't until a near-death experience in Mexico, that Ron finally pulls himself together. He confronts the dead soldier's family, where his confession is met with mixed reviews. He, then, proceeds to protest the war along with fellow veterans, eventually being invited to speak at the 1976 Democratic convention.
Cruise carries the film and he is excellent. The other actors really don't have big roles though everyone is great as well. I would have liked a bit of an epilogue explaining what Ron's done since then and there is really no love story, which always upsets the romantic part of me. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-Kyra Sedgwick (who was actually young once) is good as Donna, Ron's high school girlfriend, but when she appears later, romance is never discussed and what appears to be a wedding ring on her left hand is never explained.
-The scenes at the Bronx hospital are especially horrific, that place is absolutely rank.
-This film also brings up good points about racism in America.
-Willem Dafoe is also great as another disabled veteran Ron meets in Mexico.

The Great Santini (1980)

Despite being forty years old, this film is still surprisingly relevant.
While clouded under the muddled father-son relationship of narcissist, asshole Naval pilot Bull Meechum (Robert Duvall) and his oldest son, Ben (Michael O'Keefe, in his breakthrough role), this film also has the ever present struggle between races.
While the Meechums are white, and though Lillian (Blythe Danner), the mother is southern, they aren't racist and in fact, Lillian encourages a friendship between Ben, a shining basketball star, and Toomer (Stan Shaw), their maid's son who loves his stray dogs and making honey. But there is bad blood between Toomer, who does have a limp and slight stutter and one of the locals (as this is Beaufort, South Carolina), Red (an unrecognizable David Keith) but while Red accidentally shoots Toomer, instead of another one of his dogs, but the rest of Toomer's slightly unclean but ever loyal pups mauls Red to death. Toomer dies too, in the Meechum's car. That sequence is also memorable because Ben finally confronts his father and says in near monotone, "No one ever tells you anything." Which is true, as Bull is extremely controlling and can't stand losing, not even when Ben puts up a fair fight and once Ben finally wins, Bull changes the rules and bounces the ball off Ben's head just to get an emotional reaction out of Ben, which doesn't happen.
Now, the film isn't perfect, with some rough transitions between scenes, and the younger two Meechum children barely have any personality or anything to do, and the film doesn't focus much at all on how Bull is at having his own squadron, but the acting is solid, Duvall and O'Keefe certainly deserved their Oscar nominations. Danner was also shockingly underrated in this film as she was great. Despite these noticeable flaws, the film is a must watch. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-There is also a lot to delve in to in regards to Lillian's relationship with Ben, and then there is also the fact that Ben took his sister, the delightfully droll Marianne (Lisa Jane Persky) to the prom.
-The family dog deserved more screen time.
-We were also missing the needed scene of how Bull reacted to Ben getting benched for the rest of the basketball season.
-Leaving at three am is really a good idea as there is a lot less traffic.

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

While this film is completely ridiculous, it is a classic screwball comedy.
Susan Vance (Katharine Hepburn) is bonkers, walking around totally unaware of her surroundings. Cars must have been very different back in 1938, as she simply climbs into a random car and can just drive away with it. One of these cars belongs to Dr. David Huxley (Cary Grant) who is a paleontologist, just hours away from getting married to the stiff, boring Alice (Virginia Walker). But instead of marrying Alice, David spends hours with Susan, who hoodwinks him into helping her delivery her present of Baby (a leopard) to her Aunt Elizabeth (May Robson) and one wrong thing happens after another, including the dog stealing the prized bone which will complete David's skeleton of brontosaurus. And then Baby escapes, they fall into a river, mistaken identities abound and eventually everyone ends up in prison before Baby somehow wanders into the jail, proving that they are really telling the truth, after all. Of course the practical David and zany Susan end up together.
So, while the film is relatively basic, it nevertheless takes an implausible plot and makes it seem as though it could (or at least parts of it) could have actually happened. The comedic timing is impeccable and Hepburn and Grant are great and have excellent chemistry. I found this film to be much better than their most famous pairing in The Philadelphia Story. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-I wonder how they made the fight between the dog, George, and Baby as realistic as they are.
-This film contains one of the most awkward dinner scenes ever.
-Susan has a lot of nerve taking David's clothes while he's in the shower.
-Alice's marriage to David would have been more of a business transaction than a love match.
-It is explained what Susan does for a living.

Midway (2019)

This film wasn't that great nor that bad. It was merely middle of the road.
Detailing the events that led up to the Battle of Midway which occurred on June 4, 1942 and was a major turning point in the war in the Pacific. Detailing the paths of many, namely a couple American Naval pilots, but also some officers, intelligence agents and the Japanese.
Though the film is largely watchable, the suspense and air sequences seem weak and lack the necessary gravitas to make the film something real special. Still, the acting is solid, the dialogue is adequate and mechanics are solid, but there was something missing. And Mandy Moore's role is utterly thankless except for that one scene where she's finally allowed to show some fire. Grade: B
Side Notes:
-Ed Skrein and Luke Evans are great, portraying Americans when they are actually British.
-It is nice seeing Luke Kleintank (The Man in the High Castle) in a film.
-Patrick Wilson, Dennis Quaid and Woody Harrelson portray the men in command.
-There is a great subplot with director John Ford trying to catch some real action.
-The Japanese killed quite a lot of innocent Chinese throughout the course of war.
-Once again, war is a terrible waste of good men.
-Oxygen matters, and don't forget it.

Norma Rae (1979)

Sally Field is utterly amazing in this role, truly inhabiting Norma Rae Wilson (later Webster).
She's an ordinary woman who works in a textile mill. Some might even call her white trash. Her first husband died in a bar fight, of all things. She was never married to the father of her son. While she hates her job and thinks that the workers (including her parents) are mistreated, she knows that it is the only job in town.
So when the union organizer, Reuben Warshowsky (Ron Liebman) comes in, she finds a new spark to her life. She eventually gives in and starts trying to get the union started, despite the misgivings of her new husband, Sonny Webster (Beau Bridges). He isn't thrilled with blacks coming over to his house, though Norma promptly puts him in his place.
The film gradually shows the mill workers coming around to the idea of the union, and does eventually unionize, thanks to Norma's tireless efforts, but the problem arises when the mill owners post a sign trying to get the whites and blacks against each other and Norma jots down the memo, note for note and gets the workers to realize that the power rests with them, and winds in jail and fired because of her actions.
There is also a very real feel to the film, including the loudness and shrilling of the mill machines, not to mention a fearless performance from Field. She's brilliant and won almost every award under the sun for her role and she deserved every one of them.
However, the film is not perfect. The nasty mill owners never face legal action or consequence for that false memo or for firing Norma. Still, the film is a marvel nonetheless, with a grittyness seldom seen in films and a simple, but effective anthem. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-Sonny is actually mostly a supportive husband, though he has his moments where he gets upset when he doesn't get laid.
-Norma's father's (Pat Hinkle's) death deserved more attention considering he likely died because he couldn't take a break when he needed to.
-This is likely one of the earliest films that mentions a woman's period and I commend the film for being bold.
-In addition to being a hard worker, Norma is also devoted to her kids, her own two children and her stepdaughter.

Waves (2019)

This film kept me guessing until the end.
Tyler Williams (Kelvin Harrison, Jr, always great as an asshole) is a star wrestling student struggling with a secret addiction and perfectionist father (the brilliant Sterling K. Brown). And he is facing a potentially career ending shoulder injury and pregnant girlfriend, Alexis (Alexa Demie) who decides against getting an abortion. Though Tyler loves her and is supportive, he's only supportive when she goes along with his 'plan'. He is livid when she decides that she can't get an abortion. But no one could have seen what was going to happen next. Somehow, he gets his hands on some alcohol and more painkillers and drives to a party, where he accidentally ends up killing Alexis by pushing her onto the garage floor. He pleads guilty to second-degree murder where he will likely spend the rest of his life in prison, leaving his broken parents and younger sister, Emily (Taylor Russell, in what should be a breakout role) to pick up the pieces.
The second half of the film focuses on Emily and her struggles. She is mostly a loner and her parents are fighting, buried in their respective grief. But she nevertheless catches the eye of one of Tyler's old teammates, Luke (the always great Lucas Hedges) and the two start dating. She helps Luke reconcile with his estranged father before the father dies and lets her parents know how much they mean to her before the film somewhat abruptly ends.
So, my main issue with the film is that Tyler and Emily's biological mother died of a drug overdose and their father's new wife, Catharine (Renee Elise Goldsberry, solid) is the woman who raised them. That was just one of the plot twists this film had to offer. Now, because their biological mother died this way, why would the father just keep his Oxycontin out in the open? That made no sense. And if there is ever a time to snatch keys out of your child's hand, this film was it.
Brilliant performances also grace the film, everyone is superb and Drew Daniels was robbed of an Oscar nomination for cinematography as there are plenty of great transitions and circular motions in this film. The soundtrack is also solid. In short, this is the underrated gem of 2019 to be viewed by all. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-Condoms are great, when they're used, for the record.
-I don't know I'd be able to get out of bed in the morning given the fact that my brother's a murderer.
-The cat plays a somehow important role in the film.
-Given how these teenagers drive, it's amazing that they don't get into a car accident.
-The pastor's words in the beginning sort of circle around toward the end of the film. Love is stronger than hate. Too bad Tyler fell asleep during the sermon.

Hitch (2005)

This was a solid rom-com, and a fairly clean at that, without any blatant sex scenes. Alex Hitchens (Will Smith) is a matchmaker, of sorts. He takes ordinary men and gives them the confidence for things to work out with their dream girl, who is certainly way out of their league.
Currently, his current client is boring, awkward accountant, Albert Brennaman (Kevin James) whose in love with Allegra Cole (Amber Valletta) who is rich and famous, though it never specifies what for.
While she falls for him, Hitch also unexpectedly falls in love with gossip columnist and romantic cynic, Sara Melas (Eva Mendes). Both are great love stories and both have tons of ups and downs, including some of the worst dates, including Hitch having an allergic reaction to some food, which causes his face to swell up.
Naturally, his profession is outed, but everything works out in the end, both couples end up together and happy though know what Hitch is doing now.
There are plenty of good lines and funny moments and the acting is superb, which is always refreshing to see. This is not a romantic comedy to be dismissed. That all being said, it is also unrealistic, people don't fall in love that quickly, but wouldn't be nice if they did. Grade: B
Side Notes:
-Pay attention to cameos from Joe Lo Truglio and Kevin Sussman.
-Hitch's greatest line is "Don't count your breaths but rather the moments that take your breath away."
-Eight of ten women know how a relationship will work after the first kiss. I guess that's true for me.
-Hitch has standards and his goal is get two people to fall in love, not get the guy into the woman's pants. Which adds to the unrealisticness of film, sadly.
-If you can't drive stick, don't drive stick.
-I feel bad for Hitch's shirt, it goes through a lot.

When They See Us: Recap and Reaction

So, the police failed this case on all levels. They failed to properly and thoroughly investigate this case from the onset and they failed to bring Patricia Meili's perpetrator to justice.
Initially, the dozens of teenager boys are brought down to the police station because there was a bunch of craziness which happened in Central Park, but then Meili is found, near death and in desperation to get her case solved, they coerce the boys into telling a lie, which will haunt them for years. Despite the extreme lack of physical evidence linking the five boys to the crime, they are all nevertheless found guilty, which is ridiculous. It isn't until the actual rapist confesses that the convictions are overturned. So yes, the police officers failed. There were five boys charged, only two of whom knew each other beforehand, so that one hole. Then, there is the bigger issue of the scene DNA didn't match any of the boys and the boys didn't even have the location of the crime correct. Yet, a jury nevertheless found them guilty.
Now, the series focuses on the trial to some extent but I would have liked more, including jury deliberation, which took several weeks to come to the verdict, but it also focuses heavily on after the boys are released, now young men, probably portrayed by actors slightly too old. Finally ending on a happy note, with the convictions being expunged and the boys being awarded the largest settlement in state history, a small price to pay for all incompetence in this case.
While voice overs are used heavily, the acting is impeccable, which is no small feat and most of the cast did receive Emmy nominations, which are fully deserved, Jharrel Jermone winning for inhabiting Korey Wise, the only one who was sixteen and tried as an adult.
Though I do feel race played a large role in why these boys were found guilty (four are African American, one is Hispanic), I also feel that the police wanted an easy conviction and manipulated the timeline to attempt to fit the story they were hearing, which is unacceptable and the officers are taking statements without the boys having a parent or lawyer present, which is illegal. This show is another example of why police need more training before they should become officers. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-Don't buy or read any of Linda Fairstein's books, as she is one of the main reasons the boys were found guilty, and even when overwhelming evidence told her otherwise (such as the confession of Mr. Reyes), she still refuses to believe that she was wrong.
-It is nice seeing Kylie Bunbury in something again.
-Vera Farmiga is almost unrecognizable in her role as the DA, who is conflicted about her role in the matter.
-Fortunately, Meili survives the attack.
-There is also jabs at Trump throughout the show, as he had some strong and disproportionate views on the case.

Tootsie (1982)

This is truly an hilarious film, and despite having seen it twice previously, it is still utterly hilarious.
Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) is a method actor but is struggling to find work. On a whim, he somehow finds a dress and reads for a woman's role, frustrated that his friend, Sandy (the great Teri Garr) wasn't given the opportunity to read for. And by some miracle and by sheer wit and refusal to take no for an answer, he wins the role on the daytime drama, and inhabits his alter ego, Dorothy Michaels, being a strong female character, refusing to kiss the older male doctor, just because it is always written into the script. And then there is the added complication of Michael developing a crush on the soap opera star, Julie Nichols (Jessica Lange) while her father, Les (Charles Durning) falls in love with Dorothy.
So yeah, everything is complicated. But Dorothy shows women how to stand up for themselves and is a great role model for them, too bad she's not actually a woman. Dorothy's reveal is easily one of the funniest moments in cinema history and Hoffman is a revelation. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-Bill Murray is delightfully droll as Michael's roommate, Jeff, who is writing a screenplay about a couple who moves next to a waste plant.
-The director, Sydney Pollack, is brilliant as Michael's tireless agent.
-Just listening to Michael discuss not having a great handbag, you can't help but chuckle.

Roma (2018)

This was a delightful, but sad little film, with a cinema verite sort of feel to it.
The film follows the year in the life of young maid, Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) who works for the wealthy family in Mexico City and becomes pregnant out of wedlock, and is abandoned by the baby's father and her mistress is likewise abandoned by her wealthy, doctor husband. Sofia (Marina de Ravin) both treats Cleo with terrible kindness and terrible rudeness, on occasion.
Told in connected vignettes, the film moves along, with a slightly optimist ending after the devastating scene of Cleo's baby being stillborn, which, as it turns out she's relieved about, though she's certainly not acting like it. Personally, I thought she was fine with being pregnant despite her boyfriend turning out to be an asshole.
The film transports you back to a time long ago, with completely natural performances and Aparicio is a revelation, completely brilliant, acting as though she is Cleo. This is clearly a labor of love for Cuaron, and he does everything perfectly, the writing, the directing, the editing and the cinematography. This film is a must see for everyone and is probably better than Green Book. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-It would have been nice to some background on Mexican history as there is a riot and violent shooting scene toward the end of the film.
-There is an edit in the hospital scene so we don't know if Cleo has insurance or not.

Marriage Story (2019)

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson are at the top of their game in this film, brilliant as sparring couple Charlie and Nicole Barber. Nicole wants a divorce because she's sick of always doing what Charlie wants which means living in New York and always acting in his plays. He refuses to consider returning to her hometown of LA where she can easily find better jobs.
At first, they decide to be civil but then Nicole gets ballbuster lawyer, Nora (Laura Dern) who is fiery but nasty and turns the divorce into something far worse than it needed to be. Charlie didn't see Nicole while they were married and now, she's the difficult one. And their young son, Henry (Azhy Robinson) is the pawn. Charlie is forced to constantly fly back and forth across the country just because he wants 50/50 custody of their son. In the end, Charlie ends up taking a job in LA even though he had previously turned some down so they're divorced but Nicole ended up with everyone back in LA anyway. Now, while I was initially upset that this was another film about acting, that is only a backdrop and done differently and the dialogue is brilliant, sharp and snappy. And Driver and Johansson deserved far more than their nominations. However, I have a problem with Dern. While she's great and delivers another natural performance, I find her to be playing basically the same role she won an Emmy for in Big Little Lies so yeah, that's an issue. Still, the film is nothing short of miraculous and Baumbach should have won an Oscar for his screenplay. Grade: A-
Side Notes:
-Alan Alda, Julie Hagerty and Merrit Wever are great in small roles as is the unknown, downtrodden Martha Kelly as the social worker who observes Charlie and Henry spending time together.
-Charlie also shouldn't have slept with Mary Ann (Brooke Bloom), the stage manager and set designer of his plays.

On Golden Pond (1981)

This film stars three great legends: Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda and Jane Fonda as the Thayers.
Henry Fonda is the curmedgeony Norman Thayer, retired college professor. Hepburn is his kind wife, Ethel and Jane Fonda is their daughter, Chelsea, whom we don't know too much about except she lives far away and has a troubled relationship with her father just as Jane did in real life. But Norman is about to turn eighty and Chelsea has a new boyfriend who has a son, Billy Ray (Doug McKeon). While it is probably not the greatest idea, Chelsea and her boyfriend (Dabney Coleman) leave his teenage son behind and head off to Europe, but this forces Norman to become less grumpy and have a fellow troublemaker around and they do get into trouble, getting caught in the rocks when they go out fishing, but the summer does finally get Chelsea to try to be friends with her father and none too soon as he nearly has a heart attack at the end of the film, but fortunately recovers because Ethel needs him. He's her knight in shining armor. But they probably won't have many more summers on the lake.
While the plot is a truffle and underdeveloped at times, the acting is impeccable, though Henry should have won his Oscar four decades earlier for his brilliant performance as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, but the film is abound with natural performances. I just hope that no loons were harmed in the making of this film. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-Whenever there's a knock on the door, he yells for Ethel to get the door, but its always her knocking.
-Chelsea's new husband is not an outdoorsman.
-I wonder why Norman didn't want the mailman to marry Chelsea.
-If you want someone to perform a back flip, your driving board should probably be higher.