Ray (2004)

 Pros: Jamie Foxx delivers a brilliant performance, fully embodying the celebrated, albeit troubled singer, eyes usually sealed shut, his gait awkward and his singing and piano playing flawless. The film actually details his love life (which is wild), his career and his never-ending drug addiction, with flashbacks to his difficult and tragic childhood. While the screenplay gets a bit metaphysical and some important events are left out (for example, his first albeit brief marriage), it is still solid and as a result, this is one of the best musical biopics I've seen. The supporting performances and overall feel of film are also unforgettable. 

Cons: Again, this film leaves out several important events in Charles's life, and doesn't accurately gauge how old he is at the beginning, though the one bus driver easily believes that he's a World War II vet, blinded by the war, when in reality, he was just fourteen when the war ended. And you don't know how the feds or police figure out Charles has drugs on him, and I feel that is something important left out. Also, the film does focus a great deal on his drug addiction, when I felt it should have focused more on the music.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Kerry Washington, Aunjanue Ellis and Regina King star as three of the women in Ray's life with Sharon Warren as his mother, a lowly wash woman who instills a fierce sense of independence in her disabled son. 

-Ray is incredibly observant and he needs to be to survive in a cruel world, to both African Americans and people with disabilities. 

-Georgia eventually realizes their mistake and allows Ray to perform in that state again, which is certainly a crowing achievement for him. Quite frankly, I'm surprised they came to their sense so quickly (hah! after eighteen years) when some things still have not been resolved. 

-It was also surprising to me at how many genres Charles excelled in and the thought that he asked to own his masters, something that is vitally important for artists. 

What's Love Got to Do with It? (1993)

 Pros: The acting is great, even though Ike Turner (Laurence Fishburne) is a complete and total narcissistic prick who abuses his more talented wife, whom he named Tina (Angela Bassett), horribly and constantly. The film covers a lot in a relatively short amount of time, but the acting and feel of the film as a whole are completely solid, complete with excellent costumes and a great soundtrack and Bassett delivers an excellent performance.

Cons: Due to covering so much in so little time, there are a lot of gaps in the timeline and events that are brushed over, especially after Tina finally divorces Ike and is left penniless. Still, despite the odds, she rises and is better than ever, albeit heartbroken and crestfallen. 

Recommend: Maybe, though this film should come with a trigger warning.

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Tina Turner's actual name is Anna May Bullock.

-Jenifer Lewis portrays Tina's mother in this film but later on in Black-ish, she would be the ex-wife of Laurence Fishburne. 

-The mother of Ike's two oldest boys leaves them with him, which is just awful given how wretched he truly is. 

Tar (2022)

 Pros: This film is a masterpiece. Despite the nuances in the screenplay, it is complex and intriguing. Lydia Tar (Cate Blanchett) is an accomplished conductor and composer, and while she makes some good points defending long dead, racist white musicians, she's also a manipulative bitch. A female version of Harvey Weinstein. So yes, it is full of twists and turns and nasty breakdowns, and Blanchett delivers a masterful performance. And given the screenplay, this film deserves a second viewing just to pick up on all the pieces, tidbits left throughout to help you figure out the complex mind of flawed and immoral genius Lydia Tar.

Cons: Sure, Lydia suffers for her actions, as she should, resigned to Bangkok to conduct some sort of comic-con symphony, and she loses her child, but does she suffer enough? I guess the viewer is supposed to be the judge.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A

Side Notes:

-Lydia's actual name is Linda, yeah, that was a surprising turn. 

-Lydia sets her sights on Russian cellist, Olga (Sophie Kauer) but she doesn't bite.

-Lydia is sneaky and manipulative to get what she wants, but even her own marriage to Sharon (Nina Hoss) starts out on the wrong foot as Sharon is her key to conducting the Berlin orchestra.

-Hildur Gudnadittir's score was not Oscar-nominated, which is just unacceptable.

-Sure, she's mean to the Julliard student and goes about her completely valid point in the totally wrong way. To quote Taylor Swift, she's casually cruel in the name of being honest. 

-Clearly Lydia screwed over Krista, who proceeds to commit suicide.

-Lydia is deposed to due a lawsuit surrounding Krista's death and while that is customary, I'm surprised at the rapid speed as to which it occurs. 

-Lydia can't even admit that she tripped up the stairs, lying being a fool and stating that someone attacked her, which is not acceptable. 

-You can't come back after publicly and vicious assaulting someone as Lydia did. 

East of Eden (1955)

 Pros: Continuing my theme of watching depressing films on Valentine's Day, this film does not disappoint, with the great acting. Cal Trask (James Dean) is the troubled brother while Aron (Richard Davalos) is the golden child though by the end of the film, they switch places, though it is not always a natural switch. 

Cons: Given the sensors at the time, the film has to play it safe with numerous subjects including the prostitute as Cal's mother, Kate (Jo Van Fleet) runs a bar/brothel. There is the innovative spirit of Adam (Raymond Massey), his father, wanting to transport fresh lettuce upstate by packing it in ice; however, he is also ethical to a fault and won't take a dime of profit from the war which drives the economy into a upward motion. Not to mention, it isn't entirely clear why Cal decides to improve himself. 

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Honestly, I can't blame Kate for leaving the stiff, religious and unflinching Adam, but to leave her boys, I cannot abide.

-Julie Harris receives top billing as Abra the devoted girlfriend/fiance of Aron though she somehow ends up falling in love with Cal, though he scares her as he's a rebel but even more than that. He's reckless.

-Despite the solid acting, I can't help but feel that the screenplay is clunky, with large gaps missing. I have to hope the book is better.

Captain Phillips (2013)

 Pros: This taunt thriller/action film/psychological drama has a tight screenplay with brilliant acting as you feel as though you are watching the capture of Maersk Alabama by jaded Somalian pirates right before your eyes. Tom Hanks harbors the vastly unknown cast with yet another one of his great performances, with the scene where he's in shock after being rescued goes down as the among the best scenes of his entire career. Barkhar Adbi was Oscar-nominated in his screen debut as the head pirate. But despite all their moxie and guns, they lose, and surely they knew that going in.

Cons: Seriously, you're going to cast Catherine Keener as Hanks's wife and then barely use her? That's utter ridiculous nonsense, she's too good of an actress to be relegated to a cameo role. And why weren't subtitles used? Still, overall, these are minor details in the grand scheme of things.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Perhaps the only flaw to Hanks's performance is his accent isn't steady throughout the film.

-Manhattan's Michael Chernus is great support for Hanks as the first mate of the cargo ship.

-I wonder what the true purpose the ship had to carrying $30,000 in the safe.

-Fire hoses are not a good defense against pirates.

-Three men ended up dying and Muse (Abdi) remains in prison.