DVD Review #48 The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Showman (2017) Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya Directed By Michael Gracey

A relative newcomer to the Director’s chair, Michael Gracey  attempts admirably to bring P.T. Barnum out of the tent (and off the stage) to take on the big screen.  The movie works best when it clings to being a celebration of humanity through great characters and wonderful songs and works least when it attempts to rush past a lot of complicated P.T. Barnum quasi history. I am all for print the legend over the truth, but it can be difficult to skirt both lines, when this film attempts to, it kind of fails. I wish it had scrapped more P.T. Barnum stuff and focused more on the Zac Efron and Zendaya stuff (they had nice high school musical like chemistry).  Hugh Jackman (who I believe this is a bit of a passion project for him and he did well as the film made over 400 million worldwide) does a great job as P.T. Barnum (who knew Wolverine could sing and dance like that?).  He maybe feels a little old for the part at times (circa Kevin Spacey playing Bobby Darrin in Beyond the Sea), but he is no doubt a showman and when the song and dance starts, he nails it. Michelle Williams isn’t given enough to do as Charity Barnum, but Keala Settle kills it as the bearded lady Lettie Lutz (she gets the showstopper This is Me). I loved it at times especially when the songs were good, but I can’t forgive it for feeling like it is rushing through a lot of story (for a film well over 2 hours, it felt too short).  I think I now understand why it didn’t get nominated for Best Picture. I will say though this film has earned it's success, people love it and that is a testament to the music and feel good moments which there are many (maybe not true, but they make you feel good). I don’t think it will sneak into my Top 10 of 2017, but it definitely is worth seeing. I have a soft spot for musicals and this one is good enough to earn my recommendation. SEE IT!

(The Shawshank Scale 1-10) Great music, awesome performances, convoluted and poorly paced storytelling equals a sturdy 6.0 on the Shawshank Scale. I was going to give it a bump because Zac Efron managed to keep his shirt on, but maybe the film could have used a little Efron peck magic.

Movie Review #49 Ready Player One

I loved the Ernest Cline Novel Ready Player One, it was the most fun book I read last year (I didn’t read many to be fair), that said what I found a pop culture extravaganza held together with warm adolescent love and video game rules, many called a flawed book (it’s a lot to get into to). When Steven Spielberg was announced as the director of the film version I was nervous, although he is without a doubt one of the most prolific filmmakers of my life, if not the most prolific, I have found that lately his films although very good, have been short of great. His serious movies (The Post) have a little too much fun and his fun movies (The BFG) have been a bit of drag. I was worried he would gloss over the dark stuff too much, which he did, but not enough to make me not like it. READY PLAYER ONE (2018) Spielberg brings the book alive, it's a tad overbearing but still a lot of fun. Relative newcomer Tye Sheridan (X-Men Apocalypse) does a fine somewhat bland job as protagonist Wade Watts/Parzival. Oliva Cooke is much better Art3mis and steals much of the film (in part due to the changes made from book to film). I could complain about the changes but Cline himself co-wrote along with Zak Penn (The Avengers/X-Men Last Stand) so if he is okay with what they did, it’s hard for me to not be ok with it. Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One) shows up as Sorrento, but the character did not get proper screen time and he has a climactic moment in the film which is just nonsensical (kind of want him to stop playing bad guys now). Also TJ Miller has a bit part that is funny, but totally out of place. I was curious to see how many rights to films, games, and music they would end up getting, and although they did manage to get quite a bit, it still isn’t as much as I wanted  (where was the RUSH music?).  Spielberg has an obvious love letter to Stanley Kubrick in there that although isn’t in the book, it does fit nicely here, I’m sure it’s polarizing and maybe a tad selfish on his part, but I liked it (a cool Chucky cameo works well also). The ending was interesting; I liked the teenage romance stuff, but was left feeling cold overall, it felt a tad lackluster. I’ve said this many times, if the story you want to tell takes 3 hours, then make a 3 hour film (nobody complains that The Godfather is too long!), this film felt like it needed another half hour. 

The Shawshank Scale (1-10) I’ll give it a very sturdy 6.0 on The Shawshank Scale and recommend it. My sense is those who loved the book will find issues, those who felt the book flawed may think the changes were improvements, and those who have no idea what the book was will have a fun ride. SEE IT!

BONUS: TOP 5 SPIELBERG FILMS FOR ME:

1. Jaws  "You all know me, You know How I earn a livin"

2. Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade "I like the Austrian way better"

3. Schindlers List "I pardon you"

4. E.T. "Is he a pig? He sure eats like one"

5. Saving Private Ryan "All we can do here is die"

So close: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Catch Me if You Can, Jurassic Park, and Hook.

The Academy Awards 2017

THE ACADEMY AWARDS 2017

OSCAR! OSCAR! 

Can we have the CORRECT envelope please! Well it’s that time again, the 90^th Academy Awards are here this weekend and I for one am a little disappointed (like Warren Beatty was when he looked at twitter following last year’s Best Picture announcement) in the year in film as whole. Yea there were some incredible standouts, some big money makers, some small important films, it was a pretty good superhero film year I guess, but overall I was hoping for more. I mean Streep and Hanks in a prequel to All the Presidents, Aaron Sorkin writing about Hollywood and poker, Al Gore reminding us the world is dying, The Last Jedi is being a grumpy old man, and Transformers as Knights of the round table (ok ok I knew that one would be bad). I had high hopes for 2017 in film and I was left a little empty.  But the Oscars are a celebration of what was good, not disappointing so without further or do here are my official Oscar predictions of 2017. 

(Note: I have not yet seen The Greatest Showman, Mudbound, Call Me by Your Name, or The Florida Project  yet)

THE BIG ONES:

BEST PICTURE: What will win-Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri (I think). Martin McDonagh really created a sharp film with excellent characters and near perfect dialogue. I loved it, but it doesn’t feel like a Best Picture to me.

What should win-Get Out (shouts to I, Tonya), it is an incredibly well-crafted film. Every scene the choices Peele makes are spot on. I think it would be a mistake for another film to win this year, double check that envelope before reading it, hey even if it says Shape of Water, maybe just yell Get Out!

BEST DIRECTOR: Who will win- Guillermo Del Toro Argument for-He made a wonderful romance about a woman and a fishman.  Argument against-He made a wonderful romance about a woman and a fishman. I mean I love the score, the French vibe (see Love me if you dare from 10 years ago) and supporting players are wonderful, but I had a hard time buying in. 

Who should win-Jordan Peele (shouts to Greta Gerwig), all he did was change the face of cinema and get the hated TSA some cred, (Get Out is the biggest money making film nominated for Best Picture…motherfucking ever!), he should be rewarded for that and for the fact that he made a flawless film.

BEST ACTOR: Who will win-Gary Oldman, his makeup was surprisingly very good, he was spot on in britishness and crabbiness, he mastered the physical aspect, and he has earned it.

Who should win- Gary Oldman (shouts to Daniel Kaluuya), but I think Oldman’s performance in an otherwise bland biopic lifts that film to a Best Picture nomination. (Maybe expected to see Jeremy Renner from Wind River or even Ryan Gosling for Blade Runner here, but I am not going to quibble with these picks for the most part, BUT I will say Daniel Day-Lewis make another film please, don’t go out like this, put the mushroom down and get back in the game!).

BEST ACTRESS: Who will win-Francis McDormand who probably should, her character Mildred Hayes is the perfect part for one of the best actresses of my lifetime, I hung on her every cuss word. 

Who should win-Francis McDormand, but I’ll make the case for Margot Robbie who was not an actress I have particularly liked so far in her short career. She really nailed the attitude and look of Tanya Harding, I never thought I would forget about Robbie and see Harding, but I did. She deserves a lot of credit, that was not an easy part, whereas what Mcdormand did, at least for her…that was fucking easy as Mildred Hayes would say.

BEST SUPPORTING’S: Who will win-Allison Janney and Sam Rockwell. Allison Janney is incredible and so funny as Tonya Harding’s mother, you can’t take your eyes off her when she is on the screen, and even has a heartbreaking moment in there for good measure. Sam Rockwell’s character is so unlikable, you end up kinda liking him, unexplainable and he absolutely earned this award.  

Who should win-They both deserve it here but I will not be upset of Laurie Metcalf from Lady Bird steals it here, she was excellent in an understated and moving role, shouts also to Woody Harrelson and Richard Jenkins but it isn’t that, close Rockwell nails it.

BEST OF THE REST:

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Will win-Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. I mean I for one loved that fact that people walked out of the film for its language, that is kind of the point. Wonderfully written and perfectly cast. 

Should win-Lady Bird, again I think 3 Billboards was great but Lady Bird stuck with me longer, I actually don’t love Gerwig as an actress much, but think she is a wonderful writer.  (Shout out to The Big Sick, a smart and heartfelt modern romance).

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Will win-Call Me by Your Name. 

Who should win-Wonder Woman, seriously, it isn’t nominated but should’ve been, the first truly great DC film was high on degree of difficulty and they nailed it. In an age where a lot of these superhero films feel the same, Diana Prince really felt fresh and new. Shout out to Blade Runner 2049 and Wind River, two films that will age very well.   

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Will win-Blade Runner 2049, and yes it should win (don’t argue with me), but shout out to Dunkirk and The Shape of Water.

Best Documentary: Will win-Faces Places.

Should Win- Icarus that film was incredible, I was absolutely fascinated with the lengths Russia will go to cheat (scary huh?).  (Shout out to NETFLIX and HBO for giving us numerous documentaries that were great to include If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast, Spielberg, Get Me Roger Stone, and the absolutely incredible Jim & Andy…in fact I've changed my mind: SHOULD WIN-JIM & ANDY, how could that not get nominated!!! ).

Quick Picks:

Original Score-The Shape of Water (Shouts to The Last Jedi)

Original Song-This is Me (Shouts to Stand Up For Something)

Costume Design-Phantom Thread (Shouts to The Shape of Water)

Animated Feature-Coco

Sound Editing-Dunkirk (Shouts to The Last jedi)

Production Design-The Shape of Water (Shouts to Blade Runner 2049)

Visual Effects-Balde Runner 2049 (Shouts to The Last Jedi)

Check back in for my Oscars recap and here me bitch about Get Out not getting the award it deserved.

Movie Review #48 Star Wars The Last Jedi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi-So J.J. Abrams did a great job getting us excited about Star Wars again (See 2015 review of Force Awakens below), but he also left the galaxy far far away a little messy. Questions and storylines that were left open ended left the fan base (and we are a crazy fan base) theorizing endlessly about everything. Rian Johnson had a tall task with The Last Jedi, take these new characters advance their stories, pay homage to the old characters, and steer clear from the speculation machine as best as possible. To me The Last Jedi does a noble job as a Star Wars Sequel. I didn’t love all the writing; I didn’t love all the editing, and certainly didn’t love all the choices Rian Johnson made (maybe he could’ve used some help from frequent Star Wars scribe Lawrence Kasden), but I did at least appreciate the risk Johnson was willing to take telling a story that he must’ve known was going to be very polarizing, and it is. There is great risk in how Johnson chose to answer all the pertinent questions and he did not shy away from taking em. I was one of those crazy fans that watched youtube videos talking about who Snoke could be and what will Luke say to Rey, and so on, so I know that what Johnson did was original and not really what people were expecting, but that said I kinda wanted something more expected I guess (I didn’t realize that until I saw this film). I think seeing Last Jedi was just another example of me discovering I’m old (that is a big theme in this film, aging, time, and how we change). The truth is as much I love Rey and Finn and sort of like Kylo, I really like the old characters, so for me there is no forgiving Kylo for killing Han Solo, and there is no being ok with characters like Luke and Leia eventually departing the series. I understand that now, so given that I wanna be fair to The Last Jedi and even being fair, I didn’t love it. There are some very odd storylines that really don’t go anywhere. Benicio Del Toro and Lupita Nyong’o gotta be scratching their heads at this final cut and wondering wha what? Laura Dern has a nice little arc and Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher do get moments to shine, but overall this story is a mess. I can’t help but feel that they are storyboarding this thing as they go and the movies are suffering from lack of a clear vision. There is this mission that leads Finn and newcomer Rose (a delightful Kelly Marie Tran) to some place called Canto Bight that makes almost no sense, and even though there are cool aliens and nice shots there, I kept asking wait why are we here again and what are they trying to achieve? The actions taken by Kylo are almost just as nonsensical, clearly this is a bad guy that doesn’t really think things through. The movie is filled with in your face dialogue like “let the past die” and “you’re not part of this story”. It isn’t all bad though the actors really deliver. Daisy Ridley’s Rey is still captivating and John Boyega is a special actor that does the best he can with what he has to work. Carie Fisher has some great moments and Mark Hamill is just awesome, it takes a while but he becomes Luke again. There are also some great cameos which I will not spoil. When the credits come and the John Williams music rolled I was left with an uneasy feeling, this is not my Star Wars anymore, this is someone else’s Star Wars and I am going to have to get used to that…It may take awhile. SEE IT, because you have to. Lower your expectations and keep your mind open though. 

The Shawshank Scale (1-10) I give it solid 6.0 currently, but maybe in more viewings it will grow more on me, for now instead of seeing it again right away I'm gonna head down to Canto Bight and roll some dice, even though I have a bad feeling about it.  

Star Wars: The Force Awakens-I had to start with one of the biggest films of all time, after all I stood outside in the cold on opening night to get in like so many others. Here is the thing with a movie like this is more than just a movie (don’t snicker), it really is a cultural phenomenon. I know this is true because during my 2^nd viewing of this film (some 9 days after its release in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday) people were still giving standing ovations. Even more so than that, almost every time I’ve been to a theater since its release, someone in line behind me is talking about it (and get this they are usually young and diverse). This film didn’t need to be great (and it’s probably not great), it just needed to be good (and it’s better than good). J.J. Abrams does a nice job bringing back what made Stars Wars fun to begin with (and not just talking about the original cast). Like an Onion the film peels back layer after layer of nostalgia, however none of that would have really mattered if he didn’t get the new characters right…and he did, big time. I think it is wonderful to see a female lead, I can’t tell you how fresh the character Finn is (Reluctant hero, traitor, and cool leading man), Poe Dameron (who was supposed to die in the first script) is also great, I’m happy they are keeping him around. The returning cast does a nice job as well, Han Solo leads the film very well, Leia is sharp in her limited but effective role, and Luke delivers in his brief but smart ending sequence. The locations they used, and real sets really make the difference and improve upon the prequels (which get a bad rap, but are pretty good). Now it isn’t all great in a galaxy far far away, there were moments this year that I flirted with the idea of having this film as #1 on the Top Ten List (See Sidebar), certainly all said and done I will rewatch this film more than any other film this year and that holds a lot of water on the Shawshank Scale, but despite that this film has problems. For starters it is fair criticism that the beats of this film feel awfully familiar (another Death Star, was that really necessary?). In addition to that the film feels incomplete, I know some of that is done on purpose, but not all of it. The film really feels like they were writing, shooting, and guessing as they went along…there is probably like 4 hours of additional footage that takes the film in all sorts of other directions. To me they could’ve waited to get the story right instead of trying different things and piecing it together. Several times in the film it feels cut and pasted, now we don’t care because it is so much fun, but still. I was surprised it received an Oscar Nomination for editing given that some of the edits are abrupt and out of place. I didn’t love, understand, or care about the Bad Guys. Who is the first order, Snoke, or what the hell are the knights of ren…who cares. That said it is a great ride, it bridges that old with the new in a fun way. I’m not sure anyone (including Lucas) could’ve done a perfect job with a film like this and J.J. deserves credit for taking on such a daunting task and not failing. Kids are excited about Star Wars again, and adults love that…because they’ve always been excited about it!