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#9 on his best movies of the year.
[url]http://www.reelviews.net/reelthoughts/reelthought_1577637046[/url]
[quote]Despite starring Brad Pitt and featuring its share of impressive visual sequences, Ad Astra fell flat at the box office, probably because its blend of low-key science fiction wasn’t to the taste of mainstream audiences. It isn’t hard science fiction but it is thoughtful science fiction (there is a difference between the two) and, as such, provides fodder for rumination and discussion. It uses space exploration as a means to look inward at the essence of humanity.[/quote]
#10 on his best movies of the year (tied with The Lighthouse).
[url]http://www.reelviews.net/reelthoughts/reelthought_1577637046[/url]
[quote]The best film of the year’s first few months, The Mustang is an unconventional tale of redemption that earns its upbeat ending by not falling prey to every cliché of the genre or giving in to the temptation to become too maudlin or sentimental. Almost no one saw the movie during its limited theatrical run; it’s available on home video and this might be one to check out if you’re looking for something worthwhile.[/quote]
#10 on his best movies of the year (tied with The Mustang).
[url]http://www.reelviews.net/reelthoughts/reelthought_1577637046[/url]
[quote]Weirdness abounds in this two-character drama/thriller that takes a real-life incident and catapults it into the realm of a psychotic horror-fantasy. Shot in black-and-white and utterly unafraid of being off-putting, it provides an unforgettable two hours.[/quote]
[quote]This is Mendes’ Saving Private Ryan, albeit with a different war. Like Spielberg, he has used a mission through a war-torn geography to anchor the narrative and has allowed the camera to capture the truth of battle (rather than a romanticized notion) in ways that are designed to unsettle viewers. The passage of the two characters in 1917 through No-Man’s Land is more understated than the Omaha Beach scenes in Saving Private Ryan but no less memorable for the ugliness laid bare.
In crafting the movie, Mendes has brought along frequent collaborators Roger Deakins (cinematographer) and Thomas Newman (composer) and their longtime associations with the director provide memorable results. The fluidity with which Deakins moves the camera prevents the movie from becoming claustrophobic (except when this is the intention, as in the trenches) and Newman’s score never becomes bombastic. Set design is meticulously period-accurate; we never doubt that we’re gazing through a portal to a point in time a century ago.
War films are difficult sells because even when they offer inspiration, there’s often something pyrrhic about the experience. By keeping 1917’s scope small and focusing on two characters and a single mission, Mendes is able to target the viewer’s attention and hone the narrative. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. The movie never breaks its rules and never loses sight of its objective. The graphic nature of the presentation may limit the audience – understandably, many viewers will shy away from such an uncompromising vision – but the movie stands out as one of the year’s most memorable experiences. Its consideration when Oscar nominations are announced is a foregone (and deserved) conclusion.[/quote]
[quote]Kramer vs. Kramer succeeded in large part because of stellar performances by Oscar-winners Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. In Marriage Story, the portrayals of Adam Driver and especially Scarlett Johansson stand on the same plateau. Although Driver has an awkward moment or two, he is believable as a controlling narcissist who sees himself as a victim. Johansson, giving the best performance of her career (eclipsing her sublime work in Lost in Translation), exposes every nuance of a character who loves the man she’s leaving but can no longer stand the cage in which she finds herself. She digs deep, perhaps plumbing emotions from her two failed marriages, with remarkable results.
For Baumbach, Marriage Story represents a step away from elitist filmmaking toward something more accessible. The film’s themes and emotions are universal and he shows great sensitivity in his depiction of the personal toll of a divorce while simultaneously illustrating the ugliness that results when lawyers become involved. Some may find the subject matter too raw or uncomfortable but its widespread availability via Netflix assures audiences an opportunity to see Driver as more than Kylo Ren and Johansson as going well beyond Black Widow.[/quote]
Watch Knives Out, re-watch Looper, The Brothers Bloom, Brick, and the Johnson-directed episodes of Breaking Bad, and then you'll have your answer.
Oh, wait, I forgot. The Last Jedi is the first, last, and only thing he ever worked on. My bad.
[quote]Although the movie introduces several new characters, including ones voiced by the likes of Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood, Ciaran Hinds, and Alfred Molina, it’s the returning quartet that most viewers will care about and each of the vocal actors – Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad – slide seamlessly back into their roles, almost as if a day hadn’t passed. However, while the characters’ voices may have remained frozen in time, the same isn’t true of those who fell in love with Frozen during its theatrical release and subsequent home video offering. For children, six years is a long time and it’s an open question whether the passage of time will diminish the franchise’s magic. (In acknowledgment of this, one of the movie’s themes is dealing with the change that comes from growing up.) Frozen II is a worthy follow-up with enough heart, action, and music to entertain younger and older viewers alike. It deserves to be held in as high esteem as its predecessor and will hopefully open this world to a new group of youngsters while satisfying the slightly more mature demands of the original film’s most devoted adherents.[/quote]
[quote]Murder mystery lovers are likely to swoon at what Johnson has accomplished in a little over two hours. His skill with plotting is matched only by his knack with dialogue. Knives Out has the whodunnit? field all to itself in 2019. In fact, the only other filmmaker of note doing these movies, Kenneth Branagh, is between Poirot titles. (Murder on the Orient Express was last year’s release and Death on the Nile won’t arrive until 2020.) However, even in a crowd of similar titles, this movie would stand out. It’s exceptional escapist entertainment for those who don’t mind a little spice sprinkled into their cozy mystery.[/quote]
[quote]As Scorsese’s first streaming effort, The Irishman offers a new vision of what this limb of moviemaking can provide. Although arguably too long and arduous for theatrical viewing, it’s perfect for the more comfortable, relaxed confines of home viewing when the prospect of immersing oneself in a director’s creative vision for 3 ½ hours is less daunting. Whether seen on the big screen or a small one, The Irishman is among 2019’s best motion pictures and should receive its share of Oscar attention in 2020.[/quote]
[quote]The Irishman represents the first time Scorsese has made heavy use of CGI. With the movie spanning such a long time period, and with no appetite for casting multiple actors to play the major roles at different times in their lives, he has turned to CGI to “de-age” De Niro, Pacino, and Pesci – allowing them to play their parts throughout the ‘40s, ‘50s, ’60, ‘70s, and (in some cases) beyond. This is some of the best computer de-aging we have seen to date – rarely is the computer’s manipulation evident and there’s almost no “plasticity” (in contrast with the recent Gemini Man). Post-production took an unusually long time even for a Scorsese film because he wanted to get this element “just right.” This is an instance of a filmmaker applying CGI as a tool rather than as the focus of the production.
Over the years, Scorsese has made his share of dark, oh-so-serious dramas. This isn’t one of them. Although not as openly comedic as The Wolf of Wall Street, there’s a thread of dark humor running through The Irishman that leavens the grimmer elements. From the tongue-in-cheek “death biographies” of mobsters to the mafioso nicknames (“Not that Whispers…the other one”), Scorsese finds opportunities to get us to laugh (or at least chuckle a little), and not always when we expect it. He has also toned down the violence. Oh, there’s bloodshed and one especially brutal beating, but this is tame compared to his past work and in the nursery when set alongside some of what earns an R-rating in today’s blood-soaked cinema.[/quote]
[quote]The Irishman feels like “vintage” Scorsese more than anything he has done post-Casino. Part of the reason is the return to a mob story although, in this case, his perspective is restrained. The heat of Goodfellas has been replaced by something more reflective. Sheeran is a good soldier but we read his pain in De Niro’s expression. The presence of so many familiar faces enhances the film’s connection to Scorsese’s 1990 masterpiece. The director was able to lure Joe Pesci out of retirement by offering him a role so unlike those he played in Goodfellas and Casino – a quiet, restrained character – that the actor couldn’t resist the challenge. Pacino is in fine form – larger than life, dominating every scene in which he appears. It’s hard to believe he and Scorsese have never before worked together. This is his third pairing with De Niro – they famously “met” in Heat and again crossed paths in the awful Righteous Kill – but it’s the first time they have exhibited meaningful chemistry.
The Irishman lacks strong female roles. Actresses like Kathrine Narducci and Aleksa Palladino fill the “faithful wife” parts. Anna Paquin, who plays Peggy, one of Sheeran’s daughters, is underused. There’s enough material here for a strong supporting turn but the script doesn’t pursue the angle with vigor. Peggy is conflicted about her father and his lifestyle but, after a lot of staring and uneasy body language, she is conveniently written out.[/quote]
[quote]Ewan McGregor could probably do this role in his sleep, although that’s not to say he isn’t invested in the performance. Danny is seeking meaning, redemption, and closure. Along the way, McGregor gets to break out a few of the characteristics he showed in the Star Wars prequels. Kyliegh Curran, the 13-year old actress in her first major part, shows fire and energy in a demanding role. She and McGregor develop the chemistry necessary for the mentor/pupil relationship to work.
Those who loved Kubrick’s The Shining primarily because of its weirdness and imagery may be disappointed by the restraint and coherence evident in the sequel. In a way, this is King reclaiming his territory while acknowledging the mark left by the 1980 production in the cultural psyche. 2019 has been a banner year for King’s work, with a new Pet Sematary, It Chapter Two, and In the Tall Grass having preceded his film. Although Doctor Sleep is flawed, it’s arguably the best of a surprisingly strong group of movies that prove King’s enduring popularity as he enters his sixth decade as a professional writer.[/quote]
[quote]For the most part, acting isn’t a major component of The Neverending Story. Most of the film’s creatures are fantastical in nature, with Alan Oppenheimer doing quadrupole voicework duty as Rock Biter, Falkor, Gmork, and the narrator. Barret Oliver is okay as Bastian, although he doesn’t have a lot of screen time (and most of what he has features him reacting to scenes in the book he’s reading). Noah Hathaway, who is perhaps best remembered for his role a few years earlier as Boxy (Apollo’s stepson) in the TV series Battlestar Galactica, didn’t enjoy much acting success after The Neverending Story. It’s not surprising since his “performance” consists of baring his chest and shouting his lines. Although young girls in the ‘80s may have swooned, it’s hard to watch Hathaway today and not break into uncontrollable laughter.
Aspects of the recursive premise have promise and elevate the narrative, at least at its most basic, above the level of a traditional fantasy fable. The problem is more one of execution in that the movie never seems geared toward an adult or mature audience. To be fair, The Neverending Story works as a children’s film and many of those who saw it as youngsters back in the 1980s retain a passionate love for it. (For them, this review will be seen as nothing short of a desecration.) Today, it’s likely that only very young kids will enjoy The Neverending Story. The special effects, passable in 1984, will be an impediment to enjoying this as anything other than a campy, unintentionally comedic offering.[/quote]
[quote]Joker’s success is down to Joaquin Phoenix’s dedicated, uncompromising performance. With a physical transformation to match that of Christian Bale in The Machinist, Phoenix has remodeled his looks. The psychological aspects of the portrayal, delivered with at least an element of method acting, take this version of Joker to a place where only Heath Ledger has ventured. The storyline demands more from Phoenix that mere range – he must navigate the minefield of the unreliable narrator as well – and he never falters. I can’t say he will be nominated for an Oscar (which, if won, would allow him and Ledger to join Brando and De Niro as actors to win Academy Awards for playing the same character), but he should be.
When confronted with the question of a political allegory, Phillips has demurred. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to look at some of the ancillary reasons for Arthur’s mental collapse and miss the parallels: budget cuts leading to diminished social services, a lack of support for mental health, and a government more interested in fostering the interests of the “haves” over the “have nots.”
Joker represents that latest example of how the comic book canvas, if expanded and approached with an open mind and imagination, can be a fertile breeding ground for more than cookie-cutter action/adventure movies. Just as there’s a place for the battles and fights of the latest Avengers movie, there are other, less readily explored vistas for examining aspects of the human experience. Joker ventures into the darkest of these places and, although it may be difficult to “like” this film in a conventional sense, it offers a powerful and unforgettable experience that few will find easy to shake.[/quote]
[quote]Like many of the more intimate, less ostentatious science fiction films, Ad Astra never loses sight of either the wonder of venturing beyond Earth and the danger inherent in doing so. This isn’t the first time Gray has taken a hero on a journey into the unknown. His previous feature, The Lost City of Z, feels a little like an Earth-based dress rehearsal for Ad Astra. The new movie is superior in every way except perhaps highlighting the color green. The film’s geography takes us on a cross-solar system journey but the real trajectory is deep into the human experience – finding meaning in life and coming to grips with being left behind. The ultimate message is arguably presented a little too explicitly in a line of dialogue late in the film but it’s an easily forgiven indulgence since the odyssey of getting there is so mesmerizing.[/quote]
[quote]Tarantino hasn’t merely set Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in the sixties. He has infused the film with the decade in which it transpires. At a time when everything is made in digital, Tarantino shot the movie on film (and, in select theaters, it will be shown in either 35mm or 70mm – where projectors are available). It makes a difference to how the movie looks and feels – older, less crisp, and warmer. Tarantino and cinematographer Robert Richardson have employed camera movements and techniques common from the era. The production doesn’t opt for realism in its representation of 1969 – it filters everything through an unapologetically romantic lens that at times almost matches La La Land in expressing its love for the city.
Many of the pleasures to be found in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood are better discovered on their own than revealed in a review. Valid criticisms can be leveled against Tarantino’s latest – the most obvious of which relates to its length. There are times, especially late in the proceedings, when the narrative momentum flags and it becomes apparent that 161 minutes might have been too generous. The film’s meandering approach, however, is as much an asset as a detriment. Although it contributes to the lack of cohesion, it allows Tarantino great freedom in advancing his characters’ stories. He relies a little too much on nostalgia – how many movies and TV shows are referenced, either directly or indirectly? – but many of those bits still bring a smile to the face. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was made by a movie-lover for movie-lovers. And even those who don’t qualify may still enjoy the hell out of it.[/quote]
[quote]It’s probably strange to call a movie about illness and death a “feel good experience,” but Wang has pitched the film perfectly in this regard. Movies about cancer almost always involve chemotherapy and suffering. Movies about death are often suffused with grief and sorrow. The Farewell eschews those genre tropes and instead focuses on existential issues while being honest about the characters, their situations, and their reality. The end result is life-affirming and the average viewer is likely to leave the film feeling uplifted.[/quote]
[quote]Like many of Studio Ghibli’s early releases, Whisper of the Heart was phenomenally successful in Japan but provoked little notice internationally. It was part of the Disney-licensed catalog and an English-language version was produced in 2006 with voice roles for Brittany Snow (Shizuku), David Gallagher (Seiji), Cary Elwes (The Baron), and Ashley Tisdale (Yuko). As is universally the case with Studio Ghibli releases, the optimal way to watch is in the original Japanese with English subtitles, but the English-language dub is fine for those who (a) don’t feel like reading subtitles or (b) are too young to read subtitles. Fathom Events released the film theatrically in early July 2019 as part of an ongoing Miyazaki festival.
Whisper of the Heart represents one of Studio Ghibli’s best “obscure” films made before Princess Mononoke finally allowed Miyazaki to experience his international breakthrough. An affecting and endearing collaboration between Miyazaki and Kondo, it weds a coming-of-age story with a flight of fancy to good effect. Although often overshadowed by more popular titles in the Studio Ghibli catalog, this is as deserving as any 1990s Japanese animated film to be seen and enjoyed.[/quote]
[quote]For some viewers in their late 20s or early 30s, Toy Story 4 might represent a first encounter with nostalgia. The movie feels like it’s more interested in recapturing things from the past than blazing a new path. In 2019, Disney is dispensing a lot of last chapters. Avengers: Endgame and The Rise of Skywalker are the most obvious, but Toy Story 4 deserves a place alongside them. The animated series may have lasted one film too many but at least the latest installment doesn’t diminish the power of its predecessors. I’m going to miss Woody, Buzz, and the rest but, although parting is such sweet sorrow, I hope this is goodbye. It’s time to go and the ending offers a graceful, hopeful exit.[/quote]
[quote]One area where Toy Story 4 excels is in its comedy. The film has a lighter touch than Toy Story 3, which ventured into some dark areas. Forky’s trash-loving antics (and Woody’s exasperated attempts to keep him corralled) make for an effective recurring joke. Keanu Reeves’ Duke Caboom is a perfect match for those who remember the actor as Ted. And Buzz continues to misunderstand just about everything, including what it means to hear his inner voice. (He gets to utter his signature line – or at least part of it. No Toy Story movie would be complete without it, just like no Die Hard would be complete without…you know.)
Toy Story 4 is officially directed by first-timer Josh Cooley, whose previous writing credit for Inside Out made him a candidate for this job. By all accounts, Cooley worked closely with Pixar’s ex-CEO John Lasseter. Lasseter, who directed Toy Story and Toy Story 2, was at one time attached as the sole helmsman of Toy Story 4 but his participation, if any, is unacknowledged (save a “story by” credit). Cooley’s direction is workmanlike but there’s nothing remarkable about the film’s look. Perhaps that’s because 3D animation has hit a “wall” where advancements are incremental. Toy Story 4’s look is on par with most high-end animated films in terms of visual “pop” and spectacle.[/quote]