Moviegoing in the Time of Covid

"Going to see movies in theaters is Dead." -- October 8, 2020 (the day REGAL Cinemas will re-close all US/UK theaters due to the ongoing pandemic).

It has been awhile, Forignfilmguyfans! That imaginary quote reminds me of two OTHER prognostications that have proved demonstrably FALSE:

"Irony Is Dead" -- September 12, 2001

"New York City is Dead" -- March 12, 2020

Unlike those two, I am a bit more worried about the latest dire warning, given my two moviegoing experiences post-lockdown (both at a Regal Cinema). I was first in line when theaters reopened in Houston, my hometown, on Friday, August 28th (because I was the ONLY one in line!) The 1 o'clock showing was cancelled due to technical difficulties (no surprise, they've been shutdown for months), so I returned on Saturday to see STAR WARS V: The Empire Strikes Back ... with four other dudes. Don't get me wrong: I love sitting alone and far away from other humans, but multiplexes do not make money off ME, they need to fill the seats.

My second visit was Tuesday, October 6th, to see the much-anticipated (and ONLY) blockbuster released so far: Christopher Nolan's "TENET" ... this time with six people (not all dudes). I will give you a review in my next post, but a couple of observations first:

1) Of course no one is going back into theaters now: there is nothing to SEE! The longest-running new release out now is "Unhinged" with Russell Crowe -- and it's NOT a documentary! The other 8 theaters are filled with retreads and indie features that wouldn't have lasted a week in normal times. Hollywood has not backed-up the theater chains: every announcement of a premiere pushed back to 2021 is another nail in their coffins.

2) People have gotten used to the alternative: COVID19 has turned us all into couch potatoes. Even me, who always avoided watching movies on the 'small screen' (as long as I could help it; NETFLIX ruined that for me forever with their Oscar-nominated ROMA and The IRISHMAN). Now, with so much new to watch at home, why would you risk going out? 

Life WILL get back to normal, eventually, but I expect the only theaters to return to business will be the the dine-in luxury-seat options. I'm not opposed to paying $28.00 for a reclining seat at iPic (as long as the blanket is disinfected).

TOP TEN MOVIES for 2019 - Coronavirus edition!

March 24, 2020--

Here in Houston, we are about to enter a two-week 'stay-at-home' edict from Harris County.
What better time to look back at 2019 -- simpler times, when Tom Hanks' only worry was whether he was going to be in the Best Actor or Best Supporting Actor category for playing Mr. Rogers.

Ahh, 2019 .... the year I delayed posting my TOP TEN LIST, because I was waiting to see that elusive 10th movie to complete my list. But I never saw it! It is still out there, but will I ever see it?? Theaters are closed, and I have an aversion to watching movies on TV...

But the show must go on, even in these difficult times, so here is my TOP NINE MOVIE LIST!!

1. ONCE UPON A TIME . . . In Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino at his best!)
2. PARASITE (So. Korea)  A worthy Oscar winner
3. PAIN & GLORY (Spain)-Almodovar'sAmarcord.
4. PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (France) -- beautiful French film
5. LITTLE WOMEN--- Greta strikes again!
6 JOKER
7. 1917
8. The Irishman (Martin Scorsese)
9. A Hidden Life (Terence Malick)

SAW & ENJOYED:
Downton Abbey
Ford v. Ferrari
Jojo Rabbit
Marriage Story
Wild Rose

Ehhhh .... (movies I was disappointed in).
Bombshell
The Dead Don't Die
Yesterday

Pre-OSCAR Forecast

February 8th at 3:04PM:

Tradition is tradition. Although the annual Awards parade has become numbingly predictable, I will soldier on with my picks for the 2020 ACADEMY AWARDS:

Best Picture (*surprise*):   PARASITE
Best Director:  Sam Mendes, 1917
Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, "Joker"
Best Actress: Renee Zellweger, "Judy"
Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt, "Once Upon a Time ..."
Best Supporting Actress: Laura Dern, "Marriage Story"

Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, "Once Upon a Time ..."
Best Adapted Screenplay: Greta Gerwig, "Little Women" *mild upset
Best Foreign Film: Parasite
Best Film Editing: Parasite
Best Cinematography/Production Design/Sound Editing/Sound Mixing: 1917
Best Costume Design: "Little Women"
Best Hair & Make-up: "Bombshell"
Best Visual Effects: "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker"
Animated Film: Toy Story 4
Best Original SCORE*: Hildur Gudnadottir, "Joker"
 *the surprise in this category is that I would not mind if Thomas Newman won for his excellent work in "1917" 
Best Original Song: "Stand Up," Harriet

OSCARS 2020 : the (subdued) Outrage!

January 17, 2020

Five days after the announcement of OSCAR nominees, I am just now posting my annual Outrage! post, and I must admit, my heart is not in it this year.

Sure, the #1 Outrage! is the exclusion of Greta Gerwig as Best Director for the wondrous "Little Women" -- surely one of the Top Five Movies of the Year. It was a Snub to be sure, but not a Surprise. The previous (lesser) award nominations ALL snubbed her in favor of an all-male group -- with the notable exception of the Critic's Choice Awards, which effortlessly has offered a solution to all the Academy's bad press over the years by having SEVEN nominees in a category (!).

But when there are only five slots, who gets bumped in favor of Greta? I can't speak to the merit of Sam Mendes (whose "1917" I have yet to see), but the other four nominees are certainly deserving. (You can't bump Marty Scorsese, even though he sold out to Netflix).

The lack of ethnic diversity in the acting categories likewise doesn't get me worked up: 1) what's new?; 2) I do not see any major snubs here (no doubt influenced by me not seeing "The Farewell" and by my personal dislike of J-Lo and Eddie Murphy).

But tradition being tradition, I must work-up my Outrage! for (yet again) the category of BEST ORIGINAL SCORE ! WTF?

I'm not even outraged anymore by those two hardy perennials RANDY NEWMAN and JOHN (f*ing) WILLIAMS: I get it, they write the same music they've been writing for, what, 44 years? (Star Wars, 1976) , and a nomination is guaranteed.

Again, I cannot comment on Thomas Newman's score for "1917." But the *new* Academy darling in this category is Alexandre Desplat, and his score for the aforementioned "Little Women" is the one glaring flaw in an otherwise great film. YES! It is cloying, insistent and overbearing -- and oftentimes drowns out the real emotion of a scene. Over-scored films often try to hide weaknesses in the script. But in Little Women, there ARE NO WEAKNESSES! Just shut-up and let the scene play out!

IMHO, there is a clear winner in this category : the lovely 37-year old Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (pictured below). Her Score for "Joker" was bracing, original, and enhanced the tone of the film. If Hildur doesn't win her first Oscar, I WILL be truly Outraged!

HILDUR

A HIDDEN LIFE

A Hidden Life

Director: Terence Malick

Run time: 2 hours, 54 minutes

I list the film's running time first, because in a Terence Malick movie, such information is vital ! (Even so, I had to take a bathroom break two hours in). This true story of an Austrian farmer's refusal to pledge allegiance to Adolf Hitler and fight in his war is a meditative look at one man's personal conviction and the consequences it has for everyone around him. 

This film is Malick at his best, an unfortunately, at his most self-indulgent. The first 40 minutes is a masterful re-creation of the details of rural life in 1940s Austria. I haven't seen such an authentic depiction of the hard work of running a farm since 2017's Les guardiennes ("The Guardians") from France. His family life and relationship with his wife are likewise genuine, lyrical and beautifully-shot. (The soundtrack adds depth to the beautiful images, too).

Scenes of Franz (August Diehl) discussing his moral convictions with various members of his family, the clergy, and the community play more like extended monologues -- a familiar characteristic of Malick's method. What is uncharacteristic is his penchant to allow these supporting players to shout, repeat themselves and generally overact. One sees scant evidence of Franz as an active participant in these discussions. Of course, his moral stance is an implicit challenge to their own convictions, hence the extreme resistance he engenders. But still … less can be more.

The scenes between Franz his wife Fani (the excellent Valerie Pachner) reveal an intense and abiding devotion. His mother gets too much screen time for the little she has to contribute, as do Franz's fellow inmates, not to mention the many beatings and humiliations he suffers in a Berlin prison. With the conclusion inevitable, the focus on the minutiae of his sham trial seems pointless, despite giving us the pleasure of seeing the late great Swiss actor Bruno Ganz one last time. 

Malick's themes touch on another meditative (and long) movie about keeping one's faith in the face of intense torment: Martin Scorsese's "Silence"-- a superior movie, IMHO.

Rest assured, Malick's latest is grounded in reality more than his recent work ("To the Wonder" was the last one I sat through...and regretted). Literally grounded: There is a lot of digging, plowing, and clawing at the dirt here). There is much to admire in the filmmaking. It is a surprise that such a lush production has received zero accolades at the end of the year.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (France)

Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (original title)

(France 2019)

It is refreshing to see a movie about women told from a woman's point of by … BY A WOMAN Director! ("Little Women" is next on my to-see list, Greta!). 

I saw this French film in November 2019 but at the time I didn't give it as much credit as it deserves.  The director (Céline Sciamma) guides the movie at her own pace, and trusts her actors with close-ups that reveal much more about their feelings than mere dialogue can (a lesson lost on most American movie directors).

And what faces she has to work with! As Marianne (the painter), Noemie Merlant is mesmerizing throughout. Her subject, played by Adele Haenel, is equally enthralling. The result is all the more remarkable because Sciamma makes no attempt to soften or glamourize the leads with lighting or make-up. 

The nighttime scene in front of the bonfire that comes in the middle of the film reveals the film's message: the bond shared among women is deep, mysterious and timeless.