My much-delayed Top Ten Movie List

Apologies all around for not posting this sooner (at least before the Academy Awards, as is my usual goal). While other critics have been saying there were more than ten good movie in 2016, I struggled to fill-out my list! All of the buzzed-about Best Picture nominees (that I saw) had one flaw or another that left me ambivalent.

I believe it is my shortest Best Movie list EVER. But more importantly, this is the first year in the last five that a Jessica Chastain movie does not appear anywhere on this list (the streak is over). I have high hopes for 2017.

TOP NINE MOVIES OF 2016
1. LION
2. MOONLIGHT
3. ARRIVAL
4. SILENCE
5. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
6. HELL OR HIGH WATER
7. TONI ERDMANN (Germany)
8. JACKIE
9. LA LA LAND

Honorable mention:
Love & Friendship (UK)
Neruda

Saw & Enjoyed:
The Birth of a Nation
Cafe Society
Midnight Special
Suffragette (UK)
Sunset Song (UK)

AND TWO DISHONORABLE MENTIONS:
The Lobster & Nocturnal Animals (gag and gag!)

That's all, folks!

TONI ERDMANN

Toni Erdmann

Germany 2016

Director Marin Ade

It is rare for me to see an Oscar-nominated foreign film BEFORE the Awards are given out, but I had the pleasure of watching the German entry "Toni Erdmann" with my brother at the legendary Film Forum in Greenwich Village last week. I cannot think of a better venue or companion to see this extremely odd but never dull "German comedy" -- if you thought that was an oxymoron, this film proves that it is not!

To be honest, it is a 'squirmy comedy' (to quote A.O. Scott, New York Times) that leaves you sad and reflective.  But hey, I didn't go into this expecting an Adam Sandler-Will Ferrell vehicle  (those movies leave me sad, too ... for the state of comedy in America!)

"Toni Erdmann" has a pace and mood that belies the comedy label: it is as much about changing family dynamics, workplace gender prejudices and the down side of globalization as it is about making an audience  laugh.  In fact, I found myself laughing at certain episodes only hours after seeing the movie (at the time I was too much in shock to laugh). This movie will stay with you.

Father Winfried and his grown daughter Ines lead very different lives, but are cut from the same cloth. [Toni Erdmann, by the way, is the fictional guise Winfried dons to insinuate himself in the professional and personal life of his daughter, who is a consultant for a German conglomerate working in Romania.]  Her interactions with co-workers provides a biting satire of the minefield of office politics a professional woman has to navigate even today. But it is the unconventional father-daughter relationship that dominates the film, and is exquisitely rendered by the two leads: their love-hate, push-pull stubbornness towards each other convinces you they are indeed related. They keep upping the ante on each other, and you never know how each will react. That leaves the audience off balance throughout.

Both lead actors are brilliant, but Sandra Huller as Ines delivers as fearless a performance as you will see this year. Her sly, deadpan comic timing is impeccable. Plus, you will never hear a more emotional performance of a Whitney Houston song in any movie EVER! (including and especially "The Bodyguard"!!)

I recommend this movie to adventurous filmgoers only.

Oscar Live Action Shorts

Every year my favorite of the "Oscar Shorts" programs is the Live Action Shorts category: by contrast, the short docs program is always the longest (and can be a slog if every one is about death and dying); and I have given up on the animated shorts because the program is a RIP-OFF (35 minutes of actual nominees followed by 40 minutes of padding). 

But the Live Action Shorts consistently deliver, and this year is no exception. I will review them from weakest to strongest:

SILENT NIGHTS (Denmark) -- The weakest of this year's nominees (by far), the story of a relationship between a Ghanaian immigrant and a homeless shelter volunteer is far-fetched yet predictable. This short is short on nuance, and long on cliche, thus the emotional payoff it strives for feels unearned. GRADE: C

SING (Hungary)
LA FEMME et le TVG (Switzerland)
The next two are tied for third, both enjoyable, if slight, stories.
"Sing" is about a new girl in a Hungarian elementary school who joins the choir that teaches their cut-throat choir teacher (played by the lovely Zsófia Szamosi -- look for her in the new Hungarian Psycho-Thriller Strangled (A Martfűi Rém)) a lesson in fairness and solidarity. The two young girls who spark the protest are wonderful.   GRADE: A-
"La Femme et le TVG" is the more substantial of the two, with a stunning lead performance by the great British actress Jane Birkin. She plays against type, as a lonely, widowed senoir citizen, running a bakery in a small Swiss town. No Birkin bags in sight! She embarks on an unlikely, but true!, relationship with the train conductor who passes directly under her window twice-a-day for 15 years. It packs quite a bit of bittersweet whimsy in its 30-minute running time (And even has time for a climactice race to the Zurich train station). A dark horse for the Oscar. GRADE A-

ENNEMIS INTERIEURS (France) -- "Enemies Within" is the most-topical of the five nominees: an intense, compact story of a French-Algerian whose innocent interview to become a French citizen becomes an interrogation into his (supposed) terrorist ties. It confronts the issues of race, religion and 'homeland security' in a France that is more open to these debates than a lot of countries I can think of. Well acted and directed, I will not be disappointed if it wins the Oscar. GRADE: A+

TIMECODE (Spain) -- I have to give the edge to the shortest of the five shorts (15 minutes), because it uses the format most-economically: a precise story, well-told and filmed, that builds to a satisfying, and hilarious climax. The film it most reminds me of is 2014's excellent (and unfairly robbed of the Oscar that year) "Butter Lamp" (France-Tibet).

 The entire film takes place in the confines of a private garage, and is mostly revealed through security-camera footage. To reveal anything more is to spoil the joys of this small gem of a film. GRADE: A+.
I WANT & THINK it will win the Oscar!

OSCAR nominations 2017: THE (somewhat subdued) OUTRAGE!

Forgive me if I can't work up the same outrage as I usually do for the annual OSCAR nominations that dropped Tuesday morning in a pre-packaged infomercial (who came up with that bone-headed idea?).
Blame it on John Williams NOT composing a film score in 2016 (Actually, he did-"The BFG"!) Yet still, the Academy made THREE glaring omissions this year: 

Outrage #s 1 & 2: While the Academy didn't exactly SNUB Denis Villeneuve's excellent ARRIVAL (8 nominations), in typical fashion, they overlooked the two most-vital contributions to that film's success: Lead Actress Amy Adams (Hello!) and composer of the eerie, otherworldly score by JOHAN JOHANSSON (I am obsessed with Best Original Score nominations!) I don't want to nit-pick on the five Best Actress nominees who stole Amy's spot--but does Meryl Streep really need a 20th nomination?? I will gladly pick-on the undeserving composer, though: a likely formulaic, derivative Thomas Newman score for the forgettable "Passengers." (I say 'likely' because, full disclosure, I have not seen the movie nor heard the score).

Outrage #3: the (virtual) shut-out of Martin Scorsese's "Silence." With only a nod for Best Cinematography, it received the same number of nominations as "Trolls." Marty deserves better than this--he's a national treasure! I blame the studio and their crazy release schedule: the general public had no way to see it before January 13th. Thus, it has zero award-show momentum.

I recently saw it myself just last night: it is brutal and punishing for all of its 2 hour-40 minute running time. It is also a work of art.

#OscarsSoLame

My Big, Fat Polish Wedding?

DEMON (Poland 2016)

Directed by the late Marcin Wrona

After having spent a lovely weekend in the Polish countryside last August attending the wedding of my nephew, it was only fitting that when I returned home that I see this film from Poland about a Polish wedding in the countryside ... that, as you can guess from the title of this film, goes terribly wrong! 

Reminiscent of the last segment in 2015's "Wild Tales" from Argentina, this is a wedding reception from HELL! Literally, the groom becomes possessed by a demon. The movie gets off to a promising start by setting a creepy, ominous mood, before losing its focus in the never-ending reception.

Despite the committed performance from its cast, the movie never gets its footing: does it want to be a horror film, a black comedy, or a meditative look at recent Polish history towards its Jewish countrymen? It tries a little of all three, with varying degrees of success. 

The 'demon' of the title turns out to be a nice Jewish girl who just wants to get married. Nevertheless, she ruins a perfectly fine Polish wedding reception, so that by the end of the endless (and epically stormy) night, nobody returns for the 'poprawiny'! That's the real tragedy, for everyone knows the poprawiny is the best part! (For you non-Poles, that is the day-after party).

For the record, the events depicted in this film bear no resemblance to the wedding and reception I attended. That being said, I did notice these similarities:

- The groom's tie-toss went off without a hitch;

- Lots (and lots!) of vodka was consumed;

- One of the guests is a sullen, disturbed man named "Ronaldo"--in the middle of Poland? Go figure ...

This was NOT my nephew at his wedding (although he may have felt like this on the inside)

In Praise of Jeff Nichols

Take Shelter (2011)

Mud (2014)

Midnight Special (2016)

With the glut of new releases that Hollywood churns out seemingly nonstop, it is hard to find the few independent gems that come and go from year to year. One such indie director I would like to recommend is JEFF NICHOLS, who has produced three original, thought-provoking movies in a row.

His first feature was the well-received "Shotgun Stories" (2007), set in his native Arkansas. I didn't see it. The first movie of his I did see also had a real sense of place and respect for its characters:  the 2011 release "Take Shelter," starring his frequent collaborator Michael Shannon and the lovely Jessica Chastain. An unsettling look at one man who may or may not be going crazy, it is well-paced in slowly revealing its secrets.

 The same can be said of his latest feature: the little noticed "Midnight Special." I suspect it garnered little attention because of its lame and misleading title! The story concerns an Everyman Dad (once again playing by an always on-the-edge Mr. Shannon) who kidnaps his own son to protect him and his special powers from "the authorities." The nature of those powers is kept secret for much of the movie (like the question of "Is he or isn't he crazy?" question in Take Shelter). Because the movie is not about the supernatural, but about faith and family, as is Nichols' themes throughout his movies.

The best of those movies is still "Mud" starring the great Matthew McConnaughey (No. 10 on FFG's Top Ten List for 2014!). A classic Southern coming-of-age story, it also centers on young adults and the choices they have to make. It will be interesting to see how Nichols treats a story involving adults only: this Fall's much-anticipated look at the Supreme Court miscegenation case titled "Loving."

In Praise of Jeff Nichols

Take Shelter (2011)

Mud (2014)

Midnight Special (2016)

With the glut of new releases that Hollywood churns out seemingly nonstop, it is hard to find the few independent gems that come and go from year to year. One such indie director I would like to recommend is JEFF NICHOLS, who has produced three original, thought-provoking movies in a row.

His first feature was the well-received "Shotgun Stories" (2007), set in his native Arkansas. I didn't see it. The first movie of his I did see also had a real sense of place and respect for its characters:  the 2011 release "Take Shelter," starring his frequent collaborator Michael Shannon and the lovely Jessica Chastain. An unsettling look at one man who may or may not be going crazy, it is well-paced in slowly revealing its secrets.

 The same can be said of his latest feature: the little noticed "Midnight Special." I suspect it garnered little attention because of its lame and misleading title! The story concerns an Everyman Dad (once again playing by an always on-the-edge Mr. Shannon) who kidnaps his own son to protect him and his special powers from "the authorities." The nature of those powers is kept secret for much of the movie (like the question of "Is he or isn't he crazy?" question in Take Shelter). Because the movie is not about the supernatural, but about faith and family, as is Nichols' themes throughout his movies.

The best of those movies is still "Mud" starring the great Matthew McConnaughey (No. 10 on FFG's Top Ten List for 2014!). A classic Southern coming-of-age story, it also centers on young adults and the choices they have to make. It will be interesting to see how Nichols treats a story involving adults only: this Fall's much-anticipated look at the Supreme Court miscegenation case titled "Loving."

Summer Snapshots

Summer is the slow season for the FFG, so I all have to share with you are these random thoughts about the movies I have seen over the past two months:

LOVE & FRIENDSHIP (D. Whit Stillman) -- the best of the summer movies by far, this engaging, sophisticated souffle of a movie combines the talents of English author Jane Austen with the urbane wit of (Manhattanite) Whit Stillman to concoct a thoroughly entertaining, if somewhat broadly-drawn, romp through 19th-century British society. Kate Beckinsale's best role to date.

MAGGIE'S PLAN (D: Rebecca Miller) -- Ms. Miller wants to channel Woody Allen (circa when he was making funny movies) in this tale of dissatisfied, intellectual urbanites. She succeeds to a degree (the performances by Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke and especially Julianne Moore as the jilted wife in this love triangle, are excellent), but the characters they play are so frustratingly self-absorbed and selfish that you can only walk away thinking they deserve each other. Julianne Moore is brilliant as the cold Danish intellectual who ends up being the most-believable and sympathetic character in the movie.

THE LOBSTER (D: Yorgos Lanthimos) -- I have a two-word review of this movie (I saw the American version, with Rachel Weisz and Colin Farrell sporting an unflattering "Dad bod"--but I am sure the same review applies to the Greek original): "RELENTLESSLY STUPID." Put THAT on the promotional poster!

The Huntsman: Winter's War

April 25, 2016

I may have over-promised a tad when I referred to the upcoming release of "The Huntsman: Winter's War" as 'surely to be the greatest movie ever.' Sadly, it is not. 

Through no fault of the lead actors, might I add; specifically the lovely Charlize Theron and the even lovelier Jessica Chastain, who light up the screen with every appearance. I read that Ms. Chastain "had fun" making this picture, which is reason enough for its existence for THIS (admittedly biased) film critic.

In Charlize's case, it is an all-too-brief appearance: the one (and ONLY) original idea in this big studio mish-mash is that it is both a prequel AND a sequel ... I will pause while you digest that concept.

That means that Theron's evil queen Ravenna is featured in the prologue, and after the filmmakers dispense with the entire original Snow White story, "The Huntsman," with a lame "Seven Years Later" inter-title, Ravenna gets to come back at the end to inject some life into the moribund story. [I'm too tired to explain how this is possible, since she died in the original.] In another first in movie history, I can proclaim that a movie suffers from not having Kristen Stewart in it!

For the intervening 90 minutes, the audience must sit through a pastiche of ideas stolen from "The Lord of the Rings" "Game of Thrones" "The Golden Compass" and every recent live-action Disney movie. Does it want to be a comedy? A fantasy? A comedy-fantasy, with sex? I'll let the director and the army of screenwriters fight over that, since they obviously have yet to reach a consensus.

(However, when you are stealing ideas from "The Golden Compass," you are obviously bereft of ideas, and should consider another line of work).

As for the dialogue coaches, I will give them an A for effort. I will not go so far as New York Times critic A.O. Scott, who described the accents as "straight from the Groundskeeper Willie Academy of Dialect Sciences" (burn), but they do go in and out like the waves on the Firth of Forth. Again, I must cite to a superior TV series--in this case "Outlander"--and wonder why this $100 million+ budgeted movie pales in comparison to what I can see on the small screen?

Oh yeah, Chris Hemsworth is in it, too.

The LAST Top Ten List for 2015

March 8, 2016 --

I say LAST because I am woefully behind in my movie-going this year! I have no one to blame but myself. That said, I thought 2015 turned into a strong year for movies (after a slow start). Still, my list of disappointments (at the end) is longer than usual. I even had to introduce a new category for two films I had very mixed feelings about. I am calling it "Impressive but problematic."

Now, onto the important categories:

TOP TEN MOVIES of 2015

1.     SPOTLIGHT
2,     CAROL
>>It was a close rate for No.1. I went back and forth for the last 3 months, but the Academy got it right this time!

"I like the hat." THIS hat, not the Christmas one!

3.     BROOKLYN -- full of life and heart; how could anyone NOT like this movie!?!?
4.     WHITE GOD (Hungary) -- a dog fable that will stay with you for a long time
5.     SICARIO
6.     ROOM -- claustrophobic and compelling
7.     MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
8.     THE BIG SHORT
9.     The End of the Tour
10.    45 Years

Honorable mention
Creed
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Trumbo
Truth

Saw & enjoyed:
An Alicia Vikander double feature: The Danish Girl and Ex Machina
Crimson Peak (keeping alive my streak of honoring at least one Jessica Chastain movie per year!)
Far From the Madding Crowd
Me & Earl & the Dying Girl
Macbeth

Best docs:
Salt of the Earth
The Best of Enemies
Listen to Me, Marlon

*Impressive but problematic* (new category!)
THE REVENANT
SON OF SAUL (Hungary)

Movies that left me disappointed ... and broke:
Bridge of Spies; The Martian; In the Heart of the Sea; The Hateful Eight; Clouds of Sils Maria; While We're Young; Irrational Man.