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.

TOP TEN MOVIES OF 2018 (remember 2018?)

I know it has been way too long since I posted, but here is my delayed list of the TOP TEN MOVIES of 2018:

1. THE FAVOURITE
2. COLD WAR (Poland)
3. If Beale Street Could Talk
4. The Rider
5. A Star Is Born
6. Roma (Mexico)
7. Can You Ever Forgive Me?
8. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
9. Leave No Trace
10. Eighth Grade

Honorable mention:
Black Panther
The Guardians (France)
At Eternity's Gate
Isle of Dogs

Saw & enjoyed:
Mary Poppins Returns
Becoming Astrid (Sweden)
1945 (Hungary)
Beast (UK)
Green Book

Saw & didn't enjoy!
BlackKklansman
First Reformed
Mary, Queen of Scots
The Seagull
Sicario 2: Day of the Soldado

OSCAR noms 2019: the (delayed) Outrage!

I know it has been over a week since the academy released its nominations, but since I hadn't seen many of the movies under consideration, I had a delayed reaction. But never fear, I am OUTRAGED!

1. Bradley Cooper got 'Afflecked.'
Remember 2012, when the movie of the year was ARGO, yet its director, Ben Affleck, got snubbed as Best Director? History repeats this year, as Cooper's A STAR IS BORN received 8 nominations, yet NOT one for Best Director. That snub virtually assures that STAR will not win Best Picture (unless it gets 'ARGO-ed', which won Best Picture despite the Director snub).

2. A First: Outrage in the BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT category!
Our friends in Great Britain are rightfully outraged that someone made a film about the notorious murder of a 2-year-old boy by two 10-year-old boys back in 1993. "Detainment" tells the story by using police interrogation transcripts of the two offenders.  That such a dubious film would be nominated for an Oscar is an affront to everyone involved in this tragedy, no matter how many years have passed.

3. Individual SNUBS
Deserving Actors overlooked: Ethan Hawke (FIRST REFORMED) and Emily Blunt (MARY POPPINS RETURNS) were robbed!

Deserving Songs overlooked:  IMHO, this category should only consist of songs from A STAR IS BORN and MARY POPPINS RETURNS (the songs were that good!)

Deserving DOCS overlooked:
How could the nominators NOT recognise the two most-talked about Docs this year:
WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? (about Mr. Rogers) and
THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS ??

4. I have renamed this spot The Honorary John Williams "Best Original Score' Outrage. Mr. Williams did not receive a nomination this year, but even if he had, I would reserve my outrage for what is the most-overrated film composer in the most over-praised movie this year: Terence Blanchard for BlackKKlansman.  For a movie that repeatedly hits you over the head with its message, the soundtrack likewise incessantly drums into you how you are supposed to feel at every moment. That is what a good screenplay is supposed to do, but if you don't trust the dialogue or your own audience, drown both of them out with your self-important music! Check this space for a separate review of Spike Lee's latest joint.

OSCAR Want-Think List to follow soon!

"Lord, What a Mess!"

FIRST REFORMED

Dir: Paul Schrader

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried

"Lord, What a Mess" was never uttered by Ethan Hawke's conflicted pastor as he grapples with his relationship with God when confronted by a future consumed by the irreversible effects of climate change in "First Reformed." But that is what he is thinking throughout this film -- and that is certainly what  I was thinking as I sat through writer-director Paul Schrader's ponderous attempt to call attention to the 21st Century climate crisis.

I sought out this film because of repeated comparisons to Ingmar Bergman's classic "Winter Light" (1963), where a Lutheran pastor questions the existence of God in the face of a suicidal parishioner's (Max Von Sydow) fears of a nuclear holocaust. Aside from the first scene inside a white-washed church, complete with a plain, bespeckled female parishioner (channeling the incomparable Ingrid Thulin) who has a 'thing' for the man of God, that comparison is jettisoned for more of a pale homage to Robert Bresson's "Diary of a Country Priest" (the pastor does indeed keep a diary and is afflicted with a debilitating illness), before it veers inexplicably off course into "Taxi Driver" territory. (!)

Schrader, you may recall, penned that classic film of alienation in the Seventies, so it may be no surprise that he relies on images from his greatest triumph when the story goes off the rails. Here, he attempts to re-imagine Travis Bickel as an alienated Eco-Warrior. As well-intentioned that idea may be, it doesn't make for a believable narrative. And Schrader is no Scorsese.

I will spare you a story synopsis, other than to say First Reformed is the name of the oddly non-denominational church in upstate New York that Hawke's character finds himself presiding over (how he got this gig is never explained). Suffice to say that, as great as Schrader is at story and dialogue, he cannot direct. (Or perhaps Cedric 'the Entertainer' just can't act).  I suppose some scenes are meant to be comic, but I was more inclined to laugh out loud at the preposterous scenes that were intended to be serious.  Don't think by dropping in a few references to Thomas Merton you can convince us you are saying something 'profound.' Give us more credit than that!

THE RIDER

The Rider (2017)

Dir: Chloe Zhao

There is a long tradition in film of employing non-professional actors for leading roles -- in foreign film, that is. Indeed, it is one of the hallmarks of Italian Neorealism: Bicycle Thieves, Umberto D., The Bandits of Orgosolo (to name but a few), are all enriched by the performances of 'real people' (not actors) in the lead roles. It usually backfires when a non-pro is cast against an actor with the star power of, say, Ingrid Bergman (think of the poor fisherman who played her husband in Stromboli.)
But the Italian directors to this day can pull it off: one recent example: the Taviani brothers filmed their adaptation of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar in a maximum-security prison, and cast the inmates in all the roles! Caesar Must Die (2012). Brilliant!

This practice hasn't caught-on in the U.S., aside from the occasional child actor. One notable exception that brought an unmatched authenticity to the story is the casting of Dwight Henry and Quvenzhane Wallis in Benh Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild (also from 2012). All of this serves as a long-winded intro into the latest, and most-daring example from indie director Chloe Zhao: The Rider. It tells the barely-fictionalized story of rodeo rider Brady Blackburn, returning home to a South Dakota reservation after sustaining a skull-fracturing fall, a head full of staples holding him together. There, he reunites his father and developmentally-challenged sister: all three leads are played by their real-life counterparts Brady, Tim & Lilly Jandreau. The rest of the movie is spent showing Brady coming to terms with never being able to ride competitively again, which defines him and his rodeo cowboy friends on the reservation (also played by non-pros).

I have seen the movie described as 'docu-fiction'--the easy route would have been to film a straight documentary about these riders on the unglamourous regional circuit who ride because it is in their blood, yet face life-altering injuries pursuing their sport. Instead, Zhao went for something bigger, and it pays off in a big way. She is able to depict the everyday struggles,  determination, and character of these reticent, plain-spoken people that a voice-over, talking-head doc could never reveal.

Two recurrent interactions the self-possessed Brady has during the course of this reflective film are at the heart of this movie: one takes place in a hospital, where he visits a fellow rodeo cowboy whose injuries left him unable to speak or walk. The second shows him pursuing his passion in a slightly less dangerous way: taming wild horses. Kudos to Zhao for letting Brady (who is in every scene) command the movie without any actorly affectation. These near-wordless scenes cannot be scripted: they are as real as the people who inhabit this superb film.