Enduring Love in PAST LIVES

 

A simple tale of desire and obsession drives this touching tale told with honesty and authenticity in Past Lives, a well-acted romantic drama. Writer/Director Celine Song has crafted a story that spans the globe over many years. 

Two Korean children, Nora and Hae Sung, become close friends until Nora’s family moves to the U.S.  A dozen years pass, and Nora (Greta Lee) is a writer in New York City when Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) reaches out to reconnect with her virtually.  Though she enjoys their long distance chats, she is career minded and pauses their communication and the possibility of visiting each other.  As another 12 years elapse and their lives have changed markedly, Hae Sung still holds feelings for Nora and plans to visit his true love.  How will the two respond to one another, and can they ever truly find happiness?

Instantly likable as adults, there is definitely a chemistry between the lead characters. There is a sense they belong together, and you are rooting for them even though they have changed.  It brings to mind the concepts of fate and missed opportunities, and though Nora and Hae Sung have experienced life over time, there is still an intrinsic bond that may be something greater than friendship.  The film conveys the loneliness of a big city, and while there are stretches with little dialogue, the story never loses its focus.  The final, emotional scene rings true.

The standout here is Lee whose character is the basis around which the narrative revolves.  Though spoken mostly in Korean and some English, the language of love is universal. With similar vibes as Brief Encounter and Lost in Translation, it’s a realistic, modern take on love.  In Song’s world, love, at times painful, never truly dies.  

****1/2 of *****stars

GODZILLA MINUS ONE Is a Monster Film for the Ages

 

Takashi Yamazaki as writer/director has created a supremely entertaining, heartfelt drama within the guise of a monster film, Godzilla Minus One, certainly the finest Godzilla film ever made and the best of this genre since maybe King Kong.

As World War II ends, Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), is haunted by his failure as a Japanese, Kamikaze pilot, and is witness to a prehistoric creature, Godzilla, that decimates his airstrip crew.  After the war, he returns to his home and finds his parents are gone and the residents struggling to survive. Taking in a woman, Noriko (Minami Hamabe), who is caring for an orphaned baby, the three form a makeshift family, and Shikishima gets a job with a minesweeper that discovers a more powerful, post-atomic Godzilla displaying extraordinary powers and capable of catastrophic destruction.  Left to their own resources, a small group of Japanese citizens bands together to defend Tokyo against a seemingly unstoppable force.

Yamazaki understands the importance of a good story with sympathetic characters worth caring and forming a strong, emotional base that resonates for the rest of the film when Godzilla reappears. Few films in this genre develop characters and narrative to this extent, and it pays off beautifully with storylines like Shikishima’s past trauma and guilt. There is a pervasive theme of redemption and the power of the human spirit to overcome loss through sacrifice.

The impressive, visual effects (supervised by Yamazaki) utilized a relatively modest budget in contrast to most blockbuster films.  Despite spoken Japanese with subtitles, the story moves along at such an engaging pace, that it hardly matters. This sets the bar extremely high for similar films in the future, (with a hint of more Godzilla to come).

**** ½ of ***** stars (for Godzilla fans)

Broadway Royalty

 

Actress, singer, and dancer Chita Rivera has passed at 91. This legend of Broadway earned 10 Tony Award nominations and two wins in addition to a lifetime Tony. She was the first Latina winner of The Kennedy Center Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was the original Anita in West Side Story, played Velma in Chicago, and was the title.role of Kiss of the Spider Woman. She also starred in Bye Bye Birdie and Nine. She also.appeared on TV and film in Sweet Charity and most recently in Tick Tick... Boom!  In musical theater she was royalty.

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A Dark Perspective in THE ZONE OF INTEREST

Adapted from a novel by writer/director Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast), The Zone of Interest is a drama that gives a devastating glimpse at the fringes of World War II and The Holocaust. 

A German family lives a relatively normal life of peaceful calm amid a horrifying truth.  Their activities belie a disturbing reality when it is revealed that they live next to the Auschwitz concentration camp.  Gradually more details are revealed that show evidence of mass killings, and when the father, Rudolph Hoss (Christian Friedel), the commandant, is notified of an upcoming transfer to another camp, it upsets the mother (Sandra Hüller) who desperately hangs onto her family’s idyllic life.

The film, with its perverse realism, is about people insulated in their ‘zone’ surrounded by a different reality.  Rarely has a film projected such a unique point of view for a war period film. By depicting the life of a Nazi family, it defies the conventional settings of wartime drama (The Great Escape, Mrs. Miniver).  From the outset, the film succeeds in projecting a misleading impression of a peaceful setting masking evil and death.  Violence is never shown, and yet clues like smells and sounds are just as shocking in their grim implications especially when the family rifles through new clothing from a questionable source.  When Nazi planners meet, their dispassionate discussion of efficient, concentration camp ovens are in stark contrast to inhumane behavior. 

Methodically paced, the film feels like a semi-documentary with its straightforward narrative.  Accompanied by a spare, ominous score, there is interesting use of sound, color, and transition, and though not all scenes work, (like a jarring flash forward at the crematorium, and a confusing subplot with a girl who helps the Jews), this well-executed parable’s subject matter alone should garner attention.

****1/2 of *****

A Comforting Voice

 

Commentator/writer/musician Charles Osgood has passed at 91.  He was a mainstay on CBS for several decades, and he also hosted the CBS Sunday Morning for 22 years.  He would play the piano at times and wore a trademark bowtie. His voice and persona were a source of comfort and decency for generations of radio and TV fans.

Canadian Director Made Big Splash in US

 

Director/producer Norman Jewison has passed at 97.  A Canadian who did TV shows, he made a huge successful comedy, The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, in 1966 which was nominated for Best Picture. Then he made the racially charged, In the Heat of the Night which won Best Picture for 1967 besting classics like Bonnie and Clyde and The Graduate. The Thomas Crown Affair in 1968 was innovatively edited with split screen. Other well received films included Fiddler on the Roof, the original Rollerball, Moonstruck, and The Hurricane. His films were nominated for 41 Oscars and won 12. He was awarded the Irving Thalberg Award for his producing achievements.

Haunting Love in ALL OF US STRANGERS

 

Part romance, ghost story, and even mystery, All of Us Strangers is a unique film that is so much more than a love story as adapted and directed by Andrew Haigh. 

A writer, Adam (Andrew Scott is excellent), lives alone and has a chance meeting with Harry (Paul Mescal), the only other tenant in the building. The two men form a relationship that grows passionately in short order, but Adam is tentative and troubled, being haunted by deep, personal loss and needing to reconnect with his parents (Jamie Bell, Claire Foy).  His emotional journey will revisit past trauma and painful memories as he seeks to free himself and find peace.

Told from Adam’s point of view, the film, instead of flashbacks, draws from a plot device allowing him to reunite with the ghosts/spirits of his parents.  (It even leaves open the possibility that he is dreaming or imagining them.)  This allows the principals both past and present to interact in meaningful ways not unlike films with similar DNA including The Sixth Sense, Field of Dreams, and Jacob’s Ladder.  The unresolved feelings he shares with his parents are a way to revisit and bring himself closure from his troubled, lonely childhood that has resonated his adult life. This culminates in a moving scene signifying reconciliation and resolution when Adam realizes what he must do.

Though its British dialogue can be challenging, it is well worth this compelling journey which touches the heart and stirs the soul.  It presents a totally authentic depiction of love (for his parents and for Harry) and the perpetual bonds that transcend death.  Devoid of overt sentimentality, Haigh has made a sensitive, compassionate film, one open to deep interpretation about the mosaic of life, and an unforgettable gem in the rough.

***** of ***** stars

MAESTRO and Its Love Story

 

Bradley Cooper as cowriter, director, co-producer and actor, puts his all into a daunting task: tell the story of Leonard Bernstein and his multifaceted career within the framework of an enduring relationship with his wife.  He mostly succeeds with impressive performances in Maestro.

Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) laments a personal loss and flashes back to the 1940s and the moment he gets the opportunity to substitute conduct the New York Philharmonic to resounding success and the beginning of an impressive career.  Mingling with artist friends like Jerome Robbins, he meets and falls in love with actress Felicia Montealegre (Carrie Mulligan). Ambitious and at times brooding, he composes classical works (Candide), Broadway show tunes (West Side Story), and film soundtracks (On the Waterfront).  In addition to becoming the foremost, American conductor, he champions teaching classical music to a younger generation of fans.  Throughout his storied accomplishments is also his love for men, which generates turmoil in his family especially Felicia who struggles to hold their marriage together.    

Beautifully photographed in black and white and then color, the film captures the palpable chemistry between “Lennie” and Felicia; their relationship is a love story that weathers a lifetime of infidelity.  Cooper captures Bernstein’s voice, mannerisms and appearance, but his total commitment to the role culminates in a stunning sequence conducting a Mahler symphony. Mulligan is the standout as the stoic Felicia whose sadness and hurt become evident toward the latter half of a film that could have explored this more since it forms the backbone of the story, and perhaps it is unfair to expect a 129 minute film to adequately cover a rich, creative life plagued by adversity and strife. However, Cooper does capture the essence of a complicated genius of the twentieth century. 

****1/2 of ***** stars

The Search for Truth in ANATOMY OF A FALL

 

Director/cowriter Justine Triet brings Anatomy of a Fall, a film that takes a tragedy and reexamines the lives that are directly affected. It functions as not only a solid mystery but also a tension filled drama.

When a man dies under suspicious circumstances, it triggers an official investigation that threatens to upend his family. After the man’s body is discovered, officials question his wife (Sandra Hüller) and traumatized son. Meanwhile as the investigation progresses, there is a real possibility that she may be charged with murder, and she consults a lawyer friend who offers to help. The facts of the case become more complicated and incriminating leading to a trial where both sides present convincing arguments. Was it suicide, accident, or murder? As the judgment is about to be rendered, the deciding factor may rest on the son’s testimony. 

Featuring a strong performance by Hüller (Zone of Interest) who becomes the focus of the story, the film, bereft of a musical score and methodically shot, is told in a straightforward, almost semi-documentary style with attention to detail and forensics.  We learn about this family’s background through interviews and recordings about the parents’ relationship and recent conflicts. Reconstructing the events, it’s a fascinating, meticulous examination of the truth despite surface appearances.  It avoids sentiment and has a linear narrative that accumulates momentum as it builds to a tense conclusion.

Spoken in English, French, and German, the film is an engrossing, character study that succeeds despite its minimalist approach and longer runtime (152 minutes). The story never forgets that these are people with feelings and pain, and when death occurs, it becomes a huge loss and an overwhelming intrusion in their lives.   There is not a false note in the emotions. 

**** of *****stars

Real Life Vs Fiction in AMERICAN FICTION

 

Adapted and directed by Cord Jefferson, American Fiction is a marvelous character study featuring a winning performance by Jeffrey Wright. With a fascinating premise and incisive commentary, it is a sharp satire that deftly balances drama and humor in equal measure.

A frustrated writer, Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Wright) takes an extended leave and cares for his ailing mom. His publisher wants him to write a book on the black experience which he resists. Meanwhile he befriends a female lawyer while reconnecting with his siblings who are going through major crises of their own including divorce, financial difficulties, and personal loss.  When Monk decides as a joke to pen a phony novel about authentic black life as written by a felon, the publishing world embraces it much to his surprise.  Then movie producers come calling, and his newly minted best seller is up for a major literary award creating a potential embarrassment.  Can he make this impossible scenario work or will it all come crashing down?

After years as a supporting actor, this is Wright’s chance to shine as a leading man, and he succeeds brilliantly. At times an idealist and cynic, Wright’s Monk is totally convincing and generates sympathy as a somewhat self-centered bachelor learning to take responsibility for his family.  His scenes pretending to be a black criminal while talking to publishers are a hoot.

This gem of a screenplay is sensitive as it is hilarious, and with a story that says much about the hypocrisy and stereotypic expectations of audiences, it’s also about revisiting the past and the meaning of family.  The outrageous ending (that screenwriter Adaptation’s Charlie Kaufman would approve) and a strong supporting cast led by Sterling K. Brown result in a film hitting all cylinders and a joy from start to finish.

***** of ***** stars

An Unrealized NIGHT SWIM

Horror indies Blumhouse and Atomic Monster merged recently to release Night Swim, a horror feature expanded from a short by writer/director Bryce McGuire.  It’s a reasonably spooky tale, and it begins with an interesting premise that starts promisingly but is never fully expanded nor completely satisfying.

In 1992, a girl in her swimming pool experiences a terrifying event.  Years later, the Waller family moves into a middle class community and a new home with a beautiful swimming pool fed by a natural spring.  This feels like a new start for their dad (Wyatt Russell), who previously suffered from a debilitating injury. While the pool seems to possess healing powers, it also begins to exhibit strange activities and horrific visions, and the Wallers begin to explore the pool’s dark history and its ominous implications.  Is the pool haunted or supernatural, and can they save themselves from its curse?

Take the hauntings in films like The Amityville Horror and transfer them to a swimming pool, and this is what you get. The scares come from everyday settings like a pool and things that go bump in the night. The cast, led by Russell and Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin), is handicapped by an undeveloped script.  There are subplots that aren’t fully explained, and as each family member experiences trauma, there is the feeling of being derivative and familiar (especially after the shocks of films like It).  Even the nightmarish images are not too frightening, and when the grand finale arrives, it doesn’t pack a punch as it should.

This film scratches the surface of moderate scares where it should have gone all in. Even a PG13 film should produce a lot of terror and dread. Just remember not to lean too close to the edge of the pool!

*** of ***** stars 

 

Tom Shales-TV Journalist Supreme

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/tom-shales-dead-pulitzer-prize-winning-washington-post-critic-1235787295/

I was raised on his TV reviews and articles in the Washington Post. This Pulitzer Prize winning journalist had keen observations and wrote several books including a definitive history of Saturday Night Live. He will be missed.

Innocence Corrupted in POOR THINGS

 

Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite) directs the adaptation of Poor Things, a bizarre, imaginative adventure of self-discovery featuring a bravura performance by Emma Stone.

A young woman commits suicide and is revived by a scientist (Willem Dafoe) who transplants into her the brain of a child. Bella (Emma Stone) begins to learn about the meaning of life with her innocent mind, curious about her existence and testing her limits which means potentially exceeding the norms of acceptable behavior.  She goes off to explore the world and experience things for the first time.  Her emotional growth also accompanies her sexual awakening especially with an unscrupulous lawyer (Mark Ruffalo). Through her travels, she witnesses the good and bad in humanity, but when the truth about her past emerges, it threatens to change everything she has come to know and believe.

Stone is a revelation, giving a tour-de-force, fearless turn as Bella whose evolving, mental growth form the overall character arc.  Rebellious and precocious, she has a pure, untainted heart, and just when you expect her to do something rash and outrageous, she follows up with a thoughtful, compassionate act.  This results in awkward, at times hilarious moments particularly in a showstopper duet on a dance floor.

Akin to the cinematic flourishes of Tim Burton and Guillermo del Toro, this film is a completely realized world with its Frankenstein premise (populated with convincing, hybrid animals that begs the question, “Can Lanthimos adapt Geek Love?”).   Complete with a gothic score, the gorgeous sets and costumes are shot in sumptuous colors alternating with black and white. With outstanding support from Dafoe and Ruffalo, it’s an unorthodox narrative both entertaining and potentially divisive, and though unabashed in its explicitness and audacity, it’s a unique and fascinating film.  

***** of ***** stars (for Lanthimos fans)