Field of Dreams and Its Everlasting Power

So I catch the last 30 minutes of Field of Dreams on TCM. I saw this with close friends when it first opened in 1989. It was a wonderful film filled with mystery, drama, humor, and magic, but when the end came and it all came to fruition, we were stunned by the emotional bond and the answer to the cryptic voice, "If you build it he will come." We were all blubbering wrecks, grateful for reconnecting with our inner selves and with each other's shared experiences. It mattered... not how old or young or what sex or what ethnic background, every one of us was affected. How a simple fable could have such power can only be summed up by a fortuitous confluence of writer, director, acting and sheer inspiration. I have watched parts or all of the film over the years, always drawn to its glow and shamelessly tearing up by the end. Tonight, as I sit (with a bit of melancholy that my two local baseball teams , The Nats and Orioles didn't make it through the playoffs,) on the eve of a David vs Goliath kind of World Series between the Royals and Giants, the film has just concluded. It has been 25 years since it first played. It doesn't feel like it. I still have tears in my grateful eyes.

The Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention is now in the books for 2014. What a fun, walk down memory lane as I met George Lazenby whose On Her Majesty Secret Service was a solo Bond effort.  Sporting a nice sense of humor, I asked him if costar Telly Savalas did some of his own stunts, and it appears no, while Lazenby did nearly all his own action scenes. He also revealed how he was considered for the original Equalizer TV series only to have Edward Woodward take the role per the powers that be.

I also met Connie Stevens, a Hollywood star from the 60s and 70s, who began with TV's Hawaiian Eye and was a staple of TV and movies.  When I told her I remembered watching her singing the Oscar nominated song, The Morning After, at the 1973 Oscars, she had forgotten and then remembered it winning.

Veronica Cartwright has been acting since a child when she had a memorable role in Hitchcock's The Birds and later starred in many films and TV shows (The X Files). Her role in the terrifying classic, Alien, led me to ask if that ensemble cast got along, and she said they did and kept in touch with them especially Tom Skerritt.

Piper Laurie is Hollywood royalty having come up through the studio system through TV roles like the classic, Twin Peaks.  She costarred in The Hustler and was nominated for an Oscar which would happen numerous times including her signature role as the mother in Carrie.  In that film, she told me the script was kind of clichéd but she brought her performance to the part-boy did she ever!

Although Angela Cartwright (Lost in Space) couldn't make it, there were plenty of celebrities and vendors to satisfy any TV/film/radio nostalgia. OK, I was a groupie today, and in the words of Maxwell Smart, "and loving it!" Thanks Martin Grams for your efforts.

X MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST and Its Bold Mission

These are remarkable times for Marvel comic fans as film effects have enabled story and imagination to produce a visually stunning, realistic experience. With X Men: Days of Future Past, a strong team of writers and director Bryan Singer have created a highly entertaining quasi-sequel/prequel which reinvents the X Men world from all the previous versions. A logistical challenge from the get go, this film has accomplished the near impossible and approaches the excellence of The Avengers.

 

 

In a bleak vision of the future, mutants are being hunted down along with any human sympathizers by enhanced, robotic Sentinel hunters. With the last vestiges of hope at a remote location, Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Erik Lehnsherr AKA Magneto (Ian McKellen) join forces in a last ditch effort to alter the timeline using Kitty Pryde’s (Ellen Page) transferring powers to send Logan AKA Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back to his body in the 1970s.  His desperate mission is to convince the younger Charles (James McAvoy) and Erik (Michael Fassbender) to stop Raven AKA Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), from carrying out a vendetta against humans including a scientist named Dr. Trask (Peter Dinklage), who holds the key to the Sentinel army. However, tracking Raven is problematic while the younger Charles has lost his purpose having withdrawn into seclusion, and a young, embittered Erik is locked away for a significant crime. How Wolverine can ‘put the band back together’ is just the beginning of a convoluted storyline that not only involves time travel but exposing old, emotional wounds and the fleeting hope of salvation from a doomed future.

From the opening 20^th Century Fox fanfare with its highlighted ‘X’, you know Singer has got his mojo back (after the misfire of Superman Returns). Having started the current Marvel era of filmmaking with X Men (2000), he knows these characters better than anyone, and the screenplay has a strong narrative with some genuinely funny lines. Like X Men: First Class, this film crisscrosses the globe from Vietnam to Paris to Washington D.C., and much of the early period parallels actual historic events and figures as in Watchmen.

Fate and destiny: can history be altered and can people change?  The film has such a complex plot you wonder if it will shortchange the emotional content. It doesn’t. In fact, you could almost have made this a two part film and expanded the possibilities. By trying to link the old with the new into one cohesive plot was challenge enough, but by sprinkling in bits of references to the Marvel canon and providing a great ending, comic fans should be giddy and thrilled. You don’t have to have seen every X Men film, but it helps to enrich the experience for fans of Marvel lore by connecting a lot of dots.

 

 

Once again, the interplay between the younger Charles and Erik forms the core of a paradoxical love/hate relationship. First, Charles must find his way back from his self-imposed exile amid personal loss, and then it becomes a fascinating triangle of wills; Raven may be the target, but Erik and Charles struggle for her soul. Stewart lends authority (as the older Charles) as he narrates in grim tones the opening sequence which has parallels (as in the first X Men) to the Holocaust and human intolerance.

The large cast shines especially McAvoy and Lawrence, who gets to speak in Vietnamese much as Fassbender espoused German in First Class. You wish there were more of Stewart and McKellen, who are so good together, and despite relegating some cast members (including Halle Berry as Storm) to brief cameos or short scenes, plenty of familiar faces reappear from previous films to lend an air of continuity, and you feel the casts of both past and present are adequately represented.

New characters are introduced with cool powers particularly Evan Peters as Quicksilver, whose rapid speed proves instrumental in the film’s standout sequence that ranks up there with X 2’s opening White House assault by Nightcrawler. The special effects are that good. Just watching the final showdown where the mutants utilize all their unique powers to do battle with the Sentinels is a treat. Mystique’s special morphing powers are on full display along with her acrobatic fighting style, and Magneto’s powers are dead on as he literally raises RFK Stadium when the action shifts to DC and The White House.

 

 

Ambitious and well executed, X Men: Days of Future Past reaches the heights of X 2 and successfully merges two different universes both past and present, resets the timelines and events in a massive reboot, and results in a cohesive, entertaining story with an expanded, marquee cast. By applying equal parts reverence and boldness with the X Men mythology, Singer and company have accomplished a nearly impossible juggling act. With visionary directors like Joss Whedon (whose The Avengers is the gold standard) and Singer, the Marvel brand is likely to be an exemplary force of film entertainment for many years to come.

(Yes, stay until the end of the credits for a brief, elaborate setup for the next film!)

***1/2 of **** stars (add ½* for Marvel fans)

 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER and the Paranoia of Fear

Directed with the sure hands of brothers Anthony and Joe Russo (TV’s Community) from an excellent screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is easily the best of the stand alone Marvel films and a thrilling action film full of big surprises and twists with far reaching consequences.  A superior sequel like X Men 2 and The Dark Knight, it raises the stakes of good story telling and intricate plotting of comic book adaptations in the guise of a political thriller. 

Steve Rogers AKA Captain America (Chris Evans) continues his adjustment to 21^st century life after his thaw from the deep freeze (in Captain America: The First Avenger) and befriends a fellow veteran, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie).  On a typical mission for S.H.I.E.L.D., Cap and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) lead a team of agents to rescue a pirated ship which turns up an interesting bit of information.  Meanwhile, as S.H.I.E.L.D. readies the major launch of a defense system in Washington, D.C., there are growing concerns expressed by boss Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to his superior, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford).  As suspicions multiply, all hell breaks loose when there is an assassination attempt on one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s own.  The conspiracy leads Captain America to a confrontation with a mysterious, formidable figure, The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), whose strength and skills are extraordinary. With only a small circle of comrades, everything Cap has come to value comes crashing down. Loyalties are tested and just who will survive a major shift in the world order is just the beginning of an insidious plot.   

For fans of Cap, these are grand times as the filmmakers have chosen a major story arc (The Winter Soldier) from his comic annals and incorporated Silver Age characters, e.g. The Falcon (Mackie) and Batroc.  Recently, super hero films have chosen to bend the rules and take chances with tradition. This film goes much further than any previous Marvel adaptation.  It features a good mystery, topical subject matter on individual privacy, and significant plot twists so much so that it is essential for the viewer to watch them unfold without any spoilers.  The smart script contains witty lines amid a pervasive feeling of mistrust and paranoia.  When Cap responds to Fury’s state of the art weaponry to combat threats and says, “This isn’t freedom. This is fear,” it sums up the theme of the story.  Think of this as homage to 1970s conspiracy classics like Three Days of the Condor, The Parallax View, and Marathon Man.  The film also employs moments that references Mission Impossible, The X Files, RoboCop, and 24.          

Acting is uniformly strong as some old, familiar faces return, and a few new ones get introduced.  By now Evans has become the embodiment of the iconic hero, retaining his sense of justice, duty, and morals, virtues which are downright refreshing in a post 9/11 world.  Rogers is a Rip Van Winkle out of his time and still learning to assimilate the world changes and cultural references with amusing results.  Evans’ chemistry with Johansson is believable yet ironic since their two characters have vastly different backgrounds.  In a costarring role, Johansson’s Black Widow is resourceful, smart, and deadly as a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative whose history is only beginning to be scratched.  Perhaps Black Widow should have her own film!  

Jackson’s Fury has an expanded role and reveals more facets of his mysterious background.  Robert Redford (All the President’s Men) has a significant, atypical role as a high level official, and he is outstanding. His presence alone adds legitimacy and authority to the film.  Mackie (The Hurt Locker) is an ideal buddy in arms to Evans.  Emily VanCamp makes a good first impression as a young agent, and Cobie Smulders (returning as Agent Maria Hill) provides solid backup.

The many impressive action sequences are noteworthy for their ferocity and meticulous detail, but the standouts are a mad, opening car chase through the streets of D.C., and a remarkable fight in a glass elevator that surpasses the gem in Die Hard: With a Vengeance.  There are moments of intense hand to hand combat that recall the best moments of the Bourne films on steroids.  You’ve also got to love that shield; the film wisely displays all the creative ways Cap’s shield is employed in combat.  The violence here is realistically depicted and not cartoonish which pushes its PG-13 rating.  Extensive use of handheld cameras and more live action special effects than CGI lend a stronger sense of realism.  D.C. locations make a splendid backdrop for much of the film.

Taking super hero filmmaking to new heights, Captain America: The Winter Soldier successfully interconnects what we know from previous films and effectively challenges you to reevaluate everything in the Marvel Universe.  It certainly helps to have seen the previous films, but there is sufficient background and context that a casual outsider would still enjoy it.  (Fans of TV’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will have a field day as the events tie directly with the show.)  Though the film ends with open ended story threads that beg for another sequel, consider this as The Empire Strikes Back of Captain America. That’s not such a bad place to be.

(As usual, don’t forget two post credit scenes which are significant.)

***1/2 of **** stars (add 1/2 * for Marvel fans)

 

Under the Spell of LAURA (a retro review)

Based on the novel by Vera Caspary and adapted by various scribes, Laura started modestly as mystery yarn released in 1944 and has grown in stature as a haunting, film noir classic.  It was begun by veteran director Rouben Mamoulian (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) with a young producer, Otto Preminger.  Due to creative differences, Mamoulian was replaced by 20^th Century Fox boss Darryl F. Zanuck, and Preminger took over directorial reins and made significant changes in casting and story.

The horrific murder of Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney) triggers an investigation headed by cynical detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews).  Among a rogues gallery of suspects is Waldo Lydecker (Clifton Webb, priceless in a star making turn), an acerbic, caustic writer, Shelby Carpenter (Vincent Price), a charming playboy, and Ann Treadwell (Judith Anderson), a socialite.  Told in a series of flashbacks, Laura ascends the world of advertising and garners the admiration and desires among the men in her life.  McPherson becomes intrigued and fascinated by her even in death.  As he searches for more clues in her apartment, he finds himself strangely drawn to her lifelike portrait until one fateful night when his world changes forever.  

What a marvelous cast.  While it lacked a bonafide superstar, the film more than compensated with a roster of wonderful character actors and supporting players at their best.  First and foremost, the priceless Webb was already 53 years old with this breakout role and earned an Oscar nomination.  He subsequently had a distinguished career playing eccentric, loveable leads in such films as Cheaper by the Dozen (which was remade starring Steve Martin), Sitting Pretty (the original Mr. Belvedere before a TV version), and a very credible version of Titanic. Gene Tierney was a stunningly beautiful actress who would grace memorable films as in her Oscar nominated role in Leave Her to Heaven and the classic, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.  Dana Andrews starred in many films over a couple decades including The Best Years of Our Lives and The Crowded Sky (a direct inspiration for the parody Airplane.). You see Vincent Price in a strong role before he made his mark as the king of horror films (House of Wax, Pit and Pendulum).  Judith Anderson was versatile among theater, film, and television in a career spanning a majority of the twentieth century ranging from Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca to Star Trek III: The Search for Spock as a Vulcan! 

What seals Laura’s reputation forever is the romantic pull of not just a gorgeous femme fatale (Tierney), but a dead one at that! The story captivates your attention with its romantic longing and seedy mystery interspersed with humorous moments and unique twists. It’s also filled with sharp dialogue particularly the crackling lines spouted by Webb and ends with what must be one of the most famous last lines in movie history.  The film’s point of view employs the occasional use of voiceover, and one could imagine director Martin Scorsese being inspired by that device to use in some of his films (Good Fellas, The Wolf of Wall Street). 

Technical achievements excelled for what was essentially a B-movie.  Joseph LaShelle won a much deserved Oscar for his imaginative, black and white cinematography which displayed camera movement seldom seen up to that point (even though earlier German cinema had already pioneered the language of film noir).  The film deserves to be seen in a movie theater setting.  I was fortunate to watch this projected on a screen, uncut; it makes a huge difference. 

What has significantly contributed to the legend of this film is its memorable theme music by composer David Raksin.  What other title from film noir’s heyday boasts such a romantic score?  (I don’t count Chinatown or Body Heat which were post-period homages.)

Although Preminger would subsequently have his moments in the sun with films that notoriously courted controversy (Anatomy of a Murder, The Man With the Golden Arm), none of the other principals behind or in front of the camera would ever surpass their success with Laura.  Movie watchers may recognize distinct parallels in plot to a 1981 Burt Reynolds action film, Sharky’s Machine. 

The fact that Laura plays so well in the modern era is a testament to its unique storyline, great characterizations, and a confluence of technical acumen.  The film had a total of five Oscar nominations including one for Preminger.  In 1999, it was added to the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress.  A supreme example of the old studio system at its finest and a highlight of American film noir, Laura is one of the best films from Hollywood’s golden age.  Love that painting!

**** of ****stars

 

OSCAR PREDICTION FOR 2013 FILMS

OK, I have seen all nine best picture nominees and a few other titles but not all. There are very likely surprises in a couple major categories. Enjoy!

PICTURE-3 way race and 12 Years a Slave squeaks by American Hustle and Gravity.

ACTOR-Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club

ACTRESS-Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine is a lock 

SUPPORTING ACTOR-Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club

SUPPORTING ACTRESS-Lupita Nyong’o of 12 Years a Slave in a coin flip over Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle.

DIRECTOR-Alfonso Cuarón for Gravity.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY-Her with possibly American Hustle consolation prize

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY-12 Years a Slave.

ANIMATED FEATURE-Frozen

FILM EDITING-Gravity and a possible Captain Phillips spoiler 
                                                                                                  
CINEMATOGRAPHY-Gravity

PRODUCTION DESIGN-The Great Gatsby

ORIGINAL SCORE-Gravity

ORIGINAL SONG-Let It Go from Frozen, unless U2 gets it for Ordinary Love for Mandela:Long Walk to Freedom

SOUND EDITING-Gravity

SOUND MIXING-Gravity

COSTUME DESIGN-12 Years a Slave

MAKEUP& HAIRSTYLING-Dallas Buyers Club

VISUAL EFFECTS-Gravity hands down

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM-The Great Beauty

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE-The Act of Killing

Various SHORTS-who cares?

Figure Gravity will take a majority of awards at least 6. It is entirely possible American Hustle may be shut out!

AMERICAN HUSTLE -the Art of Seduction and Survival

Suggested by actual events of the Abscam sting in the 1970s, the FBI plans to setup and arrest corrupt politicians. How they get the officials and the professional con artists that help the sting operation are the basis of a nostalgic film.  As directed and co-written by David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook, The Fighter), American Hustle is an acting clinic highlighting a convoluted tale of men and women who are looking for a big score.   

In 1978, ambitious FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper), forces con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and his mistress, Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), to help arrange a con on white collar crime, specifically targeting corrupt politicians.  Richie wants to make a name for himself, and he is immediately attracted to Sydney and has designs on her beyond the con.  Starting with a local, beloved mayor, Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner), high level political figures are drawn in, and there is the possible organized crime connection. Further, Irving’s wife, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), threatens to derail the sting.  As Richie’s grand plan comes together, things get more complicated and risky, and Irving and Sydney must rely on their skills to survive. 

These are very well etched characters.  Each has something to gain, and each has an angle to exploit, whether it’s Richie’s dreams of a big bust or Rosalyn’s threats to expose the operation.  Kindred souls and survivors, Irving and Sydney have mastered the art of deception and manipulation.  You feel a degree of sympathy for Irving despite his criminal past and his marital discord.  Not only does he love his women, but he tries to save a friend from jail.  Irving turns out to be someone to root for.  In fact the world is not black and white especially when an FBI agent breaks the rules and gets involved with one of the principals.  Carmine is the noble, elected official who truly believes in doing good for his community.  Just who are the good guys and bad guys? Just who is conning who? 

Memorable scenes include a catty confrontation in a women’s restroom, the faceoff between Richie and his beleaguered boss (played to great effect by Louis C. K.), and an incredibly tense meeting with a head mobster (Robert DeNiro in a lethal cameo). 

Acting is superior throughout as expected in a Russell ensemble with the principals at the top of their game.  Bale transforms his physical appearance as an overweight, balding schlep (a far cry from The Dark Knight’s Batman).  A sultry Adams (Doubt, Her) has a great time playing a kindred con artist with a British accent.  Cooper (Limitless, The Hangover) has a ball as the gung ho agent with a 1970s perm who will step over his boss to get his time in the sun.  Lawrence (The Hunger Games, Winter’s Bone) excels as the wife who exhibits a bold brashness in public which delights her onlookers but risks blowing the sting.

There is liberal use of 1970’s pop songs which blend with the costumes and hair styles seamlessly.  The camera work is fluid and is reminiscent of early Martin Scorsese films. There is a very carefree attitude in the film’s look and feel which is consistent with this loose, uninhibited decade. 

A slice of the seventies with freewheeling hustlers and loose morals, at its core, American Hustle is a love story centering on Irving, an imperfect con artist and the women in his life.  The film is essentially a con within a con and keeps you guessing until the end.  Although the film’s narrative is not as tight as it could have been, Russell has sacrificed a tiny bit of substance for style.  Do admire this film for the many scenes that pit flawed characters against each other.  Acting does not get much better than this.

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

GRAVITY Soars

Some films (Castaway, 127 Hours) have a simple premise, a basic tale of survival, devoid of large casts and complicated plotlines.  Co-written with his son Jonás Cuarón, director and co-writer Alfonso Cuarón (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Y Tu Mamá También) has combined state of the art technology and remarkable acting by Sandra Bullock in a spectacular, tension-filled adventure, Gravity.

 

American astronauts Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), work on repairs to the Hubble space telescope as news of a nearby Russian satellite explosion is reported.  The quiet serenity is suddenly displaced by hurtling debris that decimates the repair mission and causes great damage to the telescope and more.  Caught up in a life threatening disaster and stranded in space without any hope of rescue, the two must improvise and utilize survival skills to survive under impossible circumstances.  As hope fades and oxygen running low, the astronauts must make difficult choices to make it home alive. 

Caurón successfully conveys the emptiness and vastness of space and how isolated it can be.  What is remarkable is that this film could not have been made so convincingly until now because of recent technological developments.  Even director James Cameron (Avatar), who was consulted early on, championed the film’s ambitions for space realism that was years in the making.  A ground breaking achievement in visual effects, not since Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey or Apollo 13 has a film so realistically depicted space travel.  Even the realistic use of sound or lack of it enhances the authenticity.  Great care and research obviously went into the production. 

The film boldly starts with a continuous panning shot for thirteen minutes with nary a cut.  When was the last time a major Hollywood film did that?  There are some remarkable shots in space like the one instance where Bullock is in a womb-like position which acts as a metaphor of life.  Gravity deserves to be seen in 3D (perhaps the best 3D film since Avatar) which opens up the magnitude of the visual effects.  When did any 3D film show a person’s tears?  This one does.  The realism and emptiness of space will be hard to match so convincingly in future films. 

Cuarón establishes a basic premise and creates a major conflict while continually upping the ante of impending danger.  The suspense is palpable as we feel as if we are there with Bullock and must figure a way to first get out of harm’s way and then to go home to earth.  The one film this reminds you of is Marooned. 

This is Bullock’s (The Blind Side) show all the way as you feel her fears amid every threat; she is in virtually every shot.  We learn to understand her feelings and get a glimpse into her past about her regrets in life.  Paradoxically, space becomes a place to escape her past or prove to be her death.  One major theme for her character is learning to let go whether it be a painful past memory or letting go of something in the here and now.  It’s about finding a reason to live and finding a deeply personal redemption under the most trying circumstances. 

Clooney lends strong support as her veteran colleague and voice of reason who offers instructions and calm amid tragedy.  You will never guess who voices mission control, but here’s a hint-see Apollo 13.

 

Sure, despite convenient coincidences that facilitate some plot points and a couple situations that are a bit hard to believe, Bullock sells it with her conviction and desperation; you buy into the situation regardless even if it may be hallucination or a dream.

What should be noteworthy is the fact that Gravity is rated PG in an era when PG13 and R rated major releases dominate the marketplace.  And it runs a lean 90 minutes.  How such a simple tale of survival and hope becomes not only totally engaging but such a compelling, landmark work of cinema is the lasting legacy of Gravity.

**** of **** stars

 

12 YEARS A SLAVE for the Ages

Director Steve McQueen (no relation to the actor) has made a name for his personal, bold themes (Shame) and has come of age with his latest, most affecting film, 12 Years a Slave, adapted by John Ridley from the novel by Solomon Northrop.  Perhaps no major studio film has portrayed slavery in America so honestly and directly. 

 

Solomon Northrop (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a free man in New York in 1841 with a wife and two children.  He is educated and blessed with a talent for playing the violin.  A tempting offer of work leads him to Washington D.C. where two white men trick him into being mistaken for a slave.  Helpless and unable to communicate with his family or anyone who can help him, Solomon is pulled into the world of torture and servitude as a slave to be auctioned as a commodity in the South.  Northrop is witness to inhumanity by white slave owners as families are torn apart.  He is sold from one plantation to another and finds one owner, Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender, a standout), who is not only strong willed but cruel and immoral.  Time goes by, and he always maintains a sense of dignity and hope while exhibiting compassion for his brethren.  Northrop’s desperate attempts to escape or get a letter to his family need the sympathetic ear of a good Samaritan for his salvation.

 

Imagine being held against your will and performing menial, backbreaking work at the behest of cruel masters who strike out with deadly violence at the drop of a hat.  Now imagine that as an educated slave, he dares not reveal his intelligence lest he be executed.  Silence means survival.   Rebellion is met with severe punishment and death.  All this goes on year after year with little or no hope. 

That it took this long in cinema history to depict this stain of human intolerance is sobering especially in the post-Roots generation.  McQueen depicts the horrors of oppression and outright sadism while getting the details such as the frightened reactions of slaves to mere sounds.  He also has a firm sense of time and place with striking visuals.  Cinematography is excellent, and the period recreation is authentically convincing with historic set design and costumes as well as the flavor of music.  The film is similar to the lean narrative of Clint Eastwood’s recent films without the emotional pathos of Steven Spielberg. 

Ejiofor (Salt) has the best role of his career, and aside from the always impressive Fassbender (Prometheus), the surprise performance has to be Lupita Nyong’o as perhaps the most tragic of slaves.  Benedict Cumberbatch (perhaps the busiest actor currently) has an effective role of a sympathetic slave owner.  In an interesting bit role, Saturday Night Live’s Taran Killam shows a brief glimpse of dramatic potential.  There are several name actors who take supporting or bit roles including Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, and Alfre Woodard.  Brad Pitt has a brief but significant moment that is a turning point in the story.  He had a significant role as producer in bringing the book to the screen, and it shows just how shrewd he was to take a chance on a story that needed to be told. 

It’s a very sobering journey in American history that is harrowing and painful, and by the time the powerful ending arrives, you may find yourself not only thoroughly drained, but more appreciative of the life of one person (whose postscript is also noteworthy).  It’s a difficult subject matter handled by McQueen with compassion and unflinching realism.  A moving chronicle of a family torn apart amid historical injustice, 12 Years a Slave is about the indomitable human spirit and its ultimate triumph amid intolerable adversity. 

**** of **** stars

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS and His Captors

Based on the real life story and book by Captain Richard Phillips, Captain Phillips is an authentic recreation of the events leading up to the hijacking of an American freighter ship on the high seas by modern day Somali pirates in 2009.  Directed by Paul Greengrass (United 93, The Bourne Ultimatum), the film is a non-stop edge of your seat entertainment that puts you in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation.  Tom Hanks and a talented supporting cast bring the participants to life in one of the year’s best films. 

Phillips is a responsible commander of a freighter with a small crew.  As he boards his ship and readies to embark at sea, a group of Somali men prepares to search for nearby ships to board and hold hostage for money.  As the freighter nears the Somali waters, the pirates give chase and the race is on as Phillips follows a series of procedures to elude and repel the invaders.  When the pirates board and take control of the bridge by force, the dynamic has shifted to a hostage situation. As the Somali, who are smart and cautious, search the ship for other crew members, it becomes a tense game of cat and mouse.  Led by Muse (Barkhad Abdi), the pirates want money even as US military forces come to the rescue.  A tense standoff leads Phillips and his captors to the freighter’s life boat and a race against time to save the brave captain. 

Phillips and his crew take creative steps to make this hijacking as difficult as possible.  They even follow a protocol for securing the ship from boarders by running drills and taking extra precautions.  Phillips himself proves resourceful even when alone with his captors by making innocent suggestions that have ulterior motives and meaning. 

The scene where the pirates take over the bridge is well shot and has a real time feel.  Nobody shoots docudramas better than Greengrass with his rapid edits and handheld cameras.  He conveys a sense of progressively worsening desperation and hopelessness.  Henry Jackman’s score matches the intensity of the film. 

Like the concluding mission in Zero Dark Thirty, the final sequence here is meticulously detailed and ratchets the suspense to an unbearable level even though most people know how these events transpired.  The play is the thing, and Greengrass executes the finale like a true, military SEAL operation complete with preparations and tactics.  The climax is a brilliantly edited moment of split second timing, patience, and decisive action. It affects the audience on a visceral level where so much is at risk

Hanks (Saving Mr. Banks, Philadelphia) is completely convincing as Phillips.  Abdi is authentic and menacing as Muse, all the more impressive since he was a total amateur when cast in the role. You even feel a bit of sympathy for Muse because he comes from a place of poverty where there are few options in life, and you come to realize that he is a person under extreme pressure from his bosses on the mainland.   In fact, utilizing mostly unknowns aside from Hanks, works to the film’s realism.  The other Somali men are each given a chance to shine and have unique personas which makes what happens to them a shared experience. 

You also wonder how Phillips’ wife and family are reacting to the crisis but you never see them despite Catherine Keener’s brief role as his wife at the beginning.  That could have raised the stakes a bit more emotionally.

By the film’s stunning resolution, there is an emotional release in Phillips that the audience shares.  It is in these last several minutes that Hanks draws you into his heartbreaking trauma.  It is here that he excels in an emotional performance in an emotional film, where a brave man said and did the right things under extreme duress.  

***1/2 of **** stars (add ½* for Tom’s last few minutes)

 

The Temptations of THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Director Martin Scorsese’s ongoing collaboration with actor Leonardo DiCaprio has yielded highly entertaining, prestigious films (The Departed, The Aviator).  Their latest venture is the true, astonishing tale of Wall Street crook Jordan Belfort whose appetites for money, sex and drugs are a detailed observation on greed and temptation.

An eager, young executive, Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), experiences the Wall Street disaster of 1987 which wipes out investors and costs him a job.  Anxious to bounce back, he discovers the art of selling unregulated penny stocks and starts his own brokerage.  Soon he is making a lot of money often at the expense of low income earners but also wealthy clients, and with the help of some cronies including new follower, Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill), begins to expand exponentially into a major force in the financial world.  The emotional stress and pressure heighten his need for women, sex, drugs and then drugs upon drugs.  As his excessive lifestyle spirals out of control, the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission begin investigating his company’s illegal activities that signals the beginning of the end.

DiCaprio (Inception) gives his all as the out-of-control executive whose wealth is surpassed only by his defiance and greed.  It is interesting to contrast his younger, innocent broker with his later, drug addicted shark.  With maniacal fervor, he inspires and rallies a company’s corporate culture.  You are mesmerized by his bold, flamboyant salesman and yet, you look for any semblance of redeeming qualities.  In a sense, Jordan is a metaphor for our corporate society’s love of money and its ultimate corruption. 

Hill (Moneyball) really shows a good range as Belfort’s second in command.  Can this be the same Jonah Hill who had a supporting role in Knocked Up?  Matthew McConaughey has a memorable supporting role as a mentor to Belfort, and their scene together at a rooftop restaurant where McConaughey shows a ritual of self motivation is a hoot.

 

Margot Robbie is well cast as the beautiful woman who captures Jordan’s heart and more.  Rob Reiner has an amusing supporting role as Jordan’s dad who sees the company as a sinking ship.  In fact two other directors, Jon Favreau and Spike Jonze, have bit parts or cameos.  Playing an FBI agent, Kyle Chandler, who has become the go-to actor for government types, is a good foil in his scenes with Jordan aboard a yacht. 

There are some memorable vignettes such as the outrageous attempts to smuggle millions in cash to Europe, the crazy office parties, and an especially hilariously pathetic attempt by Jordan to drive home at the same moment he has a very bad drug reaction.  When the justice system corners him, Jordan faces a decision not unlike the protagonist in Prince of the City. You know how this is going to go down, and when it does, it is an astonishing reversal of fortune.
At three hours, it is constantly engaging and well paced from start to finish courtesy of veteran editor Thelma Schoonmaker.  The sweeping camera shots and rapid cuts show Scorsese at the top of his craft.  He tells much of the film through DiCaprio as narrator and voiceover.  In fact much of this film will remind you of the style and structure of his Good Fellas and Casino, and the ending recalls another Scorsese classic, The King of Comedy.

Make no mistake, despite excellent performances and a strong narrative, this film has scenes that are bordering on NC17; some scenes are so over the top in suggestiveness and explicitness that it would be hard to believe if it wasn’t true.  The film’s depictions may lead some to question the filmmakers’ intent, but Scorsese, without passing judgment, wanted to honestly show greed and power at its worst in the boardroom and the bedroom.  Consider The Wolf of Wall Street as a supremely effective, cautionary tale of abuse of wealth at a time when such behavior flourished unchecked.  You might not like the passengers on this flight, but it is a fascinating ride. 

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