The Grand Lady Passes

Just a brief note to mark the passing of legendary entertainer Rose Marie whose 90 year career ended at age 94. I followed her twitter feeds which she often updated on her life events and past photos. A documentary just premiered to commemorate her showbiz life. For me she will always be Sally on The Dick Van Dyke Show in the sixties. What great memories of a grand lady who kept her hand in things to the very end

Rite of Passage in LADY BIRD

A coming of age drama and a breath of fresh air from actress turned writer/director Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird features a complete performance by Saoirse Ronan and impressive support by Laurie Metcalf.

In 2002, Christine (Ronan) is having an identity crisis preferring the name Lady Bird as a senior at a Catholic high school in Sacramento, California.  Whether auditioning for a school play, prepping for the senior prom, or scrambling to find what college to attend even as her family struggles with finances, she desperately wants to fit in and impress her peers even if it means lying. Her life is constantly at odds with her stressed out mom, Marion (Metcalf), who is consumed with responsibilities at work and home.  Romance blooms, and life takes unexpected turns as friendships and loyalties are tested.

Gerwig has a filmmaking style that belies her independent film background in which the narrative is structured as a series of moments in Christine’s life.  The dialogue is realistic (and memorable) in depicting teen angst and class disparity while peppered with genuinely funny moments. 

The core of this film is inevitably the love and hate relationship between two headstrong family members, Christine and Marion.  There are touching moments which ring true about life, a mother and daughter’s love for one another, and about Christine’s painful maturation in the real world. 

The performances are quite good; expect Oscar nominations for both women.  Ronan is building an impressive body of work at a young age while Metcalf has a golden role that she mines for every nuance.  Gerwig brings a unique voice to cinema and in Ronan, she has found a perfect surrogate to depict adolescent yearnings in a drama that rings true.  

**** of **** stars

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI and the Battle Between Good and Evil

Writer/Director Rian Johnson (Looper) picks up where The Force Awakens ends and takes on ambitious themes in The Last Jedi. Marking the last appearance of Carrie Fisher as Leia, it is an emotional adventure with big surprises.

As the First Order, led by the supreme ruler Snoke with his apprentice, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), pursues and annihilates the Resistance, Poe (Oscar Isaac) leads a desperate attempt to save the rebels and General Leia Organa (Fisher). Finn (John Boyega) goes on an impromptu mission with an ally, Rose (Kelly Marie Tran). Meanwhile Rey (Daisy Ridley) wants Jedi master, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who is the last hope of the rebellion, to teach her the ways of the force; what is the force, and how can it be wielded?  It’s a fascinating study in good and evil leading to a game changing climax.

This is a beautifully realized, diverse universe populated by lovable little animals called Porgs. The story alternates among Finn, Rey, and Poe who all have substantially more character development, but Hamill’s Luke dominates in every scene he appears. (In the year of Wonder Woman, Rey, Leia, and Rose stand out as strong, female heroes.)  The robot, BB-8, really shines here, and other familiar faces make welcome appearances.

The screenplay is peppered with funny lines, and while subtly referencing (including musical riffs) from the early trilogy, there are revealing plot twists that reinvigorate traditional storylines.  Production values and visual effects (including a great lightsaber battle) are top notch with John Williams back in the saddle with an energetic score. 

The film slows down a bit midway and picks up momentum for a grand finale in its 2 ½ hour running time. The Star Wars franchise has been energized in new ways by a talented director and a poignant performance by Fisher who goes out on a fine note. It is a fitting tribute that leaves this trilogy with enormous possibilities for the final film.

 **** of ****

Fanciful Tale of THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS

Part fact and part conjecture, The Man Who Created Christmas (from the book by Les Standiford) is a fascinating, amusing imagining of the creation of one of the all time literary classics, A Christmas Carol and features winning performances and spirit that Charles Dickens would approve.  

In 1843 in London, Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens), the world famous author of Oliver Twist, is at a career crossroads with his family financially strapped.  Plagued by writer’s block and constant interruptions, he is under pressure to deliver a Christmas story that he is making up based on familiar faces and locales.  When he creates his main character, Scrooge, (wonderfully personified by rascally Christopher Plummer), his characters comes to life in his mind, and at times it is hard to separate the fiction from reality!  As his past and present life intersect, Dickens needs a brilliant ending to his story as the Christmas season arrives.

This is about Dickens’ creative process which sometimes comes at the expense of his family and even his own sanity.  The centerpiece of the film centers on Dickens and the battle of wills with his Scrooge, who becomes an inspiration and tormentor at the same time.  The filmmakers (directed by Bharat Nalluri) convincingly recreate 19^th century London, and through flashbacks, we see Dickens’ traumatic childhood memories (marked by his absent father) that also inspired his writings.  

Of course we know how the story turns out, but the fun is how he gets there.  Fans of the Christmas mythology and holiday literary classic no doubt will enjoy this magical journey.

***  of **** stars (add ½* for Yuletide fans)

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI and Its Human Soul

One of the best acted dramas in recent memory, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, is a showcase for Frances McDormand and a strong cast guided by director/screenwriter Martin McDonagh. It’s a thoughtful study in human behavior with ordinary people under extreme circumstances. 

A hard-nosed woman, Mildred (McDormand), buys three billboards at the edge of town to announce the inability of the local law enforcement chief to solve the long, unsolved rape and murder of her daughter.  Incensed by this public shaming, the chief, Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), engages in a war of wills with the determined mother.  As these adversaries must contend with events beyond their control, relationships are forever altered.  

McDormand bares it all emotionally eschewing makeup in favor of an unglamorous appearance. Her Mildred is totally convincing in her stubborn convictions because, as much as townspeople may oppose her, no one can possibly know her pain. Harrelson is quite good as the fatalistic chief whose legacy has a profound effect on others.  The scenes between the two of them are a treat to watch, but the surprise is Sam Rockwell in an Oscar worthy performance as Dixon, the antagonistic officer with issues of his own.

It’s an affecting story about complex characters with their own personal struggles and demons in a world where kindness and reconciliation emerge from the unlikeliest of places.  This is a film where the story takes a backseat to the acting; the plot may not be neatly resolved as in real life, but the performances are so engaging that it won’t matter.  A good film may have one or two great scenes; this one has many, and as great as McDormand is, Rockwell is a revelation. 

**** of **** stars