The Legend- Betty White

TV icon Betty White passed just weeks short of her 100th birthday. 

She has been with us all our lives and was the source of humor and decency. Her advocacy for animals was well known. She had the longest running career in TV history and was the first woman to produce a TV show. 21 Emmy nominations resulted in seven Emmy Awards. 

She had hit shows in various decades like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Golden Girls, and Hot in Cleveland. She appeared in numerous films and tv including talk shows and guested in countless game shows, but she excelled as a top player on Password with its host and her husband Allen Ludden. 

She experienced a career resurgence when a Super Bowl ad in 2010 sparked a Facebook campaign to have her guest host SNL. It came to pass in a glorious Mother's Day edition that also served as a mega-reunion for many past players. 

She always kept a sunny outlook on life, and losing her is like losing a part of ourselves. Here's to an amazing career and wonderful lady.

(Here is a short clip from Golden Girls that is amazingly prophetic.)

Madden Was Football

Hall of Fame football coach and broadcast legend John Madden passed at 85. This gregarious personality coached for ten glorious years the Oakland Raiders into perennial playoff contenders winning The Super Bowl and posting the highest winning percentage of all coaches to this day. He retired from coaching early and began a remarkable run as a broadcast analyst for four major networks winning an unheard of 16 Emmy Awards. His down to earth approach to football enlightened a bigger audience with his acumen and knowledge punctuated with an occasional vocal sound effect for emphasis. Madden Football video game became an all time best seller.  Madden was football.

Howes and the Music Box

Actress Sally Ann Howes passed at 91. She starred on stage, TV and films. But for me she will be forever remembered for her role in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang especially a music box scene with Dick Van Dyke. It is lovely.

SPIDERMAN: NO WAY HOME and Its Epic Conclusion

 

Spiderman: No Way Home not only concludes a trilogy, but is the culmination of every Spiderman film.  It is the most ambitious Marvel film since Avengers: Endgame.

Continuing Spiderman: Far From Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is revealed as Spiderman which causes him pain and chaos for friends Ned and MJ (Zendaya) and his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei). Desperate to have his anonymity back, he sees Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for a spell to fix things, but it goes horribly wrong unleashing a multiverse of past iterations especially major villains (Willem Dafoe, Jamie Foxx, Alfred Molina et al).  To complicate matters, Peter realizes that these villains are doomed in their world and wonders if they can be ‘saved’ even as the multiverse becomes more complex and dangerous. And so begins a battle royal between good and evil. 

This dark, heartfelt storyline with its themes of redemption, personal loss, love, and sacrifice, has poignant moments throughout especially at the end which serves as an endpoint for the franchise.  Featuring countless Easter Eggs, ‘amazing’, surprise appearances, and call backs to the past, tears will be shed amid cheers and laughter as familiar, beloved faces appear. Major characters get substantial screen time and even achieve a degree of closure.   Despite early, slow moments, director Jon Watts deftly orchestrates a multitude of characters and subplots without losing focus.  There are a number of memorable moments and emotional payoffs for those who have watched these films from the beginning.

This is Holland’s best performance to date as his Peter Parker matures right before our eyes while forced to confront crises with real stakes.  For Spiderman enthusiasts, this is Nirvana; this is as good as it gets.  it’s a supremely entertaining, mind boggling film made for its fandom. (There are two end credit scenes.)

**** of **** stars

Lifestyles of the Rich and Decadent in HOUSE OF GUCCI

 

Based on true events, House of Gucci depicts the Gucci family over two decades, and how wealth and jealousy forever altered the course of their iconic name.

In 1978, Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) meets Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), a young law student and heir to the Gucci fashion dynasty. Their relationship drives a wedge between him and his father (Jeremy Irons). Patrizia is desperate to live the Gucci lifestyle, and upon her pregnancy, Maurizio’s proud uncle (Al Pacino chews the scenery) and later his inept cousin (Jared Leto unrecognizable in makeup) help the couple vie for control of the company.  Emotions run high, and family ties will be destroyed. When Patrizia’s marriage is jeopardized, she takes things to a deadly extreme.  

The cast, loaded with Oscar caliber talent, give it their all, at times verging on parody. Driver is convincing, but Gaga owns this film with her fierce portrayal of a sassy, driven woman.   (You can almost envision a young Sophia Loren excelling in this role.)

Director Ridley Scott (Gladiator) convincingly presents a world of wealthy decadence and fashion icons amid disco tunes, flashy period costumes, and impressively shot locations.  You do get drawn into this world of the glitz and glamor even though there is little else to identify with especially when you see examples of hyper-extravagant spending. (This story could easily have been a Ryan Murphy-type television miniseries.) 

There are moments where events and motives are not entirely clear; what is clear is this dysfunctional family squandered their iconic brand name and ended in financial ruin, infidelity, and even murder.  No one emerges unscathed and the final postscript is bitterly ironic.  It sort of makes you glad you visited but did not stay.

*** of **** stars (mostly for Gaga)

Behind the Scenes of BEING THE RICARDOS

 

Being the Ricardos is writer/director Aaron Sorkin’s engrossing dramatization of the relationship of Lucille Ball and husband Desi Arnaz, TV icons of the classic show, I Love Lucy. It’s a must for Lucy fans. 

Shuffling between the 1940s and 1950s, we see how Lucy (Nicole Kidman) and Desi (Javier Bardem who gets to sing) meet in Hollywood and achieve stardom. During their hit TV show as they prepare for a table reading, three key events intersect: Lucy is branded a Communist in the newspapers, Desi wants to include her newly announced pregnancy in the show, and rumors of Desi’s womanizing begin to make the news. As the temperamental stars, harried writers, and nervous sponsors navigate the treacherous landscape littered with bruised egos, constant rewrites, and the unexpected, the show approaches its live taping in front of a studio audience with the stars’ careers and marriage at a crossroads.

The excellent screenplay is smart and amusing with occasional, rapid fire dialogue as it offers a fascinating glimpse at the creative process (much will resonate with Lucy fans as moments from the show are recreated) while revealing dark, sobering truths about their marriage. Lucy is portrayed as a savvy comedienne constantly perfecting her material for audiences while Desi was the innovating, behind-the-scenes producer.  

The cast including J. K. Simmons and Nina Arianda as Bill Frawley and Vivian Vance, is quite effective, but Kidman’s transformation into Lucy is remarkable with stunning makeup and her vocal and physical mimicry; it’s a great performance.

Perhaps the events did not happen quite as they are presented, but Sorkin makes a compelling case that it could have. This loving homage to their legacy is a candid, bittersweet valentine for I Love Lucy devotees.  

***1/2 of **** stars (add ½* for Kidman)

Spielberg’s Triumphant WEST SIDE STORY

 

Director Steven Spielberg realizes his unique version of the 1957 stage musical, West Side Story.  It’s a labor of love that not only honors the 1961 Oscar winning film version, but should garner new generations of fans.

This updating of Romeo and Juliet amid an urban setting is still timely with its racial conflict between whites led by The Jets and Puerto Ricans led by The Sharks and the love story between Tony and Maria from these rival factions that drives the story.

Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner efficiently restage scenes with sensitivity and additional context; (some dialogue is Spanish without subtitles which adds realism). The dance sequences are vigorous and spectacular, while inspired by but never upstaging the groundbreaking choreography of the original’s Jerome Robbins.  Supported by the infectious Leonard Bernstein score and (recently deceased) Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics, the songs emerge organically and seamlessly from the narrative.  Famous set pieces are intact including an exhilarating rendition of “America”, the rousing gymnasium dance off, the montage leading to the rumble, and an amusing take on “Officer Krupke”. 

Brilliantly cast (featuring Ansel Elgort as Tony) with actors who can really sing and dance (the 1961 film having numerous, dubbed singing voices), special mention should go to newcomer Rachel Zegler as Maria (whose rendition of “Tonight” might elicit tears of joy), and there is a strong field of supporting actors (Mike Faist and David Alvarez) and actresses (legendary Rita Moreno and Ariana DeBose with a knockout, Oscar worthy performance).  

Production values are exemplary: the fluid camerawork is dazzling, set designs are period authentic, and the colorful costumes are sumptuous. This doesn’t supplant the earlier film but offers reimagined, alternative scenes.  It’s a glorious celebration of a cherished play that shows the filmmakers at their very best.

**** of **** stars

DREAMGIRLS Rekindles Motown

 Baltimore’s Center Stage revived the award winning musical Dreamgirls, a fictionalized version of the beginnings of a Motown-like recording label. Its depiction of a Supremes style, girl group and the ostracizing of one of its members forms the centerpiece of intersecting storylines with the rise and fall of R&B stars amid a white recording industry. Brought to life by an outstanding cast of singers who also act and dance, the show was two and a half hours of a living, breathing tale of angst, betrayal, love, and the price of fame.  The show makes clever use of minimal sets and projections while the splashy costumes and music dazzle the eyes and ears. Without a doubt, the songs are headlined by Dreamgirls and an especially stirring rendition of the signature classic, And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going. This gem plays through December 12.

Bennett and Gaga Shine Together

 

CBS broadcast the final performance of Tony Bennett who appeared with his friend Lady Gaga at a momentous lovefest at Radio City Music Hall. At 95 and stricken with Alzheimers disease, the legendary crooner of over seventy plus years capped his career in the most touching way. His professional reflexes kicked in and not only did he know the standards word for word, note for note, his vocals still had the power and nuance that brought his audience to tears. What a moment.

Broadway Musical Legend Is Gone

Broadway legend and supreme lyricist Stephen Sondheim has passed at 91. He won the most Tony Awards at seven plus a lifetime achievement Tony. He was mentored by the great Oscar Hamnerstein II and in turn mentored to a degree Jonathan Larson (Rent, Tick Tick.... Boom!) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton).  He was lyricist (and often composer) for West Side Story, Gypsy, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and many others. He won a Pulitzer Prize, an Oscar and 8 Grammys. And yes, he was able to give a seal of approval to Spielberg's updated West Side Story. He transformed modern musical theater in the 20th century.

He Got 'No Respect'

 

Hard to believe but this would have been the 100th birthday of Rodney Dangerfield, the premiere standup comic who passed away almost 20 years ago at 82. This fixture of late night talk shows in the sixties and seventies who complained that he got "No respect", hit his stride when he starred in Caddyshack, and he never looked back.

I had the pleasure of seeing him at Constitution Hall in DC doing his stand up routine, and about a dozen of my friends all bought front row tickets and dressed up in dark suits and thin red ties like him.  When he came out and saw us, he laughed and pointed at us. It's a moment I'll never forget.
He was funny and quick with comebacks to any shoutouts.  The Gold Standard.

Priceless Memories in BELFAST

Writer /Director Kenneth Branagh’s (Henry V) fond remembrances of his childhood at a pivotal time in Ireland form the basis of Belfast, a personal celebration of family bonds amid adversity that is certain to draw universal praise.  It’s a magnificent film and Branagh’s finest.  

In 1969, Belfast is lined with neighborhoods where everyone knows each other by name and working class families raise their children and attend church. Buddy (Jude Hill is wonderful) and his brother live an idyllic childhood cared for by their Ma (Caitriona Balfe), Pa (Jamie Dornan), and grandparents (Ciarán Hinds and Judi Dench).  Going to school and developing a schoolgirl crush, Buddy’s world is traumatized when he witnesses violence between Catholics and Protestants, and the community becomes a religious warzone.  Ma struggles to keep the family together as Pa works away for weeks at a time, and with finances tight and the threat of further violence, the family must decide whether to leave their beloved home. 

The film is seen from Buddy’s perspective, a surrogate for a young Branagh.  Family dynamics are explored revealing how deeply they love each other, and in turn, because you care about them, their special moments carry more weight. 

Shot predominantly in gorgeous black and white, the film is brimming with the look and feel of sixties styles and pop culture especially TV and movie references. There is also a sublime soundtrack featuring Van Morrison. This is a subgenre of semiautobiographical films (including John Boorman’s Hope and Glory, Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso, and Alfonso Caurón’s Roma) that have affectionately recalled the past.  

The cast is simply outstanding, and Branagh deserves credit for this nostalgic tribute that touches the heart all the way to its final images and epilogue. Expect Oscar nominations all around. 

  **** of **** stars

KING RICHARD and a Remarkable American Family

 

Family bonds and destiny are at the heart of King Richard, the true story of a father’s unwavering vision to groom his daughters into world champions and achieve the American dream. It features an outstanding performance by Will Smith and is an uplifting crowd pleaser.

Richard Williams (Smith) is a black father in Compton who develops an ambitious plan to train daughters Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton) to become the greatest tennis stars ever. In a largely white world and racially charged background, the Williams are a loving, supportive family placing a premium on education. Richard dreams big, taking his girls from rundown courts to upscale clubs using his guile and boldness, and then engaging top tennis coach Rick Macci (Jon Bernthal). When Macci wants to enter the girls in junior competition and later entertain potentially lucrative endorsements, Richard objects preferring to do things his way. With a special match scheduled between Venus and a professional tennis champion, the Williams clan captures the tennis world’s attention and the adulation of girls everywhere.

Smith’s Richard, himself traumatized by the absence of a supportive dad, not only coaches his girls and manages their careers, but empowers them with a belief that their hard work will pay off.  Imbued with boundless energy, his indomitable spirit collides with conventional wisdom and even runs afoul of his wife Brandi (Aunjanue Ellis in a strong role). 

The screenplay has some witty moments, but the real life drama is compelling. We know what the Williams sisters did as sports legends, but how they got there makes for an inspiring, heartfelt story with a gem of a role for Smith that won’t be forgotten come Oscar time.

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

Humanity on Trial in THE ETERNALS

 

Directed by Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), The Eternals is an ambitious (beautifully filmed) introduction of super beings who bring a new wrinkle to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  

7000 years ago, the all-powerful Celestials create immortal, super powered beings, The Eternals, who help to foster human progress but are forbidden from interfering in conflicts (even Thanos) except for one threat, The Deviants, monstrous creatures bent on destroying humans.  The Eternals assimilate as humans experiencing emotions and begin to care for humanity.  When the Deviants,  more powerful than ever, make another appearance, The Eternals must band together to stop them, but new threats emerge from within that expose a devastating secret causing them to question their purpose even as earth faces extinction.

Boasting a strong cast including Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani, Salma Hayek, and Kit Harrington, this is a higher concept film than standard Marvel fare and with a completely different vibe.  The narrative covers a wide expanse of time and place while centering on the assemblage not one but ten new characters each endowed with unique powers. Though the exposition starts methodically, the back half picks up steam and becomes engaging.  This is also the most inclusive Marvel film ever with its themes of acceptance and coexistence.

It's a different kind of film than fans are accustomed to (somewhat influenced in tone by Zack Snyder’s DC Universe where death can strike anytime) and a gamble to push the boundaries of Marvel with its world building of new faces (more so than Black Panther and Shang- Chi). It has a lot to unpack, but those who are patient will find this a stepping stone for the broader MCU.  Two post credit scenes have huge implications.

 *** of **** stars (add ½* for hardcore Marvel fans)

THE FRENCH DISPATCH and Its Joyful Stories

 

The French Dispatch is a quirky, unusual comedy as only writer/director Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel) can deliver. Not for all tastes, but for those who like ‘off the wall’ humor with a heavy dose of style over substance, it will be nirvana. 

Once upon a time, a newspaper in Europe, The French Dispatch, employs a small staff of reporters charged with various sections of politics and arts resulting in offbeat stories like a prison inmate’s (Benicio Del Toro is a hoot) art inspired by his muse, a female guard (Léa Seydoux). Other pieces involve a love story amid a student rebellion and a madcap chase involving gangsters, police, and kidnapping.  It’s all framed under the watchful eye of the news editor (Bill Murray).

This is Anderson’s loving tribute to publications like The New Yorker and an excuse to tell some outrageous tales populated with colorful characters spouting sharp, snappy dialogue.  He brings out the best from his collaborators by pulling everything from his creative toolbox including animation, and the film shines alternately with colorful and black and white set designs and costumes embellished with dazzling camerawork.  You realize you are in the hands of a filmmaker at the top of his game.

Anderson attracts the best acting talent with a stellar, ensemble cast including Tilda Swinton (a standout), Frances McDormand, Owen Wilson, Timothée Chalamet, Adrien Brody, and many others having a ball.

Anderson is in full flourish here.  Fans will revel in this confection which should feast on Oscar nominations across the board.  Years from now, his impressive body of work and unique brand of comedy may be compared to auteurs like Ernst Lubitsch and Preston Sturges. Wait, it already is.

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

The Visceral Thrills of ONE NIGHT IN SOHO

 

Obsession with past lives is explored in the thriller, One Night in Soho, writer/director Edgar Wright’s (Baby Driver) valentine to 1960s London that blends disturbing imagery with pure nostalgia.   

Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie) is a wide eyed, young woman attending fashion school in London where she rents a room from Miss Collins (Diana Rigg is her final role).  Ellie has the ability to see visions of her deceased mom and later a mysterious singer, Sandy (Anya Taylor-Joy), from 50 years ago who dreams of being a singer only to descend into the seamy, dark side of the bar scene.   At first Ellie forms a kinship with Sandy’s world until her dreams becoming more graphic and terrifying.  Haunted by Sandy’s fate, she loses her grip on reality, and when things take a decidedly deadly tone, the shocking truth emerges from an unexpected source.

The two principal females are initially contrasts in appearance and personality until they parallel and begin to merge.  There are repetitive, startling vignettes and red herrings, but the film’s narrative evolves into one big mystery that may or may not involve murder.  What really happened to Sandy; is she real or is Ellie going mad?

As usual, Wright has a sharp eye for stylized visuals and impeccable taste in period music (Petula Clark sales of Downtown should spike) and pop culture.  The movie successfully recreate sixties’ London bursting with energy and tunes of the day permeated with nightmarish scenes and threatening figures that echo Repulsion and Jacob’s Ladder.

It’s a film with a promising start that doesn’t quite stick its landing.  Wright’s talents deserve more substantive material.  Hopefully this is a warmup to bigger and better things in the future.

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