JUDY and the Tortured, Gifted Soul

Judy is a touching biographic telling of movie star and singer Judy Garland featuring a knockout turn by Renée Zellweger who has the vocal chops (as in Chicago) to honor the spirit of the legendary actress.   

Starting with a young Judy Garland on the set of The Wizard of Oz where studio head Louis B Mayer counsels his budding star who is fed pills for her weight and anxiety, we flash forward to the 1960s where Judy is middle aged, living a nomadic existence, and out of work with two young children to care for. When an opportunity comes to sing and make money in England, she flies to London where adoring fans are witness to an unstable singer whose moods and substance abuse hamper her comeback performance.  She also has to contend with husbands past and present while desperate to reunite with her kids stateside.  As the pressure and her insecurity take a physical and emotional toll, does she have a gold performance left in her?

The period details are good, but the film is serviceable at best. However, it is Zellweger who carries this film from start to finish.  She convincingly embodies a performer who has a vulnerable, unstable side and self-deprecating humor that masks her fears.  What sells this is that she instills her powerful vocals with Garland’s resonance in several, memorable songs.  

Whether this is or isn't an accurate depiction of her personal demons (a 2001 TV movie with Judy Davis compares favorably,) there is no doubt that she is a tragic figure whose gift was unparalleled, and those climactic moments in a London venue are quite affecting.  It’s no surprise that Renée won The Oscar for Leading Actress. 

*** of **** stars (add ½ star for Renee)

Sublime Mystery in KNIVES OUT

Knives Out is a delicious homage to cinematic whodunits in the spirit of writer Agatha Christie. With a marvelous cast of suspects led by a robust Daniel Craig and sharp, witty dialogue, it is an intricate, convoluted tapestry of deception, greed, family rivalry, and treachery leading to murder. There are big surprises and red herrings aplenty.

Harland Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is a best-selling mystery author whose family gathers for a special birthday. When he winds up dead and his wealthy estate up for grabs, is foul play involved? Enter renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) whose passive style and technique belies a meticulous mind that gathers information through a series of interviews with the family members culminating in a grand denouement with all the principals gathered.

Craig has a ball heading a stellar ensemble (Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Toni Collette, Ana De Armas, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, and more).  We get character sketches of scheming family members, each with an hidden agenda beneath a facade.   

The tight screenplay serves up not only as a wonderful murder mystery with a sly sense of humor but has a dash of Hitchcockian overtones as the audience is drawn into complicity with a key character.  It follows in the tradition of classic mystery novels, a kind of cross between Murder on the Orient Express and Murder by Death in the best sense.  The plot uses a familiar device by reconstructing parallel events sprinkled with left turns and an ending that should be supremely satisfying, particularly when it vindicates the good in people.

Director/writer Rían Johnson (Looper) has fashioned a joyous mystery romp that hopefully will lead to more adventures with Craig. An joyful confection from start to finish.

**** of **** stars

Golden Girl Passes

Honor Blackman passed away at 94. She was the iconic foil to Sean Connery's James Bond in the classic Goldfinger. I won't say her character's name but she is a woman of "many parts".

What some may not realize was that Blackman was John Steed's partner in the old British TV spy show The Avengers. Her role as Cathy Gale had an independent, smart, judo dispensing woman which was groundbreaking. When Goldfinger stole her away, the TV show replaced her with Diana Rigg's Emma Peel. (In fact in that season, a scene has Steed reading a card from Cathy and he wonders what she is doing at Fort Knox!)

Hawaiian Farewell

Hawaii Five-0 just ended its run after 10 years. This reboot defied the odds by being a hugely successful series based on the legendary original of the 1960s and 70s. While developing its own chemistry, it never failed to pay homage to previous characters from the original. (One governor named Denning was the name of the actor who played the governor in the original.) While the original had ingenious, macabre plots, the 2.0 version would typically have two concurrent plotlines and focused on characters.
The finale tied things up nicely as a bookend to the pilot. The farewell was emotional, and you could see it coming as the last scene gives us an idealized, happy ending. Friday night's won't be quite the same. Aloha Five-0.

SCTV Characters Immortalized

Edmonton commemorated Bob and Doug McKenzie, the McKenzie brothers, with statues. These characters were regularly portrayed by Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas on NBC TV's SCTV which was a Canadian version like Saturday Night Live. Its brilliant, irreverent skits spoofed institutions and won loyal fans and Emmy Awards. A McKenzie movie, Strange Brew, also followed. "Take off, eh?"

Long Live The Uptown

 D.C. iconic Uptown Theater has closed abruptly. AMC made the announcement and whether another chain picks it up is questionable in this age of streaming and multiplexes. It was perhaps the largest screen in the region (also curved) and one of the last to have balcony seating.
If there was a blockbuster prestige film, it would open at the Uptown. In 1968. 2001:A Space Odyssey had its world premiere there and my dad the physicist brought our family. I saw That's Entertainment there as well as Gone With the Wind and other revivals or restored versions of The Wild Bunch, Lawrence or Arabia, and Spartacus.
Star Wars opened there and every sequel/prequel. I would gather with friends for every opening night waiting in long lines for that special feeling and electricity, the most recent of which was the last installment,The Rise of Skywalker. Alien, Jurassic Park, Titanic, Apocalypse Now and many more became stunning cinematic memories.

Now an era has ended. There are a few big screens (IMAX and The Senator) still around but they are the exceptions. I am grateful for having had the theatrical movie going experience as it was intended.
Long Live The Uptown.

International Star Has Passed

Veteran screen actor Max Von Sydow has passed at 90. A favorite of director Ingmar Bergman in such classics as The Seventh Seal and The Virgin Spring, he starred in blockbusters like The Greatest Story Ever Told and The Exorcist and became a memorable supporting actor in dozens of films especially Three Days of the Condor, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Yes, a long distinguished career.

92nd Oscars 2020

Another Oscar telecast ran over. A bouncy opening musical number and the song nominees added some zest. Steve Martin and Chris Rock need to actually cohost one day. The show boasted a healthy dose of nominee clips. Strongly favored awards did in fact go to Best Actress. Actor, and support. Nice to see Renee complete her comeback. Parasite overtook favored 1917. A first for foreign title as Best Pic. It was star studded and glitzy. Jane Fonda looked splendid. So did Regina King, Scarlett. and, and well, you get it. And so begins the filmwatch for next year's show.

Robert Conrad-Tough Hero

Actor Robert Conrad passed away at 84 and who made his mark in films and TV. His lead in Baa Baa Black Sheep was one of his best, but the role he will forever be remembered for is secret agent James West in The Wild Wild West in the sixties. Its combination of the spy craze in a western setting complete with diabolical villains, beautiful women, and a talented partner played by Ross Martin proved an exciting adventure. What stood out besides its imaginative plots and bizarre design was Conrad's ability to do most of his own stunts especially the hand to hand fights. No one did more. The show was cancelled only because it was caught up in the purge of violent shows.
I was fortunate to meet Conrad a few years ago at the MidAtlantic Nostalgia Convention and expressed my gratitude from days of youth watching a superbly entertaining show with my family.  What a tough dude.

2020 OSCAR PREDICTIONS FOR 2019 FILMS

OK, I have seen all best picture nominees and a few other titles but not all.  Some major categories are fairly certain but the tech categories should be interesting. There is usually a big surprise though so…. Enjoy

PICTURE-It comes down to 1917 with Parasite surging.

ACTOR-Joaquin Phoenix as Joker

ACTRESS-Renée Zellweger as Judy

SUPPORTING ACTOR-Brad Pitt for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

SUPPORTING ACTRESS-Laura Dern for Marriage Story. (Also noteworthy for Little Women)

DIRECTOR-Sam Mendes for 1917 unless Bong Joon-oh jumps ahead with Parasite

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY-Parasite leapfrogs over for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY-JoJo Rabbit hops over Little Women

ANIMATED FEATURE-Klaus stuns Toy Story 4

FILM EDITING-Ford vs Ferrari

CINEMATOGRAPHY-1917

PRODUCTION DESIGN-Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

ORIGINAL SCORE-Joker

ORIGINAL SONG-(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again for Rocketman

SOUND EDITING-1917                                           

SOUND MIXING-1917                                           

COSTUME DESIGN-Little Women

MAKEUP& HAIRSTYLING- Bombshell                                              

VISUAL EFFECTS- 1917 but Lion King could easily take this

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM-Parasite         

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE-American Factory

ANIMATED SHORT-Hair Love

DOCUMENTARY SHORT-Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone

LIVE ACTION SHORT-The Neighbor’s Window

All the Best Pic nominees will win something, but The Irishman may be shutout completely! The locks are Best Actor, Cinematography, and Foreign Language Film.

"I am Spartacus!"

Legendary actor Kirk Douglas has died at 103. He acted during Hollywood's Golden Age and was an iconic force with classic roles in films like Champion, Lust for Life, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Paths of Glory, Gunfight at OK Corral, Spartacus, Seven Days in May, and many more. He was awarded a special Oscar in 1996 after multiple noms. He was also a producer who hired a very young Stanley Kubrick and helped to break the Blacklist by giving screen credit to screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. He costarred with Burt Lancaster in seven films and was a productive author even after a debilitating stroke.  What a long career beginning in  the 1940s.

                    

Watchmen Redux

HBO's Watchmen concluded with a smashing finale that tied the major threads of this update of the classic graphic novel. Damon Lindelof, a major force in World War Z film and tv's Lost, had a great cast led by a wonderful Regina King, Jean Smart, and Jeremy Irons that reimagined sacred fiction into an fascinating, complex commentary on racial strife and the meaning of being a hero. Whether there is a sequel (ratings were strong), this was a joy to watch. Love that Lubeman.

The Wit of Buck Henry

Writer/director/actor Buck Henry died suddenly at 89. His long career included highlights on tv and film for over half a century. He co-created the spy comedy Get Smart with Mel Brooks, co-wrote the screenplay of The Graduate, and co-directed Heaven Can Wait. His multiple hostings of the original Saturday Night Live were legendary and outrageous. He more recently appeared as Tina Fey's dad n her 30 Rock show. What a talented guy.

 

Rogers’ Aura in A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a heartwarming reminder of the simple kindness and hope of a children’s TV figure, Mister Rogers. As played by Tom Hanks (an Oscar caliber performance), he becomes more than myth, a living, caring soul for our times.

Opening with his PBS show in 1998, Mister Fred Rogers introduces us to Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys), a hard charging writer who reluctantly accepts a magazine assignment to interview Rogers. Lloyd is an angry, sad man who’s rocky relationship with his father (Chris Cooper) causes family tension.  As Rogers explores Lloyd’s internal conflict and emotional walls, what emerges is the truth about his past and the promise of reconciliation and love.  

Lloyd may be a broken man, but Rogers helps him heal.  In a way, Lloyd is our window to a magical, almost surreal world with its miniature sets, puppet friends, and musical cues. These shows become self-contained life lessons that act as a framework for individual stories. Although the show is aimed at children, it allows adults the opportunity to reconnect with their childhood.

Seeing Hanks as Rogers is a bit jarring at first, but then he totally becomes the icon.  Throughout the film, Rogers’ decency shines in its simplicity and patience.  He becomes more than a TV personality but rather a caring human being who sees value in every person, while sharing his own experiences about life and even death.  

There are nice moments including a subway ride with passengers serenading the Rogers’ theme song, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” The film is about compassion and redemption ultimately resulting in a transformative experience. There is an infectious spirit and goodwill that lingers after the credits. Go see it.

**** of **** stars (for Rogers fans)

A Passion for Excellence in FORD V FERRARI

 

Energetically directed by James Mangold (Logan), Ford V Ferrari is a kinetic, true story of the trials and competition of being the best in car racing.

In the early sixties, former driver Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon is excellent) works behind the scenes as innovator of faster, more efficient race cars. Hired by Henry Ford II to beat rival and perennial winner, Ferrari, at the grueling 24 hour Le Mans race, Shelby enlists driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale totally winning) to design a better race car and lead his team to victory.  Shelby and Ford must contend with dangerous road tests, stiff competition from other car makers, and corporate meddling which culminates in a tense showdown at Le Mans racetrack.

The film conveys a fascinating history with real life figures like Lee Iacocca, and its narrative is propelled by the relationship of Shelby and Miles, two racing pioneers who fight, argue and bond over their quest for racing excellence.  Shelby, a maverick and hustler, knows he can deliver a championship if given support; his seemingly reckless demeanor belies automotive acumen. Miles is a temperamental driver who understands cars better than a computer.  Despite a lack of background on Shelby’s personal life, we see Miles in some touching moments with his wife and son.  

With memorable moments including a brotherly fist fight and a hilarious test drive with a Ford executive, the brilliantly staged racing scenes stand out. The film is a bit long like a Le Mans marathon, but camerawork, editing, and sound are exemplary for maximum effect and demand a big screen with optimal sound.  

Told with conviction, it’s an old fashioned film with heart about human ingenuity and the men and machines that fought for glory. 

***1/2 of **** stars (add ½* for racing enthusiasts)