Blonde

My View: Blonde (2022) NC-17   The story of Norma Jeane (Ana de Armas), who became the most famous movie star of the 50s and 60s, Marilyn Monroe. From her traumatic childhood through her rise to stardom, exploited by almost every man she knew, Norma Jeane tried to remain herself, which cost Norma Jeane her life. First, a warning. This is the first big Hollywood film to be released with a rating of NC-17 (meaning no one under 17 is admitted). It’s due to some alarming scenes, some involving sex, but mostly, I think, due to some very hard-to-watch scenes of abortions that Norma Jeane had during her career in Hollywood. Ana de Armas is almost a sure thing to get an Academy Award nomination for her performance as Norma Jeane/Marilyn. It’s a brilliant and moving performance by someone who went deep into the role. But the film is tough to watch, as we watch a woman get taken advantage of by everyone, from the ones she loved to the Hollywood/political system. As brilliant as Ana de Armas is, she can’t overcome a stylized filmmaker in Andrew Dominik, who keeps going back to scenes I begin to resent being put through repeatedly. Keep in mind that this is a film based on a work of fiction, a novel by Joyce Carol Oates and not everything that happens to Marilyn in the movie happened to her in real life. The film is overly long (over two and half hours), and you feel that you have been in a boxing match, being pummeled over and over how badly everyone in her life treated her. There is one and possibly only one scene that releases us from the overall film's despair. In a beautiful scene on the beach between Marylin and her new husband, Arthur Miller (Adrien Brody), you see how happy (for a brief time) they were together, away from the spotlight. It's a beautiful scene, and de Armas, wrapped in the famous black and white sweater, is magical. Unfortunately, that scene is fleeting, and very soon, we go back to tragedy. Blonde is a movie that I will never watch again, no matter how great de Armas is in the role.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Blonde Website  Now playing in theatres and on the Netflix platform on Sept. 28th.

My View: Don’t Worry Darling (2022) R  A young housewife, Alice (Florence Pugh), is living in a community with her husband, Jack (Harry Styles), that seems to be perfect. However, this community is hiding something, and the more Alice looks into it, the closer she comes to unveiling secrets that may cost her marriage and maybe, even her life. It will be interesting how this film will do at the box office after all the controversies/publicity it has gotten over the past month or so. Florence Pugh shows us again that she is someone who can carry a film but only so far, with such a weak script. The film starts strong with a look and feel of a movie from the 50s, with the men going off to work and the women staying behind to clean and shop. However, all is not well with this idealistic dream, and the cracks start showing up to Alice, slowly revealing to her that her world isn’t what it claims to be. The film begins to fall apart about midway through and by the end, with the last third that makes no sense and reveals very little. It’s one of those films that makes you work hard to figure stuff out and never gives you the answers you want. Olivia Wilde, whose first film, Booksmart, I liked a lot, is to blame as this film falls apart in front of our eyes. I keep thinking about a scene where Jack, played by an overmatched Harry Styles, has just been given a big promotion by the community leader, Frank, played by Chris Pine. Frank then asks Jack to do a dance, which Frank reluctantly starts to do. This dance goes on and on, so much so that I wanted to call out ‘cut.’ That sums up this film that looked so promising but ended up such a dud.   My Rating: Cable  Don't Worry Darling Website  Now playing in theatres nationwide.

My View: Catherine Called Birdy (2022) PG-13  Lady Catherine (Bella Ramsey) likes to be called Birdy, and the last thing Birdy wants is to be married off to someone she doesn’t love because her father, Sir Rollo (Andrew Scott), needs the money. Conversely, Birdy will lie, cheat, and do anything else she can think of to defeat her father’s wishes. I enjoyed this film while not always enjoying the main character. Birdy is a bit of a brat, constantly pushing boundaries, especially when dealing with her dad, Sir Rollo, who doesn’t take anything seriously until he is told he is about to lose everything because he has run out of money. Bella Ramsey is delightful as Birdy, as she plays the game of figuring out what will get rid of each suitor that comes calling for her hand in marriage. Written and directed by Lena Dunham, the film brings a modern twist to the medieval world, with pop songs filling the film's score and Birdy pushing women's rights to the forefront of a society that saw women as something that could be traded for like livestock. Ramsey gives out one-liners right and left and looks like she is just having more fun than anyone else on the screen. That kind of lightheartedness is what we need more in this world, with a film full of fun while also having a heart.   My Rating; Full Price   Catherine Called Birdy Website  Now playing in select theatres and on the Amazon Prime platform on Oct. 7th.

Indiefest: Carmen (2022) Carmen (Natascha McElhone) has spent almost her entire life looking after her brother, the local priest of a small Mediterranean village. When he dies, Carmen must find a new path to follow, one that just might surprise her village and Carmen herself. This is a sweet tale of a woman finding herself and putting herself first after years of serving her brother and the lord. The film slips a bit from time to time, but Natascha McElhone’s performance is so heartwarming and full of life that it makes up for the sometimes weak storyline. This is a movie about someone finding love and forgiveness and spreading that idea to everyone she comes in contact with. Carmen is one of those stories that you feel better having seen it.  My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Carmen Website  Now playing in select theatres and On Demand.

My View: Lou (2022) R  When her daughter is kidnapped in the middle of a storm, the mother (Jurnee Smollett) turns to the only person that she knows can find her, a mysterious woman who lives next door named Lou (Allison Janney). The two are about to go on a journey that will test their limits and expose shocking secrets from their pasts. What makes this film work is Allison Janney, who we first meet as she goes about her day, pissing people off right and left with an attitude that she doesn’t care what you think of her, just get out of her way. From the start, we get clues that Lou is more than just a pissed-off older woman; there is something about her that shouldn’t be messed with. The film is an action film with a plot that is pretty easy to figure out (you're given a lot of clues very early), but still, Janney makes this film work as well as it does, giving us a believable performance that probably ten or twenty years ago would have gone to a man like Eastwood. Lou is a fun ride for what it is, and Janney makes it one worth going on the adventure with.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Lou Website  Now playing on the Netflix platform.

My View: Sidney (2022)   The life story of Sidney Poitier, Oscar winner, activist, and one of the greatest actors of the 20th century. This is one of the best documentaries of the year. The film is told through Sidney Poitier, as he sits and talks to us about his life and career. Produced by Oprah Winfrey, the film is a perfect look at a man who not only is one of the greatest film actors of any generation but also one of the great men of his time. The documentary gives us insight into what made him, how a man became an actor because he saw an ad in a local Harlem newspaper. It’s a remarkable life that Poitier lived, and the film does a fantastic job of giving us scenes from his movies and the context of how and when those films were made. It’s a fantastic look at a remarkable career that I hope gives people, especially ones that don’t know his filmography, to go and watch some of his legendary performances. Sidney Poitier was a great actor, but an even better man, and this documentary lets us explore and praise the man.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   Sidney Info  Now playing on the Apple+ platform.

My View: Confess, Fletch (2022) R   Fletch (Jon Hamm) is in hot water as someone has committed multiple murders, and Fletch becomes the prime suspect. Consequently, Fletch must prove his innocence while simultaneously searching for his fiancé’s stolen art collection. When Chevy Chase was a big movie star, he made a film called Fletch (1985), which was a big hit and was quite funny, letting Chase do what he did best, charm while also making fun of people. I was such a fan of the film I read quite a few of the books by Gregory McDonald that the character came from. Now thirty-some years later, Jon Hamm revives the role of Fletch, the wise-cracking, now ex-newspaper reporter, who likes to charm while making fun of people, all while solving crimes. While I enjoyed the Chase film, having read many books, I think Hamm is more what McDonald had in mind. A guy, still good-looking but showing his age a bit and using his charm rather than disguises (like Chevy) did, to fool people into thinking he is something he isn’t. The film is a fun who done it, that has a few nice twists and turns to keep us interested. I wouldn’t mind a few more turns with Hamm playing Fletch, solving a crime or two down the road. My Rating: Bargain Matinee  Confess, Fletch Website  Now playing in theatres.

Forgotten Film: Paris Blues (1961)  Two American jazz musicians (Sidney Poitier, Paul Newman) are living in Paris when they meet and fall in love with two American tourists (Joanne Woodward, Diahann Carroll). The film has an incredible cast, with two leads that dominate the screen, but I recommend this film due to an amazing musical number with Louis Armstrong that has to be seen and heard. And the film was shot on location in Paris.   My Rating: Full Price  Pairs Blues Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Blonde: Deliverables Producer

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Call Jane (2022) R A married woman, Joy (Elizabeth Banks), with an unwanted pregnancy, lives in a time in America when she can’t get a legal abortion. She turns to a group of suburban women who have started a grassroots organization to help women like Joy. Having recently seen the doc about this amazing organization, I can’t wait to see this film.   Call Jane Info  Playing in theatres in late Oct.

Until Next Time!