The Tragedy of Macbeth

My View:  The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) R    A Scottish lord (Denzel Washington) is convinced that he will be King after being visited by a trio of witches. His ambitious wife (Frances McDormand) eggs him on, and Macbeth’s act of seizing power will lead to madness and death. As a kid growing up in the theatre, I have seen a lot of Shakespeare both on the stage and on the screen, and I can say that this is one of the most beautiful and thrilling productions I have ever seen. At times the film feels like you are front row of a stage production, with its minimalist sets and stark lighting, but then Denzel and Frances fill your screen with performances that jump out at you and grab you by the throat, and you realize you are witnessing brilliance and unmatched artistry. Directed by Joel Cohen, the film is shot in beautiful black and white, making the film feel like an instant classic while using all the tricks of current cinema to make the film flow effortlessly. One of the things I loved about this film is the interpretations of the Lord and Lady Macbeth. Washington’s Macbeth is a man who is weary of living in the shadows, and his lust for power drives him into madness, a madness that he seems to have no control over. McDormand’s Lady Macbeth is different altogether, a woman who plots and schemes, knowing full what she is asking her husband to do and damn the consequences. The supporting cast is flawless, with Brendan Gleeson playing King Duncan, a man loved by his men, making his murder that much more powerful, and Kathryn Hunter playing all three of the ‘weird sisters,’ the witches that foretell what will come. Add in a much-needed bit of comic relief by Steven Root, and the film is filled with performances that will thrill and marvel you. So sit back and watch with wonder and amazement a story that still has the power to thrill you to the core.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again    The Tragedy of Macbeth Website  Now playing in select theatres and available on the Apple TV+ platform on Jan. 14th.

My View:  Passing  (2021) PG-13   Irene (Tessa Thompson) seems to have everything she has wanted. She lives in a nice house in a prosperous section of Harlem, with her two sons and her husband, Brian (Andre Holland), a successful doctor. But Irene isn’t happy, and this is brought out by a chance meeting with Clare (Ruth Negga), someone she was once friends with in high school. Clare is living a secret life; she is living as a white person, married to a racist (Alexander Skarsgard) who is clueless to Clare’s real identity. When we first meet Irene, she travels around shopping in New York due to her light skin, but the difference is Irene does it as a necessary way to go to shops that wouldn’t let her in if they knew her race. Passing is a story of two women who are not comfortable in the lives that they have created for themselves. Beautifully shot in black and white, we follow the two women as they become close, but there is always a barrier between the two, with Irene wanting what Clare has and Clare wanting to disappear into the life of Harlem. The film centers on Irene’s life, as she deals with a husband who wants to move to a foreign country, where he feels he can be free of living in a society that allows blacks to be hung for looking at a white person the wrong way. While the film centers on Irene, it's the performance of Ruth Negga that makes this film worth watching. Negga gives a mesmerizing performance of a woman who lives a life full of lies but is willing to lose everything for a friendship that she desperately wants and needs.   My Rating: Full Price Passing Website   Now playing in select theatres and on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest:  Storm Lake (2021)   Documentary about Art Cullen, who with his family and friends put out a twice-weekly paper, the Storm Lake Times, in a small town in Iowa. Shot during a time when small-town newspapers are dying at an incredible pace, this tiny newspaper tries to continue to serve its community and be a voice for the farmer and for democracy. I grew up with a father who, on a typical day, would read three or four newspapers in a day, so I have always loved local newspapers, the smaller, the better. I often would ask friends traveling the country to bring me back a newspaper from their hometown, loving to read about the latest news about store openings, bar-b-cues, and the always happening beauty pageant or talent show. We follow Art, who writes an opinion piece for each issue, his wife, who is in charge of local events, things she calls the ‘happy news,’ and Art’s son, who covers local politics. It’s a fascinating world of a paper that is holding on by a thread to keep going, even when the paper wins the Pulitzer Prize (which, by the way, hurt the paper locally). I loved this look at everyday life in a small town, where a store owner agonizes over running two ads or one, pondering if the extra 50 dollars will pay off in sales. The film is helped by the Democratic Iowa caucus, which meant that a lot of important politicians visited Storm Lake to try and propel their campaigns (Pete Buttigieg comes off the best of the parade of wannabe presidents). So pull up a chair and sit down to watch a small staff work their butts off to put out the best paper they possibly can while still covering that baby pig in a diaper visiting an elementary school.    My Rating: Full Price  Storm Lake Website  Now available on demand including for rent/purchase on the Amazon Prime platform.

My View:  Mother/Android (2021)   Georgia (Chloë Grace Moretz) and Sam (Algee Smith) should be happy as they are about to have a baby. The problem is the world has changed overnight as the androids built to serve mankind have turned on the human population. Now Georgian and Sam must go on a treacherous journey through the No-Man’s Land, a stronghold of the android uprising, in order for their baby to be born in safety. I liked the beginning of the story on how the android revolt started, but the film takes forever to get to any action sequences, and we spend a lot of time with Georgia and Sam talking to each other about baby names and how to get to Boston. The twist is something that you see from a mile away, and the film never delivers the punch to the gut that it desperately wants you to feel. Except for some nice chemistry between the two leads, this is a pretty bland attempt of an end of the world plot.   My Rating: Cable    Mother/Android Website  Now available on the Hulu platform.

Forgotten Film: Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold  (2017)   Joan Didion was a fantastic writer, someone who could go from writing a screenplay to a novel to a series of essays without breaking a sweat, and all were interesting and sometimes brilliant. All the while, she was married to another brilliant writer. John Gregory Dunne, as they edited each other’s work. This documentary is directed by the actor Griffin Dunne, who happens to be Didion’s nephew. He uses his connection and affection for Joan to get her to open up, sometimes shockingly frank, about her life. Didion was destined to be a writer, given a journal by her mother at age five, and she never stopped writing, giving us some of the most moving and amazing work, mainly dealing with what she experienced in her life. This is a fascinating documentary about a woman who just recently passed, a woman who wrote like her life depended on it. The documentary gives us a glimpse into a life filled with glamour, Hollywood stars coming in and out of her life like the parties that she used to have. Her life was also filled with sadness, in a marriage to a man who was often angry at her and the world, and in quick succession, she lost her husband and her adopted daughter in the span of a couple of years, only to write about it in the award-winning book The Year of Magical Thinking. Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold is a beautiful and fascinating look at a complex woman who would touch the world with her writing.   My Rating: Full Price   Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of The Tragedy of Macbeth: Shakespeare Consultant

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: I Want You Back (2022) R   Peter (Charlie Day) and Emma (Jenny Slate) meet by chance on a day that both of them got dumped. They decide to become a team to get back the ‘loves of their lives by breaking up their old partner's new relationships. What could go wrong? I can’t wait to see this rom-com because I have been a huge fan of Jenny Slate since her breakthrough starring role in Obvious Child (2014).   I Want You Back Website

Until Next Time!

Nomadland

Note to readers: I currently am not willing to risk my health (I’m 63 and an asthmatic) by visiting a theatre. All films that I have seen for review have been screened in my home. I am not going to tell you whether or not to attend a theatre. Just be aware of the risks, do your research, and follow the instructions to the letter.

Indiefest: Nomadland (2020) R   After her company town is devastated by the economic recession, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs up her possessions in her van and sets off on the road to take a journey through the American west, living as a modern-day nomad. The first thing that stood out was the outstanding cinematography as Fern travels across America and its vast and changing landscape. Fern is a modern-day explorer, one who would rather be on the road, sleeping in her beloved van, than inside a house on a plush bed because no matter how comfortable that bed is, it’s not her home; the road is. Set in the aftereffects of the 2008 housing collapse, Fern is not alone on the road, and one of the great things about this film is the characters that she encounters and befriends. Some, she only meets once, but others keep popping up, making Fern feel a part of something big, something that she explores as the film goes along. Nomadland is a quiet movie, and McDormand, with her expressive face, gives us a moving performance from a woman who spends a great deal of her time alone. There is tension throughout the film because we, along with Fern, are very aware of how dangerous it is for anyone on a road trip by themselves, but the film seems to let us, and Fern know that help is just down the road. It’s a road that Fern will likely go down until the end.   My Rating; I Would Pay to See it Again    Nomadland Website   The film is currently playing in select theatres and is available on the Hulu Platform.

My View: I Care a Lot (2020) R   Marla (Rosamund Pike) has a nice racket going; she becomes the legal guardian of the elderly and then drains their savings as she puts them in nursing homes. Marla has just picked the wrong woman, Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest), to swindle. Marla is a force to be reckoned with, taking what she feels is hers, no matter who or what is in her way. Rosamund Pike is having fun playing such a fearless and ruthless role, blowing out smoke from her vape like a dragon as she bullies and plots her way to success. Marla has created a great little racket and is enjoying the spoils of her labors when she thinks she has discovered a pot of gold in old Mrs. Peterson. Little does Marla know that Mrs. Peterson has friends in powerful places, like Roman (Peter Dinklage), a man with a short temper, and the money and guns to back that temper up. I Care a Lot is a blast to watch as you wonder who is going to win this match of guts and wits between two people who are used to getting what they want, no matter who or what they run over to get it. Pike takes you down a road, with her finely cut hair and her gleaming smile, that you don’t know where it’s going, but you know there are going to be some bodies lying by that road when she is done.    My Rating: Full Price   I Care a Lot Website  The film is available on the Netflix platform.

Indiefest: Blithe Spirit (2020) PG-13   Charles (Dan Stevens) is a writer suffering horrible writer’s block. He decides to invite a spiritualist medium (Judi Dench) to hold a seance to get the writing juices flowing again. Unfortunately, for both Charles and his wife of five years, Ruth (Isla Fisher), the Medium brings back Charles's first wife, Elvira (Leslie Mann), and she won’t or can’t leave Charles's side, even if only he can see her. This is a remake of a classic film, and when you do that, you try to bring something fresh to the story. Unfortunately, this film brings nothing new; in fact, it takes the storyline and makes such a mess of it that I never quite could figure out who I was supposed to root for, Charles, his new wife, or the wife that died and has come back as a ghost. The problem is that by the end of the film, you don’t like any of them, and worse yet, you don’t care what happens to them. Even such a great actor as Judi Dench playing the lovesick Medium can’t save this film.    My Rating: Cable    Blithe Spirit Website  The film is currently playing in select theatres.

Familyfaire:  Flora & Ulysses  (2021)  PG   Flora (Matilda Lawler), the daughter of George (Ben Schwartz), a comic book creator, and Phyllis (Alyson Hannigan), a romance writer, is upset about her parent’s separation. When Flora rescues a squirrel from a robot lawnmower, she discovers that the squirrel, she has named Ulysses, has developed magical superpowers. Now can Ulysses help bring Flora’s parents back together before the evil animal control officer (Danny Pudi) catches Ulysses? This is a light, fun film for the family to enjoy. Ulysses is pretty darn cute, and the idea that a squirrel can be a superhero is a great plot point. The film is silly but in the right way, and Matilda Lawler is delightful as the spunky, determined young girl who is convinced that Ulysses will save the day. Sit back and enjoy the adventures of Flora and Ulysses as they save the day or, at least, save the cheese-balls.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee    Flora & Ulysses Info   The film is available on the Disney+ platform.

Indiefest: Test Pattern (2019)   The film follows an interracial couple (Will Brill, Brittany S. Hall) whose relationship is put to the test after being sexually assaulted, and her boyfriend drives her from hospital to hospital to get someone to administer a rape kit. This is a heartbreaking tale of whether a relationship, no matter how strong, can survive with so many obstacles are laid in their path. The film handles a bunch of subjects, including racism and how we see and treat victims of sexual assault while taking us on a frustrating and painful journey. I loved the editing of this film and its use of music and, at times, unrelenting silence to hammer into us the desperation and loneliness that the two characters experience as this journey goes on.   My Rating: Full Price    Test Pattern Website   The film is available to rent on participating on-demand services.

Indiefest: Days of the Bagnold Summer (2019)   Daniel (Earl Cave), a heavy-metal teenager, wanted to spend his summer with his dad in Florida, but instead, he is stuck, once again in England, with his mom, Sue (Monica Doland), a mild-mannered librarian. There isn’t a lot to this film, which is fine because the two leads are so much to watch. Sue, is a single mom that loves her son but wants him to be happy like he was when he was young. Daniel is sullen and depressed, wanting to be left alone to listen to his heavy-metal music in his room. His world has come crashing down because his father, who left them when Daniel was eight, has reminded his invite for Daniel to visit him in the states. Monica Doland is magical as the dumpy but lovable mom who tries to look on the bright side of things, something so hard when you have a son who tends to look at life as one, long dark passage of time. Not a lot happens to the characters in this film, just enough for there to be an understanding in the end that no matter what happens, they have each other.    My Rating: Full Price   Days of the Bagnold Summer Info   The film is available to rent on participating on-demand services.

Forgotten Film: Alice in the Cities (1974)   From the creative mind of Wim Wenders comes a wonderful film about friendship and lost lives. Philip (Rüdiger Vogler) is a German journalist who wants to return to Germany after a failed writing stint in the US. He meets Alice (Yella Rottländer) and her mother at the airport, also looking to go back to Germany. Alice is left with Philip temporarily, but it soon becomes apparent that Philip will have to take responsibility for Alice. After returning to Europe, the two travel through European cities on a quest to find Alice’s relatives. Highlighted by incredible black-and-white cinematography and moving performances by the two leads, the film is an exploration of how a friendship can develop over time. The film is a wondrous time capsule of America and Europe's contrasts in the 70s and a road-trip film that you constantly wonder if this will end happily.    My Take: Full Price   Alice in the Cities Info

Weird Credits: From the credits of Blithe Spirit: Skipper

Coming Soon to a Screen Near You: Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) PG-13 Two of the icons of monster movies are going to battle against each other; the massive, mighty Kong and the fearsome monster Godzilla. Who will win, and will the human race survive this battle?    Godzilla vs. Kong Website

Until Next Time!