Tag: 10s

The Greatest Showman is Perfect Pandemic Viewing

The Greatest Showman

The review:

The overlap of the Venn Diagram of Michael Gracey’s The Greatest Showman and the actual facts of P.T. Barnum’s life is probably a slim sliver, but that does not take away from the fact that this is a very good movie musical.* Casting the living greatest showman (Hugh Jackman) helps, but so do the dance numbers** and the songs, many of which have a meter that is designed to pep the most lugubrious of people. The visual styling*** is also great and everyone turns in excellent performances.****

The verdict: Good

The verdict during a pandemic: Recommended

Cost: free from the Multnomah County Library (one of two DVDs I checked out before the library closed for pandemic purposes*****)
Where watched: at home.

Consider also watching:

  • The Music Man
  • Sound of Music
  • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
  • Singing in the Rain
  • Mary Poppins
  • Mary Poppins Returns

Further sentences:

*Particularly when quarantined due to a pandemic. The hopeful and stalwart songs are just right for our times.
**”Rewrite the stars” has catapulted to my top-ten list of musical numbers.
***My copy had a making-of feature which explained why there were paintings of the film shown during the credits. This was a feature that made me like the film even more. The story behind the story is also inspiring.
****If I were an actor, I would aspire to Michele Williams interesting and varied career, and I also am interested in the turns Zac Efron takes. Long after I’ve forgotten the details of the film, Keala Settle will remain the thing I love about this movie.
*****I stayed away from this due to tepid reviews, and I’m kind of glad. It was the movie I needed right now.

Questions:

  • What’s a movie that came to you at just the right time?
  • What’s the most important element in a musical?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

According to Hugh Jackman, the film’s nine-year development process from conception to completion was, in part, due to studios’ unwillingness to take a risk on an original musical. What finally sold the deal at 20th Century Fox was the future Oscar-nominated song “This is Me”, which had literally been written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul during the two-hour flight to the studio meeting where the film was greenlit.

The Greatest Showman

The Lobster Wasn’t a Good Dinner For Me

The Lobster

The review:

Yorgos Lanthimos created an interesting world in The Lobster,* but it’s a world I didn’t want to spend much time in, which made this movie a long slog. That said, there are a great many amusing scenes in this film** and it’s quite funny. I especially liked the deadpan nature of all the characters, especially Olivia Colman as the Hotel Manager and Ariane Labed as the Maid.

The verdict: Skip

Cost: Free from Kanopy, the library’s streaming service
Where watched: at home

Consider watching instead:

Fun fact: when I googled “movies like the Lobster” one of the recommendations was Definitely, Maybe #algorithmfail

Further sentences:

*It’s kind of like a dark Wes Anderson world.
**And a more than a few disturbing ones.

Questions:

  • What do you think happened after the final scene?
  • How do you think this particular society evolved?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The production worked almost entirely with natural light and without makeup. Lighting was only used for some night scenes.

Other reviews:

The Lobster

Everything is Copy Shows that it Wasn’t

Everything is Copy

The review:

In Everything is Copy, Nora Ephron’s son Jacob Bernstein along with co-director Nick Hooker explore the life of the talented writer-director. There are one-on-ones with people you will and won’t recognize,* there are famous women reading Ephron’s words, clips of her movies, and Ephron herself in interviews.** It’s a grand combination of celebration, and loss, and the enigma: Ephron couldn’t bring herself to talk about the illness that was killing her.***

The verdict: Good

Cost: Free from Multnomah County Library
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences

*The interviews with people who knew her were my favorite part. It was easy to see how much she is missed.
**I feel as though I got a good sense of the good and bad of Nora Ephron. It wasn’t an overly fawning portrait.
***Everything is not copy, in the end.

Questions:

  • Would you want your son to make a documentary about you after you died?
  • What would be the advantages and disadvantages of making everything in your life up for publication?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Both Max Bernstein (Nora Ephron and Carl Bernstein’s younger son; director Jacob Bernstein’s brother) and Nicholas Pileggi (Nora Ephron’s widower) declined to appear in the documentary for different reasons. In a New York Magazine interview, Jacob Bernstein explained that both Max Bernstein and Nick Pileggi both felt that the grief they felt at the loss of Ephron was “still too raw for them” to be able to talk about her on camera. Bernstein also said that Max’s relationship with their mother had been much more private and personal than his own. Pileggi and Max Bernstein did express support of the making of the documentary in other ways—both have viewed the finished film and attended public events promoting it.

Other reviews:

Everything is Copy

Homecoming is a film by Beyoncé

Homecoming A Film by Beyonce

The review:

In Homecoming, Beyoncé and Ed Burke capture the magic of Beyoncé’s 2018 Cochella performance which included a drum line, step dancing, tight choreography, a set that includes risers that look like a pyramid, and the power of Beyoncé’s music.* Interspersed with the action on stage are scenes of the planning and execution of this performance including information about why the show was delayed for a year and all of the personal physical preparation Beyoncé had to take to be ready.** This movie is for anyone who likes pageantry, anyone who likes to see how musical performances are created, and for sure, anyone who loves a drum line.***

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

  • 20 Feet from Stardom
  • Cabin in the Sky (though it’s from 1943 and thus racist, but the performances are great!)
  • Purple Rain
  • Dreamgirls

Further sentences:

*A true confession exposing my unfortunate proclivities to discount contributions by women and by women of color: After the first five minutes, I had the thought, “I wonder how much of this Beyoncé was around for? Did she slide in after it was all choreographed and put together?” This despite the title: Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé. Luckily for me, Beyoncé (the director!) anticipated that people might wonder such a thing and I soon realized that she was the creator of everything about this incredible performance. I’m calling out my racist and sexist thought to illustrate that I still have discounting thoughts like that, and I need to catch them when they happen.
**I love that she reported her exact weight before she gave birth to twins, and talked about the difficulties of getting her body into a specific shape in time for this performance. It was also painful to watch, and I wish we lived in a world where women could live in the bodies they have after they give birth.
***I am not a follower of Ms. Knowles’s music; I recognized two songs. This did not distract me from loving every minute of this movie.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Beyoncé was paid $8 million to perform at Coachella.
(This was the only trivia item)
(Also: good job Beyoncé)

Other reviews:

Homecoming A Film by Beyonce

I Am Not Your Negro is the Present

I Am Not Your Negro

The review:

Raoul Peck’s I am Not Your Negro is the type of documentary that grabbed me from the preview, because who wouldn’t want to watch James Baldwin talk about stuff? The movie does an excellent job juxtaposing Baldwin’s words (read by Samuel L. Jackson) about the history of race in America with images from the past that spin a different tale of our history. It also pairs his observations about his own contemporary society with our contemporary society and the film’s many quotes that hit you right in the gut.*

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: free via Kanopy, the library’s streaming service.
Where watched: at home

Further sentences:

*This movie does not mention that James Baldwin was a gay man at a time when uncloseted gay men were few and far between. People have criticized the film for this reason.

Questions:

  • Does not having the context of Baldwin’s sexuality detract from the film?
  • How do you see the history of race in America play out in your life?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The film is based on James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript of 30 pages for a novel which has never before been released to the public. The film, in a way, finishes this work by incorporating other interviews and writings by Baldwin and expanding on the themes through archival footage

Other reviews:

I Am Not Your Negro

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is Incendiary

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

The review:

Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire is* a movie singularly focused on women in a way that few films are.** There is so much to see in this film, from the way the artist studies her subject surreptitiously, to the way the portrait evolves. It’s also a movie where class barriers are removed, and one that depicts a common issue most movies don’t address; by the end I felt fully immersed in these characters*** and their world.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $9.00
Where watched: Living Room Theaters

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*It is at this point that I want to insert my original take, texted to my friend: I have now seen Portrait of a Lady on Fire and deem it a slow burn, but very good. There I am, being punny without meaning to. This movie is not concerned about speed, but it earns its viewers’ attention with every deliberate scene.
**Where are the men in this film? I found their absence to be not at all realistic, but also a refreshing tonic. It was like my early undergraduate days, spent at a women’s college. I suspect the lack of men in this film has something to do with the fact that I first heard about this from the Online Female Film Critics 2019 awards shortlist, and heard almost nothing about it for the rest of awards season. Movies without women? Fine. Movies without men? Just not interesting to most of the people who review movies.
***I am also now curious to look up all the previous directorial efforts of Céline Sciamma, and previous movies with Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel and Luàna Bajrami

Question:

  • Do you think she was actually on fire, or was it a manifestation?
  • Did you see the page number thing coming?
  • Are movies that remove standard things (men, for instance) to tell their story distracting for the lack of such things, or captivating because of the removal?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The literal translation of the original title is Portrait of the Young Girl on Fire. One suspects that “the young girl” was changed to “a lady” for the English title of the film in order to evoke the Henry James novel, The Portrait of a Lady.

Other reviews:

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

2020 Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts

Overall:

The Live Action Shorts had a whiplash of emotions (woah, what?, ugh!, hmm, yes!) that left me feeling good.

A Sister (16 minutes)

The film opens with a couple driving in a car with the woman asking permission to call her sister to arrange for care for her daughter. From that point the film jumps back and forth from the claustrophobic and hard-to-see car interior to a different location. I found this film hopeful and clever and also the kind of film that wasn’t going to get a lot of votes.

The verdict: Recommended

Watch “A Sister” here.

Brotherhood (25 minutes)

This takes place in Tunisia and the three young men who play the brothers are fascinatingly red-headed and freckled.* It’s about a family where the oldest brother has been absent for returns home with a Syrian wife. Has he been working for ISIS?

*Googling got me to an article hidden behind a paywall, but apparently Meryam Joobeur, the director, came across two of them in 2016 tending sheep in northern Tunisia, asked to take their picture and was denied. Then she came back with script for a short film, asked around, found the brothers and they agreed to be in the film.

The verdict: Recommended

Watch “Brotherhood” on Viemo.

Saria (22 minutes)

This film is based on a true story about an incident in an orphanage in Guatemala. The film focuses on two sisters who are determined to escape from the grim and terrible place. It’s a short film that manages to be hopeful, despite its depressing topic.

The verdict: Good

Watch a trailer for “Saria” here.

The Neighbors’ Window (20 minutes)

A very tired couple with three children who live in an apartment watch the antics of a younger couple who move in across the street. This was the weakest of the bunch. I saw the twist coming in the first five minutes, which would have been okay, but the actor playing the husband was Not A Good Actor.

The verdict: Skip

Watch “The Neighbors’ Window” here.

Nefta Football Club (17 minutes)

What starts with two men looking for a donkey in the desert and expands to encompass two boys on a motorbike headed back to their Tunisian village. This was the funniest of the nominated short films (there was clapping). It was also my favorite.

The verdict: Recommended

Watch Nefta Football Club here.

Cost: $6.00
Where watched: Hollywood Theatre with S. North.

My ranking: (winner in bold)

  • Nefta Football Club
  • Brotherhood
  • A Sister
  • Saria
  • The Neighbors’ Window

2020 Oscar Nominated Documentary Shorts

Overall:

Like last year, the documentary shorts were my favorite. I love these short slices of life, all of which inspired a lot of feelings. I felt wrung out after watching these, but in a better way than the animated shorts.

Note that not all of these individual reviews will have three sentences.

Life Overtakes Me (39 minutes)

This movie starts with a fairy tale-like shot of snow coating branches of trees. It continues by explaining about an illness that is affecting refugee children in Sweden. This was fascinating and a bit horrifying.

The verdict: Recommended

Watch “Life Overtakes Me” on Netflix.

Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you’re a girl) (39 minutes)

I’m always going to go for the stories about the girls. And girls in cultures where girls don’t matter are a big win for me. And movies about skateboarding also are a thing I love.

The verdict: Recommended

Watch “Learning to Skateboard” on A&E.

In the Absence (29 minutes)

In 2014, the Korean ferry Sewol sank and 300 people (many of them children) drowned. This film follows the disaster from the moment the Coast Guard arrives on scene through years of protest and trials. It was painful and horrible and I highly recommend you watch just to see how many everyday people were affected and to hear the stories of those who tried to make a terrible situation better.

The verdict: Recommended.

Watch “In the Absence” on Vimeo.

Walk, Run, Cha-Cha (20 minutes)

After three heavy subjects, this story of a later-in-life couple who love ballroom dance was a crowd pleaser. Paul and Millie Cao met in Vietnam, and were separated when Paul came to the US as a refugee; Millie joined about five years later. In 20 minutes we get a sense of their life together, their friends and family, and their love for Cha Cha.

The verdict: Recommended

Watch “Walk, Run, Cha-Cha” on Vimeo.

St. Louis Superman (28 minutes)

Bruce Franks ran for a seat in the Missouri State Legislature after what happened in Ferguson and this film follows him as he goes about his duties. It’s a great depiction of the difficult realities of political office and shows off Franks’s talents speaking to people and inspiring them.

The verdict: Good

Watch a trailer for “St. Louis Superman” on YouTube.

Cost: $10.00
Where watched: Kiggens Theater

My ranking: (winner in bold)

  • Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you’re a girl)
  • In the Absence
  • Life Overtakes Me
  • Walk, Run, Cha Cha
  • St. Louis Superman

2020 Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts

Overall:

I came out of the Animated Shorts feeling defeated and depressed. Thank goodness for the wacky Hors Piste—a bonus feature, and the very brief Maestro. All of the shorts this year are about death or loss, mostly directly, sometimes tangentially.

Also, these reviews aren’t necessarily going to be three sentences each.

Hair Love (7 minutes)

A girl wants to make her hair look nice, but despite online tutorial vidoes, is too young to have the skills. Her father is nervous, but willing to try. Very sweet and funny, this is the feel-good short.

The verdict: Good

Watch “Hair Love” on YouTube here.

Dcera (Daughter) (15 minutes)

Stop motion animation with papier-mâché figures that focuses on a father and daughter relationship. Aside from being depressing, the animation of the eyeballs weirded me out. This was a very long fifteen minutes.

The verdict: Skip

Pay to watch “Dcera” here.

Sister (8 minutes)

Felted dolls tell this story about a man’s childhood memories of his sister. In places, the animation was weird in a good way and this story hit me hard. This was my favorite.

The verdict: Recommended

Website information here.

Kitbull (9 minutes)

This is Pixar-adjacent, the story of a feral kitten who makes a new friend. I was all in for the antics of the black feral kitten (my home includes a formerly feral, now-grown kitten who jumped around just like this one) but another animal was in danger in a way that made me angry and after that I was having none of this short.

The verdict: Skip

Watch “Kitbull” on YouTube here.

Memorable (12 minutes)

Another stop-motion animated entry, this was the most artsy of the bunch. In it, a painter and his wife experience changes. It illustrated a depressing topic in beautiful color and motion.

The verdict: Skip

“Memorable” is not available to watch.

Shorts TV, the organization who distributes the Oscar-Nominated films to theaters, probably couldn’t justify sending out a 51-minute program. So there was some padding added. And thank goodness, because the last two shorts managed to turn around the depressing topics.

Henrietta Bulkowski (16 minutes)

Another stop-motion entry, this is the story of a woman with kyphosis (when the spine curves and gives a hunchback) who wants to be a pilot. I enjoyed how fantastically weird this film was.

The verdict: Good

Website is here.

The Bird and the Whale (6 minutes)

This was gorgeous. It’s 4,300 paintings on glass paired with an original score by Chris McLoughlin. But when you have a bird in a cage as the sole survivor of a shipwreck, you’ve got an animal in peril and that’s a no-go for me.

The verdict: Skip

Website is here.

Hors Piste (5 minutes)

God bless Hors Piste for its tale of mountain rescue workers whose mission doesn’t go as planned. The CGI brings a funny veneer to the story and the poor fellow being rescued has increasingly amusing expressions.

The verdict: Recommended

Trailer is here.

Maestro (2 minutes)

This is two minutes of a squirrel directing a cast of forest animals in a bit of opera. There’s nothing not to like here.

The verdict: Recommended

Watch “Maestro” on Vimeo here.

Cost: $9.75
Where watched: Living Room Theaters

My ranking: (winner in bold)

  • Sister
  • Hors Piste
  • Hair Love
  • Henrietta Bulkowski
  • Maestro
  • Memorable
  • The rest are just: No!

Brittany Runs a Marathon is 26.2 Miles of Good Film

Brittany Runs a Marathon

The review:

Paul Downs Colaizzo’s Brittany Runs a Marathon captures that oh-so-familiar post-college floundering, and layers in female body issues and shaky friendships. It does all of these things very well and stars Jillian Bell, who is usually a bit player who steals scenes,* but as Brittany, she gets to flex all her acting muscles. This is an excellent movie about subjects seldom addressed.**

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: Free via Amazon Prime 30-day trial***
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*My first moment of “who IS that?” was in 22 Jump Street.
**The medium of film seems a good one especially to address women and body issues. Perhaps as more women are in positions of movie making power will we see more of this subject.
***The boyfriend signed up for other reasons, but I made sure to see the two movies Amazon has been sitting on: this and Beautiful Boy.

Questions:

  • What aspect of female life would you like to see more movies made about?
  • Who is your favorite underrated female comic?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The cast and crew actually got to film at the New York City Marathon, making this the first time a non-documentary film crew has been allowed to shoot there.

Other reviews:

Brittany Runs a Marathon