Tag: Recommended

Miss Stevens Captures a Non-classroom Aspect of Being a Teacher

The review:

Julia Hart directs and Lily Rabe inhabits Miss Stevens and together they create a story about the parts of teaching that don’t have to do with standing in the front of a classroom. Lily Rabe is a complex Miss Stevens* and watching her students watch her make the choices she does is only part of the fun. At times, the movie balances the teacher/student relationships on a knife’s edge and the tension is in seeing how Miss Stevens will react; in addition, Timothée Chalemet pushes the envelope the most in an excellent performance.**

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: free via Kanopy
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I was captivated by her performance. She has a really interesting face: lots of emotion and she looks different from every angle.
**That at one point tips over to “too big” but otherwise is exemplary.

Questions:

  • I had trouble making recommendations of other movies.What’s your favorite quiet-mentor movie?
  • What was one point where Miss Stevens made a choice that was right for the moment?
  • What makes a good teacher?

Favorite IMDB Trivia Item:

The headrests on the front seats of Miss Stevens’ car are incorrectly positioned, causing a safety issue where a crash could potentially lead to the decapitation of the driver and front passenger.

(Oh internet comments. Sometimes I love you so much.)

On the Waterfront is a Classic for a Reason

The review:

Sixty-five years later, Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront remains a potent tale of doing the right thing. All the cast members, but Marlon Brando in particular,* excel at showing the choices that are made when there aren’t many good choices to be had. Aside from Brando being Brando (back when that was a good thing) Karl Malden is excellent as a priest determined to make a difference, and Eva Marie Saint was incredible—especially given the era-specific limitations of her role.**

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: free from MCL
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Most of my exposure to Brando has been after 1980, which is far from peak Brando, so you can image how different he seemed to me in this film. One interesting observation: how he presents as very uber-male, but at times, his movement and expressions also present to my 21st century viewing eyes as effeminate (or, to use the 80s term: faggy). I think it’s because of the placidity of his face, and the amount of emotion that rolls off of him. Actors today playing straight male roles are less fluid in both their body movements–probably because they carry a lot more muscle–and their facial expressions.
**I think of her in comparison to Grace Kelly in High Noon. Saint is a bubbling factory of emotion, while Kelly is wooden.

Questions:

  • Was it method acting by Brando and Saint that made this movie so good, or were they just amazing actors in general?
  • Who do you think had the toughest choice in this film?
  • Aside from Malden, Brando, and Saint, who was your favorite actor in this film?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Sam Spiegel forgot to pay for rear-projection equipment, hence the reason why the cab where Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger play out the film’s most famous scene has blinds.

Judy is a Great Movie About a Sad Time

The review:

Rupert Goold directs Judy, a tenderly sad movie—because what other kind of Judy Garland movie can there be?—with a masterful performance by Renee Zellweger. This movie got me thinking about what we expect of our performers—is it not enough to have the amazing singing voice?*—and how hard it is to reconcile those expectations with real life. This is also a film that captures the 60’s quite nicely, and not with the usual cliches.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $6.00
Where watched: Laurelhurst Theater

Consider also watching:

A star is Born (’18)
A star is Born (’54)
The Runaways
Love and Mercy

Further sentences:

*The answer was no when Judy Garland was a girl, and is still no today.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Renée Zellweger was born the same year that Judy Garland died: 1969.

Questions:

  • What’s your favorite Judy Garland performance?
  • What’s your favorite Renee Zellwiger performance?
  • What does a performer owe the audience, aside from the performance?

For Insiders, the Downton Abbey Movie is a Gem

The review:

Michael Engler creates an excellent two-hour episode* of Downton Abbey which will be enjoyable to all who have watched the show and which also will probably incomprehensible to newcomers.** While I wasn’t particularly pining for the Downton gang, the movie reminded me how much I loved the characters, and the movie—unlike, at times, the series—had a tight, comprehensive plot that touched on nearly all of the characters.*** Overall, a great movie, assuming you have done your background research.

The verdict: Recommended

(assuming you are already a fan)

Cost: $11.35
Where watched: Regal Tigard Stadium 12 (where they waste time making you pick your seat)

Consider also watching:

  • Downton Abbey Season 1
  • Downton Abbey Season 2
  • After that, the plot gets very soap opera-y
  • If you like the characters, the rest of the series is worth watching

Further sentences:

*It’s not really a movie, just a longer version of the show.
**Who are all these people? If you haven’t watched the show, this movie isn’t going to enlighten you.
***Bates wandered in an out and otherwise wasn’t present, but nearly everyone else was around.

Trivia:

The mansion that King George V and Queen Mary visit after Downton Abbey, where the ball is held at the end of the film, is Harewood House. Although the name of the village is pronounced as it is spelled (Hare-wood), the House and the title Lord Harewood are perversely pronounced Har-wood, as was correctly done throughout the film.

Here’s a bonus picture because I just love it so much

Hustlers is Worth Your Dollar Bills

The review:

Lorene Scafaria has made my favorite kind of movie with Hustlers: that which seems to be about one thing, but which is, in fact, about another.* While you could get distracted (as those guys at the strip club did) by all that flesh, in Scafaria’s deft hands this is not a movie about women who remove their clothes for economic gain, it’s about women who game a system that puts them at the bottom of the billions that are made by exploiting women’s bodies. Excellent performances all around** and there’s a lot of heart in this film.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $6.70
Where watched: Studio One Theaters

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I think it helps that it was a woman who wrote this story. Despite the various stages of undress, this was a film absent of the male gaze.
**Jennifer Lopez is such a commanding presence. The range of emotions on Constance Wu’s face was amazing. It’s great to see Mercedes Ruehl and I’m always happy when Julia Stiles is on screen.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Jennifer Lopez trained for pole dancing in preparation for the movie. She even had a detachable pole in her house.

Annihilation Will Spark a Good Post-Movie Discussion

The review:

Alex Garland’s Annihilation is yet another quality flick, especially good for post-viewing discussion.* To say again what many are saying in all realms of life: representation does matter and I loved that women were the people doing the exploring in this movie.** It’s a visually stimulating movie with great performances; while Natalie Portman is her usual excellent self, Gina Rodriguez, Tuva Novotny, Tessa Thompson and Jennifer Jason Leigh were all wonderful to watch as they explored the Shimmer.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: free from the Multnomah County Library
Where watched, at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Annihilation is good for dates early in the relationship, Garland’s previous Ex Machina is good for a more established couple.
**Number of movies I can think of where an all-woman team bands together to get things done: One. Ocean’s Eight. Number of movies where an all-man team bands together to get things done: roughly 3000.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Oscar Isaac filmed this movie and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) on adjacent studio lots. He had the same trailer for both films and would often film scenes for both movies on the same day.

Yesterday Won Me Over Completely

The review:

I’d forgotten what a romantic Danny Boyle is, and his love of the absurd,* and those two things, combined with an interesting premise, elevated Yesterday far beyond my expectations. Himesh Patel’s varying levels of despair—even as he was gaining fame by “writing” songs by the Beatles—was fun to watch, as was Kate McKinnon as Debra Hammer—a money hungry manager. I also found myself surprised by the turns in the story, which always makes for a good film; as does good music, which the Beatles produced in quantity.**

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $4.00
Where watched: Academy Theater—nearly a full house.

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*The movie Millions has a special place in my heart
**There’s a moving turn near the end I didn’t see coming, which was also delightful.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Though it was not in the original script, director Danny Boyle was so taken with the discovery of a recording studio by a railway track that he had the text altered to incorporate the trains and utilize the location as Gavin’s studio.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco is the First Movie You Should Watch this Month

The review:

With The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Joe Talbot creates a visually striking story studded with extraordinary performances. In this film, the city is Black people have been dispersed; the people who are still there aren’t out and about. This leaves the streets empty for contemplative skateboarding scenes* and Jimmie Fails’ upkeep of his family home which they have lost ownership of, but which he still takes care of.**

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $1.75 from Redbox
(that box has some quality stuff hidden among all the blockbusters)
Where watched: at home with Matt, who also loved it.

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*The movie isn’t as slow as I’m making it sound. Every scene is perfectly composed and builds to a tension-filled moment.
**As someone who also loves houses, even ones I don’t own, I felt every bit of Jimmy’s pain, and—as fortune’s wheel turns—his elation.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Mike Marshal, known for singing the chorus to “I Got 5 On It” and his time in the song “Rumors” with the Timex Social Club, makes a cameo appearance performing the song “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)”. The film also has a nod to his famous performance as he jokingly starts to sing “I Got 5 On It” at the end of the scene.

Good Boys is a Profanity-Laden Best-Friends-For-Now Film

The review:

Gene Stupnitsky’s Good Boys is a hilarious capturing of sixth grade boys who know exactly how very young they are as they navigate the choppy waters of middle school.* All three leads are brilliant, and this is the kind of boy movie baked in the Apatow mold: boys have feelings, their lives and friendships are complex, and there are a lot of reasons to cry. I loved the adventure, but what made this movie incredibly funny was their nascent understanding of life.**

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $15.00
Where watched: Studio One Theaters (this is a new theater and my first time visiting. It’s very fancy and not that much more than a non-discount Regal admission.) (Although I rarely pay full price at Regal)

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*When we watched the preview, I thought it looked like a very funny movie. I also felt torn, because I think tweens should stay children for much longer than they do, and I think this R-rated film will propel that age group in the opposite direction of my preference.
**This carried out in a number of ways, but is most hilarious in the verbal realm, such as the use of the term “social piranha” and thinking that a misogynist has something to do with giving massages.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

In the opening Point Grey logo, one of the things written on a school desk is “Thor=Sippy Cup,” which later becomes a film plot point.
(I noticed this!)

The Farewell is Well Worth Your Time

The review:

Lulu Wang’s The Farewell is a quiet bit of funny and sad as we watch Billi (Awkwafina) come to terms with her Chinese grandmother’s terminal cancer diagnosis.* Shuzhen Zhao (Nai Nai—the grandmother) is a delight, full of vim and opinions and ways to get rid of the negative energy. It’s a movie full of moments that weave together into a loving portrait of a family spread far apart by geography but with a very close bond.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $6.00
Where watched: The Hollywood Theatre, with S. North (who paid, because I forgot my wallet)

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Complicating the diagnosis: in China it’s common to withhold the diagnosis from the patient so everyone must act as if the family is only gathering for a family wedding.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

In addition to writing and directing, Lulu Wang also plays piano on the film’s soundtrack.