"Frances Ha" is a diamond in the rough.

DVD and Streaming Review: “Frances Ha”

 

              

 

Writer and director Noah Baumbach’s “Frances Ha” is the story of a girl – who might be classified as “liberal elitist” – navigating life after college. It is a continuation of Mr. Baumbach’s themes of observing educated and culturally oriented people struggling to find identification. Greta Gerwig plays the title role and has a co-writer’s credit. There may be a bit of biographical storytelling going on here and that’s to the film’s credit. The places and scenes that emerge are so lifelike and fraught with novice corollaries that they cannot be far removed from the film writers’ own experiences. However so, it makes for an entertaining movie and Ms. Gerwig is so simple and innocent that we watch hoping she grows up in front of our eyes.

 

               “Frances Ha” was filmed in black and white, a throwback of sorts to when the independent film movement was at its hottest, during the early and mid-nineties – independent films made with shoe-string budgets and maxed out credit cards. The story captures that spirit and the black and white adds to the grittiness. A coming of age story would be a poor description since that would mean lessons have been absorbed. That’s a big studio ending. The independent spirit is about the poor souls who get beaten down by life and cannot find any life preservers.

               Frances rooms with her best friend Sophie (Mickey Sumner). To say they are inseparable would not do their friendship justice. They not only fall asleep in the same bed together but know all of the intricacies of the other. They each give each other such pleasure that there is no reason to take notice of life passing by or the inevitability of maturing. Frances’ relationship with her boyfriend crumbles when she refuses to move in with him. She is worried that she might upset Sophie who she believes wants to renew the lease on their apartment. Not too long after, Sophie informs Frances that she, herself, is moving in with her boyfriend, setting the drama of the film in motion.

 

               Frances is thunderstruck and has to scramble to find new housing. She moves in with Lev (Adam Driver) and Benji (Michael Zegen) who she meets at a party. While Sophie navigates the waters of young adulthood, Frances refuses to prepare for a future. Instead she tries to maintain best friend status with Sophie but grows frustrated with Sophie’s other obligations. She focuses on her dancing which brings to mind every parents’ advice about studying law or medicine as a back-up plan for the children majoring in the arts. It’s bad enough that she might not be good enough for her dance company but she’s trying to live her dream through a spiraling economy.

               Ms. Gerwig makes Frances endearing. She goes through all her growing pains without submitting to defeat. She’s able to roll with each disappointment. Ms. Gerwig sort of floats through the movie. She gives off a good sense that Frances is just bouncing around and that her friendship with Sophie was the foundation of her life. The cast Mr. Baumbach surrounded her with is raw in an independent film sort of way. The actors add to the grittiness of the film. They are wonderful especially Ms. Sumner and Mr. Driver who have the presence of those living on the previous night’s tip money while trying to be a part of a scene. The rest of the cast follows suit.

               “Frances Ha” is a simple story about a simple girl who has to learn about herself. The performances are rustic and add to the look and feel Mr. Baumbach established with his black-and-white photography. It is an original piece of film about an original girl.

 

 

Directed by Noah Baumbach; written by Mr. Baumbach and Greta Gerwig; director of photography, Sam Levy; edited by Jennifer Lame; production design by Sam Lisenco; produced by Mr. Baumbach, Scott Rudin, Lila Yacoub and Rodrigo Teixeira; released by IFC Films. Running time: 1 hour 26 minutes.

WITH: Greta Gerwig (Frances), Mickey Sumner (Sophie), Patrick Heusinger (Patch), Adam Driver (Lev), Michael Zegen (Benji) and Grace Gummer (Rachel).

"The Counselor" brings the intensity to the Mexican mafia movie.

DVD or Streaming Review: “The Counselor”

 

              

 

“The Counselor” is Cormac McCarthy’s first original screenplay. If one is familiar with Mr. McCarthy’s fiction they will see a familiar theme of mortality surrounding man’s relationship with evil and violence as an accessory. His novel “No Country for Old Men” dealt with choices individuals make and the evil that walks this planet. His novel was underlined with philosophical themes that did not surface in the Coen brothers’ film of the same name. Mr. McCarthy’s novel “Blood Meridian” dealt with man’s relationship with violence and is considered so violent that it is unfilmable. “The Counselor” may not be as violent as “Blood Meridian” but the threat remains under the surface, creating a tension that lasts throughout the movie.

               The character whose name graces the title is played by Michael Fassbender. He is the so called counselor to a night club owner, Reiner, played with relish (is there any other way he plays a part) by Javier Bardem. Needing the extra cash they invest in a drug deal with a middle man Westray (Brad Pitt) on which they expect a large return. One of the ironies of the film is that there is not one time in which The Counselor gives any counsel. He gets plenty and it’s all good, especially when he is advised to stay away from the deal. But his lavish lifestyle has put him beyond his means and the purchase of a three-and-a-half carat engagement diamond for his girlfriend (Penelope Cruz) has pushed him forward.

              

               The story of the mob in film during the twentieth century has revolved around the Italian mob specifically. So far, in the early part of this century, it would be safe to say that the Mexican cartels have usurped the Italians. “The Counselor” looks and feels as though Mr. Scott and Mr. McCarthy have set out to make the first classic Mexican Cartel mafia movie for this century. Mr. McCarthy has underlined the threat of violence with a philosophy that doesn’t exactly rise to the level of “The Godfather’s” “I’m going to make him and offer he can’t refuse,” or “It was only business.” In “The Counselor” we are told to find imperfections in everything, including so called perfectly cut diamonds, and that grief does not have value even though it does change the griever’s view of the world. These philosophical excursions add a depth to “The Counselor” and their scenes hold interest since the messengers are the wily veterans Bruno Ganz and Ruben Blades. The problem with “The Counselor,” however, is that there are too many pieces missing and some pieces that should have been left out.

 

The movie has three different stories going simultaneously. The first is The Counselor’s story and why he puts his money into the investment. The second is the oil truck whose voyage from Mexico to the United States carries the destinies of all the major players in it. And the third is about Reiner’s girlfriend, Malkina (Cameron Diaz), who, after being called cold for telling Reiner that she doesn’t miss someone when their dead because they’re not coming back, tells him truth doesn’t come in a temperature. Truth may not come in a temperature but her heart has no need to fear global warming.

               The strength of the movie lies in the traveling gas truck. It looks as though it couldn’t make it around the corner never mind across the border but that’s the point since it’s a camouflage for its contents. It’s an ominous presence in a film and leaves a lot of dead bodies in its wake. Who is driving it also plays to what happens to the counselor and the people he’s involved with. The truck moves the story.

               Malkina is the other asset to the film. She is cold and cunning and the smartest person in the room. That’s what makes her scary. Mr. McCarthy seems to have written her to show the evolution of women in mob movies. Malkina is no mob wife or mistress. She is the brains and the men around her are not as smart as she and they know it. She still has the sex appeal which at one time was the only quality women needed to have. One problem that diverts from the story is that Mr. McCarthy tries too hard to show that women can love sex while also being smart, powerful and ambitious as hell.

               Malkina’s character grows more menacing as the film plays but Mr. Fassbender’s Counselor is a washout. When the news comes to him that the manure has hit the fan he is like a deer in the headlights, withoutany resources to escape or plans to disrupt his imminent demise. Every report of bad news brings a meltdown. Watching him sink toward his obvious fate drains the drama out of “The Counselor.” But that could be the point. The Mexican cartel is so vast and organized –  structurally and technically –  that once things go bad there is nothing really to do but cry. Giving the counselor no options makes the Mexican cartels even more dreadful.

               Mr. Scott would have served “The Counselor” better with more precise editing. There are scenes in the movie that should not be there. Not only do they disrupt the building dread but they serve no purpose. And just as distracting are characters who seemed smart in the first half of the movie only to walk into traps that are obvious a mile away.

               Mr. Scott gives “The Counselor” a great look and Mr. McCarthy floats some wisdom throughout the doomsday tale. They did not hit their mark of making a classic but they did open a window into an organization that will be one of the major menaces of the twenty-first century.

Directed by Ridley Scott; written by Cormac McCarthy; director of photography, Dariusz Wolski; edited by Pietro Scalia; music by Daniel Pemberton; production design by Arthur Max; costumes by Janty Yates; produced by Mr. Scott, Nick Wechsler, Steve Schwartz and Paula Mae Schwartz; released by 20th Century Fox. Running time: 1 hour 51 minutes.

WITH: Michael Fassbender (the Counselor), Penélope Cruz (Laura), Cameron Diaz (Malkina), Javier Bardem (Reiner) and Brad Pitt (Westray).

Try to Find "All is Lost"

Movie Review: “All is Lost”

 

              

“All is Lost’s” director and writer

J. C. Chandor (“Margin Call”) has brought us his nautical survival story amongst a summer of survival movies. The movie follows in the footsteps of “Gravity” and “Captain Phillips” but what makes “All is Lost” stand out is that it is one man (Robert Redford) fending for himself. He doesn’t have anyone to assist him nor does he have the means to communicate his condition. It is the same premise as “Titanic” but on a much smaller scale. Mr. Chandor’s direction allows us to be at the side of The Man throughout his ordeal which creates claustrophobia and builds tension.

               The screenplay, written by Mr. Chandor, consists of one word of dialogue. The whole movie is a throwback to the silent era, when a filmmaker had to tell a story through images. Mr. Chandor shows us enough clues to get a sense of who this man is. But Mr. Chandor doesn’t leave us any time to ponder questions. Within the first minute we’re aware of water leaking into the yacht. It’s man versus nature and we know who has the upper hand in that battle.

               “All is Lost” is a mystery as well as a survival movie. There is no indication of why the man is in the middle of the Indian Ocean alone. We have to develop our own assumptions which come from The Man himself. The strength of the film rests on the performance of The Man, which is to say, Mr. Redford. Mr. Redford is great casting. He has the gravitas that allows us to put our faith in him. The scars of experience are etched in his face. But he is also a master of his craft. Unaided by the script – he doesn’t even talk to himself – he has to show the audience who this character is. It is evident that for a sailor he is a wily veteran. He never panics. He handles every new crisis that pops up assuredly. At one point, when his predicament looks bleak, he sits down, pops open a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue and throws back the shots with water up to his knees and a storm raging outside. We know we’re with a survivor. 

 

               Mr. Redford’s wonderful performance is in part due to the directing and writing of Mr. Chandor. Mr. Chandor creates a film that starts as a slow bubble and grows into a boiler. The yacht itself couldn’t feel or look more secure. It is beautiful on the outside and The Man has it furnished better than most inland houses. But as the crisis grows those privileged possessions must be rid of for survival’s sake. In between storms and accelerated flooding there are times when The Man is able to catch his breath and he does so with an almost resolute acceptance of his situation. Each new catastrophe that is piled on builds a sense of dread but watching how calm The Man handles it creates a sense that he will get out of this mess alive. These are two opposing feelings. But they make the story riveting. That’s good filmmaking.

Written and directed by J. C. Chandor; director of photography, Frank G. DeMarco; underwater director of photography, Peter Zuccarini; edited by Pete Beaudreau; music by Alex Ebert; production design by John P. Goldsmith; visual effects supervisor, Robert Munroe; produced by Neal Dodson, Anna Gerb, Justin Nappi and Teddy Schwarzman; released by Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions. Running time: 1 hour 47 minutes.

WITH: Robert Redford (Our Man).

Hustle over to "American Hustle"

Movie Review: “American Hustle”

 

              

 

Getting scammed and conned never felt so good. “American Hustle” is director David O. Russell’s take on the FBI’s ABSCAM operation during the late seventies. Led by the FBI, they used con-artists to set up politicians they thought were on the take. Not all the good guys were good nor were the bad guys all bad. But as written by Mr. Russell and Eric Warren Singer it is an enjoyable movie that will keep the surprises coming.

               Irving Rosenfeld (Christine Bale) is a smalltime conman from Long Island dabbling in a few small scams. He meets Sydney Possner (Amy Adams). They fall in love. Sydney has worked hard all her life at becoming a success but when she finds out that most of Irving’s businesses are scams, she’s not only forgiving but joins the racket. They are so good as a team that they draw the attention of the FBI. They are busted by agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) but are given a chance at redemption if they agree to help the FBI set up some big fish in politics.

               Mr. Russell and Mr. Singer have written a complex but wonderful screenplay. The movie begins with Irving’s story. Then it snowballs and begins to weave many webs, attaching itself to a lot of players. The characters are conventional in the beginning. We know who the scam artists are and who the authorities are. Irving is not a nice guy. Con guys usually aren’t but by the end of the film it seems he is the only one using reason and a conscience – in other words, likable. FBI agent DiMaso seems like the hero but when he makes too many busts his ego takes over and formulates assignments without thinking about the big picture. Sydney is in love with Irving but there seem to be some grey areas as to which one of them will get the immunity from the FBI and Sydney, who has always looked out for herself, has to do so again. Then of course there’s the wild card, Irving’s wife, Roselyn (Jennifer Lawrence) a Long Island housewife with too much time on her hands. Her jealousy over Irving running around with a lot of big shots motivates her to be a part of whatever it is she thinks is going on.

               The screenplay’s multiple layers are brought deliciously to life by a group of seasoned pros. They fit together seamlessly. Mr. Bale has played so many character types that its hard to remember what he actually looks like and that at one time he was even Batman. Irving is Jewish with a weight issue as well as imitation hair. Thinking of Mr. Bale in the role would require the imagination to be in overdrive. But he is so good he absorbs the character. Irving may not have been that good in real life but his reputation should be grateful that Mr. Bale has been cast. He gives Irving a bit of humanity and a lot of good sense. When the setups become too elaborate and the Feds aim their sights on some big politicians, it is Irving who tries to slow the proceedings down and offer some sense into their schemes.

 

               His chemistry with Ms. Adams is fun to watch. This helps because when they find themselves deeper in the Feds’ debt, no one is quite sure whether Sydney is going to betray Irving or not. Ms. Adams has played characters with a lot of spunk, most notably in “The Fighter,” but in “American Hustle” she adds a bit of suave as well as intelligence. She becomes a match for both Irving and the Feds. She hooks Agent DiMaso but, again, her motives are foggy.

               Mr. Cooper is electric as hot-headed Agent DiMaso. He seems like a typical federal agent when he busts Irving and Sydney but when he discovers he can use them to catch some major players he becomes obsessed. Jeremy Renner plays the mayor of Camden, New Jersey and the Feds’ target. He is pitch perfect as that old school politician who does some dealing outside the law but does so for the benefit of his city and state.

               Mr. Russell has made a string of great movies that have wonderful stories to tell (“The Fighter,” “Silver Linings Playbook”) and “American Hustle” can be added to the list. There is one hang-up that diminishes a David O. Russell film and that is the inconsistency with direction. He does a great job of casting his films and gets the most from his actors but he lacks the ability to show what it is they are creating in front of him. There are major moments in “American Hustle” that lose their intensity, such as when Irving is unsure of whether Sydney will betray him. We watch their head shots as they confront each other. We should be watching these actors together. They are at their peak and their body language plays a major role in setting the mood of a scene. A case in point is the seduction scene between Agent DiMaso and Sydney. Mr. Russell shoots the scene with both actors in the frame. The scene is intense because both actors are working off of each other – figuratively and literally – and we get to witness it instead of having their heads telling us about it.

               “American Hustle” is a wonderful story with great performances that’s able to brush over technical flaws. Mr. Russell’s talents are in telling great stories and he has done it again in “American Hustle.”

Directed by David O. Russell; written by Eric Warren Singer and Mr. Russell; director of photography, Linus Sandgren; edited by Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers and Alan Baumgarten; music by Danny Elfman; production design by Judy Becker; costumes by Michael Wilkinson; produced by Charles Roven, Richard Suckle, Megan Ellison and Jonathan Gordon; released by Columbia Pictures. Running time: 2 hours 9 minutes.

WITH: Christian Bale (Irving Rosenfeld), Bradley Cooper (Richie DiMaso), Jeremy Renner (Mayor Carmine Polito), Amy Adams (Sydney Prosser), Jennifer Lawrence (Rosalyn Rosenfeld), Louis C. K. (Stoddard Thorsen), Jack Huston (Pete Musane), Michael Peña (Paco Hernandez/Sheik Abdullah), Shea Whigham (Carl Elway), Alessandro Nivola (Anthony Amado), Elisabeth Rohm (Dolly Polito) and Paul Herman (Alfonse Simone).

A "Jobs" to sit through.

DVD or Streaming Review: “Jobs”

 

              

While watching the movie “Jobs” I kept thinking about a recurring nightmare I’ve been having ever since I graduated college. In the nightmare, I’m reminded that when I wake up I'm scheduled for an exam that I’m unprepared for. I awake in a panic but after my senses have a chance to shake off the sleep I realize that the exam doesn’t exist. This uncomfortable feeling of thinking I have a project due occurred to me several times during director Joshua Michael Stern’s “Jobs.”

 

“Jobs” is the story of Steve Jobs’ (Ashton Kutcher) trials and tribulations through which he built the Apple Computer Company into a behemoth. Actually, that’s a poor description of the movie because as written by Matt Whiteley there were no trials or tribulations in Mr. Jobs’ pursuit of computer dominance. There were only people’s lack of perfection, ingenuity and creativity. The tone of the movie is set when we watch Jobs, in Reed college – a dropout but still taking classes – approached and admonished by the Dean (James Woods: I hope the producers got a discount for the one hundred and eighty seconds of screen time Mr. Woods used up) for not finishing college. Jobs gives the Dean some advice on life that makes for an odd scene since the advice should have come from the Dean. But that’s the way it is throughout the whole hundred and twenty-two minutes.  When he and his childhood friend and partner Steve Wozniak (smart, funny and sensitively portrayed by Josh Gad, a nice contrast to Jobs) negotiate with the only vender interested in selling their take on the personal computer, Jobs seems to have all the leverage to negotiate the deal. The same happens when Mike Markkula (Dermot Mulroney) visits and wants to invest in their company, giving Apple the venture capital it needs to grow. Jobs negotiates a favorable deal for himself without much of a fight from Mr. Markkula.

The movie is a series of scenes just like that. Jobs wants to improve upon the model that is making everyone money. Everyone protests. Jobs goes into a speech about needing to be creative and not settling. The speech is the same but told differently throughout the movie and sounds so much like an Apple mission statement that I had to keep checking to see if I had a name tag on and wasn’t attending an Apple employees’ seminar.

“Jobs” lacks any sense of drama. Mr. Stern and Mr. Whiteley are doing a lot of hero worshipping. There are no conflicts with his collaborators or his investors. When they disagree with Jobs, we listen to one of his speeches and watch as everyone falls into line. The movie began to resemble “The Stepford Wives” in that you couldn’t find any characters with more than one emotion. The one aspect of his life where he would have to fight for sympathy is in his relationship with his daughter. In the movie he denies that he made his girlfriend Chris-Ann Brennan (Ahna O’Reilly) pregnant and refuses to recognize Lisa Jobs as his daughter. The movie deals with this relationship in two scenes after the denial; in the middle he is sitting on the couch watching television while opening up letters. One of these letters is from his daughter written in crayon asking when they can see each other. A scene at the end of the movie shows his daughter as a teenager (Anika Bertea) sleeping over at his house. When he tries to wake her from sleep she complains and then they join in a little playful banter. Without ever watching the relationship evolve, the scene is completely ludicrous.

 

And so is this movie. The message has been beaten into us: it takes hard work, talent, ingenuity and creativity to make the most successful and competitive computer company in the world. Those are also the requirements to make a good screenplay. We wish the makers of “Jobs” had listened to the credo they wrote down so many times in their screenplay. It would have helped in making a good movie instead of an inspirational corporate video.

Directed by Joshua Michael Stern; written by Matt Whiteley; director of photography, Russell Carpenter; edited by Robert Komatsu; production design by Freddy Waff; costumes by Lisa Jensen; produced by Mr. Stern and Mark Hulme; released by Open Road. Running time: 2 hours 2 minutes.

WITH: Ashton Kutcher (Steve Jobs), Dermot Mulroney (Mike Markkula), Josh Gad (Steve Wozniak), Lukas Haas (Daniel Kottke), J. K. Simmons (Arthur Rock), Lesley Ann Warren (Clara Jobs), Ahna O’Reilly (Chrisann Brennan), John Getz (Paul Jobs), James Woods (Jack Dudman) and Matthew Modine (John Sculley).

You will be well served by seeing "The Butler."

Movie Review: “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”

 

              

It is a complicated task to tell the story of a relationship all the way until death does them part. It is also difficult to show the personal cost on those who were in the middle of the civil rights movement while not losing sight of the story. Director Lee Daniels ("Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire," "The Paperboy") has done both in his film “Lee Daniels’ The Butler.” This movie is no history lesson. It is a story of a family holding itself together while being in the middle of a historic movement. It is a movie that is well crafted and well told.

The movie follows the life of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker) from a boy working in the cotton fields with his parents to his role as a butler in the White House. He is taken under the care of the family matriarch (Vennessa Redgrave) and made to work in the house when his parents attract the dangerous attention of out of control son of the owners. The portrayal of violence in “The Butler” is unrestrained. It raises the stakes in every scene as it lurks in the background.

               The difficult task of making a movie like “The Butler” is knowing the right mix of historical references mixed with family dramatics. If you add too much of one it becomes an educational piece without any emotional value; if you add too much of the other you lose the context from which you are telling the story. Mr. Daniels has done an uncanny job of interconnecting the two. “The Butler’s” brilliance is in its editing. It is exemplified in a sequence where freedom riders prepare for the violence they will inevitably face when they sit in an all-white section of a restaurant which is intercut with Cecil and his fellow employees preparing for a state dinner at the White House. The scene continues with the sit in and the dinner. Mr. Daniels has protected his movie from any sentimentality. The scenes are raw and moving.

The Cecil character, as depicted by Mr. Whitaker, is an engaging character to watch. He has a sense of right and wrong and is dedicated to hard work and family. Mr. Whitaker’s talent is the strong command he has over a wide range of emotions. His portrayal of Cecil is placid. It works well considering the best in Cecil’s profession are invisible in the room they are serving. He is also an observer watching the struggles of his race while being employed in a white environment of which he is unwilling to make waves. The only time we see the reserve Cecil’s fuse lit is when the family dynamic, of which he sits on top, is threaten by his son, Louis (David Oyelowo), who wants to be a part of his race’s liberation.

 

 

Mr. Daniels has complimented Mr. Whitaker with a strong cast none better than Mr. Oyelowo who has the unenviable task of depicting a character who struggles with wanting to be a part of a crusade while defying his father. Mr. Oyelowo does a nice job communicating the storms that percolate inside of Louis. He bounces from one strategy for black empowerment- submission and violence- to the other but also shows his uncertainty along the way as his maturity develops. Oprah Winfrey reminds us of why she was nominated for a supporting actress Oscar twenty-eight years ago for “The Color Purple.” She is solid as a fierce matriarch who holds her family together with love at the slightest sign of any fissure but is easily submissive to her demons. It is a relief to see Cuba Gooding Jr. in a role that isn’t a throw away and Lenny Kravitz is a pleasant surprise as the most worldly of the trio.

               There are a lot of cameos of famous names who play the presidents that Cecil serves. James Marsden gives the best impersonation of a president as John F. Kennedy. I’m not sure if John Cusack is doing an impersonation of Richard Nixon or if it’s a spoof but it is fascinating to watch.

               But “The Butler's” achievements should be credited to Lee Daniels. His story-telling of both a movement in the United States and the personal stories of two generations coming to terms with that movement are engrossing.

Directed by Lee Daniels; written by Danny Strong, inspired by the article “A Butler Well Served by This Election,” by Wil Haygood; director of photography, Andrew Dunn; edited by Joe Klotz; music by Rodrigo Leão; production design by Tim Galvin; costumes by Ruth E. Carter; produced by Pamela Oas Williams, Laura Ziskin, Mr. Daniels, Buddy Patrick and Cassian Elwes; released by the Weinstein Company. Running time: 2 hours 10 minutes.

WITH: Forest Whitaker (Cecil Gaines), Oprah Winfrey (Gloria Gaines), Mariah Carey (Hattie Pearl), John Cusack (Richard M. Nixon), Jane Fonda (Nancy Reagan), Cuba Gooding Jr. (Carter Wilson), Terrence Howard (Howard), Lenny Kravitz (James Holloway), James Marsden (John F. Kennedy), David Oyelowo (Louis Gaines), Alex Pettyfer (Thomas Westfall), Vanessa Redgrave (Annabeth Westfall), Alan Rickman (Ronald Reagan), Liev Schreiber (Lyndon B. Johnson), Robin Williams (Dwight D. Eisenhower), Yaya Alafia (Carol Hammie), Aml Ameen (Cecil Gaines, age 15), Colman Domingo (Freddie Fallows), Nelsan Ellis (Martin Luther King Jr.) and Clarence Williams III (Maynard).

Seek "The Wolf"

Movie Review: “The Wolf of Wall Street”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The Wolf of Wall Street” is director Martin Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio’s adaptation of Jordan Belfort’s – a former Wall Street broker and penny stocks trader – memoir of the same title. Mr. Belfort had an early craving for money and set off to Wall Street to accumulate all he could. He learned the secrets of selling to both the middle class and the one percent. His addiction to money grew after each commission, blurring the lines between legal and unlawful practices. Belfort’s story is about the depth to which one man can plunge into debauchery without restraint. In the hands of Mr. Scorsese, “The Wolf of Wall Street” is a one-hundred and seventy-nine minute malfeasant’s feast on unlimited riches but also its consequences. There is nothing more entertaining in the movie theaters today. It is one of Mr. Scorsese’s best and certainly one of the best films of 2013.

               “The Wolf of Wall Street” is told from the point of view of the wolf, not the sheep. The victims of Mr. Belfort’s schemes and deception have another story to tell and probably not as flamboyantly. But this is not their story. Mr. Belfort (Mr. DiCaprio) is focused on one thing and so is this movie: money. As a young upstart he ventures onto Wall Street and is hired by a major firm. He is tutored by a senior broker (Matthew McConaughey) about what his focus at the firm should be and, hint, it’s not about the client’s well-being. After the crash of ’87, Mr. Belfort is let go and finds himself in a hole-in-the-wall outfit selling penny stocks to middle class investors. He shines. He creates his own firm and hires friends in the neighborhood whose only selling experience is with marijuana. They shine. They grow confident enough to begin selling their small stocks to major investors. As they reap in more commission, we watch what they do with it.

               The screenplay, written by Terence Winter, is structured similarly to that of “Goodfellas.” This gave me a small amount of trepidation attending this movie. Blatant imitation of Mr. Scorsese’s earlier masterpiece doesn’t bode well for the movie-watching experience whether it be “Blow” (disaster) or even Mr. Scorsese’s own “Casino” (disappointing).  But “The Wolf” doesn’t bring “Goodfellas” to mind. The movie is a hybrid of movie and literary adaption. Mr. Winter constructs the film around Mr. Belfort’s narration of his story just as though we were reading his memoir. When it is necessary to know what a character is thinking, we hear it. There isn’t so much of a story with a plot. We know where Mr. Belfort is headed. Instead we watch a series of vignettes about how Mr. Belfort collected his millions and his fall. As adapted by Mr. Winter, each one is original and entertaining.

               A movie is only as good as the leading character’s ability to lure in the audience. It doesn’t matter if they are good or bad as long as they keep your attention for the length of the movie. It is a testament to Mr. DiCaprio’s performance that a three hour journey with Mr. Belfort flies by and we don’t mind it when he’s caught between the manure and the fan. There is no question of Mr. DiCaprio’s talents and “The Wolf of Wall Street” makes him stretch every inch of them. He has the charm to make Mr. Belfort likable and isn’t afraid to exhibit the arrogance of someone who has no qualms about suckering the average guy and then, literally, throwing away the cash he just took from him. On the other end of the spectrum, Mr. DiCaprio gets dirty exhibiting the crash from all of the consumed drugs. It is an epic performance that doesn’t show a false note.

               The other major player in “The Wolf of Wall Street” is Donnie Asoff, played by Jonah Hill. Mr. Hill has so far enjoyed a career where he has essentially played the same character in different roles. He was the straight man to all the comedy going on around him whether it was in “Get Him to the Greek,” “21 Jump Street,” “Moneyball” or even when he went a little darker as in “Cyrus.” He never ventured outside of a limited zone. But as Donnie Asoff, we see that Mr. Hill only had reins on and Mr. Scorsese released him from them. Donnie shares Mr. Belfort’s affinity for money and drugs. The difference between the two characters, though, is Donnie’s manners and sense are less refined than Mr. Belfort’s. He is a natural born idiot and Mr. Hill sheds all reserve to bring Donnie’s unruliness to the forefront. Mr. Hill is brilliant.

               Mr. Scorsese is a legendary director and with good reason. He has a distinct style that is easily identifiable should one happen upon the middle of any of his pictures. As closely structured as it was to “Goodfellas,” there was a sense that “The Wolf of Wall Street” would just mimic Mr. Scorsese’s earlier classic. That is not the case. Mr. Scorsese uses the usual methods from his repertoire but also expands. He has always moved his camera but in “The Wolf” he lets some scenes play out while his cast does what they do best. This is the most originally directed film from this auteur since the seventies.

There might be an argument that the film plays too long. After so many scenes of drug taking and sexual conquests exhaustion might set in. But “The Wolf of Wall Street” is a prime example of what happens when all the cylinders of filmmaking- e.g. directing, acting, photography, screenplay, etc.- are clicking at a high pace. Boredom never gets a chance to show up. This is one of the best movies of 2013.

Directed by Martin Scorsese; written by Terence Winter, based on the book by Jordan Belfort; director of photography, Rodrigo Prieto; edited by Thelma Schoonmaker; production design by Bob Shaw; costumes by Sandy Powell; produced by Mr. Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Riza Aziz, Joey McFarland and Emma Tillinger Koskoff; released by Paramount Pictures. Running time: 3 hours.

WITH: Leonardo DiCaprio (Jordan Belfort), Jonah Hill (Donnie Azoff), Margot Robbie (Naomi), Matthew McConaughey (Mark Hanna), Kyle Chandler (Patrick Denham), Rob Reiner (Max Belfort), Jon Favreau (Manny Riskin), Cristin Milioti (Teresa) and Jean Dujardin (Jean-Jacques Saurel).

"Captain Phillips" steering a great movie

Movie Review: “Captain Phillips”

 

              

It is a hard chore to make an exciting and suspenseful thriller out of a real life event in which the outcome has already been decided. Director Paul Greengrass’ “Captain Phillips” is a case in point. It is a high seas adventure about the cargo ship

Maersk Alabama, which was hijacked by Somali pirates. The captain of the ship, Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks), is taken hostage in a lifeboat and the US Navy comes to negotiate his release, which ultimately leads to the Navy SEALS eliminating the threat and rescuing Captain Phillips. What Mr. Greengrass has done is make a movie that is more complex than just a high seas rescue operation. He tells the story of what happens when two contrasting civilizations run into each other.

               Mr. Greengrass starts the movie by introducing Captain Phillips. He paints a picture of an ordinary blue collar New Englander who has children in college and a professional wife. He is serious about his work and takes the necessary precautions to insure that his trip will be without incident both at home, before he departs for Oman where his ship will launch, and as he boards. He is not a naval hero or a blustery captain. The crew of the Maersk Alabama numbers about a dozen and they are all union men hired to transport cargo. Captain Phillips is not dictatorial toward his men but he does nudge them along to keep them on the right track when the doldrums of the voyage dampen their desire to work. He is a man of structure who works by the book and runs the necessary drills to make sure that his crew stays sharp.

               Intercutting with Captain Phillips preparations, Mr. Greengrass introduces his other protagonist – the one whose name doesn’t share the title of the movie. Muse (Barkhad Abdi) is shown at the beginning of his day. Unlike Captain Phillips, he isn’t preparing for his upcoming ordeal. He is awakened from a drug infested slumber at the warning that the local warlords have arrived at camp. The warlords aren’t happy because this particular sect aren’t bringing in their worth of loot. The elders of the tribe pick out a crew who will go out on the open sea and bring back a catch big enough to satisfy the bosses. Muse is picked and we learn why. He is smart, brave, motivated and it turns out a formidable opponent for Captain Phillips. Mr. Greengrass creates compelling parallel stories of two men who have jobs to do and do their best to get them done. He is also cognizant of the societies from which both men hail. Both are hired hands but one is threatened with death if his task isn’t accomplished.

               Mr. Greengrass benefits from an unfamiliar world of cargo shipping as the setting of his story. Logic says that massive tankers are difficult ships to hijack. The size should be a deterrent alone. But exactly the opposite is true. These cargo ships are not equipped with any defenses to ward off hijackers except water hoses. The crew is unarmed. The cat-and-mouse game between the hijackers and the Maersk Alabama makes for interesting entertainment as Captain Phillips uses procedure and cunning to fend off Muse’s determination. The same dexterity must be used when the pirates take over the ship. Mr. Greengrass keeps the eventual outcome from being a distraction as he builds suspenseful scenes as the small crew and pirates swap the upper hand.

               The movie’s suspense hits a wall, however, when the Navy makes its appearance. There are orders to negotiate and time limits given before the Navy SEALS arrive. The SEALS are an intricate part of the story but Mr. Greengrass brings them in too early (we see the leader of the SEALS’ team leaving Washington DC) and the back-and-forth cuts disrupt the flow. When the conclusion arrives it feels like a Hollywood ending – too easy. That makes knowing it really happened more remarkable.

               Mr. Hanks is the driving force behind this movie and provides an interesting study of how an average human deals with life and death situations. Mr. Hanks seems like he’s playing himself when first confronted with the hijackers – he plays innocent and helpful even when conniving against them. But as the crisis progresses so does Mr. Hanks’ performance from argumentative, to despairing, then angry until he reaches his breaking point.

12 Years, Brillant Filmmaking

Movie Review: “12 Years a Slave”

 

              

“12 Years a Slave” is director Steve McQueen’s adaptation of Solomon Northup’s autobiography of his kidnapping in Washington D.C as a free man and deportation to Louisiana as a slave. The movie is a brutal and unrelenting tale of Mr. Northup’s ordeal. Mr. McQueen has made a strong film and a unique one at that. There have been relatively few movies that realistically examine the machinery of slavery and its brutality.

               It is hard to believe that fourteen years into the twenty-first century there has not been an American film with slavery as the focal point of its story. There have been many films about human destructiveness towards one another, specifically the Holocaust. But the realities of American slavery have not been filmed in such minute detail as Mr. McQueen has done with this film. Part of the problem in a movie narrative is that the gradual destruction of the body and spirit does not make for a movie must-see. Holocaust movies usually lead toward salvation. The bad guys are eventually defeated and the victims are set free.

               A movie about slavery does not end in a battle that brings the perpetrators to justice or sets the oppressed free. The beginning of the end of slavery was fought on the battlefield and away from the cotton fields. Afterwards, the rights of black Americans grinded through the malaise of the justice system. Trying to fit in such a struggle within a hundred-and-twenty-minute time frame is a challenge the movie studios didn’t feel a need to take up. In order for an audience to sit through the brutality there must be a pay off at the end. Mr. Northup’s memoir is the vehicle for which we can venture into a world of which we have never really seen up close while knowing by the end there will be an escape.

               Solomon is played with equal parts sensitivity, rage, fear, and anger by the English actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. Mr. Ejiofor conveys each moment of his nightmarish ordeal as an educated man who knows he’s the subject of a huge mistake. When he realizes that circumstances are beyond his control he tries to adapt. He learns quickly not to tell anyone he is a free black man with a family in New York. He takes to heart advice given from an escaped slave on how to survive. Solomon is not used to just surviving, he is used to living. But when he goes through the process of having his named changed to Pratt while being sold he alters his goal and keeps his head down, does the work and survives.

               Mr. McQueen and his screenwriter John Ridley have provided a rare look at the hierarchy of plantation life. There are slaves who are favored by the whites and that doesn’t sit well with the others. Some of the black women attract the attentions of the plantation owners which in turn provoke the wraith of the white women. It is a complicated maze of which must be navigated prudently. Mr. Ridley has done a nice job of introducing us to this complex world of irrationality without losing focus on the narrative.

               Mr. McQueen made the interesting choice of hiring named actors to play the major white roles. I’m sure this had something to do with getting such a film made and distributed but I also think it compromised the emotional impact of many scenes. Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Micheal Fassenbender, Bennedict Cummberbatch and Brad Pitt are fine in their roles. Playing characters who grease the cogs of slavery their scenes should be draining, but their familiar faces keep that from happening. Mr. Giamatti may have done everything Mr. McQueen asked of him- treating his prisoners like cattle- but in his scenes his familiarity is a distraction. The same could be said of Mr. Dano as an overseer. There is no familiarity with any of the slaves- with the exception of Alfre Woodard (but her scene wasn’t written for emotional impact)- and that increases the stakes of their scenes. Even Mr. Pitt becomes a distraction against the realistic set-up that Mr. McQueen has done a wonderful job of creating.

               The actress Lupita Nyong'o plays the slave Patsey and she is the most authentic part of the film. Her hope, fear and sadness take over each of her scenes. The same works with Sarah Paulson, who plays Mistress Epps, the Lady of the plantation. Mrs. Epps’ jealousies over her husband’s attention toward Patsey causes her to unleash her cruelty on the slave. Her scenes work because Paulson’s face is not as familiar as her co-stars.

               Surprisingly, Mr. Fassbender does not elicit the same emotion. He has a role comparable with that of Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth in “Schindler’s List.” The difference, although both men are caricatures of evil, is that whenever Mr. Fiennes is on the screen he elicits fear. There is a moment in the film when he believes it’s more powerful to forgive than to kill. Uncertainty hovers around him in every scene. Mr. Fassbender’s Edwin Epps, on the other hand, flies into a rage in every scene. There is no complexity surrounding him.

               Nevertheless, “12 Years a Slave” is a memorable film. It is a film that’s been a long time coming. It tells a very American story that reexamines a time most would like to forget but mustn’t.

Gravitate toward "Gravity"

Movie Review: “Gravity”

 

              

Filmed in 3D, “Gravity” is to date the best technically made movie of the year. It doesn’t take long to feel as though you’re sharing time with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in space. The look of the film is wonderful and although I have not seen it in two dimensions, I think it would be a disservice to director Alfonso Cuaron and to your own viewing pleasure not to see it in 3D. There may not be a better backdrop to a film than the image of Earth. But the impact of the visuals would wear out if not for the story, which counts as one of the best thrillers of the year.

               “Gravity,” written by Mr. Cuaron and his son Jonas Cuaron, is the story of two astronauts and their race against time. Assigned to fix a satellite, a team of astronauts and scientists go about their work enjoying a position few have the privilege to partake in until Command Center orders them to quickly abort their mission. A Russian missile has destroyed a Russian satellite and created a debris shower traveling fast and destroying everything in its path. Needless to say, the mission doesn’t go well.

               The story is a simple one. Two astronauts are caught in space when their shuttle is destroyed by the debris shower. They improvise and make a plan to use a capsule in a Chinese satellite that is orbiting nearby to get themselves back to Earth. It seems easy but “Gravity” treats space realistically and the laws of physics seem a lot more complicated here than they did in high school.  

               “Gravity,” along with “2001: A Space Odyssey” are the only two movies in mind that show what it is to actually be in space. Both Cuarons use this realism to build suspense while piling up the dangers. They are at an advantage because critical situations in space are not well known to the public. We’ve seen what happens when people are trapped in buildings, ships, facing terrorists, drug cartels or deranged psychopaths but few have seen a movie or read a detailed article about what would happen if things went wrong in space. When the astronauts face depleting batteries, fleeting oxygen, electrical fires and a space “Sunday afternoon drive” the rules do not apply. The writers have the benefit of knowing that as each turn is a surprise, we have no preconceived ideas when the oxygen, engines or lack of gravity act as a conspirator instead of an ally. Space travel has not been in the national conscience much either, so even when objects just interact with each other, it comes as a major surprise. We learn that there is no such thing as “floating” in space.

               Mr. Clooney and Ms. Bullock are excellent as the astronauts whose luck has run out. They benefit from a script that treats their characters as smartly as anyone who has earned the privilege of going up into space to do repairs on a space satellite. And their smarts make the action all the more riveting since we’re watching them improvise to avoid each new danger.

One of the laws of physics, the lack of sound, is used to great effect. There is a different level of emotional dread when facing a life threatening event in silence. Usually a movie’s score warns about upcoming threats. In “Gravity” the score is used beautifully as a pulse that fluctuates depending on how dire the situation. Mr. Cuaron enhances suspense by using the effective but little used technique of informing his audience and not his characters. We get to see the storm coming before anyone floating in space does. Knowing that the storm has reached them and they’re completely oblivious is a tension builder. That in turn makes the film fun to sit through.

               My advice is to see “Gravity” with 3D glasses on but you shouldn’t forsake it if the opportunity doesn’t lend itself. “Gravity” is a great thriller and will make an hour-and-a-half of your time go by swiftly even if watching on pay-per-view.