Category Archives: Drama

A Real Pain

A Real Pain                          5 stars

I caught up with a truly memorable movie that was first shown at Sundance this year. A Real Pain is Jesse Eisenberg’s second time directing and he does a remarkable job of it. This is a sort of travel movie with two cousins who were very close when they were growing up but have since grown apart. David (Eisenberg) is the serious one who has a family in Brooklyn and takes life very seriously but is full of anxiety, even taking meds. His cousin, Benji, (Kieren Culkin of Succession) on the other hand is the polar opposite. You probably know someone like him. He is the guy who never really grew up. He lives in his mother’s basement. He has to be the life of the party, always oversharing, inquiring into the life of strangers, but quick to take offense at remarks he disagrees with. People often feel the need to apologize after seeing his reactions. But he is good for sharing his prize weed at the opportune moment. David loves him, sometimes trying to get him to tone it down and apologizing to others for his antics. The movie takes the form of a travel movie when David reserves a tour for the two of them who are both Jewish in Poland to see locations associated with the Holocaust. Their grandmother, who grew up in Poland and escaped the Holocaust has recently passed away, so David wants to honor her by visiting what was her home. Benji, who was very close to his grandmother, is excited at the idea and meets David at the airport for their flight, only in a rather irresponsible manner, by not taking any of David’s phone calls. Once they join the tour, Benji engages well with the guide and other travelers sometimes. (In one scene he encourages the group to pose in front of the Warsaw Uprising Monument.) At other times he gets overly emotional and critical of the poor guide, saying whatever comes to mind. You could say that he is a lot. (I should also mention that one of the tour guests is played by Jennifer Grey of Dirty Dancing fame.) Culkin really goes all in for the role and is a perfect fit for the character Eisenberg created. Later, we find there is a family history that helps explain the actions of both cousins. The film’s title is very appropriate both for the cousins’ relationship and for the historical tragedy faced by the Jewish people. After going through the painful experience of the trip we get the feeling that some healing has begun for these two.

Annette

Annette               4 ½ stars

The minute I read the description of Annette I knew I had to see it. It is “a dreamy delicate dance between farce and fantasia” and “a magnificently ludicrous rock opera”. This musical by French director Leos Carax is an opera in the sense that almost all of the dialogue is sung and that from the first scene there can only be tragedy for the characters in the film. The film is set in modern Los Angeles with Adam Driver as the very dark and successful comedian Henry McHenry who performs in a broody belligerent manner wearing a bath robe on stage while the audience sings in unison to him. Henry meets the popular opera soprano Ann (Marion Cotillard) and the two instantly fall in love and become a media sensation. But we see trouble is coming when several women all come forward with accusations of abuse against the narcissistic Henry in a MeToo moment. But then everything changes when the pair give birth to their daughter, Annette, a baby girl who has a unique gift to put it mildly. (I can’t say any more than that without giving away the magic of the film.) To say that the movie is unusual and weird is an understatement. The interaction and tension between the two leads are integral to the story, but it is really the performance of Driver as well as the bizarre premise of the story that will keep your attention throughout the film. The music of the band Sparks is also quite special to the movie, though there may not be any tunes that stick with you long after viewing it. Another key role is filled by Simon Helberg as The Accompanist who is devoted to Ann, but can’t get close to her. I understand that Helberg wanted to be in the film so much that he actually moved to France and learned French (even though the film is in English). So come see it for the story of love, hate, jealousy, exploitation, and murder or come see it for the music. Whatever you do, come and see Annette.

For a preview of the opening number of the film go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWb3KpvAz8s

The English Teacher

The English Teacher        1 ½ stars

Today we go back eight years to find a well hidden comedy called The English Teacher, starring Julianne Moore as a high school English teacher in a small town in Pennsylvania. Linda is single and has a passion for instructing her students in the great literary works, but has little else going on in her life. Enter Jason (Michael Angarano, who played young Uncle Nicky in This Is Us), a former student, now in his twenties who tried the theater scene in New York, but has given that up to study law (since that is what his father has encouraged him to do). Things start to get interesting when Linda finds out that Jason has written a play that she likes so much she insists that it be this year’s production by the Theater department. It is then that all the hijinks begin with the lies, broken promises, the fooling around involving the vice principle, the drama teacher and various students in the production. The movie can be described as a light comedy that runs short on the comedy and never gets to any very interesting relationships. At one point it seemed like every character was miserable and the high school production was a hopeless mess. Then, within the hour and a half time frame of the movie everything was settled in time for a happy but implausible ending. Julianne Moore, who has had an amazing career over the last three decades, was given a character that is little more than a stereotype. Much better from the same time period were her characters in What Maisie Knew and Still Alice. Seek out those titles instead as The English Teacher gets a failing grade. Or look for the new movie Dear Evan Hansen coming in September.

Minari

Minari                   5 stars

I first heard of the film Minari at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. I did not see it there but I heard that it was very well received by the audience. The movie, about a Korean immigrant family who move to Arkansas in the eighties was finally released about a year later, no doubt delayed by the pandemic. The movie was written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung, himself a Korean immigrant who came to America as a child with his family, so the film is semi-biographical with the young son David in the role of the writer. It is the father, Jacob’s (actor and executive director, Steven Yeun) dream to own his own farm growing vegetables native to Korea to sell to the local growing Asian community. This is of course very challenging and unfortunately, Jacob’s enthusiasm is not shared by his wife, Monica, who resents leaving California; thus, this becomes a source of tension in the family. There are a few references to racist attitudes from the locals, but for the most part the immigrant family is accepted in the community including at a nearby church they choose to attend. Probably the most interesting relationship is between young David and the grandma who travels from Korea to be with the family. At first he does not like her, saying things like she smells like Korea and doesn’t know how to be a good grandma. There are some funny scenes between the two and they eventually grow closer especially as grandma comes to know him and stands up for how he is treated. Grandma Soonja is played by Korean actress Youn Yuh-jung who would go on the win the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for the role. The film is about the immigrant experience in America, but it is also about how a family deals with tough circumstances and the strain the relationships have to face. The film deserves its Academy Award nomination for Best Film, but some people may be put off by the ambiguous ending. The name Minari comes from a plant native to Korea that is used in many Asian dishes. It was part of the writer/director’s memory growing up and is known to be able to grow almost anywhere, making it a metaphor for the film.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

The Eyes of Tammy Faye               3 ½ stars

It’s back to the seventies and eighties to the time of big hair, polyester pants and expensive furs with The Eyes of Tammy Faye. To say that Jessica Chastain stars as the iconic fallen Tammy Faye doesn’t bring justice to her performance. The actress known for her strong woman roles in Zero Dark Thirty, Miss Sloane and Molly’s Game transforms herself into the cheery, high-pitched, almost comic wife of the high powered TV evangelist, Jim Bakker as we follow her life from the sixties where the pair meet in college, to their creation of the massive PTL Network and to their ultimate downfall. Andrew Garfield takes on the role of Bakker, matching the enthusiastic personality of the televangelist, bringing his message of God’s love and prosperity to the faithful. To those of us who remember that time it is fascinating to see their origin, their rise to power and their ultimate fall as the couple’s marriage crumbles under the weight of unfaithfulness and greed. The film was a personal project of Chastain’s who has been working to bring the story to the big screen for years. While much of the movie might seem like a cliché, Chastain’s performance may be one of the best of her career. It is such a departure from her earlier roles that I had to check if it was really her when she first appears on screen. The movie serves as a reminder of how success can lead people astray, causing them to forget their true mission and pursue fame and riches instead. The Eyes of Tammy Faye brought back memories of the headlines of the late eighties of the corruption and extravagance of the PTL Network that ultimately lead to bankruptcy and prison for Jim Bakker. And who could forget the excessive eye makeup and tears on Tammy Faye’s face?

The Legend of Bagger Vance

The Legend of Bagger Vance       2 stars

Twenty years after its appearance in theaters I had the chance to see Will Smith and Matt Damon in The Legend of Bagger Vance, the movie that brings the fantasy world to golf. The fantasy character appears as Bagger Vance (Smith), some sort of deity who has come to earth to save local golf legend Rannulph Junuh (Damon) from destroying his life. Following his traumatic experience in World War I, Junuh has the opportunity to play in a golf tournament against two legends of the game, but has to regain his swing and confidence in himself. Bagger Vance has all the right words to get Junuh to understand the game and himself. Most of the movie centers on the game itself, spanning a 72 hole match over the course of two days. Like most sports movies there is plenty of drama in the event with missed opportunities and miraculous comebacks. Since it is golf and not horseracing, auto racing or baseball, the dramatic moments focus on balls landing on fairways and bunkers and the occasional long putt into the cup. I like a good sports movie, but I prefer homeruns and galloping horses to flying golf balls. For a good sports fantasy movie you can’t beat The Natural starring Robert Redford. If you haven’t seen that, I recommend seeing it over Bagger Vance. On a movie trivia note, Jack Lemmon has an uncredited appearance in the movie.

Dear Evan Hansen

Dear Evan Hansen           3 ½ stars

Welcome to the world of teen anxiety, depression and suicide attempts. This is the theme of the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen which won multiple Tony awards a few years ago. There is much to like here if you can accept the premise of characters breaking into song to express their dilemmas. All of the actors give convincing performances even if lead actor Ben Platt at 28 is far too old to reprise his role as the teen with social anxiety, Evan Hansen. They include Julianne Moore as Evan’s mother, Kaitlyn Dever of Booksmart as Zoe, the sister of suicide victim Connor, Amy Adams as Connor and Zoe’s mother, Danny Pino of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit as their step-father and Amandla Stenberg as the overachieving classmate Alana. The movie deals with the touchy subject of teen suicide with a story of Hansen pretending to be a friend of Connor after he is told of his suicide by Connor’s mother. It seems a letter that Hansen wrote to himself as a therapy assignment was found on Connor’s body, so it was assumed that Connor was the writer. It is then that Evan goes along with the misunderstanding and constructs a lie making him a friend of the troubled teen before his death. The spreading of the lie seems beneficial at first with a fundraiser being started as a way to remember Connor, but things ultimately get worse for all involved. I believe I liked it more than most critics, but it is certainly not one of my favorite musicals. Maybe making a musical about teen depression and suicide is asking too much.

Mass

Mass                     4 ½ stars

I had the chance to see a 2021 Sundance release in the form of Mass which has just been released in theaters. This is a heavy drama written and directed by Fran Kranz in his debut effort. I remember Kranz from his character on Doll House, the TV series, but he has had several other more significant roles since. The film mostly takes place in a single room in a small town church where two middle aged couples are to meet here for a purpose to be revealed. Before the meeting we see some of the arrangements being coordinated by a pastor’s wife and a woman counsellor. After the four arrive some cordial comments and small talk are made between them. Jay and Gail are portrayed by Jason Isaacs of Star Trek: Discovery and The Death of Stalin and Martha Plimpton of Raising Hope, while Richard and Linda are portrayed by Reed Birney from House of Cards (but I know him from Strawberry Mansion) and Ann Dowd who I remember from many films, but she may be best known for The Handmaid’s Tale. Finally the purpose becomes clear when we find their common experience is losing their children in a horrific school shooting that happened several years before. What follows in an intense outpouring of raw emotion, sorrow and rage as the characters relive the tragedy and the aftermath and seek some kind of explanation for what happened to their children. Not many movies try to tackle this weighty subject, but the performances given here are top notch and completely believable. The film doesn’t try to present an opinion on the subject except to show the level of pain that the loved ones experience in such a tragic event that has become all too common in America. I understand that Kranz has been working on the film for many years and I am glad that he finally succeeded in completing this much needed project.

Soul

Soul       4 ½ stars

Disney Pixar’s award winning animated film Soul is a bit of a departure from the studio’s usual productions. While intended mainly for young audiences there is a blend of metaphysical wisdom mixed in with the colorful magic that only the more mature watchers will appreciate. We meet Joe (Jamie Fox), a middle school band director who hasn’t reached his dream of being a jazz performer in New York despite years of trying. He gets his chance at a great gig when due to an accident he finds that he is transported to an otherworldly realm referred to as the Great Before. This is the place where souls receive their personalities before they travel to earth to be matched to a new body. Joe is mistaken for one of the mentors, old souls that have lived their lives and now pass on their wisdom to the young new souls. Joe meets one unfortunate new soul called Soul 22 (Tina Fey) who has rejected past mentors like Abraham Lincoln, Ghandi, Copernicus and Carl Jung for thousands of years and is an irritation to the Counselor Jerrys that run the Great Before. Then because of an unlikely accident the pair travel to earth together to be united with Joe’s body, though not in the planned way. It is then when the real magic happens with 22 encountering real life in the city and must learn to appreciate the many wonders of living while Joe struggles to find a way to make his appointment for his jazz performance. There are some moments of great tension and scary scenes, but they are done with enough care so are still appropriate for the young viewers. Still the message comes through that our hopes and dreams are what makes our lives worth living. Be sure to give Soul a try if you haven’t already.

Anora

Anora    4 ½ stars

The movies made by writer/director Sean Baker always seem to feature those struggling to survive on the edge of society. Think of The Florida Project about a young single mother living in a rundown motel or Tangerine about a transgender sex worker. Baker seeks to humanize those who live in the margins. The same can be said about Anora, the movie about a young sex worker in New York named Anora or Ani (Mikey Madison) whose world intersects with New York’s Russian oligarchs. At the start of the movie Ani is seen grinding away with clients along with several other nearly nude women at a strip club. Until a rich young Russian man named Ivan asks for a Russian speaking girl. Ani fits this requirement and is pleased to make his acquaintance. Ivan asks her if she works outside the club, and she agrees to meet at his mansion. It’s not really his mansion as Ivan is the son of a Russian oligarch and he is supposed to be in America to get an education. Ivan, whose English is only passable behaves like a horny puppy as the two go at it in the bedroom. Soon Ivan offers to buy her services for a week, paying a hefty price. He gets to be seen by his friends with a beautiful woman on his arm and she gets to live like a queen for a week. The fairytale romance escalates when the pair travel to Las Vegas along with Ivan’s entourage and they decide to get married, allowing Ivan to stay in America instead of returning to Russia to work for Daddy. At this point the movie seems like a new Pretty Woman, but then reality sets in when Daddy and Mother who are in Moscow find out that their son has married a hooker. A trio of Russian strongmen arrive at the mansion led by Toros (Karren Karagulian), a sort of babysitter for Ivan, who was unaware of Ivan’s antics. They have been ordered to check on the situation and upon finding it to be true follow Father’s orders to get the marriage annulled. What follows can only be described as manic comedy as Ani battles against the Russians with profanity and physical resistance while the misbehaving boy, Ivan runs away, abandoning his new bride who is now a captive. This group of four are a good copy of the Keystone Cops in an extended scene traveling all over New York trying to find the lost Ivan before his parents arrive from Moscow in their private jet. The movie belongs to Mikey Madison who makes Ani a sympathetic character despite her chosen profession. Some might remember her from Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood as the Charles Manson follower incinerated by a flamethrower. Expect her performance in Anora to be long remembered. The movie should also make audiences despise the privilege awarded to the insanely rich Russians living in America who make their billions off the working class in Russia. I must also mention that director Sean Baker manages to give one of the Russian goons named Igor a level of humanity as he takes pity on the poor Ani performing an act of kindness toward the end of the film. Baker as usual finds ways of giving his characters true humanity.