Category Archives: Romance

Queer

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Queer                   4 stars

It’s hard to adequately describe Daniel Craig’s new starring role in Queer, the new film by Italian director, Luca Guadagnino. It’s a journey of searching and suffering as the main character, Bill Lee (Craig) wanders the bars in 1950’s Mexico City looking for sex with social outcasts like himself and ways to hide his pain with tequila and heroin. The role is about as far away from James Bond as you can get. The film is based on a book by William S. Burroughs that is said to be somewhat autobiographical. Lee, who is in his forties spends his days seeking the company of other “queers”, while denying that he is one, until one day he spots a young twenty something man who captures his imagination. The man, named Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey) is attractive and self-assured and is comfortable with men and women alike. It doesn’t take long for Lee to get Eugene in the sack, where the two get more than a little intimate. If you have seen Guadagnino’s earlier works, Call Me by Your Name, Suspiria and this year’s Challengers, this will come as no surprise. They all feature very intense sex scenes. Despite all the sex though, Eugene is still very distant when it comes to an actual relationship, leading to desperate measures by Lee. If the film stopped there, it wouldn’t be exceptional, but it goes on from there when Lee convinces Allerton to travel with him to South America in search of a hallucinogenic drug that he believes has telepathic powers. He can’t stop talking about it. What follows I describe as Indiana Jones appearing in 2001: A Space Odessey, only like it was directed by David Lynch. Things get very weird for these two as they journey through the jungle to find a woman scientist who is studying this drug. This segment I found to be surrealistic. It has images that are disturbing yet fascinating at the same time. The movie will keep you thinking about it after leaving the theater and will at least change your view of Daniel Craig. Look for him to get an Oscar nomination for the performance; that is, if the Academy can tolerate homosexual roles like this. In addition, two actors appearing in the movie are completely unrecognizable. I was surprised to see they were Jason Schwartzman and Lesley Manville. Manville especially gives an outstanding performance.

Annette

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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 Eyes of Tammy Faye

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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?

Wicked

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Wicked                 4 ½ stars

It has been over two decades since it first appeared on a stage and nearly ten years since the inception of turning it into a movie, and now Wicked has made it to theaters under the direction of Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights) bringing the Broadway musical numbers to the screen with some of the most lavish sets seen in a Broadway adaptation. The theater buffs know the story and the songs by heart by now, some having seen the stage show multiple times. I have not though, and won’t go into detail about the actual story, but will say that we see how the Wicked Witch of the West, known as Elphaba and Glinda first met at Shiz University and became friends and how Elphaba came to oppose a dictatorial Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) in the Emerald City. Earlier we learn that Elphaba was born with green skin so is shunned by those who know her even including her own father who blames her for her younger sister’s disability. The movie features the same characters of the play plus entire populations of Munchkins, students and teachers of Shiz university and the citizens of the Emerald City. The background consists of some very elaborate and colorful sets that can only be done in the world of film. The movie is titled Wicked, but at the beginning it is revealed that this is part 1. We will have to wait until next year for the remainder of the story. Of course, the movie shines most when Ariana Grande-Butera as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba are performing their widely recognized musical numbers such as the song Popular (sung by Grande). I understand that the songs were expanded some compared to the stage production and may be overdone. Grande is impressive with her wide range, but she is not quite the comedic talent compared to those who had the part on stage. The main attraction in my opinion is Cynthia Erivo with her commanding singing voice as well as her acting talent. She can convey the character’s emotions with simple frowns and glances. Erivo’s singing role in the movie is smaller than Grande’s but she really makes the most of it especially when she really belts out the song Defying Gravity, something I was really anticipating. I first became aware of the talent of this British singer born to Nigerian immigrants when I saw the 2018 movie Bad Times at the El Royale where she portrays a young singer struggling to become known. She was someone to pay attention to. The movie also has a theme very relevant to today when it shows the oppression of a group of characters by the ruling authority, that being the wizard. In this case it is the animals who are facing persecution, but they can represent any group that is different based on their appearance or country of origin. I already have Wicked, Part 2 reserved as one of my must see’s for 2025!

Anora

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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.

The French Dispatch

The French Dispatch       4 stars

Fans of Wes Anderson will instantly recognize the director’s style in this latest anthology and tribute to The New Yorker magazine in The French Dispatch. It’s a collection of stories that are presented as belonging to the final issue of a fictional magazine called The French Dispatch. Each of the writers present their stories, all set in a French village called Ennui, that all seem surreal yet plausible at the same time. The movie has the same style we remember from Isle of Dogs, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Moonrise Kingdom: the fascinating sets, the quick editing, the dry narration and a collection of well known actors. In fact this time we get a real overload of them including Bill Murray, Francis McDormand, Timothee Chalamet, Owen Wilson, Edward Norton, Benecio del Toro and Adrian Brody just to name a few. Anderson is said to have a fascination with The New Yorker so many of his characters are meant to be representations of various writers, art critics and the like, which means little to me. I just enjoyed the movie and the way that he tells the stories. I won’t go into any detail about the individual stories except to say that my favorite was the one about the man in prison for a double murder who attracts the attention of the art world with his abstract nude paintings of one of the prison’s guards. I have seen most but not all of Wes Anderson’s movies, so now I may have to look up the ones that I missed. His movies aren’t for everyone, but those who are fans of his previous movies will undoubtedly love The French Dispatch.

Challengers

Challengers        3 ½ stars

Challengers by Luca Guadagnino takes us into the world of professional tennis and combines it with probably one of steamiest love triangles ever in the movies. The sweat dripping off the bodies of the two male leads, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor makes you feel the heat coming off the screen. The energy of these two expended while engaged in their matches aided by the quick camera shots from the point of view of the ball is equaled by their hot scenes with co-star Zendaya with one or the other or both at the same time in the make-out scenes. In one scene at an outdoor party, Nelly’s It’s Getting Hot in Here is playing practically making it a theme song for the movie. The actual story of these three characters is almost unimportant, but it is about two tennis stars, Art (Mike Faist) and Patrick (Josh O’Connor) who are friends as teenagers and make the acquaintance of female tennis star, Tashi Duncan (Zendaya) at a college tournament. The movie follows these three over a period of several years as one or the other has gained Tashi’s affection. Tashi assumes various roles through the story: lover, wife, coach and homewrecker, told through a fractured timeline with multiple flash backs. The movie centers on a single match between the two male tennis stars that lasts through the entire span of the movie with extended scenes telling the history of their complicated relationship. A major part of the story is about Art’s stardom as a tennis player, but he is in a slump wondering if he can make a star appearance at the next US Open. Tashi, his wife, has a plan to get Art’s confidence by him playing against former friend Patrick in a match at a local tournament. But the story is secondary, of course to the steaminess of the character’s scenes together. I noticed that the movie lacks any real supporting cast. Normally, there would be supporting characters that the leads confide in or have some relationship with. Here, any other characters are just there for background, including Tashi’s immediate family. The three main characters seem only to interact with each other. I cannot finish this review without mentioning the brilliant score by Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor. It is a fast-moving thumping dance score combined with disco that amps up the action taking place on the court. The score should receive some attention when the Oscar nominations come. Less so with the other categories though.  Look for Luca Guadagnino’s next film, Queer, to be released early next year.

Belfast

Belfast  5 stars

Kenneth Branagh’s much anticipated film about growing up on the streets of Belfast in the late sixties is quite the drama told through the eyes of a nine year old boy. Based in part on his own experiences, we meet Buddy, the younger son of a working class family who is mainly interested in getting chocolate from the local store and hanging out with his grandpa. But then reality sets in when the violence erupts with riots and Molotov cocktails on the street of his family’s home. It’s the time of the ethno-nationalist, religious struggles between the Protestants and the Catholic minority that claimed so many lives and forced many Irish to leave their homes that they have known for generations. The main cast is excellent including the parents and especially Ma (Judy Dench) and Pa (Ciaran Hinds) who are all Protestant. The father (Jamie Dornan) is targeted by a local hothead, also Protestant who believes he is not doing his part to rid the community of the Catholics, (even though they have also lived here for generations). The film does little to explain the reasons for the conflict. That has been the focus of other earlier movies. It’s purpose is to show us the pain inflicted on ordinary people and why families chose to leave friends and relatives for a land where nobody knows them. It is all done in black and white and has plenty of nostalgia in the form of the music, movies and TV of the times including clips of John Wayne westerns and Star Trek. There is plenty of Oscar buzz around Belfast and I would have to say it will be a strong contender for the Best Picture Oscar already. The man who brought us Cinderella and Thor has given us one fine movie this year. I am already looking forward to his next work, Death on the Nile.

Better Days

Better Days         4 stars

The movie Better Days, released in 2019 is a representation of the high stress levels on high school students in China combined with the prevalence of bullying among peers in the schools. Based on actual events it follows the life of Chen Nian, a high school girl going through final exams which determine the fate of millions of Chinese every year. Nian is from an impoverished home where she lives with her mother and where they are being hounded by creditors. As if this isn’t enough Nian is being bullied by some of the girls at her school, but the level of bullying is much more extreme than what kids experience here in America. It rises to the level of criminal behavior, and for poor Nian the police and her teachers are completely ineffective in dealing with the problem, so she turns to Xiao Bei, a local street punk who himself is constantly beaten by local gangs. Bei vows to protect her from the abusive classmates. It is then that the movie turns into more of a doomed romance story between the two main characters. There are more aspects of the story including a police investigation and deaths of some students that I won’t go into, but it is a very compelling story with some good performances. The story does get a little confusing as some of the editing is done with flashbacks and because of the unfamiliar Chinese names the characters have. It helps to be able to do a little rewinding to follow the plot. The movie is significant as the real events led Chinese authorities to examine the problem of bullying in their schools that resulted in reforms that successfully reduced the problem. Be warned that the level of violence toward these kids is more than we would expect in a story concerning high school students. Better Days was nominated for Best International Feature Film in 2021.

Your Monster

Your Monster    3 stars

Once again, I had the chance to see a film in the theaters that I missed this year at Sundance. Your Monster by first time director Caroline Lindy is a sort of rom-com horror movie for women coming out of a bad relationship. In the movie Laura (Melissa Barrera of 2021’s In the Heights) is an actor and musical theater geek who has been dating Jacob (Edmund Donovan), a theater director for five years and has been helping him with developing his musical production. That is, until Laura is diagnosed with cancer and the douchebag, Jacob decides to leave her. (It is reported that Lindy came up with the story based on her own experience with a douchebag; hence the movie trailer claim: “based on a true-ish story”). With the help of her only friend, Masie (Kayla Foster), Laura moves into her mother’s house and becomes an emotional wreck (an understatement to be sure). It is there that she discovers that there is a rather fearsome looking monster living in her bedroom closet and that he has been there since Laura was a child. The monster is played by Tommy Dewey who is also the executive producer of the movie. At first, Laura is scared to death of this creature, and he wants her out of the house. But since she has no place to go, they tolerate each other and try to work out a living arrangement. As the two become more familiar, the monster, who sports a beard and has a catlike appearance, encourages her to audition for a part in Jacob’s musical and she gives it a try, landing an understudy role for the part that was originally intended for her. Then as things progress, she finds that this monster also has an interest in literature and theater, so the two become a little too close. Eventually, the monster becomes like an inner voice to Laura, making her realize how she has been wronged by Jacob and should find a way to express her feelings. Naturally, things go a little too far with some brutal and bloody consequences, a requirement of most horror movies even if it is a romcom. Most of the movie though has a light feel to it thanks to the numerous musical numbers that could come out of a forties or fifties musical comedy. I thought it was an interesting take on the comedy horror genre, but I found the monster to be a little too perfect for Laura to really buy it. (If he spends all his time in the closet and under the bed, why should he know so much about the outside world after all.) For a better performance by Tommy Dewey, you should see the movie Saturday Night where he plays the head writer of Saturday Night, Michael O’Donoghue. For a more entertaining comedy horror movie I recommend Ginger Snaps which I reviewed last year.