Gloria Bell

— Julianne Moore is always captivating, but in a way that’s relatable, not bigger than life, and she's able to bring a subtlety to her performance allowing you to eavesdrop on her character's private thoughts. In “Gloria Bell,” she’s a fifty something who’s been divorced for twelve years, holds down a fairly dull office job, and worries a little too much about her adult children—a son who takes care of his infant son while his wife is somewhere in the desert finding herself, and a yoga-instructor daughter who’s fallen in love with a Swedish, extreme surfer who passes through on his way to the next big wave. Gloria hits the bars at night, losing herself in a sea of middle-aged white people drinking and dancing to disco, not exactly on the prowl, but open to a hook-up. When she meets Arnold, there’s a connection, but his life’s complicated with an ex-wife and two adult daughters, none of whom have jobs. Moore is able to convey her joy and sadness, frustration and hope, insecurities and strengths, and a million other emotions colliding inside her as she moves through her daily life. For the viewer, we realize we experience similar ups and downs, back and forth, throughout our own day; when we see her smiling at an event, we know the effort it takes to look like she's having fun, having done it ourselves so often. The film is a series of mostly small life events, but sometimes it seems more like Gloria's a pinball ball, tossed from one thing to the next, while working to keep on an even keel. It could easily have been another unneeded film about empowerment, but instead it conveys the realities associated with just living your life, with friendships and lovers, with patience and coping, with letting go so your emotions can be set free some of the time, and with remembering there’s nothing wrong with embracing happiness. This film is a gem if you’re inclined to like this kind of thing; otherwise, you’ll miss its soul and see it as going nowhere. (And when you leave the theater, you'll probably have Laura Branigan's "Gloria" playing on a loop in your head!)

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[2018. 102 min. Directed by Sebastian Lelio. Starring Julianne Moore, John Turturro, Alanna Ubach, Michael Cera, Sean Austin, and Brad Garrett.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gloria-bell-2019

Book Club

— Mildly humorous film most likely designed to appeal to an older, female target audience. Sadly, the characters are more stereotypic than anything, and the emphasis on “Fifty Shades of Grey” and Viagra humor was about as entertaining as a barrage of teenage “fart jokes.” What a shame too, since the cast us (Keaton, Fonda, Bergen, and Steenbergen) is capable of so much more.

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[2018. 104 min. Directed by Bill Holderman. Starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenbergen, Andy Garcia, Craig T. Nelson, and Don Johnson.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/book-club-2018

Triple Frontier

— This is one of those films with a decent cast, a competent director, plenty of action, and decent photography, but it just doesn’t make the grade. The story has promise for an action film—four ex-Special Forces guys, feeling underappreciated and underpaid, decide on one last mission for themselves, stealing millions from a South American drug lord. Unfortunately, the film is dull and plodding as it focuses on being a tale of survival and greed. It’s not exactly bad, it just fails to feel very inspired as the money becomes our anti-heroes’ nemesis, and they start looking a lot more dissolute than righteous. [Netflix streaming.]

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[2019. 125 min. Directed by J.C. Chandor. Starring Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hudlund, and Pedro Pascal.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/triple-frontier-2019

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

— This is just a pleasant diversion where lots of catchy songs propel the next “Mama Mia” generation toward a happy ending. It’s about what you’d expect and you do end up lulled by it’s charm. After more than an hour of musical numbers, Cher finally shows up, looking a little stiff on platform shoes but it only takes a few notes to realize she can sing circles around everyone else in the movie. Even at 72, she can’t help but be a star.

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[2018. 104 min. Directed by Ol Parker. Starring Lily James, Amada Seyfried, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, s Stellan Skarsgard, Colin Firth, Andy Garcia, Pierce Brosnan, Dominic Cooper, Meryl Streep, and Cher.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mamma-mia-here-we-go-again-2018

Anatomy of a Murder

— I have no idea how long it’s been since I first saw this film, but it was wonderful to see it again. I’d forgotten how exacting Otto Preminger’s hand was, as well as the skill and breath of his cast. Mostly, I was struck by the moral ambiguity of every character, something decidedly outside the norm for a 1959 film. I watched the film as part of an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute course and was interested to learn it was “one of the first [films] to deal frankly and openly with serious adult topics related to sexual assault, promiscuity, alcoholism, the stigma of divorce, mental disease and the criminal justice process. The clinical testimony during the trial from experts uses words and phrases that were never heard in American cinema prior to this movie.” Duke Ellington’s soundtrack was also forward-thinking, opening a door for Jazz musicians in the film industry, and Saul Bass’ graphic design helped shift how titles were presented in films. It’s hard to believe the film was made 60 years ago—it’s certainly better than many of today’s films.

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[1959. 160 min. Directed by Otto Preminger. Starring James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Arthur O’Connell, Eve Arden, Kathryn Grant, George C. Scott, and Orson Bean.]
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/movies/homevideo/premingers-anatomy-of-a-murder-on-dvd.html

Blindspotting

— What a pleasant surprise this film was. I missed it in theaters but luckily watched it on DVD. Instead of being just another Oakland-based story about the black experience, this one sets itself aside by shifting from a fairly humorous story about a black man with three days left on his probation, who is trying to keep on the right side of the law, to something more complicated when he witnesses a black man shot in the street, leaving the viewer a little off-kilter as the film keeps touching on relevant issues. Essentially a buddy-film with a fondness for hip-hop, there are a lot of forces at play: identity, class conflict, gentrification, profiling, violence, helplessness, loyalty, and anger. In the end, the strength of the direction, acting, and script makes a cultural and political problem many of us only experience on the periphery, a deeply personal experience, giving us a better sense of what it means to be white or black in today’s America.

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[2018. 95 min. Directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada. Starring Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal, and Janina Gavankar.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/blindspotting-2018

Captain Marvel

— With 21 Marvel films and scads of Batman, Superman, Spider Man, and Wonder Woman films, to say nothing of Aquaman, Wolverine, X-Men, Hellboy, and even the Incredibles, it’s easy to find a super hero if you want one. I’ve seen most of them and they’ve become about as predictable as Hallmark movies. Recently they’ve gone out of their way for equity and inclusion, but otherwise, the formula’s set and you can almost always find decent acting, a quick pace with lots of special effects, and something to cheer about. “Captain Marvel” ticks off most of the boxes well and was a couple of hours spent that I don’t regret, but it’s not among the top tier of this genre. That’s not to say you shouldn’t see it even if there are enough flashbacks to make you wonder if a little more linear storytelling might be helpful. Brie Larson does an adequate job and, thankfully, the script doesn’t focus on her gender or try to turn the film into a “woman power” statement. Unfortunately, when she’s Carol Danvers instead of Captain Marvel, she’s pretty dull, without the streak of humor or quirkiness that adds interest to "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Ant Man," "Deadpool," "Iron Man, and "Thor." As Captain Marvel, she's a little more interesting, although she often has the look of someone who’s constipated, not someone who’s saving the universe. The standouts in this film are a wonderful cat named Goose (the Flerken), and Annette Bening who’s always a joy to see. There were also times when the music was particularly catchy. If you’re like me and just enjoy these things as entertainment, you’ll like this one too!

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[2019. 124 min. Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Starring Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jude Law, and Annette Bening.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/captain-marvel-2019

Everybody Knows (Todos lo saben)

— Much of this film seems more like a traditional mystery with clues everywhere and the audience tasked with figuring out where they lead than a typical Asghar Farhadi film. Laura arrives at small Spanish town with her spirited, teenage daughter, Irene, and son, Diego, to attend her younger sister’s wedding, leaving her husband, Alejandro, in Argentina because of work. Her family surrounds her, including her aging father who harbors some resentment toward Paco, Laura’s first lover, who bought land from Laura below market price but has worked it over the years into a valuable vineyard with his wife Bea beside him. The wedding festivities are artfully handled, offering that sense of family and colorful celebration and love and laughter that’s not easy to convey. As the celebration continues into the night, Irene drinks a little too much and heads to bed, but when Laura goes to check on her later, she finds the bed empty and she's nowhere to be found. A ransom text comes next, along with a warning not to alert the police. From here on out, it could have been a routine who-done-it but, after many twists and turns, much as we’d like Sherlock Holmes to set everyone down and bring order to the chaos, the world Farhadi creates doesn’t work that way. He’s spent as much time on the layers, hidden beneath each player’s surface, revealing divisions going back years, resentments, jealousies, loves, tensions, embarrassments, secrets. All these divisions surface as a result of the crisis, when there’s plenty of anger and despair and desperation to go around—the layers both unite and separate, becoming the push/pull that adds texture (and drama) to a family. It’s a good film with fine actors but not a great film like Farhadi’s “A Separation.”

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[2018. 133 min. Written and directed by Asghar Farhadi. Starring Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Richardo Darin, and Eduard Fernandez.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/everybody-knows-2019

American Factory

— The filmmakers are a charming duo from Dayton, Ohio, who unabashedly tout their Midwestern heritage as adding a layer to their filmmaking. They may be right. Dayton’s workforce suffered when GM closed their Moraine assembly plant in 2008, leaving 2,400 workers jobless. “American Factory” introduces a few of those workers and their lives following the closure. Then, in 2014, Chinese auto glass manufacturer Fuyao announced it was taking over the former GM plant, investing millions into the local economy and creating new jobs. By the end of 2016, Fuyao employed more than 2,000 workers at the Moraine plant. This would seem to be a win/win story, but the film details, sometimes humorously and sometimes incredulously, the difficulties that had to be overcome as two worker cultures collided. GM had been a Union plant and Fuyao was not. Chinese workers valued jobs and saw their employers as an integral part of their lives while American workers saw their employers as potential adversaries and their jobs as a means to a better personal life. As American workers traveled to China and Chinese workers came to the U.S., differences sometimes seemed insurmountable. The film walks a delicate balance, trying not to take sides, even as workers lobbied unsuccessfully to unionize in 2016. It’s a great look at cultural divides and can’t help but raise questions about assimilation, acculturation, and integration. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2019.)

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[2019. 115 min. Directed by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert.]
https://www.indiewire.com/2019/01/american-factory-review-sundance-1202038438/

The Edge of Democracy

— A careful look at Brazil after dictatorship, and at the rise and fall of democracy, leaving the country in Jair Bolsonaro’s authoritarian hands. Director Petra Costa creates an intimate look at the players as Brazil’s history unfolds and, for American viewers, it is disquieting to see parallels with our current political climate and the sharp divisions that occurred in Brazil, along with corruption, rage, prejudice, accusations, and fabricated news. The film peels off complex political layers, letting viewers see a country in disarray, and raising questions about what present-day democracy really looks like. I liked the film a lot. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2019.)

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[2019. min. Directed by Petra Costa.]
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/edge-democracy-review-1179394

Apollo 11

— What an unexpected joy it was to watch this documentary. Instead of a grainy reminiscence in 4x3 aspect ratio, this is culled from long-lost NASA footage and more than 11,000 hours of audio recordings, is a visual thrill, and is tautly edited to give a good sense of the thrill of the Apollo 11 mission. From today’s perspective, the unified NASA workforce boggles the mind—we rarely have stories of such dedication and national pride anymore—as does the personal sacrifice made by many. It’s hard to know if the film will only interest those who remember the event in real time on their small, tube TVs, or if those who’ve grown up after NASA’s heyday will find it spellbinding as well. It is also difficult not to be reminded of “First Man” when seeing this, and if you missed that film, it’s a good, dramatic companion piece. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2019 while premiering in Imax theaters.)

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[2019, 93 min. Directed by Todd Douglas Miller.]
https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/apollo-11-movie-review-795597/

The Hottest August

— “The Hottest August” is more a portrait of the times than a mere look at August in New York City. Brett Story presents a colorful and diverse cast of everyday characters, living their lives and expressing their hopes and fears. What emerges is a bustling city with gentrification, inequality, a vanishing middle-class, global warming, and plenty of daily challenges. Counterbalancing these negative aspects is a soul that’s still strong and filled with wry humor, neighborly love, and an uncertain hope that Americans adapt to difficulties, making adjustments for a better future. The filmmaker doesn’t really point the viewer in any direction, but just presents the images and comments, creating the portrait for the viewer to consider. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2019.)

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[2019. 92 min. Directed by Brett Story.]
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/hottest-august-review-1189369

Mike Wallace Is Here

— In a world of “fake news,” innuendo, meanness disguised a memes, and selective reporting, it’s nice to look back on an early player in investigative reporting. This is a decent glimpse of Wallace’s career—even his successes as a game show host, actor, and advertising spokesperson—as well as how, in the 1950s and 1960s, his aggressive style of asking tough interview questions changed how news interviews were conducted. Times have changed and “news” sources have expanded to include social media, blogs, and ideologically focused web sites. Wallace’s confrontational style can still be seen in “real” news, but also in a new breed of journalists who blur the lines between news and commentary and entertainment. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2019.)

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[2019. 86 min. Directed by Avi Belkin.]
https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/mike-wallace-is-here-review-1203119500/

Cold Case Hammarskjöld

— It’s hard to describe “Cold Case Hammarskjöld,” a quirky look at the 1961 crash of a plane carrying U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld to a ceasefire negotiation in the Congo, and the conspiracy theories that surround the event. A clever format adds humor to a documentary that moves from the investigation of a cold case to something much more sinister. Mads Brügger, the film’s investigator, acts as the ringmaster, juggling theories and lines of inquiry while the audience, though intrigued, suspects the theories are just that, unproven and unlikely conspiracy pap. When one of the theories appears to have a basis, suggesting the crash was, in fact, not an accident, Brügger lets the facts add up, making a believable case for an alarming plot to murder Hammarskjöld. It’s hard not to be sucked into the intrigue and to consider the veracity of the claims made, and to worry a little that, even if the conspiracy theory isn’t true, it is plausible. It’s an intriguing film, but I tend to favor documentaries that are under 2 hours, and this one could have been even better with a bit of judicious editing. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2019.)

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[2019. 128 min. Written and directed by Mads Brügger. With Mads Brügger, Göran Björkdahl, Neddy Banda, and Jan Beuckels.]
https://www.indiewire.com/2019/01/cold-case-hammarskjold-review-sundance-1202039570/

Up the Mountain

— Ostensibly a look at life in a Chinese mountain village where master painter Shen Jianhua hosts a variety of followers including grandmothers engaged in brightly-hued, folk paintings of day-to-day life in the village. The result is a subtle, poetic film with amazing panoramas that are only rivaled by scenes of everyday life that are just as inspiring. In fact, the film has a rhythm and texture to it that emphasizes the beauty around us everywhere. Beautiful as the film is, it suffers from poor subtitles that are often have so little contrast as to be unreadable. A heavier hand at editing would have been welcome too, so the film might have been closer to 90 minutes instead of more than two hours. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2019.)

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[2019. 126 min. Directed by Zhang Yang.]
https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/up-the-mountain-macao-review/5135158.article