Black Panther

— In the Marvel film world, superheros either spring into the universe with no backstory and any hint of their history comes through tentative flashbacks or, as is the case with Black Panther, with lavish detail to ensure the right amount of awe and glory. There’s a lot to be said for this film. It refocuses things so, instead of giving us a film about a dumbfounded fellow discovering his superpowers and dealing with them, this is really just about a man trying to become a better king, protect his country, and help those less fortunate around the world. Superpowers almost take a back seat and the positive energy flows everywhere, even in Kendrick Lamar’s sometimes irritating music. The film does a good job of telling the story and certainly presents a positive role model while asking important questions about race and identity, as well as about isolationism and internationalism. It’s a little more earnest than I like my Marvel films to be, but maybe that's just goes along with the burden of trying to be “a defining moment in Black America” (Carvell Wallace, NY Times).

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[2018. 134 min. Directed by Ryan Coogler. Starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, and Angela Bassett.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/black-panther-2018

I, Tonya

— This is a good film and I did like the way is was done, although I’m hard pressed to define the style. Dark comedy? Pseudo documentary? Over-the-top trashy? Whatever it is, it’s got good people doing it, managing to retell the story of Tanya Harding’s assent and descent in the figure-skating world based on wildly conflicting narratives by key people, including Harding, her husband, her mother, and her coach. The failure of anyone to take responsibility and the notion that we all have our own personal truths, permeate the film. The problem, of course, is that while what we see as truth comes through our own filters and is personally adjusted over time, there are still those pesky facts to deal with. It’s a good reminder of the bias our own pasts, beliefs, and righteousness can bring to our perspective on everything, and of the way the media can nudge the truth in a profitable direction. The image of Allison Janney—older and on one end of a floral sofa with busy wallpaper behind her, feisty and cranky, wearing a fur coat, with oxygen and a parrot on her shoulder—will stay in my head for a while. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s much better than average.

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[2017. Directed by Craig Gillespie. Starring Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Ulianne Nicholson, and Paul Walter Hauser.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/i-tonya-2017

The Shape of Water

— An adult fairy tale with some horror and espionage too, along with a greenish tint to some extraordinarily detailed, textured, lush, beautiful images. Sally Hawkins portrays her character with just the right amount of softness and sensitivity and the entire cast is good enough to overcome a storyline that would have been too far-fetched otherwise and, even so, it definitely requires a suspension of disbelief. Occasionally it’s a little obvious, but I’m sure there were even more references and nods to the past I missed. It grabbed me completely for the viewing, raising issues about love, longing, completeness, sexuality, gender, race, inclusion—pretty much most of the current day issues of political contention. I loved the feel of the film, maybe even more than what there was to take away, and I think its an amazing feat to mix such fanciful elements and storylines into something that flowed so smoothly and believably. Definitely worth seeing.

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[2017. 123 min. Directed by Guillermo del Toro. Starring Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Richard Jenkins, Michael Shannon, and Michael Stuhlbarg.]
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/30/movies/the-shape-of-water-review-guillermo-del-toro.html

Phantom Thread

— This is one of those luxurious films where you can almost feel the texture of upholstery. Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance as Reynolds Woodcock, a 1950’s London dressmaker is mesmerizing, but so is Lesley Manville's Cyril, his sister and business partner, and Vicky Krieps' Alma, the woman who catches his eye. It’s the tale of an artist living in his own world, seemingly spoiled and pampered by the women whose existences he seemingly sees as less important. The film opens with Cyril, his frosty sister, guiding him through both business and personal matters, even preparing to dismiss his latest love interest whose affections no longer interest him, so his life is uncluttered and his creative genius unfettered. Around him are a bevy of women to stitch the dresses and the ghost of his dead mother who is with him always. His passion is in making beautiful dresses that make his wealthy clients beautiful. Into this world enters Alma, a seemingly blank canvas, preparing the audience for a seemingly Pygmalion-like plot. Luckily, not much is as it seems and and, instead, the plot takes off on a series of twists and turns, evolving into a look at the struggle for power and dominance in relationships, at passion and desire, at the value of change, at love in its many forms, at genius, at needs, and at emotional growth. The acting is so good and the visuals so lush that it’s hard to take your eyes off the screen, and with so many emotions conveyed by the twitch of a mouth or the shift in a gaze, it’s a good thing. I think it’s a great film, but maybe not a satisfying one.

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[2017. 130 min. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville, and Vicky Krieps.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/phantom-thread-2017

Call Me By My Name

— I should have read reviews before going to this very interesting film so I wouldn't have expected it to be some kind of hidden, gay, first-love story. It's really more of a coming of age film, about learning the lessons of love, and being open to all experiences. It takes place in the early 1980s when Oliver, a handsome American in his mid-20s, arrives to assist an academic spending the summer in Italy with his wife and Ello, their 17-year-old son. The previously lazy, quiet existence changes as Oliver moves into Ello’s old room and his American-bred confidence, good looks, and easy swagger bring a new element to the mix. Ello’s precocious about a lot of things, but somewhat stunted emotionally, seeming to fall into a relationship with a local girl and, at the same time, working out feelings for Oliver. It's a gorgeous film—lots of Italian countryside and towns—with great acting. Sometimes it seems a little sluggish, but pretty quickly you realize you’re just in a luxurious, sensuous segment. There is also a slight fuzziness to it in places, but it ends up lending a feeling of remembrance instead of real time. It’s directed by Luca Guadagnino whose two earlier films I also loved (“A Bigger Splash” which made my list of top films in 2016, and “I am Love”). For such a subtle film, I didn't fully appreciate Ello’s father getting a little too didactic at the end, but I’ll let it go given how low key the rest of the film is. It really is one of the better films of the year.

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[2017. 132 min. Directed by Luca Guadagnino. Starring Armie Hammer, Tirmothee Chalamet, Chicahel Stuhlbarg, and Amira Casar.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/call-me-by-your-name-2017

Chappie

— Not exactly a bad film, but disappointing for this director and a sad choice for Hugh Jackman whose role is so black and white that about all he can do is look like a mean person with bad hair. The police robot named Chappie is sweet enough and we all laugh as he develops a swagger and starts wearing gold chains from falling in with a bad crowd, but there’s just not much meat on these bones. The film looks good and appears to have had adequate backing, but it doesn’t take long to know where the story is headed. It’s fine for late night streaming, but I wouldn’t have been happy if I’d paid to see it in a theater. [Netflix]

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[2015. 120 min. Directed by Neill Blomkamp. Starring Sharito Copley, Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, Yo-Lani Visser, and Sigourney Weaver.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/chappie-2015

The Post

— There’s a lot to be said for “The Post,” a film that looks at the Washington Post’s decision to print the Pentagon Papers. Streep and Hanks are both incredible. The “look” of the times is carefully presented in the costumes and the sets. Spielberg concentrates on telling the story and keeping technique in the background…and it's a fascinating and timely story. It was a long time ago, but I remember the sense of outrage I and my peers felt when we learned our government had withheld “the truth” for so many years. That was a time when journalists were still held in revere and while we knew First Amendment rights were at stake, I don’t remember thinking about the potential cost to The Washington Post and to Katherine Graham or, for that matter, Graham’s unique place as a woman in charge of a major company. The film manages to tell an interesting story and touch on lots of issues for viewers to think about in addition to defending the press’ role in exposing corruption and acting as the public’s watchdog. You’ll end up considering a leader’s responsibilities to shareholders and to the public, question who determines the truth and how it evolves, remember an earlier time in the slow progress toward gender equality in the workplace, and be reminded that every person in power who comes from money and privilege isn’t an enemy of the majority. Even better, all these issues come out of the story, instead of being interjected by a narrator. It’s a film that’s well worth seeing and among the best of the year.

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[2017. 116 min. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Sarah Paulson, and Bob Odenkirk.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-post-2017

The Light Between Oceans

— This is a beautiful film [DVD], filed with gorgeous seascapes and tender glances, along with some decent actors, but midway through, a plot twist shifts it in a direction that forces viewers in a direction they'd like to avoid. It moves from passion and happiness in isolation to a lie born out of grief. Ultimately, things head toward resolution and revenge, but it’s all too much like an overly dramatized Nicholas Sparks’ novel. It may be worth seeing the chemistry between Vikander and Fassbender or the pretty scenes, but as a film it’s a disappointment.

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[2016. 133 min. Directed by Derek Cianfrance. Starring Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz, Florence Clery, and Jack Thompson.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-light-between-oceans-2016