David Crosby: Remember My Name

— This is a fascinating and intimate look back on David Crosby’s life, acting almost as a final letter to everyone from his past. Viewers are treated to a very personal glimpse of a man who’s been inducted in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame twice, once for his work with the Byrds and once as part of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, but whose prickly personality and years using heroine and cocaine took their toll on him and everyone around him. He admits almost matter-of-factly that not one of his former band members will even speak to him to this day. Cameron Crowe does the interviewing, but Crosby seems ready to talk, spilling out details about his life and associations like a seasoned storyteller. In a way, the film is almost an obituary and it puts viewers in an awkward situation, for it seems absolution is unlikely even in the face of confession.

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[2019. 95 min. Directed by A.J. Eaton. Featuring David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Jan Crosby, Cameron Crowe, Henry Diltz, Roger McGuinn, Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/david-crosby-remember-my-name-2019

Zombieland: Double Tap

— This was fun! When you see an off-beat film with this kind of cast (Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin are back from the original film), you can pretty much assume it’s going to have something going for it…or be a complete bust. I’m not a Zombie enthusiast but I gave this film a gander and was taken in by the sharp script, humor, ridiculousness, and goofiness of it all. I thought it was funny and quirky, with irreverent, blood-splattering overtones. I didn’t see the original “Zombieland” so this was a new experience for me; for those who already had the fun when “Zombieland” was released in 2009, this may seem tired or unnecessary, but not to me. Enjoy it if you’re so inclined.

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[2019. 99 min. Directed by Ruben Fleischer. Starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Zoey Deutch, Avan Jogia, Rosario Dawson, and Luke Wilson.]
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/movies/zombieland-double-tap-review.html

Judy

— I wasn’t sure what to expect given the mixed feelings people have over Zellweger’s “Judy.” It helps to know you’re looking at an impression of a relatively short period in Garland’s life, and a period where life had already taken it’s toll. Zellweger’s talents shine and, instead of “becoming” Garland in the sense that some actor’s might, she assumes many of her attributes—her frailties, her demeanor, her edginess, and her charisma—allowing the viewer to believe they’re seeing someone other than Zellweger, someone embodying Garland’s soul. Of course, Zellweger’s singing voice doesn’t have the range of Garland’s, but she does a good job of infusing the emotion and tenor of Garland into the songs. I found the film a little slow moving at first, when flashbacks of Garland’s childhood emphasize the damage done under the iron hand of Louis B. Mayer and the studio system, probably resulting in Garland always being “on stage,” even later in life, instead of finding a way to share her public persona with a private one away from the spotlight. It’s not a perfect film and Garland aficionados may find fault, but in the end it took hold of my heart.

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[2019. 118 min. Directed by Rupert Goold. Starring Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, and Finn Wittrock.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/judy-movie-review-2019

Joker

— After all the hype, “Joker” just wasn’t very interesting. The infamous joker’s backstory ends up being visually somewhat stunning but that’s not nearly enough to make up for the excruciatingly slow cadence of the film. While Joaquin Phoenix may be good, it feels like someone’s strapped you in a chair in some basement studio to witness private method acting lessons that are a little too dramatic. The film goes on and on and on and, honestly, there’s no way to have any sympathy for the character or, for that matter, to have much interest in anything except how quickly the film will end. I know there’s talk of it’s potential to incite violence but it was so dull that I nearly nodded off.

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[2019. 121 min. Directed by Todd Phillips. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Frances Conroy, and Zazie Beetz.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/joker-movie-review-2019

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice

— As a documentary, this is interesting enough but, were it not for Ronstadt's aura, it would be a little routine and its picking and choosing of facts occasionally bothersome, so go to it to be reminded of the music and of a great singer. Back in the ‘70s, I loved Ronstadt and her music gave me a boost and helped me escape. At the time I didn’t fully understand how talented she was and I was clueless of the path she was blazing for women and of the camaraderie she had with some of her contemporaries; I didn’t really know who was playing guitar or keyboard or drums for her (Glenn Frey and Don Henley for example), or who was producing her records (Peter Asher as an example). I did know she was all over the place musically, dabbling successfully in one genre after another, but to me, she was just wonderful to have belting tunes from the car speakers of a friend's Trans Am. The film brought her music wafting back as I sat in the theater, enjoying it again and feeling its energy and emotion, reminding me of those times and just how good she was, while occasional anecdotes from other greats separated songs and other narration. When the film was done, I couldn’t help but be amazed by her legacy and wonder why I hadn’t already had her among a select group of musical luminaries—there’s no denying her place in rock, pop, country, blues, jazz, and traditional Mexican musical history. I also left the theater with an admiration for Ronstadt today, for how she acknowledges that dealing with death is the easy part of Parkinson's, but adjusting to an altered life, to finding ways to have meaning and joy before death is the challenge. If the film paints anything of a true picture, Ronstadt’s finding new ways. She still has joy in her eyes and her music still brings joy to those who hear it. I’m not sure if it’s a great documentary, but it plays so well into my life story so I loved it.

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[2019. 95 min. Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. Featuring Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Jackson Browne, Maria Muldaur, Don Henley, David Geffen, Cameron Crowe, and Aaron Neville.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/linda-ronstadt-the-sound-of-my-voice-movie-review-2019

Ad Astra

— It’s too bad we started thinking of Brad Pitt as a pretty boy since he’s been far more than an adequate actor since about 2006. “Ad Astra” is almost entirely Pitt’s film and he carries it easily. The story takes place in the near future and Pitt’s character, Roy, is the son of a space-pioneering father who, years earlier, traveled farther in space than anyone else, looking for other intelligent life until the earth suddenly lost contact with him and he became the stuff of legend. Roy has followed in his famous father’s footsteps and is a poster boy for the space program, having buried his feelings and compartmentalized his life to the point that he calmly faces any crisis and his pulse never exceeds 80 bpm. He seems immune to emotion and ready for any challenge so, when he’s sent to find his father’s ship, thinking it’s the secret behind a mysterious pulsing that threatens the Earth’s existence, he calmly dons his spacesuit and heads to Neptune in search of his father. The parallels between Roy’s journey and Kurtz’s in Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now are hard to ignore, as are nods to other films that look at our place in the universe. Roy’s journey is one of resolution, of coming to terms with the past, and of realizing you can miss what’s right in front of you if you spend too much time concentrating on the future. The film is gorgeous, like the best of the space exploration genre, and Roy’s evolution is thoughtfully presented. There are minor issues, particularly with the ending which I would have preferred to be a little less tidy, but it’s still one of the best films I’ve seen in a while.

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[2019. 123 min. Directed by James Gray. Starring Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, and Ruth Negga.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ad-astra-movie-review-2019

Downton Abbey

— There’s something comfortable about this film and fans of the television show won’t be disappointed by the familiar cast, suddenly in overdrive when it’s announced that King George and Queen Mary will be spending a night at Downton during their trip through Yorkshire. It’s a life from a different time, and the upstairs aristocrats, well-meaning and kindly, seem forever dressed in linens and velvets, planning parties and fretting over inheritances. Downstairs even the furnace repairman wears a jacket and tie, and the staff struggles with menus and etiquette, keeping a stiff back and a sense of pride in their lives. Witnessing the goings-on, both upstairs and down, is all great fun—watching their romances, mysteries, secrets, and struggles is something of a guilty pleasure. The film is nicely self-contained and the cast glides easily through the story with dignity and wit. If this is your kind of thing, you’ll enjoy it. I did.

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[2019. 122 min. Directed by Michael Engler. Starring Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Tuppence Middleton, Maggie Smith, Matthew Goode, Elizabeth McGovern, Laura Carmichael, Allen Leech, Jim Carter, Brendan Coyle, Phyllis Logan, Lesley Nicol, and Sophie McShera.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/downton-abbey-movie-review-2019

Angel Has Fallen

— By the third installment in what’s not so much a trilogy as a three-time retelling, there’s not much surprise in the story. In a way, it’s a Hallmark film for “bros.” The protagonist is macho and stoic, estranged from the father who left when he was young, skilled in all forms of combat, double-crossed by his friend, and chased by every law agency there is while his attractive wife stands by him. Let's face it, this guy needs some serious counseling if he survives! There’s plenty of action and combat, made a little odd since there’s a bit of an anti-war message in the film along with many nods to current events. In the end, it does manage to tug at your patriotic heartstrings, in spite of the fact that you feel manipulated for going along with something so distasteful.

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[2019. 121 min. Directed by Ric Roma Waugh. Starring Gerard Butler, Frederick Schmidt, Danny Huston, Morgan Freeman, and Nick Nolte.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/angel-has-fallen-movie-review-2019