I know the Oscars are tonight, but for the first time in many years, I'm just not too excited about the show. Some of my favorite movies of the year weren't nominated or didn't get the recognition they deserve, such as Sicario, which I thought would be up for Best Picture and Best Actress for Emily Blunt and Best Supporting Actor for Benicio del Toro.
I also loved Inside Out, which may be my favorite film of last year; I thought for sure it would be nominated for Best Picture easily.
Also in my Top 5 of last year is The Stanford Prison Experiment; I haven't reviewed it yet on my blog, but the film was incredibly intense. More to come about that film in a few days.
I liked Mad Max Fury Road quite a bit, and I'll have a review of that movie on my blog soon, too.
But as far as action films, my favorite of 2015 was none other than Furious 7. The movie ties together every previous movie so well. It's fast paced and humorous with exotic locations and a great soundtrack. And very moving at the end. The main song "See You Again" should have been nominated for Best Song, and the film should have received some technical nominations such as Sound Editing or Visual Effects.
Also snubbed for Visual Effects is Jurassic World - that final battle sequence alone blew me away, with that whale-like dinosaur jumping out of the water going in for the kill. Why in is The Revenant nominated for Visual Effects? For a bear attacking Leonardo di Caprio?
There were also some small-scale, quieter films that came out earlier in 2015 that didn't make too many people's Top 10 lists. One was Mr Holmes, starring Ian McKellan as an older Sherlock homes attempting to solve his final case. I also was a fan of The Age of Adaline, and thought Harrison Ford was great in it-- even better than in Star Wars. And finally, I really liked Mistress America, starring Greta Gerwig in a screwball comedy set in New York.
2/25/2016
Steel Magnolias (1989) and Educating Rita (1983)
Last year I went to see the stage play of Steel Magnolias at a local repertory theater, and I loved comparing it with it's 1989 film counterpart. In the case of Magnolias, the film -- in my opinion -- is far better than the stage version. For one thing, there's no way you can top a cast like Sally Field, Shirley MacClaine and Julia Roberts. Also, I love how the movie breaks out of the beauty shop and explores the entire town and introduces the viewer to all the other people in the women's lives, including the suitor who charms Shirley. And I loved Shirley's dog in the film; a nice touch. And this has got to be one of of Dolly Parton's best movie roles and the part suits her well. A few years ago, another TV-film version came out starring Queen Latifah and Alfre Woodard and is on my to-see list.
Another stage play I saw recently was Educating Rita; I had seen the 1983 film version, one of the first movies I ever watched on a VHS tape. If you don't remember that movie, it's about a middle age professor (Michael Caine) who tutors a young, unschooled married hair stylist (Julie Walters) who dreams of becoming more cultured; in the process they change each other's lives (a premise reminiscent of Pygmalion or My Fair Lady). It's an inspiring tale, filled with witty dialogue and many references to great literature. The movie version is delightful - Caine and Walters are top-notch and deserved their Oscar nominations. And I like how the movie breaks out of the professor's office setting, taking you inside Rita's house and inside the saloons where the professor frequents. However, the movie feels dated, especially the synthetic music score. On stage, it's a different experience - only the two main characters; in the production I saw, the actors were outstanding, especially the actor who played Rita, a challenging part that she knocked out of the park. I hope she gets some local award recognition. Alas, this may be an example of where there play is actually better than the film.
Another stage play I saw recently was Educating Rita; I had seen the 1983 film version, one of the first movies I ever watched on a VHS tape. If you don't remember that movie, it's about a middle age professor (Michael Caine) who tutors a young, unschooled married hair stylist (Julie Walters) who dreams of becoming more cultured; in the process they change each other's lives (a premise reminiscent of Pygmalion or My Fair Lady). It's an inspiring tale, filled with witty dialogue and many references to great literature. The movie version is delightful - Caine and Walters are top-notch and deserved their Oscar nominations. And I like how the movie breaks out of the professor's office setting, taking you inside Rita's house and inside the saloons where the professor frequents. However, the movie feels dated, especially the synthetic music score. On stage, it's a different experience - only the two main characters; in the production I saw, the actors were outstanding, especially the actor who played Rita, a challenging part that she knocked out of the park. I hope she gets some local award recognition. Alas, this may be an example of where there play is actually better than the film.
2/15/2016
Son of Saul (2015) and Hail Ceasar! (2016)
Saul is a Jewish prisoner forced to worked in a crematorium.
As he attempts to give a dead child a proper burial, he finds out that the child may or may not be his son.
As he continues to uncover the truth, he learns that either situation is likely.
The man risks his life devoting himself to the cause of a proper burial, especially during an uprising of the camp that causes many in the camp to doubt his loyalties.
The director's style is impressive; the entire film is told from Saul's perspective, with the camera focused on him the entire time, even when there's horrible violence taking place in the background of the frame.
Read a blog post by Korova Theater here
Another film I saw this past week was Hail Ceasar! directed by the Cohen brothers. The trailer showed some snippets of what looked like homages to old Technicolor movies of the '40s and '50s, which really intrigued me. I've seen some of the Cohen Brothers films but not all, so wasn't sure what to expect.
It's an ensemble comedy satire, and focuses on Josh Brolin's character, a Hollywood "fixer" who keeps actors' scandals out of the press. We meet some of the actors he helps, including George Clooney who's playing a Roman soldier in a Biblical epic called "Hail Caesar" (with dialogue very much - almost identical - to Ben Hur); his character is kidnapped by Communists. Yes, it's absurd. There's also a submarine in it. You have to see it to believe it.
The movie also spoofs musicals, westerns, and melodramas, as well as gossip columnists, communists, and censorship boards. There's a musical number with sailors in the bar; Channing Tatum is supposed to be playing a Gene Kelly-type sailor (like from Anchors Aweigh). I liked that the song used was an original piece, not a copycat number from a real '50s musical; kudos to the songwriters.
I have to say that George Clooney in the Roman solider uniform really looks as if he could play the part in a Roman epic from that time period.
The movie is pretty entertaining. A little crazy, but entertaining. I enjoyed it.
Here's another review, from a blog about biblical epics.
Bobby Rivers wrote about this movie several times on his blog. Read the posts here:
Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3
Another film I saw this past week was Hail Ceasar! directed by the Cohen brothers. The trailer showed some snippets of what looked like homages to old Technicolor movies of the '40s and '50s, which really intrigued me. I've seen some of the Cohen Brothers films but not all, so wasn't sure what to expect.
It's an ensemble comedy satire, and focuses on Josh Brolin's character, a Hollywood "fixer" who keeps actors' scandals out of the press. We meet some of the actors he helps, including George Clooney who's playing a Roman soldier in a Biblical epic called "Hail Caesar" (with dialogue very much - almost identical - to Ben Hur); his character is kidnapped by Communists. Yes, it's absurd. There's also a submarine in it. You have to see it to believe it.
The movie also spoofs musicals, westerns, and melodramas, as well as gossip columnists, communists, and censorship boards. There's a musical number with sailors in the bar; Channing Tatum is supposed to be playing a Gene Kelly-type sailor (like from Anchors Aweigh). I liked that the song used was an original piece, not a copycat number from a real '50s musical; kudos to the songwriters.
I have to say that George Clooney in the Roman solider uniform really looks as if he could play the part in a Roman epic from that time period.
The movie is pretty entertaining. A little crazy, but entertaining. I enjoyed it.
Here's another review, from a blog about biblical epics.
Bobby Rivers wrote about this movie several times on his blog. Read the posts here:
Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3
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