THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019) – My rating: 7/10

The Lighthouse is a psychological horror film directed and produced by Robert Eggers, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Max Eggers. Shot in black-and-white with a 1.19:1 aspect ratio, the film focuses on two lighthouse keepers who start to lose their sanity when a storm strands them on the remote island where they are stationed. According to Eggers, although the final story bears little resemblance to Edgar Allan Poe’s fragment “The Light-House”, the film began as an attempt by his brother Max Eggers to do a contemporary take on the Poe story. When the project stalled, Eggers offered to work with his brother and the project evolved into a period thriller with the Poe elements removed. I could have lived without The Lighthouse as it is a tedious, sad, and horrific movie, in my opinion.

In the late 19th century, Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) is sent on by boat to serve a contract job as a wickie (lighthouse caretakers) for four weeks on an isolated island off the coast of New England. Ephraim is to work under the supervision of an irritable elderly man named Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe). The two must find a way to keep their sanity when the circumstances are insane. On the first day of the job, Winslow notices a hole in his cot. As he digs into it, he finds a small scrimshaw of a mermaid and stuffs it in his jacket. Ephraim observes Thomas going up to the lighthouse’s lantern room at night and stripping naked. Ephraim begins experiencing visions and dreams of tentacles in the lighthouse, tree stumps floating in the water, and distant images of a mermaid (Valeriia Karamän).  They must use chamber buckets to relieve themselves and there’s no means of communication or entertainment but there’s plenty of work to be done.  Over the course of his stay, Thomas demands Ephraim take the more taxing jobs—refueling the light, carrying heavy kerosene containers, and disposing of the two men’s chamber pots. As time progresses, Ephraim repeatedly encounters a one-eyed gull. Thomas warns Ephraim that it is bad luck to kill a gull, as he is superstitious that the animals are reincarnated sailors.

The Lighthouse is a disturbing horror story filmed in black and white, which made it more creepy.  It’s not my cup of tea, as I don’t like horror stories. However, it seems as though The Lighthouse is considered exceptional as it received 91% Rotton Tomatoes based on 300 reviews, with an average rating of 8.17/10.  The site’s critics’ consensus reads, “A gripping story brilliantly filmed and led by a pair of powerhouse performances, The Lighthouse further establishes Robert Eggers as a filmmaker of exceptional talent.” As if Thomas and Ephraim’s circumstances weren’t bad enough, a major storm strands them the very day they were to end their shifts and be picked up by ferry.  What is discovered and what happens during the storm is a bitter and horrific ending to a most horrifying movie. I do agree both Dafoe and Pattinson acted their characters brilliantly. As of January 30, 2020, The Lighthouse has grossed $10.9 million in the United States, and $4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $14.9 million. I’m not sure of the kind of audience The Lighthouse attracts, it just wasn’t for me.  If this is your thing, The Lighthouse can be rented on Amazon Prime, Check It Out!

[THE LIGHTHOUSE is Oscar-nominated for Best Cinematography totaling one Oscar nomination]  

 

MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL (2019) – My rating: 7.5/10

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a dark fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Joachim Rønning, and written by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster. It is a sequel to the 2014 film Maleficent. I enjoyed this sequel and have mostly good things to say about it.

When we last left Maleficent (Angelina Jolie), she had shed her evil disposition, restored the Moors to its former light and was well on her way to being a gracious, reformed God-mother, raising Aurora (Elle Fanning) as her own. Aurora is also now the reigning Queen of the Moors and Maleficent is guardian and protector. However, in the five years since King Stefan’s death, we learn that mistrust and circumstances defined a new Maleficent as evil as the Maleficent of old. What happened to define Maleficent this unearned character judgment? What we didn’t know, was lurking in a nearby kingdom called Ulstead, lived the queen and mother Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer) of Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson) who is instrumental in shaping most of our thinking about Maleficent. In this sequel, Aurora is proposed to by Prince Phillip. Little did we know, Aurora’s answer to that proposal would be the foundation for which the entire story would be based. While Phillip’s father King John (Robert Lindsay) wishes for peace, his mother Queen Ingrith has been secretly preparing for war. Many lives will change and many truths will be revealed, including a major reveal for the mysterious Maleficent. Hidden in areas of the castle, workers make weapons and ammunition out of iron, deadly to all fairies. Diaval (Sam Reily), Maleficent’s raven and confidante, overhears Phillip proposing to Aurora. When he has relayed this to Maleficent, she advises against the union, but Aurora insists she will be proven wrong.

I enjoyed Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and give kudos to Disney for their diverse employment. I especially like the message this movie sends regarding revenge, evil, gossip and faith. I think this is a good strong story and deserved more acknowledgment than it received.  The film received mixed reviews from critics, with criticism aimed at the “muddled plot and overly artificial visuals”, but praise for the performances of Jolie, Fanning and Pfeiffer. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported the film holds an approval rating of 40% based on 246 reviews, with an average rating of 5.09/10. As of January 31, 2020, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil has grossed $113.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $377.8 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $491.7 million. Check It Out!

[MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL is Oscar-nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling — Totalling 1 Oscar Nomination]

 

BREAKTHROUGH (2019) – My rating: 8.5/10

Breakthrough is a Christian drama directed by Roxann Dawson and written by Grant Nieporte, based on the Christian book named The Impossible, an account of true events written by Joyce Smith with Ginger Kolbaba. Breakthrough tells the story of a St. Louis teenager who slipped through an icy lake in January of 2015 and was under the water for fifteen minutes before resuscitative efforts were started.  Bring tissues, Breakthrough is a true tear-jerker.

John Smith (Marcel Ruiz) is a fourteen-year-old Guatemalan boy raised in Lake St. Louis, Missouri by his adoptive parents, Brian (Josh Lucas) and Joyce Smith (Chrissy Metz). Though they were loving and supportive, John struggled with abandonment issues, feeling his birth parents didn’t want him.  Although his adoptive parents tried to explain that there are many reasons to give a child up for adoption, their explanations fell on deaf ears.  John developed a pretty bad attitude and rebelled against his parents and teachers.

In Christian Middle school, John’s class was assigned the task of presenting a narrative about their family background. On his day to present, John admits he did not do the assignment. His basketball coach Paul (Danny Wattley), who had promised him a starting position, warns John that if he gets a failing grade, he will be benched. John later gives a half-hearted presentation, saying that everyone already knows he is adopted and he does not know much about his true background. John was an avid basketball player who stood a chance of playing professionally someday, except he didn’t share and had a habit of hogging the ball.  Being popular, he didn’t think there were consequences for his actions until he and his friends Josh (Isaac Kragten) and Reiger (Nikolas Dukic) went out onto a frozen lake, ignoring a neighbor’s (Cory Wojcik) warning. The resident calls the police, and all three boys fall through the ice. Josh and Reiger manage to swim to the surface and are rescued by first responders. Two rescuers dive in but are unable to find John. As they are about to give up, one of the rescuers, Tommy Shine (Mike Colter), hears a voice telling him to go back. Thinking the voice came from his chief (Chuck Shamata), he tries again and manages to find and lift John to the surface. With no pulse or breath, John is taken to the local hospital. After John still fails to register a pulse, the attending physician Dr. Sutterer (Sam Trammell) gives Joyce a chance to say goodbye. A weeping Joyce cradles her son in her arms, pleading with the Holy Spirit not to let John die.

What happens next, is one for the books.  Breakthrough is a true story and is called a spiritual or faith-based movie.  For me, Breakthrough is the way it should be for each of us who believes in GOD and has true faith.  If anyone I knew fell through the ice into a freezing cold lake, you can bet I’d pray non-stop for their recovery until something happened, good or bad.  These boys used their free will, albeit dumb, when they decided to do something they were warned not to do.  GOD had nothing to do with them falling through the ice but everything to do, through prayer, with getting them out.  Breakthrough was well-acted, despite the disastrous situation, entertaining and most informative.  There were many touching scenes and an abundance of prayer from friends, the family’s pastor, Jason Noble (Topher Grace), schoolmates and even their expert, Dr. Garrett (Dennis Haysbert). Because there is no explanation, rhyme or reason for many events that took place, we recognize the events as miracles, which were happening all over the place.

Breakthrough received mixed to positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances and inspirational messages but called the plot predictable despite being a true story. According to the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 61% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 62 reviews; the average rating is 5.52/10. The website’s critics consensus reads, “Like its lead character, Breakthrough is fiercely focused on faith – but its less subtle elements are balanced by strong performances and an uplifting story.” Breakthrough grossed $40.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $9.7 million in other territories (including $5.9 million in Brazil), for a worldwide total of $50.4 million. I highly recommend Breakthrough, so Check It Out!

[BREAKTHROUGH is Oscar-nominated for Best Original Song — Totaling 1 Oscar nomination]

 

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD (2019) – My rating: 8/10

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is a drama directed by Marielle Heller and written by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, inspired by the 1998 article “Can You Say … Hero?” by Tom Junod, published in Esquire. The movie focuses on the relationship between Fred Rogers and Tom Junod.  I’m so glad I decided to see this movie — it’s better than you think!

 

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood focuses on journalist, Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) whose life is anything but perfect. It’s 1998 and Lloyd is married to Andrea Vogel (Susan Kelchi-Watson), a public attorney and new mother. The two are struggling to maintain their marriage, mostly because of Lloyd’s cynical and pessimistic attitude. While he’s still employed by Esquire magazine, he’s on the verge of being let go of because he never has anything good to say about the people he’s written about. He’s given a new assignment and maybe his last, to interview and write about Fred Rogers of the acclaimed children’s show, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. The article has to be 400 words and categorized as a piece about heroes. Mr. Rogers was the only person who would allow Lloyd to interview him, which of course put Lloyd in his usual pessimistic state of mind.

You may believe Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood was just a corny children’s show, but it taught some valuable lessons that were more than helpful to an impressionable child as well as an uninformed adult. Lloyd was estranged from his father who cheated on his mother before leaving her as she was dying of cancer. He also left his underaged children who went into foster care. When his father Jerry Vogel (Chris Cooper), showed up at Lloyd’s sister’s (Lorraine (Tammy Blanchard) wedding with the girlfriend he cheated on his wife with, (Dorothy (Wendy Makkeva) they get into a fistfight after an exchange of unpleasantries. Broken and angry, Lloyd travels to the WQED studio in Pittsburgh to interview Fred Rogers. Lloyd couldn’t and wouldn’t believe that Fred was legitimate. He told his wife Andrea, he had met the nicest man in the universe or the best con.

Upon meeting Fred, Lloyd discovered that Fred Rogers cared more about the interviewer than being interviewed. Fred worked with troubled children and their families to help them cope with depression, tragedy and death. He loved to take on dysfunctional families in order to teach them that there’s a better way to live. While many of the events in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood were true, like Fred’s friendship with Lloyd, whose real name is Tom Junod, whom Fred taught to appreciate himself and Mr. Roger’s use of puppets and his studio set up to attract a younger audience in order to make a better presentation.

I didn’t think I would enjoy A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood but I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t like the made-up parts of the story like the fact Tom Junod’s name was changed to Lloyd Vogel, I can’t figure why or the made-up wedding of Lloyd’s sister that never happened. The acting and the story were entertaining and since A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is based on a true story about Fred Roger’s and his relationship with Lloyd Vogel, I must say this film stayed focused on the prize. I highly recommend A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood to all, which grossed $61 million in the United States and Canada, and $1.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $62.2 million, against a production budget of $25 million. The aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an approval rating of 95%, based on 277 reviews, with an average rating of 8.18/10. The website’s critical consensus reads: “Much like the beloved TV personality that inspired it, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood offers a powerfully affecting message about acceptance and understanding.” Lloyd’s 10,000-word article, titled “Can You Say … Hero?”, is published as Esquire’s cover story. Check It Out!

[A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD is Oscar-nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Tom Hanks) — Totaling 1 Oscar nomination]

 

PAIN AND GLORY (2019) – My rating: 8.5/10

“Pain and Glory” (Spanish: Dolor y gloria) is a Spanish drama directed and written by Pedro Almodóvar. The film narrates a series of reunions of Salvador Mallo, a film director in his decline. Foreign language films are sometimes hard to follow because of the captions but are usually worth the effort. “Pain and Glory” is worth the effort but you will need to read quickly.

Salvador Mallo (Antonio Banderas), is a Spanish film director on a downward spiral. The film is featured through a series of complex reunions. Some of these reunions play out in real-time, while others are recalled through flashbacks such as his life in the 1960s when he moved with his family to the primitive village of Paterna, his schooling, his first love during the 1980s in Madrid, the pain of his breakup, writing used as a therapy to forget, the discovery of cinema and facing the impossibility of continuing filming, to name a few. While in the middle of a creative crisis and afflicted with physical and mental ailments, an earlier film of Salvador’s (Sabor, or Flavor) has been remastered and re-released. Prompted by his assistant Zulema (Cecilia Roth) he calls in on Alberto Crespo (Asier Etxeandia), the lead actor from Sabor, with whom he has not spoken for 30 years due to a quarrel over the influence of the actor’s heroin use on his performance. Crespo introduces Salvador to heroin smoking. When taking the drug Salvador revisits some of his experiences: one takes place during his childhood, where he moves into a whitewashed cave house with his father Venancio Mallo  (Raúl Arévalo) and mother Jacinta (Penelope Cruz), and a local laborer named Eduardo (César Vicente) who learns to read and write under his tutelage. Crespo brings a monologue of Salvador’s memories from 1980s Madrid to the stage in which Salvador’s lover Federico (Leonardo Sbaraglia) is mentioned.

“Pain and Glory” is not for everyone but it is a good movie.  I thought it was a little dry, as there was not much action.  I found it a little hard to keep up with the captions but I got enough out of the movie to determine the status of what I saw.  On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 97% based on 263 reviews, with an average rating of 8.33/10. “Pain and Glory” was chosen by Time magazine as the best film of 2019. The film drew more than 45,000 moviegoers in Spain on the Friday of release, making it the most-viewed film in the country of that day. Worldwide, Pain and Glory has accrued $36.6 million. Check It Out!

[PAIN AND GLORY is Oscar-nominated for Best Actor and Best International Feature Film — totaling 2 Oscar nominations.]

 

PARASITE (2019) – My rating: 9.7/10

Parasite (Korean: 기생충) is a South Korean dark comedy thriller directed by Bong Joon-ho, who also wrote the film’s story and co-wrote the screenplay with Han Jin-won. The film follows the members of a poor household scheming to become employees of a very wealthy family by posing as qualified, highly skilled individuals. I was so glad when Parasite was re-featured at several theaters. It’s an extraordinary movie that’s definitely worth seeing despite having to read subtitles.

**** SLIGHT SPOILERS BELOW ****

Kim-Ki taek (Song Kang-ho) and Chung-sook (Chang Hyae-jin) are the parents of, Kim Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik, their son and Kim Ki-jeong (Park So-dam), their daughter, all live in a tiny basement apartment, works low-paying, temporary jobs and are struggling to make ends meet. One day, a friend of Kim Ki-woo, named Min-hyuk (Park Seo-joon, is preparing to study abroad, gifts the Kim family with a scholar’s rock that is supposed to bring them wealth. Min-hyuk suggests that Kim Ki-Woo poses as a university student to take over his job as an English tutor for the wealthy Park family’s teenage daughter, Da-hye (Jeong Ji-so). Once Mrs. Yeon-gyo, (Cho Yeo-jeong), Da-hye and Da-song’s mother, hires Kim Ki-Jeong, the rest of the Kims successfully pose as sophisticated, skilled workers, unrelated and unknown to each other, and integrate themselves into the lives of the very wealthy Park family. Kim Ki-woo begins to teach English to Da-hye, Ki-jeong poses as an art therapist and is hired to teach art to Da-song (Jung Hyeon-jun), the Park’s five-year-old son. Kim-Ki taek is hired as the new family chauffeur, replacing Mr. Park Dong-ik’s, (Lee Sun-kyun) former driver, Yoon (Park Geun-rok) who was fired when Ki-jeong framed him for having sex in the family’s expensive  SUV. Meanwhile, Chung-sook is hired to replace the current housekeeper, Moon-gwang (Lee Jung-eun), after the Kims exploit her allergy to peaches, as a sign of tuberculosis. When the Parks leave on a camping trip, the Kims have complete use of the property and everything in it.

Parasite takes a dramatic turn into a spiral that you may find hard to believe. This con is the con of all cons and how it ends is even more unbelievable. There is nothing else I can say about this Korean black-comedy except, go and see it, despite it being a foreign language film. Parasite gives a whole new angle regarding scams.  Parasite is very well acted among all its many other attributes.  As of 22 January 2020, Parasite has grossed $28.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $120 million in other territories (including $73 million from South Korea), for a worldwide total of $148.4 million. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 99% based on 356 reviews, with an average rating of 9.37/10. The website’s critics consensus reads: “An urgent, brilliantly layered look at timely social themes, Parasite finds writer-director Bong Joon Ho in near-total command of his craft. At the 77th Golden Globe Awards, the film won the award for Best Foreign Language Film. It received four nominations at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards. It also became the first non-English film to win the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Check It Out!

[PARASITE is Oscar-nominated Best Picture, Best International Feature Film, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, and Best Original Screenplay, Totalling 6 Oscar nominations]

 

JOJO RABBIT (2019) – My rating: 9.7/10

Jojo Rabbit is a comedy-drama written and directed by Taika Waititi and is based on Christine Leunens’s book, Caging Skies. The title character, Jojo Rabbit, is a ten-year-old who lives in Nazi Germany nearing the end of WWII. Jojo has created an imaginary friend, who happens to be his version of Adolf Hitler. After the Academy Awards were announced, Jojo Rabbit was re-featured at many major theaters — I’m more than ecstatic for that decision. I’m just going to say, WOW!

Johannes “Jojo” Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) is a ten-year-old boy living in Nazi Germany during World War II with his mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson). His absent father is supposedly serving on the Italian Front but has lost all contact with his family. Jojo’s older sister Inge has recently died of influenza. The nationalistic Jojo often talks with his imaginary friend, a supportive but childish version of Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). Jojo and his best friend Yorki (Archie Yates) attend a Deutsches Jungvolk Hitler Youth training camp, run by the one-eyed Wehrmacht Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell). When Jojo is ordered to kill a rabbit by one of the older Youth members, he tries to release it and runs off crying. After a pep talk from his imaginary friend, Jojo returns and throws a Stielhandgranate without permission. It bounces off a tree and explodes at his feet, leaving him with facial scars and a slight limp. After Jojo recovers, Rosie asks Klenzendorf, who was demoted after the incident, to make her son feel included despite his injuries. Jojo had been exempt from field training and placed in the back office where he performed small tasks such as spreading propaganda leaflets throughout the town, as well as collecting scrap metal for the war effort. Alone at home one day, Jojo discovers a teenage girl who was his late sister’s former classmate, Elsa Korr (Thomasin McKenzie), living upstairs.

I thought Jojo Rabbit was a children’s film and didn’t bother to see it. Not only is Jojo Rabbit not strictly a children’s flick, but it is also an anti-Hitler Satire, like none I’ve ever seen. There are so many surprises in this film, I’m reluctant to tell any parts of the story, as it may spoil it for you. Out of the eight other movies nominated for best picture Oscar, Jojo Rabbit is my pick. It’s really that good. Between Roman Griffin Davis, Taika Waiti, Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell, this film shows how brilliantly outstanding these actors are. The scenery allowed me to feel the effects of war-torn Germany. By no means, was Jojo Rabbit a comedy, assassinations of their citizens, the public hangings of bodies, bombs constantly exploding and routine inspections of neighborhood homes for hidden Jews are just some of what reminded the audience of the seriousness, sadness and horrific acts of the holocaust. As of January 20, 2020, Jojo Rabbit has grossed $23.9M, US and Canada, $20M internationally, for a worldwide total of $43.9M. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 80% based on 361 reviews, with an average rating of 7.52/10. The website’s critics consensus reads: “Jojo Rabbit’s blend of irreverent humor and serious ideas definitely won’t be to everyone’s taste—but either way, this anti-hate satire is audacious to a fault. Find out who is living upstairs and what happens to Jojo’s commitment to being a Nazi. I promise you will not like Jojo Rabbit in the beginning but by the end, you will love it. Brilliantly presented, you’ve not seen anything like this movie. Check It Out!

[JOJO RABBIT is Oscar-nominated for BEST: Picture, Supporting Actress, Costume Design, Film Editing, Production Design and Adapted Screenplay — TOTALLING 6 OSCAR NOMINATIONS]

 

1917 (2019) – My rating: 9/10

1917 is an epic war film directed, co-written and produced by Sam Mendes. It is based in part on an account told to Mendes by his paternal grandfather, Alfred Mendes, and chronicles the story of two young British soldiers during World War I who are given a mission to deliver a message. This warns of an ambush during a skirmish, soon after the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line during Operation Alberich in 1917.  The movie is well told and brilliantly acted.

During the First World War in April 1917, the Germans have pulled back from a sector of the Western Front in northern France. General Erinmore (Colin Firth) briefs two young British soldiers, Lance Corporal Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Lance Corporal Will Schofield (George MacKay). Aerial intelligence has learned that the Germans are not in headlong retreat but have made a tactical withdrawal to their new Hindenburg Line, where they have prepared to overwhelm attacking British with their artillery. With field telephone lines cut, Blake and Schofield are ordered to hand-deliver a message to the 2nd Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment, calling off their planned attack, which might cost the lives of 1,600 men.  Any reluctance to make the journey was suppressed because Blake’s brother, Lieutenant Joseph Blake (Richard Madden) is among the 1,600.

Schofield and Blake cross no man’s land and reach the original German trenches, now abandoned. The trenches turn out to contain tripwires, which was triggered by a rat. The ensuing explosion almost kills Schofield, but Blake digs him out and leads him out of the collapsing bunkers. They arrive at an abandoned farmhouse, where they witness a dogfight nearby. A German plane plunges into the farm and Schofield and Blake attempt to save the burned pilot. Schofield proposes they mercy kill him, but Blake has Schofield instead fetch water for the pilot to drink, which turns out to be a big mistake.  See 1917 to find out how this all turns out.

1917 is an extraordinary tale of Lance Corporal Will Schofield and Lance Corporal Tom Blake who are given a semi-quasi suicide mission to deliver a message that will save 1,600 soldiers from walking into a death trap, set by the Germans.  Their journey was unbelievably dangerous and stressful.  Their passion and motivation were astounding.  It was hard to watch what they had to go through and the kinds of danger they encountered along the way.  One of 1917’s claim-to-fame is cinematographer Roger Deakins’ use of long takes to have the entire film appear as one continuous shot. I can’t say too much because I don’t want to spoil the movie for whoever may see it.  I can say 1917 was worth all the nominations it received.  The cinematography was outstanding, as was the scenery that showed the horrible filth. dead bodies, bob wires and booby traps in all its vivid color.  I wasn’t sure they received enough accolades for all their achievements but I’m unsure anyone really knew what they encountered along the way until now.  At any rate, 1917 was a brilliant movie and was praised by critics for Mendes’s direction, the performances, cinematography, musical score, sound effects and realism. At the 77th Golden Globe Awards, the film won for Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director.  At the 73rd British Academy Film Awards 1917 received nine nominations. 1917 domestic gross is $54,616,984  and $78,416,984 Worldwide.  Check It Out!

[1917 is Oscar nominated for BEST: Picture,  Director, Cinematography, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, Production Design, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects and Original Screenplay — TOTALLING 10 OSCAR NOMINATIONS]

 

UNCUT GEMS (2019) – My rating: 9/10

“Uncut Gems” is a crime thriller directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bronstein. The movie is well done, kudos to Josh and Benny for working with Adam Sandler in this serious drama, which Adam is not known for. “Uncut Gems” is a fantastic film!

In 2010, an earthquake-like eruption occurs at a mine operated by Ethiopian Jewish workers. During the commotion, two miners retrieve a rare and valuable, black opal embedded in a large piece of rock. Two years later, Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) who runs a jewelry store in New York’s Diamond District, finally receives a package containing the opal, which he plans to auction off at an estimated $1M.  Howard is struggling to pay back gambling debts, particularly $100K to his brother-in-law,  Arno (Eric Bogosian), who is also a loan shark. His private life is split between his employee and mistress Julia (Julia Fox), and his estranged wife Dinah Ratner (Idina Menzel), who has agreed to give Howard a divorce right after Passover. One day, Howard gets a visit to his shop from Basketball player Kevin Garnett. Kevin becomes obsessed with the opal and insists on holding on to it for good luck at his game that night. Howard reluctantly agrees but requests that Kevin loan him his 2008 Championship Celtics ring as collateral. Kevin agrees, and shortly after Howard pawns the ring and places a bet on Garnett’s game that night.

“Uncut Gems” is Adam Sandler at his best.  His character and brilliant performance parallel that of Gary Oldman in “The Professional”, fast-talking and fast wheeling and dealing.  His mood-swing was no swing because he was consistently in crazy mode throughout the entire movie.  It was refreshing to see a real change of pace film that you might even believe.  You will be astonished by the shenanigans that go on in the life of this highly addicted con artist, which leads me to why I am so upset with the Academy for not giving Adam an Oscar nod.  Maybe the movie wasn’t traditional Oscar material but Adam’s performance was certainly worth a nod for Best Actor.  Additionally, the film received critical acclaim, for its screenplay, direction, Adam Sandler’s performance and Darius Khondji’s cinematography, receiving much of the praise. “Uncut Gems” was chosen by the National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2019 as Sandler also won for Best Actor. He also won Best Actor from the St. Louis Film Critics Association. “Uncut Gems” has become one of A24’s highest-grossing releases, having made $44 million. On the review aggregator website, Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 270 reviews, with an average rating of 8.4/10. BTW: Kevin Garnett played himself, his performance was outstanding.  I encourage all adults to see this movie. Check It Out!

 

BOMBSHELL (2019) – My rating: 8.5/10

Bombshell is a biographical drama directed by Jay Roach and written by Charles Randolph. The film tells the story of Roger Ailes’ sexual harassment affairs during his reign at Fox News and the cover-up that eventually forced him to step down.

A tenacious Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) is the head of Fox News, the primary televised source of conservative politics. He runs the corporation with an iron fist that includes fear and determination. Roger is seen as an icon and only answers to Rupert Murdoch (Malcolm McDowell), who is CEO of the Fox network. The stories of Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman), and Kayla Pospisil (Margot Robbie), who are three political anchorwomen employed at Fox are revealed in Bombshell.

Megyn Kelly is one of the most popular anchors/commentators at Fox and is preparing to co-moderate the 2016 Republican debate. On the day of the debate, Megyn becomes sick and throws up, but nevertheless questions Donald Trump on negative comments he made about women. In retaliation, Trump sends out several tweets hurting her reputation.  As a result, Megyn is further ridiculed by reporters and others. One reporter sneaks into Meg and Doug’s home in order to take pictures of their daughter causing her husband, Douglas Brunt (Mark Duplass) to kick him out by force. When Megyn returns to work, Fox hires a security detail to protect her but refuses to go after Trump. Roger, who is a fan of Megyn, becomes paranoid with protecting her and thinks that someone poisoned her the day of the debate.

Meanwhile, Gretchen Carlson is the co-anchor of the popular program “Fox and Friends”, but is taken off and demoted to a less popular show and position. Often Gretchen faces sexist comments by others, on and off the air. Gretchen decides to escalate her situation by hiring legal representation. The lawyers mention that Gretchen should not engage with these newfound enemies then tells her the story of Rudi Bakhtiar who was fired for coming out against her employer who she accused of sexual harassment. The lawyers explain their plan to file a harassment suit against Roger Ailes personally and inform Gretchen that she will need to have other women come out and tell their story.

Kayla Pospisil is the newest hire at Fox, a young conservative from a religious background. She starts off working for Gretchen but is soon offered a position to work for “The O’Reilly Factor”. Gretchen asks Kayla to stay with her and warns her to be careful, but she refuses and questions why she shouldn’t take the job. On her first day, Bill O’Reilly (Kevin Dorff) yells at her and she is consoled by a coworker, Jess Carr (Kate McKinnon). Jess becomes a good friend while Kayla’s situation becomes pretty ugly at Fox.

I thought Bombshell was well laid out, conveying to the audience how one of the biggest sex preditors was caught with his pecker in the mouth of babes.  I think the movie was well-acted and the make-up was phenomenal.  It seems Trump got away with a lot more than just the Iranian crisis.  I’m glad women are coming out and stopping these preditors.  The film received generally favorable reviews, with critics praising the performances of the cast, particularly (Theron, Kidman, Robbie and Lithgow) however they criticized the screenplay and inaccuracies in the storytelling. The film received two nominations at the 77th Golden Globe Awards for Theron and Robbie, four at the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards for Theron, Robbie and Kidman, as well as Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and three at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards. I really liked Bombshell, Check It Out!