Hot Takes On Film

 Jojo Rabbit (2019 US) a lonely boy in WWII Germany discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in the attic. Oh and his imaginary friend is Hitler. Written and directed by Taiki Waititi, this dark and biting satire goes there. Waititi refers to it as an anti-hate satire. As I have discussed before, Hollywood is having a hard time putting up new and unique stories. Well if you are like me and would totally be OK with not having another remake or sequel in your lifetime, well here 'ya go. It’s weird and it's different. You get used to it then it gets weirder. Seriously though, the kids imaginary friend is Hitler. What do you expect? The theme is mainly blind allegiance. This poor boy has a lot rattling around in his head that he needs to come to terms with including Hitler. Waititi won the Oscar for the screenplay and now he makes Marvel sequels. Yay for the Oscars. Find it on Hulu or for rent in most streaming.  

 1917 (2019 US) A man must deliver an important message in WWI. I’m usually not a fan of war films unless it has something to say and not just gratuitous violence. I call it war porn. But this one does have something to say. It is the usual “the futility of war”. I mean, that’s a solid something to say but it does get said a lot. This one was a little different though. It’s simple in its message. I’m liking the trend lately of simpler plots. Less is more. Your man has a mission and he intends to deliver that message, at all costs. Boom! Mic drop! There is a Ulyssian vibe in that he has a journey and neither the audience nor the protagonist knows what comes next and sometimes when it does show up you’re not sure what “it” is. Now here’s the biggie for this film, the cinematography. The camera goes on the journey and takes you along with it. Sometimes the camera is just as dumbfounded as you as the protagonist. But here’s the thing: It looks simple but it is not in any way simple. It too

 Judy (2019 US) Renee Zellweger stars as Judy Garland in this biopic of Garland in her later years, warts, drugs and all. Judy, Judy, Judy! My aunts name is Judy and I did that to her. "Auntie Judy, Judy, Judy pass pass pass the green beans green beans green beans". She did not appreciate my joke. Too extra! Extra, was kind of how I felt about Zellweger as Garland. I love biopics and I especially love it when actors "bring it". Zellweger did in fact "bring it" here. She even did the singing. Geez Louise singing is hard enough without having to sound like Judy Garland. Zellweger was rewarded with a Best Actress Oscar for this. Now for the Wizard in the room. The film makes some serious allegations about how the studio (MGM) treated the then under age Garland for that film. I cant confirm if what was in the film (and book) was true. If it is, that's some serious child trafficking BS. Adults should really have known better. I have really been put off of T

 Cabaret (1972 US) Liza Minelli stars as a cabaret performer in 1931 Germany and gets involved in a very interesting love triangle with two guys as Hitler rises. Based on the Broadway musical show and books. Wow! there was so much stuff in this to offend a certain subset of the population, at least in the US. I'm just not sure it would get made today without the outrage machine losing their minds. I would totally go watch it but certainly side eye some dude with a big jacket. Yeah its that nuts here. Anyway, this iconic film was breakout roles for Liza and co star Michael York. This apparently was Liza's first opportunity to sing in a film. She really sounds like her Mama. But what a lot of people don't talk about is her dancing skills. Leslie Caron of An American in Paris got in trouble with the Hays people over a sexy chair dance. She later was aghast and said, "that's ridiculous! What can you do with a chair?" Well Liza showed us what you can do with a chai

 Mank (2021 US) Gary Oldman stars as Herman Mankiewicz and chronicles the process and events as he writes Citizen Kane. Mank more clearly defines the issues that Mank had with Randolph Hearst, brilliantly played by baddy Charles Dance. One of the things I loved about it was the call back to the Deep Focus photography style in Citizen Kane. It was like Christmas for me because they often recreated shots from Kane. Oooooh Ahhhh. This won a lot of Oscars including Cinematography. Its actually really hard to get the old timey look on modern cameras but Cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt pulled it off with an 8K digital camera no less. He added a special filter and shot in B&W. He deserved the Oscar. No doubt though, there was a lot of color work in post to match Citizen Kane. Why shoot in 8K and not the incredibly low resolution of 1941? 8K gives you a lot of material to work with in post especially color. Although incredibly bulky to work with it can be very forgiving and allows for m

Citizen Kane (1941 US) Quasi biographical film exploring the life of media tycoon Charles Foster Kane. Kane was loosely based on William Randolph Hearst And Joseph Pulitzer. This film is often at the top of best films ever made lists. There are many things to note here but one of my favorite things is the cinematography. The shots and lighting are just beyond stunning. Greg Toland won for Best Cinematography with his deep focus style. Deep focus being where the foreground, middle ground and background are all in focus. It tends to really open up the shot where the director can add little stuff to inform the audience. This is one of my favorite styles although it can be expensive because you have to fill the space. That's why ultra low budget films shoot in shallow focus where just the foreground is in focus. You don't have to mess around with the background that much. Director Orson Wells really took advantage of deep focus whether it was too show the backgrounds architectural

 American Born Chinese (upcoming May 25, 2023 US) Variety and other sources are reporting of a new series coming to Disney plus. Off the back of the successful Everything Everywhere All At Once film, Disney + decided to reunite Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu for this series coming in May based on the graphic novel of the same name. I have no information on whether its good or not but I am looking forward to it. They all seemed to have had a good time together. So sweet. it is reported to have been directed by Destin Daniel Cretton who also directed Shang-Chi. I don't know if he directed all of them or just a few. Here is the trailer.  https://youtu.be/RAeemjfVvM0

 Blonde (2022 US) Ana De Armas stars as Marylin Monroe in this intimate look at her traumas. Armas was nominated for Best Actress this year but lost of course to Michelle Yeoh. I loved her portrayal of Marylin and I can say with confidence that she is poised to go places but the film itself did not quite hit right. The problem with a portrayal of someone that has been heavily discussed is that people have a pretty good idea of who she was. The focusing on her traumas didn't quite land right and it made Monroe seems very weak contrary to the information that I have and so many others have. the Katy Perry song Firework really comes to mind here when looking at De Armas’ portrayal. "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting in the wind?" Other criticisms were that some of the elements that made her seem like that were not even true. Writer Director Andrew Dominik seemed to have something particular to say about Monroe for whatever reason which he is allowed to do. But au

 All the Presidents Men (1976 US) Now lets get back to the films we all love. Two reporters, Woodward and Bernstein, investigate the Watergate scandal. Based on the book of the same name. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman star as the two reporters. This film was nominated for Best Picture but lost to Rocky. That was a tough year as it also had Taxi Driver up for Best Picture. I actually really liked this film but I have to warn you they leaned heavily into the nuts and bolts of investigating. I would recommend taking notes or have one of those string boards to help you keep track of all the bits and pieces and the players involved. William Goldman won his second Oscar for writing the script. His first was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He of course later wrote the screenplay for Princess Bride which should also have won an Oscar but sadly didn't. Very different stories and styles. This film won an Oscar for sound for its Robert Altman style of dialogue. People talking over eac

 Oscars 95. Well now that its over lets check in with how it went. I know I have been critical of the Academy but that's only because I love it. Tough Love.  My issue with them is they have tended to play to a very narrow subset of population making them feel obsolete.  They have made a lot of changes in the recent years so lets see how they did. First I want to congratulate the producers for having a smooth show and nobody got b*tch slapped or any other unexpected weird thing. In a way I'm kinda disappointed. It did make it interesting. Congrats on the appearance of Cocaine Bear BTW.  Lets dig into who won.  Sound. Sound is very hard and tends to be an afterthought of filmmakers who like to focus exclusively on visuals. Top Gun Maverick won. something about the jet sounds. I haven't seen it so I cant comment. But that sounds about right.  Production Design. All Quiet on the Western Front won that. Yeah that probably was very difficult to pull off. Can you imagine being a s

 Dune (2021 US) Adapted from the Frank Herbert novel of the same name. I have always found the 80's David Lynch version to be one of my most disliked films ever and I'm a Sci-Fi fan. So needless to say I, like many other people, was very skeptical of this Dennis Villenueava version. There is a lot going on and I totally think it was the right call to split the adaptation of the book into two films. Although many of the book purists had a lot to say, this film turned out pretty good. Its such a difficult story to tell and be faithful to Herbert's vision. I would consider it the "White Whale" of filmmaking: divisive as heck between the book purist and audience goers. So many opinions about it. So hard to please everyone.. Not sure you need mine so how about a reminder that part two is scheduled for release this year.  Although, it didn't get a lot of attention at last years Oscars it did get recognized. Dune won in the Production Design, Sound and Effects catego

 Cruella (2021 US) Well todays the big day. Its the day we find out what went wrong at a live show. Lets take a look at last years hot movies. Emma Stone stars in this origin story Disney movie about Cruella DeVille. Sometimes you watch the Oscars, well a lot of times, and you go "what  the actual F. Not this time. Jenny Beavan won for best costume design. Wow were they right on that one. I cant say I liked the story much for trying to make an evil Disney character likable enough that you're OK with her going on to kill a bunch of puppies. She had "reasons" for being so deplorably evil. Did we really need an origin story here that tries to wash away sins? But oh those costumes. Wow Wow and triple Wow. The Academy did right on this one. I think it was worth a watch right there. Forget about the dead puppies. That dress is so worth it right there. I mean come on, Stinky Puppies?.or...Irresistible Fashion?...There's no contest here whatsoever, Its the fashion. Do yo

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969 US) After a train robbery goes wrong two outlaws played by Robert Redford and Paul Newman find themselves on the run with a Posse on their butt.. If you haven't see this film I can assure you, you have. Its one of the most influential films ever made and has inspired filmmakers for decades. One of the more recent projects it has influenced is "The Mandalorian". It was a bromance and action comedy and audiences loved it. It made a ton of money at the box office that year. I think that its one of the best films ever made. This film was nominated for an Oscar in many categories including Best Picture but lost to Midnight Cowboy. The Insanely talented William Goldman won an Oscar for the script. You remember Goldman? I will give you a hint, "Mawwaige". When Goldman pitched the script to the studio they wanted to change the ending cuz "John Wayne don't run". can you imagine if Wayne played Butch or Sundance? I co

 My Year of Dicks (2022 US) Todays second entry into #FemaleFimmakerFriday. A 15 year old chronicles her journey of trying to lose her virginity. This animated short was created and written by Pamela Ribon and directed by Sara Gunnarsdottir. I don't normally feature short form films but with a name like that I could not resist. I found this film to be very provacative. Despite its premise and title it's a coming of age story and more about love than sex. Several things stood out for me. First is the animation. Gunnarsdottir used several styles of animation to tell the story. At one point the protagonist barely says anything but speaks volumes through animation. That's talent. I love the voice actors and how much teenagerness they captured. I love how raw it was capturing a time in our lives most people wont talk about openly. Its nominated for best animated short. I hope it wins cuz I like it and this is important, I want to hear a presenter say "D*cks" on live TV

Women Talking (2022 US)Based on the book of the same name. It's #FemaleFimmakerFriday and todays entry is this Oscar nominee from Sarah Polley. The women and girls of an isolated religious community have been repeatedly drugged and raped. The women all know about it but the question is what do they do? I watched this yesterday and my brain is still processing it. This was one of the most philosophical and intellectual films I've seen in a long time. Much of the film is a debate about what to do. Hence the women talking label. There is not a lot of movement and much of the film takes place in the barn loft. The colors are desaturated and the costumes are not meant to grab your attention. You're there to listen.  Although, it is very powerful what they say I have a few criticisms. Firstly, I really don't like the name. Women Talking lends itself too easily to be a joke which I am seeing. Hell I was actually tempted but nah. The themes in it are too serious. Secondly, this

 King Richard (2021 US) Venus and Serena Williams wanted to tell the story of their father Richard Williams. I heard rumblings of "why didn't they make a film about the sisters?" Well cuz its their story to tell any way they see fit.  I really enjoyed the film and Will smith was great as Richard Williams although, I have no idea what he was like IRL. Smith won an Oscar for his performance just right after he b*tch slapped Chris Rock. I know what you are thinking "how could you bring that up?" well how could you not. Marlon Wayans has a comedy special on Netflix right now where he says its his fault that Smith slapped Rock. What? well Wayans apparently had a run in with Rock and prayed to god for vengeance. God said Vengeance is mine. And he did it. At the Oscars. In front of the biggest audience. Anyway, Smith is now chained to that moment for the rest of his life and any past or future role will likely be seen through that slappy filter. Which is kind of a sham

 The Kings Speech (2010 UK, AU) The future King George VI works with a speech therapist to cure his stutter. Colin Firth stars alongside Colin Thecond in this Biopic. It won four Academy awards including Best Picture. It was very well shot. I especially liked the color work in it. Firth does a fantastic job as the King. He won best Oscar. The late Queen Elizabeth II approved of the film about her father. She said it was "moving". Well there 'ya go then. The film was criticized for its inaccuracies though or leaving out certain things about King Edward the VIII. Sigh, I will say it yet again. Filmmakers are not required to create a thoroughly accurate historical film. Sorry! But TBH I cannot with this film. I watched an episode of Los Espooky's (HBO season one) where one of the characters consults a water demon about secrets of his past. The demon wont tell unless she gets to see The Kings Speech. It was an outrageous episode but now I cant unsee it and will now be for

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021 US) This biopic of disgraced televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker stars Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield. Its funny that you get and idea about a person based on what the media shows you. Bakker was the butt of late night comedians with her over the top make-up and goofy presentation. What I did not know is that she was a solid gay ally. During the AIDS crisis Bakker interviewed a gay man suffering from AIDS on live TV. She encouraged her very religious following to show compassion to the gay community. She was heavily criticized but kept going and became a gay icon. You can dispute some of the facts but grateful members of the gay community made a documentary about her showing her commitment to them. It was narrated by Ru Paul. Its says a lot that the people that made the doc went to a great deal of effort to tell their story and how they felt about her. I haven't seen the doc but this film was based on it. I feel like I didn't actually know her and

Todays third entry into #WTFWednesday is American Beauty (1999 US) Kevin Spacey stars as an unhappy middle aged dude that seduces his teenage daughters best friend to you know "spice his life up a bit". This Best Picture winner is really effed up. Critics and Scholars responses were just as disturbing. "Well the picture best exemplifies American Life or the middle class struggle or fill in the blank." but what they fail to talk about is the action Spacey's character takes to remedy whatever void he feels. The message that molesting a teenager is OK as long as you have broader societal grievances....Not Okay. I'm not going to apologize for roasting this film. I know some people liked it because it was really well done and it was but it did paint a rosy picture of pedo's being misunderstood. And no matter how well done it was does not give the Academy permission to elevate it and its creators. For the person who graduated from the school of "You misse

Bridge on the River Kwai (1957 UK, US) Another #WTFWednesday entry. Obi Wan Kenobi oops I mean Alec Guinness stars as the ranking commander of a group of POWs held captive by the Japanese in WWII Thailand. The Japanese force them to build a pivotal bridge across the river Kwai. This is one of my least favorite films. By the end of it I wanted to blow up my TV. SPOILER ALERT. The group builds the bridge and against the wishes of those under him Guinness orders them to build a quality bridge to the best of their ability and not, you know, sabotage it. It was after all a strategic bridge for the Japanese. Seriously General Kenobi would have sabotaged it. But Guinness had to build it according to British Excellence standards to show...I really don't get his point in this. So with great sacrifice they do it. Alec Guinness has an epiphany and decides he probably should have sabotaged it. After all he, at this point, was aiding the enemy. Then he spends the rest of the film trying to blow