"La La Land"

"La La Land" Movie Review

"La La Land"

Posted on Dec. 16, 2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post 

La La Land (2016)

Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) is in his aged beaten down convertible, playing a piano jazz solo on an old tape machine, listening to one section of the tape over and over. Mia (Emma Stone) is in her Prius playing like she is talking on the phone as she practices her lines for an acting job. Sebastian and Mia and what you do on an ordinary day in sunny L.A., they are stuck at a standstill on the freeway, waiting for the slightest bit of movement of traffic. Sebastian is directly behind Mia’s car, and he notices that traffic has started moving giving his car horn a long play, while Mia is more concerned with getting her lines right. He angrily pulls his car around hers, slows down to shake his head at her while still blowing his horn. Mia looks over at Sebastian and gives him the middle finger. Sebastian quickly moves off, and Mia is left behind shaking her head.

We next see Mia working at a coffee shop on the Warner Brothers lot. In walks a big-time movie star (we never see her face, but by the stares she is getting, we know she is famous). She goes up to Mia’s station and orders her usual. It’s ready waiting for her, and the manager says it’s on the house. The movie star insists on paying for the coffee and leaves a big bill in the tip jar. Mia watches her leave and get into a golf cart to be taken to set, and you can see that someday Mia hopes that is her. She gets a text saying that she has an audition. She hurriedly leaves, only to walk right into a man who spills his whole coffee on her white shirt. We cut to the audition, where Mia is doing the scene, she rehearsed in the car, but with a jacket on hoping to cover up the coffee stain. She is giving it her all in a very emotional scene that she is portraying, tears coming down her face, just as an assistant comes into the room and interrupts her audition to give the producers a phone message. Mia starts to do the lines again, and they tell her that is all. She leaves the room and walks down the hallway and fiercely taking off her coat as she heads outside.

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

She heads for home and takes a shower to relax. Her three roommates (we can tell from their banter that they are all wannabe actors) barge into the bathroom and start trying to talk Mia into going to a party. After finally agreeing, we see Mia and the other women at the party, which has a lot of beautiful people at it. Mia gets bored with the party and leaves only to discover that her car has been towed from a tow-away zone, and that she has no cell service. She starts hoofing it down the road and eventually passes a jazz club, hearing a haunting tune that compels her to go in. She is stunned by how beautiful the song is and notices that the piano player is the same man who honked his horn at her on the expressway. She watches as he finishes the song to almost no applause. He is called over to where a man angrily chews him out. The piano player goes back to his piano, gathers his music and tips and heads toward the door. Mia walks up to the upcoming piano player and expresses just how wonderful his song was. He doesn’t stop to acknowledge her and even runs his should into hers, leaving her stunned in the club. Little do these two know that they are destined to be in each other’s lives, with an impact so strong it will change the way that they both look at life and love.

That is a start of a film that when I saw it in the theatre, I had a smile on my face from the first note. The opening number, performed on an actual L.A. Expressway, is one of the most amazing song and dance numbers I have ever seen on screen. In what looks like one continuous shot, people file out of their cars to sing about another day of sun in L.A. The dancing is non-stop as performers full of pure joy dance around and on top of cars, traffic dividers and ride (very L.A. like) bikes and skateboards through the standstill traffic. The song reels you in with an incredibly catchy song that is just downright fun to watch.

The movie is about the city of L.A. and the two people who are desperately trying to find their way in this crazy, entertainment-mad town. Right from the start Gosling and Stone have a chemistry that harks back to the classic song and dance movies of the forties. There is intensity and fire there that we can see on the screen that makes us want for this couple to be together and succeed. You will fall in love with their duets; their first dance with each other is a thing of magic as they dance in the moonlight on a steep street overlooking the city lights. Their dancing is effortless, as they practically glide across the road under the light of a streetlight. Equally moving and heartfelt is their singing, as their voices match each other perfectly in the many duets that they perform in the film.

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

Emma Stone is absolute perfection as the plucky and headstrong young woman who dreams of being an actress on the silver screen. She is so full of energy that you almost expect her to burst through the screen and out into the audience in some of her dance numbers. Gosling is a fantastic piano player, who has a musical voice that he makes his own. He owns each song and makes them even more enchanting. His voice fits perfectly with both Stone’s and the music, especially the song, “City of Stars” that plays throughout the film as the accompaniment to the romance. Justin Hurwitz’s brilliant score has a modern feel to it all the while tipping its hat to the classic big Hollywood musicals of the past. “City of Stars” is a sure Oscar nomination, but I also feel that the Emma Stone solo “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” is worthy of a nomination, it is so moving and gorgeous and is sung by her with so much charm and conviction.

Writer/director Damien Chazelle has been trying to make this film for six years, and his passion for the movie shows in every frame. His camera is constantly moving fluidly throughout the vast, ever-changing backdrops of the city itself or the manufactured scenery reminiscent of films like An American in Paris and Brigadoon. The dialogue between Stone and Gosling is quick, witty and flows between the two characters like child’s play. The film delights in taking small moments and letting the characters sit and breathe them in.

La La Land is an extraordinary film, a musical that will make you feel good, something that we desperately need right now. You will leave the theatre wanting to dance across the lobby, feeling that you just experienced something special. I have already seen this film three times so, of course; My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“La La Land” Website

"Things to Come"

"Things to Come" Movie Review

"Things to Come"

Posted on Dec. 9, 2017 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Things to Come (2016)

Nathalie Chazeaux (Isabelle Huppert) is a married philosophy teacher who is awakened in the early-morning hours by the ringing of the phone. She fumbles for the phone, answering to discover it’s her elderly mother who is having a panic attack. The mother is convinced that she is dying. Nathalie reassures her that she isn’t and that she will see her later in the day. We see her outside her school having to make her way through some students who are protesting the latest injustice. Finally, inside the school, she runs into an old student of hers, Fabien (Roman Kolinka), who is being published by the same company that publishes Nathalie’s works. They make plans to meet up later. Nathalie goes back outside and rescues some of her students from the protesters, herds them back to the classroom and begins teaching her class. We can tell that the students might not always like the subject, they do like their teacher.

We next see her meet with her publishers who are determined to go in a different direction declaring her work is stale. This makes Nathalie frustrated as she thinks her work still stands up. She leaves in a huff with nothing decided. Nathalie heads to her mom’s apartment to check on her. She finds her mom asleep in the middle of the day. Waking her up, Nathalie discovers her mother (Edith Scob) has bought new clothing she can’t afford. Her mother goes on about an audition for a part in a play that in reality she doesn’t have. Nathalie spends some time with her mother looking at old pictures and reminiscing about the past.

Nathalie heads for home, where she finds her husband and two grown children sitting at the kitchen table ready for a meal. As they discuss the day’s events around a simple meal, it’s evident that most of their conversations are talking about philosophy. It’s very clear that Nathalie’s husband Heinz (Andre Marcon), is more interested in his children’s opinions that those of his wife. Their meal is interrupted by Fabien, who has brought Nathalie a couple of books with the pretense of getting information on whether his book is being published. Fabian soon leaves, and Nathalie and Heinz very quickly get into a fight that comes out of nowhere, with Heinz insisting that Fabien only comes around when he needs something and gets his way by flirting with Nathalie. Is the fight just an aberration or is it foreshadowing trouble for Nathalie that is coming down the line?

Right up front I have to say that I have never been a big fan of philosophy, finding it rather tedious, so there were a few parts of this film that I kind of tuned out. Luckily for me, those parts I didn’t like are more than made up for by the mesmerizing performance of Isabelle Huppert, who is in every scene in this film. Huppert is brilliant in scene after scene as Nathalie’s life slowly falls apart at the seams. She experiences almost every emotion in this movie, and it’s her skill as an actress that she can move so quickly from being calm and composed to someone who is full of fury in a matter of seconds. It’s the quiet, introspective moments in the film where Huppert shines, giving us time to absorb what she is going through and seeing how she deals with all the life is throwing at her. It’s a credit to Huppert that we like Nathalie so much and are rooting for her because, under the actions of a lesser actress, the character could come off spiteful and stubborn.

Give credit to writer/director Mia Hansen-Love for creating such a rich journey for Huppert to go on. Hansen-Love has created a world that provides us with a slow, complicated ride, following Nathalie as she tries to find a new place in the world. She gives us plenty to experience, whether it’s the high-energy world of Nathalie’s students, where their protests seem always to be life-and-death matters, to the quiet countryside where Nathalie goes to visit Fabien and his band of bohemians, who sit around the fire and discuss politics. Hansen-Love uses these contrasting worlds to give us insight into Nathalie’s psyche. The film is perfectly paced, letting us slowly feel Nathalie’s struggles and eventually, her triumphs. The cinematography by Denis Lenoir, matches the tone of the film, contrasting the harsh, fluorescent world of the school with the grasslands near Fabian’s country home, where the meadows seem to go on forever.

Things to Come is an intelligent look at a woman hit with many obstacles as she works to find her way in an ever-changing world. The film explores how we handle those barriers and the changes that it forces on us, for better or worse.   My Rating: Full Price

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

Things to Come Website

The film is playing exclusively at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema

"Manchester by the Sea"

"Manchester by the Sea" Movie Review

"Manchester by the Sea"

Posted on Dec. 2, 2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

On a fishing boat, uncle Lee (Casey Affleck) is teaching his nephew, Patrick (Ben O’Brien) about fishing with a rod and reel, while Patrick’s dad, Joe (Kyle Chandler) is at the wheel. They are having fun as Lee is telling tall tales about fishing while Patrick does not believe a word that Lee, and his dad are telling him. One thing is for sure; the three are having a great time out on the water.

We cut to ten years in the future, and the fun-loving uncle is gone; he now is a quiet and sullen man working as a janitor/handyman in a Boston apartment complex. Lee has a reputation for being an unfriendly guy. We see this as he goes from apartment to apartment fixing big and small problems, the tenants treating him as if he doesn’t exist unless he isn’t giving them the answers they want. Has a run-in with a troublesome tenant who wants her plumbing problem fixed now, while Lee gives her two choices, both of which she doesn’t like. She reports Lee to his supervisor, who warns Lee that he must improve his attitude, Lee’s response is if he does his job, he doesn’t have to be nice.

Lee goes to a bar after work and proceeds to get drunk. After fending off the passes of a young woman, he gets into a fight with a couple of men who he thinks are staring at him too much. Lee stumbles back to his tiny one-room apartment and crashes on the bed. It’s evident that this is a pattern that he repeats on most nights.

The next day, as he is shoveling snow off the sidewalks, he gets a call that his older brother Joe has had a heart attack and is in serious condition. Lee gets in his truck and rushes to Manchester by the Sea where his brother is. He searches the hospital and encounters a family friend and a nurse that knows him, finding out that his brother has just died. He discovers that his nephew is a hockey practice and heads there to tell his nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges) the hardest news he will ever deliver, that he is now an orphan.

Writer/director Kenneth Lonergan brings us a tale of heartbreak, grief and the attempt to heal wounds from the past. It’s an achingly beautiful film that follows Lee and Patrick as they try to deal with all the big and small stuff that has to be handled after a death in the family. Lee is in no shape to handle a teenager, and his first priority is to figure out what to do with Patrick. Lonergan exploits the underlining tension between Lee and Patrick, as both know this is their biggest obstacle. Patrick’s fear of abandonment, and Lee’s fear of having an instant family are always there in their interactions as if both know just one incident could tilt the uneasy peace the two have with each other. As the story moves along, Lonergan uses flashbacks to let us understand why Lee is so broken and why Patrick feels abandoned by his parents. The film slowly peels back the layers in a way that makes the film feel full and multi-layered.

The heart of this film are the performances by this exceptional cast. Kyle Chandler is perfect as the big brother who everyone likes. He easily projects that good-guy vibe that makes you instantly admire him. Michelle Williams, playing Lee’s ex-wife, is fantastic in her role. She doesn’t have a lot of scenes, but her powerful scene near the end of the film with Affleck is one of the best performances I have ever seen. And give credit to Affleck in that scene, as he lets Williams share the screen in a situation that he could have easily dominated. I loved the chemistry between Lucas Hedges and Affleck. They play so well-off each other, making their every scene together a joy to watch.

Make no mistake; this is Affleck’s film, and he is brilliant in the role. Full of pain and guilt, his performance is a wonder to watch. It’s a complex performance worthy of what should be an Academy Award nomination. Affleck doesn’t have a lot of lines in the film, as Lee isn’t one for small talk and can be quite a brooder, but Affleck makes that work to his advantage. There is a magical scene in the film that shows Affleck’s talent to the fullest. Hedges character freaks out due to all the changes in his life and has a bit of a breakdown in his room. Lee comes into his room and tells Patrick that he will just sit there with him until he calms down. With only a slight movement of his body language, Affleck lets his character comfort his nephew without touching him. It’s a moving and touching scene made better by not what is said, but what is not said in that scene.

Manchester by the Sea is a film that perfectly explores the sense of loss when a death occurs, but it even better explores the human reaction to bad things when they happen to good people. Why did it happen and will the people left behind forgive themselves for surviving is what this film answers.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

"The Eagle Huntress"

"The Eagle Huntress" Movie Review

"The Eagle Huntress"

Posted on Dec. 2, 2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

The Eagle Huntress (2016)

There are quite a few documentaries about young women going through their early teen years trying to figure out what they want to become and accomplish, which is especially tough in this day and age of internet scrutiny and online bullying. This isn’t that movie. Instead, this story is about an incredibly determined young woman defying the odds to become one of the first “Eagle Hunters” in her tribe’s history.

The young lady is 13-year-old Aisholpan, and she lives in the Mongolian steppes among her tribe called the Kazakh. The Kazakh, under the shadow of the Altai Mountains, have for centuries hunted with eagles for food and sport. They are a tight group of nomads who raise cattle and roam back-and-forth from one area of the vast Mongolian grasslands to another area, depending upon the time of the year. The Kazakh still practice many of the old ways and traditions, while living in contrast with their use of solar panels, radios, and trucks.

Inspired by a BBC photograph of Aisholpan with an eagle, filmmaker Otto Bell traveled to Mongolia with a limited budget, crew and incredibly small amount of cameras and sound equipment to created a stunningly, brilliant documentary that is both beautiful and inspiring to watch.

Aisholpan is like any other 13-year-old young woman. She goes to school, laughs in her bedroom with her friends and regularly swaps out the polish on her nails. The difference between her and her classmates, as we see in one of the first scenes of the film, is that she is determined to become an eagle huntress. Bell captures the fire and strong determination of Aisholpan and we get to see what makes her tick. Most of the tribe elders don’t think she can succeed as eagle hunting is considered a man’s occupation, and the women are too delicate and care too much about cooking and cleaning to make any effort to become a huntress. Luckily for Aisholpan, her family, and especially her father, are confident and proud that she can not only succeed but be one of the best. Bell shows us great moments between Aisholpan and her father, as he always praises her while he teaches her the art and science of hunting with an eagle. There are times in the film that Bell shows us Aisholpan’s mother and sister aren’t quite sure she should be doing this adventure, but they are fueled by the father’s confidence in Aisholpan.

Bell has found a remarkable young woman to be the centerpiece of his film. Aisholpan is a sweet, teenage girl who constantly has a smile on her face, no matter the task. If she fails, she literally dusts the snow off her clothes and tries again, confident that she will succeed. Nowhere is this more evident when she and her father climb a mountain to find an eaglet to capture. With the father above her holding onto the lifeline rope that Aisholpan hopefully never needs, they constantly talk to each other with Aisholpan giving updates on her progress as her father gives warnings to be careful; all the while at the same time encouraging her that she can accomplish this goal. Bell creates the tension this scene needs and we rejoice along with Aisholpan as she captures her eagle under a blanket. The father is convinced that this is a magical bird and she will accomplish much with this bird.

The cinematography, by Simon Niblett is both striking and remarkable as time after time we see scenes of ravishing beauty that at the same time are overwhelmingly isolated, as Aisholpan and her family seem to be the only people on that planet. The scenes of Aisholpan and her father traveling across snow-packed mountains and frozen streams are both beautiful and terrifying as you wonder if they will ever make it back alive to their home and family. The naration of the film, by actress Daisy Ridley, is sparse and only used when it truely is necessary. This is a great family film, especially for a young woman to see; though smaller children may be upset by a few slightly bloody hunting scenes.

The Eagle Huntress is a film filled with bravery, determination and the human spirit filled with confidence that nothing can stop someone who knows she will succeed. That Aisholpan succeeds is not the question, its how well this 13-year-old girl does might surprise you, and then again, once you get to know her, it just might meet your expectations for her.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

The movie is playing exclusively at Regal Tara Cinemas 4

“The Eagle Huntress” Website

"The Edge of Seventeen"

"The Edge of Seventeen" Movie Review

"The Edge of Seventeen"

Posted on Nov. 18, 2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

“The Edge of Seventeen” (2016)

We see Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) swiftly walk down her high school hallway to Mr. Bruner’s (Woody Harrelson) classroom, then plops down in front of his desk as she dramatically proclaims “I am going to kill myself. I just thought that an adult should know.” Mr. Bruner tells her that he wishes he knew what to say, then proceeds to tell her that he has written his own suicide note. He begins to read the note which talks about his only fleeting minutes of happiness during his lunch period is taken up every day by the same badly dressed student.

It seems that Nadine has always been the fish out of water type of person, the painfully awkward girl who just doesn’t fit in anywhere, including her family. As she puts it “There are two types of people in the world; the people who radiate confidence and naturally excel at life, and the people that hope all those people did in a big explosion.” Nadine’s lives with her mother, Mona (Kyra Sedgwick), who has never gotten over her divorce and hijacks any conversation to turn it into talking about how horrible her life is. Also at the house is Nadine’s older brother, Darian (Blake Jenner), an all-American kid who is the star athlete, who happens to be the most popular boy in school.

Nadine is all alone in this world, except for her best friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson). They have been friends since early childhood when the two became inseparable. Krista talked Nadine off the ledge when Nadine got a hairstyle that made her look like Pedro from the film Napoleon Dynamite. Nadine has never been on a date, but has a crush on bad boy Nick (Alexander Calvert), who she thinks has gotten hotter since he got out of “juvie.” Little does Nadine recognize that there is a guy interested in her, Erwin (Hayden Szeto), who happens to have a big crush on Nadine but is extremely bad at small talk.

When Mona goes on a weekend getaway with her latest boyfriend, Nadine and Krista see this as a perfect time to have girl time, drink, dance and talk about boys. That’s all ruined with Darian brings over some of his high school buddies to have a pool party. It’s not your run of the mill party, rather a pivotal point that will has the possibility to alter Krista and Nadine’s lives and possibly change their friendship forever.

Writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig brings us the adolescent adventures of Nadine in the hilarious and smart The Edge of Seventeen. Many filmmakers have tried to document the hardship of the awkward teenage years of young women who just don’t quite fit in. Juno, Kings of Summer, Ghost World, Spectacular Now and of course, Sixteen Candlesimmediately comes to mind. This film is their equal with smart writing, quick dialogue and superb performances, especially from Hailee Seinfeld and Woody Harrelson.

Craig never lets us feel sorry for Nadine because most of her problems are directly due to her defeatist attitude and her incredibly bad choices. While we don’t feel sorry for her, we ultimately root for her to find a place in the world that contains the happiness that seemingly is just out of reach. Nadine must figure out that the world, God and her family aren’t secretly plotting her downfall; it’s just life, and we all must plow through it. Craig also gives Nadine that sense of self-awareness. She knows she is acting aloof at a party and gives herself a pep talk in the bathroom mirror “Don’t be so weird. Go talk to people.” Nadine knows what needs to be done; she just hasn’t figured out all the steps to get herself there.

I have been a fan of Hailee Steinfeld since she burst onto the scene in 2010 as Mattie Ross in the Coen brothers True Grit. She is dazzling in this film, commanding the screen, even when with scene-stealers such as Sedgwick and Harrelson. She embodies this role so completely that we fully believe that Nadine is as socially awkward girl who is just a little “weird.” Steinfeld’s scenes with Harrelson are some of the best of the film. They work well off each other, Steinfeld as the frustrated teen who just wants answers and the teacher who isn’t about to spoon feed them to her. Harrelson is brilliant in the film, being the just-right amount of sass combined with a deep down compassion for Nadine. Sedgwick is up to the task of the mom who doesn’t know how to relate to her daughter because it’s much easier to rely upon and relate to her “perfect” son. Jenner, hot off his winning performance in Everybody Wants Some, has a couple of scenes with Steinfeld that stand out and make this film more than just an ordinary teen comedy. Hayden Szeto is fantastic as the nice guy, who will take the few crumbs that Nadine throws his way and hopes that someday she will wake up and notice him. Szeto has a beautiful comedic style and makes us fall in love with his shy, but resilient character.

The Edge of Seventeen is a teen coming of age comedy that feels real. I had so much fun watching this film that I wouldn’t mind spending a day or two hanging out with these characters, even if meant going through the pain of attending high school all over again.   My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again 

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“The Edge of Seventeen” Website

"Christine"

"Christine" Movie Review

"Christine"

Posted on Nov. 11, 2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

“Christine” (2016)

When we first see Christine (Rebecca Hall), a reporter for a small television station in Sarasota, Florida, she is sitting at an empty table in front of some Television cameras. She is practicing her interview techniques pretending to question President Nixon about Watergate. A back door opens and in is wheeled a new piece of equipment, being received by Jean (Maria Dizzia), a producer at the station. Christine questions Jean if she thinks on her last report she was too sympathetic. Jean replies that “You can never be too sympathetic.”

We cut to Jean and Christine watching a report that Christine is getting ready to go on air within tonight’s newscast. Christine keeps nitpicking her performance, where Jean keeps telling her that her performance is fine. The news director (Tracy Letts) stops by and tells the two women that they have a meeting in five minutes. As soon as he leaves the two women make fun of him, doing bad imitations of what he just told them.

In the meeting, the news director gets into an argument with Christine because she wants to work more on her zoning story and not go out and cover a fire. Christine argues that the news should be more issue oriented and not just cut and dried news stories.

The team gets ready for the newscast, and Christine is still making changes to her piece. She decides three minutes before her piece is to air to use a bit on film that she had cut earlier. Christine gets Jean to cut the piece as she puts on her blazer, grabs her copy and heads to the studio, arriving seconds before she is introduced. She intros the piece and then sits back, pleased with how it all came together, even getting a wink from the anchor of the news, George (Michael C. Hall).

We cut to Christine singing loudly and passionately with a John Denver song as she drives down the road. When she passes a car, she checks to see if her window is all the way up. We then see that Christine is performing a puppet show for some sick kids. After her show, she talks with a nurse about problems she has been having with her stomach.

She meets with her mom (J. Smith-Cameron) for dinner at a local restaurant. We see that their relationship seems more like two sisters than a mother/daughter relationship. At home, we see that they live together and Christine doesn’t want to talk about celebrating her birthday.

The next day, Christine gets into a heated discussion with the news director over the direction of the station’s news product. He wants them to start doing stories that will get ratings, citing the term “If it bleeds, it leads.” Christine sees this as the wrong way to go, believing that news should inform and tackle issues, not just air reports about car wrecks and house fires. The news world is changing, and Christine is going to have to make compromises if she wants to stay in the news game, compromises she might not be able to handle.

Director Antonio Campos brings us this film based on a real person, Christine Chubbuck, a troubled and awkward reporter who had lofty goals but was probably destined to work in small markets for the rest of her career. Campos does the almost impossible, making Christine a sympathetic character, humanizing a very complicated person who had a lot of problems. The year the film takes place is 1974, due to the Vietnam War and Watergate, the news world was changing, and Christine was trying to adapt, but not very well. Like the film camera that Christine uses, she is out of date with a world that is changing quickly.

Much of the credit for making a rigid and sometimes unlikable person come to life is Rebecca Hall. Her performance is dazzling, as she makes this socially awkward, determined person come to life. Hall has Christine’s mannerism down, making her a person who has trouble relating to ideas such as dating or dealing with a boss you don’t agree with. Hall works well with the other actors in the film, especially Michael C. Hall, who plays George, the cocky anchor that Christine is so enamored with. Hall’s body language changes when Christine is in the room with George as if she doesn’t quite know how to inhabit the same space. Maria Dizzia, has excellent chemistry with Hall, playing Christine’s one and only friend. J. Smith-Cameron is tremendous as Christine’s mom who is self-centered and never actually sees how troubled her child is.

The production design by Scott Kuzio and art direction by Molly Bailey are impressive, as they recreate a small TV station in the mid-70s down to the details of working quad tape machines and hand cranking film viewers. The dialogue, by screenwriter Craig Shilowich, is sharp and energetic, giving the newsroom a look and feel that seems real.

While I did not enjoy the final scenes of the film, those can be overlooked because of the Academy Award level performance by Rebecca Hall. You may not always like Christine, but because of Hall, you get to know her and understand why she ultimately did what she did.    My Rating: Full Price

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“Christine” Website

The film is playing in Atlanta at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema and Lefont Sandy Springs

"Loving

"Loving" Movie Review

"Loving"

Posted on Nov. 11, 2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

“Loving”  (2016)

Richard  (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred (Ruth Negga) are an interracial couple in 1958 Virginia’s Caroline County. We first see them in an afternoon street car race. Richard is the mechanic for the group of guys that are running. It’s apparent that Richard has been a part of this team for years and that his dating Mildred is accepted by the group. When their car defeats some guys from the area, and Richard celebrates openly with Mildred, they get quite a few ugly looks from the white crowd.

Later that night there is quite a celebration at Mildred’s family’s home, where once again Richard is accepted as part of the household. The next day, a nervous Mildred tells Richard that she is pregnant. He reacts with joy and insistence that they get married. They tell their families, with the only resistance from Mildred’s sister (Terri Abney). Richard and Mildred head to Washington D.C. to get married. The civil ceremony goes off without a hitch, and the couple head back to Caroline County. A proud Richard hangs their marriage certificate on the wall.

In what seems like just a few days, someone has told the authorities about the wedding. We see several cars drive up to the house in the middle of the night. A sheriff (Marton Csokas) and his men break down Richard and Mildred’s door. It seems that Richard and Mildred Loving are in violation of a Virginia law that forbids interracial marriage.  The couple are thrown in jail (in separate cells), and now both are going to go on a journey that will test their love for one another and put them, their friends and family in danger.

Jeff Nichols is one of my favorite directors. He has written and directed the fantastic “Take Shelter” (2011), my Atlanta Film Festival favorite “Mud” (2012) and the Sci-Fi blast of a film, “Midnight Special” (2016). He doesn’t disappoint again with bringing us a tale of unending love and incredible pain in “Loving.”  It’s a story of incredible courage, and we suffer at every indignity the Loving’s suffer in this film. Being told that your love is illegal and you must leave your home and family if you want to stay together, is heartbreaking and focus the Loving’s to make incredibly tough choices. Nichols lets us into their world slowly, letting us understand the time-period and just what they were dealing with on a daily basis.  Nichols has created two people that while different, fit perfectly together. Richard is a man who just wants to protect his wife from the outside world. He is a man of few words, feeling if he can just build a life for himself and his family, everything will work out. Mildred is a fighter, willing to speak her mind when it’s necessary and goes through life with a strong-willed determination. Nichols lets us see that through their love and determination, the Loving’s have a chance to survive in this world, but it’s not going to be easy.

The pacing feels perfect in this 2-hour film. Nichols lets his characters live in the moments, both big and small. The dialogue is sometimes sparse but those moments are helped by the beautiful score of David Wingo. Director of photography Adam Stone and production designer Chad Keith bring out the stark backwoods of Virginia, contrasting to the big city when they are forced to move out of the Virginia.

Joel Egerton absolutely embodies Richard Loving, the bricklaying country boy who falls in love with his whole head and heart. It’s an incredible performance of a man who takes simple pleasures and makes them his to savor. He has found a channel into this man’s soul and lets us all understand the man with a screen presence that while strong, also seems to sink a little into doorways. Ruth Negga gives an equally powerful performance as the woman who is defiant in her love for a man that is her soul mate. Negga gives Mildred an air of strength and steely resolve, whether trying to survive alone in a cell or deciding where to have her child. Edgerton and Negga work well on screen together, giving us a feeling that their characters belong together. While Edgerton’s performance is powerful, it’s Negi’s brilliant take on this amazing woman that makes this film work and worth watching.

Nichols has done a masterful job of making this true story real and meaningful. The Loving’s story is one for the ages, and this film will stay with you for a long time.   My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

“Loving” Facebook Page

The film is playing in Atlanta at Regal Tara 4 Cinema and Regal Atlantic Station 18

"A Man Called Ove"

"A Man Called Ove" Movie Review

"A Man Called Ove"

Posted on Nov. 2, 2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

“A Man Called Ove” (2016)

 

Ove, a 59-year-old man (played by Rolf Lassgård and Filip Berg / Viktor Baagoe in flashbacks), wakes up and begins his rounds checking on his Condominium community. He walks with a purpose on the well-manacled streets. He looks for any sort of what he considers violations of the community rules. A cigarette butt is picked up as he mutters under his breath and notes across from whose house it was located. He checks the doors to all the garages on the site. He yells at a woman walking her small dog, threatening to turn the dog into a shoe if the owner doesn’t stop the dog from peeing on the sidewalk. He refuses to make small talk with his neighbors and when asked for help with simple things like bleeding a radiator, tells them to fix it themselves.

Ove makes his way to a local market and gets into an argument with a clerk when he tries to use a two for $70 coupon to buy only one bunch of flowers, thinking he should get the one bunch for 35 dollars instead of what the clerk wants to charge at $40. We find out that Ove wants the flowers to place at his newly dead wife’s grave. He talks with her about all the stupid people in the community and how it’s going to hell. It’s evident that he loved his wife and misses her deeply. Ove leaves with the promise that he will be seeing her soon.

Ove heads for home, first stopping a car from traveling through his little fiefdom. The car barely stops before a man from some sort of government position tells Ove he has a permit that allows him to drive anywhere and Ove has no say in the matter. The man speeds off, leaving a lit cigarette at Ove’s feet. Ove, frustrated by the encounter, heads inside and changes into a coat and tie. He fixes his hair and heads downstairs. There we see that he has placed a noose to a hook hanging from the ceiling. Saying good-bye to his wife’s picture, he steps on a stool and puts the noose around his neck. Just as he is about to kick the stool from his feet, he sees out the window as a car with a trailer is attempting very poorly to back up, destroying his mailbox. He takes the noose off and heads angrily outside, to confront a family of four who are moving into the neighborhood. Little does Ove know how much his new neighbors will have an effect on him and even more shockingly, how much he will affect his new neighbors.

Director/screenwriter Hannes Holm brings us a tale of a grumpy old man who sees the need to follow the rules and only to depend on you and you alone, much to the grief and frustration of his neighbors. We learn from a series of flashbacks beginning with his childhood and continuing through his life with Sonja, his wife (played by Ida Engvoll), that he feels that he has no choice to live this way. His life has been severely impacted by people not following the rules. It’s through these flashbacks we get to meet and understand Ove, a man who is deep in his heart is good, kind and willing to help others. That man is still in there now that Ove is a widower, it’s just going to take someone or maybe a group of people (like the new family that has just moved in) to help bring that Ove out into the open.

Holm’s brings us a story (based on the novel by Swedish author Fredrik Backman) that deftly moves back and forth between Ove’s present, where he continually tries to commit suicide (always failing to comedic effect) and his past, where we see what made him this way. I loved these contradictions in the film where the young Ove is constantly fighting to live a better life and the old Ove, who just wants to end his life to see his beloved wife again.

Rolf Lassgard gives a beautiful, nuanced performance as the gruff, rule-obsessed Ove. His interactions with Bahar Pars, who plays his new, very pregnant neighbor, Parvaneh, are some of the comedic highlights of the film. Pars brings the playful but determined Parvaneh to life.  Her character sees that there just might be something inside Ove worth knowing and is going to try her hardest to bring that someone out. Lassgard and Pars have great chemistry on screen and they play off each other with ease as the two characters battle over whose personality is going to win in this struggle of strong wills.

This charming and funny film can be summed up in a line that Parvaneh gives to Ove after being frustrated by his inability to share what is bothering him: “No one manages completely on their own.” It’s an idea that Ove and we learn together in this fantastic film.     My Rating: Full Price

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

The film is currently playing in the Atlanta area at Lefont Sandy Springsand Regal Tara Cinemas 4

“A Man Called Ove” Website