Monthly Archives: January 2020

Film Noir is more than a genre, it’s a feeling. After World War Two, you started seeing films, generally considered as ‘B’ films, about darker subjects, losers and femme fatales and doomed lives. They centered as much around greed and lust as love and dreams. The characters could be detectives and criminals but also cowboys and private eyes and as time moved on they could even be astronauts or aliens. Film Noir is a modern day Commedia del’arte with a set of characters and stories to choose from. You could mix and match and make something new but what stays the same is that feeling. That sense of dread even when you think, this time, it will work out. It doesn’t. It can’t. Not for everyone.

Uncut Gems is a modern noir that takes place in present day New York (Circa 2012). It’s relentless and tension filled and never lets you breathe just like it’s lead character, Howard Ratner, played to perfection by Adam Sandler. Co-Written and directed by The Safdie Brothers, along with Ronald Bornstein, they’ve created a manic and brilliant film worthy to be included amongst the best film noirs.

The story is familiar. Howard is a man who is in debt to his brother in law, Arno (Eric Bogosian). He’s having an affair with one of his workers, Julia (Julia Fox) a young sexy party girl. He comes up with a scheme to get an uncut opal from Eithiopa sent to him which he will auction off for a million dollars. Sounds easy. It should have been but Howard makes one mistake after another and he can’t get a break. Howard is the classic film noir anti hero. He is a morally questionable and flawed person, he is on a losing streak, he has a dream, a once in a lifetime shot and the odds are against him. It all plays out wonderfully though your heart may not be able to take it. The end is perfect and the only way it could have or should have ended.

Adam Sandler carries the film on his shoulders and he is more than up to the challenge. The entire cast is great including Idina Menzel, Lakieth Stanfield and The Weekend.

Kevin Garnett gives a solid performance and Julia Fox is dynamic in her first film while Judd Hirsch as Howard’s father in law also gives a fine turn. The film reminded me of the 1950 film noir classic Night and The City directed by Jules Dassin (Brute Force) and starring Richard Widmark and Gene Tierney (Laura).

This film is not for everyone. It’s too intense for some, I understand. I’m a film noir aficionado so, of course, I’m into the dark tale. But I really loved it! It makes you feel something even if you don’t like how it makes you feel.

First off, I’ve never read the book and I’ve only seen the 1994 film version of Little Women directed by Gillian Armstrong so that’s where I’m coming from. I love Greta Gerwig and I have to admit, I was surprised when she had decided to do a remake of Little Women as her follow up to Lady Bird but I was sure she would make a an interesting film. If you are going to do another version of something that has been done so often you had better bring something new to it. Gerwig does. Her script decides to play with time and create two timelines. It is clever and effective but it also brings consequences.

The story is well known. Louisa May Alcott’s 1968 novel is an autobiographical novel about her family. The father has gone off to fight in the Civil War leaving his wife, affectionately called Marmee, and their four daughters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy. They’re poor but have a rich life. Jo (Saorsie Ronan) is the oldest and the most independent. She wants to be a write and she writes plays for her and her sisters to act out. Meg is the sister that longs to be married and have nice things. Beth is the sister with the heart of gold with a talent for piano playing and Amy is the youngest and wants to be an artist. They live next door to the Laurences and the sisters adapt young Theodeore Laurence, who they call Laurie, as a defacto brother. Laurie and Jo become very close though young Amy loves Laurie, Jo’s feelings are more mercurial. Their story spans seven years and the sisters find the realities of life drag the into adulthood and they must leave their idylic childhood behind.

Gerwig has made some interesting choices in the storytelling. She begins the film in the present and then flashes back to their childhood. It makes for some interesting story telling and clever scenes but it also frames the film in a more sad and wistful way. Gerwig’s direction is impressive. She definitely had a vision of how she wanted to tell this story and she creates some powerful sequences. The casting is perfect and the performances are strong especially Saorsie Ronan as the ever independent Jo and Florence Pugh as the young Amy who has always loved Laurie and is jealous of Jo’s relationship with him. Unfortunately, Timothee Chalamet does not deliver as Laurie. He comes across as a little boy and never strong enough to challenge either Jo or Amy’s affections.

Gerwig punches up the role of women at that time and connects it to the present beautifully. The scenes where Jo negotiates selling her work with the editor (Tracy Letts) are smart and clever. Gerwig also plays with the ending by making it ambiguous as to whether Jo marries Freidrich, the young German teacher. Louisa May Alcott never married in real life and so it seems that Jo March would not either.

There is much to like in this Little Women and much to admire and I will see it again. My crtiques aside there is one more piece of info that should be said. I saw the film with my friend Charlotte and throughout the film I heard her sniffling. I thought she may be coming down with a cold but once the film ended I realized that she had been crying almost from the beginning and never stopped. The book has had a profound affect on many generations of women and will continue to for generations to come.

Best Actor

Joaquin Phoenix is a sure thing for Joker as is Adam Driver for Marriage Story and Leonardo DiCaprio (LDC) for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Antonio Banderas deserves to get his first nomination for Pain and Glory. I think Christian bale is going to pick up his 3rd Best Actor nomination for Ford vs.Ferari.  But man, wouldn’t it be something if Adam Sandler got nominated for Uncut Gems????

Best Actress

Renee Zellwegger is the favorite for Judy. Scarlett Johannson for Marriage Story and Saoirse Ronan for Little Women will also be in the running. Charlize Theron is very good in Bombshell and will get her 3rd nomination. And I’m going out on a limb by saying I think Lupita Nyong’o is going to get her first nomination for Best Actress for US.

Best Supporting Actor

This category is as star studded as they come! Tom Hanks will pick up his first nomination since Cast Away (2001) for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Joe Pesci and Al Pacino will both get nods for The Irishman. Brad Pitt for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is the favorite and another old veteran, Anthony Hopkins seems to be getting the 5th spot in this line-up.

Best Supporting Actress

After seeing Little Women I can’t see how Florence Pugh can not receive her first nomination. Her costar Laura Dern will get a nod for Marriage Story. Dern’s costar Scarlet Johansson will get a 2nd nomination this year for Jojo Rabbitt. Margot Robbie will be nominated for Bombshell and Jennifer Lopez will get her first shot at Oscar for Hustlers.

Best Director

Noah Baumbach    Marriage Story
Bong Joon Ho        Parasite
Same Mendes           1917
Martin Scorsese    The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino    Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Best Picture

1917
THE IRISHMAN
JOJO RABBITT
JOKER
LITTLE WOMEN
MARRIAGE STORY
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
PARASITE

This is going to be a very exciting Oscar year! I’m looking forward to seeing some surprises!!