This is the kind of British drama that you don’t see much of any more. based on the true story of the 1939 excavation of Sutton Hoo, a rural estate in suffolk which revealed the ruins of a ship and artifacts dating back to the Anglo-Saxon, 6th or 7th century.

The film is directed by Simon Stone (his 2nd film) and written by Moira Buffini (Jane Eyre 2011) based on the novel The Dig by John Preston. It is a lovely film with a strong cast that tells an amazing story which I had never heard about before.

In 1939, Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) hires Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) a local excavator and self taught archeologist to dig into some large burial mounds on her estate. There is some tension at the start but they come to respect each other and Brown takes a liking to Edith’s young, imaginative son, Robert (Archie Barnes). Soon enough, Brown, with the assistance of two of Edith’s employees, make a huge discovery. The local museum and eventually the National British Museum come in and take over the dig but Edith is insistent that Brown stay on. More help comes led by renown archeologist Charles Phillips (Ken Stott), Stuart (Ben Chaplin) and Peggy (Lily James) Piggot and Edith asks her cousin Rory (Johnny Flynn) to take photos. Meanwhile, Edith is diagnosed with a weak heart and her health begins to worsen. The Piggots are newly married and Peggy becomes aware that Stuart is not as much interested in her as he is in one of their male colleagues and begins to start a romance with Rory. Brown, encouraged by his wife, May, stays on in the hopes of receiving some credit for the initial discovery and also to look after Edith’s interest.

What they find is amazing, a treasure trove of artifacts and then there is the struggle as to what will be done with the artifacts as the country prepares for war.

This really is a lovely film. Fiennes and Mulligan are very good and you root for them to succeed. I loved the relationship between Basil and May, she knows him and supports him and pushes him to fight for credit. The other stories are woven in nicely with a cast of familiar faces. The young son delivers some heartfelt moments that I wasn’t expecting. The love triangle is thrown in to add a little romance and those actors are pretty and future stars in their own right. Historically, the film does take some liberties but it brings us an amazing piece of history that most probably never heard of, like myself.

The Dig may not be a great movie but it’s solid, old fashioned storytelling and a nice respite from these anxiety filled times.

A two hour two hander that’s reminiscent of Contempt (1963), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and Cassavetes but not as successful.

Written and directed by Sam Levinson (Euphoria) and filmed during Covid with a very small crew, Malcolm and Marie was shot over two weeks at a private residence in Carmel, California . It’s two characters are played by two talented and fast rising stars John David Washington (Tenet) and Zendaya (Euphoria). The film takes place in real time as a couple confront each other about everything that is going wrong in their relationship.

Malcolm (Washington) is a young black filmmaker and Marie (Zendaya) is his much younger, gorgeous muse. The film starts with them coming back from the successful premiere of Malcolm’s new feature film. He is floating on air. He puts on some music and sings and dances around the house as Marie quietly starts cooking up some Kraft Mac and Cheese for him. He finally notices her quietness and asks what is bothering her. And they are off to the races! What follows is almost two hours of two people getting everything off their chest, fighting then making up, almost making love before they start fighting again. Painful things are said, startling revelations are flung and tears flow.

Marie is upset that Malcolm did not thank her in his speech after the screening. Malcolm is dismissive of Marie, charging that she is jealous and antisocial and not knowledgeable enough of film to feel comfortable with his friends. Marie feels she has been taken for granted and charges that he is too insecure in his work to give her any credit for her support and inspiration. They face their demons and each other and don’t always like what they see but they continue to try and work things out. It ends on an ambiguous note which is good. It would’t have been realistic to think everything would be resolved after one night of should searching.

The performances are very good. They look terrific and it’s very believable to see them as a couple. It’s very intense but the actors are so good you get into their relationship and it doesn’t feel forced. I’m sure everyone will be able to relate to them in some way. We’ve all had similar fights with our partner and know that these type of fights can last for hours. It feels more like a play, which is why I mentioned Virginia Woolf. I would have liked a little more humor thrown in from time to time to break up the tension but I still found it a very powerful experience.

This may not be to everyone’s taste, but it is a very exciting piece of work with engaging actors and lovely black and white photography. Open a bottle of wine and enjoy the fireworks. Watch it with your significant other and I’m sure you’ll have a rollicking good conversation afterwards.

This film boasts three Academy Award winning actors which ups it’s expectations and makes it a ‘prestige’ film. Unfortunately, it does not come close to becoming a classic. Writer/Director John Lee Hancock has a good visual style and methodical approach and creates an eery atmosphere but the payoff falls flat.

The story follows a Kern County deputy sheriff, Joe ‘Deke” Deacon (Denzel Washington) who is sent to Los Angeles to pick up some evidence for an important murder case. His quick trip gets hung up in red tape and he ends up having to spend the night in LA. We learn that Deacon is well known in LA. He was a hot shot detective who had a mental breakdown five years earlier and is now just a burnout biding his time until retirement. The new hot shot detective, Jimmy Baxter (Rami Malek) is at first annoyed by Deacon, perhaps intimidated because of his predecessor’s legendary status but he still asks him to tag along to the scene of the most recent murder of a serial killer that Baxter is trying to catch. Deacon sees a similarity to an old unsolved case of his and stays in LA to not just help Baxter but find some closure and redemption for himself. There are hints as to why Deacon had his breakdown and it is associated with that unsolved case.

The more time Baxter spends with Deacon the more he gets sucked into Deacon’s habits and tendencies. When Deacon suspects a weird loner, Albert Sparma (Jared Leto) Baxter follows his hunch and this leads them both down a path that neither one of them are prepared for.

The Little Things reminded me a bit of Seven (1995) but also a little bit of The Pledge (2001) and Tightrope (1983). It has all the earmarks of a classic thriller, older detective, younger detective, unsolved serial killings, weird guy suspect and the mystery past of the older detective. It definitely is intriguing and the performances are good but endings are the hardest thing to pull off. Hitting the landing is the hardest part. I felt that the build up was there but the execution failed. I think I know what the film is trying to say and what it wanted to convey but it just didn’t work for me. This doesn’t mean that the film isn’t worth seeing. I’m a big advocate for ambitiousness.

My favorite scene in this film is where Deacon is following Sparma on the freeway. Sparma pulls over to the side of the road, Deacon passes him then, he pulls over but Sparma doesn’t drive on. Deacon decides to go in reverse back to where Sparma had pulled over and he’s not there. He looks across the highway and sees Soparma now parked directly across from him, going the other way on the freeway. Deacon then takes the offramp to go to theater side where Sparma is but again, he’s gone. He’s now back on the other side of the freeway. Sparma then goes over to where Deacon is parked and pulls up beside him. The cat and mouse game is on!

I think the film tries for something profound, it just didn’t quite get there. Perhaps, because the expectations were too high, given the cast, or given that so many films are trying to achieve the very thing that The Little Things is shooting for. Most fail to.

***********SPOILER ALERT***************

What would have made it better? Where should the film had gone? My first thought was that Deacon was the killer of the group of women from his case from five years earlier and he wanted to pin them on this new serial killer. Picking Sparma and getting Baxter to believe it would ensure he could be free of capture.

But I like the idea of things not being resolved. Deacon is haunted by the case he couldn’t close, especially since he had accidentally shot one of the victims, which was covered up and led him to his breakdown. Baxter’s hero worship of Deacon gets him in trouble and when he loses his cool and kills Sparma, Deacon sees what happened to him happening to Baxter. He tries to save him by sending him the red beret that one of the victims was known to have worn as a way of convincing Baxter that Sparma was ‘their boy’ and alleviate his guilt. What was missing is perhaps more character development between the two characters, more mirroring of Baxter being the young Deacon and Deacon being more self destructive or even unstable. Perhaps the killer from his old case had been caught but Deacon’s guilt about killing that one victim prevents him from accepting that. And Sparma needed to be something more relevant to Deacon. Perhaps, Sparma was who Deacon had targeted five years earlier as the killer so they would know each other and Sparma’s antagonistic attitude would make sense.

It’s a near miss for me but a miss all the same.

I am a big Christopher Nolan fan. I’ve loved every one of his films, some more than others with Inception being my favorite. I was really bummed that I wasn’t able to see this in the theaters because, you know, the Pandemic. I finally bought it On Demand and sat down to watch it. I had heard that it was really complicated and didn’t make any sense but I was very proud of myself that I had refrained from reading any reviews so I went into it really not knowing anything about the plot or what happens. It didn’t matter. I struggled to understand what was happening from the get go. This was, by far, the most difficult to understand of all his films. I watched it once. I went to the internet and found an article that explained what everything meant in the film, at least, this one person’s opinion, then I went back and watched it again. It helped. But, otherwise, there would be no way to understand what anything meant or what was going on. Maybe a third or fourth viewing if I didn’t read that article.

Now, all this being said, I really loved the film! How can that be, you say? Because films don’t always have to make sense (see David Lynch). Film is a visual medium like painting and just like some paintings, are open to multiple interpretations. There are some films you could be mesmerized by, visually or emotionally and not even like the movie but you can’t help but watch and even recommend (see Peter Greenaway). All of Nolan’s films are challenging and require your full attention but I have always been able to follow and ultimately, understand everything that happened, the whys and the hows. But Tenet, really put me through it.

There is no way that I can explain what happened because it would require a lot of work and words and hell, this is just a movie you need to experience for yourself. But I will offer some tips that could give you a chance to enjoy Tenet properly, in my honest opinion (see IMHO).

1. Sit down and watch it. Do not allow yourself to be distracted. You may miss something that will be important later in the film. I noticed several things the second time that I missed previously and it made a difference. This is most definitely not the type of film you can keep pausing and watching in segments or over two days. That’s a losing battle. And I mean, don’t be trying to eat or sneak a look at your phone, nothing! Stay focused, people!

2. This is Christopher Nolan’s James Bond Film. If you go into it thinking you’re watching a James Bond movie it will be very helpful. You have a black James Bond (John David Washington), a Russian Villain (the excellent Kenneth Branagh), Felix Lighter (the impressive Robert Pattinson), a Bond Girl or to be more PC, Bond Woman (the lovely and tall Elizabeth Dibicki) and you have an M (Michael Caine).

3. There is an opening action sequence (see James Bond) and then three scenes of exposition. Make sure you have good sound and turn it up and listen. Will it make sense? No. But, it does in the world of Tenet and it will make a difference even if you’re still confused. All of Nolan’s films are about deception (The Prestige) and perception (Inception) and reveals (Memento). Tenet is a maze and don’t get frustrated because you don’t make your way out. It will take a few viewings. And that’s just fine because the filmmaking is exceptional.

So, yes, I highly recommend Tenet. It is a thrill ride and it’s ambitious and challenging and beautiful to look at. Nolan does not like to use CGI which makes everything even more impressive. The performances are solid, especially Branagh. I am left wondering how Nolan will top this or will his next film be the compete opposite, perhaps a romance. But he would complicate that as well, I’m sure.

I didn’t know too much about this film before I watched it. I knew it was about female revenge over guys targeting drunk women at bars, taking them home and taking advantage of them. I wasn’t sure how far the revenge would go or where the film would go. There have been many types of vigilante films to come down the pike. Most of these films are about a man taking revenge on one or more people that have done him wrong. There are some that are about a man who snaps and goes on a spree of righteous justice. Death Wish (1974) is perhaps the most famous. Paul Kersey’s (Charles Bronson) wife and daughter are brutally raped in home invasion, the wife dies and the daughter is so traumatized she recedes into a vegetative state. when it becomes obvious that the police will not find and catch the perpetrators Kersey doesn’t go after them specifically but starts patrolling bad neighborhoods in hope of running across criminals that he then shoots and kills. He becomes popular with the public and a thorn in the side of the cops so much so that when he’s finally caught instead of arresting him they just let him go and tell him to leave town. He’s a hero. In Falling Down (1993) William Foster (Michael Douglas) divorced and recently unemployed has a breakdown that begins on a traffic filled Los Angeles freeway and follows him across the city to Venice Beach. He comes across many situations that we all encounter and responds like we sometimes wish we respond; with anger and violence. Its the kind of behavior we have been witnessing recently with ant-maskers, pro-Trumpers who have acted out their frustrations. Foster’s acting out, at first, is applauded and elicits laughs. The audience rally around him until the incidents start getting darker and darker. When he’s finally confronted on the Venice pier by the detective who has been on his tail, Foster asks “I’m the bad guy?”. It forces the audience to ask the same question of themselves. How far is too far? What actions can be rationalized as appropriate and are we capable of determining that for ourselves?

Far fewer films have been made where a woman is the vigilante. There is Ms 45 (1981) a very low budget film directed by Abel Ferrara. Kill Bill Vol 1 (2003) and Vol. 2 (2004) has The Bride (Uma Thurman) avenging the murder of her fiancee and herself and her unborn child. She survives and hunts down those responsible one by one and killing many others along the way. It is ultra violent but in a action film way, it’s unrealistic and so not as disturbing. She’s the hero! She wins in the end. She even discovers her baby was unharmed and alive and they drive off together into the sunset.

Promising Young Woman, written and directed by Emerald Fennell, is a very dark comedy about a woman whose acts of retribution are realistic which raises the stakes, not only for the character but also the viewer. It also doesn’t sidestep the consequences of such actions. Cassie (Carey Mulligan) is 30, lives with her parents and works in a coffee shop. She had been in medical school and was going to be a doctor but something happens that causes her to drop out. Now she goes to bars and pretends to be drunk and incapacitated and waits for some guy to offer to ‘take care’ of her. She plays along until she stops and reveals that she is indeed sober. It seems a harmless enough form of revenge though one that is dangerous not knowing how some guy will react. This seems to be her life until she runs into an old classmate, Ryan (Bo Burnham), who has gone on to become a pediatric doctor. He had a crush on her in school and asks her out. She wants no part of him but he proves persistent and charming and she relents. We learn that what happened to make her drop out of medical school didn’t directly happen to her but her childhood friend, Nina. She was drunk and raped at a college party. The school called it a he said/she said and no action was taken against the young man. It’s not directly said but insinuated that Nina never recovered and committed suicide. when Cassie sees that the young man who raped Cassie is getting married and seems to have everything in life he ever wanted Cassie constructs a plan of revenge against all those that she blames for Nina’s death. Her newfound relationship with Ryan complicates things. She starts rethinking her plan and is being hope and promise of happiness for herself which she had given up on. Then, something unexpected happens which resets everything and sets the table for a horrifying final act.

This is a powerful film. Emerald Fennell has created a truly original film that will have people talking. Carey Mulligan is excellent and gives an Oscar worthy performance. The entire cast which includes Bo Burnham, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge, Alison Brie, Molly Shannon, Connie Britton, Alfred Molina and Laverne Cox are all superb in support. It is funny, gallows humor. It is chalIenging and may not be what you want or expect but don’t let that keep you away from seeing it. highly recommend it.

****SPOILER ALERT****

Watching this movie I wasn’t sure if Cassie was killing the men she met in the bars or not. I was expecting that but happily surprised that she wasn’t. That is why I say that the film is more grounded in reality. What Cassie does by pretending to be drunk and allowing a guy to try and take advantage of her is something that might happen. I had an ex girlfriend who did something like this once so it rang true to me. When Cassie puts in motion her master plan to get even with those she felt were responsible for Nina’s death I thought, “OK. Here is where it turns violent.” But it doesn’t. What she does to Alison Brie and Connie Britton’s characters are awful but are psychological only. She’s teaching them a lesson but she doesn’t become what she hates. Her relationship with Ryan also plays a role in this. She is hopeful again. She trusts again. She falls in love with Ryan and that changes her mind about going any further. But when he turns out to have had a role, albeit, a bystander, in Nina’s rape, it devastates her and pushes her past a point of no return. Her final step, which is to pretend to be the stripper at Nina’s rapist’s bachelor party and carve Nina’s name on his body is bold and dangerous but she had no plan to kill him. When he gets the upper hand on her and ends up killing her I was shocked. She is the hero here, right? She’s not supposed to die. It’s a gut punch. But she knew the risks and that she might be killed trying this. So she had a plan in place that pointed the police to her killer. He is arrested at the wedding! She had text message preset to all of the wedding guests including Ryan. So she ends up achieving her goal in getting them all but she has sacrificed her life to do it. This is a very brave ending. Endings are the hardest thing to pull off. A bad ending can really tarnish a good film. This ending ensures that Promising Young Woman will stand out from the pack. I’m sure it’s controversial but that’s alright. Any film that stirs up talk and disagreement is a good film.

The Ryan character is the closest to a ‘good’ male represented in the film. He really is likable. He really likes Cassie and he earns her affection and trust. He’s funny and understanding and silly and he loves her. It makes it all the more heartbreaking when she sees that video of Nina being raped and discovers that Ryan was there. He begs for forgiveness, it was ten years ago he was a kid, but there can be no forgiveness. A lot of thoughts went around my head about this character. I thought how terrible it was that the film depicts such a ‘good guy’ as being morally corrupt. Is it saying that NO man can be trusted? ALL men have done bad things? What else had Ryan done in his life that was bad? Maybe nothing? We don’t know but is it possible for someone seemingly so wonderful to have taken part, even as a bystander, in a rape? It really makes you think about yourself and people you know. And it makes you think a bout what women are subjected to and how difficult it must be to trust a man.

This is the kind of film that would have been perfect to see in the theater with a group of friends. The after film discussion would have been amazing. I have not read any reviews yet and so I will now do that. I am curious to see what’s being discussed. I highly recommend the film again. And watch it with some friends so you can get a good discussion going after. It would be interesting.

I’ve had a lot of time on my hands so I need up watching a lot of television. I watched some old favorites and I also had the chance to watch some films I’d never seen before. I don’t know if this is a complete list but it’s what I remember.

THE GUILTY PLEASURE – Disaster Films

I LOVE disaster films! Maybe because they’re filled with well known actors. Maybe because I love the suspense of who’s gonna die and how. Whatever it is, I just think they’re fun! Even the ones that aren’t that great.

THE TOWERING INFERNO (1974) For my money, this is the best disaster film of all time! And the only one to be nominated for Best Picture! Directed by the master of the disaster film, Irwin Allen, it stars Paul Newman (my favorite actor) and Steve McQueen! William Holden, Faye Dunaway and The Juice! Fred Astaire received his only Oscar nomination for this one.

THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE (1972) this is another Irwin Allen masterpiece. Gene Hackman is an unusual reverend who tries to lead 10 survivors of a capsized ship to the bottom in hope of rescue. Many die along the way! Shelly Winters will bring you to tears! I promise you!

ARMAGEDDON (1998) I now it’s ridiculous and dumb but I can’t help it. Whenever it’s on I have to watch.

2012 (2009) Disaster films usually love to destroy New York City. This one obliterates Los Angeles! It has John Cusack!

SAN ANDREAS (2015) California gets destroyed in this one and The Rock comes to the rescue! But when it comes right down to it, it also stars Alexandra Doddario. Need I say more?

THE ROMANTICS

I’m a big hopeless romantic. A great romance is not easy to make which is why you end up with a lot of mediocre rom-coms. These films are the cream of the crop!

CASABLANCA (1942) My favorite film of all time! Every line of dialogue is a classic quote. This film was the template for every romantic film that followed.

ANNIE HALL (1977) The film that changed Woody Allen’s career and brought him his first Oscars. This film became the template for every rom-com that followed.

MANHATTAN (1979) As much of a love letter to New York as a romantic comedy. Filmed in lush black and white, this film ends with Woody running to stop Mariel Hemingway from leaving for London. That last scene is both romantic and cynical and rang true on both counts for me.

CROSSING DELANCEY (1988) This is a sweet rom-com about following your heart even if it means you have to stop pretending to be who you think you wanted to be. Got it? Another great New York City movie with strong performances by Amy Irving and Peter Riegert.

THE COMEDIES

“Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.” That is the truth! It’s not easy to make people laugh. Also, comedy is subjective just like any art. What makes me laugh may not be funny to others. The best comedy ever made? I have to say Tootsie.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA (2006) One of my all time favorites! Whenever this is on I will watch it. It’s a perfect comedy. And I am always upset at how Andie’s friends treat her. She had no reason to be ashamed of her job. That’s all.

THE NICE GUYS (2016) I just love this movie. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe are a modern day Laurel and Hardy. This is a great homage to 70’s buddy pictures. It’s funny and action packed. And Angourie Rice who plays Gosling’s daughter more than holds her own and should be a star very soon!

AFTER HOURS (1985) Martin Scorsese’s absurd comedy is an homage to the dark underbelly of New York City with Griffin Dunne and an all star cast. He actually made this low budget comedy to prove he could deliver a commercial success in order to get his foot back in the door with the studios. He followed this up with The Color of Money with Paul Newman.

METROPOLITAN (1990) Whit Stillman has a certain style that isn’t for everyone. His films are very witty and mostly concerned with young white kids working through their complicated relationships. This was his first film about a group of rich kids during debutante season in Manhattan. It earned him and Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

MORNING GORY (2010) I love Rachel McAdams. She plays a struggling morning show producer who gets a chance to shine but has to deal with grumpy Harrison Ford and press from her boss Jeff Goldblum. She finds an ally in Diane Keaton and romance with Patrick Wilson so how in he hell was this not a hit? Well, it’s just not great. It should have been with this cast. It wants to be Broadcast News but it’s Broadcast News lite. Still fun because Rachel McAdams gives it her all and you rarely see Ford in a comedy.

STUBER (2019) a silly movie with Kumail Nanjiani as a hapless Uber driver who picks up a cop, Dave Bautista, who just had lassie surgery so cannot drive. They go on an adventure after drug dealers and double crosses and of course, become friends! Harmless enough and the odd couple produce some good laughs.

THE MUSICALS

I’m not a big musical fan. It all depends on the songs and who’s in it. I prefer Gene Kelly over Fred Astaire. My favorite musical is West Side Story.

ROCKET MAN (2019) this bio was blessed by elton John and features his songs in a fairly standard modern musical. Aaron Egerton is great as John. Great if you love Elton John!

CARMEN JONES (1954) I had never seen this but knew a lot about it. Dorothy Dandridge broke new ground and won an Oscar nomination. Her career was unfortunately pretty rocky afterwards. This all black cast includes Harry Belafonte and was directed by Otto Preminger. Preminger and Dandridge, who had begun an affair, teamed up 5 years later for Porgy and Bess.

IT’S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER (1955) One of my all time favorite musicals with Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse. Three friends return from the war and vow to meet in 10 years. They’ve changed and have to relearn how important their friendship is to each other.

THE BAND WAGON (1953) Fred Astaire teams up with Cyd Charisse in this enjoyable musical about a fading star (Astaire) who falls for an up and coming dancer (Charisse) while working on a broadway show he hopes will revive his career.

THE DOOMSDAY FILM

I love end of the world movies. I love it when the last remaining survivors rummage through empty houses and apartments looking for food or anything that could be useful. That looks like it would be fun for awhile. Am I weird? My favorite doomsday film? Planet of The Apes!

CONTAGION (2011) this was the first film I watched once this whole business started. A world wide virus spreads around the world leaving millions dead and scientists struggling for a vaccine. Sound familiar? It’s a great film and scary as hell. It also has an all star cast including Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Bryan Cranston, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and on and on. It could even go under the ‘disaster film’ category.

12 MONKEYS (1996) Another great film about a virus that wipes out civilization! Bruce Willis is sent from the future to the past, before the virus begins, to investigate if he can find how it stated so a cure can be developed. Terry Gilliam directed so it’s very clever and imaginative and has lots of humor.

THE OMEGA MAN (1971) Chuck Heston is a scientist who creates a vaccine when a deadly virus wipes out civilization. (You see the pattern here?) He injects himself with the vaccine making his blood a syrum. He thinks he is the only man left in the world except for some crazy infected, half dead people until he meets a group of kids. It scared me when I was a kid and it’s still pretty creepy. It was remade recently as I Am Legend with Will Smith.

ZOMBIELAND (2009) This is a funny look at the end of the world and you know, when the world is ending you really need to keep your sense of humor. This is a great comedy with a great cast and perhaps the greatest cameo ever when Bill Murray shows up. The sequel which came out in 2019 was surprisingly just as good!

THE 70s

The 70s was a great decade for film. The director was given a lot of power and autonomy to make the kind of films they wanted without interference from the studios. Directors like John Cassavetes, Sam Peckinpah, Woody Allen, Hal Ashby, Alan J. Pakula, Peter Bogdanavich, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Brian DePalma, Sidney Lumet, Ingmar Bergman, Robert Altman, Warner Herzog and on and on. Things changed when Jaws and Star Wars came out and studios got greedy.

NETWORK (1976) One of my favorite films. Directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Paddy Chayefsky (Oscar winner), Network is a dark comedy about how news was turning into entertainment, about how Everything was becoming entertainment. Ratings are the only thing that matters and the crazier you are the better the ratings. Peter Finch won posthumous Oscar as the prophet of the airwaves who becomes a star by saying “I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”. William Holden is his friend and old school news producer who starts an affair with Faye Dunaway (Oscar winner) the young ambitious TV executive who takes over the news division. Its filled with great performances by Robert Duvall, Ned Baetty, Beatrice Straight (Oscar winner).

THE HOSPITAL (1972) This is another dark comedy written by Paddy Chayefsky (Oscar winner). This time he takes on the health industry. George C. Scott is a doctor who struggles to keep his hospital from falling apart even as he becomes more and more suicidal. It is an outrageous film. You’re not sure whether to laugh or be disgusted. And the issues it brings up about our health care system are still with us today.

ALL THAT JAZZ (1979) There was no one like Bob Fosse. He was outlandish and daring. This is an autobiographical film about a choreographer/film director who works himself to death. This is what eventually happened to Fosse. The surprise casting of Roy Scheider (Jaws) to play Fosse works out beautifully and earned him an Oscar nomination. It’s an amazing film from it’s opening open audition played out to the song On Broadway to the big musical finale. A young Jessica Lange played the Angel of Death and Anne Reinking basically played herself as Scheider’s young mistress. “It’s Showtime!”

A BRIDGE TOO FAR (1977) An all star cast! Literally, every big star of the 1970s is in this movie including Robert Redford! Its about Operation Market Garden, the failed World War II invasion of the Netherlands to capture a group of bridges which would trap the Germans in their retreat. It’s partially successful and mostly a series of mishaps. The film plays out like a series of vignettes with your favorite actors getting their time to shine. Some bits are better than others. I love these all star war movies. It was not well received at the time but I think it’s now considered a solid entertaining WWII film.

PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK (1971) This is a gritty film about a bunch of junkies who barely manage to survive on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Written by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne and Prodced by Dominick Dunne. The film that brought Al Pacino his first big notices.

THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971) Director Peter Bogdonavich was 32 when he made this masterpiece about the people that live in a dying Texas town. It won 8 Oscar nominations and won two for Best Supporting Actor (Ben Johnson) and best Supporting Actress (Cloris Leachman). Jeff Bridges earned his first Oscar nomination for his first film.

THE HOT ROCK (1972) a cool, funny heist film with Robert Redford, George Segal and a jazzy Quincey Jones score. Redford is very good in vinegars but he made so few of them. The character he plays in this film could very well be the younger version of  his thief in Sneakers (1990).

ROLLERBALL (1975) a dark futuristic film with James Caan as a superstar athlete of a hyper violent roller derby game. The powers that be want him to retire but he won’t so they start removing the rules from the game which turn it into a deadly gladiator bloodsport. Strange, weird film that I find fascinating. It doesn’t make much sense but perhaps I’m attracted to the nihilistic aspect of it.

THE TAKING OF PELHAM 1,2,3 (1974) solid thriller and great New York movie. Robert Shaw hijacks a subway train for ransom and Walter Matthau must outsmart him. Also has Jerry Stiller and Martin Balsam.

LIKE THE 70s

These films written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck feel like 70s films. They are low budget, well written and directed character studies. Mississippi Grind feels like an homage to Robert Altman’s 1974 great California Split. Half Nelson won Gosling an Oscar nomination and big time notice. They did not make much money and hardly anyone has seen them but you should because they are excellent films.

HALF NELSON (2006)
MISSISSIPPI GRIND (2015)

SOME OLD FAVORITES AND SOME NEVER SEEN BEFORE

THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) One of my favorites since childhood! I never tire of watching it. Errol Flynn is dashing and Olivia DeHaviland is radiant!

THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) before cable and video the only time you could watch this was once a year around Easter. I looked forward to watching this more than getting a basket full of chocolate!

TO HAVE OR HAVE NOT (1944) Bogart met Bacall on this film based on Hemingway’s novel. It’s not a film of great consequence otherwise but it’s immensely fun. “You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? Just put your lips together and blow”

OUT OF THE PAST (1947) this is my favorite film noir of all time. The writing is amazing! Filled with classic noir lines said to perfection by Robert Mitchum.

THE PRIZE (1964) Paul Newman is my favorite actor and this little seen gem is one of his rare ‘Hitchcockian’ thrillers. It also has Edward G. Robinson and Elke Sommers!

AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN (1982) I must have watched this 4 or 5 times in the last 8 months. It’s a classic! “Sell it to the Air Force, Mayo!” Richard Gere and Debra Winger hated each other but when the cameras rolled they did some pretty good acting. She was nominated for an Oscar.  He was not.  Louis Gusset Jr. won won!

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986) I had never seen it! So I figured I might as well. Fun, over the top, ridiculous. But I love Kurt Russell.

SEXY BEAST (2001) A great modern noir with Ben Kingsley delivering a scorching hot performance. Great film!

PEARL HARBOR (2001) I had never seen it! It’s so long! And its another ridiculously plotted film. But filled with good actors and Kate Beckinsale is easy on the eyes.

TOO BIG TO FAIL (2011) this excellent HBO film based on Aaron Ross Sorkin’s novel really explains the housing bubble bust and economic crisis of 2008. Watch this and The Big Short and you get a really good understanding how everything went wrong and was never fixed.

WAR DOGS (2016) Based on a true story! Two young guys get into the arms dealing business. And it gets ugly. Jonah Hill is downright scary. Bradley Cooper is good in a small but important part.

ROMAN J ESQUIRE (2017) I had never seen it! Denzel Washington was nominated for an Oscar as an old radical lawyer who decides it’s time to get some for himself. But it backfires on him. Actually more film noir than court room drama.

BOY ERASED (2018) I had never seen it! Written and directed by actor Joel Egerton (Great Gatsby) it deals with parents Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman who send their son Lucas hedges to a gay conversion clinic run by Egerton. Good performances, heartbreaking subject matter.

PEPPERMINT (2018) I had never seen this! I love these cheap vigilante movies, stories of revenge. Jennifer Garner goes all Alias on everyone she feels was responsible for the death of her husband and daughter. The daughter is played by Cailey Fleming who plays RicK Grimes’s daughter (really Shane’s) Judith on The Walking Dead.

CREED 2 (2018) I hadn’t seen the sequel and it follows the Rocky formula and again delivers. I hear that Michael P. Jordan is directing Creed 3.

THE KITCHEN (2019) First time seeing this one, too. I love all the actors and they’re good but it feels like a pale imitation of Widows (Viola Davis) which came out earlier that year.

THE LONG SHOT (2019) Another one I watched for the first time. A rom-com with Seth Rogen and……Charlize Theron? Yes, you heard right. And it actually works and is funny.

I really loved the first Wonder Woman (2017). I found it charming and exciting and with just the right amount of humor, romance and action. I was very much looking forward to this sequel. I’m sorry to say that I was disappointed. The sequel mostly takes place in Washing DC in the year 1984. We get a taste of the ugly outfits but no 80s songs! Gal Gadot looks more beautiful than ever as does Chris Pine, miraculously, back from the dead. They, again, have great chemistry and their scenes together have a spark that the rest of the movie lacks.

The movie has a cold open that is fantastic. We see a little Diana Prince eager to compete with the older warriors in a multi stage athletic competition. Her other, Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) nervously looks on and her aunt, Antiope (Robyn Wright) gives her sage advice. This opening is reminiscent of the cold open of Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade when we see a young Indiana have his first adventure. Its a nice touch and plants the seed that will echo throughout the film; ‘no true hero is born from lies’.

The movie then moves into 1984 and we see a montage of good deeds and crime fighting by Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) that comes across little too cheesy for me, a little too cartoonish. We get introduced to Diana’s new colleague at work, the pitifully shy and nerdish Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) who immediately develops a crush on Diana. We are also introduced to Max Lord (Pedro Pascale) a slick businessman who runs commercials on TV selling his success of which there is little. The crux of the story hinges on a retrieved artifact that grants wishes. This ‘Dreamstone’ works like a ‘Monkey’s Paw’. You are granted a wish but always at a cost. max Lord is desperate to get his hands on this so that he can turn his business and life around. Once he gets his hand on it all chaos breaks loose and its a race against time for Wonder Woman to stop him before the entire world is destroyed.

Wonder Woman 1984 has a great opening and a solid ending but in between, it just feels meandering. Kristen Wiig gives a strong performance. Pedro Pascal give his all as the main villain. He really lets loose and tries to make it work. His plot for power just doesn’t resonate very well for me. It’s very convoluted and therefore the resolution is also convoluted. By that I mean, you don’t get the necessary tension and thrill that usually comes with these super hero films.

Obviously, we get Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) back because Diana has never gotten over him and wishes him back to her. In the first film, she was the fish out of water and a lot of humor and charm derived from that. Here, he is the fish out of water and they wring it for all it’s worth. Pine does an admirable job and their scenes together are the most natural in the film.

Director Patty Jenkins knows how to put an action sequence together and there are a few here but the pacing is off. It takes a long time to get to the start of the major conflict and by that time you’ve lost interest. It’s a real shame. Sequels are tough. These super hero films are so factory made that it’s easy to get lost in the machinations and lose the warmth. There will be a third film made and I hope Jenkins and Gadot will put together a doozy of a story and make a better film.

As usual with these films, you have to stay until the final credits roll because there’s an extra scene or two. This one is no exception and it really delivers.

The Midnight Sky is an apocalyptic thriller but also a very beautiful holiday film. Yes, it can be both. I love apocalyptic movies. When done well, they can be devastatingly satisfying like Planet Of The Apes (1968) or hauntingly bittersweet like On The Beach (1959). Interestingly enough, On the Beach gets referenced in this film. Director George Clooney has delivered a somber end of the world adventure movie with a heart. This film would have looked wonderful on the big screen as it was so obviously intended but it still works on the smaller screen because, even though it is a big budget sci-fi film, it is also very intimate in its themes and performances. It still works.

The Midnight Sky is based on the 2016 novel Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton. A worldwide event has left the Earth a dying planet. A spaceship had been sent to look for a new planet to inhabit and that ship is making its return to Earth unaware of what has happened. A lone scientist stationed in the Arctic tries to contact the ship to warn them from returning to a home that no longer exists. This is the bare bones synopsis. I don’t want to say much more because it’s better to just experience what transpires.

The Midnight Sky is directed and produced by George Clooney. Clooney has made his best film since Good Night and Good Luck. He is a traditionalist, by that I mean, he makes movies like they used to make. He would have been right at home in the forties and fifties directing intimate westerns and noirs. He does a wonderful job here. He balances the scope of the space adventure with the Arctic adventure and they both feel real and thrilling. It could have very easily bounced off into syrupy sentimentalism and some may say it does but I think it hits the right notes. It helps that he elicits strong performances from his cast including himself as the lone scientist, Augustine Lofthouse and Iris (Caolinn Springhall) a little girl who gets left behind when the Arctic base was evacuated. The scenes between Clooney and Springhall are very sweet. Little Springhall conveys so much without speaking and Clooney has become a better actor as he has gotten older and brings it all to the fore in this one.

The space crew consists of Sully (Felicity Jones) pregnant by fellow crew member, Captain Adewole (David Oyelowo). Mitchell (Kyle Chandler) a family man looking to get back to his wife and two sons, Sanchez (Damian Bichir) the gentle navigator and young flight engineer, Mya (Tiffany Boone).

The performances are solid, the visuals are stunning and the musical score by Alexander Desplat is moving. Desplat is a Wes Anderson regular (Oscar for Grand Budapest Hotel) and has also scored many of Clooney’s films. The music is as much a character as the actors as there are many stretches with no dialogue.

I loved the scenes of Clooney moving around the empty Arctic station. It reminded me of this past year being stuck in my apartment during this pandemic. At first, I was enjoying the adventure of it but now it’s become tiring and anxiety inducing. I started thinking, “How much food does he have? How long will it last? And liquor? When will it run out?” Our real life has become a science fiction in it’s own right.

The film may remind of you of other films but that’s fine. I enjoy noticing when a film echoes another film but The Midnight Sky very much stands on it’s own merits. The Midnight Sky is a powerful meditation of life, life choices and fate. Have a tissue handy.