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The Iron Claw (2023)
Decent film, but "The Wrestler" was a far better movie
This heavily promoted biopic has some solid performances and a reasonably decent script, but could have used more heavy editing to avoid the maudlin sentimentality of so many sports movies. That's an especially common shortcoming of films written and directed by the same individual.
The self-styled "curse" of the Von Erichs' was overdone, but judging by the ratings and comments from those who felt the film Oscar-worthy, that theme apparently plays well with fans of what we used to call Studio Wrestling. Focusing on the bonds of brotherhood would have been a more effective overarching theme, especially as a counter balance to their father's obsession with rewriting his life story through his sons, with their unquestioning obedience.
Lily James was excellent and Zac Efron was above average, but Holt McCallany was shaky in the central role of the father. Usually a decent actor, his character was shortchanged by the script and direction. Among the other central roles, the talents of Jeremy Allen White and Maura Tierney were sadly wasted.
Perhaps it's the curse of biopics trying too hard to cover and document all aspects of a subject, but if you're looking for a compelling story about professional wrestling, "The Wrestler," starring Mickey Rourke in the title role was a far better film of the industry.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Beautifully written and acted
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a testament to the value of writers, and the talent of actors to bring a unique script to life. Not for the faint of mind, but a beautiful story of the ebb and flow of relationships. One of my all-time favorite movies.
It's always delightful to see an actor break through their typecast roles, and Jim Carrey made an amazing transition in this bizarre production. Paired with Kate Winslet, the couple made you believe in the evolution of love and eternal search for some reassurance of permanency in those ever evolving bonds.
Musical scores are a challenge, and the choice of Beck's "Everybody's gotta learn sometime" as the arching theme to this disjointed storyline was as near to perfect as it could be.
The Book of Eli (2010)
Good movie, wrong casting
Pretty decent movie in the post-apocalypse genre, with a compelling script that's both believable and not overwrought. Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman are both at their hero and villain finest, and the supporting actors are well cast. In particular, Ray Stevenson as the enforcer and Jennifer Beals in an unusual role for her.
The unfortunate casting was Mila Kunis. Other than her breakout role in Black Swan, she seems to always play snarky Jackie from The 70's show. Although the script might have been partially to blame for her character, it was difficult to believe she would be capable of suddenly morphing from a fragile girl into a strong surviver in a desert wasteland. Plenty of other actors with less star power could have played that role far better.
Nope (2022)
Just a little too dumb
As a huge fan of "Get Out," Daniel Kaluuya, simple indie films and off beat sci-fi in general, I had great expectations for this film. But, I actually dozed off less than halfway through, and had to rewind to watch scenes to realize why they put me to sleep. Pretty decent cinematography, special effects and acting overall, but I kept thinking it would have made a better short story, rather than two hour feature film. That and the title might have been, "You still shouldn't look up!" Not terrible, just too long, too silly a plot, too many insipid lines, too much irrelevant filler and all-in-all, a little too dumb.
Hamilton (2020)
Entertaining, but too preachy and contrived
Cleverly staged and entertaining, but I had to overcome my aversion to preachy/selective history and loathing of rap music.
Although Jefferson had conflicted beliefs, the play unnecessarily treated him ham-handedly to inflate Hamilton's image as a purported abolitionist and man-of-the-people. That's a timely and trendy Broadway/Hollywood message, but not all that accurate for this particular founding father, and the role he actually played in our country's early history. I don't know there were many heroes back then when viewed through today's lens, and this felt a little too contrived.
All-in-all, I guess I didn't think the play deserved such a glowing, uncritical embrace by the NYC social intelligentsia. Definitely worth seeing, but not paying hundreds of dollars for a live experience. I watched the movie at home, and that provided me with closed captions to follow Miranda's hectic compulsion to pack a decade of his carefully chosen context into every song!
The Batman (2022)
Starts slow and stays slow
About two hours too long, and Robert Pattinson in the lead is still playing a moody, taciturn vampire, albeit with a pointy eared mask. Decent supporting cast, but mediocre writing and directing drags them all down.
One positive is the humanization of Batman - not the utter lack of chemistry with Catwoman, but his physical limitations. Still all the gadgets, but he actually has to run at times!
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Hollywood dumbs down a fascinating biography
Checking the requisite Oscar boxes, Ron Howard sanded off all the actual cruel edges of a genius suffering with very real and horrendous paranoid schizophrenia in a largely fictitious tale of how love can conquer all. Unfortunately, the Hollywood treatment conveniently ignored the hard realities of what was actually a fascinating biography of a man struggling a lifetime to balance his genius and madness, leaving viewers with an abundance of sanitized movie madness scenes, very little glimpses of genius, and a romantic relationship with no apparent basis. Read the book - would that the screenwriter and director had done so.
The Kings of Summer (2013)
Potentially decent movie ruined by ill-defined relationships
What could have been an excellent coming of age film was ruined by a screenplay that didn't adequately define central relationships, mostly regarding the mandatory "love interest."
Was Joe's relationship with Kelly a long standing childhood friendship and/or an awkward romantic fantasy? Was Kelly a sweet caring friend and/or a flirtatious tease who always went for bad boys and dumb jocks (supposedly at 15)? Was Patrick so shallow that he was willing to throw away a lifelong friendship for a hot girl? Was Joe so shallow that he would readily forgive his best friend for despoiling his idyllic vision?
The worst line ever written for a screenplay has to have been Kelly's lame explanation to Joe at the hospital that, "just because I'm not dating you, doesn't mean I don't care about you." And this after Joe had thrown himself in front of her as a sacrifice to the deadly snake? For that he gets a crappy card?
The film had such potential, if only the screenwriter and director had more clearly developed the Joe/Patrick/Kelly relationships, and possibly Joe/Heather, to make the supposed Joe/Frank reconciliation more believable. It's so frustrating when a movie seems to just run out of time and quit, especially those that have filled the reels with so many extraneous diversions.
The Irishman (2019)
a tedious Goodfellas
Save yourself an hour and rewatch Goodfellas, a far more entertaining mob movie. As the latest docudrama incarnation of union boss Jimmy Hoffa, Al Pacino seemingly passed on his role prep by playing the same character he has in every movie throughout his typecast career.
Bramwell (1995)
What a sad message for young women
As the product of a long line of strong, independent women professionals, who in turn raised four such young women, it is particularly discouraging that a once promising series reverted to clichéd reminders of how such women are incapable of fulfillment without a man and child at the center of their lives.
Like Game of Thrones, Bramwell writers, directors and actors introduced strong women, only to abandon them as either hopelessly incomplete without pledging subservience to their man and/or hysterically incapable of compromise. The first three seasons were entertaining, if not somewhat overwrought at times. For one thing, Doctors Bramwell seemed incapable of interacting without screaming at each other, alternating between maximum volume accusations, immediately followed by distraught apologies - in every episode.
Nevertheless, the series effectively explored any number of social issues and medical practices of the time. I suppose that's why groundbreaking Eleanor Bramwell's story arc was so troubling. Her predilection to alternately detest and then hop into bed with manipulative Dr. Finn O'Neill, another strong-willed outspoken character who seemed equally incapable of asking or stating the obvious, never failed to elicit groans from my wife and I. At some point during that terminally tedious storyline, we began referring to the series as "The Slutty Doctor."
My wife was convinced she would end up with dedicated and loyal Dr. Joe Marsham, until the show runners inexplicably morphed him into a mean-spirited jerk, and substituted a military man with so little character development there seemed no earthy reason for any mutual attraction after their inebriated snog on a park bench.
The last ten minutes of the final episode brought a jolting, yet merciful, end to a series storyline in search of meaning. After a lifetime of struggles with interpersonal relationships in a misogynistic profession, our beloved Eleanor bizarrely found contentment by abandoning her life-long career commitment for a transition man with no discernable qualities beyond a natty mustache, but who just happened to have impregnated her.
And the only person to attend her wedding? The equally strong and independent Nurse Carr, who only found her fulfillment with another military man after a single stroll in the park.
What a sad message for young women.
The Directive (2019)
Ebert would have rated it one middle finger up
Absolutely the worst written, directed and acted movie ever, and that's being charitable. Only redeeming value is the mountain setting, which reminded me of Saylor Park, Colorado where I used to hike.
Robin Hood (2018)
Dreadful film. Robin Hood in name only.
Other than a few character names, there is absolutely no semblance to the classic Robin Hood legend. It's a bloated budget action film that's a cheap rewrite, which draws from Zorro and V for Vendetta storylines. The height of absurdity is a Sheriff of Nottingham who wears a dark leather trench coat and surrounds himself with SS-style stormtroopers. Utter waste of acting talent.
Game of Thrones: The Iron Throne (2019)
In the end, male order was maintained
It is altogether fitting that Game of Thrones, one of the most misogynistic television series ever produced, should limp to such an inglorious end on the first anniversary of the death of my Mother, a fiercely independent free spirit who imparted in me a life-long appreciation for the worth of strong women.
One of the attractions of GoT was the introduction of women leaders capable of commanding the respect of their followers - until abandoned by the writers to reestablish male order, by salting their plots with gratuitous rapes and spurned affections to expose feminine frailties and induce irrational hysteria.
A quivering Cersei collapsing into the arms of the lover she manipulated for years into unspeakable acts? A spurned Daenerys obliterating civilization for Jon of the fixed-troubled-expression, and then naively exposing herself to yet more domestic violence? A starry-eyed Ser Brienne padding the bio page of the all-male tome of the lover she could not hold? A bridge-year Arya, barely acknowledged for her singular role in saving all of humanity from the white hoards? Even fiercely loyal Grey Worm, also absent external plumbing, simplistically portrayed as an uncivilized villain in the end?
Oh, please!
And who were the alt role models GoT left standing to rebuild civilization? Sullen Bran and delicate Sansa, neither of whom ever actually accomplished much of anything, chosen by a pasty faced council no one much remembers. All in all, an insultingly unbelievable cast of survivors not even capable of leading the Whiffenpoofs, much less the warring tribes of fantasy medieval days.
Catch-22 (2019)
Re-read the book instead
Writing matters, and the movie script sadly loses the feel of a timeless classic. Gratuitous starpower and the maudlin sentimentality milked from manufactured scenes and relationships ruined a story that spoke to all of us who actually served in the military over the past six decades. The use of multiple directors, equally clueless about the underlying message of the book, only worsened the incongruous flow from episode to episode, despite the unfortunate choice to tell the story sequentially. As a result, the intricate absurdity of circumstances that made Catch 22 so appealing to generations is lost in yet another average war movie. Therein lies the true tragedy.
Homecoming (2018)
not worthy of the star power
Bailed out halfway through episode 8, and I'm a compulsive movie/series finisher. First season is basically a two hour tritely predictable movie stretched an additional six hours with made-for-tv filler.