Cindy Prascik's Review of 1917

Yesterday it was off to the cinema for a long-awaited and much-anticipated screening of 1917.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailer. In the midst of World War I, a pair of British soldiers is sent on a dangerous mission to deliver an important message.

Dearest reader(s), my expectations for 1917 were so high--SO HIGH--and the movie managed to exceed them in every way. 1917 is a close-up depiction of both the horror and the heroism of war.

Lacking big battle scenes, it follows two young men on a harrowing and deeply personal mission. Bigger names in the cast, including Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Scott, Mark Strong, and Richard Madden, turn up for what amounts to little more than cameos, while George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman do the heavy lifting. A fine job of it they do, particularly MacKay, who surely should have been acknowledged among the year's finest performances. The movie is mostly quiet and deliberate, with the subdued soundtrack providing an ominous undertone, so each burst of noisy violence is an ugly shock to the system. The "single shot" format (actually several long shots) is highly effective, making the perilous journey feel almost like real time. 1917 looks gorgeous and offers a gut-punch or two to remind everyone of the terrible cost of war.

Art is subjective, and I don't think anyone's opinion is more valid than anyone else's; however, if you're reading this, I assume you're at least somewhat interested in mine, so here's the bottom line: When I watch a movie like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or the Irishman, much of what I see on the screen is the director's ego. The beauty of great art is that there is no trace of that; every person's effort--however extraordinary--is entirely in service to the art itself. Many exceptional talents conspired to create the work of art that is 1917, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood isn't fit to carry its muddy boots.

1917 clocks in at 119 minutes and is rated R for "violence, some disturbing images, and language."

1917 is a reminder of how magical a truly exceptional film can make the cinema experience.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, 1917 gets all nine. Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: 1917

Two British soldiers receive seemingly impossible orders during World War I. In a race against time, they must cross into enemy territory to deliver a message that could potentially save 1,600 of their fellow comrades -- including one's own brother.

Director: Sam Mendes

Cast: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch

Release Date: December 25, 2019

Genres: Drama, War

Rated R for violence, some disturbing images, and language

Runtime: 1h 59min

Review:

It takes a special kind of talent to a take a simplistic story, which has been done before, and make it a thoroughly engrossing journey from start to finish.  Sam Mendes pulls this off by using some visual trickery to make the film seem like it runs in a series of unbroken cuts and populating his film with memorial visual moments. Oscar winning cinematographer Roger Deakin's visual flair is on full display here, matched with Mendes direction gives the audience some truly mesmerizing moments some of which feel closer to horror movie beats than a war film.  These visual cues make what amounts to a simplified Saving Private Ryan engaging right from the start even though there are far fewer characters to follow.  The cast primarily consist of George MacKay & Dean-Charles Chapman with the latter carrying the majority of the load.  Much like Saving Private Ryan, you have a handful of name actors pop up here and there for quick cameos but ultimately it's MacKay that's the audience's primary proxy.  He delivers a strong performance which makes you feel every moment of his trek from fear to exhaustion  even in the film's quieter moments which are just as frazzling as the more action fueled sequences.  As a whole, the film is a technical marvel that doesn't forget to capture the human moments in the horror of war. 

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: MARY POPPINS RETURNS

Now an adult with three children, bank teller Michael Banks learns that his house will be repossessed in five days unless he can pay back a loan. His only hope is to find a missing certificate that shows proof of valuable shares that his father left him years earlier. Just as all seems lost, Michael and his sister receive the surprise of a lifetime when Mary Poppins -- the beloved nanny from their childhood -- arrives to save the day and take the Banks family on a magical, fun-filled adventure.

Director: Rob Marshall

Cast: Emily Blunt, Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Dick Van Dyke, Angela Lansbury, Colin Firth, Meryl Streep

Release Date: December 19, 2018

Genres: Comedy, Family, Fantasy

Rated PG for some mild thematic elements and brief action

Runtime: 2h 10 min

Review:

I feel obliged to mention that I’ve never actually watched the original Mary Poppins start to finish.  I’m well aware of it by reputation and honestly I’m more familiar with The Simpson’s parody of it than the actual movie.  As such, I head into this reboot with the ability to take Rob Marshall’s sequel mostly on its own merits.  Keeping with the transparency theme, I’ll state that I’ve been a big fan of Marshall’s work since Chicago and Mary Poppins Returns only further confirms my admiration.  Marshall can stage a song and dance sequence like few others can and here he’s in top form delivering some wonderfully fizzy and enjoyable sequences that will leave a smile on your face.  The film moves at a steady pace, rarely lingering too long much less on the barebone’s plot.  It keeps moving on Marshall’s energy and its stars incredible charm and screen presence.  Emily Blunt is everything you could ask for as she takes over the reins from Julie Andrews.  It’s a role that seems tailor made for her and she plays it with palpable energy and vigor.  Manuel Miranda is a bit of an outlier, no so much that he’s bad but he just feels slightly miscast even though he does add some spice into some of songs.  Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer are mostly left by the wayside in thankless supporting roles.  It help that three child actors who spend the most time on screen with Blunt prove to be more capable of carrying their own.  It’s a treat to watch and the film as a whole is about as charming and delightful they come.

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN

In 1979 young Donna, Tanya and Rosie graduate from Oxford University -- leaving Donna free to embark on a series of adventures throughout Europe. On her journeys, she makes the acquaintances of Harry, Bill and Sam -- the latter whom she falls in love with, but he's also the man who breaks her heart. In the present day, Donna's pregnant daughter, Sophie, dreams of renovating a taverna while reuniting with her mother's old friends and boyfriends on the Greek island of Kalokairi.

Director: OI Parker

Cast: Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Dominic Cooper, Cher, Meryl Streep

Release Date: July 20, 2018

Genres: Comedy, Musical

Rated PG-13 for some suggestive material

Runtime: 1h 54min

Review:

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a surprisingly strong sequel to the fizzy original.  Getting the bad out of the way, the film feels the loss of it’s A List cast from the original, the majority of them appear but with limited screen time.  Lily James carries the majority of film as the young Donna and she’s more than capable.  I do wonder if they asked Grace Gummer, one of Streep’s daughters, to play the role since she bears such a striking resemblance to her when she was younger.  Still Lily James pulls off an impressive performance, capturing most of Streep’s mannerisms from the original film.  The rest of the younger cast is equally as effective portraying their older, legendary counterparts.  The song selections here aren’t as strong as the original film which is understandable since the original used nearly all the greatest hits.  Still they are catchy enough to keep any ABBA fan smiling.  The strangest thing about Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is how reflective and heartfelt the film is.  It’s far more emotional than you’d expect from a sequel to a light fizzy original.  Meryl Streep appears in what is an extended cameo but her appearance packs an emotional punch and really brings the film full circle.   

B

MOVIE REVIEW: KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

“Kingsman: The Secret Service” introduced the world to Kingsman - an independent, international intelligence agency operating at the highest level of discretion, whose ultimate goal is to keep the world safe. In “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” our heroes face a new challenge. When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, their journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US called Statesman, dating back to the day they were both founded. In a new adventure that tests their agents’ strength and wits to the limit, these two elite secret organizations band together to defeat a ruthless common enemy, in order to save the world, something that’s becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy…

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Cast: Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Edward Holcroft, Mark Strong

Release Date: Sept 29, 2017

Genres: Action Adventure

Rated R for sequences of strong violence, drug content, language throughout and some 
sexual material

Review:

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a solid if flawed follow up to the surprise hit.  Matthew Vaughn delivers more of what made the first film so much fun but the follow up seems to lacks a bit of spark that made the original work so well.  That’s not to say it’s not an entertaining film, because in spurts it’s a lot of fun, but it just feels overstuffed.  The film is helped by a strong cast with some welcome additions but you can’t help but think that Vaughn could have made better use of the talent on hand.  Jeff Bridges and Channing Tatum roles are pretty much glorified cameos with Halle Berry and Pedro Pascal having the beefier roles.  Julianne Moore is fun as the villain even if her character is slightly underdeveloped.  She’s good fun but doesn’t approach the level of Sam Jackson’s lisping villain from the first film.  Kingsman: The Golden Circle has a lot to offer for fans of the original but unfortunately it leaves you wishing it’d been trimmed and streamlined a bit before its release.

B-

Cindy Prascik's Review of Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for a peek at Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

Spoiler level here will be mild, limited to a couple non-plot-related things you won't have seen in the trailers.

Their headquarters destroyed and their resources gone, the Kingsman (Kingsmen?) ally with their American cousins.

Kingsman: The Secret Service was my number-one movie of 2015. As it seems I'm saying a lot this year...even a great sequel to a great movie is without that element of surprise that makes the original seem so special, but that reality in no way diminished my expectations for Kingsman: The Golden Circle. I'm pleased to report the movie exceeded all of them.

There's a lot to discuss here, but I feel duty bound to start with Taron Edgerton. Still minus the status that would give him top billing in a movie of which he's clearly the star, he IS a star, perfectly hitting every note of the many sides of Eggsy. I love this kid. The Golden Circle's supporting players are a who's who of mega-stars and awards darlings, including returning favorites Colin Firth and Mark Strong, Halle Berry, Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore (clearly having the time of her life as the picture's number-one baddie), and, yes, Sir Elton John in what's sure to be one of the most talked-about appearances of the movie year. This film is right up my alley in every way, and such a tremendous cast can't help but elevate it beyond what it might have been otherwise. 

The Golden Circle hits the ground running with a wacky chase through the streets of London, and, for over two hours, it never lets up. The action is spectacularly choreographed and never gets old despite being almost non-stop. Humor is consistent and organic, never shoehorned in just for the sake of it. Oh, and on that topic, remember that bit you hated at the end of the first Kingsman? (Well, I'm assuming you hated it, it seems everyone did.) The sequel actually makes that right, so obviously that Matthew Vaughn himself might well have prefaced the moment with, "Hey guys, this is how that was SUPPOSED to work." I have heard a couple people say The Golden Circle is too much fun, but I can't imagine what anyone means by that. This sequel is so much fun that everything should aspire to its heights!

Kingsman: The Golden Circle clocks in at 141 minutes and is rated R for "sequences of strong violence, drug content, language throughout, and some sexual material."

Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a clever, fast-paced, well-acted good time, an absolute can't-miss on the big screen. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Kingsman: The Golden Circle gets nine.

Fangirl points (buckle in, there are a lot of them!): Keith Allen! Emily Watson! Bruce Greenwood! 

OMG that weird mashup/cover of Cameo's Word Up! How about John Denver's resurgence in 2017 cinema?? And...Mark Strong, you can come sing Country Roads with us here in West Virginia any ol' day!

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Railway Man

 



Dearest Blog, yesterday I took a pass on the weekend's big releases to spend some quality time with Colin Firth and The Railway Man.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't get from the trailer.

Years after World War II, a tormented former POW comes face to face with one of his captors.

Well, Blog, you know me. I'm a blockbuster kinda gal. I like monsters and superheroes and have, on more than one occasion, called The Expendables "all the movie I'll ever need." (Don't judge!)

Sometimes, though...sometimes there's a different kind of movie that tells a story I want to hear, and tells it in such a way that I'm willing to put off my date with a wicked witch and shoot-em-ups and even Sharlto Copley to see it.

The Railway Man is an extraordinary true story of love and redemption and forgiveness. The horrors of war are depicted in brutal detail, but never gratuitously. The pace is deliberate--this movie is in no hurry to get anywhere--but it never feels like it's dragging. It would be easy to single out the always-remarkable (and, by always, I mean even in St. Trinian's!) Colin Firth as worth mentioning, but the entire cast is so extraordinary that wouldn't be fair. Even Nicole Kidman, a perennial member of my "Most Hated" list, manages to shine. Sadly, the fact that the film's been released in May, when everything about it screams "awards season," tells me Someone Very Important has already deemed it unworthy of next winter's accolades. That's a real shame.

The Railway Man is a wonderful, terrible, beautiful, painful story that's easily the best movie I've seen this year. With a new blockbuster landing every weekend, it won't stick around long, so I enthusiastically encourage you to get out and see it as soon as you can.

The Railway Man runs 116 minutes and is rated R for "disturbing prisoner of war violence." (Is that a thing?)

The trailer for The Railway Man closes with the line, "Sometime the hating has to stop," and the movie is just great enough to inspire viewers to go out and try to make it so.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, The Railway Man gets eight and a half.

Until next time...