Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker & Jumanji: The Next Level

Yesterday I trekked to the cinema to shake off the after-Christmas blues with Star Wars: Episode IX and Jumanji: The Next Level.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First on my Boxing Day agenda: Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker.

The final chapter of the Skywalker saga sees the Resistance facing off with a mysteriously-resurrected Emperor Palpatine.

Star Wars is one of those franchises that has such a devout and legendarily bitchy fanbase that there's nothing any review can really say that will be taken at face value. If you love it, you're too devoted to see its flaws; if you hate it, you're just a bitter fanboy. For whatever it's worth, I'm here to say that Rise of Skywalker is probably a lousy movie, but I mostly loved it anyway.

Episode IX definitely occupies more minutes than it earns, with some bloated battle/chase scenes that could and should have been trimmed significantly. The bulk of the movie is simple fan service, giving that devout fan base what the filmmakers thought it would want to see in the finale for at least this most-beloved branch of the Star Wars universe. Artistically, that never does a project any favors, but as a casual SW fan who has been in love with Luke Skywalker since I was ten, I very much enjoyed it. Highlights continue to be John Boyega and Oscar Isaac as Finn and Poe, while neither Daisy Ridley nor Adam Driver does much for me. (Yes, I know the whole wide galaxy thinks Driver's the best thing since sliced bread. I don't.) Some effects are terrific, while others are inexplicably dodgy. A good deal of it looks like a weird production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Pretty much every plot device and line of dialogue is more hokey than the one that came before it. I mean, you can only wring so many tears out of previously-unused Carrie Fisher footage, am I right? A real positive here is the organically diverse cast, no big deal, just characters of all races and species living and working together like it's as common as it should be. If some of Episode IX truly represents the best that Star Wars has to offer, it's re-hashed enough by this point to have lost much of its impact.
Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker clocks in at a mammoth 142 minutes and is rated PG13 for "sci-fi violence and action."

The Rise of Skywalker is an imperfect but enjoyable finale to a very-much-loved saga.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker gets seven, including one bonus Weasley for having an actual Weasley, Domhnall Gleeson, in the cast.

Next on yesterday's docket: Jumanji: The Next Level.

The gang is drawn back into the world's most dangerous game for another adventure.

Jumanji is an unlikely success story, a project that had every reason to be painfully bad, but somehow ended up surprisingly good. First and foremost, that is down to an absolute home-run with the casting, not just the notably terrific adult leads--Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan--but also their younger/real world selves: Alex Wolff, Ser'Darius Blain, Ashley Scott, and Morgan Turner. As with the first Jumanji, the kids are so good it's almost a disappointment when they morph into their more famous video-game selves. Almost. Johnson, Hart, Black, and Gillan are so great I kinda want them and only them to be in all the movies all the time now, please and thank you. Throw in bonus Danny DeVito and Danny Glover, and you've got yourself one top-notch cast. The Next Level is as laugh-out-loud hilarious as its predecessor, in both broad and more clever ways, with a fresh story that never feels like a sequel for the sake of it. The action-packed plot moves along quickly and doesn't overstay its welcome, wrapped up with a nice Christmas setting, making it the perfect holiday family fare. For whatever it's worth, this movie got the best crowd reaction of any movie I saw this year, and that's a month into its release.

Jumanji: The Next Level runs 123 minutes and is rated PG13 for "adventure action, suggestive content, and some language."

Jumanji: The Next Level is that rarest of sequels that may even best its predecessor.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Jumanji: The Next Level gets eight.

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Dark Waters & Cats

The weekend before Christmas provided an opportunity to catch up with my sorely neglected cinema. First priorities: Dark Waters and Cats.

Spoiler level for Dark Waters will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or the news. I don't think there are proper spoilers for a film like Cats--it's not exactly rife with plot twists--but I'm going to talk about it in excruciating detail. If you really don't want to know anything before you see it, or if you really don't want to read 1500 words on one of the year's worst movies, please proceed accordingly.

First on my weekend docket: Dark Waters, a based-on-actual-events tale of the attorney who took on chemical giant DuPont over poisoned water in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Dark Waters is a compelling story told in pedestrian fashion, a disappointment considering the names involved. It's weirdly edited in places, with some shots lingering overlong while others cut off so abruptly it seems like somebody forgot to come back and finish it. The movie wears its agenda on its sleeve, with broadly-drawn good guys and bad guys, chugging along at a deliberate pace that makes it seem longer than it is. Some good tension builds towards the end, as the case comes to a head, but it's pretty late in the game. The big-name cast includes Mark Ruffalo in a fine but unremarkable turn as Robert Bilott, David to DuPont's Goliath. Anne Hathaway and Tim Robbins are up and down as Bilott's wife and boss/mentor, respectively. Bill Pullman turns in the only performance I really enjoyed, and his screen time is, sadly, rather limited. West Virginia doesn't necessarily get the worst cinematic treatment it's ever had, though certainly Dark Waters doesn't have an opportunity to show our state at its best, even if it effectively portrays the resilience of our people. (Some would say "bull-headedness," but we'll stick with "resilience" here.) Dark Waters is a movie worth seeing, but maybe more worth seeing on Netflix or as a rental, rather than with the full cinema pricetag.

Dark Waters runs 126 minutes and is rated PG13 for "thematic content, some disturbing images, and strong language."

Dark Waters is a serviceable telling of a great story, one that's all the sadder as West Virginia continues to sell itself to the highest bidder with little regard for its own well-being. 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, Dark Waters gets seven.

Next up: the big-screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's much loved musical, Cats. Buckle up, kids. We're gonna TALK about this one.

On the night of the Jellicle Ball, the Jellicle Leader chooses one Jellicle cat to elevate to a new Jellicle life.

Think that synopsis makes no sense? You aren't alone. Many would say (and have said) Cats makes no sense, there's no story. The plot is a thin one, more a series of vignettes, with each cat making his or her case to win the Jellicle Leader's favor.

Now, the disclaimer: I love Cats. It's one of my top three musicals of all time, and my favorite Andrew Lloyd Webber property. When I see the current national tour of Cats in February, it will mark my 30th visit to the junkyard. Certainly some productions are better than others (the 1993 national tour that featured now-Tony-winning choreographer Christopher Gattelli as Mr. Mistoffelees and Mad Men's Bryan Batt as Munkustrap is a favorite), but I've yet to crawl away disappointed...until this movie. Herein we shall discuss where the film goes wrong, and those few things it actually gets right.

We'll start with some of the big misses: Despite its best-known number being a proper belter, Cats is a dance-oriented show, yet this film has eliminated the most impressive dance sequences: Mr. Mistoffelees' solo, Jennyanydots' tap number (represented, but not properly), and the Invitation to the Jellicle Ball. Each of those pieces is included, but the best dance bits have been cut or bastardized by an over-abundance of CGI. (Anybody else weirded out by those perpetually-erect tails??) The stage production has always gone to great lengths to get makeup, costumes, and feline movement spot-on, but here not a care was taken...in fact, these things are so bad as to appear willfully wrong. Most costumes stop at the ankles, leaving obviously human bare feet on display, though some Jellicles (in their sensible, everyday forms) wear high-top sneakers, boots, overalls, and even a top hat. Human garb in the stage production is a storytelling tool, and generally is crafted to fit with the cat's pattern, such as Misto's vest and bowtie and Grizabella's dress and coat. The film's makeup leaves its very famous faces very recognizable and looking like A-list actors in dollar-store Halloween costumes. It's distracting. Finally, for a barely-there plot that requires no explanation, this movie does an awkward amount of explaining.

By the numbers, Act I:

This movie *almost* gets the Overture right, as there's only a brief frame before its first notes twinkle through the darkened theater. No choreographed Christmas lights, though. Shame. Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats fares better than most numbers, though it suffers some unfortunate edits, ditto the Naming of Cats, where they left in the line about cats having three different names, then edited out the stanza about the second name. Hope no one's counting! Robbie Fairchild does a fine job with my second-favorite Jellicle, Munkustrap. Munkustrap is the busiest cat in the junkyard, serving as a sort-of narrator and appearing in nearly every number, so it's important that he's good. This one is good. Rebel Wilson's crass performance as Jennyanydots, the Old Gumbie Cat, renders one of the show's cutest numbers a vulgar exercise. Jason Derulo lacks the chutzpah that makes Rum Tum Tugger so much fun when he's done right, but he's a good singer and has some presence. James Corden as Bustopher Jones is one of the movie's better-cast roles, though the number's adapted rather stupidly. Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer are deprived of their perk, and neither Danny Collins nor Naoimh Morgan brings any real charm to these audacious felines. Also...there's no tumbling, dammit! Dame Judy Dench is okay as Old Deuteronomy, though I miss the traditionally-male Jellicle Leader's big, booming voice. The new number written by Sir Andrew with Taylor Swift specifically for this film is a dud. It's performed by our Victoria, Francesca Hayward, also something of a dud. Victoria is a featured dancer in the show, so it's baffling that filmmakers chose an accomplished ballerina for the role, then assigned her a bunch of singing and smothered her beautiful dancing in CGI. The Jellicle Ball is a bizarre Furry orgy that again buries its choreography in badly-done effects. Ye gods.

Onward to Act II:

Ian McKellen is of Cats' biggest victories as Gus, the Theater Cat. He doesn't have as much to do as you'd like Sir Ian McKellen to do if you were lucky enough to get him for your movie, but he's quite a good fit. Steven McRae is a pretty solid Skimbleshanks, too, though the number itself is disappointing compared to its live cousin. (Skimble is my third-favorite Jellicle; it's important to get Skimble right.) Macavity...uh...where do I even start? Idris Elba, inarguably (for my money) the sexiest man alive, is utterly ridiculous in a role that is, by default, nefariously sexy. First, he does too much talking. There is no talking in Cats. There is only singing and dancing. Secondly, you can see too much Idris Elba (aren't those weird words to put together?) to think he's anything but Idris Elba in a goofy fur suit. That's down to makeup AGAIN. Finally, his Bombalurina is Taylor Swift, an admirable artist for many reasons, but entirely miscast as this very sexy, very mature Jellicle. Macavity is one of the show's best numbers, and one of the film's worst. How very disappointing. Next up is my favorite Jellicle, Mr. Mistoffelees. (It is MOST important to get Mr. Mistoffelees right.) Laurie Davidson is, in fact, quite a good Mr. Mistoffelees. I mean, he's no Jacob Brent, but he's definitely the best part of the movie, despite the filmmakers cutting his big solo. Following Misto's abbreviated number, our Grizabella turns up for the showstopper, Memory, or, as Jennifer Hudson sings it, "Mamwee." Jennifer Hudson has a great voice--that is an indisputable fact--but it's outweighed by her perpetually-running nose, vacant stare, and sloppy diction. This Grizabella ascends to the Heaviside Layer not in an old tire, but rather in a chandelier (perhaps a nod to ALW's other dumpster-fire film adaptation, the Phantom of the Opera?).  The finale, the Ad-Dressing of Cats, feels like an anti-climax minus an Old Deuteronomy with a commanding baritone, but the fact that it's not a complete disaster feels like a win.

A few missing pieces: Growltiger makes a surprise appearance, but his featured number is predictably absent from the film, as it has been from most of the recent Cats productions I've seen (I assume due to its racial insensitivity). There are no Pekes or Pollicles, also frequently axed from the stage production. As mentioned, while the film visits a junkyard, the junkyard isn't its primary home, an artistic choice that won't have much bearing on your enjoyment of the movie unless you really love that junkyard. (I do.) At least they got the "Vivat!" right, I guess.

Here's something I learned about Cats when it was revived on Broadway a couple years back: While shows like Hedwig and Hair really seem to find their audiences in revival--remaining relevant even while painted by the times in which they're set--Cats is not so fortunate. Debuting in London in 1981 and on Broadway in 1982, the nearly-plotless two hours of dancing felines seemed a good fit for the Ferris Bueller and Duran Duran set, even a game-changer for the time. In 2017, alongside Hamilton, Indecent, and even Come From Away, Cats just seemed irrelevant. I still shelled out for a front-row seat on my annual trip to the Big Apple, and I still loved it, but it was definitely a show out of its time. Had this movie been a straightforward adaptation of the stage production (I'd hoped for some improvement on the direct-to-DVD 1998 attempt), it still would be too late for this show to set the world on fire, but a quality big-screen version would have found its audience among the show's fans, of which there still are many. Instead, it's been turned into a punchline, a bad-movie benchmark for the foreseeable future, and here's the thing about that: In "serious" theater circles, Cats is already a punchline. Low-brow theater, tourist fare. It's also a very specific, unique thing that can't be made into something it's not. You can love or hate it for what it is, but you can't effectively change what it is. In attempting to do just that, Tom Hooper and company have made Cats a punchline for what it *isn't,* and that just breaks my heart. If In the Heights weren't already in the can and looking so promising, I'd worry Cats was bad enough to scare Hollywood off the movie musical for some time.

Cats clocks in at 110 minutes and is rated PG for "some rude and suggestive humor."

The 2019 film version of Cats is a travesty, crafted by people who either failed to understand this terrific show on a fundamental level or simply didn't care. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Cats gets three (one for each of my favorite Jellicles).

The current national tour of Cats is in Toronto through January 5th, moving to Boston and Baltimore immediately following. For my locals, the show rolls into Pittsburgh's beautiful Benedum Center from February 25th through March 1st. For a full list of dates and tickets, please check out the link below. Please do not let this abomination of a film deter you from seeing this legendary show in person.

https://ustour.catsthemusical.com/tickets/

Now...who's up for a Starlight Express revival??

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: DOLEMITE IS MY NAME

Performer Rudy Ray Moore develops an outrageous character named Dolemite, who becomes an underground sensation and star of a kung-fu, anti-establisment film that could make or break Moore.

Director: Craig Brewer

Cast: Eddie Murphy, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, Wesley Snipes

Release Date: October 25, 2019 

Genre  Biography, Comedy, Drama

Rating: R for some sexuality, full nudity and brief language

Runtime: 1 h 58 min

Review:
Craig Brewer’s Dolemite Is My Name is a fun film that could have been easily forgettable if it weren’t for his central star.  Sure, the true story of Rudy Ray Moore is a fascinating anecdote from Hollywood’s past but without Eddie Murphy’s un-containable energy and charisma it wouldn’t be nearly as watchable.  Murphy’s performance is like a throwback to his classic performances not like his slew of rinse and repeat family comedies he churned out for the better part of late 90's and 2000’s.  The film reminds you why Murphy was such a singular star in those classic films like Coming to America, Trading Spaces and even Bowfinger to a certain extent.  He’s such a magnetic performer that you can’t help but enjoy this bawdy biopic.  The story itself feels familiar but Murphy keeps you interested in this underdog tale.  His supporting cast is made up a who’s who of African American actors and comedians with each making the film better than it deserves to be with Da'Vine Joy Randolph & Wesley Snipes leaving lasting impressions.  Ultimately Dolemite Is My Name is the type of film that’s better than it deserves to be because of inspired casting.


B+

MOVIE REVIEW: CATS

A tribe of cats must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.

Director: Tom Hooper

Cast: James Corden, Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, Francesca Hayward

Release Date: December 20, 2019

Comedy, Comedy, Drama, Family

Rated PG for some rude and suggestive humor

Runtime: 1 h 50 min

Review:

My knowledge of the Cat's stage play is fairly limited.  I've never gotten around to finding out why it was such a cultural phenomenon but have heard the song Memories in passing.  So I walked into the screen adaptation of the musical mostly blank.  Tom Hooper's film is veritable cornucopia of strangeness and WTF moments that it's hard to take your eyes off it.  The much talked about digital fur is instantly distracting and the effect never really seems to wear off for the duration.  It doesn't help that some characters wear clothes and shoes while other don't for no discernible reason, ultimately your left wondering who decides.  Its not the only question that will pop up in your head mainly because the plot mostly consist of introductions with a very general end game which is actually pretty dark once you start to think about it.  Still there are some positives to be appreciated here such as newcomer Francesca Hayward debut.  Hayward's re purposed Victoria is the audience's avenue into this strange world filled with tiny child mice and dancing human cockroaches.  Mind you the film takes very little time to ease the audience into any of this so you jump into the deep end pretty quickly.  Thankfully Francesca's performance is endearing enough to keep you on board if you didn't immediately jump off board.  Her ballerina skills are on full display through the seemingly endless song and dance sequences.  The bigger names all have varying levels of success with their characters as they go full feline.  Ian McKellen and Judi Dench bring and air of respectability to the whole thing with each having a moment to shine in the latter portions of the film.  Meanwhile James Corden and Rebel Wilson play into the whole silliness of the whole thing, it work sometimes but when it misses it misses badly.  Jason Derulo seems to be doing his own thing, particularly during his main song early on.  Idris Elba is all in from the start but he's never given enough screen time to really leave a proper impression outside of leaving you feel confused.  Taylor Swift's cabaret inspired sequence is lively once you get past her dollar story British accent.  Jennifer Hudson is given the film's singular song and you'd be hard pressed to deny her talent even though she can't seem to decide what volume to sing said song at during various attempts.  If this all sounds like a strange hodgepodge of ideas and talents well it is.  At certain points during the film I wasn't sure if I was actually watching some terribly campy 70's grindhouse musical or an unused portions of legendary Marlon Brando 1996 dumpster fire The Island of Dr. Moreau.  At the same time you sort appreciate the audacity of the whole thing like going full bore into the feline mannerisms, so much neck cuddling and nose kisses, while dealing a story is mainly about cats vying for the opportunity to die and move on to it's next life.  

C

MOVIE REVIEW: STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once more as Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron's journey continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle commences.

Director: J.J. Abrams

Cast: Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Ian McDiarmid, Billy Dee Williams

Release Date: December 13, 2019

Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action

Runtime: 2h 21min

Review:

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has a hefty checklist of things it needs to accomplish while closing out the Star Wars franchise at least the Skywalker saga.  For some reason, J.J. Abrams decides to do it in the most perfunctory way possible.  Massive reveals, which come out of left field with regularity, occur throughout but none of it is particularly engaging.   It would have been nice if there was some sort of mystery or intrigue but Abrams and the screenwriters seem strangely disinterested creating any sort of tension at any point during the proceedings.  As such, we move from set piece after set piece where we get some well choreographed Star Wars action, rinse and repeat for 2 and half hours.  Sadly, after this happens a few times you really just don’t care anymore.  The dialogue shuffles between believable to outright corny leaving the characters feeling more artificial than organic.  The cast does what it can with the characters delivering infrequent moments of life.  Daisy Ridley who seems continuously sweaty leads the film as best she can.  Her character has always been a bit of cipher mainly because she never feels like anything more than rehash of Luke’s story line, something compounded by story choices here.  Ultimately she’s nothing more than a Luke clone in Capri pants and space Uggs.  Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren is even more uninteresting this go around.  The insistence on having his angry emo boy be the primary menace in this trilogy has always left me confused.  There’s never been much intrigue in his character much less any sort of palpable sense menace or real threat.  John Boyega and Oscar Isaac do what they can with their screen time but suffer from poor writing that never let them develop memorable characters.  You can sense Isaac trying bring a spark of life to Poe in this film but it’s never maintained for a sustained amount of time.  As such, we watch everyone go through the motions and move the plot from one spot to another with a sense of inevitability as opposed to wonder. Sure it’s great to see the late Carrie Fisher on screen one last time but even her scenes aren’t nearly as moving as they should be, possibly because you can feels Abrams building story around these bits of old footage for the sake of inclusion.  All this should have been moving but it never hits with the emotional impact much like this final entry overall. 

C-

MOVIE REVIEW: BOMBSHELL

A revealing look inside the most powerful and controversial media empire of all time and the explosive story of the women who brought down the infamous man who created it.

Director: Jay Roach

Cast: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow, Kate McKinnon, Connie Britton, Malcolm McDowell, Allison Janney

Release Date: December 13, 2019

Rated R for sexual material and language throughout

Runtime: 1hr 48 min.

Genres: Biography, Drama

Review:

Bombshell’s impact on anyone is sure to be colored by their feeling about the real life people portrayed.  Jay Roach delivers a funny but ultimately depressing tales about the behind the scenes machinations at propaganda machine as known as Fox News.  Roach has the unenviable task of displaying people who are all on varying scales of terrible.  The tale about Roger Ailes numerous misdeeds was previously covered on Showtime’s The Loudest Voice so Bombshell feels a bit like a companion piece since this film focuses more on the woman than Ailes himself.  As such the trio of Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie are front and center and truly carry the film.  Charlize Theron’s Megyn Kelly is one of those transformative performances that is sure to garner her a lot of awards buzz and with good reason.  She’s nearly unrecognizable here, capturing Kelly’s look and voice with an uncanny degree of accuracy.  The performance is such an attention grabber that it’s easy to overlook Nicole Kidman and Margo Robbie slightly more subtle performances.  Kidman’s take on Gretchen Carlson is solid but it’s hard to say it any better than Naomi Watt’s version on The Loudest Voice.  Robbie’s character is a composite character but serves a purpose of putting us in the room with Ailes while he’s harassing and victimizing these women.  John Lithgow’s take on Roger Ailes isn’t as a nuanced as Russell Crowe’s take earlier this year which leads to the bigger issue at play.  Bombshell seems content with going through basics but never really cares to dig any deep or offer any colors of gray.  As such certain characters are painted as heroes which can be difficult to swallow since their real life counterparts are terrible for other reasons. 

B

MOVIE REVIEW: MARRIAGE STORY

A stage director and his actor wife struggle through a gruelling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them to their personal and creative extremes.

Director: Noah Baumbach

Cast: Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Azhy Robertson, Julie Hagerty, Merritt Wever, Wallace Shawn

Release Date: December 13, 2019

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Rated R for language throughout and sexual references.

Runtime: 2h 17min

Review:

Noah Baumbach’s Marriage story is as subtle as it is familiar.  You’d be hard pressed to ignore echos from films like 1979’s Kramer vs Kramer which starred Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep or even 1989’s The War of the Roses with Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas.  Perhaps every generation needs one or two films that captures the slow-moving disintegration of a love story perhaps to act as a counterweight to the endless Rom-Coms that Hollywood churns out.  Baumbach’s film does a fine job of capturing what those singular films have in the past by capturing the ordinary and mundane that can lead to larger life events.  We never see the marriage in its heyday and it’s probably for the best that its only referred to but never explicitly shown, capturing how those fiery moment have faded into the mundane.  At the film’s center are two performances that keep your attention even through the quieter moments which pepper the film.  Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson keep it watchable and engaging throughout.  I’ll readily admit that I’ve never understood Driver’s appeal, in my opinion he’s been playing version of the same character since he first hit the screen, but it’s hard to ignore his measured but realistic performance.  The film paints his character in a slightly more sympathetic light which makes him easier to like since the film tends to follow him more than Johansson.  Scarlett Johansson is just as strong even if her character is a bit more distant from the center of the film.  Still both are likable for the better part of the film even as things start to get more and more pointed leading to an explosive confrontation which is realistic in its gloves off emotional brutality.  If this makes the film sound like a decidedly dour affair, it’s not.  In fact, the film is an ebb and flow in emotions with moments of levity coming as readily as the sadder moments.  The supporting actors all have fun moments with Laura Dern channeling her Big Little Lies character.  Alan Alda and Ray Liotta both have smaller roles, but each leave a lasting impression and make you wish they’d been on screen just a tad more.  As a whole, Marriage Story is a bitter sweet tale about what happens once the romantic comedy moments end

A

MOVIE REVIEW: RICHARD JEWELL

During the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, security guard Richard Jewell discovers a suspicious backpack under a bench in Centennial Park. With little time to spare, he helps to evacuate the area until the incendiary device inside the bag explodes. Hailed as a hero who saved lives, Jewell's own life starts to unravel when the FBI names him the prime suspect in the bombing.

Director: Clint Eastwood

Cast: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde

Release Date: December 13, 2019

Genres: Drama

Rated R for language including some sexual references, and brief bloody images

Runtime: 2h 9min

Review:

Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell is an engaging but flawed filmed even though the performances and direction is strong all around.  Eastwood crafts an engrossing film about the truth life event with Paul Walter Hauser delivering a singular performance.  Hauser gives Jewell a sort of Forrest Gump vibe from the get go even though it’s readily apparent that certain aspects of Jewell’s life reeked of warming signs.  He’s painted as an earnest if somewhat delusional individual who ultimately wanted to do the right thing.  His interplay with Sam Rockwell and Kathy Bates really gives the film a spark that gives the understated film life its beating heart.  Unfortunately, the film’s script takes massive liberties with another real life person and their actions.  It’s a glaring misstep that damages the film’s credibility by deciding to go for a clichéd and misogynistic take on the female reporter who is the defacto villain in the film.  It’s a bit puzzlingly that Olivia Wilde would take the role in the first place and then give the character nearly no depth.  Having Jon Hamm do Don Draper with an FBI badge only exasperates how problematic the characterization is.  The fact that Clint Eastwood and his screen writer have no issue taking such an antiquated approach really keeps the film from being some truly special if they’d just gone for a more nuanced approach to the story.  As is, it’s a well acted drama that tells the story of a true life event with fictionalized elements.

B-

Cindy Prascik's Review of Marriage Story

With the weekend fully occupied by my annual New York City trip, today I took advantage of my "recovery day" today to check out Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

A divorce seen from all points of view.

Marriage Story is the sort of movie I expect to loathe. No explosions. No gunfights. No Jason Statham. Why even bother making that movie, am I right?? This one, though? I liked it. It's good. It's clever. It's deep. I mean, still no Statham, but, well, you can't have everything, I guess.

Marriage Story dives deep into the divorce of an actor (Scarlett Johansson) and a director (Adam Driver), poking at the story from all sides. Determined to split amicably, the two are pulled in different directions by extraneous forces, as they navigate the challenging terrain of their separation and its effects not only on themselves, but also on their young child. Johansson and Driver are brilliant, and--while he may not have Taron Egerton's Oscar, either--this is probably the closest anyone's gotten to Egerton's fantastic work in Rocketman all year long. Authentic, devastating performances by both leads. The supporting players are no slouches themselves, with Wallace Shawn, Alan Alda, Laura Dern, Ray Liotta, and Julie Hagerty among the notables fleshing out this layered tale. Marriage Story is inescapably sad, but also funny at times. It realistically portrays how a person might hate and love someone at the same time. It is a complex, well-crafted story whose only real flaw is that the painful subject matter makes its excessive length cumbersome. It also confirms my theory that most trouble starts with having Laura Dern around, so there's that.

Marriage Story clocks in at 136 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout and sexual references."

Marriage Story is a heartbreaking, hopeful work of art, and I recommend it with some surprise but no hesitation.
Of a possible nine Weasleys, Marriage Story gets eight.

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Review of The Irishman

Dearest reader(s), Monday I spent nearly half of my day off trying to digest Martin Scorsese's The Irishman.

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

An aging mob hitman recounts his past and his relationship with infamous union leader Jimmy Hoffa.
Let it be noted I've already taken much heat for suggesting this film might not be the second coming of Christ...or at least the second coming of the Godfather. Take me to task if you will, but I've probably already heard it. That being said: I didn't hate this movie. I think it's being classed a masterpiece by default, because the individual pieces *should* add up to something spectacular. In my mind they don't, BUT...I didn't hate it.

Let's start with the obvious: the Irishman is too long to be as slow as it is, or too slow to be as long as it is. There are plenty of moving pieces, but it's not half complicated enough to justify such a bloated runtime. Robert DeNiro is, of course, more than alright in the lead; it's a role he could sleepwalk to awards glory. His by-the-numbers assassin isn't particularly sympathetic, but, portrayed as a normal person ravaged by age and a few pangs of regret, he appears to be the good guy...or maybe the least bad guy? Al Pacino's Jimmy Hoffa is an ice-cream loving buffoon, so convinced of his own untouchable status that he almost seems an easy mark. It's a convincing performance, but not a particularly noteworthy item on the Pacino CV. The supporting cast is a who's who of "that guy who was in that mob movie": Joe Pesci, Bobby Cannavale, Harvey Keitel, Stephen Graham, Ray Romano. Everyone is capable; no one is remarkable. The film does feature a pretty terrific soundtrack of old 50s and 60s nuggets, with Marty Robbins' "A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation)" bringing particular joy to this old 60s nugget. The Irishman is an interesting enough story that, unfortunately, isn’t particularly well told, although the movie did prove a marginally better sleep aid than the most recent Avengers flick, so there ya go, Scorsese: you got one over on Marvel.

The Irishman runs an interminable 209 minutes and is rated R for "pervasive language and strong violence."

The Irishman is a deliberately-paced tale of violence and betrayal.

While its individual ingredients taste of past brilliance, the finished recipe is more Monday night leftovers than Christmas dinner. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Irishman gets five.
Fangirl points: Jack Huston!

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Review of Knives Out

This weekend the cinema offered one of my most hotly-anticipated titles of the year: Rian Johnson's Knives Out.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

When a well-to-do author dies a suspicious death, a private investigator attempts to unravel the case while the millionaire's family fights over his estate.

Knives Out is a proper, original murder mystery, with a layered story and plenty of clever twists to keep the audience engaged. Set almost entirely in a Clue-like old mansion, the atmosphere is almost equal parts lush and creepy, with a healthy side of humor. The all-star cast includes such luminaries as Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, LaKeith Stanfield, Toni Collette, and Don Johnson. Most are very good, with Evans turning in a particularly fun performance. Collette, unfortunately, is woefully miscast to the point of being distracting. Neither mattered as much to me as having Don Johnson on my screen. Knives Out is deliberately paced enough to border on too slow, making the two-plus hour runtime seem somewhat longer, and there's an uncomfortable political interlude that serves a purpose, but (for my money) not enough of a purpose to justify what it costs the picture. Overall, I didn't love Knives Out as much as I'd hoped, but--without spoiling any particulars--I think that's more down to it not playing out as I'd have liked than to any shortcomings as a film.

Knives out clocks in at 130 minutes and is rated PG13 for "thematic elements including brief violence, some strong language, sexual references, and drug material."

Knives Out is a sharp, darkly funny mystery that can rightly be counted among the year's best movies. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Knives Out gets eight.

Fangirl points: In addition to Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" featuring on the soundtrack, Knives Out name-checks the musical Hamilton and the movie Baby Driver. Win/win/win. Also, in case you missed it before: DON JOHNSON.

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: FROZEN 2

Elsa the Snow Queen and her sister Anna embark on an adventure far away from the kingdom of Arendelle. They are joined by friends, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven.

Director: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck

Cast: Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Ciarán Hinds, Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood, Alfred Molina, Martha Plimpton, Jason Ritter, Rachel Matthews, Jeremy Sisto

Release Date: November 22, 2019

Genres: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

Rated PG for action/peril and some thematic elements

Runtime: 1h 43min

Review:

The original Frozen was a film I ignored as long as I possibly could.  Once I finally succumbed to the weight of its cultural impact and finally watched the film, I was left shrugging my shoulders.  The film itself is perfectly fine but it reminded me a lot of older Disney films which never really did much for me.  The songs were catchy enough to make the whole thing watchable.  The sequel has a very similar feel with a story that’s adequate if uninspired.  Honestly, the music is the center piece of this animated musical.  The songs are all solid enough but sadly none are nearly as memorable as “Let It Go” from the original.  As such, it’s easier to dissect the fairly routine story that doesn’t hold any sort of tension for anyone over the age of 10.  Pixar has raised the bar so high for children’s films that it’s almost quaint to run into a film that’s perfectly fine just catering to its core audience while leaving very little for the adults in the audience.  It’s a shame the story isn’t a bit more dense because the cast is all impressive with Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell carrying the film with great ease.  Josh Gad’s Olaf still fluctuates between amusing to annoying and his character is given a bigger role in this sequel.  Ultimately, this sequel checks all the boxes to keep the younger kids entertained but I doubt anyone will look back on this entry with sort of great fondness or affection. 

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE IRISHMAN

In the 1950s, truck driver Frank Sheeran gets involved with Russell Bufalino and his Pennsylvania crime family. As Sheeran climbs the ranks to become a top hit man, he also goes to work for Jimmy Hoffa -- a powerful Teamster tied to organized crime.

Director: Martin Scorsese

Cast: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Stephen Graham, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Jesse Plemons, Harvey Keitel

Release Date: November 27, 2019

Genres: Biography, Crime, Drama

Rated R for pervasive language and strong violence.

Runtime: 3h 29min

Review:

The Irishman might be best described as a Martin Scorsese supreme.  This magnum opus seems to encapsulate everything from his gangster golden age populated by all his favorite actors from that era.  In lesser hands, this might come off as superfluous or passé but Scorsese feels refreshed and rejuvenated.  His direction is sharp, crisp and engaging throughout.  You get moments, sequences and shots that recall some of his classic films like Good Fellas and Raging Bull.  However, this isn’t simply retreading old tropes because you can get a sense of a more pensive and reflective director behind the camera.  Similarly, his cast delivers their best work in years with the added depth of age.  The much talked about deaging works for the most part even though it’s a bit jarring in the early sequences.  Thankfully, that wears down over time allowing you to appreciate the performances.  Watching Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci together on screen really helps highlight how well they work off each other resulting in stellar performances from both.  Joe Pesci, after his long layoff, shows that’s never lost his touch for these types of characters with his age aiding his performance.  De Niro looks more engaging that he has in years.  His performance is both frightening and sympathetic at the same time even though his character is a moral wasteland.  Al Pacino though decides to go full Pacino as Hoffa.  His performance is like a mix of Scarface and The Devils Advocate’s Devil, its full decibel from the get go.  The interesting thing is that after the initial shock, it actually works well for the character.  The supporting cast is populated with Scorsese regulars both new and old plus an added bonus of giving Anna Paquin her best performance by making her nearly mute throughout with one solitary line.  These types of decisions are true signs of a auteur still at the top of game as he creates another classic.

A

MOVIE REVIEW: KNIVES OUT

A detective and a trooper travel to a lush estate to interview the quirky relatives of a patriarch who died during his 85th birthday celebration.

Director: Rian Johnson

Cast: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Christopher Plummer

Release Date: November 27, 2019

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including brief violence, some strong language, sexual references, and drug material

Runtime: 2 hr. 10 min.

Genres: Comedy, Crime, Drama

Review:

Rian Johnson’s Knives Out is a refreshing throwback to those old school ensemble films based on Agatha Christie books.  Johnson’s plot bears a lot of resemblances to those types of films and he stacks his film with a wonderful motley crew of possible culprits.  His direction moves the film at a brisk pace with only a few dead spots in the final reel.  The crisp direction keeps your eyes peeled to every detail as you start trying to piece together the truth.  Some of these types of film tend to cheat the story by using unbelievable twist; thankfully this story is a bit more honest.  If there’s one drawback to that approach it’s that the central mystery isn’t all that complex and pretty easy to figure out before it’s all laid out on screen.  It’s not a major drawback but those looking for a strong mystery will be left wanting.  The film’s biggest asset is its stellar cast who each seem to be having a ball in each of their roles.  Daniel Craig’s turn as a Foghorn Leghorn sounding detective is just incredibly fun and you sort of wonder why the story didn’t use him as the central point of the film.  Instead he’s on the boundaries of the story playing a larger part in its finale.  Instead it’s Ana de Armas character who is the focal point of the story and she delivers a solid performance in the midst of bigger names.  Sadly, the supporting players like Toni Collette, Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Shannon are left with precious slivers of screen time to shine.  Still they all make the most of it and deliver a fun film across the board that feels like a lesser version of the movie Clue.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

A journalist's life is enriched by friendship when he takes on an assignment profiling Fred Rogers. Based on the real-life friendship between journalist Tom Junod and television star Fred Rogers.

Director: Marielle Heller

Cast: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Cooper

Release Date: November 15, 2019

Genres: Biography, Drama

Rated PG for some strong thematic material, a brief fight, and some mild language

Runtime: 1h 48min

Review:

It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood isn’t the Fred Rodgers biopic you might expect.  His character is mostly a secondary player but the film does a solid job of capturing the epitome of his spirit.  Marielle Heller’s film is a subtle but a well crafted tale that uses some wonderful visual and framing devices to really capture the feel of a Mr. Rodgers episode.  At the center of the film is Matthew Rhys who delivers a fine performance.  Rhys carries the air of a broken man from the beginning of the film.  Ultimately, this movie is about his story and how his interactions with Rodgers helped him identify his personal pain and grow into a better person.  There’s nary a question that nobody could play Mr. Rodgers except Tom Hanks.  Hanks brings his own inherent likeability to the role and it would have been easy to just coast through his performance based off of just that.  Thankfully Hanks doesn’t do that and the film is so much better for it.  It’s a showcase of subtly as he uses vocal inflections and mannerisms to channel Rodgers.  It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the film perks up every time he shows up on screen.  It’s wonderful performance that leaves you wishing he’d been a bigger focus of the film as a whole.

B+

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood & 21 Bridges

This weekend I threw my hard-earned cash at two unfortunate films offered as sacrifices to the Frozen gods: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and 21 Bridges.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

First up: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

A jaded investigative journalist is assigned to write a profile of Mr. Rogers.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is about Mr. Rogers, but it isn't really *about* Mr. Rogers. So close on the heels of the documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor? maybe it doesn't need to be. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is about Mr. Rogers' uncanny gift for teaching healthy coping mechanisms, and the exceptional kindness that always allowed him to see things from another person's point of view. In this "based on actual events" tale, Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks) forms an unlikely friendship with Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys), a world-weary writer assigned to profile him for Esquire magazine. Struggling with changes in his home dynamic and estranged from his ill father, Vogel cynically wonders if the saintly Rogers could possibly be for real. The story is framed within a fictional episode of Rogers' legendary television show, which sounds interesting in concept but plays somewhat awkwardly in practice. Pacing is dicey enough that the film, which isn't all that long, sometimes feels very slow and very, very long. It's also heavy-handed with its lessons of kindness and understanding, which isn't unwarranted in these unkind times, but being beaten over the head with a movie's message never helps me enjoy it much. Negatives aside, where the film really shines is in its leading performances. Hanks and Rhys are brilliant individually and together, even if I did catch a bit of Forrest Gump peeking through Hanks' Fred Rogers here and there. Given that he's the world's most-loved actor, playing the world's most-loved person, best actor nods across the board seem a given for Hanks. (At risk of sounding like a broken record: Ceding nominations only. He may not have Taron's Oscar, either, even if he is Tom Hanks playing Mr. Rogers.) A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood pulls at the heartstrings, but, ultimately, it still feels like the great Fred Rogers hasn't yet gotten the film he deserves.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood runs 108 minutes and is rated PG for "some strong thematic material, a brief fight, and some mild language."

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood features great performances and some touching moments, but overall it's pretty forgettable. Of a possible nine Weasleys, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood gets six.

Fangirl points: An audible twitter rolled through my theater when the Incline turned up!

Next on my agenda: 21 Bridges.

A detective known for taking down cop killers catches a case where eight officers were killed...but can he peel back the layers to get to the heart of the crime?

21 Bridges is a 2019 movie with the gritty feel of a 1970s cop drama. The underlying story of police corruption in the dirty Big City further adds to the old-school vibe. Chadwick Boseman carries the picture with ease, and--while this doesn't require anything on par with his stunning work in 42 and Get On Up--he is eminently watchable. The supporting cast is as good as it needs to be in fairly limited use, with Taylor Kitsch and Stephan James being particularly noteworthy. Characters are broadly drawn and leave little to the imagination, which makes plot twists pretty easy to spot. The movie is fairly intense throughout, though first half does seem to drag a bit. The second half is more solidly paced, playing to a predictable but not unsatisfying finale.

21 Bridges clocks in at a tight 99 minutes and is rated R for "violence and language throughout."

21 Bridges is a serviceable cop drama that offers a nice respite from awards bait and sappy seasonal fare.

Of a possible nine Weasleys, 21 Bridges gets seven.

Until next time...

Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Ford v Ferrari, The Good Liar & Doctor Sleep

Ford v Ferrari / The Good Liar / Doctor Sleep CINDY PRASCIK·TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2019·5 MINUTES An extra-long weekend left me with an opportunity to see the weekend's two new releases at my local cinema, as well as catching up a bit from a couple weeks back. On my agenda: Ford v Ferrari, the Good Liar, and Doctor Sleep.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing plot-specific.

First on the docket: Ford v Ferrari.

In the mid-1960s, American auto maker Ford decides to challenge perennial champion Ferrari on the world racing stage.

I feel it's first important to note that I would not hesitate to recommend Ford v Ferrari to anyone, even if you don't like cars or racing, even if you think it's just a white-guy movie, even if the sight of Matt Damon makes you want to punch a wall. (I seem to know an inexplicable number of folks in that last group.) It's just a good movie, sans any qualifiers. Ford v Ferrari starts with compelling story, but, as Midway would be happy to show you, not all compelling stories make compelling films. Where Ford v Ferrari succeeds is in making you care about its story, its characters, and its outcome, whether or not you are pre-disposed to do so. Christian Bale and Matt Damon are terrific in the leads, so much so that I think it would be a mistake to write off either in the upcoming best actor races. (As with Joaquin Phoenix, just ceding the nominations. They also may not have Taron's Oscar.) A two-and-a-half-hour runtime is solidly paced and never drags, and the beautifully-filmed racing scenes are tense enough to leave you holding your breath. The movie is funny, too, often unexpectedly so, and it has tons of heart. If it is cars you love, well, there are plenty of revving engines and sexy shots of gorgeous automobiles to go 'round. A phenomenal score by Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders ties a bow on this true gift of a film.

Ford v Ferrari runs 152 minutes and is rated PG13 for "some language and peril."

As someone whose sole knowledge racing comes from Talladega Nights and that one Finnish driver I follow on Twitter, I am here to tell you, dear reader(s), that Ford v Ferrari is a great movie for everyone. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Ford v Ferrari gets eight and a half.

Next up: the Good Liar.

A career con-artist sets his sights on a seemingly naive, well-to-do lady.

The Good Liar is the sort of grown-up movie that people complain Hollywood doesn't make anymore, then everyone stays home when it turns up at the cinema. That seems a real shame here, with two icons--Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen--fronting a well-crafted yarn that holds a number of surprises. Mirren and McKellan are expectedly fantastic, playing off one another as only two of the best can do. The story itself is a layered one that takes a darker turn than I expected. It's often said that R-rated films weed out not only those viewers who are too young for extreme content, but also those of a certain age who might prefer their entertainment minus violence and vulgarity. Certainly the Good Liar isn't Saw or the Human Centipede, but with a fair few F-bombs and some intense (though not graphic) violence, I wouldn't take my mom to see it, either. The Good Liar moves slowly enough in spots that it gets to feeling a bit overlong, but it's also smart enough to hold your attention pretty much end to end.

The Good Liar clocks in at 109 minutes and is rated R for "some strong violence, and for language and brief nudity."

The Good Liar is the sort of film that will suffer for having nothing to gain by being seen on a big screen, but it's definitely worth catching in some form whenever it crosses your path. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Good Liar gets eight.

Fangirl points: Russell Tovey!!

Finally, yesterday I closed out my weekend with a-day-late-and-a-dollar-short screening of Doctor Sleep.

Years after the events of the Shining, an adult Dan Torrance must protect a young girl who "shines" from a dangerous cult of immortals.

Doctor Sleep starts off promisingly enough, teasing a few ominous bars of the original Shining theme, but, sadly, it's all downhill from there. The film creeps along at a snail's pace, offers little new or interesting, and is never really properly scary. Nods to the original are copious and always entirely expected, especially towards the final act. Ewan McGregor really seems to have no idea how to salvage the material, and--at a bloated two-and-a-half hours--the movie overstays its welcome by a good 45 minutes. Now...here's why you'll want to go see Doctor Sleep anyway: Rebecca Ferguson. While everyone else seems adrift in a sea of clunky dialogue and predictable turns, Ferguson chews up the pedestrian material and spits it right back out into a riveting turn as Rose the Hat. She's creepy, she's sexy, she's camp, she's absolutely fantastic. You won't be able to take your eyes off of her. It's a performance well worth whatever it costs to see it on the big screen.

Doctor Sleep runs a plodding 152 minutes and is rated R for "disturbing and violent content, some bloody images, language, nudity, and drug use."

If you're an insomniac, Doctor Sleep is the cure. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Doctor Sleep gets four.

Fangirl points: Zahn McClarnon! Bruce Greenwood!

Until next time...