"Evil Does Not Exist" -- Movie Review

 

During the first full week of the 61^st New York Film Festival, I attended the U.S. Premiere of the new Japanese drama, “Evil Does Not Exist”. 

Synopsis

When a corporation seeks to build a “glamping” site in a rural area, will the residents who oppose it be able to prevent its construction?

Story

Harasawa is a small rural village in Japan where Takumi and his daughter Hana live.  Takumi earns a subsistence living doing a wide variety of odd jobs for the other residents of the town; much of it includes chopping wood for the fireplace and carrying buckets of water from the nearby well.  As pastoral and bucolic as all may seem to an outside observer, the peace is soon intruded upon by Playmode, a Tokyo company that hopes to construct a glamping site for city residents who seek to temporarily escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  While a potentially great opportunity to increase Playmode’s revenue, it doesn’t have quite as positive influence on the village’s citizens. 

After the company holds a meeting with the residents of Harasawa, the townspeople are not at all shy when it comes to expressing their opposition to this plan.  For one thing, the glamping site will have dire ecological consequences for the area; currently, deer meander about the surrounding vicinity – and if their source of sustenance evaporates, their mere ability to exist becomes uncertain.  Another problem has to do with the health and well being of the locals.  With the plan including using nearby lakes and well water for internal plumbing at the glamping site, this has the potential of making the villagers sick. 

Once the corporate representatives report the inhabitants’ feedback to their management, they are instructed to return to the village and this time, to instead meet with people one-on-one to convince them that in the long run, this glamping site will only be to their benefit.  Since Takumi seems to have been the leader – not to mention the most vocal in his obstruction to this project – they figure that it only makes sense to start with him, given that he seems to have a great deal of influence with his neighbors.  Their discussion gets interrupted when Hana is now missing, perhaps lost in the woods somewhere.  Will they be able to find the girl and resolve their issues?  

Review

“Evil Does Not Exist” is certainly a compelling idea for a story, but the film somewhat falls apart at the end; it is slightly ambiguous and appears to come from out of nowhere.  There’s very little that foretold the conclusion so it gives the impression that the filmmaker didn’t know exactly how to end the movie, so he just threw something together for an ending that is unclear and has a bit of a shock factor.  If you can overlook the finale, then it might be worth a look; otherwise, given the rather uneven climax, then maybe hold off.  That said, the “country folk vs. the corporation” is definitely a worthwhile topic – but here, deserved a better wrap-up.

The extensive nature scenes, along with those of chopping wood, grow a bit weary after a while (unless, of course, you are from a rural community and can deeply connect with that lifestyle).  There is also a long scene that’s a car ride with two of the people representing the corporation seeking to build the glamping site; while this certainly gives a bit of insight and background to these characters, it’s something of a detour and slows down the forward momentum of the story almost completely, which does not serve the movie well.  While “Evil Does Not Exist” is well-intentioned, it is flawed.   

Following the screening, there was an interview with director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi through an interpreter; Hamaguchi said that the frequent focus on the trees in that area give a perspective; being raised in that environment, the little girl does not think that evil in fact does exist.  He hoped to provide tension by playing the narrative against the title.  His goal was to be emotionally evocative without being manipulative.  Hamaguchi explained that he would cut abruptly to put distance between the sound and vision in the film.  The film was a two year process, collaborating with the composer he worked with on “Drive My Car”.    

"Do Not Expect ... " -- Movie Review

 

On the middle weekend of the 61^st New York Film Festival, I attended the U.S. Premiere of the new Romanian comedy from Radu Jude, “Do Not Expect Too Much From The End Of The World”.

Synopsis

A day in the life of an overworked and underpaid production assistant for an instructional video about workplace safety. 

Story

Angela (Ilinca Manolache) has a long and very busy day driving all around the city of Bucharest.   She works as a production assistant on an instructional video about workplace safety; as a result, Angela must visit various people who have suffered workplace injuries and record their story as a kind of “audition” to see if the German conglomerate putting up the money to finance the video wants them in the project.  In order to stay somewhat sane, Angela uses her short breaks to record her own videos posted on social media; in these videos, she plays a character similar to Andrew Tate – a right-wing male chauvinist who proudly mistreats women. 

The company sponsoring the production of the video makes it abundantly clear that they want the discussion slanted in a way that makes it appear as though it was the fault of the worker who got injured rather than having the accident be the result of some form of negligence by the employer.  Even when it’s clear that the employer was remiss in providing safe working conditions, they manipulate the video to teach employees to be more careful when on the job.  Therefore, when casting the video, they will choose people who they think may come across as less sympathetic.  In order to remain employed, Angela has no choice but to go along with this.

Finally, they start shooting.  Their first scene is shot on the site of the accident and the filmmakers must battle some rather uncooperative weather conditions.  Not only that, but they must also battle the subject of the incident, a worker who now finds himself in a wheelchair as the result of the accident.  Initially, he describes what happened in a way that implicates the employer because they failed to have proper lighting or a security guard available in the factory’s parking lot.  The director is forced to cut at the end of each take and painstakingly explain to the injured worker how he needs to express himself if he wants to appear in the video.  Will he cooperate?

Review

There is that old saying, “Brevity is the soul of wit”.  Clearly, filmmaker Radu Jude – who refuses to abide by any rules whatsoever – doesn’t even remotely buy in to this philosophy in any way, shape or form.  A couple of years ago at The New York Film Festival, Jude’s social satire “Bad Luck Banging” was screened; at a more reasonable length, it did a good job of making its point effectively.  While the first half of “Do Not Expect” went by relatively quickly, it began to wear a bit thin midway through the screening, which may turn off quite a few people.  Its length made it seem self-indulgent and a good bit of editing would’ve been helpful. 

As for the story itself, Jude reminds us that worker exploitation is not limited to the United States alone.  What’s interesting about the film is that this is illustrated not just by observing the production assistant in the course of doing her job, but also by showing the workers who have suffered workplace injuries; not only do we see how Angela is exploited by being overworked and underpaid, but also, the workers who were injured on the job (as if they haven’t already suffered enough) are being exploited as well.  Some of them may not get the opportunity to tell their story in the video and those who do will have their experience twisted.

Director Radu Jude did not travel to New York City for an interview, but he did create a video introduction of his film that was shown prior to the screening; it was done in the spirit of his quirky sense of humor and as a result was quite amusing.  Basically, he apologized for creating a comedy that was nearly three hours long, but rationalized it by saying that he has effectively given us two movies in one, so we should be grateful for the bargain.  However, he did acknowledge that some people might feel the need to complain about the motion picture, either due to its length or for other reasons; he provided his email address so folks could contact him directly about their misgivings. 

"Foe" -- Movie Review

 

On the opening weekend of the 61^st New York Film Festival, I attended the World Premiere of the new science-fiction drama, “Foe” starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal.

Synopsis

When climate change forces the government to recruit people to help save the planet, will this threaten a couple’s marriage?

Story

In the year 2065, Henrietta and Junior (Ronan and Mescal) live in a ramshackle farm somewhere in the midwestern portion of the United States.  Due to years – decades, in fact – of climate change, the farm’s land has turned arid.  Unable to grow any crops for either themselves or to sell to others, they are food insecure.  Miles from any neighbors, a mysterious stranger pulls up in a car – Terrance (Aaron Pierre), who claims to work for the United States government, coming to check up on the couple in order to see how they are doing.  After inviting him into their home, Terrence proposes something that may change the couple’s life forever.

Terrence reveals that for the past few years, the government has been conducting experiments in outer space where they have set up something akin to a farming community where crops can be grown; if this experiment succeeds, they may have just found a way to end hunger in the United States and possibly the rest of the world, as well.  He’s sharing this information with the couple because the government believes Junior can be of some assistance, given his background in farming – the only problem is that Junior would have to spend an inordinate amount of time in space. 

Neither Henrietta nor Junior are crazy about this idea; for one thing, Henrietta would be left alone on the farm indefinitely.  Junior, despite his farming skills, doesn’t want to leave his wife for an extended period, nor does he wish to be in outer space working alongside a bunch of strangers.  Politely but firmly, the couple decline Terrance’s offer.  But there’s a catch – Junior doesn’t have that option; basically, the government has drafted him, whether he wants to go or not.  Terrance gives the couple a little time to get used to the idea and prepare to say goodbye; during that time, their already unsteady marriage begins to wear thin.  When Junior finally leaves for his mission, what will Henrietta do?

Review

It serves no one any good to mince words when it comes to “Foe”, so let’s just get it out there:  This is an absolutely dreadful movie.  Too bad, because Ronan and Mescal are two of our great acting talents currently working (Ronan has been a favorite of mine ever since “Brooklyn”).  The film suffers from a great many problems, including a second act which just drags on, seemingly going nowhere.  Also, the story itself is rather convoluted; the filmmaker seems to be counting on a surprise twist ending which will save the motion picture, but even that’s a little confusing.  There are better ways for you to spend two hours (although it certainly does feel much longer than that) than by watching “Foe”. 

The story also begs the question of exactly who is the foe in the first place?  Ronan’s character is certainly sympathetic, Mescal’s less so – and the government official, well, he’s just a mechanism to get the plot moving along (to the extent that it does, but there can definitely be an argument made to the opposite).  Mescal’s Junior acts like something of a jerk throughout, making it somewhat difficult to root for him with his brutish behavior.  The filmmaker does an excellent job of concealing whatever good qualities that character may have, if any.  Again, the ending seems intended to redeem him, but it doesn’t quite. 

Director Garth Davis was interviewed after the screening.  He said that the tension coming from the climate change is only matched by the tension currently being experienced in the couple’s marriage.  What was Henrietta looking for in their relationship?  Over time, Junior lost any sense of spontaneity and an ability to change.  She is trapped in her marriage because she’s trying to hold onto her past.  Davis collaborated on the script with the author who wrote the novel on which it is based; they spent three days in Los Angeles asking and answering questions about the story and about the couple, as well.  Although the film is set in the midwestern part of the United States, it was actually shot in Australia. 

"The Curse" -- TV Review

 

During the final week of the 61^st New York Film Festival, I attended a screening of the World Premiere of first three episodes of the new Showtime comedy series, “The Curse”, starring Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie.

Synopsis

When a recently-married couple gets a TV show to do a home makeover for the underprivileged, will they be able to find success even after a curse is placed on the husband?

Story

Episode1:  LAND OF ENCHANTMENT - Asher and Whitney Siegel (Fielder and Stone) are newly married but have decided to go into business for themselves upgrading the homes – and in some cases the lifestyles – of people in the New Mexico area.  They have pitched the idea of a television series based on this concept and one network has given them a small budget to shoot some pilot episodes.  Asher engages his old college buddy Dougie Schecter (Safdie) to produce and direct these episodes.  However, in the midst of shooting, a little girl who feels slighted by Asher places a curse on him and he is followed by bad luck thereafter.

Episode2:  PRESSURE'S LOOKING GOOD SO FAR – After an interview with a local television station didn’t go terribly well, Asher tries to negotiate with the news reporter not to air that part of the segment; as an incentive, he offers to get her proof that a casino where he worked as a consultant is enabling gamblers.  Whitney pushes to make sure that when the subjects of each episode get a new or renovated home, the living quarters are upgraded to make sure that they are ecologically sound.  Asher sets out to try to find the little girl who placed the curse on him in order to make good with her and have the curse lifted.

Episode3:  QUESTA LANE – At an auction, Asher purchases a lot filled with squalid homes that he and Whitney plan to renovate for their new television show.  Quite by accident, he discovers that squatting in one of these homes is the little girl who placed the curse on him; she shares the place with her sister and their father.  Asher and Whitney try to befriend the family so that the girl will remove the curse she placed on Asher.  Asher visits his former colleagues at the casino to attempt to obtain video evidence that they are allowing gamblers to go in over their head – otherwise, the television reporter won’t edit the portion of the interview that makes Asher look bad. 

Review

“The Curse” may very well be the next big television comedy – unfortunately, you’ll need a premium cable channel subscription in order to view the episodes.  Keep in mind that this show will certainly not be for everyone – while quite funny, it is extremely uncomfortable to watch.  This is because some of the jokes can make you squirm or cringe – obviously, describing some of them in any detail would be giving away far too much, but if this description makes you curious about giving this show a try, then it might just be your next “appointment TV” (or binge streaming, however you choose to consume). 

Both the writing and performances in “The Curse” are top notch; some creative and innovative minds are on display here and they are firing on all cylinders.  If all of the remaining seven episodes of this series are as good as the first three, then this show will surely be an enormous hit.  It’s a great achievement not just because it’s funny but also because it is a biting and incisive social satire that takes aim at the media and the public’s perception (or misperception) of public personalities and celebrity as a whole.  It is admirable for its “take no prisoners” approach, not particularly caring whom they might anger as a result. 

This was something of a first for The New York Film Festival in the sense that it has never premiered a television show before – in the past, it has been exclusively limited to movies.  However, given the talent involved – and given the unusual nature of the content – it was chosen to debut at the festival.  “The Curse” will start streaming on both Showtime and Paramount+ in November 2023 with a number of 10 total weekly episodes; however, if you are in the New York City area and are unable to stream from either of these two networks – but are still interested in seeing the entire series – the remaining episodes will play at Lincoln Center’s theaters from November 2023 to January 2024. 

"The Killer" -- Movie Review

 

On the final weekend of the 61^st New York Film Festival, I attended a special screening of the new crime adventure, “The Killer”, directed by David Fincher and starring Michael Fassbender in the title role. 

Synopsis

When a paid assassin’s latest assignment goes awry, will he be able to find who tried to have him murdered afterwards?

Story

When you’re a paid assassin (Fassbender), you may get to travel to many exotic locations.  This time, it’s Paris.  But the job may also include a considerable amount of down time, which can tend to be boredom-inducing.  As a result, this one spends time in the abandoned office building across the street from his next target, keeping warm with a small space heater and staying fed with food from a French McDonald’s; in between, he exercises with yoga and tries to get in some sleep.  When the opportunity arises to take down the victim, he fires his rifle – that’s the moment when things take a turn for the worse. 

Unfortunately, it is just at that moment when someone else steps into the line of fire; taking the bullet, they die instead of the one for whom it was intended.  The Killer must then quickly bail out and leave town – but not before informing his boss about what happened.  When he finally returns to his home in the Dominican Republic, he discovers that it was invaded by someone who was out to get him for not completing the job successfully; instead,  as a warning, they attack his partner who lives there with him.  Now, The Killer has his new mission:  to find and eliminate whoever it was that tried to take him out. 

With his duty clear, The Killer travels all across the United States searching for the original source who had him hired in the first place, assuming that it’s the same person who tried to have him killed for not properly finishing the job.  Working backward starting from the lawyer who initially hired him for the job, he flies from city to city before finally confronting the wealthy hedge fund manager who apparently ordered the hit on the Frenchman in the first place.  But upon confronting his new target, will he still be able to do the job he set out to do or must he bail out here as well?

Review

From the opening, it is apparent that Fincher has shot a very slick movie in “The Killer” – perhaps appropriately so, given the fact that it is based on a graphic novel.  Fassbender is the perfect choice as the role of the assassin, playing it cool and detached, until the character does not have the luxury to do so.  This is a very entertaining action-adventure film, but only enjoyable on the most superficial of levels as there’s not much substantial to either the character or the plot.  It seems that the ultimate message of the motion picture is supposed to be that we are more like The Killer than we care to admit, but that’s a bit of a leap. 

The resolution to “The Killer” is a little disappointing and unsatisfying, especially after all of the action that precedes the ending scene.  It’s also a bit misleading in the sense that it feels as though the audience is being set up for some kind of great battle at the end which never fully materializes.  “The Killer” appears to want to aspire to being a psychological or intellectual endeavor with a bit of action thrown in, but the action is more well developed than any psychological or intellectual aspects, which are somewhat vacuous at best.  Go into “The Killer” with low expectations and they will be met; it is nothing more than a popcorn movie, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

What makes “The Killer” worth your time is both the performance by Fassbender and the look and sound that Fincher has created for this film.  Also, some of the scenes of Paris and the Caribbean are quite nice.  There is some humor thrown in amidst the violence, such as the fake names The Killer uses when travelling.  What gets to wear thin, however, is that much of the movie is the character of The Killer providing voiceover narration, sharing with us not only his inner thoughts but also his philosophy about his career choice.  Tilda Swinton appears briefly in a small role, but the one scene she has with Fassbender is quite good.     

"Ferrari" -- Movie Review

 

On the closing night of the 61^st New York Film Festival, I attended the North American Premiere of the biographical drama, “Ferrari”, directed by Michael Mann and starring Adam Driver in the title role, Penélope Cruz and  Shailene Woodley. 

Synopsis

When race car manufacturer Enzo Ferrari is at risk of losing his business and his marriage, which one will he choose to preserve?

Story

In 1957, Enzo Ferrari (Driver) is at something of a crossroads professionally; the Italian car manufacturing company he started a decade earlier with financial help from his wife Laura (Cruz) faces possible bankruptcy.  As a former race car driver himself, he learned enough about the inner workings of these machines to start his own business; he set out to build the best and fastest race cars the world has ever seen.  What he didn’t take into consideration is that if he only built those and not commercial passenger cars that the general public could purchase, he would severely limit business opportunities for his company. 

As if that weren’t bad enough, Ferrari is facing a crossroads in his personal life as well; Laura knows he has been cheating on her with at least one other woman.  Their marriage started to suffer after their son died following a long illness.  Unknown to Laura, he met Lina (Woodley); they began an affair and eventually she wound up giving him a son, who would go on to become his heir.  Laura feels humiliated and disrespected and isn’t shy about letting Enzo know her true feelings.  The only power she holds over him is the fact that as an initial investor in his company, she holds a substantial amount of stock – as a result, he can’t sell to Ford as planned without her say-so.

Ferrari recognizes the final opportunity for his company’s redemption is the Mille Miglia – a dangerous thousand mile cross-country race through Italy.  With that in mind, he enters a team of drivers to race various model Ferrari-manufactured cars.  While some exit the race early due to mechanical failures, he still has two drivers racing:  one is Piero (Patrick Dempsey), a veteran race car driver and the other is De Portago (Gabriel Leone), a younger driver with a glamorous reputation and a favorite of kids who follow the sport. But when one of them has a catastrophic accident that may result in the end of the company, can the other racer come to the rescue?

Review

Michael Mann has a tendency to make highly stylized films – the old television series “Miami Vice” may be the best example, but personal favorites include “Heat” and “Thief”.  In his latest, “Ferrari”, it is no different; in once sense, he’s very much in his zone in the way that the visuals and sound of the racing scenes are shot – they’ll set your pulse pounding either out of the thrill of excitement or the anxiety of the danger.  If you want to see the movie based on that alone, it would be a good choice, especially if you don’t know much about Enzo Ferrari’s story.  Outside of the racing scenes, unfortunately, there’s not much more to recommend. 

“Ferrari” tries to balance the professional challenges and personal conflicts at a time in the race car manufacturer’s life when he fears he’s about to lose both his company and his marriage – quite possibly one causing the other.  The problem here is that there is only a limited amount of empathy one can have in either, which results in little emotional investment in the character or the story itself.  Enzo Ferrari is at risk of losing his company for the same reason he’s at risk of losing his wife Laura – he’s an arrogant, narcissistic egomaniac.  In this way, he’s like the Jake LaMotta character Robert DeNiro played in “Raging Bull”, except that LaMotta got his comeuppance in the end, while Ferrari seems neither chastened nor punished.     

There was an interview with Director Michael Mann and the main cast following the screening.  Mann said that he had been working on this film for decades; an initial draft of a script had been co-written with fellow director, the late Sydney Pollack.  Adam Driver was asked about researching the role and said that it only helps so much, but that at some point, you have to stop because it only winds up getting in the way of the performance.  Penélope Cruz felt an extra sense of responsibility in her portrayal of Ferrari’s wife Laura because she knew that Laura had a reputation for being difficult; her research involved reading love letters between Laura and Enzo.  

"The Delinquents" -- Movie Review

 

This week at the 61^st New York Film Festival, I attended the U.S. Premiere of the new comedy-drama from Argentina, “The Delinquents”. 

Synopsis

When a bank employee embezzles money for his retirement, he asks a co-worker to temporarily hold onto the sum – but once this co-worker becomes involved, how will both of their lives change?

Story

Morán (Daniel Elías) works as a middle-management bank clerk in Buenos Aires; he hates his job, in part because he sees it as something of a dead-end.  Envisioning himself doing this for the next 25 years before he can retire is just too much to bear.  With access to cash in the bank’s safe, he decides to steal just enough money on which he can retire comfortably.  As he stashes the bills into his bag, he suddenly realizes that he’s a dead duck – the bank’s security cameras have captured him in the act; he’s going to be caught, fired from his job and sent to prison.  Therefore, Morán must quickly form a back-up plan.

That’s where Román (Esteban Bigliardi) comes into the picture; he’s one of Morán’s co-workers at the bank.  Meeting with him after work, Morán explains the situation to Román, who is understandably in disbelief.  Morán’s plan is simply this:  he’ll confess to the crime and be sent to prison; the standard sentence is six years, but with good behavior, he’ll be released in only three and a half years.  He asks Román to hold onto the money until he is let out of prison, at which point, they will split the funds.  Although Román can refuse, Morán warns him at this point, he’s already an accomplice, even if he doesn’t go along with the plan.  Reluctantly, Román agrees. 

While Román hides the money in the apartment he shares with his girlfriend and their children, Morán heads to a rural area with the intent of turning himself into the police.  Once in prison, he suddenly discovers how tough life can be and asks Román to direct some funds to a bank account in order to pay protection.  Meanwhile, the bank begins an investigation, causing some to be laid off or in the case of Román, demoted.  Morán is visited by Román and directs him to somehow deliver a letter to a woman he met during his detour, before turning himself into the law.  When he agrees to do so, how will this woman’s reaction alter each man’s life?    

Review

Although the genre is labelled as a comedy-drama, it would probably be more accurate to describe it as an existential fable.  At three hours, “The Delinquents” is undeservedly and unnecessarily long.  The movie is split into two parts, which, ideally, should be shown separately, rather than during a single viewing.  If, however, it is the intent of the director to watch both parts in a single viewing, then a great deal of editing would be necessary.  For example, there is an extended scene of a picnic, which turns out to be crucial to the resolution of the story, but it could have been considerably shortened and still ultimately made its point.   

Another problem with the movie has to do with the way the story is laid out – basically, a structural issue.  Part Two of “The Delinquents” is almost entirely a flashback.  The reliance on flashbacks, especially one as long as this, reveals something of a weakness in the way a filmmaker tells their story.  Generally speaking, it usually shows either one of two things:  (1) the filmmaker realized they should have had the scene(s) earlier in the film for an important plot point but forgot to include it, so they tack it on later as if to say, “I meant to do that” or (2) to intentionally force a dramatic point to the story, introduced late, as if to be a surprise twist or shock.  In this case, it may be more of the latter than the former.   

Writer-Director Rodrigo Moreno was interviewed following the screening.  At the outset, he half-jokingly congratulated the audience for surviving his three-hour movie.  The original idea for “The Delinquents” came from a 1949 film he saw that was about a bank heist.  He extended the idea by thinking about what if the heist was done by someone who was just sick of working and is just doing it for the money?  The idea of someone not working anymore was what interested him.  He went back and forth rewriting drafts of the script for five years.  Moreno instructed his actors not to improvise because he doesn’t like the way actors sound when they try to do so.    

"Priscilla" -- Movie Review

 

This year’s Centerpiece screening of the 61^st New York Film Festival was the North American Premiere of the biographical drama “Priscilla”, written and directed by Sofia Coppola.

Synopsis

The life of Priscilla Wagner as Elvis Presley’s girlfriend and wife.

Story

In 1959, Priscilla Wagner-Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny) is a 14 year old military brat living at a base in Germany with her parents.  Lonely and bored, she meets one of the officers at the base who claims he can introduce her to the famous Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi), who also happens to be stationed there at the time.  It takes quite a bit to convince her parents, but eventually, she is allowed to attend a party the rock star is throwing.  When Elvis is introduced to Priscilla, he’s immediately smitten and seeks her parents’ permission to start dating this high school freshman – which they reluctantly grant. 

Upon Elvis’ discharge from the army, Priscilla anxiously awaits word from him.  Weeks go by, then months, followed by years.  It isn’t until Priscilla is a high school senior in 1962 that she finally hears from him; he asks her to visit him at his home in Memphis, Tennessee at a vast estate known as Graceland.  Once there, Priscilla gets swept up in Elvis’ lifestyle; although by now he has developed quite a reputation for having famous girlfriends, he refuses to be physically intimate with Priscilla until they are officially married – this, despite the fact that they are sleeping in the same bed together. 

Once they are finally married shortly after her high school graduation, things begin to change.  Elvis’ popularity is soon overtaken by a music group from England known as The Beatles.  His mood becomes darker and he now concentrates more on making movies in Hollywood than recording new songs.  By the late sixties/early seventies, music tastes have changed considerably.  Elvis, who is now a father, decided to revive his career by performing in Las Vegas.  Priscilla notices this gradual change in his behavior – partially induced by whichever form of medication he’s currently taking.  Will she be able to keep their marriage afloat or must she take their daughter and leave Elvis forever?

Review

In the years – decades, actually – since the death of Elvis Presley, what little is there left to know about his ex-wife Priscilla’s life with him that most of us haven’t already osmotically absorbed into our national zeitgeist?  The answer is not much – and therein lies the problem with “Priscilla” as a motion picture.  Over time, we’ve already heard the stories – and those few that we haven’t we could pretty much assume, given Elvis’ erratic behavior in his later years (much of it due to his dependence on pills).  The audience doesn’t wind up learning a great deal by watching “Priscilla”, so it basically winds up being a retread of information already out there.

The value in this version of the story is that it is told from his ex-wife’s perspective – how she deals with the power dynamics and trying to provide her husband with a normal life when he wasn’t performing, shooting movies or recording.  Although Priscilla could maintain her objectivity on the situation, her husband could not – he was surrounded by Yes Men who did not have the backbone to leave the trappings of his fame and power.  As a result, he was used to getting his way all of the time and would fly into a rage when he couldn’t get it or when people disagreed with him.  This might also explain why he tried to get his wife into as much usage of medication as he had relied upon. 

Post-screening, there was no interview with writer/director Sofia Coppola as she was with her family on this evening.  However, the two stars of the movie were present, as were some of the crew.  Cailee Spaeny said that since the film was shot out of sequence, it presented some odd challenges for her; for example, in the morning, she would shoot scenes where she was a mother to Lisa Marie, then after lunch, she would be playing Priscilla as a 14-year-old teenage girl.  Co-producer Youree Henley said that although Priscilla’s book came out in the mid-80’s, it was only a few years ago that Coppola pitched the idea to her for the motion picture.  Much of “Priscilla” was actually shot in Toronto in only 30 days and one of the bigger obstacles was to find an exterior that would look like the actual Graceland. 

"Hit Man" -- Movie Review

 

This week at the 61^st New York Film Festival, I attended the U.S. Premiere of the new action comedy “Hit Man”, directed by Richard Linklater. 

Synopsis

When a college professor is recruited to go undercover as a hit man for the police, can he pull it off without risking his own life?

Story

Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) is living a perfectly satisfying life as a professor of Philosophy at the University of New Orleans – although as a divorced man, he lives alone with just his pet cat to keep him company.  An electronics enthusiast, he uses his skills part-time to work with the local police force in order to assist them in various crime fighting efforts.  One day, however, the force recruits him to a riskier duty – to go undercover as a hit man and record the transactions with the people who would hire him so they can be arrested.  This becomes necessary when Jasper (Austin Amelio), the actual undercover officer, is suspended for using unnecessary violence on the job. 

From the start, Gary is a success.  He gets incriminating evidence on people looking to hire him, resulting in their arrest (but not always culminating in a conviction, for a variety of reasons beyond his control).  By the time that Jasper’s suspension is over, he has now effectively lost his job; although he is still permitted to work on these assignments, he’s no longer the undercover cop he once was – and he blames Gary for this demotion.  However, Gary’s progress hits a roadblock when he meets Maddy (Adria Arjona), a recently-divorced woman who wants to arrange a hit on her ex-husband. 

Instead of getting Maddy to implicate herself, Gary merely advises her to change her mind and refocus her energies on fixing her new life.  Later, Maddy reaches out to Gary and it becomes clear that she no longer wishes to hire him for his services, but rather, to have a personal relationship with him.  Gary succumbs to her charms and they begin dating.  However, things go awry when Jasper becomes aware of their relationship and attempts to extort Maddy – and if she doesn’t pay up, he threatens to report them both to the police so she can be arrested and he can get back his old job.  Can Gary figure out a way to keep his and Maddy’s secret romance from getting them both in trouble?

Review

“Hit Man” is one of the most fun experiences you will have when watching a movie; it was recently reported that it will be available on the Netflix platform, but a release date has not yet been announced.  Regardless, whenever it becomes available, it is highly recommended that you add it to your watch list and stream it as soon as you can.  There are more than enough laughs in the film (at this screening, Linklater pretty much had the audience in the palm of his hand) and is also very sexy (thanks in no small part to the performance by Adria Arjona).  Is it art?  Who knows and who cares?  It’s a sensational piece of escapist amusement and in the end, that’s really all that matters.

One of Linklater’s greatest gifts as a director is his ability to keep a light touch on even the darkest of subjects, regardless of their being based on true events (which is not only true of “Hit Man”, but also an earlier work, “Bernie”).  While this has so far gotten some very positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes (not to mention reactions at various film festivals around the world in the past few months), it may ultimately be word-of-mouth that takes it over the top, especially if the SAG-AFTRA strike continues and the actors are unable to promote the motion picture – which would be a shame, especially since everyone connected with this particular project should be quite proud. 

During an interview with director Richard Linklater following the screening, he said that he originally worked on the screenplay with Skip Hollandsworth, with whom he previously worked on the film “Bernie”.  The story was initially written for a Texas publication back in 2001 and the script was first optioned by Brad Pitt as a starring vehicle for himself.  Eventually, the script came up for renewal and it was re-optioned.  Linklater described the final version as a cross between film noir and a screwball comedy.  Actor Glen Powell worked with Linklater on previous projects and also made some contributions to the screenplay as well.  

"Maestro" -- Movie Review

 

In the first full week of the 61^st New York Film Festival, I attended the North American Premiere of the biographical drama, “Maestro”, directed by Bradley Cooper who also stars with Carey Mulligan. 

Synopsis

The personal and professional life of composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein.

Story

At 9:30AM on a mooning in 1947, Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) got the telephone call that would forever set his life on a new trajectory:  the conductor for The New York Philharmonic would not be able to make the performance at Carnegie Hall that day, so young Leonard would have to fill-in for him – despite the fact that there would be no time for rehearsal.  The reception by the audience was so positive that his career as a full-fledged orchestra conductor (as well as composer) would now take off.  Not only would this change his career, it would change his personal life as well; in expanding his social network, he is invited to a party where he meets Felicia (Mulligan), an actress who would go on to become his wife.

Although Leonard had great affection for Felicia, this talented artist was a man of abundant sexual appetites in which he felt obliged to indulge – and so he did, with both other women and men as well.  At first, Felicia seemed oblivious to this.  Then she chose to overlook it altogether, perhaps hoping he would eventually change.  After they got married, however, she grew increasingly annoyed; Felicia understandably felt humiliated, especially when Leonard would flaunt his behavior indiscreetly.  Friends and family could not help but notice.  Finally, she couldn’t take it any longer and confronts her successful husband about how his behavior was impacting her.  

By the time their children were now grown, Leonard and Felicia’s marriage faced yet another challenge:  she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Felicia fought mightily, but eventually succumbed.  Regardless of whatever feelings of betrayal she may have towards her husband at this point, Leonard, in his own way, cared for her deeply.  Without her, he was now lost, a lonely soul adrift in a sea of parasitic manipulators.  Would Leonard now take this as an opportunity to pull himself together for the sake of his children and his legacy, or would he instead find it as an excuse to surrender to even darker behavior?

Review

By no means did Bradley Cooper seek to make a hagiography when envisioning “Maestro” – quite the opposite, in fact.  As talented as the composer/conductor is presented in this movie, Cooper does not ignore the fact that Bernstein was a bit of a scoundrel as well.  Based on what we see in this film, it would seem that the closer you are to Bernstein, the more comfortable he feels when it comes to taking advantage of you.  While there is no valid excuse for this, it appears that those who are blessed to be great artists are also cursed with serious character flaws; besides Bernstein’s bisexual promiscuity, he was a chain-smoker, possible alcoholic and – at least later in life – illicit drug user. 

Despite the fact that the performances by Cooper and Mulligan are quite good (it’s easy to imagine her getting award nominations), there are some moments that are a bit cringeworthy in the context of the story.  For example, an attraction to one of the sailors dancing in “Fancy Free” (“On The Town”) has some kind of fantasy sequence where Cooper/Bernstein is dancing with him as a sailor while Felicia/Mulligan looks on somewhat confused.  Also, Cooper chooses to shoot the first half of the movie in black and white, switching to color in Bernstein’s later years.  This decision is a bit baffling, but you either go with it or you don’t. 

In a question and answer session following the screening, the screenwriter revealed that the project had originally begun around 15 years ago when one of the producers pitched the idea to a studio.  Bradley Cooper entered the project about five or six years ago and that’s where the momentum began to pick up.  A draft of the screenplay had been written a while back but after Cooper did a deep dive on researching the subject, he collaborated with the original screenwriter on what basically amounted to a full rewrite of the script.  The make-up artist discussed the challenges of aging Cooper around 40-50 years; Cooper spent about two and a half hours in make-up for Bernstein’s younger years, but as he aged, that time increased to four or five hours.  

"Poor Things" -- Movie Review

 

On the opening weekend of the 61^st edition of The New York Film Festival, I attended a screening of the new science fiction comedy “Poor Things”, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo. 

Synopsis

When an acclaimed surgeon successfully revives a dead woman, will he be able to control his new creation?

Story

In Victorian Era Scotland, Dr. Godwin Baxter (Dafoe) teaches surgery to medical students at a college in Glasgow.  While some of his students think he’s a bit of a kook, there is one who happens to believe him to be a genius – that is Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef).  Dr. Baxter invites Max to his home where he maintains a laboratory and offer him an opportunity to assist in a special project:  the development of Bella Baxter (Stone) as a fully-formed human being.  Baxter found this woman after her untimely death and revived her – but she is now childlike and must relearn everything from scratch.  That’s where Max comes in – he will monitor her, document his findings and report her progress to Dr. Baxter.

Over time, Max finds himself attracted to Bella and Dr. Baxter suggests he marry her – especially now that both her speech and motor skills have advanced to the point where she has discovered how to give herself sexual pleasure.  Complications develop when Bella meets Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a successful lawyer who is also drawn to Bella.  With Bella realizing there is a world much bigger than what Dr. Baxter allows her to see from the limited views of his estate, she accepts Duncan’s offer to travel with him throughout Europe where they frequently engage in a physical intimacy Bella calls “furious jumping”. 

Ultimately, Bella and Duncan have a falling out; stranded in Paris, she decides to take a job as a prostitute, partly to earn money, but also partly to have her needs satisfied.  Eventually, Bella manages to make it back to Scotland, where she reunites with Dr. Baxter.  Once home, they learn that Dr. Baxter doesn’t have much longer to live, so they quickly plan the wedding between her and Max.  Those plans become foiled when a man claiming to be Bella’s husband shows up; he takes her back to live with him and continue their life together.  But when Bella finds him to be controlling and abusive, can she somehow find a way to escape?   

Review

How to characterize “Poor Things”?  A very difficult task indeed.  Suffice it to say that it’s a warped romantic comedy wrapped in a science fiction framework, with a darkly funny resolution that’s appropriate to the story and the main characters.  It’s a daring, creative story that Yorgos Lanthimos tells in an equally daring and creative manner; given the director’s past films, this one fits right in his wheelhouse rather nicely and while it may not necessarily be for everyone, some of the more sophisticated audiences – Lanthimos fans in particular – should truly appreciate the quality of its craftsmanship.  

It has been rightly said that “Poor Things” is a cross between “Frankenstein” and “The Island of Dr. Moreau”.  However, thematically, there is one thing that cannot and should not be overlooked:  it is ultimately a very feminist story.  That’s not to say that it would pass The Bechdel Test (quite the opposite, in fact), but there is an argument to be made that it is staunchly feminist because of the fact that Bella takes full ownership of her sexuality and controls with whom she decides to have orgasms.  Promiscuous?  Maybe, but she rejects lovers when they display cruelty to her and is strong enough to move on to her next “victim”.    

The movie is based on a novel written by Alasdair Gray some 30 years ago.  In a post-screening question and answer session, director Yorgos Lanthimos said that he met with the author back in 2011 when the Scottish novelist was then around 80 years old.  (Gray died in 2019)  Lanthimos said that he wanted to shoot the film in something of an old-fashioned way in that much of it was in a soundstage with many sets having been built for the project.  He frequently used a very wide angle lens and occasionally this presented problems such as the ceiling of the soundstage would appear in certain shots.  Some shots appear as though you’re looking through a peephole.