“The Irishman”–Movie Review

On the opening day of the 57th New York Film Festival, I attended the World Premiere of Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman”, starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.

Synopsis

When a mob hitman is tasked with taking out Jimmy Hoffa, can he do the job despite being the man’s close friend?

Story

At this point in his life, the elderly Frank Sheeran (De Niro) must live in a nursing home.  Reminiscing about his remarkable life, this World War II veteran admits that he made a successful career for himself as a hitman for Italian gangsters (despite the fact that Frank himself is Irish).  Following a chance meeting with mobster Russell Bufalino (Pesci), Frank is hired by him to do various unsavory jobs.  Although Frank is able to earn a decent living for his family as a truck driver, he certainly doesn’t mind making some extra money on the side.       

After proving himself to be reliable, Russell gives Frank more and bigger jobs with even greater responsibility.  Eventually, Frank is making more money working for Russell than he is in his truck driving job alone, so life is pretty good.  Or so it seems.  Another major turning point in his career occurs when Russell introduces him to the leader of the Teamsters union, Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino).  Frank is quite familiar with Hoffa – this union leader is a very famous man throughout the United States.  Hoffa wants to hire Frank because, as he put it, “I heard you paint houses” (code for being a professional hitman). 

Russell loans out Frank to Hoffa, who hires him to do some work, taking care of some folks trying to impede Hoffa’s progress.  Over the course of their working relationship, Frank winds up spending a great deal of time with Hoffa and they become close friends.  Hoffa places a great deal of trust in Frank because he feels it’s been earned.  But as famous and successful as Hoffa is, his gruff manner rubs many people the wrong way and he ends up making enemies.  When Hoffa serves time in prison for committing fraud, he loses his spot as Teamsters leader.  Once he is pardoned, he leaves prison thinking he’ll be able to return to his old job.  The only problem with this is that the mob doesn’t want him to have his old job back.  Since Hoffa refuses to fall in line, Russell must have Frank do a hit on him.  But can Frank murder one of his closest friends?      

Review

Stories like these are so deep in Scorsese’s wheelhouse that you feel from the very first moment that the director is so confident and comfortable with it that you immediately surrender yourself to him.  He then goes on to prove that your trust was well-founded because he is such an expert at telling complex, expansive tales.  If you are a Scorsese fan, you will not be disappointed in “The Irishman”, which is a far better title for a movie than the title of the book on which it is based (“I Hear You Paint Houses”).  Scorsese doesn’t look like he’s slowing down at all; instead, if anything, “The Irishman” reinforces that he’s still at the top of his game.

Where the movie may become a bit of a challenge is when it introduces so many characters that at some point it becomes difficult to keep track of who a few of them are or their relationship to Frank.  That minor quibble aside, at no point does “The Irishman” ever turn into a slog (although at three and a half hours, you’ll be forgiven if you start fidgeting in your seat).  With the suspense, action, violence and yes, humor, the story provides constant forward momentum.  This will long be considered one of Scorsese’s many masterpieces in his extensive oeuvre, and deservedly so.  From the opening scene where the camera winds through Frank’s nursing home while a pop music hit from the 1950’s plays in the background until the last shot of him alone in his wheelchair, you feel like you’ve been taken on a long and winding but deeply rewarding journey.

While the film’s protagonist is De Niro’s character (Frank), it is Pacino who steals the show as Hoffa.  He is so over the top, it seems as though Scorsese gave him free rein to chew up the scenery in every scene.  The humor dispersed throughout the movie was welcome.  One running gag is that whenever a character is introduced, a graphic pops up telling you how and when he met his demise.  Much has been mentioned about the CGI process that was used for the aging or “un-aging” process for certain characters.  Yes, you become aware of it early on, but you wind up getting so involved in the story that you eventually overlook it altogether.          

One note about the screening itself:  Most of the cast was present at the start of the movie; they were introduced by Scorsese who said a few words himself.  He also urged De Niro to say something, but the actor was his usual taciturn self.  Anna Paquin appears in “The Irishman” as one of Frank’s daughters (but she doesn’t have many lines).  When she was introduced, she walked onto the stage and appeared to trip over something in her high heels and in so doing, it looked like she might have twisted her ankle because she immediately started limping thereafter.  After the screening, Scorsese, De Niro et al appeared in the balcony and were greeted with a standing ovation.   

“Ad Astra”– Movie Review

This week at Lincoln Center, I attended an advance screening of the new science-fiction drama by James Gray, “Ad Astra”, starring Brad Pitt.

Synopsis

When an astronaut is sent into space to retrieve his long-lost father, can he successfully complete his mission once he learns that his father is considerably less heroic than his legend would have him believe?

Story

Roy McBride (Pitt) has spent his career as an astronaut just like his father before him, Clifford (Jones).  He has tried to live up to the valiant reputation his father left as a legacy. Unfortunately, Roy has not seen his father for decades; sent on a mission 30 years ago, he never returned and hasn’t been heard from in all of that time.  When Roy is sent out to perform routine maintenance on some equipment, there’s a horrible explosion, killing or injuring several of his colleagues. Once Roy recuperates from his own injury, his officers summon him to a secret meeting.  They believe that the electrical storm that occurred may have emanated from space -- specifically, from where Clifford was last located.

The new mission on which Roy is sent is an unusual one:  head to Mars, where the base there can send a secure message to Clifford in order to confirm not only his existence but also the reason for the storm.  However, once Roy gets there and starts trying to communicate with his father, they deem he is too emotionally connected to the project and decide to send him home.  Before he can be returned to earth, he uncovers a secret: Clifford was not the hero he was purported to be. In fact, he may have endangered his team on the mission they were on, known as The Lima Project.

A new plan is formed:  the space agency will send astronauts to Neptune, where The Lima was destined, and neutralize Clifford.  When Roy discovers this, he overpowers the crew and goes on the mission himself -- the difference being that his goal is to return his father to Earth.  After surmounting a number of challenges, Roy finally confronts Clifford on board his ship; Clifford tells Roy the whole story and it is clear that Clifford is in a compromised mental state.  But dedicated to his own job to the point of an unhealthy obsession, Clifford doesn’t want to return to Earth with Roy. Can Roy convince Clifford to come with him or will he have to punish his father for his crimes?     

Review

Sometimes, visually stunning movies don’t have much of a story to go with them; perhaps the filmmakers are hoping that you won’t notice that since you’re being wowed by the special effects.  Fortunately, such is not the case with “Ad Astra”, which may well be one of Brad Pitt’s best performances, if not his best. Good science fiction is more about humanity than it is about science and that’s where “Ad Astra” succeeds.  The human condition, human flaws and human frailties are perhaps the most essential themes of the movie. Social media has lately been buzzing about how this film is either a celebration or an indictment of toxic masculinity. To say that such an assertion is a bit of a stretch may be the understatement of the year.

“Ad Astra”, a Latin term which means “to the stars”, might best be described as “Apocalypse Now” set in outer space:  someone from the military must neutralize a fellow member of the military who has gone rogue -- but must do so without going completely off the rails himself.  It’s got a tinge of a “Star Wars” element to it in the sense that it’s son versus father -- except in this case it’s Roy versus Clifford instead of Luke versus Darth.  While there may be some dispute with respect to the comparisons, there is no disputing how well the story is crafted, although the resolution may be a little sappy. 

If you can surrender yourself to the movie and immerse yourself in its sense of reality -- that is to say, disregard the fact that you’re watching a good deal of CGI -- then it is truly splendid to behold.  While the story is somewhat slow paced, there are plenty of action sequences to prevent you from nodding off. There is a touch of Shakespeare, too, in that Pitt’s character has a number of soliloquies throughout the film -- but there is certainly justification for that.  Roy is trying to resolve certain issues in his own life -- not just the conflict with his father, but also the fact that his marriage suffered due to his dedication to his career.     

NY Film Festival 57 Schedule

My schedule is set for the 57th New York Film Festival and there are some exciting new titles that I’ll see. This year, I’ll be attending more movies than in past years (I’ll practically be living at Lincoln Center for two weeks), so I can’t guarantee that I’ll be able to post a review for all of them, but I do promise that I’ll give it my best effort.  In order, here is what I’m scheduled to see:

1. Opening Night:  The world premiere of Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman”. 
2. The New York premiere of Pedro Almodóvar’s latest, “Pain And Glory”, starring Antonio Banderas.
3. The U.S. premiere of a gender-blind erotic drama from Spain, “Liberté”.
4. The world premiere of “Bully.  Coward.  Victim”, a documentary about the late Roy Cohn.
5. “Synonyms”, (U.S. premiere) a film about a former Israeli soldier who tries to adapt to a new culture after moving to Paris.
6. The New York premiere of “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” – feminism in 19th century France
7. The North American premiere of “Oh Mercy!”, a murder mystery directed by Arnaud Desplechin. 
8. The New York premiere of “Joker”, which stars Joaquin Phoenix in the title role as Batman’s infamous nemesis. 
9. Centerpiece Selection:  (N.Y. premiere) director Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story”, starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver.
10. “Sibyl”, a comedy-drama from France about a psychotherapist who gets caught up in the life of one of her patients (U.S. premiere).
11. The U.S. premiere of “Wasp Network”, directed by Olivier Assayas and starring Penélope Cruz, about Cuban refugees in Miami during the 1990’s. 
12. Winner of the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or, the South Korean “Parasite” by Bong Joon-ho will have its New York premiere. 
13. The New York premiere of the new Romanian crime drama, “The Whistlers”
14. Closing Night:  the New York premiere of Edward Norton’s “Motherless Brooklyn”, starring Norton, Alec Baldwin, Bruce Willis and Willem Dafoe. 

For us cinephiles, this is most certainly a thrilling time of year; it’s kind of like the NFL Championship and baseball’s World Series rolled into one.  While few look forward to the end of summer, many do look forward to the beginning of autumn, since it means the start of The New York Film Festival.  Please keep an eye on this blog during late September to mid-October for updates.  Until then, this trailer should give you an idea of what attendees have to look forward to:

What You Gonna Do … ? – Movie Review

Recently at Film At Lincoln Center, I attended the opening of the new documentary by Roberto Minervini , “What You Gonna Do When The World’s On Fire?”.

Synopsis

Given the current social climate, what is life like for members of the Black community in the southern portion of The United States?

Story

Ronaldo and Titus are brothers; Ronaldo, being the older of the two, is very protective of his younger brother Titus.  It’s unclear what other friends these kids have because it seems as though they only play with each other. They lack a consistent male influence in their life because their father is currently locked up.  Since nature abhors a vacuum, Ronaldo desperately tries to fill that void for Titus while still trying to balance that role with continuing to be a child himself. Unfortunately, given where they live, both boys are at risk of being shot because of the high crime and easy availability of guns.  

 

Judy is a New Orleans entrepreneur.  She owns and runs a popular bar in the neighborhood and when not working, takes care of her elderly mother.  Despite its frequent regular customers, the business is in danger of closing. A good deal of the problem can be traced to the gentrification that seems to be running rampant throughout.  Many long-time residents are being forced to move as the area becomes more upscale. Not only that, but Judy herself is feeling the pinch since her landlord is raising the rent on her bar.  With an ever-shrinking customer base, will Judy be able to make enough money to keep her establishment viable?

Crystal is an activist for Black causes.  She runs the local chapter of The New Black Panthers.  With news reports of lynchings and police shootings of Black men throughout the deep south, Crystal is understandably and justifiably disgusted.  She takes her small loyal army-like group to various protests of police headquarters and government offices, despite great risk of arrest. In addition, the group attempts to inform and educate others in the community about their reason for existing in the first place.  Racism is alive and well in this political era and it doesn’t look like it’s going to end any time soon.     

 

Review

Perhaps the most heartwarming part of “What You Gonna Do When The World’s On Fire?” is watching the relationship between the two brothers, Titus and Ronaldo; these two boys genuinely love and adore each other.  Titus truly looks up to his big brother Ronaldo and gets visibly upset when he is disappointed by him. Ronaldo, with their absentee father, assumes a role that combines both older brother and father; despite his own youth and inexperience, he does his best to mentor Titus, take care of him and look out for him.  It is one of the few bright spots in what is an otherwise grim documentary.

All of that having been said, the imperfections of the documentary are unavoidable to the point of distraction.  Presumably, the choice of shooting in black and white is to illustrate the bleakness of the situation. Although it illustrates both necessary and valuable stories to share, it doesn’t necessarily do a terribly good job of telling those stories.  There is no voice-over narration or use of on-screen titles to provide context (e.g., Who are we seeing? Where are they? What period of time has passed since the previous scene?). As a result, there is very little in the way of either shape or structure to the film.  From a narrative standpoint, it’s a bit flat

. 

Following the screening, there was an interview with Director Roberto Minervini and two of the movie’s subjects, Judy Hill and Crystal.  Minervini said that he originally set out to do a shoot about the music tradition of the Black community – specifically, his interest was the African influence on Jazz.  However, he got sidetracked when he visited Judy’s bar and wound up spending a great deal of time there. As he got a chance to meet more members of the community, he realized that there was a completely new and different story he could and should be telling.

“Where’d You Go, Bernadette”– Movie Review

This week at The New York Times Screen Times series, I attended an advance screening of the new comedy-drama, “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” starring Cate Blanchett and directed by Richard Linklater.

Synopsis

When a woman decides to go on a journey of self-discovery, will this drive her away from her family or only serve to make them closer?

 

Story

Bernadette (Blanchett) and her husband Elgie (Billy Crudup) have promised their daughter Bee (Emma Nelson) a family vacation in Antarctica before she heads off to boarding school.  But just as they start making plans, things begin to unravel for Bernadette. Miserable in an immense, dilapidated house in Seattle, she agreed to move there when Elgie got a job with Microsoft. She is no longer able to hide her disdain for the house, her obnoxious neighbors or the city itself.  Feeling trapped in an unyielding situation, Bernadette starts heavily self-medicating.

Noticing his wife’s strange behavior, Elgie tries to intercede, but Bernadette is having no part of this.  As a result, Elgie secretly hires Dr. Kurtz (Judy Greer), a therapist, whom he sees without Bernadette’s knowledge.  In his session with Dr. Kurtz, Elgie reveals a great deal about his wife, citing numerous setbacks, both personal and professional.  It turns out that Bernadette gave up a successful career as an architect in order to take care of the family and provide emotional support to her husband and daughter.  Dr. Kurtz recommends an intervention where they confront Bernadette with her unusual conduct and attempt to make the next steps to get her the help that she so desperately needs.

During the intervention, Bernadette becomes enraged when she discovers that Dr. Kurtz and Elgie both want her institutionalized.  Unwilling to relent to their wishes, Bernadette escapes. Following an extensive search, Elgie and Bee learn that Bernadette has headed to Antarctica by herself.  Determined to find her, they both head off to the continent themselves, knowing full well that Bernadette may be in something of an unstable state. Once they believe they have tracked her down, Elgie and Bee decide to confront Bernadette with the intention of convincing her to return home.  But when Bernadette is startled by her family’s presence, will their intentions drive them further apart or will they support Bernadette’s endeavor to resurrect her career?      

Review

Even if you haven’t read the novel on which the movie is based, it’s not hard to appreciate the level of difficulty adapting such a sprawling story from book to screen.  What might work on the printed page (e.g., several pages of a description of something or a rant about one thing or another) usually never translates well in a film. This is the case with “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” as it seems all over the place much of the time.  Also, while it tries to bill itself as a comedy (or, at least, a comedy-drama), it takes so many dark and serious turns that it’s quite a stretch to consider it a comedy. The film is more quirky than funny.

The characters prove a bit problematic as well.  While Bernadette is supposed to be the protagonist here, her destructive behavior makes it something of a challenge to root for her.  It is not until we are about three-quarters of an hour into the movie that the audience gets more background about Bernadette which has caused her current state of emotional distress.  Although it’s never a good idea to dump too much exposition on the viewers all at once, the problem with layering out the character’s backstory, at least in this instance, is that by the time we can appreciate her situation, the behavior we have already observed by her thus far makes it difficult to see Bernadette as a sympathetic character. 

Following the screening, there was an interview with director Richard Linklater.  Linklater said that he spent a year editing the movie; the result was a two and three-quarter hour running time.  Realizing this was too long, he went back to the editing room and cut some more. He said that his approach to editing was essentially like sculpting the film down to find its story; Linklater feels it is character-driven and the spine of the story is the relationship between the mother and the daughter.  As a result, he wound up cutting out anything that did not serve that story well. Examples of what he removed were the TED talk (it was originally much longer) and the documentary about Bernadette (more of that was actually in the first cut of the motion picture).

“Fiddler: Miracle Of Miracles”– Movie Review

This week at Film At Lincoln Center, I attended an advance screening of the new documentary, “Fiddler:  A Miracle Of Miracles”. 

Story

The background of “Fiddler On The Roof” -- how both the musical and the movie were adapted.

Synopsis

The musical “Fiddler On The Roof” originally opened on Broadway in 1964.  Amazingly, it is still performed on stage to this day. Perhaps even more amazingly, despite being about the Jewish pogrom in eastern Europe during the early 20th Century, it is performed in many different languages and by many different cultures and countries around the world.  Some of them are professional productions, others are of an amateur nature (e.g., school plays). In fact, there was once a high school production in Brooklyn that did non-traditional casting in the sense that Black and Hispanic students were cast in the roles; Jewish teachers complained, fearing that the students would use this opportunity to make fun of their religion.

When the original Broadway production opened, it starred Zero Mostel as Tevye, the patriarch and protagonist; the production was directed by Jerome Robbins, who previously worked on “West Side Story”.  Robbins was hired in part because he himself was Jewish (his real name was Rabinowitz) and because having directed “West Side Story”, he knew how to tell a story where the characters did a great deal of moving, especially dancing.  Robbins’ hiring turned out to be problematic because he didn’t get along well with Mostel. What was behind their animosity towards each other was that Mostel resented Robbins for testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee and giving them names of people who were alleged communists. 

Early in its life, the book for the musical was titled “Tevye” because it was based on short stories about this character by author Sholem Aleichem; specifically, the inspiration was the story titled, “Tevye and His Daughters”.  As the play developed, it was later re-titled “Fiddler On The Roof”, based on a 1912 painting by Marc Chagall called “The Fiddler”. Sheldon Harnick was the composer and lyricist of the songs in “Fiddler On The Roof”; he said that if anyone ever read Aleichem’s stories, they would realize that Harnick “borrowed” many of his lyrics directly from Aleichem’s own language in the various tales about Tevye.             

Review

This passion project by director/producer Max Lewkowicz is informative for people who have enjoyed “Fiddler” in various forms over the years, even if you only have a passing familiarity with the play, movie or songs.  While it contains a great deal of talking heads combined with old footage and photographs, where you get drawn into the documentary is when Lin-Manuel Miranda appears; he manages to modernize it a bit (he appeared in a stage production as a schoolboy) and also conducts some on-screen interviews with one of the creators of the original musical.  His interest and enthusiasm can make this more palatable for younger audiences. 

One thing that’s somewhat curious is the fact that there is a writing credit.  There aren’t too many documentaries around where you will see a writing credit.  Presumably, this refers to the voice-over narration that is used in certain segments rather than the interviews themselves.  This, however, must be done after the fact – until you have thoroughly researched the subject of the documentary, you won’t know what to write or why it needs to be written.  Obviously, this differs from feature films in the sense that the writing is typically done prior to the commencement of the shooting. Depending on the time and/or budget, documentaries can sometimes develop their narration during the editing process (and are occasionally improvised rather than formally written). 

Following the screening there was an interview with the filmmakers, Lewkowicz and his co-writer Valerie Thomas.  Thomas said that the documentary began with talking to Harnik about how the musical came to be; they then started filming him about three and a half years ago because he had so much information and was a terrific storyteller.  Lewkowicz observed that the story of hatred for someone’s race/religion is sadly one that still resonates to this day, citing the recent mass shootings over the past weekend as an example.  Originally from Montreal, Lewkowicz said that his first experience with “Fiddler” was the movie version which he saw as a boy; it wasn’t until he saw the Broadway version a decade later that he had an emotional reaction to it because he is the son of a Holocaust survivor.       

IMDB

“The Nightingale”– Movie Review

This week, I attended a sneak preview of the new drama “The Nightingale” at Film At Lincoln Center; it was written and directed by Jennifer Kent. 

Synopsis

When a woman is dehumanized by a military officer, she seeks revenge – but can she track him down in a trek across dangerous terrain?

Story

In 1825, England deployed its military to the Australian island of Tasmania.  The intent of their occupation is colonization; in order to do so, however, they believe they must effectively commit genocide by killing The Aborigines, the island’s native inhabitants.  The English demonize the Aborigines and in so doing, are reciprocally demonized by the indigenous people themselves. This period in history came to be known as “The Black War”. Accompanying the military are Irish convicts; they are basically indentured servants waiting for their sentence to be completed so they can be freed.

One such convict is Clare (Aisling Franciosi), who works as a barmaid and singer to entertain the troops; she lives there with her husband and their infant.  Clare suffers under mistreatment by the soldiers – not only by the enlisted men, but especially by their leader, Lieutenant Hawkins (Sam Claflin), a man who is both sadistic and ambitious in equal measure.  After finding herself the victim of multiple horrifying crimes at the hands of Hawkins and his men, Clare has had enough. When she tries unsuccessfully to seek justice, Clare becomes determined to mete out her own form of justice. 

Hawkins starts off on a journey to the northern part of the island where he will meet with his superiors in order to entreaty them for the promotion he feels he has earned and deserves.  After Clare learns of this, she decides to chase after him. But in a foreign land that for the most part hasn’t been settled, she cannot traverse the hazardous jungles and forests alone.  As a result, she winds up hiring Billy (Baykali Ganambarr) a young Aborigine who reluctantly serves as her guide. Despite Billy being an expert, the two encounter numerous challenges along the way.  Will they both survive the voyage in order for Clare to exact her revenge on Hawkins?

Review

Screenwriter/director Jennifer Kent’s previous effort (her debut as a feature director) was “The Babadook” from five years ago.  It was an extremely well-received horror film. Although “The Nightingale” is an historical drama, it is equally if not more horrifying than “The Babadook”, largely because it is in fact based in part on an ugly part of world history, and English history in particular.  You certainly come away from this movie viewing the English a bit differently and having tremendous sympathy for the indigenous Aboriginal people of Tasmania. This motion picture serves as an excellent reminder that both racism and vengeance have survived over the centuries.

Kent’s outstanding screenplay draws its characters perfectly:  each is unique and their individual motivations for either doing or not doing something are crystal clear.  Heroes and villains are painfully obvious. The protagonists have a perceptible arc, but not so much the antagonists.  Many movies can have a second act that drags but “The Nightingale” is able to add so many twists in its second act that you still feel a sense of a forward momentum in the story; where it becomes a bit of a slog is in its third act (more on that below).  While we may come away feeling educated and with greater insight, it can seem like more of an endurance contest the further along we get; it is difficult to imagine watching something more chilling or more devastating..   

If there is a criticism of “The Nightingale”, it would be its length; at two and a quarter hours, it feels much longer because of the relentless cruelty seen throughout and from different sources.  The audience is basically visually assaulted with scenes of brutality so extreme and so frequent that one almost wants to give up on the movie. While the film has somewhat of a satisfying ending, it could’ve come sooner.  It’s almost as though Kent wants to torture her audience as a punishment for watching the motion picture. Once it is finally over, it’s understandable that a feeling of great relief overcomes you.

“Remember My Name”– Movie Review

This week, I attended a New York Times ScreenTimes screening of the new documentary about musician David Crosby, “Remember My Name”.

Synopsis

In the twilight of his years, songwriter David Crosby consents to a series of interviews about his life. 

Story

Now in his mid-70’s and in ever-failing health (a diabetic with eight heart stents), legendary musician and master songwriter David Crosby alternates between reflective moods and focusing on the present – mainly because his future is uncertain, to put it mildly.   When you catch him during one of his more introspective periods, he fully admits to the many mistakes he’s made and how unnecessarily difficult he’s made his own life because of them.  He’s acted crazy – and whether it’s been a direct result of his drug use or independent of that – he’s turned off many of the people who mattered most to him.

Filmmaker and former journalist for Rolling Stone magazine Cameron Crowe is off screen interviewing Crosby in a sometimes easy, sometimes freewheeling style.  If Crosby is in danger of rambling, it either gets edited out of the movie or Crowe is able to get him back on track.  The familiarity and comfort the two have with each other is palpable.  Crowe can just as easily get stories about the good old days out of Crosby as he can get him to talk funereally about his inevitable end.  Crosby ponders about old friends who have long since passed living the same type of life he has and he is left to wonder why he survived. 

A few years back, when he turned 72, Crosby had an unlikely creative resurgence and began making music again.  While he’s recording some, he’s largely touring because it earns him the most money – and to hear him tell it, he has to do it in order to pay the bills.  Apparently, his poor lifestyle choices in the past have caused him to not have very much in the way of a nest egg in his old age, so he’s forced to go back to work.  These days, he has his own band and performs chiefly as a solo act.  He’s angered too many of his past collaborators to be able to tour with them, even though that would likely generate even more money. 

Review

One thing you can say about David Crosby after watching this movie:  he pulls no punches – either with himself or anyone else.  You will know where he stands with you and this is one of the reasons why he has lost (or maybe ruined is a better word) so many friendships over the years.  Of course, his substance abuse in past years has certainly had something to do with it as well; he admits to that, too.  Regrets, he has a few – but then again, he’s more focused on what he can do with his life now and in what little time he has left.

While “Remember My Name” (taken after the title of one of Crosby’s solo albums) is an entertaining movie, it is by no means any great feat of filmmaking.  What makes the film is Crosby’s uncanny ability to spin a yarn as well as Crowe’s interviewing style; he’s able to get so much out of Crosby because the two have known each other for decades.  It is unfortunate that recent interviews with former band mates were not included; Roger McGuinn is the lone exception here.  The only interviews with Graham Nash and Neil Young were old ones; likely the reason here is that hard feelings with Crosby persist and they did not want to contribute.       

Following the screening, there was an interview with the filmmakers.  Director A.J. Eaton had to talk Crosby into letting him shoot his recording sessions for posterity.  Since they had no financing, he was just storing the footage.  Eventually, he met interviewer Cameron Crowe and showed him the footage that had up to that point; Crowe agreed to join the project because he liked what he saw thus far.  Crowe, who has known Crosby since he was 15 years old, advised Eaton, “Just point the camera at him and let him tell his stories”. Crosby is such a good storyteller, says Crowe, that he likens him to Garrison Keillor.  As far as Crosby’s take on the documentary, he feels it asks the central question, “What do you do with the time you have left?”

“Yesterday”– Movie Review

This week, I attended a New York Times ScreenTimes advance screening of the new romantic comedy, “Yesterday”, written by Richard Curtis and directed by Danny Boyle.

Synopsis

When a young man wakes up to a world where he is the only one who remembers The Beatles, can he become a music sensation?

Story

Jack (Patel) is a struggling musician.  Despite the fact that he’s been hoping to hook the brass ring of success for many years, his manager and childhood friend Ellie (Lily James) remains his biggest fan and supporter; while holding a job as a schoolteacher, she works hard to book every single performance she can grab for him, just so he’ll remain in his long-time pursuit of becoming a professional musician.  Even when Jack begins to lose faith in himself, Ellie is the one who keeps the faith in him.  Beyond being a good manager, she’s a good friend. 

When Jack thinks it’s time to pack it in, the planet earth experiences an unusual occurrence:  a worldwide blackout.  A variety of things occur when this happens, but one of them is the fact that Jack, while bicycling home, is accidentally hit by a bus and winds up being hospitalized.  After he is discharged from the hospital, he learns an unusual fact:  Jack is the only one in the world who remembers the musical group The Beatles.  Once he starts performing their songs, people believe he composed them all.  Thinking he’s written them all, they see him as a genius and soon he earns a recording contract which gains him great popularity.

As Jack heads out on the road to success, he meets such luminaries as popular music star Ed Sheeran and his manager Debra (Kate McKinnon), who sees him as the new Big Thing in the music industry.  Naturally, she gloms onto him once she realizes he’s a better songwriter than her current client, Sheeran, whom she virtually abandons in favor of Jack’s more promising career.  But as Jack’s success turns out of control, he realizes that he has turned into someone who he is not and this bothers him deeply.  Will he be able to bury these feelings and continue to pursue financial rewards or will his guilt force him to return to a world that is more in his control? 

Review

“Yesterday” is a pleasant, entertaining movie that the audience at this screening seemed to enjoy quite a bit; the film itself was enthusiastically applauded at the closing credits and when the filmmakers took the stage afterwards, they were warmly greeted with a standing ovation.  It is something of a hybrid genre: sci-fi/comedy (or sci-fi/romantic comedy – take your pick). One of the keys to enjoying “Yesterday” is buying its unlikely premise; if you are able to sufficiently suspend your disbelief for that, then it should wind up being a good deal of fun. Otherwise, it may very well wind up being a bit too hokey.  

The other key to whether or not you’ll like “Yesterday” is equally obvious:  both your knowledge and appreciation of The Beatles. Will younger people enjoy this movie, despite a limited experience of this world famous musical group?  It’s hard to say, but even if they have only a basic understanding of who The Beatles were and their impact on our culture, a younger audience might likely be able to latch onto the romantic comedy aspect of the film.  Of course, older folks – who don’t tend to go out to theaters quite as much – would have a deeper connection to this motion picture.  

Following the screening, there was a question and answer session with screenwriter Richard Curtis, director Danny Boyle and star Himesh Patel.  Curtis originally got the idea from another writer (who got a story credit on the movie). He was a big fan of The Beatles in his youth and it continued throughout the rest of his life.  Boyle contacted Curtis and asked if he had any material he should see; Curtis immediately sent him the script for “Yesterday” and Boyle wanted to make it into a film. Patel was informed about the casting and submitted an audition tape that included him singing a song by Coldplay and performing a monolog.  Ed Sheeran was not the original choice for the appearance in the motion picture; they first went to Chris Martin, who turned it down due to a scheduling conflict.  

“The Dead Don’t Die”– Movie Review

This week, I attended a New York Times Screentimes advance screening of the new comedy-horror, “The Dead Don’t Die”, starring Bill Murray and Adam Driver; written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. 

Synopsis

When a small town is overtaken by zombies, can its understaffed and inexperienced sheriff's office sufficiently defend its citizens?

 

Story

Things are usually pretty quiet in Centerville; as a result, Chief Cliff Robertson (Murray) pretty much has things under control, with the help of Officers Ronnie Peterson (Driver) and Mindy Morrison (Chloë Sevigny).  The town suddenly finds itself shrouded in strangeness when various odd behavior is noticed -- late sunsets, non-functioning cell phones and broken-up television and radio transmissions. Based on what’s being reported in the news lately, some people are of the belief that all of this is being caused by what’s referred to as “Polar Fracking” -- fracking occuring at the polar ice caps which have theoretically knocked the earth off its axis. 

Folks try not to make too much of this since they have their own lives to live -- until they don’t.  In the local cemetery, long-dead corpses suddenly arise from their graves and start trawling Centerville for victims -- in this case, these are not the brain-eating zombies that are familiar to many, but instead, zombies that consume human viscera and limbs.  It all starts when employees at the town’s diner are discovered murdered -- both of them eviscerated in a similar manner. Was this the work of a wild beast? A pack of beasts? The thought that it could’ve been zombies doesn’t even occur to Chief Robertson -- until, that is, he and his team start encountering the  roaming un-dead themselves.

Thanks to Officer Peterson’s familiarity with zombie lore, he explains to his team that the only way these beings can be neutralized is through decapitation.  So, armed with machetes, swords and shotguns to be aimed directly at a zombie head, Roberton and Peterson set out to rid the town of Centerville of this deadly scourge.  But the more they patrol the town, the more zombies they find. By the time they reach the cemetery, they find that the zombies have self-exhumed -- even those of the children, which were located in a separate area.  Seeing that they are now outnumbered, Robertson, Peterson and Morrison find that the hunters have now become the prey. Despite this, can they find a way to save the remaining town members?

 

Review

As a comedy-horror movie, “The Dead Don’t Die” is something of a genre hybrid.  Yet, it doesn’t altogether work as either. It is neither scary enough to be a horror movie nor is it quite funny enough to be a comedy.  Ironically, the reason why it is not scary enough to be a horror flick is due in large part to the comedy element; it is undercut by the fact that it doesn’t take itself terribly seriously.   Regarding being a comedy, there are certainly amusing moments, but precious little that could be characterized as laugh-out-loud funny. Many of the jokes are predictable and the humor isn’t terribly innovative; in some regards, the film is a little bit past its time as the zombie horror genre has already been parodied in a much more successful fashion (e.g., “Zombieland”, “Shaun Of The Dead”).

While “The Dead Don’t Die” isn’t a terrible movie, it is a bit disappointing when you consider all of the talent involved.  Judging from his past films, Jarmusch can be very funny when he’s not trying to make a comedy; here, however, he seems to be working a bit too hard.  At times, he almost appears to be trying to channel David Lynch-type weirdness. Additionally, without giving away too much, Jarmusch makes several attempts to derive humor from dialog that pierces the fourth wall, but most of it largely falls flat.  As entertaining as some of the performances may be when you see all of these famous names on screen together, it’s not nearly enough to elevate the rest of the motion picture (Tilda Swinton’s turn as a Scottish mortician is particularly memorable in its strangeness alone).