All the Money in the World

As the end of the year comes to an end, we have a tendency to see more dramas which leans toward films based on true stories. In the past few years, these films have been aplenty regardless the subject or individual. So as we've seen films such as "The Greatest Showman", "The Darkest Hour" and "Thank You for Your Service", we now have "All the Money in the World".

This crime thriller dramatizes the real-life 1973 kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer), the grandson of billionaire oil tycoon J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer). John's mother Gail (Michelle Williams) begs J. Paul Getty to pay the kidnappers' ransom; when Getty Sr. refuses, Gail attempts to sway him as her son's captors become increasingly volatile and brutal. With her son's life in the balance, Gail and Getty's business associate, an ex-CIA agent, Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg) become unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money.

Others to round out the cast are Romain Duris as Cinquanta, Timothy Hutton as Oswald Hinge, Andrew Buchan as John Paul Getty II, Marco Leonardi as Mammoliti, Giuseppe Bonifati as Giovanni Iacovoni and Charlie Shotwell as Young John Paul Getty III.

This was intensely directed by seasoned, consummate Ridley Scott ("The Duelists" '77, "Alien" '79, "Blade Runner" '82, "Thelma & Louise" '91, "White Squall" '96, "Gladiator" 2000, "Hannibal" '01, "Black Hawk Down" '01, "Matchstick Men" '03, "American Gangster" '07, "Prometheus" '12, "The Martian" '15, "Alien: Covenant" '17) plus others, TV and shorts. The subtleties this filmmaker is able to extract from his actors surely gives that sense of realism given the scene at hand. With every film, Ridley improves that much more and we continue to see the talent this guy possesses. It was executed well by writer David Scarpa ("The Last Castle" '01, "The Day the Earth Stood Still" '08), based on the book by John Pearson. For the limited experience this writer has, I simply marveled at his ability of penning a script. Seasoned writers aren't this good, and with the consummate cast and director involved, it had to of made his job that much more easy. With the exception that this was a bit too long in the tooth--132 minutes, this storyline was delineated with expertise. I will be waiting eagerly for this writer's next screenplay.

If films based on true stories are something you look forward to, this will be a film made in heaven, however even if you have an aversion to these types of films, the acting and especially the directing will stick with you long after the end of the credits.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                    Rated: R                                      132mins.

The Shape of Water

One genre Hollywood hasn't mass produced to death is that of the fantasy one. There have been many fantasies created, however it has decreased through the years. Until Guillermo del Toro came on the scene, fantasy films were waning. Through the popularity of del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth", the fantasy has become, again, popular. Now we have "The Shape of Water" in the offing and is every bit as interesting and creative as "Pan's Labyrinth".

From master storyteller Guillermo del Toro comes a story of an otherworldly fable that, in a dark, clever way, connects fantasy and reality. A mute cleaning lady, Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins) working in a secret U.S. government lab in a Cold War era 1962 befriends an otherworldly aquatic creature/man (Doug Jones) who's being held there against his will. In time, she and her friends, Niles (Richard Jenkins) and Zelda Fuller (Octavia Spencer) decide to help it escape from captivity, even if it means risking the wrath of a ruthless G-man, Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon).

Others to round out the cast are Michael Stuhlbarg as Dr. Robert Hoffstetler, David Hewlett as Fleming, Nick Searcy as General Hoyt, Stewart Arnott as Bernard, Nigel Bennett as Mihalkov, Lauren Lee Smith as Elaine Strickland, wife of Richard, Martin Roach as Brewster Fuller, Zelda's husband, Allegra Fulton as Yolanda, John Kapelos as Mr. Arzoumanian and Morgan Kelly as Pie Guy.

It was magically directed by visionary Guillermo del Toro ("Blade II '02, "Hellboy" '04, "Pan's Labyrinth" '06, "Hellboy: The Golden Army" '08, "Pacific Rim" '13, "Crimson Peak" '15) plus others and TV. After reviewing this filmmaker's resume, I consider him the adult fairy tale storyteller. There are fairy tales for children, but really none for adults--it's like this guy tapped into an area that once didn't exist. If you like this filmmaker's brand of direction, both "Pinocchio" and "Nightmare Alley" have been announced. It was brilliantly written by del Toro ("Hellboy" '04, "Pan's Labyrinth" '06, "Pacific Rim" '13, "Crimson Peak" '15) plus others and Vanessa Taylor ("Hope Springs" '12, "Divergent" '14) plus others, based on a story by del Toro. The pace and staging simply lends itself toward that fairy tale setting and coupled with the darker photography, this is a stunner. Other than a very slow area of this film getting started, once it did, it moved to a point that would keep its audience peeled to the screen. The cinematography by Dan Lausten, dff ("Brotherhood of the Wolf" '01, "Darkness Falls" '03, "Silent Hill" '06, "Deliver Us from Evil" '09, "Almost Perfect" '12, "John Wick: Chapter 2" '17) plus many others and TV definitely lends itself to that dark, adult fairy tale feel that del Toro always strives to woo his audience with. This guy could be nominated come Oscar time, as could Shannon, Hawkins and for best picture.

 

I'm a bit bias in that I have a true respect for del Toro's work--both writing and directing, so with this, it's difficult to objectively review this. As stated aforementioned, there is one very small slow area, but other than that, this film rocks--for its quirky, dark storyline, its directing, writing and acting. If you appreciate fine filmmaking, this is the film for you.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                    Rated: R                                      123mins.

 

The Greatest Showman

As musicals have evolved, the transition certainly has been a positive one. Back in the day, the plot of musicals were hardly even connected with the musical numbers, but as time has gone by, the more they have connected, which makes for a more cohesive story, As with the case of "The Greatest Showman", the songs have everything to do with the story's plot.

Inspired by the imagination of P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman), this is an original musical that celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation by starting a circus in 1870's America. This is about a man who believed in celebrating those who were different, including Anne Wheeler (Zendaya), Lettie Lutz (Keala Settle) and Tom Thumb (Sam Humphrey), instead of scorning them. As society continues to not embrace his brand of entertainment, he decides to talk top producer, Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron) into joining his venture in hopes to legitimize his circus. 

Others to round out the cast are Michelle Williams as Charity Barnum, P.T.'s wife, Rebecca Ferguson as Jenny Lind, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as W.D. Wheeler, Austin Johnson as Caroline Barnum, P.T. and Charity's daughter, Cameron Seely as Helen Barnum, P.T. and Charity's other daughter, Eric Anderson as Mr. O'Malley and Paul Sparks as James Gordon Bennett.

This was amazingly directed well be newbie, Michael Gracey ("Naruto" is in pre-production). For being a filmmaker that doesn't even have TV experience, must less anything else, I was amazed by the pacing, staging and continuity of this film. There are so many seasoned directors that don't have this much talent. This guy will go far! It was brilliantly written by Jenny Bicks ("What a Girl Wants" '03, "Modern Love" (TV movie) '12, "Rio 2" '14, "A Lot" (TV movie) '16) plus a ton of TV and Bill Condon ("F/X 2" '91, "Gods and Monsters" '98, "Chicago" '02, "Dreamgirls" '06, "Tilda" (TV movie) '11) plus others, based on a story by Bicks. The way the songs were intertwined within the screenplay was incredible, however with Condon working on this story coupled with Bicks' story, how could this go wrong. The songs were just as catchy as those in "La La Land", but considering the songwriters, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul of this film were the same as "La La Land", it should be of no surprise. It's no wonder why this has been nominated for 3 Golden Globe awards including best song, actor and picture.

If you're a musical fan, you'll most certainly love this, but even if you're not, the catchy lyrics and entertaining story will keep you riveted to your seat until it's time to jump from your seats and cheer loudly for these entertainers. This entertains us, has heart, jumps out at you all  with great songs, and isn't this why we go see movies?

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                      Rated: PG                                   105mins.

Downsizing

Comedies produced today typically come in two different formats, either physical, replete with pratfalls, references to sex, and/or drugs, laced with four-letter-words, or they are powder dry involving subtlety and droll humor usually catered to the more intellectual type of audience. While "Downsizing" is of the powder dry brand, it would be interesting to see a comedy with both types of attributes, but would that even be possible?

In this sci-fi satire, scientists discover a way to shrink people down to about 5 inches tall, and hope to use the technique to build micro communities that will reduce humanity's impact on the environment. A frustrated Omaha, Nebraska resident, Paul Safranek (Matt Damon) is an occupational therapist who, with wife Audrey (Kristen Wiig) is strapped financially, so he agrees to the procedure after learning that he'll be able to afford a much more opulent lifestyle in his new micro village, but he soon discovers that his new home isn't all it's all cracked up to be. Is life all about material things and partying with friends like Dusan Mirkovic (Christoph Waltz) and Konrad (Udo Kier) constantly, or is there more to satisfy the human soul?

Others to round out the cast are Hong Chau as Ngoc Lan Tran, Rolf Lassgard as Dr. Jorgen Asjornsen, Ingjerd Egeberg as Anne-Helene Asjornsen, Rolf's wife, Jason Sudeikis as Dave Johnson, Seren Filmark as Dr. Andreas Jacobsen, Jayne Houdyshell as Paul's mother and Maribeth Monroe as Carol Johnson, Dave's wife.

This was brilliantly directed by Alexander Payne ("The Passion of Martin" '91, "Citizen Ruth" '96, "Election" '99, "About Schmidt" '02, "Sideways" '04, "The Descendants" '11, "Nebraska" '13) plus TV. Payne has this innate ability to put his characters in a place where the performances are so subtle that the less words they exude, the more these looks speak volumes. You can see this a lot: "About Schmidt", "The Descendants" and especially "Nebraska". This is an extremely complicated aspect to pull off and Payne does it with finesse. It was well written by Payne ("Jurassic Park III" '01, "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry" '07) plus the ones he directed and Jim Taylor ("Citizen Ruth" '96, "About Schmidt" '02, "Sideways" '04) plus others. Obviously these two writers do so as a team which can make the films tighter and more cohesive because they are connected, however even though this was written well academia-wise, this slowly went from this quick satire about saving money because of being financially strapped to this environmental film after approximately two-thirds into the film. Certainly the environmental aspect was equivalent to a subplot, but wasn't ever the main aspect of the film, however as the movie played out, it was almost like watching a Greenpeace documentary. Truly what makes this is the directing and the fine performances specifically by Damon, Hong Chau and Waltz.

If you're an Alexander Payne fan, you'll certainly revel with this, however if you're not used to his work, this might be a lot to swallow in keeping your attention for its a-bit-to-long running time of 135 minutes. Again, watch it for the directing, acting and its concept and originality of downsizing.

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                     Rated: R                                   135mins.

Jumanji: Welcome to the jungle

As Hollywood keeps besieging us with sequels, prequels, remakes and reboots, "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" is actually a continuation from where "Jumanji" '95 leaves and this takes over. When Robin Williams played Alan Parrish in the original, the game left us at a place whereas the game could easily continue.

In a brand new Jumanji adventure, four high school kids discover an old video game console and are drawn, quite literally, into the game's jungle setting, literally becoming the adult avatars they chose, Spencer (Dwayne Johnson), Fridge (Kevin Hart), Bethany (Jack Black) and Martha (Karen Gillan). What they discover is that you don't just play Jumanji-- you must survive it. To beat the game and return to the real world, they'll have to go on the most dangerous adventure of their lives, discover what Alan Parrish left 20 years ago, and change the way they think about themselves-- or they'll be stuck in the game forever, to be played by others without break.

Others to round out the cast are Rhys Darby as Nigel, Bobby Cannavale as Van Pelt, Nick Jonas as Alex, Alex Wolff as Young Spencer, Ser'Darius Blain as Young Fridge, Madison Iseman as Young Bethany and Morgan Turner as Young Martha.

This was genuinely directed by Jake Kasdan ("Zero Effect" '98, "Orange County" '02, "Zero Effect" (TV Movie) '02, "The TV Set" '06, "Work Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" '07, "Spring/Fall" (TV movie) '11, "Bad Teacher" '11, and "Sex Tape" '14) plus tons of TV. I say genuinely because the direction was not only similar to that of its predecessor, but it was as fresh too. The rapid pacing and editing was also similar and seemed like it was form of a homage to the 1995 film. If you like his brand of directing, "Bad Teacher 2" has been announced. It was whimsically written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner, based on a story by McKenna, which was based on the book "Jumanji" by Chris Van Allsburg. Usually, films written by more than two writers gets bogged down, but this is an exception. As with the 1995 film, this storyline was well thought out, concise, and cohesive as its predecessor. This screenplay has you hooked almost as soon as it starts considering the young versions of themselves are the school's punching bags. As these kids are drawn into the game, the film then simply moves and takes you on this wild ride. With all that's going on within script also comes amazing visual effects predominantly created by MPC (Moving Picture Company) and Rodeo FX. The visuals were designed in a way that were not so over-the-top to let the script speak for itself.

Certainly if you liked the 1995 version of "Jumanji", you will love this. Even though none of the original cast were used, the emphasis had to be on the story and script. Of course, this being a continuation, others typically depend on, at least, some of the cast reprising their roles, but this didn't need them. This was a completely fun, original  film that has that Indians Jones type flair so the audience could leave this world and happily escape into another world.

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                      Rated: PG                                    119mins.

Ferdinand

As with offering the 'token' big-budget film at the end of the year in the form of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi", Hollywood also realizes it needs to offer the 'token' animated film. And what a better film to offer that that of "Ferdinand". The Blue Sky production is being released on the coattails of Pixar's "Coco" and proves to be as artful as it is entertaining.

 

A gentle, big-hearted bull named Ferdinand (John Cena) lives a happy life as the pet of a loving family predominantly by Nina (Lily Day) in Spain, and prefers smelling flowers to fighting. When he is captured and forced to participate in bullfights, plots to escape and return home with the help of a group of animal friends namely Lupe (Kate McKinnon), Guapo (Peyton Manning), Bones (Anthony Anderson) and Angus (David Tennant). Will Ferdinand be able to find his way home, or will he have to succumb to fighting in the bullring?

 

Others to round out the cast are Bobby Cannavale as Valiente, Gina Rodriguez as Una, Flula Borg as Hans, Sally Phillips as Greta, Boris Kodjoe as Klaus, Jerrod Carmichael as Paco and Miguel Angel Silvestre as El Primero.

 

This was directed by seasoned animation director, Carlos Saldanha ("Ice Age" (co-dir.) '02, "Robots" (co-dir.) '05, "Ice Age: The Meltdown" '06, "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" '09, "Rio" '11, "Rio 2" '14) plus shorts and video games. This filmmaker truly knows how to bring out the emotions of these characters needed in each and every scene, especially with the character of Ferdinand. The fact that this bull is as huge as he is, yet has a heart of gold was well executed by Saldanha, It was written brilliantly by Robert L. Baird, Tim  Federle and Brad Copeland based on a screen story by Ron Burch, David Kidd and Don Rhymer which is based on a book by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson. Although this story was based on another medium-- a book, it was fresh and original in its outlay of story. It was humorous without being sappy, represented heart without being maudlin and conveyed a message that all could learn from, not just children. The message? Having to confront one's demons even though it would seam so easy to ignore them, and to allow yourself to be different in spite of the pressure of others. This story was concise, cohesive and well thought out. As far as Cena, I'm telling you, he was born to play the voice of Ferdinand. The tonality he gave this voice was real and rife with feelings.

 

Believe it or not, this is one of the freshest stories out there in the theaters as we speak. This film has it all-- heart, humor, a great message and extremely entertaining all in a nifty 3D format as well. Grab the popcorn and enjoy this ride!

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                         Rated: PG                                     108mins.

 

 

 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

With the end of the year film season in full gear, we are being besieged with Hollywood's hopefuls for consideration. With all the biggest and best films replete with amazing writing, directing, acting and the like, this is also the time of year we are offered one or two big blockbuster, visual effects films to enjoy on the super large screens. So, what a better film to choose than that of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi".

 

Rey (Daisy Ridley) develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of a very reluctant Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, The resistance headed up by Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Vice Admiral Holder (Laura Dern) with the assistance of Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and Finn (John Boyega), prepares to do battle with the first order who is headed up by Kylo Ren/Ben Solo (Adam Driver) and General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson). Will the resistance be able to ward off the tyrannies of the first order or be sent into oblivion?

 

Others to round out the cast are Andy Serkis as Snoke, Lupita Nyong'o as Maz Kanata, Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma, Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, Benicio Del Toro as DJ, Frank Oz as Yoda (voice of), Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca and Jimmy Vee as R2-D2.

 

This was cleverly directed by renaissance man Rian Johnson ("Brick" '05, "The Brother Bloom" '08, "Looper" '12) plus shorts and TV, based on characters created by George Lucas. Interestingly, this filmmaker typically focuses on quirky, independent films and shorts, so taking the helm on an extremely commercial film as with this, one can only imagine what must've been going on in the back of his mind. Certainly he gave this tired franchise new life again with a fresh, new take allowing these characters to come across more realistically than its predecessors. Please tell me Disney is bringing him back for the next installment. This was also written by Johnson (same films as directed). Again, if Disney is as smart as I hope they are, they will bring Johnson in to write the next installment as well. Even though this had a 152 minute running time, with the exception of a couple of small slow places in storyline, this story simply moved right along not realizing the length of it at all. This filmmaker is one to contend with for sure. And, of course, I can't stop this review without saying something about the visual effects by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic). They were absolutely seamless as they are with all their films that they have been doing since their first film, the original "Stars Wars". If fact, speaking of "Stars Wars", that film's music was created by the legendary John Williams as with this film as well. As with the original, his score incredibly enhanced this film. It's as if one was blindfolded  as this film played out, one could almost tell the story of the film just by listening to its score. You know who Williams is: Mr. "Close Encounters", :Raiders of the Lost Ark", Jaws", "Harry Potter", "Jurassic Park", "War Horse", "Lincoln", etc. He's also created the score for soon-to-be-released, "The Post" directed by Steven Spielberg, his collaborator for years.  

 

If you're a "Star Wars" junkie, you'll get your fix and then some, but even if you're not, as with me, this is certainly the best installment since the original "Star Wars". It takes its audience into another world, place and time to get away from our problems for a 2-1/2 hour time slot, and isn't that what films are all about in the first place, especially when you can see it on an IMAX or 3D version to boot.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                  Rated: PG-13                                 152mins.

 

The Disaster Artist

There are films based on true stories and although they are interesting and can be incredibly informative all the while entertaining, "The Disaster Artist" is one of these movies based on a true story that takes 'a true story' to an all new different level.

 

This story details the incredible true story behind the making of "The Room", a 2003 film that quickly became a cult hit due to its reputation as "the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made". This comedy-drama chronicles its production, and how it emerged from the friendship between weirdo auteur Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) and struggling actor Greg Sestero (Dave Franco). The tumultuous friendship effected everyone within the production including director of photographer Sandy (Seth Rogen) and his assistant, Raphael (Paul Scheer), whereas these guys were just about ready to 'jump ship' due to the acting inadequacies of Tommy who also happens to directs.

 

Others to round out the cast are Ari Graynor as Juliette, Alison Brie as Amber, Greg's girlfriend, Jacki Weaver as Carolyn, Zac Efron as Dan, Josh Hutcherson as Philip, June Diane Raphael as Robyn, Megan Mullally as Mrs. Sestero, Greg's mom, Nathan Fielder as Kyle Vogt, Andrew Santino as Scott Holmes and Jason Mantzoukas as Peter.

 

This was directed by yet another actor turned director, James Franco ("Fool's Gold" '05, "The Broken Tower" '11, "My Own Private Idaho" (Documentary) '12, "As I Lay Dying" '13, "Bukowski" '13, "Child of God" '13, "The Sound and the Fury" '14, "Black Dog, Red Dog" '15, "In Dubious Battle" '16, "The Institute" '17) plus others and TV. Obviously this filmmaker is an actor's director being an actor himself, so he has the ability to know what kinds of emotions these actors need to exude given the scene at hand. It was cleverly written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber ("500 Days of Summer" '09, "The Spectacular Now" '13, "The Fault of Our Stars" '14, "Paper Towns" '15) plus others and TV based on the book "The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made" by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell. These guys are obviously team writers which make for a tight collaborative effort. If I were to akin the ludicrousness of this to another film, it would have to be "Pain & Gain" '13, which was also based on a true story and had a plot that was difficult to believe was truth. This was similar in that regard, otherwise these two films were nothing alike. As with the other films these writers created, this was a tight, cohesive, well thought out film that spoke volumes in direction and writing. The casting of the Franco brothers was brilliant in that they were similar in looks so the audience could connect these two guys even more. 

 

Ironically, this being based on a horribly made film, this film was a breath of fresh air, especially in the comedy genre. It was powder dry humor, but that makes it seem that much more real. It would be interesting to see the original film this film is based on so as to get the essence of this film even more.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                       Rated: R                                 103mins.

 

Just Getting Started

When I saw the trailer for "Just Getting Started", although I didn't expect it to be a terrible film, I certainly thought it would be better than it turned out considering the star power. The savings grace of this was about the last third of the film, otherwise the film was attempting to be one.

Morgan Freeman stars as Duke Diver, the freewheeling manager of the luxury Palm Springs resort, the Villa Capri. Diver may have a mysterious past, but he's a pro at making sure that life for the high-spirited residents is one big, non-stop party. But the status quo is challenged when ex-military charmer Leo (Tommy Lee Jones) checks in, triggering a competition between Duke and Leo for the top spot of Alpha male, as well as for the affections of the newly-arrived Suzie (Rene Russo). When Duke's life is threatened, and his cover is blown, he and Leo will have to put their animosities off to the side in order to combat Duke's enemies. Will they succeed or will their bantering get in their way in order to spare Duke's life?

Others to round out the cast are Joe Pantoliano as Joey, Glenne Headly as Margarite, Sheryl Lee Ralph as Roberta, Elizabeth Ashley as Lily, George Wallace as Larry, Graham Beckel as Burt, Mel Raido as Oscar, Nick Peine as Jimmy and Susan Conklin as Nina.

This was directed by veteran Ron Shelton ("Bull Durham" '88, "Blaze" '89, "White Men Can't Jump" '92, "Cobb" '94, "Tin Cup" '96, "Play It Too the bone" '99, "Dark Blue" '92, "Hollywood Homicide" '03, "Hound Dogs" (TV movie).'11) plus TV. Usually Shelton's pacing and staging is far better than this--certainly his earlier films being the best, but the staging in this was jerky and stiff at best. Everyone's emotions were practically on the same plane and the inflection of tone of the characters were similar. Shelton also wrote this as well. This filmmaker is a seasoned, veteran writer, writing most of the films he directs, but this film was choppy and meandered. Usually Shelton is a fair to a superb director and especially writer, however this seemed like he simply wanted to make it, put it together, and market it to make a fast buck. If this was he best, then what went wrong, bad day at the laptop? Not sure. Just about every scene was rife with stale jokes and banal dialogue. As I've stated earlier, the last third of the film was probably the best. Once this realized it was a film, it was clear in its conveyance to show us how these characters were going to solve the problem at hand. This was predictable, but although other films have been predictable, they still entertain us. This was predictable with very little entertainment factor included. The best thing about this was the star power. Both Freeman and Jones are consummate actors with a ton of experience-- it's just too bad that their collaborative efforts were wasted in a banal, tired script.

If you must see this, it will be for the star power--Freeman and Jones were at their classic best, otherwise the script, whereas had some funny parts, on the most part was a tired comedy with forced comedic lines and stiff staging.

Out of 4 Stars: 2                              Rated: PG-13                                90mins.

The Man Who Invented Christmas

As Christmas is nigh, Hollywood has finally decided to offer us a film for us to celebrate this time of year. Through the decades Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" has had a plethora of incarnations dating back as far as the 30's. We've seen different takes on the story in both the drama and comedy genres, but now we are offered "The Man Who Invented Christmas", basically telling us how Dickens came up with the idea of the book.

In London, 1843, the celebrated British novelist Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens), is at a low point in his career with three flops behind him and his family expenses piling up at home. Determined to recover, Dickens decides to write a Christmas story and self publish it in less than two months. As Dickens labors writing on such short notice, his estranged father, John (Jonathan Pryce) and mother come to bunk with him. Still haunted by painful memories of his father ruining his childhood by his financial irresponsibility, Dickens must face his personal demons epitomized through his characters, especially in his imagined conversations with Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer). Now with a looming deadline, Dickens struggles for inspiration against his frustrations and his characters' opinions in a literary challenge creating a classic tale that would define the essential soul of modern Christmas.

Others to round out the cast are Justin Edwards as John Forster, Simon Callow as John Leech, Anna Murphy as Tara/Ghost of Christmas Past, Morfydd Clark as Kate Dickens, Miriam Margolyes as Mrs. Fisk, Donald Sumpter as Jacob Marley, John Henshaw as Mr. Fezziwig and Ely Solan as Young Charles Dickens.

This was methodically directed by Bharat Nalluri ("Downtime" '97, "Killing Time" '98, "Cyclops" (TV movie) '01, "The Hunters" (TV movie) '06, "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day" '08, "MI-5" '15, "Mars Project" (TV movie) '16) plus a ton of TV. This filmmaker's ability to dissect each scene and place it in a methodical way sequentially is amazing. His characters jumped off the screen in a delightful way. It was well thought out by writer Susan Coyne ("Christmas Dreams" (TV movie) '09, "Anne of Green Gables" (TV movie) '16) plus a ton of TV, based on a book by Les Standiford which is inspired by Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". Considering this is Coyne's first theatrical screenplay, this was crafted with expertise unlike I've seen by many seasoned screenwriters. The fact that she has a ton of TV to her credit is definitely a feather in her cap.  Gnawing one's teeth on another medium is vital in honing a talent that is apparently already rooted. Other than a couple of very small slow places in storyline, this script soared. The originality of showing us what could've happened to Dickens as he was creating this novel was pure genius. Having the different characters appear (in Dickens' imagination) to assist him in his journey of finishing his story was both comedic and dramatic. Kudos to her for her incredible originality. Interestingly, Dickens published his novel on Dec.19, 1843, just days before Christmas.

If you like the usual 'Christmas Carol' films we've seen so many times for decades, this will be a refreshing change we all are clearly ready for. This has it all: good writing, directing, acting--specifically by Stevens and Plummer, and marvelous production values all rolled up in a Christmas film you will soon anot forget.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                   Rated: PG                                  105mins.

Lady Bird

As we are in the middle of the end of the year movie season, we are not only offered big films with top name stars, but also small independent films with not so large names in them. I suspect this would be the best case scenario assuming these films capture the interest Hollywood hopes to gain. Some have been pluses and some minuses--given this small film, "Lady Bird" is a plus...mostly.

 

This coming-of-age film set in 2002 Sacramento, California, centers on Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), an eccentric teenager who prefers to go by the name "Lady Bird". Over the course of her senior year of high school, Lady Bird deals with the pangs of her first love, Danny O'Neill (Lucas Hedges) and clashes with her mother, Marion (Laurie Metcalf) over her plans for her future. During this year, Lady Bird realizes she is as strong-willed as her mother with frustrates both and all the while Marion is attempting to keep the family together especially after her husband, Larry (Tracy Letts) loses his job. Will mother and daughter survive each while trying to save what's left of their own lives?

 

Others to round out the cast are Timothee Chalamet as Kyle Scheible, Beanie Feldstein as Julie Steffens, Lady Bird's best friend, Lois Smith as Sister Sarah Joan, Odeya Rush as Jenna Walton, Jake McDorman as Mr. Bruno, Jordan Rodriguez as Miguel McPherson, Stephen McKinley Henderson as Father Leviatch and Andy Buckley as Matt.

 

This was deftly directed by actor, Greta Gerwig ("Nights and Weekends" '08). Although this wasn't the best film directed out there, considering she has only one other film directed to her credit, this was paced and staged amazingly well. I haven't seen some seasoned directors that have been as subtle with the emotions this filmmaker was able to extract from her actors as Gerwig has. She will direct more. This was also written by Gerwig ("Hannah Takes the Stairs" '07, "Nights and Weekends" '08, "Northern Comfort" '10, "Frances Ha" '12, "Mistress America" '15) plus others and TV, loosely based on her own life. As with Noah Baumbach, I'm not as much frustrated with her writing as much as the subjects she chooses and she has a tendency to just drop the audience come the ending. This is truly a frequent approach of the independent film which is permissible, however prevalent. As I've mentioned on many reviews, comedy is my favorite genre, but most comedies either are designed as a frat fall film replete with toilet humor, four-letter words with references of drugs and sex, or they are extremely powder dry in humor whereas it becomes difficult to differentiate where the comedy ends and the drama begins. "Lady Bird" definitely falls with the latter description. Most websites claim this is a comedy, whereas it feels more like a drama with comedic overtones, and if this is what Gerwig was striving to convey then she succeeded in spades. This was well written and directed and this ensemble cast was talented, but it would be enjoyable to see a comedy that is funny that is dead center of the two aforementioned descriptions of comedy. Frankly, my favorite type of comedy is a satirical one, such as "Thank You for Smoking" '05.

 

Greta Gerwig definitely will continue to carve out talented work, however it would be great if she could find that level of comedy that has a bit more bite to it without compromising her integrity in order to create an artfully crafted film.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                 Rated: R                                   94mins.