The Eyes of Tammy Faye

When the concept of films came about, people were looking to escape into a world in which they can be entertained. However, as time presses on, films became, not only entertaining, but were created to inform, educate, preach to, and to send a clear message. informatively, biopics became popular in which to let an audience into the lives of certain prominent people, which is what we see in "The Eyes of Tammy Faye". 

This film is an intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. In the 1970s and 80s, Tammy Faye (Jessica Chastain) and her husband Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield), rose from humble beginnings to create the world's largest religious broadcasting network and theme park, with help from Pat Robertson (Gabriel Olds) and Jerry Falwell (Vincent D'Onofrio), and were revered for their message of love, acceptance and prosperity. Tammy Faye was legendary for her indelible eyelashes, her idiosyncratic singing, and her eagerness to embrace people from all walks from life, even though she was perpetually striving to find acceptance from her mother Rachel Grover (Cherry Jones). However, it wasn't long before financial improprieties, scheming rivals, and scandals toppled their carefully constructed empire. 

Others to round out the cast are Mark Wystrach as Gary Paxton, Sam Jaeger as Roe Messner, Louis Cancelmi as Richard Fletcher, Fredric Lehne as Fred Grover, Rachel's husband, Chandler Head as young Tammy Faye, James Huguley as Jimmy Swaggert, Dan Johnson as preacher and Wes Jetton as male nurse.

This was staged and paced with incredible expertise by veteran Michael Showalter ("The Baxter" '05, "Hello, My Name Is Doris" '15, "Giles Vanderhoot" (TV movie) '16, "The Big Sick" '17, "The Lovebirds" '20) plus TV, a video and a TV documentary. Surely with these interesting films he has directed well, his experience in the TV realm is about as impressive. All this truly creates talent that simply unfolds on the screen. Undoubtedly, Chastain is a consummate actor, but the way he was able to extract the emotions out of her to allow her performance shine was incredible. She will surely receive an Oscar nod for her work in this. It was amazingly well written by a virtual newcomer to feature films, Abe Sylvia ("Dirty Girl" '10) plus TV and a short. As with the director, certainly because of the incredible amount of writing in the TV medium was actually why this writer was able to write this script with such cohesiveness and clarity. If this is only his second feature film to his credit, I'm waiting to see what he will write next--and there will be another screenplay. This covers decades from 1952 through 1994 mostly as a flashback, so the film has a tendency to speed through the first part of the film. But considering that the running would have been exhaustively longer if they didn't do this, it was permissible. One shout out I really need to mention is that of Elizabeth Himelstein, the dialect coach for both Chastain and Garfield. Those two sounded exactly like Tammy Faye and Jim Bakker, especially Tammy Faye, which simply added to the delineation of the character, however Himelstein is certainly one of the best dialect coaches in the biz. 

Other than Chastain, others shined in this as well, i.e. Garfield as Jim Bakker, D'Onofrio as Jerry Falwell and Cherry Jones as Rachel, Tammy Faye's mother. Certainly Chastain's performance was every bit as talented as that of Zellweger as Judy Garland in "Judy", so since Zellweger won the award in '19, maybe she could nab the award this time, although Beverly Hudson could give her a run for her money as Aretha Franklin in "Respect". This is a definitive look into the lives of these two, whether successful or fragile, and definitely is worthy of viewing. It's sad that anyone in any field seemingly has to be humbled to realize that they made a huge mistake.

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                                Rated: PG-13                                             126mins.

Dear Evan Hansen

Musicals, through the years, have had to reinvent themselves in that most of them today don't appear to look like they came right off a stage, but rather become intermingled with real locales and interiors, such as the case with "Dear Evan Hansen". The music and lyrics of this are the same ones that created the music for "LA LA Land", "The Greatest Showman" and the new music for the 2019 version of "Aladdin", Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. 

The breathtaking, generation-defining Broadway phenomenon becomes a soaring cinematic event as Ben Platt reprises his Broadway role as an anxious, isolated high schooler, Evan Hansen aching for understanding and belonging amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age. With Evan having this disorder, a letter to himself that was not meant to be seen by others, lands wrongly in the hands of a classmate, Conner Murphy (Colton Ryan) who, as a result, commits suicide due to his own mental illness. Connor's mother, Cynthia Murphy (Amy Adams) and stepfather, Larry Mora (Daniel Pino) subsequently meet with Evan in the hopes that, because Connor had no friends, they will be able know the friend that Connor had since Evan's letter was on Connor when the body was discovered. Evan's mother, Heidi Hansen (Jilianne Moore) attempts to understand Evan and his issues, however, being the only breadwinner, makes it difficult for her. This entire incident ultimately sends Evan on a journey of self-discovery and gives him the chance to finally be accepted by his peers and live the life he never dreamt he could have. 

Others to round out the cast are Kaitlyn Dever as Zoe Murphy, Cynthia's daughter, Amandia Stenberg as Alana Beck, Nik Dodani as Jared Kalwani, DeMarius Copes as Oliver, Liz Kate as Gemma, Zoey Luna as Leila, Isaac Powell as Rhys and Marvin Leon as Skye. 

This was creatively directed by Stephen Chbosky ("The Four Corners of Nowhere" '95, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" '12, "Wonder" '17). Even though this filmmaker has a wide range of topics in which he directs, they all embody a quirky, very independent feel to them. He certainly has the ability to take his characters, this film is no exception, and create a feel of pathos and reality to his characters, which makes this film much more compelling, especially it being a musical. His direction has a sharp-edged quality to it which makes his films, this one included, a joy and very easy to watch. It was effectively written by Steven Levenson ("If I Forget" '17) plus TV and a short, and is based on the musical stage play with book by Levenson, and is based on the musical stage play with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Certainly Levenson penning the script based on his play gave him an upper edge in how the screenplay was to unfold, however his amount of feature film experience is limited. And with this lack of experience, this script was a bit slow and choppy in places. Truly, where this film excels is with the numbers (music and lyrics), but considering the musicians involved, it should be no surprise. The format in incorporating part of the lyrics within the lines of the script was interesting and fresh, but there were some places of lack of clarity, and it was a bit long-in-the-tooth--approximately two thirds into the story, it was a little slow, however it only took a few minutes to get back on track. I will probably purchase the soundtrack to this because almost every song was extremely catchy as soon as you hear it. 

If you certainly like musicals, you'll love this. As I've aforementioned, this is not the typical musical, however, in my book, that makes this even more appealing it being a musical. Ben Platt reprising his stage play role did an excellent job as the hapless, anxiety-ridden, isolated Evan, and this is where the film is centered on. This is definitely worthy of the price of admission, if for nothing else than for the musical numbers. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                                    Rated: PG-13                                            137mins.

Copshop

We have seen assassin type films and police/crime films, but "Copshop" places both genres within one location--a police station, where every situation that occurs subsequently affects all who are involved to where it becomes a blur where the good guys end and the bad guys start. 

Screaming through the Nevada desert in a bullet-ridden Crown Vic, wily con artist Teddy Murretto (Frank Grillo) hatches a desperate plan to hide out from lethal hitman Bob Viddick (Gerard Butler). He decides to sucker-punch rookie officer Valerie Young (Alexis Louder) to get himself arrested and locked up in a small town police station. But jail can't protect Murretto for long. Viddick schemes his own way into detention, biding his time in a nearby cell until he can complete his mission. When the arrival of a competing psychotic assassin Anthony Lamb (Toby Huss) ignites all-out mayhem, mounting threats force Viddick to get creative if he wants to finish the job and escape the explosive situation.

Others to round out the cast are Ryan O'Nan as Huber, Jose Pablo-Cantillo as Officer Pena, Kaiwi Lyman as Barnes, Robert Walker Branchaud as Kimble and Keith Jardine as Trooper Faulkner.

This was directed with amazing grit and explosiveness by seasoned Joe Carnahan ("Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane" '98, "Narc" '02, "Smokin' Aces" '06, "Faceless" (TV movie) '06, "The A-Team" '10, "The Grey" '11, "Stretch" '14, "Battle Ready" (TV movie) '20, "Boss Level" '21) plus TV and shorts. As one can observe by this filmmaker's resume, this is certainly familiar territory. His ability to bring the intensity and grit to his characters using his actors to fulfill the embodiment of the development of these characters is amazing. If you like his brand of directing, his "The Raid" and "Leo from Toledo" are both in pre production. It was very effectively written by Kurt McLeod ("Audrey" (short) '10) and Carnahan ("Karate Raider" '95, Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane" '98, "Narc" '02, "Smokin' Aces" '06, "Pride and Glory" '08, "The A-Team" '10, "The Grey" '11, "Stretch" '14, "Death Wish" '18, "El Chicano" '18, "Bad Boys for Life" '20, "Battle Ready" (TV movie) '20) plus TV, shorts and a video, based on a story by Mark Williams and McLeod. Again, Carnahan is a seasoned, accomplished writer with an impressive resume and undoubtedly had the lion's share of the experience on this screenplay. Surely McLeod had pivotal input in this story, this being partially based on his story, however Carnahan was the truly talented one behind this script. Other than a couple of very small, subtle places of choppiness in the story, this simply shined. If you like the writing style of Carnahan, his script for "The Raid" is in pre production. This film certainly had some surprises that you just don't see coming, but it is one of those films that each scene causes the plot to thicken as the minutes tick by.

The cat and mouse game between Murretto and Viddick actually carries this story, and while the others, especially Officer Young and Anthony Lamb, are compelling characters, the meat here is that of Murretto and Viddick. The stunts are almost as captivating as the story, and with this mix, it certainly is worth the price of admission. 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                        Rated: R                                            108mins.

Cry Macho

When viewing a Clint Eastwood film, one often envisions a rough and tumble detective, cowboy or drifter in an action-packed yarn. After viewing "Cry Macho", what I received was anything but the aforementioned description of many of his films. Surely, his character was aloof, quiet and even crusty as one would expect, however with this story you received so much more.

This uplifting and poignant drama stars Clint Eastwood as Mike Milo, a one-time rodeo star and washed-up horse breeder who, in 1980, reluctantly takes a job from a friend and ex-boss, Howard Polk (Dwight Yoakam) to bring the man's young son, Rafo (Eduardo Minett) home from Mexico. Forced to take the backroads on their way to Texas, the unlikely pair faces an unexpectedly challenging journey, during which the world-weary horseman finds unexpected connections via through an affable and kind lady, Marta (Natalia Traven) whom seems to befriend Mike, and that through these circumstances, finds his own sense of redemption. 

Others to round out the cast are Horacio Garcia Rojas as Aurelio, Fernanda Urrejola as Leta, Raul Alayo as Sergeant Perez, Brytnee Ratledge as hippie girl and Ivan Hernandez as Lucas. 

This was brilliantly directed with subtlety and grit by the incomparable Clint Eastwood ("Play Misty for Me" '71, "High Plains Drifter" '73, "The Outlaw Josey Wales" '76, "Firefox" '82, "Sudden Impact" '83, "Bird" '88, "Unforgiven" '92, "True Crime" '99, "Space Cowboys" 2000, "Mystic River" '03, "Million Dollar Baby" '04, "Flags of Our Fathers" '06, Letters from Iwo Jima" '06, "Gran Torino" '08, "J. Edgar" '11, "American Sniper" '14, "Sully" '16, "The Mule" '18, "Richard Jewell" '19) plus many others. I've spoken about this filmmaker in many reviews and every one of them are incredibly well paced, well staged and brilliantly cohesive and concise, and this is no exception. What absolutely amazes me is that he's 91 and still directing and acting! Even if he has assistance with the directing aspect, the feel of the film is his trademark and then there's the acting which no one can help with that. How does this guy do it?! Because of his love of the craft, he will undoubtedly die on a movie set, but, at least he will be doing something he loves. He was also one of the producers as well. This filmmaker can truly do it all and with quality. It was creatively written by Nick Schenk (""Gran Torino" '08, "The Judge" '14, "The Mule" '18, "Battle Ready" (TV movie) '20) and N. Richard Nash ("Nora Prentiss" '47, "The Sainted Sisters" '48, "Dear Wife" '49, "The Vicious Years" '50, "The Goldbergs" '50, "Mara Maru" '52, "Top of the World" '55, "Porgy and Bess", "Dragonfly" '76, "Bintang Kejora" '86) plus TV and TV movies, based on a novel by N. Richard Nash. As this story opens, it almost feels as though it's not actually going anywhere--certainly not quickly, however, looking back in retrospect, I believe that feeling was a bit skewed in that being an Eastwood film, I think I was expecting what many others would expect in that this would be chock full of action and amazing stunts. After a point in story, I soon realized that this was a much different story as compassion, empathy and poignancy started to ease into the story more which made this script simply well-hewned. As Mike started off feeling imposed on and being cynical and crusty, we soon see another side to Mike that Mike didn't know existed and this character development was delineated with such pathos and subtlety. Kudos to these writers and to Eastwood as usual!

Has Eastwood got another film in him considering his age? Maybe--maybe not, but suffice it to say, even if he were to die tomorrow, he will leave such a legacy that, if film students aren't studying his film today, they will at that point. Through the decades, his acting has always been captivating, but it's his directing which, in my opinion, has shown his true talent. He could possibly be nominated for yet another Oscar for this gem. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                            Rated: PG-13                                                    103mins.

Show Me the Father

When it comes to inspirational films, the Kendrick Brothers are one of the names you want to look for. They've created celebrated films such as "Facing the Giants" "Courageous", "War Room" and "Overcomer", and now comes "Show Me the Father", their first documentary about fatherhood and how that relates to God and how we relate toward fathers. 

Everyone has a unique father story, whether positive or painful. It's always personal and can deeply affect the core of our identity and direction of our lives. Kendrick Brothers' "Show Me the Father" is the first documentary film from the creators of "War Room", "Overcomer" and "Courageous" legacy. Featuring a variety of amazing true stories, this captivating movie takes audiences of all ages on an inspiring and emotional cinematic journey. Providing a fresh perspective on the roles of fathers in today's society. This documentary invites one to think differently about how one views their earthly father, and how one personally relates to God.

There are many people interviewed for this including Dr. Tony Evans, Jim Daly, Jonathan Evans, Alex Kendrick, Stephen Kendrick, Eddie George, Deland McCullough, Sherman Smith and Larry Kendrick (the Kendrick Brothers' father).

This was directed with wrenching conviction by Rick Altizer ("Chonda Pierce: Laughing in the Dark" (documentary) '15, "Chonda Pierce: Enough" (documentary) '17, "Russ Taff: I Still Believe" (documentary) '18, "Chonda Pierce: Unashamed" (documentary) '19). Even though there was not a writer to this film, these individuals were able to candidly use their expertise and perspective to show us what it takes to be a father, to relate to a father or to have the ability to ward against any anger or bitterness they may have toward their father or how they can guide others to reassess how they view their father. All this was true talent in how Altizer was able to get these people to emulate the emotions and pathos they needed to bring home the meaning of this documentary. Considering this director's vast documentary experience, he was definitely in his comfort zone here. It's truly an inspirational film that embodies not only how we relate to our fathers, but how that is connected in how we connect with God and the fact that He is our heavenly father. It's with the idea that if we follow God's idea of what fatherhood is, that we can use those same principals in how we, as fathers, raise our children. There are, statistically, so many severe downfalls because of fatherless homes: joining gangs, jail time, poverty, increase of abortions, teenage pregnancy, etc. This shows its audience that, through Jesus Christ, we can have that amazing father through God, the ultimate father, even though we've had an abusive, neglectful, non-existent father. Today, being a very troubled time, we need to hear this more than ever to give us that hope, that security, peace and love that only God, through Jesus Christ can show us. 

If you are a Christian--that knows and embraces Jesus Christ, this film will be an amazing shot in the arm, but even if you're not, this film will speak to you, as long as you are open to the needs in your lives that only God can understand and has the ability to allow you to overcome. 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                                    Rated: PG                                                     91mins.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Ever since "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was released in 2000, we have seen a stream of those types of films, whether they be Bruce Lee films, Charlie Chan films or Martial Arts films. Personally, I really didn't think that this particular genre would last very long, but here we are with "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" as the offing this week. 

This story centers around Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) who ultimately must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization by his estranged father Xu Wenwu (Tony Chiu Wai). The story starts off in narrating the origins of the Ten Rings and the fact they've been around for a 1,000 years. Then the year is 1996 whereas Xu Wenwu woos and marries Li (Fala Chen), another individual with powers as strong as Xu Wenwu's. The couple's children, Young Shang-Chi (Jayden Zhang) and young Xialing (Elodie Fong) subsequently learn the ways of their parents. Switch now to the present where Shang-Chi has moved to America and, to hide his past, has changed his name to Shaun where he is good friends with Katy (Awkwafina). He soon knows he needs to go back to China and confront his 'demons' where he finds his long lost sister Xialing (Meng'er Zhang). While he's back home, he goes to where he once lived to visit his mother's grave who died when he was young only to open up 'a can of worms' that brings him closer to the frenzy of the Ten Rings.

Others to round out the cast are Ben Kingsley as Trevor, Michelle Yeoh as Ying Nan, Shang-Chi's aunt, Yuen Wah as Master Guang Bo, Florian Munteanu as Razor Fist, Andy Le as Death Dealer, Paul He as Chancellor Hui, Arnold Sun as teen Shang-Chi, Stephanie Hsu as Soo, Kunal Dudheker as John and Tsai Chin as Waipo.

This was incredibly well delineated by director Destin Daniel Cretton ("Drakma: A Vassal's Journey (documentary) '06, "I Am Not a Hipster" '12, "Short Term 12" '13, "The Glass Castle" '17, "Just Mercy" '19) plus TV, shorts and a video documentary short. This filmmaker doesn't have an extensive body of work to his credit, but what he has to his credit is a strong resume which has obviously served him in the way that he was able to convey this story and characters that made its almost two and a quarter hours simply fly by. It was executed with amazing storytelling by writers David Callaham, Cretton and Andrew Lanham, based on a screen story by Cretton and Callaham, which is based on the Marvel comics by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin. Even though Callaham has the lion's share of the experience here, they all have an impressive resume, and this screenplay shows it. It covers the origin of the Ten Rings, Shang-Chi's family and his subsequent challenge to fulfill his destiny in a fairly lengthy running time that simply flies by quick. With the exception of a couple of very small places that weren't explained, but could be easily assumed, this script was tight, concise and cohesive down to the end credits; speaking of credits, you may want to wait until the end of them for a bit of a surprise. If you like Callaham's wtiting, his "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2" is in the middle of filming. And, as one would expect, both the visual effects by ILM (Industrial, Light & Magic), Weta Digital and Digital Domain and the stunts by Brad Allan were seamless and were as much as stars as the actors. 

Certainly if you like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you'll love this. But unlike a lot of Marvel productions, this is actually well directed and written with the usual combination of stunts, explosives, and a ton of action--something for everyone. If you want to see it in a format like you're right there, it's also shown in IMAX. This is rollicking good fun!

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                       Rated: PG-13                                            132mins.