Godzilla vs. Kong

Godzilla and King Kong revived their movie careers with 1962's Toho-produced King Kong vs. Godzilla. Now, the Kings of the Monsters are back to duke it out in theaters and HBOMax. Naturally, I had to see Godzilla vs. Kong on the latter option. Maybe I'll be back in theaters one day.

Today, I saw King Kong fight Godzilla. But I bet you knew that. 

The Government agency Monarch has King Kong held in a dome on his native Skull Island. Meanwhile, Godzilla stomps around Penascola for some reason. And a few other cities too. Walter Simmons (Demian Bechir), starts an expedition to Hollow Earth to find an anti-Godzilla solution. Monarch takes Kong as their unofficial guide. And then, lizard meets monkey.

Meanwhile, Madison Russell (Millie Bobbie Brown) and her pal, Josh (Julian Dennison), investigate Godzilla's rampages. They're joined by conspiracy theorist and podcaster Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry). They discover that Apex already has an anti-Godzilla solution. This Mecha Godzilla has a secret that irritates the original. Godzilla needs some big help to defeat it; but first, he and the big help must fight again.

Director Adam Wingard and his five writers waste no time. Both monsters appear on screen within the first ten minutes. They don't meet until a half-hour later, but we're rarely bored. We get to know the humans sufficiently well in the meantime. The highlights are a Monarch scientist, Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) and her adopted daughter, Jia (Kaylee Hottle), a Skull Island native who communicates with Kong. Madison's part of the plot is intriguing, Hayes is cool, while scientist Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgaard) is just OK. It helps that the plot is understandable.

Now for the big stuff. The monster battles were made for the big screen. Their first bout at sea is impressive, while their rematch in Hong Kong is alluring thanks to its nighttime neon. Once again, they're visualized with great motion-capture CGI. Mecha Godzilla, in particular, is an intimidating robot monster. The Hollow Earth and its creatures are spectacular sights. A few technical stars include cinematographer Ben Seresin and composer Tom Holkenborg.

Godzilla vs Kong once again delivers its titanic promises. Its human characters were good, but its monsters were better. Anyone looking for deep drama should look into this year's Oscar nominees. See it on the biggest screen you can find. Stay safe if it's in a movie theater.

Better Days

Better Days represents Hong Kong for this year's International Film Oscar. Derek Tsang's high school melodrama is based on Jiu Yuexi's novel In His Youth, In Her Beauty, also translated as Young & Beautiful. Time to read why it's good.

Chen Nian (Zhou Dongyu) is a high schooler preparing for her College Entrance Exam. One day, her best friend, Hu Xiaodie (Zhang Yifan) jumps to her death at school. Chen Nian covers up her body with her jacket. Afterwards, Chen Nian is targeted for torment by mean girl Wei Lai (Zhou Ye) and her crew. One night, she accidentally walks by some thugs beating up a rival. The thugs jump her, but the unlucky guy, Xiao Bei (Jackson Yee), drives them off.

It's not love at first sight. But Chen Nian accepts Xiao Bei's help when Wei Lai's bullying gets worse. He even helps her study for her entrance exam; that way, she can have the bright future he can't. Their days are darkened when Wei Lai is found dead, and they are the suspects.

Its story steadily builds up Chen Nian and Xiao Bei's relationship for 136 minutes. We get to know the wounded man behind the tough guy. We see her troubled life. We get to see how she becomes stronger, and he grows more selfless. Him helping her after a particularly vicious attack was a nice scene. It gets quite melodramatic when he takes the rap.

Meanwhile, the film heavily critiques bullying amidst a rigid and uncaring society. We see it in a subplot with a sympathetic detective (Yin Fang) who first investigates Chen Nian's bullying, and then the murder. He's shocked by the bullying, but as another detective says, it's always been like this. "If you weren't the bully, then you were being bullied."

The acting is good, too. Zhou Dongyu and Jackson Yee's chemistry is compelling, and their characters are believable. Wei Lai and her crew are perfectly loathsome individuals, but they're also victims of their society, too. Wei Lai is surprisingly sympathetic when her father slaps her around and later, in her final moments. Wu Yue is also sympathetic as Chen Nian's mother, who sells lackluster face masks, and wants her daughter to succeed. The detectives are likable as well. 

Yu Jing-Pin's cinematography is the technical star. There's some spectacular sky photography and gritty urban locales. The bullying is nightmarish in those conditions. Varqa Buehrer's score is perfectly melodramatic, while the back-and-forth editing by Zhang Yibo in a few scenes takes time to get used to. Its best edited scene is near the end; that's all I'll say.

Better Days struggled with local censors before its release in 2019. But at least it made it. Its anti-bullying themes needed to be heard. Its lead characters liven up the familiar "good girl meets bad boy" plot. Even the villains are a tad sympathetic. Its ending offers hope for anyone facing bullying. See it for yourself on your favorite streaming service; once again, I chose Prime. It's a welcome addition to this year's Oscars.

The Mole Agent

Now comes this year's documentary Oscar nominee with the most appealing title: The Mole Agent. This Chilean documentary was also one of the fifteen films shortlisted for Best International Feature. It’s a story that promises mystery and intrigue among old folks. Yes, really.

Maite Alberdi chronicles Sergio Chamy, an 83-year-old recent widower, as he’s hired by detective Romulo Aitken. His mission, that he chooses to accept, is to infiltrate the San Francisco Retirement Home in Santiago as a new resident. He’ll keep track on a specific resident, Sonia, and report on whether she’s being mistreated. Sergio spends time getting to know the residents, mostly women. His biggest problem is that, despite it being temporary, he might like it here.

The premise itself is appealing. We see Romulo interview several men before he meets Sergio. We see Romulo equip Sergio with a few spy gadgets for his mission. It sounds fun. The other residents are appealing people. There’s Bertita, Sergio’s most interested suitor, Perdita, a poet, Rubina, whose memory is fading, and Marta, a senile kleptomaniac. We spend quite a bit of time knowing them before Sergio finally meets Sonia. A few people might question why Alberdi’s crew is present at the home before Sergio arrives. But it didn’t bother me.

There’s some seriousness too. The residents feel lonely and neglected by society at large. Their kids, not even Sonia’s daughter (the one who hired Romulo), barely visit. The residents’ loneliness is the true enemy Sergio unmasks. His presence livens things up, even if it’s temporary. His relationship with Bertita gives her some levity in her last years. Marta’s dementia makes her thievery sadly understandable. Inevitably, a resident ends up passing away. It’s a lot to think about, especially if you’ve had a relative in a retirement home. 

The Mole Agent is ready to stream for free on Hulu. So take the offer now to meet a great real-life cast. It's one of the best senior capers you'll ever encounter. It's the best for me. Now I need to schedule one last nominated documentary before the Oscars.

My Octopus Teacher

I made time for two of this year's documentary Oscar nominees. They're both relatively short, lasting no more than an hour and a half, so it was easy. Here's the nature documentary My Octopus Teacher.

Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed chronicle South African diver Craig Foster as he explores a kelp forest near Cape Town. He makes a friend in an Octopus. Throughout a year, Foster builds up trust with the mollusk and documents her life. He sees how she moves around the ocean floor, how she camouflages herself from prey and predator and how she escapes certain death from hungry pyjama sharks. He grows attached to the Octopus (who goes nameless), but eventually, it comes to an end.

This is a relaxing movie. The underwater cinematography and serene music create a mesmerizing view of the ocean. We hear from Foster as to why he chose to go below the Ocean – where the water is around 45 degrees. His days are invigorated when the Octopus shows up. Indeed, the Octopus bonding with Foster is a captivating story. Her camouflaging and resourcefulness make for impressive feats. The other sea creatures are a spectacular assortment. What it’s missing is an IMAX screen.

My Octopus Teacher is ready for class on Netflix. You’ll learn quite a bit about sea life through one man's experiences. It's a good family-friendly documentary; it's only flaw is that it's sometimes too relaxing. Don't doze off or you'll miss some vital info. It's earned it's frontrunner status at the Documentary Oscar. My actual favorite of the nominees is the next film on the docket.

Collective

Previously: I think I'm gonna see all the nominated documentaries this year. But I think I'll see one a week.

This week: Maybe not one a week.

Collective is a unique film. It's the first Romanian film to be nominated for any Oscar, and it's been nominated for both Best International Feature AND Best Documentary. So I might just see one more nominated documentary tomorrow. But let's check out this one first:

Alexander Nanau's film chronicles the political fallout of the Collective night club fire in Bucharest. It went up in flames on October 30, 2015, after a pyrotechnic display went awry. The fire killed 64 people; 27 initially and 37 due to bacterial infections in the hospital. Sports Gazette reporter Catalin Tolontan set out to find out why people kept dying. And he found it. 

It turns out surgeons were using diluted disinfectants. A lot of them were supplied by the firm, Hexi Pharma. This leads Tolontan and his fellow reporters to a tangled web of corrupt incompetence in the Romanian government. It only gets more complicated when Dan Condrea, head of Hexi Pharma, dies in a suspicious car crash. Meanwhile, the outrage over the fire leads to protests. Will it be enough to change the system?

No, not really. The Ruling Party remained in power and they hired a Quack as a Public Hospital Manager.

The story is a great political thriller. The depths of corrupt incompetence Tolontan and his reporters uncover is shocking. A patient is seen in a whistleblower's video infested with maggots. The Government happily accepted Hexi Pharma's falsified reports. There's also the circumstances of Condrea's fatal crash. We find out later that the government is so corrupt that the only way to uncorrupt it is to fire everyone. It's enough to make one's head spin. 

A subplot follows Collective survivor Tedy Ursuleanu as she gets a prosthetic hand and poses for an art exhibit. Her appearance in the plot threw me off at first, but it made sense later. Her subplot is about finding hope after a traumatic event. It's ultimately well-done. We also see footage of the start of the fire; unsurprisingly, it's the film's most disturbing scene.

Another subplot follows Vlad Voiculescu, the newly promoted (at the time) Health Minister and friend to the investigation. We see him struggle against the red tape the Gazette team can't get past. His efforts are unsuccessful but let's thank him for trying. He's a good man in a system that needs a lot more. 

Collective is available on many streaming services; I saw it on Amazon Prime. Its chronicle of corrupt incompetence unfolds over 113 fascinating minutes. You'll never be bored as you witness the Gazette uncover the corruption all over. It's a great validation of a free press. It deserves either of the two Oscars it may win on April 25th. You can see why if you press play.

Time

As I said in Welcome to Chechnya, I promised to wait until the Oscar nominations before I saw anymore potential documentary winners. Now I can start watching. I now have time for Time.

Garrett Bradley's film tells the story of a New Orleans couple, Sibil Fox Richardson (aka Fox Rich) and her husband, Robert. In 1997, they were young, in love and were completely broke. One day, Robert and his nephew held up a bank. They were arrested along with Sibil, their getaway driver. Sibil served 3 1/2 years in prison while Robert was sentenced to sixty. 

The documentary chronicles Sibil's quest to get Robert parole. She spent those twenty-one years becoming a successful entrepreneur and public speaker. She also had to raise her six sons by herself; the youngest were twins born during their mother's incarceration. They never had time to know their father growing up. Sibil lost a lot of time with her husband. But that time alone is almost up. There's a parole hearing for Robert.

It alternates between Sibil's home movies and present day footage; all rendered in black and white. We get to know her a lot during this time. She admits her guilt but admits the robbery was a stupid mistake. Her husband got the harsh sentence because of a botched plea deal. That and Jury Tampering (something neglected here); but given the details, their latter charge was their desperate mistake. We ultimately understand how disproportionate Robert's sentence is. We understand Sibil's frustration as she deals with a slow justice system. We get to see the twins, Justus and Freedom, grow up to be good men. And we feel the joy when Robert gets to walk out of prison.

I think I'm gonna see all the nominated documentaries this year. But I think I'll see one a week. Time is ready to stream for free on Amazon Prime. It's easy to find time for it as it's only 81 minutes long. So press play for a captivating true life story.

Another Round

It's almost St. Patrick's Day

That usually means booze.

Take a sip or two tomorrow

What's there to lose?

Now comes a movie on Hulu

About four guys who drink up

Another Round is its name

So now, let's look in the cup.

In less rhyming terms, Another Round is Denmark's latest entry in the Best International Film Oscar race. Director and co-writer Thomas Vinterberg also got nominated as Best Director yesterday. His story follows High School teachers Martin (Mads Mikkelsen), Tommy (Thomas Bo Larsen), Peter (Lars Ranthe) and Nikolaj (Magnus Millang). All four are bored with their lives. One night, they talk about Finn Skarderud, a psychiatrist who theorized that humans naturally lack 0.05% in BAC. So Martin decides to make up the difference and see what happens.

The result is that Martin becomes a livelier teacher and a happier man. The others join in and get that buzz they've missed. They decide to push their BAC higher and see what happens. And higher, and higher. Until it stops being funny and starts to wreck their social and professional lives.

It's a great story developed by Vinterberg and Tobias Lindholm. The film opens with students running a raucous drinking race; that's followed by the boredom of their school hours. The four stepping off the wagon is an audacious experiment. There's even a montage of politicians apparently acting drunk. So it's amazing when it nets them positive results in their professional and daily lives. The only problem is that they don't stop. Martin gets more violent, Nikolaj becomes unreliable and Tommy actually shows up to work wasted. Peter gets the most positive outcome as he notices a worried student and helps him succeed; that was the best subplot.

Now for the main cast. The four leads are delightful when they loosen up. Mikkelsen as Martin is the most entertaining of the bunch, especially during the end. So naturally, it's tragic to see them descend further into alcoholism. Tommy gets the worst outcome of the experiment, while Peter and Nikolaj stop themselves in time. Martin's drinking tests his relationship with the audience and his wife, Anika (Maria Bennevie). But the film ends with a bit of hope. 

Another Round earns its place as a frontrunner for the International Film Oscar. It's an engaging dramedy that may make one reconsider drinking or reinforce one's desire to never start. Its four leads are a great ensemble that never lose interest during 117 minutes. Mikkelsen should get more entertaining roles as this. I saw it on Hulu but other streaming services have it too. Wherever you see it is a good option. Just see it.

Hillbilly Elegy

I put off watching Hillbilly Elegy for two days plus many more. No more. It's time to review Ron Howard's Netflix drama. Here we go:

Vanessa Taylor adapted her screenplay from J.D. Vance's memoir. Vance (Gabriel Basso/Owen Asztalos) grew up in a poor Ohio family headed by "Mamaw" Bonnie (Glenn Close). His mom, Bev (Amy Adams), was an unstable drug addict who had trouble with men. His family traces their roots to Kentucky as descendants of Jim Vance, the cause of the Hattfield-Mccoy feud. Mamaw left early and J.D. left when he went to the Marines and Yale.

The story proper begins when J.D. is called home when Bev relapses and overdoses. J.D. has to juggle an upcoming interview and finding Bev a new place to live. Meanwhile, we see flashbacks of J.D.'s childhood with Mamaw and Bev. It wasn't a pretty childhood. So what will J.D. do now?

The film's portrayal of Bev is its biggest handicap. Yes, her addiction is tragic but her behavior is ugly. An Easter scene with a new puppy quickly devolves into an argument; shortly afterwards, an outing to a card store ends with Bev playing chicken in traffic. Bev tries to get J.D. to help her cheat a drug test to help her keep her nursing license. Mamaw tells J.D. that Bev needs help, but in the film's present, her behavior is still unpleasant. Her behavior handicaps whatever message about family love it's saying. Overall, Amy Adams is believably nice when Bev is calm and believably LOUD when she's not.

Still, it's nice that Bev found sobriety and is currently still sober.

Close as Mamaw is slightly better. She's quite politically incorrect but still means well. Her Terminator analogy (long story) is questionable but she's right that J.D. "has a right to (his) own life." At least every other scene with her didn't devolve into a shouting match. The Oscar-shortlisted makeup team headed by Matthew Mungle ages Close to significant unrecognizability.

What about the rest of the cast? Well, both actors playing J.D. were good in their shared role. J.D.'s goal to escape his troubled past is an understandable one. So it was nice seeing past J.D. pick up the pace academically to be a top student in the present. Haley Bennet was fine as J.D.'s sister Lindsay. Freida Pinto plays J.D.'s girlfriend and later wife, Usha; she is the film's most likable character. "Papaw" Jim (Bo Hopkins/Brett Lorenzini) is somewhat underutilized; I surely would have wanted to see more of his youth with Mamaw (other than one flashback where she sets him on fire).

Don't like films about family turmoil? At least with Netflix, et al, you have the mute button to use. Hillbilly Elegy is a loud family melodrama hindered by its core toxic relationship. It was so toxic I wanted its hero to hurry up and get on with his life. It was so difficult to find sympathy there. A few supporting characters help the film somewhat. Go ahead and see it if you want. Don't hate me if you like it.

Pinocchio

One of the greatest casting blunders I've seen in my lifetime was in 2002 when fifty-year-old Roberto Benigni directed and starred as the puppet boy Pinocchio. What an age difference. There's now a new take on Carlo Collodi's story ready to watch on your favorite streaming service. This is the second film I rented and watched on Amazon Prime today. 

Actually, it was released in Italy in 2019. But let's not think about that.

Benigni is now in the more age-appropriate role of Gepetto. One day, Gepetto decides to make himself a puppet like the ones in Mangiafuoco's (Gigi Proietti) theatre. His neighbor, Mastro Cillegia (Paolo Graziosi), gives him a rather large log that he insists on parting with. That's because the log is alive. Gepetto finds this out when the newly-sculpted Pinocchio (Federico Ielapi) talks to him.

Gepetto tries to teach Pinocchio how to be a good boy. But Pinocchio gets himself into trouble with various characters. The Turquoise Fairy (Marine Vacth/Alida Baldari Calabria) decides to help him stay on the right path. She'll make Pinocchio a real boy if he acts good enough. It's not easy for them.

Director Matteo Garrone and his co-writer, Massimo Ceccherini, stick pretty closely to Collodi's story. A story where Pinocchio is hung non-fatally by his "friends," the Cat (Rocco Papaleo) and the Fox (Ceccherini). Pinocchio violently rejecting the Talking Cricket's (Davide Marotta) advice was more amusing; Pinocchio getting donkey-fied at The Land of Toys was less so. There's also some weird bit characters like a Gorilla Judge (Teco Celio) who nearly sentences Pinocchio to life in prison. This world takes the weird as a matter of fact, doesn't it? Like Pinocchio being a walking puppet.

I must quickly get into Mark Coulier's makeup effects, which were just nominated for a BAFTA and shortlisted last month for the Oscar. Deservedly, so. The obvious results are the animal characters, a few humans and the Turquoise Fairy. Pinocchio is the standout as his woodenness is completely practical. No CGI was involved. There's also a Talking Tuna visualized by CGI and a man in an animatronic head. That part of him was practical is astounding; I thought it was all CGI. The makeup effects let actors play multiple parts unnoticed: Marotta also plays one of Mangiafuoco's marionettes and a creepy rabbit.

Let's quickly get into some characters. Ielapi is a good Pinocchio; a bit obstinate but good at heart. Benigni as Gepetto is a stern but nice man who genuinely cares for Pinocchio. Their scenes together were nice, especially when Pinocchio first speaks. Proietti, in his last film before his death last year, is perfect as a gruff but likable man as Mangiafuoco. Papaleo and Ceccherini make for delightfully funny creeps as Cat and Fox. There's also Nino Scardina as the Coachman who takes Pinocchio and other future donkeys to The Land of Toys. He is, by far, the creepiest character in a world of weird.

This take on Pinocchio moves pretty slow at 126 minutes. It also doesn't help that its subtitles were mistimed for a bit. So don't doze off for a bit. It's still one of the most involving takes on the story I've seen. I've grown up with Disney's version, so having one more good version is nice. See it for yourself to see what I mean.

Oh yeah, and there's also two other versions in development. One is being developed by Guillermo Del Toro for Netflix; the other by Robert Zemeckis for Disney +. Expect a few workarounds if and when I get to them.

Lupin III: The First

I was going to watch and review Hillbilly Elegy today. But my attention was diverted to two films streaming on Amazon Prime, so I went there instead. You might say the first one stole my time. Willingly. 

Let's explain:

Our time bandit is Arsène Lupin III, the grandson and successor of Maurice Leblanc's gentleman thief, Arsène Lupin the First, as introduced in Kazuhiko Kato's (aka Monkey Punch) manga, Lupin III. A star of numerous 2D TV and Theatrical anime, he made his way to CGI film form in 2019's Lupin III: The First. This is the film I'm reviewing; it's still eligible for this year's Animated film Oscar. A long shot but a welcome one.

This time, Lupin is in Paris a few decades after World War II. He's here to steal the diary of archaeologist Prof. Bresson, the one thing that Grandpa Lupin couldn't. The Nazis want it too; Bresson died protecting its secrets from them. So their scientist, Dr. Lambert, sends his granddaughter Laetitia to get it. But Laetitia doesn't have the heart for evil, as she'd rather study archaeology at Boston U. So she and Lupin team up.

Bresson's Diary details a dangerous MacGuffin for anyone who gets past its booby-trapped case. The evil Nazi commandant Geralt wants it for Hitler himself, who is apparently still alive. Lupin has to get his regular "crew" - sharpshooter Jigen, swordsman Goemon, rival/love interest Fujiko and archenemy Inspector Zenigata - together to outwit the Nazis. Nothing Lupin can't handle.

It was written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki, who had another CGI anime film in 2019 I recently discussed. Any overt familiarity with the franchise is barely needed. You'll understand who the established cast is pretty quickly. It's a wacky adventure where Lupin and his crew outwit Zenigata and the Nazis with equal awesome hilarity. Laetitia is a likable new character through and through. A few predictable plot points (you'll get the password to the diary case in a microsecond) don't dim the excitement. The only flaw is that it pads out the climax to let Lambert go full megalomaniac for a few minutes before it reminds us that Geralt is the real villain.

Now for the technicals. The character designs perfectly transplant the franchise's cartooniness into CGI. Lupin's goofy grin doesn't look out of place in the new format. The slapstick is as perfect as the action. The digital production design and cinematography is as impressive as any live-action blockbuster. The film's jazzy soundtrack is by long time composer Yuji Ohno; it's especially good when it incorporates the franchise's long time theme music.

I won't get into why it's called The First. But I must say this Lupin III adventure is an entertaining 93 minute romp. It's got likable characters and detestable villains matching wits. It's a cheap movie on Prime, just $4.99. And if you like it, there's other Lupin anime on Prime for free. Let it steal some of your time. It's worth it.

The United States vs. Billie Holiday

 Almost 50 years ago, Diana Ross made her Golden Globe-winning debut as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues. This year, Andra Day makes her Golden Globe-winning debut as Lady Day in The United States vs. Billie Holiday. And yes, Andra's stage name is an homage to Billie's. Let's see how it is.

Suzan-Lori Parks' screenplay is adapted from a portion of Johann Hari's book Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs. A good bit of the film is framed by Billie's interview with a shrill radio personality named Reginald Lord Devine (Leslie Jordan). Devine is the condescending sort who asks her if life would be easier if she'd just behave. Yeesh.

In 1947, Lady Day sings the Blues in New York City. The Man, represented by FBN chief Harry Anslinger (Garrett Hedlund), are threatened by her success. They're especially angry over her anti-lynching anthem Strange Fruit. They know that she is also addicted to heroin, so they arrest her for possession after she performs Strange Fruit one night.

What else does the film have during its 130 minutes? We see Billie work to get her career going after prison. We see her in a few abusive relationships, particularly with manager John Levy (Tone Bell) and her husband, Louis McKay (Rob Morgan). We see Anslinger try again and again to arrest Billie on exaggerated charges. We see narcotics agent Jimmy Fletcher (Trevante Rhodes) romance her and ponder his allegiances. We hear about her rough past and see why she still sings that song.

That it covers over a decade, rather than just one year, helps make it less tediously depressing than Judy. But it's still a difficult film. The betrayals and heart-aches pile up during the story. Anslinger's campaign is so relentless that he arrests her on her deathbed. Hedlund makes Anslinger perfectly despicable. It's still awesomely funny when Fletcher intentionally botches one of the frame-ups on the witness stand. 

There's a few fine supporting characters in Billie's inner circle, including Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Roslyn and Miss Lawrence as Miss Freddy. Natasha Lyone, however, is underutilized as Tallulah Bankhead.

Andra Day's performance is a good screen debut. As Lady Day, she asserts herself as a human being when The Man denies her. She takes justifiable tact with Devine's condensation and works to get her career back on track. We see her sing Strange Fruit in full after she comes across a lynching. Her singing is perfect even if the film isn't.

The editing by Jay Rabinowitz isn't perfect either. Perhaps the biggest offender is when Fletcher uses drugs with Billie. It suddenly transitions into Fletcher walking through a flashback of Billie's childhood. It was a jarring experience. Less jarring is costume designer Paolo Nieddu's recreations of Billie's splendorous wardrobe. The production design and music were also great technical aspects.

The United States vs. Billie Holiday got me thinking about a film focused on Strange Fruit. Billie was singing it for about a decade before this story began. She says to Anslinger that his grandkids will sing it; I don't remember hearing it till last night when I watched the film on Hulu. It's a song with a great history and purpose. 

What about this film? It's a good showcase of Lady Day's music and life. But be prepared for 130 minutes of a rough life. At least it's not an endurance test as something like Judy is.

Minari

This time, last year, Minari was the hit of the Sundance film festival. Lee Isaac Chung's family drama is ready to watch on your favorite streaming service. Once again, my service of choice is Amazon Prime. Let's see how it is.

It's the 1980s. Jacob (Steven Yeun) and Monica Yi (Han Ye-ri) immigrated to America from South Korea. As the film opens, they settle with their kids, Anne (Noel Cho) and David (Alan Kim), in an Arkansas farm house. By day, Jacob and Monica work at a hatchery sorting chickens. By night, they argue over the future of their family. David has a weak heart and the hospital is quite far away. But Jacob believes the farm will work out after all.

Grandma Soon-Ja (Youn Yuh-Jung) moves in with the family. She doesn't fit the bill of what David thinks a Grandma should be. She's still got wisdom for her grandson, comparing him to the resilient minari (water dropwort, in case you're wondering). But will the Yi family bond survive their time in Arkansas?

We see the family bond tested for 115 minutes. They suffer setbacks including a terrible thunderstorm, agricultural disappointment and bedwetting. We also see them enjoy their quiet life in Arkansas. The characters they meet (including Will Patton as Jacob's devout farmer friend, Paul) welcome them even if some do it rather awkwardly. The minari analogy proves apt for David. Overtime, we clearly see Jacob and Monica's frustrations develop further. It takes one last misfortune to bring them closer together.

The Yi family make a nice ensemble. Jacob wants to make his dreams come true. Unfortunately, they conflict with his family's well-being. Monica's concerns are understandable. Yeun and Han's performances are great. Much of the film revolves around David adjusting to his new life. He's a likable and mischievous kid all the way. Anne is compelling as she looks out for David and deals with her parents' fights. But it's Youn who stands out the most. She's anything but uptight; a total riot. We feel it when her health goes bad.

We first see the Yi family as they drive to their new home. They're surrounded by lush Arkansas (actually Oklahoma) scenery photographed by Lachlan Milne. We hear Emile Mosseri's enchanting score at its most emotional here. It's almost as if the film's saying life is beautiful. We certainly feel it even before we learn of the family drama. Mosseri's score, and his end credit track, Rain Song, are also shortlisted for the Oscars. They are certainly deserving of whatever praise comes their way.

Minari means a lot of things and I'm not just talking about the plant. It's a strong family drama appealing to American and immigrant viewers. It's a story about a family sticking together in tough times. It's also quite funny at times. It's certainly worth the $20 I payed to stream it. It's enough to get me fully interested in Chung's forthcoming live-action remake of Your Name. Hope it gets through.

The Life Ahead

 Now for another film with some pedigree.

Romain Gary's novel La Vie Devant Soi (The Life Before Us) already saw cinematic life in 1977 as Madame Rosa, starring Simone Signoret as the title character. This new take, The Life Ahead, lets Edoardo Ponti direct his mother, Sophia Loren, as the aforementioned Madame Rosa. Let's see how it is.

Who is Madame Rosa? She's an ex-prostitute who now looks after the kids of other prostitutes. She's also a survivor of Auschwitz. One day, Momo (Ibrahima Gueye) steals some candlesticks from her. Momo is a Senegalese Muslim orphan of one such working woman. His caretaker, Dr. Cohen (Renato Carpentieri), is a friend of Madame Rosa. He recommends that she take Momo under her wing. Neither of them like that idea.

She finds him work with a Muslim storekeeper, Hamil (Babak Karimi). Hamil teaches Momo about their joint heritage and the works of Victor Hugo. Momo makes money as a drug seller; so he needs a Bishop to his Jean Valjean. Momo's time with Madame Rosa softens his outlook on life. Meanwhile, Madame Rosa isn't long for this world. She wants Momo to keep her away from the hospital.

She's a tough old woman with a hard past; he's a street smart kid with a hard present. It's a cliched story made fresh by its stars. Loren and Gueye play such engaging characters. They start off on the wrong foot, especially when Momo "apologizes" for the theft. But they soon come through for each other. It is devastating to see Madame Rosa catatonic from her trauma. It's more pleasing to see Momo turn his life around. A highlight of their supporting cast is Abril Zamora. She brings much needed levity as Lola, Madame Rosa's best friend and the parent of one of her charges.

There's much to see and hear in Italy. Angus Hudson's cinematography paints a tough portrait of seaside Italy; the yellow tint is pretty distinct. Editor Jacopo Quadri keeps the story going for 95 minutes. A highlight is seeing Momo ride the streets on a newly-purchased bike with an upbeat pop song playing ... only for him to get punched by a rival seller. Talk about mood whiplash. Speaking of music, the now Oscar-shortlisted score by Gabriel Yared really sells the emotional story. Even more so is the newly-awarded Golden Globe winning end credits song by Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, and Niccolò Agliardi. It's called Io Si, and it is also shortlisted for Oscar notice.

I don't know how The Life Ahead compares to Madame Rosa. But it's still a compelling story. It's ready to watch on Netflix whenever you're ready. Its often foul language does make one question the PG-13 rating. But that's a minor nitpick. Hold on to your composure.

Earwig and the Witch

How did some slip of the tongue grow up to be the internationally ignored....

Wait. I'm not reviewing Hedwig and the Angry Itch. It's Earwig and the Witch.

This Studio Ghibli production has some pedigree. It's directed by Goro Miyazaki (Tales from Earthsea, From Up on Poppy Hill), son of the studio's celebrated co-founder, Hayao. It's based on a novel by Diana Wynn Jones, whose Howl's Moving Castle was animated by the old man in 2004. It's also the Studio's first CGI film. What else does it have?

Earwig (Taylor Paige-Henderson) was left as a baby at an orphanage by her witch mother (Kacey Musgraves). The orphanage Matron didn't like the name Earwig so she changed it to Erica Wigg. Earwig/Erica grows up to be a mischievous but polite 10-year-old. She has the orphanage staff wrapped around her finger. But then, Bella Yaga (Vanessa Marshall) comes calling.

Yaga is a Witch who wants an assistant and she decides Earwig will do. Yaga puts her to work right away. Earwig wants Yaga to teach her magic; Yaga wants her to keep quiet and work. Meanwhile, an apparently scary demon named Mandrake (Richard E. Grant) lives with them. Perhaps Earwig can appeal to Him.

This was produced for Japanese TV, but there's an extended edition coming to theaters next month. That might explain the quality of the animation. It's especially apparent with the characters' generally lifeless hair. Earwig's mother's hair flows in the wind as she rides her cycle, but that's it. The silly facial expressions aren't the same on CGI characters as they'd be on paper ones. But still, there's some trippy effects, including the reveal of Mandrake's true form. Overall, the animation is not Ghibli's best, but it's far, FAR from the catastrophe some critics think it is.

Where it nearly goes wrong is the writing. We see Earwig introduced to a band with her name. A band which her mother, Yaga and Mandrake used to be in. We see flashbacks to the band's life together. The film ends when her mother shows up with Earwig's orphanage pal, Custard. What's the problem? Earwig not only fails to learn about her true past, but the film ends immediately when her mother shows up. A few interesting concepts quickly go flat. Is this supposed to be a pilot for a TV series? If so, where's the show?

Now for the characters. Earwig is just too nice to be naughty. In fact, her naughtiness reaches her peak when confronted with Yaga's overdemanding workload. Can you blame her on some counts? Yaga is a smug antagonist who could've benefited from that dangling backstory. Mandrake actually being a good guy was a nice development. But the best character of the bunch is Thomas the Talking Cat (Dan Stevens). He's a dry-witted and snarky familiar who helps Earwig when Yaga won't.

Oh yeah, the music. Satoshi Takebe scores the film with an eccentric jazz soundtrack. The opening credits music is a delightfully lively piece. He also co-composed Earwig's hit single, Don't Disturb Me, and the end credits song, The World is in My Hands. The music is simply the best part of the film.

Earwig and the Witch runs at a brisk 82 minutes. It's a simple story for anyone looking for a quick diversion. Anyone looking for a complex story needs to find it elsewhere. It's currently playing on HBOMax, so you can watch it, or Ghibli's other films, any time of day. I wonder if they'll dub the extended edition too?

LATE UPDATE: It turns out that the version I reviewed IS the extended version.