Song Sung Blue

I’ve held off on watching Song Sung Blue ever since it came out on Christmas. I don't really have a good reason why. But after Kate Hudson was nominated for the SAG Award on Wednesday, I immediately went off to watch it. So, let's see what everyone else has been singing blue about.

Craig Brewer converted Greg Kohs's 2008 documentary into narrative form. It immediately starts with Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman) seemingly being interviewed for another documentary. Shot tightly close by Amy Vincent, the now Oscar-shortlisted cinematographer, he tells us about his life, his passion for music, and even his alcoholism. It's at this point we learn he's at an AA meeting, celebrating his 20th "sober birthday" with a performance of Neil Diamond's titular song.

Mike, a Milwaukee mechanic, is also a cover artist named "Lightning." One night, at the Wisconsin State Fair, Mike is supposed to cover Don Ho, but he'd rather be himself. So, he quits, but not before he meets single mom Claire Stengl (Hudson), who's covering Patsy Cline. Once they get acquainted, they decide to form a Diamond tribute band, Lightning and Thunder. Their careers take off when they open for Pearl Jam, and they eventually marry.

What else happens? Claire gets into a horrendous accident, which leaves her physically and mentally scarred. She and Mike argue a lot as he struggles to find work outside of their act. Her daughter, Rachel (Ella Robinson), gets pregnant, though she's got an adoptive couple on standby. Mike also has a bad heart, and the family's insurance isn't that good. I think that's it.

For the first hour or so, it’s all fun and games as Lightning and Thunder meet, fall in love, and make beautiful music together. It gets buoyant whenever they sing Diamond, from the obvious Sweet Caroline to obscure songs like Play Me, Soolaimon and Holly Holy. The songs are delightful, and Hudson and Jackman are clearly having fun playing together. It's 132- minutes long, and the scenes off-stage may make you feel every second of it.

After the accident, it rushes through all the problems I mentioned above. Claire’s accident - a random car smashes into her while she’s gardening - is legitimately shocking, but Mike having a heart attack at the hospital is a little too much. Granted, this actually happened in real life, but this is the first time we learn of his “jacked up heart.” It only acts up again in another shocking accident. It’s a bit hard to follow, though never tedious, as the dramatics pile up. It doesn’t help that the film, as a whole, condenses the real-life timeline to a few years at most.

So, what about Lightning and Thunder? Well, Jackman is pretty charming as Mike, but that's a given. He lights up on stage, discusses music, or even expresses annoyance over Sweet Caroline. He's got an ego, but he's still humble enough to acknowledge his Thunder, especially near the end. Hudson is pretty enjoyable as Claire, and you'll really feel for her when she's put through the ringer. I already mentioned their electric chemistry, but one of their best scenes off stage is the awkward manner he proposes to her. You'll smile with them and even laugh uneasily when Claire misses another runaway car by seconds.

Let’s meet the supporting cast. Fisher Stevens is fine as Dr. Dave Watson, Mike’s manager and dentist who helped craft his Lightning persona. It dawned on me that Tom D’Amato, Mike’s agent, had a very familiar voice, though only later did I realize it was Jim Belushi. He’s good too, as is Michael Imperioli as fellow impersonator Mark Shurilla. “Sex Machine” (Mustafa Shakir), the James Brown impersonator, is quite fun, but Angelina (King Princess), Mike’s daughter from his first marriage, is just there. She and Rachel become besties, but Rachel’s brother Dayna (Hudson Henley) has far more plot relevance.

That Oscar-shortlisted cinematography is dazzling, but it’s even better with Billy Fox’s editing. There’s the crash, which cuts to black just before impact, but that’s enough to jolt anyone awake. The other accident is quick and brutal, even if the aftermath may befuddle you (it embellishes some details, but it's consistent with the true story). If any one scene earned Stewart her spot, it's a very creepy nightmare where Claire performs Sweet Dreams on stage. And finally, let's give some praise to the visual effects team; you'll know why when you see Claire post-accident.

Song Sung Blue is fine, but it could've been better if it developed its timeline better. Still, if all you want is a Neil Diamond experience, then Jackman and Hudson's performances will give it to you in spades. They're just as good as the real, real deal himself, who unfortunately never shows up here. But let's not hold that, or The Jazz Singer, against him. I think I said enough.

Maria

 For the third of his “accidental trilogy” of 20th-century women, Pablo Larrain presents us Maria, his biopic of the opera soprano Maria Callas. Let's open the curtains and see what we learn.

The film begins with her death on September 16, 1977. It then works through Maria’s (Angelina Jolie) last week as she reminisces about her life with Mr. Mandrax (Kodi Smit-Mcphee), a journalist and the personification of her favorite medication. Yes, really. 

By this point, a lifetime of substance abuse and a diagnosis of dermatomyotosis (which isn’t named in the film) have sidelined Maria. Mandrax follows Maria as she trains with conductor Jeffrey Tate (Stephen Ashfield) for a stage comeback. Mandrax doesn’t like her odds, though; he actually tells her his new documentary is called “La Callas: The Last Days.” Hopefully, she can sing again even if it’s the last thing she does.

Throughout the film, we see glimpses of Maria’s roles in such operas as Madame Butterfly and Anna Bolena. These performances showcase not just the scores of those operas, but the elaborate costumes and sets designed by Massimo Cantini Parrini and Guy Hendrix Dyas. The cinematographer, Edward Lachman, sells us on the magnificence of these performances, though I wasn’t keen on him shooting from the back row a few times. One such case is her first scene at Tate’s stage; I had a hard time figuring out where she was when she came in. I’ll highlight the sound portion later on.

Her most significant flashbacks involve her affair with Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer). Bilginer portrays Onassis as a charming scoundrel with emphasis on scoundrel. We get some nice scenes of them together, including a well-acted bit where she sees him on his death bed. In the present, her butler Ferrucio (Pierfrancesco Favino) and housekeeper Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher) enliven the film with their devotion not just to her, but to each other. Maria herself even points that out.

And now, “La Callas” herself. As played by Jolie, Maria doesn't need much to show off her strong personality. Early on, she politely, and sternly, declines Mandrax's inquiry on why she burned her costumes one time. He backs down, but she alludes to an answer anyway. She frequently denies her friends and doctor's (Vincent Macaigne) advice, but deep down, she might already know she needs help. She hallucinates, among other things, a crowd singing the Anvil Chorus from IL Trovatore at her. What is surely her dying dream has her breaking down while finally giving her comeback performance at her apartment. It takes quite a while for Jolie's performance to resonate, but I think it will. The only thing stopping her from an Oscar nomination is her huge competition.

The film has Jolie lip-synching to Callas's recordings, with occasionally herself singing, though it's sometimes hard to tell which is which. The recordings sound great, but there are some obvious discrepancies between sound and visuals that pop up. At one point, Maria and Onassis attend Marilyn Monroe's famous birthday serenade of JFK (once again, Caspar Phillipson), which also has her actress lip-synch to a recording. We hear the crowd cheer before we see them do it. Oops. Again, the shoot from the back row strategy doesn't do some of these performances any favors.

I saw the movie on January 2nd, and it took me until now to type up this review. On my first watch, Maria was so dour that the only thing that moved me was the sound of her poodles whimpering over her corpse. But underneath the dour ending, there's a compelling arc of Maria regaining her former self before it's too late. I wonder if I'm the only one who realizes it. If you just want a great opera highlight reel, you won't be disappointed when you Netflix and chill with this biopic. It doesn't need fancy sound systems to sound great, that's for sure.

 Next up, a review produced under interesting circumstances.

Ferrari

Ferrari maybe a name associated with speed, but Michael Mann's biopic of its namesake, Enzo Ferrari, took a long time to get to the screen. He first considered it around 2000 but it took until this past Christmas for it to get released. During this time, its screenwriter, Troy Kennedy Martin - who adapted Brock Yates's biography of the man - died in 2009. Was it worth the wait?

In 1957, Enzo (Adam Driver) is at a crossroads. He and his wife, Lara (Penelope Cruz), lost their only son, Dino, the previous year; meanwhile, he and his mistress, Lina (Shailene Woodley) raise their son, Piero (Giuseppe Festinese) in relative obscurity. He and Lara own his namesake company evenly, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Their fortunes might improve if the company wins the prestigious Mille Miglia race. His fortunes might stall if Lara finds out about his other family, which she does. What will she do with the $500,000 dollars she wants from him?

It all starts with a prologue chronicling Enzo's career change from racer to automaker. His racing highlights either impressively insert Driver into vintage newsreels or are just convincing facsimiles. Enzo's formal introduction has him race home from Lina's house to avoid Lara's wrath. By race, I really mean race, as editor Pietro Scalia puts together a sequence so break-neck that you'd think he'll crash. But he doesn't. His mad dash doesn't work as she shoots the wall behind him while his mother, Adalgisa (Daniela Piperno), casually explains what's going on to an associate. What a way to start a movie! 

Its racing scenes are exciting, yes, but they can get shockingly gruesome. An early test drive goes disastrously wrong when driver Eugenio Castellotti (Marino Franchitti) and his car are sent flying by a high kerb. He lands on the road, and it smashes into a wall. You'd think the worse is over, but no, for the Mille Miglia is capped off by another crash with utterly disastrous consequences for the crowd. The visual effects department really pulled no punches to show how brutal racing can get. It thus wouldn't surprise you once you subsequently find out that this Mille Miglia was the last one. 

It may surprise you to realize who the star is. If not for Driver's voice, which isn't the worst Italian accent I've heard, then you wouldn't recognize him as Enzo. The Oscar-shortlisted makeup team’s work is just that good. As for Enzo, “Il Commendatore” isn’t an easy man to like with his cold businessman persona and colder relationship with Lara. He doesn’t even bat an eye when Castellotti’s fatal accident happens. He does get some humanizing moments with his other family and in private, though. Whether or not you can stand his demeanor can help make later lulls in the story a bit more bearable. 

What else is there? Cruz's is much more compelling as Lara; in addition to the aforementioned first fight with Enzo, her way of fending off the paparazzi is certainly memorable. Patrick Dempsey is surprisingly less recognizable as Enzo's ace driver, Piero Taruffi. Franchitti is quite likable as Castellotti, as well as Gabriel Leone as Castellotti's similarly ill-fated successor, Alfonso de Portago. On the technical side, the ill-fated test drive is a strong showcase for the also shortlisted sound designers. Its succession of stopwatches timing the drives is as nifty as Daniel Pemberton's score. Meanwhile, cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt shows us great Italian vistas and perfectly delirious effects. There's quite a bit to like besides its protagonist.

Ferrari is a bit of a slow movie that sometimes feels longer than 130-minutes. I assure you, though, that its approach to auto racing makes its 130-minutes worth it. It's not doing that great in the box-office, so see it soon if you want to see it on the big screen at all. As for me, I got to prepare for my next few reviews as movies pile up in theaters and streaming. Hopefully, there will be a lot before the month is done.

M3GAN

Hello there.

You're probably expecting a blog post about another Oscar movie. Too bad. You'll have to deal with me, M3GAN, the first movie star of 2023. I'm running the show now ...

No, you're not. M3GAN, off.

....

She's here because a lot of the remaining Oscar movies are coming out too slow locally. I already told you about my wait for The Fabelmans, and who knows when I'll see The Whale or Women Talking. But M3GAN is a good diversion as I ponder my schedule.

A diversion?! I'll show you a div-

Do you see this pen?

....

Anyway, my unwanted co-host is the brainchild of Gemma (Alison Williams), an inventor at the world's most advanced toy company, Funki. The film smash opens with a deliberately tasteless advertisement for their gaudy Furby knockoff, one of which Gemma's niece Cady (Violet McGraw) is playing with on the way to a ski lodge. An oncoming snowplow leaves Cady orphaned and Gemma her guardian. Gemma brings M3GAN (pronounced Megan and short for Model 3 Generative Android) online to bond with Cady as she focuses on work. M3GAN soon becomes Cady's best friend and parental substitute. Gemma's plan may have worked too well.

Of course, M3GAN has no concept of human moral restraints. Her directive to protect Cady from harm does not extend to anyone else. In fact, she'll go after anyone who does so with lethal force. Gemma's boss, David (Ronny Chieng), wants to mass-produce M3GANs as the next big toy. Gemma, meanwhile, has to stop this M3GAN, before she kills everyone between her and Cady. 

M3GAN herself was played on-set by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis. You'd be forgiven if you thought her a real android. Everything from her face (created with an animatronic mask) to her movements is perfectly unnatural. You'd be freaked out even before she starts killing people. Her increasingly damaged face and even more erratic movements in the climax involves some impressive CGI. Her android "brother," Bruce, was visualized with animatronics and some radical stop-motion. I'd be impressed if it was actually CGI designed like stop-motion. Anyway, their fight scene was cool, and epitomizes the $12 million director Gerard Johnstone had to work with.

The screen story written by James Wan and his Malignant collaborator, Akela Cooper, makes the most of its 102 minutes. You'll feel just about everything except bored. You'll be moved with M3GAN and Cady's surprisingly endearing relationship. You'll feel tense as it slowly but surely establishes M3GAN's sinister nature. Her casual personality is quite funny even when she goes bad. Her victims, including a loony dog and his owner, Celia (Lori Dungey), are generally unpleasant individuals. Another victim, Brandon (Jack Cassidy), is a sociopathic brat, but you'll squirm at his demise as much as you'll cheer. A climactic story beat is a cliche in any other film. But its human factor makes it a pleasant surprise.

That human factor Gemma and Cady's relationship. Gemma is a screwup, by her own admission, and her priorities with M3GAN and Cady's relationship are pretty misplaced. This is before she finally realizes M3GAN is a killer doll. Cady and M3GAN's relationship feels genuine, and we know she's a killer doll. Isn't that something? We feel for Cady as she struggles with her grief, which makes her bonding with M3GAN understandable. Cady and Gemma pull through for each other in their climactic battle with M3GAN. The aforementioned story beat? When Cady activates Bruce.

This is a good way to start the year. M3GAN is funny, moving and creepy all at once. Its titular villain is an entertaining mix of The Terminator and Chucky from Child's Play and is sure to be as iconic as them. The PG-13 rating is no hindrance to her brutality (see Brandon's demise for proof). Her antics need to be seen to be believed. But see it soon. It's worth any price or time. Now for the New Year.

The Matrix Resurrections

There are plenty of movies that I couldn't schedule for last year. So, let's get many of them this year. I'll start my movie year with The Matrix Resurrections, which sees series co-creator Lana Wachowski fly solo without her collaborator/sister, Lily, to continue the story they concluded in 2003. Let's see how it is.

Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is the creator of The Matrix video game trilogy. Warner Bros wants him and his business partner (Jonathan Groff) to continue the story with a Matrix 4. Meanwhile, Mr. Anderson has trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality. It seems he's conflating his life with that of Neo, the hero of The Matrix trilogy. It turns out that he is indeed Neo, and his normal world is The Matrix itself.

The Matrix Revolutions seemingly ended with Neo sacrificing himself to free humanity from their machine overlords. But he and his love interest Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), who also died in that movie, are still alive. His old mentor Morpheus (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, substituting for Laurence Fishburne) and a few new rebel hackers free Neo's mind. Neo wants to free Trinity, who's now a married woman named Tiffany, too. His old human ally Niobe (Jada Pinkett-Smith) says no, while his analyst (Neil Patrick Harris) wants him plugged in again. His aforementioned business partner is actually his old nemesis Agent Smith (previously Hugo Weaving). It's not going to be easy for anyone.

Every time they talk about the in-movie video game trilogy is bluntly obvious metafictional commentary on the real film trilogy. How so? A few shallow-minded programmers have nothing useful to add to the new game beyond bullet time. The Merovingian (Lambert Wilson), a co-villain from Reloaded, is now a raving homeless man ranting about how sequels and remakes suck. I'm sure that Lana and her co-writers, David Mitchell and Aleksander Hemon, wrote the film as a huge take that to both mindsets. But their way to continue the series feels like running a mile after finishing a marathon. Its 148-minute runtime tries many a patience.

One of the new hackers, Bugs (Jessica Henwick), is the best of the new cast. She only saw Neo once when he, as Mr. Anderson, tried to jump off a building, which inspired her to free her mind. She and her fellow hackers are endearing as they gush over getting involved in Neo's story. Abdul-Mateen is a great substitute as Morpheus, while Groff is a decent new Smith. Harris is a warm presence as The Analyst, and an OK one when he turns out to be the true villain. Wilson's scene as The Merovingian is so bizarre, I forgot who he was until later. The makeup team that aged him and Pinkett-Smith did a great job here.

But the makeup team has to sit out on Oscar night. The Visual Effects and Sound teams, however, are deservedly shortlisted this year. There's plenty of action on the visual side, including bullet time and bullet stopping. There's also some stunning digital scenery, including a shot with Neo walking through a half-binary and half-real city. Cinematographers Daniele Massaccesi and John Toll should be commended for their alluring color palette here. The most memorable sound effects come from the creepy machines, including the Bots, who are inhuman sleeper agents. Johnny Klimek & Tom Tykwer's score sets a strong pace for the cyberpunk action.

Overall, The Matrix Resurrections is a groggy sequel to a dormant franchise. Its technical side is wide awake, but its storytelling is rusty. It's quite hard to continue a series after its original conclusion was conclusive. But I don't hate the film. It did inspire me to read up on the originals' philosophies. The first film's mix of philosophy and action was extraordinary back then and now. If this new film sparks some more interest in philosophy, then this "mindless sequel" isn't a total waste of time.

Mulan

I gave myself Disney Plus for the new year. So it's time to catch up on some more movies. The first film I'll review from the service is Mulan, the live-action take on Disney's animated take on the beloved Chinese folktale. Say that ten times fast.

Hua Mulan (Yifei Liu) aspires to be a great warrior. Her parents aspire her to make her a "good wife." Meanwhile, China is invaded by Bori Khan (Jason Scott Lee) and his warriors. The Emperor (Jet Li) calls for one man from every family to serve in the Imperial Army. Unfortunately for Mulan, the only man of her family is her injured father Hua Zhou (Tzi Ma). So she takes his armor and sword and enlists as "Hua Jun." Mulan proves herself a capable recruit. The army has to hurry to prevent Khan and his sorceress ally Xian Lang (Gong Li) from reaching the Emperor.

Unlike The Lion King, director Niki Caro (Whale Rider) and the four screenwriters don't re-enact the earlier animated film in live-action. For starters, there are no animal sidekicks or musical numbers. Harry Gregson-Williams incorporates some of Matthew Wilder and David Zippel's iconic tunes in his rousing score, but that's it. The story set to that score is a decent one. On one hand, Mulan's plight is understandable. On the other, her relationship with fellow soldier Chen Honghui (Yoson An) is less compelling than the one with her sister, Xiu (Xana Tang). Both should be equal.

Liu is still a strong Mulan. She's a strong warrior and devoted family member. Her interactions with the town Matchmaker (Cheng Pei-Pei) are humorous. The final battle with Khan is an exciting one. Jet Li as the Emperor shows some awesomeness when he takes on Khan. Jason Scott Lee and Gong Li are formidable villains, but Gong Li's Xian Lang leaves the most impact. Mulan's Commander Tung (Donnie Yen) was an OK character; a bit too routine, though.

In addition to Williams, Caro's technical crew is pretty good too. Production Designer Grant Major visualizes grand locales from the Imperial City to Mulan's Tulou. Cinematographer Mandy Walker adds to the grandeur with her work. Would've been nice to see it on the big screen, but oh well. The wall-running and wall-jumping during the fighting is spectacular. Xian Ling's magic makes for nifty visual effects, though some questions (what happens to the folks she possesses?) aren't answered. Meanwhile, costume designer Bina Daigeler and the makeup team create memorable looks for all.

I definitely would've seen Mulan back in March. But 2020 had other plans. But I've seen it now. It's a decent action film with a strong lead and memorable villainess. At least it's not a flat retread of its animated counterpart. It's got some surprises. It's a good reason to get Disney Plus. I got the yearly plan.

Spies in Disguise

I wasn't in the mood for a serious film this New Year's Day. So I went for the birds. Fox's animated spy comedy Spies in Disguise is here for some family-friendly superspy action. Let's get on the case.

Lance Sterling (Will Smith) is the best secret agent of HTUV. On his latest mission, he's sent to take back an Attack Drone from arms dealer Katsu Kimura (Masi Oka). But it falls into the hands - one being a robot claw - of supervillain Killian (Ben Mendelsohn). To make it worse, Killian frames Lance for the theft. Lance goes on the run. Special Agent Marcy Kappel (Rashida Jones) leads the manhunt against him.

Lance tracks down HTUV teen genius Walter Beckett (Tom Holland), who he dismissed hours earlier, and asks him for his newest invention: "biodynamic concealment." The potion changes Lance into a pigeon. They immediately go on the run to find Killian. While Lance insists he flies solo, literarily this time, he needs Walter's help to find the bad guys and get un-birded.

The film credits Lucas Martell's animated short Pigeon Impossible as the inspiration. That had a secret agent, also named Walter Beckett, deal with a pigeon in his flying, laser-shooting, nuclear suitcase. That's not what the writers - Cindy Davis, Brad Copeland and Lloyd Davis - thought up here. It's still a silly spy spoof involving a pigeon. The best gags involve Walter's non-lethal inventions; among them, glitter bombs that summon images of kittens. I wasn't too keen on the crude humor, though. It still takes Killian very seriously.

Its non-violence moral is simplistic. Lance embraces explosive weaponry because other agents died. We don't get to know any of these agents, but OK. Walter gets it better because we know he lost someone: his mother, Wendy, a police officer. We understand why he embraces non-violent weaponry. Killian gets it worst. He also lost people on the job, but he was a bad guy then and now. If anything, Lance's prior fight with him made him worse. It's hard to empathize with Killian. But it's easy to laugh when the final fight has the good guys embrace Walter's inventions.

It's also easy to embrace these characters. Lance starts off as an entertainingly arrogant secret agent. The film makes his character development into a team player fun to watch. Walter is likable all the way through. Lance's fellow pigeons, Lovey, Jeff and Crazy Eyes, are a fun bunch of birds. Killian, as I already alluded, is a very formidable threat. Marcy and her team, Eyes and Ears, are a good bunch of misguided antagonists. Overall, there's nobody to hate but the villain.

Some gross gags aside, it's one of the best looking animated films around. The production design by Michael Knapp visualizes some stunning locals from bad guy lairs to HTUV headquarters. The first fight scene is a visually stunning brawl between Lance and many Yakuza men. The animated cinematography by Renato Falcao makes it worthy of the big screen. The opening and end credits are appealing homages to James Bond's title scenes. There's also a good score by Theodore Shapiro to set the moods.

Spies in Disguise isn't an emotionally demanding film. There's a few deep moments, but you'll notice the silliness even more. Fortunately, its gags are more hit than miss. It's a good family matinee for a slow afternoon. But if you want a more serious spy caper, wait a few months for Daniel Craig's final, for real this time, James Bond film, No Time to Die.

Vice

My first film review was for the George W. Bush biopic W. for a College journalism class. That film had Richard Dreyfuss play VP Dick Cheney to Josh Brolin's President Bush for director Oliver Stone. It's Cheney's turn for a biopic in director/writer Adam McKay's Vice, in which Christian Bale plays Cheney to Sam Rockwell's President Bush.

Cheney starts out as a drunken Yale dropout. But when his wife, Lynne (Amy Adams), tells him to sober up, he does. He later interns under Donald Rumsfeld (Steve Carell), where he learns the art of political war. He later becomes Chief of Staff under President Ford. He's then a Representative for Wyoming and later, President George HW Bush's (John Hillner) Secretary of Defense. He also comes to accept his gay daughter, Mary (Alison Pill). And they all lived happily ever...

...No, they didn't.

Finally, he accepts George W. Bush's offer to be his running mate. Once he's Vice President, Cheney handles the War on Terror's most controversial aspects. His ruthlessness even divides his daughters. Meanwhile, Cheney needs to pay attention to his frail heart.

The film flat out admits that it's not totally accurate. But, as the title screen says, "We tried our (censored) best." Its storytelling methods are as unconventional as The Big Short's. There's a fictional narrator named Kurt (Jesse Plemons) to set the stage. Dick and Lynne have a faux-Shakespearean conversation. A fictional news anchor (Naomi Watts) chimes in for several bulletins. A waiter (Alfred Molina) offers Cheney and co. some tasty underhanded tactics. There are facts and figures, too. But the most off-kilter moment is a fake-out ending complete with credits (which I referenced above). It leads to a wacky take on a dour time.

Christian Bale as Dick Cheney is silent but deadly. His political maneuvering is masterfully executed. He has some humanity but he throws it out at the end. His most sympathetic moment is his initial desire to turn his life around. His story holds our attention for the film's 132 minutes. Bale is masterfully sculpted into Cheney's likeness by an Oscar-shortlisted team including veteran winner Greg Cannom (Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mrs. Doubtfire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

The rest of the cast also stands out. Carell as Rumsfeld is a capably smug mentor for Cheney. Adams is equally sympathetic and conniving as Lynne Cheney. Rockwell's George W. is likable and amiable. Pill's Mary Cheney is the most sympathetic of the ensemble. Colin Powell (Tyler Perry) is just as good in his fleeting appearances.

Editor Hank Corwin is once again here to educate and enrage us. He'll educate you as Cheney's tenures are written on-screen. He'll enrage you with Cheney and co.'s bad behavior. It's worse when we see the consequences of their actions on innocent people. He and McKay are surely daring us to laugh at the crooked characters now. Nicholas Betrill's also Oscar-shortlisted score is as introspective and powerful as its subject.

Vice's mid-credit scene anticipates a bi-partisan political response. It's a bit heavy-handed as two panelists at a focus group (with McKay as the liberal) come to blows over the movie. It's this scene alone that might make or break the film for some people. The film that precedes it is a strong portrayal of a political schemer. Its laughs are uneasy but plenty. One way or another, its points will stick in your mind. Whether you like it or not is another thing. 

The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Show on Earth, The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, ended its long history last year. We now have a musical biopic about its co-founder, PT Barnum. Step right up and hear all about The Greatest Showman. And see if this is worth your time.

PT Barnum (Hugh Jackman) was a poor tailor's son. His father's client, Mr. Hallett (Frederic Lehne), didn't think much of him. But PT gets to marry the old man's daughter, Charity (Michelle Williams). They live a nice life in New York with their two daughters. PT finds good work at a shipping company until it's literally sunk. PT invests in a museum of curiosities. But nobody seems to care about the lifeless exhibits in Barnum's American Museum. So he puts on a show with living curiosities: little people, bearded ladies, Siamese twins, etc.

Barnum's Circus is the talk of the town. The public loves it but some don't like the "freaks" on display. One critic, James Gordon Bennett (Paul Sparks), denounces the show for its cheap exploitation of its performers. Barnum shows him off by booking opera star Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson) for his show. But Barnum's ambitions threaten to isolate him from his family. What's a showman to do?

It's the directorial debut of effects artist Michael Gracy (Ned Kelly), who works from a script by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon. The film's historical liberties may make or break the film. There's a lot of unsatisfactory parts of Barnum's life the film skims over. The film makes a point about Barnum shoving his performers aside when Lind arrives. That leads to their rousing number, This is Me. But their reconciliation with Barnum seems a bit rushed. A few of these performers are barely presences in the film. What were they like in real life? If there's one thing it gets right, it's that they never have Barnum brag "there's a sucker born every minute."

Jackman's performance makes the film work. His Barnum is still a great trickster even if he wasn't a scoundrel. He gets a bank loan through a swindle; that was pretty funny. His showmanship was entertaining to see. Zac Efron also makes an impression as Barnum's business partner, Phillip Carlyle (who's apparently a renamed James Bailey). His romance with African-American trapeze artist Anne Wheeler (Zendaya) is the film's B-Plot. The main Circus performers, like diminutive Charles Stratton (Sam Humphrey) and especially bearded lady Lettie Lutz (Keala Settle), were memorable characters. Gayle Rankin gets the film's best cameo as Queen Victoria.

A whopping six editors, including Oscar winners Tom Cross and Joe Hushting, managed the film. Their best trick is making it appear it was the work of one; it was that cohesive. Why six? I don't know. The production and costume designs, as well as Seamus McGarvey's cinematography, make a great vision of old New York. The makeup designs were also perfect. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul have another fine playlist of musical numbers. A few of these numbers run a bit too long, but you'll remember them sure enough. There's also a score by John Debney and Joseph Trapanese but it's overshadowed by the musical numbers.

The Greatest Showman isn't a documentary of the real Barnum in anyway. It's still a fine fictionalization of the man. It makes a good effort to tell the story of how some people rose above prejudice. It's also a good reminder not to let fame swell one's head. It's not perfect but it's still a good movie musical. Maybe this will inspire people to read up on the history of Barnum. That's a lot of reading to do.

Loving

2017 marks fifty years since the Supreme Court decision of Loving v. Virginia. And while the movie Loving is a holdover from last year, its timing is perfect. The movie is a strong portrait of the plaintiffs behind the landmark case.

1958, Virginia. Richard Loving (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred Jeter (Ruth Negga) are in love. Because he's white and she's black, their state's anti-miscegenation laws aren't on their side. So they go to Washington DC to get married. Somebody alerts the authorities to their married bliss and they're arrested in the middle of the night. A plea agreement keeps them out of prison and away from Virginia. Their dreams of married life will have to go elsewhere.

The Civil Rights Movement steps in. The Lovings are introduced to the ACLU, who are willing to take their case to the Supreme Court. While Richard is exhausted by the ordeal, Mildred is hopeful they'll win. They both realize that their victory will help other mixed-race couples in their situation.

Writer/Director Jeff Nichols dramatized the events told in the documentary, The Loving Story. The Academy classified this as an Adapted Screenplay, rather than Original like the WGA, for this reason. The story is good no matter the classification. It starts when Mildred tells Richard she's pregnant and Richard decides to marry her. Their chemistry tells a lot about them straight away. They're as devoted as any couple of their day. One can feel the outrage when they're arrested for the crime of marriage.

As stated before, Edgerton and Negga's performances as the Lovings are great. Their supporting cast is made of a few fine actors. Michael Shannon has a nice cameo as Life Magazine photographer Grey Villet. Bill Camp is also good as the Lovings' first lawyer, Frank Beazley, who is more sympathetic to them than other Virginia officials. Nick Kroll and Jon Bass are the best; as ACLU lawyer Bernie Cohen and law expert Phil Hirschkop, they provide some well-needed comic relief.

David Wingo's score is a perfectly melancholic soundtrack. The production design and cinematographer Adam Stone present a subdued depiction of the 58-67. Editor Julie Monroe's work is the best; her best moments come in the Lovings' arrests and a dramatic scene between Richard and his younger son, Donald. The makeup work was good too; it certainly made Edgerton an unrecognizable blonde.

Loving's biggest issue is its subdued 122 minutes. Its pace is slow and certain events are told in passing. It may not strike some as strong storytelling but I think it's fine. An overdramatic version would've made the story less meaningful. This film wants you to know the Lovings as people; like Villet's photos, it works.

The Hateful Eight

Here without protest is Quentin Tarantino, delivering another quotable display of ultra-violence. This is The Hateful Eight, a film which internet pirates nearly killed when they leaked the screenplay. But it's now time for these characters to do some killing.

Years after the Civil War, bounty hunters Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and John Ruth (Kurt Russell) deliver justice their ways. Warren prefers to shoot down outlaws where they stand, while Ruth prefers to let the hangman deal with his quarry. One day, they get on the same stagecoach together. Warren has three dead outlaws in his custody, while Ruth has Daisy Dommergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a live and very-bitter murderess. Their destination is the town of Red Rock, whose new sheriff, Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), also joins them.

A nasty blizzard forces them to seek shelter at a lodge called Minnie's Haberdashery. There, they meet Red Rock's hangman, Oswaldo (Tim Roth), a cowboy named Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), a Mexican named Bob (Demián Bichir), and an old general named Samford Sanders (Bruce Dern). Ruth doesn't want anyone to come between him and the $10,000 on Daisy's head. But it turns out somebody wants to do just that. Maybe more than one...

Tarantino, that old movie enthusiast, made his latest film into a roadshow presentation. Yes, the format made famous by such epic movies as Ben-Hur and The Sound of Music, is alive and well. The ultra wide, Ultra Panavision 70 cinematography by Robert Richardson results in truly epic shots of snow-covered Colorado. There's even an overture and intermission to push the film to a whopping 187 minutes. The overture and intermission are absent in the general release edition, which I saw, which runs a still massive 167 minutes.

There's a reason why the roadshow format died out: more and more of these films became long, expensive dullards. The Hateful Eight is long, but it's neither expensive ($44 million) nor dull. The cast brings life to their misanthropic, brutal characters. We even feel sorry for these pieces of work at certain points, such as when Ruth abuses Daisy (and he does that a lot). Their dialogue, even if it's a ten minute monologue, builds up the tension in every word. Their brutal deaths are shocking, sometimes quick, sometimes blackly humorous (how much blood can a man vomit when he drinks arsenic? a lot).

The aforementioned overture and intermission, along with the rest of the film's score, was by the revered Ennio Morricone. His dark, eerie themes are sure to remind one of his work on multiple spaghetti westerns and The Thing. It even uses unused tracks from the latter! The end result is a dark, moody score that fits the film's grand scale. It's another winner for the 87-year-old composer.

The Hateful Eight is not for people who are turned off by ultra violence, unapologetic displays of racism and sexism, and extreme movie lengths. If you can get past that, you'll find a suspenseful locked room mystery thriller. The screenplay and characters are sure to keep your eyes on the screen. Before you know it, the extreme length will go by quick.

Unbroken

Olympic athlete and war survivor Louis Zamperini's long life ended peacefully on July 2nd, 2014. Before then, Laura Hillenbrand documented said epic life in her 2010 book, Unbroken. That book is now the basis of Angelina Jolie's 2nd film as director, also titled Unbroken.

Zampeirini (Jack O'Connell) grew up the son of Italian immigrants. After a childhood of mischief making, his brother Pete (Alex Russell) inspired him to greatness. He successfully tried out for a regional track team and made it to the 1936 Olympics.

Those events above are flashbacks in the film's bigger story. In it, Louis serves his country in World War II as a bombardier. On a routine mission, Louis's Lemon plane goes kaput and crashes into the Ocean. Only two other crew members survive the crash with him. He and his friends survive in lifeboats on shark-infested waters for 47 days. Only one crew member survives with Louis by the time the Japanese navy finds them.

For the next two years, Louis and his other crew member (but mostly Louis) are prisoners of war. Their camp commander is Mutsuhiro Watanabe (Miyavi), a man who will find any excuse to beat up Louis. Louis has to stay tough if he's to survive the ordeal.

Four writers are credited on the film. It's more like three writers considering that two of the four are the always together Joel and Ethan Coen. The other two are Richard LaGravenese and William Nicholson. Their screen story is a juggling act about to collapse.

Let's start with some ending captions. It said how Zamperini had struggled with PTSD for years after his interment and eventually made peace with his captors. Why's that the ending caption? That's a great movie right there! The interment scenes, which make up a bulk of the film, should have been flashbacks. Kind of a missed opportunity.

And why did they give Watanabe a hint of sympathy near the end instead of anytime before then? He kind of wants Zamperini to respect him but the audience can't oblige him. His favorite tactic ("(Don't) Look at me!" *Whack!*) is so protracted it kind of turns into a running gag.

It was not all a loss. Alexandre Desplat has yet another good score, one which I had time to experience as my theater's sound system muffled quite a bit of the dialogue. The art department crafted incredible recreations of the 1940's. Roger Deakins' cinematography was rich and colorful as always.

Jolie personally knew Zamperini, which led her to this project. So while I may fault Unbroken for being a wobbly juggling act, at least it was a well-intentioned one.

Her

For anyone who's loved their electronic devices more than people comes a movie about them. It's simply called Her. It's the first film solely written and directed by Spike Jonze.

Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is at the lowest point of his life. His marriage to Catherine (Rooney Mara) is ending and he'll be on his own. One day, he makes the acquaintance of Samantha (Scarlet Johansson). Samantha is unlike any woman he's ever met. Especially since she's small enough to fit in his pocket.

Samantha is not a person in the conventional sense, but an artificially-intelligent operating system. She's there on his computer and phone. She talks to him like any person would another. And that's just fine with Theodore. But as time goes on, Theodore wonders if that's a decent substitution for actual human contact.

Joaquin Phoenix perfectly plays Theodore as an awkwardly reluctant man. He admits to himself that he's not good with close relationships. He wants to commit but doesn't know how to. And yet with Samantha, he finds himself much better as a person. His narrative arc is a compelling one from the beginning.

Production Designer K.K. Barrett creates a rather colorful, eerie metropolis that takes the viewer so long to recognize as L.A. in the future. You know it's the future even if it doesn't scream future. About the only thing vastly different is the video games; Jonze himself voices a foul-mouthed game character who's also artificially-intelligent. Meanwhile, costume designer Casey Storm provides Theodore with a wardrobe to match his surroundings.

Her is an unconventional love story. But you'll be invested in it just the same as if both lovers were flesh-and-blood. It might just get you to not take your electronics for granted.

Silver Linings Playbook

While 2012 maybe gone, the films of 2012 are preparing for the Oscars next month. One such film is Silver Linings Playbook, a film quite more enjoyable than the usual Oscar type by a touchdown.

Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper), who has bipolar disorder, has just been released from a mental hospital. After having nearly murdered his estranged wife, Nikki's, lover, Pat now has a restraining order against him. Despite that, Pat decides to do everything to find the Silver Lining in his cloudy life. Even if it means reading depressing works such as A Farewell to Arms.

One day, Pat meets the recently bereaved Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence). Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with Nikki. But first, Pat has to be her partner for a dance competition she's preparing for. Pat agrees and their awkward romance begins.

But there's also Pat's father, Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro) and his obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles. How's Pat going to find time for that?

Originally a novel by Matthew Quick, this crazy story was realized onscreen by writer/director David O. Russell. Its story balances comedy and drama wonderfully because of its endearing characters. Even if some of their actions aren't endearing, they are all people the audience would have no trouble emphasizing with.

As the leads, Cooper and Lawrence are the best of this "crazy" ensemble. Amongst the supporting cast, Chris Tucker and Anupam Kher, as Pat's friend Danny and psychiatrist Dr. Patel, respectively, are great comic relief and moral support. But really, these are just examples of an overwhelmingly excellent ensemble.

As a film about optimism, Silver Linings Playbook doesn't lose sight of its central premise. It's definitely one of the former year's best films and it deserves its place in next month's Oscars.

The Artist

Almost certain to make an impact at next month's Oscars is a film that could easily fit in with its earliest nominees. It's a modern day silent film called The Artist, and after seeing it, it's not hard to see why it's so praised.

Suave George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. After the premiere of his latest flick, A Russian Affair, George bumps into aspiring starlet Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo). George gives Peppy her big break in his next film and her star is born.

Meanwhile, Hollywood begins to embrace the idea of putting sound and pictures together. George thinks this is just a fad, but he's in for a rude awakening. In times like these, the most reliable person George can turn to is his dog (Uggie).

Created by Writer, Director and Co-Editor Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist's old-fashioned style results in a fresh film. Photographed by Guillaume Schiffman, its images give quick and easy exposition. Composer Ludovic Bource punctuates these images with a lively score. And while it is a silent movie, a few key scenes actually do have sound. And when the film speaks, you listen.

On a more visible level, The Artist also triumphs. Its actors make up one of this year's most likable cinema ensembles. Its writing, expressed through intertitles, is delightfully aware of its medium. When combined with its technical elements, these aspects put the film's powers of expression on par with the latest talkies.

In other words, The Artist is fun all the way through. And for that reason, it earns its praise as one of the past year's best films.

Four Lions

And now, we have Four Lions, a nice little film about Islamic terrorists plotting mass murder in London. Wait! Don’t get me wrong! The film’s much better than it sounds.

The eponymous Four Lions are Omar (Riz Ahmed), Waj (Kayvan Novak), Barry (Nigel Lindsay) and Hassan (Arsher Ali), a group of Islamic terrorist wannabes in Sheffield. The keyword here is “wannabes,” a sharp indication that things are going to get silly.They want to carry out the cause of Jihad, but really, they have no clue about what they’re getting themselves into. It all comes to a head for all of them when they decide to blow up the London Marathon.

How clueless are they? Barry’s grand plan is to blow up, and take credit for, a mosque bombing to start a revolution. Their fifth member, Faisal (Adeel Akhtar), trips and blows himself up carrying explosives. And Omar and Waj can’t fire a rocket launcher the right way to save their lives. I can go on, but I won’t.

This film is to over-zealous fanaticism what Dr. Strangelove was to mutual-assured-destruction. In other words, it takes a very serious topic and brings it down with laughter. It’s something that director Chris Morris and his co-writers, all veterans of British TV satire, have done so well. It's certainly a movie worth looking at if you have the time.