Once Upon A Time...in Hollywood

           Quentin Tarantino is a genius. A self indulgent egotistical genius but a genius none the less. His ninth film runs two hours and forty minutes and he crams every cinematic trick in the book into every frame. He practically screams look how cool I am and the neat things I can do behind the camera. But despite what you may think of his style, he makes it all work and it is incredibly entertaining.

           The film is written as well as directed by Mr. Tarantino and while it's basically the story of a friendship, it is also a story of a specific time and he captures the period of 1969 Los Angeles perfectly with attention to every conceivable detail. He mixes reality and fiction into the film, much the way he has done in the past. He blends suspense, comedy, and outrageous violence together but it all makes sense if you remember the title. 

       His stars, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are simply terrific leads tearing up the screen as a fading TV star and his long time stuntman respectively. Their scenes together as well as independently are pure magic. The detail Mr. Tarantino puts into Rick Dalton's (Mr. DiCaprio) backstory is incredible. The research into TV commercials, billboards, radio spots and other advertising of the time is meticulous.

       Margot Robbie co-stars as real life actress, Sharon Tate. Her role may be small but her intended fate casts a large shadow over the entire film. Also in small but significant roles are Al Pacino, Emile Hirsch, Timothy Olyphant, Margaret Qualley, Damian Lewis (as a dead on Steve McQueen), Bruce Dern (the perfect crotchety old man), Kurt Russell, Mike Moh (As Bruce Lee), Dakota Fanning as "Squeaky" Fromme and Lena Dunham as "Gypsy". Tarantino regulars Michael Madsen and Zoe Bell also have cameos. It's a great cast but most of the screen time belongs to Mr. DiCaprio and Mr. Pitt and they don't waste a second of it.

         You also can't discuss a Tarantino film without mentioning the soundtrack. It is a cavalcade of late '60's songs crossing different genres but all woven perfectly into the film. One could argue the film needs editing and could have been shorter but Mr. Tarantino doesn't want you to miss a thing and you are better off for it.

Midsommar

      Written and directed by Ari Aster, this is his follow up to last year's terrific horror film, "Hereditary". This film too is being billed as a horror film but don't be fooled, it's not. Yes, there are some horrific elements and graphic scenes but the film is just a silly mess.

       The film stars Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, and Will Poulter as students who follow their Swedish friend Pelle (played by Vilhelm Blomgren) back to Sweden to experience a once every ninety year summer festival. Ms. Pugh's character Dani is getting over a horrible personal tragedy and her boyfriend Christian (Mr. Reynor) ends up reluctantly inviting her on the trip. Once they arrive at the remote makeshift village, you just know things are not going to end well.

       Mr. Aster builds his suspense very slowly and as the film progresses, graphic violent moments inter-cut the idyllic setting. The film runs almost two and a half hours and is in serious need of editing. It is a tedious slow build to a ridiculous payoff. The population of the village appear to be ad libbing the silly songs, dances and rituals built around their "festival". It's pretty clear from the start, these people are part of a crazed cult who's intentions are far from friendly.

         Save your money and your time by watching  "The Wicker Man" instead. This is an obvious variation on the same theme and "Wicker" is a far superior film. Mr. Aster is definitely a filmmaker to watch but this is a step backwards.

The Art of Self Defense

         Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, and Imogen Poots star in this very black comedy. Black to the point it stops being funny and descends into very dark territory.

        Mr. Eisenberg is Casey, a meek account who lives alone with his dachshund. One night while going out for dog food, he is brutally mugged. While recovering, he passes a Karate Dojo and  decides to sign up for classes. Mr. Nivola plays the Sensei who attempts to "make a man" out of Casey through Karate and his own warped life lessons. Ms. Poots plays another student, already advanced to Brown Belt and teaching a children's class.

         The film is written and directed by Riley Steams, who certainly has an original vision. It's deliberately set in an unnamed city during an unnamed time period (probably the '80s)  and contains only three principle locations. The focus is completely on Casey and his "transformation". The viewing experience is like watching a bad accident. You know you should turn away but you can't help yourself. To his credit, Mr. Steams finds a way to keep you engaged even while the story makes you squirm and keeps you off kilter.

         What comedy exists in the film is uncomfortable and cringe worthy. The film gets darker as it goes and offers  little in the way of redemption, except for a glimmer of hope at the end.

Stuber

       There have been many great mismatched partner comedies. "Stuber" is not one of them. It's got a good premise with truly opposite stars in Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista but it fails to live up to it's potential. It's an uneven action-comedy that is at once too cute or too violent. The genre mix here is awkward despite a few funny moments.

       Most of the humor is supplied by Mr. Nanjiani's very funny one liners or physical responses to the mayhem happening around him. He plays an Uber driver, named Stu, forced to help Mr. Bautista's rogue cop, Vic, catch a murderous drug dealer. Unable to see due to Laser eye surgery, Vic needs Stu to drive him seemingly through every neighborhood in the Los Angels area to find the dealer. Along the way, there are fights, shootouts, explosions and a cute dog wasted in just two scenes. The poster for the film gives the false impression the dog has a bigger role.

         The film co-stars Natalie Morales as Vic's daughter, Betty Gilpin as Stu's friend and romantic crush, and Mira Sorvino as Vic's police Captain. Iko Uwais plays the drug dealer and Jimmy Tatro plays Stu's boss at his daytime job.Karen Gillan, who co-starred with Mr. Bautista in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Avengers" movies, has an early cameo.

         It's a new setting for a very old concept and while the two leads have good chemistry, the story around them unfortunately, doesn't. 

Toy Story 4

 









   A perfectly happy ending to “Toy Story 3” closed the book but if there is money to be made, Hollywood will keep going. The latest installment in the beloved franchise could be subtitled “Woody finds his Mojo”.

          The latest version finds our favorite group of toys now the property of little Bonnie who is about to start kindergarten. Woody has been basically ignored and is feeling lost. He stows away in Bonnie’s backpack when she goes to school and basically is responsible for creating the newest character, “Forky” voiced perfectly by Tony Hale.

            Woody, voiced beautifully by Tom Hanks, feels responsible for Forky and the story concentrates on their relationship reducing Buzz Lightyear, voiced again by Tim Allen, to a lesser role. All the other familiar toys are back but basically background with the exception of Bo Peep, voiced by Annie Potts, who is Woody’s love interest.

             It’s a sentimental story with a strange interlude in an antiques store where our heroes encounter a sad and a bit crazy doll named “Gabby Gabby”, voiced by Christina Hendricks. The magic of the first film has been lost through the sequels but it’s still a treat to reconnect with the beloved characters. The animation is terrific and there are some other guest toy voices that work perfectly. Keanu Reeves is a perfect surprise.

              Kids will definitely enjoy the story (although there are some scary moments for the little ones) but adults may not be as charmed as they once were.

Spider-man: Far From Home

            The latest Spider-Man adventure continues with characters from the last film "Homecoming"  in an atmosphere of teenage playfulness and angst. Tom Holland returns as the best actor to capture  Spider-Man's comic book roots. He embodies the teenage Peter Parker/Spider-Man perfectly.

             Joining Mr. Holland once again is Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Zendaya as MJ, and Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds.  And in keeping within the continuity of the Marvel Universe, of course Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill. Playing the comic relief as the teacher/chaperones are Martin Starr and J.B. Smoove. Robert Downey Jr. is there in spirit as well, since he was Peter's mentor ever since "Captain America: Civil War" and is a significant part of the story that you will understand if you have seen "Avengers:Endgame". 

              Writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers move the story to Europe and a class trip for Peter and his friends. They do a terrific job of changing things up and yet keep the Marvel continuity intact, frequently referencing other films and plot points in the series. The first half of the film has plenty of action, which includes adding Jake Gyllenhaal to the cast as "Mysterio" but the mood is still playful and rather light. True gravitas kicks in during the second half, on the turn of a plot point, and the stakes get more serious. The action ramps up culminating in a terrific battle sequence in London. 

              As with almost all the Marvel films, there are extra scenes during the end credits. In this instance, rather than throwaways, the two scenes are very significant, paving the way for the next stage of the Marvel universe.

Maiden

       Remember these names...Tracy Edwards, Sally Creaser, Angela Farrell, Jo Gooding, Nancy Hill, Jeni Mundy, Michelle Paret, Claire Russell, Dawn Riley, Tanja Visser, Mikaela von Koskull, Mandi Swan, Marie-Claude Heys. They are the all female crew of the sailboat "Maiden" and this is their story.

       A documentary of the first all female racing crew to enter the fabled Whitbread "Round the World" sailboat race, this film is an inspiration to all and to young women in particular. Tracy Edwards is the skipper and driving force behind the voyage. The film traces her start as a happy child, troubled teen and eventually 24 year old skipper of "Maiden". As a young woman she talks her way onto one of the racing boats as the cook and this taste of the high seas makes her determined to enter the race herself. Turned away by the male dominated sport, she puts together her all girl crew and through archival footage, we watch spellbound as they race around the world.

       Directed by Alex Holmes, the film is well structured and well paced. While I'm sure there are missing elements to the entire story, the film does it's best to provide background and then get to the race itself. Luckily, the crew shot plenty of video to provide great footage for the documentary. Mr. Holmes mixes the old footage in with contemporary interviews and it's wonderful to hear and see many of the crew tell their story.

        It took almost 30 years to get this film made and you don't have to be a sailing enthusiast to appreciate the story and  what these women accomplished.