Oppenheimer

 

     What can you say about Christopher Nolan's masterpiece that hasn't already been said? The film is magnificent in every respect. Written and directed by Mr. Nolan, it's his finest film to date and that says a lot. Even if you are not a history buff, the film has enough drama and energy to appeal to anyone.

     And what star power. Casting is impeccable. Cillian Murphy gives a tour-de-force performance in the title role. Robert Downey Jr. is remarkable as Lewis Strauss. Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Josh Harnett, Kenneth Branagh Jason Clarke, Benny Safdie, Tom Conti, Casey Affleck, and so many others are all just amazing. 

     The script is brilliant. So much history and science to absorb yet easy to digest within Mr. Nolan's screenplay. Some scenes are not historically accurate but still make for good drama. In his typical fashion, Mr. Nolan does like to play with chronology but switches from color to black & white to help frame the different time periods.

     The visual details are incredible. Nothing is out of place throughout the various time periods. A standout is also the sound production. I almost never pay too much attention to the sound of a film, but here, the sound is so important and precise, it's like its own character.

      Long after the phenomenon of "Barbiheimer"(both highly anticipated films coming out the same day) fades, people will remember "Barbie" for its huge box office and personal triumph for Greta Gerwig, but "Oppenheimer" will be remembered as one of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time.

Theater Camp

 

             This mockumentary about a scrappy Theater Camp in upstate New York is lots of fun. The film stars Ben Platt, Molly Gordon (who stars, and co-wrote and co-directed the film), Noah Galvin, Jimmy Tatro, Caroline Aaron, Ayo Edebiri, Amy Sedaris, Nathan Lee Graham, Patti Harrison, and Owen Thiele. It also has a terrific cast of aspiring young actors who love musical theater and are all very talented in their own right.

         The film follows a particular summer at the camp when there are financial troubles looming and the staff has to prepare the kids for multiple shows where everyone is looking for the lead roles. Since there is footage of Mr. Platt and others as children at a real theater camp, it is clear that the film is loosely based on their own experiences.

          From the auditions to the teaching process, and finally to the completed shows, the film is very funny and has some terrific song and dance numbers. If you are a fan of theater and musicals in particular, this is a must see but even if you are not and yet looking for something different and very enjoyable, you can't go wrong with "Theater Camp".

Barbie

 

       

       Bizarre, surreal, and yet brilliant in its execution, Barbie is both fun and funny but definitely not for young kids. Make no mistake about it, after about the first 30 minutes in Barbieland, Barbie becomes self-aware and the film takes a very real adult turn.

       Themes of self-awareness, existentialism, hierarchical power, patriarchal vs matriarchal society as well as what defines femininity as well as masculinity flow throughout the film. Director and co-writer (along with Noah Baumbach) Greta Gerwig has found an amazing way to bring the famous doll to life in both an entertaining and yet thought provoking way.

       Margot Robbie could not be better as "stereotypical" Barbie. She not only has the perfect Barbie shape but the intelligence and emotional depth to bring the doll to life. Ryan Gosling, as "stereotypical" Ken is also perfectly cast. Not only does he have the look Ken requires but he is very funny and gets a chance to show off his singing and dancing chops.

       Co-starring as other Barbies are Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Dua Lipa, Alexandra Shipp, among others. Besides Mr. Gosling,  some of the other Kens are played by Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Scott Evans and John Cena. Michael Cera plays Allen, Ken’s best friend. And in the real world, America Ferrera, Arianna Greenblatt and Will Ferrell play key roles. Rhea Perlman has an important cameo and Dame Helene Mirren is the film's narrator.

       Much of the humor is self-effacing, and many of the jokes come at Mattel's expense. There are many funny lines and visual humor as well. But throughout, the film does manage to sneak in its serious themes. The set design of Barbieland is incredible and the transition technique to bring Barbie and Ken into the real world is very clever. All the visuals are eyepopping and accompanied by a terrific score and songs.

         Kudos to Ms. Gerwig for finding a perfect balance of entertainment and enlightenment.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

  

      

      Inevitably a plot point involving time travel makes perfect sense for this new Indiana Jones adventure as it it seeks to recapture the thrills and excitement of the original franchise. While it certainly doesn't disappoint in the action sequences, it's joy for an audience comes from the nostalgic feeling we get when we hear the familiar theme music and crack of that weathered bullwhip.

      Harrison Ford returns once again as Indiana Jones and the CGI department works their magic to "de-age" Mr. Ford for the 25 minute prequel. The effect is almost flawless and the opening sequence is quite exciting (and in an odd way mirroring a similar scene in the new Mission Impossible film). For the rest of the film, Mr. Ford acts his age and still manages to succeed in the action scenes helped by a very capable Phoebe Waller-Bridge, playing his goddaughter.

      The plot involves the hunt for two pieces of a clock like apparatus created by Archimedes that can affect time. Mr. Ford's nemesis, a Nazi scientist trying to change history, is well played by Mads Mikkelsen. The film also co-stars Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Ethann Isidore and in cameos, John Rhys-Davies and Antonio Banderas.

      Director and cowriter James Mangold keeps the story and the action well paced, making great use of exotic locations and set pieces. There are even a few nods to the previous films in the franchise. As the fifth film in the series, it makes for a much better Indiana Jones sendoff than it's predecessor, "The Crystal Skull". And while the last third of the film could be considered "jumping the shark", it redeems itself with an excellent surprise ending.

MIssion Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part One

 

         

         Tom Cruise returns in the summer blockbuster franchise filled with more incredible stunts and action sequences. By now, fans of the franchise know what to expect in terms of action and plot and the film doesn't disappoint.

        Much has been made by now of the freefall cliff jump by motorcycle but for my money there are even more incredible moments, especially in the last sequence in the film. While the action is very satisfying, the plot is less so. Rather than face one villain or shadow organization, Mr. Cruise's nemesis this time is an sentient artificial intelligence know as 'The Entity".

         The plot revolves around finding a key that will shut off the AI. It's rather convoluted and a weakness of the film that characters have to stop and explain  plot points multiple times. It appears the filmmakers don't trust the audience enough to understand the story but the reality is, it doesn't matter since this built in audience is here for Mr. Cruise and all the action, not the story.

         Returning co-stars include Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, and Henry Czerney. New to the cast are Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, and Pom Klementieff. Ms. Atwell is a terrific addition to the cast as a thief accidently drawn into the mission and Ms. Klementieff (so good as Mantis in Guardians of the Galaxy) is having a ball as an assassin protecting The Entity.

        The story jumps practically all over the world with beautiful scenery and the blend of live action and CGI is almost flawless. Directed and co-written by Christopher McQuarrie, the film delivers on it's anticipated promises but does leave the audience wanting more since it is only part one of a two part story. We will all have to wait until June 28th, 2024 to see how it all plays out.

No Hard Feelings

   

    Selling itself as a raunchy "sex comedy", "No Hard Feelings" does have its moments but for the most part plays it safe and ends up a sweet, sentimental comedy about two insecure characters finding a connection. 

     Jennifer Lawrence stars as Maddie, an Uber driver without a car who needs to make some quick money to save her Montauk home. While a ridiculous set up as a plot, she does answer an ad to "date" a 19-year-old in exchange for a car.

    Ms. Lawrence is a gifted dramatic actress who is quite adept at comedy as well.  While the premise to kick start the film is ridiculous, she makes it work and is quite funny in the role of Maddie. Her co-star as the awkward 19-year-old, Percy, is Andrew Barth Feldman, who has the difficult job of playing things straight and warding off Ms. Lawrence's sexual advances. The two develop great chemistry and the film ends on an expected and sweet note.

    The film co-stars Laura Benanti and Matthew Broderick as Percy's overprotective parents and Natalie Morales and Scott MacArthur as Maddie's best friends. Also, in minor roles are Kyle Mooney and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

    While some may find the premise cringe worthy (it's supposed to be), Ms. Lawrence is constantly reminded of the age difference between Percy and herself, as well as continuing to question her motives. It's all played for laughs with a few genuinely funny moments.