Tag Archives: Scarlett Johansson

Eleanor The Great

Can a lie ever be… the truth? Or maybe a version of the truth?

Like TV’s Dr. House says, “everybody lies.” You do. I do. Little lies. Big lies. In the new movie Eleanor The Great, Eleanor (June Squibb) unleashes a whopper that just keeps growing and growing. 

Eleanor had shared an apartment in Florida for several years with a lifelong friend (Rita Zohar), a fellow widow. When the friend dies, Eleanor, a spry 90-something, moves back to New York to live with her daughter (Jessica Hecht) and grandson (Will Price). When daughter sends mom to the neighborhood Jewish Community Center to make new friends, Eleanor stumbles into a Holocaust Survivors support group. 

The story she tells gets a strong response from the group AND from an NYU student, Nina (Erin Kellyman) who is observing. Nina interviews Eleanor, brings her into her classroom and soon becomes a chum. When Nina’s dad, a TV newsman (Chiwetel Ejiofor) begins to record a video with Eleanor, the truth comes out. But there’s more to be told beyond Eleanor’s simply being caught sharing a lie.

Eleanor The Great is not, in fact, great but it is good. It’s the directorial debut of Scarlett Johansson. It has the feel of many indie films with shots of subjects having pensive moments while quiet piano music plays. ScarJo, whose Jewish heritage was explored recently on PBS’s Finding Your Roots, and screenwriter Tory Kamen lean into Eleanor’s Jewishness to a degree one doesn’t often see in popular films. But you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy this film.

The real charm here is June Squibb who turns 96 is just a few weeks. Her energy and good nature are irresistible. She was a true delight in last year’s movie Thelma and while this new film doesn’t require as much physical effort as that one did, she’s just a pleasure to watch. Speaking as a mid-century boomer, I hope I’m as eager to embrace an active life when I’m her age as she appears to be.

Eleanor The Great is rated PG-13.

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Jurassic World Rebirth

We have a new dinosaur movie Jurassic World Rebirth with Scarlett Johansson. Which begs the question: how good do the dinos look? Also, how good does ScarJo look?

Overall, the dinosaurs look pretty, pretty good! Some better than others. The key dinosaurs in the film are hybrids. Cross bred to create some new looks for dino fans. 

Zora Bennett (Johansson) is a mercenary who is recruited by drug company rep Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) to lead an expedition to an off-limits island in the North Atlantic. An incident caused human researchers to leave the island in the recent past. They also recruit a paleontologist, Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathon Bailey). Zora/Scarlett wears a few tight-fitting sleeveless tops that show off her figure. And she’s a pretty woman with a bright smile that turns up a time or two before the real action starts.

The mission’s goal is to extract blood from three different creatures: one from the sea, one from land and one from air (a bird or birdlike creature) on or around this island. Supposedly these bloods may be able to mitigate heart disease in humans.

Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali) is the boat owner who is hired to pilot the expedition. He soon gets the team up close to a sea creature. In a harrowing sequence, Zora manages to procure a blood sample. Meanwhile, a family—dad, his two daughters and the older daughter’s stoner boyfriend—are sailing across the ocean. Suddenly their boat is capsized by the sea creature and they are rescued by our gang of adventurers and their crew.

As they approach the island, the family goes into the drink and is separated from the expedition crew. Both parties encounter perilous situations in the jungle. On the island, blood is taken from a land creature and from an air creature, the latter via a needle inserted into a dino egg. Mission accomplished? Gosh, no!

How will they all get off the island? And how will they escape the Distortus Rex, a huge and ugly dinosaur with a healthy appetite? This monstrous dino lopes like Godzilla but his (or her, maybe—how can you tell?) presence onscreen is one of the film’s money shots.

Jurassic World Rebirth was written by David Koepp who scripted the first two Jurassic movies back in the 90s. Gareth Edwards is the film’s director. His resumé includes Godzilla and Rogue One.

Why do another Jurassic movie? Hasn’t that intellectual property run its course? Two reasons: moviegoers—ticket buyers, that is—have in recent years been kind to films from franchises they’re familiar with. And today’s young movie fans want new dinosaur movies to give them a few jump scares and a few “ooh-aah” moments of their own (enjoyed with a tub of popcorn on their laps.) That first Jurassic Park movie came out 32 years ago!

Yes, we’ve seen movie dinosaurs before. And humans in danger in less than welcoming surroundings. Jurassic World Rebirth follows a familiar template. But it is fun and seems just right for some needed summer escapism.

Soundtrack is by Alexandre Desplat. And how about a hand for the sound design crew who make the speakers rattle? 

Jurassic World Rebirth runs two hours and fourteen minutes. It is rated PG-13. 

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The Phoenician Scheme

Director Wes Anderson dazzles with his zany new movie The Phoenician Scheme. A gaggle of wacky characters zigzag through episodes that are not always laugh-out-loud funny but are consistently bizarre, surprising, compelling and reassuring.

Reassuring, that is, that Anderson can still make a fun film. After his recent lackluster efforts, concern that he may have lost his touch can be put aside for at least one hour and forty-five minutes as Anderson pulls out some of his trademark tricks—overhead shots, tracking shots, maps, oddly titled books etc.—and introduces a few new ones. 

As is his habit, the director employs a large cast of his favorites including Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Jeffrey Wright, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Willem Dafoe and, in a brief appearance in a dream sequence as God, Bill Murray.

This time Anderson puts most of his eggs into one cinematic basket by making Benicio Del Toro the main star who does much of the film’s heavy lifting. He plays Zsa-Zsa Korda, a businessman who has many enemies, some of whom, he claims, are trying to assassinate him. Del Toro’s voice sounds, to my ear, almost exactly like Clark Gable’s.

Korda keeps his business matters in shoeboxes. (Hey, the film is set in the middle of the last century when people DID keep important papers and stuff in shoeboxes. And cigar boxes. Etc.) 

Also receiving an abundance of screen time is Mia Threapleton. Who? She’s the daughter of Kate Winslet and filmmaker Jim Threapleton. She plays Korda’s daughter, Liesl, who is a nun but who also wears red lipstick and heavy eye shadow.  

Korda also has nine sons who mostly stay out of sight and occasionally launch arrows down at Korda from the balcony above his table. What? Silly stuff, that’s what.

Bjorn (Michael Cera) is Korda’s assistant, who is charged with keeping control of a red satchel containing all of Korda’s liquid funds, but who frequently misplaces it.

The plot involves Korda’s lining up an assortment of individuals to get them to buy into his scheme, um, plan to fund a large infrastructure project in Phoenicia. The script is by Anderson from a story he concocted with frequent collaborator Roman Coppola.

Any recommendation of The Phoenician Scheme must be prefaced with the words “if you like Wes Anderson movies.” He has made some good and clever ones such as The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel. If you have enjoyed either or both of those, you may find The Phoenician Scheme to your liking. 

This is a film I would’ve enthusiastically embraced when I was in high school and college. Because I still maintain a certain level of immaturity, The Phoenician Scheme is goofy enough and silly enough to tap into that part of me that goes for the nonsensical. 

I also appreciate the fact that the film’s credits include the names of the housekeeping staff at the hotel where the cast and crew stayed during its production last year in Germany.

The Phoenician Scheme runs an hour and forty-five minutes. Rated PG-13.

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Fly Me To The Moon

First, the good news: ScarJo looks terrific in the new film Fly Me To The Moon. She rocks a sort of Jill St. John vibe in snug-fitting fashions with a cool late 60s coiffure and, at times in the film, red lipstick. Not to mention her million dollar smile which she flashes frequently.

Now, the bad news: Fly Me To The Moon misfires on many levels. As a romcom, the romance is tepid and the comedy is not that funny. Its dramatic elements are out of sync with the rest of the movie, which is mainly light-hearted. But don’t blame Scarlett Johansson or her co-star Channing Tatum who does a good job in an odd, badly written, role.

Kelly Jones (Johansson) is recruited by Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson) to promote NASA and the moon mission. Berkus claims he’s a liaison to the president. On arriving at Cape Kennedy, Kelly encounters Cole Davis (Tatum) who is in charge of the launch. After a “meet cute,” he and she are soon at odds about her methods of getting coverage for the event.

The film’s gimmick is a top-secret fake moon landing on a sound stage. To be shot as a backup. That shoot is directed in the movie by Lance Vespertine (Jim Rash), a flamboyant gay man who has no charm whatsoever. Not sure if the blame for this role goes to the actor, the writer or the casting director. Or all of them. The fake landing offers many opportunities for laughs and amusement but that segment fails miserably.

In a nifty bit of scheduling, Fly Me To The Moon’s release comes as America notes the 55th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11, the mission that put our first men on the moon. In what is usually a slow month for news, the story of the moon landing always gets repeated by media because it is one of the high points of recent American history. So, a fictional movie centered around that event might seem to be a good idea.

In addition to the tension in Mission Control as the Apollo 11 launch occurs, the film references Apollo 1’s fire which resulted in the deaths of three astronauts. Davis not only visits the memorial to the crew daily, he loses his cool when an interviewer presses him about his role in the tragedy. This effort to insert a bit of gravitas in what is otherwise a generally unserious story seems gratuitous. 

The efforts of the film’s production crew to present references to 1969 are admirable. A huge collection of vintage cars shows up in multiple locations. Kelly’s assistant Ruby (Anna Garcia) has a wardrobe of colorful outfits like those often seen in photos of young women from the late 60s and early 70s. Eastern Airlines and TWA have signage in the airport. And it was great to hear the forgotten soul classic Slip Away by Clarence Carter in the soundtrack. 

Is Fly Me To The Moon a horrible film? No, that’s not the right word. But it could’ve and should’ve been better. It runs a bit too long—2:12. It wastes the talents of Ray Romano whose impact is negligible. And it inaccurately posits that the country was not that excited about the moon mission. 

According to Wikipedia, “the film was initially slated to be released direct-to-streaming but was redirected to theatrical following strong test screenings.” Hmmm. 

Directed by Greg Berlati. Script by Rose Gilroy from a story by Bill Kirstein and Keenan Flynn. Rated PG-13. 

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Asteroid City

Asteroid City has all the trademark Wes Anderson elements:

Bright colors, maybe his brightest palette yet. Big cast of notable stars, though no Bill Murray this time. Lateral camera moves, not pans but sideways dollies (trucking is the film school term). And quirkiness galore. 

It is, however, a tedious slog. Have I ever checked my watch more during a movie screening than I did as Asteroid City was unspooling? Not that I can remember.

Unless you are a hardcore loyalist Anderson fan, you might NOT want to head to the movie house to see Asteroid City. Maybe check it out on cable or streaming in a few weeks and see what I mean. Or maybe watch some of those Youtube parody videos of trailers for classic movies if they were directed by Wes.

The framing device for Asteroid City, a black-and-white TV show hosted by a severe Bryan Cranston, appears to have been something Anderson and his co-writer Roman Coppola tacked on to add to the film’s run time. It DOES help cement the story’s setting in 1955 and it DOES give Anderson favorite Edward Norton an easy way to be part of the movie. But clever? Nope, not really. 

The story, set in a tiny town in the Southwest, not far from Monument Valley and not far from A-bomb test sites, centers around a celebration of the anniversary of an asteroid landing nearby which resulted in a giant hole in the ground. 

Among the actors who portray folks who come for the event or are already there are Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johanssen, Tom Hanks, Steve Carrell, Liev Schreiber, Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe, Matt Dillon and more.

Along with the absence of Bill Murray, there’s a lack of cool and/or obscure tunes added to the soundtrack. The two train songs that run at the beginning and end of the film are fun but that’s about it for music (which has been a part of most Wes movies.)

Anderson’s movies generally have many disparate episodes which don’t necessarily fit neatly together but somehow coalesce to add to an underlying narrative. The happenings in Asteroid City and the characters seem more disconnected than usual and the framing device (the TV show) doesn’t help.

As I have enjoyed some but not all of Anderson’s prior efforts, I had high hopes for this one. But Asteroid City is, for me, a big disappointment. Rated PG-13. 

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The Jungle Book

Is it possible for a movie to feel like a classic, but also seem fresh and original? Even though that may seem like a contradiction, director Jon Favreau’s new version of The Jungle Book has both qualities.

This is classic Disney stuff. Well, yes, it’s a remake of the 1967 animated Disney film.

It has the elements we’ve seen in numerous Disney films and TV shows. Animals interacting with humans, angrily and peacefully. Cute kids (human and animal). Benevolent adults and threatening adults (animal and human). Absent parents (human and animal). Moments of peril—some a bit frightening—and moments of sweetness. A manipulative—in a good way– soundtrack that plays almost constantly.

And a wise voice-over narration. On the Wonderful World of Disney TV show, it was generally the folksy Rex Allen Jr. Here it’s Ben Kingsley, who also voices the Panther, Bagheera, a good guy who helps guide the young man-cub Mowgli (the amazing Neel Sethi) through his upbringing in the jungle. (Sethi is an Indian-American, born in New York City, and he is brimming with charm and acting talent.)

The animals look realistic and move believably, thanks to actors wearing motion-capture gear and rapidly advancing CGI technology. There’s a reason the credits say the movie was made “in downtown Los Angeles” and that’s the outstanding work of the tech crews based there.

Along with Sethi’s charm and athletic skill, the highlights of the movie are two of the characters Mowgli meets in his quest. Baloo, the bear, is voiced by Bill Murray (who sings Bare Necessities) and King Louie, a monster gorilla, voiced by Christopher Walken (who sings I Wanna Be Like You). They are big characters, physically, and they make a huge impact on the story.

Other voice talents who shine are Idris Elba as Shere Khan, the menacing tiger; Lupita Nyong’o as Raksha, the wolf mother; Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, the snake; and Garry Shandling as Ikki, the porcupine.

Clocking in at 1:45, The Jungle Book moves at a fast pace that will keep kids of all ages engaged. For those who might say, “Why did they need to remake this movie?—the first one was just fine,” let me suggest you go SEE the new version and you’ll understand why. The Jungle Book is not flawless, but it is an impressive, entertaining movie. (Spring for the IMAX 3D screening if you can.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hail, Caesar!

In 1951, movies are huge. Their stars are big. Their colors are bright, if not garish. Television has not yet become a national obsession. In Los Angeles, Capitol Studios fixer Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) loves his job even if his days and nights are spent putting out fires.

In Hail, Caesar!, the Coen brothers sprinkle their new film with fully realized scenes like those that electrified the movies Hollywood made in the postwar, pre-TV era. It’s a trick comparable to the addition of compelling music performances to brighten up a melancholy story in their most recent film, 2013’s Inside Llewyn Davis. Music also spiced up their 2000 release Oh, Brother Where Art Thou? It worked then and it works now.

Among the films in production at Capital in the day-and-a-half that Hail, Caesar! takes place is a film called “Hail, Caesar” starring Baird Whitlock (George Clooney). Whitlock is kidnapped after a spiked drink he chugs in a scene knocks him unconscious. A missing star is just one of Mannix’s problems.

DeeAnna Moran (Scarlett Johanssen) stars in a swimming pool scene that recalls Esther Williams movies. Mannix works to make sure news of Moran’s out-of-wedlock child is kept quiet.

Director Laurence Larentz (Ralph Fiennes) pouts when Mannix forces him to cast handsome young cowboy Hobie Doyle (Alden Ehrenreich) in a sophisticated society film.

When Mannix seeks approval from a panel of clergymen for the script for “Hail, Caesar” and its depiction of Christ, they protest.

Twin sister gossip columnists (and bitter rivals) Thora and Thessaly Thacker (Tilda Swinton) threaten to write stories damaging to Mannix’s stars.

When Mannix drops in on an editor (Frances McDormand) and asks her to show him some footage, she nearly chokes when her scarf gets caught in the film.

A cushy job offer Mannix receives from Lockheed presents a chance to move into a more stable industry and spend more time with his family. Will he take it?

Among the film’s best scenes is a dance number featuring Burt Gurney (Channing Tatum), channeling Gene Kelly. Gurney sings and he and three other guys dance on tabletops. They lament that where they’re going there will be no dames. Near the end of the scene, the performance takes an unexpected turn.

Another features Mannix setting Whitlock straight with a bit of physical discipline.

Hail, Caesar! is a movie I enjoy greatly. The Coen brothers present a whacked-out story with damaged characters and several juicy 50s-era “movie within a movie” scenes. Brolin is excellent. Clooney gets to indulge in some ridiculous overacting. And Swinton continues to be one of the most versatile actors around.

As can be said about almost any Coens film, Hail, Caesar! may not be everybody’s cup of tea. You may walk out muttering WTFs. But you may also be delighted. It’s worth a shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Her

How many movies have given us artificial intelligence entities (computers, robots, machines) taking on human characteristics, including emotions? Way too many to mention.

Such a fantasy may have been fueled in the past couple of decades by voices that give GPS directions, function as Apple’s Siri and check us out at the grocer’s. (I prefer checking out in Spanish because el hombre sounds friendlier than the woman who guides us in English.)

In Her, filmmaker Spike Jonze, most famous for 1999’s Being John Malkovich, takes the fantasy even further. Set in the near future, hopeless romantic Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) falls in love with his computer operating system, Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson, who is never seen in the movie). “You seem like a person but you’re just a voice in a computer,” he says.

Phoenix shows his acting range by following up his powerfully crazed performance in The Master by playing this nerdy writer of love letters. That’s his job: low-tech work in a high-tech world—he writes letters for people who have outsourced this personal task. (By the way, the URL of his fictional company, beautifulhandwrittenletters.com, appears to be non-functional in our real world if you want to claim it.)

Theodore is heartbroken when he meets (or installs) Samantha because he is in the midst of a divorce from childhood sweetheart Catherine (Rooney Mara). He has a platonic female friend Amy (Amy Adams, looking pale, wearing minimal makeup) with whom he shares some of his woes.

His relationship with Samantha goes through many of the stages and episodes that real life relationships have: sharing of personal details, sex (virtual), the honeymoon period, trips to the beach, double dates, jealousy and disappointment.

Because several scenes in the film consist of conversations between Theodore and Samantha, the film is often visually tedious. On the other hand, the vision of Los Angeles created by Jonze is amazing to see: clean and modern with shiny high rise buildings and a dazzling public rail system that takes Theodore everywhere, even to the beach. (Some exterior scenes were shot in Shanghai.) Also, for some reason, the film’s costume designer has put all the men in pants with no belts.

Her is not for everyone. Its weirdness, coupled with its slow pace, may turn some moviegoers off. But adventurous movie lovers should give it a shot. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance is worth seeing and Scarlet Johansson’s is worth hearing. You might like the cool soundtrack by Arcade Fire.

Her is clever and creative and will receive more nominations and awards. It is certainly not your run-of-the-mill romantic comedy/drama.

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Hitchcock

In 1959, for many Americans, Alfred Hitchcock was just as familiar as a TV personality as he was as a movie director. In “Hitchcock,” we get both personas.

The movie, starring Anthony Hopkins in the title role with Helen Mirren as his wife Alma, tells the story of the financing, filming and opening of Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” The film opens and closes with Hopkins as Hitchcock delivering his trademark dry humor as he directly addresses the audience, exactly like Hitchcock did on his “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” TV show.

Hopkins does not particularly resemble Hitchcock, but his portrayal of the large man with the large ego is delivered with a clever mix of gravitas and fun. His relationship with his wife, and her collaboration on a screenplay with a writer played by Danny Huston, provide a good portion of the film’s story. The story of getting “Psycho” made is the other main plot element.

Throughout the movie we see Hitchcock in fantasy segments watching and talking to Ed Gein, the real life man whose odd behavior was the inspiration for “Psycho’s” Norman Bates. We see Hitchcock coaxing terror from Janet Leigh, played by Scarlett Johanssohn, during the filming of the iconic shower scene. We see him reveling in the response from the audience at the film’s premiere.

Hopkins and Mirren are both excellent in this glimpse at their personal and professional lives in late ‘50’s Hollywood. Could they be in line for Oscar nominations? The movie industry loves movies about the movie industry, so the possibilities are good.

Many of us, especially baby boomers, recall the first time we saw “Psycho,” whose story and ending had profound effects on audiences. (I saw it in my dorm cafeteria as a college freshman.) While “Hitchcock” won’t have the same impact as “Psycho,” the characters, story and storytelling are all good. No surprise ending to this review: I like it!

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“The Avengers”

Marvel’s “The Avengers” is too much and too many.

Not that you shouldn’t see it. You should. Just prepare yourself to be stuffed. Like a huge holiday meal, “The Avengers” will leave you totally sated.

It’s also analogous to a sports All-Star game. Sure, it’s great to see all the Marvel heroes together. But as an All-Star game is not always an entertaining game, so does “The Avengers” fail to deliver a truly great movie.

The interaction—including verbal and physical battles—among the characters is fun and often funny to watch. It’s amusing as Captain America (Chris Evans) tries to assimilate into the 21st century world, after awakening from a 70-year nap.

Thankfully, the film’s writers and director give the biggest chunk of screen time to Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man/Tony Stark. This is good because Downey is a much better actor than the rest of the cast. Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk/Bruce Banner is also excellent in his Marvel debut.

The other main players: Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Tom Hiddleston as the villain Loki.

The movie’s pacing brings to mind the latter Star Wars movies with long periods of exposition between the action scenes. The film’s final battle is spectacularly good, but overlong—not unlike having three pieces of pumpkin pie at the end of a holiday feast.

Clocking in at 2:20 or so, it’s a long movie. But with so many characters to feature and so much action to fit in, it has to be.

“The Avengers,” like a Transformers film, is critic-proof. Even if every reviewer in America from Ebert on down said the film sucked, it would still gross $100 million plus this weekend.

It doesn’t suck. But it’s not as good a movie as one might have hoped for.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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