No. 106 (2021) BEING THE RICARDOS. Dec. 27th.

 

Film No. 106 (2021)  December. 27th.  7:30 PM   AMAZON PRIME,  Mt. Hawthorn, West Australia.

 

"I'm Lucille Ball, when I'm being funny you'll know it." (Ball makes a quip to indicate how serious she is about a stage move she is blocking to improve a scene).

To not like BEING THE RICHARDOS, a costume drama about a T.V. era few can remember, I can comprehend. But to not appreciate the sheer brilliance of the production I definitely can't. The casting, the script, (Sorkin, who else?) the sets, the costuming, the ... well, the whole vibe; I was transfixed. And for all of this I had to settle for a 50inch screen to digest it.

While the promos for BTR revolve around the story of a week in the life of Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Barden) in '52 as they batted away accusations of their (Lucille's in particular) affiliation with communism, there really are many more layers. The list of side-stories depicted here are many and varied. The love story that sparked it all, Ball's brilliance in creating physical comedy, the special (tense at times) relationship they had with co-stars Vivien Vance (Nina Arianda) and William Frawley (J.K. Simmons), to name just a few of those layers.

There is a real docu-drama feel to BTR, but don't be fooled. Sorkin has taken licence, big time. There are talking heads folded into the plot that you would swear give clear insights into the real world of Lucille and Desi. Wrong! It's clever, but pure fiction. There are many legendary stories about the stars of this live taped sit-com that attracted 60 million viewers at its peak. Sorkin delves into these "based on true events" as opposed to "this is a true story" tropes.

I was a small boy when I LOVE LUCY was running on small screens here in Australia (T.V. was only taking a foothold here in the sixties). LUCY was a phenomenon, easily the most popular comedy show. My grandparents put life on hold to watch. Each episode played as if they were current.  These episodes, in fact, were first taped to live audiences in the U.S. ten years earlier. Oh, how television has changed. 

I got everything about BEING THE RICARDOS. It brought back memories of a less complicated world last century. Sorkin is cranking here. Kidman, Baren, J.K. Simmons and Arianda must have pinched their talented selves at the opportunity to bring this wonderful entertainment to life. BEING THE RICARDOS is easily the best small screen movie I have seen in 2021. 10GUMS.

        

No. 105 (2021) MY BROTHERS AND I (Mes freres, et moi). Dec. 24th.

 

Film No. 105 (2021)  December 24th.  8:00 PM SOMERVILLE Outdoor U.W.A.                        

"Oh, so you're calling me "girl"? Fine, I'll just wait here nice and easy!" (Sarah lets Nour's brother,Abel, know how she intends to wait for her pupil).

MES FRERES ET MOI created a buzz at Cannes Fest 2021 (Nominee Un Certain Regard) with it's earthy, coming of age theme set on the coast, in a less fashionable region of the south of France.

In his first feature film Yohan Manca has written a film which gives him the opportunity to use talented opera singer/actor Judith Chemia in a lead role. Chemia also happens to be his real-life partner; she plays Sarah, the opera singer, seconded to the region to conduct classes for young locals who have a dream to perform.

One of those with a dream is Nour, a handsome, dark-skinned Jael Mouin Berrandou, who accidently comes across one of Sarah's classes. He is working for small change in his summer break, so he might contribute to his mother's health-care. Sarah instantly recognises a young man's eagerness to learn. He wants to sing to stimulate his mum from her dormant state. Sarah instantly likes Nour and is keen to offer him every opportunity.

While the Sarah and Nour relationship is heart warming, the real bond on show in MY BROTHERS is the kinship between Nour and his brothers as they work as a unit to care for their critically ill mother, but at the same time enjoy this fateful summer. A warm summer that will meld them as one, through years to come. 

Manca has created a real crowd pleaser and the ending to a good crowd pleaser needs to leave us with hope. We have built a deep affection for the four lads and we leave them knowing they are good, resilient men. Given what they have achieved this summer, they know their place in the world. 10GUMS.             

No. 104 (2021) THE HOUSE OF GUCCI Dec. 21st.

 

Film No. 104 (2021)  December 21st.  6.30 PM  Backlot Cinema West Perth. 

"Gucci needs new blood. It's time to take out the trash."(Patrizia Gucci suggests the next step for the world renowned fashion house, to husband Maurizio, in the early stages of their marriage and partnership).

You'd have to have been living under a rock not to have seen some form of promotion for THE HOUSE OF GUCCI. Universal and M.G.M. have placed a few eggs (not all, but a good few) in their Summer/Autumn basket, when it comes to box office and it seems to be paying off. The House of Gucci could do with a twenty minute cut, but Ridley Scott has created a good, colourful yarn, inspired by true events.

This version is entertaining, so the truth about what really happened at Gucci in the two decades (seventies into nineties) would have been far more complicated. Adam Driver plays Maurizio as only Adam Driver would, with a languid calm. The real Maurizio is touted to have had a harder edge, and was definitely more ruthless. Lady Gaga gives a convincing performance, but I'm not sure Patrizia is as likeable as Gaga makes her out to be, particularly in the first half of HOUSE. 

The Gucci story has always been screaming out to be told. It deserves this Ridley Scott treatment and for the most part you'll be thoroughly entertained. There is an expectation that you know a little of who was running what in the fashion empire when this tale begins (mid 1970's). I knew nothing, so it took me a little time to fit Aldo (Al Pacino), Maurizia's uncle along with Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons), his father, into place. The Gucci aficionados will, I feel sure, have issues with Scott's interpretation. Black sheep Paolo played like a cartoon parody by Jared Leto, is a case in point.  

THE HOUSE OF GUCCI is everything we'd expect from Ridley Scott. Its trailer belies the final product. It's a straight forward story about complicated characters. Scott gives it a blockbuster grandeur with lots of polish. HOUSE has attracted audiences world wide with ease. Its New Year release here in Australia will work nicely in the air-conditioned palaces throughout this hot land. 9GUMS.

      

     

   

No. 103 (2021) DON'T LOOK UP. Dec. 19th.

 

Film No. 103 (2021)  December 19th.  6.30 PM   Cinema 7.  LUNA,  Leederville. 

"Well the handsome astronomer can come back any time, but the yelling lady, not so much ."(News anchor Brie Evantree talks to camera after news is broken on screen that Earth is doomed).

Adam McKay does the lot. He writes, directs,  produces and  acts. He is a clever creator. His film, THE BIG SHORT, presents the best explanation there is as to the reason for the GFC of 2007/08. It's a clever film maker who can nail an explanation so succinctly. He set the path for blockbuster T.V. series SUCCESSION by directing the first episode. DON'T LOOK UP, his latest feature film, is much awaited. It has been worth the wait.

There have been so many Donald Trump spoofs or "piss takes" over recent times. Most were visual, for obvious reasons, but DON'T LOOK UP has a new take. What if a Trump like president, (in this case a female, Meryl Streep), were to be in charge as a meteor careered, uncontrollably towards our planet? McKay toys here with this premise. Typically there are some hit and miss moments eg. the Elon Musk-like character (played by Mark Rylance) using the meteor as an added resource which he believes he can tap into to increase his wealth. 

There are a plethora of big stars in DLU. While I'd love to have seen Rylance recast, the film remains a hoot. Dr Randall Mindy  (Leo DiCaprio) along with fledgling scientist Kate Diabiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) are the messengers of bad tidings. They discover the comet and its trajectory. Naively they believe this news needs to be conveyed immediately to President Orlean, (Streep). Their innocence in such matters beggars belief!

McKay throws absurd sketches (not unlike live Trump cross-overs) at us, which are Pythonesque in nature. Politics crossing media lines and visa versa is at the seat of most of the humour. Cate Blanchette's, Brie Evantee, a manufactured blonde news desk star, optimises the news reporting for the masses. She is voracious in her efforts to seduce Dr Mindy. Surely the incorruptible will not give in? Cate's Brie surely tests that theory. It's a strand that is a film highlight.  

The richness of McKay's script requires a second viewing. That is of course if you rate the film in the first place. Jonah Hill for instance is the son of president Orlean. He is her key advisor. Yes, I know what you're thinking! His deadpan responses are a major reason for my return visit. The film is rich with ideas and innuendo. McKay melds VICE with ANCHORMAN. An interesting combo, but it works.  9GUMS.   

             

   

 

No. 102 (2021) THE LOST DAUGHTER Dec. 17th.

 

Film No. 102 (2021)  December 17th.  3.40 PM   Cinema 2.  LUNA,  Leederville. 

"What were your daughters like? When they were little?"(Nina asks Leda a personal question which sparks memories of a bitter sweet nature).

The very talented Maggie Gyllenhaal makes her feature film debut, directing and writing (adaption of a novel by Elena Ferrante) THE LOST DAUGHTER. The magic of Netflix, in this new dawning of feature film projects, is its ability to take risks with few repercussions. More importantly, its ability to provide quality entertainment for everyone in any space, any time, is unprecedented. THE LOST DAUGHTER is a quality film told slowly where so much is conveyed without a word spoken.

I'd have to say that as I haven't read the book, it's the brilliance of the performances, particularly of leads Olivia Coleman and Jessie Buckley (as the middle aged and young (mid-twenties) Leda respectively) that makes there be a capital Q in the word Quality. 

Leda, in metaphorical terms is an onion, she is a successful academic who arrives on this pre-organised island holiday (Greece) to take a break. While she is  lounging near the beach in peace, a large, dark, motor boat overloaded with three generations of a local family arrives. Leda's holiday takes a turn, emotionally. This family, in particular Nina (Dakota Johnson),(caring for her three year old daughter) sparks memories Leda has been avoiding. With those vivid memories (flashbacks, hence Jessie Buckley) leading to regret and ultimately sorrow. The layers of the onion peel back. The use of a doll that becomes a symbol of Leda's regret is slightly baffling however. 

Ferrante's novel would have surely been a hit in book clubs. Readers are going to examine the transposition of the book to film, a process for which I have no reference. I do know Colman has already been nominated, deservedly, for multiple awards. For me however, Jessie Buckley (WILD ROSE) shines. To have two well known actors convincingly play the same character at just a twenty year age difference is risky. Buckley's young Lena alleviates that risk. She is a serious talent.  9GUMS.

    

    

No. 101 (2021) LICORICE PIZZA Dec. 15th.

 

Film No. 101 (2021)  December 15th.  6.45 PM   Cinema 5.  LUNA,  Leederville. 

"I think it's weird that I hang around with Gary and his fifteen year old friends all the time."(Alana confides in a friend about concerns she has for the way her life is going).

The highly talented Paul Thomas Anderson (BOOGIE NIGHTS, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, PHANTOM THREAD) is back. I say back; he has in fact been extremely busy directing music videos for Haim, the very popular band consisting of the Haim sisters.  One of their clips, VALENTINO, is a wonderful example of his work. One of the sisters Alana cuts an excellent profile in this video. Anderson saw enough in her to cast her as the lead in LICORICE PIZZA. Alana Hain is good here.

L.P. as a film could best be described as a breath of fresh air. Anderson's young leads, Hain as Alana and Cooper Hoffman (son of the late Philip Seymor) as Gary, represent the reason for that freshness. Anderson's script simply brings us these fresh faces using the themes of commitment, loyalty and ultimately romance. Knowing Alana is twenty five and Gary just fifteen might spell sleaze but when Gary calls the shots as a no-holds-barred entrepreneur, sleaze never enters our minds.

The meandering story-line of Licorice Pizza is irrelevant. If I was to compare the film with another, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, comes to mind. Mainly for the loose references to real life legends. Sean Penn's, Jack Holden could be a combination of burnt out stars and Brad Cooper's, Jon Peters (dressed like Barry Gibb) has a couple of laugh out loud sequences as Barbara Streisand's boyfriend. For those familiar with the late Robert Altman's work, Nashville, it has always been one of Anderson's favourite films and it shows here.

While we laugh at the absurdity of this little love caper, the real magic comes from the wholeheartedness Haim and Hoffman bestow upon us. Their youth and optimism infects us. It's like a Christmas Movie without a festive theme. Thanks again Paul Thomas A. You've got some tricks, and Licorice Pizza is yet another. 10GUMS.    

 

      

  

No. 100 (2021) BERGMAN ISLAND Dec. 11th.

 

Film No. 100 (2021)  December 11th.  11.00 AM   Cinema 1.  LUNA,  Leederville. 

"It's about how invisible things circulate within a couple."(Tony answers Chris's question as to what he's been writing).

Bergman Island is a self indulgent romp by thoughtful French film-maker Mia Hansen-Love. I use the term self indulgent in no way negatively. Hansen-Love has very cleverly melded her real life experience of a creative writing residency (we assume on this island) with imaginative flourishes, then told that story via a film within a film. I think I've got that right!!

What does all that mean? Well, because I knew nothing (no trailers, no reviews) of B.I. before my screening the uniqueness of this film (including the exquisite twist), amplified my enjoyment. So, if you have not seen Bergman Island, and you have plans to, then I suggest you read no further .........

........ Bergman Island exists. It is in fact Faro Island in Sweden. It is where legendary Swedish director Ingmar Bergman made many of his films, and it is where he is buried. Chris (Vicky Krieps) and Tony (Tim Roth) are married and host us as we watch them as they unleash their creative energies (film scripting). We are soon led gently by Hansen-Love into the hands of Chris. She has writer's block to begin with. Then she hasn't, (a bit of a flaw) but as she unravels her thoughts (to Tony), verbalising her story, the screen introduces Amy (Mia Wasikowska) and Joseph (Anders Danielsen) which leads us into the film within a film; a figment of Chris's imagination.

I was in the mood to be swept along in a film that took the mind to new places. Realism controlled the characters, situations and events. It was after all an autobiographical snippet of Hansen-Love's life. And then there is the twist. Subtle and pleasant. Finally, hats off to Walikowska whose performance as Amy (a performance that gave B.I. an extra dimension) must have pleased Hansen-Love no end. 10GUMS. 

 

     

No. 99 (2021) STILLWATER Dec. 10th.

 

Film No. 99 (2021) December  10th.  5.30 PM  (EST)  QANTAS JET Flight between Hobart / Perth .                        

"I loved her and everybody thinks that I killed her." (Allison describes to Bill, her dad, how she is being interpreted in France).

The controversial STILLWATER has finally been released and while it never gained its big screen release world-wide, in the time it spent on the big screens of the U.S. the film was applauded, in the main. Some critics were unhappy with the 140 min run time, others with the stilted performance of Matt Damon. Me, well I liked the film, I didn't notice the 140 min run-time and thought Damon's performance was a highlight. He had to be as stilted and starched as the slightly over-sized Levi jeans he wore daily.

So you get the picture. We meet very mid western American father Bill (Matt Damon) five years after his daughter was convicted of murder while on a working holiday in the  French port city of Marseilles. He has been fighting to clear her name throughout this time. Tom McCarthy (SPOTLIGHT) introduces us to Bill on one of his umpteen visits to Marseilles. This is the visit that is going to have most impact on his ambition, and his generally insular life.

Camille Cottin (CALL MY AGENT) is Virginie a single mum who along with daughter Maya (Lilou Siauvaud), through circumstance take Bill into their lives. Virginie is attracted to Bill and helps him to navigate "the impossible" in a foreign country. There is a chemistry deficiency here, which lessens the film's quality but it is easy to stick with this story once it begins. 

Amanda Knox, really! Yes, you were convicted of murder and jailed  in another country (Spain) but when the focus of this film is on the father of a daughter convicted in France, it's a long bow you draw. Especially when you accuse a director of making profit from your story. Amanda, I don't think you own this story!

Draw what you will from the Amanda Knox commentary in relation to STILLWATER. For me this is a separate story of fiction in which there is a similarity or two. Bill is the central character here. I'm a fan of Damon's work in general and here I believe he has created a lovable redneck. Not an easy task in this world of harsh critics. And while the meaning of the title STILLWATER may be obvious, the real meaning is revealed in a neat twist.  9GUMS.

       

        

   

   

No. 98 (2021) THE CARD COUNTER Dec. 9th.

 

Film No. 98 (2021) December 9th.  6:15 PM STATE CINEMA Cine 8,  Hobart,  Tasmania.                        

"There is a weight a man can accrue. The weight created by his past actions. It is a weight that can never be removed". (Tell's voice over in the early scenes setting the ground for our journey with him).

Oscar Isaac has the knack of choosing roles that reek of substance. A MOST VIOLENT YEAR and OPERATIONAL FINALE are great stories made more intriguing in no small way by Isaac's contribution. He's an actor who commands attention and THE CARD COUNTER takes the brooding damaged character that is William Tell to a level right in Isaac's wheel-house.

The film has Tell, in liquid voice-over,  introducing us to his predicament. It's more a lifestyle, based on his years in prison. While incarcerated he learned to count carts. Visiting small casinos, playing Black Jack from state to state, allows him to make a moderate living without drawing attention to himself. He's a loner. He has a series of odd rituals he abides by. They are important to his sense of security and anonymity.

We know it's a matter of time before we learn of his past. Spending time with Tell is easy. We are on his side but there is darkness from his past to be had. Sure enough it's triggered when he visits a corporate security conference highlighted by keynote speaker major John Gordo (Willem Dafoe). Tell watches, says nothing. A young man, Cirk (Ty Sheridan) approaches, issues card, asks Tell to call him. It's important, Tell is intrigued. The pressure cooker of this simple story focused on a couple of complicated characters begins to simmer.

SLING BLADE, one of my favourites, comes to mind as T.C.C. swings into its concluding scenes. Will has a bit of the Samaritan about him, but there is only so much he can control and be responsible for. The talented Tiffany Haddish as La Linda adds an important, less complicated dimension to Will's story. It's an unassuming and lovely partnership they form. The final shot is compelling.  10GUMS.

  

          

 

No. 96 (2021) THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD Nov. 27th.

 

Film No. 96 (2021) November 27th.  8:00 PM SOMERVILLE Outdoor U.W.A.                        

"Yes, I love you, but I also don't" (Julie grapples with confused feelings).

Jakob Ihre is, for me, one of Norway's premier film makers. His marginally underrated THELMA (2017) signalled his innate ability to delve inside the human condition, unravel the fragility involved in everyday decisions and the sliding door moments that channel life's path and the repercussions that follow.

THE WORLD'S WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD gives us Julie played expertly by Renate Reinsve. Julie is searching for fulfilment as her body clock ticks. She's trying to find the right person to meet her needs - who may well be under her nose - but how does she comprehend that? The two hours we spend with her may trigger thoughts and feelings we have experienced travelling through our own corridors of life.

There is not a lot to this film. It is a slice of an ordinary person's life (4 years). So why spend 130 minutes here, in Julie's life? Well it's a good question, but so many of us have been there. How many of us question our career choices?  Here, Julie studies and works and we meet her in a window in her life where she's a photographer. She meets a man (a cartoonist), Aksel (Anders Danielsen Lie) a good man and very focused on his pursuits. Julie falls in love and seems truly settled just at the right time in her life. Really?

This is where we question Julie's next series of decisions. Julie will always see her life through a lens where pastures sometimes seem greener on the other side of the fence. She is tempted at a week moment, and infatuation with someone else robs her of the goodness she has. But the twist comes in a very clever way on two counts. Julie has to see Aksel again which brings out the best in her, and then she makes the biggest decision of her life.

Our journey here is with Julie, but Danielsen Lie steals the show. His portrayal of Aksel is wonderfully fragile, insightful and ultimately real.  Julie is likely to turn up in another chapter from Ihre's imagination.  10GUMS.         

 

 

No. 97 (2021) BLUE BAYOU Nov. 30th.

 

Film No. 97 (2021) November 30th.  6:00 PM STATE CINEMA Cine 8,  Hobart,  Tasmania.

                        

"Can't we do something about this. I mean, listen to him, look at him. He's American. " (Cathy LeBlanc pleads to their lawyer to beat this injustice).

  

Justin Chon has much to say in this heart-felt project film. It's simple; if politicians and lawyers can't change laws in the U.S. then artists (in this case a film-maker) can bring an issue of injustice to light. BLUE BAYOU effectively brings the issue of unfair deportation, into the spotlight. To believe the statistics splashed on the screen post-film is to feel aghast at how and why a civilised society lets this happen. The Trump Era of the last 4 years has surely delayed improvements.

Chon shoulders the responsibility (courage) in making a credible statement via BLUE BAYOU. He stars in, writes and directs the story of the Le Blanc's; Antonio (Chon), a very pregnant Kathy (Alicia Vikander) and Kathy's daughter Jessie (Sydney Kowalske), they are a young and loving family in the Bayou region of the southern U.S. Antonio has a complicated past but whilst poor, he is in love, and remains fervently optimistic. The set up is effective. The casting is right. Chon cleverly sets us up to be involved in drama of the heart-breaking variety.

In short, the U.S. has cumbersomely made up deportation laws, on the run, over recent decades. Scores of migrant orphans from the 80's and 90's were doled out to often uncaring people, then, when of age, left to make their own way in the world. Sometimes they would come to the attention of authorities. Even though they know nothing other than life in the states they can be deported; many are. Antonio began his life in the U.S. as a 3 year old Korean orphan. We meet the adult him as he is about to experience what it's like to become a victim of these haphazard laws.

BLUE BAYOU is uneven to say the least. Chon creates themes we'd love to further explore. Antonio's relationship with step-daughter Jessie, brilliantly played by Sydney Kowalske never gets the flesh it deserves. The two dimensional antagonist in a police uniform is grating. But then Chon risks conveying his message by introducing Parker (Linh-Dan Phan), a Vietnamese American, who turns out to be the rock on which Antonia centres his tenuous life. We find ourselves predicting how this friendship will impact on the  movie's ending. I couldn't have been more wrong in my predictions.

Justin Chon has made a good film. For those new to his work, he is not an adoptee. He is a concerned American citizen who, as a film-maker, simply wants to bring empathy to the community (his words). He does this with BLUE BAYOU. And if you have ever doubted the talent of Vikander then see the film for her version of Blue Bayou. Orbison's classic is taken to new heights.  10GUMS.