Month: May 2022

Posted on 2022-05-26 | No Comments |

Cyrano (2021)

In this version of the classic story, Peter Dinklage is the title wordsmith who is in love with his long-time friend Haley Bennett’s Rosalind who is in turn mutually attracted to the more conventionally handsome Kelvin Harrison Jr. Instead of the somewhat comical large nose in the original story and many adaptations, Dinklage’s own short stature is what makes him ‘unworthy’ of Rosalind’s affections, a change that speaks more to contemporary biases. I hadn’t realized this was a musical going in and I’m still unsure how I feel about it. The music and singing is really good, but it wasn’t presented organically, which is my preference in musical films. While I thought the ending went a little too far in its resolution, but Dinklage is incredible in the lead. He plays the various emotions of Cyrano to perfection from the arrogant sword fighting to devastated yearning. It makes me want to search out more of his leading films.

Oscar Nomination: Best Achievement in Costume Design

Posted on 2022-05-26 | No Comments |

Hester Street (1975)

Jewish immigrant Steven Keats’s assimilated life is greatly upended when his less-adaptable wife Carol Kane and son arrive from Russia. A decidedly low-budget film, Kane’s performance as a woman finding her way in a new country despite her philandering husband’s unsympathetic ways is understated and tender. With its sepia toned cinematography, the film feels like an authentic view into New York immigrant life, particularly of the Jewish population.

Oscar Nomination: Best Actress in a Leading Role

Posted on 2022-05-25 | No Comments |

Zulu (2013)

In violent post-Apartheid South Africa, Forest Whitaker and Orlando Bloom are two homicide detectives still effected by scars from their pasts who are called in to investigate the violent deaths of two young women. It’s an intricate crime story that touches on many aspects of the South African underworld and the dark shadow of Apartheid that continues to darken the country. Whitaker and Bloom work well together and both fantastically portray the complex layers of their individual characters.

Posted on 2022-05-25 | No Comments |

Love Field (1992)

Obsessed with the First Family, Dallas housewife Michelle Pfeiffer decides to travel by bus to the nation’s capital for JFK’s funeral against her husband’s wishes. Her plans are unfortunately waylaid when she simultaneously befriends and causes trouble for fellow traveler Dennis Haysbert and his young daughter. An often simplistic reflection on race relations in the 1960s South, Pfeiffer nonetheless manages to bring layers to her naïve, simple-minded character who so often is the catalyst for the danger the group experiences. A mixed race couple travelling through the South experiences enough risk on its own that the added dangers were mostly unnecessary. The climax and the ending continue the feeble storytelling, both unearned and unrealistic.

Oscar Nomination: Best Actress in a Leading Role

Posted on 2022-05-25 | No Comments |

Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001)

I’ve never seen an episode of the television show, but I was really surprised that the film preceded the first episode. The movie throws you right into the action as the boy genius and his friend travel in a makeshift rocket to launch a communications satellite into space, which unfortunately attracts the wrong type of extraterrestrials. For fans of child-friendly animation, the story is certainly relatable enough and fits well with other animated films of the era. The animation style is unfortunately early CGI with the expected quality and ugliness that accompanies that.

Oscar Nomination: Best Animated Feature

Posted on 2022-05-25 | No Comments |

Touching the Void (2003)

Told through a detailed reenactment and interviews from the participants, this documentary tells the story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates’s 1985 successful climb up the western face of Siula Grande in Peru. Though both experienced climbers, it was uncertain if either man would survive after reaching the summit. At first it was quite easy to dismiss this as yet another climbing film, but then disaster struck and I had to restart the entire film because I didn’t want to miss one detail of how the two got into their predicament. Even literally watching them give modern day interviews, I could not believe that they both were going to survive in the end. Truly a feat of perseverance and endurance, I can not imagine pushing on after that first big moment of crisis.

Posted on 2022-05-24 | No Comments |

Back to the Future (1985) – Rewatch

Trying to escape Libyan terrorists, Michael J. Fox accidentally triggers a time machine which sends him to the days of his parents’ youth where he must make sure they still hook up or risk erasing himself from existence all while trying to get himself back to 1985. This is possibly the ultimate classic in the time travel genre for good reason. The camaraderie between Fox and Christopher Lloyd as his eccentric scientist best friend, the duel roles of Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson, and Thomas F. Wilson playing themselves at two different ages, and writing that manages its multiple timelines while being endlessly quotable and keeping a steady tone throughout are all perfection. It’s not surprising that I’ve seen it approximately thirty times in my lifetime.

Oscar Win: Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing

Oscar Nominations: Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen; Best Sound; Best Music, Original Song

Posted on 2022-05-24 | No Comments |

The Longshots (2008)

Based on the true story of the Jasmine Plummer, the first female to play in the Pop Warner Super Bowl, former local football star Ice Cube is asked to provide after school care for his niece Keke Palmer. With little in common, he introduces her to his favorite sport, only to be surprised to find she has a natural ability to throw the ball. It’s a simple, family-friendly film, but Cube and Palmer have a natural chemistry together and they both elevate their rather predictable individual roles to make it quite watchable.

Posted on 2022-05-24 | No Comments |

Daisy Miller (1974)

Cybill Shepherd is the titular character, a nouveau riche American travelling through Europe with her family who doesn’t understand and ignores the expected behaviors of high society. Her tale is told, and held in comparison, through the experiences of another upper class American visiting the continent, Barry Brown, who keeps himself restrained and unemotional despite his obvious attraction to Daisy. Shepherd acts like she’s in an entirely different film than everyone else. She’s flighty and flirty and her actions and reactions don’t track with those of the people around her. This is even more pronounced as the story takes an abrupt dark turn in its latter part.

Oscar Nomination: Best Costume Design

Posted on 2022-05-23 | No Comments |

Drive (1997)

Enhanced with a prototype that gives him extra-human strength and agility, Mark Dacascos escapes to the United States in an attempt to sell the device. Unfortunately his Chinese overlords are hot on his tail requiring to hook up with a down on his luck Kadeem Hardison in an attempt to evade the baddies. The story is silly and there’s some really wacky performances by Brittany Murphy and bad guy John Pyper-Ferguson, but the stunt work and fight choreography are top notch, making it an entertaining, mindless weekend flick.