Seriously, did anyone making Men In Black International watch the original Men In Black? It contains Will Smith's finest comic performance. It also contains a fine comic performance by Vincent D'Onforio as the villain, and the been there, done that attitudes of Tommy Lee Jones and Rip Torn also add to the comedy.
Not with this installment. Whoever called the shots on this film -- word is, it isn't director F. Gary Gray -- decided this series is known for its action. The sort-of finished product has lots of non-descript action and very little of what passes for comedy. Tessa Thompson throws herself into her lead performance, but she has little support. The presence of Emma Thompson only reminds me that Men In Black 3 is a lot better than this.
For all the handwringing at the absence of Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith from this episode, it is director Barry Sonnenfeld, who directed the first three, who is truly missed. Suddenly Men In Black 2 doesn't seem so bad anymore.
Grade: D+
Sunday, July 7, 2019
Thursday, March 21, 2019
2018 Top Ten
10. You Were Never Really Here. The comparisons with Taxi Driver are obvious, Except Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) is good at violence. He tries to do the right thing but is haunted with what he has seen. The violence is staged by director Lynne Ramsey in a way which gives no pleasure to the viewer. Kinda like in Taxi Driver.
9. The Hate U Give. Not just for Amandla Stenberg's star quality performance, but how the film so deftly shows how some African Americans have to nullify their attitudes to be accepted in a white dominated society.
8. A Quiet Place. Nothing intellectual here, just an acknowledgement that the theatrical experience was truly memorable. The creatures in the movie respond to sound, and you could hear a pin drop in the theater as no one wanted to make a sound.
7. Phantom Thread. Director Paul Thomas Anderson is an acquired taste, but he intrigues me every time. I was enraptured by his portrayal of a rigidly ordered man (Daniel Day Lewis) whose order collapses under the weight of his marriage.
6. Hearts Beat Loud. Just pure joy. Nick Offerman plays a record store owner who enjoys playing music with his daughter. Kiersey Clemons as the daughter is the discovery here, and the music is genuinely fun as well.
5. Leave No Trace. Director Debra Granik is best known for directing Winter's Bone, which was nominated for four Oscars. I think this is better. The portrayal of a father and daughter who live off the grid had an emotional pull that Winter's Bone did not quite achieve, and performances by Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie which pulled me in to the film.
4. Free Solo. The story of the first climb of a 3300 foot rock face in Yosemite with no safety equipment. The film is brilliant in getting the viewer to get to know the climber, Alex Honnold, and the climb, so that in the end when he makes the climb was more intense than any fictional action scene in years.
3. Won't You Be My Neighbor. If you love Mr. Rogers, this documentary of his life and philosophy will remind you why. You will need tissues.
2. A Star Is Born. The great showbiz tragedy with more life than I imagined. Holds up next to the 1937 and 1954 versions, which is saying a lot. You will need tissues.
1. Roma. It feels like an Italian neorealist classic. But there is amazing invisible use of effects to recreate 1970 Mexico City. The other films on this list are incredible. This is the one stone cold masterpiece. I have loved director Alfonso Cuaron's films before -- both Gravity and A Little Princess topped my lists of those years. Cuaron is at the absolute top of his game here, and at a level few directors ever reach.
9. The Hate U Give. Not just for Amandla Stenberg's star quality performance, but how the film so deftly shows how some African Americans have to nullify their attitudes to be accepted in a white dominated society.
8. A Quiet Place. Nothing intellectual here, just an acknowledgement that the theatrical experience was truly memorable. The creatures in the movie respond to sound, and you could hear a pin drop in the theater as no one wanted to make a sound.
7. Phantom Thread. Director Paul Thomas Anderson is an acquired taste, but he intrigues me every time. I was enraptured by his portrayal of a rigidly ordered man (Daniel Day Lewis) whose order collapses under the weight of his marriage.
6. Hearts Beat Loud. Just pure joy. Nick Offerman plays a record store owner who enjoys playing music with his daughter. Kiersey Clemons as the daughter is the discovery here, and the music is genuinely fun as well.
5. Leave No Trace. Director Debra Granik is best known for directing Winter's Bone, which was nominated for four Oscars. I think this is better. The portrayal of a father and daughter who live off the grid had an emotional pull that Winter's Bone did not quite achieve, and performances by Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie which pulled me in to the film.
4. Free Solo. The story of the first climb of a 3300 foot rock face in Yosemite with no safety equipment. The film is brilliant in getting the viewer to get to know the climber, Alex Honnold, and the climb, so that in the end when he makes the climb was more intense than any fictional action scene in years.
3. Won't You Be My Neighbor. If you love Mr. Rogers, this documentary of his life and philosophy will remind you why. You will need tissues.
2. A Star Is Born. The great showbiz tragedy with more life than I imagined. Holds up next to the 1937 and 1954 versions, which is saying a lot. You will need tissues.
1. Roma. It feels like an Italian neorealist classic. But there is amazing invisible use of effects to recreate 1970 Mexico City. The other films on this list are incredible. This is the one stone cold masterpiece. I have loved director Alfonso Cuaron's films before -- both Gravity and A Little Princess topped my lists of those years. Cuaron is at the absolute top of his game here, and at a level few directors ever reach.
Saturday, March 2, 2019
2018 Top Ten (runners up)
Time to unveil my annual list of the best movies. As usual, my list is made up of movies which opened theatrically in 2018 in Columbus or Dayton. While all of this year's Oscar nominated best pictures actually opened in 2018, If Beale Street Could Talk and Cold War did not and will be eligible next year. Meanwhile, a Best Picture nominee and an Oscar winner from 2017 will be mentioned. Before listing my top ten, here are ten runners-up that just missed.
Annihilation. A truly unnerving film that takes its science fiction seriously.
BlacKkKlansman. Spike Lee delivers his best film since 4 Little Girls.
Black Panther. Marvel's best film to date.
Deadpool 2. The skydiving sequence was the loudest I laughed all year.
Eighth Grade. There is a reason this won the writers guild award for original screenplay.
A Fantastic Woman. Last year's Oscar winner for foreign film is the best treatment of transgenderism I have ever seen.
Juliet, Naked. I am a sucker for Nick Hornby's writing, and his continued look at men who haven't quite grown up.
.
Mission Impossible -- Fallout. The last 45 minutes were the best sustained action of the year.
Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse. Endlessly original and witty, Oscar got animated feature correct.
Three Identical Strangers. The most unique story in a documentary this year.
Saturday, February 23, 2019
My Oscar predictions/votes
Picture
Will win: Roma
Should win: Roma
Should be nominated: If Beale Street Could Talk
Director
Will win: Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Should win: Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Should be nominated: Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Actor
Will win: Roma
Should win: Roma
Should be nominated: If Beale Street Could Talk
Director
Will win: Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Should win: Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Should be nominated: Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Actor
Will win: Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Should win: Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Should be nominated: Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here
Actress
Will win: Glenn Close, The Wife
Should win: Yalitza Aparicio, Roma
Should be nominated: Emily Blunt, A Quiet Place
Supporting Actor
Will win: Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Should win: Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born
Should be nominated: Michael B. Jordan, Black Panther
Supporting Actress
Will win: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Should win: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Should be nominated: Nicole Kidman, Boy Erased
Animated Feature
Will win: Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse
Should win: Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse
Should be nominated: the correct films are nominated
Cinematography
Will win: Roma
Should win: Roma
Should be nominated: Black Panther
Will win: Roma
Should win: Roma
Should be nominated: Black Panther
Costume Design
Will win: The Favourite
Should win: Black Panther
Should be nominated: Crazy Rich Asians
Documentary Feature
Will win: RBG
Should win: Free Solo
Should be nominated: Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Documentary Short
Will win: Black Sheep
Should win: Period. End of Sentence.
Editing
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody
Should win: BlacKkKlansman
Should be nominated: A Star Is Born
Foreign Film
Will win: Roma
I have only seen two nominees, so will not pick a should win.
Makeup and Hairstyling
Will win: Vice
Should win: Vice
Should be nominated: Black Panther
Original Score
Will win: If Beale Street Could Talk
Should win: If Beale Street Could Talk
Should be nominated: Suspiria
Original Song
Will win: Shallow from A Star Is Born
Should win: Shallow from A Star Is Born
Should be nominated: The Girl in the Movies from Dumplin'
Production Design
Will win: Black Panther
Should win: Black Panther
Should be nominated: Annihilation
Animated Short
Will win: Bao
Should win: Late Afternoon
Should be nominated: Wishing Box
Live Action Short
Will win: Marguerite
Should win: Marguerite
Sound Editing
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody
Should win: A Quiet Place
Should be nominated: Ready Player One
Sound Mixing
Will win: Bohemian Rhapsody
Should win: A Star Is Born
Should be nominated: Ready Player One
Visual Effects
Will win: Avengers Infinity War
Should win: Avengers Infinity War
Should be nominated: Black Panther
Adapted Screenplay
Will win: BlacKkKlansman
Should win: A Star Is Born
Should be nominated: Leave No Trace
Original Screenplay
Will win: Green Book
Should win: Roma
Should be nominated: Eighth Grade
Saturday, February 16, 2019
My Best Picture Ballot
Given an Oscar ballot requires voters to rank their choices, and I have seen all of the nominees, here is how I vote and why. I think this is the weakest roster of nominees in years, with half of the nominees not deserving of a nomination.
1. Roma. Alfonso Cuaron has crafted a masterpiece. A first glance, this has the feel of an Italian neo-realistic classic such as Rome, Open City of Bicycle Thief. But the immediacy of those films was part of their merits. This is film is so crafted but maintains the illusion of immediacy, with a couple of astounding set pieces in the second half, and images I will never forget.
2. A Star Is Born. The greatest pleasures of this film are the small pleasures. When the two main characters are discussing a song being written, and the way they say "How do you hear it?" When she kind of embarrassingly says "I don't normally do this" and he responds "Good. Then we're on the same page." The editing, frequently overlapping concert sound with another scene. There are so many ways this could have gone wrong. I amazed how much went right.
3. Black Panther. Marvel has not made a better film. The pleasures of a superhero film are merged with real life political concerns. Ryan Coogler has made a film that speaks to African Americans but has a universal appeal at the same time. The Screen Actors Guild got it right: this is the best cast across the board of any film this year.
4. BlacKkKlansman. I felt the first half of the film is a little too slowly paced. However, the final half hour, which cuts back and forth between a Klan membership induction and a black students meeting is stunning. The meeting, in which an elder gentleman recalls Emmitt Till is riveting because it is Harry Belafonte giving the talk. Then the film wraps up in a way that brings it forward to today in a way that leaves the audience angry at our current society.
5. Green Book. Now we enter the undeserving part of the roster. Green Book is a pleasant buddy comedy with a dash of anger about the racism of the 60s. It is not some great statement about race relations, and it is nowhere close to as strong a film on the subject as Driving Miss Daisy (let alone Do The Right Thing).
6. Bohemian Rhapsody. The music scenes are really well done, and why I slimly recommended it. But this film does not appear to know what made Freddy Mercury tick, and the scenes of his home life way the film down. I would have preferred to see more of the band together in the studio and onstage, because that is when the film really sings.
7. The Favourite. Apparently it is really daring to show that the Queen had lesbian affairs! To me, it felt like a five year old who thinks it is the height of daring and hilarity to say "poopy" over and over. Sure, the film is well made, but what does it accomplish?
8. Vice. It is hard to believe that Adam McCay made both this and The Big Short. The Big Short had all kinds of insight as to what made the financial crises occur. Vice has no insight whatsoever as to what makes Dick Cheney tick. It is a well acted but ultimately empty exercise.
1. Roma. Alfonso Cuaron has crafted a masterpiece. A first glance, this has the feel of an Italian neo-realistic classic such as Rome, Open City of Bicycle Thief. But the immediacy of those films was part of their merits. This is film is so crafted but maintains the illusion of immediacy, with a couple of astounding set pieces in the second half, and images I will never forget.
2. A Star Is Born. The greatest pleasures of this film are the small pleasures. When the two main characters are discussing a song being written, and the way they say "How do you hear it?" When she kind of embarrassingly says "I don't normally do this" and he responds "Good. Then we're on the same page." The editing, frequently overlapping concert sound with another scene. There are so many ways this could have gone wrong. I amazed how much went right.
3. Black Panther. Marvel has not made a better film. The pleasures of a superhero film are merged with real life political concerns. Ryan Coogler has made a film that speaks to African Americans but has a universal appeal at the same time. The Screen Actors Guild got it right: this is the best cast across the board of any film this year.
4. BlacKkKlansman. I felt the first half of the film is a little too slowly paced. However, the final half hour, which cuts back and forth between a Klan membership induction and a black students meeting is stunning. The meeting, in which an elder gentleman recalls Emmitt Till is riveting because it is Harry Belafonte giving the talk. Then the film wraps up in a way that brings it forward to today in a way that leaves the audience angry at our current society.
5. Green Book. Now we enter the undeserving part of the roster. Green Book is a pleasant buddy comedy with a dash of anger about the racism of the 60s. It is not some great statement about race relations, and it is nowhere close to as strong a film on the subject as Driving Miss Daisy (let alone Do The Right Thing).
6. Bohemian Rhapsody. The music scenes are really well done, and why I slimly recommended it. But this film does not appear to know what made Freddy Mercury tick, and the scenes of his home life way the film down. I would have preferred to see more of the band together in the studio and onstage, because that is when the film really sings.
7. The Favourite. Apparently it is really daring to show that the Queen had lesbian affairs! To me, it felt like a five year old who thinks it is the height of daring and hilarity to say "poopy" over and over. Sure, the film is well made, but what does it accomplish?
8. Vice. It is hard to believe that Adam McCay made both this and The Big Short. The Big Short had all kinds of insight as to what made the financial crises occur. Vice has no insight whatsoever as to what makes Dick Cheney tick. It is a well acted but ultimately empty exercise.
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