Dogs Bark

Je T'aime, Je T'aime - - Ascenseur Pour L'échafaud [Elevator to the Gallows] (1958, France, B/W 91 min) - - 28 February 2020

Strongly recommended. If asked to define film beauty, start by tracking a lovesick Jeanne Moreau reeling through a rainy Parisian night . . . accompanied by Miles Davis on trumpet. Elevator to the Gallows begins with a close-up of Moreau (Jules And Jim), her desire-drenched voice setting off the carefully constructed plot. It also set off cinema, as director Louis Malle (Au Revoir Les Enfants) deftly stepped from film noir into French new wave . . . tossing in a soupçon of Hitchcock. The 2016, 4K restoration of this masterwork has returned a new exposure of the lush cinematography of  Henri Decaë (The 400 Blows) whilst this year’s documentary Miles Davis: Birth Of The Cool rewinds the perfect score. This movie made Moreau a new star and exposed her steamy, dangerous sexuality. Her now-famous perambulation was initially rejected by the studio due to the graininess of the super-fast film. They thought it would end her career!

Mission In The Rain - - The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019, USA, Color, 121 min)

Recommended. My family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1958 and the transition from a racially diverse, working-class community to its present status is within memory. Ironically, this began in the early-70’s, when people of my generation began elaborate restorations of the Victorian homes of the Mission and Fillmore Districts. The once African-American Fillmore borders the ancestral residence of The Last Black Man In San Francisco . . . a biopic of lead actor, Jimmie Fails, directed by Joe Talbot, both rookies and SFO natives. Both men also never knew the city I remember and for which they apparently pine. Danny Glover, (Grand Canyon), another SFO-native and cast member, is old enough. But none of this matters since everyone connected to the movie shares my love of the place. Gentrification is - - unfortunately - - a multi-generational saga. The Last Black Man In San Francisco is an elegiac film, wistful and lovely.

Not Crazy, Not Rich - - The Farewell (2019, USA, Color, 100 min) - - 15 February 2020

Strongly recommended. As grand-parenting skills emerge, time may be insufficient to see the fruits of one's labor. No time for shilly-shally . . . as Biden might say. Have faith in your impact. So it goes with the family of Nai Nai (marvelously embodied by Shuzhen Zhao, The Story of Ming Lan) who unknowingly has Stage IV lung cancer. The entire family does know and is afraid to tell her. In Chinese culture this is common as any cancer diagnosis is believed to be fatal. In order to say good-bye, the family returns to China . . . ostensibly for her grandson’s wedding. Despite all this woe, The Farewell is a marvelous comedy. Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians) plays Nai Nai’s awkward, US-raised granddaughter - - better bonded to grandma than her mother - - and her performance is near perfect. The original story interprets the true life of director/scripter Lulu Wang (Posthumous), who excellently leads a great ensemble cast.     

The World Is A Business, Mr. Beale! - - Executive Suite (1954, USA, B/W, 104 min) - - 12 January 2020

Strongly recommended. Is a corporation a person? The Supreme Court thinks so. OK, but then does it have pride? Where falls its loyalty? With its employees and customers or to the investors? These are questions that Executive Suite asks and - - after sixty-five years - - remain unanswered. Director Robert Wise (The Day The Earth Stood Still) and screenwriter Ernest Lehman (Sweet Smell of Success) predictably take the liberal side of the question . . . pitting golden boy William Holden (Sabrina) against dour, bean-counter Fredric March (Inherit the Wind) for the heart and soul of the Tredway Corporation. The owner, Barbara Stanwyck (Cattle Queen of Montana) - - uncharacteristically passive in this role - - dithers along with the rest of the board. The movie is considered by many as a precursor to Mad Men . . . including a less-curvaceous Joan Hathaway (Oscar-nominated Nina Foch, The Ten Commandments). Network is a better example, Holden departing as he arrived, integrity more-or-less intact.

Duke's Picks - - The Oscars (2019) - - 9 February 2020

I may vomit. And speaking of dyspepsia, Greta and Kamala will be doctoring theirs at Miceli's wondering what just happened whilst just up the boulevard, killers traipse the red carpet, their smeared gore delighting . . . who? Actually, I happen to be the only person left in America who respects the sanctity of the Oscars as a proper reflection of Our Precious Bodily Fluids (Plymouth’s Navy Strength, only!). Never . . . theless - - as Kate said to the Bosch - - between the sexism, the juvenilia and goddamn Time Warner lawyers cancelling the TCM Backlot Local Chapters, this has been a difficult year for those of us who prefer our martinis dry and our scripts, even more so. But as Lewis said to Clark (Scared Stiff Along The Missouri), we proceed onward.

Best Actor in a Starring Role - - Antonio Banderas, Pain And Glory - - This was such a subtle and important performance, capping a collaboration of extended time, worth and magnitude. Mind you, both Jonathan and Leo were also excellent, and - - outrageously - - this is Pryce’s (Glengarry Glen Ross) first nomination, but this is also the first for Banderas. Adam Driver (Silence) will be nominated again, so he’s covered. Yeah, I know. It’s going elsewhere. Ha, ha, ha.

Best Actress in a Starring Role - - Saoirse Ronan, Little Women - - Again, yeah I know who the money is on but I thought that Charlize was a much better impressionist of a much, much less beloved person. Cynthia Erivo was just as great, but both these parts were written a bit shallow. These parts, along with Judy, required more verisimilitude then voice coaching and it’s sad that these great actresses weren’t directed that way. ScarJo (is that a word?) is always excellent and the difference is also slim. Why Saoirse (it rhymes with inertia) didn’t win for Brooklyn is waaaaaay beyond the Pale. This time she again invested her part with strength and complexity. The Oscar should go to her.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role - - Joe Pesci, The Irishman - - This is really tough. I thought Brad Pitt was phenomenal in Once Upon A Time. . . In Hollywood. He’ll probably win and that’s OK. Anthony Hopkins in The Two Popes and Tom Hanks in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood were just a scooch behind with Pacino a bit farther back. It was the quiet of Pesci’s performance that astonished me.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role - - Florence Pugh, Little Women - - I didn’t see Richard Jewell so the wonderful Kathy Bates isn’t in the competition for my vote. I did see Laura Dern’s favored shot in Marriage Story. She was good but a bit over the top as a predatory lawyer. Margot Robbie was near perfect in Bombshell and as Sharon Tate in Once Upon A Time. . . In Hollywood. Scarlett was, again, excellent in Jojo Rabbit. Despite all of this Florence Pugh has a gaze that is totally enthralling, and she presented an entirely new, and successful interpretation of the bad girl of Little Women. And I love giving this Oscar to a brand-new, or classic-elder, actress.

 Best Original Screenplay - - Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood - - Q has won two of these and should have won one for True Romance, his first screenplay. Regardless, his stories are usually the most entertaining of any year and the dialogue, insanely unique. I didn’t see Knives Out but only Parasite hits, ironically, the same tone and similar level of delight. The Tarantino/Bong bromance may be wounded again, but - - as in the Golden Globes - - the proper allocation of the spoils occurred.     

 Best Adapted Screenplay - - Greta Gerwig, Little Women - - This one you can bet on. But the correctness of this award is politically irrelevant. Adaptation is the art - - as the brilliant Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation) scripted - - of creating images that compliment, but don’t harass, the ones readers formulate for themselves. To do this successfully for a beloved book that’s been filmed SEVEN times is an act of genius. The other nominees are very good writers; Greta is beyond words.

Best Cinematography - - Roger Deakins, 1917 - - This also is no contest. Even though the movie only replicates a continuous take, it does so perfectly. I have no idea how much work must go into the set-ups for such a process and the devotion to art that it requires. Not to mention the arguments with accountants! But Deakins did it. Insanely, he has been nominated 15 times - - in 2007 twice - - and only won for the Blade Runner remake. Bob Richardson has three Oscars and Rodrigo Prieto deserves one but if Deakins doesn’t win, it’s a scandal.

Best Costume Design - - Jaqueline Durran, Little Women - - This is a very tough call and it’s very hard to vote against the brilliant Sandy Powell. It’s also tough to pass over the whimsical stuff that Mayes Rubeo hung upon Scarlett Johansson in Jojo Rabbit. Then we get to the period smarts of Arianne Phillips in Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood. Takes guts to do this in front of people who actually still have those shirts in their closets. The difference was that Durran’s clothes are so amazingly beautiful, in addition to being perfect for the story.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling- - Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan, and Vivian Baker, Bombshell - - I didn’t see the Maleficent movie but I wonder if there is any aesthetic value in making Angelina’s cheekbones MORE sharp. This was the year of movies imitating life or something like that. Given that, where is Harriet? What about The Irishman? Oh, that’s right . . . making actors look younger is a surgical procedure, not artistry. All that tucked away, the Oscar needs to go to Bombshell . . . just for Charleze Theron’s remarkable transformation into Megyn Kelly. Watching Theron on screen, I found it impossible to separate the two women in my mind.

Best Direction - - - Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood - - Ignoring my opening rant, four of the directors nominated this year (Tarantino, Scorsese, Mendes, and Bong) were so amazingly good that I want to give them a four-way tie. Mendes and Scorsese have their awards. Tarantino and Bong do not. So, I will give it to Q and hope the Best Foreign Film award - - which Bong will almost certainly win - - is enough.

Best Picture - - Little Women – Amy Pascal - - Again, this is on merits, NOT politics. This unexpectedly (to me) wonderful film exceeded the grade in multiple categories and pulled that all together in a refreshing way, respectful of the past and totally relevant to the future. Little Women is the kind of film I think I will always stop and watch, flipping through the dial. And that defines a movie for all time. Having said all of that, Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood will also fall into that category. My affection for that film is deep. And nothing against Parasite, which, along with 1917 and The Irishman, are clearly among the top five this year. I also like Ford V. Ferrari, Jojo Rabbit and Marriage Story. That’s eight amazing movies that could win in any year. We are blest.

And so it goes . . . this may have been a good year for nominating movies, not so much for the Duke. Just surviving is a victory when real life busts in on reel life. Hopefully, this space next year will begin a new, happier story.  And until next time . . . I’ll see you at the movies.

Anchorwoman Barbie - - Bombshell (2019, USA/Canada, Color, 109) - - 8 February 2020

Recommended. I have always liked Megyn Kelly to a degree as to feel suspiciously incorrect. When she began pushing her envelope at Fox News and then, later, helped take down Roger Ailes, I felt even more uneasily pleased. Bombshell, on the other hand, is totally in her court and director Jay Roach (Trumbo) proved this by casting the Mad Maxine of feminism, Charlize Theron (Monster) in the part. She’s backed up by action figures Nicole Kidman (The Hours) as Fox anchor Gretchen Carlson and Margot Robbie (I Tonya) as a composite character. The film never presents much ambiguity over either its identification, the bigger issue, or even the inner motivation of these women. The purpose more seems to just chronicle the story. Nevertheless, it’s fun to watch the celebrity impressions. Theron and Robbie were both deserved of their Oscar nods. SNL’s Kate McKinnon (Ghostbusters) gets another chance to please this viewer.

Anne Frank. Now, Im Kabarett! - - Jojo Rabbit (2019, USA/NZ/Czech Republic, Color, 108 min)

Recommended. When I was growing up in California, Hitler’s (Triumph of the Will) missing testicle was a source of musical mockery among my chums, particularly those of the Jewish persuasion. So I suppose it took a self-described Polynesian Jew to recycle that merry melody in Jojo Rabbit. I’m only disappointed that Mr. Goebbels escaped with his “no balls at all” from director/scripter Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok). Waititi goes further into no-man’s land by doing the best Fuehrer's face since Dick Shawn in The Producers. Jojo Rabbit uses the kind of humor that offends some people. But jeering at the evil dead is actually rather effective at keeping them in the grave . . . or so says Donald Duck. Scarlett Johansson (Her) shines as Jojo’s crafty mom and the kids, particularly Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo, also impress. Stephen Marchant (The Office) and Sam Rockwell (Vice) are amusing as Colonel Klink clones.

Thud, Thud, Thud Went The Story - - Judy (2019, UK, Color, 118 min) - - 4 January 2020

Not recommended. The entirety of Judy, unlike the previously reviewed biopic, rests on Renée Zellweger (Jerry McGuire). I have liked Ms. Zellweger’s acting skills when, in the past, she was well directed. But now it seems like she can never take on a part without using her cutie-pie-isms. They haven’t aged well. And taking on a seriously sad person like Judy Garland (A Star Is Born) is like stepping onto a minefield in pumps. Equal measure of shrapnel falls on tyro director Rupert Goold who seems to give Zellweger none (direction). Her supporting cast is mediocre . . . excluding Jessie Buckley (Dolittle) as Garland’s assistant. But there is nothing new here in the script/play anyway. We all know LB was a bastard, that Judy was a drunk. 118 minutes on these images is like watching the Statue of Liberty tarnish. The real question is why.  Despite this movie, the mystery remains.

Worth More Than A Jackson - - Harriet (2019, USA, Color, 125 min) - - 3 February 2020

Recommended. Making an thrilling biopic about someone who has long been dead is an obvious challenge. We all know the hero won’t die but no one knows much about they’re inner narrative, especially if, like Harriet Tubman, she was illiterate. Director Kasi Lemmons - - who played Agent Starling’s gal-pal in Silence Of The Lambs, pulled her hard-as-nails vision of Harriet out of Tubman’s unsmiling portraiture. Then she got Cynthia Erivo (Widows) to embody that in an Oscar-nominated performance. It works . . . sort of; one wonders if the real Harriet was more complex. Surrounding Ervio is a splendid cast, enriched by Janelle Monáe (Hidden Figures) . . . who often makes me smile. In Harriet, she plays a vivacious freewoman from Philly contrasting and complimenting her grim country cousin. The white folk play more shabbily, as either vacant or venomous, and the plot is a bit melodramatic. Overall, however, this is an exciting and entertaining film.