Category: Historical Drama

WAR HORSE (2012) movie review

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Spielberg, no doubt hoped for an epic. I’m sure that equestrians and fans of Spielbergian battle sequences will find this film perfect. A trusted, film-loving friend of mine dedicated herself to 3 viewings of this film in the theaters. She loves all things Cumberbatch and Hiddleston. Agreed. They are lovely. If only I could dream in such cinematography. Gorgeous in every frame, of course.

I however, found it lacking in story and character development…possibly my two great musts in film love. It was hard to empathize with the horse. The facial expressions were hard to read. Perhaps a method actor?

Other characters came and went so quickly, we barely had time to buy in. Most seemed interesting, but doomed. And, all were tragically doomed.

WWI feels redundant at best, neck deep in trench muck. Not even the great creator of Band of Brothers could make this war seem a worthy front for fighting.

One scene stood out from the rest, making a moment of life-changing film watching for me. It was worth the rental and the whole watch for me. The horse is tangled in barbed wire between the two front lines. A momentary truce is called, white-flagged to save the horse. Two soldiers, one German and one British, meet and greet and chatter congenially while working together to set the horse free. They wish each other well and walk back into battle reminding the other to keep his head down. The beauty of this moment, of peace and good will, mingles in the odd confusion of duty and conflict between brothers at war.

DOWNTON ABBEY – – TV Series (2010-2012)

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Pronounced “Dow’tn,” it’s a place and a people. This castle is the Crawley family home. The proper lines are drawn between the titled and the subordinate, and rarely in film or TV do the twain meet. Here at Downton, however, the lives of the separate sets intersect in all ways proper and improper.

Just give in already. Everyone, from your sister and your co-worker Jim to your friend’s great Aunt Ruby, has been telling you to watch it. This once small show about a large English estate and the hierarchy of its inhabitants has become a delightful pastime, another family to feel for, a set of characters that you don’t have to feel guilty for judging.

Cast perfectly, they all seem normal and somehow more tangible than most period characters. They are real people from a surreal time in history. Each lasting character has proven him or herself flawed in some way or another so we become kindred, drawn in.

We relate, celebrating  triumphs and weeping loss along with each one. Certainly some characters feel less so, almost cartoon, existing as entities completely evil or entirely good. And a few storylines wane exhaustive while others hold us, keep us paying for Netflix, keep us wondering if Matthew and Mary will ever figure it out.

Go ahead. Get sucked into Downton for a little while. You’ll see a different take on historical events like the sinking of the Titanic and WWI. You’ll gain perspective for a culture that we anglofiles already glean from and emulate. We know who we are. We woke up at 4am to watch the wedding. We care about the pomp and propriety. We long for a bit of that in our lives. But, when it comes down to it, we haven’t really decided which side of the estate we can see ourselves on. Would we bear the boredom, the censure, the responsibility of those who stand still to be dressed for dinner? Or, would we wear the worker greys, sweep the soot, and serve the food with snark and sass in each step up those creaky Downton steps.

Oscar Predictions 2012

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Confession: my Oscar picks rarely match the Academy’s choice winners. I can’t help it if I’m a sucker for the underdog. But, loving a loser in this case still means loving a nominee. Second runners up dodge with dignity but remain eternal favorites.

BEST ACTOR nods to Brad Pitt‘s tux,  but George Clooney should take it home for his distraught dad in The Descendants. Gary Oldman is still too creepy despite his beloved Commissioner Gordon in The Dark Knight. In the end, Jean Dujardin will accept in French for his perfect Gene Kelly joi de vivre in The Artist.

SUPPORTING ACTOR? Kenneth Branagh in My Week with Marilyn.

Though The Help will put up a good fight, this Oscar for BEST ACTRESS belongs to Michelle Williams for her Marilyn Monroe. And Jessica Chastain is up for playing my favorite character in The Help, but she should have been nom’d for Tree of Life.

It seems the true battle cry will rise up between the DIRECTORS – all deserving. The Artist Michel Hazanavicius, The Descendants Alexander Payne, Hugo Martin Scorsese, Midnight in Paris Woody Allen, The Tree of Life Terrence Malick.

Malick may not show, Payne may be all show, Allen would dance the jig if he got it, H will bring the dog along, but the night will belong to Scorsese.

Hugo might just take BEST PIC’s statue home. But I believe that all the feel-good films that fight or first will sit it out while the little, lower budget, love song of a silent film The Artist takes first.

It’s a good year for Oscars and a decent year in film. They open with the red carpet, and the show begins at 4pm, Feb. 26. Download a ballot and cast your votes, or get the Oscar App free this week.

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (2011) movie review

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Marilyn Monroe
Gaudy. Mystical. She was an icon of whimsy and total sex appeal. All who saw her fell in love. In death, she immortalized. She will never age. Her silver screen images will never prove mortality by promoting Depends ads. She will never gain weight and move to making Jenny Craig commercials, or have children and do that kiddie film just for them. She will ever be the bombshell blonde known for her curves and whispy vibrato.
In this glorious film tribute, illustrious cast on call, Michelle Williams leads the parade exuding the vulnerability of the gauzy star and allowing us to ask the questions. Was Marilyn capable of suicide? Was she the actress she hoped she’d be? Was it all a show, a game to her? Did she know exactly what she was doing? Was her real life as enchanting as she wanted us to believe?  Or, did she absently originate the term ‘dumb blonde‘ by being herself?This film raises another set of questions regarding the philosophy of classical acting versus method. Two schools of thought: I’ll call it Shakespeare Vs Stanislavsky. It’s no shock that Branaugh, known as the world’s favorite Shakespearean film lead, bests a brilliant Sir Lawrence Olivier -bucking the “method.” The whole historical grudge between these two has held in enmity over time. I believe Ryan Gosling to be an undeclared method actor. Michelle Williams is all too familiar with the man Heath Ledger who followed the method and died; many believe he died when he allowed himself to get too much into his character’s life, art, and back-story. Method actors search the resources of their minds to become their characters on and off screen in order to present the most realistic and believable performances possible. Believe it or not, Marilyn fancied herself a method actor. Ah ha! Herein lies the rub? No one claimed to know who Marilyn truly was. Couldn’t someone have saved her? I believe the journals of this film’s lead boy tell a brilliant story with no difinitive answers. But, we like suspense. Spend a week with Marilyn here and decide all for yourself.

PS. (Its “R” rating is akin to The King’s Speech (2010)…for language). Like Marilyn Monroe’s many films, the sensual tease in this film is ever apparent and acute but never acted upon. Visit Scarecrow Video in Seattle and rent one of Marilyn’s films. A few favorites include: How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), Monkey Business (1952), and River of No Return (1954).

THE HELP (2011)

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Tonight I crashed a book club party. Donna Reed attire required. So, I darkened the brows and dawned the hornrims, pumps, pearls and hairpiece. This was what I was going for:

Of course I hadn’t even read the book, but I heard they were going to the movie after the meeting. Only once did I feel a bit like Jim from The Office episode when he sits in on Pam’s book club, “Angela? …the Ashes? nope.” This party was amazing, though. The hostess, Meredith, played the movie soundtrack and served foods straight the book, including paprika-less deviled eggs and Chocolate Pie. She decorated, had questions mapped out, and she gave us parting gifts with lines from the book and personalized notes attached. She’s good.

And then, the unexpected: in what I had assumed would indeed be the “sleeper hit of the summer” I found a personal Shawshank. Some may slap my face in blasphemy for that comparison, but the truths of this film should wake us up. Hatred has a million faces, but we don’t expect it mingling with beauty.

Bryce Dallas Howard’s gorgeous Hilly Holbrook, proved the formidable opponent, though an almost comic book antagonist. Emma Stone plays her vital opposite as Skeeter, always wishing for beauty until she finds it within. As Skeeter presses in for the true stories of the ever-present under-appreciated “help” she learns to speak her story as well.

In this film we gain new eyes. Shame on you if you don’t cry. Go on. Let yourself. Life Lessons like these cannot be understood without new eyes.  So, wash out the old ones with tears of new beginnings. Become a human being who cares about the hearts of the hurting -whatever their stations, races, crimes, and conclusions. Love one another as God loves you.

For Aibileen’s motto applies to all: “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” And don’t you forget it.

Visit Scarecrow Video!

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Scarecrow Video, just off of Roosevelt & 50th in the U District in Seattle has EVERY title! Ask any one of the employees as you walk in for any new release, genre, director, obscure indie or international title and their degree in film studies will register beneath the lenses, and a pointer finger will raise to the exact location of that movie. Beware. When I say EVERY movie…I mean it. Many are not for young eyes…or mine. But go.

If you remember seeing The Hunt for Red October on an old gigantic lazer disc and you’ve ever wanted to relive that experience, you can rent players there. Even VHS players (what are those, right?), and projectors for that backyard film fest. Remember that one that you saw with your mom on Turner Classics when you were little that just haunts you? They’ve got it. What’s that one Wes Anderson movie? It’s there, and they know.

So, go! Visit Scarecrow Video and support a local legend. If you have out of town guests coming in, show them Seattle and take them to Scarecrow. Let them pick the movie or take them to the Italian film section and rent Life is Beautiful for a lovely and memorable evening.  Say Hi to Kevin for me while you’re there. Shake his hand. He’s a good man.

I heart Scarecrow Video!

CONSPIRATOR (2011)

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Lincoln is dead…assassinated. We take for granted today, perhaps, the weight of these words at a time when our country was so very young and mid-civil war. I suppose since JFK, our country has understood and acknowledged the possibility of a presidential assassination. During WWII, it seems the country loved FDR “like a father,” according to my Veteran grandfather. I recall visiting Spain during Bush 2nd term of office hearing little children yell their two known English phrases, “I love you” and “Hate Bush.” Security shut down half of Seattle a month or so ago when President Obama visited Bill Gates. Yes, times have changed since April 14th, 1865.

In this film, directed by the one and only Robert Redford, a bright young soldier/lawyer Fredrick Aiken (James McAvoy) brilliantly defends Mary Surratt (Robin Wright) in the court hearings following the murder of President Lincoln. This film hatched beautifully, opens my eyes to a scene from history which I recall filling only about a paragraph in my 8th grade History book. The witch-hunt continues and places a Mother on trial – a season of firsts in American history. Produced by the American Film Company, this film boasts Historical accuracy. Fortunately the all-star cast and crew provide the frosting: a memorable, engaging, definitive story to support what would otherwise be a movie saved for that 8th grade history class. History alive now holds us more than accountable not to re-commit the mistakes of our past.

YOUNG VICTORIA

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Blunt is fabulous. Strong and fabulous. She gave Queen Victoria youth and life, poise and dignity, strength and wit, romance and passion. Helen Mirren, of course, opened the window into Buckingham palace, so now Emily Blunt has made public Victoria’s diaries. “Even a palace can be a prison.”
Rupert Friend, her Albert, unfortunately more recognized currently for his relationship with Keira Knightley than his excellent presence on screen.He is Wickham no more. I may be a bit in love with him for his devotion and strength opposite the stubborn thin shell covering the Queen’s insecurities. They were a lovely match – well cast.
Some would complain that period pieces become sleepy, but this does keep moving. The tension remains long enough to enjoy the resolve. I found it transporting and truthful, and, as Matthew would say, “lovely” (pronounced: lahv -f -lay”).

My lovely, late Grandma Sota was enamoured by the British monarchy. She spoke about them with awe, and I believe that this is why my mother wears large hats out in public. My Grandmother, like Victoria was genteel and proper.
I’m standing taller today. Posture = elegance. Quite right.

AN EDUCATION (2009)

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“The effect of education, I suppose,” quoth Fanny Price as she relayed tales of Mansfield with an air of guilt over the scandalous nature of her gossip. Fanny learns lessons as she lives juxtaposed to the rest of the family. She is intelligent, witty, diligent, and strong of heart but born out of privilege.

In this tragic film, starring the lovely Carrie Mulligan, we see a young girl living a bit as I believe Fanny would have if she’d lived in the 60’s. She’s intelligent, a fighter, with whimsy and a sudden doorway into the privileged life of the playboys of London. They rob from the rich to feed themselves. They rob from the young to feed their lusts. He is no Robin Hood. And she, strong spirited and mature for her age, must learn the lessons which her parents are unable or unwilling to teach: honor, dignity, wisdom, responsibility, integrity, and morality. I am sad for her. I weep for the immoral masses without mentors. I am determined all the more to teach these principles as an educator, all the while knowing that I can only go so far. I felt oddly kindred with Emma Thompson’s character to a point, but grateful in the end for the other teacher, Miss Stubbs. Tragic name, but hopeful character on a journey of her own. All she lacked was joy in conviction. The two can coincide. Unfortunately, this film did not allow for that.
“Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore everybody, not greatly in fault themselves, to tolerable comfort, and to have done with all the rest.” ~ Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, chapter 48

AUSTRALIA (2008) movie review

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On a sick day, one needs a movie movie to snuggle in to.
Australia is just such a film. It was a 3 hour commitment in theaters. Call me crazy, but I’m a sucker for a good story. I cared about the characters. I wanted the best for each one.
In this film, I’m transported, and I imagine myself in the midst of such dire entanglements.
I carry aspects of this film in my pocket – the inner-connective Wizard of Oz story, the Aboriginal heritage, the journey, the war, the struggle. But mostly, I carry the vivid color and surging life of this film. It is a survival story. It is a love story. It is my favorite of Baz Luhrmann’s colorful collection, despite my utmost respect for his Romeo + Juliet, which I couldn’t teach English without. For you and for me, on our Meg Ryan-esque (You’ve Got Mail) sick days. Enjoy.