The Christmas Chronicles

I'm back! Seven weeks on the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain was a one of a kind experience. I am ready to get back into the swing of writing film reviews and what better way to begin than with a Christmas film.

Searching around for something to watch, I was intrigued to see Kurt Russell in a Santa suit in the trailer for The Christmas Chronicles. A Netflix original, I decided why not? I’ve always liked Kurt Russell and the story looked cute. The film is rated TV-PG.

I sat down with drink and popcorn and thoroughly enjoyed this fantastical romp through the night skies of Christmas Eve. Brother Teddy (Judah Lewis) and sister Kate (Darby Camp) are left alone to decorate the home and Christmas tree while Mom Claire (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) has to go to work. The family has recently lost their father Doug (Oliver Hudson), who was a firefighter, so emotions run high this Christmas time.

Kate believes in Santa with all her heart and much to their delight and ours, Santa (Kurt Russell) pays them a visit, complete with sleigh and reindeer. But a mishap occurs and he enlists Kate and Teddy to help him fix Christmas.

Kurt Russell does a really great job playing Santa. I’ve always liked his acting abilities, and he is a really lovable funny guy in this role. I recall from years and years ago that he played Elvis Presley in the TV movie Elvis. He was really quite good, and is a good singer. Be forewarned. One of the best scenes recalls a certain "jailhouse?"

There is lots of magic and fantasy and great special effects as Santa swoops through the sky, bounds across rooftops and down chimneys, and the reindeer almost look real (not some mechanized puppets I mean).  Delightful story, well written and delivered, The Christmas Chronicles is now one of my favorite Christmas movies. I plan to watch it again.

Have you seen it? Do you think Kurt Russell is the best Santa ever?

The Christmas Chronicles - Official Trailer - Netflix

El Camino

I will be walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain beginning next week, and so I was searching on my streaming channels for any documentaries or movies about the experience. I came across the film El Camino, and even though it is not about the famous trek across northern Spain, it is about a path of sorts. The film was released in 2008, and is not rated. (El Camino is not to be confused with the upcoming film inspired by Breaking Bad which, unfortunately, bears the same name.)

When Matthew (Richard Gallagher) passes away, three of his friends come together at the memorial services hosted by Matthew’s family. Having known Matthew in different periods of his life, they don’t seem to have much in common. Elliot (Leo Fitzpatrick) was a childhood friend while the two boys were in foster care, Lily (Elisabeth Moss) a former girlfriend, and Gray (Christopher Denham), another friend made along the pathways of life.

Gray decides to take some of Matthew’s ashes to Mexico’s coast to scatter across the ocean waves, and Lily and Elliot join him. The trio takes off in a station wagon with Elliot mostly footing the bill for this road trip. As the journey continues, they learn about each other, the type of relationship each had with Matthew and come to a tentative respect for one another.

I enjoyed the film even though it wasn’t what I had been looking for. I think sometimes friends know each other better than family members.  When someone grows and changes, it can leave family behind. The people who know us best then are the friends we’ve formed relationships with along the way. This is no less true of this trio and their friend who has left too soon.

Have you seen this film or one like it? El Camino is an independent film. The trailer will give you an idea of the characters’ journey in the film.

El Camino - Trailer

Signing off then, until I return from my personal Camino. As always, thanks for reading and commenting.

A Quiet Place

Husband/wife duo John Krasinski and Emily Blunt star in this well done horror film. What if you couldn’t make a sound lest a horrible monster attack and kill you? A Quiet Place is all about this question. It is a post-apocalyptic film where much of the world has been exterminated by barely seen monsters. The film is rated PG-13 for terror and some bloody images.

Evelyn (Emily Blunt) and Lee Abbott (John Krasinski) have three children, and you can imagine how keeping three children quiet would be a seemingly insurmountable task. They have adapted though, and have managed to make a life for themselves in the basement of their home. They do occasionally have to venture out to retrieve supplies. Lee is experimenting with hearing aids, something I did not pick up on until later in the film. My husband said to me that the oldest girl Regan (Millicent Simmonds) is hearing impaired. That must be why they can all use sign language! (Millicent Simmonds is in fact a hearing impaired actress.)

As often happens to a woman in a relationship, Evelyn becomes pregnant. In the trailer I saw a scene of her giving birth in a bathtub. Whoever heard of a woman quietly giving birth? Lots of tension during those scenes, and throughout the whole film. 

I don’t want to give too much away, but their lives depend on finding the weakness of the monsters. What will be the bloodthirsty creatures’ Achilles heel? The film was nominated for one Academy Award: Best Achievement in Sound Editing. I watched A Quiet Place in the silence of my own home and was glad I did not see it in a noisy theater. It is now one of my favorite horror films.

Did you see A Quiet Place? Did you like the film? What is your favorite horror film?

A Quiet Place - Official Trailer

Velvet Buzzsaw

Velvet Buzzsaw, a Netflix original, won’t be for everyone. I watched it based on the intriguing trailer I saw on streaming Netflix. It is rated R for violence, language, some sexuality/nudity and brief drug use.

Velvet Buzzsaw is a supernatural horror film set in the art world; the ultra rich world of high finance installation and abstract art that I find tedious and boring. I loved this film and it’s unique sense of humor that is an undercurrent through all the mystery and horror that unfolds.

Art critic Morf Vandewalt (Jake Gyllenhaal) is front and center in this film where the legacy of art goes very, very wrong. Rhodora Haze (Rene Russo) is a gallery owner and a wheeler dealer in the art world. Her assistant Josephina (Zawe Ashton) comes across an apartment full of art in her building after her neighbor Dease passes away. She recognizes his work as having possibilities, despite Dease’s request that they all be destroyed upon his death. Rhodora takes charge of the artwork to create a market for the dead man’s paintings (works of dead artists sell better than the living I am sorry to say). Dease’s paintings have supernatural effects on all who come in contact with them, and dead bodies begin to turn up.

Velvet Buzzsaw makes fun of the high class art world as indeed it should be made fun of. Jake Gyllenhaal is brilliant in his role as the art critic, and is really fun to watch. Since my husband is an artist, I spend a fair amount of time in galleries and art museums. I’ve been in some of these pretentious establishments where the price tags are in the 5-6 figure range, none of it worth the canvas it’s painted on. Particularly amusing to me is what happens to art advisor Gretchen (Toni Collette) and how the public initially respond to it.

Did you see Velvet Buzzsaw? Is it more of a horror film or a satire for you? Would you recommend the film to anyone?

Velvet Buzzsaw - Official Trailer

The Great Escape

A notable film from 1963, The Great Escape features an all-star ensemble cast. The action takes us to a German World War II prison camp to witness a truly great escape in the making.

The screenplay is based on the true story of men who were able to escape a Nazi prison camp. It is a glamorized war film. You can expect no less from Hollywood for a film made during this time period. It is not rated, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film Editing.

A long film of 2 hours 52 minutes, I didn’t feel that any part of it dragged. These brave and cunning men are building a tunnel to escape in the hundreds, and the ingenuity used to make this work is really extraordinary.

Hilts “The Cooler King” (Steve McQueen), although not the most important character, is always remembered in this film. McQueen’s bad boy kind of persona shines through in his role as Hilts. Also notable is Hendley “The Scrounger” (James Garner), able to sweet talk his way into obtaining any forbidden item they require in order to make the escape work. His scenes with young Nazi soldier Werner (Robert Graf) are believable, the fear of the young man in service to the Nazi’s used to Hendley’s advantage.

Liberties were taken with the story, but it is true that men escaped from this prison camp. Allied soldiers from Canada, Great Britain, and Australia, the U.S., the Netherlands, and Norway were all at the camp and participated in making the escape happen. I read that some German officers actually helped the prisoners acquire what they needed to make the escape as successful as it was. 

After you watch the film, look up The Great Escape on Wikipedia and read about the real men who inspired the film.

Have you seen The Great Escape? Did you like it? Are there other films set during the World War II era that you think are worth a watch?

The Great Escape (1963) Original Trailer

Shoplifters

Shoplifters was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2019 Academy Awards (lost to Roma). It is in Japanese with English subtitles, and is rated R for some sexual content and nudity. The film won the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

This film is about family in all its permutations. Osamu Shibata (Lily Franky) has instructed his “son” Shota (Jyo Kairi) in the art of shoplifting. Also in the family is Osamu’s wife Nobuyo (Sakura Andô), Hatsue (Kirin Kiki), an elderly woman in whose home they all live, and Aki (Mayu Matsuoka), a young woman with ties to Hatsue.

One day, they come upon a girl, Yuri Hojo (Miyu Sasaki), who appears to be neglected and abused. They take her home and quickly become attached to her. Yuri relishes the attention and caring the family give her and doesn’t appear to miss her mother, who hasn’t even reported her missing. 

The Shibata family is very poor, despite Osamu’s job as a laborer, and Nobuyo’s work in an industrial laundry. Aki has a job at a “hostess” club, which is really some kind of a sex club for voyeurs. The grandmother receives a pension from her deceased husband. They cannot make ends meet, and the shoplifting in their eyes is essential to feeding and clothing all of them.

When Yuri’s mother finally reports her missing, it leads to a chain of events where secrets are revealed, and consequences paid for crimes committed. Shoplifters will make you think about what makes a family: biology or choice?

I very much enjoyed watching this film. The cinematography was beautiful, the heartbreak of the members of this makeshift family real and poignant. The performances were excellent. 

Did you see Shoplifters? Do you enjoy watching foreign films? What are some of your favorites?

Shoplifters - Official Trailer

The Bikes of Wrath

The Bikes of Wrath is a delightful documentary film about five young men from Australia who ride bicycles across the southwestern United States. Enraptured with the famous novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, they set out to bike from Oklahoma to Bakersfield, California, the same route the fictional Joad family took in their exodus from the Dust Bowl.

They undertook this trek in July. You heard me right. I live in New Mexico, and this is nothing short of foolhardy. But they persist in this 2600 km (1,612 mile) journey, taking only the same amount of money the Joad’s had with them on their trip.

This documentary was fascinating, and I’m so glad a friend asked my husband and I to go to our local art cinema to see it. It is much more than just a bike trip. Interspersed in the action are people they meet along the way reading excerpts from the novel, along with a look at how the Dust Bowl was created, as well as the hardships that followed. The people they meet are often themselves the descendants of Dust Bowl survivors. The documentary does a great job showing what this part of the United States is like culturally and economically.

The look at America through the eyes of these Australian men is enlightening, and sometimes heartbreaking. Class divides and prejudice continue to this day, not completely abolished with the passage of time.

Are you a long distance biker? Did you see The Bikes of Wrath? What did you think of the film? What other documentaries would you recommend?

The Bikes of Wrath - Trailer

The Age of Adaline

The Age of Adaline is a film about a woman who has stopped aging. There have been other films with similar storylines, but a good friend recommended it, so my husband and I watched it. I was so impressed! An unusual choice was using a narrator to fill in parts of the story that wouldn’t be explained by the characters. It works.

Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) was in a car accident at the age of 29, and mysteriously stopped aging. This created a difficult life for her in terms of relationships. Her daughter Flemming (played by Cate Richardson and then Ellen Burstyn as she grows older) goes through the aging process while her mother remains the same. It was fascinating to me that Adaline maintains the elegance of someone who was a young woman in the 1930’s. It suits her well.

Adaline has had a series of love relationships, never being able to remain in one for long due to her never growing old. She meets Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) who falls head over heels in love with her, and she reluctantly enters into a relationship with him even though she knows she’ll have to desert him eventually.

Ellis takes Adaline to his parents’ home for their 40th anniversary party. His father William (Harrison Ford) and his mother Kathy (Kathy Baker) welcome the mysterious Adaline into their home, and this is where it really gets interesting. I am not easily surprised in a film, but this development was perfect for the story.

I will not give any spoilers for this excellent film, and encourage you to watch it for yourself. The performances are stellar.The sets are outstanding, especially in the period parts of the film, and the music fits the action well. The film is rated PG-13 for a suggestive comment.

Did you see The Age of Adaline? What did you think of it? Have you seen other films where a character does not age, and how did you like them?

The Age of Adaline - Official Trailer

Redwood Highway

Last week’s review was about a film set in the Pacific Northwest. Redwood Highway, a film I watched on Amazon Prime recently, also takes place in that beautiful part of the U.S.

Marie Vaughn (Shirley Knight) is an independent “older” woman living in a retirement community in southern Oregon. She is headstrong, likes to walk, and has a sometimes difficult relationship with her son Michael (James Le Gros) and granddaughter Naomi (Zena Grey). Impulsively, Marie decides to walk 80 miles to the Oregon coast near Brookings to attend Naomi’s wedding. Redwood Highway is about her journey on foot to the coast. The film is rated PG-13 for thematic elements including a scene of menace.

I loved seeing the scenery of the forested land as she walked along the highway (not always facing traffic like all walkers should!), and the animals and people she encounters along the way. Some, like Pete (Tom Skerritt) and Stacia (Michelle Lombardo), are meant to be in her life, and give her tangible and intangible gifts she needs for her journey.

We are treated to flashbacks of Marie’s life as she remembers her past. In this way, we are drawn closer to the truth of who Marie is and why she became who she is, as every step takes her closer to the sea and her granddaughter’s wedding.

I recommend this film if you just want a mostly gentle story about a woman, her family and journeys on foot. If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you’ll know that films about hiking and walking are some of my favorites, and this is a winner. 

Did you see Redwood Highway? Did you like the film? What did you appreciate the most about it?

Redwood Highway - Official Trailer

Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace is a realistic look into the life of a veteran with PTSD, and how he manages his life providing for his teenage daughter. The film is rated PG for thematic material throughout. 

Will (Ben Foster) and his daughter Tom (Thomasin McKenzie) are living on public land, survivalist style, and have to keep their location secret from the Portland, Oregon authorities. Tom is an intelligent girl, and essentially home schooled. Her mother is not in the picture. 

Their camp is discovered and social services becomes involved. The home they are given to live in is not like the forest where Will feels most comfortable. He attempts to adjust, and Tom is learning to socialize with other teens and doing well in school, but the inevitable happens and Will just needs to move on.

They take off together into the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, and it becomes very hard for them. Cold and little shelter are threatening their very lives. Will injures himself, and fortunately Tom is able to find someone to help them. A voluntary community of like minded folks living in trailers in the woods are understanding of the father and daughter and their needs.

Will they find a way to live in the world in the way that society expects? Can Will overcome his PTSD in order to provide for Tom as she gets older and her needs change? I found this film compelling and fascinating, and recommend it highly.

Did you see Leave No Trace? What did you think of it? 

LEAVE NO TRACE - Official Trailer

The White Crow

Being the ballet fan that I am, I eagerly trotted to the theater to see The White Crow, a film about Rudolf Nureyev. He famously defected from the Soviet Union while in Paris, and this film had that time of his life front and center.

Rudolf (Oleg Ivenko) lives to dance. From an early age, he showed an aptitude for the graceful art of movement and after many years of study, most famously under Alexander Pushkin (Ralph Fiennes), he embarks on a tour in 1961 with the Kirov Ballet, closely chaperoned by Soviet agents.

We get to see Nureyev in all the complexity of who he was, his charms attracting both men and women to desire him. Clara Saint (Adèle Exarchopolos) becomes a devoted friend, and a helping hand when Nureyev is considering whether to defect. The Soviet agents are conniving and relentless in their manipulations of Nureyev, and really with all the dancers.

Directed by Ralph Fiennes, the film is rated R for some sexuality, graphic nudity, and language. It was heavy on the dance, much to my pleasure. If you are someone not that enamored of ballet, you might not enjoy the film as much. I thought it was excellent. 

At this same time, a documentary about the famous dancer hit the art cinema. I would like to see this film simply titled Nureyev to see if it sheds even more light on the White Crow, the very gifted Rudolf Nureyev.

Did you see The White Crow? Do you enjoy ballet, and did you think the film lived up to the high standards Nureyev achieved?

THE WHITE CROW - Official Trailer

Ocean's 8

In keeping with the extravagant wealth theme that began last week with Crazy Rich Asians, I move on to Ocean’s 8. The fashion and high society element makes this fourth “Ocean’s” film more for a girls night out, and that’s great for me. I’m sick and bored with films of battles and men killing each other. More power to the women!

I enjoyed the previous three Steven Soderbergh directed “Ocean’s” films. I also saw the original Ocean’s 11 (1960) that inspired the remakes. They are a few of my favorite films. Ocean’s 8 leaves the male cast behind and introduces us to female characters in an all-star cast. It is rated PG-13 for language, drug use and some suggestive content.

Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) is the sister of Danny Ocean (George Clooney). She has been serving time, and thus has had many hours alone to plan a perfect heist with her girlfriends. It is not surprising that Danny and Debbie should be alike in their choice of occupation since sometimes a younger family member may choose to follow in her big brother’s footsteps.

Debbie has concocted a scheme to steal a very expensive Cartier necklace right off the neck of celebrity Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) while she is wearing it at the Met Gala. Each member of the crew Debbie assembles has their own specialty or strength that is required in order to pull off this heist.

I enjoyed Ocean’s 8. I’d watch it again, especially on a night I just want some good, clean fun. The sets and the cinematography are first rate, and it’s a pleasure to watch the heist unfold. The references to other “Ocean’s” films make it even more fun.

Did you see Ocean’s 8? What did you think of it? Which “Ocean’s” film is your favorite?

Ocean's 8 - Official 1st Trailer

Crazy Rich Asians

A good friend of mine who happens to be Taiwanese asked me to watch this film and write a review about it. So this is for you Ming!

Crazy Rich Asians is based on the book of the same name written by Kevin Kwan. It is rated PG-13 for some suggestive content and language.

It is a crazy comedy, mostly taking place in Singapore, an exotic location I hope to visit someday. Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), an Asian American, has been dating Nick Young (Henry Golding), a handsome Asian man raised in England. He invites her to accompany him to the wedding of a good friend in Singapore. She accepts, and is in for a big surprise. 

Nick is wealthy. Not just a little bit wealthy, but over the top rich. His family is not really welcoming to Rachel as there are expectations for Nick to marry within his class. All sorts of comedic situations evolve as Rachel navigates the traditional Asian family and the hostility of the women who would like to snatch Nick for a husband. Fortunately, her friend Peik Lin Goh (Awkwafina) is living in Singapore, so she is not totally alone. 

I really, really enjoyed this movie. There are over the top moments of extravagance, but there are equally as many moments that will tug at your heart. This film is after all about a relationship, love, family, and the need for acceptance and belonging. There were times I actually had tears in my eyes. 

I highly recommend this film if you enjoy romantic comedies. I also liked that I was able to get a peek into Asia and Asian families and realize that there are differences between Asian Americans, Asians raised in other countries, and those who remain in their homeland. Thank you Ming, for encouraging me to watch this film.

Did you see Crazy Rich Asians? Have you visited Asia? What were your favorite scenes in the film?

CRAZY RICH ASIANS - Official Trailer

Anonymous

I am not a Shakespeare groupie, such as those who make a pilgrimage to Ashland, Oregon every year for Shakespeare plays and others! But I have attended a few live performances, and then there’s the classic Romeo and Juliet I watched on-screen as a freshman in high school (the one with Leonard Whiting, not Leonardo DiCaprio). My favorite Shakespeare play is Twelfth Night, and I of course loved the film Shakespeare in Love.

Now comes this interesting 2011 film Anonymous that suggests that Will Shakespeare was not the person we think he was. How far fetched is it that someone else actually penned all those plays and sonnets, and because of social standing could not come forward to claim them as his own? This film presents an alternative to who the bard really was. Anonymous is rated PG-13 for some violence and sexual content.

The time is England, the Queen is Victoria. Not as Victorian as that era has often been made out to be, she was quite the scandalous hotheaded woman with an appetite for lovers and the stage.

Edward De Vere (Rhys Ifans), the Earl of Oxford, is of noble birth, well educated and good at everything he attempts. He has a passion for writing, but the noble class frowns upon this activity. Poets and dreamers are not held in high regard; warriors and knights are the heroes of the day.

Ben Jonson (Sebastian Armesto) becomes Edward’s accomplice, staging the plays he pens at The Rose, as Edward needs to remain anonymous to protect himself from being found out by his peers. Jonson was to take the credit for the plays, but when the time comes, an actor, Will Shakespeare (Rafe Spall), steps forward claiming the play as his own, and thus the ruse is born.

I liked this film. It really didn’t seem that far fetched. They claim that Shakespeare was not well educated, and did not have the opportunities for travel and study that Edward De Vere would have had. The story in Anonymous seems plausible to me.

But who is to know? This is the late 1500’s/early 1600’s after all. History in this film anyway, makes a good case for the true author of comedies and tragedies for the stage to be Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford.

Have you seen Anonymous? What do you think? Is William Shakespeare the real author or someone else?

Anonymous - Trailer

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi

I saw this last installment of Star Wars many months after its release in theaters in the comfort of my own home. I’m afraid that’s where I’ll see the next one also. I’m glad I didn’t pay full price to see it in the theater. Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi is rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence.

I watched the entire two and a half hours. I had to; I’ve been following these stories since the first one came out in 1977. But this time around, I was acutely aware that some of the characters were there simply to sell toys. Creatures that can easily be formed into little dolls and playthings and sell millions of dollars of them to parents and kids. Cynical yes, but it’s the truth isn’t it? It’s not just movies and storytelling; it’s a whole big merchandise line to make billions.

The main story line for this film is Rey (Daisy Ridley) seeking out Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), as she wants to learn about the Force. There are also tricky battles between the armies of space travelers, and yes, I am tired of that action. Nothing new in warfare to get excited about. In fact, there is nothing really memorable in this entire film.

If you’re young and have never seen a Star Wars movie, don’t bother. Go straight to Star Trek. The crew of the Enterprise are much more intelligent and funny.

What’s your take on these more recent Star Wars installments?

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer (Official)

Mother's Day

I wanted to watch a light comedy and chose Mother’s Day directed by Garry Marshall. An ensemble cast beckoned me to this tale of interconnecting lives as they merge around the time of Mother’s Day. The film is rated PG-13 for language and some suggestive material.

Sandy (Jennifer Aniston) is trying to work out the shared responsibilities of her two sons after a divorce from their father Henry (Timothy Olyphant). An aspiring designer, she juggles it all valiantly. Henry remarries quite suddenly to Tina (Shay Mitchell), a woman much younger than the two divorcees.

Kristin (Britt Robertson) is pregnant and working in a bar. She evades marriage with the father of her child, citing reasons of having been adopted as an infant.

Jesse (Kate Hudson) is married to Russell (Aasif Mandvi) and they have a son. Her sister Gabi (Sarah Chalke) has a female partner Max (Cameron Esposito), and they also have a child. They have not told their conservative, flag waving parents about either of their relationships due to the parents’ racism and prejudice against persons of color and lesbians. Much to their chagrin, their parents Florence (Margo Martindale) and Earl (Robert Pine) show up in a huge RV for Mother’s Day and are shocked to learn the truth about their daughters.

Miranda (Julia Roberts) is a successful career woman who has secrets she hasn’t even told her loyal personal assistant Lance (Hector Elizondo).

How all these families come together, you’ll have to see for yourself. I think you’d be enchanted with these intertwining relationships. The comedy is first rate, the dialogue snappy and spot on, and you may even shed a tear or two by the end of the film.

Whether you’re a parent or not, we all have a mother, and I thought this film touched on several of the possible scenarios that could make up the relationship between mother and children. Did you see Mother’s Day? How did you like it? How do you like other Garry Marshall films?

Mother's Day - Official Trailer

The World Before Your Feet

The World Before Your Feet is a wonderful documentary about Matt Green, a young man who decided to walk every block of every street, park, cemetery and public space in New York City. This is about 8,000 miles so it is no small feat. The film is rated PG-13.

I enjoyed this film very much, partially because I am a walker myself, and also because it tells the story of this man so well, and shows New York City in a way tourists and even residents don’t get to see.

This is his passion, and Matt researches where he walks. He has a blog at I'm Just Walkin' and has found people all around New York City to be kind and supportive of his endeavors. I especially liked the segments where we get to see things in the city that are alike. His walks are ongoing now for five plus years. It is amazing to me how he has found a rhythm of sorts in where he sleeps, what he eats, his relationships, and how he schedules his time for this unusual goal.

In some respects, the last film I reviewed, Free Solo, is along the same lines of this man’s quest. Both men are determined and exacting in their plans to do what others wouldn’t even dream about, for perhaps reasons that aren’t even in their personal awareness.

Are you a walker? Have you watched The World Before Your Feet? What did you think of Matt’s goal and discoveries?

The World Before Your Feet - Official Trailer

Free Solo

Free Solo is the Academy Award winning Best Documentary for 2019. It is about Alex Honnold, a rock climber who set a goal for himself to scale El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without the use of the usual safety gear. The film is rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

I knew about rock climbing. It is not a sport I choose to engage in. But I am fascinated by people who are single minded in their purpose, and have a strong desire to achieve what seems to be the impossible. Alex is just such a person.

Amazing to me was the incredible cinematography that created this inspiring film. The filmmakers are themselves rock climbers, and so they could position themselves on the rock face near where Alex was climbing for filming.

Free Solo is not just about the climb itself, it reviews how Alex became the man he is today, his childhood and early youth. It also explores how someone who takes the risks he does has perhaps a different brain chemistry than we who stay at home and just watch him do it. Actually, I watched the film in the theater, and if you can see it on the big screen I recommend it. Perhaps it will come to an art cinema near you. The scenery is so magnificent, and it made me want to visit Yosemite even more. Sadly, I have not yet been to that National Park; it’s on my must do list.

Have you engaged in extreme sports? Did you see Free Solo? Does Alex inspire you to achieve your goals with new determination?

Free Solo - Official Trailer

Isle of Dogs

Isle of Dogs is an animated film, with screenplay and direction by Wes Anderson. It was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature Film, and Best Original Score by Alexandre Desplat. Isle of Dogs is rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some violent images.

I have been a fan of Wes Anderson’s films since Rushmore. Perhaps you too have watched some of his films. (My favorites are The Grand Budapest Hotel and Moonrise Kingdom.)

I was interested in how his unique sense of humor would translate to an animated film. Many of the actors he often uses in his films provided the voices for the characters (Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray among others; Bryan Cranston is the voice of the dog Chief).

In Megasaki, Japan, dogs have been banished to Trash Island at the behest of Mayor Kobayashi after an outbreak of dog flu endangers the citizens. One loyal dog owner, Atari, goes in search of his beloved pet Spots, and he encounters danger and intrigue at every turn. 

The story moved right along, and I loved watching Isle of Dogs. There’s a bit of social commentary in this tale as well as some subtle warnings about the environment. The music is beautiful and fitting to the action, and made the animation really come to life.

Did you see Isle of Dogs? What did you think stood out more: the animation itself, the story, or even how the music accented the storyline? What are your favorite Wes Anderson films?

Isle of Dogs - Official Trailer

Christopher Robin

I felt like the film Christopher Robin didn’t know whether it was made for children or for adults. I remember reading Winnie-the-Pooh in my childhood. I haven’t read it in decades, but I was curious about this film. Ewan McGregor is Christopher Robin all grown up, with a job, a wife, a daughter, and all the adult responsibilities such a life involves.

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Visual Effects. I was curious how the stuffed animals would be integrated into a live action film. Christopher Robin is rated PG for some action. That action is really the best part of the film and occurs mainly in the second half. The first part is quite slow moving, and I really had to have faith it would get better in order to continue watching it. 

Christopher returns to Hundred Acre Wood with Winnie-the-Pooh in search of all their old friends.This is where the Visual Effects really were stellar. These stuffed animals come to life, especially in the action sequences. I marveled at how it could have been done, the creatures interacting with live actors, situations and props. It really was quite wonderful.

Christopher’s young daughter Madeline (Bronte Carmichael) steals the show with her passion and faith in her preoccupied father. Some of the best quotes from the book are in this film, and should make you consider what is really important in life: doing nothing, eating honey, enjoying your friends and family. I recommend this film if you enjoyed and remember Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh, or if you want to see some truly special visual effects.

Did you read Winnie-the-Pooh? Did you see the film and did you like the twist it put on now adult Christopher Robin?

Christopher Robin - Official Trailer

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

I watched the Coen brothers film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, on streaming Netflix. It seems people either love or hate a Coen brothers film, and I cautiously tuned this one in. The movie is about the American West, and features six vignettes about very different situations. It was based on the book of short stories of the same name, and the screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay by Joel and Ethan Coen.

The film also received a nomination for Best Original Song, When a Cowboy Trades his Spurs for Wings, which I thought was very appropriate for the story it was featured in (which is the first tale). The film was also nominated for Best Costume Design.

I was captivated by this film and the stories it told. It is rated R for some strong violence. The film’s locations included New Mexico, Nebraska, and Colorado. 

The six stories are diverse. The first story, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, is the most offbeat. Tim Blake Nelson plays a singing cowboy with some fancy gun slinging skills.

Near Algodones features James Franco, who makes an appealing bank robber. (Algodones is an area north of Albuquerque.)

Liam Neeson is a cold hearted entrepreneur with a one-man freak show in Meal Ticket.

In All Gold Canyon, prospector Tom Waits finds what he’s looking for, but can he keep it?

On a wagon train to Oregon, the heartbreaking, sad tale of The Gal Who Got Rattled is told very well.

A couple of bounty hunters on a stage coach is taking their latest catch, The Mortal Remains, into a creepy hotel. It is visually quite stunning the way it is filmed, as are the other panoramic views of the west in other tales.

I recommend this film. And initially I didn’t think I would like it much, but the storytelling is really first rate. Did you see this anthology of short films, and what did you think of the way the Coen brothers presented the tales?

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - Official Trailer