Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail is nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards. Remember that financial crisis that happened back in 2008? When the financial institutions committed financial crimes and mortgage fraud that affected an astounding number of people in America? And how not one of the banks or its employees were brought to a reckoning for what they perpetrated, much less had to face consequences for the crimes?

Ah, but there was one bank that was prosecuted: Abacus Federal Savings Bank in Manhattan’s Chinatown, New York City. This film is the story of that trial and subsequent outcome.

Thomas Sung came to America as an immigrant, as did many Chinese who settled in this case in New York City, making a community for themselves not unlike what was the norm in their villages in China. Mr. Sung was a well-educated attorney, and decided that in order to help his community, he will open a financial institution, Abacus Federal Savings Bank. (An abacus is a type of calculator that was used in China before the advent of computers.)

Unfortunately, Mr. Sung has a few employees, and one in particular, who is unethical and is seeing to it that those applying for home loans are approved even if they are not really qualified. Just like all the other banks are doing during the same time period. The difference is, Mr. Sung doesn’t know about it. When he and his daughters, Jill Sung and Vera Sung, who both work at the bank, discover it, the employee is promptly fired.

But the District Attorney’s office brings them to trial anyway, in a blatant racist move. Coincidentally, his third daughter has been working for the DA’s office and resigns when the conflict of interest becomes evident.

I thought that the filmmaker, Steve James, did a good job of explaining complicated financial matters in an engrossing manner, as well as showing the trial progress through artist drawings sketched after the fact. Mr. Sung, his wife Hwei Lin, and his daughters appear in the film, as well as people from the DA’s office, which was surprising. Guess that office hoped to vindicate themselves for actions taken.

Why should you watch this film you may ask? Just to get incensed all over again about the way financial institutions gutted the savings and foreclosed homes of people they never should have approved in the first place? Not just that. Abacus: Small Enough to Jail is a fascinating look at a part of New York City where hard working immigrants do their best to survive in a community that is perhaps more closely knit than any other you may find in America. Everyone knows everyone else here it seems, and you can’t say that for most people living in bedroom communities across America.

Still the prejudice and labeling that went down in this investigation and subsequent court trial when no other banks were prosecuted is shameful. America has a long way to go. Start with your vote.

The Breadwinner

The Breadwinner has been nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the Academy Awards. The screenplay was written by Anita Doron and Deborah Ellis, and is based on the children’s novel, The Breadwinner, by Deborah Ellis. The film is rated PG-13 for thematic material including some violent images. The dialogue is in English. Angelina Jolie was executive producer for this thought provoking and visually striking film. An engaging story, it is about the life of a young girl, Parvana, living with her family in Afghanistan.

Parvana is an 11-year-old girl growing up under the Taliban in 2001. Her father is wrongfully arrested and taken to prison, and this places her mother Fattema, sister Soraya, and baby brother in peril without a man to provide for them. Parvana is ridiculed and threatened by neighbor boys, especially after her father is taken away. She serendipitously meets a friend, Shauzia, who has changed her identity to that of a boy and has become streetwise. Shauzia is willing to help Parvana with a similar deception. Women are not to appear in public without a male, and Parvana finds a way to navigate the job she takes on as breadwinner by cutting her hair and dressing as a boy. She is emboldened by the freedom this gives her.

Within the film is a mythical tale running parallel to Parvana’s story. She tells this story in pieces to her baby brother. Filled with beautiful, evocative imagery, the story Parvana tells her brother and really herself, adds richness to the very real situation that she encounters with no father to care for them. The mythology is really about childhood empowerment, and is a tale she had heard from her father about a boy who seeks to recover the stolen seeds of his village from the Elephant King. There is much danger along the path of this boy’s journey as he tries to retrieve what are rightfully the village’s seeds for the future, much like it is for Parvana, who decides to go to the prison where her father is held and ask for his release.

The story brought to mind another film where a female impersonates a male. A woman yearning for knowledge in a culture that does not support education for women, Yentl dresses as a man in order to study with other scholars and experience a freedom women could not. The film is Yentl with Barbara Streisand in the leading role, and is a tale that takes place in Jewish culture.

The Breadwinner is also in another culture that you might say is quite different from American culture and Christianity. I think it is good to hear these types of stories as it helps us understand other cultures and shows the similarities especially in women’s lives under the subjugation of men, and the discrimination that occurs. Also significant is the part of the story about people just trying to live as a family caught between empires fighting for dominance. I recommend The Breadwinner to you.

Victoria & Abdul

Victoria & Abdul is a historical and biographical drama about Queen Victoria and her friendship with a young Indian clerk, Abdul Karim. It was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. The film is rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and language.

Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) is in her 80’s, and has recently become Empress of India as her empire continues to expand. In 1887, two Indians from Agra are summoned to England to present the Queen with a mohur, which is a gold coin that has been minted in India to honor the Empress. Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal) is excited to be sailing the oceans on an adventure, whereas his companion Mohammed (Adeel Akhtar) is less than thrilled.

The subsequent ceremony to present the Queen with the mohur is really something to be seen. Victoria is charmed by Abdul’s innocence and allegiance to her, and they become friends at her insistence. She asks him to remain in England to teach her Hindi and the Qur’an. He insists that to learn Urdu is more suited to someone of her standing, and the Queen proves to be an apt pupil, to the consternation of her staff, advisors, and son Bertie, Prince of Wales (Eddie Izzard). She practices penmanship, speaking the Urdu language, and reading the Qur’an. She refers to Abdul as her Munshi, a term used for native language teachers at that time.

The film shows us the prejudice and racism that prevailed at the time of the occupation of India by British troops. Abdul is not just Indian, he is a Muslim, and is scorned, plotted against, and the Queen’s staff threatens to walk out if he remains on site. Her advisors would like to prove she is insane, which she most definitely is not. Abdul remains devoted to the aged queen until her death.

Stephen Frears, who also directed Philomena, The Queen, and Dangerous Liaisons, directed Victoria & Abdul. The screenplay was written by Lee Hall, and was based on the book by Shrabani Basu. Ms. Basu discovered the hidden friendship between the two unlikely companions during a visit to the Isle of Wight’s Osborne House, where she noticed a portrait of an Indian servant in the Durbar Room that did not appear to be the likeness of a servant. She began research into who Abdul Karim really was, and what he meant to the Queen. She wrote Victoria and Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant after four years of extensive research.

These stories are essential to tell as we come to terms with empire, and the accompanying subjugation of native peoples that has occurred throughout recorded time. I enjoyed this film, and learning about Ms. Basu’s dedicated search for the truth about Victoria and Abdul. Here is a link to an excellent article about her search for the truth: http://time.com/4941313/victoria-and-abdul-true-story-shrabani-basu/ I hope you enjoy Victoria & Abdul and the history behind the film as much as I did.

Dunkirk

Dunkirk has been nominated for Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, Film Editing, Original Score, Production Design, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing at the Academy Awards. There are no acting nominations among these, and that’s because this is a war movie with lots of action and sometimes long drawn out scenes of waiting. Waiting to see if a soldier will escape detection by the enemy, waiting to see if the boats sailing across the English Channel will arrive in time to save the Allied troops, and waiting to see if any RAF pilots will prevail in the skies over the Germans. The historic evacuation of Allied soldiers from certain death by the Nazis, who have them surrounded and pinned in on the beach, occurs in May 1940.

The film is rated PG-13 for intense war experience and some language. I will first provide you with a few pointers to make your viewing of Dunkirk, if you haven’t already seen it, more enjoyable and less frustrating for you.

Number one: Turn on the subtitles on your TV. I am shamefaced to admit that I have difficulty hearing what British actors are saying due to their accents. Additionally, with the near constant drone of airplanes, boat engines, and screaming men, I had trouble hearing the dialogue. You will thank me for this tip if you’re watching the film at home.

Number two: At the beginning of the movie, the “Mole” is referred to. I looked this up and the mole is a long concrete jetty that protects a beach. It is not referring to a spy. Knowing this helps you understand what Commander Bolton (Kenneth Branagh) is talking about when he describes the difficulty of getting any large craft close enough to shore to take on any men. The Nazi bombing had rendered the harbor useless, and the only way large ships could get close enough to shore to rescue anyone was by sidling up to one of the two moles.

Number three: The film alternates between three points of view during the relatively short time of the Dunkirk rescues. These are labeled at the beginning of the film. The “Mole” scenes on the beaches of France take place over the space of one week. The scenes at sea where the British civilian craft are deployed to rescue the troops encompasses one day. The planes flying overhead take one hour. If you understand this when you watch, you can see how these three points of view move forward to meet near the end of the film.

I liked Dunkirk. The writer/director Christopher Nolan did a good job showing what it may have been like for the three groups of men, and a few women who were nurses or were on board some of the ships that came for the rescue. The musical score with its percussive tones, composed by Hans Zimmer, accompanied the film’s action well. It is a different type of war movie, in a good way. I recommend that you see Dunkirk.

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

My husband and I watched Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) recently. It was such a fun movie! I enjoyed that this was a film virtually without violence, and especially that there was no violence perpetrated from human to human. It is rated PG for intense adventure action and some scary moments.

Trevor Anderson (Brendan Fraser) is in charge of his 13-year-old nephew Sean (Josh Hutcherson) for ten days while his sister-in-law Elizabeth (Jane Wheeler) prepares to move to Canada. Trevor is a scientist and volcanologist, and his brother Max (Jean Michel Paré), Sean’s father, disappeared when Sean was three years old, presumed dead.

His lab on the chopping block due to reduced funding, Trevor is none too happy about it. He is tracking seismic activity and when Sean notices that there are four locations around the world where the seismic sensors are still working, coupled with Trevor discovering the book Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne in a box of Max’s things that Elizabeth gave him, he decides to fly to Iceland to investigate. Sean insists on accompanying his uncle.

They are in search of a Professor Ásgeirsson who is also a volcanologist. Instead, they meet the professor’s daughter Hannah (Anita Briem) who is a mountain guide. She clues them in to the fact that Max was a Vernian, as was her father. A Vernian is someone who believes Jules Verne’s world as depicted in Journey to the Center of the Earth was fact and not fiction. An accident involving lightening and the collapse of a cave leads the trio eventually to a fissure in the cave where they fall seemingly endlessly into the center of the earth.

This film is a good one for tying up the loose ends when a family member, especially a brother and a father, is lost. Grief is an issue that is dealt with, and moving on, finding one’s strength and destiny is another. All three of the travelers must work together and come up with ideas to rescue them from certain death in the center of the earth. When the temperature gets too high, they will suffer from dehydration and never return to the surface. This is where the action adventure really gets intensely underway, and it is immensely entertaining. I especially enjoyed the ingenuity of each of the characters to find a solution and a way out when it appears next to impossible.

I enjoyed this world inside the earth. Such a fantasy with dangers around every corner, and some of it was depicted as truly beautiful. There’s humor too as the journey progresses, but also heart stopping action adventure. It’s a very pleasurable film to watch.

Jules Verne published the science fiction novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth, in 1864. It captured the public’s imagination quickly. There have been films made in 1959 and 1989 based loosely on the book. This version is not a sequel, but rather stands on its own.

The Boss Baby

The Boss Baby is nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the Academy Awards. I enjoy a good animated film from time to time and watched it one night when I just wanted to be entertained and not think too much about anything.

This was a good story, and one that both adults and children may relate to. It is rated PG for some mild rude humor. How babies arrive on earth in this story is not quite as crazy as the stork bringing them in a folded diaper, but it is still of course a far-fetched scenario, updated for today’s technology inundated public. Babies are sent to earth if they are deemed to be family types, and the ones who are not become “management.” Such is the fate of Boss Baby (Alec Baldwin) who arrives in a taxi at the doorstep of the home of the Templeton’s: Dad (Jimmy Kimmel), Mom (Lisa Kudrow), and Tim (Miles Bakshi). (Tobey Maguire is the voice of adult Tim and the narrator of the story.)

Tim has had his doting parents all to himself for seven years, and is not exactly excited about having a little brother, especially one who is as demanding and time consuming as indeed all babies are to start with. He discovers that his brother is a baby when Mom and Dad are around, but the Boss Baby comes out when they aren’t looking, complete with a mission to execute on earth along with the help of five other babies living nearby.

The evil CEO Francis (Steve Buscemi) of Puppy Co, coincidentally where both Mom and Dad work, has a dastardly plan to scientifically give a formula to puppies so that they will never become adult dogs! Horrors! That way, babies will become obsolete, because who doesn’t love a puppy? Forget babies! I told my husband about this plot twist and he also thought it very funny (although he did not watch the film with me). Babies on one side of the scale, puppies on the other side? Which would win out? Really close call here.

So it is up to Boss Baby, his five cohorts and Tim to save the day and make sure that the puppies don’t get that magic formula. Otherwise babies on earth are a thing of the past. Oh no!

You can probably tell that I am amused by this story line, but what is really poignant is what both Tim and Boss Baby learn about themselves through this shared experience. Being brothers is not easy, being sisters is not easy, and I think that children may empathize with these characters, as they are parts of a typical family, one that grows and works together.

It was really a sweet story, the casting of the voices for the characters was spot on, and the magical fantasy nature of the film really worked. Allow the inner child in you to have some fun with The Boss Baby, and watch it while it’s still readily available.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

I recently watched a documentary called Crazy About Tiffany’s. It was about the history of the famous jeweler in New York City. The film featured a few clips from the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. If I had previously seen the film, I didn’t remember much about it, other than Audrey Hepburn is impossibly skinny and beautiful and has a cute accent.

So I watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s late one night. Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) is a free spirit living in New York City, set on landing a rich husband. She appears to get most of her money for her modest apartment from escorting wealthy men about town.

Paul Varjak (George Peppard), a writer, moves into her building and they immediately strike up a friendship, mostly on behalf of Holly, but Paul soon falls in love with her. I think that if the movie was made today, it could lose some of its charm. There is no sexual activity in this beautiful film, other than oblique references. Paul also makes his money off of hiring himself out you might say, and his patron, Mrs. Failenson (Patricia Neal) pays him generously. She believes in his abilities as a writer, and he has even had something published, which he shows off to Holly during a trip to the library.

Holly has a past that becomes clear when her husband Doc (Buddy Ebsen) arrives and asks her to come home. Holly will have none of this, preferring to live day-to-day with her cat, and hosting crowded parties for a jet set she has inserted her way into. One of the funniest scenes is a party in her tiny apartment. Seeing how many people can drink and dance in such a small space is priceless.

Something I took offense to, however, is Mickey Rooney playing Mr. Yunioshi, a neighbor in Holly’s building. They should have had an Asian play this role. It was insulting to watch.

Paul and Holly are alike in that they are dreamers of a better day each in their own way. Breakfast at Tiffany’s is based on a story by Truman Capote and directed by Blake Edwards. It won two Academy Awards: Best Musical Score and Best Original Song, Moon River, for Henry Mancini (lyrics by Johnny Mercer).

Getting back to that glittering documentary Crazy About Tiffany’s, the history of this jeweler is fascinating. The marketing that was mounted was extremely successful, largely due to the designers, especially one who did the display windows on the street. At one point, a current designer sits next to a worker assembling the priceless jewels that sell for literally thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars. She focuses on asking him about the pride he takes in his work. It is not mentioned what this man’s salary is, or what his benefits are, etc. Probably not very good. I’m cynical I guess. Despite all that, when I travel to New York City, I will waltz into Tiffany’s for a look around, just because.

Corrina, Corrina

Corrina, Corrina is a lovely comedy drama romance from 1994 that my sister shared with me while I was visiting her. It is one of her favorite films, and I now understand why. The film can be considered a period piece, as the setting is Los Angeles in 1959. It is rated PG for thematic material.

Manny Singer (Ray Liotta) is a working father attempting to raise his only daughter Molly (Tina Majorino) after his wife unexpectedly passes away. He is forced to hire someone to look after his little seven-year-old girl who has understandably taken her mother’s passing very hard and is refusing to speak. After interviewing several candidates who are unsuitable for the important job, and burning through trial runs from some really horrendous women, most notably Jonesy (Joan Cusack), Corrina Washington (Whoopi Goldberg) arrives on the scene for her chance at the job.

Initially unimpressed, Manny notices that she has a way with Molly that the little girl responds to. No one else has been able to begin to penetrate the grief that Molly remains in, and Corrina is hired.

Now 1959 is squarely in the beginnings of the civil rights movement, and unfortunately, there is still a lot of prejudice in the city of angels. Despite the odds, Manny and Corrina develop some affection for each other, feelings they are mightily trying to avoid, as the days turn into weeks with her daily presence in the home.

The costumes and settings for this era are very well done, and the acting is great, with good chemistry between Corrina and Molly and between Corrina and Manny. Ray Liotta plays his role well, and really, who could resist those blue eyes and that shy smile he is known for?

Molly gets a glimpse into the lives of black families in LA as Corrina totes her around with her instead of going to school, a choice that ends up placing her in estrangement from Manny, who was not consulted on this important decision.

The dialogue is spot on and makes the story believable. Manny and Corrina like a little bit of jazz, and this makes the selections for the soundtrack wonderful. The film was written and directed by Jessie Nelson. I’d like to see other films by her, one of which is Stepmom that I’m told is quite good. Don Ameche has a small turn as Grandpa Harry. It was the Oscar winner’s final film prior to his death.

This is a heartwarming film, one that I think you would find entertaining and thought provoking. How far have we really come in these last nearly six decades in terms of race relations in America? I think not quite far enough; there always seem to be more steps to take for equality and understanding to really develop and take hold. Corrina, Corrina is an example for how to treat people and mend bridges, a fine example for our present days, and a sweet romantic comedy for a night at home.

The Big Sick

The Big Sick is a semi autobiographical film written by stand up comedian Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily Gordon. The film is rated R for language including some sexual references. The Big Sick received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, a well-deserved honor.

Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani) is a Pakistani man driving for Uber in Chicago and doing stand up comedy at night. He has a close knit family, direct from Pakistan, and a circle of comedian friends. He meets Emily (Zoe Kazan) one night at the comedy club, and they are quickly attracted to one another.

Kumail is reluctant to tell his parents that he is dating a white woman, as they are intent on marrying him off in an arranged marriage that is the Pakistani way. Kumail wants nothing to do with this, not even before he has met Emily. Despite their growing affection for each other, Emily realizes that Kumail will not be in her future plans, as he simply cannot see himself ever introducing her to his family.

A turn for the worse occurs when Emily falls ill and is hospitalized. Her condition is very grave and she is placed in a medically induced coma. Kumail was there when this all occurred, and summons her parents to Chicago.

Terry (Ray Romano) and Beth (Holly Hunter) have heard all about Kumail from their daughter, who apparently keeps nothing from them. They are initially mistrustful and dismissive of Kumail, but he sticks around, realizing that he deeply cares for Emily and cannot leave her when possibly at the verge of death.

The three develop some respect for one another as their vigil continues, and eventually Emily’s parents disclose all sorts of intimate details of their life to the captive Kumail. Ray Romano and Holly Hunter are well cast for their roles as the distraught parents not knowing when their daughter may make a recovery and be healed.

The film reminded me of My Big Fat Greek Wedding in that there are cultural differences between the families depicted within both films. Both were created and filmed on fairly low budgets, and both did fantastically well financially at the box office. These little films, based on the realities of families from different cultures, resulted in big draws for moviegoers who want real stories about really serious issues, but delivered with some comedy now and then for a breath of fresh air.

I really liked this film. It held a taunt line between the scariness of Emily’s mysterious illness, comedic moments (as a crisis tends to make people kind of crazy), and really heart wrenching drama between Kumail and his parents.

Kumail is particularly aggrieved at the prospects of his family disowning him should he not toe the line and marry a woman who is also Pakistani. How he makes his decision, and whether Emily will live through her illness are something you will have to see for yourselves. I highly recommend The Big Sick. Have a tissue handy.

I, Tonya

Child abuse, domestic violence, mental illness, personality disorder, and a gift. This is the subject matter of I, Tonya. I watched with fascination as the dysfunctional life of Tonya Harding unfolded on the big screen. Once upon a time I was a therapist, and I guess I still hold some sympathy for those poor souls who have a harder than usual time with life. Tonya Harding is perhaps best remembered for having some part in the infamous incident with Nancy Kerrigan who unfairly and cruelly was bashed in the knee before the Olympics by a then unknown perpetrator.

It is sad that Tonya (Margot Robbie) is not remembered as much for the brilliant and gifted figure skater she was, and instead for the incident that essentially ended her career. She grew up poor in Portland, Oregon, ice-skating her passion. Her mother LaVona Golden (Allison Janney) makes the mother in Lady Bird look like a good mom. Abusive and belittling to her daughter, it is no wonder Tonya grew up to be the punching bag for a no good man, Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan), who would eventually become her husband.

What is even more unfortunate is Jeff’s choice of best friends, as he hangs with the seriously delusional, and mentally ill Shawn Eckhardt (Paul Walter Hauser). Shawn later puts into play the horrible assault on Nancy Kerrigan. (Nancy barely shows up in this film.)

What I liked about I, Tonya was the way it was put together, including interviews with the important players in Tonya’s life that were based on real life interviews. Allison Janney won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy for her role as Tonya’s mother. Even though there are comedic moments because of how the film is put together, there are plenty of heart wrenching scenes, and other moments where you’ll physically flinch in your seat due to the abuse and the sad circumstances that Tonya grew up in. The poverty and being from the wrong side of the tracks didn’t give her a chance at the career in figure skating she should have been afforded. Her history remains that in 1991, she was the first woman to complete a triple axel in competition. This is very difficult, and she was apparently fearless out there on the ice.

The ending of I, Tonya was interesting in that it coincided with the media latching onto O. J. Simpson and his fleeing down an LA freeway in his Ford Bronco. Already the fickle public was turning their attention to the next big scandal, Tonya forgotten in the wings.

The film is rated R for pervasive language, violence, and some sexual content/nudity. I recommend it for you, particularly if you are interested in human psychology as I am. The skating scenes are really well filmed, and I wondered how they could do them. Margot Robbie certainly couldn’t do a triple axel like Tonya could, but it looks like she is actually jumping and skating like Tonya did.

First They Killed My Father

Angelina Jolie has created an excellent and heartbreaking film based on the true story of Loung Ung, author of the autobiographical book First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia. Angelina and Loung wrote the screenplay that is about Loung’s experiences as a young girl during Cambodia of the 1970’s. It is unique in that the film is seen entirely through the eyes of seven-year-old Loung (Sareum Srey Moch). There is no preachiness in this film; it simply shows us what she and her family endured as a consequence of the United States bombing Cambodia (even though they were a neutral country), and the subsequent rise of the Khmer Rouge.

First They Killed My Father was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes this year although it did not win. I watched it on streaming Netflix, and it is rated TV-MA. There are English subtitles that are easy to read.

Once the Khmer Rouge comes into power, those Cambodians living in the city are made to leave their homes and walk on foot deep into the country where they are forced to work in what are essentially slave labor camps. Loung doesn’t really understand why they are growing all this beautiful food - eggplants, string beans, and rice - and then given meager rations while the food is sent off elsewhere. The people are nearly starving, and to make matters worse, her father Pa (Phoeung Kompheak), who has previously worked for the government, is taken away and murdered.

This is a large family with seven children, and their mother, Ma (Sveng Socheata), attempts to hold the family together, but the three oldest children are sent off somewhere for fates unknown, leaving the four younger children with her. Loung is a bright, assertive little girl, and is eventually selected by those in charge to be sent to a special school where she learns how to bury land mines, shoot a gun and otherwise become a mercenary. It is chilling to watch how the authorities work to brainwash the residents of this work camp to be just like one another, everything from their hair to their clothing, and in referring to them as comrades.

Exquisitely filmed, I liked how we see the land of Cambodia from above, a bird’s eye view perspective, as well as on ground level though Loung’s eyes.

I thought this film was respectful of the culture and people that were so cruelly victimized. Angelina’s oldest son Maddox Jolie-Pitt was adopted from Cambodia, and he was an executive producer of the film. Another adopted son, Pax Jolie-Pitt from Vietnam, did the still photography.

I highly recommend watching First They Killed My Father. At first I thought it would be a documentary, but it wasn’t and I liked it better than what a documentary would have been. It was a well-designed story about the times and struggles of the Cambodian people, especially the children who endured very difficult times of death and deprivation during this era.

The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water is a beautiful, beautiful film. I initially wondered about what I’d encounter in a “monster” movie by Guillermo del Toro, his Pan’s Labyrinth and The Devil’s Backbone notwithstanding, as I enjoyed both of those films. I loved it even more than I could those two films, and I feel that The Shape of Water is his masterpiece to date. The writer/director has stated this is a fairy tale for troubled times, an apt description. The film is rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity, violence and language.

Taking place in Cold War era 1962, an Amphibian Man (Doug Jones) from the Amazon is brought to a secure government facility in Baltimore for testing and observation. The humble cleaning crew, Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins) and Zelda Fuller (Octavia Spencer), are tasked with wiping up the messes that occur in the lab where the creature lives in a deep pool of water, or in an upright tank.

Elisa is mute, and communicates through sign language. She lives in a building above a cinema, as does her friend Giles (Richard Jenkins), who understands her silent language. Zelda can also read her sign language and is her confidante and friend at work.

In charge of the lab is Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon), a hard, no nonsense and cruel man who has a hatred for not just the creature under his jurisdiction, but it seems everyone else as well. Also deeply involved with the Amphibian Man is Dr. Robert Hoffstetler (Michael Stuhlbarg), who comes to see that the wild creature everyone is afraid of is intelligent and capable of learning.

Elisa is not at all afraid of this unusual life form, and befriends him. When his fate is determined to be certain death by the hands of government officials, she mounts a daring plan to abscond with him from the lab so he can be free again.

The Shape of Water won Best Director for Guillermo del Toro at the Golden Globes, as well as Best Original Score for Alexandre Desplat. The music beautifully sets the scene, whether it is during a tender moment between Elisa and Amphibian Man, or during the white-knuckle scenes where she seeks to free him. I felt that Sally Hawkins should have been awarded Best Actress in a drama at the Golden Globes, and I can only hope that is rectified at the Academy Awards, her performance is so strong. The cinematography of the film is excellent with beautiful colors and shapes throughout what could often have been just a stark and antiseptic setting within the lab. The building where Elisa and Giles live with the cinema below is filled with color and mystique. It was a delight to watch.

How will this fairy tale end? You’ll have to watch it to see. I’ll watch this film again once it comes out on streaming, I admire it so much. If you’ve seen the film already, why do you think it is named The Shape of Water?

Mudbound

Mudbound was not an easy film to watch, particularly in the second half of the movie. Man’s inhumanity to man is how my husband described it. It is still a very worthwhile film if you can stand the heartache.

The story takes place around the time of World War II in the Mississippi River delta. Henry McAllan (Jason Clarke) marries Laura (Carey Mulligan) late in life, and takes her and their two young girls, and his father Pappy (Jonathan Banks) to a farm he has purchased deep in the south. They interact daily with the black family living on the land, who pick the cotton and do everything else a farmer does. This place is truly mud bound, with torrential rains nearly flooding their land, and making the crops tentative every year.

Henry’s brother Jamie (Garrett Hedlund) has been in the air force during the war and arrives at the farm, as does Ronsel Jackson (Jason Mitchell), the son of the sharecroppers, Hap (Rob Morgan) and Florence (Mary J. Blige). They strike up a friendship despite their differences in color, having a mutual understanding of the death and hardships they survived in Europe.

The South being what it is, disgusting white men take it upon themselves to punish Ronsel, bringing in members of the Ku Klux Klan for really degrading torture. They drag Jamie over to where the torture is taking place and he has to decide Ronsel’s fate.

It was horrible to watch this, but I never turn away from what’s on the screen. The story was really well thought out, and told from the viewpoints of several characters. Carey Mulligan does a fantastic job as the reluctant yet desperate wife of Henry. She married him not wanting to be an old maid at 31. Even though they try to make her appear homely, she is anything but. When she smiles, a radiance comes over her that can melt anyone’s heart.

Mary J. Blige was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes, as was the song Mighty River that she sings (neither took the award). You wouldn’t know Ms. Blige to look at her; she gets into the character of Florence so deeply. All the actors did a fine job, even the ones we hate. The film is rated R for some disturbing violence, brief language and nudity.

We watched it on streaming Netflix. We still need to keep telling these stories. Ronsel was treated better in Europe than he is in the US. We should remember this disgusting part of American history so perhaps the current bigotry can be called out for what it is, and shown where it can lead if allowed to be taken to extremes. America may have a history of slavery, injustice and cruelty, but it doesn’t mean we have to allow it today. Hate crimes need to be punished severely. I don’t want to go on and on here, but the only things I’m intolerant of are hate, cruelty, and intolerance.

Darkest Hour

Darkest Hour is the story of Winston Churchill, just elected prime minister of Britain, who has some serious decisions to make almost immediately. Hitler had invaded several countries in Europe, and thousands of British troops were stranded in Dunkirk, France. In parliament, there were those who wanted to negotiate with Hitler, and those who believed a like response to his aggressions would be necessary.

Which way would Churchill go? If you’ve ever been in history class, I’m sure you know the answer to that question, but you likely do not know the process by which Britain entered World War II. This film spans just a month or so, and shows us the inner workings of the monarchy, parliament, and 10 Downing Street.

Winston Churchill (Gary Oldham) is an older man who is eccentric, drinks too much, and is motivated to rise in British government. He moves into the position of prime minister accompanied by his wife Clemmie (Kristen Scott Thomas) who proves to be the woman behind the man in some respects.

Churchill nearly terrorizes his new secretary, Elizabeth (Lily James) who has a brother in the military, and is understandably concerned about his welfare and those of the others stationed with him.

Churchill’s opposers in Parliament, especially Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) and Viscount Halifax (Stephen Dillane) work behind the scenes to try to get him removed as soon as possible, and meanwhile, the decision for war or peace looms over Churchill’s head.

The film is rated PG-13 for some thematic material. Gary Oldham was nominated for Best Actor in a drama at the Golden Globe Awards for his performance as Churchill. Truly, there were times I really forgot I was watching a movie and not a newsreel of Churchill himself. It is a masterful performance. My husband commented on how well Kristen Scott Thomas played his wife. To be a loyal support to him through all the years of service to England could not have been easy, and she makes Clemmie believable.

I hope people do get out and see this film. Remembering history and lessons to be learned from the past mistakes or triumphs of those who came before us and took the risks for mankind is vitally important now. I also find it interesting that the film Dunkirk came out this year as well. I haven’t seen the film yet, but am intrigued now.

Churchill had his darkest hour as he had to decide whether to negotiate peace with a raving genocidal maniac, or send thousands of British and others in the fight to death. Not an easy choice. It was quite moving when during a scene in Darkest Hour, Churchill boards the tube and rides to Winchester Cathedral with commoners. He asks for their opinion, and resoundingly, they denounce Fascism and voice their support of the fight. Never succumb to the Fascists.

Perhaps we will need to be so bold again. Hopefully not to the extent of a war, but rather to the extent of resistance.

Lady Bird

Lady Bird has received many accolades for being an all around great film. I looked forward to seeing it when I heard it was written and directed by Greta Gerwig. I have been a fan of hers ever since I saw her film Frances Ha. (My review of Frances Ha is here on my blog, and you can view it by typing the name in the blog search engine.)

Christine, aka Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan), is a senior at a Catholic all-girl high school, the kind where the nuns closely monitor the length of the skirt on your uniform. Her best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein) is an intelligent young lady with a smart mouth.

About all the teen issues you can think of come up in this film, set just after 9/11 in Sacramento, California. Ms. Gerwig is from Sacramento, thus the easy depicting of the area in and around the city.

Lady Bird’s mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf) is a bitch. Sorry, it’s an honest assessment. I find it interesting as well as troubling that so many moms we see in films are not that great, and so many troubled relationships between mother and daughter are the focus of stories. I’m one of the lucky ones I guess, because my daughter/mother relationship was a stellar example of how it should be.

Lady Bird’s long-suffering father Larry (Tracy Letts) is there to help ease the conflict between her and her mother, and lucky for Lady Bird, he is there for her. Also in the home are adopted son Miguel (Jordan Rodrigues), and his live-in girlfriend, Shelly (Marielle Scott).

The family lives on the other side of the tracks, and Lady Bird longs to fit in with the more monied class of Sacramento, seeking out Jenna (Odeya Rush) to be her friend. She joins theater at school that pulls in boys from another Catholic school for performances, and meets Danny (Lucas Hedges). Falling in love has never seemed so sweet, but there are complications as in any first love. The bad boy she falls for next, Kyle (Timothée Chalamet), is just too cool and Lady Bird is setting herself up for heartbreak, you just know it.

Her decision about where to attend college is fraught with drama, as her mother wants her to go to school in California, and Lady Bird wants to get as far away from Sacramento as possible. Why her mom wants her nearby when they are such a bad fit for each other remains a mystery for a long time.

The film is rated R for language, sexual content, brief graphic nudity and teen partying. I loved Lady Bird. Saoirse Ronan is a little old to be playing a teen, but she does a good job and was nominated for Best Actress in a Comedy at the Golden Globes, along with Best Supporting Actress for Laurie Metcalf, Best Screenplay for Greta Gerwig, and Best Comedy. I will not be surprised when Lady Bird receives many awards this year.

Downsizing

I thoroughly loved the comedic sci-fi drama Downsizing. Scientists in Norway have discovered a way to impact global climate change by shrinking humans to dollhouse size, so less resources are being used. Fewer resources depleted, less garbage is created and pollution is a thing of the past, at least in the small world that the downsizing humans inhabit. It seems like a winning solution to an unprecedented growth of human numbers on earth, and to a crisis of climate change.

Paul Safranak (Matt Damon) is an occupational therapist, quiet, compassionate, and caring. He is married to Audrey (Kristen Wiig) who seems nice enough. They decide to join what is ultimately 3% of the world population who becomes small and lives in special communities where money goes far, and leisure time is great.

Complications arise, however, when Audrey chickens out at the last minute, leaving Paul high and dry. I wouldn’t normally tell you that, but I saw it in a trailer that I watched prior to seeing the film. Paul being suddenly single again figures prominently in the rest of the film as he sorts out his life in Leisureland.

He meets fellow small people from other parts of society, including Dusan Mirkovic (Christoph Waltz) who is a freewheeling entrepreneur partying like it’s 1999, and taking Paul under his wing to show him a good time. But who cleans up these mansions the small people live in? Marginalized ethnic groups, that’s who. Paul meets a Vietnamese woman, Ngoc Lan Tran (Hong Chau) who was injured being illegally smuggled into the U.S. and she introduces him to the reality of the lives and lower class housing of those that do the work.

In this world of small people, there really isn’t much difference from our present society. You have the workers, and the wealthy. Certain groups of people are still seen as being somehow inferior, and there continues to be corruption in governments who use the process of downsizing in unethical ways.

I loved the character of Paul, and Matt Damon is able to portray this thinking and compassionate man very well. Christoph Waltz is wonderful as free spirit Dusan, and adds a lightness to Paul’s existence. Hong Chau was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes this year for her performance as Ngoc Lan Tran. I liked her, but the way they had her speak English was annoying. The director had her speak in very broken English, and I think if she’d been in America long enough, she’d have picked up better sentence structure, and not been so limited linguistically. That’s about the only criticism I have of this film, and one that not everyone will likely agree with.

Downsizing is rated R for language including sexual references, some graphic nudity and drug use. It brings to awareness the dire predicament the world is in. The ending is quite sobering and touching. If you enjoy other films from Payne/Taylor (Election, Sideways, The Descendents) you will enjoy Downsizing too.

The Beatles: Eight Days A Week-The Touring Years

I was around eight years old or so when the Beatles came into their touring years, which is what the film Eight Days A Week is about. I recall some friends of mine in grade school asking me if I’d seen the Beatles on TV, likely on The Ed Sullivan Show, and I replied with something like, “Who’d want to watch a bunch of bugs?” So due to my younger age at the time, I missed out on that screaming, fainting phenomena of teenage girls who swooned over the Fab Four in such great numbers and so often it was called Beatlemania.

The Beatles: Eight Days A Week-The Touring Years, was released in 2016. The documentary is not rated. I wonder at this point during my writing if I have to say who the Beatles are. I hope you already know them. John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr made up the legendary Beatles hailing from England. If you didn’t know that, I am sorry for you. (I listed them in order of my favorites!)

Ron Howard has created this documentary about the Beatles touring years with many interviews, still photos, and live performance film that will have you remembering the sixties all over again. Because I did become aware of the Beatles shortly after learning about them in school, and I loved their music, I did the Twist along with my girlfriends, sang along endlessly to their love songs on the radio, and matured year by year just as their music did.

I liked that the movie did not skimp on the music, often allowing an entire song to be played by the band for our viewing pleasure. Paul McCartney and John Lennon mainly composed the songs during that time period, and had quite the collaboration going for them. The Beatles toured all over the world, and I even knew an older neighbor girl who saw them perform in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was a bit of a legend in our rural community because of that.

This film will leave you feeling nostalgic if you are of a certain age, and if you’re even younger, it should be an education about not just the Beatles rise to fame and fortune, but to a world that was haunted by racial tensions, a deceitful war, women’s rights, and young people coming into their own power. I even shed a tear or two at the memories so eloquently brought to life once again through the interviews with the Beatles and the films from the times.

John and George were taken from us too soon. I still miss them, but at least have their music to listen to. Only Paul and Ringo are left behind. If Ringo shows up in Albuquerque again with his All-Starr Band, I’ll go see him. I came to appreciate his music more with the years.

See Eight Days A Week (we saw it on Hulu). And put some old Beatles music on. Your heart will appreciate it.

The Man Who Invented Christmas

If you’ve ever enjoyed the story A Christmas Carol, I predict you will love this holiday release of The Man Who Invented Christmas. Based on the life of Charles Dickens, who famously wrote said story as well as many others, it takes place in England in 1843, the year he wrote and published the book.

The film is rated PG for thematic elements and some mild language. As I am also a writer, I was intrigued by the way the film depicted the creative process of Charles struggling to bring his characters to life on the pages of a book. Back then, writing was even more difficult, one page after another laboriously written out in longhand by the author.

Charles (Dan Stevens) lives in a nicely appointed home with his wife and several children. He’s just had three flops after the astounding success of Oliver Twist, and needs to write something that will sell. He is visited by his characters, most notably Scrooge (Christopher Plummer), as he writes his story. (Any writer will tell you that your characters do follow you around, and will never leave until you tell their story.)

Tara (Anna Murphy), a young servant from Ireland, becomes a sort of muse for Charles when he discovers she can read, and he then begins reading her what he’s written as he goes along. He also has a deadline, something all writers will be familiar with. There is nothing like a deadline to get the creative juices flowing until the task becomes almost an obsession.

The film shows flashbacks of the young Charles as a boy, and what he endured due to some setbacks of his father John (Jonathan Pryce), and being sent to a children’s work house to toil for 12 hours a day, pre-child labor laws. He is haunted by these memories and they influence how he writes.

He bases his story on bits and pieces of tales he hears from others, and it kind of reminded me of the now classic Shakespeare in Love that I reviewed for the A-Z Blogging Challenge last April. The screenwriter, Susan Coyne, did a marvelous job getting into the creative process of Charles as he creates perhaps his most memorable work.

A Christmas Carol was of course a huge success when it was published, and established the name Scrooge to indicate someone who is greedy, self-involved, and miserly, caring for no one other than himself. A term best used today to describe certain elected officials and heads of industry. Despite how far humanity has progressed since this story appeared in 1843, there is a long way to go until the poor are not seen as “those people,” and until all are seen as worthy of the same regard as those with greater wealth or education. This film was so good, I’ll likely watch it again once it is released on streaming channels. I highly recommend The Man Who Invented Christmas for your holiday movie night.

God bless us, every one.

Daddy's Home 2

Movie sequels are not easy to pull off. Many sequels often just recycle the same jokes and situations as the first film, giving us nothing new or particularly interesting.

Daddy’s Home 2 is an exception, and hit a home run! A few days ago, I posted my review for the first film, Daddy’s Home. I decided to see the sequel as it is out in theaters now. I believe I have found my new favorite Christmastime holiday movie. I loved it!

We return to the families of Brad (Will Farrell) and Dusty (Mark Wahlberg), consisting of Brad’s wife Sara (Linda Cardellini), children Dylan (Owen Vaccaro), Megan (Scarlett Estevez), and the baby Griffy, as well as the stepdaughter Adrianna (Didi Costine) as Dusty has married her mother Karen (Alessandra Ambrosio).

Concerned that their families will have a miserable Christmas due to having to share time, mostly driving in cars getting to and from activities, Brad and Dusty decide to have a shared Christmas amongst all of them. Great idea, isn’t it? Except for they are informed that Dusty’s father Kurt (Mel Gibson) and Brad’s father Don (John Lithgow) are both arriving for a holiday visit.

Mel Gibson and John Lithgow are well cast as the fathers of these two men trying to do right by their families. Kurt is a hardened military kind of guy, having served with NASA, and Don is just as goofy as Brad is with his exuberant cheerfulness.

Kurt has booked a gorgeous chalet in the mountains for a shared holiday adventure, and adventure it is. All kinds of crazy shenanigans take place including some turkey hunting, chopping down a Christmas tree, a live manger scene, and heart to heart talks with Dylan who has a big case of puppy love. The film primarily showcases the father-son relationships and the dynamics of the stepfamily, and the four main male actors do wonderful jobs, portraying their characters so convincingly and holding nothing back.

Daddy’s Home 2 is rated PG-13 for suggestive material and some language. I recommend you see Daddy’s Home 2 in a crowded theater so you can share the laughter with everyone else. I loved the ending. It was perfect, and I left the theater feeling pumped up and happy. It is definitely a cure for any blues you might experience around this time of year if you are prone to that. Plus, it has none of the violence that so many films today showcase and even glorify. Sean Anders was the writer and director, and I applaud him for taking the risks in writing this family comedy. We need more uplifting movies like this one that remind us what we have in common and that we are all deserving of love, anytime of the year.

What holiday films are your favorites? What do your favorite holiday films have in common? Mine seem to be music, a good heartwarming story, and good acting. Daddy’s Home 2 delivers on all three. Happy holiday movie going to you!

Daddy's Home

A family comedy from 2015 in effect asks the rhetorical question: How do blended families cope when the biological dad shows up, the person the mom always made out to be the bad guy in their relationship? Daddy’s Home tackles this subject using plenty of humor and sight gags to make light of the struggles between stepchildren and their new fathers.

Brad Whitaker (Will Farrell) is a stepfather to two children, Megan (Scarlett Estevez) and Dylan (Owen Vaccaro), having married their mother Sara (Linda Cardellini). Unexpectedly, the children’s real father, Dusty Mayron (Mark Wahlberg) shows up, striding back into their lives unwanted except for the kids who are overjoyed to see him again. Dusty is a bad boy riding an Indian motorcycle and working out his muscled physique in the family’s garage. He inserts himself into their home, crashing at their house to compete for his youngsters’ devotion and in an attempt to get his former wife to come back to him. I guess there’s nothing like someone else falling in love with your ex-wife and marrying her to get the jerk to realize just what he’s given up.

The comedy is pretty great. Brad works at a smooth jazz station. His boss Leo Holt (Thomas Haden Church) is an annoying man who tells Brad stories to try to make him feel better or teach him something, but they just end up being truly bizarre stories, some of which are so absurd, I just laughed out loud, amused by his delivery of these over the top scenarios.

Additionally, there are some really crazy situations this strange family deals with. Most notably, the hidden desire of Sara for another child, and the inability of Brad to conceive due to an unfortunate incident involving radiation. Dusty interferes and sets up an appointment with a fertility specialist, Dr. Francisco (Bobby Cannavale), that goes way overboard in my opinion. I don’t see how children should see this particular set of events unfold. It’s the one part of the movie I thought was rather tasteless.

Daddy’s Home is rated PG-13 for thematic elements, crude and suggestive content, and for language. A sequel, Daddy’s Home Two, is now in theaters adding Mel Gibson as Dusty’s father, and John Lithgow as Brad’s father in a story taking place at Christmas. Looks like it will be as funny as this first one.

If you’re a fan of Mark Wahlberg, you will like this film. He plays the charming ex-husband who seeks to give his replacement a run for the money with such bold maneuvers, you can’t help but like him. My husband finds Will Farrell really nauseating, so he didn’t watch the movie with me. Will Farrell is adept at playing kind of effeminate men, silly, stupid men, which is actually a compliment to his acting abilities. If you’re the dad in a blended family, it may be all too painfully real. For an evening of light entertainment, you may find Daddy’s Home to be a pleasant diversion.