Movie: Alien Covenant

Alien: Covenant:  Successful sequels are the exception.  Typically, when a studio pops out a sequel, it is attempting to cash in on prior success but usually ends up tarnishing the brand.  This is the sixth time the creatures from Alien have appeared, excluding the two wasted films that combined the Alien and Predator franchises.  The original 1979 Alien was Ridley Scott’s creation.  I still remember being shocked when the creature appeared.  I don’t recall having jumped in my seat at a movie theatre before or since.  The three Alien films that followed the original were not directed by Scott and lacked that unique edge.  In 2012, Scott released Prometheus, a prequel.  If you watched Prometheus and enjoyed it, you’ll find Alien: Covenant to be a worthy successor.  However, if you did not like the original Alien, then stay away from this movie.  Ridley Scott recreates that intense edge from his original film.  This is due in part to a strong performance by the film’s female lead, Katherine Waterston.  No one is going to duplicate Sigourney Weaver’s performance in the original Alien, but Waterston, as Dany Branson, is excellent.  Most of the commentary on this film has focused on Michael Fassbender’s dual-role performance as the humanesque robots, David and Walter.  While Fassbender’s performance is superb, the film would be a failure without Waterson.  During the opening scenes of this 122 minute movie, we learn that Dany is married to Covenant’s airship captain, Jake Branson (James Franco).  Covenant is on a journey to a remote planet.  Jake is killed off very early in the film during an unexpected neutrino storm burst that damages the ship.  Following the storm, Covenant picks up a radio transmission from an unknown planet in the vicinity.  The new captain, Christopher Oram (Billy Crudup), decides to investigate.  At this point, we meet David from Prometheus and are reintroduced to the aliens.  Unfortunately, to move the storyline forward, most of the film’s characters do stupid things, which is particularly true of the Captain Oram character.  The film makes a point of presenting Oram as a man of faith when, in actuality, faith clearly has nothing to do with his decisions.  Also, Tennessee Faris (Danny McBride), chief pilot of the Covenant, is not an endearing character.   Spock would be extremely disappointed with the decisions made by both Faris and Oram.    A number of the crew are married couples and this dynamic is intended to provide a rationale for some of the decision-making.  However, in reality, the crew would not have achieved their positions if their decisions had been so closely bound to their emotions.   The editing could have been tighter, and some of the characters could have been endowed with a bit more intelligence.  Despite my criticisms,  if Fassbender and Waterston are cast in a seventh film in this franchise and if the film is directed by Scott, I will buy a ticket.   Having been hooked in 1979,  I will sign up for another ride. For those of us intrigued by Scott’s original creation,  Alien: Covenant is a worthy successor.  Ridley Scott has kept me interested.

 

Steven Guttman

Movie: The Dinner

The Dinner:  a family drama.  Despite its title, this is not a film for foodies nor is it a kin to My Dinner with Andre.  This movie is for mental health professionals who are jonesing for a challenge.  Two brothers, Paul Lohman (Steve Coogan), a former history teacher, and Stan Lohman (Richard Gere), a congressman now running for governor, meet for dinner at an elite restaurant.  The brothers are accompanied by their wives; Paul’s wife Claire (Laura Linney), and Stan’s young second wife Katelyn (Rebecca Hall).  The performances by all four actors are excellent.  The premise of the film is that through the vehicle of the five course formal dinner, various elements of the family are revealed.  An incident has occurred and Stan has interrupted his campaign to meet with his brother and sister-in-law.  It is clear upon our introduction to Paul that he has issues, as noted by his running internal dialogue.  As the courses are served, someone is always getting up and walking away.  Each course is described by the presenters and, although each course sounds elaborate and expensive, most due not sound appetizing.  But the problem is not the food or the overly elegant and affected service.  Colored in part by my personal biases, I believe the problem rests with the film’s director and screenwriter, Oren Moverman.  Those of you who are longtime readers know I am not a fan of flashbacks.  In this particular film, the characters are discussing various family incidents and suddenly we are launched into a flashback.  This tactic is used far too frequently.   By the time you reach the halfway mark of this 120 minute movie, you start to question the point of this seemingly disjointed film and wonder where it is this going; the storyline feels to be aimlessly rambling.  Up to this point, the information has been sufficient to establish that this story has to do with three teenage boys who are connected to the two families.  Then you are smacked with the horrendous deed that two of the teenagers have committed.  The rest of the film deals with how the parents handle what their children have done.  Spoiler alert:  only Stan, the politician, takes the high ground.  A further Spoiler Alert:  because the film addresses a significant moral question, I will be discussing the deed involving two of the boys.  What do you do when your child commits a heinous crime, in this case firebombing a homeless person, and the police do not know the identity of the perpetrator?  Do you protect your child or do you report the truth?  Presumably, by making the crime so hideous, the viewer must also make a choice.  The film’s ending is ambiguous, including the action taken by Paul as to Stan’s second son, an adopted African-American teenager who did not participate in the crime but who did post the incident on-line.  Personally, I don’t know how one can truly hide such action.  It is clear that Paul’s son has psychological issues and, in light of the family’s history of mental issues, the decision should not be difficult.  Other questions are how is it possible for the mothers be so oblivious as to what’s going on with their children, and why?  This film presents a serious subject without any comic relief, with the possible exception of the restaurant’s absurd pretentiousness.  As noted, the acting throughout is excellent.  This film, based upon the 2009 novel by Dutch writer Herman Koch,  deserved a better script.

Movie: Their Finest

Their Finest:  a movie within a movie.  The year is 1940 and the place is Britain’s Ministry of Information following the British military disaster at Dunkirk.  The basic storyline of this 117-minute movie:  Britain’s propaganda office needs to create an uplifting film to boost the morale of the British people and, as it turns out, to also encourage the United States to join Britain in the fight against Nazi Germany.  The screenplay by Gaby Chiappe is based on Lissa Evans’ novel Their Finest Hour and a Half.  The film is directed by Lone Scherfig.  The story opens with Catrin Cole (Gemma Artenton) being summoned for an interview at the Ministry of Information.  She assumes the position is secretarial but, as she learns, her assignment is to write “the slop”,  a reference to women’s dialogue, for a Ministry sponsored war propaganda film.  Their Finest pointedly emphasizes the extent of sexism that was present in 1940’s work environments and personal relationships.  In fact, the role of Phyl (Rachael Stirling) appears to have been created specifically to offer a feminist viewpoint.  After being hired and following a run-in with actor Ambrose Hilliard (Bill Nighy), Catrin is assigned to research a news story about twin sisters who supposedly successfully sailed their father’s boat to Dunkirk to assist in the evacuation.  It turns out that the twins’ real story was not as presented in the newspaper, nevertheless, Catrin chooses to run with the newspaper’s version of the story and the film making beings.   As the tale unfolds, a love story, which was not obvious from the introduction of the primary characters, develops.  The English cast, including Jeremy Irons, Helen McCrory and Richard Grant, is excellent.  To amplify the film’s appeal to Americans, the Jeremy Irons character orders that a handsome American war hero pilot character be added to the film’s story.  The pilot is played by Jake Lacey, who is excellent in his role as a person having no acting ability.   Bill Nighy offers a star performance as Ambrose Hilliard, an elderly actor who has never grown beyond seeing himself as the young detective who starred in pre-WW II films.  The combination of an excellent script and actors giving superb performances make for a most enjoyable film.  There is more comedy, primarily through Nighy, and tenderness than you would have expected based on the film’s opening scenes.  The Artenton character, Catrin Cole, grows on you as do her co-workers.  Their Finest is an intelligent and fun film.

 

Movie: Gifted

Gifted:  a family drama.  At the beginning of the film, we are introduced to Mary Adler (McKenna Grace), a seven year old living with Frank (Chris Evans), her uncle, in Tampa.  As the story unfolds, we learn that Mary’s mother, a math genius, committed suicide and left instructions that her brother, Frank, was to raise Mary.  At the time of Mary’s suicide, Frank was a college professor; his current profession is boat repairman.  We only know Mary’s mother through photographs and comments by Frank and others.  Her biological father makes a single brief appearance more than halfway through this 101 minute film.  We learn that Mary has been home schooled by Frank, but now, over her objections, is to start attending public school.  It is during the public school sequence that we learn Mary has inherited her mother’s gift for mathematics.  Her teacher (Jenny Slate) and the school’s principal recognize Mary’s brilliance  and recommend to Frank that Mary attend an elite private school.   When Frank says no the principal contacts Mary’s maternal grandmother (Lindsay Duncan), who also happens to have the math genius gene.  The tone of the film changes dramatically once the grandmother comes on board.  Appearing at various times throughout the movie is Frank’s neighbor (Octavia Spencer).  The neighbor might be Frank’s landlord but, at a minimum, she is the property manager for the bungalow complex where Frank and Mary reside.  Octavia Spencer’s character is underutilized in this film and seeing more of Octavia and her character would have resulted in a better film.  The chemistry between Mary’s teacher and Frank does not come across as realistic.  All the actors, however, rise above Tom Flynn’s script.  This film may be Evans’ best performance.  The director, Marc Webb, presents a very enjoyable family drama.  The primary key to the success of this film is the performance of McKenna Grace as Mary and her interactions with Frank.  I also liked their one eye cat.  The grandmother character is too one dimensional.  Nevertheless, this is a pleasurable film with an excellent cast.  

 

Movie: After the Storm

After the Storm:  a family drama.  This Japanese film was written and directed by Hirokazu Koreeda.  We are introduced to Ryota (Hiroshi Abe) shortly after his father’s death and several years after the publication of his award winning novel.  The film is contemporary but its exact time frame is not specified.  Ryota is divorced and delinquent on his child support payments.  Despite his talent as a writer, Ryota works as a private detective.  Like his father, Ryota has a gambling addiction.  He is also still in love with his ex-wife, Kyoko (Yoko Maki), who has a boyfriend.  Ryota’s visitation rights with his son, Shingo (Taiyo Yoshizawa), are limited to once a month.   A significant portion of the film takes place over one long weekend, which includes Shingo’s visit with Ryota.  The other principal characters are Ryota’s mother, Yoshiko (Kirin Kiki), and his sister, Chinatsu (Satomi Kobayashi).  When the mother is on screen, she frequently dominates the screen and provides the only comic lines.   Chinatsu is employed and has a daughter.  She is protective of the mother and her actions frustrate Ryota.  He interprets Chinatsu’s action as taking advantage of their mother but, in reality, it is Ryota who’s the sponge.   As the story unfolds, we hear radio reports about the imminent arrival of a typhoon.  By the time the typhoon hits, most of this 117-minute movie has played out.  A less philosophical writer might have dubbed the film “Before the Storm”.   Hiroshi Abe’s excellent acting carries parts of the film.  This film does not offer any major dramatic scenes; it simply focuses on the reality of human dynamics within a family structure and how some people cope with life.  There are no special effects.   Instead, the drama and action are subtle, but for days afterwards, individual scenes will emerge and linger among your thoughts.  Superb acting by all the characters.  Subtitled

Movie: The Zookeeper's Wife

The Zookeeper’s Wife:  based upon Diane Ackerman’s superb non-fiction book bearing the same title.  I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the film is true to the tale told in the book.  The film opens in Warsaw in 1939.  It starts shortly before Nazi Germany’s invasion of the city.  The Zookeeper is Dr. Jan Zabinski (Johan Heldenbergh) and his wife is Antonina (Jessica Chastain).  In an otherwise excellent performance, the accent adopted by Chastain is an odd Polish/Russian blend.  Although you become accustomed to her accent, it remains a slight distraction.  The opening scenes present an overly idealistic relationship between Antonina and the Zoo’s animals, but they serve to set the stage for the Zabinskis’ story after Warsaw is overrun by the Nazis.  During the initial invasion, the Zoo is heavily bombed and many of the animals are lost.  We are introduced to Hitler’s zoologist, Dr. Lutz Heck  (Daniel Bruhl), initially at a pre-invasion cocktail party.   Dr. Heck is central to the storyline. Unwittingly, he becomes the key in the Zabinskis’ scheme to rescue Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto:  Dr. Heck’s approval is needed to keep the Zoo operating.  To maintain a viable escape route, the Zabinskis offer Dr. Heck the Zoo’s facilities to use as a hog farm to provide meat for the Nazi soldiers; to feed the hogs, garbage from the Warsaw Ghetto is needed.  When the waste is transported from the Ghetto to the Zoo, escaping Jews are hidden in the garbage.   Later, the Zookeeper obtains additional access to the Ghetto resulting in additional Jews leaving the Ghetto.   The film does an excellent job of showing how these two schemes operated and Antonina’s involvement in the process.   A total of 300 Jews were able to leave the Ghetto and only 2 were subsequently found by the Nazis.  Dr. Zabinski also becomes very involved in the fight against the Nazis but his story is not the focal point.  The focus of this 126 minute film is the Zookeeper’s wife, Antonina.  The screenplay is written by Angela Workman and the director is Niki Caro.  They keep the film’s focus on showing how two individuals worked to save lives and use Hitler’s zoologist to illustrate the idiocy and sickness of Nazi ideology.  I think most of you are fully aware of the Holocaust and do not need further film education on the horrors inflicted by Hitler.  I make this comment because after writing the first draft of this commentary, I read a number of reviews which attacked the film for being too light on depicting what was occurring outside the gates of the Zoo.  I don’t think this film is light on the Holocaust nor do I think it reflects a particularly feminist perspective of the Holocaust.   Rather, the film and the book depict the righteous acts of two individuals by keeping the focus on these individuals, particularly the wife.  The book is superb and this film is worth seeing.   Jan and Antonina were amazing people and this film gives them the just praise they deserve.  

Movie: A United Kingdom

A United Kingdom:  the tale of a true romance.  This story begins in 1948.  The Prince and future king of Bechuanaland, current day Botswana, is studying in London.  The Prince, Seretse Khama (David Oyelowo), meets a British office worker, Ruth Williams (Rosamund Pike), at a dance sponsored by the Church of England.  They learn they have a mutual love of jazz and, from this initial conversation, their relationship grows into a romance and then into a marriage.  Placed against the backdrop of the late 1940’s/ 1950’s, the political consequences of this interracial marriage are significant.  There is an initial divisiveness within the Botswana tribal community to the interracial marriage.  South Africa is implementing apartheid.  The law in neighboring Botswana is the equivalent of America’s Jim Crow laws.  Although the initial story is about Seretse and Ruth’s courtship, the majority of this 111 minute film reaches far beyond.  It addresses the British government’s aggressive attempts to undo the marriage and, when that fails, to evict Seretse from Botswana.  It also shows the segregation that the people of Botswana were subjected to in their own country by outsiders.  The film is not kind to the British colonial system or to Winston Churchill.  The performance by David Oyelowo, presently one of film’s finest actors, is reason enough to see A United Kingdom.  Rosamund Pike also gives a strong performance.  The British colonialists are somewhat one dimensional, especially Tom Felton, but given the history of the region, the performances may be accurate.  Guy Hibbert’s screenplay involves and holds you as it moves beyond an interracial love story.  The source  material is Colour Bar by Susan Williams.  The film is directed by Amma Asante, who also directed Belle, another film with an interracial relationship at its core.  At the film’s closing, we see photos of the actual Seretse and Ruth.  We learn that they prevailed and that Seretse became President when Botswana won its independence in 1966.  As a footnote, Botswana has prospered as an independent country and the current president is Seretse and Ruth’s son.  This movie is both enjoyable and a learning experience.