LICORICE PIZZA

 Bradley Cooper     Alana Haim     Maya Rudolph     Skyler Gisondo     Sean Penn

John C. Reilly     Tom Waits     Bennie Safdie     Cooper Hossman

 

          This is a really fine production from script to actors, music, cinematography, and production design.  The dialog is entertaining and smartly—but not too smartly—crafted.  Everyone converses in ways people normally talk to one another without artifice, which sometimes happens with clever scriptwriters.  This was penned by its director Paul Thomas Anderson and reflects his usual number of characters’ insights while still being entertaining and funny.  

            Two quirky characters meet when Gary (Hoffman) is still in high school.  She is 25 year-old Alana (Haim), who deflects his flirtatious advances in no uncertain terms.  She points out that it would be illegal for her to accept them.  But finally being convinced that Gary has already made his mark as a known actor and businessman she finally gives in to his persistence and agrees to be friends.  Gary’s ace in the hole—a sense for and success in finding business opportunities—is not usually a come-on for young women, but Alana has enough untapped talent in the art it is attractive to her.  She can’t resist joining in on his impromptu endeavors, making a contribution that shows, to everyone’s surprise, acumen.  She is the youngest of three sisters in a Jewish family that also looks upon her with bemusement.

            So the film does the wacky back-and-forth switches common in first love, the back-and-forth usually being stimulated by sparks of jealousy on one side or the other.  Entertaining bits that get into numerous sub-plots are their business ventures: “Soggy Bottom Waterbeds” morphing into “Bernie’s Waterbeds”, “Pacific Waterbeds”, “Fat Bernie’s Pinball Palace”, and even “Fat Bernie’s Environmental Living.”  Throughout, Alana frequently calls Gary a dumb d…….it, thinking he will go away…but not with somebody else, of course, we realize, before she does.

          Other enjoyable/fun moments in Licorice Pizza are the name-dropping (Barbra Streisand), the cameos (Bradley Cooper, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Maya Rudolph, Skyler Gisondo), the playful camera action through windows and super-imposed reflections, and musical accompaniments to particular scenes.  Bradley Cooper’s Jon Peters as an over-the-top self-entitled film star competes with Jared Leto’s Paolo Gucci in House of Gucciin conveying a completely different persona then those we’ve come to associate with them.  

        Cooper Hoffman brings the star quality of his father, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, into his character as a charismatic figure able to charm and convince others of his abilities.  Alana Haim winningly demonstrates her talent in inhabiting a character and bringing it to life.  I especially like the way Alana is portrayed; her attraction to men is primarily about her maturity and business sense, rather than her physical attractiveness. In fact, she has few of the qualities usually given to “beautiful”, but more than one man is grateful to her for her good sense.  (How long will it be before filmmakers highlight that aspect of women over their physical appearance?)

            Much could/will be made of Gary’s age (15 going on 16) in this film, but because of the way the characters are presented (he much more “worldly” than she, and his pursuing her rather than the other way around) justifies it from my point of view.  So many relationships with the male much older than the female don’t seem to give people much pause. 

A new kind of “first love”, where the characters are quirky and don’t fit the usual mold.  A superb production.

Grade:  A                              By Donna R. Copeland

NIGHTMARE ALLEY

Rooney Mara     Bradley Cooper     Cate Blanchett     Willem Dafoe     Mary Steenburgen

Toni Collette     Ron Perlman     Tim Blake Nelson     Richard Jenkins     David Strathairn

            It’s a nightmare all right.  It starts out with arson by a shady-looking character, and we follow him as he wanders around and ends up at a circus, where he manages to get hired.  Stan Carlisle (Cooper) is smart and a bit of a charmer, and quickly makes friends with the showrunner (Dafoe) and the fortune teller Pete (Strathairn) and his roommate Zeena (Collette), a reader of Tarot cards.  When he learns fast from Pete and begins to offer tips on improving Molly’s (Mara) electrical act, it becomes clear that he has worked in the circus before, and that he doesn’t mind conning people.

            But like all good sociopaths, he draws viewers into his web and we become fascinated with/question more and more of his actions.  Del Toro’s mastery in weaving stories that develop slowly across time, sustain glued-to-the-screen interest with spikes of anxiety and tension is clearly working in Nightmare Alley.  All the characters have potential to be a story unto themselves, but somehow Del Toro and his team integrate all of them into a coherent whole.  He co-wrote the screenplay with Kim Morgan and William Lindsay Graham who wrote the novel on which it is based.

            The filmmakers make the most of their cast headed up by Bradley Cooper who embodies a corrupt phoenix that keeps rising after destruction.  Conning is his game, and it is only the goons [Molly’s protector Bruno (Perlman), a wealthy stooge’s bodyguard, and a psychologist] who recognize his threat.  This role could be a high mark in his career.  Cate Blanchett as a psychologist caught up in his web is icily intriguing as a gorgeous blonde fellow schemer, and as always cinches her role, which I will take issue with below (the role; not the actress).  Rooney Mara pulls off a rather naïve ingenue who eventually picks up on the straits she is in, in an entirely convincing way.  Toni Collette, David Strathairn, and Richard Jenkins are highlights in their portrayals of quirky characters who gradually become endearing in a strange way.

            I found the production to be very entertaining and living up to the filmmakers’ reputation for making a good horror movie that gets into the psychology of human beings and all the myriad of characters that can and do emerge.  Speaking of psychology, I hope that viewers realize that the psychologist portrayed here committed any number of infractions that would revoke her license, let alone try her for crimes.  But as usual, filmmakers seldom consult with professionals in the profession they are portraying.  I got a chuckle out of Dr. Ritter’s sign:  Dr. Lilith Ritter, Psychologist, Ph.D.  It’s Dr. Ritter who earned the Ph.D., which should come with her name, not tacked on at the end.

            Crafts I especially liked about Nightmare Alley are the production design by Tamara Deverell and the cinematography by Dan Laustsen.  Both contributed so much to the mood and subject of the film.

 

Nightmare Alley has Guillermo del Toro’s mark of provocative storytelling that always includes observations about human nature and ethics.

 

Grade:  B+                            By Donna R. Copeland

A STAR IS BORN

Lady Gaga     Bradley Cooper     Sam Elliott     

Anthony Ramos     Andrew Dice Clay     Rafi Gavron     Dave Chappelle

     Stars shine so bright on their way up and glow brilliantly for a time, then begin to fade.  Popular rock star Jack expresses this to Ally when she is on her way up to stardom and he realizes his star is waning.  This is a story beautifully told (and sung) about a major rock star stumbling onto an undiscovered talent and recognizing her value, which she does not as yet recognize.  Their lives intertwine in a hot romance that is touching and real, and then they must confront the stresses attendant with established and new fame side by side.

     Bradley Cooper, co-writer and director, co-stars as Jack with Lady Gaga as the ingénue Ally.  Gaga shines as a street-wise but innocent budding artist who devalues herself, her voice, her writing, and her looks.  (As per usual, the comments about her looks sting her the most and undermine everything else.)  In her favor is a devoted, admiring father who has given her a solid background.  Cooper is the rock star Jackson Maine, with a huge following and fans everywhere who know him.  

     The first part of the story charts the musical and sexual attraction between the couple, and its fun to see this and see the chemistry between Cooper and Gaga. This gets you onboard to root for them and care about what happens to them, despite the warning signs along the way; i.e., his dependence on alcohol and drugs, his conflicted relationship with his brother Bobby (Elliott), the meteoric rise of Ally’s stardom, her artful manager, etc.  

      The signs’ becoming realities in the couple’s relationship tells the rest of the story. 

   Cooper’s directorial debut is clearly a success, with strength of story, cast, music, cinematography, and all the other components of good films.  His acting and vocal abilities are at their best, and Lady Gaga meets him in her impressive acting debut.  She is a well-established and beloved singer-performer, and to see her ace an acting role is rewarding.  Sam Elliott as Jack’s older brother is sterling as he usually is in a role that fits perfectly.  All three stars are getting early Oscar buzz.

     Much should be made as well about Matthew Libatique’s cinematography, so original and artistic in presenting the concert scenes.  His work has a certain mystique about it that pulls the viewer even deeper into the story.  His first-class filmography includes Black Swan, Pi, The Fountain, and Mother.  

     
This movie will play well for general audiences, but it has enough artistic merit in its craft to warrant a higher designation, that of a film worthy of a remake.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2

Chris Pratt     Zoe Saldana     Dave Bautista     Vin Diesel     Bradley Cooper     Kurt Russell

Michael Rooker     Karen Gillan     Pom Klementieff     Elizabeth Debicki     Sylvester Stallone

     The complex action, visually capturing special effects, dry humor, and honest human emotions that were in the first GOTG are just as present here.  Director James Gunn co-wrote the screenplay with Dan Abnett, based on Marvel’s Comics, with credit given to the creators of certain characters.  Tender or heated dramatics with Quill’s curious circumstances around his history help balance the story with ferocious, fast-action battles and the, sometimes, hilarious arguments between protagonists.

     To open, we see a snippet of Quill’s parents during their courting days 34 years earlier in Missouri, his dad showing his mother a special plant that has great promise for him.  Jump to 2014, and Captain Quill (Pratt) and his team [Gamora (Saldana), Drax (Bautista), Baby Groot (Diesel), and Rocket (Cooper)] are being congratulated by Ayesha (Debicki) for doing good work.  Unfortunately, there is a kink in the good will when she discovers that some of her special batteries were stolen.  Feeling betrayed, she and her army are on their tail before long, and when that is a failure, she hires another group led by Yondu (Rooker), Quill’s father figure, to join the posse.  Adding complexity to the plot include mutiny, the resurfacing of Gamora’s evil sister Nebula (Gillan), and the appearance of Stakar Ogord (Stallone) to remind Yondu of his going against the code and the reason for his exile.

     Of course, the pièce de résistance is the arrival of a weird-looking spaceship that no one recognizes.  Out comes Ego (Russell), claiming to be Quill’s biological father who takes him and his crew to his very own planet.  As expected, there will be explanations, exclamations, and struggles as Quill tries to cope with this information and his father’s plans.

     The combination of entertaining characters and their interactions with one another made this film for me, although I did enjoy the special effects, especially the stunning weapons greeting a group of predators who thought they had Quill and his team captured.  The flirtatious teasing between Quill and Gamora and Drax and Mantis, along with Rocket and Groot becoming friends with everyone makes this a fun view.  But it’s more than that; it comments on the human condition in a most entertaining way.

     Chris Pratt shows his talent in combining the traits of a hunk with a genuine, caring regular guy (as he does here and recently in Passengers).  Kurt Russell is on a roll with this, The Fate of the Furious, Deepwater Horizon, and The Hateful Eight; but this role seems more substantive, and should win him more deserved recognition.  As well, the rest of the cast adds color and depth to their characters, contributing to a remarkable film.  And I would like to underscore the artistic merit of the music by Tyler Bates and cinematography by Henry Braham. 

Delightful entertainment balancing emotional valence with impressive special effects.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

JOY

Jennifer Lawrence   Bradley Cooper   Robert De Niro   Virginia Madsen   Isabella Rossellini   Diane Ladd   Edgar Ramirez   Elisabeth Rohm

            David O. Russell knows families, and in Joy he portrays them once again in all their glory—and shortcomings.  He wrote the script based partly on a true story by Annie Mumolo about a young housewife who was creative and resourceful from childhood.  Her grandmother predicted she would soar to great heights someday, although the journey would be challenging.  In young adulthood with a divorced husband still at home, two kids, a grandmother, and resident parents who are divorced, Joy (Lawrence) is the mainstay for all of them.  When it is clear she will need to support everyone financially as well as emotionally, she invents a handy “Miracle Mop” that doesn’t have to be wrung out by hand and can be thrown into the washer to clean it for the next room.  In addition to showing what happens across time in the family, the film shows the development of this remarkable woman from a simple housewife to an astute but compassionate businesswoman.

            Russell goes a bit over the top in depicting this motley group, with a helpless mother (Madsen) who stays in bed and watches TV, a father (De Niro) who lacks the sharpness to run his own auto shop business and needs a woman to support him, and an ex-husband (Rodriguez), a club singer who can’t seem to get a place of his own, and a competitive half-sister (Rohm) who is rather a dim bulb.  They are all dependent on Joy and continually interrupt her for something they need.  She does have support from her grandmother (Ladd) and her kids, whose expressions always indicate that they are clearly understanding their mother and what is going on around them.  I always appreciate Russell’s respect for children’s perceptiveness and wisdom.

            Family members contribute to the comedy in Joy (and there are dozens of funny moments), but the serious, more in-depth and fascinating aspect of the drama is Joy’s transformation across time, giving credence to her grandmother’s predictions and encouragement and her early creativity and intelligence (valedictorian of her graduating class).  Without anyone to show her the way, Joy has to try to sell her own product on television’s QVC, out-maneuver contractors who try to cheat her, and somehow secure the patent she needs for her own invention.  Bradley Cooper, a staple in any Russell-Lawrence film has the role of a supportive executive at QVC who gives her a second chance when the first attempt fails.

            Danny Elfman’s music meshes artistically with the 1980’s culture and the mood of each scene, helping to carry it along its lyrical way.  Similarly, Linus Sandgren’s cinematography is ordered and sharp in the chaos of the story, helping to convey mood and spirit.  Or starkness, as when we see Joy in a bare, austere hotel room confronting a man she has never seen before to negotiate a settlement. 

            Jennifer Lawrence and David O. Russell seem to have a special synchronicity in their work together (and Bradley Cooper fits in seamlessly here, although he has a small role), and it shows in the quality of the films they make.  The supporting cast couldn’t be better, especially Robert De Niro, Virginia Madsen, and Edgar Ramirez.  But the topper is Isabella Rossellini, the wealthy widow who stands to lose everything she has by investing in this crazy family.  Rossellini brings such authenticity to the role you could swear she must have lived some aspect of it.

Joy—a joy to see—except when it’s sad and exasperating, and even then it’s entertaining.

Grade:  A-                                    By Donna R. Copeland

BURNT

Bradley Cooper     Sienna Miller     Daniel Brühl     Omar Sy     Emma Thompson     Uma Thurman     Alicia Vikander

          A chef with a sordid past shows up in New Orleans being as obnoxious as he used to be in the kitchen.  However, he has at least shaken the destructive addictions that got him into trouble and has done self prescribed penance by shucking one million oysters.  Now, he is ready to begin again—in London.  When he gets there, Adam Jones (Cooper) gradually meets up with a number of colleagues from the past, but no one is pleased to see him because of the dastardly things he had done to them.    Nevertheless, (the man has grit) he starts to recruit the very people he had wronged.  It won’t be an easy road and he still has things to learn, but his reputation as a chef and his charm (when he turns it on)—and sometimes behind-the-scenes manipulation—will get him the people he wants in a restaurant that needs rescuing.

         Burnt is a good title for the film as a metaphor referring to a mistake in the kitchen, to friends and colleagues feeling burnt by Adam, and burning one’s bridges before an exit.  The film is about the ups and downs of getting the restaurant, “Adam Jones at The Langham”, on its feet and Adam’s try for a third Michelin star.  Unfortunately, he yells at his staff, is rude with everyone, and has temper tantrums when things aren’t perfect, running the risk of losing valuable employees.  (This over-the-top violent interaction reminds me of Director John Wells’ August:  Osage County of last year.)  But Adam sees a therapist (Thompson) and tentatively starts a supportive friendship to get his self on a better, less destructive track. 

        One of the things I find very frustrating in “food” movies is that we don’t really get to look at the gorgeous dishes prepared.  Isn’t that part of the point in seeing a movie about gourmet restaurants?  The editing of this film by Nick Moore is so jerky we never get to admire the artful dishes that someone has slaved over; and the rapid cuts from one scene to the next and zipping back and forth between two characters’ simultaneous actions can have a dizzying effect.  It may be that the filmmakers are interested in showing us what really goes on in high-end restaurants—a lot of yelling and throwing dishes across the room and at people—but I for one can just as well do without that side of reality, if it is indeed a reflection of reality.

        Bradley Cooper does bring his acting skills to the character, but the script makes him so repulsive, it’s hard to warm up to him.  Adam does become more insightful and respectful of others across time and lets go of some perfectionism, but watching that much narcissism unleashed for most of the film is tiresome.  The characters played by Sienna Miller and Daniel Brühl provide good counterbalance to Adam’s abrasiveness, and they are well cast.  Likewise, Uma Thurman and Emma Thompson bring extra sparks to their cameos.  Another cameo by Alicia Vikander is perfect as a woman who appears to be mysterious at first, but whose identity is gratifyingly explained. 

        Somehow, despite all the talent involved in the making of this film, Burnt just doesn’t fill the appetite.

Burnt:  Not a well seared production.

Grade:  C-        By Donna R. Copeland