A WRINKLE IN TIME

Storm Reid     Oprah Winfrey     Reese Witherspoon     Mindy Kaling

Chris Pine     Gugu Mbitha-Raw     Zach Galafianakis     Michael Pena     David Oyelowo

     This is a fabulous production through and through.  Based on a novel of the same name by Madeleine L’Engle, it packs an emotional punch in following the arc of transformation in an embittered girl trying to cope with perceived abandonment and possible death of her father.  She has cut herself off from friends, allowed her performance at school to slump, and of course then becomes the butt of cruel barbs from classmates.  Her self-esteem has bottomed out, and it seems as if no one can help her.

     But something miraculous happens that reunites her with her father’s dream and prods her to begin a painful, terrifying journey of self-discovery and acceptance.  This is where film comes into its own in telling a wondrous story, and the filmmakers responsible for cinematography, art and production design and visual and special effects create the magic for us to go on that journey with her.  It will be beautiful, but terrifying and emotional and exciting as well, as we travel through warped space and time.  An end goal of a search to find someone actually becomes a rescue mission (of more than one person).

     Three supernatural beings make their appearance in Meg’s (Reid) life in the forms of the three Mrs.:  Mrs. Whatsit (Witherspoon), Mrs. Who (Kaling), and Mrs. Which (Winfrey).  They are other-worldly, but present themselves as “warriors who serve the good and right in the universe.”  Whatsit is more human-like in her playfulness and in making errors in communication, and she represents the annoyance of Meg’s mother, her school principal, and friends who get exasperated with Meg.  Who talks in quotes from famous writers to get her points across, and represents intellectual curiosity and and warmth—which is a nice combination.  Which is a guiding force that seems best equipped to get through Meg’s defenses and guide her to a more realistic picture of herself, emphasizing the fundamental importance of faith in oneself and allies sticking together.

     The fantasy has a way of reminding us of current events with some of its principles, such as fear leads to rage, which leads to violence, which leads to darkness.  It has a message about the value of individuals’ being a source of light in dark times.

     The positive messages in A Wrinkle in Time make it more than just a thrill and fantasy; it has substance as well with respect to truthfulness (including to oneself), frankness (expressing thoughts/feeling that need to come out), and self-acceptance (including owning and accepting our faults.  We get to see all the main characters profit from their experiences and introspection. 

      Ava DuVernay can be so proud of her accomplishments in film; it’s mind-blowing to think about how she has ranged from Selma to A Wrinkle in Time, two vastly different genres and movie making.  The three “Mrs.’s” are entertaining and extremely helpful to Meg in their insight and encouragement.  Meg has two other fine supports on the journey; her brother (Deric McCabe) and friend Calvin (Levi Miller).  Her parents (Pine and Mbitha-Raw), both scientists, come across as realistic and loving but with flaws.  Their mixed-race family is inspiring in its inclusiveness; although I have to admit that I was a bit turned off by the “preciousness” of the opening scenes showing the family as more idealistic than real.

     A Wrinkle in Time has some very frightening scenes, so a caution to parents with sensitive children.  They will want to make sure to wait until their child is older, but above all be prepared to discuss the movie afterwards with their children, regardless.  As an adult, those scenes were thrilling to me, and add much to the quality of the film, so I’m glad they were left in. 

A marvelous fantasy based on a beloved book with outstanding visual and special effects and powerful messages for all kinds of children.

Grade:  A                                                By Donna R. Copeland

WONDER WOMAN

Gal Gadot     Chris Pine     Connie Nielsen     Robin Wright     Danny Huston     Elena Anaya

Etta Candy     David Thewlis     Ewen Bremner     Eugene Braverock     Said Taghmaoui

   Wonder Woman is a delightful mix of female power with wisdom and compassion, intelligent action, thrills and intrigue of war, and amusing humor.  I especially like that Diana/Wonder Woman (Gadot) possesses these characteristics just within herself.  But beyond that, all the main characters illustrate these features at one time or another.  Steve Trevor (Pine) is certainly a hero with smarts, and his interactions with Wonder Woman are so funny at times, especially when mixing up his modern day sensibilities with her mythological spirit and sentiments. 

    Among the Amazons, Queen Hippolyta (Nielsen) and General Antiope (Wright) are strong figures who cherish and counsel the young Diana.   Other characters represent the value of doing one’s job, as Trevor’s secretary who goes where he says or does anything he tells her to, and Trevor’s three undercover agents (Bremner, Brave Rock, Taghmaoui) exercising their specialties with dedication and humor (i.e., the “Sharpshooter” Charlie (Bremner) also sings for entertainment). 

     Then there are the forces of evil:  Sir Patrick (a.k.a. the god Ares) (Thewlis), Maru, “Dr. Poison” (Anaya), and Nazi General Ludenoff (Huston).  They represent the kind of threat to the world that the Amazons have heard about and train for.  And they are truly evil in their intentions to sabotage peace in the world at all costs.  Currently, it will be in the form of a gas invented by Maru, against which, gas masks are futile. 

  Will Wonder Woman, Steve Trevor, and their allies be effective in forestalling the decimation of mankind?

   In addition to being a thriller, Wonder Woman has substance in commentary about humankind, mythological references, the nature of war, and, perhaps, men (although the latter is disputable, in that women have not necessarily proven themselves yet in leadership with compassion).

     Praise is due for Patty Jenkins in moving the genre of superheroes into more substantive material that goes beyond special effects.  Likewise, William Moulton Marston, the creator of the Wonder Woman character, should be praised for recognizing that girls need a heroine to overcome sexism in the genre.  He is the one who envisioned that magic and super strength needed to be accompanied by wisdom and compassion. 

     Gal Gadot appears to be a perfect choice for playing Wonder Woman, with her ravishing good looks (All men seem to fall at her feet, but the best line is “I’m both frightened and aroused” when she performs her heroic feats.) and athletic prowess combined with naïveté and single-minded purpose.  Chris Pine as well is able to combine an American boyishness with smarts and heroism.  Supporting cast as both the “good guys” and “bad guys” help make this film a winner. 

Take your daughters to see this film.

Grade:  A                               By Donna R. Copeland

HELL OR HIGH WATER

Chris Pine     Ben Foster     Jeff Bridges     Gil Birmingham

          All the filmmakers involved in making Hell or High Water deserve high accolades.  It’s a western taking place mostly in Texas, but takes a novel approach in its breadth of scale—its characterization of Texans, the depth and complexity of the characters and the actors playing them, the empathic focus on both the bank robbers and the Rangers pursuing them, social commentary, soulful tunes and soundtrack (Nick Cave, Warren Ellis), and cinematography (Giles Nuttgens) that captures the landscape as well as the intricacies of the plot.  Director David Mackenzie and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan, I commend you for your perceptiveness and creativity in making such an intelligent and entertaining film.

        Toby (Pine) and Tanner (Foster) fit the often typical dynamics of a broken home—one brother being the “good” one that stays devoted to his mother and the other a troublemaker with a prison record.  They are brought together after the mother’s death by Toby’s (the good guy) plan to re-coup funds that their mother lost to the bank for a quite legal reverse mortgage on the ranch and back taxes, which the bank paid.  Toby, who is resentful about being poor all his life, is way behind on his child support payments for his two boys, learns that unless the mortgage is paid off, he will lose the ranch.  There is a deadline for paying it off before the bank forecloses on it.

        Toby’s plan is to enlist his brother’s help (keep in mind his brother just got out of prison for bank robbery) in robbing banks and getting just enough cash to save the ranch. This plan is conceived by a very smart person, which is to get only small bills in small amounts (can’t be traced and FBI won’t be involved), only robbing small banks early in the day.

       Enter Texas Ranger Marcus (Bridges) and his sidekick Alberto (Birmingham).  Marcus is old and getting ready to retire, and Alberto goads him about this while Marcus makes cutting remarks about Alberto being a “half-breed” (Indian/Mexican).  It’s easy to see they’re both fond of one another in a manly way.  Marcus likes to play the fool, but there is calculation and perceptiveness behind all his apparent foolishness.  He knows people and reasons through what they’re likely to do next.  Bridges may get an Oscars nom for his outstanding performance.

        This is the art of Taylor Sheridan’s storytelling; he sets everything up, tells us who the characters are, and sprinkles in little surprises and wonderful humor along the way.  Example:  In the T-Bone Café, you’re asked about what you don’t want (vegetables), which leaves only a steak to order, and the crusty waitress knows exactly how to get you to order what will come to the table.  Touches of humor like this, extended moments of tender emotions, and quick splashes of violence punctuate the story.

       The film provides all the excitement you would want in resolving the outcome of the robberies and the pursuit of the perpetrators, all the while commenting on Texans’ infatuation with their guns, car chases (which are more realistically rendered than any current action movie), and the western movie genre.  Keep this in mind as you watch the film:  Marcus’ observation of “The things we do for our kids.”

      This must be one of the most thoughtful and clever endings in the history of film, completely pulled off by two gifted actors (I won’t tell you who they are).  Seeing and listening to their conversation gives us the full picture of the ethical/moral issues involved in the point of view of each.  One can easily imagine that ultimately they would agree with one another.  What a film!

A new connotation of “Best Western.”

Grade:  A                        By Donna R. Copeland

STAR TREK BEYOND

Chris Pine   Zachary Quinto   Karl Urban   Simon Pegg   John Cho   Zoe Saldana   

Anton Yelchin   Idris Elba   Sofia Boutella   Lydia Wilson

          After three years in space, the crew of the USS Enterprise is getting a bit antsy.  Captain Kirk (Pine) applies for the job of vice admiral because he’s a bit bored, those with families are feeling the separation, and Chief Engineer Scottie (Pegg) is dithering about budget problems.  Suddenly, an escape pod appears, and its occupant, Kalara (Wilson) requests Captain Kirk’s help after an alien warlord attacked her ship and captured her crew.

In all good faith, the Enterprise heads to the crippled ship, only to find out it is a trap.  The remainder of the story entails taking on the warlord at great risk, suffering severe threats and requiring all the ingenuity, tactics, and memory the captain and his crew can muster simply to survive. 

          They do encounter an ally in Jaylah (Boutella) when she saves Scotty from soldiers about to capture him.  Her people were already captured and killed by the warlord Krall (Elba).  Much to Scotty’s surprise, she has come upon the Federation’s missing USS Franklin, making it her home, and ingeniously getting key equipment up and running.  Moreover, she has the ability to put a hologram around it to conceal it.

        Star Trek fans will be thrilled with the returning cast from previous films, like Pine, Quinto, Saldana, Pegg, Urban, Cho, and Yelchin (sadly, Yelchin died earlier this year in an accident).  Beloved Spock actor, Leonard Nimoy also passed away this year, and tributes are made to both in the film.  Two new key figures have been introduced, played by Elba (Krall) and Boutella (Jaylah).  

          All the actors kindle the human/bot dramas into a warm and glowing fire, but the film is almost completely overrun by warring spectacles—including, of course, the obligatory hand-to-hand combat.  (How I wish filmmakers of blockbuster movies would eliminate this completely unnecessary motif, particularly in the context of futuristic technology).  The special effects are impressive, but it’s too bad they overpower interesting stories.  This feature clearly marks the influence of Director Justin Lin, known for his The Fast and the Furious action films.  Many will prefer such a hyped up version, whereas the rest of us are more focused on human drama.

A fast and furious rendition of the Star Trek franchise.

Grade:  C                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE FINEST HOURS

Chris Pine     Casey Affleck     Ben Foster     Eric Bana

          The rescue boat for a sinking ocean liner ends up without a compass during the mission, and most of the audience could use a similar guide in order to understand what is going on in The Finest Hours.  Perhaps those with a Boston/New England accent will comprehend more, but unless they are familiar with nautical terms and have sharp ears for dialog over the cacophony of special effects sounds, I think they too will be mystified at least part of the time. 

         We get acquainted right away with Bernie Webber (Pine) and his friend Richard Livesay (Foster) as members of the Coast Guard in Massachusetts.  They’re easygoing and likeable, and Bernie has a reputation for going by the book.  He finds it easy to be polite and respectful of his elders and his superior, Captain Daniel Cluff (Bana), a man not well respected by the Coast Guard crew, who doubt his judgment.

           This is exemplified by his order for Webber to put together at great risk a rescue team on a 36-foot boat when a brutal nor’easter strikes and oilers at sea are sinking, one in particular being the Pendleton.  Chief Engineer Ray Sybert (Affleck) is on that ship, and since all the commanding officers were on the part of the ship broken off by hurricane strength winds and stormy seas, his knowledge of sailing makes him the effective leader.

          The Finest Hours is based on a true story written down by Michael Tougias and Casey Sherman in a book with the same title.  Even a small sample of their clearly written prose pulls the reader in immediately and sustains his/her attention.  The movie, The Finest Hours suffers from the screenwriters (Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, and Eric Johnson) and Director Craig Gillespie not realizing that a naïve audience is not going to understand the technical terms that are indistinctly shouted out, even if they could hear them over the din of the rushing sea, howling winds, clanking of huge chains, and motor sounds.  We do get some of the heroics of the Webber and Sybert characters—remarkable with the Doubting Thomases surrounding them—but not to the extent that makes it clear what is happening in a scene.  Inserting some explanations along the way—perhaps voiced by other characters—would have been helpful.

          Instead, the script calls for the insertion of a rather silly love story with the female character clearly being drawn from male concepts of what a “strong” woman would do (e.g., propose to a man, think that she could cheekily appeal to a captain on an emotional basis, and then flounce off in a huff, leaving her coat and gloves behind during a winter storm!).  Of course, this character (unfortunately for the actress, Holliday Grainger) ends up being rather unlikeable. 

          The Finest Hours is in 3D, but I couldn’t see that it made that much of a difference.  Carter Burwell’s music and Javier Aguirresarobe’s cinematography do elevate the presentation of this film.

A film primarily for northeastern sea lovers; for the rest of us, it’s mainly continuous howling winds and stormy seas.

Grade:  D+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

Z FOR ZACHARIAH

Margot Robbie     Chiwetel Ejiofor     Chris Pine

           This is a thriller that starts out rather slowly and peacefully with rolling hills in a lush green valley (filming was in New Zealand and West Virginia) where Ann (Margot) has been abandoned on her family’s farm after some kind of nuclear holocaust.  By some kind of accident of weather, the valley has been shielded from radiation that is rumored to be everywhere else.  Ann has her dog for company and is self-sufficient in getting food and other necessities, at least temporarily.  She wonders if she is the last person on earth, and then comes upon a man in a safe suit out on the road.  They’re both wary of one another and pull out guns immediately until they can determine the trustworthiness of the other. 

           Ann seems much less suspicious than the civil engineer Loomis (Ejiofor) who has radiation sickness, and takes him up to her house where she nurses him back to health, injecting into him some type of medicine he has that serves as an antidote.  He has been traumatized by recent events, and her tender, loving touch is like a balm for him. 

          The two start becoming close, and he begins to use his engineering skills in rebuilding efforts.  It’s clear they are from different cultures, he from the north and educated; she, the daughter of a southern farmer/minister who sees Loomis as someone God has sent to help her.  There is the budding of a romance, but he advises her that they should proceed slowly because of the effect it will have on both their lives.

           One day, Ann sees another man when she is out with her dog, and gets enough nerve to approach him with her gun in her hand.  Turns out, Caleb (Pine) is from a nearby mining town and shares many of Ann’s religious beliefs.  When she takes him to the house, Loomis is aghast that she immediately invites him to stay with them and fixes dinner for him.  But Caleb plans to stay only for a day or so because he is headed farther south. 

           Triangles are the most difficult of relationships, and when Caleb energetically helps out with chores and rebuilding—even helping to get a water wheel constructed to generate electricity—his stay is extended.  And this is when the story heats up with some of the expected twists and a rather ambiguous conclusion.

           I wondered how the title relates to the drama, and it seems that in the Robert C. O’Brien novel on which the screenplay is based, Ann has a childhood book called A to Z, and she concluded that if A is for Adam the first man, Z is for Zachariah, the last man—the situation she finds herself in before Loomis appears.  There is a reference to the book in the film when Loomis pulls it off the shelf in Ann’s library, and looks at it briefly.

           Zachariah explores the tension that exists in times of disaster between fear and charity.  Not only do Ann and Loomis embody these emotional reactions, all three characters relate their experiences with desperation and with other human beings dealing with the aftermath of the tragedy.  All convey the difficulty/necessity of maintaining hope during the bleakest times.  We are reminded of how critical survival skills are, sometimes making the difference between life and death.  It was also interesting—and imminently plausible—that people would venture out, not grasping the dangers of radiation.

           Craig Zobel shows his skills as a director (he also directed Compliance) of films that bring home points about human relationship, ethics, and fairness.  Zachariah is well paced, topical, and beautifully filmed (Tim Orr, cinematographer, and also for Manglehorn, Joe, and Prince Avalanche).  The actress Margot Robbie is not as well known as the other two, but she clearly carries her part forcefully here.  Ejiofor is one of my favorite actors, and he and Robbie convey as much in nonverbal signs as in what they say.  Pine manages to walk the fine line that he as a kind of intruder must in relationship to the other two who have become very close, but with each of whom he has much in common.

A film that prompts questions; how might you be in similar circumstances?

Grade:  B+                        By Donna R. Copeland