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

ALL RELATIVE

Jonathan Sadowski     Al Thompson     Sara Paxton     Connie Nielsen     David Aaron Baker

            All Relative brings up a very important question about truth.  Is it always best to tell the truth, even when you haven’t been asked a question?  I think the film, directed by J. C. Khoury, deals with this issue reasonably well in the most difficult of circumstances.  The protagonist Harry (Jonathan Sadowski) is recovering from a failed relationship and meets a woman, only at the urging of his buddy Jared (Al Thompson) at the bowling alley and is immediately entranced by Grace (Sara Paxton).  However, it seems that she has quasi-committed to someone else, so he must adjust to their just being friends.  When he is feeling some remorse about it and confiding to a bartender at a bar later, an older woman (Connie Nielsen) offers to buy him a drink and they begin a conversation that ends up being more than that.

            Time passes though, and soon he is meeting up with Grace again, thrilled that her commitment with the other man didn’t pan out.  Soon, the two are in the car to visit her parents in Westchester.  He is hoping for an offer from an architectural firm, one of which is one her father Phil (David Aaron Baker) is associated with.  They arrive, and there is a major surprise; however, Phil is very cordial, and seems to take to Harry instantly.  As the weekend progresses, things get more and more uncomfortable, and finally dissembles.

            That’s because all the main characters have to deal with something extremely uncomfortable.  The filmmakers do a good job in working things out, nevertheless, although there may be disagreements about how they resolved it.  J. C. Khoury, writer/director, can be praised for bringing this issue up in a film, because I think it is extremely relevant.  We all generally want to adhere to truth, and think that is the best ideal position; but I personally think there are times when it is best not to volunteer the truth.  Is this film an instance of one?

            At any rate, the actors (Sadowski, Nielsen, Paxton, Thompson, Baker) perform beautifully, and we can relate to each one of them in turn.

Is it always best to tell the truth, even when you Haven’t been asked a question about it?

Grade:  B                        By Donna R. Copeland