THE NORTHMAN

 Alexander Skarsgard     Nicole Kidman     Claes Bang     Ethan Hawke

Anya Taylor Joy     Willem Dafoe     Bjork     Gustav Lindt

            Oh, those Vikings!  They’re a brutal lot, and Director Robert Eggers with his co-writer Sjon (a poet and novelist as well as screenwriter) have presented us with an extraordinary drama that gets into all kinds of substantive issues of the ages—war (of course!); vengeance; family belonging, loyalty, and entanglements (including incestual); romance; and more—all against the backdrop of sweeping countryside vistas, blood, and gore.

            We get a brief picture of a happy royal family—King Aurvandil (Hawke), Queen Gudrun (Kidman), and Prince Amleth (Oscar Novak the younger, Skarsgard as the older), maybe with some raising of eyebrows, but with the King making his wife and son mindful of the burden of royalty.  He starts training Amleth bigtime in warrior ways, which includes dog-type faceoffs, and making him promise he will avenge his father’s death if it comes to that.  We’re told that honor is above all the highest virtue.

            The tale goes on, pitching the viewer into the 895 A.D. Vikings world through not only the plot, but also expert cinematography (James Blaschke), production design (Craig Lathrop), music (Robin Carolan, Sebastian Gainsborough), and special effects (too many to mention) as well.  The plot transports you along making you feel as if you are there, thanks to that and all the crafts supporting it.

            Quotable quotes are sprinkled about liberally, such as, “You have the strength to break men’s bones; I have the cunning to break men’s minds” and “My earth magic will stoke the flames of your sword”, both spoken by the fetching Olga to Amleth.  Still, some metaphorical references are humorous such as the cleverly inserted “kiss my butt” action.

            The most gripping part comes when Prince Amleth is confronted with elements of the prophecy told to him as a child that at some point, he will have to make a choice between the protection of loved ones and honoring a promise.  

            This is not only a visually beautiful film, it taps into fundamental beliefs we all have about family, war, and conscience, elevating it above your regular adventure film by allowing us to experience some of those real dilemmas that many people must face even now as in the past.  Some are publicly heroic, but some are simply the everyday experience of a reality a person did not plan to encounter.

            This is an exquisitely conceived film that tells a story for the ages.

 

If you like adventure with intelligence and cleverness and can stand the gore, go to this movie.  You will be rewarded.

 

Grade:  A                              By Donna R. Copeland

TESLA

Ethan Hawke     Eve Hewson     Kyle MacLachlan     Lucy Walters     Jim Gaffigan     Josh Hamilton

     Tesla is remarkable, not only the man himself; but Michael Almereyda and his crew have created an innovative way to present a docudrama.  To wit:  The narration is provided by an important figure in Tesla’s life; scenes that seem not to have anything to do with one another are juxtaposed by switching back and forth between them; scenes are presented, and immediately after, the narrator says, “That didn’t actually happen”; figures suddenly appear in a scene with no introduction as to who they are; the dialog is spiked with profound conversation such as weighing the relative benefits of vindication versus love, capitalism versus idealism, and poetic statements like some of [Tesla’s] experiments were “like someone getting the ocean to sit for a portrait”; “Energy creates energy; it is by spending myself I become rich” [Sarah Bernhardt character]; and one of the last lines in the film spoken by the narrator referring to Tesla’s enigmatic personality and beliefs—“Maybe the world we live in is a dream that Tesla dreamed first.”  

     Almereyda wrote the script as well as directed the film, and was one of the producers.  I don’t know how much of a hand he had in editing the work (talented Kathryn Shubert is the named editor), but it was so creative/jumbled, that at times it was distracting. Cinematography (Sean Prince Williams), special effects (Drew Jiritano), and music (John Paesano) are all used well in the service of creating a beautiful, artful film, along with presenting a wealth of historical data.

     A highlight of the film is Ethan Hawke’s portrayal of the man Nikola Tesla. He is known for capturing the essence of eccentric characters (e.g., First Reformed), and here he presents the enigmatic, complex personality of a genius who clearly lived in his head and had little sense of the real, practical aspects of life (which is probably why he knew little about economics/money management, and was often cheated in his business).  A perfect contrast is made between him and Thomas Edison (MacLachlan), who was a master at getting people to do his bidding.

     Edison is played by Kyle MacLachlan in a performance that is probably one of his best to date.  Eve Hewson is the narrator who is portrayed as a woman clearly interested in Tesla, but who gave up on him when it became clear that he was not the “marrying type.” She is the daughter of J. P. Morgan, who financed some of Tesla’s experiments, but turned away when Tesla took too much time in realizing some of his dreams.  Hewson’s role (which she performs admirably) is influential in the story, partly because the actress is so attractive, but also because she makes astute observations about Tesla and relates some of the experiences in his early childhood that determined the man he would become.

     Tesla will appeal to those interested in scientific advances and to lovers of art films that venture into new modes of presentation.  This film frustrated me at times, but I ended up with admiration for its artistic value, along with being sympathetic with the Teslas of the world.

An innovative presentation of a combination of art and science in understanding a historical figure.

Grade:  A-                        By Donna R. Copeland

THE KID

Ethan Hawke     Chris Pratt     Jake Schur     Leila George     Dane DeHaan

     Although pretty much a typical western, The Kid has a few surprising twists and turns.  Rio (Schur) is a 14 year-old boy without a good father figure on which to pattern himself.  But he has read about Billy the Kid (played here by Dane DeHaan) and has a huge case of hero worship.  When he and his older sister Sara (George) are on the run after a tragic encounter with their uncle Grant (Pratt), whom should they meet on the way but Billy the Kid.  Sara, knowing the dangers of information, has cautioned Rio against telling anything about their story, so he doesn’t confide in Billy when they get holed up in an isolated house on the New Mexico prairie, despite Billy’s famous friendly chatter.  Rio does let him know a little of his story, and Billy is immediately touched, identifying with him and giving Rio a memento of their connection.

     Sheriff Pat Garrett (Hawke) has gotten a tip about where the bandidos are hiding, and appears on the scene, capturing Billy and his cohorts.  When Rio and Sara suddenly appear, it’s a surprise to the lawmen.  Sara tells the sheriff that they “got separated” from their father, and are on their way to Santa Fe to find their mother’s friend, and the sheriff—a clearly honorable man with a conscience—offers to let them ride with his train to the place where they will drop off one of the prisoners.  Then he will take them to Santa Fe before proceeding to Lincoln County with Billy.

     Most of the story takes place on these eventful rides, with Sara’s, Rio’s, and even Sheriff Garrett’s lives threatened here and there.  One of the most threatening is when Uncle Grant finds Rio and Sara and kidnaps her.   

     Sheriff Garrett senses that Rio is hiding something, and asks him over and over if he has anything to tell him; but Rio always says no and glosses over the real story.  

     The Kid has all the usual western tropes of gun slinging, posses, a sheriff who attempts to bring justice, etc.; but it also has:  The unlikely friendship between a wanted criminal and a boy who’s trying to figure out morality in life; men talking emotionally about their first kill; and periodic philosophical musings from a sheriff [e.g., “It’s the world we’re in“ (i.e., we’re not in control of everything); "It’s not intelligence; it’s lack of fear”, “It doesn’t matter what’s true; It matters the story they tell when you’re gone.”  

     Director Vincent D’Onofrio and writer Andrew Lanham have created a story with all the excitement and color of a western, but have inserted little elaborations that make it interesting, such as the thoughtfulness and humanity of the sheriff, reflections by men about their experiences of killing, the thoughts of a boy about life’s dilemmas, and the devastation of sexual exploitation upon a young woman.

     Outstanding actors include Ethan Hawke—always superb in his portrayals--Jake Schur as the impressionable but thoughtful Rio, Dane DeHaan as the crafty, teasing Billy the Kid, and Chris Pratt of the Jurassic World, Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Passengers world, becoming a bad guy in a western.  

For westerns fans, The Kid has something to offer beyond the usual fare.

Grade:  B                                 By Donna R. Copeland

JULIET, NAKED

Rose Byrne     Ethan Hawke     Chris O’Dowd     Azhy Robertson

     What a delightful and entertaining rom-com this turned out to be!  It has smart, funny dialog, along with a lot of heart and truthfulness.  Based on a Nick Hornby novel, the screenwriting (Evgenia Peretz, Jim Taylor, and Tamara Jenkins) syncs well with Jesse Peretz’s direction, and the actors (Byrne, Hawke, O’Dowd, and Robertson) hand it to us on a silver platter.  

     The story centers around Annie (Byrne), a modest anthropologist and curator, who lives with a self-preoccupied film professor named Duncan (O’Dowd), whose music idol is a washed up singer named Tucker Crowe (Hawke).  Crowe is not only his idol, he has a school boy-like obsession with him; e.g., pictures, posters, and other Crowe memorabilia line the walls of his study at home—a little creepy, right(?), which is what we are supposed to feel.  Understandably, Annie finds this insufferable, but she tolerates it as best she can.  (She’s had a life that steered her toward patience.)  Then one day, her exasperation surfaces, and she responds to Duncan’s effusive compliments about one of Crowe’s songs on his blog with a negative review.  

     Much to her shock, of course, Tucker writes back about how much he agrees with her critique.  They have a back-and-forth online which blossoms into a friendship.  Meanwhile, Duncan has been prey to a new faculty member, succumbs to her charms, and subsequently gets kicked out of the house.  In Tucker, Annie has discovered someone who is interested in her and what she has to say, a novel experience for her. Of course, in her innocence, she regards this as a platonic friendship, but she does realize that Tucker makes her feel good about herself.

     What follows elaborates on Tucker’s history (He’s like the old woman in a shoe—he has so many children he doesn’t know what to do.) and his way-extended family, he and Annie meeting in London [him, with his lovable child Jackson (Robertson) in tow], hilarious encounters with Duncan, and working through the complex set of relationships.

     It’s clear that much thought and consideration of many current issues went into this production.  It touches on how professional women are regarded in the workplace and in their personal lives; it demonstrates how fame can lead a star down paths that have lifelong repercussions that can be both regrettable and shameful; it shows the pain and consequences for those who are in the star’s path and perhaps left behind; it gives an example of how one of those stars attempts to compensate for previous weaknesses; and shows the self-actualization one woman experiences when she finally realizes she has aspirations and choices she needs to heed.  None of this is ground-breaking, of course, but the way it all comes together is novel.

     On the surface, Juliet, Naked could be regarded as simply light entertainment—the usual.  But it doesn’t take much to scratch below the surface and glean many basic human truths within it.

I congratulate the novelist and filmmakers on their success in upgrading a genre from a “That’s nice!” to an examination of human strengths and foibles.

Grade:  B+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

BLAZE

Benjamin Dickey     Alia Shawkat     Charlie Sexton     Josh Hamilton     Alynda Mariposa     Jenn Lyon

     Blaze is an unusual biopic about a singer/songwriter who was almost famous in ‘70s-‘80s country music.  His idols were Hank Williams, Red Foley, and John Prine, and they were the inspiration for many of his songs.  He rubbed shoulders with other well-known musicians such as Townes van Zant, played in the film by Charlie Sexton, and apparently paved the way for the well-known country music stars Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson.

     The film is in the form of an Impressionist painting, in that it doesn’t flow in chronological order, but gives the flavor of Blaze’s life by showing scenes when he is performing, hobnobbing about with buddies, or—the most interesting—when he interacts with the woman who became his wife, Sybil (Shawkat). Sybil wrote the memoir on which the movie is based, worked closely with Director Ethan Hawke, and she was on site during filming.  One of her unique contributions was to suggest a scene in which Blaze and his friends howl at the full moon.  During an appearance in Houston, Texas, Hawke said he was reluctant at first to include it, but finally relented, and it is, indeed, in the final cut.

     Sybil and Blaze were attracted to each other right away, and lived a few blissful years in what they called a “tree-house” in the woods near Atlanta.  As it was provided rent-free from a benefactor, it was perfect for a young musician and a writer just trying to make their way.  Sybil, a spunky Jewish woman decides after a time that Blaze is ready for something bigger, and they move to Austin, Texas, in hopes of his being recognized.  That is where the story turns dark, as Blaze doesn’t find the audience attention he craves, moves back to Atlanta without Sybil, then asks her to go to Chicago with him to try something different. Eventually, their marriage cannot withstand the separations and Blaze’s drug use.

     Director Ethan Hawke and his editor Jason Gourson elected not to frame the film in chronological order, but rather to go back and forth in time for Blaze, his wife, and Townes van Zant—I think the intention was to convey the essence of who Blaze was.  However, this arrangement is not successful, in that it becomes confusing for the viewer to keep track of time and place.  For instance, it’s disconcerting to know that the couple split up, after which Sybil reappears as his wife.  Likewise, having Townes van Zant appear and reappear interferes with the story, although Charlie Sexton’s portrayal of him is exemplary.

     The mood of the film is rather somber, reflecting the sad, disorganized, somewhat impotent life of a man who constantly made poor decisions and lacked the social skills to make it big in the music world.  Although he and his music is remembered fondly by those who knew him and followed his work, most people who see the film might wonder about the purpose of making the story into a film.

     Blaze is perhaps a movie for the dedicated country music fan.  Benjamin Dickey does a fine job in portraying him as a person and a musician, and when the actor’s own renditions of Blaze’s music are played, it is enjoyable to hear him.  We were treated to some of his songs during his and Hawke’s brief appearance in Houston at Rockefellers just before the release of the film.  Dickey’s and Alia Shawkat’s performances are the best part of Blaze, and reflects the possibility that Blaze’s not holding on to her in his life was one of his biggest mistakes.

This is a sobering tale of a musician who tried his best to make it big, but because of some bad luck and personal problems, it was not to be.

Grade:  C                                    By Donna R. Copeland

FIRST REFORMED

Ethan Hawke     Amanda Seyfried     Philip Ettinger     Cedric the Entertainer     Michael Gaston     Victoria Hill

     This is one of those independent films that you hope will be coming up regularly forever. It takes an issue and argues it with eloquence and passion, showing both sides.  That is, the audience is expected to take some responsibility for thinking about something important and reasoning through it to conclusion. Pastor Toller (Hawke) has a known past of having a son he talked into going into the military (generations of his family had attended VMI)—against his wife’s objections—and, unfortunately, Joseph was killed in Iraq.  The burden of this kind of guilt is the subject of the film, and it’s put into larger contexts related to political activism, religious beliefs and meaning, and, fundamentally, hope and despair.

     Pastor Toller seems to be experiencing PTSD (post-traumatic stress syndrome), and trying to work through it, using scripture and group therapy, and a diary that is to be destroyed in one year.  Adding to the pressure is that he is pastor of a 250 year-old church, which tries to survive by joining a much larger congregation, the Church of Abundant Life, led by Pastor Jeffers (Cedric the Entertainer).  They’re all gearing up for the celebration of the re-consecration of First Reformed.  Here, we see the issues of original conceptions of religion played out against the current capitalist conceptions of a religion paired with financial backing.

 The First Reformed Church has to collaborate with the Church of Abundant Life in planning.  At first, there doesn’t seem to be much of a problem; Pastor Toller has met with Pastor Jeffers a number of times, and they seem to be on the same page.  But the primary contributor to the Abundant Life Church is a businessman with a moral center that differs significantly from Pastor Toller’s.

     And inserted into all of this is a major complication in the form of parishioner Mary (Seyfried) asking for help from Pastor Toller for her husband, Michael (Ettinger).  He is an activist for the environment, and has strong feelings about bringing a child into the world.  (Mary is pregnant with their child.)  He wants to abort the child, but Mary does not.  

     Pastor Toller is drawn into this dilemma, which exquisitely connects with his own dilemma he is already dealing with; that is, a parent’s responsibility for a child’s life.  Michael is troubled that he is bringing a child into a world that will eventually kill him, because of environmental neglect.  (The oceans rising several feet, for instance.)

     Paul Schrader, the writer/director of this film, eloquently outlines the agonizing questions of our day related to climate change, personal responsibility, and political activism, and demonstrates how individuals and families can be affected.   The ending of the story is drawn out, culminating in a conclusion that may be dissatisfying for many.  

     First Reformed is an outstanding production overall.  Schrader is an expert in storytelling and visual effects.  He and cinematographer Alexander Dynan open the film with an old white-boarded church scene suffused in a pale blue light; and these colors are seen throughout, with accents of black, bright red or other colors inserted for maximum emotional effect in certain scenes.  Ethan Hawke—in his usual fine form—gives one of the best performances of his career, complemented by Amanda Seyfried as a sincere young parishioner and Cedric the Entertainer as an experienced pastor of a large, well-connected church.  

An impressive film in all aspects of filmmaking.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS

Dane DeHaan     Cara Delevingne     Clive Owen     Ethan Hawke     Rihanna    
Herbie Hancock     Sam Spruell     Voices of:  John Goodman   Elizabeth Debicki

       Valerian (DeHaan) is obnoxious as he can be, but I enjoyed the rest of the cast in the movie, the story, and the special effects.  I’m curious about why Valerian is made to be heroic and still be so obtuse.  Does this come from the comics on which it is based or from Besson’s screenwriting?  Valerian’s fellow agent Laureline (DeLevigne) is sharp, emotionally attuned, and a real fighter when she needs to be.  The film should have been named “Laureline Saves an Agent and a Planet.”  Or at least “Valerian and Laureline”, as the comics are titled.

     At any rate, this very expensive indie film must have invested large sums for the portrayal of exotic creatures, Olivier Bériot’s costumes, Hugues Tissandier’s production design, and all the efforts and equipment involved in special effects; an investment well worth it in my opinion.  If the viewer just “goes with it” and suspends reality, it is an otherworld experience with exotic creatures, harrowing light-speed flights through space and falls to the depths of unknown places.  My favorite creatures are the willowy, iridescent Pearls, who are gentle, gentile, and smart enough to acquire knowledge of science and mathematics, and anything else they need to know to reconstruct their planet, which has been destroyed by an ignorant military force.  The pearls—ejected by “converters”—are life sustaining for the people of Mül, and they treat them respectfully. 

      Pearls in the film are metaphors for that which is of value, like the earth and nature.  “We give to the earth what the sea grants to us”, the Mül people say about their recycling, as they deposit pearls into the water.  In keeping with the film’s central message, we find out what happened to the Mül planet, and the ignorance on which the attack was based (e.g., “primitive” civilizations are not as important as ours—a la the current day message, “America First”). 

     Valerian and Laureline are charged with finding and recovering the universally coveted converter belonging to the people of Mül, called the Pearls, which went missing when they were attacked. The converter, which looks like an adorable animal, makes copies of anything it ingests and ejects the copies in endless amounts.  The Pearls give it pearls because they’re essential for their survival.  Others covet the converter for their own nefarious purposes.  The assignment to retrieve the converter takes the two agents through numerous venues—other planets, U.S. military space stations, a colorful “Big Market”, and even a fancy brothel.  Their paths cross those of Commander Filitta (Owen) and General Okto-Bar (Spruell), a Jabba the Hutt kind of character (Goodman), the pimp Jolly (Hawke), and an exotic dancer Bubble (Rihanna).  In the process of carrying out their assignment, the two agents survive life-threatening situations, but eventually uncover the mystery of what happened to the planet Mül.

     Director Luc Besson (Nikita, Lucy, The Fifth Element) wrote the screenplay, based on a French comics series, and although he successfully attempted to recreate some of the Star Wars elements, the dialog lacks the sharpness and creativity of the visuals.  Better editing could have omitted a number of scenes that are extraneous and shorten a 2½ hour film.  DeHaan is miscast as a heroic character, and he comes across as braggadocios and self-centered.  The rest of the cast are highly entertaining, particularly Delevingne, Owen, Hawke, Goodman, and Debicki.  Rihanna’s exotic, shape-shifting dance and song act is a highlight. 

Besson’s adventure is a wild tour of other worlds in time and space.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

MAUDIE

Sally Hawkins     Ethan Hawke     Kari Matchett     Gabrielle Rose     Zachary Bennett     Lawrence Barry

     The sheer beauty in this film is hard to fathom; it’s beautiful even in its pain.  The writer Sherry White and all the filmmakers together coalesced to produce a fine work of art visually, emotionally, and musically.  It sings in rapture through its joys and cries out through its grief.  I wept as much for its beauty as for its pain.  And there are liberal doses of all the shades of emotion and meaning throughout.

     The film opens on a scene of Maud painting with obvious effort and perhaps pain.  She is arthritic, but at the moment is clearly transported into the bliss of creativity.  Then we begin to see pictures of those in her life:  a stern aunt, a devious brother, an insensitive shopkeeper.  But some of the main delights of the film are to see Maud in action with all her canniness, fundamental kindness, and boldness, taking people by surprise all within the halo of her cheeriness.  We soon come to love this oddly shaped figure—as she calls herself.  “I was just born funny”, she states, with a smile and with all the insight into others she has developed over years of observation.

     Maud shows her industriousness and business acumen in humbly finding another place to live and support herself, much to her feeling-put-upon aunt’s surprise.  Another odd figure places a notice in the general store for a “housemate”—actually someone who will take care of him, overlook his acerbity, and have no opinions.  But Maud has no hesitation in seeing this as a way out from under her aunt.  The ad is placed by Everett (Hawke), who has his own background story of being orphaned and never having had the opportunity to taste the niceties of life.  He has no conception of those things.  Through a combination of gall and complete submissiveness, Maud lands a job with room and board and 25 cents a week.

Their adjustment to one another makes up the entertaining, insightful thrust of the film, which shows the lengths to which a person can go in successfully surviving an unkind world.  It takes grit and a whole bunch of other qualities

     Another hallmark of Maudie is its mercy, lent of course by Maud, who never holds a grudge and manages eventually to charm the most recalcitrant obstacle.  This is most evident in the way she is able to forge different responses from someone who has been so deprived:  Everett.  Their encounters are instructive to us all (seeing the power of simple kindness), but touchingly, laugh-out-loud humorous. 

     The direction (Aisling Walsh), cinematography (Guy Godfree), and music (Michael Timmons) give further testament to the quality of this film.  Performances by Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke could be lessons for striving actors in their ability to immerse themselves so completely into characters so different from themselves.

     Rarely does a film come along that is so well crafted, warmly human, humorous, and wise as Maudie.

Maudie is achingly beautiful with bountiful wisdom.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

Denzel Washington   Chris Pratt   Ethan Hawke   Vincent D’Onofrio   Haley Bennett  

Peter Sarsgaard   Byung-hun Lee   Manuel Garcia-Rulfo   Martin Sensmeier

          A motley group of seven men recruited one by one by a Kansas Warranty Officer Chisolm (Washington) band together to rescue a farming town from the evil miner Bartholomew Bogue (Sarsgaard), who wants their land and is willing to give them only a pittance for it and simply kill them if they refuse.  Chisolm is retained by Emma Cullen (Bennett), whose husband was one of those killed, but he agrees only after she gives him a significant bit of information. 

          Gradually, Chisolm meets up with a few malcontents who join him for one reason or another:  card shark/gambler/trickster Faraday (Pratt), haunted sharp shooter Robicheaux (Hawke), tracker-with-a-tomahawk Horne (D’Onofrio), knife-wielding assassin Billy Rocks (Lee), Mexican outlaw on the run Vasquez (Garcia-Rulfo), and Comanche arrows and bullets sharp shooter Red Harvest (Sensmeier).  These guys are not only colorful in their backgrounds, they bring much of the humor of the movie (sometimes a bit corny), presumably to balance the extreme violence shown in the film.  All these actors are superb in their roles, and elevate the film above the mundane script.

          Chisolm sends the cowardly sheriff (Dane Rhodes) to take the message to Bogue that the townsmen will not give up without a fight, and that he and his men will be defending them.  When Bogue learns there are only seven defenders, he thinks it will be a piece of cake.  His lackeys put together a small army, and head toward the town.  But Chisolm is a strategist who is able to anticipate his enemy’s maneuvers, and has made detailed plans involving explosive booby traps, trenches, placements of shooters, and even weapons training for the locals.  The battle that ensues is bloody and long, complicated by a ferocious weapon mercilessly fired by Bogue.

          This remake of two earlier films considered masterful, one in 1954 (Seven Samurai) by Akira Kurosawa, legendary Japanese filmmaker, and one in 1960 (The Magnificent Seven) by John Sturges seems unnecessary.  There could have been more updates, such as modernizing and making more realistic—even for the 19^th Century—the Bennett character Emma.  For example, she defended the town admirably and saved Chisolm’s life, but he didn’t even thank her; instead, he took her gun away from her.  The filmmakers made sure that we would see her cry more than once, just to emphasize once again the stereotypical female.  Here’s a thought:  Include her and call the film The Magnificent Eight. 

          Musician James Horner should be acknowledged for his contribution to this film.  He had made considerable progress on the score, but died before the work was completed, so Simon Frangien was enlisted to complete it.  Mauro Fiore’s cinematography does justice to the exquisite western landscape, and his filming of the action scenes is artistic, as is the usual for him.

For western fans not bothered by mediocre remakes, this will hold your attention.

Grade:  C                                 By Donna R. Copeland

IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE

Ethan Hawke     James Ransone     John Travolta     Taissa Farmiga     Karen Gillan

          Boy!  What a nice surprise for my last film at SXSW this year in Austin, Texas.  Ti West (Roost, The Innkeepers) has ventured into the western genre and devised some imaginative tactics to enrich the experience of a western film.  I really think the cleverest is inserting arguments among men in the midst of gunfights.  That is, it’s a different kind of humor than we normally experience to see the town Marshal arguing and negotiating terms with the rebel in logical discourse—while the gunfight is taking place!  Another feature that I fully appreciated is the inclusion of principles underlying revenge.  Revenge is sweet, but use your head!  The Marshal (Travolta) is wise in instructing his no-good son/deputy Gilly (Ransone) not to make another mistake in following someone “passing through” after having made a big one with him already.  Finally, it also illustrates how some people who, like Gilly, don’t hear good advice—such as “Get away from the window” during a gunfight.  West is a master, like Tarantino, in synthesizing violence with humor to make a point.

        Ethan Hawke is coming more and more into his own as an actor and as filmmaker (Good Kill, Boyhood, the Richard Linklater series, and as director of a documentary, Seymour:  An Introduction).  Here, he plays Paul, a taciturn loner bound for Mexico with his beloved dog Abby.  He is not looking for a fight, but he knows how to defend himself.  Hawke seems to know this character deep down in his psyche; Paul has been reduced by trauma and guilt to talking mostly to his dog Abby (one of the stars in the film).  We hear of his past only in bits and pieces, usually when Mary Anne (Farmiga), the co-owner of the inn in town, forces it out of him.  But Paul is not only intelligent, he is well trained (something the Marshal recognizes, but his son doesn’t), quick, and sure in his reactions.

        James Ransone makes an interesting bad guy; he has a handsome “Hollywood” face with beautiful eyes and an attractive dimple, but as his personality emerges, those characteristics become more and more sinister.  Taissa Farmiga and Karen Gillan look enough alike to be real sisters; in the movie they manage an inn while their father is dying in a bedroom.  They are chatterboxes—another clever idea by Ti West—but one is rather hysterical and the other more levelheaded and goal directed.  John Travolta is perfect for the role of town Marshal, and he makes the character much more complex and even appealing than is generally the case in westerns. 

      In a Valley of Violence was filmed in Santa Fe with its captivating landscapes by Cinematographer Eric Robbins.  His work enhances the mystery and action of the film.  

       In a Valley of Violence is about revenge, and challenges us to question the concept.  When is revenge justified?  Clearly, getting revenge for a narcissistic wound is likely to be foolhardy.  But when someone is unjustifiably cruel and likely to continue in it, we are likely to cheer, as when Paul vows, "Those men left me with nothing; I'm going to leave them with less."  Few of us are Gandhi.  Yet, even when it seems justified, revenge often results in unintended damage.

A finely crafted western outside the usual fare.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

BORN TO BE BLUE

Ethan Hawke                  Carmen Ejogo                  Callum Keith Rennie

        The man credited with West Coast Swing was apparently born to be blue.  Getting an introduction to his parents goes a long way towards explaining the title and the man, Chet Baker, who was all the rage in the ‘50s for his trumpet playing.  But after he was introduced to heroin his weakness/need for it, along with a chip on his shoulder, made him unpredictable and impulsively aggressive toward authority figures.  He was truly addicted to the drug in his conviction that he could perform better with it, and since playing was his most valued asset, it assumed top priority.

     As with other bio-pics recently, Born to be Blue is not linear in its structure; the filmmakers intended for it to be “impressionistic” more than presenting a factual account.  And like this year’s Miles Davis picture, it does not proceed in a linear fashion so jumps around in time and place.  I’m not a fan of this approach.

On the other hand, Ethan Hawke as Baker captures what I assume is the essence of the man, his charm, his social awkwardness, his brittleness of character, and single-minded passion for music. 

      Hawke’s representation evolves subtly and slowly; it takes a while to warm up to the man.  But by the end, he will have won the viewer’s sympathy and admiration, at least to some extent.  The director, Robert Budreau, devotes ample time to the music, which is beautifully rendered.

      Baker desperately wanted to impress Miles Davis (who was more often derisive) and Dizzy Gillespie, but when he was severely beaten—purposefully in the mouth, damaging his embouchure—by thugs sent by his drug dealer, he was forced into hiatus, and most thought he could never play again.  Born/Blue mostly covers this period of time, showing that for all his flaws, his need to play music gave him the persistence and commitment to rehabilitate himself.

     Born to be Blue also pays attention to the few people surrounding Baker who were supportive and probably responsible for saving his career.  His wife (Ejogo), an appealing, attentive woman who eventually could not tolerate his drug use; Dick (Rennie), his mentor, and finally, Dizzy Gillespie.

A look at the troubled, amazing life of Chet Baker.

Grade:  C+                By Donna R. Copeland

GOOD KILL

--> Ethan Hawke     Bruce Greenwood     January Jones     Zoe Kravitz     Jake Abel     Peter Coyote

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Gaming can be so very exciting until…Tom Egan (Hawke) is an ace pilot who has been “promoted” to drone service where he goes into an air conditioned cubicle in Las Vegas and wages war in Afghanistan or wherever.  Writer/director for this film, Andrew Niccol, wants us to learn about the downside of “armchair” warfare.  Egan has already been missing the touch/feel/thrill of a physical plane beneath him when orders come from above that his unit would now be under the control and direction of the CIA rather than the army.  This constitutes a change in strike orders from one based on assuring that the target is a bad guy before striking to one that is based on a “pattern of behavior.”  That is, the kill target would be based on analysis at a higher level of abstraction with less concern for collateral damage.

Egan lives in Las Vegas in a sterile neighborhood (no vegetation to be seen) with a beautiful wife (Jones) and lovely children.  Yes, he can serve his country in his cubicle and go home to his family afterwards just like in a regular job.  But there are two problems—one is that his job is less experiential and more mechanical, and the other is the moral dilemma presented by the CIA’s practice of accepting collateral damage as no big deal. 

Hawke the actor fits the role well as a brooding, taciturn, creative guy with principles, and one who is comfortable with authority (Greenwood as his immediate superior) until it (the CIA) offends his basic sense of justice and right.  Presented in direct contrast is fellow drone operator Zimmer (Abel), who is happy not thinking much about what he is doing from a moral standpoint and rather enjoys the aggression of it and going home to his “vanilla” environment at night.  Caught between Egan, the CIA, and Zimmer, Jack (Greenwood) toes the middle ground as best he can while retaining his job.  He is tested in this role as much as Egan is in his.  Jones as a housewife and Kravitz as a drone co-operator effectively portray women in these situations who generally play a minor role in relation to the men, but here, each clearly exemplifies the female point of view.

Andrew Niccol, with significant writing/directing experience behind him (Lord of War, The Truman Show, Gattaca), again has an important contemporary social issue he wants us to think about.  The use of drones is controversial, with the pros seeing it as much more precise—although not perfect—in taking out the leaders of groups bearing murderous ill will toward the U.S.  The cons regard it as one of the reasons people in other parts of the world hate us so much.  I would be interested in knowing how much comparative collateral damage is done by drone attacks versus bombing from an airplane.  Neither is free from that downside.  Certainly, Niccol’s point is well made about the apparent unthinking, uncaring manner in which the CIA in this story ordered the drone attacks.

Musician Christophe Beck and cinematographer Amir Mokri both render their crafts well in enhancing the visual and auditory aspects of Good Kill.

The Conundrum of “Good Kill”

Grade:  B                                                                                   By Donna R. Copeland