MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN

Edward Norton     Willem Dafoe     Gugu Mbitha-Raw     Bruce Willis     Alec Baldwin

Dallas Roberts     Leslie Mann     Bobby Cannavale     Michael Kenneth Williams     Cherry Jones

     Picture New York City in the 1950’s with a gumshoe detective following clues to weed out the killer of his life-long mentor.  Or at least picture one of the detective films you’ve seen—or heard on the radio—from that time (e.g., Mr. Keen, Tracer of lost persons; Dragnet), with the smokiness of the rooms, the seediness of the neighborhoods, and the persistence of a committed private detective.  That’s the movie Edward Norton has written (based on Jonathan Lethen’s novel), produced, directed, and starred in, in Motherless Brooklyn.  Norton and his cinematographer Dick Pope capture this period’s mood and effluence of city corruption that ends up being a crime thriller, complete with car chases, goons, and the pressure of rescuing an endangered damsel.

     The extra intriguing twist to this story is that the main character Lionel Essrog (what a name!), played spot on by Norton, has Tourette’s Syndrome (a disorder involving involuntary tics and utterances).  It’s not really relevant or essential to the story, but adds a touch of color.  Lionel works in a private detective agency headed by his lifelong mentor Frank Minna (Willis).  From the time Frank took pity on and rescued Lionel from bullies in a boy’s home, he has continued to protect him.

     But Frank is also mysterious about jobs he’s working on, giving Lionel and the others only sketchy details about it, but explicit instructions about how to keep an eye out and what to do if…  The movie begins with just such a job, during which Frank is killed.  What ensues is Lionel following the slim clues he’s been given or picked up to find the killer.

     This leads him into major city politics and Frank’s role in it; Moses Randolph (Baldwin), who seems to be in charge of major city “improvements”; a homeless man (Dafoe); activist    Gabby Horowitz (Jones); and a mysterious “black woman” Laura Rose (Mbitha-Raw).

     The novel—and consequently the film—seem to be at least loosely based on true historical events in the 1950’s, documented in a 2018 film, Citizen Jane:  Battle for the City, when Robert Moses, a city planner, began to dismantle city neighborhoods to construct freeways and bridges through them without regard for the people affected.  That is what is happening in this film, but it’s put into a drama that is exciting and will pull at the heartstrings.  

     This is a fun movie for those who can get into period dramas from not too long ago and follow leads and cues the detective Lionel chases—all while explaining his “brain problem.”  The cast is superb (what a juxtaposition of Baldwin’s Moses Randolph and his “Saturday Night Live” Trump impersonations), with Norton capturing the Tourette-plagued Lionel, Mbitha-Raw as an attractive, accomplished woman with a dark history, Willem Dafoe as the mysterious homeless man with a significant background, Bobby Cannavale as a compromised man, and Leslie Mann, Michael K. Williams, and Cherry Jones all providing star-quality performances.

A cloak and dagger story harking back to the 1950s with the added twist of a detective with Tourette’s, but possessing a formidable memory.

Grade:  B                                                By Donna R. Copeland

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

MISS SLOANE

Jessica Chastain     John Lithgow     Gugu Mbitha-Raw     Mark Stuhlberg     Mark Strong    Alison Pitt     Sam Waterston     Jake Lacy

          If you like exciting courtroom dramas that have key relevance for our time, you will love Miss Sloane and another captivating performance by Jessica Chastain.  Miss Sloane is a Washington lobbyist with the reputation of being the best in the city.  She is more than intellectually sharp and in speaking her mind, lets the facts roll off her tongue like automatic gunfire.  [Pun intended, as she is lobbying for a gun control law.]  She is unpredictable and usually many steps ahead of anyone else involved in an issue.  “Never be taken by surprise”, she says, and “play your trump card after they play theirs.”  (A demonstration of which she uses brilliantly in the final moments of the film.)  She teaches her six or so protégées maxims, tossing them out in rapid fire while working together on a project. 

          To the screenwriter Jonathan Parera’s credit, we get a bird’s eye view of the lobbying industry in Washington, D.C. and its corruptive influence on Congress members.  Along with Chastain’s portrayal of Sloane, this is the most valuable aspect of the film.  Viewing television coverage of the Lobbyist Jack Abramoff scandal in 2005 inspired Parera to write the script about lobbying. Independently, Chastain read Abramoff’s book in preparing for the role.  She also interviewed female lobbyists to guide her in portraying one of them.  The true-to-life quality of the film is likely a reflection of the Abramoff case and the additional research by Parera and Chastain. 

          Unfortunately, Director John Madden has chosen to use the ploy that seems to be a fad now in movie making, that of presenting events out of order in time.  Not only does this distract us from following a complex set of events and the import of Sloane’s rapid verbal output, it’s confusing for the viewer.  I was frustrated in not being able to process everything that is said by Sloane and her team.  Jumping around in time one has to spend a lot of attention on re-orienting.

         Supporting cast deserve recognition for the excellent roles they play in the drama.  Gugu Mbitha-Raw in particular, eloquently shows the sensitivity of her character on one hand and a sharp investigator on the other.  Mark Strong and Sam Waterston live up to their fine reputations by playing CEOs of lobbying groups, along with their staff members Mark Stuhlberg and Alison Pitt.  Jake Lacy is perfect as a studly character available to single women.

          Winning is the mantra in Miss Sloane, which we see as an all-important motivator for all the lobbyists, Sloane included.  Winning elections is key to survival for Congress members, hence their vulnerability to pressures coming from all sides.  But implicit in the story are questions about the costs sometimes involved in winning, whether that should always be a primary goal, and what happens to a person for whom that is a fundamental aim.

An exciting courtroom drama that has timely relevance.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE WHOLE TRUTH

Keanu Reeves     Renee Zellweger     Gugu Mbitha-Raw     Gabriel Basso     Jim Belushi

       The whole truth comes out in dribs and drabs in this courtroom drama directed by Courtney Hunt, writer/director of Frozen River.  Young Mike Lassiter (Basso) is being tried for murdering his father Boone (Belushi), who has a reputation for being abusive to his wife.  Ramsey (Reeves), a friend of the family is his defense lawyer, but the problem is that Mike will not talk to him or anyone.  Ramsey pulls in another attorney (Mbitha-Raw) simply for window dressing and a strong nose for sensing lying. 

         One of the cleverest devices in the film is having courtroom scenes contain flashbacks showing a picture of the person’s memory as he/she is testifying, often suggesting that the person talking is not telling the whole truth, is mistaken, or is frankly lying.  Interestingly, in a key piece of evidence, we see none of this device.

       The story states straight out that Mike confessed his guilt to the first officer on the scene, and his fingerprints are on the knife.  Ramsey at first takes the tack of showing Boone’s abusiveness toward his wife Loretta (Zellweger), as witnessed by many people, particularly those at a garden party six months before the murder.  When Mike insists on taking the stand, Ramsey and Loretta are horrified, but Mike does it anyway, revealing a major piece of evidence in the case.

        The Whole Truth is not especially compelling in its plot, in that many will figure it out before it is revealed.  Reeves is a typical lawyer-type (and does an effective voice-over reminiscent of Verbal in The Usual Suspects) and Zellweger is a typical self-effacing, bullied wife.  Neither is particularly challenged in their roles, and Basso, being mute, basically just stares.  The strongest and most interesting character is played beautifully by Mbitha-Raw playing a “stooge” who is questioning and sharply figuring out the case as she goes along, much of which we see in her facial expressions. 

        It has been eight years since Courtney Hunt’s major successful picture, Frozen River; and she has written a few scripts for television shows in the meantime; but I guess it will take a bit longer for her to get back into her groove.

The whole truth may occur to you early on in this film.

Grade:  D+                    By Donna R. Copeland