THE HARDER THEY FALL

 Idris Elba     Jonathan Majors     Regina King     LaKeith Stanfieldm    Zazie Beetz

 Danielle Deadwyler     Ed Gathegi     Delroy Lindo

           This is a western where you might feel “wrung dry” by the end.  It’s a bit of a spoof on westerns in general, but it is also serious in demonstrating that black faces were ubiquitous throughout the post Civil War west, even among the cowboys.  The subject of the movie, Nat Love, was actually a cowboy sometime after the Civil War when his parents became sharecroppers, but he decided at age 16 when he had earned a bit of money he left home to see the west.  He floated around for a time, being a ranch hand, a cattle driver, and a protector of herds from rustlers.  Soon, he became a marksman with a reputation, and competed in rodeos for prize money.  After he married and settled down, he left the cowboy life, but wrote and published his autobiography, Life and Adventures of Nat Love, Better Known in the Cattle Country as ‘Deadwood Dick’, by Himself.

            The filmmakers have not based their story on the autobiography; they are clear about the fact that their movie is fictional, although they do allow up front that “These.  People.  Existed.”  Writer-director Jeymes Samuel and his co-writer Boaz Yakin mix together various historical personalities interacting with one another in ways that spring from their imaginations.  Specifically, they tell of two groups of gangs in the west going after one another after the leader of one, Rufus Buck (Elba) had killed the parents of the leader of the other, Nat Love (Majors), when he was a boy, leaving a tell-tale scar from a knife on his forehead.  (Incidentally, the purpose of this scar is made clear in the last minutes of the movie.)  For an account of some of the historical figures on which characters are based, go to Screenrant’s Faefyx Collington review:  https://screenrant.com/harder-they-fall-real-life-true-story-history-characters/

            The Harder They Fall is noteworthy in its conceptualization of black characters in a western, the mixing up of historical figures—whether named or not—with fictional ones, 

and the quality of the storytelling in terms of build-up, attention-grabbing details, and humor.  Western motifs abound, such as the twirling of guns on the forefinger and thumb interrupted by sudden shots to beat another’s draw, ominous footsteps portending doom, robbing banks and trains, and the macho posturing of cowboy/gang-like figures.  Despite the blood and gore and sheer sadism at times, the movie is entertaining.

            Casting deserves kudos for Victoria Thomas.  Jonathan Majors (The Last Black Man in San Francisco) is eloquent in his portrayal of a man from an honorable family being terrorized as a child.  His whole face reveals the years of distress and anger he has experienced.  Idris Elba is always extra fine in whatever role he plays, and he brings all his talent to bear in the story of Rufus Buck who, for all his faults, somewhere underneath is a modicum of honor.  Colorful women mark high entertainment value in the movie.  Regina King as Rufus’ woman Trudy Smith stands out as a powerful female who can be as ruthless as any man, but maintaining loyalty to what she believes in.  Likewise, Zazie Beetz as Nat Love’s woman shows her steely commitment to justice more even than to her man.  I appreciated the writers giving strong personalities to both these women; neither is simply an appendage to “her” man.

            Secondary characters were played so well and illustratively by supporting actors such as LaKeith Stanfield as Cherokee Bill, Danielle Deadwyler as Cuffee, RJ Cyler as Jim Beckwith, and others.

            On the whole, the production of The Harder They Fall is exemplary.  The script is so intelligent, yet pulls us along in an exciting thriller, teasing us with snippets from the past that while not necessarily right on point, makes us want to learn more.  Small drawbacks include the overly long physical fight between two female characters, a script that is overly complicated, and a dialog that is not always clear.

            Yes, it’s a drama and a western, but it’s a thriller as well.

 

Explore our past in an unexpected, delightful—but still thrilling—story with colorful actors playing fascinating figures.

 

Grade:  B+                            By Donna R. Copeland

THE SUICIDE SQUAD

Margot Robbie     Idris Elba     John Cena     Viola Davis

Daniela Melchoir     Sylvester Stallone (voice)     Joel Kinnaman 

            It takes a creative, fanciful mind to dream up a story about such a motley group of characters (all prisoners) charged by the U.S. Government with dismantling a Nazi-like prison and laboratory in a foreign country, Corto Maltese.  Although The Suicide Squad does have drama, it’s also very funny.  Amanda Waller as director of the Suicide squad and researcher of human powers has a testy relationship with the squad she has formed to take down the Nazi-like prison of Jutenheim and its project named Starfish.  In the squad, there is a definite rivalry—sometimes boyish—among leading men Bloodsport (Elba), Peacemaker (Cena), and Col. Rick Flag (Kinnaman), for instance.  And there is Ratcatcher 2’s (Melchoir) attachment to rats and Bloodsport’s phobia about them.  On top of these dramas, we see examples of aspirations for political power, U.S. involvement in other countries’ politics, and the ethics of human research.  But… it’s more of a comedy in its buffoonery, japery, and craziness, with a shark (voiced by Stallone), a woman attached to rats, and a weasel (Sean Gunn) as part of the crew, along with the use of “super-powers” such as polka dots, starfish, and King Shark’s sheer bulk as weapons.   Thank James Gunn as writer and director for all this zaniness.  The trailer refers to “the Horribly Beautiful Mind of James Gunn”, so I think he deserves the credit.

            The first squad sent out to Corto Maltese doesn’t make it, the details of which are shown in a silly but amusing way.  Similarly, even though the second squad makes it, they come to find Col. Flag happily engaged with a woman in a tent.  He’ll have explanations for this, but then he joins Harley Quinn (Robbie), Peacemaker, Bloodsport, Ratcatcher 2, and King Shark in a plan to capture the chief scientist of the Jutenheim Laboratory and release all the citizens imprisoned by the government.

            “Do they succeed?” you might ask.  To find out, you must experience all the hi-jinks  along the way.  Actually, it doesn’t really matter, because the action is highly entertaining.  For instance, Peacemaker and Bloodsport get into a heated argument about some of Peacemaker’s remarks.  In reply, he says, “I cherish peace with all my heart, and I don’t care how many men, women, or children I kill to get it.”  You can enjoy Harley Quinn getting engaged in a heated affair with the president of Corto Maltese (one of their love trysts destroys a whole room), after which, she is persona non grata in the country and tortured to give up the names of her squad…until…

            Another entertaining part for me was to see Ratcatcher 2—first being seen sleeping much of the time with a rat resting on her shoulder—have a clear sense of justice and be able to use rats to effectively defend the team and the city.  I understand that Daniela Melchior had to audition with a rat to be sure she was comfortable with it.  Rats—some of the most abhorred species on the earth doing something heroic?  James Gunn makes it sensible—and endearing—somehow.

            Margot Robbie goes way out in portraying Harley Quinn, showing she can be a fine actress in action-comedies just as well as a bad girl in tense dramas (I, Tonya), a tragic Hollywood figure (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), a queen (Mary Queen of Scots), and the voice of an animated rabbit (Peter Rabbit, Peter Rabbit 2:  The Runaway).  She is an arresting figure who can be as powerful as any in vanquishing enemies, but her cohorts can be super impressive as well.  A stand-out is John Cena portraying a well-intentioned strong arm, Peacemaker, who is effectively held in check by more grounded Bloodsport (Idris Elba).  The cast is strong, perfectly matched to their characters by Yiniva Cardenas and John Papsidera.

            All in all, I would say this is a very successful movie in its genre—several notches above most.  In addition to making a female one of the most central figures, it extends the irony to men having big plans to rescue a woman who had already escaped and putting rats in an elevated position for a grand finale.  I did note that mothers are put down as a theme in the story, and dads as well, although not nearly as much.  Note the last gripping hilarious(?) scene.

            I would think that anyone with a playful sense of humor and an interest in quirky characters would enjoy Suicide Squad.

 

Get on board for an adventure plunging you into a world that will take some getting used to, you’ll have but lots of fun along the way.

 

Grade:  A                              By Donna R. Copeland

MOLLY'S GAME

Jessica Chastain     Idris Elba     Kevin Costner     Michael Cera

Jeremy Strong     Chris O’Dowd      Bill Camp     Brian d’Arcy

     This is one of the few, or only, major films showing a female character who is strong, cheeky, brilliant, daring, and successful, and who chooses an honorable path regardless of the consequences.  Often, we see a film showing men in that position, but not women. 

     Molly Bloom (cunningly played by Chastain) is a cheeky woman brought up by her sports-obsessed father (Costner) to compete to the death on a ski slope; he’d had great success with her older brothers.  When she was 12 years old, after major surgery for scoliosis and doctors’ recommendation not to ski again, she went on to compete in the Olympics as part of the U.S. team.  Bad luck came in the form of a small piece of pine embedded in the ice slope, which ended her skiing career forever.

      Nevermind.  This is a woman of many talents and formidable determination.  She’s set to go to law school, but against her father’s wishes, she chooses to move to Los Angeles from Colorado and find “temporary employment” as a waitress in a nightclub and as an office assistant, just for a break.  Her employment as office assistant turns into a 24-hour a day job for Dean Keith (Strong) who runs a gambling casino in the Cobra Lounge.  Molly is nothing but smart, and quickly learns everything she can about poker; moreover, she draws up spreadsheets (something Dean has never heard of) showing the bets, wins, losses, and financial information. 

     When Dean sees how much she is making as his assistant, he tries to stiff her (as will another character later on, both planning to do an age-old con on a woman), but she is already ahead of him and opens her own place of business.  Keep in mind that all along, Molly takes great effort to see that her business is legal and above board.  She is circumspect in not indulging in many of the activities men in her position have a history of doing. 

     However, the money is so good, and she takes a few risks in cutting corners.  But she is back on track toward her goal of enrolling in Harvard Law School when she is arrested by the FBI.  This brings her in contact with Charlie Jaffey (Elba), a high-priced, circumspect lawyer who doesn’t regard her as rich enough or ethical enough to warrant his law practice.

Their interactions and conversations are quintessential Aaron Sorkin—fast-paced, erudite, and funny.  Molly has to convince him to take her on as a client with drawbacks that are against his standards of practice as well as money.  That’s when the film takes on the elements of a thriller and an inspiring life story.

     Chastain brings her considerable talent to this role, most likely reinforced by the nature of the character’s challenges and struggles.  It’s another victory of brains and ethical grounding winning out over masculine pride and ego, including those of a psychologist-father, who took many years to understand how much grit she had and how much like him she was.  Chastain tackles the role as she always has in grasping all the elements that make up her complicated character.  Idris Elba is just as much master of his role, and the two of them make an excellent pair in shaping the action.

     This film should be an inspiration to women aspiring to achieve success and to men who want to understand these women in a non-stereotypical manner.

A refreshing and different take on a crime thriller.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THOR: RAGNAROK

Chris Hemsworth     Tom Hiddleston     Cate Blanchett     Mark Ruffalo     Tessa Thompson

Anthony Hopkins     Benedict Cumberbatch     Idris Elba     Jeff Goldblum     Karl Urban

     Thor has seen rocky times in two previous versions (Thor, 2011; Thor:  The Dark World, 2013), but in the hands of the gifted director Taika Waititi, Thor:  Ragnarok is deemed much more successful.  Additional factors contributing to quality are the writers (Eric Pearson, Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, and original Marvel comics); the diverse, finely talented cast; the imaginative cinematography by Javier Aguirresarobe; and the special and visual effects. 

One of the distinctions of this action film is the inclusion of emotional elements (sibling rivalry, family issues, friendship, loyalties, humor) and depth of story, along with the stronger roles given to women, more so than almost any other action film, except for Wonder Woman.  Cate Blanchett as Hela and Tessa Thompson as a Valkyrie have special powers and hold their own in physical combat with the men. 

    In searching for the Infinity Stones, a holdover from the Avengers franchise, Thor (Hemsworth) is captured by the fiery demon Surtur (voice of Clancy Brown) who prophesies the end of Asgard (Odin’s realm) in an apocalypse called Ragnarok.  Thor is not about to let that happen, and escapes the demon, thinking he has prevented Ragnarok from happening.  But his father Odin (Hopkins) is missing, so he enlists the help of Dr. Strange (Cumberbatch) in locating him, which he does with a number of flashy demonstrations.  Thor talks to his father, and learns that his sister Hela (Blanchett), who has been in prison, will be released, will be claiming the crown, and will implement Ragnarock as the Goddess of Death.  It turns out that she has higher ambitions than her father, with wishes to control the whole world.  Thor decides to take her on, and goes to Asgard.

     But the black-clad Hela with a gorgeous body and an antler headdress is formidable, and not only does Thor lose his hammer, he is banished to the world of Sakaar, ruled by the weird Grand Master (Jeff Goldblum).  He finds his brother Loki (Hiddleston) already there, and sees that he has gained the confidence of the Grand Master.  The brothers are as competitive as always, and Thor winds up being made a gladiator scheduled to fight the current champion—none other than The Hulk (Ruffalo).  Thor is delighted to see him, but soon discovers that Bruce Banner is no longer present, and The Hulk fully intends to destroy him.  Eventually, Thor, Loki, the Valkyrie, and The Hulk wriggle out of the confines of Sakaar, and rally the support and arms they will need to thwart Hela’s ambitions.

     Back on Asgard, the people are unhappy with Hela’s merciless rule and destructiveness, and under the leadership of Heimdall (Elba), attempting to avoid Hela’s soldiers and escape to a safer place.  Thor and his team of “Revengers” will be fighting the battle of their lives when they arrive.

     Balancing out the action scenes are many allusions to a wry kind of humor.  Calling their team the “Revengers” is one; the Grand Master insisting on calling Thor the “Lord” of Thunder, rather than a god, rankling Thor, is another; and key people refusing to join the Revengers because they “don’t want to get into a family squabble” still another example.  Many of these jokes were sprinkled throughout the action sequences late in production, increasing the run time twenty minutes, but Waititi considers it well worth it.  I would agree.

Thor:  Ragnarok easily entertains with adventure, challenges, family fights, and humor. 

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US

Kate Winslet     Idris Elba     Beau Bridges     Dermot Mulroney

     Up in the snow-covered Rocky Mountains in Utah, a small plane is bobbing around, and then it falls.  One passenger regains consciousness and finds he is hurt, but alive.  He is a physician named Ben (Elba), who inspects the other passenger, Alex (Winslet), whom he had only met for the first time in the airport, and is relieved to see that she is alive too, but still unconscious.  He splints her broken leg and awaits her return to consciousness.  Alex is a photojournalist on her way to her own wedding; Ben was on his way to perform an emergency surgery on a child.

     This is a major dilemma; there was no flight plan, so no one knows Alex and Ben took this flight, there is no cell phone reception, and all they have are some flares in hopes that a passing aircraft will see them and send help.  What to do?  They argue (she’s much more comfortable with risk), they fight, they help one another through bad scrapes, but don’t always stick together, and through it all she tries to get to know him better, but he is not forthcoming and ends up being rather mysterious.  This will be a story of survival, but will also underscore what happens when two very different people get caught up in such life-threatening events.  Since it is based on a true story, I like so much that the filmmakers elected to include an epilogue to show the aftermath of their ordeal.

   Director Hany Abu-Assad has a keen sense for pacing, maintaining suspense, and choosing scenes that convey the amount of effort and psychological fortitude—plus using one’s or another’s sheer wit—to survive under snow-covered, isolated conditions.  The cinematography by Mandy Walker is, of course, breathtaking in landscape, but the close-ups of the actors’ faces and their interactions are impressive as well.

     I caught a couple of instances that made me wonder.  I won’t go into detail, but there is a dog on the plane, and Alex and Ben make friends with it.  At one point, a cougar approaches the wreckage and the dog runs out barking, but although the cougar attacks it, the dog lives.  (I thought a cougar would eat a dog in no time.)  The abrasions on Alex’ face come and go; sometimes her face is completely clear, but then later the red spot will be there.

     Both Winslet and Elba give superb performances that grab your attention and hold you to the very end.  Their chemistry is infectious, and we end up caring a lot about what happens to them.  There’s a bit of tragicomedy:  Listening to music on the cell phone during the last bit of juice, and “Do you actually think we’re going to make it?!”  But mostly it’s slogging through mountains of snow, cold, hunger, and sheer exhaustion, not knowing how it will all end, yet still you will stay entranced through it all.

If your plane crashes in the snow-covered Rockies, do you know what you would do?  (If you weren’t killed, of course.)

Grade:  B                                       By Donna R. Copeland

THE DARK TOWER

Idris Elba     Matthew McConaughey     Abbey Lee     Tom Taylor     Dennis Haysbert

     “There are other worlds than these”, says a character in The Dark Tower, based on a series of novels by Stephen King.  Apparently, this is a sequel that picks up where the novels end.  And during the film, which starts out in Keystone Earth, we’re transported to the Mid-World, another reality altogether.  First, we meet Jake (Taylor), a rather odd child who gets into trouble so frequently he’s in psychotherapy.  The reason he seems odd is that he has such realistic dreams he begins to think there is more to it.  He draws pictures of what he sees and tries to explain to his mother, his friend, and his therapist what he is sensing, but no one understands.  His mother and his friend just walk away mystified, and his therapist relates his fantasies to the father he has lost.

     In desperation, his mother considers sending him to a “clinic” for the weekend, but Jake is convinced there is nothing wrong with him, and that he is simply trying to understand what his experience is telling him.  When he sees that he’ll be forced to go, and that the driver looks like someone characteristic of people in his dreams, he bolts.

     Jake is clever and brave, managing to elude his pursuers, and follow clues to get to the source of his dreams.  What follows after that, is his being transported (not gently) to the Middle World, where he straightaway encounters Roland The Gunslinger (Elba) of his dreams.  Interestingly, Jake has made detailed drawings of his dreams, and Roland and Walter, the Man in Black (McConaughey), are accurately depicted.  Jake recognizes Roland immediately, but Roland has no idea who Jake is, does not want to be bothered, and really wants to get back to his business of revenge against Walter.  Jake, not willing to be thrust aside, gets drawn into the struggle, and to the film’s credit, a satisfying father-son bonding develops. 

     The film could have been a touching, meaningful (and sometimes it is) journey searching for a lost father.  Unfortunately, the filmmakers make it more a glorification of guns, revenge, and even sugar(!).  (Bad joke about sugar, which kids don’t need to hear.)  Jake is tutored carefully in shooting (which is not necessarily a bad thing) with mantras like, “I don’t kill with my gun; I kill with my mind.”  “I don’t kill with my gun; I kill with my heart.”  “He who kills with his gun has forgotten the face of his father.”  But the culmination of all this is a visually spectacular orgy of vengeful gunfire and killing that seems to go on forever (to me).  All this is done in such a way it made me think it was dreamed up by the NRA for an advertisement.

   Instead of the gunfire, I wish the filmmakers had made more of the mind control techniques used by Jake and Roland, which, in the end, were much more powerful.  The film wanted us to think that it was the final gun battle that was the decisive victory, but how much more helpful it would be for young people to see how much their self-discipline and mindfulness could be potent, decisive forces in actualizing events.

     Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey elevate any film they are in, and they are certainly topnotch here.  The cinematography (Rasmus Videbaek) and visual effects make it exciting.  But the problem with this film is in adapting Stephen King’s work to a successful film.  Somewhere along the way, the thrust of his powerful fiction gets diluted.  The director, Nikolaj Arcel, has a fine record (director, A Royal Affair, writer, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo); the producers are acclaimed (e.g., Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Stephen King), and yet it seems less than.  (Could it be that gun advocates like the NRA and sugar dispensers in soft drinks exerted an effect?  I don’t know.)

This is an intriguing story based on Stephen King’s work that misses the mark.

Grade:  D+                                    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 JUNGLE BOOK

Neel Sethi and voices of:  Bill Murray   Ben Kingsley   Idris Elba   Lupita Nyong’o  

Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken   Giancarlo Esposito

                  

“Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky;

And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.

As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back --

For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

                                                          The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

          This is a beautiful production for children that adults will enjoy just as much.  The Jungle Book is based on Rudyard Kipling’s book of the same title (screenplay by Justin Marks.)  It is truly a work of art in its portrayal of sound principles and its visual manifestation in production design (Christopher Glass, Abhijeet Mazumder) and cinematography (Bill Pope); in music (John Debney); and in the phenomenal acting by young Neel Sethi as Mogli supported by a stunning cast of voices.  After starting out as an actor, Jon Favreau seems to have come into his own in directing (previous features include Chef, Cowboys and Aliens, and two Iron Man films), as here he is spot-on.

          There have been numerous productions through the years of the Kipling Jungle Book stories (including other Disney films and books), but this is probably the most successful by virtue of the talented filmmakers and new technology.  Mowgli sprinting through the jungle on his bare feet, shimmying up tall trees, and hanging precariously from brittle limbs and sheer cliffs should impress everyone.

       One of the most important contributions of the film is the crux of the story, which demonstrates over and over again the necessity for cooperation among all living things.  Humans are shown to be destructive in our many uses of fire, but we’re at the top of the chain in our creativity and resourcefulness.  Nevertheless, when we ignore the essentialness and value of the other components of our universe (e.g., animals, plants, air, water), we risk our own destruction.  Mowgli serves as a model for us to follow; he makes friends everywhere he goes (except for one glaring example who refused to cooperate), primarily through his contributions to others and the common good and promoting cooperation in general. 

        There is one feature about Jungle Book that warrants explanation.  Part of Mowgli’s success with others is his use of tools to help him solve problems.  While this shows human creativity that separates us from animals, it’s hard to imagine how Mowgli could have learned these, having been brought up by wolves.

       Some of the conflicts in this film are fierce and bloody, and I wondered if smaller children would get too frightened.  However, I heard no cries from any of the young children in the screening I attended, but parents with children who are sensitive to violence (even in the jungle) may want to wait until they are older to show them this film.

To everyone else, I say, “GO”, for a thrilling, fun, quality time in the theater.

Disney scores a hit with The Jungle Book.

Grade:  A                 By Donna R. Copeland

ZOOTOPIA

Voices of:  Jason Bateman     Ginnifer Goodwin     Idris Elba     J. K. Simmons     Octavia Spencer

          It’s so refreshing to see a children’s film that has so much going for it.  Zootopia’s palette and visual effects are beautifully dimensional and the picture contains endearing and diverse animal characters that behave so human, some really fine observations about our own species can be drawn from them in terms that children can easily grasp.  The basic point is that viewing and treating others as stereotypes can be misguided and even dangerous, especially when simplistic explanations are used to “understand” them.  Or assumptions are made such as “we may have evolved, but deep down we’re still animals that can go savage.”  On the other hand, it’s demonstrated that kindness and genuine charm can be supremely effective in winning cooperation from others.

          Judy Hopps (Goodwin) is a perky rabbit determined to become a police officer despite everyone from her family to her friends and co-workers openly discouraging her from the notion.  But she is determined (“I don’t know when to quit”), and is “quick as a bunny” and smart as a whip.  She graduates from training first in her class, bids goodbye to Bunny Burrow, and boards the train for Zootopia (which, of course, she regards as utopian).  Her goals have the same utopian quality; she plans to unite the “vicious predator with the meek prey” so that everyone can live in harmony.

          But her anticipations are not met, and sure enough others refer to her as a “stupid carrot farming dumb bunny”, even the police chief, who assigns her to be a meter maid.  She provides valuable modeling for children in coping with such a job situation.  That is, instead of 100 tickets she is supposed to issue, she will issue 200; but, in addition, she keeps her eyes and ears open, and soon sees an opportunity for real police work that she hopes will allow her to “make the world a better place.”

          Judy’s parents have warned her about foxes, and she soon encounters a wily one by the name of Nick Wilde (Bateman).  (All the names of characters relate to the metaphors used in the film’s story.)  They have a contentious, bargaining relationship at first; she is wary and he is cynical, and each has to earn the other’s respect.  It’s rewarding to see their friendship develop across time into a trusting, collaborative partnership.

          The filmmakers include major intrigues to heighten interest and excitement and lend a bit of scariness to the plot; namely that of a serious problem of mammals disappearing.  It will take Judy and Nick some time to figure out what is going on, amidst some misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and mistakes in interpreting the data.  Both will develop valuable insights into themselves and their friendship in the process.

       For fun, the film has clever little jokes sprinkled throughout, such as Lucky Charms cereal labeled “Lucky Chomps” and all the workers in the DMV being sloths maddeningly slow and methodical in their responses.  And it has helpful maxims:  “If the ones in power can make the prey fear the predator, their power is assured.

       Walt Disney Studios and Directors Byron Howard, Rich Moony and Jared Bush have created a highly entertaining but substantive picture that can be enjoyed by all ages of viewers.

Striving for a utopian society by a most unlikely pair.

Grade:  A                                   By Donna R. Copeland

BEASTS OF NO NATION

Abraham Attah     Idris Elba

          Agu (Attah), the protagonist and sometimes narrator of Beasts of No Nation is just coming of age when a civil war reaches his village in West Africa, signifying that his carefree childhood days are over, unbeknownst to him.  In a wrenching parting his mother and younger siblings are sent to a place of safety, and in the shooting melee that follows, Agu loses his father and brother.  He runs into the bush for hours then is set upon by a group of guerilla fighters.  Hoping desperately to belong to a “family” again, he goes through the initiation rites and becomes a fighter under the watchful eye of the Commandant (Elba) who repeatedly tests his bravery and loyalty, and a father-son relationship soon evolves.

          Talented writer-director Cary Joji Fukunaga (Sin Nombre, Jane Eyre, True Detective) has taken the story from a novel written by Uzodinma Iweala, a prize-winning young American writer.  The creative artistry simply oozes out of these works, including Fukunaga’s stunning cinematography.  Their depiction of a young boy’s experience of being yanked out of his intact Christian family and thrown into a seemingly endless testosterone infused life-threatening physical and mentally taxing struggle completely drains him after so many battles and towards the end a major turn of events for the troop.  He comes to the conclusion that “The only way not to be fighting any more is to be dying.”

          A strong point of the film is its representation of childhood as fanciful and imaginative (e.g., Agu and friends taking the frame off his father’s television, demonstrating its 3D effect by putting their own antics behind the empty space for the viewer in front, and hawking it as “imaginative TV.”) sincere, and loving; and how, along with thoughtful parental influence, real life experiences mold the adult’s character.  The picture is so vivid, one can almost “see” the psychological scars left upon this child, who nevertheless appears to be quite capable of processing it and figuring it all out.  Especially moving is the last scene with children playing happily and boisterously in the ocean, a coda that repeats one of the first scenes in an earlier place and time.

          Although he is apparently new to the acting scene, Abraham Attah carries his role like a pro with naturalness and convincing emotional expression.  Two of the most revealing are his turmoil when confronted with brutally killing someone the first time and at the end when he is ruminating on his life so far and wondering what his future will be.

        This is probably one of Idris Elba’s meatiest roles in that he is such a central figure and it allows his strengths full rein.  He is well regarded as an actor, particularly as Nelson Mandela in Mandela:  Long Walk to Freedom and as Luther in the TV series, and he is likely to be nominated for awards in this performance.  The Commandant leads his troop in Hitler-like fashion, demanding a worshipful allegiance to him and dispensing favors selectively.  The only time he is shown to be the least bit vulnerable is in his narcissistic feelings toward Agu.

        Beasts of No Nation has already been nominated for awards at the London and Venice Film Festivals, and there will probably be more coming up.  Fukunaga, Attah, and Elba would all be deserving of consideration. 

Inspiring film about childhood heroism with stunning cinematography.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland