C'MON C'MON

 Joaquin Phoenix     Gaby Hoffmann     Scoot McNairy

Jaboukie Young-White     Molly Webster

            I can see why so many people are taken with C’mon C’mon, a tender story about a man who has never been around children is suddenly charged with taking care of his nine year-old nephew while the parents deal with the father’s mental illness.  What was supposed to be a few days turns into weeks, so the two males get to know each other quite well.

            Johnny (Phoenix) has an interesting job as a radio journalist in New York interviewing children of all types/races/nationalities about what they think about the future.  He tries this out on his nephew Jesse (Young-White), who will have none of it, even though he is a bright imaginative kid whose mother has fostered his creativity and inquiring mind.  Jesse is not keen on necessarily doing what is expected, but he is into technology and the media, so Johnny wisely engages him in recording all kinds of urban and beach sounds on the huge microphone he uses for his interviews.  

            As time goes by, Johnny’s patience is tested by the child—who might suddenly disappear from sight—and has definite opinions about what he will and won’t do.  Still, the kid is interesting, and comes up with questions about Johnny’s personal life that take him off guard and force him to express himself in ways he has never done before.  Periodically, he speaks on the phone with Jesse’s mother Viv (Hoffmann) and is able to get advice from her as well as great understanding of the trials and frustrations of taking care of children.

            Joaquin Phoenix is gifted in portraying all kinds of roles, and he fits perfectly into this one, showing his playful side, psychological vulnerabilities, and anxiety when he feels at sea.  It’s realistic the way he might show a sudden urge to quash the child while still clearly being charmed by him.  He and Young-White appear to have a real affinity for one another, just as Phoenix and Hoffmann do.  It’s easy to imagine them all in the same family.  And the arc of Johnny’s and Jesse’s loving relationship is one of the best features; it shows an initial interest that gradually blossoms into a connection between them that will be valuable for both.

            Some of my reaction to this film of writer-director Mike Mills comes from my years of experience of talking with children and parents during my professional career as a psychologist in a pediatrics department.  I loved that job, but I think because of it I do not have the same fascination with the material as would those who are less familiar with children’s minds.  I certainly do still find children enormously fascinating, but what frustrated me about the stories here is that they are all like snippets that pique my interest without much follow-up or antecedent information.  It’s a bit like having a meal of appetizers; which can be enjoyable, but is not likely to be memorable or inspiring.  Because of this, C’mon C’mon borders on the prosaic.

 

C’mon C’mon presents slices of daily life in the dynamic relationship between an emotionally detached man and his clever nephew.

 

Grade:  C                                 By Donna R. Copeland

JOKER

Joaquin Phoenix     Robert De Niro     Zazie Beetz     Frances Conroy     Brett Cullen

     

     This is truly a creepy movie.  To the film’s credit, even from the beginning, I had a cloying, uncomfortable feeling primarily related to Phoenix’s character, Arthur Fleck, aka the Joker.  His portrayal—excepting the sometimes over-dramatization—essentially captures the psychosis he portrays, not only in the “craziness”, but as well in the selective kindnesses and gentleness he sometimes chooses.  The story is eloquent when it shows that time and again, people do not recognize Arthur’s lethality, dismissing him as “just quirky.”  His impassioned speech toward the end about being ignored, not seen, not given credence is, often, reality-based for people considered odd by most others.

     In addition to Phoenix’s uncannily accurate, award-worthy portrayal, the origin story is one of the film’s strongest points.  Director Todd Phillips and co-writer Scott Silver were perhaps acquainted with preconditions that could produce a character like the Joker, and they have come up with a good example.  It would be a spoiler to go into much detail, so I won’t say any more than that, except to quote the Joker’s musing, “My whole life I didn’t know if I really existed.”

     Joker tells a story about a misfit who has a medical condition that involves laughing or crying uncontrollably (yes, I looked it up and there is such a condition, Pseudobulbar Affect).  The irony is that this joker is, indeed, not usually very funny, but aspires to be a stand-up comedian.  His compromised mother (Conroy) specifically asks him why he wants that job “because, you’re not funny.”  He works for a company that hires out clowns, and is assigned to be a clown at a local pediatrics unit in a hospital.  He’s very successful until… and then he is fired from his job. 

     Desperate, he tries his calling at being a stand-up comedian, attracting the attention of a talk-show host, Murray Franklin (De Niro).  Franklin’s show was not to be missed by Arthur and his mother (for fantastical reasons as much as entertainment), and Arthur has had fantasies of actually being on it.  His mother also has significant fantasies about its host, Murray Franklin (De Niro).  Sure enough, when it turns out that Fleck’s performance failure at stand-up receives praise on social media, Franklin asks him to make an appearance on his show. This is a culmination of all that Arthur has dreamed of, but by this time in the movie the viewer will have justified apprehension.

     The Joker has been featured in many DC Comics presentations, and this attempt to reveal an origin story can easily stand on its own for the viewer; one needn’t have seen all the previous renditions.  As well as the film has done what it set out to do, there are a few reality-check moments that don’t work and coincidences in the story that may be a little over the top, such as Arthur being able to keep his job as a clown as long as he did and his path crossing so many times with wealthy benefactor Thomas Wayne (Cullen).  Additionally, his brief relationship with Sophie (Beetz)—as well acted as it is—is preposterous.  

     On the whole, I really got into this film for the drama and psychology, and appreciate its commentary about the consequences of the ever-widening gap between the wealthy and the middle-lower classes.  The clown as a metaphor is brilliantly played out in a thriller as well as a wake-up call to contemporary times (e.g., widening gaps between the haves and have-nots, urban decay, and guns in the hands of the mentally unstable).  

Is the Joker a joke or a powerful metaphor?

Grade:  A-                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE SISTERS BROTHERS

John C. Reilly     Joaquin Phoenix     Jake Gyllenhaal     Riz Ahmed     Rutgar Hauer     Carol Kane

     Intelligent western may be an oxymoron to some, but in this case, I think it fits. Director Jacques Adiard directed and co-wrote the screenplay with Thomas Bidegain, based on a novel by Patrick DeWitt.  That Adiard is French, and this is his first English language film, makes it even more impressive, because much of the content has wry humor, references, and interesting emotional connections that ring true for the American setting.

     The film begins with a darkened picture that becomes punctuated with gunfire bursts seen in the dark, the galloping of horses, and finally a house coming into view, with gunmen killing everyone they see, apparently cold-heartedly (cinematographer Benoit Debie created this striking opening scene.)  The two gunmen doing the damage are Eli Sisters (Reilly) and his younger brother Charlie (Phoenix).  They work for The Commodore, whom we only get two glimpses of, who has vast international business operations he has to protect. At one point, there is a pertinent argument between the brothers as to whether the people they shot are victims vs. bad guys who have stolen from The Commodore.  This is just one example of the philosophical/social issues subtly discussed among characters.

     Two other characters that will come in contact with the Sisters Brothers are an unlikely pair, in that one, Hermann Kermit Warm (Ahmed), is a chemist (who has a formula for extracting gold from California streams) and the other The Commodore’s effete detective, John Morris (Gyllenhaal), from an upper class background.  The latter has been charged with joining up with the Sisters Brothers to get the formula from the chemist—whatever it takes.  How he got into the job will come out later.

     In introducing these four characters, Adiard plays with the well-known contrasts between the educated and people like the frontier-hardened, skilled sharp shooters.  Tidbits about their backgrounds are inserted from time to time, allowing a more detailed picture of them, in terms of who they are and how they got to where they are. Further information is gleaned from incidents and conversations that occur throughout the film so that, by the end, a plausible account of how this group of four men got together, their backgrounds and personal stories, and how they end up is made clear.  

     The four main actors are stunning in their portrayals of brothers and unlikely connections that are formed for expediencies of the moment.  John C. Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jake Gyllenhaal can always be relied upon to bring potency and flair to their characters.  Riz Ahmed meshes perfectly with these well-seasoned actors to, likely, assure him of a bright future.

     The film was shot in Spain, but clearly looks like the American northwest. Debie’s cinematography transports the scenes to this country beautifully and convincingly.  Renowned Alexandre Desplat lives up to his reputation for capturing the essence of every scene with his music, and for his first western, he drew on strains of Charlie Mingus’ jazz and Nicholas Cage-type music.  I especially love his quiet piano accompaniment in emotionally charged segments; for instance, in a mother’s home.

     This film has many strengths beyond those mentioned.  Elaborating further, the interactions between the two brothers bring into play sibling rivalry, father issues, family loyalty, and the roles the two have come to own, such as the older Eli feeling and taking responsibility for the younger Charlie, who is more impulsive, more outgoing, more assertive.  But true to life, caretaking roles are switched now and then.  John Morris and Hermann Kermit Warm come together in a conventional way, in the spark created in their first meeting, and then through conversations in which they discover they have shared views about the world and how they might achieve a common goal.

     Another feature of the film that I appreciate is the way violence is portrayed in appealing to more artistic, sensitive tastes rather than eliciting shock through gore.  We are spared one shot and only see the body with a pool of blood on the floor.  Or it’s done in a kind of humorous way, such as an insect crawling inside a mouth and reproducing(!).  

This is a film for those who relish creative productions that can incorporate a modern take on a beloved genre, and still sketch out three-dimensional characters that resonate with most people today.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

DON'T WORRY, HE WON'T GET FAR ON FOOT

Joaquin Phoenix     Jonah Hill     Rooney Mara     Jack Black     Beth Ditto

      I have never given a high grade to a film that was so hard to watch.  Don’t Worry is hard to watch for its realism in depicting addiction and flogging one’s way through it to some kind of resolution.  I have to admit, I had to take breaks while seeing the screener sent to me at home.  For a long while, the viewer has little sympathy for its protagonist John Callahan, beautifully and perfectly rendered by Joaquin Phoenix.  He’s an alcoholic, self-centered, entitled, and dismissive of all rules.  He will get his comeuppance, though, from a car accident after a night of heavy drinking, after which his driver Dexter (played by the inimitable Jack Black in a chameleon role) walks away unscathed, and he becomes a quadriplegic.  

     The film is about what happens after that, which is a long, steep climb.  John is still bucking against society’s rules every step of the way when somehow he stumbles into an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.  He’s a little taken aback, but the leader that day, Donnie (Hill), captures his attention. What follows is the expected journey of an alcoholic through all the steps of that organization, to forgiveness—of course, the hardest step of all.

     Adopted at birth, John is poignant remembering three things he had learned about his mother:  She was Irish American, red-haired, a schoolteacher—and then the fourth thing:  “She didn’t want me.”  That made such an impression on him, he used it as an excuse to himself and to others for his behavior for years.  “I am an orphan”, he whines.  When he gets to AA, his claim is challenged, partly from questions he can’t answer and partly from stories that are obviously more tragic than his.

   The film is a marvel—and unique—in its depiction of how groups like Alcoholics Anonymous work, in their tedious exploration of each person’s story, confrontation by peers, and wise observations of the leaders.  I was impressed by how so much of it rang true and how helpful  the feedback is from group participants and leaders, a rarity in Hollywood movies.  It shows not only the emotional journey, but as well, problems in dealing with administrative obstacles, including beneficiaries’ trying to exploit the system and myopia of those in charge, e.g., if one is earning money from cartoons, he/she should no longer be deserving of benefits.  

     Gus Van Sant has a reputation for making good movies that reflect social order, populist opinion, and dealing with political issues (Milk, Promised Land, Elephant).  He is good at getting down to the nitty-gritty and showing the fundamental premises.  Here, he shows sensitivity again in his understanding of the psychological underpinnings of addiction and what it takes to overcome its hold.  

      Phoenix is a natural for this kind of role (quirky and resistant, but thoughtful in the end), balanced well by Jonah Hill, slimmed down and in an unusual role for him of a guru-type of figure.  I did not buy the Rooney Mara figure of a stunningly beautiful woman who gives her all to someone like John Callahan. First of all, she is portrayed (although it is not clear) as some kind of therapist, who is so attracted to a man in a wheelchair she goes all in.  If that happened for real, I’m glad in a way, but if it is “added in” to the storyline as a come-on, I’m turned off.

A mostly inspiring story about an obnoxious man who was rehabilitated by life events.

Grade:  B+                                                By Donna R. Copeland

IRRATIONAL MAN

 Joaquin Phoenix     Emma Stone     Parker Posey

Abe (Phoenix) is a very good but disconsolate philosophy professor who teaches summer classes at a university lecturing on rational arguments about different approaches to understanding life.  It’s a bit surprising then when he comes up with an irrational plan for solving a problem that is not even his own.  Nevertheless, this plan gives meaning to his life, and he immediately becomes purposeful and even ebullient; hence, the title of the film, Irrational Man.

           Right from the start, it’s troubling to see Abe continually drinking booze from a flask in his pocket.  He is known as a controversial figure from his published works and his lectures.  When he is aggressively pursued by colleague Rita (Posey), he easily gives in, although depression keeps him from performing up to his ideal.  He holds off on another crush from a student, Jill (Stone), as long as he can, insisting simply on friendship; but she is also persistent, and he succumbs to her as well.  One day, she gets caught up in a conversation going on in the restaurant booth next to them, and has him come closer so he can hear.  From this brief snippet of information, Abe comes up with his plan.

           Writer/director Woody Allen often comes up with moral dilemmas (e.g., Crimes and Misdemeanors, Magic in the Moonlight, Match Point), as a way of telling a story; this one, like some of his others, having to do with murder.  He is careful to set the stage so that the act has a certain degree of justice and righteousness to it.  Allen’s interest also seems to be in illustrating the self-righteousness of academics and women’s naiveté, and sometimes lack of a moral compass. 

           Phoenix captures the moody philosopher’s role, and easily transitions to the man who has come up with an answer that satisfies his need to help someone in trouble and vent his anger toward the system.  Stone is just as good at playing a bright young woman who is able to challenge an older intellectual by asking probing questions and having a mind of her own.  Posey carries off a devil-may-care attitude in going after what she thinks will save her from life in a rut.

           Irrational Man is light fare, but becomes interesting in its twists and suspense during the last half of the feature.

An irrational plan to relieve an existential crisis.

Grade:  B                         By Donna R. Copeland