TOY STORY 4

Tom Hanks     Keanu Reeves     Christina Hendricks     Annie Potts

Joan Cusack     Tim Allen     Tony Hale     Madeleine McGraw     Emily Hahn 

     After the toys have said goodbye to their previous child, Andy, they are getting used to their new child, Bonnie (Hahn).  Woody (Hanks) is hurt that he is not the favorite toy for Bonnie like he was for Andy, but he still has protective feelings toward her, as he has come to have toward all the toys.  It’s kindergarten time for Bonnie, but she is loath to go. Woody sees that she will need his help, so stows away in her backpack to keep an eye on her.  Sure enough, after her parents leave, Bonnie is sad, and when a boy shuns her and grabs her art materials, she is really about to cry.  Woody steps up, rummages through the trashcan, and finds materials she can use to make something. It turns out, he has thrown on Bonnie’s table a fork and other little things like plastic eyeballs which she promptly makes into a toy.  She is so pleased and proud, she names her toy “Forky”.

     The problem is, Forky (Hale) doesn’t want to be a toy (something foreign to him) and keeps charging back to any trashcan he can find.  This will now be Woody’s primary responsibility:  Retrieving Forky for Bonnie every time he runs away. He also has to teach him many things about his new world.  Adventures follow when Bonnie’s family takes a trip in an RV, ending up at a park with a carnival.  Woody’s job is cut out for him, as Bonnie has become so attached to Forky and he keeps running away.  Not only are there adventures and challenges on the road and at the carnival, some of the scariest moments take place in an antique store!  Woody goes to the store when he recognizes a lamp in the window that reminds him of his old friend Bo Peep (Potts).

     Toy Story 4 comes through for children in its addressing—and making an adventure of—some of their deepest fears (abandonment, uselessness, rejection) and the means of coping with them (asking for help, turning to friends, being loyal to one’s own people).  Normal fears are countered with encouragement (“C’mon, you can do this!”) and, sometimes, (“Let it go; it’s not important”). And, ultimately, the film models the value in taking calculated risks in life for the goals of exploration of self and the world, and letting go of comfort and security, at least temporarily.  I have to admit that “Yes, we can-ada!” brought a smile to my face every time.

     Director Josh Cooley lives up to his reputation for Inside Out, Up, and Rataouille in making a film that is appealing to children and adults and, most importantly, speaking to children about important issues.  Production design by Bob Pauley and music by Randy Newman—along with the excellent cast—make this follow-up to previous Toy Storyiterations worthwhile.  

     Cooley and the producers must have had unbelievable influence to pull in A-list actors like Tom Hanks, Keanu Reeves, Jordan Peele, Annie Potts, Mel Brooks, Joan Cusack, Tim Allen, Laurie Metcalf, and Betty White for voicing the major characters.  Music by Randy Newman and production design by Bob Pauley, along with the animation and art crews boost the production to high quality film—shocking for a fourth version of a movie.  Cheers to Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures.

An adventurous, fun children’s movie with substantive messages for kids, and still entertaining for adults.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - PARABELLUM

Keanu Reeves     Halle Berry     Ian McShane     Laurence Fishburne

Mark Dacascos     Asia Kate Dillon     Lane Reddick     Anjelica Huston

     ‘Parabellum’ apparently means “call to war”, which is the theme of John Wick:  Chapter 3.  Repeatedly, we see groups aligning up against one or more persons, and agents being sent out to “be of service” (“I have served…years; I will be of service.” is the ritualistic response to a challenge)—which usually means taking someone out.  But the central character to go to war with is John Wick (Keanu Reeves, in his third appearance as Wick).

     By the third John Wick film, most of the drama and character development have been expended in the first two, and in this third we get what looks like a stunt man’s dream:  endless scenes of choreographed fights that used to be fascinating, but by now have become repetitive and tedious.  As with many action films, the fight scenes go on for 30 minutes or more.  This is understandable in view of the director Chad Stehelski’s background as a stuntman, but when that is essentially all that’s in a movie, it can’t hold the interest of those of us wanting a story.

     John Wick 3 is marked by extremely violent fight scenes that sometimes are accentuated by humorous images, which did indeed bring laughs from the viewers.  As in cartoons like “Bugs Bunny”, stunts are punctuated with humor, usually from one character clobbering another in rapid sequences with bodies flying into each other or into things like glass cases and careening every which way.  Many are cleverly done and get chuckles and guffaws from the audience.  There are swords that go completely through a man, with the point appearing on his backside and swords or guns being shoved into a man’s head then pounded to drive it in further.  One has to see it as a cartoon; otherwise, it’s just sick.

     In this version of John Wick (Reeves) has a bounty on his head to the tune of $14 million for killing someone in the Continental Hotel where the rule is that no blood can be shed there.       This rule comes down from the “High Table”, a mysterious group with inviolable rules overseeing underground criminal operations in the city. Wick tries various strategies (and wins out in a formidable number of hostile encounters) to redeem himself, eventually ending up in Morocco where the highest of highs gives him instructions for expiation, but only after he does extreme penance.  Then even more battles occur on a set reminiscent of Wick 2, which had mirrors.  This one has see-through glass everywhere in many configurations and on multiple levels.  (It’s a stunning set design.)

     Moreso than in the previous Wick films, this one involves shifting loyalties and very little drama in terms of personal interactions or character development.  For instance, Wick’s relationship with Sofia (Berry) is not explained, other than that they had a history that left her so resentful she leaves him on the desert sands, making a big show of depriving him of water in a gruesome way.  

     Keanu Reeves owns the character of John Wick admirably, as he has done for the previous renditions, but the constant “mano-a-mano” encounters show him to be as weary as we are of the endless struggles.  A fresh new exotic face is Asia Kate Dillon, as the Continental’s chief, who conveys a mixture of threat and decisiveness.  She is good, but I would have liked to see more mercilessness, a fault that I attribute to the writers or director rather than to the actress.  Ian McShane and Laurence Fishburne are marvelous in their continuing roles as underground criminal elements.  Halle Barry did well with what she had; her storyline did not add much, and her character needed to be much more developed to make it interesting.

John Wick is on the run (i.e., in a string of stunts and cartoon-like maneuvers) with a $14 mil bounty on his head after breaking an almost inviolable rule in a consecrated place.

Grade:  C+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER TWO

Keanu Reeves     Ruby Rose     Bridget Moynahan     Ian McShane     Laurence Fishburne    

John Leguizamo     Common     Ricardo Scarmacio     Lance Reddick

     It’s rather amusing that a group that thwarts society’s rules at every turn has a strict set of rules they must follow.  This is the world of crime syndicates, which John Wick (Reeves) became involved in, but is trying to leave it behind.  But Wick owes a debt marked with blood to Santino (Scarmacio), part of a crime syndicate, and Santino wants to extract payment.  No small thing; it’s to kill his sister, Gianni.  Santino wants her seat at the Table of 12, rulers of the syndicate.  But Wick is “out of the business” and refuses to do the job.  Pressure is brought to bear (as in fire-bombing his house), and Wick has no choice but to go to Rome and carry out the assignment.  Because the syndicate is rich and international—once again, with strict rules—Wick is given all kinds of luxurious accommodations (transport, hotel, grooming, and guns) to carry out his task. 

     He goes to Rome, is taken by surprise by Gianni, and Santino’s actions then make the story much more complicated.  The strict rules of the syndicate are broken, Santino is foolish in not listening to Winston’s (McShane) counsel, and so all hell breaks loose.

     The film maintains the momentum of the first film, and keeps us intrigued.  Writer Derek Kolstad made the script intelligent and gripping, throwing in line after line of quotable quotes:  “Death’s very emissary” (Gianni to Wick), “Consider this a personal courtesy” (spoken a number of times), and “What have you done?...Finished it.”  Dan Laustsen’s cinematography is breathtaking to look at on its own, the pièce de résistance, being the last shoot-out in a museum’s hall of mirrors (ironically called Search for the Soul).  And since the director, Chad Stahelski, is a former stuntman, he and his crew have highlighted the fights with masterful choreography.  (There are so many, that without the artful rendition, they would end up being boring.)

     Reeves continues in his ability to portray a powerful action figure with soulful inclinations and heartbreak while still being able to fight off however many adversaries come after him.  Supporting figures offering gravitas (McShane), intrigue (Rose), sleaziness (Scarmacio), depth (Common, Fishburne), and humor (Leguizamo), strengthening the movie’s quality.

     All in all, if the viewer takes to action films—with their obligatory car chases, loud gunfire, and choreographed hand-to-hand combat—John Wick:  Chapter Two will satisfy and please.  For others, it is a well-conceived and engaging story if your ears can take it.

Hold your hats for a crime story ride.

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

THE NEON DEMON

Elle Fanning   Keanu Reeves   Christina Hendricks

          For the most part, this movie isn’t just slow; it’s interminable, at least for the first hour.  And then the rest of it is violence for violence sake.  It’s high porn masquerading as art.  Perhaps writer/director Nicholas Winding Refn is making a statement about the cutthroat business of high fashion, but it really does remind me of pornography with its long, slow camera pans across bodies, husky seductive voices, Lesbian love and girl fights, all with clichés for dialog.  Dialog example:  “Ruby……….Ruby……….Ruby……….thank you.”

          The subject is about a young girl named Jesse (Fanning)--without parents, of course—who has aspirations for modeling.  She lives in a seedy hotel with Psycho vibes (Keanu Reeves has the role of creepy owner), and we’re supposed to see that the modeling agency photographer likes ‘em better the younger they are.  Jesse has been told to lie and say she is 19; she is much younger.  The make-up girl Ruby (Malone) takes her under her wing saying she’ll “protect” her, and introduces Jesse to her two snipe-y girlfriends.  As expected, the story devolves into the stereotypical portrayal of jealous, conniving, vindictive females who will stop at nothing to achieve their aims and are unforgiving when they’re thwarted.  One envious character muses,  “Who’s she fucking?  How high can she get, and is it higher than me?”

        There are sadistic themes, with characters exploiting those who don’t stand up for themselves or are perceived by others as being weak or are incapacitated so can’t defend themselves.  Scenes often involve two characters, one controlling, the other, submissive.  Although Jesse comes across initially as very naïve, submissive and in need of a protector, she has flashes of strength that seem out of character, such as when she shoves another person out of bed.  But mostly, she acquiesces to whatever is requested of her.  She reasons, “I can’t sing, I can’t dance, I can’t write, but I’m pretty.  I can make money off of pretty.”

         Refn did have two female co-writers (Mary Laws and Polly Stenham) whom he says contributed significantly to the script, but the point of view is so predominantly masculine I didn’t recognize any substantive feminine influences.  I exclude the music (Cliff Martinez), cinematography (Natasha Braier), and costume design (Erin Banach) from this observation, all of which are gorgeous, and stand in contradiction to the script in artistic quality.  One caveat is a scene in which beautiful, artistic shots are interspersed during an attempted rape scene.  I found this offensive, but presume it was composed in the editing process.

         This film is a mass of contradictions, which likely accounts for the divergent ratings of it (e.g., current Rotten Tomatoes score, 50%; and booing with clapping at its premier in Cannes).  My conclusion is that the music, cinematography, costume and production design warrant an ‘A’, whereas the dramatic conception, script, and editing deserve an ‘F’.  I guess I’ll go for an average, not in the sense of being so-so but because of the gap between some aspects of the film and others.

Inform yourself about this film before going to see it.

Grade:  C-                                    By Donna R. Copeland