DARK WATERS

Mark Ruffalo     Anne Hathaway     Tim Robbins     Bill Camp     Bill Pullman     Victor Garber

     Robert Bilott (Ruffalo) is a promising young attorney who has just made partner in a respected corporate law firm.  He has a number of key supporters as a result of his work defending chemical companies, who believe he will distinguish himself (and them) because of his deliberateness and passion for the law.  He will indeed live up to this faith, although not in the way his supporters think.

     Soon after starting this phase of his career, Rob is personally visited in his office by a West Virginia farmer, Wilbur Tennant (Camp), wanting representation. He has been referred by his neighbor, Rob’s beloved grandmother.  Rob patiently explains that he is a civil lawyer and not likely to serve the client well.  Tennant leaves in a huff, feeling that all his antagonism toward authorities is justified.  

     But Rob is conscientious, and visits his grandmother for more information. She reminds him that as a boy he used to go to the Tennants’ farm every summer (to swim and learn to milk cows!) and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Rob does a bit more investigation, looking at a landfill near the farm, and being shown by Tennant some of the devastation, which he thinks is perpetrated by the DuPont company (DuPont de Nemours, as they prefer to be called).  

     After doing more research into the company and getting the EPA reports, it begins to dawn on Rob that there is something to investigate (like water and air contamination, as well as animal/human organ damage.  The Tennants do not have the money to hire him, so he discusses with his boss Tom Terp (Robbins) the possibility of taking on pro bono what they foresee as a short-term project.  Terp reluctantly agrees on the basis that it will promote the Taft Law Firm’s good name.

     What is in store for them is (literally!) mountains of data for Rob to go through, unsatisfying responses from the DuPont company to his inquiries, and later on, major resistance and obstruction as a defense by DuPont, despite ever-mounting evidence against them.

     I wish I could describe to you a heroic story in which legal and political action made a decisive difference.  Although I cannot, I nevertheless urge the public to see this film (updated/extended from the Erin Brockovich) for its application to contemporary environmental and political concerns.  It’s a bit like a detective story that must accumulate data over a long period of time, and becomes a drama that is all too familiar today.

     Mark Ruffalo does an exemplary job portraying a man trying to overcome a compromised history by committing himself to helping the disadvantaged.  This comes at a cost, and we see his, his wife’s (Hathaway) and their family’s sacrifices.  Noteworthy (and perhaps award-worthy) is Bill Camp’s performance in playing a West Virginia farmer who is astute but not given credit for it by virtue of his accent, his class, and where he is from geographically (West Virginia). He successively endears others, and distances them because of his extreme (but well justified) anger. He is a significant supporting actor.

     Todd Haynes continues to surprise with his explorations into varying subjects and he and cinematographer Edward Lachman’s foray into innovative techniques in Wonderstruck, Far from Heaven, Carol, and this film, show their abilities to portray the poetic as well as the meaningful in their joint works.  I want to give a shout-out to composer Marcelo Zarvos, whose music has a paradoxical effect of being soft and lyrical, but with ominous overtones, even from the beginning.  Those tones let you know this will not be a romp through the park.  

     The movie gets into substantive issues relevant today about environmental concerns, corporate power, and the costs of social advocacy, while engaging you emotionally into the drama.

Dark Waters turn out to be toxic.

Grade:  B+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

AVENGERS: ENDGAME

Robert Downey, Jr.    Chris Evans    Chris Hemsworth    Paul Rudd    Jeremy Renner

Scarlett Johansson     Mark Ruffalo     Brie Larson   Bradley Cooper    Tilda Swinton    

Don Cheadle     Karen Gillan     Zoe Saldana     Tilda Swinton     Gyneth Paltrow

Chadwick Boseman     Danai Gurira     Letitia Wright     Elizabeth Olsen

     Endgame is quite the finale to Marvel Comics’ Avengers series.  The creators (Anthony and Joe Russo, directors) manage to reprise almost all the roles in previous films, and there are reunions as touching and significant as the beginning of this last season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” The film starts with an eerie reminder of Thanos’ (Brolin) intentions in Infinity Wars (to destroy half the people on earth to deal with over-population) by showing Hawkeye (Renner) training a young woman in shooting arrows while his wife calls on family members for a picnic lunch.  Suddenly, everyone but Hawkeye disappears.

     Five years later, some of the Avengers are congregating to come up with a solution. But part of the problem is that some have become content; for instance, Tony Stark (Downey) is basking in family life with Pepper Potts (Paltrow) and their young daughter Morgan.  When some of the others—specifically Banner/Hulk (Ruffalo)—think they have the solution:  A time machine that will take them back to the time before Thanos stole the stones, retrieve them, and use them to get back the people destroyed and create a different world.

     They have a difficult time rousing Stark/Iron Man from his contentment and risk losing those he holds most dear; but, of course, the whiff of a challenge and an adventure reels him in.  From then on, a full contingent of the Avengers [Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America (Evans), Thor (Hemsworth), Black Widow (Johansson), Ant-Man (Rudd), and Hawkeye] test and use their knowledge of time travel to reverse Thanos’ delusional plan.  

     They are indeed able to travel back in time, but it won’t be as simple as they expect. There will be many reunions, but the Avengers will encounter some of the same challenges they thought were over. The special effects for time travel will be a highlight of this story.  The viewer experiences just exactly what we imagine it would be like if we were so privileged.  

     Then, when you get to what looks like the last big battle (and it goes go on and on), don’t settle back in your chair or get ready to leave; much more is coming to create a satisfying conclusion in terms of closure—not necessarily satisfaction with what does occur.

     As with most Marvel Comics movies, this one is overly long, bloated by the obligatory fight scene toward the end, and of course a fistfight scene is required as always.  But in its favor, the story is exciting and suspenseful; the special effects outstanding; and the humor almost always really  funny.  Also, women have stronger roles than in the past.

Endgame is a worthy conclusion to the Avengers series.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR

Josh Brolin   Tom Holland   Chris Pratt   Chris Evans   Chris Hemsworth   Robert Downey, Jr.   Zoe Saldana

Tom Hiddleston   Benedict Cumberbatch   Chadwick Boseman   Letitia Wright   Danai Gurira

Mark Ruffalo   Peter Dinklage   Bradley Cooper   Vin Diesel   Don Cheadle

     Marvel Comics has gone all out in seeing to it that this rendition of the Avengers franchise thrills, chills, and awes. Surprising plot turns and awesome special effects while keeping the well-known players’ characters doing their thing, are sure to seize audience attention and keep it spellbound. It’s always best to be familiar with the comic book stories, but for those who have only a foggy notion about them and haven’t kept up, there is still much to entertain.

     The essential conflict in this story is Thanos’ (Brolin) attempt to collect all the Infinity Stones so he can rule the world.  He has an agenda; and it’s another case of someone thinking they know what’s best for all mankind.  Thanos has decided that there are too many people in the world relative to the number of resources, so his simple solution is to destroy half of them. That way, the world’s limited resources won’t be depleted.  Keep in mind that he is utterly convinced that this is the only solution.

     It’s rather fun to see all the Marvel superheroes uniting together in their commitment to save the universe from a seemingly invincible monster.  And Brolin plays Thanos with just the right mix of power-hungry deluded, admiration of strength and bravery, and slight vulnerability to love and affection.  He is an ideologue who has supreme confidence in his belief of what is good for all mankind.  One of the creative twists of the writers (Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely), is in showing his deep emotional attachment to Gamora (Saldana), his adoptive daughter, whom he rescued from poverty when he was destroying her world. His love for her and subsequent disillusionment is one of the few emotional pulls in the film, which is mainly concerned with the battles among super-heroes. 

     Disillusionment is shown once again when Thanos’ forces are attacking Wakanda, the pristine realm of Black Panther (Boseman).  At one point, the Panthers’ warrior in command, Okoye (Gurira),  states, “When we opened up Wakanda, this is not what I imagined”, to which Panther asks, “What did you imagine?”  Her reply: “The Olympics, maybe a Starbucks…” illustrating the movie’s subtle references to practical and more lofty ideals.

     This is a film for action movie aficionados, and it delivers all to be expected in that sense.  The story, special effects, and cinematography meet these expectations.  But for those who prefer a more subtle, nuanced plot and refreshing character development, it will come up short.  

Action?  Adventure?  Exciting fantasy? You got it with this film. There are other choices if action and extended battle scenes are not for you.

Grade:  B                                                 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

NOW YOU SEE ME 2

Mark Ruffalo   Lizzie Caplan   Daniel Radcliffe   Jesse Eisenberg   Dave Franco  

Morgan Freeman   Woody Harrelson   Michael Caine   Sanaa Lathan

          Dazzling sleights of hand, cat and mouse chases, vengeance, and power struggles continue the essence of the Now You See Me films (#3 is already planned).  Revelations about mysteries left unresolved in the first picture are cleverly revealed, specifically with regard to Thaddeus Bradley (Freeman).

        The Four Horsemen of Now You See Me have been in hiding for a year after they robbed their sponsor’s Parisian bank account during their performance in New York to give the spoils to their audience, many of who were victims of Hurricane Katrina.  They have been in training for the next big caper, the details of which have not been revealed.  They’re restless and resentful that the secret society from whom they receive their instructions, the Eye, has not provided them with more challenges.  The sponsor of their original show, Arthur Tressler (Caine) of Tressler Insurance, had not been generous to the victims, so the Horsemen considered themselves Robinhood figures who give to the poor what the rich have withheld.  Now, finally, the magic troupe has plans to reappear by usurping a major advertising promotion by the company Octa in London, 

         But the FBI is after them for their previous heist, along with Thaddeus, in jail for his role in the previous story, and Tressler, who lost millions in one of their heists.  Along for the venomous ride this time is Tressler’s son Walter (Radcliffe) who has a big investment in pleasing and redeeming his father.

         Sanguine truths are sprinkled about through this story to at least give it some depth.  Walter, who has learned from his father the value of secrecy, says, “True freedom is not being seen”, an astute observation of one who wants his actions and behavior to remain anonymous.  Another character emphatically refers to the “power of an empty fist”, so useful in magic tricks.  And finally, in the last few moments, Thaddeus observes that “Seeing is believing…” but he thinks it’s important to ask whether what’s seen is truth or lie.  (It’s noted that belief has ‘lie’ in the middle of the word.) 

        When the film begins, we learn that one of the Horsemen (played by Isla Fisher) is missing, and the team needs to recruit another.  After some disagreement, cheeky Lula (Caplan) is accepted and wins their respect for her skills.  Magic tricks are very similar to those in the first film, and all the actors are captivating in their renditions.  Radcliffe does a fine, convincing job in being evil with daddy issues.

          The last scenes are clearly set-ups for Now You See Me 3.

If you liked the first one, you’ll probably enjoy Now You See Me 2.  If not, skip it.

           

Grade:  C+                        By Donna R. Copeland

SPOTLIGHT

Mark Ruffalo   Rachel McAdams   Michael Keaton     Liev Schreiber   Stanley Tucci   Billy Crudup   John Slattery

          Shining a spotlight on wrongdoing is a big scoop for a newspaper, but it also holds huge risks.  The small team at the Boston Spotlight was charged with investigating the involvement of Catholic priests in the abuse of children in the 1970’s, just when newspapers were beginning to founder and a new editor had come aboard.  And Marty Baron (Schreiber) was an astute editor, insisting on pursuing the story even when the staff was a bit reluctant—except for one, Michael Rezendes (Ruffalo), one of the newer reporters. 

        Tom McCarthy, director, and co-writer with Josh Singer, has once again shown his considerable talent in telling an important story with grace, compassion, and thoughtfulness (as in The Station Agent, Win Win, and The Visitor) without indulging in hero worship or lurid descriptions.  That is, he avoided focusing it as a major newspaper scoop, and kept the attention on the (in)humanity of the issue.  Based on a true story, for which the Spotlight received the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2003, McCarthy’s film is a docudrama about the newspaper’s honorable pursuit of the truth.  In their efforts, they encountered formidable resistance from a shocking number of respected leaders in the Boston community.

         The reluctance of so many to admit culpability—based on a myriad of reasons even as simple as “It just didn’t capture my attention” to “Yes I did it, but it wasn’t wrong”–is entirely understandable in some cases, but reprehensible in others.  The film does a fine job in distinguishing these from one another.  One sign of a story well told is if audience members ask themselves, “What would I have done?” and have to think about it for a while. 

   In addition to the drama, McCarthy knows how to choose musicians and cinematographers who will enhance the drama.  Howard Shore’s music swells or lilts at just the right places to reinforce the drama.  Similarly, cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi is skilled in capturing mood and emotion in the drama and employing the camera as a visual guide.

     Now, back to the actors.  Mark Ruffalo gives probably one of his most memorable performances here, although he is noteworthy in many films (e.g., Foxcatcher, The Kids are all Right, The Avengers series, and television’s The Normal Heart).  As Mike in this film, he shows him as a team player, an eager beaver but with values, and more importantly one of the few who really champions and wants to protect children.  (I was dismayed to see how little regard for children so many, even mothers, had, as well as the absence of any impulse to protect younger children coming up.)  Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams are noteworthy as well, especially in their “naturalness” in playing their roles.   He in his cool editor role who resists being regarded above his staff and she in her obviously caring but crack reporter role. 

       Actually, the whole ensemble is outstanding.  Liev Schreiber plays a boss that we would all like to have in his wisdom, listening ear, and smooth direction of the team.  Stanley Tucci delivers another of his nuanced performances (with hair this time!) as an outsider in a community that doesn’t seem to want to pay attention to what he has to say.  Billy Crudup and John Slattery round out an altogether fine cast.

      Obviously, I think Spotlight is one of the better films this year owing to the high level of movie-making production and ethical/moral values it epitomizes.

This is a fine film in just about every way.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

INFINITELY POLAR BEAR

Mark Ruffalo     Zoe Saldana     Imogene Wolodarsky

Funny and tenderly sad, Infinitely Polar Bear gives us a taste of what it’s like living with bipolar disorder as a person and as a family member.  Writer/director Maya Forbes apparently knows of what she speaks because every bit of the film rings true, from the mental disorder, to the kids’ behavior, to the challenges one parent takes on in pursuing an education and the other taking on household responsibilities with little prior experience.  It’s also remarkable in showing the amount of patience, love, and commitment it takes for each person to muddle through.  Finally, it’s refreshing to see a film about a family in which the communication is out front, including allowing the children to speak their minds freely.

           The story begins on a rather pessimistic note with Cam (Ruffalo) getting fired from his job and entering a manic episode.  He is admitted to the hospital where he looks like a zombie at first, but gradually becomes well enough to go to a halfway house.  His wife Maggie (Saldana) plugs away at a job far beneath her qualifications, and their girls Amelia (Wolodarsky) and Faith (Ashley Aufderheide) have to transfer to a substandard school. 

           Then good problem solving gets them on a better—although not ideal—track.  Maggie is accepted by Columbia University to work on an MBA, the downside of which is that she must be away from home during the week for 18 months.  At first, Cam is taken aback and overwhelmed, but Maggie expresses her confidence in him to take care of the girls.  As expected, it’s rocky along the way, what with lapses on Cam’s part, car breakdowns, and the endless demands of keeping up with the dishes and the laundry.  But the young girls admirably step up to the plate and take on more responsibility, which is good for them.  It’s also rewarding to see how handy Cam is in fixing whatever is broken and creatively constructing all kinds of solutions to meet their needs.

           The story ends on a hopeful note, although not with everything tied up neatly with a bow.  But I can say that in the end, we are confident that “the kids will be all right.”

           My hat is off to Mark Ruffalo for being willing to take on a househusband role and be impaired to boot!  And he does a magnificent job!  I hope he receives nominations for such a challenging project.  He and Zoe Saldana work together beautifully and convincingly in portraying heroic parents in reality-based troubling situations.  It is gratifying to hear that young Wolodarsky—without any prior acting experience—nails her role.  It’s in her blood literally, I suppose, in that she is the daughter of Forbes and one of the producers, Wallace Solodarsky. 

           Ah, the music in this film!  Whenever a scene needs it, award-winning Theodore Shapiro  (Hope Springs, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Marley and Me, The Devil Wears Prada) comes up with exactly the right songs and orchestral interludes to enhance the effects of the drama.

An infinitely rewarding film.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

Robert Downey, Jr.   Chris Hemsworth   Mark Ruffalo   Chris Evans   Scarlett Johansson   James Spader (voice)   
 Jeremy Renner   Samuel L. Jackson   Don Cheadle   Aaron Taylor-Johnson   Elizabeth Olsen   Paul Bettany   Andy Serkis

This version of the Avengers features a dizzying number of battles with characters flying at each other through the air at lightning speed.  The story opens with the Avengers in an eastern European country, Sokovia, raiding a Hydra outpost led by evil scientist Strucker who has used Loki’s scepter to create the superhuman Maximoff twins out of humans, one of whom, Pietro (Taylor-Johnson), can run at superhuman speed and the other, Wanda (Olsen), can read and manipulate minds and throw scarlet energy blasts. 

But the Avengers overcome Strucker, and when Stark (Downey) and Banner (Ruffalo) take over his lab, they discover artificial intelligence in the scepter’s gem, which Stark wants to use for his “Ultron” peacekeeping defense program.  Unbeknownst to them and to their chagrin, however, when he appears, Ultron is sentient and hatching a plan to “save” the earth from mankind because they’ve done such a bad job.  While the Avengers are celebrating their victory over Hydra and Strucker, Ultron begins to take action by eliminating Stark’s A.I., J.A.R.V.I.S., and stealing the scepter, which he plans to use to upgrade his body and construct an army of fighter drones.  In addition, he talks the Maximoff twins into joining him in his efforts.  He is persuasive, because he talks only of peace, but fails to mention his grandiose plan of extinguishing humans and populating the earth with metal creations in his own image. 

When this is discovered, another battle ensues, and Wanda is able to make chaos among the Avengers by hypnotizing them into stupors and transmitting hallucinations that relate to their personal underlying fears, resulting in undermining any sense of team spirit they had.  Now they realize they need a break for rest and teambuilding, so they head for Hawkeye’s (Renner) farmhouse to rest up.  But their recuperation is interrupted by the arrival of Nick Fury (Jackson), informing them that Ultron has forced Banner’s scientific colleague Dr. Helen Cho (Claudia Kim), to use her synthetic tissue technology to perfect his body, so they head for South Korea to foil his efforts.

In the process, allegiances shift among different characters, Stark is able to resurrect J.A.R.V.I.S., which Thor activates with lightning, resulting in a new robot called Vision (Bettany).  The ultimate battle ensues in Sokovia, where Ultron has major plans to use the city in his efforts for global extinction of humans.

Director Joss Whedon, who is also one of the writers, is known for inserting emotional elements into his action films to make them more than simply action scenes with special effects.  This is usually successful, but not so much in Avengers:  Age of Ultron.  The side stories of Romanoff and Banner, Hawkeye and Wanda, and War Machine’s repeated corny jokes, for instance, seem patched in rather than seamlessly integrated into the overall story.  He is successful, however, in making the action interesting and exciting, and by now, after so many iterations, most of the characters have depth and distinct personalities.  As an added bonus to me, Whedon is a master at inserting classical music and literature into the sci-fi action genre—e.g., operatic aria playing in a laboratory that is creating A.I.’s.

The film’s impressive cast, music (Danny Elfman and Brian Tyler), cinematography (Ben Davis), and special effects make this a movie well worth seeing for those who are fans of the superhero genre.

Can the Avengers save the planet?

GRADE:  B                      BY DONNA R. COPELAND