THE LAST DUEL

 Matt Damon     Adam Driver     Jodie Comer     Ben Affleck     Marton Csokas     Harriet Walter

 

           I can’t think of any movie I would want to see three times back-to-back.  But that is a little like viewing The Last Duel.  It is supposed to be a story told from different points of view, but since the versions are not all that different from one another, the effect is repetitiousness.  Why am I seeing the same scenes over and over?

            The setting is in Normandy, France, during the 14^th Century, with all its primitive beliefs about women and religion at that time.  The main characters are drawn up in detail.  Jean de Carrouges (Damon) is a by-the-book kind of man with a strict moral code.  He is loyal to the king and a noteworthy fighter, but he is not personable in any way and turns people off with his bluntness.  Although they start out as friends, he and Jacques de Gris (Driver) end up being rivals to the death.  Jacques is just the opposite of Jean; good-looking, charming, persuasive, and quite willing to cut corners to please Count d’Alencon (Affleck), and the Count rewards him generously.  

            The part of the story that’s the most interesting is the transformation in the relationship between these two men—and all the players who contributed to that transition, along with the basic nature of each man.  The movie is good at showing how Jacques elicits Jean’s suspiciousness, and Jean’s lack of awareness of Jacques speaking up for him.  It shows how common gossip can work both for and against those who perpetrate and foster it.  It shows how an autocratic regime is ultimately bad for most people and how it stymies efforts directed toward the good.  It also makes the point loud and clear about women in that era being the property of their husbands, and a crime against a woman is really a crime against her husband.

            The acting is another strength of The Last Duel.  Damon, Driver, and Affleck live up to their reputations for playing various kinds of characters successfully.  Driver is especially skilled in facial expressiveness and demonstrating the nuances of a role, particularly one like this where he has to appear both genuine and duplicitous.  Damon can do the same thing, but this role is typical for him in its earnestness and honesty.  I almost didn’t recognize Affleck as the oily Count d’Alencon with a blond wig! But he aced it.  A shining new star is Jodie Comer (TV’s “Killing Eve”, Free Guy and Star Wars Episode IX) who appears authentic as a woman of the 14^th Century in a role completely unlike those she’s had before.

            The movie shows the brutality (to us in the 21^st Century) of the 14^th Century ethos and possibly make us grateful for the time we live in.  It depicts the last legally sanctioned duel in France’s history

            The Last Duel could be a lesson well told; but it’s just too bad the filmmakers didn’t spot some contradictions.  Number one is that Jean’s superior fighting/dueling skills would lead us to think that he could make quick work of the partying, bureaucratic Jacques.  That duel went on far too long.  The battles shown were also unnecessary, particularly since it was almost impossible to distinguish the fighters from one another and determine what was going on—a huge task for the cinematographer.  This film needed an editor with a skilled pen.

 

Given the talent involved in The Last Duel, it’s quite surprising that it didn’t soar.

 

Grade:  C-                             By Donna R. Copeland

STILLWATER

Matt Damon     Abigail Breslin     Camille Cottin     Milou Siauvaud

 

            This is a slow burn thriller that draws you in gradually.  At first, it’s a bit curious watching Matt Damon become a simple construction man from Oklahoma who is thoughtful, but not especially appealing or interesting.  He captures Bill Baker not only in the slight drawl, but in the complete persona of the stereotypical western man, taciturn and direct, but quick to react when provoked.  And he is doggedly persistent when he becomes committed to a cause.  But he will become involved in an intrigue that is far beyond his imagination.

            Bill Baker’s daughter Allison (Breslin) has been convicted of murder and has been in prison in France for several years.  We get enough information to learn that Bill was not such a good father and had problems with alcohol.  Now, he wants to visit Allison and do whatever he can to help her.  He has an unceasing belief in her innocence, whereas she is skeptical on his being able to do anything.

            Like many Americans going to a foreign country for the first time, it takes a while for Bill to really get that the French people don’t necessarily speak English.  Then, a young nine year-old girl comes to the rescue.  She is plucky Maya (Siauvaud) who manages to form a connection with this inhibited foreigner by her fearlessness and curiosity.  They bond around tools and handyman projects around the house, soccer games, and the need for her to have a caretaker when her busy single mother is forging ahead with a career in acting.  

            But Bill’s main purpose in going to France is to get his daughter out of prison.  When his efforts to pressure her lawyers and some detectives to forge ahead, he is stymied.  On one clue given to him by Allison, he begins to investigate on his own—a true western U.S. vigilante.

            This search becomes the suspenseful, tense action of the story like the usual detective thriller.  Bill makes some daring moves and comes up against Arabic solidarity on the one side and French hatred of the Arabs on the other side.  

            In the meantime, his attachment to Maya and her mother Virginie (Cottin) grows increasingly intimate, providing him an opportunity for a do-over as a parent.  Allison has expressed her lack of faith in him for his previous unavailability and ineptness, and he clearly wants to improve and be a better father.  

            The script and the talented actors bringing it to life are the rewarding aspects of this movie.  Damon gives one of his best performances of a character seemingly unknown to him, given his background.  But he must have researched it well.  Abigail Breslin’s characterization of an imprisoned young woman with regrets and justified anger toward her father hits home any number of times for its authenticity and depiction of so many different emotions.  You can easily see her ambivalence toward her father.

            The overall theme of Bill Baker becoming acquainted with a more cosmopolitan outlook on life is just as rewarding as the drama around Allison.  We see both Maya and her mother Virginie showing a kind of joie de vivre that Bill has never seen before.  He becomes more sensitive and expressive in response, and gets in touch with his own emotions as he has ever done before.

            Writer/director Tom McCarthy (The Station Agent, Win Win, The Visitor, Spotlight) is a wonder in creating dramas for the soul, and I think he has done it again with this film in which Americans and Europeans are in contrast, in the evolvement of a typical clueless American into one more open to change and new ways of thinking, and the different ways to approach powerlessness.  For example, Baker’s sense of powerlessness in his daughter Allison’s predicament turning to a sense of efficacy in his relationship with Maya and her mother.  But, as we all know, the final conclusion is not necessarily “happy ever after.”  Sometimes adjustments have to be made to accommodate to change, and then hopefully embark on another path.

 

The evolution of a simple man into new ways of being, spiced up with intrigue and hard-won battles.

 

Grade:  A                              By Donna R. Copeland

FORD v FERRARI

Christian Bale     Matt Damon     Caitriona Balfe     Jon Bernthal

Tracy Letts     Josh Lucas     JJ Field     Noah Jupe

     Yes, this film is about car racing, but it’s also about corporate culture and how it wields its power, showing how one major player can influence major events; and it’s about the friendship between two men, both of whom fit the emotional reticence of “macho” men, yet remain extremely close to one another. Thankfully, the wife and son of one of them provide balance to a testosterone-filled drama.

     Carroll Shelby (Damon) has a significant reputation as a racecar driver, but when his health forces him to stop, he becomes a designer of racecars, pulling in his good friend and driver, Ken Miles (Bale).  Shelby has a successful business designing and assembling sports cars, partly by virtue of his salesmanship and negotiating talent. Ken, on the other hand, is prickly, often offending others, and his car repair business is failing.

     When Lee Iacocca (Bernthal) of the Ford Motor Company begins to have aspirations of competing with Ferrari, current winner of multiple Le Mans races, he approaches Shelby, who has been the only American to have ever won the race.  He wants Shelby to partner with Ford to make a car that will give Ferrari competition.  

     What follows is the conflict between the creativity of Shelby and Miles with the Ford Corporation’s executive layers and its insistence on employees toeing whatever line it sets.  In addition, we see the struggle between middle-class “good ‘ole boy” war heroes and the upper crust of society.  We also get a glimpse of treachery that is sometimes characteristic of overly ambitious sorts and the self-entitlement of those born into wealth.

     The film tells an exciting, gripping story (more-so for those who are fascinated by cars and racing), written by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth and Jason Keller, based on Anthony Pritchard’s book (2011) about the Le Mans 1966 competition, pitting Ford versus Ferrari.  It’s well directed by James Mangold, but the jerky editing—especially in the beginning—detracts from its success.  The roar of sports cars around town accompanied by a soft “Chica Chica Boom Boom” rendition is fun, but when the races are full on, on the track, it is hard on the ears and head for those of us less enamored by the sport.

     Along with the excitement provided by a story about racing and personal conflicts, Christian Bale and Matt Damon are the hallmarks of the film.  They are the big draw, and lend their well-deserved stardom to boost the appeal.  Bale shows his range in all the different roles he has played (as a fighter in The Fighter, to an action figure in The Dark Knight films, to the Vice President of the United States in Vice, to name a few), and here as a cantankerous but brilliant race driver who keeps a cool head and is willing to take risks.  Damon’s Texas accent and persona come across as authentic, and it looks like he thoroughly enjoys savoring it the whole time. This role resembles his award-winning performance in The Martian, in its ingenuity and being able to think on his feet.  

     Lovely Caitriona Balfe as the wife of irascible Ken Miles, adds dimension to the story, and her pluckiness and daring is also one of the high points of the film. Most endearing, of course, is Noah Jupe as Peter Miles, Ken’s son.  Jupe mixes childhood reverence and joy showing keen perception on what Peter is learning, which, like the Molly Miles character, provides some levity to the male competitiveness.

Ford v Ferrari will be appealing primarily to car racing enthusiasts who will be fascinated by what went into the 1966 Le Mans race.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

DOWNSIZING

Matt Damon     Hong Chau     Christoph Waltz     Kristen Wiig     Jason Sudeikis     Neil P. Harris     Laura Dern

     Alexander Payne has come up with a way to save the planet:  Downsizing.  Yes, we could all do with a lot fewer material possessions, but he and his co-writer Jim Taylor realized that if WE weren’t so big, if our bodies were a fraction of their current size, we would consume so much less, and our world would be in much better shape.  Well, this movie clues us in as to how that would work.

     Paul Safranek (Damon) is an occupational therapist who was attentive to his mother before she died, and is now happily married to Audrey (Wiig).  They’re struggling a bit financially, in the sense that they’d like a larger, more modern house than the one he grew up in.  Then comes the news about the possibility of downsizing (which would bring one’s standard of living up substantially as one is reduced to about five inches tall), and when some friends who have done it brag about their lives now, Paul and Audrey decide to take the plunge, get downsized and live in “Leisure Land.”  This has all been worked out such that financial resources go so much farther for smaller bodies, enabling the downsized to live like the wealthy—golf, tennis, swimming, big house, etc.

     As we go through this transformation with Paul and Audrey, Payne lets us in on some of the pitfalls that ensue following unpredictable events.  It’s best to know as little as possible about the story beforehand, so that the viewer can get a taste of the experience.  I will focus my review on what happens to Paul.

     Paul is transformed in ways he could not have imagined.  He becomes more open to the world, to people, and to himself even.  It takes a good while for him to realize who he is and what makes him happy.  He is able to let go of some of his uptight ways and join his neighbor’s (Waltz) party rather than complaining about the noise.  He gets into charitable work through his acquaintance with Ngoc Lan (Chau), whom he initially tries to help with his knowledge of occupational therapy.  She opens up a whole new world for him.  Then when his noisy neighbor, who has really taken to him, invites him to Norway, where the idea and method of downsizing began, it all seems too good to be true.

     Downsizing, like Payne’s previous successes (Sideways, The Descendants, Nebraska), brings laughter as well as provoking contemplation.  The combination makes a wonderful mix of humans at their best and their most hilarious, but also their most sympathetic.  The character of Ngoc Lan is the embodiment of all in her keen intelligence, her “bossiness” that everyone is respectful of, and her huge heart that yearns for goodness and truth.  But Payne likewise sensitively shows us the underside of the idealist’s—or perhaps more accurately entrepreneur’s—dream, which is a slum, where some of the downsized enjoy none of the accoutrements others are enjoying.  Another character brings up the fact that the downsized don’t support the economy to the same extent as regular citizens.

     Matt Damon shows his ability to portray still another character he is so adept in capturing (such as the characters he played in The Martian, Suburbicon, and The Informant).  Here, he is someone who is rather naïve, but smart enough to figure things out and, in the end, knowing the path to take.  Hong Chau is a star in this production, aptly showing the complexities of a character who is an activist, a famous person, a lowly housekeeper, a caretaker of others, yet canny and aware of her own needs.

This fantasy/social satire is entertaining and thought-provoking.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

SUBURBICON

Matt Damon     Julianne Moore     Oscar Isaac     Noah Jupe

     Suburbicon is like round 2 of the Coen Brothers’ Blood Simple, lots of gore and misfires, and most everyone being unscrupulous and/or not very bright to the degree it makes us laugh, no matter how much gore.  In this case, at least the kid Nicky (Jupe)—whom no one ever listens to—has some smarts and ability to plan ahead. 

     Right from the beginning, the story is a bit confusing and we have to look twice at two of the characters, then we learn they’re twin sisters, and it takes a few scenes before we know who is who.  That’s a bit disorienting.  The script is good (writers, the Coens, director Clooney, Grant Heslov) in doling out key facts gradually, upping the suspense and requiring the viewer to play the role of detective.  But it also calls upon us to decipher the sociological messages contained in it.

     The horror begins when two men come into the Lodges’ home one evening and hold them hostage.   Gardner (Damon) looks terrified, but seems incapable of putting up any resistance.  Soon, he, both sisters, and Nicky are tied up and put to sleep by holding a cloth (soaked with chloroform?) over their noses.  The family situation changes after that, with Gardner’s sister-in-law Maggie (Moore) assuming more of a maternal role.

     Threats to the Lodge family continue, and we get clues as to what the source of the problem is, but simultaneously there is a curious theme of prejudice against a black family, the Meyers, who have moved into Suburbicon, right next to the Lodges.  The Lodges have no problem with this, and even encourage Nicky to make friends with their son; but the rest of Suburbicon is outraged. 

     What proceeds is the simultaneous undoing of the Lodge family and destructive rioting against the Meyers family next door.  The only sense of this juxtaposition that I can make is that it’s a contrast between culpability and innocence.  The Meyers have done nothing wrong and are being persecuted; whereas there is rampant dishonesty and cruelty in the Lodge family, extending to virtually all of Suburbicon.  In fact, the thrust of the story may be to refute the common belief that most crimes are committed by people of color; whereas, the story here is that every white person, except for the child, is corrupt in some respect.  Two families in the city suffer, but for very different reasons.

     The three main actors, Damon, Moore, and Isaac live up to their reputations as fine actors; I would give an edge to Isaac, who lights up the plot when he is on and who shows considerable power in evoking his character.  Mention should go to the child actor Noah Jupe, whose face conveys all the profound confusion, fear, and resolve Nicky is experiencing, as well as the child-like openness to new friendships. 

     Suburbicon, directed by George Clooney, may not have the look of black film noir which so many expected, but I think it points to a major problem in this country, the deterioration of values in many segments of our society and the unjust scapegoating of a minority.  Clooney has transfigured a Coen script to make it more sociologically relevant today.  Unfortunately, the message is not as clear as it should be.

A stark contrast between white-against-white crime and white-against-black crime, one more culpable than the other.

Grade:  B+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE GREAT WALL

Matt Damon     Willem Dafoe     Tian Jing     Pedro Pascal     Andy Lau     Hanyu Zhang

     Visually striking with some impressive special effects, The Great Wall could be a lesson in our current times as to how effective walls are for countries.  The Tao Tei are vicious monsters known for invading China every sixty years, and that time has come again.  They are fearsome dinosaur-like (allosaurus) beasts with huge heads and pointed teeth.  They come in droves—thousands at a time—and can climb walls and leap into the air.  They’re even smart enough to figure out how to get inside the wall and attack from there.  The Chinese have their own special weapons, including balls of black powder that explode on impact or near fire.  They can send out female warriors anchored by ropes on narrow protruding fingers high up on the wall to fight in the air.  They can send out comets of fire to light on the invading troops. 

     Unfortunately, the story and the dialog among characters tend toward the unimaginative and ordinary.  Basically, two scruffy men hoping to beg, borrow, or steal the rare black powder, are captured by Chinese militia and taken prisoner.  William (Damon) is experienced in warfare all over the world and looks at the situation they’re in with the intent of finding an intelligent escape.  His friend Tovar (Pascal) is not as smart or sensible, and when they encounter another prisoner who has been there 25 years after he was caught trying to steal black powder, they devise a plan of escape.  The Chinese will not allow any of them to leave the compound so as to prevent any knowledge of their secret weapons getting out.  William and Tovar were supposed to be killed, but after they proved their mettle in a surprise attack by the Tao Tei, they were spared.

     Then, there is a complication.  Commander Lin (Jing) and William have developed an awkward relationship that is part competitive, part respectful and part mistrust.  In their brief encounters, she does get through to him on the importance of trust (xin ren), which influences his usually mercenary intentions.  In demonstrating to the Chinese his military skill and getting their respect, he becomes more invested in protecting them and, potentially, the whole world, because military strategist Wang (Lau) has said that China would be only the first country to fall prey to the Tao Tei.

     Tovar is incredulous and scornful of William, and thus begins a real schism between them that has been simmering for a long time.  The rest of the story plays out much as one would expect, with harrowing scenes, intrigue among the three rogues, and Chinese cunning.

     Damon is up to his award-winning reputation, but I was disappointed in Dafoe’s character not being more sinister, which he does so well.  That has more to do with direction, most likely, than to him personally.  Pascal is convincing as a rascal, and pulls off some of the few acerbic comedy scenes. 

     At a time when the Chinese and the U.S. are launching a major collaboration in filmmaking, this film may be a harbinger of success, but maybe not.  Director Yimou Zhang (House of Flying Daggers, filming of the opening and closing of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games), a respected filmmaker, must have had to incorporate the input of many writers and producers, which sometimes has a blunting effect on creativity.  At any rate, The Great Wall will probably not be an A-list movie, but for those who like action more than dialog and story, it may satisfy.

Special effects over story for this film.

Grade:  C                        By Donna R. Copeland

JASON BOURNE

Matt Damon   Tommy Lee Jones   Alicia Vikander   Vincent Cassel   Riz Ahmed   Julia Stiles

          Matt Damon is back again as the unstoppable, hunted and haunted Jason Bourne.  In this journey, he is still off the grid, earning a living in physical fights.  Tommy Lee Jones is the current Director of the CIA playing his usual double-dealings with his agents.  New on the scene is Agent Heather Lee (Vikander) as a computer whiz who can spot and track targets and assets all over the world.  The terrifying, ruthless CIA asset is played by Vincent Cassel who carries a grudge toward Bourne from way back and pursues him relentlessly, impervious to the scores of bodies he leaves behind as collateral damage.

       In addition to searching for Bourne, the CIA has proposed a secret surveillance program (Iron Hand) that it desperately wants Aaron Kalloor’s technology company to agree to.  The proposal is highly relevant today in light of the U.S. Government’s recent efforts to get Apple to allow it to look at terrorists’ e-mails and search for anti-government hackers who have invaded the government and U.S. companies’ websites. The CIA wants Kalloor’s social media platform, Deep Dream, to allow it to search its posts, but Kalloor is having the same response as Apple, saying that privacy is freedom and we need to protect that.

         Bourne learns about this from Nicky Parsons (Stiles), in addition to her finding out more about his history and about his father.  She and others have pulled an Edward Snowden maneuver and gained access to the CIA’s data set about black ops. She wants him to help them bring the CIA’s operations to light.  When the Director of the CIA learns of this, he goes after Bourne and Parsons with a vengeance, sure that they intend to expose his department.  He then sends out the asset to kill them by whatever means necessary, and when that is not entirely successful, his plan gets hopelessly convoluted.

        Damon puts his all into this role as in all the previous Bourne films, and pulls off superhuman feats in planning ahead and evading the pursuers with clever strategies and all kinds of vehicles; he’s always one step ahead, startling his adversaries with his acumen.  I must say, though, that I much prefer seeing him as the quirky botanist in The Martian. Jones can play a mean, double-crossing s.o.b. easily, giving the appearance of an all-knowing father.  There is probably no better actor to play the calculating, vindictive killer than Cassel. 

         It’s refreshing to see Alicia Vikander again take on a completely different role from those she has excelled in previously, and here she comes across as extremely intelligent and accomplished, but with feminine intuitions that serve her well.  She has read Bourne’s file and thinks she has such a keen sense about his psychology that she can “bring him in” again. 

          Riz Ahmed is an up and coming actor to watch; he is winning high marks for his roles in Nightcrawler and the current television drama, “The Night of.”

Paul Greengrass directed this production of Bourne and helped write the screenplay with Christopher Rouse.  They have succeeded in making the pace fast and furious, with nerve-wracking close calls and scenes of high suspense.  I only wish the car chase and hand-to-hand combat at the end had been shortened by half.  The camera is so jumpy, it’s hard to follow the action, and it ultimately becomes simply boring.

Another Jason Bourne thriller that hits the same high points.

Grade:  C                        By Donna R. Copeland

THE MARTIAN

Matt Damon   Jessica Chastain   Jeff Daniels   Chiwetel Ejiofor   Kate Mara   Donald Glover   Sean Bean

          The Martian is so exciting, the 2 ½ hours fly by as the viewer is transfixed on the screen, first watching Mark Watney (Damon) using his considerable skills to survive all alone on Mars by producing water, setting up a farm for food, and making electronic equipment work for him; and second, watching as NASA and other scientists and the crew on a returning spaceship, the Hermes, make difficult decisions and work together to try to bring the abandoned astronaut home. 

        The crew of Hermes, led by Commander Lewis (Chastain) are busily collecting data on Mars when a fierce storm comes and blows Watney away.  Lewis risks her life in going out to try to find him, but can’t, and logically concludes he is dead.  In order to survive, the team needs to leave and head back to earth and they blast off.  However, Watney is not dead, and when he regains consciousness, he has a major wound he must treat and finds that he is on his own.  Oh, f---!

      For a good part of the film after that, we observe this very proud botanist problem-solving ways to get food and water, get battery power for the Rover, and attempt to reconnect communication lines with NASA.  Then we get good glimpses into organizational politics and see hypotheses formed, and policies made with insufficient information.  When astute observers see evidence that Mark is indeed alive, agreements have to be made about what to do with the situation and how wide the net of information to others should be spread, including the returning spaceship crew.  There are major setbacks along the way, and finally, the U.S. must rely on a foreign power for assistance. 

        I understand that the book on which the film is based is laden with technical information difficult for the average reader to wade through, so director Ridley Scott and writer Drew Goddard are to be congratulated on making the film just technical enough to heighten the drama of the plot.  Damon fits the role perfectly, with its blend of male-type analyses, wry humor, and drive for adventure.  He is the only one on screen for a significant amount of time and is entirely watchable throughout.  He deserves nominations at awards time. 

       The supporting cast members hold their own as well.  Jessica Chastain gives a solid performance as a female commander, Jeff Daniels as the bad-guy administrative head of NASA, Chiwetel Ejiofor as a scientist willing to take risks, Sean Bean as an advocate for major players lower on the hierarchy, Kate Mara as an astronaut with electronic know-how, and Michael Pena as an astronautic navigator and friendly competitor with Mark.  Kristen Wiig steps out of her usual comedy routine to be an able assistant to the head of NASA, Teddy Sanders.  Donald Glover is a stand out as Rich Purnell, a nerdy astrophysicist who stumbles out of bed after a late night of work and steps up with plans for rescue that make the higher-ups take notice. 

       Throughout, we get glimpses of the players’ personal lives, but the most entertaining and valuable aspects of the film have to be the ingenuity involved in survival and the ethical-moral-practical decisions that people in charge must make on an everyday basis and at critical times.  The point is well made that these are gut-wrenching decisions and that the best ones are those made by all involved, not just the people at the top.

An exciting, nerve-wracking, informative picture about what it takes to be a successful astronaut.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland