KNIVES OUT

Ana de Armas     Jamie Lee Curtis     Toni Collette     Chris Evans     Don Johnson    Katherine Langford

Daniel Craig     Michael Shannon     LaKeith Stanfield     Jayden Martell    Christopher Plummer     Frank Oz

     This elegant pastiche fulfills its intention of laying out an ingenious plot with all the usual motifs of detective stories, tossing in blocks of humor and human foibles to keep you thoroughly entertained.  Writer/director/producer Rion Johnson (known for awarded works like Star Wars VIII:  the Last Jedi, Looper, and Brick) outdoes himself here, not only in his own efforts, but in assembling a formidable cast as well, most notable being Daniel Craig as private detective Benoit Blanc with a Texas twang.

     The set-up is Marta Cabrera (Armas) working as a nurse for aging Harlan Thrombey (Plummer) a wealthy book publisher.  Thrombey has numerous family members he is supporting, some of whom live in his mansion.  Tragically, one night after his 80-something birthday celebration, he is dead the next morning, apparently from a suicide.

     Enter Lieutenant Ellliott (Stanfield) and his trooper, along with a mysterious figure who sits to the side, Benoit Blanc.  As they question family members (paying homage to all the detective stories you’ve ever seen), we become acquainted with the motley group. Eldest daughter Linda (Curtis) is married to Richard Drysdale (Johnson) and they have a son Jacob (Martell). Son Walt (Shannon) thinks he is next in line to manage his father’s company, and is given something else to manage in the meantime.  Then there is the youngest son Ransom (Evans) who has a reputation for not working and hasn’t even appeared for the funeral.  Finally, there is daughter-in-law Joni (Collette), who is still part of the family in widowhood, and her daughter Meg (Langford), who is attending college, paid for by Harlan.  All of these actors shine in portraying their eccentric characters.

     Marta, the nurse who will be at the center of the drama, has a mother and sister from another country (humorously, family members always forget exactly which country), and much is made of their origins, and these facts are even used in threatening ways at times.         The crux of the story involves medications Marta administers to Harlan, his penchant for developing published fictions, and a major investigation, with everyone suspect.  Armas is a delight in her wide-eyed innocence and showing in her face her struggles to be a good person in a context of potential exploitation.

     Knives Out is likely to appeal to everyone who likes a good detective story.  This one delivers while still spoofing all those that have come before.  

Knives Out is a smart, entertaining look at deviousness, innocence, and human nature that can go either way.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

12 STRONG

Chris Hemsworth     Michael Shannon     William Fichtner     Taylor Sheridan     Michael Pena     Navid Negahban

     This film had potential, but the filmmakers chose instead to make it one long, two-hour gun battle nonstop.  We hear a bit about the characters in the beginning, but not really enough to feel invested in them.  We are given a bit of war planning and arguing, then the 12 committed men are sent to Afghanistan as elite special forces with the primary purpose of disempowering Al Qaeda.  They will secure the alliance of a Taliban warlord with grudges against his rivals and a mutual hatred of Al Qaeda, which has just attacked the U.S. on 9/1/1.

     If we could have been given more back story about Captain Mitch Nelson (Hemsworth) who secured undying loyalty from his team including Hal Spencer (Shannon), Sam Diller (Pena), and others, their confidence in him and his leadership would have been more gratifying.     This is even more salient for the character General Dostum (Negahban), the Taliban leader with whom Captain Nelson has an ambivalent relationship.  What a rich and illuminating history he must have.  Having some light shed on the political and historical background of these relationships would elevate the story beyond constant war skirmishes. 

I’m reminded of the jokes about American westerns’ “white” hats and “black” hats that helped us identify the warring parties.  We have no such clues in 12 Strong, where it’s often difficult to tell which fighters are American and which are which Taliban.  Some of them are robed, and we know they are Afghans, but which are General Dostum’s and which are enemies is difficult to see.  My hunch is that those who are familiar with videogames—which are fast-moving—will have an easier time than I had.

    Production designer Christopher Glass and the visual effects artists have created impressive sets and special effects.  It is thrilling to see the American bombs hitting their targets and rockets flying through the air.  These filmmakers did their jobs well; I put most of the responsibility for neglecting character development in favor of never-ending battle scenes at the feet of the director, Nicolai Fuglsig.  I believe this is his first foray into directing a feature film, and hopefully, next time he will attend more to emotional and character development to give depth to his films.

     Chris Hemsworth is effective in depicting a dedicated American war hero who is sharp and cagy in his analyses and attuned to nuances and competing agendas in his dealings with others, whether friend or foe.  We do get a better idea of what kind of person he is.  That is not the case with the characters of fine actors like Michael Shannon, Michael Pena, Taylor Sheridan, and Navid Negahban.  They were wasted in this movie, considering their intrinsic worth.

     This is a story that needs to be told, but with many more details about the circumstances and the people involved.

Knights on (not white) horses win the day (not the war) in Afghanistan post 9/11.

Grade:  D+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE SHAPE OF WATER

Sally Hawkins     Michael Shannon     Richard Jenkins     

Doug Jones     Michael Stuhlbarg     Octavia Spencer     Nick Searcy

     The playful, loving nature of Sally Hawkins’ Elisa perfectly captures the nature of this film and Guillermo del Toro’s creativity and imagination.  She’s a complex character—as is the plot—and continually surprises us with her thinking and actions.  She is mute, but not deaf, and is one of the two housecleaners at a research facility, the other being Zelda (Spencer), who knows sign language and assumes a maternal stance toward her.  Elisa’s neighbor, Giles (Jenkins), a rather fussy, inhibited man who doesn’t seem to know that she does not like key lime pie, and goes ahead and orders it for her, despite her protests.  He knows sign language as well, and is able to express his appreciation to her for looking out for him.

     The research facility is an odd one, with Dr. Robert Hoffstetler (Stuhlberg) in charge, and he has invited Strickland (Shannon) to come to the lab to study a strange creature Strickland found in the Amazon Jungle.  Elisa is immediately fascinated with “Amphibian Man”, and sneaks a peak at it as often as she dares.  Then she gets bolder when she finds that he appreciates a boiled egg she has brought to him.  She teaches him sign language, which he rapidly acquires, and they begin to communicate.

     The story takes on more adventure and drama when we learn of the varying motivations among all parties to study the creature (Jones).  Strickland, a speculator wants to make dough and please the five-star General Hoyt (Searcy); Hoffstetler, a scientist (and more, which we don’t find out until later) has interests beyond the scientific; and Elisa, a good-hearted maid with strong moral principles, simply wants to protect it.

    Del Toro inserts quirky mannerisms for the characters and plot twists and turns to entertain us with while he is telling his story, which turns out to be a bit of a thriller.  For instance, take Strickland—not minding that the women are cleaning the men’s room—he proceeds to wash his hands before he pees, and expounds on his thoughts about washing before or after relieving himself.  Mystery is introduced when he leaves behind a trace of blood on the lavatory.  Elisa loves movies and dancing, and proceeds to tap-dance along her way when she is alone.  Giles makes odd pronouncements such as, “Corn Flakes were invented to keep people from masturbating.”  Zelda has a demanding husband, who doesn’t seem to do much of anything, which she endures with patience; but she’s good-hearted like Elisa, so they make very fine friends.

     All this is bound together with the flowing score of diverse but script-meaningful songs by the musically elite Alexandre Desplat and artistic camerawork of Dan Laustsen. 

    Del Toro likes to play with magic in his films, and he is like a magician himself in putting together in The Shape of Water all of the many elements of filmmaking to give us excitement, creativity, full-bodied characters, and visual displays that we can see as a true work of art.

     Bravo! Guillermo del Toro! 

Weird meanderings of a beautifully told story with an unexpected ending.

Grade:  A                                                Donna R. Copeland

NOCTURNAL ANIMALS

Amy Adams   Jake Gyllenhaal   Michael Shannon   Aaron Taylor-Johnson   Armie Hammer  

Laura Linney   Andrea Riseborough   Michael Sheen   Isla Fisher

          It’s paradoxical that a designer of beautiful things can just as well create the same measure of ugliness.  Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals is stunning both for its beauty (people, art, landscapes) and its depravity (grossly obese naked dancers, disgusting images and sounds, menacing characters).  I assume that this reflects Ford’s view of the world in that he can find beauty even in ugliness. 

       After the shocking opening scenes with the credits, we are introduced to lovely, gorgeous Susan (Adams) driving through the gate to her architecturally striking home.  Eye-catching works of paintings and sculpture abound, and we soon learn that she is the owner of an art gallery.  Her equally attractive husband Hutton (Hammer) arrives, and we’re soon looking at the other side of the beauty; she is cynical and he is angry, anxious, and avoidant.  Their relationship seems strained.

          He flies back to New York for business, and Susan is left at home, alone because she let the help take the weekend off.  When she got home, she had opened a package from her ex-husband Edward (Gyllenhaal), which contained a copy of his latest novel, Nocturnal Animals.  The two had not spoken in years, so she was curious about why he had sent it.  But as she read it over the weekend, it became clear to her. 

      Most of the film thereafter jumps back and forth between Susan’s life now, with flashbacks of an earlier time when she was married to Edward, and to a movie of the novel.  The main character in the novel is Tony Hastings (Gyllenhaal as the character as well as the author) who, with his wife and daughter, are terrorized by “nocturnal animals” in the middle of the night on an isolated road on their way to Marfa, Texas.

         The novel has maximum impact on Susan, pulling up her memories and guilt about her first marriage and how she left it, and feeling threatened by Edward’s sending it to her.  Amy Adams’ performance is probably one of her best—much more impressive than in her other current release, Arrival, although she is outstanding in that as well.  The reason lies mostly in the difference between the two characters, one a scientist, the other a gallery owner with a complex history.

         The gifted actor Jake Gyllenhaal likewise pulls off a difficult challenge of portraying two different characters who have some similarities, but one is something of a pansy, whereas the other is more layered in temperament—a super nice, sensitive guy who has deeply vengeful thoughts and impulses that are terrifying.

          Reflecting Ford’s penchant for mixing up the good with the bad, the sinister character Ray (Taylor-Johnson) embodies the psychopath on the road who puts on an act of being rule-bound, polite and charming, but in reality is exceedingly cruel and twisted.  He and the policeman Carlos (Shannon) will send chills up your spine.

         Nocturnal Animals is exemplary as an art house film, one that doesn’t hold back any image, action, or state of mind, but covers a wide range of same.  That means it’s not always enjoyable or that it’s for everyone.  But Tom Ford’s script and direction, the cinematography (Seamus McGarvey), the music (Abel Korzeniowski), and the acting (Adams, Gyllenhaal, Taylor-Johnson, Shannon, Linney, and the rest of the cast) all come together to form a gripping production.

Hold onto your seats; this one is big, bad, and beautiful.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

LOVING

Ruth Negga     Joel Edgerton     Nick Kroll     Michael Shannon     Margaret Blackwood

          Another Jeff Nichols (Mud, Take Shelter, Midnight Special) film that quietly pulls at your heart and reason and captures your attention.  It’s aptly entitled because the last name of the interracial couple having to buck Virginia’s outdated law against their union is Loving.  When their case, championed by the ACLU, goes to the Supreme Court, and the attorney asks Richard (Edgerton) what he wants to say to the Court, Richard’s answer is simply “I love my wife.”  Nichols wrote the screenplay based on an actual case, but he dramatized it, using as much information as he could glean about the actual case.  In the Q&A after the screening in Austin, Texas, he said all the legal information he gathered would have made a very boring movie, so he chose to write a drama, keeping the focus on the couple.

         Loving is about an interracial couple in the ‘50s-‘60s who defied Virginia law against miscegenation by going to Washington D.C. to get married, and upon returning home living together as husband and wife.  They lead a normal life in a family atmosphere, unaware of a “snitch” who informs the local police.

     The Lovings are an interesting twosome—she is only 19 when they marry (in Washington D.C.)—and he takes his responsibility for caring for her seriously.  So when they are roused from a deep sleep by policemen invading their bedroom one night and hauling them into jail, we see the beginnings of his disillusionment (“It’s just not right”) and mystification, although he continues to accommodate to the sentencing they receive (which is lighter than it otherwise would have been, thanks to a sympathetic local lawyer who is a friend of the judge), which uproots them from their home and her family to the city of Washington D.C.  He is a good honest worker-type who diligently drives back to their hometown every day for work.

     As time goes on (marked by seasons changing and children being born), Mildred (Negga) develops more confidence and assertiveness, so when her relative giving them accommodations in Washington says to her during the Civil Rights marches in the ‘60s, “Write to Robert Kennedy; you need to get you some civil rights”, Mildred does just that, which gets the ACLU involved.  It’s at this point that we see Mildred’s gradual transformation into a sharp woman who comprehends what the lawyers and press are telling her and becomes aware of the social significance and implications of their pressing forward.

        Another thing I love about Nichols’ writing is that he makes this transformation positive and non-threatening to Richard, partly because of her loving nature, but partly because his inner strength makes him thoughtful and, once again, accommodating, always from a strong position.  (The movie could be an inspiration for couples in achieving equality in their relationship, along with its message about equality for all citizens.)

      The casting of these two characters could not have been better.  Ruth Negga epitomizes a woman we can admire in any age—tender, sharp, decisive in a quiet way, sympathetic, and empathetic.  [For fun, you can contrast this with Richard’s mother (Sharon Blackwood), a midwife, who is scary looking when we first meet her, devoid of emotion and issuing out instructions, yet still supportive of her patients.  It’s unnerving later to see her as a doting grandmother, but that is Nichols again capturing human nature in all its variances.] 

     Joel Edgerton should be highly praised for portraying this character who is eloquent in nonverbal language but terse or reticent verbally.  His facial expressions, eyes, body language, and cryptic comments give you a full picture of who he is, what he values, and what he is about.  Both Edgerton and Negga embody Nichols’ subtlety and accuracy in honing in on the human psyche with all its complexities.

     With all the low-key drama, we also get to chuckle, as for instance, when Richard is evaluating the value of ACLU lawyers—for which there is no charge—he says wryly and cynically, “You get what you pay for.”  For all his crustiness and terse observations, Richard is the most comedic character.

Jeff Nichols, an artist with cinematic social sensitivity who’s still entertaining and insightful.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

COMPLETE UNKNOWN

Rachel Weisz   Michael Shannon   Azita Ghanizada   Kathy Bates   Danny Glover

             This is one of the most interesting, intriguing studies of identity and attachment issues that I’ve seen.  There are movies about “split personalities” and multiple personality disorder based on the unconscious, but this is different in that Alice/Jenny (Weisz) is consciously changing her name, who she is, and her history, seemingly on a whim.  Or perhaps it’s when she starts feeling trapped (an attachment issue).  She describes an experience of getting to a “blank space” in her identity that feels like a high just before she decides who she’ll be next. 

            Transforming identities becomes a theme throughout Complete Unknown (a title that may refer to a Bob Dylan song, “Like a Rolling Stone”*).  For instance, when Tom (Shannon) meets Alice for the first time, she appears to be someone else; the name on a birthday cake is misspelled; and there is a sequence in which two people misidentify who they are completely in a game-like way.  At a party, some have fun altering biographical details, whereas others see it simply as lying and become incensed at the notion of doing so.  For myself, I find some humor in it, but admit that I found it unsettling in the beginning of the film when we see the Weisz character in shifting locations, appearances, and surroundings.  Someone’s identity is so central, we get disoriented when they become something like the shape changers in mythology.

            Tom is in business with his brother and is married to Ramina (Ghanizada), a talented jewelry designer who has been accepted into a designing school in California.  Tom is clearly feeling torn about venturing out of his comfort zone (home and profession) and launching a different life in California.  He’s having a hard time even discussing it with his wife, and is clearly hoping the dilemma will magically disappear. 

            When Alice appears unexpectedly at a party and he discovers that she blithely changes her identity at will, he is impatient and judgmental (with some justification, as we see), even horrified.  But he is also intrigued, and keeps pressing her for more details.  Then, when an unexpected situation arises, and she playfully pulls him into a game of pretend, he begins to see a possibility that never occurred to his practical mind before, which will prompt an important transformational change in himself.

            Complete Unknown could be seen as a light, entertaining movie that is just for fun.  But writer with Julian Sheppard and director Joshua Marston have something in mind that is more substantive, having to do with taking risks to fulfill one’s potential, or to escape untenable circumstances, or to explore the concepts of identity and personality, and, finally, to address the ethical questions and controversy that arise when people “mess” with something that some regard as God-given, e.g., taking different personas at will, or—more topical—changing gender. 

Don’t miss the humor and substance of this absorbing film.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

*How does it feel

To be on your own

With no direction home

Like a complete unknown

Like a rolling stone

Dylan, B. (2004). Bob Dylan Lyrics 1962–2001. Simon & Schuster. pp. 167–168. ISBN 0-7432-2827-8.

ELVIS & NIXON

Michael Shannon   Kevin Spacey   Alex Pettyfer   Colin Hanks   Tracy Letts 

             This well conceived parody about the art of pandering to celebrities and politicians and the self-entitlement that is inherent in both groups is subtly clever and funny.  Apparently this is the second film of the rather bizarre but real encounter between President Nixon and Elvis Presley, and just as interesting is the fact that the picture taken of the two on that occasion is the photograph most often requested from the National Archives.  (The previous film, called a “mockumentary” and entitled Elvis Meets Nixon, was directed by Allan Arkush and released in 1997.  I didn’t see that film, but it looks like maybe both are similar in their capturing the essence of the encounter.  For some reason I do not know of, the current film is said to be the first account of the meeting, disregarding the previous film.)

            The current Elvis & Nixon captures the American idolization of celebrities, giving it a ‘70’s flare with screeching young females ready to throw themselves at Elvis’ feet at the mere mention of his name.  But they’re not the only ones—a President’s aide can be just as enthralled, and come up with “politically reasonable”, convincing arguments as to why the President should meet with him.  The President is skeptical, and initially refuses; but when he learns that he can impress his daughter Julie, he relents. 

            Other arguments for the meeting (made principally by Elvis) appeal to Nixon’s sense that the Communists are behind the protest movements against the Viet Nam War and drug use among the “Lefties.”  It is with a sense of purpose that Elvis wants to “infiltrate” their organizations and be the one to catch them in illegal acts.  His arguments for this include the fact that as an actor he is an expert in costume and disguise(!).

            In his appeal to Nixon’s suspicious nature and his pandering to his vanity, Elvis pulls off something few would deem probable.  Badges mean a lot to Elvis (and he collects them, showing his Memphis Sheriff’s badge for his identification at airports, etc.), and he wants one from the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.  Illustrating/lampooning how that administration found it so easy to break the rule of law, Elvis was indeed given the badge.  (Not a spoiler; it’s in the National Archives.)

            The writers (Joey Sagal, Hanala Sagal, Cary Elwes) and director (Leza Johnson) should be credited with making an informed, entertaining film that is not just a parody of the main characters, but as well a look at American culture, politics and government, some of which still holds true today.  Just like back then, we get the impression that the American populace and some politicians can be drawn in with facile arguments that single out group(s) to be the “enemy”… and that the rule of law is not necessarily something to be taken seriously in all circumstances.

            Without the two main actors (Spacey as Nixon and Shannon as Presley), who are chameleon in their abilities, this film probably could not have been so successful.  It’s uncanny to watch each of them portray their characters’ gestures, voices, and manners—exactly as those of us from the ‘70’s recall seeing on television.  Supporting actors Alex Pettyfer, Colin Hanks, and Tracy Letts also deserve their due in making this a strange but believable film.

A film not so distant from current cultural and political realities.

Grade:  B+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL

Michael Shannon    Kirsten Dunst     Joel Edgerton     Adam Driver     Sam Shepard     Jaeden Lieberher

        For a fanciful blend of creativity and imagination with reality and clever CGI effects, go see Midnight Special.  Jeff Nichols (Mud, Take Shelter) spun this from his brain soon after he became a first-time father.  When his son was a newborn he had a febrile seizure, which the author drew on for the script.  Parental responsibility is one of several themes of the film, and the parents here—while outside the norm—demonstrate their love of their son in a way that is beyond that of most parents.

      The movie opens with a newscast of a child kidnapping, focusing on a religious sect housed on a ranch in the community—an unusual first look.  Viewers are apprised of the details gradually in a way that prolongs the suspense.  In short, there are two sets of parents, not necessarily on different sides, an intense search going on led by the FBI, and a state trooper risking his life in helping a childhood friend, one of the fathers.

      The reason the FBI is involved is that classified government data has been breached from a satellite meant to detect nuclear activity.  Moreover, the religious group has been apprised of the government codes, has formed their religious beliefs around them, and have become convinced that a day of judgment is at hand.  All this centers around a young boy named Alton (Lieberher), whom his biological father (Shannon) has in tow with the assistance of his friend (Edgerton).  The religious group wants him because if he is with them, they’ll be saved on the day of judgment.  Government officials are seeking the boy, who could possibly be a weapon.  Alarming events can happen when the boy goes into apparent seizures, such as brilliant lights streaming down from the sky and exploding on earth. 

      The actor playing Alton is very effective, partly just because of his looks, which are accentuated with blue-green goggles he wears when he is reading his comic books, as well as his sheer talent.  Shannon and Edgerton deliver their usual exceptional performances as the two “kidnappers”, and Dunst comes in as the boy’s mother—all of them demonstrating sensitivity to the boy’s needs despite being outliers and all looking a bit odd.  Driver has his moments as the NSA’s man whose training is in his expertise in understanding religious groups and chasing down evidence and data.  He has a major transformation in his encounters with this motley group of people that is cleverly inserted to help convince us of the validity of the boy’s visions.

      Jeff Nichols has become one of the rare writers/directors who is able to weave reality and fantasy together while still keeping the plot tight, without holes.  His and his team’s CGI is beautiful to behold, and serves a key function in depicting Alton’s surreal experience and the effects of other-world events. 

A TRULY SPECIAL MIDNIGHT RIDE.

Grade:  A           By Donna R. Copeland

99 HOMES

Andrew Garfield    Michael Shannon     Laura Dern

          99 Homes presents an excellent picture of what came down for thousands of homeowners during the meltdown.  As with most crises, there are always the few standing in line to take advantage of it.  Rick Carver (Shannon) explains it very well at several points; better that others (who are dumb, overextended, not smart about money and opportunity, or simply have bad luck) take the fall.  He is not going to be taken advantage of and keeps a watchful eye and calculating mind read on every situation he encounters.  “Don’t get emotional about real estate”, he advises, “they’re just boxes.” 

             Dennis Nash (Garfield) is one of the unfortunates whose work is in construction in Florida.  He works hard and is totally committed to supporting his mother (Dern) and his son.   He’s an example of someone rather naïve about the world who gets pushed to a desperate point, but has no experience or training in analyzing a situation from an ethical or legal standpoint.  He’s also typical of a male who wants to do better than his father, and doesn’t want to discuss his plans or his business with those he feels responsible for (always a mistake).  When Carver appears with a safety net and fatherly mien (he says “son” when he is giving Nash advice), Dennis is quick to trust and take a “hope for the best” approach, with the golden aura of money clouding his judgment.  What he doesn’t count on is a landslide of guilt that will set in, especially when his mother begins to grasp what his “business” is.

         The Rick Carver character exemplifies someone who is able to use spurious reasoning to justify his actions without much regard for others or ethical/moral considerations.  Just the opposite of Nash, he is entirely self-serving, although he can mouth caring words in tense situations.  To the uninformed, he might sound reasonable, and although a discerning person would see the flaws, most people don’t.

Both Garfield and Shannon do a masterful rendition of their characters.  When they’re together in a scene, some kind of ineffable connection is almost palpable.  When he hires Nash, Carver bluntly says, “When you work for me, you’re mine.”  But there are traits of Nash that Carver misses.  

          Director Ramin Bahrani is a sensitive socially aware filmmaker who, with his co-writers Amir Naderi and Bahareh Azimi, gives us a dynamic, humane picture of what it was like for families undergoing foreclosure of their homes.

           For a person with ethical principles this film will be hard to watch because it shows family after family begging to keep their homes for very good reasons but still being evicted within minutes of the sheriff’s knock on the door.  It’s likely you’ll say, “What would that have been like if it happened to me?!”  It must have been so awful, and it shows us how being a part of that travesty gnawed at Nash.

          The film has another contribution, which is showing how those higher up on the food chain remain unscathed.  Although they are the ones manipulating the whole system, they are not held accountable.  Maybe the filmmakers had a reason for making the ending ambiguous; I’m not sure, and am not sure whether that is a weakness or a strength of the film.

I wish 99 Homes would be shown in money management courses in high school, college, and continuing education courses.

Grade:  A-                                    By Donna R. Copeland

FREEHELD

Julianne Moore   Ellen Page   Michael Shannon   Steve Carell   Josh Charles

     Freeheld is a moving account based on a true story about a gay woman’s fight for equality at the end of her life.  It’s well balanced and well told, with actors at their best.  It has a dash of humor here and there, which helps to relieve the tension created by a critical illness and treatment. 

       Laurel Hester (Moore) is an ace detective with a close, loyal partner in Dane (Shannon).  With mutual respect, they have each other’s back, and he is aware that she has to fight twice as hard to move ahead in her job because she is female.  They’ve lived in a seaside community in New Jersey all their lives and take pride in it—it also helps them to know residents of the area when they are investigating a crime.

     Laurel has a private life because she has to keep her sexual orientation quiet.  When she goes to play volleyball at a town nearby but out of state she meets Stacie (Page), who is much more “butch” than Laurel, who is blonde and still good looking at 40-ish.  Stacie is a petite, savvy mechanic who likes her motorcycle, and despite such differences in age and interests, they fall in love and Laurel buys a house for them, which Page works hard to remodel.

     They’re happy as clams until Laurel falls ill and her life is in jeopardy.  Suddenly, it’s of utmost importance for Laurel to see that Stacie be able to remain in their house, primarily because it represents their bond.  In order for this to happen, though, Stacie must be eligible to receive the benefits of her partner’s pension, and therein lies the rub.  The county leaders, the “Freeheld”, have agreed unanimously not to grant her wish.

     Enter a potential support and cause of some levity, Steve Carell as Steven Goldstein, a Jewish homosexual with political savvy and connections, although some see him as hamming it up too much.  He certainly sounds outlandish in this conservative community, but he has had experience in rallying sympathizers to a cause.  With some controls exerted by the more practical-minded Laurel and Dane, his work is efficacious.

     Director Peter Sollett and screenwriter Ron Nyswaner present a well-balanced story that could have turned maudlin or one-sided.  They seem to have retained the authenticity of the original story (apparently—as I have not read it), and the relationships, political issues and machinations largely ring true. 

     Julianne Moore is always a star in whatever role she has, and she and Ellen Page—also well talented—achieve a relationship that is warm, caring, and sexy.  Michael Shannon usually plays odd characters, but here he is like a normal guy with basically good principles, and he pulls it off well.  The same could be said for Steve Carell, a natural at buffoonery with a bite of wisdom and satire aptly placed.  I was interested in seeing Josh Charles (formerly in TV’s “The Good Wife”--although he was killed—and in various productions since) in a role he carries well—that of a political figure who wrestles with his conscience.

A good film sure to increase awareness of and sympathy for gay issues.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland