VOX LUX

Natalie Portman     Jude Law     Willem Dafoe     Jennifer Ehle     Raffey Cassidy     Stacy Martin

     “Don’t let your kids grow up to be rock stars” could be the theme of this film. Natalie Portman is her usual stunning self in this glittering picture written and directed by Brady Corbet (previously an actor in Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene, Clouds of Sils Maria, and Force Majeure), and now venturing into directing.  The picture starts with a tragic scene in a school in which Celeste (Raffey Cassidy as the younger and Portman as the grown-up) is shot, injuring her spine.  She is a talented, thoughtful young Christian, and to cope with the tragedy, composes a song with her sister Eleanor (Martin), which offers encouragement and solace to all those involved.  

     Celeste undergoes rigorous rehabilitation, and during this time, the song has become a hit not just in their hometown, but across the nation as well, all of which results in bids from people wanting to be Celeste’s manager, one of which is “The Manager” played by Jude Law.  A publicist played by Jennifer Ehle is engaged as well.  

     A bit of sibling rivalry between Celeste and Eleanor runs through the story, but for named reasons, Celeste becomes the star and Eleanor goes with her as her older sister/caretaker, but who remains active in writing songs.  She also becomes a kind of foster mother later for Celeste’s daughter Albertine (Cassidy again in this role).  Plausible family dynamics are woven into the story of Celeste’s rise to fame, enriching the plot.  But while Corbet pays attention to this important aspect, the main thrust of the story is Celeste’s meteoric rise in popularity, her physical/psychological/social vulnerabilities, and the penultimate outcome. Penultimate, because the ending leaves you guessing.

     Natalie Portman gives her all to this performance, as she did in Black Swan, a role which is similar to this one in its story of a talented young woman being exploited by people in the entertainment business.  Both films are left open-ended as to the ultimate outcome.  Here, we see the arc of a rock star’s fame, the erosion of her values and central core, and the question as to whether her family (sister and daughter) can buffer her from the consequences of the path she has chosen.

     A curious omission in this film is the absence of the mother.  She is nowhere to be seen in the film, and her absence is not explained.  This is unfortunate in that her absence could potentially account for some of Celeste’s journey and her relationship with her sister.  But we are given no information.

     The film contains large gaps in time, requiring the viewer to fill in information [e.g., we’re not told about Celeste’s pregnancy; we see her daughter for the first time after she has grown up in the last half of the film (Cassidy in this role too, which is a nice touch)].  The narration delivered with gravitas by Willem Dafoe that occurs periodically helps a great deal in this respect and in making psychological/philosophical sense of Celeste and events in her life.

     Significant assets to the film include the luscious, probing cinematography of Lol Crowley and the score supplied by Scott Walker, with songs by Sia, which are the ones Celeste sings onstage.  The finale is something to see in music and cinematography, and in peak emotionality.  A grande finale indeed, after you’ve thought that disaster was just around the corner.

A rock star born, launched, and riding the peaks and valleys of fame.

Grade:  A-                                    By Donna R. Copeland

EATING ANIMALS

     If you plan to see this film, make sure your menu plan for dinner does not include meat.  This informative documentary by Christopher Dillon Quinn (21 Up America, God Grew Tired of Us) and narrated by Natalie Portman is based on a book by Jonathan Safran Foer who helped write the screenplay.  All three are producers of the film that provides data about our food industry, about which I venture few of us are sufficiently knowledgeable.  Yes, I personally had heard about “factory farming”, but I had no idea of the extent of it nor of the gargantuan political weight of food manufacturing companies in making sure government regulating agencies do their bidding. (Not an unfamiliar state of affairs, unfortunately.)

     Eating Animals also does a fine job in highlighting the personal stories of farmers, ordinary citizen observers, and a former U.S. government-employed veterinarian about their lives and the costs to them and their families for speaking out.   These accounts lend considerable weight to the thrust of the documentary.

     Apparently, industrial farming began to dominate food production in the 1970’s when corporations became a powerful force in food production.  By that time, they had captured 99% of the market, after edging out independent farmers.  How did they do it?

     Partly by duping farmers into signing contracts that would keep them beholden for years (not informing them, of course, of how they would be housing thousands of animals under deplorable conditions, going into enormous debt to keep the whole operation going, and sickening them with the smells and state of the animals), and take away even their rights to protest.  One disheartening strategy is labeled “tournament farming”, in which stats are kept as to which farmers produce the most for the least cost.  “Winning” farmers get bonuses on the backs of “losing” farmers, and its forbidden for neighbors and friends to share information.  (The underlying strategy, of course, being to prevent neighbors from banding together.)

     Eating Animals is a commentary about another instance in which big corporations have bought off our Congressional representatives and regulatory agencies to do their bidding.          There are now “Ag-Gag” rules that prevent anyone from filming or talking about the abuses that go on in the food industry.  Taking a picture on a factory farm can be a felon.  

     This is a very even-handed account about the meat and dairy industry, being frank and illustrative without being preachy, and it shows how we all are complicit and will undoubtedly suffer the consequences further down the road.

     On the upside, there are U.S. companies coming up with plant-based protein, and China has announced its aims to decrease meat consumption 50% in its country by the year 2030.  

The unconscionable cost to animals and humans of a meat-based diet.

Grade:  A                                                            By Donna R. Copeland

ANNIHILATION

Natalie Portman     Oscar Isaac     Jennifer Jason Leigh     Gina Rodriguez     Tessa Thompson

     Think about mixing the surreal and mysterious with real human drama within a glorious visual spectacle, and you can envision Annihilation.  Alex Garland has drawn on his previous experience with Ex Machina and plunged ahead with another futuristic presentation of humans confronting what may or may not be an alarming future.  He has the ability to balance the fantastic with the real so that one can buy into his dramas.  They seem otherworldly, yet something we can imagine really happening.  Part of the success of his work is in giving clues from the beginning that will inform the viewer later in trying to explain what transpires later.

     We’re first confronted with a puzzling interrogation of biologist Lena (Portman) by a military person in a hazmat suit (Benedict Wong).  He’s asking her who-what-when kinds of questions, the answer to which she says, “I don’t know” or “I can’t remember.”  She appears to be a little dense, but this is one of the nicely misleading cues that Garland does so well.  He does let us know she is a respected biologist at John Hopkins University.

     We soon see Lena’s missing husband Kane (Isaac) who appears suddenly after such a long absence she thinks he has died.  Although we learn that he has been involved in a covert operation, he doesn’t have many answers and seems very different from his old self.  But then abruptly he shows signs of a medical condition, which involves calling emergency services.

    More drama ensues, after which we see Lena volunteering to explore a new phenomenon that has occurred on earth called “the shimmer.”  Her team is led by psychologist Dr. Ventress (Leigh), and includes three other female scientists.  They will follow in the steps of other military people who have explored the region, but never came back, except for one.  This is a group of very brave women (nice to see!) who have no ties at home (“We’re all damaged goods here”), and for various reasons want to find a scientific explanation for The Shimmer, which “swallowed up” the military’s Southern Reach. 

     This is where the real adventure begins, with the expected strains on loyalty and mental balance, in confronting threats never before imagined.  It was especially gratifying to see a female character (Lena) having such deep curiosity, determination, and clear-headedness that she is able to confront whatever is before her, without becoming unhinged or allowing images from the past to distract her.

     Finally, the electrically charged ending leaves the viewer with possibilities rather than a neat package. 

This is a film not to miss for its thrills, human drama, and eloquently presented futuristic possibilities.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

SONG TO SONG

Ryan Gosling   Rooney Mara   Michael Fassbender   Natalie Portman

 Christian Bale   Cate Blanchett   Val Kilmer   Benecio del Toro   Holly Hunter   Iggy Pop

     This is a love story about one couple, but generalizes to a broader inclusion of people in general and the natural world.  It’s an Impressionist painting, with story, song, and photography artfully expressed.  Malick has a photographer’s eye that doesn’t follow along the usual frame of plot line, but he gives us impressionistic glimpses of people’s lives and the meanings of it they construct.  Rooney Mara as Faye narrates most of the film, tracing the “dance moves” that made her life what it became.  She starts out as a receptionist for a wealthy man (Fassbender) who is a major force in people’s lives (“people change when they’re around him”, she says).  People come to him as Faye does, hoping he can help them make more of their lives.

     But the man, who is some kind of Titan in the music industry, cannot resist exerting god-like control over people he is mentoring, even while exhorting them to “be free.”   Faye ends up having an affair with him, but after a time meets another man in his orb (Gosling).  The three play, cavorting and frolicking, hoping that it will last forever.  “We thought nothing could break us apart; we made music together.”  Ah, but we are human, and thus in this story the “song to song”, “kiss to kiss” begins, and after betrayal, disappointment, and disillusionment, it finally ends in forgiveness and mercy—at least in one case, which gives us hope.

    There are contrasts drawn between the experiences of men and women, people of privilege and those less fortunate, and individuals with varying degrees of insight and introspection.  The women here seem to be more introspective and self-critical, and searching at first for someone like the wealthy man who will complete them, like Faye the narrator.  Her successor (Portman) says to the same man, “What part of me do you want?  Take what you want from me”, unaware of the bargain she made upon first meeting him when she observed, “you have everything, everything I want.”

     The men have more of a competitive relationship, and their interests are expressed in that realm, with the mentor abrasively scolding the mentee for not achieving more, and the mentee accusing the other of stealing credit for his work, which could be the undoing of their relationship.  We get few clues or evidence of introspection on their part, except for one’s toward the end.

    We get glimpses of those who have come from more modest circumstances encountering the wealth of others, and aspiring to achieve the American dream.  Some are not willing to compromise themselves; others are.  Some learn from their experience and try to change; others are oblivious.  But all experience some kind of regret over the choices they made.

     As much as Song to Song is a portrayal of life as a series of dances and songs with varying partners, it’s also a commentary on trust, fidelity, truthfulness, openness, and honesty in human relationships.  Along with the endearing playfulness (Gosling’s character takes this to the max), we’re reminded of the anguish of betrayal and the pain of separation, but as well the possibility of a “new paradise” in forgiveness.

     The four talented main actors (Gosling, Fassbender, Mara, and Portman) show their skill in responding to Malick’s rather unique direction, and impress with their delightful athletic abilities in dancing and cavorting through all the scenes showing the blooming of new love.  Blanchett’s brief scenes show her power in conveying deep emotion, and cameo appearances of Bale, Kilmer, del Toro, Hunter, Iggy Pop, and still more, provide additional entertainment and scope.  A most impressive appearance is Patti Smith, singing of her love of the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and through it, giving sound advice to Faye.

     Malick’s teaming with his award-winning partner in cinematography, Emmanuel Lubezki, makes Song to Song a true work of art visually, dramatically, psychologically, and philosophically.

A song of love in many of its manifestations, ending on a high note.

Grade:  A                                                By Donna R. Copeland

JACKIE

Natalie Portman   Peter Sarsgaard   Greta Gerwig   Billy Crudup   John Hurt   Richard E. Grant

          The opening scene:  A black screen and loud, dirge-like music with sound winding down like someone stopping an old phonograph player clues you in for the mournful tragedy that is to follow.  In Jackie, director Pablo Larrain has created an artistically rendered film that pays homage to Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of slain President John F. Kennedy, and the aftermath of his assassination.  We get a behind-the-scenes view of her efforts in planning his funeral, the many resistances she encounters, the conflicts she has with some, and the intrusive advice she receives, regarding funeral planning and her children for instance, from so many.  Above all, we see an intelligent woman whom many considered shallow and pretentious take the helm and manage to honor her husband in the way she wanted, which was based partly on her keen knowledge of history but as well on her own deeply felt, genuine emotions.

           Larrain jumps around in time perhaps to help convey an impressionist “painting” of the woman and give the viewer a sense of the turbulence experienced by the country after the assassination.  Scenes are interspersed with an interview conducted by “A Journalist” (Crudup)—presumably Theodore H. White, a family friend—whom Jackie had asked soon after his death to write about John Kennedy’s legacy for Life Magazine.  This is apparently where the comparison was made with their years in the White House as “Camelot”, the subject of a Broadway Play, the last song of which was Kennedy’s favorite.  Jackie wanted the article to convey the import of the song:  “Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot.” 

        Other scenes portray Jackie’s interactions with Bobby Kennedy (Sarsgaard); her efforts, assisted by William Walton (Grant), in restoring the White House; poignant moments of intense grief and loss; and conversations with a priest (Hurt) during a stroll in Arlington Cemetery.

          The film is a tour de force for actress Natalie Portman as Jackie.  She is in virtually every scene, and gives us a convincing picture of a beautiful, intelligent, accomplished woman of great complexity who could dismiss the most presumptuous adversary with a terse, incisive comment.  At the same time, Portman needed to show the Southern and Catholic influences in Jackie’s background, along with that of privileged wealth.  

        Peter Sarsgaard doesn’t look much like Robert Kennedy, but it is easy to see the resemblance in his actions and tone, whether he is grieving for his brother, supporting the widow, or voicing his anger and disappointment about the curtailment of what he hoped would be a brilliant and lasting legacy.  Billy Crudup as the sometimes cheeky journalist challenging and complimenting his interviewee shows us the awkwardness of the situation, his attempts to maintain objectivity, and finally succumbing to her charm.  Greta Gerwig's performance as Jackie's lifelong friend and White House Secretary is nuanced and appropriately low key.

           Mica Levi’s music and Stephane Fontaine’s cinematography support and enhance the excruciating drama played out on the screen, and Noah Oppenheim’s screenplay is an even-handed, historically accurate commentary on the “Camelot” years of John and Jacqueline Kennedy.  Pablo Larrain’s synthesis of all the components into a captivating whole should earn him praise and justifiable award consideration.

An insightful, artistic portrayal of a sometimes controversial American legend.

Grade:  A                                 By Donna R. Copeland

KNIGHT OF CUPS

Christain Bale   Cate Blanchett   Natalie Portman   Freida Pinto   Brian Dennehy   Antonio Banderas   Wes Bentley   Imogen Poots

          Beautifully filmed by Emmanuel Lubezki, Terrence Malick’s latest production falls short of his previous work, which I always enjoyed.  However, this production seems to be going over similar material as before, with even less plot to carry the viewer along.  Knight of Cups starts with a tale about a prince charged by his father with finding a pearl, but the son goes after the party life, forgetting all about the stone.  The king does not forget, and sends repeated messages to his son as reminders.  Finally, an earthquake catches his attention.

We’re then introduced to Rick (Bale), a melancholy figure who appears to be working through his tumultuous relationships with his father (Dennehy) and brother (Bentley) and tracing the paths he took with the four women in his life (Blanchett, Pinto, Portman, and Poots).  Regret is a salient emotion marking his memories of all. 

        His thoughts are marked by the rueful as well.  “Pieces of your life never come together; that’s damnation.”  “Dreams are nice, but you can’t live in them.”  “So much I was given; so much I left behind.”  “I spent 30 years not living life; I couldn’t remember the man I wanted to be.”

           The end contains short admonitions that seem to come from father to son.  “Love’s so rare that when you find it, don’t let it go.”  “Pay attention to this moment; everything is there, perfect and complete just as it is.”

        The characters don’t speak much in real conversation—we mostly hear voiced thoughts—so most of what they convey is in their movements.  The film is divided into sections that represent Tarot cards, i.e., The Hermit, The Hanged Man, The Tower, The High Priestess, Death, etc.  A closer viewing of the film might shed some light on the metaphorical meaning of each section.

       Much of the entertainment/enjoyment of the film will be derived from Lubezki’s cinematography, although Jungian scholars will no doubt understand the archetypes best, and derive more meaning from Malick’s work.

Obscure meanings, but Lubezki’s sumptuous cinematography compensates.

Grade:  C           By Donna R. Copeland