CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?

Melissa McCarthy     Richard E. Grant     Ben Falcone     Jane Curtin     Anna Devere Smith

     Nicole Holofcener (Enough Said, Please Give, Friends with Money) is one of my favorite screenwriters, and I think if the trajectory of this production had remained with her as director and Julianne Moore as the lead actress, I probably would have liked it better.  My problem with this production is in what has become Melissa McCarthy’s characteristic stamp on whatever character she plays.  She is a fine actress, and I keep hoping she will choose a role as a sharp woman with humor but without the zaniness like she was portrayed in Bridesmaids (that character lives on in all her subsequent performances), Identity Thief, and Tammy.  

     In this rendition, the additional writer Jeff Whitty and director Marielle Heller infuse Lee Israel’s character with much of the McCarthy trademark—a poorly adjusted miscreant whose mouth gets her into trouble, and someone who acts like a bumbling fool, but can clean up her act under pressure at the last minute. Therefore, the first part of the film was difficult to watch, as I saw the same figure McCarthy has played in her other movies.

     The movie is based on a memoir written by Lee Israel.  McCarthy’s character is Lee Israel, a writer who had published biographies of Tallulah Bankhead (actress) and Dorothy Kilgallen (game show panel member), which had been well received.  When she wrote the third one about Estee Lauder, it did not turn out so well for various reasons, and she turned to forgery and pilfering personal letters of famous people as a way of making a living.  It’s reported that she had a “difficult personality” and was an alcoholic, and these characteristics are inserted into this film.

     We see Lee get fired soon after the film begins for going against the rules (drinking on the job) and using foul language to a supervisor.  She lives alone with her beloved cat, apparently has no friends, is behind on her rent, and is essentially down and out.  When she realizes she has a personal letter from Katherine Hepburn, she sells it, and thereby gets the idea that selling letters from famous people could be lucrative.  It turns out, she is a good writer on old typewriters, and collectors buy up her work, often without question.

     Unfortunately, Lee takes up with a drinking buddy, Jack (Grant), who has a British silver tongue, and they become partners in crime.  But it eventually becomes disastrous for Lee in many respects, and she is thrown back upon herself once again.

     Melissa McCarthy’s talent as an actress is clearly visible in her expressions, demeanor, and her ability to inhabit a character—albeit with her own stamps clearly visible.  One never forgets she is watching McCarthy; unlike, say, Meryl Streep playing Julia Child. After a while, you only see Julia. 

     Supporting actor performances are strong:  Richard E. Grant as the sleazy, greasy Jack; Jane Curtin as Lee’s exasperated agent Marjorie; Dolly Wells as Anna, a buyer who reaches out to Lee for friendship; and Anna Deavere Smith as Lee’s erstwhile lover who gave up on her. The contributions of these actors are considerable.

     Can You Ever Forgive Me? becomes much more interesting in its last third, when true emotions are more evident in Lee, she becomes more sympathetic as her history is revealed, we get glimpses of some degree of remorse and a perspective outside herself, and she seems to be turning a corner.  (We’ll ignore for the moment the fact that this is undone by some of the very last scenes when she is once again sipping a scotch.) 

A film for Melissa McCarthy fans with her signature character.

Grade:  C                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THEIR FINEST

Gemma Arterton   Sam Claflin   Bill Nighy   Jack Huston   Richard E. Grant   Jeremy Irons   Eddie Marsan

     How do stories get made?  I like to think that the process shown in Their Finest is art imitating life—that after a bit of brainstorming, the writers sit down and flesh out the script.  In this instance, the story has many layers—comedy, romance, and drama—all while the Germans are bombing London in WWII.  The comedy comes from the actors doing very human things, having touchy egos and eccentricities.  The romance(s) involve the main character, Catrin (Arterton), her artist husband, and another character.  The drama shows us what it is like to live in a city being bombed—the hits and destruction, the near misses, parts of ceilings and whole buildings falling all around.  In the midst of this the British people carry on as if they’re programmed to do so.

     Catrin is elated when she lands a job as a writer for the British Ministry of Propaganda, which is to make a film to boost morale in the country, but eventually, it wants to wow American audiences with it and possibly convince the U.S. to join in the war effort.  Mentoring Catrin is Tom Buckley (Claflin) who seems more egalitarian toward women than other men of that time, and when Catrin attempts to move the film they are making toward a more female slant, he is one of the few who get it.  But they have their disagreements and conflicts too.

     Some of the humor derives from the way men treat women, which seems quaint today, but was actually typical in the early 40’s.  So baldly stated:  “You’ll be paid—of course we can’t give you what a man would make—so, two pounds a week.”  “OK”, she agrees, and feels so proud to be earning anything.  Male egos, actor egos, administrative “spies”, crusty forward women—they’re all put through the comedic mill. 

     Dramatic pull is considerable as we see Catrin struggle with her life and Tom taking an interest in her and boosting her self-esteem.  The actor Ambrose Hilliard (Nighy in one of his spotlight performances) is vain and touchy at first, but gradually relaxes and allows his real talents to emerge.  One of the most rewarding aspects of the film is to see a number of characters make positive changes, often as the result of feedback from those around them.  Award winning actress Gemma Arterton (The Girl with all the Gifts, Tess of the D’Urbervilles) is perfection in portraying a woman of the time—outwardly compliant, charming, and helpful—but thoughtful and with strong opinions inside, and above all willing to take risks.  Her face hardly moves, and you know what she’s thinking, or wonder what she is thinking. 

     Lone Scherfig’s direction of this film-within-a-film shows considerable talent in revealing her understanding of and sensitivity toward women in this film, as in An Education.  She can manage complex, layered dramas that tell multiple stories at the same time, while getting across moral, ethical, and humanitarian principles along with pure entertainment.  Composer Rachel Portman travels on the same wavelength with an impressive, award-winning filmography (Emma, Bessie, Never Let Me Go, Chocolat). 

A film-within-a-film incorporating comedy, drama, and romance.

Grade:  A-                        By Donna R. Copeland

LOGAN

Hugh Jackman     Patrick Stewart     Dafne Keen     Boyd Holbrook     Stephen Merchant     Richard E. Grant

     Wolverine (Jackman) looks older and has become a grumpier version of his earlier gruff persona.  He has a persistent cough, but refuses to talk about it or any of the other troubling aspects of his life.  His whole intention at this point is to keep his beloved Charles Xavier (Stewart as Professor X) functioning and get enough money for them to sail away from everyone and live on a boat in the high seas.  The mutant Caliban (Merchant) serves as a houseman for Charles and Wolverine in their temporary bunker-like quarters, and complains about the fact that they are likely to leave him behind. 

     Charles has apparently become demented and has visions of mutants.  Logan dismisses these, and just wants Charles to take his medicine that controls seizures that are strong enough to make all the surrounding area around him shake like an earthquake.  But there are those who are tracking Wolverine and appear out of nowhere asking/begging for his help, whom he impatiently and brusquely dismisses.

     The first person to approach is a Donald Pierce (Holbrook) who represents an illegal bio-engineering company in Mexico named Transegen, which is trying to round up as many mutants as they can find, particularly some recent escapees who were being trained to be soldiers.  Wolverine definitely wants no part of this.  Then there is a Mexican woman with a young daughter desperately seeking his help, but he feels no responsibility and walks away.  You sense his complete weariness and burning desire to get away. 

     When he does acquire the money for the boat he arrives home only to find a young mutant girl there, warmly greeted by Charles.  “She’s the one I’ve been telling you about”, he says to Logan proudly.  Logan will soon find out more than he wants to know about the girl, Laura (Keen), and why she has turned up at his house.  He will also discover that the Transegen Company is determined to capture as many mutants as they can, no matter what it takes to do it.  They are enraged about the soldiers they’ve “grown” in their facility refusing to fight.

     Director James Mangold’s Logan is in the tradition of fine X-Men films with suspense, intrigue, action, and fully developed characters, still with a little humor sprinkled in.  Dramatic elements are more apparent this time; for instance, Charles’ pleas for Wolverine to enjoy himself more as a normal human being are touching.  There is a melancholy feel to this one, the third of the Wolverine series, because Jackman says it is the last Wolverine film he will make.  Apparently, he put his heart and soul into every scene and is pleased that everything about the film that was important to him has been included. 

     Fight scenes are choreographed artfully; but as in many action movies, I find my sense of logic and reality tested, as when a group of mutant children with special powers are being chased by Transegen’s men, they’re able to use their powers at some times but not others. 

     Jackman and Patrick Stewart have a lot of chemistry in Logan, showing the older man trying to counsel the younger, only to get a curt comeback. Yet, it’s clear that the two characters have deep affection and loyalty to one another.  Dafne Keen’s Laura becomes a central figure in the film, and she carries it off beautifully, exquisitely portraying herself as a mutant with a penetrating, knowing stare, ferocious countenance, and immeasurable fighting skills.  She very likely has a bright future ahead of her.  Boyd Holbrook and Richard E. Grant deftly portray sinister characters, one with brute force and the other with a chilling demonstration of a researcher gone rogue.

An intriguing and fitting end to the third and last of the Wolverine series.

Grade:  B+                                    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