ABOMINABLE

Voices of:  Chloe Bennet     Tenzing Norgay Trainor     Albert Tsai     Eddie Izzard     Sarah Paulson     Tsai Chin

     This is a kid-friendly adventure with a delightful mixture of pure fantasy, thrills, magnificent scenery, and good-natured playfulness, while reminding viewers of the importance of home, family, memories, and paying attention to grief and hardship—all substantive values we want our children to learn.

     “Abominable” is a reference to a mythical creature supposedly living in the mountains of Asia.  His other name is “Snowman”, which the filmmakers have exploited for visual purposes by presenting him as a big furry snowball to detract from his yeti reputation of being a dangerous character.  

     In this story, a yeti appears out of nowhere into a teen girl’s life quite by accident. We’re not told immediately how he got to where he is, but he’s in a big city when he spots a travel billboard with a picture of Everest on it and runs toward it, thinking it is his home.  But he’s actually in Yi’s rooftop secret playhouse.  As they get acquainted with each other and begin to be able to communicate, the threat of a helicopter with a bright light looms overhead, and Yi realizes it is searching for “Everest”, as she has named him.  The yeti has enormous eyes and is somewhat clumsy, but he has a quick mind and an eye for danger. When he keeps gazing longingly at the Everest billboard, Yi (Bennet) knows he is wishing to go home, and she intends to get him there.  And as one character says in the course of the story, “When Yi sets her mind on something, nothing is impossible.”

     Getting Everest home will be a journey with obstacles no one on the trip could predict.  Two other kids manage to come along; Jin (Trainor), Yi’s responsible cousin, and his little brother Peng (Tsai).  But the major concerns for them are Mr. Burnish (Izzard), a collector of exotic animals, and his colleague, Dr. Zara (Paulson), a zoologist, who are in hot pursuit.  The intentions of these two are questionable right from the start.  They will be tailing the small party, trying desperately to trap them for various purposes, but primarily in the interest of their reputations—(just one of the many enlightening models offered by the filmmakers for children’s benefit).

     Yi is depicted as grieving for a now absent father and trying to compensate for the loss by earning extra money, honoring his dream of taking her to exotic places in the world, and being the best violin player she can be with his violin left to her.  Jin is portrayed at first as a fashion-absorbed teenager who seems to be preoccupied with popularity and appearance, but later, is shown to have protective feelings toward his cousin (unbeknownst to her; she will only discern this much later) and his little brother.  Peng is a typical child who recognizes the yeti as a peer, letting Yi realize that Everest is only a child who misses his mommy and daddy.

     The Abominable story is engaging for all ages of children, providing excitement, mystery, and enchanting fantasies—a delightful “action film” for them, with models for learning rather than violence for thrills so common in action films for adults.  As with today’s action figures, Everest has special abilities he introduces with a humming sound that transport the kids out of danger more than once.  Blueberries are used in one trick, which produces tittering delight from the audience.

     Writer Jill Culton and her co-director Todd Wilderman are to be congratulated for such an exciting, very contemporary, story that contains many gems of truth. Main characters voiced by the children (Bennet, Trainor, and Tsai) and adults (Izzard and Paulson) are snappy and fun, with well- drawn and animated forms.  Really fine production design (Max Boas), music (Rupert Gregson), and cinematography (Edward Crawford) fit right in with this quality mix to help make it a hit.

An action film for kids with heart, spirit, and delightful humor.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE GOLDFINCH

Nicole Kidman     Ansel Elgort     Oakes Fegley     Jeffrey Wright 

Luke Wilson     Sarah Paulson    Finn Wolfhard     Aneurin Barnard

     This movie is full of surprises, most of which I loved.  Above all, the characters fascinate the viewer while the rest of the cast seem to take them all in stride, a kind of lesson in acceptance.  Storytelling hits that sweet spot in which information comes through gradually, punctuated by significant details, but giving one time to savor the plot.  The central character, Theodore (beautifully rendered by Oakes Fegley playing the younger and Ansel Elgort the older Theo), reminds of “Baby” in Baby Driver (also played by Elgort), actors able to convey mystery as they become endearing and grow on their acquaintances.

     The story begins with tragedy, when Theo’s mother is missing after an explosion in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.   His alcoholic father disappeared long ago, so he needs someone to take him in.  When he names the mother of a classmate whom he has befriended, as at least a temporary solution, Mrs. Barbour (Kidman) steps up to the plate and brings him to her family, which is both wealthy and dysfunctional.  She ends up really caring about him, and it looks like he may be with them for a long time.  

     But… (This story is filled with twists and turns, continually bringing up questions about coincidences versus fate/predetermination).  That juxtaposition is one of the themes of the film, coupled with questions about what is fake and what is real, both in relation to art as well as in human relationships as portrayed.  

     The movie Goldfinch is mesmerizing during Theo’s growing-up years when we observe him to be so well balanced and well behaved, managing his losses and compensating for them in healthy ways.  It gives us a realistic picture of trauma (in other characters as well as Theo), its after-effects, and how people manage it.  The characters introduced make the story come alive, such as different family members in the Barbour family, Hobie (Wright) who takes Theo under his wing and educates him about artistic furniture and reproductions, and the reappearing father (Wilson) and his girlfriend (Paulson) who whisk him off to sandy, bleak Las Vegas.  

     Unfortunately, the film loses its way and tries to become a thriller toward the end, with drug dealing, mobsters, and other unsavory characters introduced into the mix.  This is where it lost me, although I did appreciate attempts to show all the characters to be a mixture of good and bad qualities, most of which with good intentions; but the ending was just too fantastical for me to go along with it.

     For the most part, director John Crowley, the actors, cinematographer Roger Deakins and composer Trevor Gureckis have created a beautiful work of art, capturing the qualities of the Goldfinch painting and its history, while prompting us to consider different philosophies of life.

A captivating story with meaningful characters, derailed by superfluous drama seemingly “tacked on” toward the end.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

GLASS

James McAvoy     Sarah Paulson     Bruce Willis     Samuel L. Jackson

Anya Taylor-Joy     Spencer Treat Clark     Charlayne Woodard

     M. Night Shyamalan has written and directed a number of films (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, Lady in the Water) that seem to have a hit or miss quality about them, at least from film critics’ points of view.  Glass is intended to be the third in a trilogy with Unbreakable and Split, neither of which was up to his first success, Sixth Sense.  It is a sequel with promise, but falls short, partly because of a complicated story that contains multiple back stories, but mostly because of the editing, which forces the viewer to spend too much time wondering what is being portrayed in many scenes.  Perhaps devotees of M. Night Shyamalan’s previous two films, Unbreakable and Split, the first two parts of a trilogy, of which Glass is the third, will be able to establish precedence and context to certain scenes, but the general public will be frustrated in trying to figure out what is going on, particularly in the beginning scenes. 

     The main players are:  1) Kevin Crumb (McAvoy), an established master at portraying dissociative identity disorder (DID), who has multiple personalities, one of which is a superhuman hunk capable of, say, overturning cars, another of which is a nine year-old with a lisp.  An abusive mother is the cause of his problems.  2) David Dunn (Willis) has a security business with his son Joseph (Clark), who believes his father has superhuman powers, but knows he is to keep quiet about it.  David is committed to preventing crimes from happening through his tactile sensitivity, whereby he can sense when someone is doing something wrong and goes about trying to stop it.  3) Elijah Price (Jackson) having grown up with a bone disease that makes his bones extremely fragile, decides, based upon his expertise in comics, that there must be the opposite of weaknesses such as his—superheroes, who have extraordinary strengths.  The movie does have a clever way of showing how each of these characters confronts his weakness and develops a superpower, but logic about their existence soon falls away. In a grandiose turn showing his supreme confidence in his belief, Elijah goes about convincing Kevin and David that they are indeed superheroes. 

     Once again in this last of a loosely connected trilogy, James McAvoy is the most interesting aspect of a film about disturbed individuals.  I don’t know if he necessarily captures the actual DID disorder, but he is entertaining in his ability to be so many personalities.  Bruce      Willis and Samuel L. Jackson have roles that they could easily “phone in”, but certainly provide more interest than would be there otherwise.  The addition of a psychiatrist (Paulson) and her staff at the mental hospital once again implies that the care in such places is self-serving rather than to help patients.  Paulson is a fine actress, but she is wasted here.

     In short, Glass is overly ambitious and too reliant on sketchy scenes to provide necessary information to follow the convoluted story, so many times it comes across as a jumbled mess.  Although it has been shown that many people can turn weaknesses into strengths, a man becoming a super-hero as a result is hardly a possibility.

This Glass is less than half full.

Grade:  D                                    By Donna R. Copeland

OCEANS 8

Sandra Bullock     Cate Blanchett    Rihanna    Sarah Paulson    Mindy Kaling    Awkwafina

Anne Hathaway     Helena Bonham Carter     Richard Armitage     James Corden    Dakota Fanning

     This clever, fun heist movie will engage you, intrigue you, and keep you entertained. Debbie Ocean (Bullock), sister of Danny (George Clooney) in previous Oceans movies, is just being released from prison after serving five years. She bounds out in the same outfit as when she went in—dressed for the evening in a trendy black outfit—assured that she can go anywhere and do what she wants with the $45 in her pocket. And we see how she begins to do just that with her light fingers and made-up stories as she ensconces herself into a fancy hotel and gets in touch with her seven specially talented friends and accomplices, the first being Lou (Blanchett), an Australian motorcycle enthusiast and sharp observer of human behavior  

     Debbie has used her time in prison well, figuring out detailed plans for living up to her family name, exacting a delicious revenge, and getting a ticket to the high life for life.  Debbie and Lou flesh out a strategy for a major heist of jewelry at one of THE social events of the year, the Met Gala, hosted by the iconic Vogue Magazine editor and artistic director of Conde Nast publications, Anna Wintour who appears as herself in the film.  

     Debbie and Lou assemble a motley team of thieves, smugglers, fashion and jewelry designers, forgers, and computer geniuses to play their roles in an intricately choreographed dance designed to net them all a sizeable share. What are they after? Cartier’s 150-million-dollar diamond necklace.  It will involve managing to get just the right celebrity to wear it to the ball.  

     Some of the funniest scenes include the eccentric fashion designer Rose Weil (Carter) flattering the always-aspiring celebrity Daphne Kluger (Hathaway) to go along with the plan to wear the necklace.  (Not hard at all, once she sees it.)  To watch Hathaway acting out preening and self-love in brilliant red lipstick in front of the mirror as she tries on various necklaces (the real diamond one is held out as a tease) will surely make you groan and laugh at the same time.  

     Also engaging are glimpses into the current lives of the fellow co-conspirators. Tammy (Paulson) is a contented mother who buys tens of bicycles on eBay when she has only one child.  Nine Ball (or “Baller”, if you prefer) (Rihanna) is a wizard on the computer, and most of the fun here is seeing others having to catch up with her; and like any good Asian has a relative, April (Midori Francis), to come through at a crucial time.  Mindy Kaling, as Amita, the jewelry designer, is trying to find a partner on an internet match site, but she will amuse and impress you with her rather naïve pronouncements coupled with design efficiency.  Constance (Awkafina) always shows up just in time, and even though she is simply collecting and sorting things, you smile at her dedication.  

     In Oceans 8, Director Gary Ross demonstrates his sensitivity toward women’s important issues, his delight in mixing up craftiness and comedy, and his flair in infusing excitement into a rather predictable plot.  The journey there is the point, and it will serve as a good time to relax and simply enjoy.

     This Oceans’ cast impresses with its unwavering skill and art.  The major protagonists and supporting actors deliver what we hope for and expect in a film of this kind.  Bravo to all!

This is a great movie for kicking back, relaxing, and letting the irony and truthfulness amuse you.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE POST

Meryl Streep     Tom Hanks     Matthew Rhys     Sarah Paulson     Bob Odenkirk    

Tracy Letts     Bradley Whitford     Bruce Greenwood     Alison Brie

     Steven Spielberg’s production of The Post, based on true events and smartly written by Elizabeth Hannah and Josh Singer (Spotlight, The Fifth Estate), is as exciting and tension filled as a good mystery story.  (I was glad I knew how everything turned out, so I could relax a bit.)  It’s about the time Daniel Ellsberg, a military analyst employed by the Rand Corporation, released classified information to the New York Times, and then to the Washington Post, about the complicity of four U.S. Presidents (Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Nixon) and their administrations in covering up significant U.S. operations during the Viet Nam War. 

    The Post refers to the Washington Post newspaper, which obtained classified documents after the New York Times broke the story.  The dilemma Publisher Katherine Graham (Streep) and Editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks) face after the government has already initiated legal action against the Times, is whether to publish information that came to them from the same source, Daniel Ellsberg (Rhys).  These are papers reporting on a study requested by the Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara (Greenwood) about the progress of the Viet Nam War from 1945-1967, and document the U.S. Government’s complicity in covert operations, rigging elections, and lying to the Geneva Convention, and then covering it up, essentially lying to the American people about the Viet Nam War.  Most egregious of all, is its sending young servicemen into battle for a war they knew couldn’t be won.

     There are numerous aspects of the story that the filmmakers highlight, which are relevant today.  First and foremost is the issue of the need for government secrecy versus freedom of speech.  At the time, President Nixon was so incensed about the actions of the New York Times, he sought legal action against it.  Some of the more clever scenes in The Post are views through the Oval Office windows of Nixon talking on the phone and making his threats. 

     Another theme I appreciated is a picture of how women were regarded during that era, and another of the film’s highlights is how Katherine Graham is treated by men, even though she is the wealthy publisher of a major newspaper.  Her editor somewhat grudgingly gives her respect, as does Defense Secretary Robert McNamara who is a personal friend, but others clearly think she is out of her element in making major decisions, when—in fact and in retrospect—she is highly qualified.  When push comes to shove, she and Ben Bradlee are shown to be brave and heroic at considerable personal risk.

     Steven Spielberg directs a masterful work based on a true story, but with the intrigue and excitement of a fictional drama.  The cast is outstanding, highlighted by Meryl Streep as Katherine Graham and Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee.  Their conversations are as enlightening as they are interesting.  Bob Odenkirk, Tracy Letts, Bruce Greenwood, and Matthew Rhys providing superb acting support.  Sarah Paulson as McNamara’s (Greenwood) wife shines in her argument to her husband about the greater bravery shown by Graham at a time when he is feeling besieged.  It was rewarding later to see that he listened to her and at a later time gave Graham credit.

Get informed about a critical event in U.S. history while enjoying an exciting drama.

Grade:  A                                                By Donna R. Copeland

REBEL IN THE RYE

Nicholas Hoult     Kevin Spacey     Hope Davis     Sarah Paulson     Zoey Deutch     Victor Garber

     In some of the early scenes of the film, we get a graphic picture of J. D. Salinger’s personality as a highly self-confident, even cocky, social climber in his flirtations with Oona O’neil (Eugene’s daughter, charmingly played by Zoey Deutch).  He does capture her attention just by the way he introduces himself, and although she flits away very quickly, she’ll remember him later, and they will develop a romantic relationship.

     The essence of the film is about Salinger’s passion for writing and a compelling need to be published.  This is partly related to his father’s (Garber) wish that he would go into business rather than pursuing the arts, which is encouraged by his mother (Davis).  Interestingly, his grandfather had insisted that his father Sol give up piano and go into business, which he did, and the family lived in very comfortable circumstances.  But horrified at the thought, J. D. was not to be deterred.  I have heard from writers, as well as other artists, that to practice their craft is a given like breathing, not to be ignored, as I suppose was the case for Salinger.

     Salinger subsequently developed a mentoring relationship with one of his professors, the unorthodox Whit Burnett (Spacey), who had an eye for talent and could see into Salinger’s having antiauthority issues and knew how to deal with them.  Burnett was just what Salinger needed for continual encouragement, tolerance for Salinger’s biting sarcasm, and vacillation between feelings of superiority and hopelessness.  He is shown to be critically responsible for Salinger’s writing and finishing his most famous novel, Catcher in the Rye, which is partly autobiographical. Salinger’s agent, Dorothy Olding (Paulson) also provided support, and was instrumental in his getting a lucrative contract with The New Yorker to publish his short stories.

     Although the meaning in the title is a puzzle, Rebel in the Rye (1951) does an excellent job in capturing Salinger’s personality, his prickliness, his need for privacy, his condescension toward others and an unforgiving attitude, along with the single-mindedness with which he approached his profession.  Even family seemed to have been a secondary priority.  He served in the military during WWII, and suffered thereafter from what appears to be PTSD, from which he received some measure of relief in Buddhism and meditation.     

     Director Danny Strong, who wrote the screenplay based on Kenneth Slawenski’s novel, J. D. Salinger:  A Life, relates his story well, although perhaps superficially, showing Salinger’s relationships with family members, friends, publishers, his work, and people in general.  Perhaps the span of time Strong tries to cover is too wide, given the rich experiences of its subject; this necessarily abbreviates many events that could have given the work more depth and texture.

     Nicholas Hoult captures the look and personality of Salinger in a convincing way, and the supporting cast is very fine as well, especially Kevin Spacey, Sarah Paulson and Zoey Deutch.  The scenes with Hoult and each of these characters enliven the pace and pulls us in.  This is distinctly in contrast to the recluse we have come to know as Salinger, who lived in the woods and never published again after 1953, although he lived for another 57 years.

An account of a recluse compelled above all else to write:  J. D. Salinger

Grade:  C                                    By Donna R. Copeland

CAROL

Rooney Mara     Cate Blanchett     Sarah Paulson     Kyle Chandler

           Much has been made of the Lesbian relationship in Carol, but this award-winning film at Cannes (Best actress for Mara and Queer Palm for director Todd Haynes) contains much more in-depth exploration of women in the l950’s, and the trials and consequences in particular of these two women, Carol (Blanchett) and Therese (Mara), who simply don’t fit the mold.  They are independent thinkers, despite Therese’s complaint that “I say ‘yes’ to everything.” The two men (Chandler as Harge and Lacy as Richard) who claim they’re in love with Carol and Therese are completely taken aback and bewildered by the women’s resistance to being appendages.  The rejection is not only mystifying; it’s a painful narcissistic wound for them.

      Therese is a shop girl at a department store and when Carol comes in to buy a Christmas present in the Toy Department, they seem to have an instant awareness and attraction to one another.  Immediately, Therese shows that she’s not a typical 50’s girl when she says she didn’t care much for dolls as a child; she loved trains.  And Carol is then easily convinced to buy her daughter a train when she finds that the doll she was looking for is not in stock.

         This could have been the end of it, except Carol (unconsciously?) leaves her gloves on the counter and when Therese finds them and mails them to her along with the train set, Carol must thank her by offering to take her to lunch.

      The difference in class between the two women is noteworthy; Carol wears an expensive fur and goes to high-end restaurants.  When she orders a martini and quiche for lunch, Therese says she’ll have the same, although in her words, “I barely even know what to order for lunch.”  This difference in background becomes a significant issue throughout the drama that will take place.  The wealthier, older, more experienced Carol could be seen as “toying” with Therese for her own amusement; although this is not born out in the end when Carol shows moral/ethical strengths that are not obvious initially.

          The highly respected and admired Blanchett performs at her usual level of excellence with fine nuances and subtleties.  But Mara is equally good here in playing a younger woman unsure of herself and still in the process of finding out who she is and what she wants in life.  Director Haynes clearly understands women, and with screenwriter Phyllis Nagy has adapted Patricia Highsmith's novel for the screen with knowing grace, utilizing—along with the actors—the talents of musician Carter Burwell and cinematographer Edward Lachman.  Lachman uses light and screen shots to interesting effect, as does Burwell with music anticipating scenes and capturing mood.  The movie takes place at Christmastime, and the carol “Silver Bells” is perfectly apt as the two women embark on a hopeful journey together.

        Carol proceeds slowly and gently as the women’s relationship develops, although there are some jolting surprises that make the viewer sit up straight.  The ending is remarkable when Carol pleads her case in a custody battle with her husband at a meeting in the presence of lawyers, imploring them to keep the interests of their child foremost and arguing reasonably about hers and Harge’s joint responsibilities.  She warns that “a court battle could get ugly, and we’re not ugly people.”

Carol reminds women that even though we have a ways to go, contemporary women can be grateful for the progress that has brought us this far.

Grade:  A-                                               By Donna R. Copeland