BENEDICTION

 Peter Capaldi     Tom Blyth     Jack Lowden

Simon Russell Beale     Ben Daniels     Gemma Jones

         This is not your usual war story.  It starts out in London in 1914 with a poem about war written by Siegfried Sassoon (played by Jack Lowden as the younger and Peter Capaldi as the older), the protagonist whose life is chronicled beginning with his years as a young man when he and his brother are going off to WWI.  We see him three years later after his brother was killed and he has become at the same time a decorated British soldier and an anti-war activist, based on his “Soldier’s Declaration.” He is refusing to return to the battlefield on the basis that the conditions for peace have not been stipulated by government and the powers that be are guilty of “political errors and insincerities.”  

         He is fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on your point of view) in that a mentor with influence, Robbie Ross (Beale) sees that he is referred to a hospital for traumatized soldiers in lieu of being court martialed.  He is outraged by this “help” because he had wanted to publicize his protest.  Nevertheless, he concedes, and uses his time in a military hospital to develop more insight into himself with the help of therapist Dr. Rivers (well characterized by the script and performed by Daniels).  

         The plot takes a turn after Sassoon is discharged from the army and focuses on his life thereafter when he has acknowledged his attraction to men and becomes involved in ambivalent relationships with a number of them when, after a particularly painful period, he decides to marry a woman, Hester Gatty (Jones).

         Writer/Director Terence Davies has created a moving and interesting work on the life of the poet Siegfried Sassoon, although he has chosen not to adhere strictly to historical accuracy.  Presumably his interest was more in the direction of illustrating the lives of homosexual men during that period of time not only in the military but in everyday social life as well.  And perhaps just as much to validate anti-war sentiments. His depiction captures the passion against war and the advocacy for freedom of identity, which could be seen as related causes.

         Jack Lowden seems perfectly cast in the starring role, showing the interiority of the main character with subtle charm on the outside and depth of feeling on the inside, most particularly captured in the last scene.  Peter Capaldi as the older Sassoon with obvious bitterness and closed off emotions is aptly personified.  All the cast members are well chosen and help to give us a poignant impression of the people in Sassoon’s life.

 

An unusual war story that depicts international struggles mirroring internal conflicts.

 

Grade:  B                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE OUTFIT

Mark Rylance     Zoey Deutch     Dylan O’Brien     Johnny Flynn     Simon Russell Beale

            A lowly tailor plays a bait and switch game when he is involved in complicated situations with some of his customers, most of whom are criminals.  He can weave a convincing story on the spot, which saves his life numerous times and provides us with great entertainment.  Director Graham Moore (who wrote the script for The Imitation Game) and co-writer Johnathan McClain’s script is a wonder in itself with its constant situational changes suffused with threat and requiring immediate action—all while being intelligently calculated.  Background stories of all the main characters are dribbled out deliberately and explain why the person we see is who he/she is.  “Ah ha!” moments will occur throughout the viewing time for this movie, which is also part of its enjoyment.

            It seems as if the Leonard Burling character was written precisely for Mark Rylance.  As a soft-spoken British man outwardly unassuming ([tailoring] “isn’t art.  It’s a craft.”) he carries a big stick of craftmanship and wit that frequently take his listener off guard.  He knows how to charm and distract the most fearsome mobster into listening to his story as it is unfolding, and he knows how not to be seen slipping away for some contrivance that will be all-important later.  In addition to the plot, just observing him in action is fascinating.  Rylance is well known and respected internationally, most notably for his work in Bridge of Spies, Wolf Hall, and this past year in Don’t Look Up in which he plays a less than admirable character to great effect.

            It is curious that the tailor allows a drop-box at the back of his shop for his star client mobster Roy Boyle’s (Beale) gang to communicate with one another and plan operations.  Burling makes no eye contact with them as they pass through his work room, being completely engrossed in his tailoring. His receptionist Mable (Deutch) resembles her boss in her astuteness and pleasant overlay, but she too is interesting to observe as the story unfolds.  In the end, we will see how all this fits together and makes sense.

            Composer Alexandre Desplat’s music and Dick Pope’s cinematography capture and elaborate upon The Outfit’s mood and suspenseful uncertainty in a way that makes it all of a piece.  

 

It’s always a joy to see a smart, clever person with a good heart in action.

 

Grade:  A                                 By Donna R. Copeland

THE DEATH OF STALIN

Adrian McLoughlin     Steve Buscemi     Jeffrey Tambor     Michael Palin     Simon Russell Beale

Paddy Considine     Olga Kurylenko     Andrea Riseborough     Rupert Friend     Jason Isaccs

       This is a film that is likely to pass right over the heads of most Americans, whose knowledge of the history of Russia during the 1950’s is meager at best.  In my own case, I was unable to catch the satire and the rolling out of gags and slapstick that so many critics, by their reviews, have obviously enjoyed.   Curiously, instead, I was constantly reminded of the chaos reigning in our current U.S. government, which detracted majorly from the humor I might have enjoyed if I had seen the film three years ago.  (Another time; another place.  But not now!).

        The Death of Stalin deals with the death of a ruthless leader (played by McLoughlin) who tortured, had shot, and sent to Siberia millions of innocent people.  I guess it takes a special kind of British humor by co-writer/director Armando Iannucci to make it into a political satire that juxtaposes Stalin-era atrocities and comical bureaucratic dysfunction at his death. The production is originally based on a comic book, “The Death of Stalin”, by Fabien Nury and Thierry Robin. 

         The filmmakers have chosen to allow the cast to speak in their usual accents, which range from regional British Isles to American (no feigning of Russian language), so the viewer unfamiliar with history and the characters has a lot to keep track of. 

     This is an outstanding cast, especially Steve Buscemi, who looks nothing like Kruschchev, yet is able to be convincing.  Jeffrey Tambor (Malenkov), Michael Palin (Molotov), Simon Russell Beale (Lavrenti Beria) as head of the Russian secret police, Jacon Isaacs (Field Marshal Zhukov), Andrew Riseborough (Svetlana Stalin), and Rupert Friend (Vasily Stalin) all play their roles exactly as prescribed and lend generous entertainment. 

British humor juxtaposes Stalin’s atrocities and comic dysfunction at his death among bureaucrats.

Grade:  B                                               By Donna R. Copeland