WEST SIDE STORY

 Ansel Elgort     Rachel Zegler     Corey Stoll     Rita Moreno     

Ariana DeBose     David Alvarez     Mike Faist

            West Side Story (1961) is beloved among American cinephiles, but I was surprised that Steven Spielberg would pick it up for a 2021 remake.  It has been highly praised as a Broadway show and 1961 movie (Robert Wiseman, director), so a remake is rather puzzling.  Beyond that factor, with as much racial unrest and frank hatred going on in our country now, I have some doubts about a major film production—even though one I think is meant to make a statement about the inadvisability of violence—spending so much of the movie on machismo and racism before the “lesson” comes through at the very end.

Spielberg and his screenwriter Tony Kushner have kept the original story itself pretty much intact, except for some tweaking of the plot (e.g., inserting a clearly mixed gender character as opposed to a tomboy) and casting actors (except for Rachel Zegler) way beyond the teenage years.  I understand Spielberg was committed to cast Latin actors as much as possible for those roles, so perhaps he can be excused for not attending so well to the age factor.  But mismatching the ages of the actors and their characters is unnecessarily common in movies today, because age is so influential in defining who someone is; and beyond that, there are scores of talented young actors who could be in those roles.  Movies like West Side Story would be much more plausible to me if I looked up and saw teenagers; whereas, seeing late 20’s-30’s year-old actors behaving the same way seems a bit ludicrous.

Having stated what I see as drawbacks, I can say the production in terms of design (Adam Stockhausen), music (Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim), choreography (Jerome Robbins), and cinematography (Janusz Kaminski) are well done and entertaining.  The acting is laudable for the most part, especially Rachel Zegler as Maria and the iconic Rita Moreno as Valentina (of interest is that she was in both the Broadway show and the 1961 film production of West Side Story).  The quality of Ansel Elgort’s singing as Tony was a pleasant surprise to me, but, somehow, he seemed out of place.  It could be that he was miscast or perhaps the chemistry between him and Zegler didn’t quite come through.  

Overall, the extended macho scenes in Spielberg’s 2021 West Side Story are so off-putting, by the end of the overly long movie (over 2½ hours) the viewer is eager to leave, which makes short shrift of the truly heart-rending scenes at the end.

 

West Side Story 2021 is nostalgic for those enamored of the 1961 version, but considering current tensions about race and immigration, it gives us a sense of its being dated.

 

Grade:  C                              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

THE BFG

Mark Rylance   Ruby Barnhill   Penelope Wilton         Voices of:  Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement

          The BFG seemed to capture children’s interest and attention in the screening I attended, and there was applause at the end.  Noises I heard from kids during the film seemed more like they were engaged and involved rather than restless, despite the almost-2-hour production.  I got the impression they were following the BFG’s malapropisms as well or better than the adults.

         The story by the beloved author Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox) and made into a screenplay by Melissa Mathison (ET), tells about an orphan named Sophie (Barnhill) who spies a giant outside her window late at night, and because he is concerned that she will tell others about him, he snatches her.  It turns out that he is a dream catcher who plants dreams into those who are fast asleep—good dreams mostly, but, if needed, bad dreams.  Unfortunately, he lives in the Land of Giants, many of whom are much bigger than he, and they bully him.  The well socialized Sophie, who comes to like and respect the BFG, is then incensed by the oafish giants and devises a plan whereby the Queen of England would rally her forces to capture the giants who are known to see children as delectable treats.

      The idea of capturing and planting dreams is appealing, and is one of the highlights/mainstays of the film.  The current technology shows vivid images of dreams, BFG’s “factory” for creating/mixing  dreams that can be infused into a sleeper’s brain, and the noble uses for dream infusion.  I applaud introducing the concept to children with the thought that it could be a very useful fantasy for them to use in making choices in their lives.

Director Steven Spielberg has sustained his child-like wonder in making films meant to inspire young people of all ages and offer them stories for their moral and ethical development.  His engagement of John Williams for music, Janusz Kaminski for cinematography and Rick Carter for production design are creatively wise choices. 

           In this production, I was mesmerized by Mark Rylance’s portrayal of the BFG.  We now know from his performances in Bridge of Spies, Wolf Hall, and other productions that he is a consummate actor who conveys innumerable expressions with his face and voice.  In this, it was delightful to see that in CGI and motion capture we could still see Rylance, especially in his pixie-like face, his eyes, and smile.  His range is noticeable from the spy character he portrays in Bridge of Spies to here in the BFG.  Those two characters couldn’t be further apart.  And it’s a little bit strange how his goodness shines through so well, we are prepared to root for him as a German spy.

       Strangely, Ruby Barnhill as Sophie did not carry the same weight, even though currently, child actors tend to be phenomenal.  Somehow, the actress does not elicit much fascination with the Sophie character, or maybe it’s simply the script.  I think that part of the problem is that the character Sophie is a bit obnoxious in her behavior and attitude (which may come from Dahl’s story), so it may not be a casting issue, but has to do with the story itself.

I think most children will enjoy and benefit from this fanciful tale.

Grade:  B+                        By Donna R. Copeland

BRIDGE OF SPIES

Tom Hanks     Alan Alda     Amy Ryan     Austin Stowell

          James Donovan seems like an ordinary fellow, very successful in his law firm and well grounded in his ethics.  He will be asked to serve his country in a way that strains his sense of what is right and unleashes threats against his family’s safety.  Donovan (Hanks) is a true believer in the best sense of the word.  He interprets the U.S. Constitution in a way that continually guides him in his practice. 

        Enter the FBI and CIA and their sometimes questionable operations, and Donovan is asked to negotiate an exchange of prisoners as a private citizen without any official appointments.  It seems that this is how deals are negotiated among countries.  One (the U.S.) has something another (USSR) wants, but there is an additional complication of an American student being detained on suspicion of spying by East Germany (who also has a stake in the trade).  So we have three powers—the U.S., Russia, and East Germany—negotiating a single exchange.

      As is typical of Spielberg films, the plot is intricate, somewhat mystifying in the beginning (a phone is answered after many rings, but no one speaks), but ultimately details for the audience every critical element, ending with an uplifting and a gently humorous conclusion.  Music by Thomas Newman (Skyfall, American Beauty) and cinematography by Janusz Kaminski (Schindler’s List) contribute to the fine production value of the film.

      Hanks will certainly be praised for his expertly rendered main character, showing his doubts, certainties, and sincerity in multiple ways.  He plays James Donovan, the lawyer who actually was the lead negotiator in the exchange of the prisoner Francis Gary Powers for the Russian spy Rudolph Abel during the Nixon Administration.  The real Donovan was apparently a gifted negotiator who always got more in exchanges than was expected.  

      I was especially fascinated with the actor, Rylance, and the part he plays.  As the Russian spy, he delivers pithy, terse pronouncements with a completely deadpan face, such as “The boss isn’t always right; but he’s always the boss.”  And “What’s the next move when you don’t know what the game is?”  He even warns his lawyer that, “You should be careful” when he makes a risky play.  Rylance is not as well known for films, but has received many accolades for his theater work (e.g., Tony awards, Laurence Olivier Theater Awards, and others).  I remember him most as Thomas Cromwell in the recent TV mini-series, “Wolf Hall.”  Cromwell’s personality was similar to Abel’s in its understated, carefully composed, but succinct observations.

      Not much time is spent on Powers (Austin Stowell), probably because he was somewhat unpopular upon his return home because he didn’t end his life when he was supposed to.  On the other hand, it was ultimately established that he stood firm and did not reveal any State secrets when he was in Russian hands.

A real-life thriller based on a historical event.

Grade:  B+ By Donna R. Copeland

MAGIC MIKE XXL

Channing Tatum   Joe Manganiello   Matt Bomer   Adam Rodriguez   Gabriel Iglesias 

 

“We’re male entertainers now; not strippers” say the boys in Kings of Tampa, getting ready for their last blow-out performance at the Strippers Convention on Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.  Magic Mike (Tatum) had left the group to fulfill his dream of making furniture, but when he gets a message out of the blue that causes him great concern, he hooks up with them and is easily persuaded to rejoin them on this last excursion.  It takes them a while to get there with some mishaps along the way, but various women from their past—Rome (Jada Pinkett-Smith), Zoe (Amber Heard), and Paris (Elizabeth Banks)—give them a generous hand, and they make it to their destination with a new show and emcee.

           The aims of this sexy romp of a movie are clearly to entertain—as is claimed.  The men in the Kings of Tampa, as well as those in Rome’s establishment where they stopped along the way, deliver amazing performances in song and dance that even women in the theater screening audience could squeal for heartily.  But the writer (Reid Carolin) and director (Gregory Jacobs) add a little more substance to the brew in empathic looks at male bonding and women’s need for a listening ear and romance. 

           In males, there seems to be a bottom line of trust—although it is repeatedly tested—along with the competition and territorial struggles.  In this group, there is a bit of difficulty reintegrating Mike into the group after three years and a certain amount of resentment about his finding his niche, while most of the others are in some kind of limbo.  But no matter what the conflict, how much hurt is dished out, or how much they argue, the bottom line of love and respect always brings them back together.

           I must confess I have never been in a male strip club and did not see the original Magic Mike; but I was impressed in seeing the performances in Magic Mike XXL show understanding for the things many women are missing in their relationships with men.  Obviously, the focus is on the men and their prowess, but the women they are attending to, however briefly, are not just passive props.  First of all, they ask the women directly what they want.  Then they include them in their act in such a way the two become a unit; it’s not always easy to tell—if you didn’t already know—who is doing what.  (We’ll ignore for the moment that these performances are primarily to show off the men’s acrobatics and gymnastics.)  But there is the illusion of shared control.

           Steven Soderbergh, the director of the previous Magic Mike film, takes the role of cinematographer this time, which is an interesting transition, and he is very good.  He and the director of XXL, Gregory Jacobs, have collaborated on many productions, so the change is seamless.  Reid Carolin, the writer for both productions inserted new plot turns and the choreography was turned up for XXL.  In an interview, Joe Manganiello credits two of the actors, Alison Faulk and Teresa Espinosa, who were in both productions, with dance move assistance.  

           It’s expected that Magic Mike XXL will be just as popular as its predecessor, so there is lots of excitement around the opening of this film.

Woo woo!

Grade:  C+                        By Donna R. Copeland