SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: SPONGE OUT OF WATER

Antonio Banderas and voices of original TV and movie cast.

New adventures and dangers await SpongeBob SquarePants in this 2015 3-D version, the first being in 2004.  It hinges on a magical book that a scallywag pirate Burger-Beard (Banderas) steals to rewrite stories with new endings that he devises.  Meanwhile, back at Krabby Patty, covetous Plankton (Mr. Lawrence) is trying desperately to steal the secret formula for the patties, and when he finds it and he and SpongeBob are having a tug of war with it, it suddenly disappears into thin air.  Of course, Burger-Beard is behind this with an evil plan to open his own restaurant in our land, serving the patties to get rich.  Without its beloved Krabby Patties, the town of Bikini Bottom is in dire economic straits.

            This prompts SpongeBob (Tom Kenny) and his close friends, Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke), Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), and Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown)—with Plankton sneaking in—to go after the precious recipe so their city will be saved.  It will actually require their surfacing into our world, where Burger-Beard has fled.  At crucial moments, it will also require their transformation into super-heroes, and involve torture, chases in the streets and air, explosions, water guns, and cannonballs. 

            The situation is dire for Bikini Bottom because it is the Krabby Patties that tie everyone together; so in order to retrieve it, they must all work together, and that is the primary theme of this production.  Even the self-serving Plankton may get converted in the end.

            Directed and co-produced by one of the writers, Paul Tibbett, along with Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Bleger, it’s based on the Nickelodeon TV series created by Stephen Hillenberg, who was apparently also involved in this latest production.  The filming is visually rich and colorful, and clearly engaged the children in the audience when I attended a screening. 

            I was put off by the constant barrage of references to poop, farts, and behinds, and once again wonder why filmmakers insist on putting these in.  It seems to me only a few kids still think these are funny.  I also object to the implication that torture is effective in getting information.  This has been scientifically proven not to be true.

            But for those who loved the Nickelodean series and the 2004 movie production, this will be enjoyable, particularly with the updated technologies in the story and in the film processing.

Go if you liked the earlier SpongeBob productions.

Grade:  C                        By Donna R. Copeland

           

STILL ALICE

Julianne Moore     Alec Baldwin     Kristen Stewart

  Still Alice is an excellent account of how people react under the stress of an ongoing, incurable disease.  There is the experience of the patient herself, which resembles—but is distinctly different from—that of family members’.  This film eloquently demonstrates that one cannot take for granted that people really know what it’s like from another’s vantage point.  In the case of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), both physical and mental aspects of oneself are gradually transformed across time.  To adapt, it’s a constant re-learning process of things you thought you (patient or loved one) knew.  Particularly in the beginning, tempers are short, and at a time when patience is a must, flare-ups and exasperation occur.

            I am really struck by writers-directors’ (Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland) sensitively powerful depiction of the illness from so many perspectives.  I presume Lisa Genova’s novel on which the film is based provided the framework within which to convey the intellectual and emotional experience of AD, but the filmmakers have depicted it with such visual accuracy and detail it comes across as very real.  Julianne Moore is exactly the right choice to play Alice, who appears so sharp, vivacious, and engaging in the beginning, and then subtly and surely begins “mastering the art of losing” so many of the things she has valued.  She allows her facial expression to dissolve into confusion and puzzlement, and then finally into blankness.  Baldwin, as her husband, is likewise good in conveying initial disbelief and denial, and then becoming aware that this is new ground in his experience, and his usual problem-solving approach is not going to work.  Kristen Stewart especially, and Kate Bosworth and Hunter Parrish skillfully play the roles of young adult children.

            Another huge asset of this picture is its success in showing the horror of AD, while still making it a loving, enjoyable experience for the viewer.  An additional jolt comes with genetic considerations that many families must face. 

A significant film in depicting experiences associated with incurable illness.

Grade:  A                        By Donna R. Copeland

TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT

Marion Cotillard     Fabrizio Rongione


 

Two days and one night made a world of difference for a woman forced to ask 16 co-workers to choose between their bonuses and her retaining her job at a company—not a very nice or fair choice set up by the boss, with a foreman advocating behind the scenes for bonuses.  Sandra’s (Marion Cotillard) friend and co-worker takes up for her with the boss after discovering the foreman’s activities, and gets the boss to hold another ballot Monday morning after the weekend.  Sandra is also well supported by her husband, Manu (Fabrizio Rongione), who must keep after her to visit each co-worker and try to persuade him/her to vote for her. 

            This is especially difficult, in that Sandra has been on leave for a depressive episode; i.e., her self-esteem and self-confidence are rather weak.  Not only that, but when she begins to visit them, she sees first-hand some of the challenges some of the workers are facing in their personal lives and how her visit can make matters worse.  This increases her qualms about pleading with them, and her guilt sometimes overwhelms her.

            The Dardenne brothers (writers/directors) are in their element in devising a plot that puts the viewer in an empathic position with each of the players and, thereby, showing all points of view.  For instance, many of the workers have obligations and responsibilities for other people; some have their own personality/family issues; and Sandra herself encounters a major dilemma viz a viz her husband, her children, and a certain co-worker.  The social value of the film is in prompting every viewer to pose the question of ourselves; would we be willing to give up a handsome bonus to save someone else’s job?  During the drama, I was wondering how these extraordinary filmmakers would work their way through to an artistically/humanly satisfactory ending.  Needless to say, they succeed.

            Cotillard’s performance is up to her usual high standards, and so she captures the fragility, desperation, and vacillations of Sandra’s character.  Rongione is exemplary in his portrayal of a spouse who must have endless patience and persistence to support his wife and still keep his own anxieties at bay, because in some ways he is as vulnerable to the job loss as Sandra is. 

A film to prick your social conscience.

Grade:  A-            By Donna R. Copeland

JUPITER ASCENDING

Mila Kunis     Channing Tatum     Eddie Redmayne     Sean Bean     Douglas Booth

           

            Jupiter Ascending has spectacular special effects, production design, and flying choreography, but the dialog is unbelievably bad, in that it sounds like it was written by a high school student without a modicum of talent.  Writer/directors, Andy and Lana Wachowski, must have farmed the script out or thought that it was relatively unimportant next to the visual displays.  But the poor script actually kills the film as far as I’m concerned.

            The set-up is rather interesting; a ruling family from another planet owns earth—literally—and unknown to earthlings uses it as a farm to produce a valuable, highly prized serum.  Now that the matriarch of the family has died, the three adult siblings are vying for her ownership of earth.  A complication develops in that struggle when it is discovered that the title actually passes to an earthling, who is unaware that her genetic makeup is proof that she is royal and the sole heir to earth.  Also unbeknownst to her, her life is now in danger.

            One of the siblings, Balem (Redmayne), sends interplanetary warrior Caine (Tatum) “good at finding things” to locate her (Jupiter, played by Kunis), which he does.  However, the other two (Middleton and Booth) have their own designs on the young woman, and much of the film is devoted to the warring clashes among these groups, both on earth and in space.  It turns out that Caine has an interest in protecting Jupiter, and takes any number of risks to do so.  It takes some time for Caine to convince Jupiter of her heritage, in that on earth she is just a lowly maid cleaning houses.  Of course, romance has to be a part of the story, and part of her destiny is that not only is she now a queen, but she will also find true love.  I think you can pretty well guess who that will be.

            It is easy to stay interested throughout the film; the suspense is kept at a high level, and there are multiple times of great danger.  It’s just irritating that we’re continually brought back to reality by the insipid, unimaginative dialog.  This is despite a group of very fine actors in Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum (they have good chemistry), Eddie Redmayne (a truly creepy, deranged Balem), Douglas Barth (Titus), and Sean Bean (Stinger, Caine’s supporter).

Go for the resplendent special effects and try to ignore dialog and the lack of character development.

Grade:  D+            By Donna R. Copeland

BLACK OR WHITE

Kevin Costner     Octavia Spencer     Bill Burr     Anthony Mackie     Jillian Estell
Black or White attempts to explore race relations in a fairly light drama with comedic elements, but it still gets into serious issues.  Among the serious subjects are white and black stereotypes, parenting, drug and alcohol abuse, and a taste of what happens when the legal profession gets involved in conflicts.  Comedic elements are shown when two cultures collide (e.g., when the demonstrative black family wants to repeatedly hug the rather stiff white lawyer) and when the child Eloise (Estell) is on the scene.  Her loving charm and bossiness with her lawyer grandpa always brings smiles. 

            Mike Binder, the writer/director has put together a reasonably good effort to talk about sensitive issues, breaking it up from time to time with a bit of laughter, but still showing how conflicts between people who are black and white can arise through misunderstandings, over-reaction, and lack of awareness about one’s underlying needs and motives.  When Kevin Costner first read Binder’s script, he said, “It spoke to me.”  And I think many audiences will experience the same reaction.

            The story has to do with a sensitive subject right off the bat; Elliot (Costner) loses his wife suddenly, and is left to care for their granddaughter Eloise who has lived with them all her life.  After the grandmother’s death, the child’s other grandmother, Rowena (Spencer)—who had worked out an amicable arrangement with Elliot’s wife—tries to get custody on the assumption that her son’s child—whom he has never seen—will be a reason for him to get his life in order.  Not only that, she has a large extended family who could provide the child with a lot of love and companionship.  She sees only the “blackness” in the child and thinks Eloise would be better off with “her own people”; whereas, of course, Elliot—despite being overwhelmed by suddenly having to take on the role of mother—thinks she should stay in the only home she has known.  The case goes to court, and we are treated both to the hearing and to the back-stories that are going on behind the scene.

            Spencer is a wonderful star who is a formidable presence in every scene she is in.  She plays “Big Mama” to the host of family members who live with her (under her largesse) in two different houses.  (She’s a real estate agent and has six businesses to run.)  Costner is strong in what may be a comeback role for him, but unfortunately, his character’s serious drinking is so repellant, it’s hard for the audience to engage with him.  The climax of the court case ends with an admirable monologue, giving him extra time, in a sense; whereas the Spencer character does not get that chance, so the film is likely to be criticized on that point (i.e., favoring the white point of view).

            But taken as a whole, I think the tensions between the races and the serious-comedic sides of the story are balanced enough for the audience to be edified as well as entertained.

Let’s have some gray.

Grade:  B                        By Donna R. Copeland

 

MR. TURNER

Timothy Spall     Paul Jesson     Marion Bailey     Lesley Manville

 

              Mr. Turner (Spall) in the film, Mr. Turner, does not fit our usual images of a world-famous painter, yet I get the impression that this film has captured the essence of the actual man.  He is gruff, brusque, and a bit cantankerous, especially in his old age, yet if we listen closely we see that he is a man of principle with a heart.  At first blush, he doesn’t seem like someone who will forgive a debt after he hears about the circumstances, manage ridicule, really care about anyone or anything outside his art; but across the course of the story, we see exactly those attributes.

            Mr. Spall has consistently received justified accolades for his performance, but I think just as much credit is due Mike Leigh (writer/director) and the cinematographer (Jon Gregory) for reflecting in their visuals the essence of the painter.  Each frame is composed like a Turner painting—whether seaside or inside—with crisp colors, complex textures, action and repose. 

            We first see Turner when he lives with his father (Jesson) and a devoted housekeeper after he is becoming well known.  Our eyebrows may rise when we see how father and son relate to one another, but after we hear their personal history, it doesn’t seem strange at all.  In fact, I think it shows Turner’s real character with values for life, home, and family.  After his father dies, Turner goes into a slump, but finds someone he can cherish in the landlady in his old hometown of Margate, Mrs. Booth (Bailey).  They form a lasting bond that encompasses the self-misgivings of each.

            It’s a treat to learn more about an artist who is—for most of us—only dimly recognized, and to develop an appreciation for what many value in his paintings.  Leigh does an excellent job in helping us “be Turner” as he experiences the hurdles of life. 

            I think this film is not meant for everyone, but for those with an appreciation of art and what it means to be an artist; that is, one who is not typically someone whom everyone loves and admires, and is on the party-publicity circuit.  Rather, the artist is one who is likely to be introspective, jealously guard private time, and have a particular taste in personal relationships and lifestyles.  Turner is considered one of the foremost artists in Britain, and his art is considered to be a forerunner of the Impressionist Age.

For those with an artistic bent.

Grade:  A            By Donna R. Copeland

BLACK SEA

 

Jude Law     Ben Mendelsohn     Scoot McNairy     Tobias Menzies     Bobby Schofield     


 
             Black Sea is a thriller that shows the heights of human heroism and the depths of human greed and evil schemes.  There is a plot twist in the middle that will take your breath away.  Basically, the film is about a group of men let go from their jobs who get wind of a treasure at sea, so are willing to man a submarine and go in search of it.

            Robinson (Law) is named the captain because of his experience and skill on submarines, and he recruits his buddies to join him.  When something happens to one before they even set out, Robinson recruits the 18 year-old Tobin (Schofield) who brought him the news.  Because the sunken boat is Russian-made, they need a few Russians to go with them.  And finally, they have an unwilling participant, Daniels (McNairy), who was sent by the man who is financing the operation to look out for his interests.  One hopes for the best with this motley crew, especially since the submarine they’ll be traveling in looks old and decrepit. 

            They set off, but while they’re at sea a series of tragedies/comedies occur that put them all in danger.  First of all, they start arguing about the booty even before they’ve laid eyes on it.  Robinson has made it clear that they will all share equally in the spoils—after giving the financier 40%--and one would think that since none of them has much of anything and the treasure is millions of dollars in gold bricks, that they would be satisfied.  But no, human nature comes to the fore, and some feel strongly that they deserve more.  I anticipated that the class system like the one we saw in Snowpiercer might develop, but Robinson stands his ground on equality.  Nevertheless, they continue to argue about it, along with other petty and not so petty issues, and attempt to undermine the captain on the sly.  Not only does their contentiousness put the whole mission at risk, but they endanger themselves individually.

            Because their conflicts cause real damage to the boat at times, we never know whether they’re going to make it or not, or even whether they will reach the treasure, much less make it home.  Dennis Kelly has written a script that keeps you constantly guessing and on edge, and the cinematographer (Christopher Ross) employs the camera as another character slithering up and down through the boat and even bumping into things when there is a disturbance, in following the action and composing artistic shots of the actors and the sea.  Kevin Macdonald, the director of Touching the Void, knows how to pace an agonizing thriller as well as show sometimes very touching humanity (e.g., Marley) and complex personalities (The Last King of Scotland), all of which are apparent here.

            Jude Law shines as the star—as he usually does—and his character is one we can admire for his leadership, his sense of responsibility, and his shrewd deductions.  Law is very talented in many kinds of different roles, and he is entirely convincing in this one.  The supporting actors are all very good as well.

            There are implausible moments in Black Sea, but they are not serious enough to detract from the excitement and suspense.

They all live in a rusty submarine, but it’s an exciting ride.

Grade:  B            By Donna R. Copeland