NERUDA

Gael Garcia Bernal     Luis Gnecco     Mercedes Moran     Michael Silva     Alfredo Castro

          Neruda is not a bio-pic, but a satire that is inspired by his life in the mid-1940s when a warrant was issued for his arrest for being a Communist by Chilean President Gonzalez Videla, who had outlawed the political party.  To avoid arrest, Neruda and his wife went underground.  Director Pablo Larrain and his screenwriter Guillermo Calderon are most interested in Neruda’s impact on his country and its art and politics.  The opening scenes of the picture with Neruda and government officials arguing about politics in a men’s restroom (lavishly decorated with works of art) introduces the absurdities to follow.

       Pablo Neruda was a Nobel Prize winning poet and diplomat in Chile during the early part of the twentieth century.  He also served as senator for the Chilean Communist Party.  With the government on his tail, Neruda went into hiding and finally escaped to Argentina.  He later returned to Chile at the request of socialist President Salvadore Allende to be his policy advisor. 

       In the film, Neruda (Luis Gnecco) is portrayed as an overweight, temperamental poet beloved by the people.   He has grown up well cared for, and when he goes on the run, he and his well-to-do wife Delia (Moran) are forced to confront how ordinary people live, which is stressful for them.  The fact that they are Communists gives this an ironic twist. 

      In an extraordinary sleight of filmmaking, the writer made Neruda’s pursuer to be a “vainglorious” police detective who desperately wants it to be true that he is the descendant of the locally famous chief of police, Oscar Peluchonneau.  His mother was a prostitute, but Oscar thinks he looks like the statue of the older man, ergo…  He (played hilariously by gifted Bernal) is a fan of detective stories, so creates his image from storybook characters, full of swagger, insouciance, and a keen nose for clues.  The narration calls him “a phantom in a uniform.”  In his love of risk and penchant for thumbing his nose at authority, Neruda periodically leaves behind a detective book for Oscar to discover, one that Oscar just cannot resist reading.  But he remains confident that he will not be a supporting figure in this drama; he will be the hero.  It galls him to think that it is actually Neruda creating him.

       Political references and caricatures abound in this highly entertaining story, such as “[the government and police] want to hunt for Neruda, but not to catch him”, for that would spark rebellion in the people.  Reality and fiction, art and politics combine to get across the essence of Neruda’s contribution and what he was about, as opposed to a collection of facts about him.  Right up through the concluding scenes marked by the hunter and his prey slogging through waist-deep snow in the Andes, intrigue, humor, and political commentary keep us engaged and thoughtful, just as we are upon reading a brilliant, insightful poem.

Larrain’s stunning film may prompt repeated viewings to grasp its import.

Grade:  A                                                By Donna R. Copeland

PATERSON

Adam Driver     Golshifteh Farahani     Barry Shabaca Henley     William Jackson Harper     Chasten Harmon

          Paterson the movie is Jim Jarmusch’s homage to the 20^th Century American poet William Carlos Williams, who wrote a five-volume poem entitled “Paterson.”  Although the poet was born in and lived in Rutherford, NJ, his poem and the film are both set in Paterson, NJ.  To continue the theme, the film’s main character is named Paterson, a young bus driver who writes poems in his spare time.  Williams favored poetry in the “documentary” style that reflects the resemblance between the mind of man and the city [Beach, Christopher (2003). The Cambridge introduction to twentieth-century American poetry (1st publ. ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge UP. pp. 109–16. ISBN 9780521891493], which draws on everyday events in the lives of common people.  In his screenplay, Jarmush has Paterson writing and reciting poems reflective of Williams’ poetic style, which is, for example, making the subject of a poem a box of matches, with its significance in the couple’s home.

        Adam Driver captures the Paterson persona in its gentleness, selflessness, and willingness to please, along with a commitment to routine in daily life and a serious sense of responsibility.  He dismisses his worth—even after a demonstration of heroism—and shows no sign of hostility or resentment.  In pleasing contrast, Adam is married to blithe, winsome Laura (Farahani), who is wildly creative in her passion for black and white circles and stripes (appearing on clothes, curtains, napkins, cups, and even iced muffins); she is hilarious and lovingly sweet at the same time.  How refreshing to see a couple in the movies so compatible and free of conflict.  They both delight in indulging one another.  The two actors fit hand-in-glove in their roles.

          Paterson is an amiable film whose spice comes from the poetry, from the quirkiness of its characters, and from the little Jarmusch jokes sprinkled generously throughout.  For some reason, he makes seeing Paterson’s routine of waking up at the same time every day, eating his Cheerios, driving his bus, taking the dog Marvin on a walk, and stopping at a bar interesting.  That’s because along the way, we see all the figures he encounters with their daily life dramas that make us chuckle but also make us care about them. This is humanity at its most genuine and sympathetic.

          Somewhat puzzling is the motif of twins in the film; we see six different sets of twins, and Laura tells Paterson about her dream in which she was pregnant with twins.  “One for each of us”, replies Paterson.  Hence, I assume the motif has something to do with balance, and considering the contrasting personalities of the couple, perhaps it suggests the achievement of harmony in their relationship—that differences do not necessarily have to be in conflict.

        Toward the end of the film, Paterson encounters a Japanese gentleman in the Paterson Falls park.  A number of coincidental exchanges occur, at the end of which, the gentleman parts with the expression, “Aha!”  I hope all viewers have this same thought after viewing this film.

 A gentle, poetic, and warmly humorous look at a slice of humanity.

Grade:  A                                                 By Donna R. Copeland

ARRIVAL

Amy Adams     Jeremy Renner     Forest Whitaker     Michael Stuhlberg

            When Dr. Louise Banks (Adams) opens the film with musings about beginnings, endings, and time, it’s a clue about the construction of the story to follow.  And after a few scenes with Louise and her daughter, we hear about 12 alien spaceships that have landed around the world, one of which is in Montana where Louise lives.  That evening, there is a knock at the door, and Colonel Weber (Whitaker) tells her that based on her previous translation for the US government, they would like for her to translate a recording of a conversation with the aliens.  She responds that a recording is insufficient; she would need to see the speakers in person.

            So she is eventually flown with Ian Donnelly (Renner), a theoretical physicist, to the site, where they are charged with deciphering what the aliens seem to be saying.  Keep in mind that there are 11 other sites in the world where other governments are doing the same thing, in countries like China, Russia, and Pakistan.  Already, the U.S. media is firing up fears of the populace about the aliens, and the governments—including ours—are quick to worry about security and take a defensive-ready stance in case there is an invasion.  It never occurs to them that the heptapods may be contacting humanity for some other reason.

            The film makes good social commentary about fear of strangers and how quick some are to jump to conclusions based on few facts, and stand ready with finger on the trigger.  One paranoid voice (on talk-radio, for instance) can prompt domino-effect action among people and governments around the world.  Louise’s valiant attempts to reason and make scientific inquiries before taking such action is like a voice crying in the wilderness.  She holds our attention as we wait breathlessly to see how the story will turn out.

            Director Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Enemy, Prisoners, Incendies) has made previous sage commentary about human impulsivity, action with incomplete information, questionable motivations, and doggedness in searching for the truth, and this film measures up to his previous work in suspense and human dramas with which we can all identify.  The music of composer Johann Johannson enhances the drama, being eerily modern or beautifully symphonic, depending on the scene, and Bradford Young’s cinematography makes some scenes memorable purely for their composition and beauty, as when we see the upright mystical spaceship for the first time surrounded by textured clouds. 

            Amy Adams pretty much carries this film with her intense visualizations, painstaking work through problems, and emotional accessibility.  It’s too bad that her heavy breathing—meant to show anxiety perhaps?—was so predominant in such a strong figure.  She sounded like Darth Vader; whereas none of the men were heard doing this.  I am also a bit curious about Jeremy Renner’s role; so much of the time his character is just standing around or asking Louise how she is.  I think that’s a shame, both because the actor seems wasted in this characterization and because I would think a physicist would have a much more active role in hypothesizing and in advising government officials.  (You’d probably never find the current physicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson adopting such a passive role!)

             I very much enjoyed the characterization of Louise as something of a seer who could see into the future but had elected not to try to affect it in any way.  It’s the kind of acceptance that would be beneficial in many of our human struggles.

This is a different kind of action film, one that deals with universal issues with slower paced, scientific measure.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE MONSTER

Zoe Kazan     Ella Ballentine     Aaron Douglas     Chris Webb

          This is pretty standard horror fare by Bryan Bertino, writer/director, about a mother-daughter pair with major conflicts.  Lizzy (Ballentine) wants to go visit her father, and her mother Kathy (Kazan) agrees to take her, but she’s been up late (apparently drinking, from all the bottles left behind that Lizzy gamely clears up and washes the dishes), and doesn’t get up until the evening.  Hence, they start off hours later than planned and are on the road after dark. 

         Kathy is a terrible driver, and in a rainstorm hits an animal, which disables the car.  They call 911, which sends an ambulance and a tow truck, but since there has been an accident, the ambulance is delayed.  The driver of the truck realizes that before he can tow the car, he has to fix the axle underneath.  While he is working—with rain pouring down the whole time—mysterious sounds are heard and he goes to investigate.

          Lizzy has argued with her mother about the existence of monsters, but Kathy brushes her off, saying monsters are not real.  She has to take that back later, after there is disappearance after disappearance of their rescuers who’ve come one by one to help them. 

This film has the problem that I see in many horror films—that people do stupid things that stretch my sense of reality.  Kathy wrecks not just one car; she wrecks two.  People go out in the woods in the dark armed only with a flashlight.  Poor plans are made to retrieve a cell phone, make escape plans, etc. 

       The depictions of the mother-daughter conflicts and the actresses playing them are good and convincing.  Without actually stating what the problems are, we are able to infer the history.  The pacing and special effects are to Bertino’s and his crew’s credit, and the music by tomandandy is appropriately scary and beautiful. 

Aficionados of the horror genre are likely to buy into The Monster.

Grade:  C                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE AGE OF SHADOWS

Lee Byung-hun     Gong Yoo    Song Kang-ho     Park Hee-soon     Shingo Tsurumi     Um Tae-Goo     Han Ji-min

          Pitting the Korean resistance fighters against the Japanese occupiers in the 1920’s, The Age of Shadows illustrates the fine art of double-dealing and the tenacious persistence of committed people thwarting outside rule.  It can be difficult for English speakers in the first part of the film to sort out who the players are, but once you have an idea about who’s who, you can distinguish faces rather than names.  (Although it became confusing again when I found that different online sources don’t agree with which are first names and which are last names of the director and cast.  For this review, I went with the credits listed in the film.)

          The central character Lee Jung-Chool (Kang-ho) is a Korean captain who is currently on the Japanese police force, having sold out his fellow resisters previously.  Yet, he also seems at times to be helping the resistance, which is led by Kim Woo-Jin (Yoo).  Their relationship is not really clear until the very end.  Jung-Chool has been charged by his superiors, Hashimoto (Um) and Higashi (Tsurumi), to infiltrate the resistance to bring them all to justice.  The tension heightens when the main resistance fighters and police are all spying on each other while on a train transporting explosives.  This is a finely choreographed, bloody sequence that is hard to track with its numerous players.

        Divided loyalties and the bind that creates is the essence of the film, which makes Jung-Chool the central character, involved in most of the planning meetings on both sides and the frequent gunfire.  South Korean writer-director Kim Jee-woon (The Good, the Bad, the Weird, Doomsday Book, I Saw the Devil) has created a spy thriller with brilliant complications (the followers also become the followed), changing loyalties, and ever-present sense of danger.

       The most entertaining sequences are watching Jung-Chool and Woo-Jin doing their dance of negotiations.  Woo-Jin keeps the pressure on Jung-Chool to keep up his aid to the resistance or else be exposed to his superiors.  

A violent spy thriller from South Korean Kim Jee-woon.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

TROLLS

Voices of:  Anna Kendrick   Justin Timberlake   Christopher Mintz-Plasse   Zooey Deschanel  

Christine Baranski   Russell Brand   John Cleese   James Corden   Jeffrey Tambor

       I think kids will really take to this animation with simple messages that will be meaningful to them, delivered in eye-catching, colorful visual effects.  The message is basically pitting “look on the bright side of life” against “look out; they’re out to get you.”  And further, that true happiness is inside all of us; it’s up to us to find it.  The film also demonstrates that making friends of enemies is ultimately life-saving.

       The story is that the Trolls are too exuberant with their singing, dancing, and hugs which are put forth by King Peppy (Tambor) and his daughter Poppy (Kendrick).  For good reason, which we find out why later, Poppy’s friend Branch (Timberlake) turns away from what he sees is nonsense and further endangers the Trolls because their loud parties inform the Bergens of their whereabouts.  Bergens are dour beings who are huge grouches, convinced that eating Trolls is the only way they can be happy.

         Despite Branch’s warnings, the Bergen king’s chef (Baransky) who has been banished because she hasn’t served Trolls for 20 years sees and hears the partygoers and manages to grab a half dozen of them to take back to King Gristle (Mintz-Plasse), thereby getting back into his good graces.  King Gristle is too young to have ever tasted Troll happiness and was told by his father (Cleese) that he never would.  Her bounty certainly does get her forgiven, and she is gleeful with her newly regained power.

     Meanwhile, Poppy feels guilty about not listening to Branch’s warning, and feels responsible for the Trolls that got into the Chef’s hands.  The Troll mantra, “No Troll left behind”, prompts her to go to the land of the Bergens and rescue her friends.  At first, Branch refuses to go with her, but does show up on the trail, knowing that Poppy will need his help.  Most of the rest of the film is about their ruses and adventures in rescuing the prisoners, which involves making friends with the scullery maid Bridget (Deschanel) and doing a little matchmaking.

       The soundtrack has a number of original songs, the most important being “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake (who served as music producer), which won Best Song from the Hollywood Film Awards.  The singers include Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Zooey Deshanel, Gwen Stefani, and James Cordon along with others.  Paul Simon’s “The Sound of Silence” is inserted during a key moment, drawing chuckles from the audience.  The original score is by Christophe Beck. 

       Cinematographer Young Duk Jhun, who has had experience with visual effects (The Croods, Monsters vs. Aliens, and Over the Hedge) is joined by the Production, Art, Visual Effects, and Animation artists to create a beautifully rendered show, brought together by Co-directors Mike Mitchell and Walt Dohm (with previous contributions to Shrek and SpongeBob SquarePants films).  The ways in which the Trolls use their hair is definitely clever sometimes humorous, and part of the fascination in Trolls.

Although not a groundbreaker, the music, visual and special effects, and heartwarming messages, gives Trolls high entertainment value, particularly for young children.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

HACKSAW RIDGE

Andrew Garfield   Sam Worthington   Vince Vaughn   Hugo Weaving   Rachel Griffiths   Teresa Palmer

       You are not surprised in a Mel Gibson movie to begin with the fiery fields of war.  That’s how Hacksaw Ridge starts, along with a voice-over of a sermon.  After that, we’re introduced to the Doss family, first the two brothers Desmond and Hal in horseplay and climbing on cliffs.  Then the father Tom (Weaving) with PTSD, alcoholism, and abusiveness and mother Bertha (Griffiths).  Although Tom received medals of honor after his service in WWI, he is bitter about losing his comrades on the battlefield.   To his horror, both his sons sign up for WWII, Desmond (Garfield) wanting to go as a medic because of his conscientious objection to taking up arms.  (To the film’s credit, clear lines are drawn connecting this belief to his religion as Seventh Day Adventist, to his father’s abuse of his mother, and to the guilt he feels after almost killing his brother by hitting him in the head with a brick.) 

      Just before he signs up, Desmond falls in love with a nurse at the hospital after he has saved a man’s life with a tourniquet after an accident.  He’s trying to retrieve the belt he used in the save, and Nurse Dorothy (Palmer), who is drawing blood from donors, agrees to get it for him, especially after he offers to donate.  Love quickly turns into an engagement, and Dorothy gives him her personal Bible and a picture of herself in bidding him goodbye at the train station as he leaves for boot camp.

      Boot camp is a major test of Desmond’s beliefs.  He is taunted, beaten up, and called a coward, and the army tries to get him disqualified for psychiatric reasons.  He tries to argue that he is a “conscientious cooperator” rather than an objector, but the brass do not get the distinction.  Finally, he faces a court martial when his father comes through with a letter from a brigadier general saying he has a right to his beliefs and that he is to be trained as a medic.

     By this time, some of his superiors, like Sargeant Howell (Vaughn) and fellow privates are starting to respect him somewhat.  But little do any of them know how he will prove himself on the battlefield using ingenious methods and extraordinary persistence to save 75 soldiers in three battles on aptly named Hacksaw Ridge that took away most of his unit.  (We “get” to see all three in detail, since Gibson doesn’t seem to know when to stop.)  The film is based on a true story, and Desmond Doss was later awarded the Medal of Honor for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action” for his bravery in Okinawa in 1945.

     Hacksaw Ridge should be commended for showing the effects of war both during the time of battle and afterwards, for showing that one doesn’t have to have a gun to be brave, and for highlighting the extraordinary military service of one individual, Medic Desmond Doss.

     Director Mel Gibson is clearly a talented filmmaker, who grasps the essence of a major story and turns it into a film that captures your attention.  In this, he is clearly helped by cinematographer Simon Duggan, accomplished in focusing in on sensitive human exchanges and using special effects for battle scenes.  He is also helped by Garfield, Weaving, and Griffiths bringing just the right dramatic tone to their characters, especially Garfield, who plays the modest but intelligent rube masterfully. 

A startling work about the heroics of a conscientious medic in war.

Grade:  B+                        By Donna R. Copeland