KING RICHARD

 Will Smith     Jon Bernthal     Dylan McDermott     Aunjanue Ellis

Saniyya Sidney     Demi Singleton     Tony Goldwyn

            This is a fascinating account about how to make a champion.  Richard Williams, the father of the famous tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, knew the value of positive reinforcement, despite his tendency to be overbearing, and temperamental.  And let’s not forget the decisive role of his wife Brandi.  She knew him like a book and could read him in such a way she helped him understand himself when he otherwise couldn’t.  And she was a real force in their girls’ training.

            The gist of the story is known by most people, that the black family from Compton, California, took the tennis world by storm in the early 2,000’s when Venus began winning tournaments at an early age.  The proud father always responded to reporters and coaches when they praised him for one daughter by reminding them he had two girls who would be stars.

            As oppositional and pompous as he often was, Richard had rules he lived by and taught his children, such as “Fail to plan, plan to fail.”  Humility is another principal he at least wanted his children to retain, always remembering where they came from no matter how many prizes they won.  No matter the win, he forbade them to “brag.”  Clear from the film is that much of the success of the girls depended on his salesmanship.  He seemed not to be intimated by anyone; he successfully convinced almost (not all) all of them to at least look at his daughters’ prowess on the court.

            I am not a tennis player or big fan, but the film comes across as an authentic representation of what it takes to become a tennis star, the role a parent so inclined could play in a child’s success, and in this case the tremendous support provided by a family that not only stood together but talked through and hashed out problems that arose.   I appreciated the background information about the father that led to the fierceness and perseverance he shows in situations where he is challenged.  Valuable as well is the occasional focus on the marriage and the way the couple solves their issues.  

            Will Smith seems tailor made for the role of Richard Williams.  He embodies it so well one can imagine that aspects of Williams’ personality are ones Smith knows very well.  As Mrs. Williams, Aunjanue Ellis is an inspiration for all women who need to stand up for themselves.  Ellis shows the full dimensionality of a bright, creative, and loving woman who knows how to be a partner to a strong man, and I hope both actors will be recognized come awards season.

            The movie is entitled “King Richard” apparently because of the way Williams conducted himself in coaching and advocating for his daughters.  It seems an apt title to me.  The film does not go into the marriages and divorces of the parents or other types of conflicts in the women’s careers—which is a bit of sugar-coating perhaps—but wisely concentrates primarily on the family during the time Venus is just getting established as a pro tennis player.

 

This account of the background of two record-breaking female tennis players will keep you entertained and cognizant of the importance of family support.

 

Grade:  A                              By Donna R. Copeland

FORD v FERRARI

Christian Bale     Matt Damon     Caitriona Balfe     Jon Bernthal

Tracy Letts     Josh Lucas     JJ Field     Noah Jupe

     Yes, this film is about car racing, but it’s also about corporate culture and how it wields its power, showing how one major player can influence major events; and it’s about the friendship between two men, both of whom fit the emotional reticence of “macho” men, yet remain extremely close to one another. Thankfully, the wife and son of one of them provide balance to a testosterone-filled drama.

     Carroll Shelby (Damon) has a significant reputation as a racecar driver, but when his health forces him to stop, he becomes a designer of racecars, pulling in his good friend and driver, Ken Miles (Bale).  Shelby has a successful business designing and assembling sports cars, partly by virtue of his salesmanship and negotiating talent. Ken, on the other hand, is prickly, often offending others, and his car repair business is failing.

     When Lee Iacocca (Bernthal) of the Ford Motor Company begins to have aspirations of competing with Ferrari, current winner of multiple Le Mans races, he approaches Shelby, who has been the only American to have ever won the race.  He wants Shelby to partner with Ford to make a car that will give Ferrari competition.  

     What follows is the conflict between the creativity of Shelby and Miles with the Ford Corporation’s executive layers and its insistence on employees toeing whatever line it sets.  In addition, we see the struggle between middle-class “good ‘ole boy” war heroes and the upper crust of society.  We also get a glimpse of treachery that is sometimes characteristic of overly ambitious sorts and the self-entitlement of those born into wealth.

     The film tells an exciting, gripping story (more-so for those who are fascinated by cars and racing), written by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth and Jason Keller, based on Anthony Pritchard’s book (2011) about the Le Mans 1966 competition, pitting Ford versus Ferrari.  It’s well directed by James Mangold, but the jerky editing—especially in the beginning—detracts from its success.  The roar of sports cars around town accompanied by a soft “Chica Chica Boom Boom” rendition is fun, but when the races are full on, on the track, it is hard on the ears and head for those of us less enamored by the sport.

     Along with the excitement provided by a story about racing and personal conflicts, Christian Bale and Matt Damon are the hallmarks of the film.  They are the big draw, and lend their well-deserved stardom to boost the appeal.  Bale shows his range in all the different roles he has played (as a fighter in The Fighter, to an action figure in The Dark Knight films, to the Vice President of the United States in Vice, to name a few), and here as a cantankerous but brilliant race driver who keeps a cool head and is willing to take risks.  Damon’s Texas accent and persona come across as authentic, and it looks like he thoroughly enjoys savoring it the whole time. This role resembles his award-winning performance in The Martian, in its ingenuity and being able to think on his feet.  

     Lovely Caitriona Balfe as the wife of irascible Ken Miles, adds dimension to the story, and her pluckiness and daring is also one of the high points of the film. Most endearing, of course, is Noah Jupe as Peter Miles, Ken’s son.  Jupe mixes childhood reverence and joy showing keen perception on what Peter is learning, which, like the Molly Miles character, provides some levity to the male competitiveness.

Ford v Ferrari will be appealing primarily to car racing enthusiasts who will be fascinated by what went into the 1966 Le Mans race.

Grade:  B                                    By Donna R. Copeland

WIND RIVER

Jeremy Renner     Elizabeth Olsen     Jon Bernthal     Martin Sensmeier     Julia Jones

      Taylor Sheridan (writer, director) is an artist who knows how to draw out the best from the other artists in his films—Cinematographer Ben Richardson, Musician Warren Ellis, Actors Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen and the rest of the cast, Production Designer Neil Spisak, Art Designer Lauren Slatten, and the other technical contributors.  Wind River represents a breathtaking example of the essence of accomplished filmmaking, from the sweeping snow-laden landscapes stained with blood, to the haunting musical score paired exactly with the dialog and action, to Renner’s wise old soul with extra sensory perception and gentle touch, and Olsen’s expert urban-trained FBI agent clearly not prepared for the different environment and population, but willing to learn.  There is even an exquisite/troubling blending of stunning beauty and unspeakable horror.

     I was especially impressed with cinematography that has the camera slink around with Cory tracking footprints in the snow, and guiding the eye upward or downward toward whatever it wants you to see.  A view to admire is one shot from an airplane over a snowy, mountainous landscape, showing lumbering trucks on the highway bearing heavy snowmobiles.  This prepares us for a showdown.

     One would like to imagine that the pristine snowscapes we admire on the screen (as we sit in our toasty, comfortable theater seats) would hold innocence and purity and be reflected in fit bodies and souls.  But alas, just as we hear about the brutal attack by a lion on a herd of cattle, we see a fallen human body in the snow with a head wound and blood coming out her mouth.  Tracker Cory (Renner) sadly knows who it is, which provokes memories of an earlier death that still tears at him.

     Cory is a good man, a respected local who, even without the memories, would willingly help FBI agent Banner (Olsen) who has been called in to solve the case.  These sequences constitute the few scenes tinged with humor, when the agent comes totally unprepared for the bone-chilling weather and has to borrow warm clothing from the sheriff’s stern wife.  (“Make sure you return it!”)  Later encounters with the locals are likewise amusing when Banner meets native Indians, unwittingly offending them, and roughnecks working on an oil drill.  Cory and the sheriff wryly get her up to speed from time to time, and she shows flashes of leadership and strength.  (I wish Sheridan had made her character much stronger, as many filmmakers are willing to do with females nowadays…but maybe this is happening only in action figures a la Wonder Woman, Atomic Blonde, and Valerian/City/Thousand/Planets?)

     This beautifully made film has substantive points to make as well as depth of character.  It’s about loss and death—especially of children—and the multifarious ways in which people cope with it; life on an Indian reservation (this part is not fiction); the nefarious effects of drugs on young people; the art of skillful, informed sleuthing and interrogation; and, finally, how satisfying justified retribution can be. 

Be prepared for an extravaganza of beauty in all its forms mixed with the realities of life lived.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE ACCOUNTANT

Ben Affleck   Anna Kendrick   J. K. Simmons   Jeffrey Tambor   John Lithgow   Cynthia Addai-Robinson   Jon Bernthal

          Don’t let the title mislead you; this is a crafty, entertaining thriller with rapid plot twists and shifting identities.  Not what you ever imagined an accountant’s life to be like.  But Christian Wolff (Affleck), the accountant in this story, grew up “different” (Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism) with a military father who pushed him to overcome weakness and deal with taunts and bullying he was encountering.  Training included fostering his innate talent for numbers, family loyalty, martial arts and target practice.  So Christian (take note of the name’s associations) then becomes a fairly unique individual with Robinhood values, which makes this film a character study as well as an action thriller, showing the influence of early family relationships and events on adulthood in this and other characters.

          Director Gavin O’Connor enhances the mystery quotient by jumping back and forth in time [which I normally detest, but it works here], showing events in Christian’s life and an FBI investigation.  Mystery is inserted by withholding reasons why, for instance, FBI Director Raymond King (Simmons) is pursuing a perp he calls “The Accountant”, and charges one of his supervisees, Marybeth Medina (Addai-Robinson), to smoke this guy out.  (We’re given satisfaction later as to its importance to him.)

          It’s an amazing—although still plausible—story involving a savant mathematician, big corporations, underworld crime, FBI investigations, and a young well-meaning accountant (Kendrick) who unwittingly blows the whistle at a prominent company, thereby setting off a chain of events no one expects.

          O’Connor has done extremely well in putting Bill Dubuque’s screenplay on film, using their combined knowledge of cinema, human psychology and families to create a compelling tale that is more than a simple thriller.  This film would not have worked nearly as well without the personal histories of Christian, Ray, and Marybeth; they fit together exquisitely with—something I loved—a kind of tenderness running through.  On top of all this, there is a “coming together” at the end, which is priceless. 

         The actors are well cast, with the ever-talented Ben Affleck taking the lead, but with strong support from Anna Kendrick, J. K. Simmons, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Jeffrey Tambor, and John Lithgow.  Each one of these actors has stellar performances in showing their vulnerabilities:  Affleck as an autistic, Kendrick as a bright but repressed artist-mathematician, Simmons as an FBI agent with insight and heart, Addai-Robinson as one whose secret is outed but hopes diligence will save her, Tambor as an inmate who’s reformed and has acquired character, and Lithgow who is gobsmacked by just about everything going on around him.

       Mark Isham’s music and Seamus McGarvey’s cinematography are the behind-the-scenes enhancements that help make this film significant. 

This film has all the elements that many of us go to the movies for.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland