THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT

Sam Elliott     Aidan Turner     Ron Livingston     Caitlin FitzGerald     Larry Miller

     This is a charming (and sometimes tense) story about an eccentric old man with regrets. It’s striking, because many would call him a hero.  He eschews that appellation, saying that there were real heroes in WWII, and he was only doing what he was told to do.  This is a role made for Sam Elliott (playing Calvin Barr, a man of few words and deep thoughts), who draws out every conversation, every scene, as long as possible to instill maximum emotional impact.

     Writer/director Robert D. Krzykowski has chosen to alternate back and forth between the experiences of the young Calvin, played by Aidan Turner, and older Calvin, played by Sam Elliott.  The younger has been undercover in the WWII Nazi military with a special mission, to kill Hitler.  The older Calvin lives in the same town, same house as the younger. But he has long been home from the war, still grieving the loss of his pre-war beloved (Caitlin FitzGerald).  

     Calvin now leads a solitary life, talking only to his bartender and his dog, but hardly to anyone else, even his brother Ed (Miller).  He seems like he is preparing to die (as in dumping all his meds in the trash) when he is visited by FBI agents asking him to go after the current “Bigfoot” in the Canada wild, who is infecting the civilized world with dread diseases—ones that trace their beginnings to the black plague in the 14^thcentury—and ones to which he is immune.   (A little hokey is the stated fact that he is the “only one in the world capable of destroying this animal/human being.)

     At first, he refuses; but this is a man who is still questioning his first “kill.” Yet, he is torn because of his position of being honorable in all things.  Will he go when he is called as an old man to fight yet another fight?  Or will he cling to his basic principles?  

     The film is engaging and entertaining, and Sam Elliott is mesmerizing (with Aidan Turner expertly and convincingly playing his younger self).  The plot is interesting and fanciful, yet it doesn’t quite hit that “sweet spot” where reality, fantasy, and inspiration come together.  Perhaps if the script were more plausible, it could have been more engaging as a fantasy. But as it stands, its remains interesting but not one that will stay with you.

A military fantasy that, however intriguing, lacks enough grounding in reality to be impressive.

Grade:  C+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

A STAR IS BORN

Lady Gaga     Bradley Cooper     Sam Elliott     

Anthony Ramos     Andrew Dice Clay     Rafi Gavron     Dave Chappelle

     Stars shine so bright on their way up and glow brilliantly for a time, then begin to fade.  Popular rock star Jack expresses this to Ally when she is on her way up to stardom and he realizes his star is waning.  This is a story beautifully told (and sung) about a major rock star stumbling onto an undiscovered talent and recognizing her value, which she does not as yet recognize.  Their lives intertwine in a hot romance that is touching and real, and then they must confront the stresses attendant with established and new fame side by side.

     Bradley Cooper, co-writer and director, co-stars as Jack with Lady Gaga as the ingénue Ally.  Gaga shines as a street-wise but innocent budding artist who devalues herself, her voice, her writing, and her looks.  (As per usual, the comments about her looks sting her the most and undermine everything else.)  In her favor is a devoted, admiring father who has given her a solid background.  Cooper is the rock star Jackson Maine, with a huge following and fans everywhere who know him.  

     The first part of the story charts the musical and sexual attraction between the couple, and its fun to see this and see the chemistry between Cooper and Gaga. This gets you onboard to root for them and care about what happens to them, despite the warning signs along the way; i.e., his dependence on alcohol and drugs, his conflicted relationship with his brother Bobby (Elliott), the meteoric rise of Ally’s stardom, her artful manager, etc.  

      The signs’ becoming realities in the couple’s relationship tells the rest of the story. 

   Cooper’s directorial debut is clearly a success, with strength of story, cast, music, cinematography, and all the other components of good films.  His acting and vocal abilities are at their best, and Lady Gaga meets him in her impressive acting debut.  She is a well-established and beloved singer-performer, and to see her ace an acting role is rewarding.  Sam Elliott as Jack’s older brother is sterling as he usually is in a role that fits perfectly.  All three stars are getting early Oscar buzz.

     Much should be made as well about Matthew Libatique’s cinematography, so original and artistic in presenting the concert scenes.  His work has a certain mystique about it that pulls the viewer even deeper into the story.  His first-class filmography includes Black Swan, Pi, The Fountain, and Mother.  

     
This movie will play well for general audiences, but it has enough artistic merit in its craft to warrant a higher designation, that of a film worthy of a remake.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

THE HERO

Sam Elliott   Laura Prepon   Nick Offerman   Krysten Ritter   Katharine Ross

      In this movie, the term ‘hero’ has layered connotations:  It refers to a movie that made Lee Hayden (Elliott) famous, it refers to the father in a film script he is auditioning for, it refers to Lee’s attempts to salvage his relationship with his daughter, and finally it refers to dealing with a life-threatening illness and facing with dignity the possibility of death.  Lee is different from the usual hero we encounter in movies; he is taciturn but sensitive; he shuns the spotlight, generously ceding his lifetime achievement award to a stranger; and is loathe to divulge to others the burden he is carrying.  Instead he copes in a low-key kind of way with alcohol and drugs he gets from a best friend Jeremy (Offerman), who’s also supportive.

     It’s at Jeremy’s that Lee meets a client named Charlotte (Prepon), a much younger woman who is cheeky and outspoken.  Lee is attracted to her, partly because she challenges him, but also they are very different from one another, which appeals to him.  Whereas he is cautious and thoughtful, she is gregarious and impulsive and a little careless.  Although their first encounters are a bit awkward, they form a tenuous relationship that later gets threatened by something she does. 

      Director Brett Haley, co-wrote this script and I’ll See You in My Dreams with Marc Basch, and both films have the quality of being subdued, but still engaging enough to capture our interest and wonder how the story lines will turn out.  It’s a film provoking thoughtful consideration of the issues Lee is dealing with, issues that are likely to strike a touching chord in most viewers.  Hero continues the themes from Dreams about the complexities of emotional attachment, age differences in people’s perspectives, and living in the moment versus working toward goals.

      Consistent with many roles he has taken in his acting career, Sam Elliott here portrays a character who is good looking with a distinctive resonant voice, and one who prefers a low-key life.   Most of the actor’s work has been in both television and movies, but although he is the lead in this film, he typically eschews leading man roles, and accolades he has received are for supporting character portrayals.  He prefers to keep his usual distinctive white hair and handlebar moustache in his movies, consistent with his preference for roles that are similar to him in real life.  He loves westerns because they have “something to do with integrity and a man’s word and honor and all that kind of stuff—values, morality…”  The part was written for him, and fits him hand-to-glove.

     Early in her career Katherine Ross (Lee’s ex-wife in The Hero, but his actual wife in reality) won an Oscar, two Golden Globes and a BAFTA, but for some reason, she stayed away from feature films for ten years.  She still has a captivating presence on film without necessarily speaking very much, and as Val, she sets just the right tone when she encounters Lee.  Laura Prepon overacts a bit in her role as Charlotte, although it may be at Director Haley’s behest.  Krysten Ritter is just right as Lee’s daughter, with tones of longing, anger, and tenderness toward her father.  Offerman and Elliott have an easy camaraderie with one another, and their scenes represent strong, affectionate male bonding.

     What appealed to me most about this film was the quiet drama unfolding in the lives of plausibly constructed characters and the playfulness of conveying many different meanings to the word ‘hero.’  I do object to what is now so prevalent in films—the over-use of alcohol and drugs.  I presume it’s related to filmmakers’ need for funding and the manufacturers’ benefitting from the coverage, but it’s not a good model at a time when we’re all urged to be more moderate in our consumption.

A quiet, contemplative film with a bit of comedy and romance to spice it up.

Grade:  C+                                    By Donna R. Copeland

I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS

--> Blythe Danner   Sam Elliott   Martin Starr   June Squibb   Rhea Perlman   Mary Kay Place

-->

I’ll See You in my Dreams is the kind of comedy many people like to see after a hard week.  It shines the spotlight on an older woman, Carol (Danner), who is widowed, enjoying her somewhat solitary life, but open to new experiences if someone else will take the lead.  She has three bridge/golf friends who are like family, and they all live close to one another in a retirement complex on a golf course.  Sally (Perlman) is always trying to fix Carol up with someone, and even hauls her off to a speed-dating event one evening. Rona (Place) is the more curious one, and unexpectedly stops by Carol’s house from time to time, creating a few awkward moments.  Georgina (Squibb) is a good sport and most like the typical older woman. 

     Carol, a singer and schoolteacher in her younger days, starts getting acquainted with a young man (Starr) who comes by to clean her pool.  Lloyd is an aspiring poet/singer, who ignores the age gap and likes to “hang out” with Carol.  He takes her to a karaoke bar one evening, and they clearly hit it off.  Enter a contemporary of Carol’s, Bill (Elliott), who likes her looks and smoothly gets her to go out with him.  He has a boat called “So What”, which says something about the man.  For the first time in 20 years, Carol is confronted with the possibility of getting married again. 

      With both men, the conversations turn to future plans and considerations about achieving a balance between living in the moment and working toward some future goal.  In talking with Lloyd, Carol observes that we wait our whole lives for something that we’re sure to get sooner or later.  It’s death, she says, with a bit of black humor.  The film does a good job in contrasting different perspectives about life between younger and older folks.

      Brett Haley, the young director and writer with Marc Basch, is well rounded in his acting, producing and editing experience. In Dreams, he has taken what could be light, even silly, entertainment and given it emotional depth and weightier subjects to think about.  The film draws laughter as well as some tears and joie de vivre.  He and his also young co-writer Marc Basch should be complimented for capturing the older years in life so well.

      Blythe Danner has a solid reputation as an actress in both film and television.  As Carol, her performance is engaging, but I think her character is written to be somewhat reserved and distant, which turned me off a bit.  I felt sorry for her daughter and her friends sometimes in situations where she could have shared more and been more warmly responsive, and looks unnecessarily withholding.  Both Sam Elliott and Martin Starr played characters as a study in contrasts, with each showing himself in naturalistic ways.  Starr as Lloyd is particularly moving when he sings a song for Carol towards the end of the film.

A loving comedy with soul.

Grade:  B By Donna R. Copeland