NEWS OF THE WORLD

Tom Hanks     Helena Zengal

     I love beautiful stories, and this is one.  Just as Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Hanks) keeps his audiences transfixed with his “news of the world”, I stayed entranced throughout the odd journey of this grieving ex-soldier and a 10 year-old German girl, Johanna (Zengal), brought up by the Kiowa Indians for four years after they killed her parents. The child almost literally falls into his lap and it’s up to him to get her to her only relatives, a maternal aunt and uncle, in Castroville.  This is in Texas wild country just after the Civil War, and when they set out on a six-day trip in a makeshift wagon and two horses, who knows what they will encounter?

     It turns out there is a lot, of course, the most creepy being a sleaze who thinks he can buy the girl off the Captain, and it takes a gun battle out on the hilly desert to dissuade him.  But there will be more challenges before they reach their destination, and Johanna has a chance to prove her worth several times in quick-witted action.

     Director and co-writer (with Luke Davies) Paul Greengrass bases the story on a novel written by Paulette Jiles.  As with his other movies as writer and director (United 93 and the Jason Bourne movies), Greengrass has proven his mettle as a storyteller whose pacing of the action allows for greater suspense and emotional expression.  At one point when the two travelers pass by the wrecked settlement that used to be her home, Johanna stops and proceeds to go into her old house, where she finds an abandoned doll.  When she brings it out to the patiently waiting Captain, his advice is to forget the horror and develop new memories.  The wise little girl replies, “First, you must remember.”  

     The two actors are entirely in sync with one another throughout the story. Their faces eloquently express so much without their saying anything.  We’ve seen that in his numerous roles during Tom Hanks’ long, successful career.  To observe it in young Helena Zengal, is almost mind-blowing.  Since Johanna speaks Kiowa and doesn’t know English, there is little dialog between them, hence their reliance on nonverbal language to communicate practically and emotionally.

     They are aided in this task by award-winning artists, musician James Newton Howard and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski, who express the varying moods and visual expanse of a well-told story.  

 

News of the World gives us a jewel at the end of this frightful year; it will engage you, inspire you, and renew your faith in those trying their best to do the right thing.

 

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

 

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Tom Hanks     Matthew Rhys     Susan Kelechi Watson     Chris Cooper     Christine Lahti

     In this film, “Mr. Rogers”, the television personality is portrayed as someone who will change the life of a reluctant expository journalist sent to interview him for a “hero” piece in a magazine.  Lloyd Vogel (Rhys) is shown to be absolutely myopic and abrasive in human interactions (and in his writings), even with his wife Andrea (Watson) and their infant child.  But after his abbreviated times with Rogers, he makes a miraculous transformation.  

     I think I understand what the filmmakers had in mind in making A Beautiful Day, which is to show how effective Mr. Rogers as a television personality could be in the real world with a grown-up.  But having had some personal interactions with the real Fred Rogers, and from my experience of the show when my daughter as a young child was transfixed by it, I came away from the movie rather taken aback.  This is a completely fanciful account of Mr. Rogers and the way in which he related to people outside his show.

     To be specific, when I was a psychologist in Pediatrics at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, we invited Fred Rogers to our annual Mental Health Conference¹.  He came and gave a moving presentation about how he worked with kids. During his stay, we had a number of conversations with him.  I want to say that at no time when he talked with us as adults, did he use the same tone as he did on his show with children or use a style of probing someone's psyche, as is shown in this film particularly when talking to the journalist Lloyd Vogel. 

     My misgivings with the film have mostly to do with the dialog.  Writers Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster have written dialog that sounds artificial, as if someone who isn’t Mr. Rogers is trying to sound just like him, and then applying it unrealistically.  The real Rogers—or anyone with psychological sensitivity—would not ask probing questions of a journalist as if he were the man’s therapist.  Fred Rogers was much more sophisticated and psychologically informed than that.

     As far as the acting, Tom Hanks does a marvelous rendition of Fred Rogers’ manner, voice, and demonstrative concern.  Even his singing is engaging.  It was especially provocative to see Matthew Rhys (such an astute, insightful character in “The Americans”) come across as an acerbic, obtuse character who seems completely ignorant of everyday niceties and needs of others.  The rest of the cast including the always effective Chris Cooper as Lloyd’s father and Susan Kelechi Watson as his wife are top-notch.

     In my way of thinking, the writers and director Marielle Heller should have gotten more consultation about the essence of Fred Rogers and his “Neighborhood” show before embarking on the project.  Their backgrounds in Can You Ever Forgive Me, Maleficent, and A Walk among the Tombstones are not adequate preparation and experience for a movie about a master of subtlety and guidance of children.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is not likely to encourage reminiscences about Mr. Rogers or his show for children.

Grade:  D                         By Donna R. Copeland

¹Rogers, Fred.  Growing with Children.  In Donna R. Copeland, Betty Pfefferbaum, Allison Stovall (Ed.) The Mind of the Child Who Is Said To Be Sick.  Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.  1983, pp. 5-12.  

TOY STORY 4

Tom Hanks     Keanu Reeves     Christina Hendricks     Annie Potts

Joan Cusack     Tim Allen     Tony Hale     Madeleine McGraw     Emily Hahn 

     After the toys have said goodbye to their previous child, Andy, they are getting used to their new child, Bonnie (Hahn).  Woody (Hanks) is hurt that he is not the favorite toy for Bonnie like he was for Andy, but he still has protective feelings toward her, as he has come to have toward all the toys.  It’s kindergarten time for Bonnie, but she is loath to go. Woody sees that she will need his help, so stows away in her backpack to keep an eye on her.  Sure enough, after her parents leave, Bonnie is sad, and when a boy shuns her and grabs her art materials, she is really about to cry.  Woody steps up, rummages through the trashcan, and finds materials she can use to make something. It turns out, he has thrown on Bonnie’s table a fork and other little things like plastic eyeballs which she promptly makes into a toy.  She is so pleased and proud, she names her toy “Forky”.

     The problem is, Forky (Hale) doesn’t want to be a toy (something foreign to him) and keeps charging back to any trashcan he can find.  This will now be Woody’s primary responsibility:  Retrieving Forky for Bonnie every time he runs away. He also has to teach him many things about his new world.  Adventures follow when Bonnie’s family takes a trip in an RV, ending up at a park with a carnival.  Woody’s job is cut out for him, as Bonnie has become so attached to Forky and he keeps running away.  Not only are there adventures and challenges on the road and at the carnival, some of the scariest moments take place in an antique store!  Woody goes to the store when he recognizes a lamp in the window that reminds him of his old friend Bo Peep (Potts).

     Toy Story 4 comes through for children in its addressing—and making an adventure of—some of their deepest fears (abandonment, uselessness, rejection) and the means of coping with them (asking for help, turning to friends, being loyal to one’s own people).  Normal fears are countered with encouragement (“C’mon, you can do this!”) and, sometimes, (“Let it go; it’s not important”). And, ultimately, the film models the value in taking calculated risks in life for the goals of exploration of self and the world, and letting go of comfort and security, at least temporarily.  I have to admit that “Yes, we can-ada!” brought a smile to my face every time.

     Director Josh Cooley lives up to his reputation for Inside Out, Up, and Rataouille in making a film that is appealing to children and adults and, most importantly, speaking to children about important issues.  Production design by Bob Pauley and music by Randy Newman—along with the excellent cast—make this follow-up to previous Toy Storyiterations worthwhile.  

     Cooley and the producers must have had unbelievable influence to pull in A-list actors like Tom Hanks, Keanu Reeves, Jordan Peele, Annie Potts, Mel Brooks, Joan Cusack, Tim Allen, Laurie Metcalf, and Betty White for voicing the major characters.  Music by Randy Newman and production design by Bob Pauley, along with the animation and art crews boost the production to high quality film—shocking for a fourth version of a movie.  Cheers to Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures.

An adventurous, fun children’s movie with substantive messages for kids, and still entertaining for adults.

Grade:  A                                    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

INFERNO

Tom Hanks   Felicity Jones   Omar Sy   Irrfan Khan   Ben Foster   Sidse Babett Knudsen

          Inferno is based on the fourth book by Dan Brown about Cambridge symbolist Robert Langdon (Angels & Demons, The DaVinci Code, The Lost Symbol), who solves puzzles and crimes by interpreting the symbols associated with them.  This film opens with Langdon (Hanks) in the hospital following a head wound and suffering retrograde amnesia.  He can’t remember what happened to him, at least for the time being.  He’s given some information from his doctor, Sienna Brooks (Jones), but when bullet fire begins, she helps him escape and takes him to her apartment. 

         It takes a fair amount of time, skirmishes, and new characters like Bouchard (Sy) Sims (Khan), and Sinksy (Knudsen) showing up for Langdon to get a full picture of what is going on.  In the meantime, he and Brooks are running from assassins while Langdon tries to solve the puzzle of why this is happening.  They’re in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence; then with more clues, they run to Venice, and finally must go to Istanbul to fill in the last of the puzzle.

     Director Ron Howard has made this an action film with much less time spent on presenting and deciphering clues as happened in the previous two works.  As a result, it is much less engaging.  The threat of a virus that has the potential to wipe out half of the world’s population adds some excitement, along with finding out more about the characters responsible (e.g., Zobrist, played by Foster).  But again, character development is weak, so we don’t know much more about him, only about his idealistic plan.

      Tom Hanks plays the befuddled hero well, as he has done with so many such characters.  Supporting actors Jones, Sy, Khan, Knudsen, and Foster likewise portray their roles well.  The ending with Langdon and Sinsky leaves much to be desired in its nostalgic parting of ways. 

          I’m not sure why this film was made.  I think maybe everyone involved signed on early on, but perhaps by the time shooting began, enthusiasm had waned considerably.

This is only for diehard Dan Brown/Robert Langdon fans.

Grade:  D                            By Donna R. Copeland

SULLY

Tom Hanks     Aaron Eckhart     Laura Linney     Anna Gunn

           Clint Eastwood has once again captivated us with a true story of heroism and the investigational aftermath, while highlighting the human element as a theme throughout.  His technique of going back and forth between the landing of the plane, Captain Sullenberger’s dreams/fantasies about it, and everyday life gives it more depth and perspective on the import of what the esteemed pilot accomplished.  Similarly, while the NTSB’s questioning seems intrusive and even rude at times, Sully points out that they were just doing their job.  Of course, we know now how extraordinary his actions were, so it’s easy to be impatient with the NTSB after we have all the facts.

            It would be expected that the film would start out with passengers being checked in and boarded onto US Airways flight #1549, but Eastwood it not predictable; he spends some time giving us a picture of Sullenberger (Hanks), his co-pilot Jeff Skiles (Eckhart), and his wife Lorraine (Linney).  We see Sully as a modest man, conscientious enough to question himself, feeling the weight of responsibility for so many people that were onboard (155) and horrified at the publicity he is receiving.  Jeff is completely loyal and true in his accounts and support of the captain, and is good at throwing in wry humor from time to time.  He can make Sully smile, which is not insignificant.  Lorraine is the attentive, concerned wife who is dealing not only with her husband’s demanding occupation, but household and family concerns as well.

          The actual filming of the cockpit and passenger cabin during the simulation of the incredible plane trip and landing in the Hudson River is harrowing and tense, even though we know how it will turn out.  It gives us a vivid picture of what we know abstractly from listening to the news and reading the newspaper; but seeing the captain and crew processing the terrifying information, taking action, and getting all the passengers off the sinking plane and into boats gives us so much more of what the experience would be like.  This is one of the values of the film.

            Beyond that, it shows Sully as being heroic not just in the phenomenal landing of the plane, but also in his calmness (air traffic controller:  “But his voice was so calm!”) in the emergency situation and in coolly analyzing the NTSB simulations and pointing out how the human factor needed to be taken into account.  “You’re looking for human error, then make it [the simulation] human.”  Of course, everyone could see when it was pointed out that in an emergency, a certain amount of time must be spent in logical problem solving. 

        Tom Hanks seems like a perfect casting choice, in that (at least in my fantasy) his personality is akin to that of Chesley Sullenberger’s—modest, intelligent, socially appealing and outstanding in craft.  But, of course, Hanks is one of our most talent actors, so it may be just that—pure talent.  Eckhart and Linney exert their own talent in the film, proving once again that they are first-rate.

For a thrill, go for a harrowing plane flight where you land on the Hudson River!

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