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| Courtesy of Fox Searchlight |
(Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity, violence and language.)
The cast: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Stuhlbarg and Doug Jones.
What it’s about: Set in Cold War-era Baltimore, this fairy tale for grown-ups focuses on a mute woman (Hawkins) who works as a cleaning lady in a secret government lab. Her life, as well as the lives of her friends (Jenkins and Spencer), will soon change forever when they discover the lab’s latest specimen: a humanoid aquatic creature who possesses godlike powers.
The good: Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is an acquired taste for many viewers – his films are always gorgeous, but the narratives often lead to bleak places that some audiences don’t want to explore. I get how that could be a turn off for people; even I tend to respect his films rather than become emotionally invested in them.
The Shape of Water changed that for me. It’s easily my favorite movie he’s ever made (I realize that’s a bold statement considering he also made the hauntingly beautiful Pan’s Labyrinth), precisely for the reasons it could prove polarizing for mainstream viewers.
Simply put, it’s just plain weird. That’s to be expected from a story inspired by del Toro’s childhood viewing of Creature from the Black Lagoon, which left him disappointed that the monster and the damsel in distress didn’t end up together.
Guess what happens in this version? Yep, del Toro goes there. The movie takes all that sexual subtext from classic creature features and makes it blatantly obvious. Judging from the various reactions in the screening I attended, people weren’t sure how to respond. There were gasps, nervous laughter, and frequent exclamations of shock and disbelief.
I’m sure del Toro is thrilled about the diverse reception, considering he’s a master at juggling tones. Is this a comedy? A drama? A tragedy? An allegory about our current political nightmare, placed at a distance so it won’t alienate viewers? The answer is yes. Heck, there’s even a stunning musical interlude, in which our heroine sings and dances with the creature, that works far better than it has any right to.
That’s due to del Toro, who has an eye for beautiful images and a reputation for fruitful collaboration with his actors. Everyone in the film is terrific, especially Hawkins (who deserves a Best Actress nomination) and Jenkins as the film’s heart, as well as a bonkers Shannon, whose shady government agent proves true monsters don’t always have scales or gills.
The not-so-good: Again, the subject matter (especially its frank sexuality) and varying tones will be off-putting for some, but I loved not knowing what to expect. If I have one big gripe, it’s that Spencer – through no fault of her own – is stuck playing the same kind of character she always does. I keep hoping she’ll get a chance to branch out one day, but it seems like she’s typecast for the moment.
Grade: A-
Lady Bird
(Rated R for language, sexual content, brief graphic nudity and teen partying.)
The cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Beanie Feldstein, Lucas Hedges and Timothee Chalamet.
What it’s about: In this poignant coming-of-age story, Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Ronan) deals with typical teenage drama and counts down the days until she graduates from her Catholic school in Sacramento, Calif., so she can get away from her strong-willed mother (Metcalf). However, after her kindhearted father (Letts) loses his job, her dream of attending college in New York City doesn’t seem likely to come true.
The good: As I write, it has been roughly nine hours since I finished watching Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial/screenwriting debut. I’m not exaggerating when I say I haven’t stopped smiling for more than a few minutes since. The story of headstrong, yet oh-so-naive Lady Bird is so funny, so sweet and so relatable that it literally made my life better for having experienced it.
Roll your eyes if you must, but that’s not hyperbole. Lady Bird is a miracle of a movie. You know that feeling you get when you know you’ve fallen in love with a story (whether it’s a movie, television series, book, etc.) and you can’t wait to tell everyone you know about it? I can pinpoint the precise moment it happened in Gerwig’s masterpiece: the 13-minute mark. Almost all the characters have been introduced, where they fit into this world has been established, and now the audience is just getting to know them better.
At a brisk 94 minutes, it’s the rare movie I wish was longer. I understand it’s capturing a specific moment in Lady Bird’s life – the end of her childhood and the beginning of adulthood – but I loved all these people so much that I didn’t want them to leave.
It’s also the rare film about teenagers that actually understands them instead of treating them like idiots or tiny adults, from the way they speak (Lady Bird’s unprintable reaction to the grade on her math test made me laugh so hard I missed the next few lines of dialogue) to the pretentious ways they try to fake being more mature than they are (basically any scene involving Kyle, the face-punchingly smug character played by Chalamet).
Every performance is perfect, especially Ronan, Metcalf and Letts – although Hedges and Feldstein have their moments to shine as well. Finally, Gerwig’s confident direction captures the humdrum existence of everyday life for teenagers who want to be anywhere except where they are: the ordinary beauty, the small victories and tragedies.
The not-so-good: Absolutely nothing. Lady Bird is an instant classic. As of late Tuesday night, it’s sitting at 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. That means all 189 reviews posted to the site are positive – an amazing feat.
Grade: A+
Darkest Hour
(Rated PG-13 for some thematic material.)
The cast: Gary Oldman, Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn, Kristin Scott Thomas, Stephen Dillane and Ronald Pickup.
What it’s about: Within days of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill (Oldman) is faced with a seemingly impossible choice. He can either attempt to negotiate a peace treaty with the monstrous Adolf Hitler, despite little proof the dictator will honor it, or he can fight for his country’s freedom even though the odds aren’t good. What’s more, members of his own war cabinet (Dillane and Pickup) are plotting against him and the king himself (Mendelsohn) has doubts about the country’s new leader.
The good: Darkest Hour doesn’t break new ground in the historical biopic genre, but director Joe Wright and screenwriter Anthony McCartern add plenty of creative flourishes to make the 125-minute running time move at a fast pace. Of course, the film’s biggest selling point is an absolutely masterful performance from Oldman, barely recognizable under layers of prosthetics, makeup and wigs.
One of the biggest clichés in film criticism is to marvel at how an actor “becomes” the character he’s playing, but that’s precisely what happens here. He’s bolstered by a strong performance from James (who’s having a banner year between this and Baby Driver), as well as some all-too-brief interactions with Thomas, playing the wife who must compete with Britain and Hitler for her husband’s attention.
The movie also boasts gorgeous cinematography, courtesy of Bruno Delbonnel, and a powerful score from Dario Marianelli. The subject matter is also timely once again, thanks to the rapid rise of demagogues around the world – men willing to sacrifice freedom and ideals at the expense of wealth and power.
The not-so-good: Again, Darkest Hour never rises above standard biopic fare – other than the strong qualities mentioned above. I enjoyed the movie while sitting in the theater, but it’s not something I see myself revisiting in the future.
Grade: B
Lady Bird
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| Courtesy of A24 |
(Rated R for language, sexual content, brief graphic nudity and teen partying.)
The cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Beanie Feldstein, Lucas Hedges and Timothee Chalamet.
What it’s about: In this poignant coming-of-age story, Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Ronan) deals with typical teenage drama and counts down the days until she graduates from her Catholic school in Sacramento, Calif., so she can get away from her strong-willed mother (Metcalf). However, after her kindhearted father (Letts) loses his job, her dream of attending college in New York City doesn’t seem likely to come true.
The good: As I write, it has been roughly nine hours since I finished watching Greta Gerwig’s solo directorial/screenwriting debut. I’m not exaggerating when I say I haven’t stopped smiling for more than a few minutes since. The story of headstrong, yet oh-so-naive Lady Bird is so funny, so sweet and so relatable that it literally made my life better for having experienced it.
Roll your eyes if you must, but that’s not hyperbole. Lady Bird is a miracle of a movie. You know that feeling you get when you know you’ve fallen in love with a story (whether it’s a movie, television series, book, etc.) and you can’t wait to tell everyone you know about it? I can pinpoint the precise moment it happened in Gerwig’s masterpiece: the 13-minute mark. Almost all the characters have been introduced, where they fit into this world has been established, and now the audience is just getting to know them better.
At a brisk 94 minutes, it’s the rare movie I wish was longer. I understand it’s capturing a specific moment in Lady Bird’s life – the end of her childhood and the beginning of adulthood – but I loved all these people so much that I didn’t want them to leave.
It’s also the rare film about teenagers that actually understands them instead of treating them like idiots or tiny adults, from the way they speak (Lady Bird’s unprintable reaction to the grade on her math test made me laugh so hard I missed the next few lines of dialogue) to the pretentious ways they try to fake being more mature than they are (basically any scene involving Kyle, the face-punchingly smug character played by Chalamet).
Every performance is perfect, especially Ronan, Metcalf and Letts – although Hedges and Feldstein have their moments to shine as well. Finally, Gerwig’s confident direction captures the humdrum existence of everyday life for teenagers who want to be anywhere except where they are: the ordinary beauty, the small victories and tragedies.
The not-so-good: Absolutely nothing. Lady Bird is an instant classic. As of late Tuesday night, it’s sitting at 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. That means all 189 reviews posted to the site are positive – an amazing feat.
Grade: A+
Darkest Hour
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| Courtesy of Focus Features |
(Rated PG-13 for some thematic material.)
The cast: Gary Oldman, Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn, Kristin Scott Thomas, Stephen Dillane and Ronald Pickup.
What it’s about: Within days of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill (Oldman) is faced with a seemingly impossible choice. He can either attempt to negotiate a peace treaty with the monstrous Adolf Hitler, despite little proof the dictator will honor it, or he can fight for his country’s freedom even though the odds aren’t good. What’s more, members of his own war cabinet (Dillane and Pickup) are plotting against him and the king himself (Mendelsohn) has doubts about the country’s new leader.
The good: Darkest Hour doesn’t break new ground in the historical biopic genre, but director Joe Wright and screenwriter Anthony McCartern add plenty of creative flourishes to make the 125-minute running time move at a fast pace. Of course, the film’s biggest selling point is an absolutely masterful performance from Oldman, barely recognizable under layers of prosthetics, makeup and wigs.
One of the biggest clichés in film criticism is to marvel at how an actor “becomes” the character he’s playing, but that’s precisely what happens here. He’s bolstered by a strong performance from James (who’s having a banner year between this and Baby Driver), as well as some all-too-brief interactions with Thomas, playing the wife who must compete with Britain and Hitler for her husband’s attention.
The movie also boasts gorgeous cinematography, courtesy of Bruno Delbonnel, and a powerful score from Dario Marianelli. The subject matter is also timely once again, thanks to the rapid rise of demagogues around the world – men willing to sacrifice freedom and ideals at the expense of wealth and power.
The not-so-good: Again, Darkest Hour never rises above standard biopic fare – other than the strong qualities mentioned above. I enjoyed the movie while sitting in the theater, but it’s not something I see myself revisiting in the future.
Grade: B
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