QUICK TAKES: West Side Story; Being the Ricardos; Don’t Look Up; The Unforgivable; Home Video Spotlight and Book Spotlight
by Josh Sewell
West Side Story
(Rated PG-13 for some strong violence, strong language, thematic content, suggestive material and brief smoking. Opens in theaters on December 10.)
The premise: Directed by the great Steven Spielberg, with an updated screenplay from Tony Kushner, this is a seemingly ill-advised remake of the beloved musical that transplants the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet to 1957 New York City, where rival street gangs threaten the relationship of two young lovers (Ansel Elgort and newcomer Rachel Zegler). Talented performers Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, and the iconic Rita Moreno co-star.
The verdict: As someone without a nostalgic attachment to the original, I loved this new take on West Side Story. If I’m being completely honest – sacrilege alert – I might actually like this one better. While the 1961 version is certainly a classic, to say it hasn’t aged well is putting it mildly.
For one, Spielberg and Kushner honor the source material while making it relevant for modern audiences. There are no white actors in brownface, for one, and everyone does their own singing. The locations feel less stagey and lived-in, while the screenplay emphasizes how xenophobia and gentrification play major roles in the gangs’ conflict. Elgort is a wet blanket, but the rest of the cast makes up for it – especially Zegler, DeBose and Moreno. That trio, holy cow…
This may come as a shock, but it turns out that Spielberg guy knows his way around a camera. The dance sequences and dramatic moments are so thrilling – with help from Janusz Kaminski’s gorgeous cinematography – it’s a wonder it took him this long to direct a musical (although he flirted with the genre in Temple of Doom and 1941).
It’s weird to call the most famous filmmaker in the world “underrated,” but I think mainstream audiences and critics alike take him for granted. He’s made so many literal masterpieces that we’ve grown numb to his brilliance. West Side Story will be a wake-up call for a lot of viewers.
Grade: A-
Being the Ricardos
(Rated R for language. Opens in select theaters on December 10 and streaming on Amazon Prime Video starting December 21.)
The premise: Taking place during a single week of production of I Love Lucy, Aaron Sorkin’s latest centers on the multiple crises that hit creators, stars and married couple Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem). They include shocking personal accusations, a political smear, and several other cultural taboos.
The verdict: On the whole, Being the Ricardos is a series of compelling scenes in search of a cohesive reason to exist together. There’s lots of clever dialogue, as one would expect from a Sorkin script, but it proves once again that writing and directing are two vastly different fields. Just because someone excels in one area doesn’t necessarily mean they’re good at both.
The story itself is fine enough, but it strains credulity that all of the life-altering problems that hit Ball and Arnaz would take place within a few days of each other. It’s an intriguing narrative device, but the illusion wears off pretty fast.
Unfortunately, the film’s most detrimental obstacles are the A-list actors at the center of the story – Kidman and Bardem are entirely miscast as the leads. Not once do they feel like the actual characters; rather, I was always cognizant that I was watching movie stars pretending to be other famous people. Luckily, the same problem doesn’t apply to the outstanding J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda (who play William Frawley and Vivian Vance). They steal the entire movie from their more prestigious co-stars.
Grade: B
Don’t Look Up
(Rated R for language throughout, some sexual content, graphic nudity and drug content. Opens in select theaters on December 10 and streaming on Netflix starting December 24.)
The premise: An astronomy grad student (Jennifer Lawrence) and her professor (Leonardo DiCaprio) make the shocking discovery that a comet will destroy Earth in six months, but no one seems to care. Desperate to get people to focus on the threat, they embark on a media tour that takes them from an indifferent President (Meryl Streep) and her sycophantic son (Jonah Hill) to vapid morning show hosts (Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry).
The verdict: If a cable news conservative like Tucker Carlson or Sean Hannity wanted to parody a “message movie” full of liberal Hollywood celebrities looking down their noses at the audience they’re preaching to, the result would look a lot like Adam McKay’s latest Netflix “comedy.” Anybody who has taken a cursory glance at my Twitter feed knows I’m theoretically this film’s target demo (progressive, concerned about climate change and rising authoritarianism, etc.), but even I found this two-and-a-half-hour sermon obnoxious and patronizing.
Despite the best efforts of some incredible actors, McKay’s screenplay commits the cardinal sin of summing up an obvious problem without providing a clear “so what?” At least people who saw The Big Short learned something from all the lectures about subprime mortgages. Here, he fails to say anything more enlightening than “climate change is real and we’re ignoring it,” “politicians are awful,” social media is toxic” and “pop culture is an empty distraction.”
I agree. Now, what’s your point? It’s weird that a filmmaker known for his love of improv fails to remember the importance of “yes, and…” He stakes out a position, nihilistic as it may be, but the result could’ve been hammered home in much less time. Instead, things get repetitive real fast.
Grade: D
The Unforgivable
(Rated R for language and violence. Now playing in select theaters and streaming on Netflix starting December 10.)
The premise: Released from prison after serving 20 years for murder, Ruth Slater (Sandra Bullock) re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her. She doesn’t care about rehabilitating her image, but she does want to reconnect with the younger sister she was forced to leave behind. However, there are plenty of dangerous obstacles in her way.
The verdict: I’m not sure why other critics have their knives out for this one, which is currently sitting at 32 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Granted, it’s not life-changing cinema, but it’s a perfectly serviceable drama with a terrific performance from Sandra Bullock. The film would’ve probably been a hit in her ’90s heyday, back when studios were still making theatrical mainstream fare for grownups. Netflix is the perfect place for it in the modern era.
Grade: B-
Home Video Spotlight
Dear Evan Hansen
(Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving suicide, brief strong language and some suggestive references. Now available.)
In this adaptation of the popular Broadway musical, Ben Platt returns to the role he originated: an anxious, isolated high schooler aching for a place to belong amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age. The film co-stars Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, Kaitlyn Dever and Amandla Stenberg. It’s directed by Stephen Chbosky and features most of the songs from the stage version (courtesy of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul), along with two new ones. The Blu-ray contains more than an hour of bonus material, including an in-depth look at the film’s music; mini-documentaries with cast; a making-of featurette; Platt’s thoughts on his character; and a digital copy.
Copshop
(Rated R for strong/bloody violence, and pervasive language. Now available.)
Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo star in this action thriller full of surprising twists. The story centers on a con artist (Grillo) who gets himself arrested and locked up in a small-town jail to hide out from a lethal hitman (Butler). Things take a deadly turn with the arrival of another assassin (Toby Huss), so it’s up to a rookie police officer (Alexis Louder) to save the day. The disc comes with a digital copy.
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America
(Rated PG-13 for continuous crude sex-related humor and language, and for a drug-related scene. Now available.)
The big-screen journey of Mike Judge’s dimwitted duo turns 25 this year, and to celebrate Paramount is releasing it on Blu-ray for the first time. The film follows the brainless teens as they set off on a road trip to find their stolen TV, getting into one ridiculous jam after another. The disc includes a digital copy, along with an audio commentary from Judge and Yvette Kaplan; two behind-the-scenes featurettes; and a collection of trailers and TV spots.
Book Spotlight
The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Tara Bennett and Paul Terry
This massive, two-volume look at how Marvel Studios created the Marvel Cinematic Universe just might be the perfect gift for movie fans and pop culture junkies on your holiday shopping list. The first authorized, all-access history features an exhaustive look at each film from 2008’s Iron Man through 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, taken from more than 200 interviews with producers, writers, directors, stars and scores of behind-the-scenes crew members. It also includes more than 500 production photos, archival material and personal memorabilia. Finally, there’s a foreword from MCU mastermind Kevin Feige and an afterword from Robert Downey Jr., the man whose character was the foundation for one of the most successful franchises in cinema history.
(Rated PG-13 for some strong violence, strong language, thematic content, suggestive material and brief smoking. Opens in theaters on December 10.)
The premise: Directed by the great Steven Spielberg, with an updated screenplay from Tony Kushner, this is a seemingly ill-advised remake of the beloved musical that transplants the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet to 1957 New York City, where rival street gangs threaten the relationship of two young lovers (Ansel Elgort and newcomer Rachel Zegler). Talented performers Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, and the iconic Rita Moreno co-star.
The verdict: As someone without a nostalgic attachment to the original, I loved this new take on West Side Story. If I’m being completely honest – sacrilege alert – I might actually like this one better. While the 1961 version is certainly a classic, to say it hasn’t aged well is putting it mildly.
For one, Spielberg and Kushner honor the source material while making it relevant for modern audiences. There are no white actors in brownface, for one, and everyone does their own singing. The locations feel less stagey and lived-in, while the screenplay emphasizes how xenophobia and gentrification play major roles in the gangs’ conflict. Elgort is a wet blanket, but the rest of the cast makes up for it – especially Zegler, DeBose and Moreno. That trio, holy cow…
This may come as a shock, but it turns out that Spielberg guy knows his way around a camera. The dance sequences and dramatic moments are so thrilling – with help from Janusz Kaminski’s gorgeous cinematography – it’s a wonder it took him this long to direct a musical (although he flirted with the genre in Temple of Doom and 1941).
It’s weird to call the most famous filmmaker in the world “underrated,” but I think mainstream audiences and critics alike take him for granted. He’s made so many literal masterpieces that we’ve grown numb to his brilliance. West Side Story will be a wake-up call for a lot of viewers.
Grade: A-
(Rated R for language. Opens in select theaters on December 10 and streaming on Amazon Prime Video starting December 21.)
The premise: Taking place during a single week of production of I Love Lucy, Aaron Sorkin’s latest centers on the multiple crises that hit creators, stars and married couple Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem). They include shocking personal accusations, a political smear, and several other cultural taboos.
The verdict: On the whole, Being the Ricardos is a series of compelling scenes in search of a cohesive reason to exist together. There’s lots of clever dialogue, as one would expect from a Sorkin script, but it proves once again that writing and directing are two vastly different fields. Just because someone excels in one area doesn’t necessarily mean they’re good at both.
The story itself is fine enough, but it strains credulity that all of the life-altering problems that hit Ball and Arnaz would take place within a few days of each other. It’s an intriguing narrative device, but the illusion wears off pretty fast.
Unfortunately, the film’s most detrimental obstacles are the A-list actors at the center of the story – Kidman and Bardem are entirely miscast as the leads. Not once do they feel like the actual characters; rather, I was always cognizant that I was watching movie stars pretending to be other famous people. Luckily, the same problem doesn’t apply to the outstanding J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda (who play William Frawley and Vivian Vance). They steal the entire movie from their more prestigious co-stars.
Grade: B
(Rated R for language throughout, some sexual content, graphic nudity and drug content. Opens in select theaters on December 10 and streaming on Netflix starting December 24.)
The premise: An astronomy grad student (Jennifer Lawrence) and her professor (Leonardo DiCaprio) make the shocking discovery that a comet will destroy Earth in six months, but no one seems to care. Desperate to get people to focus on the threat, they embark on a media tour that takes them from an indifferent President (Meryl Streep) and her sycophantic son (Jonah Hill) to vapid morning show hosts (Cate Blanchett and Tyler Perry).
The verdict: If a cable news conservative like Tucker Carlson or Sean Hannity wanted to parody a “message movie” full of liberal Hollywood celebrities looking down their noses at the audience they’re preaching to, the result would look a lot like Adam McKay’s latest Netflix “comedy.” Anybody who has taken a cursory glance at my Twitter feed knows I’m theoretically this film’s target demo (progressive, concerned about climate change and rising authoritarianism, etc.), but even I found this two-and-a-half-hour sermon obnoxious and patronizing.
Despite the best efforts of some incredible actors, McKay’s screenplay commits the cardinal sin of summing up an obvious problem without providing a clear “so what?” At least people who saw The Big Short learned something from all the lectures about subprime mortgages. Here, he fails to say anything more enlightening than “climate change is real and we’re ignoring it,” “politicians are awful,” social media is toxic” and “pop culture is an empty distraction.”
I agree. Now, what’s your point? It’s weird that a filmmaker known for his love of improv fails to remember the importance of “yes, and…” He stakes out a position, nihilistic as it may be, but the result could’ve been hammered home in much less time. Instead, things get repetitive real fast.
Grade: D
(Rated R for language and violence. Now playing in select theaters and streaming on Netflix starting December 10.)
The premise: Released from prison after serving 20 years for murder, Ruth Slater (Sandra Bullock) re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her. She doesn’t care about rehabilitating her image, but she does want to reconnect with the younger sister she was forced to leave behind. However, there are plenty of dangerous obstacles in her way.
The verdict: I’m not sure why other critics have their knives out for this one, which is currently sitting at 32 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Granted, it’s not life-changing cinema, but it’s a perfectly serviceable drama with a terrific performance from Sandra Bullock. The film would’ve probably been a hit in her ’90s heyday, back when studios were still making theatrical mainstream fare for grownups. Netflix is the perfect place for it in the modern era.
Grade: B-
Home Video Spotlight
(Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving suicide, brief strong language and some suggestive references. Now available.)
In this adaptation of the popular Broadway musical, Ben Platt returns to the role he originated: an anxious, isolated high schooler aching for a place to belong amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age. The film co-stars Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, Kaitlyn Dever and Amandla Stenberg. It’s directed by Stephen Chbosky and features most of the songs from the stage version (courtesy of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul), along with two new ones. The Blu-ray contains more than an hour of bonus material, including an in-depth look at the film’s music; mini-documentaries with cast; a making-of featurette; Platt’s thoughts on his character; and a digital copy.
(Rated R for strong/bloody violence, and pervasive language. Now available.)
Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo star in this action thriller full of surprising twists. The story centers on a con artist (Grillo) who gets himself arrested and locked up in a small-town jail to hide out from a lethal hitman (Butler). Things take a deadly turn with the arrival of another assassin (Toby Huss), so it’s up to a rookie police officer (Alexis Louder) to save the day. The disc comes with a digital copy.
(Rated PG-13 for continuous crude sex-related humor and language, and for a drug-related scene. Now available.)
The big-screen journey of Mike Judge’s dimwitted duo turns 25 this year, and to celebrate Paramount is releasing it on Blu-ray for the first time. The film follows the brainless teens as they set off on a road trip to find their stolen TV, getting into one ridiculous jam after another. The disc includes a digital copy, along with an audio commentary from Judge and Yvette Kaplan; two behind-the-scenes featurettes; and a collection of trailers and TV spots.
Book Spotlight
The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Tara Bennett and Paul Terry
This massive, two-volume look at how Marvel Studios created the Marvel Cinematic Universe just might be the perfect gift for movie fans and pop culture junkies on your holiday shopping list. The first authorized, all-access history features an exhaustive look at each film from 2008’s Iron Man through 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, taken from more than 200 interviews with producers, writers, directors, stars and scores of behind-the-scenes crew members. It also includes more than 500 production photos, archival material and personal memorabilia. Finally, there’s a foreword from MCU mastermind Kevin Feige and an afterword from Robert Downey Jr., the man whose character was the foundation for one of the most successful franchises in cinema history.
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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