by Josh Sewell
Woman of the Hour
(Rated R for language, violent content, some drug use and a sexual reference. On Netflix starting October 18.)
Anna Kendrick is a tremendously talented actress, as anyone who has seen her work on Broadway (she’s a Tony nominee) or in countless movies can attest. She’s best known for anchoring the blockbuster Pitch Perfect and Trolls franchises, but she might be even better in smaller films like A Simple Favor, Up in the Air (which earned her an Oscar nomination) and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
As if being good at acting and singing weren’t enough, the new thriller Woman of the Hour proves Kendrick is also an outstanding director. In her debut, she tailors Ian McDonald’s screenplay into a chilling, razor-sharp examination of misogyny in 1970s American culture. It’s a worldview that objectifies women in ways both subtle and overt.
Kendrick and McDonald posit this lack of power and societal invisibility blocks women’s success in the professional world. Even worse, this system also enables predators to kill them and get away with it for decades.
Loosely based on true events, Woman of the Hour chronicles two seemingly unrelated narratives, which eventually collide in terrifying fashion. Kendrick plays Cheryl Bradshaw, an aspiring actress who realizes she’s on borrowed time in a ruthless industry. Daniel Zovatto (charismatic and chilling in equal measure) plays Rodney Alcala, a serial killer who preys on particularly vulnerable women – those who’ve run away from broken homes, devastated from recent breakups, living alone in big cities, etc.
Just as she’s ready to give up on her career, Cheryl gets an opportunity to appear on The Dating Game. But – as bad luck or fate would have it – Alcala is one of the potential bachelors on the same episode.
It’s tough to believe this is Kendrick’s first time behind the camera. Her style is so assured and intentionally straightforward that it feels like she skipped over the clunky, pretentious junk many actors-turned-directors start off with. It’s clear she paid attention to all the behind-the-scenes elements of her previous movies.
As for the actors, everyone involved delivers outstanding performances. It’s a no-brainer that Kendrick is terrific, but Zovatto matches her work with a terrifying intensity. He’s been working steadily for a decade, but I have a feeling this will be his breakout role. Tony Hale is also great as the chauvinistic host of The Dating Game, as is Nicolette Robinson, playing a fictional composite character whose warnings about Alcala are ignored.
It's disappointing that Woman of the Hour isn’t getting a significant theatrical release. Sure, premiering on Netflix will get the film in front of a giant audience (which will undoubtedly boost Kendrick’s future directorial efforts), but – thanks to the Academy’s weird rules – that also means it isn’t eligible for Oscar contention. What a shame.
Grade: A-
We Live in Time
(Rated R for language, sexuality and nudity. Opens in select theaters October 18.)
Melodramatic weepies have been a Hollywood staple since the birth of the film industry, but that doesn’t diminish their emotional power. On a basic level, director John Crowley (working from a screenplay by Nick Payne) isn’t doing anything Nicholas Sparks already accomplished back in the 1990s. However, when you cast Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, the incredible actors elevate the material far higher than the simplistic premise.
We Live in Time is the story of a gorgeous, seemingly perfect couple who are brought together in an abrupt meet-cute that bonds them for the rest of their lives. Later, a devastating health crisis brings them closer together and makes the audience cry their eyes out.
Pugh plays Almut, a chef who falls for Tobias (Garfield) after she accidentally hits him with her car. As their love grows, the film checks in on them at various points in their relationship, chronicling it in nonlinear time.
While their story plays out in seemingly random fashion, it makes each moment in the couple’s dating and marriage essential to their complete lives. Although it takes a little while to get used to the narrative structure, it makes sense as the overall story progresses.
Even though I saw every beat of the story coming a mile away, We Live in Time works because of the undeniable chemistry of the two leads. If you told me Pugh and Garfield were dating in real life, I’d believe it. That speaks to the strength of their onscreen relationship.
The film is clearly awards season bait, but I’m not sure if the overall premise is strong enough to stand on its own. However, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Pugh and Garfield sneak into the race based solely on their talent and charisma.
Grade: B+
Book Spotlight – Sonny Boy, by Al Pacino
(Now available.)
Al Pacino, one of the greatest actors in cinema history, is best known for his work in The Godfather trilogy, Dog Day Afternoon, Scarface and too many other films to mention, but he has been legendarily private about his personal life over the course of his career. That’s why his early years are a mystery to most. By the time Pacino became a star in his 30s, he’d already experienced what many people go through in a lifetime.
In his new memoir Sonny Boy, which he completed with the assistance of New York Times journalist Dave Itzkoff, Pacino looks back as a man with nothing to hide. He recounts his time in New York’s avant-garde theater, his bohemian existence and working odd jobs to support his passion. Raised on the streets of the South Bronx, he also recalls his childhood with a loving but mentally ill mother, his grandparents, and a father who wasn’t around much.
After a teacher recognized his potential and pushed him toward New York’s fabled High School of Performing Arts, his journey was established. No matter what he went through in the decades to come, acting – especially the theater – was his lifeline.
(Rated R for language, violent content, some drug use and a sexual reference. On Netflix starting October 18.)
Anna Kendrick is a tremendously talented actress, as anyone who has seen her work on Broadway (she’s a Tony nominee) or in countless movies can attest. She’s best known for anchoring the blockbuster Pitch Perfect and Trolls franchises, but she might be even better in smaller films like A Simple Favor, Up in the Air (which earned her an Oscar nomination) and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
As if being good at acting and singing weren’t enough, the new thriller Woman of the Hour proves Kendrick is also an outstanding director. In her debut, she tailors Ian McDonald’s screenplay into a chilling, razor-sharp examination of misogyny in 1970s American culture. It’s a worldview that objectifies women in ways both subtle and overt.
Kendrick and McDonald posit this lack of power and societal invisibility blocks women’s success in the professional world. Even worse, this system also enables predators to kill them and get away with it for decades.
Loosely based on true events, Woman of the Hour chronicles two seemingly unrelated narratives, which eventually collide in terrifying fashion. Kendrick plays Cheryl Bradshaw, an aspiring actress who realizes she’s on borrowed time in a ruthless industry. Daniel Zovatto (charismatic and chilling in equal measure) plays Rodney Alcala, a serial killer who preys on particularly vulnerable women – those who’ve run away from broken homes, devastated from recent breakups, living alone in big cities, etc.
Just as she’s ready to give up on her career, Cheryl gets an opportunity to appear on The Dating Game. But – as bad luck or fate would have it – Alcala is one of the potential bachelors on the same episode.
It’s tough to believe this is Kendrick’s first time behind the camera. Her style is so assured and intentionally straightforward that it feels like she skipped over the clunky, pretentious junk many actors-turned-directors start off with. It’s clear she paid attention to all the behind-the-scenes elements of her previous movies.
As for the actors, everyone involved delivers outstanding performances. It’s a no-brainer that Kendrick is terrific, but Zovatto matches her work with a terrifying intensity. He’s been working steadily for a decade, but I have a feeling this will be his breakout role. Tony Hale is also great as the chauvinistic host of The Dating Game, as is Nicolette Robinson, playing a fictional composite character whose warnings about Alcala are ignored.
It's disappointing that Woman of the Hour isn’t getting a significant theatrical release. Sure, premiering on Netflix will get the film in front of a giant audience (which will undoubtedly boost Kendrick’s future directorial efforts), but – thanks to the Academy’s weird rules – that also means it isn’t eligible for Oscar contention. What a shame.
Grade: A-
(Rated R for language, sexuality and nudity. Opens in select theaters October 18.)
Melodramatic weepies have been a Hollywood staple since the birth of the film industry, but that doesn’t diminish their emotional power. On a basic level, director John Crowley (working from a screenplay by Nick Payne) isn’t doing anything Nicholas Sparks already accomplished back in the 1990s. However, when you cast Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, the incredible actors elevate the material far higher than the simplistic premise.
We Live in Time is the story of a gorgeous, seemingly perfect couple who are brought together in an abrupt meet-cute that bonds them for the rest of their lives. Later, a devastating health crisis brings them closer together and makes the audience cry their eyes out.
Pugh plays Almut, a chef who falls for Tobias (Garfield) after she accidentally hits him with her car. As their love grows, the film checks in on them at various points in their relationship, chronicling it in nonlinear time.
While their story plays out in seemingly random fashion, it makes each moment in the couple’s dating and marriage essential to their complete lives. Although it takes a little while to get used to the narrative structure, it makes sense as the overall story progresses.
Even though I saw every beat of the story coming a mile away, We Live in Time works because of the undeniable chemistry of the two leads. If you told me Pugh and Garfield were dating in real life, I’d believe it. That speaks to the strength of their onscreen relationship.
The film is clearly awards season bait, but I’m not sure if the overall premise is strong enough to stand on its own. However, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Pugh and Garfield sneak into the race based solely on their talent and charisma.
Grade: B+
(Now available.)
Al Pacino, one of the greatest actors in cinema history, is best known for his work in The Godfather trilogy, Dog Day Afternoon, Scarface and too many other films to mention, but he has been legendarily private about his personal life over the course of his career. That’s why his early years are a mystery to most. By the time Pacino became a star in his 30s, he’d already experienced what many people go through in a lifetime.
In his new memoir Sonny Boy, which he completed with the assistance of New York Times journalist Dave Itzkoff, Pacino looks back as a man with nothing to hide. He recounts his time in New York’s avant-garde theater, his bohemian existence and working odd jobs to support his passion. Raised on the streets of the South Bronx, he also recalls his childhood with a loving but mentally ill mother, his grandparents, and a father who wasn’t around much.
After a teacher recognized his potential and pushed him toward New York’s fabled High School of Performing Arts, his journey was established. No matter what he went through in the decades to come, acting – especially the theater – was his lifeline.
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com
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