Malcolm1980's 2019 Review Thread

[malcolm1980]

1/1

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (Morgan Neville) ***1/2 - This is a very nice way to start the year. This is the documentary about the career of Fred Rogers and his iconic TV show and his influence in pop culture, children's entertainment and even the world in general. Now, I must confess. I didn't grow up with Mr. Rogers. I'm more of a Sesame Street kid. I knew of him and I have seen a couple of clips and episodes here and there but there's very little nostalgia attached to him. Despite that, I must say, I was thoroughly moved by his story, his character and his innate goodness (man, if that scene with the boy in the wheelchair does not tug on your heartstrings, go to a doctor). The film does so in such a way that does not feel preachy, feel like a puff piece nor does it feel mawkish or corny. It is an honest to goodness beautiful celebration of a good man who made the world a better place. Highly recommended.

City on Fire (Ringo Lam) ***1/2 - Director Ringo Lam recently passed away. I've never seen any of his films, a blind spot in my cinephilia. I might as well go for his most famous one first. This is about an undercover cop who infiltrates a gang of thieves who plan to rob a jewelry store. Sound familiar? That's because this is the film that inspired (some say stole, but I think that's a slight exaggeration) Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. This film is, in fact, a thrilling Hong Kong police action picture that goes beyond a mere police procedural, including a very emotionally resonant ending. I liked this enough to want to check out more of Lam's work.

[malcolm1980]

1/3

Destry Rides Again (George Marshall) *** - After the town drunk is assigned to be sheriff in a lawless and corrupt Western town, he calls on the son of his friend to help him out. That young man wants to maintain law and order by not using a gun. The rich showgirl in charge wants to seduce him. This is, as it turns out, Jimmy Stewart's first Western. It is kind of like a Western version of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington in a weird way and of course he's great in it. Marlene Dietrich plays the showgirl with her usual allure. The film itself is pretty solid entry into the Western genre. However, I had a problem with the way it ends. I'm not gonna spoil it but it didn't feel right. But it's still a pretty good movie, regardless.

[malcolm1980]

1/5

The Iron Mask (Allan Dwan) **1/2 - This is an adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas' sequel to The Three Musketeers namely The Man in the Iron Mask starring Douglas Fairbanks. It is a semi-silent/transitional talkie film. There's original score, sound effects, a couple of talking scenes and a narration but the rest is essentially a silent film. I found it a weird compromise to somewhat of the detriment of the film. It is an otherwise well-crafted film (the sets and the action sequences are pretty good). It does feel like practice run for the Errol Flynn Robin Hood movie though.

[malcolm1980]

1/6

BlacKkKlansman (Spike Lee) ***1/2 - Based on the book on undercover police officer Ron Stallworth, this tells the amazing story of how he was able to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan (with the help of a white police officer). The latest Spike Lee joint and one made during the era Trump is predictably an angry film. Yes, this film is often very funny but watching it, it does make me angry that this film is STILL relevant and STILL tackles many of the same problems that plagues society today. Spike Lee can often be preachy and hit all the right notes very, very hard repeatedly and he's not one for subtlety (especially the last few minutes) but one can't deny no one does this type of film better than he. It's not a perfect film but it is one of the best films of the year and I think one of Spike Lee's best joints.

[malcolm1980]

1/8

Quincy (Alan Hicks/Rashida Jones) ***1/2 - This is the Netflix original documentary on the life and career of legendary composer, producer and philanthropist, Quincy Jones. Co-directed by his own daughter, Rashida Jones, it is very obviously made with a lot of love yet also with a lot of honesty. His life is of course awe inspiring and endlessly fascinating. There were lots I didn't know (I can't believe we almost lost him a couple years ago or that his middle name is Delight!) Even though one can argue it's a bit of a puff piece, one can't deny the impact Quincy Jones has made in popular culture and the world at large. I mean, I almost wish he was my grandpa after watching this. So many stories he could tell! I hope he lives a long time. Oooh, also, this is the first in my second year of #52FilmsByWomen viewing project.

[malcolm1980]

1/10

A Better Tomorrow (John Woo) ***1/2 - Two brothers on the opposite sides of the law get estranged after their father is murdered. This is from director John Woo, one of his earlier works and the film in which Chow Yun-Fat broke out as a star. He plays a supporting role as the best friend/partner of the criminal brother and he pretty much steals the entire film. The plot of the film is fairly standard police crime drama but Woo's style infuses it with emotional heft, making it a much richer and more moving experience. That along with Woo's trademark "balletic" but brutal violence makes this essential viewing and not just for John Woo fans either.

[malcolm1980]

1/11

Butterflies Have No Memories (Lav Diaz) *** - People living in a dying mining town lament what happened to their town. Then a Canadian immigrant who hasn't been there since her childhood returns. I don't usually write my reviews of short film but calling this a "short" is a tad misleading since it clocks in at only an hour. But it's directed by Lav Diaz so this is definitely a short film by his standards. He can in fact tell a complete story, in his voice and in his style in just an hour. But even in this brief period, it's a bit dense. You have to be a Filipino or know a little bit about Filipino history, culture and society to completely get what he was going for. That said, as someone who is both, this isn't his best work but it's still worth watching regardless.

[malcolm1980]

1/12

Mary Poppins Returns (Rob Marshall) ***1/2 - The sequel to the classic Disney adaptation of the P.L. Travers creation has Mary Poppins returning to the Banks household during a time when their house is about to get repossessed. I have two things to say about this first. I am a fan of the original. I loved the original. It's a childhood favorite and I still count it as among my favorite films, probably my favorite live-action Disney movie. Secondly, no, this isn't as good as the original. But it doesn't crap on its legacy either and it's a nice, companion piece to the classic. Contrary to what I've heard some people, I thought the songs were pretty darn good and the musical numbers are largely great. I did find myself trying to resist its charms but I ended up really falling for it. It's a really good movie.

Son of Paleface (Frank Tashlin) *** - This is the sequel to The Paleface which also starred Bob Hope and Jane Russell (FYI: I saw it but I barely remember it, though watching it is not really requirement to go ahead and see this). This time around, Paleface's son arrives to collect his inheritance but he has to face some comical obstacles to get it. The director, Frank Tashlin, directed animated films before moving to live action which kind of explains the film's cartoony slapstick. It doesn't always work but Bob Hope's charm and his undeniable comedic chemistry with Jane Russell makes the film a pleasant and funny enough viewing experience. Yes, it's also kind of politically incorrect like its predecessor but what can you do?

[malcolm1980]

1/13

Bumblebee (Travis Knight) *** - This is the prequel/reboot/spin-off of the Transformers franchise has Bumblebee crashing on Earth and befriending a teenage girl in the mid-1980's. People who know me know I have a disdain and contempt for this franchise but giving the directorial reins to someone other than Michael Bay and having a script which actually value story structure and character arcs, you have a decent film in your hands. I mean, there's still robot action (or as Mark Kermode puts it, "bangy-smashy") but it's in service of an actual story. It may be far from a masterpiece. I mean, the '80s nostalgia is a bit been-there-done-that and I think it overdoes it too much. But, yeah, this is the movie the first Transformers should have been and easily the best Transformers movie.

Beautiful Boy (Felix von Groeningen) *** - This film is based on two memoirs of a real-life father and son and the latter's struggle with the insidious disease of drug addiction and how it affects the family. This one takes a wider scope than the other drug addiction movie this year Ben is Back. Just like that movie, it's also far from perfect. I give it a lot of points for good intentions and great acting. Timothee Chalamet is amazing, as usual with great supporting work from Maura Tierney and Amy Ryan, though Steve Carell feels a tad miscast. It does feel a bit repetitive and preachy after a while but still a worthy enough effort from everyone involved.

[malcolm1980]

1/16

Lonesome (Paul Fejos) ***1/2 - A young man and a young woman meet and fall in love on Coney Island but they lose each other. This is a largely silent film but since it was made in the late 1920's, there are some talking scenes. The film is deceptively simple yet it's quite experimental and complex. The going in and out of talking scenes, the experimental use of cinematography and editing, sound, music and even going into color occasionally actually gives the love story a dream-like quality. The ending has a lot of heft to it even though it's something that's been done quite a bit even in this era. Highly recommended.

Bhuvan Shome (Mrinal Sen) ***1/2 - Being somewhat part of "Film Twitter" as it's called, I saw the name Mrinal Sen very recently because he passed away. I've never heard of him or his films before so, thanks to the magic of the Internet, I decided to research his films and pick out which one to watch first and this is it. I must say I've never seen an Indian film quite like this before at least in this era. It's highly experimental and unusual. It feels more like French New Wave-ish (it turns out Sen is a pioneer of the Indian New Wave). It tells the story of a strict bureaucrat who works on the railroads and he decides to go on a hunting trip. It's pretty great. The New Wave-y approach gives it a more resonance, actually. I've never heard of him a month ago, now I can't wait to see more of his stuff.