At the Cinema - October 2015

The Martian – 10
Rarely are big budget movies as well constructed and crowd pleasing as The Martian.  Screenwriter Drew Goddard has crafted a film that blends humor and urgency.  He won’t win an Oscar for Adapted Screenplay, but I’ll be rooting for him.

Matt Damon plays Mark Watney, an astronaut left for dead on Mars after a storm cuts a mission short.  His crew is on its way back to earth, and NASA gets busy trying to mount a rescue.  With supporting stars like Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain, and Kate Mara, this resembles a sports movie.  You end up rooting for the home team to come back and win the game by rescuing Rudy, I mean Matt.

The attention to detail that has been employed is terrific, and seems plausible and within reach of the audience’s grasp.  That’s an impressive achievement.  It may be the most fun you’ll have at the movies this year.

The master stroke of this movie is in getting the whole world involved in the rescue.  The world-wide interest in bringing Matt home is displayed in huge crowd scenes that look like New Year’s Eve.  It’s cool as hell, and if you’re not swallowed up and engaged, something’s wrong.  Go and have some pure escapist fun.

Bridge of Spies – 10

Non-Fiction movies are just the best.  Like last year’s The Imitation Game, Bridge of Spies opens up a history book to an audience that has no clue.  I certainly didn’t.  I vaguely remember the story of Gary Powers, but I had never heard of James Donovan, just like I had never heard of Alan Turing in Imitation Game.  Donovan, played with great resolve here by Tom Hanks, as it turns out, is a great American hero. 

He was an insurance lawyer recruited by the FBI to put on a showy but ultimately impossible defense of accused Russian Spy Rudolph Abel.  Later he is called upon to negotiate a prisoner swap with captured US pilot Francis Gary Powers.

Director Steven Spielberg does his best work in years, as he avoids the heart-tugging and loud flourishes.  They aren’t needed.  The story stands on its own and needs no embellishment, although I don’t know how true to the facts it is.  There is a very odd disclaimer as the movie opens – “This story is based on true events.”  Isn’t it usually “actual events?”  I hate to split hairs, but what exactly is a “true event?”

Like all great historical movies, it made me want to start researching and learn more.  But, the movie serves an even grander purpose.  Young people today don’t remember the cold war, and it may be laughable to them, but the portrayals here of the smallest details, from classroom preparations for an atomic bomb, to the Berlin Wall’s erection are amazing.

I love a movie that perfectly captures a different time and place, even different values and judgements. This will be an Oscar contender, but will also go down as a beloved movie that will not only be watched forever, but will be sending viewers to history books, or at the very least Wikipedia to learn more.

Black Mass – 9

I really didn’t have any interest in seeing the story of Whitey Bulger, the notorious Boston mobster who was captured in 2012 after 12 years on the run.  Then I heard it compared to The Departed.  Then I found out he was the mobster that Martin Scorcese based The Departed on.  Had to see it.  In a movie like this you either totally buy it, or you don’t, and I felt like I was watching a violent sociopath in Johnny Depp’s portrayal of Bulger.  It’s the first Depp role in years that is more than a caricature.  He’s terrific.

The best part of the movie was actually in the portrayals of Bulger’s henchmen.  They are featured in interviews telling the story, and their deadpan reaction to unspeakable crimes is what will make me see this movie again. Joel Edgerton plays the boyhood friend turned FBI agent who uses and gets used by Bulger.  Expect some Supporting Oscar buzz for Edgerton, who has had a very good summer.  (He was the director of The Gift.)  But, it is Rory Cochrane as a Bulger hitman who I would like to see get some recognition.  He is riveting in several chilling scenes as a spectator and an active participant.  Yep, the supporting players elevate this movie to a must-see, and only a true story could be this far-fetched.  Let’s just say Efram Zimbalist Jr. is rolling over in his grave over what the FBI was doing.

Steve Jobs – 7

So far the most action-packed movie of the year has been Mad Max:  Fury Road.  Steve Jobs is second, and the far less credible of the two.  Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin takes a huge risk by trying to encapsulate a biography into virtually three scenes – 3 product launches.  Steve Jobs excelled at getting on stage and firing up an audience, even about sub-par products, and we don’t get to see the actual presentations, but we assume they were great.    

Sorkin and Director Danny Boyle attempt to bring every other piece of Jobs’ life drama into the 30 minutes before each launch.  That contrivance, involving walking and talking, and a whole lot of confrontation is unconvincing versus doing just a standard biopic.  Are there some great confrontations?  Yes.  Is the dialogue often brilliant? Of course, although there’s no “You can’t handle the truth.”  Is the acting great?  Yes, Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslett, and company are terrific.  There’s much to like, but the structure is more irritating than Jobs himself.   

Here’s what I suspect.  Maybe the movie will improve upon each viewing, much like Sorkin’s other movies have.  Maybe, it really is “an American Classic” as is quoted on the advertising.  Maybe upon repeated viewings the layers will be revealed and the movie’s complexity will be more easily appreciated.  That’s a whole lot of “maybe’s.”

Sicario – 6

Well done, but so dark it is depressing, this movie continues the star-making of Emily Blunt, but does little else but portray the U.S./Mexican border as a horrible place that I wouldn’t want to visit, and wish I hadn’t made a virtual visit.

Blunt plays an FBI agent in over her head in the dark world inhabited by Benecio Del Toro and Josh Brolin.  To say they bend the rules of law enforcement in trying to slow the drug trade would be the understatement of the year.  If this is Donald Trump’s reference point for his assessment of immigration, it’s easy to see why he wants to build a wall, although the movie makes clear that there’s little to stop the drugs that flow in to the US.  You might stop the immigrants.  You’ll never stop the drugs.

Crimson Peak – 5

Lovely to look at, unable to hold,

Guillermo Del Toro is one of the most imaginative directors working today.  His Pan’s Labyrinth will go down as a classic, and The Orphanage is not far behind.  He can paint a picture with the great artist.   In Crimson Peak the sets and atmosphere are incredible as he takes us into a truly chilling haunted house.  Unfortunately, the plot can’t keep up.  It is a predictable and obvious story that may have been shocking 30 years ago, but falls flat in 2015.   Mildly engaging, no cigar.

SCANNING THE SATELLITE

Compared to What – The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank – 9

This is a terrific documentary available on Showtime.  Don’t get me wrong.  It’s full of controversy as it describes the 40 year political and personal experience of a US Representative that had a huge impact on governmental policy.  The best thing is it explains how we’ve gotten to where we are today in the gridlock of Congress.  Fascinating and disturbing, in different ways for different peoples

Fargo – After three episodes of the second season, this FX series continues its rise to the top of the television heap.  Great stuff.

Saints Report #7 - October 25, 2015

A tale of two halves.  It was the best of times.  It was the worst of times.

The Saints went to Indianapolis for a rematch with their lone Super Bowl opponent and held on for a 27-20 victory.

They completely dominated the first half and even ambushed the Colts with a fake field goal.

A McCown to Watson pass put the Saints in business close to the goal, and Khiry Robinson jammed it in for the first of his two touchdowns.  Mark Ingram had a career first half as he ran wild.  The only down side in the first half was a missed extra point and a faux goal line stand when the Saints got down close after a long Ingram run.  From the two yard line, although they’d been dominant in the running game the Saints decided to pass.  An offensive pass interference, followed by a Brees' interception can only be explained by the possibility that Sean Payton believes passing touchdowns count for more than running ones.  They could have led by 4 touchdowns at the half.

But the Saints led 20 – 0 at the half and pushed it to 27-0 in the third quarter before the offense went into hibernation.

Some teams can’t stand prosperity.  The Saints despise it. 

Heralded cornerback Delvin Breaux fell down twice on long touchdown passes to Ty Hilton.  The Colts closed to within 27-20, but a clutch onside kick recovery by Marcus Murphy allowed the Saints a last possession.  With the game on the line Brees went to the most interesting receiver in the world for his only catch of the day.  Marques Colston doesn’t catch many these days, but when he does, they’re important.  His catch insured that the Saints would run out the clock

The bottom line.  The Saints played spectacularly well and got their first road win since Donald Trump had a haircut.

The defense continues to improve and Cam Jordan is leading the youngsters.  It’s not surprising that the game tightened up because that’s the way the NFL is built.  The onside kick is the only make-it-take-it rule in sports, and it almost was a “paybacks are hell” incident for the Saints.

The Saints improved to 3-4 and if they win the next three, Giants and Titans in the Dome, then the Redskins on the road, they could be 6-4 at the bye.  The way the season started, that would be an unexpected and relative prosperity. 

Saints Report #6 - October 15, 2015

In a strange turn of events the New Orleans Saints offense, defense, special teams, and boisterous crowd all showed up on a Thursday night and stunned the previously undefeated Atlanta Falcons in the Superdome.  The result was a decisive and surprising 31-21 victory by the much maligned, but perhaps prematurely buried Saints.

I’ve had a few favorite all-time Saints players.  They were typically massive over-achievers who willed their way into my fandom. 

From 1969 to 1971 it was a wide receiver/kick returner named Al Dodd.  What about Al?  Tom Dempsey is not a legend without Al Dodd, because in the two plays preceding Dempsey’s 63 yard field goal, Dodd sets it up with a 30 yard kick-off return and a spectacular stop-clocking catch. 

From 1977 to 1983 it was a similar player named Rich Mauti.  He fought for every yard after his catches and punt returns.

And of course there’s Pierre Thomas who typified the early guts of the Payton/Brees era.

Memories of Dodd and Mauti returned this pre-season when the Saints traded with the Vikings for Rich’s son Michael, a Mandeville, LA native who was supposed to be a special team demon.  I took notice, largely because I was thinking, geez I’ve been following the Saints for a long time.  Before the game I wondered aloud, because I was standing there without a program, if Michael was on the team.

Before the first quarter was over Mauti would answer by electrifying an already well-lubricated crowd with a punt block and touchdown to give the Saints a 14-0 lead.  With Steve Gleason in attendance it was much like that night in 2006.  The Saints were off and running and the momentum carried them to victory.  

Here’s what I took away from this surprising game:

The Saints apparently figured out that the Falcons can’t cover the tight end and deployed Ben Watson to a career game – 10 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown, dare I say Graham-like numbers. And it could have been even better if a late first half pass from Brees hadn’t been a little high – it looked like it would have gone for a touchdown too.

The Saints signed Brandon Browner because they desperately needed a corner to play opposite Keenan Lewis.  They got one, but it isn’t Browner.  His name is Delvin Breaux and he’s improving every game.  He spent much of the game shadowing all-world Julio Jones and fared about as well as a corner can against Jones. 

The Falcons are a superior ground team.  They stopped the Saints and ran easily on them.  The Falcons plowed huge holes, and the Saints had none.  However, three fumbles by the Falcons effectively wiped out that advantage.

To Payton’s credit he stuck with the ground attack to shorten the game, keep the clock moving, and rest the defense. 

Reports of Brees’ demise have been greatly exaggerated.  The offense had great tempo, and Brees played a near-perfect game, to the point of making some phenomenal throws.  Yea, let’s run him out of town.

Brandon Coleman, the highly touted wide receiver playing opposite Brandin Cooks has been a complete no-show for the season:  6 games, 9 catches, 113 yards - about what a starter should have in one game.  

Rob Ryan said before the game the Saints defense was on the verge of a breakthrough.  He got it, at least in the red zone, as while the defense gave up some yardage they stiffened in the red zone.

I doubt there will be a game with more quarterback roll outs all year.  Brees, and to a lesser extent Matt Ryan, were running around like they had visited the fountain of youth.

Finally, the Saints pass rush showed up.  While getting gashed on the ground and leaving those tackles to Daneel Ellerbe (13 unassisted tackles – he was all over the field making the Kenny Stills trade look palatable) and Stephon Anthony, they put pressure on Matt Ryan on most of his drop backs, and Cameron Jordan sacked Ryan 3 times in the 4^th quarter.

It was exciting.  Sean Payton was aggressive all night.  The only time that hurt the Saints was when they tried 2 long field goals.  That is something that Zach Hocker does not appear to have in his repertoire.

If this team shows up, let’s say 8 more times this year, it could be a respectable year after all.  Hopefully all those suggesting we “move on” from Payton and Brees will keep that to themselves for a few weeks.  

Saints Report # 5 - October 11, 2015

Is your team a disappointment, stuck on the cusp of irrelevance?

The Saints have the tonic.

Been unable to get your up-tempo offense un-tracked?  We will offer little resistance.

All your dreams will come true.

Got an expensive running back who hasn’t been able to get rolling?  We will clear the lanes for him.

Is his confidence lagging?  We will supply the arm tackles that can build his confidence.

We offer a 100 yard guarantee.  Additional yards are extra.

Trouble protecting your fragile quarterback?  We will look at your offensive backfield as a wildlife preserve and not penetrate it.  Your ragtag offensive line's confidence will grow with each play.

Is your quarterback having accuracy problems?  Not a concern – we promise receivers so open a Russell Cunningham could come out of retirement and hit them.

Need to build a little character?  We may even pick off a few passes in the first half, but trust me, by the end of the game we’ll be running around more confused than Ben Carson. 

If you choose our “easy pickings” package we can put you over the 500 yard mark.

And that’s just what we offer your offense.

Defense need takeaways?  We will offer up 3 to 4 – guaranteed.

Trouble tackling?  Our running backs will run directly to your player for easy takedown. 

The lack of elusiveness and speed will turn even your average defensive players in to tackling machines.

Just to be sure, we will hold out our “quick” back until the game is almost over.

Defense having trouble against the run?  Our virtual offensive line will come to the rescue to help you stuff all lanes.

Defensive backfield slow to cover?  We’ll wait.  Will a few dropped passes help?  We won’t make any big plays to demoralize your backs.  Our receivers will stick with your backs.  We will also supply you with enough easy-to-read 1 yard passes to give you plenty of opportunities for “negative yardage” morale-builders.

Defensive line not rushing the passer like you’d like?  By the end of the day we’ll offer up enough sack opportunities to turn your defensive ends into Pro-Bowlers.  We may even give you the chance to kill the best player in our history.

Final result?  Your Eagles will win by a substantial score, something like 39-17 on your home field. 

We’ll get your fan base off your back and buy you some time, with no regard for the fact that our own clock is ticking, and it will be our most embarrassing loss in years.

We offer a turnover-back guarantee, and just enough resistance that your team won’t look at us as a laydown. 

Save your season – play the Saints.  

Saints Report # 4 - October 4, 2015

Suddenly, Drew Brees.

With the Saints in danger of a premature burial of their season, Drew Brees led the Saints on two picture perfect drives at game’s end to dispose of the visiting Dallas Cowboys 26 – 20 in overtime.  His 80 yard touchdown pass to CJ Spiller was the game winner just 15 second into overtime.  His previous drive ended in a doinked field goal attempt by new kicker Zach Hocker that would have won the game with 15 seconds in regulation.  No matter.  It didn’t phase Brees and the Saints, whom I guess have seen it all.

It was the fastest overtime victory in a regular season NFL game, and it moved the Saints to 1-3.  

The game winner was Brees’ 400^th Touchdown Pass, making him one of only 5 quarterbacks to achieve that number.  With a sore arm, a porous line and little running game support, Brees threw for 359 yards and, particularly as the game wore on, he put a scapel to the Cowboy’s defense.  It was a gutty performance, and it enhanced the BP era’s stellar record in nationally televised night games.

Now a word about the negatives.  The kicker.  I knew we had kicking problems the first time we lined up for an extra point.  Rather than kicking the ball from the middle, down the middle, our kicker wants to try the new longer extra point from the hashmark.  Who would do that?  So, with the game winner to hit from the 30, from the same hashmark – doink off an upright.   This week will be spent with Payton looking at kickers.

So, as for the rest of the team, don’t look now, but the defense is coming along.  Injured players like Jairus Byrd, Keenan Lewis, and Dannell Ellerbe have returned.  Rookies Hau’oli Kikaha, Stephone Anthony, Bobby Richardson, Tyeler Davison, Damian Swann, and Delvin Breaux all are contributing and look like solid NFL players.  Against an admittedly beat up Cowboy offense, the defense held its own and for the first time put a little pressure on the opposing Quarterback.  Don’t get overly excited – the reality is that if Tony Romo had been on the field, the outcome would have been different.  But, it’s a victory, and the Saints will take it. 

As for the growing pains, they’ll take them too.  As any Cowboy fan will tell you, it's a war of attrition in the NFL, and the Saints look healthier for the next quarter of the season. 

At The Cinema - September 2015

Inside Out – 10

I gave in.  For the first time since I was a kid I went to an animated movie.  Why this one?  Because this one is getting such universal acclaim (48 out of 48 positive critical reviews on metacritic) it may even be in the Oscar Best Picture race.  I thought I better check it out.

This is the story of Riley, a happy young school girl who has been uprooted from her Minnesota home to San Francisco when her parents relocate the family.   The swirl of emotions that comes with a new school and new surroundings is portrayed in the form of inner characters like Joy (Amy Poehler), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) who live in her emotion headquarters. 

Animated and voiced to perfection, you get more involved then if the characters were flesh and blood.  Directors Pete Docter and Ronald Del Carmen pull all of this off in exactly 94 minutes of rich, beautiful story telling that I hope Judd Apatow has watched.  Brevity and humor can go hand in hand, and when it works like this, it doesn’t even test your bladder.  Obviously destined to be another Pixar classic, adult, child or curmudgeon – if you don’t enjoy this movie you have problems I can’t help you with, (although I can see it being a little harsh for a very young child.)  My primary thought on leaving the theater was that I wish I had their imagination.  

Brilliant – and it made me wonder what’s going on in my own brain.    

The Visit – 8
M. Night Shyamalan’s classic was The Sixth Sense almost 20 years ago.  I’ve often contended it ruined movies, in that the ending was such a great shock that for the next 20 years movie makers have been trying to top it, match it, or copy it.  They are rarely up to the task.  Shyamalan himself has fallen short of it, and seems to get further and further from the rarified air of that first movie, to the point of being the butt of jokes.

Until now.  Finally he has gotten close, with The Visit.  No, it’s not a classic, but it is compelling story telling, with chills and jumps and a nice twist at the end.  I don’t want to give too much away.  A mother (Kathryn Hahn) has been estranged from her parents since the day she left as a pregnant teenager to run off with her boyfriend.  They married and divorced, and mom has finally agreed to let their 2 kids visit her parents for the first time, although she wants no part of the visit.  She goes off on a cruise. 

It’s often just the generation gap that makes our grandparents seem a little crazy.  Here it may be just a little more.  They occupy one of those old farmhouses and exhibit a tinge of crazy, especially when the kids are sent off to their room at 9:30 each night and the lights go out.  Do you hear strange noises at night?

Becca (Olivia Dejonge) is 18 and an aspiring film maker, and her brother Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) wants to be a rapper, and naturally they are going to film their week-long encounter, assuming they survive.  It’s a Blair Witch kind of gimmick and it serves the story well.  You’ll jump, you’ll scream, and you may even rejoice that Shyamalan is on his way back. 

The Intern – 8
Robert DeNiro is the gentle-bull title character, 70 year old widower Ben Whitaker, who eschews the boredom of retirement to return to work as “senior” intern for Jules’ (Anne Hathaway} upstart dotcom.  That’s the gimmick and it’s a good one, as her exploding firm and her hectic personal life could use the steadying hand of a little maturity.  Ben is just the man.

Director Nancy Meyer’s films are usually a little antiseptic and white bread, but that’s ok because she usually picks a great cast.  This movie is no exception. Other than one breakneck break-in scene which I thought was really out of place, it seems she captures the challenging pace of the dotcom life.  Your web site could be a hit today, and gone tomorrow.  Better make hay while your internet shines.

De Niro actually plays a real character for the first time in years, instead of a variation of himself.  Anne Hathaway is like a supernova.  The camera drills in on her face and her body language, and she nails every aspect of the character.  When your face is 10 feet tall on a movie screen there’s no place to hide, and the way she carries the movie reminded me of Annette Bening’s brilliance in The American President.  Anne will win no awards for this performance - it's not that kind of role.  But it doesn’t make it any less convincing.  It will be underappreciated, and that’s a shame.  I don’t get the Hathahaters, if they really exist.  She’s an American treasure and while I’m still waiting for her to portray Judy Garland, a movie a year like this will do until then. 

What I really liked about the movie was there were really no villains – just a lot of good people trying to adapt to change.  This is a perfectly pleasant 2 hour diversion.