At the Cinema - November 2018

Bohemian Rhapsody– 9

Rock and Roll movies are at their best when they tell you how the music got made, and this movie slides into that enough to entertain most.  The group is Queen and the lead singer is Freddie Mercury, whom many have said was the best frontman of all time.  They were by no means conventional, but their stadium rock has stood the test of time. 

The framing device for the film is the famous Queen performance at Live Aid in 1987.  According to many critical articles that have been written, the film takes a lot of liberties with the timelines, but unless you are a Queen expert, you won’t know that and won’t care.  The movie has also been chastised for not making a bigger statement about Mercury’s sexuality.  So, while the movie takes liberties with the story, don't let that deter you if you like rock n roll.  Rami Malek gives one of the best performances of the year as Mercury.  The movie is a little long, but it’s inevitable end at Live Aid is genuinely moving.  I’ve seen the actual concert footage several times, but the movie’s emotional buildup still got me.

This movie has been a big hit, and it’s been interesting to watch the marketing effort, which seems to have centered around marketing during football games.  The commercials have been inescapable during NFL games.  I’d like to know what their marketing budget was, because it has successfully powered the box office.  It lives up to the hype.  Powerful stuff and a nice tribute to the music of Queen.

The Girl in the Spider’s Web – 8

This is another critically panned movie that I nevertheless enjoyed.  Is Sweden really this gray?  The scenery is the star of this movie, in that you'll feel the need to get a blanket it looks so cold.  I’m assuming it was filmed on location, as there are nothing but Volvos on the roads.  Claire Foy takes over as hacker Lisbeth Salander, and as you might expect she is not quite Rooney Mara.

Lisbeth starts the movie as the avenging angel of abused women.  Why is she so vengeful?  Could it be that she and her sister were abused growing up by their rich father?  That’s part of the story, as she is asked to hack and steal a very dangerous program that is in the hands of the US government.

This is a controversial film that was ghost-written as a continuation of the Lisbeth’s stories after the authors death.   The dropoff is slight, but this is still a very entertaining movie, with the usual hard-to-believe action sequences.  The hacking parts are the best.

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Widows - 8

Director Steve McQueen has fashioned a pretty ambitious story, taking on everything from class warfare, to election nepotism, and he’s mostly successful.  He telegraphs the ending a little too early for my taste, but with actors like Robert Duvall, Viola Davis, Colin Farrell, and Liam Neeson, you’re not losing attention. 

Liam Neeson is legendary Chicago criminal Harry Rawlings.  When his heist goes wrong, and he’s robbed the wrong people, it’s left to his wife, played by the terrific Viola Davis to make things right for the gang he stole from.  She enlists two of Harry’s gang's widows to help steal replacement money.  Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki play those ladies, and wouldn’t you know that it’s Debicki who is a breakout star by the end of the movie.  Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) continues to grow his resume as a star, playing a sociopathic gang member who is putting the heat on. This guy blows up the screen with his intensity.

There is so much going on here, with an election backdrop, that I think they miss the opportunity to show more about the planning of the big final robbery, but there are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.  All in all, very well done.

Scanning the Satellite

Game Night – 9
Missed this in theaters earlier this year, and that’s unfortunate as it is surely one of the best comedies of the year.  A group of friends take their occasional game nights pretty seriously, until Jason Bateman’s competitive brother, played by Kyle Chandler, turns one of those nights into a life or death contest.  Rachel McAdams is a superb match for Bateman and this one kept me guessing with its ingenious plot.

Miss Sloane – 8

Despite being a huge Jessica Chastain fan, I missed this when it was in theaters in 2016.  She plays a frenetic lobbyist up against the gun lobby.  Jessica is up to the fast dialogue, and it’s a poignant look at how this battle plays out on K street.  The subject matter seems a little outdated in just two years, but still worth watching to get a glimpse of how lobbying works in the nation’s capital. Or, hopefully this is not how it works. 

The Good Place – 10

Three years late, but I’m hooked.  Top notch sitcom with an incredible cast that is destined to be a classic in the Cheers vein. I’ve watched the first 2 seasons on Netflix and this is hilarious.  Haven’t watched many sitcoms in recent years, but this one is unique and laugh out loud funny..Don't know how long they can keep this up, but I'm all in.

Bodyguard – 9

An English action import to Netflix that I binged.  High wire, high tension, with some nice twists and turns.  Only downside is that sometimes I have a hard time hearing through the thick English accent.  Maybe it’s just me.

Saints Report #11 - November 22, 2018

We were making the just-over-an-hour drive to the Superdome Thanksgiving night.  We had packed turkey sandwiches to tailgate, but we would end up trafficgating, and eating them while sitting in heavier than usual, and probably a little bit more inebriated than usual traffic in New Orleans.  On the pre-game show I heard the announcement that last week’s star, Tra’quan Smith was inactive for the game, as was our newest free agent, the veteran Brandon Marshall.  “Oh, no” I thought.  The rookie Smith emerged with 150+ yards receiving last week, taking some pressure off of Michael Thomas.  Who was Drew Brees going to throw to now, with teams double teaming Thomas and Alvin Kamara?  The biggest rival coming to the dome, the hated Falcons, and I would hear later that Matt Ryan had felt they could hang 40 on the Saints defense.

The only question was, who was more wrong?  The Saints won the game 31-17, and the turnover battle 4-1.  The Falcons turned the ball over in the red zone 3 times, each time legitimately caused by great Saints plays.  With the defense repeatedly rising to the occasion, all Brees did was complete 4 touchdown passes to 4 undrafted free agents – Dan Arnold (who is beginning to emerge as the tight end of the future), Tommylee Lewis, Kevin Kirkwood, and Austin Carr. Has that ever happened before?  Anywhere?

The Saints controlled the game with their running game as the offensive line continued its stellar work by opening hugh lanes for Kamara and Ingram.  The defense, led by Cameron Jordan and Sheldon Rankins pressured Ryan all night.  Matt Ryan is putting up big numbers, and the Falcons remind me of the Saints during their 3 straight 7-9 campaigns – overly reliant on big passing numbers.

As I watched in the crazed dome, let me point out one unsung hero, for the Saints – last year’s season ending goat – Marcus Williams.  He’s playing an amazing centerfield for the Saints.  They leave him back there by himself while the corners press receivers.  Eli Apple has been enough of an upgrade at one corner, opposite Marshawn Lattimore, and PJ Williams continues to improve, all made possible by Marcus on the back end.  The Saints have struggled at the safety position since Darren Sharper’s Super Bowl season.  Marcus covers the ground.

Now, it’s off to Dallas for a second straight Thursday night game, and a wrap up of what has been a stunning November that so far totals 175-73.  That’s right – they have a 102 point edge in 4 games, an average of over 25 points, as the winning streak has reached 10.  Back in the magical 2009 season it was the Cowboys who ended the Saints 13 game winning streak to start the season.  Five games to go, and the Saints know they’re in a dogfight to try to hold home field advantage.  Truthfully, it’s going to be hard.  The Rams schedule is much easier in December.  But, the Saints seem to find a way to win every week.  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and it’s beginning to feel a lot like 2009.

When we finally got home early on Black Friday, my playoff ticket invoice was waiting in the mailbox to prove it.  It’s beginning to look a lot like January football in the dome.