At the Cinema - January 2019 (and year-end wrap up for 2018)

Green Book – 10

Finally, a simple, elegant movie.  Maybe elegant is the wrong word for a movie with some violence, but for some reason that’s the word that I think best describes this one.  Viggo Mortenson plays Tony Lip, a Copacabana bouncer in 1962.  He is an Italian American tough guy from the Bronx with a loving wife and two kids.  When the Copa closes for a two-month renovation, Tony takes a job as the driver for Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), a pianist about to go on tour.  But, not just any tour.  They are going to tour the south.  And Dr. Shirley is black.  Welcome to Mississippi.

The best movies transport you to a different time and place, in this case the racially charged times of the early 60’s.  Another welcome characteristic is that the movie just cruises along in chronological order, telling the story with wit and wisdom.  Director Peter Farrelly has a firm grasp of the period.  Much like Bohemian Rhapsody, there has been controversy about the accuracy of the portrayals.  Nevertheless, it’s a nicely relevant story, anchored by two great performances.  Both are up for Oscars, and Ali will probably win his second as a supporting actor.  He is rightfully one of the hottest actors in Hollywood right not, and seems to be everywhere, including HBO’s True Detective currently airing.  As Tony and Don travel through the south they form what will be a life-long bond.  It’s a road movie, it’s a buddy movie, but mostly it’s an old-fashioned feel-good movie.  We don’t get enough of them.

Tully – 9

Charlize Theron is terrific as Marlo, the new mother trying to keep it together taking care of her second baby.  She’s cracking under the strain and getting no help from her video geek husband (Ron Livingston.) Her brother suggests she get a night nanny to help with the baby.  Enter Tully, portrayed to perfection by Mackenzie Davis.  She is almost too good to be true as she seems to have a sixth sense as to what Marlo needs and when she needs it. 

Director Ivan Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody making their third collaboration, weave a simple story of the difficulties of child rearing and the daily pressures and problems.  Cool movie that went under the radar, but has enough surprises to make it memorable.

If Beale Street Could Talk – 7

Director Barry Jenkins makes slow deliberate movies.  With its lingering closeups and lethargic pace, this is a one hour movie spread over two hours.  It’s a story of an interrupted love story of two young people, Tish and Fonny (Kiki Layne and Stephan James) who are separated by a false accusation.  The best part of the movie is how the parents of the couple react to their relationship.  Regina King is an Supporting Actress Oscar Favorite for her turn as Tish’s mother.  Beyond the love story and the crime ramifications, there is a sadness to this story that makes it hard to stick with.  I’m all for great character stories, but the pacing of the story was just too slow for me. 

Eighth Grade – 8

In case you weren’t feeling distant enough from young people, here’s a portrait of an eighth grader who is wrapping up her school year and about to head to high school.  She’s insecure in person, but lively on social media.  Her English is a foreign language, at least to me, but the problems of a teenager are the same as they’ve always been, starting with relating to the opposite sex.  Of course her language is peppered with “likes” and that’s been going on awhile, so that reduces the language barrier. 

This is the third collaboration between Director Jason Reitman and Screenwriter Diablo Cody.  They are in comfortable sync as usual, and there’s just a realistic feel to the movie.  But, I’m still glad I’m not a teenager today.

Roma – 8

Alfonso Cuaron’s latest is a unique movie beautifully filmed in black and white.  It’s showing in theaters, but it was concurrently released on Netlix who produced the movie.  Since the movie is in Spanish, it is subtitled, and that’s a major problem in watching the movie on the small screen.  It is hard to match up the dialogue that is being documented on the screen with who is saying it.  I love great foreign movies, but this one is really hard to follow.  If each line of dialogue was preceeded by the name of the person speaking it on the screen, like this:  John:  “Where’s the dog?” this movie would have been easier to understand.  But, there are so many long shots where several people are saying important things, but we can’t tell who is saying what, it’s very hard to follow.

The movie has been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and best foreign language film.  It could be the first to capture both, and is the darling of the critics, thus a heavy favorite. 

The first half of the movie is tedious.  The visuals open the story of a maid caring for a small family in Mexico.  The father bops in and out, and the focus is on the maid and the mother as they deal with the children.  The maid, apparently based on the director’s family maid, is played by Yalitza Aparicio, who got a surprise best actress nominee.  When the second half of the movie kicks in, the story picks up the pace with some tragedy, and some good fortune.  The intensity and emotion around a couple of events bring the movie home.

Cuaron, who is writer, director, and cinematographer, is the darling of Hollywood, and could win several Oscars, as he is currently called “the best living director.”  Not sure about all that, as I’ve had a hard time with each of his movies, but one can’t deny that this movie finishes strongly after a languid first half.

Mary Poppins Returns – 8

Emily Blunt capably grabs a hold of the mythical character of Mary Poppins.  Julie Andrews famously won an Oscar for her turn as Mary Poppins in 1965.  I remember clearly that with Sound of Music still ahead of her, Julie was passed over for the role of Eliza Dolittle in the movie version of My Fair Lady.  That role went to Audrey Hepburn, who was great, but had to have her singing dubbed by the amazing Marni Nixon.  It was widely thought that Andrews won to recognize that she had been jilted.  Anyway, My Fair Lady got the 1965 Oscar for Best Picture and The Sound of Music won in 1966.  I’ve always wished I could see Julie Andrews in Camelot and My Fair Lady, as the Broadway recordings played constantly in our house growing up.  Julie’s place in musical history is secure. 

Emily Blunt is a joy, and Lin Manuel-Miranda has parlayed his Hamilton fame into the second banana part here.  Wish he’d tackled the music, which is the weakest part of the movie.  Maybe kids will be singing these songs for the next 50 years, the way we have sung Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious, Chim Chim Chiree, and A Spoonful of Sugar, but I doubt it.  Nevertheless, take those children and grandchildren.

Aquaman – 4

There’s ridiculous, there’s beyond ridiculous, and then there’s Aquaman.  This movie had to have been filmed entirely in front of a green screen with the special effects, mostly underwater, thrown in later.  Maybe that’s how all movies are filmed now, but this one is made particularly ridiculous by the number of underwater conversations that take place with not so much as a bubble.  Not that the visuals aren’t arresting.  They are as impressive as any video game, I’m sure.  I’m a Galaga guy living in a Fortnight world.  (All I know about Fortnight is the name, and I worry that the youth of America is just sitting there instead of experiencing real life.)

I shouldn’t be going to these comic book movies.  This sure isn’t the Aquaman I remember from 50 years ago.  I just keep falling for the buzz and every now and then I see a Deadpool or a Black Panther, but those are the exception.  Aquaman is the rule, and if this is what passes for entertainment we are just going to drown in special effects.

Rampage – 4

Speaking of green screens, let’s acknowledge the King – the Rock.  Dwayne Johnson has got to be the best at green screen acting.  He’s made so many movies with buildings falling down around him, and, in this case, huge genetically altered animals chasing him, that he should get a special award for what he does.  Of course, this movie doesn’t have a believable moment in it, but that’s ok. It’s basically a video game, and if this is what you want, here’s another one.

Scanning the Satellite

Killing Eve – 9

We binged this BBC series starring Sandra Oh, who has been winning “best actress in a drama” awards for her Eve, but it’s Jodie Comer as the assassin Eve is chasing, who powers this series.  Her charisma and believability rock this thing.  I wouldn’t want to have her chasing me.

Jeff Beck:  Still on the Run – 9

Terrific Showtime documentary on the life of Jeff Beck.  A lot I didn’t know, and I now have more appreciation of his abilities

Breslin and Hamill:  Deadline Artists – 9

If you have any interest in journalism, you will love this HBO documentary about two of the greats and their career with New York papers.

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel

HBO has had this on for 25 years, and I’ve always loved it.  But this month’s feature on Adam Schefter’s professional and personal life is truly haunting.  Both he and the interviewer Jon Frankel, are married to 9/11 widows and it’s raw and compelling TV.

2018 Wrap Up, ranking and awards:

It’s time for my 2018 summary and I thought Mission Impossible:  Fallout was easily the best movie I saw last year.  It was incredibly well plotted and executed and is simply the best action movie ever made – for now.  Like Mad Max: Fury Road it will go largely unrewarded because it’s hard for the industry to recognize it as art.  AND – Tom Cruise is better at the acting that he does, stunts and all, than Oscar nominees are at what they do.  The most compelling documentary I saw all year, and I’ve watched it 3 times because I still don’t believe it, was Three Identical Strangers.  I can’t explain why I found it so interesting, because that would give it away, but it’s now running on CNN. 

RANK OF 2018 MOVIES:

Mission Impossible:  Fallout – 10

A Quiet Place – 10
Green Book - 10
BlackkKlansman 10

Hearts Beat Loud – 10

Black Panther - 9

Bohemian Rhapsody – 9

A Star is Born – 9

Game Night – 9

Tully - 9

Red Sparrow – 9

On the Basis of Sex – 9

Creed II - 8

Chappaquiddick – 8

Roma - 8

Mama Mia – Here we go Again – 8                                                    

Mary Poppins Returns - 8

The Mule - 8

The Girl in the Spider’s Web – 8

Eighth Grade- 8

Widows – 7

Crazy Rich Asians – 7

Vice – 7

If Beale Street Could Talk - 7

First Man – 6

The Favourite - 5

The Old Man and the Gun – 5

Peppermint – 5

Aquaman – 4

Rampage – 4
The Commuter - 4

Ocean’s Eight – 4

Documentaries:

Three Identical Strangers – 10

Fahrenheit 9/11 – 9

RBG – 9

Jane Fonda in Three Acts – 9

Eric Clapton:  Life in 12 Bars – 9

Jeff Beck:  Still on the Run - 9

Love, Gilda - 8

The Ozzies:

Best Picture:  Mission Impossible:  Fallout

Best Actor:  Rami Malik in Bohemian Rhapsody

Best Actress:  Emily Blunt in A Quiet Place

Best Supporting Actor:  Sam Elliott in A Star is Born

Best Supporting Actress:  Tess Thompson in Creed 2

Best Director:  John Krasinski, A Quiet Place

The Lizzies (for TV):

Best Show:  The Good Place

Best Actor:  Bill Pullam, The Sinner

Best Actress:  Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Best Supporting Actor:  Tony Shaloub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Best Supporting Actress:  Jodie Comer, Killing Eve

Saints Playoff Report # 18 - January 20, 2018

Botched.  Another season ends with a visit to the Heartbreak Hotel. The Saints lost the NFC Championship to the Los Angeles Rams 26-23 Sunday.  The home field advantage that the Saints had coveted all year was not enough.  The Saints played well enough to win, but also played poorly enough to lose.  They botched several opportunities, but you have to give credit to the Rams.  They took away Michael Thomas, they took away the running game, and a sudden injury bug took away the tight ends and a wide receiver.  The Saints offensive line was outplayed.  Meanwhile, the defense played well, but not as well as the crowd played.

This will move to the top of the Saints heartbreak list because of a penalty that wasn’t called.  With the game tied at 20, the Saints got the ball with 5 minutes left in the game.  The game was there for the taking if they could produce a game winning drive.  At the 2 minute warning Brees threw a 43 yard completion to Ginn down to the 12.  The Saints were sitting pretty.  The Rams had only 2 timeouts left, so 3 runs and a field goal would have given the Saints the lead, and the ball back to the Rams with less than a minute left – a huge challenge for the Rams. 

But inexplicably the Saints threw on first down – incomplete and giving the gift of a clock stoppage to the Rams.  Following a run by Kamara, Brees threw a 3^rd down pass to TommyLee Lewis approaching the end zone.  The clock was about to stop again on an incomplete pass.  But, what an incomplete pass it was!  A blatant pass interference occurred that should have put the ball around the 2 yard line.  A panicking defensive back named Nickell Robey-Coleman blasted Lewis as the ball approached.  We’ll see this non-call the rest of our lives.  It snatched defeat from the voodoo grip of victory.  The Saints settled for a field goal with 1:45 left on the clock, too much time to be giving to the boy genius Sean McVay.

Make no mistake it was a horrible non-call which the NFL would quickly admit.  What should happen?  The entire crew should be fired, because flags should have come raining down all over the field.  Ironically the Rams had complained about the referee and asked for his removal last week.  Could that have influenced him and his crew to freeze at this critical juncture?  Who knows? I have officiated many games in my life, so I empathize, but this call was obvious and makes me again consider an old question – was the Superdome really built on a cemetery? 

Back to the game.  The Rams drove down to kick the game tying field goal and send the game to overtime. 

The Saints won the toss which meant the first possession went to them.  It was squandered when Brees got hit as he threw and the ball fluttered in the air and was intercepted and the Rams only had to drive a few yards for Greg Zuerlein to kick a 57 yard game winner, sending the Rams to the Super Bowl.

So, how did the Saints botch this one?  They started the game with 2 field goals to take the dreaded 6-0 lead in the first quarter.  Brees underthrew an end zone pass to Thomas and the remaining tight end Dan Arnold, whom no one would confuse for a real tight end, dropped a tough pass in the end zone.  14-zip would have been almost insurmountable.  But, the Saints put together a third drive to take a 13-0 first half lead, (could’ve been 21-0) which the Rams closed to 13-10 as the half expired.  A key play was a 4^th down pass out of a punt formation, which certainly shouldn't have surprised the Saints.   Neither team ran the ball much and former Saint Brandin Cooks was a difference-maker with several big catches.  He was matched by the Saints’ Alvin Kamara, but in the end it was several incredible clutch throws by Jared Goff that brought the Rams back into the game. 

I put this botch directly on the shoulders of Sean Payton, who illustrates my old adage – "Your biggest strength is your biggest weakness." His daring, gambling approach to football has won many games for the Saints, but it lost this one.  It never should have come down to a third down pass, to TommyLee Lewis, of all players.  In that situation, you run the ball 3 times, make the Rams use their time outs, and you kick the field goal.  They have less than a minute to get into field goal range.  It’s Football 101, not infallible, but certainly a good percentage play.

This game becomes the 6^th heartbreaking playoff loss in the Payton/Brees era. 

If you’ve been a Saints fan since day one, you know the Heartbreak Hotel very well.  Here’s my purely personal list of the worst:

1. Botch 2019.  Inexplicable play calling leads to a blatant missed pass interference call that would have almost certainly lead to a Saints victory.  The Saints lose in overtime, costing them a trip to the Super Bowl. The officials botched, but the Saints also blew a 13-0 point lead for the first time in 59 games.
2. Minnesota Miracle 2018.  A missed tackle by safety Marcus Williams on the last play of the game leads to a long touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs, keeping the Saints out of the NFC championship game against the Eagles, who would go on to win the Super Bowl.
3. West Coast heartache 2012.  QB Alec Smith and Tight End Vernon Davis run wild to snatch a 36-32 victory from the Saints one game away from the NFC Championship.  Each team scored 2 touchdowns in the last 4 minutes.  The 2011 Saints offense had been an unstoppable record setting one, but the defense wasn’t up to the challenge.
4. West Coast heartache 2011.  The Saints follow up on their Super Bowl win by going 11-5 to capture a wild card berth, but are forced to go to Seattle to face the 7-9 division winning Seahawks.  Their 41-36 loss is sealed by Marshon Lynch’s Beast Mode touchdown run.
5. West Coast heartache 2014.  The Saints late rally falls short as they again fall to Seattle 23-15.  The Seahawks go on to obliterate Denver in the Super Bowl.
6. Bears 2006.  The Saints make it to the NFC Championship game in the first year of the Brees/Payton partnership but horrible field conditions slow the Saints offense in a 39-14 pounding.
7. Anthony Carter 1987.  In the Saints first ever playoff game the Saints lay a 44-10 egg.  Carter runs back a punt 84 yards to begin the carnage.
8. Randy Moss 2001. Following the Saints first ever playoff win, an upset of the seemingly invincible “Greatest Show on Turf” Rams, the Saints go to Minnesota and get torched by Randy Moss 34-16.
9. Falcons 1978.  You think Big Ben is Rothlisberger?  To Saints fans it’s the Falcon’s name for the Hail Mary Play that Steve Bartkowski throws to beat the Saints 20-17, while the other 20-17 loss a few weeks later was the result of a phantom pass interference flag thrown by referee Gordon Klemmer.  The Saints finished 7-9 and the Falcons went 9-7 making the playoffs. 
10. Falcons 1991.  The Saints win the division but are upset by the wild-card Falcons 27-20 in the playoffs in the Superdome when Chris Miller hits New Orleans native Michael Haynes with a 61 yard touchdown bomb late in the fourth quarter.

I feel the worst for Drew Brees.  The Rams go off to the Superbowl to meet the Patriots and Tom Brady, who many say is the Greatest Football Player ever.  He may be, and I will concede that the harder you work, the luckier you get.  But Brady’s good luck outweighs his bad luck (Giants) by a lot.   Brady’s series of breaks continued Sunday, and there is no sense in going through them.  In 2001 the tuck rule propelled him.  In 2006 he threw a 4^th down interception to the Chargers with 5 minutes left that should have ended their playoff run, but the intercepter, Marion McRee (who should have just knocked the ball down) fumbled it back to the Patriots, who went on to win.

But Brady’s luckiest break has been playing in a non-competitive Division with the Dolphins, Bills, and Jets, as the Patriots coast to the division title year after year.   Each of those inept team’s last Super Bowl trip occurred with a western Pennsylvania quarterback at the helm.  (Think about it.)  Meanwhile the Saints have had to battle against the consistently competitive Panthers and Falcons who have both been to the Super Bowl recently.

Saints fan sums it up this way.  Brady gets a knee injury and the NFL changes the rules about hitting the quarterback.  The 2009 Saints win the NFC by kicking an overtime field goal on their first possession against the Vikings, and the NFL changes the overtime rules.  One question that you have to honestly answer is this:  Do you think if Brady had thrown that pass, pass interference gets called?  Of course it does.  I wonder if Brees eats sour grapes at night.  Probably not.  He’s too classy.

Maybe they’ll change the rules this winter to make pass interference reviewable.  If they do, as sure as I’m sitting here, the Saints will be the first victim.

The future is not all that promising for the Saints.  The window is closing on Brees, and the draft choice cupboard is almost bare.  The Super Bowl Patriots have 12 picks in the upcoming draft, while the Saints only have 6, starting with pick 62. They need help in the secondary, receiving corps, and tight end, as well as a QB of the future.  The current renaissance has only been made possible by exceptional drafting that brought in upgraded personnel in early rounds.  Even Saints recent draft cast-offs are playing around the league.

Look, football is not life or death.  It’s just another billion dollar entertainment industry.  No team should mean as much to their home area as the Saints mean to theirs.  Saints fans have come to just expect the worst and if it turns out better than expected, we can adapt.

Today we move into The Shining phase – an offseason in the Heartbreak Hotel.  Again.