MOVIES
Barbie – 8
It’s crazy that Greta Gerwig was not nominated for Best Director for this big hit, because if there was ever a director’s movie, this is it. Her stamp is all over it, and that stamp is pink. The first half is inventive and fun. Margot Robbie is perfect as Barbie. The second half bogs down as Barbie leaves Dreamland and ventures into the real world, but I’ll forgive that, as I have no idea how they came up with the script they did. This movie is strictly a matter of taste, and it was a very nice cream puff to me. Not too deep, with just a dusting of powdered sugar.
Killers of the Flower Moon – 8
As I sat through Martin Scorcese’s almost 4 hour (with bathroom breaks) story of the Osage Indians I couldn’t help but feel he was trying to make his Gone with the Wind. It’s an epic, and I’m going to state the obvious. It’s way too long, and it seems like a twice stuffed potato, just not nearly as tasty.
The Osage Indians discovered oil on their Oklahoma land in the 1920’s and for a time were the wealthiest people on earth, per capita. Unsurprisingly, 100 years later that is no longer true. This movie shows how, slowly, and with no subtlety at all the evil white men (led by Robert DeNiro, who has now officially been everywhere) started doing whatever was necessary to pilfer it away. Leonardo DiCaprio, in the thankless role of Ernest Burkhart, who is complicit in several murders, just doesn’t click in this part. His wife played by Oscar nominee and favorite (although not mine) Lily Gladstone seems to have a little more zest, at least for a while, until it’s time for her to go.
I kind of enjoyed the storytelling, and I did make it
through in one night, but for most this is an endurance test of little value. Well, maybe that’s not true. It’s gotten critical acclaim from those who
give it, and those who are predisposed to sit through it give it high marks. I think it is destined to finish second to
Oppenheimer at the Oscars in awards. Neither
are my favorite. Give me a sprint, not a
marathon. Give me Poor Things.
Land Ho – 9
A movie for seniors, about seniors, from 2014. A buddy movie about two guys on the edge of geezerdom. It wouldn’t have been my choice to scamper across Iceland on my last road trip, but there are some great scenes, great humor here. A very worthwhile trip. On a screen.
Trapped – 7
This is an old movie that disappeared quickly back in 2002 when Charlize Theron and Kevin Bacon were young and Courtney Love was acting. Charlize’s child gets kidnapped by Kevin’s gang and the two of them will be hanging out til the ransom is delivered. Formulaic and predictable but fun in a Netflix “let’s kill a couple of hours” kind of way.
Maestro – 2
It’s pretty rare I dislike a Best Picture nominee this much, but while there is some artistry here, it’s so unappealing that there was nothing, and I mean nothing that I enjoyed. This is the story of Leonard Bernstein as seen through the eyes of director and star Bradley Cooper. The main problem here is that Bernstein was a heavy smoker, and we’ve forgotten how prevalent and overbearing a habit it can be. Carey Mulligan plays his wife and she died at 56 of lung cancer, still smoking, and all of this makes this the longest anti-smoking advertisement in history. Sorry, I despise tobacco. It has taken too many friends too early. So, yes, my prejudices weighed this movie down for me. Maybe talk to someone else about this one.
FYI: Ranking the Oscar Nominees
Poor Things (the rest aren't close IMO)
Anatomy of A Fall
Past Lives
The Holdovers
Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
American Fiction (haven't seen)
The Zone of Interest (haven't seen)
Maestro
STREAMING/BINGING and what’s left of Network Television
Collateral – 8
Oscar Nominee Carey Mulligan, and 4 one-hour episodes are the draw here, and it’s a complex but worthwhile trip. Carey plays a stubborn female detective (see below) named Kip Glaspie with a one-of-a-kind backstory of having been a famous pole-vaulter, which turns out to have nothing to do with the story. She investigates what appears to be a mundane murder of a pizza delivery person, but is actually a very complicated conspiracy, that only she can unravel. Fortunately. You can binge this in one evening in about the time it takes to watch Killers of the Flower Moon. You choose.
Fool Me Once – 6
This lit up Netflix for a few weeks, then the ending sank it like a stone. It’s a pot boiler written by an author named Harlan Coben who is apparently famous for this kind of stuff. When I refer to the ending its because I felt it was dishonest and wouldn’t hold water if I rewatched it, which I have no intention of doing. I’ll pass on future Coben books-to-series as well, as I’m told there are a slew of them coming. No thanks, although I did like the star of this, Michelle Keegan, who has charisma while playing a stubborn female detective (although a private citizen.) But, I won’t get fooled again. Binging has to be worth the investment of time, not piss you off.
True Detective: Night Country – (Incomplete)
I’m going to keep watching this because of the legacy and Jodi Foster (as a stubborn female detective), but it ain’t easy. It’s set in a fictional Alaska town with what appears to be some supernatural slayings going on. The sun has gone down for months and presumably won't rise until the last episode. It was filmed in freeze-a-vision which means it comes through the screen and makes you shiver
Criminal Record – (Incomplete)
So far so good on this Apple import from England. Cush Jumbo plays stubborn female detective June Lenker who smells a rat in an old conviction. Peter Capaldi (apparently a big star across the pond) is terrific as the maybe bad guy cop who is standing by his old collar,and beginning to make it difficult for June. They spar, they spy, they undermine. If it ends as well as it has begun, I’ll let you know next month.
DOCUMENTARIES
The Greatest Night in Pop – 10
When “We are the World” exploded in 1985, I have to confess I was less than enthralled. My life changing event in that year was going to be marriage. I found WATW as Good, yes, great no. But it has certainly stood the test of time and this documentary of how it was created and recorded is right up my alley. I love stuff that takes place in a recording studio and there is some real intrigue here, like Quincy Jones trying to keep order, Waylon Jennings walking out, Prince not showing, etc. Now, I'm enthralled.
Yogi Berra – It Ain’t Over Til it’s Over – 10
What starts as a wonderful baseball story ends as a love story about Yogi and his wife, Carmen, and it’s way more moving than most fiction. I’ve watched it twice, and both times I was taken with the story of true love. If you like baseball, don’t miss this. If you don’t like baseball, don’t miss it.
CLASSICS
Harlan County USA – 10
Finally got around to watching this 1976 Oscar winning documentary. How did I miss this? Well, I don’t think I was watching too many documentaries back then. This has earned it’s place as a classic and ranks 5th on this list:
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