Monday Marvel

Captain Marvel is marvelous. Brie Larson is marvelous. This is a very fun movie in the whole Marvel universe. It does great back story, pulls in lots of little things for the future, demonstrates some serious woman power, and pretty much kicks butt.  We shall see if Alex Cavanaugh agrees. We tend to give reviews around the same time and I know he was excited for this film.  It totally exceeded my expectations. I was not thrilled by previews, but I like Brie as an actress. She did not let me down.

I will not go into a whole plot line. You would need a power point presentation at this juncture to describe Marvel World.  Let's just say that we do see a CGI young version of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury back when he had two functioning eyes and we see why he ultimately needed a patch. Also Clark Gregg as Colson and how he and Fury worked together. There's a whole Agents of Shield connection.

Ben Mendelsohn is quite good as a Skrull - shape shifting character. Is he good or bad? I wasn't sure at first which way this would go. Also, Annette Bening as Dr. Lawson - WTF - what's the connection?  And the cat Goose? 

So many questions. Go see Captain Marvel for answers. You will not be disappointed as this movie kicks off our spring season. It's been a dry spell. Time for some entertainment on the Big Big screen.

Movie Review Madness - The Glass Castle

Jeannette Walls wrote The Glass Castle – excellent memoir about her unique childhood with two off the grid parents-artsy and smart, offering a different perspective of “living” to their kids. However, the kids just wanted to eat and were tired of always moving. And yet, despite everything, those were her parents and she did love them.  Now the movie brings her story to the big screen. The book was better. I think the author’s words just strike a deeper chord. But, the movie is well acted and does a decent job of portraying the contrasts in the Walls’ lives.

Brie Larson is the grown-up Jeannette, now a writer in New York, engaged to a financial fellow, living the dream. One day on a taxi ride home from a fancy dinner, she sees her parents poking through trash, and she chooses to ignore them. In flashbacks, we see Jeannette’s life as a girl with her siblings. Often hungry, not attending school, always rushing to pack up meager possessions to move on to another squatter home. Woody Harrelson is Rex Walls – a free thinker, always dreaming, always scribbling in a notebook, “designing” the dream home – a glass castle that’s energy efficient. We also see him drink away what little money the family has, while his kids eat butter mixed with sugar as desperation. He’s bigger than life, and yet harbors a darkness.  Naomi Watts plays  Rose Mary, the artistic mother who’s along for the ride. She encourages reading and arts. Jeannette soon realizes she has to look out for her siblings and that their goal is to help each other move on.

Present day Jeannette is conflicted and gets tired of her own lies about her parents. The awkward scenes that bring together her fiance’s family with her own are heartbreaking. So much comes to a head – the hurt, the resentment, the love. How she lived made her who she is – that’s the key to the story. The youngsters who play the kids are superb. You root for them, and it’s rather amazing that they did turn out okay. They stuck with each other – sibling power is strong. Brie, Woody, and Naomi are also vibrant on the screen. The Glass Castle is quite a story – and it’s real. That’s the flabbergasting part. 

Movie Review - Room

Room is absolutely Oscar caliber. Wow. The book was excellent and now the movie brings it to the screen. The author adapted the screenplay and that bodes well for quality Wow – I am still blown away.

The premise – a young girl (age 17) is abducted and stuck in a garden shed that’s on lock down. She bears a baby from her kidnapper and we first meet them both in “room”. He’s turning five and she’s twenty-four. Brie Larson (Joy) deserves an Oscar hands down. Jacob Tremblay (Jack) deserved a nomination.  The performances are touching, nuanced, and amazing.

She’s raised this boy without the “father” seeing him or being involved. She puts up with Old Nick’s visits and forced sex.(The boy goes to the closet).  She only has a skylight and television to remember the outside world and freedom. Now that Jack turns five she knows he is her link – her chance for them to escape. She has to explain concepts of the real world. At first he doesn’t grasp it, but then thinks things through. He’s reading Alice in Wonderland and she equates some of the concepts.  She works up an escape plan (I won’t give away details). And it works (this is not a huge reveal) but has consequences.

The second part of the movie is about re-adaptation to the real world for her, and new adaptation to a whole new world for Jack. Who does better?  I’m sure you can guess but the journey is fascinating and well done. Joan Allen as Joy’s mom is always excellent. She thought she lost her daughter and now she’s back. There are lawyers, media,  etc to deal with. The world has moved on while Joy was stuck in the “room”.  For Jack, that was his “world”.

Room is touching and gives one perspective. I can’t emphasize enough how well acted this movie is. You feel for Joy. And Jack is a revelation. ..he’s a newborn at age five.  Wow. I keep saying Wow. Trust me – join me in saying Wow! It’s a tough subject and yet (I’ll give this away) it ends well. There’s hope for all.