Finally Friday - A Complete Unknown

 Yea, you know him now - Bob Dylan.  But in 1961, Robert (Bobby) Zimmerman arrived in New York  City ready to make his mark  on the  folk scene. 

 In the film, A Complete Unknown, Timothee Chamalet brings Bob Dylan onto the big screen and  tells his story. Here's this kid who seeks out the "biggies" - Pete Seeger (an excellent Edward Norton), Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro), Johnny Cash (Boyd Holbrook) - and proceeds to wow them with his songwriting skills. 

He knows his history, is musically talented, and leaps from unknown to  girls screaming in  a few short years. He's playing small gigs and then moves up to the bigger venues, including the Newport  Folk Festival. That's huge.  But there's tradition in  folk  and  Dylan is squirming under the invoked  "rules" pressure. 

I'm not  "blowing  in  the wind here"...when he takes  the  Newport stage in 1965, and plugs in  his guitar along with his band...well the  "times are truly changing". 

This movie is fun, entertaining, informative, and musically wonderful.  I personally admire Dylan songs,  but was never keen on the man and his voice. Timothee Chalamet did  a super job and I appreciated the Dylan story and history that much more.  Thumbs up to  start movie review 2025. 

Movie Review Madness - Maleficent -Mistress of Evil

So, it’s been out for a while, but I really liked Maleficent – Mistress of Evil.  This is Disney at its best. Total production, special effects and the acting of the otherworldly Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Michelle Pfeiffer as the evil stepmom, Elle Fanning as Aurora- so innocent and pure. What’s not to like?  This is a  movie for the big screen. It’s gorgeous. The effects are excellent. The plot line works.

Aurora is grown up and she loves the Prince. Why not bring two families together? Um, well, there are the horns on Maleficent’s head, and the fangs when she smiles. Nothing a little scarf couldn’t cover. But wait there’s more….the Prince’s mom – gorgeous Michelle – is way evil and has been plotting forever to take over this kingdom. OMG. And there’s a whole other world (of Maleficent species) that have been hoping for some acknowledgement. Plenty of threads interconnect through this movie. I won’t go into more detail. You need to watch to see it play out.

But the general theme is Love. In her weird way, Maleficent is the best mother for her “beastie” Aurora. And as the plot thickens, the bond does too. The super-duper battle scene is totally worth the wait. Oh – Angelina vs. Michelle – cinema genius.

This is just absolute fun. Don’t wait for Disney Plus streaming. Support your local theaters. Everyone else is seeing Frozen at Thanksgiving. Find a seat for Maleficent – Mistress of Evil. Cheers and cranberry sauce.

Movie Review - The Beguiled

The Beguiled opens in 1864 Virginia. It’s a hot steamy day as a young girl combs the woods for mushrooms. She comes across a wounded Union soldier and helps him back to the Seminary Girls home and school where a few young ladies remain. The headmistress (Nicole Kidman) helps clean his wound and sew him up. She chooses to not put out the blue scarf as a signal to the local Confederate patrols. Instead she agrees to protect him as he heals. And so the tension begins.

The soldier (played by a charming Colin Farrell) has his smooth Irish brogue working for him as he verbally seduces each female – girls from age 10 up to the older teen (a hot stifled Elle Fanning) to a yearning for a man’s touch young woman (a repressed but lovely Kirsten Dunst). And the headmistress herself is not immune to his charms. Each female in the house slowly feels she is “special” in his eyes and they vie for attention. Whether it’s dinner where they all dress up, play music, sing, and flirt. Or if they come into his room to “check on him”.

Tension mounts and this movie is a slow burn. Each moment hints at danger, and in the distance musket shots echo. Director Sofia Coppola has an eye for filming a pretty picture, each southern tableau dripping with moss and sexual heat. Jealousy builds and then erupts. Then all hell breaks loose in the house. Let’s just say this does not bode well for the one man in the pit with circling cats. I won’t say more. The Beguiled is a mood movie. It’s a slow pace build to quite a finale.  Excellent acting and storytelling. When do you wave the blue scarf?

July Junque and Movie Madness: Maleficent

Summer Disney movie junque is worthwhile

 

Maleficent is creative and gorgeously filmed. Angelina Jolie is an otherworldly creature in her own right. She’s just unique and her cheekbones alone get acting credit. She is the adult title character.  

But first we meet her as a young but powerful fairy with fabulous wings. She’s sweet and cares about her world, the Moor, and all of the creatures in it. However, a human boy stumbles into the Moor. Curious about each other they develop a friendship. But alas, he yearns for power and works his way to being king of the human land. Maleficent is hurt at losing her friend, and hates that he has proclaimed war on the moor and her. Plus stripping her of her wings did not win points. Now an adult (Angelina) she transforms into a very goth magical creature with evil in her heart, and runs with a raven she befriends and turns into a man, a dragon, whatever suits her cause.  

When she hears the king (Sharlto Copley) has a new baby girl, Maleficent arrives at the christening in full fury. She unfurls a curse upon the child that on her sixteenth birthday, she shall prick her finger on a spinning wheel, and fall into a deep sleep until awakened by love’s true kiss. Bitter Maleficent believes there is no such thing anymore.  Yes, this is the tale of Sleeping Beauty, only from the witch perspective.  

Fearing for his daughter, the king sends her into the woods with three pixie caretakers. These bumbling creatures do little to watch Aurora. Meanwhile, Maleficent lurks and saves her at various turns. Aurora meets Maleficent and is unafraid. They develop a friendship and the girl cavorts in the moor with the magic animals. She’s beautiful (Elle Fanning glows on screen with a winsome smile) and Maleficent is rather besotted with the “beastie” child. She says that term fondly.  

A key turning point is how Aurora manages to prick her finger and fall asleep. Who shall be her one true love kiss?  There’s been a young prince suitor. The raven/man has watched over her. Will she ever awaken? 

Maleficent is well done and interesting with smart dialogue. It’s not for wee ones, despite being a kid movie. You won’t fall asleep as Angelina’s green eyes captivate. She is a great villain heroine. Maleficent is magnificent.