Movie Review Madness - The Favourite

The Favourite would not be everyone’s cup of tea. But if you like period piece movies, lavish sets, rich costumes, and spot-on acting, then this will keep you entertained. My friend and I liked the whole movie up until the ending. Then we kinda said, “What…?  Well, that was a bit weird.” However, I do not regret my time and energy seeing a matinee.

It’s the early 1700s, and Queen Anne (Golden Globe winner Oliva Colman) is a crotchety royal with an attitude. Spoiled, fat, and over indulged, she’s a ridiculous head of state that all the lords and ministers must maneuver about to get stuff done. England is at war with France, but most are trying for a truce. Money for the war is tight. Shall they raise the landowner’s taxes? Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) has the queen’s ear and affections. She can cajole and work the system to get things done. Then Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives – she’s Lady Sarah’s down and out cousin who’s pretty, smart, and conniving. She manages to gain the queen’s favor.  Or does she?

That said – let the games/cat fights begin. Colman is superb as the queen – so fussy and needy. Weisz and Stone lob biting dialogue and stinging retorts with glee. All three women are just excellent and that’s what makes the film work with many memorable scenes. The Favourite is lovely on the big screen with the ornate rooms and grounds of the castle. Settle in and place your bets on who comes out a winner or loser and is the favorite after all, and who is a sad mess. 

Movie Review Madness - La La Land

Musical.  Step away if you do not want actors breaking into song. 

Are you still with me?  La La Land is absolutely delightful. It’s light, frothy, fun, and just joyous.  It’s a golden salute to Los Angeles, Hollywood, the film industry, jazz, and joy. Am I gushing?  Yes, I am.

Emma Stone (Mia) and Ryan Gosling (Sebastian) are not necessarily strong singers or dancers, but they are on key and have rhythm and they bring youth and exuberance to their roles.  From the time they meet to how they keep bumping into each other to how they bond and to how they move upward in the world of creativity…oh it’s fun.

From the opening number – cars stopped on the freeway, everyone getting out, singing, and dancing – to auditions, to jazz bars, to soulful glances – this movie has it all. It’s fun to root for Mia and Sebastian to “make it” – get chosen, be successful, work hard and sweat for the applause. And this is a duo you want to be in love, to be successful , to make it all work out.  I won’t give anything further away. Go watch these crazy kids and bask in their youth, their optimism, their hard work, and sacrifice. This is a good movie about the arts – there are no overnight success stories. It’s a lot of sweat and tears and gumption.

Fun song and dance numbers, fun palm tree backdrops, and you just can’t go wrong with time spent with Emma and Ryan. They are excellent at their craft and give it their all.  La La Land represents the soul of Hollywood. I predict happiness on Oscar night. We’ll see.

Movie Review: Aloha

Aloha can mean hello or goodbye in Hawaii.  Or, in the case of this movie title, it can mean snoozefest. There is no real point to this movie. I sat there watching it, a few weeks ago, and not caring about what was happening to the people. The only good thing is the setting – Hawaii is absolutely beautiful and the colors pop on screen. I wish I could say that was true for the acting. Bradley Cooper looks good, crinkles his baby blues, and meanders through the film. Rachel McAdams is pretty and she tries to look annoyed at Bradley. Emma Stone (whom I normally like a lot) is pretty and is trying way too hard in this film to be believable as a tough taskmaster who’s in charge of managing Bradley.  

The general gist of the film is how Bradley Cooper, as a defense contractor, learns about a secret satellite launch and has to foil the scheme. But the film is billed as a romantic comedy. Thus there are mixed messages and none of the plot works. The flirtation is not steamy. The evil doing is not that tense. Even more disappointing is that Aloha was directed by Cameron Crowe. What was he thinking?

 

I’m guessing the film crew surfed a lot and drank Mai Tais. They could write off a nice trip to Hawaii and hope for success in DVD and streaming. All I shall say is aloha………..goodbye, don’t waste your time.

Spider Man - Amazingly Familiar

Amazing Spider Man is not a total retread. It's been ten years since Tobey Maguire starred as Spider Man and now he's been usurped by Andrew Garfield. Andrew brings more awkwardness, emotion, and teen angst. Tobey only had one expression. Andrew is darn cute, bumbling, and sad. Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane never really clicked for me. Emma Stone (one of the best young actresses today) is superb as Gwen Stacy. She and Andrew are hot on screen (and off apparently) and their screen pairing works.

We meet Peter Parker as a young boy, just as his parents need to flee. He's left with Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen - so good) and Aunt May (Sally Field - best aunt ever). The kid has issues and we see him again in high school, ever the outsider, picked on by bullies, and wanting a connection to this past. He finds an old briefcase of his fathers and the secret papers with the key formula for cross species connection. Uh-oh. He looks up his father's old partner, played well by Rhys Ifans, and trouble ensues. Ifan's is on the brink of being shut down. Obviously Robert Parker was the brilliant scientist and Connor's the coattail partner. Well, now Connors is looking to use himself as the human study - trying to regenerate his arm. The experiment goes awry, of course, and he becomes a huge lizard terrorizing New York.
Meanwhile, Peter wandered around the lab, slipped into a restricted area, and got bit by a spider. Suddenly he doesn't know his own strength, can spin webs with his hands, and soar from rooftop to rooftop. He's the amazing spiderman vigilante, whether at school or on the streets - he's searching for answers. The only person to know his secret is Gwen, and she's the daughter of the captain of the NY police (played as always with wry humor by Denis Leary). There are a lot of issues with Peter/Spiderman/cops/good and bad.

Great action sequences, solid character development, a steady family situation with Aunt May wondering what the heck is going on with her teen nephew. Budding romance with some nice kisses and teen heat. The Amazing Spider Man is familiar and new at the same time. It provides worthy summer entertainment, and sets us up for sequels. Treat yourself to a tub of popcorn and enjoy a decent family movie. Be caught in the web of movie magic.