Monday Moments - Is This Thing On?

 So, I was kinda done with the world on Friday and needed to escape.  How about a marriage falling apart movie?  Yeah, that's the way to go. Popcorn and a soda - escape for two hours watching some misery.  Ha!

Is This Thing On? is directed by Bradley Cooper and he does a good job.  Will Arnett (Alex) is superb and Laura Dern (Tess) is always glorious  to watch. They've been married for over twenty years and are pretty much fighting all the time.  So they agree to split and divorce. The movie basically follows them struggling to make the divorce amicable for their two sons. 

Incredibly well acted and very realistic. Alex is in finance by day and then finds standup comedy by night. It's sheer happenstance that he goes into a comedy club. To not pay the entrance fee, he had to sign a sheet and do some comedy bit.  Turns out it's a bit therapeutic and he gets some laughs. He finds himself "alive" and challenged. It's a new world with some new friends.

What happens when Tess coincidentally sees him perform and she's the butt of his jokes?  Sorta a turn on? Are they kidding themselves? 

The  movie  feels very New York City real... like not really normal folks, but movie folks real.  I enjoyed it. The acting is really good and the difficulty of navigating  marriage is spot  on.  It's work.

Movie Review - Little Women

Director Greta Gerwig brings Little Women to life on the big screen with a blaze of ferocious purpose, urgent passion, boisterous humor, and the nourishing essence of family life in good and bad times. (WSJ 12/24/19).  This classic is splendid and the performances are so rich. Saoirse Ronan embodies Jo March with her soul. Emma Watson is Meg, Florence Pugh is “bratty” but sympathetic Amy, and Eliza Scanlen is dear doomed Beth. Each of these actresses are superb – so much life and sisterly love and battles.

Timothee Chalamet is the neighbor lad Laurie who loves Jo, but doesn’t realize how doomed is their relationship. Jo’s energy and determination to be a writer causes her anger at being a female in this day and age (1860s). “ I can’t get over my disappointment at being a girl.”

Laura Dern’s Marmee is perfect as she says, “I’m angry nearly every day of my life.” But she leads by example in caring for her family while Mr. March is at war. Mr. Lawrence (Chris Cooper) is solid as the rich neighbor who is drawn to the female energy and glad to help in so many ways. And Meryl Streep plays Aunt March – the crusty rich aunt who expects the girls to fawn over her. Meryl is kept in check and Greta uses her wisely.

The movie moves back and forward in time. Once you get in the flow, the structure works well. It gives a good picture of the March sisters – young and putting on plays vs grown and navigating adulthood, Beth’s illness (bring tissues), an artistic writing career. Jo March is the central figure of Little Women  - she is a wonder woman for the time. Author Louisa May Alcott’s book is meaningful today and this movie is richly well done. I loved it.

Movie Review Madness: Wild

Here’s a winner – Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon.  She is very deserving of an Oscar nomination. I was a huge fan of Cheryl Strayed’s memoir Wild.  The movie is worthy of the book thanks to the Nick Hornsby screenplay and Reese’s acting. Cheryl is a mess – her beloved mother (played in flashback by a radiant Laura Dern) died, she cheated numerous times on her husband, and is now divorced. Alcohol, drugs – she has sunk to the depths. Now what?  

On a bit of a whim, she decides she’s going to walk the Pacific trail – from the far south desert near Mexico to Oregon. Just in Day 1, mile 5 her feet hurt, she’s almost dehydrated, and her boots are too small. Each day proves a challenge, but she perseveres. As she runs across a fox or a deer, she feels the spirit of her mother urging her on. Her journal features “I quit” almost every day, but she trudges on. Chance encounters with other hikers buoy her spirits. She learns about herself, her ability to survive, and appreciates nature.  

The movie is glorious, the scenery spectacular, and the journey of Cheryl Strayed digs deep into the human soul. Reese Witherspoon has always been a smart, spunky actress and this role is perfect for her. She grows in confidence, and you root for her to turn the corner, to know that she’s going to be okay at the end of the trail and beyond. Put on your hiking boots and get to the big screen. Life can be Wild.  

Movie Review Madness: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green has been a young adult fiction phenomenon. The movie version starring Shailene Woodley as Hazel Grace Lancaster and Ansel Elgort as Gus is a worthy film. It’s sharp, sad, plucky, gutsy, and the key to these teens’ lives is to not just be oblivion. They want to matter and they don’t want their cancer to define them. Yes, these kids have cancer. No, that’s not the point of the movie. The point is ultimately teen love, heart, and sheer living with every fiber.  

Shailene Woodley continues her streak of tremendous acting. She’s so smart and so real – her Hazel is snarky, wise, and a passionate girl who has lung issues that can kill her. Gus – so wise, full of soul, and yes, he’s darn cute – has a bone cancer that took his leg. But he’s strong and sees the glow of Hazel. My review is gushy because this is such a great movie. Lots of laugh out loud lines and moments. Even during some tough breathing times for Hazel, she’s spunky. That’s the key. While her mother (played by a very good Laura Dern) tells Hazel to make friends, it’s only out of concern. The mom wants Hazel to be sorta “normal”, and embraces Gus. He infuses Hazel with energy and indeed some normalcy.  

Hazel and Gus are obsessed with a book by a Peter Van Houten called The Imperial Affliction. It’s like a defining cancer fiction story. Gus uses his “make a wish” to take Hazel and her mother to the Netherlands to meet Van Houten. He (played by Willem Dafoe) is a total jerk, but that’s rather key to the movie. It strengthens the kids’ relationship and also defines the issue of living with cancer. They also visit the Anne Frank home and that’s very powerful as Hazel lugs her oxygen up a zillion teeny steps. 

All in all, the movie is a faithful rendition of the book. Bring tissues. I won’t say more about the plot. The Fault in Our Stars has depth, great acting, and lessons that don’t pound you over the head, but should be embraced.  See the movie, sniffle a bit, and then enjoy life, breathe deep, run, love, and avoid oblivion.