Finally Friday - Marty Supreme

Marty Supreme is a sport comedy movie loosely based on  the life of Marty Reisman, a table tennis superstar.  Timothee Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, a wily hustler in New York City. Chalamet has won the Golden Globe and a Critic's Choice Award for his performance, and his nominated for an Oscar. He is very, very good. 

The movie is directed by Josh  Safdie who also did Uncut Gems which starred an award winning Adam Sandler.  I found the  two films to  be very alike - the pacing, the  down and dirty living, the lying, the angst. 

Marty is always robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to  speak. He's trying  to get money to  fly to Europe  for the table tennis championships.  He  borrows here, cheats here, always fast talking. He does work for his uncle's shoe  store, but manages  to screw that up. He's got Rachel, a long time girl/ friend who happens  to  be married, and he gets her pregnant. 

At age twenty-three, the kid is wise beyond his years and deep down is sorta good. Chalamet is likeable with that sweet face, and believable as very smart and talented. But almost too much of a wiseacre. 

I'm glad I saw this movie and yet I found it exhausting and way too long (2-1/2 hours) .  I got the gist immediately and then it just  kept going, and going - literally ping ponging around the city.  Whew! 

 

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. 

Monday Moments - Pure Imagination

Greetings - Enjoyed  Wonka on the big screen during  the Christmas holidays. It's a prequel to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory story (by Roald Dahl), and it is amusing. I think I liked it more than Ray. 

Timothee Chalamet plays Willy Wonka with a wide eyed wonder. He does a very good job  and has a pleasant light voice for the musical numbers. He plays delicate, sensitive, and innocent well. Armed with mad chocolate skills he learned  from his late mother, he's ready to become a real chocolatier. 

 However, the secret cartel of chocolate makers will do anything to stop Willy. With perseverance, pluck, and clever friends plus an Oompa Loompa (hilarious Hugh Grant), Willy is wily and surprises await. 

Wonka is colorful and very entertaining for big screen viewing. It's different in a good way, and yes, I wanted some magic truffles at the end. 

Wednesday Whimsy - Movie Review on The French Dispatch

 Wacky, whimsical.  It's Wednesday, folks and I've got a director, Wes Anderson, film to review.  The French Dispatch is weird (in a good way). The man has a unique style and this one checks off his quirks. 

1. Cast of a heck of a lot - Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Owen Wilson,  Tilda Swinton, Timothee Chalamet, Adrian Brody, and more

2. Bright colors and vivid sets

3. Animation sequence

4. Words.  There are a lot of words spoken and many hilarious throwaway lines. The script is superb

5. Vignettes. He likes small stories  that all pull together  to one big theme. I like these small stories that feature so many great actors and so many little moments. 

I came home and  told Ray, "You would have hated this."  And that's okay. With a Wes Anderson film, you have to know what you are going in to see and you have to be in a mood for some wacky. 

That sums me up on a Sunday morning five dollar matinee. And there you go for some whimsy, quirky, and Wednesday whatever. 

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.

Monday Movie Review Madness

Intense, haunting, and rather chilling – Beautiful Boy is based on a true story from both the father (David Sheff) and the son (Nic Sheff).  It’s a seemingly idyllic home and family outside of San Francisco. Nic (played by the excellent Timothee Chalamet) is eighteen. In flashback scenes we see this sweet boy. Now he’s surly at times, unpredictable, and absolutely breaking his dad’s heart. David (played well by Steve Carell) is concerned and caring and frustrated. He can see that Nic is high. Nic’s killing time and spacing out. This young man, so sensitive and artistic and smart, is hurting himself with drugs.

This story, sadly, is being played out all across America. This is an upper middle class family that looks, on the outside, to be close to perfect. You’ve got the dad and stepmom (Maura Tierney – wonderful) with Nic and two younger siblings who adore their big brother. Again  - flashback scenes show Nic caring about his siblings and stepmom, and dad. It’s all a good support system. And long distance, his mom (Amy Adams) has a role. But drugs – first pot, then so much more, and finally crystal meth and heroin – tear everyone apart.  We see David take Nic to rehab. We hear Nic’s promises – turning over that new leaf, and then relapsing. The drugs are relentless, and Nic keeps seeking them as a solution to some hole, some need he can’t explain.

Beautiful Boy can tear you apart. You really care for and root  for the whole family. I thought this was a really well done movie with great acting. Chalamet plays sensitive and sympathetic so well – he’s tall and skinny and artsy looking with his shock of brown curly locks and big dark expressive eyes. You want to believe him when he’s lying. I feel so sorry for families who can’t save their beautiful boys or girls.

(RIP - Michael - my cousin's boy.   i.e. the movie strikes close to home)