The Movie Jar Series: Week 9

 Bringing Up Baby:

“Bringing Up Baby” is a 1930s classic that’s been on my watch list for years. Believe it or not, but this is the first movie I’ve seen with Katharine Hepburn in it! It is a screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks. He also directed “His Girl Friday” which is one of my all-time favorite films, so I was excited to see “Bringing Up Baby”. 

This movie stars Carey Grant as David Huxley, a straight-laced paleontologist who cares very much what others think of him. Katharine Hepburn plays Susan Vance, an heiress who lives her life for herself, without another care in the world. I loved the juxtaposition of these two leads. On the eve of his wedding to another woman, David meets Susan, and quickly gets drawn into her shenanigans. Susan has a pet leopard, named Baby, whom much of the film is centered around. The story takes place over the course of 24 hours, and more twists and turns occur in this time frame than have likely ever occurred throughout David’s life. This series of comedic mix-ups leads to a romantic relationship between the two leads. 

“Bringing Up Baby” is chock-full of one-liners and physical comedy. I feel as if the plot is a little lacking and predictable by modern standards, but the comedic script makes up for this. The plot was fast-paced, yet still managed to drag due to its predictability. Hepburn and Grant delivered in their respective roles. David and Susan had palpable chemistry throughout the film as their two characters bickered over the course of the story. “Bringing Up Baby” is definitely worth viewing if you haven’t seen it yet. While certainly feeling dated, it is fun and quippy.  

Bessie: 

“Bessie” is a biopic based on the life of Bessie Smith. She was a black blues singer during the Jazz Age. I knew very little about her going into watching this film. In college, I read “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” by August Wilson, in which Bessie Smith was a character, but that was the extent of my knowledge on her. This film was a 2015 HBO production starring Queen Latifah as Bessie. 

“Bessie” is not a perfect movie, but it tells a compelling and educational story about the life of Bessie Smith. We see the story of her life unfold in her search for fame as a blues singer. Bessie Smith is a very fascinating character. She is bisexual, and consistently subverts gender norms, which was exceptionally bold to do in the 1920s. She dresses as a man to be permitted into gentlemen’s clubs, preferring to smoke and play poker with men. Her character constantly defies authority, staying true to her own identity regardless of the flak she faces. Bessie refuses to back down and conform to anything or anyone. She rises to fame, eventually touring the country on her own tour train. She faces her own demons, however, on her rise to the top. 

Queen Latifah always shines in her roles, but I have never seen her act as well as she did in “Bessie”. She is the saving grace of this film. She adds so much soul to every musical performance. I don’t have to explain the power of Queen Latifah’s voice to anyone- we all know how gifted she is as a performer! On top of that, she simultaneously adds vulnerability and boldness to Bessie. She was perfectly cast for this role. 

The plot is certainly a little color-by-numbers, and while production quality is high, it ultimately still has the feel of a made-for-television movie. The costumes and set are fantastic, and really transport viewers to the 1920s. We have seen the rise to fall to redemption storyline so many times, particularly in biopics. “Bessie” was not original in this sense. “Bessie” serves to tell the story of an under-appreciated blues icon, emphasizing the impact of her music and the boldness of her personal story. While it is not the most groundbreaking or unique films ever created, I certainly enjoyed it and learned more about Bessie Smith. 

The Movie Jar Series: Week 8

EdTV:

“EdTV” is a completely random, nonsensical film that happened to make it into the movie jar. It’s outlandish and campy, yet just so fun. It is about a reality television show centered entirely around the life of Ed, a complete nobody who works as a clerk in a video store. The show was created to boost the network’s ratings, and Ed was chosen as the lead due to his charisma and relatability. It is fascinating that this comedy was released the same year as “The Truman Show”. Each film has an entirely different approach, but are centered around the concept of creating a reality show solely depicting the daily routine of an average Joe. I truly did not know what to expect from watching “EdTV” but it turned out to be a light and delightful comedy! 

Ed is played by Matthew McConaughey, and the casting could not be more spot on. While McConaughey has spent the better part of the last decade in more serious roles, back in the nineties he was the king of comedy.  He is the perfect pick to play this Texas-born basic dude, who spends his free time lounging around his dilapidated apartment. Sounds like a terrible TV show, right? Much to the television executive’s surprise, Ed’s television show takes off. As a romance ensues between Ed and his older brother’s girlfriend, Shari, the American public becomes entranced with Ed's life, constantly tuning in all hours of the day. The plot of the film is fairly straight-forward from there, and essentially shifts to a romantic comedy about Ed and Shari’s relationship. . 

If you’re looking for a super high-quality, critically acclaimed film, definitely look elsewhere. “EdTV” is strictly here for some silly entertainment. The plot is super predictable, and there are positively no surprises. That being said, the one-liners completely make this film worth the watch. Between the funny script and McConaughey’s exceptional delivery, you’re certain to crack up throughout the movie. If you want something light-hearted and fun, “EdTV” is certainly a good choice! 

The Peanut Butter Falcon: 

This is the kind of movie I really hoped to discover from this project! Not only is “The Peanut Butter Falcon” my favorite movie jar selection thus far, but it is now one of my all-time favorite movies. This indie 2019 film is a story of an unlikely friendship. Shia LeBeouf stars as Tyler, a man down on his luck, living in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In this “Huckleberry Finn” inspired story, he ends up befriending Zak (played by Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Down’s syndrome who dreams of becoming a professional wrestler.  

When the movie begins, we meet Zak, desperate to break out of his assisted living and become a wrestler. His cheeky roommate, played by Bruce Dern, assists Zak with his great escape. Wearing nothing but his underwear, Zak runs into Tyler, who is on the run from some crab fisherman who took over his turf. The pair embark on a grand adventure as Tyler heads to Florida seeking out a new life, and promises to drop Zak off at his dream wrestling school on the way. Meanwhile, Zak’s social worker, Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) works tirelessly to track Zak down and return him to his care facility. Eventually their paths intersect and the adventure continues! 

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” is a hopeful and heartwarming story. It is the kind of story that could be saccharine and unbelievable. However, it is done in such a brilliant way that you fully believe in and support these characters every step of the way. Throughout the story, a beautiful friendship blossoms between Tyler and Zak. Tyler is the first person not to patronize Zak, treating him as an equal. We see tremendous growth in both characters throughout the film, and it is a joy to root for their successes along the way. They have a great rapport, and Tyler is always finding creative ways to include Zak in various shenanigans. Zak comes into his own as he feels open to be himself around Tyler. His confidence and gusto to follow his dream is awe-inspiring. Tyler and Zak definitely bring out the best in each other. It is so clear that these characters were well-developed by the writers and brought to life by Zack Gottsagen and Shia LeBeouf. 

While in my eyes almost every aspect of this film was perfect, it was Shia LeBeouf’s performance that really set “The Peanut Butter Falcon” apart. He was positively exceptional in his role as Tyler. He nails his southern accent, and looks perfectly unpolished in his dirty clothes and tattered baseball cap. The emotion he displays in this role took me by surprise. Tyler undergoes a lot of character development throughout the film, learning from his companion along the way. His character has undergone heartbreak and tragedy, and as a viewer you can feel the weight that Tyler carries with him. His performance is raw and captivating. It is one of the best emotionally charged performances I’ve seen in a long time. 

This is a movie where the setting serves as a major component of the film. The cinematography depicting the Outer Banks is unbelievably gorgeous, and truly transports viewers, the way swampland is an integral part of “Beasts of the Southern Wild”. The lighting is absolutely gorgeous, showcasing the exceptional beauty of this land. Another great element of “The Peanut Butter Falcon” was the soundtrack. Throughout the film, terrific bluegrass and folk music accompanies the characters. This added to the atmosphere, fully immersing the audience in The Outer Banks. 

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” is the perfect blend of humor, heartbreak, and charm. As cliche as it is, you will laugh and you will cry. It is the ultimate feel-good film about found family and the beauty of friendship. It is laugh-out-loud funny and I guarantee it will make you smile. I would watch it every day if I could! Of all the movies I’ve seen, I can wholeheartedly recommend this film to everyone. I cannot think of a single soul who wouldn’t love this film! It is absolutely fantastic through and through. Go watch it and spend the rest of your evening with a grin on your face! “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is emotional, heartwarming (I cannot stress this enough!) and just outstanding!! 

Vox Lux: 

Now, let me preface this post by acknowledging that I honestly don’t know how or why “Vox Lux” made it into my movie jar. I think when this film first came out I wanted to see it and never got around to it. Anyway! “Vox Lux” is a film like no other. It is about Celeste, a pop singer who was launched to fame after a tragic incident in her childhood. As you may be able to tell by my tone up until this point, I was absolutely not a fan of this movie. It seems like a movie that desperately wanted to be unique and artsy, and its message was muddied in the odd artistic choices and hair-brained plot. 

The movie opens with a horrific school shooting scene, depicted as a rather casual and routine occurrence. The way in which this scene was crafted disgusted me. There was no indication in the trailer that this would happen in the film, and I feel it is the kind of subject matter that has to be disclosed first. It just was done in very poor taste, as it was exceptionally graphic and had no emotional gravity. Essentially, I was skeptical about this film from the get-go but somehow powered through. Spoiler alert- it was not worth it. I think the point of this opening scene was to capture the newfound normalcy of school shootings, but it just struck me as offensive and disrespectful. 

Celeste performs at a church service after the school shooting, and this performance launches her career as a pop star. The rest of the film tells the story of her life in the spotlight, emphasizing the corruption in the entertainment industry. The adult version of Celeste (played by Natalie Portman) is entirely different from how she was as a child. She is short-tempered, selfish, and volatile. This represents how the cruel environment she grew up in, under the scrutiny of the public eye and shuffled between her manager and publicist, warped her sense of self. Frankly, I found this very annoying to watch. The plot leaps from tragedy to tragedy, with dialogue between awful self-involved characters in between. The plot is not cohesive and I don’t think the artistic decisions (such as recasting the actress playing young Celeste as adult Celete’s daughter) add anything of value to the film. This one just didn’t work for me! I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, even those with a proclivity for artistic and unique movies. There are simply so many other avant garde films that would serve you better! Until next week- happy movie watching to you all! 

The Movie Jar Series: Week 7

Rebecca:

Earlier this year, I read Daphne De Maurier’s famous novel “Rebecca”. I’ve had the film adaptation DVD for years, but didn’t want to see it until I’ve read the book first. Now that I’ve read the book, it was time to watch the movie! As you may know, there is also a remake of this classic coming to Netflix later this month. This 1940 film won best picture. I am generally not a huge fan of gothic stories, but was still excited to watch this movie, as it has such a reputation as a tried and true classic. “Rebecca” is a romantic suspense thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It tells the story of a young woman who marries a widower, only to find herself in the shadow of his deceased wife, Rebecca. She becomes the new mistress of Manderley, the estate of her husband Max de Winter. This mysterious manor is full of secrets and deceit. 

I certainly appreciated that the movie stayed true to the plot line presented in the book. To dive a little deeper in the plot, the story begins in Monte Carlo, where a young woman (played by Joan Fontaine) is working as a companion of a curmudgeonly middle aged socialite. While away, she gets swooped up in a whirlwind romance with Maxim de Winter (played by Laurence Olivier), a brooding and mysterious man. She leaves her post with this woman to marry Mr. de Winter, and finds herself running his estate. As previously mentioned, Mr. de Winter had a previous wife, named Rebecca, who died in a boating accident. The unnamed protagonist has trouble fitting into her new home, as she is constantly reminded of Rebecca’s former presence in the house, particularly by the head maid Mrs. Danvers. The young bride becomes more frightened and agitated by the ghostly presence of Rebecca. 

While this is a suspense film, the suspense throughout the movie is quite subtle. That being said, this subtle suspense is consistent, providing a gloomy, eerie effect on the film as a whole. Considering this movie was produced 60 years ago, I’m very impressed by how well it has held up. It certainly feels like an old movie, but it was still very effective as a gothic thriller. Some people would find it slow, as few thrillers today have, well, so few actual thrills. It is a slow burn, but I think the performances and the set design allow it to live up to its title as a classic film over half a century later. Olivier delivers a tremendous performance as the suave (actually, creepy, by modern standards, but times were different), untrustworthy leading man. I could sense his character’s pain and the way he is haunted by his deceased wife throughout “Rebecca”. Fontaine gave a great performance as the lead, staying true to the new Mrs. De Winters’ naive and mousy tendencies depicted in the book. Judith Anderson played Mrs. Danvers, the true villain of the film. Her eerie presence on screen was a major contributor to the spooky tone of Manderly. The setting also aided the somber tone of the film. Manderly appeared exactly as I pictured it while reading “Rebecca”. It is grand, intimidating, beautiful, and certainly ghostly. 

Overall, while a 1940s suspense film will never be my first pick, “Rebecca” was definitely worth a watch. It held up very well over time. This classic story would be extra fun this time of year, so if you haven’t seen it yet, you may want to check it out! 

Divorce, Italian Style: 

This week I continued my foray into 1960s classic Italian cinema. I watched the 1961 comedy, “Divorce, Italian Style”. It certainly had a very different tone from the Fellini picks from the last few weeks! This movie is about a man named Ferdinando (played by Marcello Mastroianni - the lead of the last two Italian films as well), a Sicilian who is married to Rosalia. He is unhappy in his marriage. Rosalia is a very devoted and loyal wife, however Ferdinando deems her ugly (she has a moustache and unibrow) and is secretly in love with his cousin, Angela. Talk about a dysfunctional family! He wishes to leave Rosalia in order to be with his cousin, however divorce is illegal at this point in time in Italy. Ferdinando hatches a plan to get out of his marriage, and mischief and madness ensues. 

Ferdinando constantly finds himself in trouble as he thinks up scenarios in which he can legally leave his wife. He often is caught in a daydream of his own wife’s demise. For example, while away at the beach for the afternoon, Ferdinando pictures Rosalia being pulled under by quicksand. Meanwhile, in town, a trial is taking place for a woman who killed her husband in a jealous rage. Ferdinando becomes even more inspired, even imagining her attorney narrating his schemes throughout the movie. His new plan is to catch Rosalia in an affair, therefore getting a lighter sentence for murdering her. Funnily enough, the climax of the movie revolves around the characters racing into town to catch the premiere of “La Dolce Vita”. This seems like an odd plot for a comedic film, but it is presented in a flippant and lighthearted manner. This story is a little ridiculous, but ultimately makes for great fun. 

“Divorce, Italian Style” may be a little hokey, but I definitely appreciated the comedic efforts throughout. It is a satire through and through, making fun of the moral high ground that was the norm in Italian culture at the time. This is displayed through the vast difference between Ferdinando’s fantasy of quiet school girl Angela, and his boisterous needy wife, Rosalia. This sort of disparity is commonly found in satires. Ferdinando realizes in the eyes of Italian moral authority, it is simply more acceptable to kill your wife than to divorce her. “Divorce, Italian Style” takes this idea and runs with it. 

Mastroianni seems to be Italy’s answer to James Dean. In all three of the films I’ve seen him star in, he is relentlessly slick, always wearing sunglasses and smoking a cigarette. His suave, ladies-man schtick works once again in “Divorce, Italian Style”. As an audience member, you clearly see what a morally corrupt and overall icky guy Ferdinando is, yet you are still rooting for him! He truly makes this goofy comedy worthwhile. 

“Divorce, Italian Style” was a great pick to further educate myself on Italian cinema, as it was much lighter and tongue-in-cheek than the epic Fellini movies of weeks prior. It makes fun of the Italian culture while still embracing it. It is fast paced and the script is sharp and witty. It is certainly worth a watch if you care to take on a classic Italian comedy!  

Blade Runner:

My next selection of the week was “Blade Runner”. For years, I’ve resisted watching this movie. I had it in my head that I would simply hate it, as science fiction is not my preferred movie genre. I was glad, however, that I pulled this title and finally had to sit down and see what I thought of it for myself. Let me say, I was entirely wrong about “Blade Runner”. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy it, but I’ve found myself thinking about it from time to time since seeing it. No one could be more surprised by this than me. 

For those of you unfamiliar, “Blade Runner” is a 1982 science fiction movie starring Harrison Ford and directed by Ridley Scott. “Blade Runner” is a dystopian film set in 2019 Los Angeles. In this world, humans have created replicants -humanoid androids-  to be used in off-world colonies. Ford plays Deckard, a cop who is tasked with hunting down replicants that have escaped to Earth, also known as a Blade Runner. Deckard is forced out of retirement when his former boss learns of 4 replicants who have illegally entered Earth to find their creator. As I am writing this, I am still so surprised I liked this movie!! Sorry, back to business. Essentially, the entire premise of the film centers around Deckard’s mission to eliminate the 4 replicants. He is also romantically involved with Rachel, an assistant who may or may not be a replicant. 

Another element of the film that I really enjoyed is that it was simultaneously film noir and science fiction. Many components of “Blade Runner” fall in line with a classic film noir style movie. For starters, this dystopian version of Earth is grungy, smoggy, and run down. The setting sets the mood of the film, as it is bleak and uncompromising. This dark setting lends itself perfectly to film noir. The lighting itself is heavy in chiaroscuro, or a strong contrast between light and dark in the same shot. This is a classic element of film noir. It also depicts a lonesome detective, conducting an assignment in a dark and gloomy setting. As in many film noir films, there is a femme fatale, in this case, Rachel. She is mysterious and attractive, luring the detective as he tries to accomplish his task. These elements really worked in favor of “Blade Runner’’, allowing it to be much more than a run-of-the-mill sci-fi flick. It had a lot of dimension, which I greatly appreciated. 

While the plot is fast-paced and compelling, the visuals are what truly took this film to the next level. It is hard to believe that this movie is nearly 4 decades old! I was stunned by the world Ridley Scott created. The setting is an essential part of the film, as it is completely immersive, dark, and drab. To me, “Blade Runner” is basically a perfect science fiction film. It is philosophical and is not overly reliant on action sequences. It goes far and beyond what is typically found in a science fiction movie. I was so pleasantly surprised, and strongly recommend this film.