A Star is Born

I did not have high hopes for the newest version of “A Star is Born”. The original, starring Fredric March and Janet Gaynor, came out 80 years ago and is a classic. The 1954 version, starring Judy Garland, is my favorite and the 1977 version with Barbra Steisand was fair, but at least it gave us the song Evergreen. So could Bradley Cooper as star and director with Lady Gaga make it worthwhile? Well, they did. Both actors give extraordinary performances, with Gaga stealing every scene she’s in. Her opening number, singing “La Vie en Rose” in French is dazzling! And anyone who doubts she has an amazing voice after seeing this film should have their ears checked. She lights up the screen like Streisand or Whitney Houston. One of the surprises is that Bradley Cooper can sing. His concert scenes are great. I was struck by how well the film was directed. Cooper has always been a good actor, but who knew he could direct? And the music is pretty good. The movie is a little long in places, but well worth seeing.

First Man

I know that I am in the minority, but I did not like “First Man”, the story of Neil Armstrong and how he got to be the first man to set foot on the moon. Damien Chazelle and Ryan Gosling have teamed up again after doing “La La Land”, and while the film is technologically proficient, it did not hold my interest until the end. All of the astronauts are portrayed as good men who are focused on one thing-getting to the moon. The problem is that Gosling as Armstrong is so stoic, he was boring. I don’t think he smiled once. The film reminds the viewer how dangerous space flight was in the 1960’s when everything was an experiment. When, after almost two hours, the story gets to the Apollo 11 mission, it picks up pace. Chazelle chooses to tell the story with close ups and hand held cameras, another thing that is not my favorite. The film is receiving rave reviews and will probably be a big part of awards season. Not my favorite.

Venom

“Venom” is the latest from the Marvel library. The character was introduced on film in the Tobey Maguire “Spiderman 3”. This time we get the back story of how the parasite from another world came to share a human’s body. Setting up the story takes a while, but it is entertaining. Tom Hardy plays the hero and his character really comes to life when the alien enters his body. Lots of action and a great motorcycle/car chase scene takes place. This is one of the lesser Marvel films; good, but not great. Michelle Williams is the love interest and Riz Ahmed is very good as the villain. If you are a true fan of this type of movie, then see it, but it’s on par with the Avengers of Dead Pool movies.

Colette

“Colette” is a period piece starring Keira Knightley as the title character from the turn of the 20th century, the writer/actress. It starts as another story of a husband taking credit for his wife’s writings. This time she is somewhat rebellious and being a part of an open marriage, she likes women. Beautifully filmed and Knightley is gorgeous, even as a sweet country girl who eventually takes Paris by storm. Dominic West, who plays her husband, is equally as good. The film is slow in places, but overall well done. An interesting piece of history, not a lot of action, but an interesting story with some modern twists. Colette was definitely ahead of her time.

BlacKkKlansman

The latest Spike Lee “joint” is a true tale called “BlacKkKlansman”. It’s the story of the first black to join the Colorado Springs police force. He notices an ad in the paper for the Ku Klux Klan and calls the number. Using his white voice he wins their confidence. He has to enlist a white cop, who happens to be Jewish, to play his alter ego. Together they infiltrate the Klan and thwart a planned attack. This film is a comedy and drama, played almost tongue in cheek. The lead is played by John David Washington, Denzel Washington’s son and he is good. Parts of it are hard to sit through while the Klansmen are spouting their racist rants. Topher Grace plays David Duke, who becomes friendly with the black cop, thinking he is white over the phone and it is very amusing. This is one of Lee’s best movies and he has become a subtle filmmaker. One of the best of 2018 so far.

Christopher Robin

A grown up “Christopher Robin” has lost his innocence and values. Living in London and working in a corporate job he spends almost all of his time working and he’s miserable. Then who shows up, but Winnie the Pooh, who lures him back to the Hundred Acre Woods. Ewan McGregor is the grown up Christopher, but the real stars are the Pooh, Tiger, Eeyore, Piglet and the rest of the menagerie. I especially liked how Brad Garrett from “Everybody Loves Raymond” voiced Eeyore. Cleverly done, true to the original and the animals seem real throughout. Cute and enjoyable, this is a film you can take the kids to, especially if you like Winnie the Pooh.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

“Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” is obviously the sequel to “Mamma Mia!”, this time without Meryl Streep mostly. Her daughter is getting ready to reopen the hotel. At the same time Meryl’s (Donna) back story is told and we learn how she met the three fathers. Lots of ABBA music, well done, and appealing characters, but the situations are a bit forced. Cute but not great.

The Equalizer 2

“The Equalizer 2” is another summer sequel, this time with Denzel Washington as a bad ass, avenging innocent victims. He helps out a kid being recruited by a neighborhood gang, the murder of a friend, a holocaust survivor, and others. One lesson that his enemies don’t figure out until it is too late is don’t mess with Robert McCall, Washington’s character. The movie starts off with a bang, literally, and keeps going from there. Denzel is excellent, as always, and we learn a little bit more why he became the loner he has become. Not quite as dark as the original, it is still violent, but compelling. A good action film.

The Catcher is a Spy

I knew nothing about Moe Berg, a baseball player from the 1920’s and ’30’s. He was a Princeton graduate, major league baseball player, could speak something like eight languages and was Jewish. The OSS recruited him during World War II to find out if one of Germany’s top scientists was close to developing the atomic bomb. He did so by going to Europe and infiltrating Nazi circles. The movie stars Paul Rudd in a totally serious role and he does a good job. He plays Berg as an enigma, someone who doesn’t get close to anyone. The film is slow and not always interesting, even if the story is. It was released on Netflix, not in theaters, so you can watch it at home. Not the greatest, but like I said, it is an interesting, little know part of our history. P.S. Berg’s baseball card is the only one on display at CIA headquarters.

Sorry to Bother You

“Sorry to Bother You” looked like an interesting and entertaining premise. A young black man gets a job as a telemarketer and becomes wildly successful when he uses his “white” voice. The usual happens; he changes when he starts to make money. Most of these things happen in the first half of the movie and they are funny, but there is a weird subtext to everything as a huge company is constantly advertised on T.V., billboards and everywhere the characters go. The second half of the movie is actually quite disturbing. It’s not the usual selling out story; it’s the ultimate selling out story. The huge corporation has a plan to exploit its workers in a very unusual and grotesque way. This is when the film falls apart. Instead of being an innovative comedy it becomes a surreal horror story. It is as if the filmmakers are trying to come up with a new “Get Out!” and they fail miserably. The best part of the film is the cast, especially the lead, Lakeith Stanfield. He plays the part as an innocent who is mesmerized by all that is happening to him. I do not recommend this film at all.