"American Sniper" and The Week in Reviews

[I review the new movie "American Sniper" and DVDs "A Five Star Life," "The Guest," and "Are You Here," plus the book "Foxcatcher (yes, it's the one the movie is based on)."  I also bring you up to date on "My 1001 Movies I Must See Before I Die Project: "The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant" and "The War Game"]

American Sniper

Based on the true life memoir of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), a Navy Seal who has been credited with the most "kills" of any American military sniper.

The movie opens with Chris, his brother and his Dad out hunting. When they return home, the Dad tells the boys there are three types of people:  sheep, wolves and sheepdogs.  Sheep follow, wolves prey on people and sheepdogs protect people.  Guess which one the Dad wanted his sons to be?

The film follows Kyle through his brief stint as a rodeo cowboy, his training as a Navy Seal and his eventual deployment to Iraq where he served four tours.

What Director Clint Eastwood does best here is show how horrendous war is. 

My husband leaned over to me halfway through the film and whispered, "This movie is just making me mad all over again about the bastards who got us into that war," and let's just say I'm using the word "bastards" because the word my husband actually used was way worse - it starts with an "m" and ends with an "rs."

So war is hell and Eastwood shows that. But at the same time Eastwood is glorifying someone who reveled in what he was doing - gunning people down - or why would Kyle go back for three more tours?  I would like to have seen less war footage and more of the personal story, especially the character of Taya (Sienna Miller), Chris's wife, fleshed out. Here she just dates him, has his kids, gets upset when he wants to go off on another tour of duty and is occasionally annoying as in this really unbelievable scene.

Chris is on the battlefield talking on the phone to Taya (which right there seemed incongruous) when bullets start flying. Chris tosses down the phone to take cover and Taya keeps yelling "Chris!  Chris!" into the phone.  What did she think he was going to do?  Get shot so he could answer the phone?  Where did she think he was?  At the mall? 

And then there is the issue of the fake baby?  If they are going to use a doll as a stand-in for a baby, they need to do a better job of hiding the fact that it's a doll.  I guess the real baby was sick that day.  Didn't the baby have a stand-in?

I also agree with the controversy of how the issue of PTSD was treated in this film. If there was PTSD at work here, it was glossed over.  Yes, we saw him try to kill the dog, yes, he stared at the TV, yes, he had high blood pressure and yes, he didn't go right home after his last tour, but that was it.  Especially considering how Kyle died, there should have been more lead-up to that ironic end - that he was killed trying to help someone with PTSD. I knew how the movie ended so I was surprised that it wasn't shown.  I think the whole PTSD issue would have been resolved and for me, I wanted to know what actually happened at that shooting range that day.

Another thing that bothered me was the liberal use of the word "savages" to describe the Iraqis, who are not all Al-Qaeda, but many just people trying to defend their own country from foreign invaders.  Their culture is far older than ours. Eastwood hinted at the fact that the "other" sniper, the Iraqi Kyle was bent on eliminating, also had a wife and a life, but it was just one small unsatisfying scene.

Which leads me to the lingering feeling after the film that there was no real point of view.  What is this film really about? Are we glorifying this guy?  Is it about what military families go through?  Is it about PTSD? I could understand this as a rah-rah patriotic stance, but then there were moments that were definitely anti-war such as the poem read at his friend's funeral and his little brother's response to the war.  And by the way, what happened to the little brother?  I would have liked to see that character fleshed out more too.

Bradley Cooper, all bulked up and looking like he had a wad of chewing tobacco wedged into his lip the whole time, did a great acting job and is deserving of the Best Actor nomination at the Academy Awards.  But was the guy he played a hero?  

Was Chris Kyle a hero?  He didn't seem to have remorse about the 160+ Iraqis he killed. He showed remorse for "his fallen brother," those he couldn't save.  He was a sheepdog.  But shouldn't a sheepdog want to save everyone?

Rosy the Reviewer says...a riveting, well-done film (especially if you see it in IMAX).  Best of the year?  I don't think so.

 

***DVDS***

You Might Have Missed

(And Some You Will Be Glad You Did)

 

A Five Star Life (2013)

 

 

Irene (Margherita Buy) has a dream job:  she is a mystery guest/inspector at the great five-star hotels of the world, from Gstaad to Marrakesh.  She lives a life of luxury most people can only dream of.  So what's the problem?  It's a lonely life.

Irene lives the life.  She is opinionated and demanding.  Who wouldn't be living such a luxurious life?  When Irene inspects a hotel, she has a checklist:

Did the concierge look you in the eye?
Did the concierge call you by name?
Was the wait at the desk less than two minutes?
Were the bellman's clothes and shoes clean?
Was there a distinctive scent in the room?
Was the temperature suitable?
Is the room welcoming and comforting?
Did the bellman explain how everything in the room works?
Full length mirror?
DVD player?
Dust?

and when her stay is over, she meets with the manager as to whether or not a five star review is warranted.  Needless to say, she is a powerful person and hotel manager's quake in their boots when she arrives to meet with them.  Unfortunately, Irene also judges her life by the standards she expects from the hotels and her perfectionism isolates her from others.

But for all of the glamour of her life, Irene lives it alone.  Irene is in her 40's and is writing a novel with her hotel experiences as the plot, but she is lonely and isolated and life seems to be passing her by.  Her ex is having a baby with a girl he had a one-night stand with. Her sister has a husband and a family and doesn't approve of Irene's independent life. 

Then Irene meets Kate (Leslie Manville), a feminist writer who is traveling to promote her book and who tells Irene that "luxury is a form of deceit...all this display of opulence is just a stage. Real luxury is the pleasure of a real life lived to the fullest."  Meeting Kate followed by a shock is an epiphany for Irene that her life is going nowhere and she needs to mend some fences and gain some intimacy in her life. But in the end, she eventually realizes she was living the life she was meant to live.

This is a female character driven story where not much happens, but it's beautifully photographed and well-acted.  Bey is beautiful and charismatic and her character's life and lifestyle will hold your interest for the 85 minutes. The fun part of this film is living vivariously through Irene.  It's a primer on what one should expect when staying at a five-star hotel, should you ever get the chance.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are a woman and would like to travel and vicariously live the life of The Rich and Famous, this is for you (in Italian with English subtitles).





The Guest (2014)

 

Downton Abbey fans!  Are you wondering what happened to our beloved Matthew Crawley after he died on Downton?  Well, he turned into a baddie.

Dan Stevens, our lovable and handsome Matthew Crawley is almost unrecognizable as "David," with his southern accent, face stubble and greasy hair.  "David" shows up on the doorstep of the Petersen family, Spencer (Leland Orser) and Laura (Sheila Kelly) and their teenaged children Anna (Maika Monroe) and Luke (Brendan Meyer, who looks a bit like Harry Styles from One Direction) saying he is a soldier friend of their son who died in action.  He is welcomed into the family, but then some sinister things begin to happen, stuff like people dying.

The family takes him under their wing and he endears himself to the bullied young son by teaching him how to defend himself and he tries to cozy up to Anna, the teen-aged daughter.  She thinks he's cool at first, but she becomes suspicious and calls the Army to discover that "David Collins" is dead. Didn't realize the army gave out that kind of information over the phone.  But she is our plucky heroine. The over the top melodrama and music when we see for real that our guy is not what he seems got a chuckle out of me. I don't think that was the intention. Turns out "David" is a psychopath and at the heart of a top secret medical experiment and our nice Midwestern family is taken hostage by a very bad guy.  Duh.  Saw that coming a mile away. As so often happens in these kinds of movies, the adults are clueless, so it's up to the teens to get the bad guy.  And by the way, if this is such a nice Midwestern family, why does the Mom let Anna go out all of the time in thigh high stockings and garters?  I'm just asking.

There is a bit of an homage to the hall of mirrors in "The Lady from Shanghai" in the last scene, which was kind of fun.

This film reeks of Lifetime Movie, which if you read my blog enough I am not necessarily saying is a bad thing. I like my occasional Lifetime Movie, provided it has something going for it.  Here I sensed a bit of tongue-in-cheek with the bloodbath that occurs and the accompanying music which elevated this film.  It's campy and fun.  As film critic Roger Ebert used to say, "It's relative. " You don't judge a film like this against "Citizen Kane."  For what it was, it was fun.  And in true Lifetime Movie fashion, at the end "David" is dead.  OR IS HE?  Da-da-da-da!

Playing a southern talking psychopath was probably attractive to Stevens so he could shed his Matthew Crawley persona once and for all and make it in American feature films.  Not sure this was the best vehicle, because I don't think anyone saw this but yours truly, but he did a good job. Didn't realize he could be so creepy. There was no sign of our Matthew here.  Maika Monroe was a stand-out.  We will be seeing more of her.

Rosy the Reviewer says...this is a good old-fashioned B-movie type thriller reminiscent of "Cape Fear."  If you like those kinds of films you will like this one. If you like Lifetime Movies, though, you will love this.


 

Are You Here?  (2013)

 

Steve Dallas (Owen Wilson), an Annapolis weather man, and his friend Ben Baker (Zach Galifianakis) embark on a road trip together when Ben discovers he has inherited money from his estranged father.

Steve is a smooth-talking, smart-ass womanizer who often goes to work drunk or stoned and sleeps with his co-anchor.  He can't pay his bills and no one takes him very seriously, including himself.  Ben is a man-child, somewhere on the spectrum, your usual Zach Galifianakis role.  They are childhood friends who basically get high together.  When Ben tells Steve his Dad has died and he has inherited some money, they go on a road trip together to collect Ben's inheritance.

But Ben's sister, Terry, played by Amy Poehler says, "Wait a minute!" Terry is mean and conniving and is not happy that he is inheriting all of that money.  Naturally our philandering Steve is attracted to the widow, Angela (Laura Ransey), a much younger woman than her dead husband, a nurturing sort who ends up "saving" Steve.  Which brings me to the issue of the women characters, your usual shallow characterizations often assigned to women.  It's either mean and conniving or nurturing earth mother.

Ben wants to use his money to change the world so Terry challenges the will on the basis that Ben is incompetent.  Of course, turns out the crazy guy is the only one who isn't crazy. Ever heard that before?  Duh. But that happens so fast, it's one of those "What the...?" moments.

This is Matthew Weiner's film directorial debut and he also wrote the screenplay (he's the creator of the TV show "Mad Men").  Maybe he should have stuck to drama, because I think this was supposed to be a comedy.  Otherwise, why put Wilson, Galifinakis and Poeller together?  Unfortunately, it's neither funny nor uplifting despite what appears to be a message in there somewhere, and the characters are all characters we have seen these actors play before: stern Amy, wacky Zach and "I don't give a damn" Owen.

Rosy the Reviewer says...you won't "give a damn" about these characters and you won't "give a damn" about this movie either.  You can skip this one.

 

***My 1001 Movies I Must See Before I Die Project***

284 to go!

 

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972)

 

 

Petra (Margit Carstensen) is a prominent German fashion designer living in Bremen with Marlene (Irm Hermann), another designer who Petra treats like a slave. When she meets Karin (Hanna Schygulla), a 23-year-old, Petra falls in love with Karin and invites her to move in and the rest of the film deals with this love affair and the aftermath.

 

A supposed homage to George Cukor's "The Women" and a tribute to the melodramas of Douglas Sirk, whom auteur director Werner Rainer Fassbinder admired, this marks a turn in Fassbinder's work where he began to make more emotional films. 

 

Filmed entirely in Petra's apartment in just a few long single shots and many close-ups, Fassbinder created the psychological claustrophobia inhabiting Petra and her sadomasochistic relationships. Petra interacts with the mute Marlene, her sister, Sidonie, the young Karin and finally her daughter. The film is more like a play (and is actually based on a play Fassbinder wrote earlier in his career), except for its beautiful photography and the way that Fassbinder frames every shot.  There is irony in the pop music that punctuates the film, especially since the film itself is like grand opera.

 

Why it's a Must See:  Not sure, but this is what "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" says.:

 

"Psychological domination and expert game playing are Petra's forte...and, in her lair, transactions are a dance in and around her bed...The possibilities that arise for camp humor are many...but Fassbinder keeps it cool.  His film builds to a simple but valuable life lesson for those embroiled in emotionally sadomasochistic relations, which for Fassbinder means everyone: "The weaker" in any situation has one ultimate, devastating weapon -- the power to walk away."

 

Rosy the Reviewer says...I am a Fassbinder fan, but didn't really get this one. For a more accessible example of Fassbinder's work, I recommend "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul" instead (in German with English subtitles).

 

 

 

 

 

The War Game (1965)

 

 

A semi-documentary asking the question, what if there was a nuclear attack against the United Kingdom?

This film was made for the BBC in 1965, but was considered so harrowing and scary that the BBC banned it for over 20 years.  Despite that, it won an Oscar for Best Documentary as well as a BAFTA and countless other awards. 

Using a combination of documentary footage, actors and a phlegmatic narrator, director Peter Watkins imbues his film with a "you are there" quality that is highly unnerving, as he shows the possible effects of a nuclear attack on the general population: massive evacuations, burned skin and retinas, fire storms, chaos and "would the survivors envy the dead?"  You feel like you are watching a newscast after the fact.

I was a child growing up in the shadow of the nuclear bomb.  I had neighbors with bomb shelters and we went through the silly drills of getting under our desks should there be a nuclear attack.  I was scared to death of that and used to look at maps to see how far away I was from the possible strategic places a bomb might land. I used to have nightmares about it.  If I had seen this film back in 1965, I would have had nightmares for the rest of my life.

The BBC probably thought the most inflammatory statement was: "This could be the way the last two minutes of peace in Britain would look like."  The film had the sense that this had actually happened or would actually happen. 

Why it's a Must See: "[This film] was banned by BBC television, which produced it, ostensibly because (among other reasons stated or hinted at) 'it was too horrific for the medium of broadcasting.' The War Game fast became a cause celebre and won an Oscar, and remains the most widely known of Peter Watkins's films...The War Game is a tour de force that has lost none of its power to horrify since its initial release."
--1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

Rosy the Reviewer says...Since even more countries now have "the bomb" than in 1965, a nuclear attack is still a real threat making this film relevant today and scary as hell.  It's a must see...if you dare.

 

 

***Book of the Week***

 

Foxcatcher: The True Story of My Brother's Murder, John Du Pont's Madness and the Quest for Olympic Gold by Mark Schultz (2014)

 

 

The film has Oscar nominations.  Now read about it straight from one of the key players.

 

John E. DuPont was one of the DuPont heirs as in THE DuPonts.  A child of privilege, he wanted to be an Olympian.  He tried various sports within his ability but failed on every one despite his money.  So he settled on setting up an Olympic training facility for wrestlers and pentathletes on his estate, Foxcatcher.  He came upon Mark and Dave Schultz, both Olympian wrestlers, and championed their careers. It turned out to be a deal with the devil. DuPont was mentally ill but money has a way of covering such things up. The story that led up to DuPont murdering Dave Schultz is here told by Dave's brother, Mark. DuPont was convicted of the crime, making him the richest man ever convicted of murder and sent to prison.  And that's where he died. 

The first half of the book is about Mark and Dave growing up and their wrestling careers, but it's mostly Mark's story.  The second half of the book is about their involvement with DuPont.  Ultimately, the book is unsatisfying because no motive for DuPont killing Schultz is ever revealed.  It seems that no one really knows.

It's a strange and riveting story written in a heartfelt and candid style that is ultimately disappointing as a true crime story.

 

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you like wrestling, you will probably enjoy this.  True crime lovers might be disappointed. 

 

Thanks for Reading!

 

See you Tuesday for 

"Rituals: 
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"

 

 

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Check your local library for DVDs and books mentioned.

 

Note:  Next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). 

Here is a quick link to get to all of them.  Choose the film you are interested in and then scroll down the list of reviewers to find "Rosy the Reviewer."
 

Or you can go directly to IMDB.  

 

Find the page for the movie, click on "Explore More" on the right side panel and then scroll down to "External Reviews."  Look for "Rosy the Reviewer" on the list. Or if you are using a mobile device, look for "Critics Reviews." Click on that and you will find me alphabetically under "Rosy the Reviewer."

 

 

5 Things I Know For Sure

In November, I reviewed Oprah's book, "What I Know For Sure," where she recounts, well, stuff she is sure of.  Because, hey, she is Oprah.

And there is a lot of it.  She weighs in on "Joy," "Resilience," "Connection," "Gratitude," "Possibility," "Awe," "Clarity" and "Power."

Here are some of Oprah's things she knows for sure:

"It's up to each of us to get very still and say, 'This is who I am.' No one else defines your life.  Only you do."

"Failure is just a way for our lives to show us we're moving in the wrong direction, that we should try something different."

"If you make a choice that doesn't please your mate, friends, or whoever, the world will not fall apart."

"This is the body you've been given -- love what you've got."

"The same questions follow every woman through girlhood and adolescence: Can I really do this?  Will I get it right?  Am I okay?"



And, like I said, she has a lot more of these -- 228 pages worth to be exact.

I, on the other hand, not being Oprah, only have five things I know for sure, but it's a start -- and here they are.

 

1. Meditation can remove the "bitch factor" from your life.

Meditation has many benefits (and I wrote about them in a post called "A Little Meditation on a Little Meditation by an Unlikely Meditator"), but the one that is most powerful is the capacity meditation has to shut down any tendency you might have to be a bitch (and that goes for you guys out there too). 

When you are still with yourself, you connect to the source of love within you, your soul, that silent witness within that is always there sending you messages of love, joy and inspiration.  When you listen you feel the love that is your true nature.  Buddha said, "You can search the entire universe and will not find another person more worthy of love than you."  When you realize that, when you love yourself first, you become conscious of your existence and the existence of others and can love them too. You realize that at the soul level we are all inextricably connected. And that's called compassion. And it's really difficult to be a bitch when you have all of that compassion and love shining through.  But I know, it takes practice. 

I know that for sure.

 

2. Libraries change lives.

I know I talk about libraries all of the time, but I think that's what it takes for people to understand the true power of libraries.  I also think it takes just one meaningful encounter for you to understand it. 

Here is an example:

When I was a librarian in a public library, I was teaching a very basic computer class on how to set up a personal Yahoo email account.  The class consisted of about six people who had few computer or typing skills, a few seniors and a couple of people where English was not their first language.  One of the latter was a lady from Korea.  After the class, I gave them all a bit of homework:  sometime during the week send me an email so I can see that you can do that. A few days later, I received an email from the lady from Korea.  In it she thanked me for the class and said that she had just sent an email to her son in Korea who she hadn't seen or spoken to in over a year. So that one encounter, that one class, brought together two people separated by space and time.  Not to mention the lump in my throat.

That is just one such life changing encounter I can relate.

Libraries are not just about books, though books are certainly worthwhile and life changing on their own.  Libraries protect our right to information, provide training and classes to better ourselves, teach our children skills to make them successful in school and provide a place for the community to gather.

If you have a need, have you gone to your local library or checked out your local library's webpage lately?  I think you will be amazed at what you will find.
Trust me. 

And I am going to keep talking about libraries until you do! 

I know that for sure.


 

3. Television is not evil.

It is no secret that I like to watch television.  My flirtation with it goes way back and I have poked fun about myself and TV in other posts.  And I have no problem with people who don't watch.  What I DO have a problem with is people giving television more power than it really has and ranting about how it is destroying civilization.  I can think of a lot more things that have destroyed civilization than an episode of  "Modern Family."  (Now if you are talking about Fox News, you might have a point, but that's a whole different post). 

I had a husband once who wouldn't have a TV in the house because he believed if he had one, he would somehow be forced to watch it.  Not sure how that works (the evil little TV fairy attacks him and makes his finger press the "on" button?), but needless to say the marriage didn't last.

Likewise, there is what I call the "snooty factor." When I am enthusiastically talking about the latest episode of "So You Think You Can Dance," and someone says to me something snooty like, "I don't watch TV, which in a conversational setting is a conversation stopper if ever there was on, I think I will not let that stop the conversation and say, "No need to apologize" as in "Bless your heart, you poor thing (I can be snooty too)." Because it's one thing to not watch, which is fine.  What am I, the TV police? But it's another thing to feel you need to say that to someone who obviously does and somehow imply you are better than. 

And there is a certain hypocrisy attached to that.  OK, you don't watch TV but are you playing video games and reading comic books instead?

Another idea is to recommend meditation to this person because clearly the "Bitch factor" is an issue (see above).

If we are talking about evil, let's talk about war, racism, mass murder, child abuse, those things are evil.  Television isn't even close.

I know that for sure.


 

4. Retirement isn't for sissies.

For those of you who have been following this blog since the beginning, you know that I shared my retirement fears and woes since I started this blog.  It's been a year and a half since I retired and like Bette Davis said about aging, "Old age ain't no place for sissies," retirement ain't no place for them either.

No matter how much you have looked forward to not having to get up early and go to work at a job you might not like for a boss you hate, the adjustment to not having that job anymore is HUGE.  What do you say when someone asks you, "What do you do?"  Then you realize just how much you have defined yourself by your job. 

I never liked getting up early, but I had a job I liked and never hated my bosses, which made it even more difficult to say sayonara.  Suddenly you have all of that time you always wished you had.  What are you going to do with it? Where you once derived meaning by merely going to work, now you must find it somewhere else. You need to start redefining yourself, your life, your dreams, what's left of the your future... You are staring your mortality in the face.  What are you going to do with the rest of your life?

So just as starting out in life is a scary adventure, so too is the endgame.  Sissies need not apply.

I know that for sure.


 

5. Skinny jeans don't make you look skinny.

I thought since this blog is not just about retirement, books and libraries, it's also about movies, fashion and fun, that I should add something about fashion, so here it is.

"Skinny jeans don't make you look skinny."

But who cares?  I'm going to wear them anyway!

 

I know that for sure.

What do YOU know for sure?

Thanks for Reading!

 

See you Friday 

 

for my review of the new movie

"American Sniper,"

 

The Week in Reviews,

 

as well as my progress on

 

"My 1001 Movies I Must See Before I Die Project."

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to click on the share buttons to share it on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn, email it to your friends and LIKE me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer





 

 

"Big Eyes" and The Week in Reviews

[I review the new movie "Big Eyes," the DVDs "The Trip to Italy," "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," and the documentary on Roger Ebert, "Life Itself."  The Book of the Week is "On the Road with Janis Joplin," and I report on how I am doing with "My 1001 Movies I Must See Before I Die Project" by reviewing "Ariel" and "The World of Apu"]

Before I get into this week's reviews, I must weigh in on Sunday's Golden Globes and the Oscar nominations that were announced yesterday.

If you read my blog post last week on my "Early Oscar Picks," and if you watched the Golden Globes, you will know that the Best Actress, Best Actor and Best Picture I had slated for getting Oscar nominations and for winning, did win Golden Globes.

However, I missed a few when it came to the Oscar nominations. 

For Best Picture, I missed "Grand Budapest Hotel," "Whiplash (which to me, came out of nowhere)," and "American Sniper." "Gone Girl," "Unbroken" and "Nightcrawler" were snubbed, but they only nominated eight films this year instead of ten, so let's just pretend I didn't list those. As for those I didn't have on my list, I loved "Grand Budapest Hotel," but thought it was released too early in the year and would be forgotten, and I haven't seen the other two.  I predicted the Best Actress nominations correctly except for Marion Cotillard.  I thought Jennifer Aniston would get a Best Actress nomination for "Cake," and for Best Actor, I went with Jake Gyllenhaal for "Nightcrawler" and Bill Murray for "St. Vincent" but they were snubbed for Bradley Cooper ("American Sniper") and Steve Carell ("Foxcatcher").

I have to add, that worst of all, the women directors were snubbed:  Angelina's movie "Unbroken" was completely snubbed and, though "Selma" was nominated, the WOMAN director (Ava DuVernay) was not.  What's THAT all about?  I would imagine Oprah is fuming about that.

Oh, and one more thing - the Roger Ebert documentary, "Life Itself," was not nominated in the documentary category at all.  A TRAVESTY!  See my review below.

On my part, not too bad for a stab in the dark, but I am still going with who and what I think will win the Oscar: 

Best Picture -    "Boyhood." 
Best Actor -       Eddie Redmayne. 
Best Actress:     Julianne Moore

We shall see.

Now on to the Week in Reviews.



Big Eyes

The true story of Margaret and Walter Keane and the art empire they built during the 1960's with those big-eyed waifs with Walter taking credit for Margaret's work.

Walter (Christoph Waltz) and Margaret (Amy Adams) meet just after Margaret has left an abusive marriage.  She is living in San Francisco with her young daughter trying to make ends meet painting furniture in a furniture factory and selling her paintings on the side, when she meets Walter at an art fair where Walter is also selling his paintings. Margaret paints children with huge, pleading eyes and Walter paints Parisian street scenes.  Walter charms Margaret and they marry. Walter is a master at sales and marketing and negotiates a deal with the owner of the nightclub, the hungry I, to hang his paintings there, but it is Margaret's paintings that finally take off and Walter manages to take credit for them.  Walter is high energy and domineering; Margaret is quiet and insecure.  She agrees to let Walter take credit for her work ("No one is going to buy a painting from a lady painter," he tells her) and for years hides away in her studio, putting out painting after painting until finally she has had enough and seeks to take her name back.

One may wonder how Margaret Keane could put up with letting her husband take all of the credit for her work, because these days it's difficult to remember that women in the 50's and 60's often believed their husbands were the head of the household and leaving them wasn't usually an option.  Even today it's not difficult for domineering husbands to control their wives.  For Margaret to finally take control of her own legacy was quite a feat. Realizing that, Burton has made a feminist film, of sorts.

The film opens with a quote from Andy Warhol:  "I think what Keane has done is terrific!  If it were bad, so many people wouldn't like it!" 

That quote was in response to the fact that though Keane's paintings and posters were wildly popular during the 60's and 70's, the art world was aghast, thinking them commercial and vulgar.  And this film and Warhol's quote (despite sounding like one of Yogi Berra's head scratchers), does bring up the issue of what is "art?"  Is it art if we like it or do we have to be told by the experts that it's art?  I certainly fell for the fad.  I even had a Keane doll complete with tear drop.

This drama is a departure for director Tim Burton, who we have come to associate with quirky films like "Edward Scissorhands" and "Beetlejuice."   Here he beautifully evokes the San Francisco of the 50's and 60's (the cinematography is gorgeous) in telling the story of a woman's talent subjugated by her husband's arrogance.  Amy Adams gives a bravura performance as Margaret.  It's a quiet but powerful one, whereas Waltz plays Walter as loud and high energy. Walter wasn't an evil man, just a typical know-it-all man who figured out how to control his wife. Waltz played that well, though a bit over the top in the courtroom scenes.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a fascinating true tale of a woman's talent subverted by a domineering husband beautifully mounted by Burton and played by Adams and Waltz.

***DVDS***

You Might Have Missed

(And Some You Will Be Glad You Did)

The Trip to Italy (2014)

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play themselves while taking a road trip around Italy, driving and dining.

Rob has been commissioned by a newspaper to go on a road trip in Italy following in the footsteps of Shelley and Byron and eating scrumptious food in gorgeous restaurants.  He invites his old friend Steve to go with him. Who could say no?

This is the sequel to director Michael Winterbottom's "The Trip," where Brydon and Coogan toured the Lake District.   Here Coogan and Brydon drive a Mini Cooper around Italy (Rome, the Amalfi Coast, Capri) listening to Alanis Morisette, riffing on any topic that comes into their heads, visiting sites of importance to poets Shelley and Byron and dining at fabulous restaurants. They amuse us and each other by trying to best each other with imitations of Michael Caine, Tom Hardy and Christian Bale in Batman, Woody Allen, Hugh Grant and others.  Their enjoyment of each other and cracking each other up is infectious.

There is no drama and not a lot happens, but the scenery is spectacular, the food is mouth-watering and these two guys are having a great time.  It's a story of friendship and we are lucky to be able to join in. This kind of movie is an acquired taste but it's a taste I savor.  It feeds my love of documentaries while at the same time my love of travel and witty repartee.

They eat gorgeous food and stay in beautiful hotels.  The film is part travelogue, part food show, part comedy stand-up, part road movie.

Steve Coogan is well known in the UK for his alter ego, Alan Partridge.  He is lesser known in the U.S. but starred along side Judy Dench in "Philomena."

Rosy the Reviewer says...a funny and literary road trip showcasing some of Italy's most beautiful spots.




Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

After a deadly disease, some apes have survived and a small group of humans.

Ten years after a simian flu epidemic kills most of civilization, the human survivors living in what's left of San Francisco must get to a dam in order to get power for their outpost and to see if there are any other survivors.  Apes are now the dominant species and those living across the Golden Gate Bridge haven't seen humans in years and are not thrilled when they suddenly show up.

This film takes place ten years after the film "Rise of the Planet of the Apes."

Jason Clarke, our hero, Malcolm, ventures into the ape's world to get permission to work on the dam.  He gains their trust by giving them his guns. Gary Oldman stars as Dreyfus, the leader of the human stronghold who is trying to rebuild civiliation and Keri Russell as Malcolm's wife.

Caesar (Andy Serkis who seems to have a lock on CGI characters - he was Gollum) is still the leader of the apes, but he has hardened and is mistrustful of the humans but gives his permission.  He trusts Malcolm but the other apes are suspicious especially Caesar's second in command, Koba (Toby Kebbell).  Things start out OK but like many cultures that don't understand each other, misunderstandings lead to fights and eventually war.  But it's the infighting among the apes that is the biggest problem for Caesar. He utters the fateful line, "Caesar always thought apes better.  We apes no better than humans."

The film hints at issues of race and the Middle East as well as embracing human issues such as family, loyalty and betrayal, issues that both the humans and the apes must deal with.

Lots of holes:

How have the humans survived for ten years with what appears to be no way of raising food?

After ten years, how come the humans don't know if there are other survivors and that apes are living just across the Golden Gate Bridge?

How did Malcolm know Caesar's name?

Where did the apes get so many guns?

I like San Francisco, I like thrillers, I liked "Planet of the Apes (the original one)," but I had to suspend too much disbelief here for this to be a satisfying experience.

But director Matt Reeves ("Cloverfield," which I really loved) gives us plenty of action, plenty of impressive CGI, visual effects and loud sound.

Rosy the Reviewer says...If you liked "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," this is a worthy sequel and you can expect more to come, but if you don't like subtitles, beware.  The Apes speak "Ape" so need to be subtitled.


Life Itself (2014)

The life and career of movie critic, Roger Ebert, based on his memoir of the same name.

Ebert had a persistent need to write and publish even as a young boy.  He worked full-time at a newspaper when he was 15.  He became editor of his college newspaper and started his career as a reporter and journalist.  He started part-time at the Chicago Sun Times and six months later the resident film critic quit and Roger was given that job without even asking for it.

Gene Siskel was the film critic for the Chicago Tribune and they were professional enemies, even when they started working together on their television show which started as "Opening Soon," and morphed into "Sneak Previews" on PBS and eventually in syndication as "At the Movies."  Siskel and Ebert were probably the most widely-recognized film critics in the world with rock star status and brought the art of film criticism to the masses, but they also fought prodigiously both on the show and off, which for the viewers was half the fun!  Film critics having hissy fits was great television!

We learned things about Ebert we didn't know:  he was an alcoholic and proponent of AA, why the show was called "Siskel and Ebert" instead of "Ebert and Siskel" and his bouts of depression and loneliness.

A strange dichotomy was Ebert's job as a film critic where he might criticize some of the most serious films and his Pulitzer (at the time, he was the only film critic to ever win one) versus his writing the campy, VERY over-the-top "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" and collaborating with cult and soft porn director Russ Meyer.  The story goes that Ebert liked boobs.

Roger won a Pulitzer, but he was a populist.  He thought everyone should be able to understand the film.  He was never mean and never talked down to his readers.

In the film, it is startling to see how ravaged Ebert was from his thyroid cancer. In addition to the physical disfigurement of his face, he couldn't talk, drink or eat, but his will to be alive kept him writing and blogging.

This is also a love story.  Ebert found love late in life with wife Chaz who lovingly cared for him to the end.

The title of this film reminds me of my son and the first time he told me he loved me more than "life itself."  He was only about three or four and I was overcome with emotion that he would say something like that.  It wasn't until much later I realized he had gotten that from the Disney animated film, "Robin Hood (Robin says that to Maid Marian)."  But in the end, that did not diminish the power those words had for me, even if my little son was repeating the words of an animated fox.  Likewise, the power of those words override Ebert's condition during this film. Despite it all, he still wanted to live because he loved life and he loved writing about films more than "life itself."

Rosy the Reviewer says...a beautiful heart-wrenching, touching and inspiring tribute to an exceptional human being and probably the most popular film critic of all time.  A MUST SEE!  

***My 1001 Movies I Must See Before I Die Project***

 

 

 

286 To Go!

 

Have YOU Seen these?

 

Ariel  (1988)

 

 

A Finnish mine closes and everyone loses their job.  When his father commits suicide, Taisto Kasurinen (Turo Pajala) makes his way to the city where things don't go so well for him.

In the dead of winter, Taisto heads for the city in his father's classic Cadillac with the top down because he doesn't know how to put it up.  He gets robbed and is basically homeless.  He meets Irmili (Susanna Haavisto), a meter maid who quits her job on the spot to go off with Taisto.  Taisto sees the man who robs him and when he tries to get his money back, he is arrested and imprisoned for murder.  Things aren't going so well for our Taisto.

Pajala reminds one of a young Dirk Bogarde and the film is reminiscent of "Stranger than Paradise," Jim Jarmusch's little masterpiece, in its tongue in cheek tone as these characters go through problem after problem with an "Oh,well..." attitude. 

 Why it's a Must See:  "If anyone has perfected the cinematic language to express drollness, it is Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki.  His films have a sardonic, deadpan, couldn't-care-less air that belies the real depth of their commitment to society's marginals...[this] makes for hypnotic viewing, forecasting he greatness that Kaurismaki would achieve in his 2002 film Man Without a Past."
---"1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die"

Rosy the Reviewer says...Droll and slow, but mesmerizing (subtitles).






World of Apu (Apur Sansar) (1959)

 

The third installment of Satyajit Ray's "Apu Trilogy" which made Ray's name and introduced Indian cinema to the world. 

 

We followed Apu from his youth in his country village and the death of his father ("Pather Pachali" 1955) to the beginning of his schooling and the death of his mother ("Aparajito" 1956) to the last film where we find Apu (Soumitra Chatterjee) living in poverty in Calcutta, trying to make a name for himself as a writer.  He is invited to a wedding in a small Bengali village but when the bridegroom goes mad on the way to the wedding, Apu is pressed to marry the bride (Aparna played by Sharmila Tagore) because if she doesn't marry at the appointed hour, she will be disgraced.  Amazingly, the marriage is a happy one but when Aparna goes home to have a baby, she dies in childbirth.  Apu is so devastated he wants nothing to do with his son but when the boy is five, Apu goes to see him and is rejected.  Eventually, though, they reunite in a wonderfully poignant scene as they go off  together, Apu with his son riding on his shoulders.

 

Why it's a Must See:  At the heart of [this film] lies teh brief marriage of  Apu and Aparna...Chatterjee and Tagore, making their screen debuts, [showed] astonishing depth and conviction; no wonder that both went on to become major stars of Indian cinema...Thanks to their performances and the encompassing warmth and subtlety of Ray's direction, this rates as one of the most ouching and intimate depictions of married love in all cinema."
---"1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die"

 

Rosy the Reviewer says...a beautiful ending to a masterful trilogy.

***Book of the Week***

 

 

 

On the Road with Janis Joplin by John Byrne Cooke (2014)

 

 

 

Cooke was on the film crew for the documentary "Monterey Pop" and became the road manager for Big Brother and the Holding Company and Janis Joplin's subsequent bands.

 

Cooke takes us up close and personal at the Monterey Pop Festival as he was on D.A Pennebaker's film crew as he documented the Festival which became the film "Monterey Pop."  He was enlisted to be the road manager for Big Brother and the Holding Company and followed Janis when she made the decision to leave Big Brother and go off on her own.  He was there at Janis'  infamous 10th high school reunion and he discovered her body when she died of an overdose.

 

Surprisingly, despite his proximity to Janis, this book does not have the intimate feel of someone who was there.  I didn't really learn anything new about Janis.

 

Rosy the Reviewer says...disappointing.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for Reading!

 

That's it for this week!

 

See you Tuesday for

 

"Five Things I Know For Sure"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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