One Battle After Another

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
2025 | Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson | 162 Minutes

"You know what freedom is? No fear. Just like Tom fucking Cruise."

The former a bomb-maker for the far-left revolutionary group the French 75, Bob Ferguson lives a seemingly over-cautious life with his teenage daughter Willa. When a formidable enemy from the past discovers their current whereabouts, the ex-rebel finds he is woefully unprepared to protect his girl.

Inspired by Thomas Pynchon's 1990 satirical novel Vineland, Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another depicts a world in which the influence of organized bigotry reaches alarmingly far and the struggling opposition is undermined by pettiness and division. The film's duo protagonists caught in the conflict consist of former revolutionary Bob who is hilariously too drunk and stoned to keep up with the times and headstrong teenager Willa who is suddenly forced to learn hard truths about her place in the context of history. Both characters serve as fitting analogs respectively representing the previous and current generations of those who oppose fascism in a reasonably grounded way, stripped of any glorification or romanticism. The pacing of the picture is relentless, from its extended prologue detailing the radical actions of the far-left revolutionary group and their eventual dissolution to its prolonged epic car chase finale. While the plot tends to meander, the picture is consistently engaging, and every story thread weaves together impeccably by its highly satisfying conclusion.

Shot on 35mm film using VistaVision cameras, cinematographer Michael Bauman's work on One Battle After Another is absolutely stunning. The oner tracking Bob as he makes his way through Sensei Sergio's refuge for undocumented immigrants as they prepare to evacuate the city is impressively complicated but incredibly inventive and executed concisely. The sequence leads to a visually striking evening rooftop flight backlit by city and police lights as protestors and cops clash on the streets below. The chase sequence in the finale is staged elegantly, as Willa is pursued by a cold-blooded killer and Bob struggles to catch up, each shot of desolate highway keeps the viewer at the edge of their seat in anxious anticipation of what awaits down the road.

Amusingly pitiful and pitifully amusing, Leonardo DiCaprio delivers yet another performance worthy of acclaim as burnt-out retired revolutionary Bob. Chase Infiniti is captivating as young Willa, convincingly clever and tough in her film debut. As the hateful colonel, Sean Penn is at his most believably despicable, face locked in a pained snarl while he trots along with a distinct gait as if he literally has a stick deeply lodged up his rectum. Though she only briefly appears is the picture, Teyana Taylor's presence is strong and unforgettable embodying complex force of nature Perfidia Beverly Hills. As his coolest, Benicio del Toro also turns in memorable performance as the calm and collected wise sensei and family friend who always has a contingency plan in his back pocket.

One Battle After Another is a harrowing journey through a deeply troubling vision of America (that might as well be tomorrow if the country stays its baffling course). While there are plenty of genuinely funny moments throughout, nearly all of the levity comes at the expense of the ex-rebel's failure to keep up with increasingly confusing circumstances due to years of constant self-medication. It's grim, but the picture offers hope by demonstrating how those who keep a level head will stick around long enough to see the next battle.


FRAGMENTS
- The idiotic division amongst the revolutionaries as depicted in the film, best exemplified by the fraught communication between Bob and Comrade Josh as they argue over passwords, reminds me of how Jin Yong depicts the rather ineffectual rebellion against the Qing Dynasty in his satirical wuxia novel The Deer and the Cauldron

- It seems absurd but totally believable for the white supremacist secret society to be Christmas-themed

- Kevin Tighe makes a brief appearance as the leader of the white supremacist secret society, but I'll always remember him as John Locke's asshole father on Lost


007 CONNECTIONS
- Benicio del Toro (Dario in Licence to Kill)


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Wood Harris (Officer Gale in Ant-Man)

- Benicio del Toro (Taneleer Tivan in Thor: The Dark World, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Avengers: Infinity War)

Anora

ANORA

2024 | Dir. Sean Baker | 139 Minutes

"You do not love him, and he doesn't love you. You understand? That's in your head."

Anora "Ani" Mikheeva, a stripper from Brooklyn, meets Ivan Zakharov, the son of a Russian oligarch. After taking Ivan on as a regular client, attracted to Ivan's carefree nature and freewheeling lifestyle, Ani spontaneously agrees to marry him. Their nuptials set in motion a series of unpredictable events with emotionally cataclysmic results for Ani.

A pointed subversion of improbable Hollywood love stories, writer/director Sean Baker's Anora is as amusing as it is heartbreaking. The film is a highly entertaining tale of raw passion and devastating loss with an incredibly funny layer of cynicism masking heartfelt sincerity. Consistently hilarious in its frank, almost mechanical depiction of sex work, the outrageous wealth and fickle whims of Russian oligarchs, and the limited competence of three grown men attempting to wrangle one desperately determined young woman, the picture also poignantly explores the hidden overwhelming vulnerability of its protagonist under layer upon layer of antagonistic snark and anger.

Liberal glimpses of nudity, sex, and illicit substances aside, the first act of Anora plays out like a dreamy fantasy as Ani gradually falls for Ivan, an attachment that gives her a taste of decadent luxury and ostensibly allows her to leave behind an unfulfilling job and bothersome roommate. The moment Ivan flees his handlers, all hell breaks loose and the film descends into incessant shouting and random acts of violence Ani inflicts upon those determined to track Ivan down in the employ of his enraged parents. To Baker's credit as writer and director, the narrative remains thoroughly engaging through the pandemonium as he makes it incredibly easy to empathize with Ani while she gradually realizes her relationship with Ivan evidently does not align with her expectations. By the time the audience reaches the final heart-rending scene in a kindly hired goon's grandmother's car, the cathartic release is fully earned.

Mikey Madison is absolutely fantastic in the titular role, naturally exhibiting sly wit, gritty toughness, and deep heartache all through a thick but convincing New York accent. As the privileged and totally irresponsible Ivan, Mark Eydelshteyn is believably charming but also believably spineless and punchable. The embodiment of pure undiluted frustration, Karren Karagulian gives off infectious anxiety as Ivan's put-upon Armenian godfather Toros charged with retrieving the boy. Yura Borisov shines as lovable tough guy Igor, consistently and effortlessly stealing his scenes. 

Anora is a wild, chaotic, and deeply earnest emotional ride driven by a truly exceptional leading performance. Despite the somewhat unconventional and ostensibly salacious aspects of its narrative, at its core the picture is an engaging universally-relatable story of misplaced love and heartbreak. The pacing and incessant shouting can be a tad relentless during the second act, but the film starts and ends masterfully.

FRAGMENTS

- Igor is honestly the best, no notes

- While the rapid decline of his physical well-being due to Ani's relentless attacks and straight-up bad luck is incredibly funny, I really hope Garnik is okay

Oppenheimer

OPPENHEIMER

2023 | Dir. Christopher Nolan | 181 Minutes

"We might start a chain reaction that destroys the world."

In 1954, J. Robert Oppenheimer appeals the United States Atomic Energy Commission's decision to revoke his security clearance. A private hearing is held to review Oppenheimer's leadership on the Manhattan Project while scrutinizing his history with members of the Communist Party. In 1957, a Senate confirmation hearing is held for Lewis Strauss to become Secretary of Commerce. Adversarial to Oppenheimer, Strauss quickly finds that the scientific community and history are not on his side.

Adapted from Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin's 2005 J. Robert Oppenheimer biography American Prometheus, Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is a sweeping epic charting the rise and fall of a deeply flawed genius. Written and directed by the celebrated auteur, he tells his most personal and contemplative story yet, exploring festering guilt and overwhelming anxiety through the eyes of the father of the atomic bomb. A decidedly unconventional biopic that chronicles the man's career rather than his entire life, the film celebrates scientific ingenuity but also condemns the nuclear arms race in no uncertain terms, a resounding protest against political agendas manipulating and exploiting scientific advancement.

The audio-visual components of Oppenheimer are unmistakably Nolan. Consistent with the director's non-linear storytelling tendencies, the feature interweaves two primary storylines occurring years apart with elegant aesthetic coding, structuring the narrative around an emotional through line rather than a strictly chronological one. Oppenheimer's demoralizing 1954 security hearing behind closed doors, depicting key events through flashbacks as he recounts his fraught education at Cambridge through the Trinity test at Los Alamos and the years that followed in which he used his influence to promote nuclear disarmament, are filmed in color. The events surrounding Lewis Strauss's humiliating 1959 Senate confirmation hearing, with flashbacks presenting his seemingly contentious professional relationship with Oppenheimer, are filmed in black and white. It's a fascinating approach to deliver the impression of a man from both internal and external perspectives, poignantly expressing both his confidence and his insecurity with nuance in the color sequences while conveying his supposed arrogance as perceived by Strauss with incomplete context in black and white. Ludwig Göransson's moody score is appropriately atmospheric, but it is incessant and occasionally more distracting than complementary.

Nolan's strength as a filmmaker are on full display showcasing the scale of the Manhattan Project. The gathering of the scientists, and their interpersonal conflicts and their collective accomplishment are the most engaging parts of the film. Conversely, Nolan's greatest weakness remains his inability to write nuanced female roles. While they serve their purpose as key figures in the protagonist's life, the roles of Jean Tatlock and Kitty Oppenheimer can be distilled down to purely temperamental forces that consistently behave like emotional disasters.

Cillian Murphy is excellent in the lead role, equally superb in portraying the confident man of science and the anxiety-stricken wretch overcome with guilt. As the vindictive Lewis Strauss, Robert Downey Jr. gives one of the very best performances of his career, absolutely convincing as a jealous and spiteful man who relishes in utilizing backhanded tactics for political gain. Making the most of her role as Kitty, Emily Blunt's considerable talent shines through despite the character being drunk and upset for the majority of the picture. The massive supporting cast features memorable performances David Krumholtz as Oppenheimer's lifelong friend physicist Isidor Isaac Rabi, Matt Damon as the amusingly straight-forward General Leslie Groves, Florence Pugh as the bewilderingly mercurial Jean Tatlock, Josh Hartnett as Oppenheimer's conflicted colleague Ernest Lawrence, Dane DeHaan as the hateful Major General Kenneth Nichols, and Alden Ehrenreich as Strauss's conscientious Senate Aide.

Oppenheimer is a monumental cinematic achievement. Despite turning up all of his signature proclivities to maximum output, Nolan's unconventional biopic is never over-indulgent. The film presents a sprawling narrative that leans heavily into the nature of regret and the folly of political division in the atomic age.

FRAGMENTS

- Barbie and Oppenheimer were released on the July 21, 2023 in the United States, creating the cultural phenomenon dubbed the "Barbenheimer" in which moviegoers opted to watch both pictures as a tonally-contrasting double feature, significantly benefitting both films financially

- The fake post-credits scenes for this film circulating around the internet amuse me to no end

007 CONNECTIONS

- Rami Malek (Lyutsifer Safin in No Time To Die)

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame)

- David Dastmalchian (Kurt in Ant-Man and Ant-Man and The Wasp, and Veb in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania)

- Matt Damon (Asgardian Actor playing Loki in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder)

- James D'Arcy (Edwin Jarvis in Avengers: Endgame)

- Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova in Black Widow, Thunderbolts*, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day)

Everything Everywhere All at Once

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

2022 | Dir. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert | 139 Minutes

"Maybe there is something out there, some new discovery that will make us feel like even smaller pieces of shit. Something that explains why you still went looking for me through all of this noise. And why, no matter what, I still want to be here with you. I will always, always, want to be here with you."

On her way to a stressful meeting with the IRS, Evelyn Quan is recruited by a soldier in a multiversal war believing her to be the key to victory against the chaotic universe destroyer known as Jobu Tupaki. Reluctantly thrown into the conflict, Evelyn soon learns of her unique connection to Jobu, forcing her to come to terms with everything in her life that seemingly went awry.

From eclectic writing/directing duo Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a unique sci-fi action comedy with an emotionally powerful story about love and regret centered on an immigrant Chinese family. The narrative is presented in three parts: a crash course on the logic of the story's world leading to an inevitable confrontation, the extended battle between the two opposing forces that quickly shifts from physical to philosophical, and a brief epilogue. Though absurd humor and phenomenal action sequences, The Daniels deliver thought-provoking ideas surrounding boundless human potential, the purpose of existence or lack thereof, and the endurance of family. Shifting genres and filmmaking styles with gradually increasing frequency as the picture plays out, the film is remarkably funny, exciting, moving, and wholly original.

The screenplay by the Daniels is exceptionally clever and, notably, much of the dialogue is spoken in Mandarin and Cantonese; Evelyn almost exclusively speaks to her husband in Mandarin, her father in Cantonese, and her daughter in English, thematically demonstrating a lack of cohesion in her life that informs her poor, emotionally dismissive approach to her most important relationships at the outset of the story. Brothers Andy and Brian Le choreograph mind-blowingly inventive fight scenes that clearly take inspiration from the seminal Jackie Chan films, most notably the fanny pack beat-down administered by Ke Huy Quan's Alpha Waymond that boldly gives the audience a preview of the quality kung fu action to come, the impressive battle in which Evelyn single-handedly defeats a small gang of foes using sign spinner skills with a riot shield, and the picture's most infamous fight scene prominently featuring the Andy and Brian themselves showing off impressive authentic traditional Chinese martial arts in sharp contrast to objects visibly protruding out of their rectums. Shifting radically into a wide variety of other filmmaking styles, the picture is also a vehicle for memorable sequences featuring two inanimate rocks on a cliff side debating the value of human endeavor, a live action Ratatouille parody with an animatronic raccoon voiced by regular Pixar composer Randy Newman, a world where humans evolved from apes with fingers that look like hot dogs with a full origin sequence inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey, and most surprisingly a poignant Wong Kar Wai style romantic drama pastiche complete with the Hong Kong auteur's penchant for poignant melodramatic dialogue and signature visual flourishes.

Hilarious, touching, and simply badass, Michelle Yeoh is magnificent as the put upon reluctant protagonist Evelyn, demonstrating virtually all of her versatile talents that have made her a screen legend. Stephanie Hsu is brilliant in a wild emotionally charged performance as Eveyln's cosmically disaffected, ironically named daughter Joy, convincingly depressed to the point of becoming an ender of worlds. Playing a total sweetheart, Ke Huy Quan delivers a magnificently charming and heartbreaking performance as Evelyn's struggling husband Waymond. The film also features reliably funny seasoned character actor James Hong as Evelyn's abrasive father, Jamie Lee Curtis clearly having a lot of fun as a banally antagonistic tax collector, and Tallie Medel as Joy's supportive girlfriend.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is a profoundly, wonderfully weird multiversal journey exploring failure, intergenerational trauma, and the very meaning of life through superb kung fu action, psychedelic visuals, hot dog fingers, and googly eyes. It authentically speaks to the specific experience of immigrant Chinese families in America, while also presenting a powerful counterpoint to the downward spiral of nihilism on a universally relatable level. Additionally, the film is a comprehensive showcase of everything that makes Michelle Yeoh a screen legend.

FRAGMENTS

- The Chinese title of the film that appears before the end credits is 天馬行空, loosely translated as "heavenly horse takes to the air," a phrase to describe unconstrained in style or, as I'd like to think of it, a flight of fancy

- Jackie Chan was originally intended to be the lead for this film

- Awkwafina was originally intended for the role of Joy, and while I am an Awkwafina fan I think the specific persona she is known for would have been too distracting for the role

- The pronunciation of the Cantonese is a still bit off, but it is admirable that so much of the script was written in Cantonese

- Ke Huy Quan was assistant director on Wong Kar Wai's 2046, which undoubtedly lent to the perceivable authenticity of the sequences in this film inspired by Wong Kar Wai's style

007 CONNECTIONS

- Michelle Yeoh (Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies)

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Michelle Yeoh (Aleta Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Jiang Nan in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

- Andy Le (Death Dealer in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

- Stephanie Hsu (Soo in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

CODA

CODA
2021 | Dir. Siân Heder | 111 Minutes

"I guess it's about sacrifice. What it means to need someone else."

A child of deaf adults, Ruby is the only member of her family with the ability to hear, but she loves to sing more than anything else. Ruby's choir teacher recognizes her natural talent and encourages her to develop it, but her family, struggling to make ends meet running a fishing business, expects Ruby to remain their designated interpreter. Ruby must choose between assisting her family indefinitely or going to college to pursue her dream of becoming a professional singer.

Based on Éric Lartigau's 2014 French film La Famille Bélier, Siân Heder's CODA is an engaging, no frills story of a young woman who discovers her calling in life but feels held back by the obligation to remain a key factor in her family's livelihood. Heder skillfully balances the picture with equal parts drama and humor, establishing characters and situations that feel true to life. The ensemble cast consists mostly of deaf characters and they all are depicted as complex, fully realized people, never as simple caricatures or plot devices. Ruby's family is charmingly working-class - indulging in the pleasures of drinking, cursing, having loud sex, and smoking weed as much as any other blue collar family. All the while, Ruby's frustration with having to interpret for her family, oftentimes reluctantly, never comes off as completely selfish.

To better depict the experience of deaf people, dialogue is usually muted for scenes in which Ruby isn't present. This creative flourish is used to great dramatic effect during the sequence in which her father's fishing boat is boarded by the coast guard to her father and brother's confusion and dismay when Ruby decides to not translate for them late in the second act, the family already under heavy scrutiny for defying the local fisheries board. The musical performances are a real treat, featuring the genuine substantial vocal talent of the picture's lead actress.

As Ruby, Emilia Jones gives a versatile performance, nuanced and showcasing incredible emotional range, particularly shining when she sings. Troy Kotsur and Marlee Matlin are consistently funny and occasionally heartbreaking as Ruby's loving and stubborn parents. Amusingly prickly, Eugenio Derbez steals all of his scenes as the tough love dispensing choir teacher Bernardo Villalobos. The film also features great work from Daniel Durant as Ruby's brother with a large giant on his shoulder, Amy Forsyth as Ruby's lusty best friend, and Ferdia Walsh-Peelo as Ruby's love interest.

CODA is a touching story that authentically explores the struggle all young people must face when the time comes to leave the nest and pursue their dreams. With a stellar cast lead by a multi-talented young lead, the film is a well-balanced blend of drama and comedy that tugs at heartstrings but never feels manipulative.

FRAGMENTS
- While the title of the film CODA is an acronym that stands for Child of Deaf Adults, the title carries a double meaning as in musical composition a "coda" means a concluding passage of music

- Emilia Jones took voice lessons, learned American Sign Language, and learned how to operate a fishing trawler for nine months before filming began

- All of the deaf members of Ruby's family are played by performers who are also deaf in their real lives

Nomadland

NOMADLAND

2021 | Dir. Chloé Zhao | 108 Minutes

"My dad used to say: 'What's remembered lives.' I maybe spent too much of my life just remembering."

After the passing of her husband and the economic collapse of her town, Fern chooses to live out of a van, perpetually on the move working odd jobs to support herself. She joins an often neglected segment of the American population, left behind by the world but finding contentment in a life of constant wandering.

Inspired by journalist Jessica Bruder's non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, director Chloé Zhao's Nomadland straddles the line between narrative feature and documentary. The film's barebones plot serves as a springboard for episodic slices of life featuring real elderly transient laborers playing fictionalized versions of themselves recalling the often tragic circumstances that brought them to life on the road. The picture passes on these stories in an intimate and frank manner that's often profoundly beautiful, exploring the freedom that's found on the other side of grief.

As Fern moves from one seasonal job to the next working for a wide range of employers such as an Amazon fulfillment center, Badlands National Park, and a beet processing plant, the audience is invited to vicariously live through all of the simple joys and unflattering hardships of the nomadic way of life. Following her travels for one full year, it becomes easy to understand why a woman like Fern would choose this from of existence over one that follows standard societal conventions. There is no way to return to her old life and she wouldn't have the freedom she's grown to cherish living any other way.

Nomadland presents sights that range from absolutely breathtaking to strikingly tragic. Cinematographer Joshua James Richards does a phenomenal job of lovingly capturing the abundant beauty of the wilderness, the mundanity of blue-collar labor, the warmth of a communal campsite, as well as the empty desolation of the abandoned town featured in the final act of the picture. The varying landscapes and locations serve to effectively telegraph Fern's state of mind throughout the picture.

The character of Fern isn't too far removed from the headstrong no-nonsense roles in the Frances McDormand's filmography but the acclaimed actress reliably brings a sympathetic and heartbroken quality to her performance that's deeply moving. Real-life nomads Linda May, Swankie, and Bob Wells are completely natural in their interactions with McDormand's Fern, exuding genuine human dignity as they relate their respective stories. David Strathairn delivers a delightful supporting performance as a soft-spoken nomad who sheepishly shows his affection for Fern.

Nomadland is a sobering, meditative, candidly unglamorous examination of transient life in the post-recession American West. The film sincerely and artfully conveys the connection between devastating loss and the specific brand of freedom afforded to those unwilling or, more commonly, tragically unable to return to a settled lifestyle.

FRAGMENTS

- Linda May is the protagonist of  the book by Jessica Bruder that inspired this film

- Nomadland was filmed over four months in seven different states, with cast and crew living out of vans during the entire production

- Writer/director Chloé Zhao split time between the set of Nomadland and working pre-production for Eternals

- Blending remarkably well into the nomadic lifestyle, most of Frances McDormand's co-stars in this film did not know she was an actress

Parasite

PARASITE
2019 | Dir. Bong Joon Ho | 132 Minutes

"Hell, if I had all this money, I'd be nice too."

An impoverished family craftily cons their way into a wealthy household. Their scheme irrevocably unravels in the aftermath of one dark and stormy night.

Written and directed by eclectic auteur Bong Joon Ho, Parasite is a tale of desperate have-nots taking the old "fake-it-till-you-make-it" maxim to the extreme. Best described as a black comedy, the film plays with genre conventions and alternates smoothly from amusing unconventional caper to intense thriller. It's a funny, dark, and suspenseful picture with a plot that constantly escalates in thrilling and unpredictable ways, grounded by well-defined characters who behave authentically when facing extraordinary situations.

Bong Joon Ho's witty script and the inspired production design speak volumes on the differences between the destitute and the affluent. The struggling Kim family lives in a dingy basement apartment where even their toilet is situated elevated above their living space, while the Park family resides in a lavish modern hilltop mansion designed by an acclaimed architect. The way the Kims gradually insert themselves into the Parks' lives and their household is extraordinarily amusing during the first half of the film. At the midway point, the already memorable film reaches the level of essential cinema when the Kims discover an even more desperate form of existence hidden within the lavish mansion and come to the poignant realization, at the same time as the audience, that they have not escaped their low station in life and likely never will.

The ensemble cast of Parasite is phenomenal from top to bottom. Playing the Kim family, Choi Woo-shik as the sly son Ki-woo "Kevin" turns in a charismatic and thoughtful performance, the magnetic Park So-dam as the calculating daughter Ki-jeong "Jessica" runs away with all of her scenes, Song Kang-ho embodying slightly aloof father Ki-taek feels genuinely warm and kind with an underlying darkness, and Chang Hyae-jin portraying mean-spirited mother and former Olympic hammer throwing medalist Chung-sook is hysterically matter-of-fact in her demeanor and line delivery. Filling the roles of the Park family, Cho Yeo-jeong as gullible mother Yeon-gyo is terribly convincing, Jeong Ji-so as teenage daughter Da-hye is great at being just slightly insufferable, Lee Sun-kyun as the presumptuous Mr. Park is appropriately detestable, and Jung Hyeon-jun as the bratty son Da-song makes for a great unpredictable obstacle. Additionally, the film features startling performances from Lee Jung-eun as the unfortunate housekeeper Gook Moon-gwang and Park Myung-hoon as her psychologically unhinged husband.

Hilarious and exquisitely suspenseful, Parasite is an exemplary exhibition of filmmaker Bong Joon Ho's signature talent for blending sharp social commentary, quirky characters, grim humor, and nerve-racking tension. The film's amusing take on the symbiotic relationship between the rich and the poor is both clever and topical.

SUPPLEMENTAL STUFF

- Video: Learn the Jessica Jingle with Park So Dam

Green Book

GREEN BOOK
2018 | Dir. Peter Farrelly | 130 Minutes

"You never win with violence, Tony. You only win when you maintain your dignity. Dignity always prevails."

New York wise guy Frank "Tony Lip" Vallelonga is hired by acclaimed black pianist Dr. Don Shirley to be his driver and bodyguard for an extended concert tour running through the American Midwest and the Deep South. On this travels with Dr. Shirley guided by the Negro Motorist Green Book, Tony witnesses the injustice black people are subjected to every day. By the end of the journey, Tony develops a lasting friendship with Dr. Shirley.

Based on the real life story of Tony's relationship with Dr. Shirley, written and produced by Tony's son Nick Vallelonga, Green Book is an odd couple comedic drama that juxtaposes street wise Tony with high society artist Dr. Shirley to present a heavy-handed but shallow anti-racism message. Director Peter Farrelly, best known for broad comedies, is a competent fit as the narrative follows the standard structure of a road movie not dissimilar to his past hits Dumb and Dumber and Me, Myself, and Irene. The humor, based primarily in Tony's ignorance and lewdness is rote and by the numbers, as is the way the film handles its central moral, from Tony quipping about the size of women's breasts in Pittsburgh, to his incredulous reaction when he discovers Dr. Shirley is unfamiliar with Little Richard's music, to his dramatic proclamation that his world is "blacker" than Dr. Shirley's when comparing the poverty in his Italian American community to Dr. Shirley's upper class way of life.

Viggo Mortensen's commitment to the role of Tony is commendable, doing his very best to humanize the character despite the fact that he was virtually written to as a stereotypical caricature. As Dr. Shirley, Mahershala Ali is brilliant, lifting up the film with his presence and showcasing his wide range of talent by bringing subtlety to the script's underwritten and somewhat inconsistent depiction of the virtuoso - troubled, reserved, eloquent, lonely, alcoholic, closeted homosexual. The onscreen chemistry between Mortensen and Ali is serviceable but less than memorable. Though always a welcome sight, Linda Cardellini appears in a small part as Tony's wife Dolores without much to do.

Strong performances from Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali elevate Green Book's status from mediocre to pseudo-prestigious. At best, the film is a mostly harmless feel-good picture that simply wags a finger at racism in America. At worst, it doesn't quite work as a comedy or a drama, presenting situations that are far better executed in other pictures that tackle the same subject matter with substantially more grace, tact, and pertinence.


FRAGMENTS
- Dr. Shirley's family condemns the film, stating Tony and Dr. Shirley's relationship was only on a professional level, and the friendship depicted in the picture is a complete fabrication

- Viggo Mortensen gained over 40 pounds to play Tony


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Linda Cardellini (Laura Barton in Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers: Endgame, and Lylla in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

- Mahershala Ali (Eric Brooks in Blade)

The Shape of Water

THE SHAPE OF WATER
2017 | Dir. Guillermo del Toro | 123 Minutes

"When he looks at me, the way he looks at me, he does not know what I lack or how I am incomplete. He sees me, for what I am, as I am. He's happy to see me every time, every day."

In Cold War era Baltimore, Maryland, a mute woman named Elisa works as a janitor at a secret government facility. Elisa falls in love with an aquatic humanoid creature held captive in the lab, but as their romance blossoms she catches the attention of the sadistic colonel who captured the creature. With the creature's life on the line, Elisa helps the creature escape with the help of her friends.

The Shape of Water is a creature feature with a romantic heart beating at its core. Writer/Director Guillermo del Toro's fondness for monsters and old Hollywood colors every frame of the film. The audience is quickly introduced to Alisa who lives alone in a creaky apartment above an old movie theater through her day-to-day routine down to the most honest and intimate detail. As Alisa's relationship with the creature develops, rather than shy away from depicting the physical act of love, del Toro fully embraces the moment as one of romantic beauty and triumph. The supporting characters populating the relatively simple narrative are also nuanced and human to a fault, from Alisa's awkward neighbor who has a shy crush on the server at the local cafe to the villainous colonel who suffers from intense feelings of inadequacy.

As the mute heroine Elisa, Sally Hawkins is simply lovely and undeniably magnetic, carrying the film with genuine strength and grace. Doug Jones, the Boris Karloff of our time (and director Guillermo del Toro's regular ace in the hole), delivers yet another brilliant and affecting performance as the meticulously-realized fishman - here's hoping the Academy honors him with a statue some day if they're ever less stuffy about recognizing genre films. Character actor Michael Shannon at his most volatile raises the dramatic stakes considerably as the colonel, and leads a fantastic supporting cast featuring Octavia Spencer as Elisa's unhappily wed friend from work, Richard Jenkins as her kindly gay neighbor, and Michael Stuhlbarg as a conscientious soviet spy.

An artful and truly unique blend of pure romance and monster movie, The Shape of Water is a heartfelt tribute to those who feel unloved, and the fulfillment one may find in unexpected places. The film ranks among Guillermo del Toro's finest works, and it's without a doubt one of the best motion pictures of the year.


FRAGMENTS
- Writer/Director Guillermo del Toro reportedly asked for assistance from female members of his family and female friends to design the shape of the creature's butt to ensure that it was pleasing to the eye

- Doug Jones previously appeared in Writer/Director Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army based on Mike Mignola's comic book series as Abe Sapien, a similar amphibious humanoid creature

- Michael Stuhlbarg appears in three Best Picture Oscar Nominees that were released in 2017: this film, Call Me By Your Name, and The Post


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Michael Stuhlbarg (Nicodemus West in Doctor Strange and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

Moonlight

MOONLIGHT
2016 | Dir. Barry Jenkins | 111 Minutes

"You could be gay, but you don't got to let nobody call you no faggot."

Chiron, a shy African-American child nicknamed "Little" growing up in an impoverished South Miami neighborhood is antagonized by bullies and his emotionally abusive drug addict mother. A local pusher forms a positive bond with Little and quickly becomes a father figure to the boy but he soon realizes his business directly harms Little. As a teenager, Chiron becomes aware that he is sexually attracted to his childhood friend Kevin, but a violent incident involving Kevin drives him to retaliate against a tormentor. Several years later, now going a drug dealer going by the moniker "Black," Chiron reconnects with Kevin.

Written and directed by Barry Jenkins, based on MacArthur Fellow Tarell Alvin McCraney's semi-autobiographical play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, Moonlight is a work of true cinematic art. Jenkins' screenplay elegantly tells a deeply personal story of emotional conflict and personal discovery, chronicling Chiron’s journey into manhood, exploring what it means to be a man without providing a limiting definition. Admirably, Jenkins' direction never crosses over into heavy-handedness, a common pitfall countless great film directors still fail to avoid. Cinematographer James Laxton, and film editors Nat Sanders and Joi McMillon, have done commendable work in creating the three-act story, every frame a striking painting, each expertly timed sequence seamlessly flowing to the next. Also notable are composer Nicholas Britell's moving film score, Jenkins' expert use of diegetic music, and a recurring beach and ocean motif signifying Chiron's contentment.

Three talented actors playing Chiron for each of the narrative's three acts, each delivering their own unique take on the character. Child actor Alex Hibbert portrays Little with a moving quality of youthful innocence. Ashton Sanders is convincing as the teenage Chiron, a confused young man on the cusp of adulthood seething with anger just under the surface. As Black, Trevante Rhodes successfully demonstrates Chiron's transformation to what is virtually the inverse of Sanders' Chiron, a gentle soul encased in a rough abrasive exterior.

Though less dramatically notable than his counterpart, the part of Kevin is also played by three actors for each act of the story with Jaden Piner as Kevin as a child, Jharrel Jerome as teenage Kevin, and André Holland as the adult Kevin. Breaking type for the first time in her film career, the typically affable Naomie Harris is convincingly frightening and heartbreaking as Chiron's drug-addled mother Paula. Though he only appears during the first act of the film, Mahershala Ali leaves a lasting impression as Juan, bringing real pathos to the atypical role of a drug dealer who contains multitudes. Singer Janelle Monáe makes her film acting debut and delivers a likeable natural performance as Juan's attractive and emotionally supportive girlfriend Teresa. The film also features young actor Patrick Decile as archetypal school bully Terrel.

Visually stunning, featuring an extraordinary cast of young and veteran performers, Barry Jenkins' Moonlight is a remarkable motion picture. Though its narrative focuses on the life of one individual without straying far from one specific geographical region, the film's emotional scope is astonishingly grand, exploring numerous facets of personal identity discovered and transformed by time and pressure - both personal and societal.


FRAGMENTS
-  Roughly 80% of the film was shot on location in the real-life poverty-stricken Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, Florida

- Janelle Monáe and Mahershala Ali also appear in Hidden Figures, also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2017


007 CONNECTIONS
- Naomie Harris (Moneypenny in Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time To Die)

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Mahershala Ali (Eric Brooks in Blade)

Spotlight

SPOTLIGHT
2015 | Dir. Tom McCarthy | 129 Minutes

"If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to abuse one."

In 2001, under the direction of new editor Marty Baron, the Boston Globe's Spotlight investigative reporting team follows up on a child abuse case involving local clergy. The investigation quickly unravels well-organized and far-reaching workings perpetrated by leadership within the Catholic Church to allow, and subsequently cover up, thousands upon thousands of child sex abuse crimes committed by priests primarily targeting children from underprivileged neighborhoods and broken homes.

Spotlight is a sobering dramatization of the real life heroic investigative journalism by Boston Globe reporters that blew the lid off of one of the most shameful global conspiracies hidden in plain sight. Between the church's refusal to cooperate, the reluctant testimony of damaged abuse survivors, and a considerable amount of legal red tape, the Spotlight Team goes to great lengths to uncover the truth behind the labyrinthine scandal. While the reporters are first and foremost presented as courageous heroes, the film doesn't shy away from displaying their fallibility, placing a fair amount of emphasis on the consequences of prolonged inaction, revealing late in the picture that the Boston Globe had received reports of sexual abuse incidents for years but had done nothing about it. The film also calls into question the strategic timing of how and when the press releases information.

Michael Keaton plays Walter Robinson, the leader of the Spotlight Team, bringing a fair amount of humor and dignity to the role. Mark Ruffalo does what he does best as mild-mannered writer Michael Rezendes, a dedicated worker becoming gradually more enraged as the team delves deeper into the investigation. Rounding out the Spotlight Team are Rachel McAdams as Sacha Pfeiffer, a Midwestern transplant with a churchgoing Bostonian grandmother, and Brian d'Arcy James as Matt Carroll, who turns out to live literally down the street from a group of alleged child-abusing clergymen. In minor but notable roles are Liev Schreiber as Marty Baron, and John Slattery as Editor Ben Bradlee Jr., with Billy Crudup turning up the smarm as smug attorney Eric MacLeish, and Stanley Tucci nearly stealing the film outspoken lawyer Mitchell Garabedian. In an uncredited performance, character actor Richard Jenkins lends his voice as Richard Sipe, a sociologist and former priest who wrote about sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, a valuable resource for the Spotlight Team.

Spotlight is an exemplary film, honest in its portrayal of a deeply troubling issue, and compelling in nearly every minute of its running time. With a fantastic ensemble cast working with a rock solid screenplay that was once on the 2013 Blacklist*, it is one of the best pictures of 2015.

*The Black List is an annual survey of the most-liked Hollywood movie scripts not yet produced. 


FRAGMENTS
- The credits and title cards throughout the film are in Miller typeface, the same typeface used by the Boston Globe for headlines and copy


MCU CONNECTIONS
- John Slattery (Howard Stark in Iron Man 2, Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Endgame)

- Stanley Tucci (Abraham Erskine in Captain America: The First Avenger)

- Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner in The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day)

- Rachel McAdams (Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness)

- Michael Keaton (Adrian Toomes in Spider-Man: Homecoming)

Rocky

ROCKY
1976 | Dir. John G. Avildsen | 119 Minutes

"Nobody's ever gone the distance with Creed, and if I can go that distance and that bell rings and I'm still standin', I'm gonna know for the first time in my life that I weren't just another bum from the neighborhood."

Washed-up Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa is chosen by world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed to be his next opponent. With support from cranky boxing coach Mickey and his mousy girlfriend Adrian, Rocky overcomes all odds, including his personal demons, and enters the ring, taking the chance of a lifetime, and doing the impossible by going the distance against the champ.

Written by and starring then-unknown Sylvester Stallone, Rocky may be the ultimate inspirational underdog fairy tale. First and foremost a character piece, the role of Rocky was written to be a reflection of Stallone's real life struggles at the time. Seen by most as nothing more than an uneducated bruiser, Rocky's brutish exterior hides a big heart and a fierce determination to succeed waiting to be awakened. The picture features one of the most famous training montages ever filmed, the first movie sequence ever to utilize the Steadicam, with Rocky jogging through the streets of Philadelphia set to Bill Conti's iconic rousing musical score.

Sylvester Stallone drives the film with a genuinely heroic performance, playing the title role with humor, grit, vulnerability, and heart. As the shy introvert Adrian, Talia Shire conveys a quiet hidden strength, perfectly complementing Stallone's Rocky. Character actor Burgess Meredith plays Mickey with explosive energy, delivering many of the film's best lines. Brimming with style and charisma, Former pro football player Carl Weathers is expertly cast as the bombastic Apollo Creed. Rounding out the supporting cast is Burt Young as Rocky's unpleasant rough-around-the-edges best friend Paulie.

Rocky is a crowd-pleaser that tells a universally appealing story. Sylvester Stallone's star-making all-or-nothing dream project is a Hollywood classic for the ages.


FRAGMENTS
- Frank Stallone, Sylvester Stallone's brother, makes a cameo appearance as a singer on a street corner

- Boxer Joe Frazier, who famously boxed three times against Muhammad Ali (a partial inspiration for the character of Apollo Creed), makes a cameo appearance in the film

- Troma Entertainment co-founder Lloyd Kaufman, who assisted in the production of Rocky, has a cameo appearance as drunk


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Lloyd Kaufman (Gridlemop in Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

- Sylvester Stallone (Stakar in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)
2014 | Dir. Alejandro G. Iñárritu | 119 Minutes

"Shave off that pathetic goatee. Get some surgery. Sixty's the new thirty, motherfucker."

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) stars Michael Keaton as Riggan Thomson, an aging washed-up Hollywood actor, best known for portraying the titular comic book hero "Birdman." Riggan struggles to make a comeback as a "serious" actor on Broadway but as his stage adaptation of Raymond Carver's "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" buckles under the strain of his troubled personal life, difficult co-stars, and critical scrutiny with opening night fast approaching, Riggan’s Birdman alter-ego, an ever-present embodiment of his mid-life crisis, strengthens its grip on his already-fragile psyche.

Possibly Keaton's best performance to date, he's brilliant as Riggan, a man who represents a heightened approximation of Keaton's career, both an egotistical cad and a sympathetic (mostly pathetic) loser at the end of his wits. All this can be said before applying the other half of the equation: Keaton completely letting loose as the volatile, foul-mouthed, psychotic Birdman, who begins the film as a raspy voice imbuing Thomson with (hallucinations of?) telekinesis and eventually evolves into a full lycra-superhero-suit-wearing manifestation complete with CGI-infused superpowers. Keaton is an absolute pleasure to watch in this film.

Edward Norton nearly steals the show as Mike Shiner, a talented stage actor who is notorious for being a nightmare for directors. Shiner is to Norton as Thomson is to Keaton, an entertaining exaggeration of Norton's reputation as a difficult actor, quick to serve up awful behavior to everyone in his wake. Shiner’s emotionally fragile girlfriend Lesley is played by Naomi Watts, delivering a performance to relish - an actress who is manic, unstable, and on the cusp of madness herself. Another stand-out performance in Birdman belongs to Zach Galifianakis, playing against as Thomson's level-headed yet relentlessly opportunistic lawyer. Rounding out the impressive supporting cast are Emma Stone, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, and Lindsay Duncan.

Though Birdman is set mostly in the theater and on the city blocks within its vicinity, director Alejandro G. Iñárritu brings a kinetic energy to the narrative by presenting the film as if it were shot in one take. Save for a recurring scene that bookends the film, through clever editing and special effects the picture seamlessly transitions from one scene to the next.

Birdman is an incredibly well-crafted, hilarious dark comedy sporting an amazing cast and more than a few twisty metatextual turns. Iñárritu guides Keaton and the audience through a bumpy ride from frustration to despair to psychosis and, ultimately, to triumph.


FRAGMENTS
- Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, and Emma Stone all have superhero movie cred

- Up until this film, I'd only ever seen Lindsay Duncan in minor parts on Doctor Who and Sherlock but she plays a great antagonist in this film, a merciless theatre critic who is all too ready to write-off Riggan sight unseen


MCU CONNECTIONS
- Edward Norton (Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk)

- Michael Keaton (Adrian Toomes in Spider-Man: Homecoming)

- Naomi Watts (EV in Spider-Man: Brand New Day)