Film: The Gentlemen

GENRE: Action, Crime, Comedy

RATING: R for lots of violence, language and sexuality
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 53 minutes

STARRING: Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, Wolf of Wall Street)

Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy); Hugh Grant (Love Actually)

DIRECTOR: Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Sherlock Holmes, Aladdin)

WRITER: Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch)

PLOT: A drug lord tries to sell his empire but there are complications.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: I enjoyed Guy Ritchie’s early work like Snatch.  

STORY STUFF: What an enjoyable film. Ritchie is back to his old self. The characters are quirky, menacing and full of wit. I will concede that there are number of common stereotypes though that seem a little dated. The story twists and turns with plenty of fun payoffs. I also found the story easier to follow than Snatch and Lock, Stock both in their accents and storylines. The language and the mob violence might not be for everyone but I had fun.

ACTING STUFF: Such a great cast. I’m not a huge McConaughey fan but he rocks this role as the drug lord wanting a change. He hits all the right notes. Grant is also highly entertaining. Half of it is his playful accent but he also is full of eccentricities. Colin Firth (In Bruges) and Jeremy Strong (Succession) also make some great character choices. I was not a fan of Michelle Dockery in Downton Abbey but I actually enjoyed her role as McConaughey’s wife. It was evident that every cast member was having a lot of fun in this film and gave it their all. How refreshing.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The film has the familiar Ritchie traits yet not as many as I thought there would be. Lots of playing with speed yet not too many quick jump cut sequences. I’m okay with Ritchie returning to his roots with this film.   

VERDICT: Four and a half stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You enjoy clever lines, British accents and Ritchie’s style.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Oscar Predictions

Film: Bad Boys For Life

GENRE: Action Comedy

RATING: R for lots of violence and language
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 3 minutes

STARRING: Will Smith (Men in Black, Independence Day, Bright)

Martin Lawrence (Big Momma’s House); Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix)

DIRECTORS: Adil & Bilall (Black, Gangsta)

WRITERS: Chris Bremner (newcomer); Joe Carnahan (The A-Team)

Peter Craig (The Town, Mockingjay Part One and Two)

PLOT: There’s a hit on Mike while Marcus contemplates retirement.  

FULL DISCLOSURE: I enjoyed the first two movies. Fun stuff.  

STORY STUFF: I actually found myself enjoying this installment over the second one. Not surprisingly, the storyline follows the same beats as the other ones. High action start. Check. Mike and Marcus argue about their life goals. Check. I was going to list the rest but don’t want to spoil the film for others. I’ll just say this third chapter is a lot of fun.

ACTING STUFF: Smith and Lawrence have incredible chemistry. They have not missed a beat. Both get plenty of chances to shine in this film. I also got over Lawrence’s pudginess pretty quickly (as compared to Todd in El Camino). I was happy that Pantoliano got more to do this time around instead of just yelling at Mike for killing people. The new characters from Miami’s AMMO squad also did well. I was surprised to see Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical) in this action role but she pulled it off fine. I found the villains not really memorable which is a shame considering their secret.

ARTISTIC STUFF: The director’s obviously read the Michael Bay book of blockbusters. Despite the lack of Bay in the director’s chair (he does make a quick cameo), the film looks incredibly Bay-ish from its iconic slow rise camera arc to the plane flying over the Miami sign. Add in the slick music, the trendy clubs, the shot up building filled with green tones and flames and you got practically a carbon copy Michael Bay film. I’m fine with it as it brings back the nostalgia of the first two. Bring on the fourth.

VERDICT: Four stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You’ve seen Bad Boys and want more.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: The Gentlemen

Film: 1917

GENRE: Drama, War

RATING: R for violence and some language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 59 minutes

STARRING: George MacKay (Captain Fantastic, Peter Pan)

Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones, Blinded by the Light)

DIRECTOR: Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Jarhead, Skyfall)

WRITERS: Mendes (newcomer), Krysty Wilson-Cairns (Penny Dreadful)

PLOT: Two young British soldiers need to deliver a message deep in enemy territory that will keep 1,600 men from walking into a trap.

FULL DISCLOSURE: High expectations from the first trailer on.

STORY STUFF: Loved every minute of it. The two things that make the story work is the clear obstacles of the deadly mission and the time restraint of getting there by the next morning. You are pulled along with these two soldiers as they make the arduous journey to hopefully save the day. Sure, there is a lot of walking, running, creeping and hiding, but there are some intense interactions and quiet, subdued moments as well. I also like that this story is about WWI which is rarely talked about. This film definitely had some elements of Saving Private Ryan and the beach scenes of Dunkirk. Not bad company to be a part of. I was engaged the entire time.

ACTING STUFF: For a couple of lesser known actors, they really wowed me. Kudos to the casting department. MacKay has this clean-cut earnestness that makes you want to root for him. Chapman has a drive that is infectious. Their comradery and emotional moments are well acted.  There are also a number of other big names like Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott and Benedict Cumberbatch in small military commander roles. They add their flavor but it’s all Chapman and MacKay. As it should be.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: I was blown away by the continuous one-shot cinematography. I’ve enjoyed the style before (like in Birdman) but it seemed more impressive this time around. Maybe it was because the changes in location, the terrain and the action pieces. I spent a bunch of time just imagining how the brilliant Roger Deakins (Sicario, Jarhead, Blade Runner 2049) was getting these shots. There’s a scene on slippery mud and a large lake of muddy water that impressed me with how the camera moved. Of course, I also knowingly smile when you can tell a cut has taken place in the dark shadows of a scene. Some were hard to find though. This amazing method of filmmaking helps keep you fully connected to the story and character. The movie is worth it for just the cinematography alone. (Check out this link to see how the film was shot AFTER you see the film to avoid spoilers.)

VERDICT: Five stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You want to be pulled into a gripping story of bravery

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Bad Boys for Life

2020 Oscar Nomination Predictions

The Oscar nominations are being announced this Monday.  Here is who I think will get the nominations this year and who I wish would get nominated (based on what I’ve seen). At this stage, I do not predict the shorts (live, animated or documentary), foreign films, animated feature or documentaries.

BEST PICTURE

Will be nominated: 1917 | The Irishman | Jojo Rabbit | Joker | Little Women | Marriage Story | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Parasite

Others I want nominated: Ford v Ferrari

BEST ACTOR

Will be nominated: Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory) | Leonard diCaprio (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) | Adam Driver (Marriage Story) | Taron Egerton (Rockerman) | Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)

Others I want nominated: Christian Bale (Ford v Ferrari) | Daniel Craig (Knives Out) | Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit) | Eddie Murphy (Dolemite Is My Name)

BEST ACTRESS

Will be nominated: Awkwafina (The Farewell) | Scarlet Johansson (Marriage Story) | Saoirse Ronan (Little Women) | Charlize Theron (Bombshell) | Renee Zellweger (Judy)

Others I want nominated: can’t think of anyone

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Will be nominated: Al Pacino (The Irishman) | Joe Pesci (The Irishman) | Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) | Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) | Song Kang Ho (Parasite)

Others I want nominated: Stephen Graham (The Irishman) | Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) | Archie Yates (Jojo Rabbit)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Will be nominated: Laura Dern (Marriage Story) | Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers) | Florence Pugh (Little Women) | Margot Robbie (Bombshell) | Zhao Shuzhen (The Farewell)

Others I want nominated: Lily James (Yesterday)

BEST DIRECTOR

Will be nominated: Bong Joon Ho (Parasite) | Sam Mendes (1917) | Greta Gerwig (Little Women) | Martin Scorsese (The Irishman) | Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

Others I want nominated: James Mangold (Ford v Ferrari) | Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Will be nominated: The Irishman | Jojo Rabbit | Joker | Little Women | The Two Popes

Others I want nominated: Avengers: End Game

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Will be nominated: Booksmart | Knives Out | Marriage Story | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Parasite

Others I want nominated: Yesterday

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Will be nominated: 1917 | The Irishman | Joker | The Lighthouse | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Others I want nominated: can’t think of any

BEST FILM EDITING

Will be nominated: Ford v Ferrari | The Irishman | Jojo Rabbit | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Parasite

Others I want nominated: can’t think of any

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Will be nominated: 1917 | The Irishman | Jojo Rabbit | Little Women | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Others I want nominated: Ford v Ferrari | Knives Out

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Will be nominated: Downton Abbey | The Irishman | Little Women | Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | Rocketman

Others I want nominated: Dolemite Is My Name

BEST MAKEUP & HAIR

Will be nominated: Bombshell | Joker | Rocketman

Others I want nominated: can’t think of any

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Will be nominated: 1917 | Avengers: Endgame | The Irishman | The Lion King  | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Others I want nominated: can’t think of any

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Will be nominated: 1917 | Joker | Little Women | Marriage Story | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Others I want nominated: can’t think of any

BEST SONG

Will be nominated: “I’m Gonna Love Me Again” (Rocketman) | “Into the Unknown” (Frozen II) | “Speechless” (Aladdin) | “Spirit” (The Lion King) | “Stand Up” (Harriet)

Others I want nominated: “Summer Song” (Yesterday)

BEST SOUND EDITING

Will be nominated: 1917 | Avengers: Endgame | Ford v Ferrari | Rocketman | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Others I want nominated: John Wick 3

BEST SOUND

Will be nominated: 1917 | Ad Astra | Avengers: Endgame | Ford v Ferrari | Rocketman

Others I want nominated: John Wick 3 | Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Let’s see how I do.

Film: Jojo Rabbit

GENRE: Comedy, Drama, War

RATING: PG-13 for thematic elements, violence and language
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 48 minutes

STARRING: Roman Griffin Davis (newcomer), Taika Waititi (Thor 3)

Thomasin McKenzie (The Hobbit), Sam Rockwell (Vice, Moon)

DIRECTOR: Taika Waititi (Thor 3, Hunt for the Wilderpeople)

WRITER: Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows)

PLOT: A young boy in Hitler’s army finds his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home. Y’know . . . comedy.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Preparing for Oscars. And heard good things.

STORY STUFF: Leave it to Waititi to adapt and direct a film that makes Nazi fanaticism goofy and make you feel for the Anne Frank-ness of the main storyline. It’s a bizarre mix that’s not for everyone but my wife and I found it immensely entertaining. If you can’t get past Jojo’s wacky Adolph Hitler imaginary friend, then this movie is not for you. For the rest of you, it’s pretty engaging and worth your time.

ACTING STUFF: Waititi has a gift for finding talented young actors. Like Julian Dennison in Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Davis is awesome as a young boy wishing to be a Nazi and friends with Hitler. He’s simply adorable and a treat to watch; instantly likeable. Along with Jojo, is the equally adorable pudgy friend, Yorki, played by newcomer Archie Yates. McKenzie plays well with Davis as the Jewish girl with an edge. Scarlet Johansson plays Jojo’s mother with care and humour. (What a big year for her.) Sam Rockwell & Rebel Wilson are quite funny as Nazi instructors and Stephen Merchant is fun as a cordial gestapo, but the highlight of the adults is Waititi as Adolph. He plays Hitler with such crazy energy and goofiness, it’s enough to make Charlie Chaplin’s dictator applaud.

ARTISTIC STUFF: Due to the bizarre nature of the story, there are some strange camera movements and fun playing with speeds. The opening montage of the camp is downright hilarious and got us laughing out loud. Some very fun music choices as well.

VERDICT: Four and half stars out of five

SEE IT IF: You are ready for something completely different.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: 1917 

2020 Golden Globes Wrap Up

Ricky Gervais returned to verbally insult Hollywood. Claiming this was his last time hosting, he had no problem going for the jugular, leaving a number of celebrities horrified. My favourite non-lethal joke of his was saying they were going to show a short clip from The Irishman and that it would be 88 minutes long. The presenter banter was pretty awful all night and the order in which they hand these things out is so random. Let’s give a bunch of television actor awards from different categories right off the bat and then give out the supporting actress for a limited series two hours later. Bizarre. When it comes to fashion this year, I guess women are going for the suit blazer taped to their boobs; well, except for Jennifer Lopez and her gigantic bow on her dress (what cause is that for?). To be fair to the men, Ewan McGregor’s suit also looked awful. For speeches, I enjoyed Olivia Colman’s tipsy thanks, Brad Pitt’s kind words and Laura Dern’s rally for the unsung hero, the divorce lawyer. The honorary awards were well chosen this year. Ellen’s clip package and speech was full of fun and emotion. Tom Hanks is the genuine article. I loved his three rules for the actor: 1. Be on time 2. Know your text 3. Have a head full of ideas. I think I’ll adopt these from now on. Finally, the awards themselves. Ramy Youssef said it best, “I know you guys haven’t seen my show.” How he got an award is anyone’s guess. Glad Fleabag, Chernobyl, 1917 and even Once Upon a Time in Hollywood all got some hardware. Was not impressed with Renee Zellweger’s award or speech. I’m also getting very tired of Patricia Arquette. As I said in the previous post, I was not predicting who would win but who I wanted to win. I got 10 of 25 categories. Terrible. Thanks a lot Hollywood Foreign Press and your bizarre voting habits. Anyway, here are the winners:

Best Motion Picture – Drama

1917 (wanted)

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama

Renee Zellweger (Judy)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama

Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) (wanted)

Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

Awkwafina (The Farewell)

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical

Taron Egerton (Rocketman)

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Laura Dern (Marriage Story) (wanted)

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

Best Animated Feature Film

Missing Link

Best Foreign Language Film

Parasite (South Korea) (wanted)

Best Director – Motion Picture

Sam Mendes (1917) (wanted)

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture

Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

Best Original Score – Motion Picture

Hildur Gudnadottir (Joker)

Best Original Song – Motion Picture

“I’m Gonna Love Me Again” (Rocketman)

Best Television Series – Drama

Succession

Best Actress in A Television Series – Drama

Olivia Colman (The Crown) (wanted)

Best Actor in A Television Series – Drama

Brian Cox (Succession)

Best Television Series – Comedy

Fleabag (wanted)

Best Actress in A Television Series – Comedy

Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) (wanted)

Best Actor in A Television Series – Comedy

Ramy Youssef (Ramy)

Best Limited Series or TV Movie

Chernobyl (wanted)

Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie

Michelle Williams (Fosse/Verdon)

Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie

Russell Crowe (The Loudest Voice) (wanted)

Best Supporting Actress in a Series or TV Movie

Patricia Arquette (The Act)

Best Supporting Actor in a Series or TV Movie

Stellan Skarsgard (Chernobyl)

2020 Golden Globes

So the Golden Globes are this Sunday. Like last year, I’ll just say who I want to win instead of predicting the actual winner. So don’t put money on any of this (like I’m sure you usually do). Let’s see how I do this year.

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

Want to Win: 1917

Haven’t been able to see it yet but think it’s going to be awesome.

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA

Want to Win: Joaquin Phoenix [Joker]

It’s an amazing performance. Also like Christian Bale though.  

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA

Want to Win: Saoirse Ronan [Little Women]

Don’t want Zellweger to win. Ronan does great work.  

BEST MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY

Want to Win: Knives Out

Love the whodunit. Rian Johnson needs a win.  

BEST ACTOR – COMEDY

Want to Win: Leonardo DiCaprio [Once Upon a Time in Hollywood]

I loved his washed up actor and lack of confidence.  

BEST ACTRESS – COMEDY

Want to Win: Beanie Feldstein [Booksmart]

She just seems the funniest among the other nominees.  

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - FILM

Want to Win: Joe Pesci [The Irishman]

He deserves it for his mobster. Hank’s Mr. Rogers was awesome.  

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - FILM

Want to Win: Laura Dern [Marriage Story]

She’s played this type of role before but she’s so good at it.  

BEST DIRECTOR

Want to Win: Sam Mendes [1917]

Assuming his single take worked well.  

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Want to Win: Toy Story 4

The Lion King better not win. But I bet Frozen II will take it.  

BEST FOREGIN LANGUAGE FILM

Want to Win: Parasite [South Korea]

I hear great things.  

BEST SCREENPLAY

Want to Win: Noah Baumbach [Marriage Story]

I’d say for the opening character descriptions alone.  

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Want to Win: Thomas Newman [1917]

I have no idea on this one.  

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Want to Win: “Into the Unknown” [Frozen II]

I’ll give it to the couple who wrote the earworm ‘Let It Go’  

BEST TV SERIES – DRAMA

Want to Win: The Crown

Lots of great episodes. Though I like The Morning Show too.  

BEST ACTOR – DRAMA

Want to Win: Kit Harington [Game of Thrones]

He did some nice dramatic work this year.  

BEST ACTRESS – DRAMA

Want to Win: Olivia Colman [The Crown]

Though I liked Claire Foy, Colman does a great job.  

BEST TV SERIES – COMEDY

Want to Win: Fleabag

Hands down the funniest show of the year.  

BEST ACTOR – COMEDY

Want to Win: Bill Hader [Barry]

He continues to rock this role.  

BEST ACTRESS – COMEDY

Want to Win: Phoebe Waller-Bridge [Fleabag]

She is a treat to watch and so sharp in her delivery.  

BEST LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE

Want to Win: Chernobyl

An eye-opening story that I knew very little about.  

BEST ACTOR – LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE

Want to Win: Russell Crowe [The Loudest Voice]

He was creepy and effective as Roger Ailes.  

BEST ACTRESS – LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE

Want to Win: Merritt Wever [Unbelievable]

I just like this actress and she deserves her due.  

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - TELEVISION

Want to Win: Andrew Scott [Fleabag]

The Hot Priest was a great love interest for Fleabag.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – TELEVISION

Want to Win: Helena Bonham Carter [The Crown]

She looked like she was having fun. Streep was also awesome.

There you have it.

2020 Film Preview

Here are the films that look interesting for the new year. Again, I am basing a lot of my picks on the people involved, familiarity, or an interesting plot description. My opinions may change closer to the release dates. Keep in mind that most these dates are flexible (some might get pushed into 2021). Here they are in release date order:

Jan.10 1917

A single-take war film in the trenches of WWI, finally in wide release.

Jan.17 Bad Boys for Life

Will Smith & Martin Lawrence return for more explosions sans Michael Bay

Jan.24 The Gentlemen

Guy Ritchie returns to his Lock Stock days with a fun role of Hugh Grant.

Mar.06 Onward

It’s Pixar. Includes Chris Pratt, Tom Holland and writer of Monsters U.

Apr.10 No Time to Die

I’m all in for this final James Bond installment with Daniel Craig.

May.01 Black Widow

I will put my faith in Marvel once again though the ads aren’t grabbing me.

May.08 Greyhound

Tom Hanks wrote and stars as a Navy commander. I like Tom Hanks.

Jun.05 Wonder Woman 1984

Gal Gadot plays the role so well. I’m definitely in for another round.

Jun.26 In the Heights

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical should make for a fun treat.

Jun.26 Top Gun: Maverick

Tom Cruise is back for more. Beach football instead of volleyball? Why not?

Jul.03 Free Guy

The trailer with Ryan Reynolds sells me on the concept. It should be fun.

Jul.10 Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Jason Reitman takes over from his dad.  I’ll trust him.

Jul.17 Tenet

It’s Christopher Nolan and a twisty sc-fi tale. This is sure to be amazing.

Aug.21 Bill & Ted Face the Music

This has been a long time coming. I’ll watch it for nostalgic reasons.

September The French Dispatch

It’s Wes Anderson and a killer cast (check out imdb). How can it go wrong?

Fall 2020 Mank

Mank = Mankiewicz. I like Citizen Kane and David Fincher. I’m intrigued.

Nov.06 Eternals

I was initially unsure about Guardians of the Galaxy; I’ll give this a chance.

Dec.18 Coming 2 America

Eddie Murphy gets the gang back together. Hoping it is just as funny.

Dec.18 Uncharted

Tom Holland as Drake from the video game. Bet it’ll be pushed though.

Dec.18 West Side Story

Spielberg tries his hand at the musical. Wonder how this will turn out.

UPCOMING REVIEWS: Golden Globe Predictions