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Reviews
All Is Bright (2013)
Tough story with redemption
"All Is Bright" isn't a feel-good holiday movie. The characters are barely surviving: An ex-con, a neer-do-well scraping by on odd jobs, and a materially well off housekeeper who suffers disappointment and disrespect. Not much actually is bright in their lives. With a film title that's sarcastic, what's to enjoy?
The ex-con is fresh out of prison, trying to go straight but tempted at points of despair or disappointment to going back to criminal acts. Not only is his wife considering marrying another man, but she told their daughter her father died rather than tell her he was in prison. As he tries to find gainful employment, no one is helpful except finally his former partner, the neer-do-well, who allows him to haul Christmas trees with him to New York City and sell them, for a cut of the profit.
The project doesn't go well with many challenges and downturns. The bright spot is the housekeeper, who befriends the ex-con and is there for him through all the misfortunes. Through it all, the ex-con struggles with whether he can win back his wife, whether he can be in his daughter's life, and at every turn whether he can stay straight.
This can be a difficult movie to watch at times, as there is little happiness in any of the characters' lives. But it's the occasional individual decisions of the characters to help one another, including the ex-con's ultimate gift to his daughter, that redeem this movie. Those kindnesses constitute the gem that shines in this otherwise tough story.
Waiting for the Barbarians (2019)
Who the Enemy Really Is
This is an excellent depiction of how empires crumble. The intention to pinpoint an alleged enemy, the inculcation of fear toward outgroups, and the ineffective use of torture to glean intelligence. Apply any or all of those lessons where you may, but they are all depicted neatly here in this gorgeously shot and extremely well acted and directed piece.
Mark Rylance, Gana Bayarsaikhan, and Johnny Depp stand out. Rylance portrays the magistrate who understands both the empire and the local situation and has the ability and intent to be human. Bayarsaikhan plays a local woman crippled by torture, conflicted by the magistrate's attempts to help her. And Depp plays the neat, soulless imperial officer who instigates everything.
What ensues is a detailed depiction of how empires go wrong at the micro level. The empire thinks it knows who the enemy is, who the barbarians are, but the magistrate and the locals have a different opinion. The empire really is its own enemy.
No Time to Die (2021)
An expansive, satisfying story with emotional depth
No Time to Die amazes me in its ability to cover so much action/suspense ground while simultaneously displaying an emotional trajectory, the climax of which is at least as satisfying as getting the villain is. Like many, I also felt the film was long, but not in terms of time: The film tells us two long stories simultaneously, one about foiling the latest scheme to subjugate the world and another about James Bond himself. It shouldn't be surprising that a film with such grand aspirations would take 163 minutes.
There's also a lot of detail to follow, a very intricate story with lots of details. I wish the film could have presented all these details in such a manner that the viewer could comprehend everything in a single viewing, but the movie really does require a subsequent viewing, which allows picking up interesting additional information and nuances. That, in no way, detracts from this movie; indeed, it makes No Time to Die worth relishing a bit.
The acting is tremendous on all counts, and Craig in particular is clearing enjoying the role beyond just portraying it. Jeffrey Wright, Naomi, Harris, and Ben Whishaw are all fabulous, and Ana de Armas is a revelation. Lashana Lynch is also outstanding. I can envision future 007 stories featuring Lynch and de Armas.
Along with the emotional depth, this film also brings historical series depth, not just working through loose ends from the 4 previous Craig movies, but also harkening to another unique Bond film in a poignant way. Plus there's a Jack London quote that was used similarly in yet another early Bond film. The musical score is outstanding. In addition to the wonderful title song performance, the background score is crafted so that careful listeners will detect score themes from previous films.
The result is a deeply satisfying film story that resolves the Daniel Craig Bond in an heroic way.
A Fall City Christmas (2018)
Eschews common Christmas movie tropes and instead offers meaning
This movie charts the trajectory of a young man trying to find his way. A failure at school and in society, he returns home for Christmas having nowhere else to go. In the days leading up to Christmas, he is faced with a number of situations that can help him discover how to live his life.
Fall City is quite realistic because it's so messy. Jon's life is a mess, but most of the other characters also have issues, too. Yet all of them are seeking something better; they somehow know that they should be better. For example, Jon's father is coarse and unwelcoming when he returns home, but later we see him engaging Jon as a father should. And Jon's post office colleague seems to have things all figured out, but ultimately we learn that he is grappling with family problems.
Even as Jon tries to keep a job and to do beneficent things, he is flummoxed. Life keeps throwing him curveballs that he struggles to handle. And he keeps making poor decisions. This movie doesn't exhibit a straight line of good deeds leading to rewards. Like in many Christmas movies, there's a romantic interest, but that relationship's trajectory is unexpected, too.
Even the precipitation isn't the usual Christmas trope: It rains a lot. That's expected for western Washington state, but unexpected for a Christmas movie.
Through all this mess, there is a valuable lesson about generosity. As Pastor Adam says, "Any gift worth giving comes at the price of a sacrifice." Jon finally learns to give sacrificially and, in the process, gains a whole lot.
Being the Ricardos (2021)
Excellent performances and a great story
I'm only somewhat familiar with "I Love Lucy", having grown up watching b&w reruns during the era of color TV. And I knew a few details about Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, and their two children. But this movie brings incredible insight into Ball and her personal and professional trajectories.
Kidman is simply outstanding as Ball: I frequently forgot who was playing the character, and she very convincingly portrays Ball as brash, gruff, and driven, though we do get to see Ball's gentler side some, too. Bardem is also excellent, though I think the role comes more naturally to him; nevertheless, he shows us a complex Latino exerting his business power yet significantly in awe of Ball.
The movie shows us the varieties of passion between Ball and Arnaz, as well as how they rely on and use one another to further their careers. But it is Ball's journey from a B-movie actress longing for a notion of home in her personal life to an absolute cultural star who realizes she wants--and is capable of--more.
There are also some excellent performances by the supporting cast, including J. K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, Ronny Cox, and (!) Linda Lavin, as well as others. Both Simmons and Arianda convincingly portrayed William Frawley and Vivian Vance, respectively.
I am amused by some critiques that are so focused on Aaron Sorkin and his approaches to writing and directing: I actually wasn't aware this was a Sorkin movie when I watched it, and I really don't agree with critiques of his writing/directing approach. Perhaps those critics should forget about Sorkin and just watch the movie.
Quantum of Solace (2008)
Innovative and refreshing
I consider this to be is one of the most innovative Bond films. I know it's not what a lot of Bond fans like, particularly because of the action sequences, but I think the up-close, choppy action movement better approximates what a participant would experience. I know that's not the usual director approach, which provides a smoother, suaver experience, but I think this approach in QoS is valid. I enjoyed it.
And I think QoS has two of the best action sequences ever in a Bond film: The opening scene's car chase and, even better, the scaffolding fight, wherein the two combatants deal with everchanging angles and trajectories as they slowly disintegrate the scaffolding they're fighting on. The scaffolding fight is so innovative.
And there are other innovations: I loved the plot beginning one hour after the previous movie. In most Bond films, the mission ends when the movie ends, but in QoS we find that the Casino Royale mission leads to another mission. Not the common movie experience, but I expect it's more like real life.
And I loved the main title and song. It's pulsating, and Jack White has written one of the most creative Bond theme. The sparse music heavy on percussion allows a focus on White's and Alicia Keys' vocal performances and on the outstanding lyrics.
And has there ever been a Bond movie where the female lead turns out to be an emotional twin to Bond? Vesper and Bond had some parallels in Casino Royale, but that relationship didn't work. Camille and Bond have parallel emotional angst, and they end up reaching out to help each other, and not in the usual romantic way. That's innovative, too.
Throughout the movie, everyone thinks Bond wants revenge. But ultimately and refreshingly, he may just want closure.
I'm sorry so many think the plot is incomprehensible. Perhaps when there's a mystery organization the intelligence establishment knows nothing about, things seems difficult to figure out. That's probably realistic, too.
The great strength that Daniel Craig brings to these latest films is his ability to show us a character in emotional turmoil while under professional control. If Quantum of Solace is incomprehensible, then that may be due to Bond figuring out the endgame of what he wants and why.
P.O.V.: Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North (2008)
Courageous examination of a family's history
The director undertook this film as a personal examination of her family's history, in particular, the family's involvement in the slave trade. The film brings a lot of history to light, including how the largest slave traders in US history were from ... Rhode Island. Plus how the Northern economy relied on the Southern slave economy for so many years.
But the film is primarily a subjective exploration by a group of family members. And their struggle, while imperfect, is gripping. Viewers will judge the various family members' approaches, and that's fine. But at least the family is examining and grappling with its history and, thus, with its white privilege.
This film was always going to be a self-examination, which may seem unduly self-absorbed to some. But honest self-examination is what a world full of white fragility could use more of these days. And I think this film demonstrates a fantastic template for how it might be done.
The Perfect Gift (2009)
Great core message marred by cheap shots
This is a great story with a great fundamental message about the true meaning of Christmas. Some of the characters are a bit predictable and one-dimensional (the self-serving lead pastor, the legally pious civil liberties activist), but they are tolerable as the main characters navigate and grow through the challenges before them.
Unfortunately, this story and its message are marred by the potshots taken at an alleged war on Christmas. No local government would outlaw a creche on church property. None. And no school would send home a student for the phrase "Reason for the season". Those are strawman situations that the movie piously knocks down with a sledgehammer. More realistic challenges handled more eloquently would have made this a much better movie.
The movie's characters frequently treat everyone as if they're Christians, whch is also unrealistic. Christians live in a world with people of other religions, which is why businesses call things a holiday party or a winter gala, and we all need to respect other people's religious choices. This movie's Christian characters want their choices respected; so they should treat others (of other religions) as they would want to be treated.
Once one gets past the cheap shots and the tunnel vision, however, this movie has a great message for those who do celebrate or want to celebrate Christmas.