Saturday, June 18, 2022
Cyrano
- Commentary: Under construction, although, I must mention, I just acquired this film today (6/18/2022) and I'm really looking forward to spending the afternoon with it, so expect a write-up of it soon.
By the way, in addition to the review linked to the title of this post, yes, from RogerEbert.com, the site also published this interesting interview with director Joe Wright. In it Mr. Wright talks about, among other subjects, the many adaptations of this nineteenth century play based on the life of a seventeenth century French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Peter Dinklage Cyrano de Bergerac Haley Bennett Roxanne Kelvin Harrison Jr. Christian de Neuvillette Ben Mendelsohn De Guiche Bashir Salahuddin Le Bret Monica Dolan Marie Joshua James Valvert Anjana Vasan Sister Claire
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2021
Directed by Joe Wright.
Labels: §4, ben-mendelsohn, historical4, period7, peter-dinklage, romance5
Saturday, February 12, 2022
The New World
- Commentary: Under Construction
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Colin Farrell Cpt. John Smith Q'orianka Kilcher Pocahontas Christopher Plummer Cpt. Christopher Newport Christian Bale John Rolfe August Schellenberg Chief Powhatan Wes Studi Opechancanough David Thewlis Edward Wingfield Yorick van Wageningen Samuel Argall Irene Bedard Pocahontas' Mother John Savage Thomas Savage Ben Chaplin Robinson Jonathan Pryce King James VI & I Ben Mendelsohn Ben Raoul Trujillo Tomocomo Brían F. O'Byrne Lewes Alexandra W. B. Malick Queen Anne Myrton Running Wolf Tockwhogh Will Wallace William Sentry Rulan Tangen Two Moons Jesse Borrego Pepaschicher
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2005
Directed by Terrence Malick.
Labels: §3, ben-mendelsohn, christian-bale, christopher-plummer, Criterion3, jesse-borrego, jonathan-pryce, period6, wes-studi
Sunday, January 17, 2021
The Dark Knight Trilogy: The Dark Knight Rises
- Commentary: This is my favorite Christopher Nolan Batman movie. The internal battle that subsumes itself into a battle with the evil elements of society in Batman Begins finally has to be faced by Bruce Wayne in this third installment of The Dark Knight Trilogy. He has lost the love of his life and was forced to kill one of his foremost supporters in city government. He has convinced his other government supporter to blame himself for the killings of the other government supporter. Even technical whiz bosom buddy collaborator, Lucius Fox, has become disenchanted with Wayne. Alfred Pennyworth is still loyal but sorely disappointed. Catwoman figures heavily in the movie and it's impossible to tell, throughout most of it, if she is friend or foe.
The movie is filled with a confusion of events, one being Batman's imprisonment, another being Batman's presumed death from his final act to save Gotham from a nuclear bomb and the final being Batman's funeral. Despite all this confusion, the movie has a highly gratifying conclusion, in which Robin figures prominently. It leaves you wondering if Bruce will ever again take on the role of Batman, but it is a satisfying curiosity. Certainly, I doubt that Nolan will extend Batman's story, but, who knows what others will do.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Christian Bale Bruce Wayne/Batman Michael Caine Alfred Pennyworth Gary Oldman James Gordon Anne Hathaway Selina Kyle/Catwoman Tom Hardy Bane Marion Cotillard Miranda Tate/Talia al Ghul Joseph Gordon-Levitt John Blake Morgan Freeman Lucius Fox Liam Neeson Ra's Al Ghul Matthew Modine Foley Ben Mendelsohn Daggett William Devane President
Here's the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
Release Date: 2012
Directed by Christopher Nolan.
Labels: action2, adventure2, ben-mendelsohn, christian-bale, christopher-nolan, drama1, michael-caine, morgan-freeman, neo-noirC, political1, super-hero1, thriller1, violence1, william-devane
Saturday, January 16, 2021
Exodus: Gods and Kings
- Commentary: I own this movie because I have a particular fascination for the Moses part of the origin story of the Jewish people and their attempts to, and successes at, forming a nation. This is my fourth version of the Moses story, the others being: The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston as Moses, Moses with Ben Kingsley playing Moses, superbly, I think, and Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments, DeMille's first, silent production of the Moses story, which combines the story with a modern day film meditation of the application of the ten commandments in what was, at that time, modern life.
This movie, staring Christian Bale as Moses, is certainly entertaining. I go on "Moses" binges during which I watch all of my Moses movies back-to-back. This version is as involving and entertaining as all the others. Joel Edgerton is particularly fun as Pharaoh Ramses. John Turturro strikes an appropriately wise and world-weary Seti. Much to my delight, Ben Kingsley also appears in this movie as a major/minor figure, Nun. There are so many recognizable stars playing bit parts in this movie that it makes you wonder ...
Truth is, even though I consider it a delightful addition to my Moses archive, it's easy to wonder, as I watch it, why this Moses story was even produced and why all these major stars (including those in minor parts) assented to participate. Mind you, I have no quarrel with versions and versions of the Moses story. I find them endlessly fun and fascinating. Of all the versions I own, though, this is the only one that appears to be an obvious Ridley Scott money grab, and, frankly, only a money grab. We know how spectacular Scott can be producing an epic. You only need to point to Gladiator. In that movie, it's obvious that Ridley Scott, the director for that movie, too, was not only thinking about content, he thought assiduously and well about it. Not so with this production. There are some roles that featured large in my other Exodus epics that were merely spit upon in passing in this movie: Dathan, for instance, and Jethro. There are others that featured large in this movie that were, again, spit upon in passing or altogether ignored in my other Exodus epics: Miriam, for instance, and Viceroy Hegep.
Still, it's fun to watch, in the context of my other Moses movies. I'll not be passing it on to someone else.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Christian Bale Moses Joel Edgerton Rameses II John Turturro Seti I Aaron Paul Joshua Ben Mendelsohn Viceroy Hegep María Valverde Zipporah Sigourney Weaver Tuya Ben Kingsley Nun Isaac Andrews Malak Hiam Abbass Bithiah Indira Varma High Priestess Ewen Bremner Strategy Expert Golshifteh Farahani Nefertari Ghassan Massoud Grand Vizier Paser Tara Fitzgerald Miriam Dar Salim Cmdr. Khyan Andrew Tarbet Aaron Ken Bones Court Scribe Anton Alexander Dathan Kevork Malikyan Jethro
You'll notice, above, that the name "Malak" is hyperlinked to an article that well discusses the use of this word/name biblically. I became very curious about this word/name because of the character who sports it in this movie. Interesting read, no matter how you feel about the movie. Although many people, including some prominent reviewers, have identified this character as the Abrahamic God, the definition to which I've linked clearly undermines this interpretation by identifying this word as meaning a "messenger" and an "angel".
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2014
Directed by Ridley Scott.
Labels: ben-kingsley, ben-mendelsohn, bible-movies1, christian-bale, drama2, historical1, indira-varma, john-turturro, military, moses, popcorn-and-soda1, religion1, ridley-scott, sigourney-weaver, spectacle1, violence1
Monday, July 01, 2019
Captain Marvel
- Commentary: Frankly, although I like this movie, I'm not a huge fan. Not like like I am with, say, Iron Man or the Unbreakable trilogy (I know it's not called that, but I think it's more recognizable as that). I haven't been following a lot of the Marvel Universe characters on film. I watch some of the Netflix series, which seems to do a good job with MCU characters): The Punisher, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Daredevil, but the movies haven't really caught my attention. The reason I bought this movie is because Samuel L. Jackson, Annette Bening and Jude Law are in it: thus, I thought, it's gotta be great, you know?!? Long story short, I was wrong. It's not bad, and I have nothing against Brie Larson. I've caught accidental snippets of commentary against her, but, as far as I can tell, none of it attacks her performance as Captain Marvel. I ended up deciding to own Captain Marvel for the same reason I own Black Panther. I thought it might be interesting and promising. Turns out, I find Black Panther much more interesting and involving, and promising. I've watched that movie a couple of times since I bought it and I'm anticipating spin-offs of some of the characters. Some of those spin-offs have already been proposed, and/or promised. But, if a sequel to this movie is launched, I'll probably skip it.
After the beginning, the movie was tedious for me, until close to the end. I liked the special effects in it, especially what they did with the de-aging/aging of Samuel L. Jackson. I think the problem is with the script. The story just didn't have enough oomph, enough surprise, nor was its presentation of backstory particularly imaginative, or, for that matter, innovative.
I won't be donating it to the library, yet, anyway, although they would probably be glad of another copy, considering how popular it is. I cherish my super-hero movies, even if they're bad (although I haven't yet found one that is truly bad, probably because I am initially so very, very selective). And, anyway, considering all the other characters in the movie I liked, well, maybe, just maybe ...
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Brie Larson Carol Danvers/Vers/ Captain Marvel Samuel L. Jackson Nick Fury Ben Mendelsohn Talos/Keller Djimon Hounsou Korath Lee Pace Ronan the Accuser Lashana Lynch Maria Rambeau Gemma Chan Minn-Erva Annette Bening Supreme Intelligence/Mar-Vell/Dr. Wendy Lawson Clark Gregg Phil Coulson Jude Law Yon-Rogg Algenis Pérez Soto Att-Lass Rune Temte Bron-Char
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 2019
Directed by Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck.
Labels: action2, adventure2, aliens, annette-bening, ben-mendelsohn, don't-ask-me-why, female-director3, popcorn-and-soda2, pseudo-cgi-animation, samuel-l-jackson, science-fiction1, super-hero1, violence2
