The First Eight Months: Part One

As of Sunday night, I have finally seen fifty (50) movies released in the United States in 2018. We haven't talked about the films of this year since April, so why don't we use this occasion to rectify that?

Previously written about (16): Annihilation, Are We Not Cats?, Black Panther, The Death of Stalin, Fifty Shades Freed, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, Golden Slumber, Little Forest, Love, Simon, Paddington 2, The Princess and the Matchmaker, Ready Player One, Red Sparrow, Tomb Raider, Unsane, The Young Karl Marx

But you know what I haven't written about, until now?

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again!

dir: Ol Parker

scr: Ol Parker, story by Ol Parker and Richard Curtis and Catherine Johnson

adapted from: the original musical play Mamma Mia! conceived by Judy Craymer and written by Catherine Johnson

seen: Regal LA Live 16

As Sophie deals with continuing her mother's legacy, we flashback to how young Donna came to Greece and collected her dot-dot-dots. This is not deep entertainment, but by God, Parker knows just how to deploy an ABBA new-mom ballad for maximum emotions. The dancing is great. The cast is having a ball. I saw it twice.

Brief notes on 16 other films - including Solo: A Star Wars Story, BlacKkKlansman, and Incredibles 2 - just after the jump...

Coming Attractions: Most Anticipated 2018

Happy New Year! And happy week o' lists, as we look back at the year that was in movies...

But first! The year ahead! These are the fifteen titles that I'm most looking forward to in 2018...

15. Halloween

release date: October 19th
dir: David Gordon Green
scr: Green/Danny McBride, based on characters created by John Carpenter & Debra Hill
David Gordon Green - a very solid director - has the direct blessing of John Carpenter himself, and Jamie Lee Curtis is back as Laurie Strode. Apparently this film is ignoring every Halloween film after the original, which is kind of a shame, but I guess there's no other way to bring Laurie back, considering the events of Halloween: Resurrection (I'm not apologizing if that's a spoiler for you - that movie is all about Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks). Yours truly owns every Halloween film on BluRay, so yeah, I'm here for it.

Musicals, dogs, klansmen and more, after the jump...

Everyone Says I Love "Everyone Says I Love You"

This post is a part of Andrew's Musicals Blog-a-thon. (Sorry for the late entry, Andrew!) Check it out at Encore Entertainment.

Pierce Brosnan was crucified universally for his singing in Mamma Mia!, even earning a Razzie for Worst Supporting Actor. I may be the lone voice here, but I found him absolutely great in the movie. He plays it straight, and even though his voice isn't trained, he can carry a tune. It's not like he's tone-deaf. Anyway, there's a certain charm to that rough voice, and while that would be unsuitable for something like Andrew Lloyd Weber or Stephen Sondheim, this is ABBA. Brosnan sounds like someone's dad using the music of his youth to best express how he feels, and he's sincere about it. He's got feeling in his delivery, and that's what I want when someone's singing.

Everyone Says I Love You, Woody Allen's only musical, is based entirely around this idea. Few of the actors can sing or dance; those that can were asked to do so worse. The idea here is that normal, everyday people, not given the gift of Garland, can become so full of emotion and romance that they are compelled to sing despite their own limitations. It's a beautiful and dangerous idea, yet Woody is blessed with actors who can actually carry a tune for the most part.

I mean, he's no Frank Sinatra, but I wish Edward Norton would sing more. He's at least as good as Fred Astaire (though the same cannot be said for his dancing). We never for one moment doubt his sincerity when he croons to Drew Barrymore, "What are your charms for/What are my arms for/Use your imagination!" And honestly, the dorky dance in the Harry Winston number is charming. Norton acquits himself admirably in the first two numbers, and even though it's just a snippet, his portion of "I'm Thru With Love" begs to be expanded into a full solo.

Tim Roth's embarrassingly uncouth ex-convict also gets a moment to shine, as he seduces Miss Barrymore in a rooftop serenade. Drew's been waiting for a knight in shining armor to sweep her off her feet, and while Edward Norton's a nice guy, there's no dramatic flair to him. So when Roth corners her on the balcony, immediately names all the places he'd like to diddle her, and finishes off by singing "If I Had You"...well, wouldn't you break off your engagement? Against words like, "I could climb a snow-capped mountain/Sail the mighty ocean wide/I could cross the burning desert/If I had you by my side", Norton's little opener seems...quaint.



But Woody's no fool. Most of the numbers are performed by an ensemble of trained singers. Even though the focus is on ordinary voices singing extraordinary songs, he is at least smart enough not to spend so much time on the more awful singers, even cutting away from himself after only getting a few lines into "I'm Thru with Love". (This, by the way, is smart. Not only are we spared Woody's straining vocals, but it furthers the impact of his despair by not allowing him to finish.) Drew Barrymore was dubbed over by Olivia Hayman when she and Woody agreed that her voice was beyond the levels of human tolerance. She has since appeared as a singer in Lucky You and a songwriter in Music and Lyrics. Only Julia Roberts stands out as having the longest song and the worst voice.

His greatest choice? Saving the best for last. Goldie Hawn is the only trained singer and dancer in the cast. Woody even asked her to try singing worse so that she'd more believable. Yet he also gives her the best number, the full version of "I'm Thru With Love", sung by the Seine, culminating in a dance that reminds us of the Hollywood musicals of the 1930s. It's romantic and magical, and is about 60% of the reason why Everyone Says I Love You is my second favorite movie (Nashville, another unconventional musical, is my Number One).



(The dialogue is dubbed into Italian, I believe. Enjoy the song, though)

I Really DO Wanna Zigazig Ah!

Judy Craymer, creator and producer of the amazingly cheesy yet fucking incredible Mamma Mia!, apparently just signed a deal with the greatest band of the 90s to bring their music to the London stage. Another jukebox musical, there is no known storyline, but Viva Forever (yes, that's the title) is keeping in the spirit and humor of the original band.

And who is the band?

The mutha-effin' Spice Girls.



On the one hand, I totally wanted to be first on this. On the other...oh my God. A Spice Girls musical. This...this is Heaven. It better be amazing.

This just leaves one question: will there be a role for La Streep in the eventual movie adaptation? Or will Judi Dench have to be the celebrity in this one?

Music I am Listening to At the Moment

Mamma Mia!, but specifically "Super Trouper" more often than not
Featuring the following lyrics:
"Super Trouper
Lights are gonna find me
Shining like the sun
Smiling, having fun
Feeling like a number one"
Yeah! What?




Carrie: The Musical
Featuring the following lyrics:
"Come on, ladies!
I wanna see sweat!
I keep a-lookin' but I ain't seen it yet!"
Poetry, truly.



The song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree", as performed by Tony Orlando & Dawn, Dean Martin, Perry Como, etc.
Featuring the following lyrics:
"Tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree
It's been three long years
Do you still want me?
If I don't see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree
I'll stay on the bus
Forget about us
Put the blame on me
If I don't see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree"
Aw, that's sweet. But where he has been for three years? What are the other lyrics?
"I'm comin' home, I've done my time"
"I'm really still in prison, my love she holds the key"
"If you received my letter telling you I'd soon be free"
So....this is about a convict? One who apparently isn't innocent? And we don't know what crime he committed? This is just bizarre. Maybe I don't get the whole romanticism of the prison system, but man the 60s and 70s were full of that, weren't they?

The Brits

The BAFTAs announced today, and that's always interesting. They allow double nominees in acting categories, say "FUCK YOU" to category fraud, and have the tendency to surprise us all. Even if they have the same movies, they nominate them in unfamiliar categories. Let's just look.

BEST FILM
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
REACTION: So, I kind of figured they'd nominate The Reader, but I'm surprised they got Milk. It's a much more American tale than, say, Frost/Nixon. I figured Doubt would be more their style. Live and learn.

DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry, The Reader
Clint Eastwood, Changeling
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
REACTION: No Nolan is a bit of a shock, but even more so is the inclusion of Clint Eastwood for Changeling. I guess they love him across the pond more than we do here. Good movie, but I wouldn't nominate Eastwood above Nolan.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Dustin Lance Black, Milk
Philippe Claudel, I've Loved You So Long
Ethan Coen/Joel Coen, Burn After Reading
Martin McDonagh, In Bruges
J. Michael Straczynski, Changeling
REACTION: All Awesome on the McDonagh Front. I like how DLB is the only nominee getting any Oscar heat as well. The Coens are deserving, Straczynski, less so.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
David Hare, The Reader
Justin Haythe, Revolutionary Road
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
REACTION: No surprises here.

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
The Baader Meinhof Complex
Gomorrah
I've Loved You So Long
Persepolis
Waltz with Bashir
REACTION: Interesting thing here. First off, BAFTA does not limit one entry per country, as France has both I've Loved You So Long and Persepolis. Also, release dates are wonky, since Persepolis was a 2007 release in most other places. Also, there are two animated films in competition here. BAFTA is odd.

ANIMATED FILM
Persepolis
WALL-E
Waltz with Bashir
REACTION: Persepolis, am I right?

LEADING ACTOR
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
REACTION: See, BAFTA gets it. Dev Patel is the lead, not a supporting player. Otherwise, the usual suspects are there.

LEADING ACTRESS
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, The Reader
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
REACTION: This is what I mean. Kate is the lead in two movies, therefore she gets nominated twice in the lead category. No choosing between roles, no category fraud. Just the truth. Although, having seen 3/5 of the films nominated, I gotta say this is disappointing. Angie? What the hell is BAFTA's deal with Changeling? And why is Kate always nominated when Leo isn't, even though he turns in far more believable performances in their films? At least Meryl's here, but I'm shocked at their snubbing of Happy-Go-Lucky and its star, Sally Hawkins.

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder
Brendan Gleeson, In Bruges
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading
REACTION: Glad they included Pitt and Gleeson in this category. BAFTA has a sense of humor, as proven by 3/5 of this category -- 4, if you include Heath's Joker, but he was never ha-ha funny, more squirmily uncomfortable funny.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Freida Pinto, Slumdog Millionaire
Tilda Swinton, Burn After Reading
Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
REACTION: Tilda was much better in Benjamin Button, but I'm glad Burn After Reading is getting so much attention. I'm glad I'm not alone in preferring Adams' turn to Davis's in Doubt. Davis is electric, but Adams does some really subtle work here. The Pinto nom is strange. She's good, but there was far better actressing in far deeper roles this year. Synecdoche, anyone? Was that even eligible?

MUSIC
Benny Andersson/Bjorn Ulvaeus, Mamma Mia!
Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
James Newton Howard/Hans Zimmer, The Dark Knight
Thomas Newman, WALL-E
A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
REACTION: Ma...Mamma Mia? Really? You...you lost me BAFTA. That's not...oh, never mind.

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins/Chris Menges, The Reader
Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire
Claudio Miranda, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Wally Pfister, The Dark Knight
Tom Stern, Changeling
REACTION: No, seriously, what's with all the Changeling love? It wasn't, like amazing. It was OK.

EDITING
Kirk Baxter/Angus Wall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Joel Cox/Gary D. Roach, Changeling
Chris Dickens, Slumdog Millionaire
Jon Gregory, In Bruges
Dan Hanley/Mike Hill, Frost/Nixon
Lee Smith, The Dark Knight
REACTION: I really do love the In Bruges party that is the BAFTAs. If only Colin was nominated...

PRODUCTION DESIGN
Donald Graham Burt/Victor J. Zolfo, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Nathan Crowley/Peter Lando, The Dark Knight
Michelle Day/Mark Digby, Slumdog Millionaire
Gary Fettis/James J. Murakami, Changeling
Debra Schutt/Kristi Zea, Revolutionary Road
REACTION: That's fine. That's okay.

COSTUME DESIGN
Lindy Hemming, The Dark Knight
Deborah Hopper, Changeling
Michael O'Connor
Jacqueline West, The Curious case of Benjamin Button
Albert Wolsky, Revolutionary Road
REACTION: You know, if it wasn't for technical awards, I would never have a reason to see The Duchess. I was happier before.

SOUND
Ben Burtt/Tom Myers/Michael Semanick/Matthew Wood, WALL-E
Glenn Freemantle/Resul Pookutty/Richard Pryke/Tom Sayers/Ian Tapp, Slumdog Millionaire
Lora Hirschberg/Richard King/Ed Novick/Gary Rizzo, The Dark Knight
Eddy Joseph/Chris Munro/Mike Prestwood Smith/Mark Taylor, Quantum of Solace
Walt Martin / Alan Robert Murray / John Reitz / Gregg Rudloff, Changeling
REACTION: I've decided BAFTA only saw Changeling, and Christmas-treed the rest. Seriously. What am I missing? WALL-E does have some kick-ass sound work, and I like how BAFTA has just one sound category. Easier.

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
Eric Barba/Craig Barron/Nathan McGuinness/Edson Williams, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Chris Corbould/Nick Davis/Paul Franklin/Tim Webber, The Dark Knight
Chris Corbould/Kevin Tod Haug, Quantum of Solace
Pablo Helman, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Shane Patrick Mahan/John Nelson/Ben Snow, Iron Man
REACTION: This looks fine, although I recently found out that some very impressive Milk cinematography was actually some kick-ass visual effects. So. Anyway, good list, except that everything looks fake in Indiana Jones, and isn't that just antithetical?

MAKE UP & HAIR
Steven E. Anderson / Michael White, Milk
Jan Archibald/Daniel Phillips, The Duchess
Jean Black / Colleen Callaghan, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Edouard Henriques/Kim Santantonio, Frost/Nixon
Peter Robb-King, The Dark Knight
REACTION: Man, does Frost/Nixon ever deserve that hair nom. I mean, Michael Sheen. That hair.

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
Hunger
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Man on Wire
Slumdog Millionaire
REACTION: Man, only BAFTA would nominate Mamma Mia! over and over. I love how documentaries get on these lists. That's pretty boss.

THE ORANGE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
Michael Cera
Noel Clarke
Michael Fassbender
Rebecca Hall
Toby Kebbell
REACTION: Not to belittle this "public", but why were Cera and Kebbell not nominated last year? Both had relatively high-profile films last year, released in Britain in time for awards consideration, so...? Also, I hate to sound ignorant, but who is Noel Clarke?

My Kick-Ass/Kickline Weekend

The counter-programming method of release this past weekend was interesting. The film for Men, Cinephiles, and Comic Book Fans, The Dark Knight, was of course expected to do much better than the film for Housewives, Theatre Fairies, and Nostalgic Boomers, Mamma Mia!. And Lord did it ever.

Yet both films were for me. A Batfan from birth, I had been looking forward to The Dark Knight since mid-way through Batman Begins. An ABBA fan since whenever ("Fernando" and "Gimme Gimme Gimme" were childhood favorites) and a lover of Meryl Streep, I actually eagerly awaited Mamma Mia! more than the Bat-flick. At first.

Fortunately, I was able to see both films this weekend, one right after the other.

THE DARK KNIGHT
Dear God, if ever there was a definitive adaptation of a comic book, this is it. It has to be. The "realistic" approach that began with the first film is improved upon here, with the Nolans creating a crime thriller that just happens to have a man in a bat-suit running about. Aided, perhaps, by its length, The Dark Knight is the first Batman movie to fully flesh out the hero and the villains without losing a story thread. (Remember Michael Keaton in Batman Returns? Nor do I.) The cast becomes a fully realized ensemble, with ample screen time for each character, all perfectly cast.

A significant scene shows Batman (Christian Bale) on a rooftop with Lieutenant Gordon (Gary Oldman) and new District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). And here we have our leads. Oh, yes, there are a few surprises concerning these characters, and it would be wrong to suggest that the Joker (Heath Ledger) has a smaller role than these three, but these are your leads. They are the Moral Minority, as it were, and the film focuses on the downfall of that minority.

Gotham finally looks more like a real city than a soundstage--credit that to filming in Chicago, proving my Mother's theory that all great films take place there (Ferris Bueller, anyone?). The score composed by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer is suspenseful (the familiar themes from the previous film), inspiring (Dent's theme), and frightening (the Joker). The Batsuit is improved, Morgan Freeman's Lucius Fox is developed, the structure is damn near flawless--it treats the comic book movie as a literary adaptation, and succeeds.

Yes, all that you have heard about Ledger is true. This is it, the greatest portrayal of the Joker put to film. With a slashed smile and chilling cackle, he's lost none of psychotic humor Jack Nicholson developed, but improves upon it. What we get is one of the greatest screen villains of our time. The man's damn funny, but you can't laugh because it's too disturbing.

It is Aaron Eckhart, though, who surprises and amazes as Harvey Dent/Two-Face. As I said: Batfan from birth. I'm usually just waiting for Dent's transformation to finally happen. But the Nolans script and Eckhart portrays Dent so sympathetically, so heroically, that I hoped that, perhaps, he didn't have to become Two-Face. He really is the White Knight of Gotham, and the armor shines through.

Christian Bale's Batman becomes more intimidating this time around. We get to see Jealous Bruce, as he becomes envious of Dent's relationship with Rachel Dawes (new and improved with Maggie Gyllenhaal). Sexy Bruce, as he does his billionaire schtick. Business Batman, throwing people off ledges so as to hurt them without killing them. Psychotic Batman, as he roughs up a suspect in an interrogation room. Clinically Insane Batman, as he resorts to questionable methods to find the Joker. Bale shines, and we get a more flawed and complicated version of the man we know as the "hero".

The Dark Knight is a treasure, the best film to come out so far this year. See it in IMAX--it's the best way to do it. I know. I've seen it twice now, in different formats. DO IMAX. ****


MAMMA MIA!
If you're coming to Mamma Mia! expecting the quality of, say, Hairspray or Moulin Rouge!, get the hell out. This isn't a bouncy musical that also happens to have an easily-relatable story. This is Mamma Mia!: it's a weak story with awesome ABBA tunes thrown into the mix. Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is about to get married, but wants her father to walk her down the aisle. Unaware of who he is, she peeks into her Mom's (Meryl Streep) diary, finds the candidates, and invites them over. Hilarity ensues.

It's a musical, so the chief concern is the musical numbers. Well, they're a lot of fun. They're all ABBA songs, so only a few actually add anything to the story. But when they do, man, they hit it out of the park. Streep's "Slipping Through My Fingers" "The Winner Takes It All" almost make up for her ham-handed mugging during the majority of her prior scenes. Pierce Brosnan has a passable (not great) voice, but certainly knows how to deliver the emotion in "S.O.S." He joins Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard in a pleasant rendition of "Our Last Summer".

Speaking of Colin Firth, it is he who gives the best for the men. The best singer, the best dancer, the best actor, Firth takes center-stage, even if the shy banker he portrays doesn't. He is evenly matched by Christine Baranski, a hoot with her "Does Your Mother Know" number. But Julie Walters steals the show as Streep's other friend, a cookbook writer with a one-liner for every occasion. Just try to watch anyone else: it's IMPOSSIBLE. If you're not cheering by the time she belts "Take a Chance on Me" on a tabletop, you can't be watching the same movie. She's a spark of genuine life in a ensemble that tries too hard.

And that is the problem. Everyone is so eager to please. First-time director Phyllida Lloyd (who brought the show to the theatre), keeps that camera moving, leaving us unable to focus on the dancing queens that populate the screen. Streep and Seyfried overdo it, playing to the back row of the balcony while those of us watching their close-ups can only cringe. This is Sophie? This is Yolanda Johnson? Dominic Cooper has the opposite problem--he does not seem to be trying at all, though the character is also grossly underwritten. You'd think a movie about a wedding would focus at least a little bit on the groom.

But it is mindless fun, and it doesn't try to be anything else. The costumes are Fabulous (with a capital "F" decked in glitter), the Greek scenery gorgeous. It's dumb, it's a good time, it has to be seen to be believed. **1/2

Premieres! Fuck!

Premiering at Toronto...



It's one of my predix for Best Actress!

From IMDb:

"Poppy is a thirty-year old Primary School teacher in contemporary North London. She has great friends, a job she loves and a full life. The movie watches her confront the harsh realities of life and deal with them head-on, never losing her sense of humour."

I'm super-excited for this. It looks like great fun, and Sally Hawkins (Cassandra's Dream, Layer Cake) is a cutie, isn't she? Directed by Mike Leigh, Academy Award Nominee for Vera Drake (Director, Original Screenplay), Topsy-Turvy (Original Screenplay), and Secrets & Lies (Director, Original Screenplay).

And, premiering in Coral Springs next week...


The Dark Knight (#5 of my 25 Most Anticipated)


Savage Grace (#2 of my 25 Most Anticipated)


Mamma Mia! (#1 of my 25 Most Anticipated)

GET EXCITED!