What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[Doctor Strange]

"Boyhood" - Richard Linklater's two hour and 45 minutes magnum opus from 2014. The film follows a young boy through 12 turbulent years of his life. The catch? Linklater films the same principal leads all the way through over a span of 12 years. Like life itself, the film grows on you slowly showing the pitfalls of being the youngest child of a single mom who conceives poorly and marries even more tragically twice over. Stellar performances, great understated direction (more like a documentary than a feature) and a wonderful script make this film almost a must see. Life's real monsters are poverty, alcoholic stepdads, rotten teachers, crappy bosses and the powerlessness of youth. After a while you keep waiting for the Hollywood "drama"... the car crash, the suicide you know... something! But it never happens... and by the end, you're fine with that.

Worf

I think this film is another brilliant experiment from the always interesting Linklater... but at least for me, it mostly fails as drama.

While watching the same actors age through 12 years is fascinating, somewhat in the manner of Michael Apted's Up documentaries, I found that that actual story presented wasn't all that interesting. I really wanted to love it - it's such a unique idea and heroic endeavor - but despite excellent acting, I found the characters pretty meh. If it hadn't been shot across 12 years, hardly anyone would consider it a brilliantly observed film... it's just another dysfunctional family indie flick.

Still, I must admit that it's a remarkable and unique film, even if I was personally disappointed.

 

[Worf]

"Mr Church" I have no idea how I missed this outstanding movie until now.

Set in the '70s, Eddie Murphy plays a cook hired by a dying woman's former illicit lover to help her and her daughter until she passes away. I was unimpressed with the plot when I read about the movie, but the positive ratings and Eddie Murphy were just enough to get me to give it a a shot and it was well worth it.

So ignore the plot details and make your decision based on if you like character-driven, real-to-life stories that have no big-time action scenes, but draw you further and further in as you care more and more about the characters, their struggles and triumphs. To be sure, this one sways a bit close to being Hallmark-like, but never goes fully over to that trite side.

Ah what a difference perspective makes. Based on FF's recommendation we sat down to watch this last night. Before my review a few disclosures.

1. My Dad was a chauffeur between the wars. The stories he told of that life (only when drunk) were so harrowing I made it through half of "Driving Miss Daisy" before turning it off.
2. My Mother WAS "The Help" both in the south and in Queens when I was growing up. The stories she told made it so I never could watch the movie of the same name.

"Mr. Church" was troubling to me on many levels.

1. Like slaves of old Mr. Church is passed down from his principal employer after his death. Instead of going to his widow or offspring, he is instead passed down to this unnamed man's dying mistress.
2. Upon the Mistresses death Mr. Church is passed down to her daughter.
3. When the daughter becomes a single mom (like her mother) Mr. Church winds of taking care of her daughter. That's three generations.
4. The movie is SUPPOSED to be about Mr. Church but, just like in "The Help" the story is told in narration by a white character and is totally about HER life, not his.
5. We never, EVER learn anything of the title character's background except in snippets and while he's laying on his death bed.
6. He is selfless to a point that would make Mammy from "Gone With the Wind" blush. He cooks, he sews (her Prom dress even), he nurses, provides sage like wisdom you name it he did it. He sacrifices all for his "employers" (which is odd in that they were only supposed to pay him for 6 months not over a decade) including his life.
7. He has NO personal life. Their life is his life... why? Is he damaged goods, emotionally neutered, on the run from the law? His sexual orientation is only hinted at never truly discussed or examined. Where's his family, his prom picture, his siblings... his LIFE?!!!

In the end we have a partial portrait of a man who's entire life is nothing but sacrifice to others without any explanation why. I've seen "Lifetime" movies that made more sense. I wonder if the Christian Right had something to do with this film. Abortion, though an option for both mother and daughter, is NEVER mentioned. Mr. Church's sexuality is as opaque as cement, he plays at a club with a "reputation" but we're never told what that reputation is. Murphy's character raises his voice only twice in the 12 plus years depicted, a sin for which he quickly apologizes. I was left angered and disappointed by this movie. It seems as though it was specifically designed to touch that "spot". Faithful, black servant, loyal unto death like a good dog. The only thing missing were the strains of "My Old Kentucky Home" in the background.

Worf

 

[Fading Fast]

⇧ As Worf says - perspective. I have all the respect in the world for Worf and have no intent or desire to rebut his view, but I would like to expand on mine based on his comments.

I saw Mr. Church as a man whose upbringing damaged him greatly (he clearly is deeply angry at his father who it is implied never saw his son as being good enough) and alienated him from his family. Mr. Church also has some alcohol issues, but we don't know the extent of that.

He is incredibly talented in many things - music, literature, cooking, philosophy - but for whatever reason doesn't harness much of that talent in a traditional way - was it the family issues or the alcohol or some other reason, we don't know. Despite that, he had an element of Renaissance Man to him with all his skills and interests.

But what we do learn at the end is that he found a family in the mother and daughter and, then, granddaughter - he (spoiler alert) paid all the bills for the family for decades. He was, from my perspective, not a servant but a man so above the average man that he did a great thing in saving and keeping the family going because he had a wonderful and caring heart. His was a true act of charity - there was a need and he was the one in a position to help and he did so - I would like to believe I would be, but doubt I'd ever be, as charitable, as kind, as noble as he was.

I saw his concern about raising his voice as both a response to his father (he didn't want to be like him) and his attempt to keep his emotions in check - obviously a different perspective than Worf's. But most importantly, I saw him as a hero - a man better than most men - who overcame an abusive childhood, had talents and interests in many arts and fields and helped those in need, not because he had to (he was free to stop after six months), but because he was a truly giving human being.

I saw a movie about a black man where the black man was the character with the greatest integrity, largest heart, broadest set of skills and most complex emotional makeup. His life, like all of ours, has constructs, history, social settings, cultural norms that shaped his options, but within those parameters, he acted in an incredibly giving and heroic way. I'd be proud to have done half as good as he did.

My girlfriend and I have talked about this movie since seeing it and both saw Mr. Church as a hero - a man we'd both like to emulate. I see, respect and understand (to the extent I can from my life experiences) Worf's view, but to me, Mr. Church was better than most men. He was a real-life hero - flawed but a hero.

Last thought, I want to repeat, I am not trying to rebut Worf's view - and did my best not to turn this post into that - but as mentioned at the start, wanted to expand on my views.

 

[Touchofevil]

The Wolf of Wall Street
and
I Wake Up Screaming

 

[Zombie_61]

..."Mr. Church" was troubling to me on many levels.

1. Like slaves of old Mr. Church is passed down from his principal employer after his death. Instead of going to his widow or offspring, he is instead passed down to this unnamed man's dying mistress.
2. Upon the Mistresses death Mr. Church is passed down to her daughter.
3. When the daughter becomes a single mom (like her mother) Mr. Church winds of taking care of her daughter. That's three generations...

Years ago one of my sisters-in-law visited her father's side of her family in Alabama. While she was there she obtained a copy of her Great-Grandmother's will, which included very specific instructions about how her favorite female "house slave" would be treated after Great-Grandmother's demise. It's one thing to read about slavery in a history book, but reading about an aspect of it in a legal document drives home the fact that these human beings were indeed treated as nothing more than possessions and had no more legal rights than a piece of furniture.

 

[Touchofevil]

Hacksaw Ridge
Much better than I thought it would be.

 

[Fading Fast]

"A Year and Change," about a man in his thirties who has been drifting through life - decent job working a vending machine route, divorced with one kid that he has an only okay connect with, marginal links to his small family, friends who are all about drinking and partying and relationships with women that seem shallow / immature - but, owing to an accident where he breaks his arm, he reassesses his life and values.

The movie follows him hesitantly trying to improve his life - control his drinking (but the movie is not primarily about this), assess who truly are his friends, determine what he really wants from his female relationships, consider what family means and where he wants to devote his energies. Along the way, he begins to develop an adult relationship with a women, has to make painful choices about old friends and take on responsibilities that he would have avoided before.

The movie works overall because the transition is believable as he seemed stuck in his old life by habit not his own limitations, his improvement is halting and incomplete (as most are in real life), his better life appears a realistic move forward not a movie-fantasy-perfect change and his new life seems to fit his personality and mindset better.

There's nothing outstanding here, but it is a solid story, well acted, with a positive redemptive vibe (but not too preachy) that keeps you interested throughout.

 

[Bigger Don]

Grey Gardens

When you're wealthy, you are "eccentric." When you're poor,
you are bat $hit crazy.

On one level I felt sorry for them, on another something approaching disdain. Like watching Jerry Springer without the screaming; people angry about their circumstances, doing nothing about it except taking it out on each other and, in some cases, making things worse, e.g. feeding the raccoons.

 

[Doctor Strange]

The Unknown, a short (50 min.) 1927 silent feature starring Lon Chaney and a very young Joan Crawford. Though beautifully shot, this is was one of the weaker Chaney films I've seen, with a predictable story and minus the typically engaging, moving performance I've come to expect from Chaney.

I also gave Batman v Superman: Cast of Thousands a watch on cable, to see if played better than in the theater. Nope, it's still a total mess, with a few occasional sequences/performances that work.

PS - Re Grey Gardens, the recent HBO film of the same title with Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore as the Beale ladies is a very worthwhile companion piece.

 

[Fading Fast]

...PS - Re Grey Gardens, the recent HBO film of the same title with Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore as the Beale ladies is a very worthwhile companion piece.

I remember seeing this when it first came out - well done, but very, very depressing.

 

[Lean'n'mean]

' In a Valley of Violence' (2016)..............Not a great movie nor a great western but entertaining enough. Much better than the recent 'The Magnificent 7' which isn't saying a lot, even though it has nothing new or original & is lumbered with the usual characatures & clichés. The low budget showed in the costumes & interior sets & the number of extras (there were only about a dozen inhabitants in a fairly large town & a decided lack of gee gees) but the cinematography was excellent & the acting OK if you aren't too fussy, although at times it did resemble one of those homemade cowboy spoofs on youtube, especially when the 'bad guys' were on .......Ethan Hawke wasn't exactly your standard 'mysterious stranger who just wants to be left alone ' either but maybe his ordinariness added to the credibility of his character, the jury's still out on that one. And of course there is Travolta's pantomime sheriff who provided some comical moments but I'm not sure they were intentional.
Anyway, if you're into westerns, you might like it.

 

[2jakes]

The Big Sleep ~ TCM
Bogart & Bacall.

Watching the 1945 edition with scenes that were not included in the more
familiar 1946 version.

A favorite to watch on a "film noir" kind of weather this Sunday.

 

[Worf]

"Batman vs. Superman" - Meh.... puddin' fell asleep during it. I found it alright as superhero movies go. EVERY Marvel offering this year was superior 'cept mebbe X-Men Apocalypse " which I did not see so can't include. The scene with a pale light shining down on a fallen Superman surrounded by Lois, Bat's and WW looked like something out of Cecil B. DeMille's Bible... sigh... what a waste of 2.5 hours.

Worf

 

[Formeruser012523]

Mr. Bean's Holiday.

Wish I knew what it was about Rowan Atkinson that makes me laugh silly. Whether he's Bean or Blackadder, it doesn't matter. Will have to give this one a try.

 

[Zombie_61]

The Black Cat (1941). A slightly sub-standard version of the old "Wealthy elderly lady is dying and her greedy relatives gather for the reading of the will" trope. With a cast that includes Broderick Crawford, Cecilia Loftus, Basil Rathbone, Alan Ladd, Anne Gwynne, Gladys Cooper, Gale Sondergaard, Hugh Herbert, and Bela Lugosi, it's the usual whodunit complete with maneuvering and manipulation in a mansion filled with hidden passages and cats as everyone tries to survive the night. Beautiful cinematography, but it ultimately feels longer than it's 70 minute run time and Hugh Herbert's comic relief is more obnoxious than amusing.

 

[Stearmen]

Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans (2015) A great movie documentary about his obsession with the making of the movie. A lot of never before seen footage. They used Steve's Porsche 908 that he and his co driver came in second at Sebring and entered it in the actual 1970 Le Mans race with one forward camera and two rear facing cameras. So those cars are really doing 240mph when they are passing!

 

[Trenchfriend]

I just started "Aliens" - Special Edition-Cut, from DVD.

 

[Vera Godfrey]

My Favorite Wife (1940) with Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. I really love this movie and try to catch it whenever it's on. It was re-done in 1963 with Doris Day and James Garner. It's good as well, but of course, not quite as good as the original.

 

[Stearmen]

Chappie (2015) A police robot that becomes self aware. Robocop it's not, much deeper!

 

[2jakes]

The War of the Worlds (1953)

After watching this classic sci-fi for many years.
I've arrived at two conclusions:

1. Martians don't appreciate Californians.
2. Martians will literally take you at
your word .