A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

“Marriage Story” was written and directed by Noah Baumbach (“The Squid and the

Whale”) and is, like his prior work, semi autobiographical, as he tells the story of a failed marriage and the lingering affection and feelings that remain throughout the issues and problems facing a divorcing couple with a child they both love.

Scarlett Johannson was never better as she interacts with her ex-husband- to- be exceptionally well played by Adam Driver. Remembering that Mr.Baumbach’s background as a child of two divorced parents and the ex-husband of Jennifer Jason Leigh, it is easy to understand where his allegiance lies amidst the two parents vying for the affection of their son. As is so often the case where the writer and director are one in the same, this film could easily have used the input of a third party to edit and minimize lengthy scenes and dialogue as well as a choice in casting (since some of the characters appear to be more like stereotypes than real life individuals). One might argue that these lengthy oratorical performances by the characters gives them an opportunity to exhibit their acting wares and, true as that may be, it adds to the length of the film which could be shorter than its 2 and ¼ hours. All that being said, I give the film 3 and ½ stars because it is a heartfelt and brilliant dissection of the divorce process, those who exploit it and those who are victims of it as written and directed

by one of its vital participants.

The Current War: Director's Cut

“The Current War: Director’s Cut” was originally made in 2017 for release that year by The Weinstein Company but when allegations against the company’s President surfaced, the release date was tabled and, in the course of the bankruptcy, the film was modified and sold to another distributor. The phrase “Director’s Cut” was added to the title of the later version to distinguish it from the original which was shown in 2017 at the Toronto Film Festival.

This is the story of how electrical power came into being in the country in the latter part of the 19^th Century and tells the competitive and almost cutthroat efforts of Thomas Edison (played by Benedict Cumberbach) and George Westinghouse (played by Michael Shannon) to fight for their respective Direct Current vs. Alternating Current means of supplying light and power to an anxious populace. The film also brings into play the role of Niklas Tesla, the visionary inventor who promoted his AC theory, as well as J.P. Morgan who served as the financial backer to the winning process. The acting of Michael Shannon is the only redeeming quality in the film for it, as written by Michael Mitnick and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, is, quite frankly, a complicated and boring film. With such a powerful story and historical importance, one would expect that those factors alone would  carry the film but the script is so confusing and uneven that it makes it hard to follow and understand and, in many instances, leaves the viewer“in the dark”. I give the film 2 stars with one of them going directly to Mr.Shannon for his fine performance.