Midnight Special

"Midnight Special" was written and directed by Jeff Nichols ("99 Homes") and stars Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Jaeden Lieberher, Adam Driver and Kirsten Dunst. This is not a good film and, as in so many instances where the writer and director are one and the same, that third party objectivity regarding the film’s elements and scenes is absent. Most writer-directors find it difficult to cut or edit the scenes they both wrote and direccted and become almost paternal in ther possession of these elements. Here, in what purports to be a science fiction drama, the real fault is in the story and screenplay itself for the audience is confused and never completely aware of who the characters are and what they represent to the story. Worse than all of this is that it takes almost 2 hours to watch this endeavor and, at the end, the viewer is still not sure of the things the writer could have more easily made clear. I give the film 2 stars and suggest that there is nothing "special: about the film, be it "midnight" or at any other  time.

Hello My Name is Doris

"Hello, My Name is Doris" stars Sally Field, Max Greenfield and Tyne Daly in a film directed by Michael Showalter and co-written by Mr. Showalter and Laura Terruso.
Although my preference is not to go into detail regarding the plot, it is impossible to discuss this film without first letting the reader know the basic elements of the story and the characters in it. Ms. Field plays an older office worker who become infatuated with a much younger co-employee and the film follows her relentless efforts to create a relationship with him that defies all odds and traditions as well. Walking a thin line between a pathetic pursuer and a mild mannered Fatal Attraction type, the movie, for me at least, was uncomfortable  to watch especially when viewing the unrewarded efforts of this spinster trying to go where few real life and especially movie heroines dare to tread.. More comedic scenes and less sad and serious ones might have made the film easier to watch and maybe even enjoy but, for me, the only saving grace in the film is the tremendous effort Ms. Field exerts in trying to make this film better than it is. Despite Ms. Field's appearances in every scene, it really doesn’t succeed. Even with acknowledging the participation of this wonderful actress, I can  only give the film 2 stars. Ms. Field and the theater audience deserved better.

Eye in the Sky

"Eye in the Sky" stars Helen Mirren, Alan Rickman and Aaron Paul in this drama depicting the technical versatility of today’s drones in modern warfare and the ethical questions their use poses. Directed by  Gavin Hood  with a screenplay written by Guy Hibbert, the film is blatantly one-sided in its efforts to convey the viewpoint of the writer and is almost amateurish in the manner in which his points are attempted to be made. One wonders why an actress of Ms. Mirren’s depth and talent would lend herself to the small and mundane part she plays except perhaps to allow the film to get the financing it needed and to help exhibit her personal and political point of view as well. In any event, the film, despite its shortcomings, makes for an interesting examination of the role of these unmanned aircraft and how and when they should be deployed. I give the film 2 and ½ stars, more for the information the viewer will receive from watching it as opposed to the quality of the film itself..

Hail, Caesar

"Hail, Caesar" boasts an all star cast including Channing Tatum, Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Jonah Hill, Elden Ehrenreich, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson and Tilda Swinton and was co-written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Given this stellar list of talented actors, writers and directors, I eagerly anticipated viewing this attempted satire of 1950’s Hollywood but, unfortunately, I was greatly disappointed for the advertised brand was significantly better than the product. With so much material available, the Coens missed almost every opportunity to make the film work and could have elicited genuine laughter instead of only a slight smile or grin from an audience anxiously wanting and hoping for more. It should also be noted that Mr. Clooney and Ms. Johansson, two charismatic and generally enjoyable actors to watch, should not attempt slapstick comedy for the result is more tragic than humorous. Also, the film with many subplots never properly allows any of them to develop and what could have been a clever spoof of making films in the mid 20th Century becomes a poor but unsuccessful  attempt to be funny.  Knowing what could have been achieved but wasn’t is even more frustrating. Difficult to understand, too, is that so many reputable critics have applauded this film apparently judging the proverbial "book" by its cover rather than its contents. I give the film 2 stars suggesting that the Coens owed the viewers and their own tremendous talents more than they were able to achieve in their latest theatrical endeavor.

45 Years

"45 Years" was written and directed by Andrew Haigh based on a short story by David Constantine. It stars Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay who, at 69 and 78, respectively, play the parts of Geoff and Kate Mercer, a supposedly happily married couple as they, or more properly, Kate, plans their 45th Wedding Anniversary celebration at the local banquet hall. Spanning a period of less than a week in their lives, this is the story of a long lost romance Geoff had well before he ever met Kate and how this 50 year old experience suddenly impacts on their present lives and, more significantly, Kate’s reaction and response to what she now learns about it. Mr. Courtenay plays a subdued and stoic role as he attempts to move on from the past while Ms. Rampling’s character becomes more absorbed with the historic details as if this now deceased part of her husband’s life is still alive and in competition with her. Enough cannot be said of the wonderful acting of Ms. Rampling who, with little or no dialogue, is able to express more emotion and feeling than most actors might if they were shouting. Although the film is long and at times somewhat tedious, it is in effect mirroring the relationship of the couple on the screen as they, in their typical British civility, struggle through the emotional obstacles that confront them. I give the film 3 and 1/2 stars and credit Mr. Haigh with successfully accomplishing the dual role of good writing and directing.

The Revenant

"The Revenant" stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy in this "based in part on a true story" of mountaineer Hugh Glass and his fight for survival in the South Dakota wilderness after an almost fatal encounter with a bear.  The film was directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Innarritu  ("Birdman") who, with Mark L. Smith,  co-wrote the screenplay based on the novel by Michael Punke. Although shot in Canada and Argentina, the film attempts to depict the challenges of a South Dakota winter n 1823. The word "revenant" is derived from the French word "revenir" (i.e. to return) and literally means the return of the spirit from the dead. This is the plight of Mr. DiCaprio’s character as he struggles across the barren icy wasteland for over 2 and ½ hours of viewing time. The audience also feels his pain and anguish since it too has to suffer through this ordeal as it is forced to endure a tedious and overlong excursion through the cold and unforgiving wilderness. The difference of course is that Mr. DiCaprio was paid for his suffering while the audience was not. Mr. DiCaprio’s character is enmeshed in a thin story line and basically has a non-verbal role as the script requires him to do a great amount of crawling and some groaning but, unfortunately, these do not necessarily rise to the level of great entertainment.
One must acknowledge the haunting and vitally important original musical score created by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alva Noto and the spectacular photography of Emmanuel Lubizki. That being said,  I found myself looking at my watch at least 3 times during the film in hopes that it was nearing its conclusion and wondering why I saw what the editor didn’t. I give the film 2 stars for it proves once again that advertising and hype will not always make a film great but a quality screenplay and strong acting performances will. In my opinion, this film is lacking in both.

Joy

"Joy" stars Jennifer Lawrence, Diane Ladd, Robert De Niro, Virginia Madsen, Edgar Ramirez, Isabella Rossellini and Bradley Cooper. The film was directed by David O. Russell and co-written by Mr. Russell and Annie Mumolo. This is the loosely based story of Joy Mangano, the lady who went from rags to riches via the QVC Network after demonstrating and selling her new invention, a mop that never touches your hands and whose head can be washed in a washing machine. The story is really quite predictable with the other actors playing caricatures in a modern Cinderella tale with a heroine who mops the floor and a stepsister who is her arch rival.
The dialogue is trite and leaves little to the imagination save the gaps that the viewer must fill in because some of the scenes and scenarios just don’t make much sense.  If you delete the "J" from the title of the film you end up with the word "oy" and that’s the word I used after I viewed it. I give the film 2 stars and suggest that the ticket price would be better spent on buying the mop featured in the story.