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“The Current War: Director’s Cut” was originally made in 2017 for release that year by The Weinstein Company but when allegations against the company’s President surfaced, the release date was tabled and, in the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.

The Laundromat

“The Laundromat” stars Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas and a host of other “A List” actors in cameo roles that I’m sure all of them wish they had never filled.

This movie, written by Scott Burns and directed by Steven Soderbergh,  is simply not a good film and ranks among Ms. Streep’s lowest endeavors, almost equaling her disasterous participation  in Mamma Mia (except here at least she doesn’t sing).

In an unnecessary and very patronizing narrative, Messrs. Oldman and Banderas talk and walk us through the film as they explain to the audience the basics of economics and the skill of creating and maintaining off shore corporate entities. Mr. Oldman in particular, portraying a German born lawyer with a bad hairpiece, is an annoying distraction as he wanders in and out of the accent he has so much difficulty in trying to maintain.  Both Mr. Oldman's make-up person and dialect coach  should have been replaced since neither did their job well. This, coupled with so many other flaws, adds to the viewer’s general discomfort. To make matter worse, there are many inconsistencies and plot problems in the film all supporting the fact that it simply does not work. I give the film a generous 1 and ½ stars and suggest that the writer and director “clean up” their act (pun intended).

Since the film is concurrently being exhibited both on Netflix and theatrically, I suggest streaming it in order to save lots of time and expense.

Parasite

“Parasite” is a South Korean film co-written and directed by Joon-ho Bong. It tells the story of two families whose fates and directions intersect and become interwined in a series of plot twists and turns that sometimes boggle the ability of the viewer to enjoy the film. This is a movie that just can’t seem to make up its mind…is it a comedy…or is it a tragedy…or is it both. Also confusing and somewhat annoying are the English titles that seem to clash against and appear inconsistent with the words being spoken by the actors. At a minimum this recurring inconsistency between the titles and the spoken words became for this writer, at least,  a major distraction.

Rarely have I seen a film receive such unwarranted and undeserving praise and accolade by the critics who I can’t believe saw the same movie I did. I found the scenes in the film to be drawn out and the movie itself to be unnecessarily long, again the penalty for having the writer/director charged with editing (or failing to edit) his own work product. I give the film 2 stars and recommend it to anyone looking for a nice nap in a movie house..

“Pain and Glory” is Pedro Almodovar’s 21^st film and brings out the best in him, his writing and directorial talents as well as the acting performances of Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz. The film is difficult to summarize because it follows no traditional formula but, instead, takes us through the life of an aging film director victimized by depression, ill health and a feeling of failure despite the world bestowing upon him  the accolades his body of work so richly deserves. Start engraving the Oscar statuettes with Mr. Banderas’ name on it for he will certainly be a leading contender for the Best Actor Award and don’t misspell Mr. Almodovar’s name on his when the Best Director Award is handed out. I give the film 3 and ½ stars for it is truly a worthwhile theatrical experience.

Where's My Roy Cohn

“Where’s My Roy Cohn” is a documentary covering the life of this flamboyant and obviously intelligent lawyer who, in his early 20’s became counsel for the infamous Joseph McCarthy and his Committee investigating allegedly un-American activities in government.

Directed by Matt Tynauer, it is also the story of a self hating Jew and an equally self hating gay man who attacked homosexuals with the same vigor and vitality as he did in the pursuit of those same men to whom he was romantically attracted and sought. More than anything it is the study of evil and how it can harm innocent and principled entities and people and hopefully teaches us how to cope with it and, perhaps, even help us avoid its presence. I give the film 3 stars for it not only entertains but informs as well.