Dunkirk

“Dunkirk” is a film written and directed by Christopher Nolan and stars Kenneth Branaugh and Tom Hardy and a cast of thousands, or hundreds, depending on how much you take into account the Computer Generated Imagery's special effects. As most WWII buffs know, and certainly all Britishers, “Dunkirk” is the story of how scores of private British small boat owners  traveled across the English Channel to rescue many of the British and French soldiers who  were left stranded on this infamous  French beach. This is indeed one of the most inspiring stories to come out of the war and yet, to my disappointment, the film manifests no heart or soul. Although there are plenty of dogfights in the air and strafings on the ground, the film dedicates most of its footage to one particular boat owner and three Spitfire pilots with confusing battle scenes filling the rest of the screen. Instead of the epic and awesome story that it attempts to convey, it is grossly lacking in depth and  although Mr. Nolan receives a credit as the writer, there are probably more words written in this review than spoken in the entire film. Perhaps, by anticipating that the film would live up to the great story it tries to tell, my unrealized expectations created the letdown I felt after I left the theater. I give this film 2 stars and suggest that a better writer and director could have gotten to the truly great story that Mr. Nolan unfortunately left stranded somewhere on the French shore.

Baby Driver

“Baby Driver” is the brainchild of writer/director Edgar Wright who brings us this action packed adventure involving bank heists and getaway chases that would make the producers of “Bullitt” and “The French Connection” gasp in awe. The film stars Ansel Elgort In the title role as the young man forced to drive getaway cars for a group consisting of characters played by Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Eliza Gonzalez, Lily James and James Foxx. Fast paced with the director’s foot constantly on the pedal, the film has a few dramatic moments and a simple story but, more than anything, the real star or stars (depending on what car is being used) are the vehicles speeding across the screen. Mr. Elgort is wonderfully cast as the main character of the film and draws the audience into his plight and circumstance with easy identification. Mr. Hamm, alas, is apparently faced with the George/Jason Alexander syndrome for he is not really believable as a punk hold up guy and seems better suited to be behind the desk in an office on the Mad Men set. I give the film 3 stars because, more than anything, it is an easy and enjoyable theatrical experience.

The Big Sick

“The Big Sick” stars Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter and Ray Romano in this beautifully written story of a Pakistani would be stand up comic and a North Carolina graduate student who find themselves in a relationship that  defies  the conflicting cultures from which each is a part. What makes this film even more charming and interesting is that it is based on the true story of the two writers, Emily V. Gordon (superbly played by Ms. Kazan) and Mr. Nanjiani (who plays himself). Directed  by Michael Showalter, the film moves at an easy and pleasant pace as the lead characters find themselves in both comic and deep dramatic circumstances with the audience a more than willing participant throughout. I give this film 3 and ½ stars and suggest that the only thing “sick” about it would be to not see it.

Wonder Woman

“Wonder Woman” was directed by Patti Jenkins and stars Israeli actress and model, Gal Gadot, Robin Wright and Chris Pine in this DC adventure film written by Jason Fuchs and about 4 or 5 other writers. The special effects are impressive as is the acting of Ms. Gadot but that, unfortunately, is where the accolades end. The film is about 2 and ½ hours in running time (at least one hour longer than it should have been) which caused me to fall asleep at least once during its exhibition. To make matters worse, the plot is complicated, concocted and confusing, three “c’s which aren’t good for any film to have in its description. I give it 2 stars and note that the only “wonder” regarding the film is why so many respected critics liked it as much as they did.

Beatroz at Dinner

“Beatriz at Dinner” stars Salma Hayek and John Lithgow in this story of a poor Mexican immigrant and health care provider who, by circumstance, becomes a dinner guest at a party given by one of her clients where she has a confrontation with a multi billionaire played by Mr. Lithgow. When I first read the rave review in the LA Times, it seemed like this was a must-see film so I dutifully went on its opening day to view it. What a mistake. The writing and directing of this film leaves much to be desired with a plot that makes no sense and a character study that is both unrealistic and improbable. For the most part the fault is in the writing by Mike White for he portrays Ms. Hayek’s character with so many faces and traits that is difficult to believe that anyone like this could exist. The film is uncomfortable to watch for there is no sense of reality or credibility and what could have been an interesting class conflict film becomes an absurd viewing experience. I give the film 1 star (that for Mr. Lithgow who can do no wrong) with a warning to the prospective viewer to RSVP that he or she cannot attend this particular dinner party.

Paris Can Wait

"Paris Can Wait” stars Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard and Alec Baldwin (who appears for about 30 seconds)  in this movie written and directed by Eleanor Coppola via the vehicle of her husband, Francis Ford Coppola’s production company,  Zoetrope.  I mention the matrimonial  ties between the producer and the writer/director because ,were it not for that, I doubt if any other film producer would invest in such a project. The film is thin both in terms of substance and character development and, quite simply, is nothing more than a view of French scenery on  a road trip to Paris with gourmet dining along the way. As with most French specialty dishes, the presentation is more appealing than the amount of food to be digested and the analogy applies to this film as well. How many plates of appetizing food and rare wines can one member of the audience absorb in the 92 minutes it takes for the couple to arrive at their destination. Ms. Lane and Mr. Viard are fine actors and do their best with the limited material given them but, unfortunately, the audience, like Ms. Lane’s character, would have wanted the trip to Paris to have been faster and with fewer gastronomical stops. I give this film  1 star  with a suggestion that theaters offer free Tums or Rolaids with each ticket. Better still, just as “Paris Can Wait’, the viewer might be advised to do so too, at least until the film is ultimately exhibited on TV (if a non-Coppola entity will air it).

The Lovers

“The Lovers” was written and directed by Azalia Jacobs and stars Debra Winger and Tracy Letts in this film about marital infidelity and how the acts of each spouse impact upon the other. This is a film with characters who have no depth and superficially occupy the screen in their trysts and cheating adventures but never really come to terms with who they are and what transpired between them in the years prior to their extra curricular activities. I found the writing to be lacking and since the writer and director were one and the same person, the valuable and objective 3d party input and good judgment that might have been available just wasn’t there.  More fitting as a short story instead of a full length feature film, I give the movie 2 and ½ stars with the return of Ms. Winger in any vehicle worth the price of admission.