'Marriage Story' A Review

Marriage Story is a dramedy about a divorce, clever title huh? The latest in writer/directors Noah Baumbach's ouvre about affluent neurotic narcissistic pseudo-artistic New Yorkers/Angelenos. The film opens with narration- Nicole(Scarlett Johansson) and Charlie(Adam Driver) reading an exercise their separation therapist had them write, things they like about each other, queue NYC montage, maximum twee! We're then taken into their lives as their divorce proceedings begin and Nicole relocates to LA.

Both Johansson and Driver are wonderful actors, unfortunately the characters they play are so vapid and insulated by their privilege they are unrelatable if not downright unreal. The lawyers played by Laura Dern, Ray Liotta, and Alan Alda are the only real rational humans in the film and we are seemingly suppose to view them as coldly pragmatic and mercenary. Their performances are the most compelling because they behave in a way that actually reflects reality. The other characters veer from farcically thin to an attempt, in the case of Charlie's theater company, at a woefully halfhearted Greek chorus. The cast does their best but they are within a hodgepodge of tone and a narrative that assumes engagement solely because it exists.

The cinematic craft on display is masterful, Baumbach is a beautiful conductor of the technical aspect of the production, but his screenwriting ability is self-indulgent and banal to the extreme and as such the story is myopic and absurd to the point it has little to no credibility.

Examples: both Nicole and Charlie act as if they have no understanding whatsoever of the process of divorce in general, the legalities involved, nor fundamental concepts as they pertain to marriage, custody, etc. As the movie has a contemporary setting this is baffling. Either the characters have consumed no media past 1960 and no one they know has been through a divorce and/or they are so blinded by their own terminal uniqueness they somehow believe they are outside the system. Either way their plaintive and aghast posturing to their attorneys rings incredibly false and even if it were believable what is relatable or particularly interesting about characters flailing in their own entitlement?

The issue of finances is given lip service to but one look at Charlie's NYC apartment and Nicole's beautiful LA property, hell even Charlie's "crummy" LA apartment, clearly renders this point moot. And even though Charlie complains about money once or twice neither Charlie nor Nicole are seen to have any financial repercussions what so ever. So clearly they are protected by their upper-middle class security but this is never acknowledged and the filmmaker seems clueless that it exists at all. Which, perhaps, would be fine if the characters were at all interesting.

Early on Nicole basically says the relationship was doomed. We never see them in love nor at a time when their relationship is particularly healthy or really functioning beyond the baseline. As such there is no reason to care about their marriage or their divorce. Yes, Charlie is kind of domineering and Nicole is vaguely sympathetic but there is nothing in particular that defines either of them. There are numerous emotional crescendos but it is clear all this is a result of the couples inability to communicate and their fundamental incompatibility. Their bombastic, scenery chewing arguments in the latter half of the film play out more akin to 20-somethings drunkenly screeching outside a bar than the dynamic emotional epiphanies they are clearly going for.

Substantially more egregious than Little Women it must be asked why this story, why now, why should I care. The appeal of the self-involved artistic inexplicably affluent New Yorker is waning if not diminished completely. We have seen this before not once but countless times. This tale of a relatively emotionally stunted and inept well-to-do couple going through an absurd divorce has no universal appeal. It does not teach us anything about the human condition, it does not inspire, it is a spotlight on a sub-set of a sub-set of society that already has a glut of stories.

Don't See It.

'Little Women' A Review

Little Women is a period drama based on the classic novel of the same name. The film primarily follows Jo March(Saoirse Ronan) and her four sisters to a lesser degree as they come-of-age in Civil War era America. The story begins with Jo in New York as a struggling writer and then cuts back and forth in time showing the Marsh sisters as they grow up and apart.

The cast is stacked with some incredible talent however some actors are more suited to their roles than others. Ronan is a decent Jo although the pacing is so fast she doesn't have quite enough time to hook us with the characters ineffable charm and coming off the tail of 2017's Lady Bird this characterization isn't quite different enough from that recent Oscar darling. Timothée Chalamet as March neighbor Laurie may be the current tween heartthrob but his prepubescent look and his emo posturing make for a baffling and ineffective casting choice. Florence Pugh plays a empathetic Amy but at times the time jumps don't properly convey her age and so her behavior comes across as a cruel adolescent rather than a petulant child. Significantly more successful is Eliza Scanlen as Beth, one of the first portrayals that turns her from a two dimensional martyr to a reserved yet soulful human being. The supporting cast- Laura Dern as Marmee, Chris Cooper as Mr. Laurence, Tracey Letts as Jo's editor- fair better in giving more authenticity and balance to their respective characters. The fault though isn't on the actors it is the bold but ineffective structure.

The biggest issue with the film is it's biggest choice, it's non-linear structure. Since the success of 1994's Pulp Fiction the non-linear timeline became mainstream and oft repeated. Which is great, it's a different and often compelling way to tell a story but it can also be perfunctory or a crutch. In this case the timeline as well as the fever-paced editing zip around the March sisters lives with such veracity big moments are raced by and through and because the cast remains constant there is no clear sense of time passing or what time we are in at any given time. Part of the pleasure of the story is it's pastoral and sweeping pace and scope. This iteration is editing with the speed of a Tony Scott picture and the rare times it actually holds for an entire scene or conversation it is such a relief you wish they would have scrapped the entire time jumping conceit.

The 1994 Little Women is a near perfect movie but the novel is the kind of property that inevitably gets remade every generation. This most recent update is serviceable, pulls the necessary heartstrings, and has some moments of real inspiration but ultimately cannot overcome it's structural weight to really soar. It is also fair to wonder why now, why in 2019 do we need this relatively faithful adaptation complete with virtually no diversity and with only cursory attempts to upend the more regressive marriage messaging from the book. That's not a condemnation just a question, with a film that is receiving as much ecstatic praise as this one it's fair to wonder if it's totally appropriate.

Rent It.

Home for the Holidays

There is nothing loud
no Hallmark sentiment
nor cinematic clash
that culminates in catharsis.

There is simple company
that sustains and comforts,
the easy sharing of
food, time, and conversation.

There is little excitement
but a deep contentment
celebrating long winter's night
and our own familial light.

'Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker' A Review

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a SFF epic and the conclusion of the Star Wars saga begun in 1977. After the events of Star Wars: The Last Jedi the Resistance is on the run and the Emperor has emerged from hiding after he was resurrected by a death cult. The first half of the movie is taken up with a search for a MacGuffin which leads to both an intimate and large confrontation with the Emperor and his forces on a hidden Sith planet.

Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver as Rey and Ren respectively maintain the wonderful tension and chemistry from the previous installments and their narrative comes to a satisfying conclusion. Thankfully John Boyega and Oscar Issac as Finn and Poe respectively are more central to the story and have more screentime than they did in TLJ and do well and clearly relish their arcs. Given this is a genre spectacle not a bedroom drama the acting is broad(but effective) rather than deep and other than the four essential leads not much is asked of the supporting cast.

Visually the movie is thrilling and breathtaking and rich. The lightsaber battles are impeccable and the dogfights fun. The worldbuilding continues to be immaculate but although entertaining and fun, and for most probably delivers considerably in the nostalgia department, the movie suffers from all the plotting and work it has to do to get to a conclusion because of the poor planning of the entire trilogy.

The original trilogy captured hearts and imaginations not only because it was transportive but because it had soul and allowed it's three core characters to breathe and transform. The prequels failed because George Lucas had become to rich and privileged to write a decent story and became too obsessed with moviemaking technology. This trilogy succeeds in narrative proficiency and visual mastery but fails in delivering the requisite soul.

Maybe that's too much to ask, it's virtually impossible to catch lightening in a bottle especially if attempting to do it deliberately. And it's not the fault of any of the cast or crew but with it's very conception. The Force Awakens went into production without scripts or even an outline of where the trilogy would go as a whole and the projects were dolled out piecemeal and with severe time constraints. As such this modern trilogy feels like what it is, a hodgepodge of wonderful moments and scenes with only the most broad boundary to connect all three. Is it worth watching? Definitely! But genre and particularly Star Wars allows stories that can both thrill and inspire, unfortunately only one of those benchmarks was met.

See It.

'Jumanji: The Next Level' A Review

Jumanji: The Next Level is the latest installment in the Jumanji series a direct sequel to the 2017's soft reboot. Three years after their first adventure the four friends Spencer, Fridge, Martha, and Bethany return from college and plan to meet up. Spencer has had a difficult time adjusting to life at NYU and returns to the game alone, when the others discover this they go in after him but Spencer's grandpa Eddie(Danny DeVito) and his estranged friend Milo(Danny Glover) are also sucked in.

The core cast return as the game characters- The Rock, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Kevin Hart- and all have some fun with their performances as the people "playing" them are swapped. Although The Rock's "accent" is nothing short of atrocious and is easily the biggest distraction and sour note of the entire endeavor. But despite this the core remain fun, funny, and their able to maintain their excellent chemistry and interplay from the previous installment. The biggest addition is Awkwafina who effortlessly integrates into the dynamic and helps to keep it fresh.

The plot has to work a little harder to get the same characters back into the game and the machinations between them seem a bit saccharine. The real heart is the relationship between Eddie and Milo which the script can't seem to decide to play as the A story or the B story and as such the emotional focus is unfortunately split. The CGI, whether because of familiarity or time constraint, isn't as effective but is passable.

A fun piece of family entertainment that fails to reach the surprisingly delightful heights of it's predecessor.

Rent It.

Winter

Hello old friend
I can't say I missed you
but there is some comfort
in your familiarity,
the necessity of slowing
preparing, layering
when venturing out
into your cold embrace
brings intention
to the present,
in the temperate months
the season may be pleasant
but can be ignored, forgotten
in its soothing restraint,
but your presence is always felt
your chilly lick
your frosty grip
your unrelenting freeze
accompany a fragile camaraderie
for you are here
and I appreciate the amity.

'Honey Boy' A Review

Honey Boy is a autobiographical drama about a child star Otis(Noah Jupe) and his relationship with his co-dependent father James who struggles with addiction, based on the life of Shia LaBeouf who plays his defacto father. The film is told through a series of flashbacks and flashforwards with Lucas Hedges playing an older Otis struggling with his own addictions and mental health issues.

Although Otis is the presumptive lead LaBeouf is the real star, he gives an incredibly nuanced and compassionate performance for a deeply flawed character, doubly impressive given this is a version of his real life father. It's a real triumph to portray someone struggling with addiction and behaving badly with such fairness and a sense of reserved justice. Is he a terrible person? No. Is he a good person? No. But he is a human being and it is his humanity which LaBeouf is able to translate. Jupe is pretty astonishing given his age, navigating some very heartbreaking and complicated scenes with not only authenticity but a real emotional deftness. Particularly there's an evocative layered scene with with FKA Twigs as Shy Girl a local prostitute. Hedges is serviceable but isn't able to reach the same heights or truth as his temporal counterparts. He seems somewhat out of his depth with the size of the performance as he typically plays characters with lower volume. This doesn't really detract but his sequences become kind of rote and you just want to return to Lupe and LaBeouf.

The film is shot mostly handheld but the shakey work is more immersive than distracting and there are a number of very effective magical realism sequences that are integrated seamlessly and delightfully. The only fault of the film is that its too short or at least feels incomplete. Perhaps this is a reflection of LaBeouf's actual experience, he is still coming to grips with his father and his past, but as a story the dreamlike interaction the older Otis has with his father at the end is OK but lacks the clarity and assuredness of what went before it.

A deep truthful look at a difficult relationship, an effective surprising piece of wonder from the once promising then presumptuous now promising again LaBeouf.

See It.