Tag: Friendship

“Eden” (2024) starring Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Bruhl, & Sydney Sweeney

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Based on a factual account of a group of outsiders who settle on a remote island only to discover their greatest threat isn’t the brutal climate or deadly wildlife, but each other. -Synopsis

Ritter: Do not be fooled by our success, Herr Wittmer. No one else has been able to survive, because life here is gruesome, frustrating. Failure is inevitable.

The film is based on the true story of European settlers on Floreana Island in the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) a few years before WWII. Freidrich Ritter (Jude Law) and his life partner, Dore Strauch (Vanessa Kirby), have spent 2 yrs. living alone on a remote island. FYI: Production took place primarily in Queensland, Australia. Friedrich focuses on writing his manifesto, while Dore resolves to cure her M.S. via meditation. One day, they’re joined by the eager/earnest Wittmer family: Heinz (Daniel Bruhl), his pre-teen son Harry, and his much younger 2nd wife, Margret (Sydney Sweeney). Shortly after arriving, Margret learns she is pregnant; the Wittmers (much to the chagrin of their neighbors) become capable farmers. This small community grows again when a young woman, Eloise (Ana de Armas), arrives w/ her two lovers: Robert (Toby Wallace) and Rudolph (Felix Kammerer), along w/ their Ecuadorian servant. Eloise (called Baroness) is vain, pretentious, and lives a hedonistic lifestyle. She also has a plan to build a lavish hotel on this land!

A cohesive theme gets marooned in Eden’s melodramatic dramatization of a colorful true story, but it does provide a starry cast and salacious thrills as compensation. -Rotten Tomatoes

This (hot mess) of a film (directed by Ron Howard- a former Oscar winner) had its world premiere at TIFF in Fall 2024; it had mixed reviews among critics. It sounds V intriguing on paper, BUT is uneven/ineffective in execution. We find two age-gap relationships, which is NOT rare for bougie societies of 1930s Europe. Law and Kirby make a hot pair, BUT their (sometimes) steamy scenes come off under-developed. (Some critics were surprised by how Howard tackled sensuality; he is NOT known for that.) Each actor performs as if he/she is in their own movie! I felt that Bruhl understood/portrayed his character well. De Armas’ character is annoying/unlikeable; the role was written as one-note. As for clueless/sad-eyed Sweeney, she puts on a weird accent and has an extensive birthing scene; I’m mystified by how casting agents/men find her appealing.

Blog & Life Updates: July 2026

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Hey y’all,

How is your Summer going (aside from horrid heat/humidity)? I took 4 days off (before July 4th wknd) for a staycation. My parents visited (after 6 yrs); they moved away from MD ‘burbs in Summer of 2020 (pandemic life). We went to The Wharf (Pink Tiger) and NoMa (La Cosecha: Latin food hall near Union Mkt); both places are showing World Cup (soccer) games.

I’m planning to be more social (or just going out solo) in coming month; I mostly slept/did errands and chores over wknds in June (NOT my idea of fun). July will be my last mo. at Orangetheory; I need to save money/focus more on the food component of health. However, I do recommend trying OTF (IF in good health/under 40). One of the former OTF coaches (Jon Beal) is an actor; he is part of the ensemble in Othello (STC) starring Wendell Pierce. I’ve joined Real Roots; I went to 2 intro events (happy hrs), BUT haven’t been matched w/ a group yet. I’m at an age/stage of life when expanding ones social circle can be a challenge. I’m planning to go to more DC Movie Club events; the few ppl I met (at Hamnet play at STC) were V nice/laid-back.

Speaking of movies… many cinephiles (IRL/online) are buzzing re: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey; it will be widely released on FRI, 7/17. I got ticket for TUES, 7/21, at local Alamo Drafthouse; TUES is the day for deals at many movie theater chains. Did you read the book before or see any of the adaptations? I recall reading it in 9th grade; I was in the advanced English class.

FYI: Hi, skin (open 2 yrs in 14th St corridor) is having a deal on facials (IF you’re in DC metro area). I got a regular facial last wk.

Thanks for reading & subscribing! This blog has over 800,000 hits- how FAB!

-EMMA

Currently Watching:

House of the Dragon (HBO MAX)

Love Story (Disney+)

Upcoming Reviews: Movies

Disclosure Day (2026)

Eden (2024)

Elmer Gantry (1959): Rewatch

Project Hail Mary (2026)

Send Help (2026)

The Return (2024)

Upcoming Reviews: TV/Streaming Shows

Imperfect Women (2026)

Fatal Attraction (2023) & Presumed Innocent (2024): Reimagining 1980s Thrillers

“Edge of the City” (1957) starring John Cassavetes, Sidney Poitier, Jack Warden, & Ruby Dee

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A railroad worker in New York forms a close bond with his African American coworker while they both endure harassment from their hostile supervisor. -Synopsis

A brooding/down-on-his luck man, Axel North (John Cassavetes- best known later as an indie director), comes to NYC and spends one night sleeping on the streets. In the morning, he runs into Tommy Tyler (Sydney Poitier), a Black man w/ a friendly personality, who helps him get a job. The men work on the docks as stevedores; the word comes from estivador (Portuguese) or estibador (Spanish)- a man who loads ships/stows cargo. Axel and Tommy (though of differing personalities) quickly become friends, though Axel is hesitant about opening up. Tommy, a family man, says that his neighborhood welcomes all backgrounds (as renters). A bitter/racist co-worker, Charles Malik (Jack Warden), manages to make their life difficult whenever he can!

Y’all ever seen this movie? It’s a hidden gem which tackles real issues in a naturalistic manner. I learned about it from a movie group on Fb. This was the debut of director Martin Ritt; he was best known for collabs w/ close pal Paul Newman (The Long Hot Summer, Paris Blues, and Hud). As classic film fans may recall, Paris Blues is also centered on an interracial friendship. Lucy (Tommy’s wife) is played by Ruby Dee; you can see her again as Poitier’s wife in A Raisin in the Sun (1961). Lucy and her (white) friend, Ellen (Kathleen Maguire), are both educated/progressive-minded women.

As an artist, I feel that we must try many things – but above all we must dare to fail. -John Cassavetes

John Nicholas Cassavetes was born in NYC in 1929; his father was an immigrant from Greece and his mother was 1st gen Greek-American. The family moved back to Greece in the early 1930s; young Cassavetes spoke Greek as his 1st language. The family moved back to the U.S. in 1936. As a teen, he wrote for his H.S. paper, and then attended college briefly in Vermont (before being expelled for bad grades). Soon after, Cassavetes enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA); several of his friends were already attending. After graduating, he began to perform on stage; he also appeared in minor roles in films/TV. After appearing in Edge of the City, Cassavetes gained critical acclaim; critics compared him to Marlon Brando. He then became a contract player for MGM.

[1] Martin Ritt’s first film offers an exceptional existentialist answer (three years later) to Elia Kazan’s more conservative “On The Waterfront.” […]

“Edge of the City” boldly dives into this (then) unknown territory… the courageous struggle against thinly-veiled bigotry and violence has hardly aged at all.

[2] The film’s low budget does show, but you’re so impressed with the ensemble cast you don’t really care. […]

…my personal favorite in this film is Ruby Dee. She should have gotten some award for her performance, her final scene with Cassavetes is outstanding.

[3] Cassavetes, always an intense actor, shows grit in his portrayal of a film. Am surprised that Montgomery Clift didn’t get this part.

Spoiler-Free Review: “Sinners” (2025)

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From Ryan Coogler-director of “Black Panther” and “Creed”-and starring Michael B. Jordan comes a new vision of fear: “Sinners.” Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. -Synopsis (Warner Bros.)

I think it’s his greatest acting challenge yet. I say that having been there to see him level up each time. Fruitvale (Station) was his first time in a movie. -Ryan Coogler re: Michael B. Jordan

I got a free pass to a pre-screening of Sinners at my (local/Regal IMAX) theater in April 2025. The theater was packed; it reminded me of the excitement during the “Barbenheimer” era! As I guessed, this was a must-see/mulit-layered movie. Check it out soon (Netflix)!

The writer/director, Ryan Coogler, said that his biggest influences were  Salem’s Lot (1979), From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and The Faculty (1998). Another inspo was an ep of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone (1959). The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank (in S3) centers on a young man from a small Midwestern town who returns to life at his own funeral. This shocks his loved ones and pastor. Despite their trepidation, the townspeople call it a miracle, until rumors swirl re: minor (yet noticeable) shifts in Jeff’s behavior.

The newcomer (breakout star) of the film, Miles Caton (Sammie), learned to play the resonator blues guitar to prep for his role. He recently turned 21, started out as singer, yet is a natural at acting. Just a breath of fresh air (in this time of nepo babies)! Jack O’Connell (Remmick) sings and dances; he is Irish and always wanted to jig in a movie. The large scoring orchestra has a number of talented musicians.

He was just in the dark–like he didn’t turn his lights on. Something about that was, like, so intriguing. This kid looked like he was in his basement, like in between homework assignments. But he had this voice–a once-in-a-lifetime voice. -Ryan Coogler on Miles Caton

Documentary filmmaker, Dolly Li, noted that Coogler’s father-in-law had Chinese Delta ancestors, like the Chows: Grace (Li Jun Li- recently seen in Babylon) and Bo (Yao- a Chinese-Singaporean actor). Sinners was set in Clarksdale during the Jim Crow era (the height of Chinese grocery stores’ popularity in the region). Li is listed in the end credits as a consultant.

[1] The acting across the board is full of nuance, expression, and authenticity.

[2] There’s a dark humour running beneath it all, and the music is incredible – bluesy, moody, full of soul. It’s a film that takes risks with tone and style, but it all comes together. Vicious, vibey, and unlike anything else in the genre.

[3] What separates (and elevates) this film from your standard supernatural horror flick is the fact that the director chose to spend more time in the first act developing our and exploring our characters.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Far from the Madding Crowd” (1967) starring Julie Christie, Peter Finch, Alan Bates, & Terence Stamp

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A willful passionate girl and… the three men who want her! -Tagline

Making this film may have proved to be one of the last chances to film rural England as it looked in the middle of the 19th century. -Richard MacDonald (Production Designer)

Bathsheba is a young woman dealing w/ 3 different men, though NOT knowing what love really is; the audience is caught in the middle of her personal choice and their own thoughts of who’d be her right man. She ignores the shepherd next door, Gabriel Oak (Alan Bates), saying she’s NOT in love w/ him. He gave a good speech re: why she should marry him (and gifted her a baby lamb). Gabriel decides NOT to pursue things further, yet coincidence (common in Thomas Hardy’s works) brings him to the farm she soon inherites. The gentleman farmer, William Boldwood (Peter Finch), seems like a safe choice; he’s rich and devoted. The housemaid, Liddy, tells Bathsheba that Mr. Boldwood has been courted by “sixes and sevens” (a condition of confusion and disarray). He is NOT discouraged, even after Bathsheba tells him “no,” then to wait for her decision. As for the military man, Sgt. Troy (Terence Stamp), their attraction is more about lust than love.

The director (John Schlesinger) created a somewhat (unbalanced) movie. Many viewers (over the decades) commented that they wanted to see more of the Bathsheba/Gabriel’s (slow burn) interactions; however, Schlesinger chose to focus the bulk of the time on the Bathsheba/Troy (love-bombing) relationship. Some felt that Christie was miscast for this role; she didn’t show nuance or exhibit any changes. If you’re near my age (Gen X/Y), you may know Bates as the landlord/patriarch in Gosford Park; Stamp was the villain (Emperor Zod) in Superman II. You may know Christie from Doctor Zhivago and as Gertrude in Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet. All three actors ended up having prolific careers.

[1] I personally really liked it, though I can see why people might not. It does have a couple of cliché moments and the film is overlong. On the other hand, the film looks gorgeous, the scenery is evocative and the cinematography positively shimmers. The music is hauntingly beautiful, the script is literate and thoughtful and the complex story unfolds slowly and deliberately, is faithful in detail and spirit to the book.

[2] The film is stolen for me though by Peter Finch, who begins a hat trick of devastating performances, here, in The Trials of Oscar Wilde and Sunday Bloody Sunday. His Boldwood is a remarkable creation, so eligible, so tragic, so lost and helpless. […]

The Boldwood plot has a darker outcome here than in the book, which I’m sure Hardy would have approved of.

[3] I just couldn’t believe that Julie Christie was this headstrong 19th century maiden. She looks far too contemporary for me; as she is just the perfect 60s icon in costume (same as in Doctor Zhivago). […]

I felt that Bathsheba didn’t evolve through the film. Julie Christie played the same way from start to finish, in spite of the ordeal she had to go through.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews