Tag: Marraige

20th Anniversary: “Pride & Prejudice” & “Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith”

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Recently, there were special events (incl. re-releases) centered on 2 much loved (and much-maligned) blockbuster movies from my mid-20s- Pride and Prejudice (P&P) and Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith (TRS). Nostalgia is a big thing these days, esp. among those who are Xennials (b. 1977-1983) and Millennials (b. 1981-1996). Were you a fan (or hater) of P&P and/or TRS upon 1st release? Have you re-watched these movies? Have your opinions changed? Let me know your thoughts (in comments below)!

P&P (which boasted a cast of soon-to-be famous/cute/young faces) is an important film to my fam: we watched it in the theater over Thanksgiving 2005 (w/ my future BIL)! On a recent re-watch, I realized that it’s still a fun/well-made movie, though NOT accurate to Jane Austen’s book (as many have said in past). The young/British director, Joe Wright, had a fresh/controversial take on the Bennett fam (incl. their farm-style home, hairstyles, clothes, and-perhaps a BIT too quirky- personalities). I was (again) impressed by ALL the British character actors. When it came to casting, Rosamund Pike (who studied Austen in college) fitted the role of Jane perfectly. The best things about this adaptation are its music (composed by Dario Marinelli) and Matthew McFadyen. The tall/theatrically-trained actor conveys Mr. Darcy’s (unspoken) shyness, sadness (he lost parents when young), and vulnerability. And when Darcy (a socially awkward hero) finally smiles- wow, he wins over the audience!

In the climax of TRS, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen)- in Sith mode- declares to his Jedi mentor/BFF, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor): “If you’re not with me, then you’re my enemy!” For the “olds” (like me), this may remind you of former prez. (Dubya’s) words after 9/11: “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” Is the acting good? Well, it’s a mixed bag; Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) is compelling/effective in his scenes. The film’s most important element is Anakin’s seduction to the Dark Side of the Force by Palpatine. One reviewer on IMDb said: “He is the lifeblood of the film.” Is the writing good? Well, it’s still basic (as w/ the 2 earlier prequels). Is the directing (by Lucas himself) effective? This is tough to judge, but Star Wars fans know Lucas is infamous for NOT saying much to help along the performance of his actors. There are times when I cringed, wondering why he didn’t give the actors another take of a scene. The first 20 mins. (mainly action) are quite exciting, as are the final 30 mins. (incl. the battle btwn. Anakin and Obi-Wan). The music (composed by John Williams) continues to be impressive, as you’d expect. Hey, I still got a BIT emotional at the end- I’m NOT immune to nostalgia!

“A Streetcar Named Desire” (BAM) starring Paul Mescal, Patsy Ferran, & Anjana Vasan

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On FRI, March 14th, I went (for the 1st time) to Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) to see Tennessee Williams’ iconic play- A Streetcar Named Desire. The area was buzzing (w/ a LOT of tourists and locals); the Harvey Theatre is a few blocks away from the Barclays Center. If you haven’t visited NYC recently, the Atlantic Avenue subway station is now called Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center (2, 3, 4, 5, B, Q, D, N R, & W trains). The crowd was more diverse than I expected; there were (as expected) many young women in their 20s, incl. WOC. There were also quite a few older (perhaps regulars) aged 50+, as in my row. I booked long in advance, so I was able to get good seat.

This critically-acclaimed production (directed by Rebecca Frecknall) was transferred from across the pond- London’s West End. This director emphasized the growing power of patriarchy w/ the way she chose to stage this play, one critic said. Stanley Kowalski is played by Paul Mescal, a 29 y.o. a blue-eyed Irish actor and one of the rising stars in Hollywood. Mescal appeared in the TV drama/romance Normal People, indie movies (Aftersun; All of Us Strangers), and Ridley Scott’s big-budget sequel (Gladiator II). The staging was open and design was V simple; there are few furnishings in the Kowalski home. On one side of the stage, there are stairs which go up to the balcony. This production includes (brief) interludes w/ dance and music. Water comes down to shower the actors in two pivotal moments. I thought the way lighting design was quite effective.

I know what some of y’all are thinking… Is Mescal as cute and fit IRL? Yes, he looks V good (though not a fan of this modern mullet); he has (well-defined) arms and abs, long after Gladiator. Stanley (a model of toxic masculinity) isn’t TOO bothered w/ the concerns/needs of women around him. He cares about bowling and poker nights w/ his buddies. His wife, Stella, is played by a lovely/wide-eyed British Asian (South Asian- as in US) actress- Anjana Vasan (37 y.o.) Patsy Ferran (34 y.o.) is an unexpected choice for Blanche DuBois, at least when it comes to looks. She has already won Olivier and Drama Desk awards. These actresses look much younger than their ages!

I don’t want realism, I want magic! -Blanche DuBois

Wow, what a show- I was V impressed! Mescal and Vasan made a believable (yet problematic) couple in love. I’m sure many of you are aware of the dark (serious) themes/events of the play. There is tension growing w/ each scene bwtn Mescal and Ferran (slim/petite w/ dark hair and eyes), as Blanche (obviously) disapproves of Stanley. Ferran goes toe-to-toe w/ Mescal (who is transformed- in part to American accent/body language); she reveals emotional vulnerability in one moment, after charming us w/ her wit/intelligence. The audience was captivated more… and more… as the play went on. When Stanley slaps Stella (who is pregnant), it was a big shock (esp. for those who didn’t read the play/see the Brando movie). In the climax, when Blanche grabs a beer bottle to defend herself against Stanley, a woman in front of me whispered “it’s not real” to her mom. In the finale, Stanley crouches down and embraces Stella, who is cryng/distraught on the floor. One of Mescal’s pale/powerful arm wraps around Vasan’s upper body, showing that (in the world of this play) Stanley has truly won!

[1] Lines that I could recite alongside the actors resonated in ways that I never expected. The great majority of them are spoken by Ferran, who triumphs where such incandescent talents as Jessica Lange, Blanchett and Natasha Richardson could find only sporadic magic. […]

What sets Ferran apart is the way she balances the play’s poetry and realism, moving with lightning reflexes from crushing naturalism to bold expressionism. …Ferran, a Spanish British actress, is completely fluent in the playwright’s grand, streetwise lyricism. Accent and idiom are firmly in command as she transitions from Southern Gothic to surrealist horror, never losing sight of a character who’s as fragile as she is formidable.

-LA Times

[2] The playwright’s identification with Blanche, reflected in her care with words, is all but drowned out. We are not invited to inhabit her hopes and fears but rather her brother-in-law’s animal glee.

This is certainly a way to see “Streetcar”; the world is, if possible, even meaner than Williams imagined. Decay has swallowed lyricism. And Stanley, we now know, has won.

–NYT

“Sibyl” (2019) starring Virginie Efira, Adele Exarchopoulos, Gaspard Ulliel, & Sandra Huller

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This French film (made for ONLY 5M euros) from Justine Triet (director/co-writer) and partner, Arthur Harari (co-writer/supporting actor), follows a 30-something psychotherapist, Sibyl (Virginie Efira). She is also wife to Etienne (Paul Hamy) and mom to 2 young kids. Sibyl decides to return to writing (her 1st career), yet still keeps a few patients. Harari plays Dr. Katz (Sibyl’s therapist), as is required in the mental health profession. One night, while dealing w/ writer’s block, Sibyl gets a (frantic) call from 20-ish/up-and-coming actress, Margot (Adèle Exarchopoulos). As Sibyl becomes more… and more wrapped up in Margot’s (turbulent) life, she starts to blur her past from the present… and reality from fiction!

I became curious re: this (genre-defying) film b/c it involved Triet, Harari, and Huller; it was made before they achieved international fame/critical acclaim w/ Anatomy of a Fall (2023). This is the last film released during his lifetime for Gaspard Ulliel (who plays Igor); he died in a ski accident in 2022 at just age 38. I hadn’t seen Efira’s acting before; she hails from Belgian. Efira and Niels Schneider (who plays Gabriel) are a couple IRL w/ one child. Exarchopoulos (then only 26 y.o.) has a French mother and Greek father; she co-starred in several well-known indies. The movie w/in the movie (starring Margot and Igor) was shot on the island of Stromboli (a part of Sicily, Italy).

From the trailer, I was expecting the tone of a dark/thriller; however, there are funny moments! This is free on streaming, so check it out (if in the mood for something unusual). Some viewers wondered: “Who is the patient and who is the therapist?” Gathering from reviews (IMDb; Letterboxd)- ppl are conflicted re: on this movie. Some called it a “hot mess” w/ “hot people”- LOL! Some expected more, yet did enjoy Huller’s performance as a perfectionist/Type A director. As in Anatomy of a Fall, Huller speaks more in English than in French. How cool is it that she can act in 3 languages!?

[1] You have to suspend your disbelief quite a lot and go with the flow. Having a love for making movies and understanding what can go on behind the scenes (it almost feels like someone is doing their own curing by doing the movie – the writer, the director, producers … all of the above and more?)

[2] I can’t recall seeing a film with so many good and great elements: cinematography, acting, a good deal of great dialogue, that was assembled into such a let down of total experience.

[3] The most enjoyable scenes for me were those with Sandra Huller, playing a film director, especially her reactions to the difficulties the actors are creating on her set. Her sensible response to the psychotherapist’s behaviour is long awaited and ultimately very satisfying.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Until They Sail” (1957) starring Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine, Paul Newman, & Piper Laurie

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The genuine tugs at the heart are few and far between in this bittersweet but basically restrained chronicle. Robert Anderson’s adaptation… is honest and straightforward… Unfortunately there is a good deal of introspective soul-searching before this narrative arrives at its sad and happy endings. -Bosley Crowther (New York Times)

The film opens in a Christchurch, New Zealand courtroom, where testimony prompts Barbara Leslie (Jean Simmons) to flashback to the events that led to the trial. In 1939, Barbara and her sisters: Anne (Joan Fontaine), Delia (Piper Laurie), and Evelyn (Sandra Dee- just 14) live in a cottage in Christchurch. Most of the men, incl. their brother Kit and Barbara’s new husband Mark, are preparing to leave for WWII. Some time later, Delia announces her engagement to Phil “Shiner” Friskett (Wally Cassell); he is one of the city’s few remaining bachelors, though word of Kit’s death dampens the mood. Anne disapproves of the marriage, but Barbara defends Delia’s decision. Shiner is eventually drafted for war; Delia moves to Wellington to work for the navy. In 1942, several hundred U.S. Marines are shipped to New Zealand.

The film has moments of genuine tenderness and truth. -William K. Zinsser (New York Herald Tribune)

The screenplay was by Robert Anderson, based on a story by James A. Michener included in his 1951 anthology Return to Paradise. As fans of classics know, there are limits (and conventions) to the Hollywood studio system. The 1st thing you’ll need to ignore are the (wildly varied) accents of the sisters; we learn that Anne and Barbara attended school in England. The hairstyles and clothing worn by the women reflect the mid-1950s, NOT the early ’40s. There are a few scenes that come off as TOO melodramatic; others can drag on a BIT too long. However, the look of the film is lovely; it was shot in Cinemascope (or extra widescreen). The musical score by David Raksin suits the events V well.

This [pulls out a bottle of whiskey from glove compartment] is what I spend the night with… and no regrets. Oh, I get a gentlemanly hangover in the morning, but no regrets. And nobody gets hurt. -Jack explains to Barbara

U.S. servicemen married over 15,000 Australian and New Zealanders they met while stationed overseas in WWII. The War Brides Act of December 1945 required only proof of marriage to ensure legal migration to the US. Some modern sources est. the total war bride migration was one of the largest migrations to the country since the 1920s. Paul Newman (before fame; 3rd billed) accepted a supporting role only b/c Robert Wise was directing. I heard about this movie (via a Facebook post); I’d recommend it esp. to fans of Newman and Simmons. You can rent it on VOD; I saw it last week.

Newman plays Capt. Jack Harding, an alcohol-dependent/cynical/divorced Marine investigating prospective brides of soldiers. From the choices that Newman makes, you can see that acting is becoming more subtle in this time. As Barbara, Simmons is caring and empathetic to her sisters; she’s trying to live a “decent” life. One astute viewer noted that modern viewers (who’ve recently lived through the COVID-19 pandemic) may esp. relate to the loneliness experienced by the sisters in this movie. As Barbara tells Jack when they reconnect, her countrymen have been gone 3 yrs so far (1939-1942). I esp. liked how their connection grew (so it seems gradual/natural- NOT rushed); Newman and Simmons project intense chemistry!

[1] Not the best role of any of the principal actors’ careers, but definitely worth seeing, especially if you are drawn to WWII era dramas.

[2] Jean Simmons… is the counterpart for Paul Newman, who is the point man for the American presence (and the introduction to American men). […]

…even if this movie seems to follow some ordinary romantic path, you can’t help but feel, individually, for the four women wanting to not be alone. (It has some echo of “Little Women,” to me.) That’s the reason to hang in there. It takes time to get invested in the characters and their needs. Paul Newman is very good as usual, but more restrained than you might expect. Handsome, but without some kind of edge that made him bigger than life.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

#Oscars Best Picture Nominee: “Anora” (2024) starring Mikey Madison

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SPOILER ALERT: Don’t read this post if you haven’t seen, or don’t want to know, details from the movie Anora (streaming on VOD).

Love is a hustle. -A tagline for the film

This is yet (another) movie that shows us the hard truth- ain’t NO man coming to save you! This is my 1st time watching a Sean Baker movie; he’s the writer, director, and editor of this (unusual) indie film. This film won the Palm d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. The title character (who prefers to be called “Ani”) is played by Mikey Madison; I saw this actress in her supporting role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019). Ani is a 23 y.o. stripper (or sex worker) at a club in Manhattan; she’s a blend of sweet and tough (as several viewers noted). One night, the club’s manager pulls Ani aside to explain that a client wants to see someone who speaks Russian. Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn) is a big spender/heavy drinker, though just 21 y.o. Since Ani’s grandma never learned English, they communicated in Russian. Ani quickly charms Vanya; soon, he invites her to his mansion. They seem to like each other, have some laughs, and end up in Vegas (w/ a group of his friends); of course, Anora is paid to act like a gf. Suddenly (after a week), Vanya proposes to Ani, and she says “yes!” Are they really in love? Is this a reckless decision they’ll come to regret?

Some viewers have compared this movie to Pretty Woman, BUT w/ a more gritty, dark, and realistic bent. The nudity (and intimate scenes) are also unlike ones you’d see in typical rom coms. This film takes an (unflinching) look at the issue of class; this is NOT often done in America. Honestly, I didn’t think much re: class/social differences until I lived in NYC myself. In once scene, Vanya (unlike Anora) doesn’t move his feet while his young maid (a Russian immigrant) is vacuuming; he continues to play video games. It turns out that Vanya is still an immature boy; his lifestyle is paid for by his wealthy/business-oriented parents (who live in Russia).

The 1st act has been described as a (high energy) rom com; the rest is slower w/ the tone of a dark comedy. It was refreshing to see areas of NYC that aren’t often in movies; Ani lives in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn (known for its large Russian population). We see Coney Island (nearly empty in Winter) and points of interest in Vegas (such as an iconic wedding chapel). Though Ani is the central (POV) character, the supporting characters (who work for Vanya’s parents) add flavor to the story. Toros (Karren Karagulian) is the priest who baptized Vanya; he’s one of the men responsible for watching out for Vanya. Igor (Yura Borisov) is a quiet/stoic young man who works as an enforcer. One astute movie critic noted that both Ani and Igor use their bodies in their work. What did you think of that (unexpected) last scene of the movie? I found myself getting a BIT emotional.

[1] Anora is a punch to the face of the traditional fairytale concept. It’s a realistic, violent, raw, funny, and ultimately sweet modern Cinderella story.

[2] Some films are completely made by their last scenes, and Anora is one of them. […]

…in the film’s final moments, we see all of that bravura fall away and Anora turn into a sobbing little girl when a character offers her a taste of genuine human kindness and affection.

[3] Once the first act concludes and the second act kicks in, there’s a striking shift in both tone and style that I honestly did not see coming.

The comedy is genuinely entertaining, with moments that will have you laughing out loud. Despite serious circumstances, the absurdity of the situations elicits laughter and chuckles.

[4] The storyline was predictable and uninspired, failing to hold my attention or evoke any emotional response. The characters lacked depth, making it impossible to connect with them or care about their journey.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews