One of my good friends/nabes (along w/ her old college pal) had tickets to this new film at AFI on Christmas; I joined them b/c was VERY curious to know more re: Dick Cheney. Also, I don’t think I’ve seen anything by the director- Adam McKay- who has worked w/ BOTH Bale and Carell in The Big Short (need to check it out on Netflix). McKay’s directing style is NOT very subtle! There are touches of humor though, BUT don’t expect a multi-layered biopic of Cheney. Also, don’t expect to root for anyone here (IF that’s what you usually look for at the movies). McKay is uber-liberal and doesn’t care who knows it; in fact, there is a mid-credits scene that explains this (my friend LOVED that). If you’re also liberal, keep up w/ the news, and LOVE Bale- this film is for you. Otherwise, you can watch it out later (NOT necessarily on the big screen).
Bale (one of my faves since Little Women) is completely transformed- weight (he gained about 40 lbs), hair, posture, and voice! He really commands the screen w/o saying TOO much or making many gestures. Amy Adams (as usual) does a fine job; I learned new things re: Lynn also, NOT just the former VP. Bale and Adams have great chemistry, so make a believable long-term couple. There is even a brief Shakespearean scene. Is it over the top and unexpected? Yes, BUT I (along w/ a few others in my small audience) were amused by it.
Speaking of screen presence, Steve Carell is getting better and better w/ age; he does a great job as the tough-talking/scheming political animal- Donald Rumsfeld. Did you know that Rummy was a mentor to Cheney starting from when he was an eager-to-please young intern? I was surprised by this, as well as their (evolving) relationship over the decades. Dubya is played (for laughs) by Sam Rockwell; he’s NOT one of my faves, BUT does OK w/ what he has been given. He does get Dubya’s facial expressions and confusion right. Just HOW MUCH power did Cheney have as VP? You MAY be shocked (or NOT) to find out!
I saw this (VERY well-known) action movie on Christmas Eve w/ a Meetup at AFI (I live across the street). I liked it a LOT more than I expected! And yes, it’s meant to be comedic and campy (esp. to young/modern viewers). Who wouldn’t love the dry “ho-ho-ho” spoken by Alan Rickman (as the villainous Hans Gruber)!? While the film was released in Summer 1988, it has since evolved into a Christmas movie (it takes place on Christmas Eve).
NYPD detective, John McClane (Bruce Willis), flies to LA to spend time w/ his estranged wife/business exec, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), and their two young kids. The family has been separated for several mos; Holly took a job (promotion) w/ a Japanese company, Nakatomi Corp, and John stayed back to wrap up some outstanding cases. Unlike many action movies, we get some time to learn re: the hero; John is nervous re: flying, hasn’t ridden in a limo (which Holly sends to pick him up from LAX), and is worried re: where his marriage stands. He carries a (comically) large teddy bear wearing a red bow- a gift for his kids.
On the 32nd fl. of Nakatomi Towers, Holly fends off advances from her egotistical/lecherous colleague, Harry Ellis (Hart Bochner); this is the type of scene you wouldn’t see in 2018. When John arrives, he meets the president of the company, Mr. Takagi (James Shigeta), and Ellis (while he’s brushing away cocaine from his nose- yet another thing NOT seen today). Holly eventually comes in; she’s wearing a watch (Rolex) which was given to her by the company. Holly shows John the executive washroom, where they argue re: her moving to LA and using her maiden name- Gennero.
It’s scripted so that the two of them end up talking over each other about what McClane’s idea of their marriage is, and it’s such an honest depiction of estranged spouses that I find myself forgetting what movie I’m watching when I get to that part. -Excerpt from IMDB review
Holly gets called back to the party by her (VERY pregnant) secretary. While John takes off his shirt and shoes and washes up, a dozen men (incl. some speaking in German) armed w/ an assortment of weapons, infiltrate the building. What do these men want? Are they terrorists? Everyone is rounded up in one spot, except for John, who peeks out after hearing gunshots and screams. There is an “EXIT” sign across the hall above a door, BUT (of course) he doesn’t take it to escape. He’s a cop; he has to get help and save Holly (along w/ the others), w/o being discovered.
[1] One could claim that “Die Hard” is one of the most influential action movies ever made, because it basically revolutionized one of the most copied (but never matched, at least in terms of quality) formulas: a loner, by some unique twist of fate, battles it out with an “x” number of terrorists [villains] in an enclosed environment.
[2] I always love when McClane talks to himself whenever he was about to do something crazy.
[3] Die Hard even succeeds as a knowing commentary on the action film genre, dropping references to other action heroes, and exemplifies Bruce Willis as a new type of hero. One that can get hurt, one that feels pain, and one that actually has ties to the world.
[4] Rickman was amazing and it is one of the best bad guys performances and the one scene when we snaps at John’s wife is priceless.
-Excerpts from IMDB reviews
It’s a great pleasure to me to work on film now as well as on the stage. But it is no soft option. It isn’t easier. It’s in many ways more difficult, and it’s a different kind of a challenge. You have to think a lot quicker and be a lot more immediate. -Alan Rickman
Some Trivia Behind the Film
In the spring of 1987, producer Joel Silver and director John McTiernan attended a performance of the play Dangerous Liaisons, in which Alan Rickman played Valmont. They realized they had found Hans Gruber.
According to his German co-stars, Rickman did an excellent accent after researching German speech. English is a second language in Germany; Rickman even got the dialect of German correct. When Hans tells Takagi that he enjoyed making models as a boy, he says: “I always enjoyed to make models when I was a boy” (the correct German way to say it in English).
The scene in which Gruber and McClane meet was inserted into the script after Rickman was found to be proficient at mimicking American accents. The filmmakers had been looking for a way to have the two characters meet before the climax. This scene was also unrehearsed.
Die Hard: Hans meets McClane
For the shot where Hans falls from the top of the building, Rickman was actually dropped by a stuntman from a 20-foot high model. The stuntman dropped the actor on the count of two, instead of 3, so that shocked look on his face is real.
Based on the best-selling pair of memoirs from father and son David and Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy chronicles the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse, and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years. -Film Synopsis
The title of this film (and the book) comes from John Lennon’s song “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)”. David Sheff, a successful freelance writer, interviewed John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1980. This emotional, sensitive, and timely film (opioid addiction is a VERY serious/common issue today) is a BIT more from the viewpoint of the father, Dave (Carell), than his teen son, Nic (Chalamet- now 22 y.o.) I would’ve liked to see more of the mom, Vicki (Ryan); there are a few nice scenes w/ the stepmom, Karen (Tierney). Nic’s parents divorced when he was quite young; every Summer, he traveled from San Francisco to LA to spend time w/ Vicki. (We don’t know what her career is, BUT are lead to believe that she’s quite busy and also successful.)
As Nic got into his high school years, he became more withdrawn (spending a LOT of time alone, writing and drawing). Dave didn’t realize that his son was ALSO getting into hard drugs; he assumed that it was only marijuana that Nic was experimenting w/ (like MANY teens/college students). There was something missing w/in Nic which he couldn’t explain; drugs filled that void. Dave thought that he and Nic were closer than most fathers and sons. When Nic runs away from a rehab facility (for the second time), Dave sets out to learn exactly what kind of damage could be happening to his child. (Timothy Hutton has a cameo as an M.D. who specializes in addiction.) There are some fine, nuanced performances here, esp. from Carell (aging quite well/stretching his dramatic muscles) and Chalamet (who lost 25 lbs. for his role). There is more to this story, so check it out yourself!
It’s not everyday that you watch a film re: the development of an individual’s race consciousness! This isn’t just for fans of the YA book (which many adults also read); it’s for anyone who has had to deal w/ unfairness, violence, and/or navigate two worlds (cultures, languages, etc.) and come out resilient on the other side. In my audience a week ago, there were viewers of ALL ages, incl. several families (black, Latino, Asian) w/ pre-teens and teens. It’s realistic, emotional, intelligent, and still hopeful re: our future (and that of the protagonist- Starr). Like ALL good films, it takes the viewer on a journey (BUT this time it’s through the eyes of an intelligent, sensitive, and curious 16 y.o. black girl). After the film ended, a black woman in her 50s commented (in a pleasantly surprised tone) to her gal pal: “This is what happens when there’s a black writer, producer, and director.” You don’t need to be black (or in a minority group) to appreciate this film (of course), BUT it does speak esp. to a modern, American, black audience.
I was impressed by all the actors, esp. Stenberg (who is already quite experienced for a 20 y.o. in Hollywood) and Hornsby (who I saw on Broadway several years ago in Fences). The Carter family (which is blended) is such a strong and loving unit- this is VERY rare to see in modern film! Hall gets a few moments to shine; she’s NOT just the one-note wife/mom. Common (known for his music) does pretty well w/ his role as Starr’s uncle (and cop). It’s good to see Issa Rae getting more exposure (on big screen). The chemistry between the kids and parents was really good. The costumes, music, settings, and extras ALL contribute to giving this film its authenticity. Don’t miss this film- it has its pulse on what’s (sadly) going on now in our society!
What to say re: this film? It’s simply magical (even when you view it for the second time)! I saw it again (on TCM) last week; it’s also available on DVD from The Criterion Collection. The lead actors (who are in their early to mid-30s) are Brits who actually look like regular people. An upper-middle class housewife, Laura Jesson (Celia Johnson), meets doctor, Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard), at a train station cafe when he helps remove a piece of dirt from her eye. Laura doesn’t think much of it, but then they keep running into each other in town. They talk, share lunch (and laughs), and go to movies (matinees) on Thursday afternoons. They (and the audience) realize that this relationship can’t go anywhere; they’re both married w/ two young kids. In fact, Laura’s husband (Fred) is depicted as a nice man; Alec’s two sons and wife are unseen (though she is described as “small, dark, and delicate”). Laura and Alec soon fall in love- neither can deny their feelings!
I’m an ordinary woman. I didn’t think such violent things could happen to ordinary people. -Laura (in voiceover) re: falling in love w/ Alec
It’s awfully easy to lie when you know that you’re trusted implicitly. So very easy, and so very degrading. -Laura (in voiceover) re: lying to Fred for the first time
Unlike most movies of the ’40s, we hear Laura’s perspective (in voiceover), getting us into the mind of a woman. David Lean (who went on to direct some epic films) decided to shoot this like a film noir. Laura and Alec are sometimes partly obscured by shadow. Perhaps this is done to show the danger in their pairing? Music is an element used very effectively as well; it adds to the drama in pivotal moments.
Though this film is emotional, it doesn’t come off as showy or cloying (which is an achievement in itself). When Alec and Laura share their first kiss, the camera (perhaps respectfully?) pulls back to give them space. Fitting w/ the morals (and maybe also censors), their relationship is unconsummated. Brief Encounter has inspired many films (and spoofs) over the years. Check it out if haven’t before- you won’t regret it!
[1] Johnson’s soulful eyes and capacity for displaying emotion is brilliantly used here…
[2]Lean uses only a few sets and locations. It’s as if Laura and Alec are caged in by their surroundings and their emotions and can never escape…
[4] The story wonderfully explores the idea that sometimes it is easier to feel close and understood by someone you meet by chance as opposed to those who are close to us. People may not like the truism, but it’s human nature.
Knightleyemma 