Billy Crystal is one of those hapless gents you can’t help but love. His reeking self-apology immediately makes a person want to like him just to stop his emotional bleeding. In his latest film which he directed and co-wrote with Alan Zweibel, “Here Today” is a well meaning attempt to grapple with the sticky situation… Continue reading Here Today: Good Attempt & Concept, But…
Category: family issues
Minari, a Sophie’s Choice for my top 10
What do you do when your favorite movie of the year “Driveways” (directed by Andrew Ahn) is upstaged by a grander (action-wise) movie “Minari” (directed by Lee Isaac Chung)? I guess both could be in my top ten, but it’s a difficult choice. Both films by Asian and Korean directors are masterpieces in my book.… Continue reading Minari, a Sophie’s Choice for my top 10
“Down Goes Frazier!” in this case “Mank”, “One Night in Miami” moves into the Top Ten
A true case of “it ain’t over till it’s over”, One Night in Miami just moved into my Top 10 of 2020. But first, this positive race relations commentary….six Caucasians (actually 4 parties, 2 separate solo single females and two couples) walked into the CineBistro Siesta Key to pay acknowledgement to not only the four… Continue reading “Down Goes Frazier!” in this case “Mank”, “One Night in Miami” moves into the Top Ten
Eternal Beauty, Talented Writer/Director
Craig Roberts wrote and directed Eternal Beauty starring the incandescent Sally Hawkins. She could make almost any script look good, but all she had to do was bring her A game given the poignant, well drawn dysfunctional family comedy/drama. With the help of another new, dare I predict future Oscar nominated, actor David Thewlis (Golden… Continue reading Eternal Beauty, Talented Writer/Director
On the Rocks, Conned this Rox
One of my top fifteen movies of all time is Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola’s gorgeous ode to feeling misunderstood, captured perfectly by two different generations (Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson) who come together in a hotel bar. So I went skipping to On the Rocks, Sofia’s newest using Bill Murray again, in a different… Continue reading On the Rocks, Conned this Rox
Kajillion ways to improve Kajillionaire
I pat the couch like Sigmund and say, “Miranda, come sit over here. In fact, lay down and tell me what you wanted to communicate in this film.” I really enjoyed Miranda July’s “Me You And Everyone We Know,” back when through lines were a thing. Kajillionaire was billed as a comedy, but if I… Continue reading Kajillion ways to improve Kajillionaire
You Say Tommaso, I say Too Macho
Ok, I couldn’t resist the title, if anything, I felt for Willem Dafoe’s character to a point… But first, let me say that Abel Ferrara’s a new director to me. I did not see The Bad Lieutenant, but did love Herzog’s sequel Bad Lieutenant Port of Call. From what I’ve read of Ferrara’s filmography, he’s… Continue reading You Say Tommaso, I say Too Macho
An Ironic Mutiny: The Ghost of Peter Sellers
Ironically, I abandoned ship on a movie that WASN’T about a ship, since Peter Medak’s doc The Ghost of Peter Sellers was poignant enough to keep me engaged. Realize, I rarely give up on a film anyway, but my increasing impatience with the distractions of home cinema is fraying my ability to make it to… Continue reading An Ironic Mutiny: The Ghost of Peter Sellers
You Can’t Handle “The Truth” (2019), especially if you like tight screenplays
I am really confused by “The Truth”. How can the same man (Hirokazu Koreeda) who wrote and directed the BRILLIANT “Shoplifters” move on to a follow up of circuitous drivel like The Truth? My guess is he has the bank to surround himself with the best actors, so he thought, let’s do this, even if… Continue reading You Can’t Handle “The Truth” (2019), especially if you like tight screenplays
Gratitude and Genuflection for Driveways
My my my I felt sad when Brian Dennehy died, not that I was even that hip to his filmography, but he reminded me of my former father-in-law, a hard shelled exterior soft hearted interior Irish guy. And after seeing Driveways (fantastic screenplay written by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen) directed by Andrew Ahn, I… Continue reading Gratitude and Genuflection for Driveways