Craig Gillespie has moved me in the past with I, Tonya and Pam & Tommy. Dumb Money though simply skims the surface in regard to character development and basic exposition. Paul Dano is an acting God. I have followed his career from There Will Be Blood to Love & Mercy to Dumb Money. I even… Continue reading Dumb Money Could Have Been Smarter
Tag: Paul Dano
The Graduate, a Wonder
Seeing The Graduate on the big screen today at Burns Court Theater was a delight. Despite the two chatty Kathy’s sitting behind me, “This is too much!” exclamations through the first third of the film, this film was So good that it shut them up! Miracles never cease. I just wanted to mention a few… Continue reading The Graduate, a Wonder
Unsupervised Teens, Always Big Trouble “L.I.E.”
Wow, just finished a recommendation for a PPLL, L.I.E. directed by Michael Cuesta. Was surprised I hadn’t heard of this director considering how well written and how artistically directed this film was from ‘way back’ in 2001. And while an Emmy for Homeland is nothing to sneeze at, I would have expected his subsequent films… Continue reading Unsupervised Teens, Always Big Trouble “L.I.E.”
Swiss Army Man: Sartre’s Back!
Sartre’s been reincarnated and come back as the film writing and directing duo Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinhert. Swiss Army Man reminded me a lot of the play No Exit in that I kept thinking, when in the hell are we getting out of the woods? I suggested the film to my mom and her… Continue reading Swiss Army Man: Sartre’s Back!
Youth surpasses Joy (Not an adage for real life!)
I snuck in two more films before the ball dropped and only one is squeezing into my top ten. While “Joy” had all the ingredients of a master class film-O’Russell and his wrecking crew of actors and actresses, a few clunky scenes took the charge out of the true story of a poor housewife makes… Continue reading Youth surpasses Joy (Not an adage for real life!)
Hail Hail Cusack’s Back and Dano’s Better Than Ever
John Cusak I was blown away by Love and Mercy and I never liked the Beach Boys. But now I do! An engaging screenplay, co-written by Oren Moverman, who also wrote The Messenger and I’m Not There is the deepest I’ve seen in trying to capture the long term effects of child abuse. The director,… Continue reading Hail Hail Cusack’s Back and Dano’s Better Than Ever