Tina's January 2014 Movies

Another year, another series of movie reviews.  Here are the ground rules:  Movies are rated on a scale of 0-5 cans of tuna fish (my childhood favorite food - besides anything chocolate, that is).  Movies marked with an asterisk* are ones I had not seen previously.  All reviews are strictly my opinion.  A well-reviewed movie may not be one I enjoyed, and, conversely, some that receive no accolades may just be personal favorites of mine. You are here to see what I thought about the 150 or so movies I see each year and to draw your own conclusions.

1.  Easy Money (1983) – Noel Coward surely never wrote anything like this.  Rodney Dangerfield is the twitchy Monty Capulet, a man of simple interests:  He likes to smoke, drink, gamble and curse, and he loves hanging out with his equally low-brow friends like Nick (Joe Pesci).  When Monte’s wealthy mother-in-law dies, he will inherit her $10 million fortune if he can clean up his act in a year.  Easy money?  Hardly for Monty, who is reduced to eating salads and giving up beer.  Dangerfield is perfectly cast as a “regular guy,” and while this comedy will never be known for its highbrow values, it is nonetheless an amusing look at class differences and lifestyles.  Though I prefer Rodney in “Back to School,” this one is easy to watch.  3½ cans.

2.  The Purple Rose of Cairo* (1985) – The affable Jeff Daniels has a dual role in this ingenious Woody Allen movie.  He plays Tom Baxter, a pith-helmet wearing actor in a movie watched repeatedly by lonely Cecilia (Mia Farrow).  When Tom breaks through the 4^th wall and leaves the screen to meet Cecelia, the actor who plays him on the screen, Gil Shepherd (also Jeff Daniels), shows up to stop Tom from ruining his career.  What is real and what exists only in the movies?  Poor Cecelia is torn between Tom and Gil, both of whom want her to be in their respective worlds, while the cast of the abandoned movie continues to exhort Tom to come back to the screen.  A very clever and winning movie and one without Woody as an actor (he never would have fit in).  3½ cans.

3.  Lars & the Real Girl* (2007) – Lars is almost the perfect boyfriend.  He is kind, thoughtful, polite – and delusional.  A lonely and quiet man, Lars (Ryan Gosling) eschews company and cannot bare to be touched.  But when one of his porn-loving co-workers shows him a website that offers life-like dolls, he orders Bianca, who comes into his life and the lives of the indulgent town folk.  Everyone – not just Lars – treats Bianca as real.  She gets a “job” modeling in a store window, “reads” to children at the hospital and is elected to the school board.  At first, his brother and sister-in-law are reluctant to play along, but they begin to see a real relationship develop between a man with little emotion and a “woman” with even less.  This movie is quirky, no doubt, but there is a tenderness here, particularly displayed by the people surrounding the reluctant Lars, that is very sweet.  Any movie that can make Ryan Gosling NOT look like a doll himself has to have some magic.  3½ cans.

4.  Manhattan (1979) – I’m still on a Woody Allen kick, leftover from last year, and I decided to revisit this romantic comedy/drama.  Forgetting the plot and the dialog for a moment, I have to say this movie is gorgeous to view.  Manhattan has never looked better, richly shot in black and white, with its characters sometimes shot solely in silhouette, accompanied by the symphonic strains of George Gershwin.  As for the plot, Woody Allen plays Issac, a 42-year old writer who is dating beautiful 17-year old Tracy (Mariel Hemingway, in a notable screen debut).  Knowing his off-screen story makes this relationship a little creepy for me, so when he starts dating Mary (Diane Keaton, naturally), the ex-girlfriend of his married friend Yale (Michael Murphy), the pairing seems more natural.  I have trouble believing that a man who looks and acts like Woody Allen would have women like Keaton, Hemingway and Meryl Streep, who plays his lesbian ex-wife, show even the remotest interest in his neurotic, insecure character.  The story is about love, when you know, who is best for you and having a little faith in people.  And who can forget that stunning shot of Keaton and Allen in the lower right part of the screen, sitting and conversing while gazing at the Queensboro Bridge?  Seeing it again, I realize this is one of Woody’s best works.  I’ll take Manhattan.  4 cans.

5.  On the Mat* (2012) – Every year, I seem to find a sports documentary to watch that I haven’t seen before.  This one is about Lake Stevens High School, about an hour north of Seattle, and its wrestling team.  Wrestling is a sport where any kid can participate, no matter how big or small.  So the 103-pound kid who is lying motionless on the mat one week can come back and vie for a state championship.  The sport relies on mental toughness, discipline and the ability to “make weight.”  These kids starve themselves to qualify in a particular weight category.  Like all other sports movies, this one has the kid who is the outsider, who brings the drama, and kids for whom wrestling is everything.  There is the coach who is determined to use wrestling to teach life lessons to his young charges.  And there is the staple of all sports films, the ultimate test of prowess – in the case, the state tournament.  Would any of these hard-working kids become a state champ?  Win or lose, would they pile up enough points to help their school claim the state title?  Would this film be released if they didn’t?  It may be cliché, but it is a winner.  3 cans. 

6.  August: Osage County* (2013) – My sister and I eagerly awaited the latest Meryl Streep movie as our Christmas choice and were highly disappointed when it didn’t open widely until this month.  So with a chip on our shoulders, we went to see it, hoping Meryl would redeem her tardiness with another Award-winning performance.  As my sister insists, Meryl never disappoints, and here, as Violet, she is a mean and ornery woman dealing with cancer, a failing marriage, drug addiction (hers) and a litany of family issues.  When her three daughters descend upon the family home in desolate Oklahoma during a crisis, they all bring their worst behavior and put the fun in dysfunctional.  There is plenty of vitriol over past transgressions, accompanied by swearing, food tossing, plate throwing and a knock-down, dragged out tussle between Meryl and Barbara (Julia Roberts).  And this film is supposedly a comedy.  We all have family issues, but this family has a few creepy surprises that I didn’t see coming.  The movie has its moments of levity – most of which you can catch in the trailers – and overall it is well-done, but in the same uncomfortable sense as “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf.”  4 cans, mostly because of the cast, which also includes Dermot Mulrooney, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Chris Cooper, Sam Shepperd and Julianna Nicholson.

7.  Her* (2013) – What are the chances I will see two movies in one month about men who fall in love with inanimate objects (see # 3 above)?  Writer-director Spike Jonze creates a world where people are so dependent on their devices that they rarely interact with each other.  Instead, they are dependent on a SmartPhone or computer for everything from checking their mail to ordering food to building relationships.  So when Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) falls in love with Samantha, his new operating system (sexy voice courtesy of Scarlett Johansen), this behavior isn’t unusual, it is accepted.  After all, Samantha is the perfect girlfriend.  You don’t need to dress up – or even shower – to go out on a date with her, she’s always available, and you are only paying for yourself.  Odd doesn’t begin to describe this movie – complete with sex scenes – but the thing that drove me crazy was that Theodore simply had to press the button on his ear piece to summon her.  Doesn’t she have to be charged?  And who among us hasn’t had our operating system crash?  Yes, she did shut down once for a system update, but that was the only part with which I could identify.  Well-thought out and clever, with excellent performances by all the players (including Amy Adams), but a little too bizarre for my more basic tastes.  3 cans.

8.  Our Vines Have Tender Grapes* (1945) – Edward G. Robinson is cast against type as the Norwegian father of a family in Wisconsin in this look at life in simpler times.  Young Margaret O’Brien steals the show as his curious and lovable daughter.  There’s not much here in the way of plot beyond Papa’s desire to build a new barn, but the feeling is one of heart.  Still, way too dull for my taste. 2 cans.

9.  Radio Days (1987) – And the Woody Allen Film Festival continues with this nostalgic trip back to the 1940s, where writer-director-narrator Allen recalls his youth.  The family depicted is large, encompassing parents, aunts and uncles, etc., and, despite bickering and living modestly, they all appreciate each other and live vicariously through the people whose lives they hear about on the radio.  The radio broadcasts of the era are the genesis of the story, but it is the strength and warmth of the family that touches the viewer.  Allen being Allen, there are moments of levity, but this one is more heart-warming than laugh-inducing.  The usual Allen troupe shows up – Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts and others, including my personal fave, Brenda Morgenstern herself, Julie Kavner.   A mostly sweet and leisurely stroll down Memory Lane.  3½ cans.

10.  The Remains of the Day (1993) – If you enjoy Downton Abbey, you’ll probably like this look at life in an English manor home.  Anthony Hopkins is Stevens, the butler of Darlington House, where he serves Lord Darlington in the 1930s.  Though there is ample political talk here, as Lord Darlington advocates positions prior to the war that would be later frowned upon, the central story is about the relationship between the butler and the housekeeper, Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson).  They disagree on many issues, the biggest of which is expressing their opinions.  Kenton doesn’t hesitate to state her views, but the circumspect Stevens’ focus is strictly on serving the house.  He prefers not to listen to the views of the important people who visit Darlington in favor of making sure everything is in perfect order for whomever is on hand.  Hopkins and Thompson are brilliant, and we so want them to get together here.  No spoilers, please.  One more thought – it is jarring to see a robust Christopher Reeve playing an American Congressman, knowing what would later happen to him in real life.  So sad.  4½ cans.

11.  Salinger* (2014) – Is there anyone out there who doesn’t know the story of Holden Caulfield, poster boy for disaffected youth, or his creator, famously reclusive author J.D. Salinger?  (If you don’t, please don’t fess up, or I will be forced to defriend you.)  This PBS documentary on American Masters takes a long look at Salinger, from his desire to be published in The New Yorker to his days fighting in WWII through his marriages and his notoriously quiet existence in New Hampshire, where he fended off journalists and photographers but periodically invited strangers – mostly young women – into his life.  His publication of “The Catcher in the Rye” in 1951 had a profound effect on its readers and generations of people who eschewed phonies and saw themselves through Holden’s eyes.  Thought he didn’t publish anything for many years before his death in 2010, Salinger remained busy writing away in his little cottage outside his home.  His works are scheduled to be released starting in 2015, when a new generation will have a chance to experience his style while the rest of us wonder if we will feel the same way we did when we first read Catcher.  Salinger is a fascinating but flawed man and this documentary gave me new insights into his life.  4 cans.

12.  The Place Beyond the Pines* (2012) – The decisions you make and the actions you take can affect your life and the lives of others for generations.  If you don’t believe that, watch this gripping drama.  It starts off as an action-adventure, then goes into a story about moral decisions and then progresses on to a tense conclusion.  The movie was not at all what I expected, and to say more would ruin the plot.  I watched it largely because of its stars – Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes and Bradley Cooper – all of whom give top-notch performances.  To learn more, look it up on-line, or, even better, watch it for yourself.  3½ cans.

13.  The Heart of the Game (2005) – With the possible exception of “Hoop Dreams,” there is no finer documentary about basketball (or sports, in my opinion) than this 7-year look at Coach Bill Resler and his Roosevelt High Rough Riders.  A college tax professor, Resler takes on the hapless high school girls basketball team and uses his unconventional approach to urge the girls on to victory.  He tells them they are a pack or wolves or tigers, and they abandon traditional offensive sets and swarm the opposition on defense.  When the gifted Darnellia Russell shows up (a year after the documentary starts), she brings her considerable basketball skills and sometimes an attitude to match to challenge Resler.  Will they win the state championship?  Will Darnellia overcome her own problems to stay on the team?  I know the outcome and yet I watch this movie every time thrilled at each basket, each pass, and each game.  If you like sports and enjoy documentaries, you’ve gotta have “Heart.”  4½ cans.

14.  A Walk on the Moon (1999)  –  Pearl Kantrowitz (Diane Lane) is a bored housewife, spending the summer in the Catskills with her teenaged daughter, young son and mother-in-law (Tovah Feldshuh, who is fabulous in the role), playing mah jongg with the other ladies of summer while the men return to the city for their jobs and see how fast they can make the trip back up to the cottages on weekends.  So when the “Blouse Man” (Viggo Mortenson, looking just like tennis player Bjorn Borg) offers her a bit more than something to wear, she sheepishly sheds her abandon.  The summer of 1969 was a huge time of change in music, culture and mores, with Woodstock just around the corner from their summer home.  Pearl sees in the Blouse Man a different world, a different life – and different sex from what the routine she and husband Marty (Liev Schreiber) practice.  Her m-i-l knows right away she is “schtupping” someone else, and the reality of dealing with a sexually awakening teenager while she herself is awakening presents a real dilemma for Pearl.  When I first saw this movie, I liked it immediately.  The references to the period seem completely authentic to me, as does every other aspect of the movie.  Oh, and men actually do land on the moon, in a moment Pearl is unlikely to forget.  Years before she became “Unfaithful” to Richard Gere, Lane portrays a woman with a similar moral dilemma and just a little less agony and ecstasy.  4 cans.

15.  Postcards from the Edge (1990) – A drugged out actress (Meryl Streep) is literally dumped at the ER by the man she’s been with (Dennis Quaid) and wakes up, stomach pumped, to find herself in rehab.  The only way she can get work is to agree to live with her alcoholic mother (Shirley MacLaine), a noted star herself who is enough to drive anyone to drink.  The acerbic wit of writer Carrie Fisher is sharply on display in this story that is based on Fisher’s relationship with star/mother Debbie Reynolds.  Streep and MacLaine are memorable in their strained exchanges, though any amateur analyst can see how their relationship has devolved over the years.  As if she wasn’t a considerable enough actress, Streep shows off her singing prowess here, too.  And MacLaine, whose character is much larger than life, belts out the Broadway tune “I’m Still Here,” just to again take the focus off her daughter.  All this, and comedy to boot.  This is my 3^rd Meryl movie of the month. You can’t get too much Meryl.  4 cans.

16.  The Help (2011) – I loved this movie when it was first released and decided to see it again.  It is the moving, amusing and enlightening story of a group of women housemaids in Jackson, Mississippi, and the exasperating and cruel junior league women who employ them.  When aspiring writer Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Emma Stone) decides to write about the maids, she has to first earn their trust.  Skeeter isn’t like the snobby young women with whom she was brought up, and she forms a bond with Aibileen (Viola Davis, who lost out on the Oscar only because Meryl made yet another movie), a strong and loving woman who has raised many children for her employers only to see them become just as insensitive as their mothers.  And if you think Abi has stories to tell, wait til you hear Minnie’s (Octavia Spencer, who did win an Oscar).  Skeeter, who goes toe-to-toe with Miss Hilly (Bryce Dallas Howard), head snob of the town.  This is a rich and rewarding movie, which, like the book upon which it is based, should not be missed.  4 cans.

17.  Heartburn (1986) – Meryl Month continues in the Gordon household with this Nora Ephron story based on her marriage to Watergate writer Carl Bernstein.  Considering it co-stars Meryl and Jack Nicholson, Ephron wrote the book, Mike Nichols directed and Carly Simon did several songs, overall, this is a disappointing effort.  Maybe it is that the story is based on the flawed marriage between the main characters.  He cheats and she tries to deal with it.  There are amusing moments, but much of the movie just felt padded and empty.  I remember not liking this one much in the 80s, and it didn’t get better with age.  2½ cans.