It is off to the movies (and more) for another year. Movies not seen previously are noted with an asterisk, and the rating system goes from 1 (the worst) to 5 cans of tuna fish.
1. Uncut Gems* (2019) – Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) is a jeweler and a gambler. He bets that he can get $1 million from the sale of a rare opal, which he really needs to pay off his bookie and plenty of other people to whom he owes money. The man has more get-rich-quick schemes than Ralph Cramden, and the stakes keep getting higher. And every time he takes a licking and keeps on ticking, his wounds are self-inflicted, as he uses money he doesn’t have to cover the bad bets he made. Even the bookies in NY don’t want to take his action. His life is complicated; he’s juggling the rock to be auctioned off, basketball star Kevin Garnett (in a tight and terrific performance), a wife (Idina Menzel) and kids, an apartment in the city where he houses his girlfriend, and plenty of bad guys and debts all over town. This is an intense movie, one that I surely could not sleep through (and didn’t). Sandler’s Howard dominates the screen, trying to be charming and authoritative, but always forced into compromise, making bad decisions and getting his back against the wall. The action is frenetic but perfectly realistic for this character. I’m not sure I liked the movie, but it is a gem. 4 cans.
2. Only the Lonely (1991) – This charming film is about Danny, a loveable but lonely Chicago cop (John Candy) who lives with and takes care of his mother (Maureen O’Hara). When he falls for an equally lonely mortician (Ally Sheedy), his widowed mother discourages the relationship, which will take Danny away from her. He seems destined to be denied his own happiness, unless he stands up to the demanding widow and sticks with the woman he loves. 3½ cans.
3. Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) – Julia Roberts is Laura, the beautiful young wife of Martin (Patrick Bergin), a tall, dark and very rich man who adores her – and adores controlling her – almost as much as he adores running his gorgeous home like a military base. The towels are precisely hung and all of the canned goods are stored in the pantry with labels out, like obedient little soldiers. And he doesn’t seem to mind encouraging his wife to serve him in every way, beating her physically and abusing her mentally until she honors his demands. She makes a daring escape, but we all know the movie can’t be over at that point. Can he track her down? How? Where? This suspenseful movie decries domestic violence, and Laura lives in a constant state of fear. We know that he won’t give up easily. PS – I see nothing wrong with having towels hung neatly and pantry goods properly aligned – just not with Martin’s penalties. 3½ cans.
4. Saturday Night Fever (1977) – This sensational movie is so much more than a look at kids from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, with disco fever. It is a gritty look at barely-educated young men in their early 20s having fun, with some not yet realizing that their insular world is not enough to bring them long-term purpose and joy. They have few aspirations, but most any would seem impossible to achieve. There is an plenty of misogyny, racial prejudice and abusive relationships within families and among the young men and the women they use as playthings. The bridge from Bay Ridge to Manhattan, where dreams can come true, seems too wide to cross. Tony Manero (a transcendent John Travolta in the role that made him a superstar), lives at home with his disapproving parents and works at a dead-end job in a paint store. The only thing that brings him a feeling of being alive is going to the disco on Saturday nights with his buddies. Travolta owns the dance floor, capturing the attention of everyone at the club when he starts to dance. Meeting disco dancing Stephanie (a miscast Karen Lynn Gorney), a slightly older and sarcastic woman who works in “the city,” gives him a view beyond Bay Ridge. This is a film about hopes and dreams, about expanding your world when you don’t know how to go about it. You can find humor, pathos and broken hearts amid the pulsing music of the BeeGees and that ubiquitous white suit. And the dancing is truly memorable. 4 cans.
5. Just Mercy* (2020) – Brian Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) goes from a small, rural town in Delaware to Harvard and law school, and then makes his way to rural Alabama to fight for justice and equality for death row prisoners. Working within a system that could best be described as unfair at a minimum (one of his clients was put on death row BEFORE his trial) he realizes he is fighting an uphill battle, but he is determined to reexamine the records of each inmate he takes on to see if the evidence merits a new trail. Convincing the judicial system is a challenge, but he must also convince the inmates that he wants to help them. Johnny D. (a superb Jamie Foxx) isn’t interested in hearing from another lawyer promising help. He has been convicted of a murder on the basis of the testimony of one man whose own sentence was reduced after he testified. The case files are thin, but Brian and his sole colleague (Brie Larson) start digging. This true story is an indictment of racial prejudice and injustice. It is a powerful story, well cast and acted, that had me on the verge of tears more than once. I can’t disclose more of the plot, but if you see the importance of fair and equal treatment, see this movie. If you don’t feel that way, see it anyway, because it might open your eyes. 4 cans.
6. The Aftermath* (2019) – Keira Knightly plays Rachel Morgan, the wife of a British Army officer (Jason Clarke) assigned to Hamburg after the end of World War II. The Brits have commandeered the homes of locals to house their officers, and Morgan decides to allow the German homeowner Stefan (Alexander Skarsgard), a widower, to remain there with his daughter. Rachel is uncomfortable with this arrangement, although there is no love lost between the young wife and her husband since the death of their son. She is no longer in love with him, is unhappy with her life, and shares a house that is not her own with a very handsome man. I’ll let you figure out the rest. 3 cans.
7. Knives Out* (2020) – This clever murder mystery is a true whodunit. Even though rich author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) clearly has committed suicide, that does not stop the authorities plus a private detective (Daniel Craig) from investigating the who, what, where, when, why and how of the case. Thrombey’s scheming family is top of the list, each with a bona fide reason to come under suspicion. And then there Marta (Ana de Armas), the devoted nurse who cares for Harlan and seems to be the last person to see him alive. Lots of motives, suspects, intrigue and a sly dose of humor make this movie a real treat. 3½ cans.
8. 1917* (2020) – Do you ever have a dream where you have to get somewhere and a bunch of obstacles get in your way? At least you wake up. In this movie, two young British corporals are given the nearly impossible task of crossing into enemy territory to stop the commander of another battalion of soldiers from attacking the Germans and standing down or risk losing everyone – including the brother of one of the messengers – or risk great casualties. This harrowing movie was perfectly shot and directed, and one I typically would not watch, but I had to see what all the buzz was about. Glad I saw it. War is hell. 4 cans.
9. Betty White: A Lifetime in Television* – I caught this one on Netflix. It is a recounting of the remarkable career of TV legend Betty White, whose first TV show aired in 1939! They actually had TV then, I guess! The story of her career doesn’t contain the usual rise-and-fall. She’s just been around forever, playing funny, amiable and memorable roles. She is adored by her friends and co-stars from her decades of playing characters like the lusty Sue Ann Nivens, the Happy Homemaker maneater on the venerable “Mary Tyler Moore” show, and Rose Niland, the wide-eyed innocent from St. Olaf on “The Golden Girls” and many more parts. There’s nothing earthshaking here, but with Betty White still around and performing at 98, there is so much to admire. Betty White is a national treasure. 3 cans.
10. Ford vs. Ferrari* (2019) – This action-packed movie should have been titled “Ford vs. Its Own Racing Team,” because most of the plot involves Ford’s development of a stunning new race car designed to beat the Ferrari line – despite considerable interference from “the suits” that ran Ford. Ford hired legendary drive and designer Carroll Shelby to create a car to compete with the legendary Italian cars – and then would not let him use his genius friend/mechanic/driver Ken Myles, to bring it home. Myles has an innate feeling for the car and can give Shelby the feedback he needs to make it ready to win the iconic 24-hour race at Le Mans, but Myles is no favorite of the Ford folks. This movie is as close as I ever want to get to riding at 225-miles per hour in a car. How these drivers can operate such an advanced vehicle at high speeds, in bad conditions and over a 24-hour period is nothing short of miraculous. But the movie is about more than just racing. It highlights the friendship and trust between Shelby (Matt Damon) and Myles (Christian Bale) that can survive disagreements and squabbling to achieve a shared goal. 3½ cans.
11. Enough (2002) – Jennifer Lopez is Slim, a waitress who meets Mitch (Billy Campbell), a very rich and handsome man, in the diner where she works. The attractive couple gets married, has a daughter, and lives in a beautiful home. But things are rarely as idyllic as they appear. When Slim finds out Mitch is cheating on her (and seriously, who in his right mind would cheat on JLo?), she confronts him, never expecting him to lash out physically. He is mean, abusive and seemingly invulnerable, and she needs to find a way to survive. “Sleeping With the Enemy” (see number 3 above) is in the same genre of domestic violence and both movies feature women who seem to have no chance with their dangerous, smug, resourceful and stronger partners – but somehow manage to outfox them and survive. 3 cans.
12. Unbelievable* (2019) – This is not a movie but an 8-part series on Netflix, and I’m including it because it is unbelievably good. The series is about a rapist who is very careful not to leave any evidence behind, which makes the case difficult for the cops to solve. When two detectives in separate locations realize they have victims who tell nearly the same exact same story, they suspect there is a serial rapist and they start the process of tracking down similar cases and any and every detail to catch the perpetrator. It takes dogged determination and a little luck to make anything happen. Meanwhile, the first victim has recanted her story and is pursued by the police for fabricating the rape. The victims of these crimes go through enormous pain and aftereffects. Toni Collette and Merit Weaver play the main police detectives, who take their jobs and the victims very seriously. Absorbing. 4 cans.
13. Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez* (2020) – Aaron Hernandez was a talented football player who starred in high school, at the University of Florida and as a pro player with the New England Patriots. He was young and immature when he signed a $40 million contract with the Pats. And then he was arrested and convicted of shooting and killing a friend in cold blood. And then he was tried and acquitted of randomly killing two strangers he ran into in a bar. Was it from the effects of repeated blows to the head as a result of his playing career? Was it his constant use of marijuana, his violent abuse at the hands of his father as a young boy? Was it running with a pack of the wrong guys? Was it his confusion over his sexuality? Was it all of the above? You cannot dismiss the fact that young people with lots of money have lots of temptations, but his behavior started before the flow of money did. Convicted of killing his friend, he faced a life sentence, and he hung himself in his jail cell. This 3-part Netflix documentary examines all of the possibilities and lets you draw your own conclusion. 3½ cans.
14. Brittany Runs a Marathon* (2019) – Brittany‘s life is a mess. She parties too much, drinks too much, and has too many hangovers. Her job is going nowhere and her roommate is too perfect. Then she sees a doctor who tells her she needs to lose 50 or 60 pounds or risk dying young from high blood pressure and a host of other ailments. And she actually realizes that she can do something about it, so she puts on sweats and goes out for a run. Just one block, she tells herself, but it isn’t long before she can go further, making running friends and getting ready to enter the NY Marathon. That could never happen in real life, right? Only it did! The writer-director (Paul Downs Calaizzo) has a friend named Brittany who did just that. If you have ever been overweight or heard the doctor recite all of the above, you know how tough it is to get started, so credit to the real Brittany and the actress who plays her, Jillian Bell, for working out and getting healthy and grabbing hold of her own life. This movie has bits of comedy to help us like this 27-year old New Yorker with a growing list of problems. Many of us have been there, but not everyone puts down the chips and takes up running. 3 cans.
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