The renovation of the Muny’s upper plaza...
Read More
Thanksgiving Recap of Films
by Sandra Olmsted, Ph.D.
The Holiday selection for movies offers lots of choices and something to please everyone! All these films are in theaters now.
BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK (TriStar) Director Ang Lee’s adaptation of Ben Fountain’s novel relies heavily, perhaps too heavily, on technological advancements in filmmaking to tell the story of a reluctant war hero and his fellow soldiers in Bravo Squad,. When Nineteen-year-old private Billy Lynn (Joe Alwyn) becomes a hero after a harrowing Iraq battle, he is brought home for a brief victory tour. Through flashbacks, culminating at the spectacular halftime show of a Thanksgiving Day football game, what really happened to the squad is revealed, contrasting the realities of the war with America’s perceptions of heroism. Vin Diesel, Chris Tucker, Kristen Stewart, and Steve Martin also star. Rated R for language throughout, some war violence, sexual content, and brief drug use; 110 minutes.
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (Warner Bros.) Director David Yates, who directed the final installments of the Harry Potter series, turns his talents for dark tales to writer J.K. Rowling’s prequel for the famed story. In the wizarding world of 1926 New York, something mysterious is leaving a path of destruction in the streets, threatening to expose the wizarding community. Meanwhile, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmanye) arrives in the city to continue his global research and rescue of magical creatures, some of which are safeguarded in the giant dimensions of his suitcase. Accidently, the old suitcase switch occurs, and Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), a No-Mai aka Muggle, ends up with Newt’s suitcase. Soon additional magical creatures are loose in the city, and Magical Congress of the United States of America is after Newt, Jacob, and anyone who helps them, especially disgraced and demoted Auror Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) and her mindreading sister Queenie (Alison Sudol). The stellar cast also includes Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voigt, Ron Perlman, Carmen Ejogo, and Colin Farrell. It’s an exciting and fun ride through a dark world well created by cinema magic. While it might be a bit too dark for really small children, it is well worth it for older children and adults of all ages who enjoy the Rowling’s Wizarding World. Rated PG-13 for some fantasy action violence; 132 minutes.
THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN (STX Entertainment ) Growing up is made harder for awkward high school junior Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) when her all-star brother Darian (Blake Jenner) starts dating her best friend Krista (Haley Lu Richardson). Can Nadine overcome her loneliness and will a boyfriend, the equally out-of-place Erwin (Hayden Szeto) help? The film also stars Kyra Sedgwick as Nadine’s clueless mother, and Woody Harrelson as Nadine’s History teacher and reluctant friend. Debut-direct Kelly Fremon Craig not-so-typical teen drama incorporates elements of suspense and straight-forward storytelling in a risky way that actually makes this worth seeing. Rated R for sexual content, language and some drinking; 104 min.
BLEED FOR THIS (Open Road) Director Ben Younger takes on the inspiring and incredible true story of Vinny “The Pazmanian Devil” Pazienza (Miles Teller), a boxer who shot to stardom after winning two world title fights. Then a terrible car accident leaves Vinny with a severed spine, and he is told he may never walk again. Against all odds and doctor’s orders, renowned trainer Kevin Rooney (Aaron Eckhart) agrees to help Vinny return to the ring just a year after the accident; but will the fight be his last fight of his life? It a rather typical sports movies except the comeback is a little longer than most. Rated R for language, sexuality/nudity and some accident images; 117 minutes.
THE EAGLE HUNTRESS (Sony Pictures Classics) In this delightful film that seems to be both a compelling narrative and a in-depth documentary, Aisholpan Nurgaiv (as herself), a 13-year-old girl, trains to become the first female in twelve generations of their Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter. While going against societal norms, she and her father reveal a sweet and beautiful father-daughter relationship. Director Otto Bell’s enchanting and spirited film is well worth seeing and appropriate for a wide audience. Rated G; 87 minutes.
LOVING (Focus) Writer/director Jeff Nichols brings the compelling story of Richard and Mildred Loving (Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga), whose love and marriage challenged laws prohibiting interracial marriage. Edgerton and Negga excellent performances make Richard, the strong, silent type, and Mildred, the nurturing, strong wife and mother, people the audience likes immediately and throughout the film. The audience can help but cheer for their victory in the landmark civil rights decision of the United States Supreme Court invalidating laws prohibiting interracial marriage. The film perfectly recreates the challenging years from their marriage in 1958 until their victory in 1967. The love story is a must see for everyone! Rated PG-13 for thematic elements; 123 minutes.
ALLIED (Paramount) Director Robert Zemeckis’ WWII spy thriller is a delicious and suspenseful ride through pre-cold war spying. When intelligence officer, Max Vatan (Brad Pitt), a Canadian intelligence officer, parachutes into French Morocco in 1942 to assassinate a German ambassador, he partners with French resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard). While they struggle to establish his cover as her beloved husband finally allowed to join her, they also struggle not to fall in lust or love and with a fail mission in Marianne’s past from which only she escaped. Eventually, reunited in England, where Max is stationed, they marry and have a daughter. Unfortunately, Marianne’s past and the extreme pressures of WWII spying and resistance won’t let them be just a young family. Although the plot has a few problems, the story is exciting and will delight fans of WWII movies and love stories. Some scenes will make the audience literally set on the edge of their seats. R for violence, some sexuality/nudity, language and brief drug use, and quickly-paced 120 minutes go by in a flash.
RULES DON’T APPLY (20th Century Fox) Aspiring actress Marla Mabrey (Lily Collins), a small town beauty queen, songwriter, devout Baptist, and virgin, gets the break of a lifetime from billionaire Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty who also directs) and heads to Hollywood. At the airport, she meets Frank Forbes (Ehrenreich), Hughes’ chauffeur, an equally devote Methodist who is engaged to marry to his 7th grade sweetheart. Their instant attraction to each other quickly runs afoul of Hughes’ number one rule: No employee is allowed to have any relationship whatsoever with a contract actress. When Hughes’ bizarre behavior impacts with Marla and Frank separately, will their values and love survive? Beatty tries to get the wild and erratic Hughes on film by structuring the film like the character; unfortunately, that’s the problem with a film that is otherwise an interesting and worthwhile. Rated PG-13 for sexual material including brief strong language, thematic elements, and drug references; 126 minutes.
MOANA (Disney) Moana (voice of Auli‘i Cravalho) sails out on a daring mission to save her people and recapture the spirit of her ancestors who were greatest sailors in the world, voyaged across the vast Pacific, and discovered the many islands of Oceania. That was three thousand years ago, and their voyages of discovery stopped for a millennium. Moana needs help to navigate the difficult water, battle enormous sea monsters, and overcome impossible odds, and the help she gets comes from the once-mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), who guides her quest to become a master wayfinder. Will Moana fulfill the ancient quest of her ancestors and discover the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity? Directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker, the film is ideal for youngsters and delightful for all fans of animation. Rated PG for peril, some scary images and brief thematic elements; 113 minutes.
BAD SANTA 2 (Broadgreen) Director Mark Waters’ sequel continues the story of Willie Soke (Billy Bob Thornton), a shopping mall Santa, who steals from the places he works at Christmas time, when he he isn’t drinking. Willie teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus (Tony Cox), to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve. One problem is that Willie is lusting after the attractive, prim Diane (Christina Hendricks), the charity’s director. The crime and Willie’s attraction are complicated when his mother Sunny (Kathy Bates) turns up and encourages the gang to up their criminal ambitions, but Sunny proves the Willie is a bad apple that didn’t fall far from the tree? Along on the crime spree is “The Kid,” the chubby, cheerful Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly), who may bring out Willie’s sliver of humanity. Not everyone’s cup of Christmas cheer, but for some it is much awaited. Rated R for crude sexual content and language throughout, and some graphic nudity; 89 minutes.
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS (Focus) Academy Award nominees Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal star in writer/director Tom Ford’s haunting thriller which is structured as a mix of reality and the fantasy. Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) and Tony Hastings aka Edward Sheffield (Jake Gyllenhaal), a divorced couple, explore dark truths about themselves and their relationship when Tony writers a violent novel, and Susan interprets as a veiled threat and a symbolic revenge tale. While some people will be challenged by the structure of the film with its flashbacks and possible flashforwards potential reality or maybe fantasy, others will hail it as extremely sophisticated filmmaking. Beaty is in the eye of the beholder. Based on the novel Tony and Susan by Austin Wright. Rated R for violence, menace, graphic nudity, and language; 117 minutes.
