Movie #2161 ........................."Fences" (hulu, amazon, HBO/you tube)

 Movie #2161 "Fences"  -- I saw this in the movie theater, but now it is on several platforms where you can stream it.  An alum asked if I had seen it/blogged it, and I said yes, but when I looked to find it, I couldn't it.  So I am doing this from memory (uh-oh).  Anyway, I had seen the play a couple of times, the most memorable being the broadway premier with James Earl Jones as the lead that Denzel Washington takes on here.  I want to say a few things about that before I get to the movie ---I remember the play was a big deal as far as sound because the actors, in a Broadway playhouse, all decided not to wear microphones to make the show more intimate --- of course, James Earl Jones never needed one  (Darth Vader) so it was an easy choice for him.  The other thing I remember is how wonderful he and Mary Alice were in that show, and that it made me like this one of all the August Wilson shows I have ever seen.  For those who don't know, Wilson's shows included 10 plays covering the 20th century, and "Fences" is his 1950s one.  The film was well done, starting with the Denzel character establishing from the first shot that he's a hard working garbage truck driver who is unhappy with "the man" and with dreams of being an MLB baseball player snuffed out because of being of color.  Denzel is good, but I didn't think he quite got to the high point in the big monologue he has toward the end of the film.  However, to me Viola stole the movie --- she was sooooooo good she brought me to tears.  And the last moments of the film, when she takes his little girl in to the family (knowing it's still another mouth to feed and take care of) , were exquisite.  It made me thankful that Washington enabled more people to experience this show by putting on the screen. Many of us see the 50s as "Happy Days" --- but then, we were seeing that through our white privileged eyes and didn't see what was going on with others, less fortunate.  I'd give this a 4 out of 5 stars.  

"FENCES"     PG-13,  2016     2 hours and 19 minutes    

A working-class African-American father tries to raise his family in the 1950s, while coming to terms with the events of his life.

Director:

 Denzel Washington

Writers:

 August Wilson (screenplay by), August Wilson (based upon his play "Fences") 

Stars:

 Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen McKinley Henderson

Movie #2160 ........................."Moxie" (netflix)

 Movie #2160 "Moxie" (netflix)  Recommended by an ohs theatre alum, I also found this a good film about teens --- yes, it is full of teen angst, but the lead girl holds her own in a tough coming of age story.  Vivien in the opening seems like a lot of kids --- isn't popular enough to be in the "in" crowd, has one friend who is also lonely, and they depend on each other.  But when she becomes inspired by looking through her mom's school year activities or protesting, and she sees an african america girl being bullied by THE football guy in the school, she starts to perk up and take a stand.  She just doesn't know how much bravery it takes to do that.  The acting of the rest of the teens (besides her bestie, the girl  being bullied and herself) is a bit suspect --- her sensitive guy friend is right on the money and memorable, too.  The film starts pretty low key, but that's because the main character is, but as the film progresses, there's more action and emotion portrayed and it all seems worth the watch.  There are some clunky dialogue moments esp. in groups, but then they are offsetted by some good dialogue scenes between two people, like her and her mom, her and the girl being bullied, and her and her bf.  I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5.  Nice diverse cast.  (the teacher, of course, is cringe-worthy - ugh!)

"MOXIE"     PG-13              2021            1 HOUR & 51 mins.

Inspired by her mom's rebellious past and a confident new friend, a shy 16-year-old publishes an anonymous zine calling out sexism at her school.

Director:

 Amy Poehler

Writers:

 Jennifer Mathieu (based upon the novel by), Tamara Chestna (screenplay by) 

Stars:

 Hadley Robinson, Lauren Tsai, Alycia Pascual-Pena, Amy Poehler

Movie #2159 ........................."Waterloo Bridge" (TCM)

 Movie #2159 "Waterloo Bridge" (TCM)  Shown in February on TCM because it was  Oscar- nominated for cinematography and music , I didn't realize that it was quite popular for portraying a "bad girl" and as a love story.   It was also made about 10 years earlier and this was a remake --- IMDB points out that "the flower lady" on the bridge was played by the same woman in both versions.  Anyway, Vivien Leigh, famous for GWTW the year before, does another stellar performance --- she is able to be melodramatic but still believable (think:  Streetcar Named Desire, end scene she also shined in) so I expected her to run the film, but Robert Taylor, whom I never really liked in what I have seen him in, wasn't bad -- and supposedly this was his favorite film that he ever made.  So I'm glad I got a chance to see it.  It has the frame of a "citizen Kane" story --- one object that he focuses in on the bridge, and the rest of the film is a flashback that explains the meaning behind the object.  It was meant to be a tearjerker and a romantic film, and it was.  But I still prefer "Random Harvest"  was the best romantic script of all time.  One note of interest --- 1940, doing a WWI film.  hmmmmm. I wonder whose idea that was?

"WATERLOO BRIDGE"   TCM   1940       1 hour and 48 mins

During World War I, believing her fiancé to be dead, a young ballerina loses her job and is forced to turn to prostitution.

Director:

 Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

 S.N. Behrman (screen play), Hans Rameau (screen play)  |

Stars:

 Vivien Leigh, Robert Taylor, Lucile Watson 

Movie #2158........................."The One and Only Ivan" (Disney +)

Movie #2158 "The One and Only Ivan" (Disney +)  Now here's a really good film for kids and parents to watch, if you can get past the talking animals (like "Babe") And that is fairly easy to do when the gorilla's voice is Sam Rockwell!  and the little stray dog is Danny Davito.  And Bryan Cranston isn't the traditional mean owner, but one who really cares about Ivan, since he had him since he was a baby.  There's lots of good themes about animals deserving freedom, showmanship, friendship, helping others, and a very tender story that has a bit of mystery in it as well.  I'd give it a 4 and recommend it.  I found it a very tender, entertaining story.  And the visual effects were cool --- I kept looking at these animals and wondering:  How did they do that?  

'THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN"        2020             PG      1 HOUR, 35 mins

A gorilla named Ivan tries to piece together his past with the help of an elephant named Ruby as they hatch a plan to escape from captivity.

Director:

 Thea Sharrock

Writers:

 Mike White (screenplay by), Katherine Applegate (book) 

Stars:

 Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Phillipa Soo , Danny Davito, Angelina Jolie

 

Movie #2157 ........................."Midnight Sky" (netflix)

 Movie #2157 "Midnight Sky" (netflix) Even though this is considered a sci fiction fantasy and I usually don't like fantasies, I liked this story a lot.  I liked the way it connected the two stories (one in the Arctic, where there only seems to be an older man and a little girl who doesn't talk) and the other a crew on a plane that is supposed to go to U.S. but is warned by the older man that something has happened and they shouldn't do that.  There's some mystery, some good visual effects, mighty bad weather the two have to travel through, but a nice ending.  I give this 4 out of 5 stars. 

"MIDNIGHT SKY"   PG-13           2020                1 HOUR, 58 mins

This post-apocalyptic tale follows Augustine, a lonely scientist in the Arctic, as he races to stop Sully and her fellow astronauts from returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe.

Director:

 George Clooney

Writers:

 Lily Brooks-Dalton (based on the book 'Good Morning, Midnight' by), Mark L. Smith(screenplay by) 

Stars:

 George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo

Movie #2156 ........................."Mulan" with real people (Disney plus)

 Movie #2156 "Mulan" with real people (Disneyplus) --- too much fighting ---- I know, it is a steady rant from me, but I just don't like all of it.....it doesn't matter if it is a capable female, just too much, and the film is too long --- I saw it a few weeks ago, and I remember just image upon image of regimented soldiers, all decked out in the same costumes, marching into battle.  Of course, I like a story that sets up the female as stronger than some of her male counterparts, and she is in disguise, but that story I have seen done even better than the one played here.   The pluses are a few:  the female is very strong in a quiet way;  the visual effects are stunning, the amount of people on film is amazing, and just that it is a film with Eurasian elements, entire cast, etc. makes it a winner to me.  Besides the above complaints on the fighting, one big negative is the story --- there isn't much to it, and it becomes repetitive with two final big battles, one too quickly following another.  Also, I felt it spent too much time on the witch character. I would give this a 3.  It earned its nomination, for visual effects,  but I wondered why a song wasn't nominated from here --- the two songs sung at the end by Aguilera were terrific and a huge reward for getting to the end to me!

"MULAN"       2020                  1 hr, 55 mins                    PG-13

A young Chinese maiden disguises herself as a male warrior in order to save her father.

Director:

 Niki Caro

Writers:

 Rick Jaffa (screenplay by), Amanda Silver (screenplay by)  | 3 more credits »

Stars:

 Yifei Liu, Donnie Yen, Gong Li 

MOVIE #2155 ........................."Hunger Ward" (oscar-nominated doc short 2021)

 Movie #2155 "Hunger Ward" (oscar-nominated doc short 2021) focuses on the starving in Yemen, and I thought it was nicely done (in comparison to the others) --- this is a messy topic to US because the Saudis are air striking and then they put up blockades to medicine for their civilians, and the U.N. and US are allies of the Saudis, so very controversial. This short doc  shows overworked doctors who can't deal with all the injuries and deaths as a result.  It makes a case for deportation of children while adults go to war.  I'd give this 4 stars out of 5.   And it made me want to give to Hungerward.com to try to help with this problem. 

"HUNGER WARD" 

Filmed from inside two of the most active therapeutic feeding centers in Yemen, HUNGER WARD documents two female health care workers fighting to thwart the spread of starvation against the backdrop of a forgotten war. The film provides an unflinching portrait of Dr. Aida Alsadeeq and Nurse Mekkia Mahdi as they try to save the lives of hunger-stricken children within a population on the brink of famine.

Director:

 Skye Fitzgerald

Stars:

 Aida Alsadeeq, Omeima Essa Salem Abdullah, Mekkia Mahdi