J. Edgar

I am a history buff, so any film that teaches me some aspect of what-happened-way-back-when will appeal to me.  Thus, I really enjoyed this story of the FBI icon.  Problem for most folks is that J. Edgar is really more of a biography than a film.

If you want a documentary, done ala Leo DiCaprio, then you might like this film.  It traces the life of Hoover over his nearly 50 years as FBI head.  Yes, he was weird.  Yes, he was gay.  Yes, he was  a Commie hater.  Yes, he kept secret files on Americans.

You'll learn a lot:  how J. Edgar got started at the FBI, how he quickly rose in stature, how he made his name on fighting gangsters and catching the Lindbergh kidnapper.  Most of all, you'll learn how he found dirt on American presidents and blackmailed them into leaving him alone.

Example:  The mousy little egomaniac apparently got proof that Eleanor Roosevelt had a lesbian affair. He used that information to keep FDR off his back.  Seems reasonable enough.  FDR was not afraid of anyone, yet he seemed to leave Hoover alone during his four terms.  FDR was liberal and J. Edgar was conservative, but from 1932 to 1945, the FDR years, not once does Roosevelt take on the power mongering FBI head.

Is Leo convincing as J. Edgar?  Sort of.  Is Clint Eastwood's direction apparent?  Sort of.  Is Naomi Watts effective as Hooover's secretary?  Sort of.

Ummmmm.....

I think readers get the point:  If you want a nice history lesson, go see this flick.  If you seek solid film entertainment, leave it off your list.

Mirror, Mirror

Mostly this is a test of the new blogger format. Always hard to change. So, I saw Mirror, Mirror. Yes. Had a couple hours to kill by myself, and a craving for popcorn. All I'll say is this: I don't mind sequels, I don't resent a new interpretation on an old classic plot. But to truly change the story rattles me a bit. O.k., it's a fun modern nod to feminism that Snow White ends up not saved by the Prince, but fighting her own fight, but I'm sorry, that's NOT the story. Bleh.

My Week with Marilyn

Do you ever approach a film with an attitude, so to speak? I mean, do you ever say to yourself, "Come on, show me, because I don't believe this film is gonna be any good!" Well, that was the view I had before seeing My Week with Marilyn. How wrong I was!

This film is outstanding. The goal of the film, in my mind, is to give us a glimpse into the real Marilyn in a creative, new way. Without being a spoiler (NEVER!), I can say that we join a young kid of 23 who works as a gopher (go-for) on the set of a Marilyn film. He falls for the star, of course. He also gets to see the great Sir Lawrence Olivier in action and hang out with Vivien Leigh. Not a bad gig!

Got your interest?

The film is really all about Michelle Williams. The gifted actress truly embodies the sultry blonde. After a while, you believe you're watching Marilyn herself. Michelle gets at the soul of the forlorn actress, from her mental instability to her raw sensuality. She smiles, frowns, pouts, giggles, cries, and basically emotes in such a way that you feel you really know Marilyn...for the very first time.

Marilyn Monroe was iconic: she was the sexy blonde par excellence at a time before Feminism, when slinky dresses and a whispy voice seemed to epitomize the ideal woman. Marilyn married the greats such as Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller. She would eventually run with the Kennedys in a tragic pill-popping frenzy that would lead to her demise.

How sad.....

But gratefully the film does not takes us that far. We view Marilyn in the late 50's, well before her later years.

Grade: A+ A very captivating piece of film-making.

Devil's Diary

Did any reader out there see The Craft? It was a 1996 smash hit, starring Robin Tunney and Neve Campbell. Clearly in the horror genre, the film told the story of four teens who develop the power of witches. Their teen egos and confused minds make them power-hungry and they go on quite a binge!

OK, maybe only Valerie and I, former HS teachers, would find this situation interesting. Thing is, we know teens. They seek empowerment, acceptance, control, at times revenge...and just imagine if they could actually get it!

The Devil's Diary is another film like The Craft. The story is about some girls who play "catty" games with each other and seek vengeance when they become bewitched. One of them discovers a book in a graveyard.

But it's one dangerous book! See, you get to write a wish on the blank pages, but in truth you're communicating with the devil when you do so. And you become somewhat devilish yourself! Hahaha.

For example, the girl in the picture above writes that she wants every boy in school to go crazy over her. So when she appears at school, the boys go wild...fighting each other for her attention and doing whatever she asks. She says to them, "Hey, guys, run around the field twenty times for me." And run they do!

This film is not for everyone. If you like offbeat, horror, cultish, tongue-in-cheek flicks, particularly in the teens-gone-wild (as in mad) genre, you'll enjoy this one.

View at your own risk....

Curdled

You probably recognize William Baldwin in the picture. Like his brother Stephen, he seems to snag all the lesser-known, usually bad-guy roles, while his more dashing brother Alex gets the big movies. He's dancing with an up and coming star, Angela Jones.

What kind of dance are they doing? A very, very, very, very dark one! See, this is a film noir, with NOIR about as dark and weird and creepy as it gets.

The plot, you ask? Never the spoiler, I'll give a few clues. Angela plays a woman who is fascinated by violent crimes. She cuts out every news clipping, follows every story, and imbues herself in the details of every murder of the day. Weird!

Seeking a job, what could be better for this strange lady than joining a maid service that specializes in cleaning up crimes? Sound familiar? It should: The recent film Sunshine Cleaning with Amy Adams sort of ripped off the earlier, little known, film.

Now our very bizarre protagonist is in her element: blood, guts, gore, you name it. She loves to clean it all up...while she tries to figure out whodunnit!

So what does the dance with William Baldwin have to do with all this? For you to discover, dear readers! Get on your Hitchcock/Stephen King hat and revel in the eerie!

Enjoy!

In Time

You don't have to be a sci-fi nut to enjoy this wonderful, creative flick. Check out the duo on the run...they're taking on the establishment in a big way!

Here's the no-spoiler basic idea: folks in the future do not receive salary, because their society's stock in trade is not money. It is time. Yes, time. For example, if you work a good eight hour day, you put your arm under a machine as you exit your work place and get, say, 15 hours added to your life. Whoa...crazy stuff!

Not only that, but people can trade time. So if, for instance, you have two years and five hours of time in your bank, you can swap that time with someone else who has more or less in their bank.

What happens if you run out of time? You die! Haha! Great premise, no?

So along comes the two heroes, played admirably by Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, who decide to defy that brutal system. Will there be rebellion? Will the two survive? How will they manage "time" so they can continue to live, help their loved ones, and still overcome the social beast?

Think out of the box. Think of what really counts in life. Think....

Grade of A. This is another film that ranks way up there with the most mind-boggling sci-fi.