Inside Llewyn Davis

Two words:  hated it.

This was probably the most joyless film I have ever seen.  Gives new meaning to the word slooooow.  Started at the end.  Went nowhere.  Not one character I cared about or liked.  Cold winter of New York and Chicago.  Didn't come near capturing the flavor of the folk music era.  I didn't even find Burnett's soundtrack memorable.

Cohen brothers, where are all the qualities you normally bring to the screen?  Oh, Cohen brothers, where art thou?

(d'ya like that one?  -wink- )

Killing Kennedy

The made-for-TV special on the anniversary of Kennedy's death was no masterpiece.  Reviewers called it "bland" and "boring."

I'd have to concur.  I was amazed at how flat and uninteresting the movie was, given the highly entrancing subject matter, the passing of one of our most popular presidents and the portrait of Camelot in all its glory.

I'd like to address the one aspect of the movie that was the most captivating:  the extent to which the actors captured the real players in the great American tragedy.   Check out the pictures above.  That's where we need to begin.

Top pic:  Jackie and Ginnifer Goodwin.  Yes, both pretty and the resemblance is remarkable.  You might remember Ginnifer from Big Love, where she excelled as one of three wives.  She does a fine job of bringing an emotional Jackie to life.  But she never quite achieves the Camelot lady in all her splendor and stature.

Then there's Lee Harvey Oswald, played by Will Rothhaar.  Who?  Yeah, I said the same thing.  I looked him up, and he has mostly done small theater productions back east.  The casting agent must have noted the similarity in looks and chosen the little known actor.  Rothhaar is average, yet the movie gives us a nice story of how the ex-Marine emigrated to Russia only later to return disgruntled to the USA.  Rothhaar does not rise to the infamous heights of the real Oswald.  He's unidimensional and shallow as an actor.

OK, on to the main man, Rob Lowe.  There are moments when Lowe really seems Kennedy-esque.  His mannerisms are occasionally reminiscent of the beloved president.  But overall, he's a weak second to JFK.  He seems to push too hard to get into the role, wavering between grinning foolishly to show off his good looks and wallowing aimlessly into the muddy waters of emotionalism.

Now to my favorite:  Michelle Trachtenberg.  She's so much prettier than Marina Oswald that I dared not post a picture of the wife of the assassin.  Michelle soars as the abused, misdirected, immature young bride who falls for the expat in the Soviet Union only to end up in a land that is foreign and hostile to her, with a violent madman as a husband.

Grade of B-.  Somewhat entertaining, definitely educational, historically accurate, and DULL!

I'd suggest seeing JFK and Jackie themselves in documentaries if you wish to revisit this happy and sad time in U.S. history.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Cheers!  Skol!  Salut!

Leo and Margot, go ahead and make that toast!  You have a lot to celebrate!  You created a masterpiece!  You really, really did!

Where to begin?  Well, first with my usual caution that I will strive not to be a spoiler.  That said, what is the film?  It's a brilliant, one-of-a-kind, over-the-top portrait of 80's gluttony and hedonism.

Based on a true story, the film follows the amazing career of a loudmouthed, self-centered, master of deception who builds a financial empire based on empty promises and schemes.  In a word, he's a Madoff before his time.

He's a young orator with the gift of persuasion who shouts his way to the top, getting eager sales folks to do his bidding over the phones and prey on the meek and innocent.  He combines the spark of Burt Lancaster in Elmer Gantry, the razz-matazz of Vin Diesel in Boiler Room, and the power of Al Pacino in Glengarry Glen Ross to reach the heights of the GREAT CON.

Is Leonardo a "wolf"?  YES!   And one helluva wolf he is!  Hard to believe he's the same slow-to-learn-to-act pretty boy to whom, when he finally went down with the Titanic, some of us said, "Good riddance!"

Hahaha.

Under Marty Scorsese's brilliant direction, DiCaprio rises in stature like a meteor, acting up a storm, and making this reviewer believe he will take home the Best Actor Oscar this March.

Wow!

Margot Robbie plays DiCaprio's love interest with heat!  The two create a spark, a chemistry that is searing!  Her prior claim to fame was as a stewardess in the short-lived TV loser, Pan Am.  Somehow, Scorsese saw more in her than sheer beauty....and what a choice he made.  She will very possibly get Best Supporting Actress for her work in the film as the stupid, beautiful blonde who lives life in the fast lane with Leonardo.

Matthew McConaughey has a short but fantastic role as the senior broker who tells the young Leo what being a cheat is all about.  He is GREAT!  And to round out the mix, watch Jonah Hill play Leo's Jewish sidekick with wondrous comic effect.

This film is gritty, tough, hard to watch.  The language is foul.  The drugs are rampant.  The sex is everywhere.  But it's an absolute gem.

A++  grade.   So......RUN out and see Scorsese and DiCaprio bring home a winner!

I guarantee you won't forget this flick for a long time to come....and when you think of human excess, you will cite this amazing work of art.