It's Oscar Time!

The nominations are in! Tell David and Valerie who gets your vote for what!!

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/oscar-nominations-2019-academy-awards_us_5c467505e4b0bfa693c65d3e

Vice

Well, I promised my blog buddy, David, that I would post on Vice, and since we are meeting for lunch in a few hours, I'd better be able to report that I did! 

Anyway, I love a good pun title, and this one does it. Vice chronicles the political career of a Mr. Dick Cheney (you may have heard of him?), who served as vice president for not one, but TWO presidents named George Bush! Morphing himself into arguably the most powerful person to hold that office, he easily plays as a Shakespearean character. His vice? Greed, power... 

But I will keep this brief and focused on the film. It is written and directed by Adam McKay, who also did The Big Short. In both films, he manages to break down a complicated subject in both instructional and entertaining ways. The topic and message he takes seriously, the film, not so much. Delightful pacing and fun departures from conventional film limitations. 

Performances are astounding. Geeze, just look at the above image. The right is Christian Bale (WHAA?????) in an incredible transformation. He can play anything and anyone. (Just the day before seeing this, I had revisited a very young CB in Little Women.) Every tic, nuance, gesture and walk IS Dick Cheney. 

Playing his wife, Lynn, is Amy Adams, and it's fun to see them paired again (American Hustle). Sam Rockwell (I'm a big fan) is flawless as George W., with Steve Carell as Donald Rumsfeld. 

Cheney has always been a polarizing figure, and at last week's Golden Globe Awards, as the out-spoken Bale accepted the Best Actor Award, he thanked "Satan for his inspiration." Ouch. That brought out claws from daughter Liz Cheney the next day! Hahaha

Excellent film which manages to draw in today's national issues.

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Hi movie fans!

There's a film out there getting quite a bit of buzz.  Let's take a quick look at it.

First, the title:  It's misleading, in a way.  At first glance, I thought of someone doing something terrible to someone else and seeking forgiveness.  Sadly, the film is not that profound.

What's it about?  Without being a spoiler, I can say the plot is hardly complex.  A writer with former success struggles to publish, needs money, and forges literary letters.  Hmmm...what is so interesting about this?  Not much, I would argue.

Yes, film fans, I'm not one, a fan that is, of this flick.  I found the subject matter worthy of potential.  There could have been some serious character development and major messages.  Alas, both are lacking.

In any story, I seek to learn from the plight of the characters.  To do so, the characters themselves need to take us on a journey of discovery.  My problem with this film is that I did not perceive much growth in the two main characters from start to finish.  Both are dishonest and inconsiderate of others at the outset of their relationship.  They end up the same way.

Any positives?  Yes. Solid acting.  Melissa McCarthy has been wowing us for years with offbeat, varied roles.  She was truly funny in Bridesmaids.  She was a riot in Spy.  She began her comedy career in nightclubs in NYC, and her skills as a comedian are evident.

Is she as effective in a serious role?  Hard to say.  The role was not that challenging.  She just had to look miserable and downbeat, as she does in the photo above.  Sure, she was convincing, sure, she had her dramatic moments.  But I was not blown away by her work.

Folks must disagree with me.  She has been nominated for a Best Actress award for the Golden Globes.

I was far more impressed by the acting of her co-star, Richard E Grant.  I looked him up on Google and did not find much.  He has some experience, but not the kind that would warrant putting him in a major role in a big release.  He nevertheless nailed the character of the best "friend" to the down and out Lee Israel, the main character played by McCarthy upon whom the story is based.

Perhaps another positive:  If you like New York city, you might relate to this film.  There's a lot of the Big Apple here:  References to high rents, scenes with a literary agent, and a sense of desperation that unsuccessful people feel in the dog-eat-dog city.

I have to laud Hollywood for offering a film where the main female character is unhappy and unkind.  If you're looking for a glimpse of life as it truly is, you have the real deal here.

If you want to see a film about a forgery expert that is fun and more profound, go back and view the now classic Catch Me If you Can.  An evening watching Tom Hanks chasing Leo DiCaprio will be far more entertaining and informative.

I have a hunch that with all the positive reviews out there, you may see Can You Ever Forgive Me and disagree with my appraisal of the film.  If so, please write and let me know where I've missed the boat.

Until someone convinces me that I've greatly misinterpreted this film, I must offer a grade of C at best.