New drama/biography Resistance is the story of a group of Jewish Boy Scouts who worked with the French Resistance to save the lives of ten thousand orphans during World War II.
Written/directed by Jonathan Jakubowicz; key cast includes Jesse Eisenberg, Ed Harris, Edgar Ramírez and Clémence Poésy.
Having recently seen Eisenberg in The Art of Self Defence (2019), where for much of the film he’s far from empowered, I like that in Resistance his character appears brave, heroic and in charge.
Matthias Schweighöfer, Bella Ramsey, Géza Röhrig, Karl Markovics, Félix Moati, Alicia von Rittberg, Vica Kerekes, Tobias Gareth Elman, Kue Lawrence, Christian Clarke and Aurélie Bancilhon also star.
Bombshell (2020), Charlize Theron, Lionsgate Movies
I was vaguely aware but definitely didn’t follow the Fox News/Roger Ailes sexual harassment scandal of 2016. Set predominantly in the Fox News offices in New York,Bombshell focuses on the experiences of three women in particular, Gretchen Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Kayla Pospisil, while they were employed by Ailes.
With such a great cast that features Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman, Kate McKinnon and John Lithgow, it was clear right away that Bombshell wouldn’t disappoint performance-wise.
Instead, it was the distracting prosthetic work on Nicole Kidman’s chin that first stood out as ‘not quite right‘. Secondly, due to how the story is structured, by the end, it felt as though I hadn’t quite watched a complete film, but rather snippets of specific days in a much bigger story. A story that I may have enjoyed more and felt more connected to had it delved deeper into the backgrounds of the key characters. Maybe Bombshell would have worked better divided into several parts of a mini-series.
Bombshell (2020), Nicole Kidman, Lionsgate Movies
The last way in which Bombshell ‘isn’t quite right’ is actually through no fault of its own. I had some expectations about seeing a few scenes displaying ‘heartwarming female solidarity‘ between the key characters. A truth that seems more than a tad silly now, especially considering the social climate and apparent rivalries at the Fox News offices.
Overall, director Jay Roach’s film did a good job of keeping my attention throughout, thanks in large part to the performances, which really are the best thing about Bombshell. The prosthetics, particularly on Lithgow, are great.
Watch Bombshell for the ‘inside look’ at how disturbing things really were at Fox News. Just don’t make my mistake and go in expecting too much of the aforementioned heartwarming sisterly stuff’
I was never going to forego watching celebrated director Martin Scorsese’s latest, The Irishman; even with the arguably ‘offensive’ three and a half hour runtime.
Starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel and centred around a mob hitman’s recollection of his possible involvement in the killing of American Labour Union leader Jimmy Hoffa in 1975, the dialogue, style and great performances are all reasons why The Irishman is memorable.
As De Niro’s Frank Sheeran (the Irishman), who’s now living in a retirement home, recalls his story, there’s a high volume of information shared; some of which you’ll likely soon forget, in part because of the pace of events. Nevertheless, the story, acting and editing still managed to keep me engaged. And just before the one hour, thirty minutes point, that’s when things get especially interesting. It’s when all the great performances start to reveal themselves fully.
The Irishman (2019), Robert De Niro, Netflix
Pacino as the incredibly stubborn Hoffa and Stephen Graham as the equally stubborn Tony Pro are two of my favourites, and their scenes together are among the very best. However, the most memorable performance and my overall favourite thing about The Irishman is De Niro’s turn as Frank. I particularly appreciated the moments Frank didn’t have to speak for the audience to grasp a fair amount of the depth of his experience. So impactful were these quiet moments that I can’t hide my disappointment when I learned that De Niro didn’t get an acting Academy Award nomination.
I like how Scorsese’s film provides a kind of ‘inside look’ at the life of a mob hitman. The daily realities, the impact on family and the weight of loyalty. Still, a part of me wonders how different The Irishman would be had Scorsese taken the mini-series or multiple part feature film route instead of squeezing so much into one feature. I wonder.
The Irishman is a film to watch for the great filmmaking team and for a handful of truly memorable, high-tension and often humorous scenes that will remind you of just why Scorsese is so highly celebrated. Just make sure you’re fully rested, though, plus ready to watch and truly listen before committing to the hefty run-time.
Starring Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker and Marlon Wayans, the time has come for the teaser trailer for Respect, a biography/drama about the life story of legendary R&B singer, Aretha Franklin.
Directed by Liesl Tommy, additional key cast includes Tate Donovan, Audra McDonald, Mary J. Blige and Kimberly Scott.
I know there’s going to be heartbreak but I can’t wait to see the story behind how Franklin’s iconic hit Respect came to be.
Who else could play Franklin, really, besides Hudson? Not sure that I can think of anyone better.
Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, Victoria Paige Watkins, Joshua Mikel, Lodric D. Collins, Jamaal Burcher and Saycon Sengbloh also star.
What She Said – The Art Of Pauline Kael (2018), Pauline Kael
What She Said – The Art Of Pauline Kael is a new documentary about the work and life of controversial film critic Pauline Kael.
From writer/director Rob Garver, the film focuses on Kael’s battle to achieve success and influence in the 20th-century movie business, and features interviews with Quentin Tarantino, Woody Allen, Lili Anolik and Alec Baldwin, among others.
I hadn’t heard of Kael until now. That’s perhaps not too surprising considering my approach to writing ‘reviews’/sharing my thoughts on films I’ve seen. I’m nevertheless interested in Kael’s story, especially because of her reputation
Francis Ford Coppola, Dick Cavett, Johnny Carson, John Boorman and Carol Baum also make a n appearance.
