Call of the Wild (2020), Harrison Ford, 20th Century Fox
Harrison Ford, Karen Gillan, Bradley Whitford and Dan Stevens are the stars of Call of the Wild; a new adventure movie about a sled dog’s struggle for survival in the Alaskan wild.
Directed by Chris Sanders, Call of the Wild is based on Jack London’s best-selling novel of the same name.
I’m in because this one’s based on a bestselling book and Ford deemed the story/script good enough to ‘come out of retirement.’
Also, this trailer features some beautifully shot moving moments. I wonder how many times the finished film is going to make me cry.
Jean Louisa Kelly, Cara Gee, Wes Brown, Omar Sy, Colin Woodell, Terry Notary, Preston Bailey, Gary Sievers, Scott MacDonald, Michael Horse and Adam Fergus also star.
Armstrong (2019), Neil Armstrong, Gravitas Ventures
Narrated by Harrison Ford, new documentary Armstrong promises the definitive life story of American Astronaut Neil Armstrong. From his childhood in Ohio to his first steps on the Moon, and beyond.
I find myself curious about Armstrong himself, of course, but also the people who supported him enough that he could follow his passion and make his dreams come true.
Dave Scott, Christopher Kraft and Gerry Griffin also star.
Directed by Mike Nichols, Working Girl stars Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver. It’s a story about Tess McGill (Griffith), a secretary whose boss steals her big idea so she seizes the opportunity to take it back.
As the movie started, right away it was pretty clear to me that Working Girl was going to be ‘lifting’; a movie that left me happy and motivated. I knew this mainly because of the memorable Carly Simon song (‘Let The River Run’) in the opening sequence, and the close shots of Lady Liberty.
Set in 1980s New York, there’s of course no escaping the big hair and shoulder pads. There’s also no getting away from the kind of sexism and office politics women were subjected to in the workplace at the time. It’s McGill’s navigation of these challenges as best she can that confirms why this film, though not perfect, remains a favourite, whilst having good re-watch value, particularly among the ladies.
Nearly thirty years have passed since Working Girl was released and I’m glad to have finally seen it. It’s the sisterhood, especially towards the very end that happens to be my favourite thing and moment in this film. I also liked the movie’s depiction of what I recognised as ‘the power couple’.
One thought that came to mind a few times as I watched is whether Melanie Griffith is really as softly spoken as her character. McGill is no ‘low talker,’ like in ‘The Puffy Shirt’ Seinfeld episode – but still, I wonder.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, one of my favourite directors recently, starring Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford and Sylvia Hoeks, Blade Runner 2049is likely my favourite movie of 2017.Just like the 1982 film, the pace of the story and action started a tad on the slow side, but it really just got better and better as time passed.
Set thirty years from 2019, this sequel focuses on a young Blade Runner’s discovery of a long-buried secret that leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard (Ford). This may sound like a simplistic synopsis, but rest assured, the way the story unfolds is highly engaging.
The various things I like about Villeneuve’s movie include the way Gosling’s character and all the replicants move and fight; their general physicality is so fun to watch. I also loved the costumes. Now, this part is going to sound odd but I definitely also really enjoyed how easily the tears fell out of the eyes of the characters that cried. Why on earth, you may wonder? Well, one of the reasons is that I dislike quite intensely when tearless ‘crying’ happens on film and in life. If your tear ducts are in good working order and you produce no tears as you ‘cry’, then you’re quite simply lying. Lying through your filthy un-moistened eyeballs! And no, dehydration is barely an adequate excuse!
My serious issues with ‘bad crying’ aside, the acting is really quite brilliant. For example, Jared Leto’s part is a small one. But my, oh my, is it memorable and impactful. The main female replicant played by Hoeks is just fantastic! I really love her! She had such brilliant physicality, and I couldn’t help but see her as a representation of a strong ‘woman’ in charge. So much so that I pretty much felt empowered throughout, just by looking at her.
Gosling’s acting range has been questioned by some people who argue that he generally plays the same moody roles over and over again. The thought hadn’t really crossed my mind until I heard this. All I can say now is, Gosling is great in Blade Runner 2049. I bought every single second of his character’s emotional journey – to the point where by the end, I felt pretty badly for him.
Villeneuve managed to capture the same moodiness and well-imagined dystopian aesthetic present in the first film, but of course, using present-day technology.
I’m so happy that I didn’t see all the story twists and turns coming. There really isn’t much about this movie that I don’t like. Of course, I must mention the stunning cinematography that’s synonymous with Villeneuve’s films.
The slowish start aside, watch it because it’s really rather good. Something tells me that I enjoyed the story even more simply because I’d only just watched the original for the first time the previous night.
Directed by Ridley Scott, first released in 1982 and set in 2019, Blade Runner has Harrison Ford playing a police officer (a Blade Runner). One who’s hired to hunt down and assassinate four human-like androids (replicants). These specific androids were built for use in dangerous off-world colonisation. The problem is, four have gone rogue.
Based on how clever and well-constructed the story is, I can understand why Blade Runneris considered by many to be one of the best sci-fi movies ever made. Perhaps I’d be even more in love with it had I watched it for the first time nearer the year of release rather than in 2017, 35 years later.
The dystopian world created for Blade Runner is the type that can be referred to as a key character in itself, because it’s so visually rich, moody and impressive in its execution, especially for its time.
I had fun watching this movie because of the world of the story, the actual story, and the way it covers issues that humans may face one day. The only part where I wasn’t quite sure about the film was during the slower pace at the beginning. As impatient as I was for the action to start, it did become clear by the end that the seemingly slow pace was likely all about portraying what most days were actually like in that world, especially for Ford’s character.
Acting-wise, everyone, including Ford and Daryl Hannah all deliver strong performances. Overall, though, it’s what Rutger Hauer did with his character Roy that sticks with me the most. I just love the way he sold Roy’s emotional journey to everyone watching. Clearly, I empathised quite a bit with his goals. Then there’s the line, ‘Wake up, time to die’, which might just be my favourite movie one-liner of all time, probably.
Spotting some of the predictions about the future that seemed quite valid and feasible 35 years ago but are today, still yet to come true was fun. For example, flying cars. Wouldn’t it be amazing if flying cars became a thing just in time for 2019?
The Movie My Life 