Black Bag

When I was eight I got a PSP that came with two movies. Casino Royale and Talladega nights. While I was probably too young for either, I fell in love with both and the former was my introduction to the spy genre. Since then I have enjoyed spy movies as much as the next guy. I’ve always loved the pomp and circumstance of a Bond movie and its newest Grammy winning theme song. But today I saw a spy film that sits right at the top of my list with casino royale. That movie was black bag.

A spy thriller about a married couple entrenched in a life threatening scandal, the movie was a really fun spy story with delicious dialogue, an ever twisting plot, and superb performances. Dang the Britts know how to make a spy movie.

The film rests on the shoulders of Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender who both give stellar performances as a deeply in love, tenured, spy couple. The thing that stood out to me is the way they made you root for them. The film is full of the intrigue and suspense you would expect in a spy film, and both leads are exacting and fierce, but cutting through it all is a deep affection that bonds the viewer to the couple. Blanchett is particularly riveting as you spend much of the film questioning her innocence and devotion to her husband. Fassbender equally delights and is fascinating to watch on screen as a deeply moral man pitted between his wife and his country’s security.

As is usually the case with British actors, the supporting cast is so much better than they have any business being. All four supporting actors bring riveting and fully alive characters that push the plot forward and entertain. They each represent a general spy novel character you’d expect to find, but each has a personality that only grows in importance as the “who done it” aspects of the film begin to take flight.

The main star though has to be the writing. The writing was delectable. The fast paced dialogue is full of life and every character is given such a clear point of view. The plot is twisting and exciting. The jargon is so tasty and deeply embedded in the spy genre. And the story has a unique message that I enjoyed. The film effectively uses the spy genre and it’s tropes as a launching pad to explore the question of marital loyalty and love as well extrapolate on the themes of national security and war mongering.

This was the exact movie I wanted to see on my day off. Straight to the point, masterfully executed, and exhilarating. I love the open ended heavy films of award season but today I was happy just to play spy.

Mickey 17

Mickey 17 was like space Forrest Gump if Bubba got killed by capitalism and Lt. Dan was a space worm.

I walked into Mickey 17 with high hopes. Like most film lovers, Parasite is one of my all-time favorites and I was amped up for the prospect of another banger. Surprisingly though, I somehow tricked myself into thinking there would be little to no socio economic commentary and the film would just be fun space comedy. I don’t know where I got that idea given Bong Joon Ho’s film cannon but comedy and space were still both in good supply.

At the center of this film is Mickey. The movies two leads are both mickey and the whole plot rests on his shoulders. From a writing perspective I am pretty obsessed with Mickey as a main character for one simple reason. He’s dumb. He’s a “not so bright” guy who trusts very deeply and lets others take advantage of him. I think it’s unique to have a “dumb” lead because in Hollywood we tend to give our central characters these extraordinary intellectual or physical gifts that make them special. Our hero’s can only be geniuses or supermodels. But like every lead character there is something very extraordinary about Mickey. And that’s his heart. Walking down the escalator out of the film my friend Richard so rightly summed my point by saying  “he’s got heart man”. Mickey special talent that makes him our lead is his ability to believe in the best version of others even when they hurt him. To care, to believe, and to hope again and again, life after life.

The plot was a little less far reaching than I expected and a bit self-contained, but it was also very original and full of great fun. I was expecting something maybe a bit more intergalactic and sci-fi in a broad sense. Instead I got a socio political love story with a sci fi back drop. There isn’t much movie action but there is a lot of good comedy. The film takes a dark subject and pokes fun at it from the very first moment. Much like Forrest Gump, we watch Mickey enter many situations that he’s ill equipped for, and we root for him as he miraculously makes his way through them. I particularly enjoyed the bit where Mickey’s reprinted body keeps falling out of the printer because the scientists forget to put the table in front of it.

Another aspect of the film I enjoyed was the depth of the female characters and the writing of the romantic arcs in the film. They were very three dimensional characters with both bad and good intentions that broke outside the mold of a Hollywood film lead. This was strengthened by writing that used our expectations against us. I particularly enjoyed how this was used with female lead Nasha. In the early second act of the film we find Mickey’s girlfriend Nasha sleeping with his alternate self and in the moment, we are hearbroken and angry just like Mickey. However, later in the film, Mickey reveals that Nasha loved both Mickey’s because she loved every version of him, and the film plays a montage of Nasha sitting with mickey as the various version of him are subject to death by deranged medical tests over the years. This reversal does such an effective job of turning our assumptions on their head and increasing our love for the couple. Similarly, the character of Gemma tries to start an affair with Mickey that dissolves and later resolves itself in Gemma finding another partner. I enjoyed the way this interaction happened and was let go without major judgement of character or focus. The sort of loose end of it all made for very believable writing.

The rest of the plot was full of campy political comedy and really cool space bugs. Which brings me home to my last point. Mickey 17 was a movie in the classic sense. There was something about the style of the creatures, the camp of the comedy, and the sincerity of the love, that would only fit on the big screen.  Like the Tarantino’s, Gerwig’s, and Peele’s of the world, Bong Joon Ho takes a film and turns it into a movie. Everything outside of the plot itself was so full of style and depth and just pazazz honestly. Like these other directors, Bong Joon Ho always has something to say but never at the expense of spectacle. His films feel uniquely Hollywood in that way.

A Complete Unknown

“This land is your land, this land is my land.”

 Tonight I slipped into the theater about two months over due to catch “A complete Unknown” before the Oscars. A solo night time movie viewing at Lincoln center AMC will be a core memory of my late 20’s in New York and tonight’s viewing was nothing life changing but enjoyable none the less. I know very little about Bob Dylan so I was excited to be whisked away.

I thought the film was a visually beautiful period piece and Timothée Chalamet was off the charts as Dylan. Bio pics normally always have the same exact format and this film did a great job of being very unique to itself in terms of plot and subject.

The opening section was dreamy and heart felt full of Americana and smiles as Pete Seeger, played by Edward Norton, welcomes Dylan into his life when he hitch hikes to New York and shows up at his hero Woody Guthrie’s hospital room. Edward Norton’s positive portrayal and syncopated rhythm romantically coxed me into the plot from the jump.

Elle Fanning as Sylvie was just as delightful. She played a beatnik student with a renaissance personality and was completely charming as she further shepherded Dylan into New York City. Her love and encouragement to Dylan was fuel on my nostalgia fire and it created a great effect when the two struggled back and forth in the later parts of the plot. I particularly enjoyed the romantic motif of the double lit and shared cigarette’s that serve as the couples entrance and exit into one another’s life.

Chalamet as Bob Dylan was all you could ask for in the role. He had all the bells and whistles of a musician bio pic but most of all he was so fully present in the character. Throughout the film I saw Chalamet responding to every stimulus given to him with a unique and honest response way that gave me a paint by the numbers of who Dylan was and what he felt. I have always grumbled that Actors win Oscars for Bio Pics but I also get it. The side of being “fully in” the character is so subjective whereas things like the difficulty of taking on dialects, instruments, and singing are so definable. They fit in the perfect little boxes that help people when putting two subjective performances next to each other. Chalamet nailed both sides as Dylan and I think he definitely is deserving of his Oscar nomination. The film as a whole was strengthened by it’s knock out performances.

The ending is strong in that it subverts the classic bio pic finale trope and forgoes the happy ending. After choosing not to be boxed in by the industry and playing a rock based set at Seeger’s folk festival, Dylan leaves without amends and we are left with mostly loose ends and questions. Dylan stands up for his artistic voice and is vindicated in the credits when we learn his next album was one of the best-selling in history. From a film making perspective this is a powerful and exciting ending. I enjoy that the film pulls no punches and is honest in its telling. I like that it leaves us so unsatisfied and lets us feel Dylan’s angst instead of the success that follows. I think it’s bold storytelling that has a lot to say about being an artist and making art that matters.

My takeaway:

While I thought the ending was powerful it also poked at a sleeping bear within me which is:

Most movies of “Successful” men from real life include copious amounts of infidelity and harmful behavior to loved ones.

There was no exception in this film and it’s honest portrayal of Dylan left me disheartened on a personal level. Like many of the “successful” men before him, he chased his dreams at the expense of hurting others and, from my perspective, blamed his hurtful behavior on his “search for truth.”

I don’t mean to be judgmental of Dylan or sit on my high horse but as a trend this makes me sad. This is not the behavior I aspire to and I worry about what it says about success and fame. Dylan himself says to Cash within the plot “ I am now famous—famous by the rules of public famiosity. It snuck up on me and pulverized me.”

In my life I would not like to be that man even at the cost of success. That I have decided. But does that mean I can’t be “Successful” like in the movies?

This brings me to my hero of the film. Pete Seeger. The man who welcomes Dylan into his home. The man who has a loving family in the midst of his artistic work. The man who is humble and meek and serving of others and interested in the joy of his craft. The man who joys in Dylan surpassing him and the ears it brings to the work he loves. The man who try’s to bring peace between all parties. The man who in his darkest moment allows the voice of a loved one to correct him.

 This is the man I want to be. Bob Dylan’s name is known around the world. Pete Seeger’s not so much. He never enjoyed the fame, fortune, or recognition Dylan did. So maybe the good guys don’t win and maybe the movies are right. But maybe the family, the friends, and the craft are the real treasure. Maybe we just need to look through a different frame.

 That’s what I love about movies. The same story can be told through the unique eyes of all different kinds of story tellers. All you have to do is change the frame.

Wicked

I’ve always vaguely disliked Ariana Grande. I’m not quite sure why either. I guess i’m not a huge fan of most pop or maybe it’s because I feel like I have to stand up for Pete Davidson as a card carrying member of the DDC (Deceased Dad Club).

Whatever it was it doesn’t matter now because Mrs. Grande I was deeply unaware of your game. Wicked has turned me anew and I am a believer. Today I am talking about wicked and hopefully not too much about the astounding number of tears I shed during my viewing.

As a theatre kid I have known about the movie for a few years now and had been waiting far longer than whatever promotional campaign the film did. My wife on the other hand was vaguely aware of the show as a Broadway musical and was happy to see it with me. What followed was one of my top movie experiences of the year.

From the first moment the film opened it was full of spectacle, color, and sound. I love all kinds of movies but my favorite since childhood have always been the big ones. A big huge American movie just does something for me. I think it has to do with the American mythology of hope and self reliance.

Our country has created it’s own herculean mythology on the back of film characters like Superman, Rocky, and Luke Skywalker. And in all three of these films you can also distinctly relate the story with its soundtrack. Musicals do this on an even deeper level than most films. The dreamers and doers of most musical plots are so full of emotion to enact their dreams that they speaking won’t cut it and they must sing along with the score.

Musicals more than almost any other art form cradle the idea of the American dream. The idea that if you have enough gumption and push hard enough your happy ending will come. It is why musicals like West Side Story, Hamilton, and Wicked stick in our culture even if you haven’t seen them.

This Idea brings me to my first cry moment: “The Wizard and I” by the one of a kind Cynthia Erivo. I’ve been a big fan of Mrs. Erivo since I saw her sing the color purple on good morning America and i’ll buy most anything she sells. But this was special. As she sang about her manifest destiny. How she would be recognized and loved for her work, I felt a catharsis happen within me. A deep joy that reminded me it was worth it to hope. And then she hit the key change. Cue the water works.

The rest of the film was everything I wished it would be. Dancing through life was particularly entertaining and is a favorite of my wife and I in our apartment. Peter Dinklage killed it even though I spent 15 frustrating minutes trying to figure out who’s voice it was. Jeff Goldblum always feels like he’s doing a venture one commercial that he did for cash, but at least he’s consistent. Did I mention the choreography???

 As the film came to a close I was more than satisfied and needed nothing more to make my experience enjoyable. What I didn’t realize is that I was about to be visited by the past in a way that made my viewing not only enjoyable, but meaningful.

In the middle of the finale “Defying Gravity” I was met again with the same specific sense of joy from “The Wizard and I”. Why was it so specific I wondered? As I saw the famous final pose of Elpheba it hit me. I’ve seen this before. “Duh you’re a theatre kid Avery, of course you have”.

But where? And when? It had been so long.

My joy was coming from a memory. The only other time I had seen Wicked was on an eighth grade field trip with my drama class. It was the day I decided I wanted to be an actor. As the final riff rang out and the orchestra played, I was flooded with memories of chasing my dreams all those years that have led me across the country to New York City. I looked back on that little boy and was so proud of him for all the hard work and courage that brought me to today.

It's cheesy right? A theater Kid blubbering over wicked. But that’s why musicals are the way they are. They’re created by people who feel big and dream even bigger.

The best part of seeing wicked is that my wife is truly obsessed with it now. She knows it better than I do.  If only I could get her to listen to the second half of the musical…

Nickel Boys

I love history. I always have. It was the only class that could ever hold my attention until someone told me I could take acting as an elective.

I also love Florida, as most Floridians do. Nickel Boys included both, and while neither are particularly positive in this story, they both are powerful. Nickle boys follows “A young African-American boy who is sent to a reform school after being falsely accused of a crime, where he meets a boy who helps him survive the horrors of the school".

The film is one of the few art house films (experimental over commercial) that made it to the main stream this Oscar season and for good reason. It is a truly American epic.

It deals directly with the coming of age of a young black man in America and boldly faces the sins of racism without a hint of cynicism. The lead character Elwood is an everyman that any young American could see themselves in. He is passionate, caring, and driven idealist in a way that makes him slightly naïve to the evils that he faces in the midst of the Jim Crow era. When wrongfully put into a reform school that more resembles a plantation, he meets his pragmatic counterpart Turner who teaches him how to get by. The characters intertwining narrative is only made stronger by the films first perspective visual story telling that make you feel as if you are looking through their eyes. As a young man I found it particularly beautiful how the two friends effected one another in both fighting for justice and surviving long enough to see that justice come to pass. Ethan Herisse as Ellwood brought such a gentleness to the screen and Brandon Wilson as Turner was cool in a way that made you breathe deeper.

From a technical perspective the film was one of a kind against the other films in the best picture category. The entire film takes place in first person. So you watch the entire 2 hour movie through the eyes of the character. Director Ramell Ross begins the film with extended periods of first person hinging on glimpses of Elwood in the reflection of Irons, TV Shop windows, and mirrors.

This device engaged me in a detective like way as I gained so much information but was left without seeing that which I’m so used to. A half hour into the film we meet Turner and receive an entirely new point of view. We are blasted with the piercing eyes of Ellwood that make a person out of his previously faceless dialogue.

Throughout the film, like when watching a film in another language, we settle in and watch as if nothing is abnormal about the visual style. But what I gained from the device was the ability to participate more in what the characters were feeling, and even if only slightly, be less of a spectator.

The third act of the film is palpably heavy as we jump to and from the future and deal with the grief of what ultimately happens to our leads. I think this film is phenomenal and will certainly win best adapted screen play but more importantly…

Of all the films in the best picture category, this is the one I wish I could sit down and make you watch. I wish every history class had it as required curriculum. It is powerful and haunting and it makes you want to be a better person.

I am particularly intrigued that it is not the only best picture nomination dealing with the posthumous exoneration of individuals harmed by their own government.

I look forward to reading the book.

The Substance

Have you ever heard the term “Body Horror” ?

When my friend Alaina told me about a new movie she saw and used that term I was unaware of both the genre and the film. However, when I saw The Substance a week later I knew exactly what she meant…

The substance is one of the nastiest movies I’ve ever seen and I also totalllllly think it should win best picture at this years Oscars. If you haven’t had the delightfully gut churning experience of seeing this movie yet, think of it as a black mirror episode with a sense of humor and a flair for human body parts.

The substance follows an aging star in Hollywood who takes a black market drug to become younger and bites off more than she can chew with the side effects… When her younger self doesn’t want to share nicely and the effects have medical implications things start to get, well how do I say, *bodily*…

I’m going to be totally honest I’ve seen almost nothing Demi Moore has been in. Ghost was apparently a big deal? Never heard of it. A few good men was great but I haven’t seen it in years and can only remember “you can’t handle the truth” at this point. My lack of knowledge only provided further delight for her performance as it blew the hinges off of my brain.

Her poised yet anxious demeanor as an aging star played against the back drop of monochromatic never ending hallway in the opening let me know I was in for a fun ride. I love nothing more than a movie with lots of style and this movie was serving heaping portions. Dennis Quaid charges the films batteries from the jump with his grimy agent act as he disgustingly shovels shrimp into his gullet while telling Demi’s character “ Elizabeth Sparkle” that she’s been booted from the empire she created.

On her way home, sparkle gets into my favorite car crash scene in any movie I’ve ever seen. Then while at the hospital she gets pitched on some black market answer to her problems by a brutally attractive male nurse half her age. Things really get fun as the black mirror aspects of the film come to life. I particularly loved the electronic scoring and sound design as well as the sparse black and white sets related to the black market world. It created a very fun sci fi element that really made things exciting and unpredictable.

When the drugs take effect and the transformation begins the film takes on it’s horror angle and we watch a modern Frankenstein birth that the Saw movies would be proud of. From here Margaret Qaulley takes the spotlight as “Sue” and gives a knockout performance as a cut throat glitter queen.

The plot then follows the two versions of Sparkle as they wrestle back and forth for dominance and the black market tech ominously reminds them both that they “are one”. Both Qaulley and Moore give phenomenal performances that thread the needle of being both campy and heartfelt as the film further distorts reality and turns to horror.

In the third act, the effects of the younger Sue’s greed, and the older Sparkle’s Envy deteriorate both their relationship and the physical boundaries of their sci-fi teather until things become murderous. Demi Moore gives the performance of the year in a monologue where she admits her hate for herself and touches on the core themes of the film as she tries to physically murder Sue. From here the Gore, mutilation, and disfigurement rise exponentially as the black market drugs warnings are disregarded. We fully arrive in the land of a sci fi that has become both tragedy and black comedy.

The film ends with a gore fest of hilarious proportion that made me physically speak out loud to the stranger next to me (something I’ve never done in a movie).

My takeaway:

I usually don’t enjoy dark material, especially when it’s excessive and gratuitous. But as my pick for best picture, I guess this was the exception. Through the crazy and heavy handed metaphorical gestures I saw a very needed message in the movie. The film says so much about aging in Hollywood as a woman and how women are treated in society versus men in regards to aging. I also found a potent personal story of a woman and her relationship to herself. If this film was a straight forward drama I don’t think I would have been able to feel that message on the level I did. And that to me is cinema at it’s highest. A story where realism takes a back seat to spectacle that makes your experience both exhilaratingly unrealistic and yet somehow truthful.

I think this movie should win best picture and I think Demi Moore should win best actor. Because let’s be honest she got snubbed for her performance in the “Bevis and Butthead do America” movie.