Quick takes on 5 films

At Eternity’s Gate is a tour de force for Willem Dafoe as Vincent van Gogh. The film follows van Gogh’s middle and later life. Already an established, though poor, painter, the movie focuses on his views of the world around him, and most disturbingly, his descent into madness. He tells a few close friends early on that he feels he is losing his mind, and sure enough, we see it happen over the course of the film. Sometimes van Gogh isn’t aware of the insanity of his actions, and sometimes he is, but he is always aware of the voices in his head. Dafoe’s acting, the brilliant camera work that goes for close ups in lieu of more encompassing shots, and often moving with van Gogh so we are seeing his point of view, together create a very immersive film that the viewer feels a part of. Despite (or admittedly maybe because of according to himself) his madness, van Gogh is also a brilliant painter: he turns ordinary scenes and objects into something quite different and unique. He worries about his legacy though, and wonders if he will ever be appreciated. A wonderful character driven film showcasing Dafoe’s mastery of his craft.

What was the last film of Tim Burton’s you really liked? For me it was Sweeney Todd, and that goes back over 10 years ago. He’s had lots of duds since then, and unfortunately the newest Disney remake, Dumbo, is one of them. It’s a story that everyone knows: a misfit elephant is born with big ears that allow him to fly, and he spends most of the movie earning for his lost mother. He keeps trying to get back to her, with help from his friends. The movie has Burton’s colorful sets but none of the charm, and even the quality actors (Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Evan Green, and a cameo from Alan Arkin) cannot bring life to this dull, and frankly boring, film. The few moments of joy that happen here and there don’t last long enough, and the “comedic moments” drew about 2-3 chuckles out me for the entirety of the movie. Skip this one, and go watch the original cartoon again.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? is one of those biographical dramas that is pretty good overall, with good acting and an almost unbelievable (but true!) story, but in the end, I just thought “ok” with a shrug. Melissa McCarthy takes a turn in a serious role (but still with some humor) as Lee Israel. Lee is a failing biographical writer in the early ’90’s who finds that, with her talent for writing in the same style as her subjects, she is able to write fake letters as famous authors and pass them off to legitimate collectors as authentic. It’s one of those things that would probably never work today with the internet and quick authentication checks, but she gets away with it here, and did in real life too, for awhile. McCarthy is very good in a rare non-comedic role, as is co-star Richard E Grant, but it has the feel of a movie that, while decent, isn’t quite “fun” enough to watch more than once.

Bumblebee is the newest film in the Transformer series, but serves as a prequel of sorts. In fact, it starts on Cybertron, as we see the Autobots abandoning the planet during their war with the Decepticons. Optimus Prime sends his trusted warrior B127 to Earth, to prepare it as their future base. Unfortunately B127 is met by a Decepticon shortly after arriving. B127 is able to emerge victorious, but is gravely wounded, losing his memory and no longer able to communicate. A couple years later, B127 is discovered in a junkyard by the teenager Charlie (played by the young great actress Hailee Steinfeld) in the guise of an old yellow volkswagon bug. Charlie learns his secret soon and names him Bumblebee. It isn’t long before two more Decepticons find that Bumblebee is on Earth, and come to capture him to find out what Optimus Prime’s plans are. Without his memories, Bumblebee doesn’t know why they want him or what is going on. The film has all the action that the Transformers movies are known for, but it has something those last few were missing, and that is heart. By the end of the film, Bumblebee is as endearing as any human actor, and we are rooting for him and Charlie to survive. Hopefully the team behind these films can use this as a launching pad to jump start this franchise.

I love it when I go into a movie expecting one thing, and get something entirely different. I didn’t think I’d like If Beale Street Could Talk, mostly because I’d recently read another book by the author of the book from which it was based, and didn’t care for that book. I only watched this movie because a co-worker with good taste in films told me I needed to. I’ll eat crow on this one, because this movie is fantastic. It takes place in the inner city of New York in the early 70’s and centers on a young, in-love black couple. The young woman is pregnant, but her boyfriend and father of her baby is in jail, accused of raping a Puerto Rican woman. The family is doing their best to prove his innocence, but as a black male with no money, the system is stacked against him. Throughout, we get flashbacks to their upbringing and early romance. The movie paints a pretty bleak picture of the struggle of black men and women in that era (and most likely still today). It is easy to say keep your nose clean and you’ll be fine, but when the only other alternative for so many young minorities is to work a dead-end job that can’t afford to pay the bills, the only choice is to hustle on the street to support your family. Very powerful film, with amazing acting by Regina King as the pregnant girl’s mother (King would win the Oscar).