Finally got around to seeing Anatomy of a Fall after it won tons of awards this past season, and it’s a great film, well worthy of the praise. In a picturesque chalet in the French Alps, author Sandra is being interviewed by a reporter when their conversation is interrupted by super-loud music in the attic, where Sandra’s husband Samuel is doing some work on the house. Samuel is obviously doing it on purpose, and Sandra is perturbed. Her friend leaves, and shortly after, so does the couple’s son Daniel, who takes the dog for a walk. When Daniel, who is blind from an accident years ago, returns home, he literally stumbles upon the body of his father, lying dead in the snow in front of the house. Daniel screams for his mom, and Sandra comes running out. Over the next few days, she is interviewed by police, who don’t immediately believe her story that Samuel must have fallen out the window from the attic, and when it comes to light that their marriage was rocky, she becomes a prime suspect. The rest of the movie plays out as a courtroom drama, with neither Sandra nor Samuel looking completely innocent in the problems with their marriage. Ultimately, the film doesn’t give you any hard answers; I kept going back and forth on whether it was an accident or murder. The unspoken but glaring hints that are dropped in the final scenes paint a whole new picture on it all too. Great film with absolutely terrific acting. ★★★★½
Unlike the above film, Disney’s Wish was a much-maligned release last year, so I was in no rush to see it, and unfortunately, the critics were right about this one too. It tells the story of a magical kingdom known as Rosas, where the king, Magnifico, has magical powers. When people come to his kingdom, which is an idyllic place with few problems, they must give up their one wish in life. The person giving up their wish forgets it once Magnifico has it, so they don’t remember what they longed for. Once a year Magnifico chooses someone to restore their wish to. Of course, he’s the one deciding, so it is only wishes that he thinks would be for the good of the kingdom. 17-year-old Asha is interviewing to become Magnifico’s apprentice and hopes to persuade him to restore her 100-year-old grandfather’s wish. What she learns though is Magnifico isn’t as benevolent as the people think, hoarding his power and only choosing to restore wishes that don’t threaten him. With all of her heart, Asha wishes on a star, and the star comes down to her. Magical things start happening around her, and Magnifico, who feels magic being used, is threatened. It all leads to a good ol’ good vs evil battle in the end. It’s a very interesting premise, but poor execution and a paper-thin plot with no twists or surprises dooms this movie. Unremarkable and forgettable songs, and humor that my 2-year-old granddaughter may laugh at, but no one else will. The only real redeeming factor is the beauty of its animation, but that’s to be expected these days, and it doesn’t make up for all of the film’s flaws. ★½
If there was ever a true revisionist western where the “good guys” are anything but, The Settlers is it. Taking place in Chile in the late 19th century during the Selk’nam genocide (look it up, pretty dark time in that country), there is currently a land grab going on, and those with the power are the ones getting the land. The government has given a swath of country to a man named José Menéndez, who wants it reclaimed from the indigenous people as well as settlers from other countries who have moved in to the territory. Menéndez charges British expatriate MacLennan with finding a path to the ocean for his roaming sheep herds, and MacLennan picks two to accompany him: American mercenary Bill and Chilean mestizo (of mixed local and European heritage) Segundo. Segundo is quiet and unwilling to butcher the locals en route, but Bill and MacLennan have no such inhibitions, but the indigenous people will not be the only danger. The land grab has brought crazy people (literally insane, it seems) from all over the world, and lets not forget, there’s a genocide going on too. The film does an excellent job of capturing the bleakness of a land without law and order, where no thought is given to fellow man and people only care for their own personal advancement, told from the viewpoint of the resigned and powerless Segundo. Excellent film, if you can stomach it. ★★★★
Ferrari, the newest from award-winning director Michael Mann, stars Adam Driver in the title role as Enzo Ferrari. It takes plays in the late 50’s, a couple decades after he started his racing car company. As he says it, he sells cars to finance his race cars, not the other way around like his competitors, but Ferrari is in financial straits, as they just don’t sell enough vehicles. He is betting heavy on the upcoming Mille Miglia, Italy’s premier distance road race, in order to entice new investors without having to sell portions of his company to people who will want some control over it. On a personal level, Ferrari is at a crossroads too. His wife Laura (Penélope Cruz) owns half the company but they are on the outs, and she is fed up with his womanizing. His longtime mistress, Lina (Shailene Woodley) is pressuring Ferrari to publicly acknowledge their 10-year-old son Piero, a fact that all of the city knows except for Laura. As the big day approaches, Ferrari has to balance his separate family lives with his business, and keep everything afloat. The film finds the perfect balance between drama and thrills, provided by the pedal-to-the-floor thrills of the race. I was totally into it from the very beginning, rooting for Ferrari (despite him being egotistical and bombastic to everyone except Lina) and hoping he could find a way to keep it all together. ★★★★
- TV series recently watched: Superman: The Animated Series (season 1), Turn of the Tide (season 1)
- Book currently reading: Dragons of a Lost Star by Weis & Hickman
Jons Movie Takes 