The French Dispatch is another of Wes Anderson’s superb films.Before any consideration of the story, the film has to be considered an exceptional viewing experience for the unpredictability (that he always brings), the richness of characters, and the uber-esoteric settings—mostly amid a Sahara of dry humor. Not to mention that the cast consists of a blend of top comedic and dramatic talent (while I am sure the actors view it as work in High Art, they seem to be having the perfect mix of challenge and fun). Some new (to his films) “star” faces are evidence of the allure of this filmmaker. The structure is a little unusual because it’s broken into segments, but it all conforms within the context of a newspaper founded and operated

The film is a remake of the noir drama of the same name made almost in 1947. Bradley Cooper stars with Rooney Mara, Willem Dafoe, David Strathairn, and Cate Blanchett. All turn in strong performances.One of the selling points of the film for me was the rich setting of a traveling carnival 80 years ago.  In the bosom of that troupe of performers, outcasts and small-time hustlers, the protagonist develops a rare ability—or the pretense of it—and is drawn to new venues where he plies his trade on more discerning and concerning types. The film (based on the novel of the same name) draws its title from a dark secret of the carnival trade of that time. The “geek,” a nearly naked and wretched creature

This film brings to mind any number of films (e.g. the award-winning Roma by A. Cuaron and perhaps the newly released Licorice Pizza by P. T. Anderson) where the writer/directors looked back to  the people and places and of their upbringing and told a story in a labor of love.Though Kenneth Branagh altered some of the details, he grew up in a Protestant family living in a Catholic neighborhood in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1969 during the “Troubles.” Shot in black and white, and with the balance of focus falling more on the people than the politics, the tone of the story leans toward perseverance and tenderness rather than resentment or bitterness.There are several name actors, including an excellent Ciaran Hinds, but Judi Dench, despite

  THE IDEA of a more romantic Bond has been building. In Casino Royale, Bond had told Vesper Lynd that she could have all that was left of him. By the end of Spectre, Bond had chosen Madeline Swann, whom he meets again in No Time to Die. That relationship gets more complex as the movie progresses. The plot is more “nanotech” than ever before. The threat to humankind is terrifying for being more deadly and more purposeful than a mere bomb. The plot was complex and, as you would expect, moved through exotic scenes and otherworldly scenarios. The acting was compelling.  Bond veteran characters had a more dramatic  script. The likes of Daniel Craig and Ray Fiennes, but also returning characters played by Lea

The iconic TV show, Star Trek, flung wide open the door to science fiction literature for me. In fact some of the great early science fiction writers–like Asimov and Ellison–contributed to episodes for that show. I don’t remember when I first read Frank Herbert’s Dune, but it changed me. Three books from the 50s and 60s:  I Robot, Dune, and  A Canticle for Liebowitz stood out as a kind a Trinity in my Sci-Fi canon. It wasn’t long until film technology caught up with the imaginations of these writers: the refined special effects and later CGI in the ’70s and ’80s allowed access to countless tales of realms that could not practically exist outside of the mind. With the somber hues, the art shots and

Trial of the Chicago Seven A riveting film considering the events are part of history. Heavyweight actors abound in the cast of a film worthy of its many awards.  Mark Rylance, a favorite actor (Dunkirk, Bridge of Spies, Ready Player One), plays the attorney for the defense. Michael Keaton shows up in a special role to name only two. This film brought to light the confrontations up to and after the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago when a group of activists planned anti-war and counterculture protests at a nearby park.   Justice itself goes on trial here and it’s only before the credits roll that you learn what happened afterward. A number of people put years of  their own freedom on the line for the

TOM HANKS doesn’t make bad movies, though he has been part of so many great ones that many, like this one, are merely “good” or “worthwhile.” News of the World takes place not long after the Civil War-where a  lot of things had been disrupted, of course, and not yet returned to their proper place [Over 150 years later this remains true]. There aren’t many jobs that allow you to earn a living to avoid going home, but Hank’s character, Captain Kidd, found one. Part  performer, part civil servant, and former soldier, Kidd travels about the Middle West to read to townspeople from a collection of domestic newspapers. He has to be part diplomat, too because in every audience he is sure to have sensitive

            SADLY, FOR THE LAST YEAR, my established ritual of “experiencing” films at the theatre was reduced to merely “watching” them on a laptop or waiting to view the next episode on the TV. Still, I managed to watch Fargo (4) and Snowpiercer (1) on TV, and then watched Midnight Sky and Mank on premium channels. Both Midnight Sky and Mank are worthy films. Mank has a shot at a Best Actor Oscar for Gary Oldman’s role as screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz. David Fincher’s black-and-white story behind the creation of Citizen Kane reveals how one of the greatest films ever made was the result of determination (Orson Welles) and perseverance (Mankiewicz) as it suggested the often unflattering experiences of a very

    “We have to live without sympathy, don’t we? That’s impossible of course. We act it to one another, all this hardness; but we aren’t like that really, I mean…one can’t be out in the cold all the time; one has to come in from the cold…d’you see what I mean?” “I can’t talk like this, Control. What do you want me to do?” “I want you to stay out in the cold a little longer.”                                         –Control and Leamas, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold   On Sunday, my favorite author died at 89 years of age. John Le Carre’, born David

I DON’T KNOW if it’s because I haven’t spent much time watching movies in the last six months (having been otherwise engaged in reading old books or gorging on empty-calorie news), but I was particularly impressed by Enola Holmes, a movie based on more recent fiction stories about a much younger sister of the great sleuth Sherlock of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fame. I was intrigued by the cast as it featured some heavies like Helena Bonham-Carter and Henry Cavil, but the lead actress, Millie Bobby Brown as Enola, was captivating. I expect she will do much more on the big screen. The theme follows  a burgeoning trend I began posting about many years ago, namely stories that focus on female protagonists in roles that