Director Mike Mills has a knack for adding depth and consequence to seemingly inconsequential moments. 20th CENTURY WOMEN is about those moments – the small conversations in a bedroom with friends or a discussion in the kitchen with your mom that you didn’t know in the moment would leave such an indelible mark on your life. Mills strings together a series of short moments in a way that you get to know really know these characters. These everyday moments reveal quirks and contradiction, creating complexity; or more simply put… real characters.
Set in Santa Barbara, the film follows Dorothea Fields (Annette Bening), a single mother in her mid-50s who is raising her adolescent son, Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann). Dorothea enlists the help of two younger women (Greta Gerwig and Elle Fanning) to help out her son when she begins to feel that he is slipping away from her.
Each frame is bursting with energy as Mills documents the laughs and the tears in a warm sunny palette. Like the director’s previous work, the visuals and music become an essential part of the story. The film becomes a sort of collage, showing photos throughout from the characters’ past and that of America. While he goes a little bit too heavy at times with an Instagram-like filter in some shots, the film is still a delight to watch.
Dorothea is a force to be reckoned and Annette Bening captures her with a reserved but unexpected gusto, in what will surely become one of Bening’s defining roles in her career. Her chain smoking is the only constant in the film, otherwise you never quite know how she will react in any given scene – except that more than likely her assertive and sometimes brash tone will make you chuckle. Although always captivating on screen, Gerwig mainly plays to her strengths, portraying an artsy free spirit who doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life either.
There’s a scene late on around a dinner table that is one of the funniest and most genuine “honest to a fault” moments of 2016. Each character is explored as a normal discussion veers to what most would consider “improper” dinner conversation. While the emotional beats throughout the film don’t land as heavily as they did in Mills’ previous film BEGINNERS, the characters might be richer, each one layered with suppressed guilt and regret.
Although it may appear like we do, in life, we don’t have all the answers. Most of life is about figuring things out in the moment. 20th CENTURY WOMEN is a funny and poignant celebration of those people. The kind of people who are still searching, and Mills is here to say that that’s ok.
Overall score: 4 out of 5
20th Century Women opens in St. Louis on January 21st
Here’s a most unusual entry in a genre that’s now becoming a cinema staple: the origin story. Now that term may be most associated with comic books, and many of the superhero blockbusters are just that, the story of how he, she, or they came to get their powers, whip up a costume, and so on (the recent DOCTOR STRANGE is an excellent example). Ah, but this is a true tale, almost an autobiography. There have been many “bio-origins”, from YOUNG MR. LINCOLN to SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU (hmm.. both about future presidents). Yes, there’s the individual’s journey, but this flick is also about a product. THE SOCIAL NETWORK concerned Mark Zuckerberg and the creation of that website, and STEVE JOBS was as much about the man as it was about the personal computer. This new movie focuses on Ray Kroc and chronicles the evolution of the fast food restaurant industry, mainly the world domination of the home of the “golden arches”, McDonald’s. And though Ray proclaimed his legacy in speech and plastered it on his business card, this film debunks his claim as THE FOUNDER.
It begins with a close-up of Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) in full “hard sell” mode. He’s trying to convince the owner of a “drive-in” eatery, that he needs to buy a multi-spindle (six to be exact) milk shake mixer. But the owner doesn’t “bite”, so this beaten-down “Willy Loman” of diner supplies lugs the heavy mixer back to its place in the trunk of his old sedan. It’s 1954, and this tired 52 year-old hustler can’t even get the food he order from the teenage “carhop” (not chicken, the pork plate!). Luckily he’s got his flask filled. The night at a “fleabag” motel, he lulls himself to sleep with a bottle of “rotgut” and a motivational record. He’s back on the road the next day. After another “bust”, he pumps quarters into a pay phone and checks in with his office in Chicago. He’s told that a place in California wants six (!) mixers. This must be a mistake. Ray then calls the eatery, and the client tells him he could actually use eight mixers! Jumping back into his auto, Ray makes the cross-country trek to San Bernardino and pulls into the parking lot of the McDonald’s hamburger stand. It’s not a drive-in, instead people line up (and there’s a long one) to a window and order food. Once Ray gets to the window, he’s stunned that his food is given to him seconds after ordering, all hot and correct! No plates and silverware, either. As Ray savors his burger and fries, a man sweeping the lot says hello. He’s one of the co-owners, ‘Mac’ Mcdonald (John Carroll Lynch). Ray introduces himself and Mac offers him a behind the scenes (or grill) tour. Watching over the operation inside is the co-owner, Mac’s brother Dick (Nick Offerman). The boys tell Ray their story and explain their fast food theory. Heading back to his home in the Chicago suburbs, Ray excitedly tells his wife Ethel (Laura Dern) about the place, who believes it’s another one of her hubby’s “pipe dreams”. But Ray in unfazed, he thinks the lil’ burger stand should expand and franchise. But Dick is wary, after having a bad time with opening other places in California and New Mexico. They can’t enforce quality control. But Ray is a most ardent, and persistent suitor and convinces the guys that he is the one that’ll make sure their high standards are met. Contracts are signed and soon Ray is breaking ground on a new location in Des Plaines, Illinois. But it’s a stormy marriage between him and the brothers, Dick is too cautious while Ray is too aggressive. Ray expands the empire at a feverish pitch while Dick fumes out west. And Ray wants more money and power. Tensions mount as this “battle of the wills” intensifies. Who will control the growing empire, the principled McDonald brothers or Ray, the “super-salesman”?
The title role is a showcase for the talents of the always interesting Mr. Keaton. It’s an engaging roller coaster of a life “arc’ as he shows us the weary beaten-down by life Kroc at the story’s opening, the happy twinkle in his eyes as he wraps up the “pitch’, only to have his spirits crushed and casually swept aside. Keaton then gives us a revitalized Kroc, as if the sight of the Hamburger place shoots out a lightning bolt, piercing his corroded psyche. His “seduction” of the brothers recalls Keaton’s breakthrough movie role 35 years ago as the fast-talking “idea man” in NIGHT SHIFT. After he grabs the gold ring, Keaton then amps up his natural charisma, as he opens the door on another side of Kroc, becoming a fast food Elmer Gantry, converting the congregations to the cult of the quick burger, making those golden arches into a revival tent. We’re almost cheering on Ray, until Keaton opens the door on the dark side of his nature. He goes from determined underdog to cold-eyed shark, consuming more, getting more, and looking forward while ex-partners and loved ones are swept aside in his wake. This is another feather in Keaton’s cap, a real triumph in his career’s “second act” that was jump-started with BIRDMAN.
The ex-MR. MOM is terrific, but he’s far from alone on screen. He’s got quite a wonderful supporting team, especially the two “lambs” gobbled up by the “wolf”. Lynch is the more outgoing and gregarious of the brothers, an easy-going, trusting soul always hoping to see the best in folks. By the story’s last act we see the terrible price his optimism has cost him when the stress erodes his health. Offerman’s Dick McDonald is the more somber and stoic of the two. A “sandwich savant”, he’s consumed with perfecting his craft, achieving a purity in the art and science of food service. He’s also the more cynical of the two, begrudgingly agreeing to Ray’s plans because of his affection and respect for his sibling. Offerman sets aside his usual gruff characters to show a man of integrity left heartbroken by forces beyond his control. Dern delivers a devastating take on the neglected wife, a woman who tries to support her mate, but realizes, too late, that they have drifted apart. B.J. Novak is smooth and sinister as the mastermind who joins forces with Kroc and provides a way for them to chip away at that constricting contract (“…like hearts, they’re made to be broken”). And Linda Cardellini sparkles as Ray’s biggest obsession after burgers (and kudos to Patrick Wilson as her soon-to-be cuckholed hubby).
Director John Lee Hancock seems to have a pretty good grip on these “inspired by a true story” films. Much as with his previous SAVING MR. BANKS, he’s pulled the curtain back on a subject we think we know well, giving us a title character as complex as “Uncle” Walt and Miss Travers. And the script from Robert Siegel really pulls no punches (I’m really shocked that the still-powerful company allowed such an unflattering look at one of its icons). It’s interesting that the final battle of the story begins with powdered milk shake mixes (“there’s no milk in ’em!”). The vintage autos and fashions are spot-on as is the retro pop soundtrack. Unfortunately the film has a real pacing problem. Perhaps a trim of the many montages and angry long-distance phone calls would have quickened the pace as it seems a good twenty minutes too long. However this doesn’t dampen the compelling work of Mr. Keaton and for his many fans, THE FOUNDER will prove to be quite a nourishing banquet.
They showed the trailer for SPLIT at a screening a few months back. When the words ‘from the Director of THE SIXTH SENSE’ popped up, there was an audible groan from the audience. Such was the state of the beleaguered director, but after last year’s fun THE VISIT, and now the wicked and witty thriller SPLIT, his best in years, M. Night Shyamalan’s fortunes are looking up. After minimal set-up involving a parking lot abduction, three teen girls wake up in a locked, windowless room. Two of the girls (Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula) are friends, while the third, Casey (Anya Taylor Joy) is an outsider. Their captor is Kevin (James McAvoy), who proceeds to both terrify and confuse them. One minute he’s Barry, a fey Brit, the next he’s a woman named Patricia, then he’s Hedwig, a nine-year-old boy, and then he’s Dennis, a slow janitor. Kevin has 23 of these personalities and since this is an M. Night, there’s a twist, and that has to do with Kevin’s 24th identity, one he’s preparing for and will reveal near the film’s climax, sorta like Derek Zoolander’s Blue Steel. Kevin visits Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley), his psychologist who delivers important background information. Is Kevin a psychopath holding these girls captive toward his own degenerate ends or is he saving them for something else?
Best enjoyed with a minimum of foreknowledge, SPLIT is not a great movie but it’s a well-plotted story that takes chances, goes in clever directions, and ratchets up tension. Some may find where it goes to be a silly place, but all the pieces nicely fit together, such as the clever way the reveal of both Mr. 24 and the mysterious locale tie together. McAvoy’s gives a committed, technical performance, kind and innocent one moment, intimidating and creepy the next. He never goes over-the-top like I feared he would (he was less disciplined as last year’s VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN) in a ridiculous role that could have been ruinous cast with the wrong actor (Shia LeBeouf for example!). The problem is that, as convincing as McAvoy is in pulling off all of these characters, they’re just not that interesting. Since we only see 5 or 6 of these personalities, perhaps the script could have better fleshed out the cast that existed in Kevin’s head. Also, I kept wonderiing why all these different identities were so comfortable with trussed-up teens in the house!
Anya Taylor Joy is solid as the resourceful final girl. Flashbacks to Casey as a child deer hunting with her dad and pervy uncle are well-integrated, showing how surviving an earlier trauma honed her survival skills. Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula are given little to do besides lose some of their clothes, steeling the audience for sex crimes that never happen. Betty Buckley (also in Shyamalan’s delirious THE HAPPENING) is good in a large role delivering copious amounts of psychobabble and plot explication (Sally Field in this role would have been a nice nod to SYBIL). A single flashback to Kevin abused as a child by his wire hanger-wielding mom is as obvious as the scene at the end of PSYCHO when the psychologist gives his overt explanation of the Norman/Mother divide, but less necessary. If SPLIT as a whole doesn’t quite hang together, it works in isolated set pieces. There are a number of bravura moments, including some lengthy, complex tracking shots through the bowels of this mysterious compound, while a shot of a dead victim yanked suddenly off-camera as if momentarily alive is as startling as a similar moment in Mario Bava’s BLOOD AND BLACK LACE. Shyamalan throws in one last surprise at the end, not a twist but a goofy fanboy nod that has nothing to do with the events that have just transpired, but I’m glad it’s there.
GOLD is the epic tale of one man’s pursuit of the American dream, to discover gold. Starring Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey as Kenny Wells, a prospector desperate for a lucky break, he teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Getting the gold was hard, but keeping it would be even harder, sparking an adventure through the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street.
Also features Edgar Ramirez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Corey Stoll, Toby Kebbell, Bill Camp, Joshua Harto, Timothy Simons, Craig T Nelson, Stacy Keach, and Bruce Greenwood.
The score is from composer Daniel Pemberton. Pemberton was Golden Globe nominated this year for Best Original Song for GOLD. He co-wrote the original song along with Iggy Pop and Danger Mouse.
Directed by Stephen Gaghan, GOLD opens in St. Louis, Friday, January 27.
WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of GOLD on MONDAY, JANUARY 23 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.
Answer the following:
What’s the name of the 1974 thriller film, starring Roger Moore and Susannah York, that had to do with a South African gold mine?
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.
Academy Award® nominated actor Woody Harrelson will direct and star in an unprecedented live feature film event, “Lost in London LIVE,” on January 19, 2017. Harrelson, who wrote the feature film “Lost in London,” will also co-star with Owen Wilson and Willie Nelson. Ken Kao of Waypoint Entertainment will produce alongside Harrelson. This first-of-its-kind film event will screen live in U.S. movie theaters, giving audiences the unique opportunity to watch a film shot in real time.
BLOOM has taken international rights to the film. Sales will commence on the One-Take Live Broadcast at the upcoming European Film Market
Loosely based on a crazy night full of real-life events, “Lost in London” follows Harrelson, playing himself, as he struggles to get home to his family. Run-ins with royalty, old friends and the law all seem to conspire to keep Harrelson from succeeding.
“I’ve always loved theatre and film and wanted to find the best way to merge the two. When I decided to shoot this in real time I realized it wasn’t quite like true theatre because the one piece missing was a live audience. By broadcasting the film live as its being shot I hope to truly blend the excitement of live theater with the scale and scope of film,” said Harrelson.
This special cinema event, presented by Fathom Events, will be broadcast live in movie theaters nationwide for one night on Thursday, January 19, 2017 at 9:00 p.m. EST / 8:00 p.m. CT / 7:00 p.m. MT / 6:00 p.m. PST. Following the feature presentation, Harrelson will participate in a live Q&A.
Tickets for the “Lost in London LIVE” event can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in more than 550 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
“Harrelson continues to surprise his fans with new and exciting ideas – ‘Lost in London’ might be the boldest one yet,” Fathom Events CEO John Rubey said. “Fathom is thrilled to be part of this revolutionary project to bring a live feature film, paired with an exclusive Q&A, to audiences nationwide.”
Watch the final trailer director James Mangold’s LOGAN.
In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan’s attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.
Starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, and Dafne Keen, 20th Century will unleash LOGAN into cinemas on March 3, 2017.
It’s Morphin’ Time. The new, action-packed trailer for SABAN’S POWER RANGERS is here.
Read the latest issue of Angel Grove High School’s Newspaper The Roar!
Saban’s POWER RANGERS follows five ordinary high school kids who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove – and the world – is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat.
Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover that they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so they will have to overcome their real-life issues and band together as the Power Rangers before it is too late.
The film stars Dacre Montgomery (A Few Less Men) as Jason the Red Ranger, RJ Cyler (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) as Billy the Blue Ranger, Naomi Scott (The 33) as Kimberly the Pink Ranger, Becky G (Empire) as Trini the Yellow Ranger, Ludi Lin (Monster Hunt) as Zack the Black Ranger, Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect, The Hunger Games franchise) as Rita Repulsa, Bryan Cranston (Godzilla, Breaking Bad) as Zordon and Bill Hader (Trainwreck, The BFG) as Alpha 5.
Directed by Dean Israelite (Project Almanac), Saban’s POWER RANGERS is written by John Gatins (Kong: Skull Island, Real Steel), Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama (Dracula Untold), Zack Stentz and Ashley Miller (X-Men: First Class, Thor), and Max Landis (Chronicle). Producers are Power Rangers creator Haim Saban, Brian Casentini (Power Rangers TV series), Wyck Godfrey, and Marty Bowen (The Twilight Saga, The Fault in Our Stars, The Maze Runner franchise).
Lionsgate will release POWER RANGERS in the U.S. on March 23rd and in UK cinemas on March 24, 2017.
One of 2016’s best documentaries is another look at a seminal moment in America’s struggle with crime and violence. Like many previous docs, it’s an examination of a mass murder. Now basic cable TV channels (and network “newsmagazines”) are filled with such, now almost commonplace, events. What makes this film unique is the subject, namely the very first mass shooting just over fifty years ago. The other aspect that makes this work is special is its approach and use of a high-tech upgrade of a movie device that dates back over 90 years. This enables the film makers to expertly transport us to that hot summer day in 1966, as a madman spewed death from the top of a college TOWER.
Director Keith Maitland, like many documentarians, makes use of archival news footage and radio recordings to convey the horror of Charles Whitman’s rampage at the University of Texas. And, like other docs, we hear the stories of all the survivors, the people who were there that fateful day. But it’s not merely “talking heads’ confessing to an unseen interrogator. Maitland uses actors to recreate the stories in a most unorthodox way. Yes, the young cast is clothed in vintage attire, and are driving classic autos. These “re-enactments” aren’t digitally scratched up to look like frayed 16 or 8mm film stock. Nor are the colors desaturated or muted to mask the principals in a haze of memory and nostalgia. Quite the opposite actually. Because he couldn’t gain access to many of the actual locales, Maitland used the modern version of the animation technique known as “rotoscoping”. This was a process invented and patented by the Fleischer Studios in the 1920’s. An actor would be filmed (for its first uses it was one of the Fleischer brothers, Dave) going about some bit of action. The finished footage would be projected onto the animator’s desk, who would trace the movements for a more realistic motion. Other studios used this method, particularly the Disney staff for the princess, prince, and evil queen in SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, even into the 70’s and 80’s with Ralph Bakshi’s version of LORD OF THE RINGS. With the dawn of a new century, computer software enabled directors such as Richard Linklater to enhance the look of his films WAKING LIFE and A SCANNER DARKLY. Aside from being able to seamlessly drop the players into the 60’s locations, this tech gives the film a vibrancy and immediacy. Colors can shift from bright “day-glo” psychedelics to somber silver and gray hues to enhance the dramatic effect and shift the tone and mood. Much as with graphic novels, the backdrops can go from detailed realism to a flaring, pulsating abstract swash of color to convey the sense of fear and anxiety. This dynamic storytelling technique makes this first-hand accounts more compelling, drawing us in as few non-fiction features have before. As that old TV show proclaimed “You Are There!”.
Considering the tragic story, it may seem odd to say that this film is often hypnotically beautiful. This not to say that the style is greater than its substance. Director Maitland expertly intertwines several engrossing individual stories of courage. There’s the pregnant student lying on the hot pavement with her gravely wounded beau, while potential rescuers are kept at bay. College kids and police head toward the onslaught. A twelve-year old paperboy and his younger cousin are caught in the crossfire. In the film’s final moments the rotoscoped dopplegangers are stripped away to reveal the real people who generously relive the nightmare (those who have seen passed on are also honored). We’re reminded that this was huge news when we view an editorial from “the most trusted man on TV”, Walter Cronkite (glorified violent images in entertainment mixed with easy access to firearms, still a potent message). And now the mass shooting is almost a monthly news staple, as the final act unspools a montage of horror: Columbine, Sandy Hook, and so on…and on. TOWER is superb riveting reminder of the real human cost of these now nearly commonplace tragedies.
5 Out of 5
TOWER screens Friday January 20th through Sunday January 22nd at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood). the movie starts at 7:30 all three evenings
“You eat people!” The Vestron cult classic horror title releases continue with PARENTS, coming to Blu-ray on January 31st with all new special features!
There’s a new name for terror when the Vestron Video Collector’s Series brings the family back together in Parents, coming to limited-edition Blu-ray on January 31from Lionsgate. In this black-comedy horror classic, a young boy in 1950s suburbia suspects his parents are cannibalistic murderers. The Parents Blu-ray includes all-new special features, including an audio commentary with director Bob Balaban and producer Bonnie Palef and interviews with screenwriter Christopher Hawthorne and actress Mary Beth Hurt. This limited-edition Parents Blu-ray will be available for the suggested retail price of $34.97.
Meet the Laemles. Dad’s got a great job, mom has all the modern conveniences a happy homemaker could ask for, and ten-year-old Michael has great new friends and two parents who kill him with kindness. They’re the all-American family . . . or are they? Michael can’t figure out why his family serves leftovers every night. “Leftovers? Well, what were they before they were leftovers?” questions young Michael. “Leftovers-to-be,” smiles dad. Dad’s bringing home the bacon . . . and a whole lot more! Michael’s parents are getting away with murder — making home where the horror is!
BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
· Audio Commentary with Director Bob Balaban and Producer Bonnie Palef
· Isolated Score Selections/Audio Interview with Composer Jonathan Elias
· Featurettes:
o “Leftovers to Be” with Screenwriter Christopher Hawthorne
o “Mother’s Day” with Actress Mary Beth Hurt
o “Inside Out” with Director of Photography Robin Vidgeon
o “Vintage Tastes” with Decorative Consultant Yolando Cuomo
“I change my cars as regularly as a snake sheds its skin.” The Vestron cult classic horror title releases continue with THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM, coming to Blu-ray on January 31st with all new special features!
A terrifying English legend returns when the Vestron Video Collector’s Series brings the British horror classic The Lair of the White Worm to limited-edition Blu-ray™ on January 31 from Lionsgate. In a remote corner of England’s Peak District, a mysterious skull is unearthed, then quickly stolen for use in worshiping a pagan god, the White Worm. Based on the novel by Bram Stoker, and starring Hugh Grant, the restored and remastered The Lair of the White Worm Blu-ray has all-new special features, including an audio commentary with Director Ken Russell and Lisi Russell and an interview with actress Sammi Davis. The Lair of the White Worm limited-edition Blu-ray will be available for the suggested retail price of $34.97.
Hugh Grant, Amanda Donohoe, and Catherine Oxenberg star in this mix of heart-stopping horror and campy humor. James D’Ampton (Grant) returns to his country castle in England. Legend has it that James’s distant ancestor once slayed the local dragon — a monstrous white worm with a fondness for the sweet flesh of virgins. The young lord dismisses the legend as folklore, until archaeology student Angus Flint explores James’s property and unearths a massive reptilian skull and a pagan snake god’s ancient site of worship. When James’s virtuous girlfriend, Eve Trent (Oxenberg), suddenly disappears, James and Angus set out to investigate the foreboding cavern said to be the worm’s lair, where a centuries-old mystery begins to uncoil.
BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
Audio Commentary with Director Ken Russell
Audio Commentary with Lisi Russell, in conversation with Film Historian Matthew Melia
“Worm Food: The Effects of The Lair of the White Worm” Featurette
“Cutting For Ken” – An Interview with Editor Peter Davies
“Mary, Mary” – An Interview with Actress Sammi Davis
Trailers From Hell featuring an introduction and commentary with Producer Dan Ireland
