Tag: 1950s

MARTY SUPREME – Review

Timothee Chalamet as Marty Mauser in Josh Safdie’s MARTY SUPREME. Courtesy of A24

Timothee Chalamet is supremely charismatic and kinetic as a “bad boy” hustler in early 1950s New York with an obsession to make ping pong – table tennis – into a major sport in the U.S., in Josh Sadfie’s kinetic drama MARTY SUPREME. Director/co-writer Sadfie’s story is very loosely based on a real person, Marty Reisman, a handsome, bespectacled, and rail-thin young Jewish man from New York City’s Lower East Side, who was a table tennis wiz with a flair for showmanship in the 1950s. and an obsession to make his sport, ping pong, as respected and a big deal in the U.S. as it already was in Asia and Europe. Safdie renamed Timothee Chalamet’s character Marty Mauser, and takes liberties with the facts, but MARTY SUPREME is a kinetic skyrocket of a drama that picks up speed as it goes, about a man obsessed with a sport no one respected but who is willing to do anything, and everything, to change that.

and the film itself takes a neutral view of his sometimes appalling behavior. Marty’s lack of scruples seems to get worse as he grow desperate to reach his goals, and much of this film better suited for adult audiences than teens (although, by the end, he shows some improvement, and opens the door to more).

In the Lower East Side of 1950s New York City, ambitious Jewish teenager Marty Mauser (Chalamet) is determined to escape the life that is being laid out for him, working in his uncle’s shoe store. Marty is his uncle’s best salesman and the uncle dreams of making him the manager, but selling shoes is not Marty’s dream. He has much bigger dreams, dreams no one respects, to be a ping pong champion while making the sport he loves, and is supremely good at, into a high-profile, popular sport in the U.S.

Timothee Chalamet’s young character is charismatic and he charms all those around him, but he is not a good guy. and the film itself takes a neutral view of his often appalling behavior. Marty’s lack of scruples seems to get worse as he grow desperate to reach his goals, and much of this film better suited for adult audiences than teens (although, by the end, he shows some improvement, opening the door to more improvement).

Fast-talking Marty lives with his mother in a tiny apartment but dodges her questions (and her as well) about what he is doing. When not trapped in the shoe store, he is a hustler who makes a living playing ping pong in seedy tennis table parlors. Those parlors might remind some of the shady pool halls seen in Paul Newman’s classic THE HUSTLER, but such ping pong halls really did exist in the neighborhood where the really Marty grew up. But Chalamet’s Marty Mauser needs no manager to help him achieve his goal. Instead, he charms and exploits a host of people, good and even shady types, to reach his goal.

Marty has a girlfriend, but she is already married to someone else and now pregnant, and he has a circle of admirers, energized by his self-confidence and ambition, who he charms into giving him money or other forms of help. Marty will do anything to get the money for the next international table tennis tournament, where he expects to win the championship, and to make table tennis the major sport in the U.S. that he believes it should be.

MARTY SUPREME is darkly funny, energetic and entertaining – a somewhat bent American Dream. Surprisingly, some of Marty’s crazy antics in this fictional film are based on things that really happened. Timothee Chalamet gives an electrifying performance, one is a string of recent great ones. Chalamet’s unstoppable ping pong hustler and dreamer is backed by a strong cast of stars, often in unexpected roles. Fran Dresser is unrecognizable as Marty’s mother, a sad Jewish mother in a tiny NY apartment who pumps her wild teen son for information on his life, information he avoids giving. Gweneth Paltrow plays an aging movie star wife of a rich man, to which Marty attaches himself with a plan to get him access to places he’s not so welcome. The characters are often quirky, as are the situations Marty finds himself in, and both Fran Dresser and Gweneth Paltrow craft intriguing characters, especially Paltrow’s sharp, hard-eyed star who matches Marty in wits.

The rest of the cast, combined with a twisty plot in which unexpected disasters seem to loom around each turn, make this a drama with the pulse of a thriller. The film pick up speed as it goes, and cocky Marty finds himself juggling more balls than he expected.

While Chalamet’s cocky character is charismatic, resourceful and sharp-witted, he is no model of moral behavior. Early on, he makes a tasteless, anti-semitic joke, and then brushes aside the gasps by saying he’s Jewish so it’s OK, (although clearly not). He and a ping pong playing pal raise money playing demonstration games for money, that involve trick shots that would fit right in with the Harlem Globetrotters if that team played ping pong. Marty hustles unsuspecting people by feigning being a bad player – until the bets are down. At one point, he and a pal pull a con to get a better hotel room paid for by someone else (which really happened), with some unintended consequences.

But it is all in service of elevating his beloved ping pong and putting him on the top of the players’ heap, so we have conflicted feelings about this very young, very ambitious man with a mission. The people who back him up, even when he exploits that trust, seem to have no such doubts, and seem just drawn to his energy and confidence, as he pursues dreams that themselves dare not dream. Maybe it is that impossible dream, or the surprising encouragement Marty gives to other people that everyone else overlooks or dismisses that they too can dream big, and they come along and be part of his adventure.

This is a drama is likely to divide audience opinions, as it has critics, about whether Marty’s willingness to dream big, and commit to a dream others find preposterous, is compelling enough to justify or overcome his willingness to step on other people on his way up, no matter how much he charms those he steps on, in pursuit of that wild dream. Again, that makes this film more suited to grown-ups than the younger audiences who might not be quite ready to grapple with this ethical battle.

Still, MARTY SUPREME is a showcase for Timothee Chalamet, as well as an excellently made wild ride of a most unusual adventure.

MARTY SUPREME opens Thursday, Dec. 25, in theaters.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

NAKED AMBITION (2025) – Review

Here’s a terrific new release that dispels that old, certainly now outdated, thought that watching a documntary was “homework”. This one’s a brisk, breezy romp through the fringes of pop culture that makes a sharp turn into an exploration of the changing attitudes towards the societal roles of women. So, yes, sex does play a big part. Mainly, it’s a portrait of an artist (that label may have irked and offended the intellectual elite then, but few would question it now). That artist in question is a photographer named Bunny (born Linnea) Yeagar who actually went from being a model in front of the camera to staging and snapping pics of, sometimes referred to as, “pin-up queens”. These ladies were usually clad in bikinis (which Bunny popularized), exotic attire, and sometimes in the “all together,” which gives a multiple meaning to this doc’s title, NAKED AMBITION.

The locale for Bunny’s life story quickly shifts from her birth in a chilly Pittsburgh suburb to sun-kissed Miami in the late 1940s. After winning several beauty pageants, she became a very busy photo model for several magazines and newspapers originating from Florida. That “ambition” started early as she embraced the big swimsuit sensation, the bikini, and enhanced them with her own design (one was comprised of plastic daisies). A new career opened up when she took a night class in photography at a vocational school. Bunny began taking pics of herself (perhaps these are the earliest “selfies”), then directed her BFF Maria Stinger (now there’s a great model moniker) in some very popular “men’s Magazine” spreads before expanding her “roster”. Seems that women were more comfortable with her behind the lens, rather than the leering men who formed “camera clubs”. Then, in 1954, through her photo mentor Irving Claw (another great name), Bunny met her muse, the bubbly brunette with the “bangs”, Bettie Page. These pics of Ms. Page, especially those taken at a wild animal “safari” park, became staples of pop culture when she was “rediscovered” through the Dave Stevens art of the Rocketeer graphic novels. Those shots attracted Hugh Hefner, and soon Bunny was a staple of his fledgling Playboy magazine. In the doc, we’re introduced to Bunny’s first husband, Arthur, a former cop, who becomes her business partner and the father of their two daughters, Cherilu and Lisa. We learn how Bunny took side “gigs” in the movies (with Sinatra) and later crooned as a lounge singer. But with the huge cultural shift in the late 60s, the public passed up the camp “cheesecake” for pornography (even parting ways with Playboy) and Bunny was adrift until a new appreciation in the late 1990s that led to new hardcover book collections and several gallery shows (at the Warhol). In the film’s epilogue, we’re told that Bunny shot on film right up until her passing at age 85 in 2014.

Director Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch are two talented cinema “tour guides” for this chronicling of a remarkable life. Yes, there are the usual “talking heads”, but those interviewed offer some great insight into Bunny’s technique, including several working photogs, historians, and the modern “glamour gal” icon Dita Von Teese. And there’s some archival interview, though Larry King’s “chestnut” tale of a fan encounter doesn’t add much, ditto for the recollections of Hef. However, the audio-only stories from the real Page are quite engaging, as are the contrasting views of Bunny’s daughters (Lisa embraces her mom’s legacy while the more conservative Cherilu is somewhat embarrassed). The best parts of the docs are the incredible collages of the campy cheesecake pics that somehow still resonate a sweet innocence since most of the models are smiling, some even in “mid-laff”, conveying the high spirits of those optimistic days nearly 70 years ago. The filmmakers also address the big societal changes, first with Bunny’s friendship with a famous photo “buff”, Sammy Davis, Jr, who had to hide in the back seat when the two cruised around Miami before a “model shoot”. And later Bunny tries to get more “provocative” with the free-spirited “hippie chicks” in the late 60s. Plus, we get to view some grainy, faded home movie footage (I imagined the film disintegrating right after the digital transfer) and some adorably stiff and awkward films of an “actual photo session”. Scholl and Tabsch don’t shy away from the “tough times” as we learn of the demise of Bunny’s depressed hubby and their trumped-up obscenity bust. Luckily, the story ends on a triumphant note, despite the clash between the daughters and some estate problems, as Bunny gets her well-earned praise and appreciation from her peers. Her story, as told in the engaging NAKED AMBITION, is pretty close to “picture perfect”.

3 out of 4

NAKED AMBITION is now playing in select theatres

ON SWIFT HORSES – Review

One of this weekend’s big film releases is yet another cinematic ride in Doc Brown’s DeLorean to what many believe to be a simpler, more “fun” era. Of course, last week, SINNERS dispelled such notions about the oh-so segregated 1930s (and then tossed vampires into the mix). It’s appropriate that I referenced that 1985 classic, since this new film is also set in the 1950s, those “Happy Days” referred to in the classic TV show (shessh, it’s over forty years old now). Sure, it was the birthplace of great rock and roll, but for certain minorities, it was a time to be very careful to the point of hiding in the shadows. While this film also briefly touches on race, its main focus is on sexual orientation, which could also lead to harsh punishments from all sides (including the courts). Perhaps that’s why one of the characters in this tale wants to escape the repressive era by any means available, including cars, trains, and ON SWIFT HORSES.

This story begins in 1954, not long after the end of the Korean War. Muriel (Daisy Edgar-Jones) shares her family’s home in Kansas with her long-time boyfriend (he keeps proposing), soldier-on-leave Lee (Will Poulter). He’s got big plans to move West as soon as his brother joins them. Finally, his sibling, Julius (Jacob Elordi) arrives, informing them that he has been discharged from the service, offering a vague explanation. Still, Lee is stoked that he will join the couple in California. Ah, but Julius has the “wanderlust” and, after giving Muriel some “card shark” tips, he leaves before dawn. In the following months, Lee finishes his stint in the service, and the two move West where he toils in a factory where Muriel is a waitress in a diner frequented by some fellows who “play the ponies” (she listens and makes some profitable wagers without telling her now husband). Meanwhile, Julius earns a “bankroll” from midnight poker games and as a gigolo, which soon lands him in Vegas. He gets a job in an off-strip casino watching the tables from the “rafters” and alerting the pit bosses to cheating gamblers. Soon, Julius is joined in the steamy “attic” by the dark and brooding Henry (Diego Calva). Eventually, the co-workers share an apartment and become much more than roommates, having to keep their passion very, very private. Back in San Diego, Lee and Muriel finally have enough saved (she’s still hiding most of her “winnings”) to get one of the “tract” houses in a new suburban development neighborhood. But Muriel is more interested in one of the locals, a woman with a chicken business (mainly eggs), an aspiring musician named Sandra (Sasha Calle). And soon, these two become much more than neighbors. Can Muriel keep her gambling and her Lesbian affair a secret from Lee? And what will happen when Julius and Henry try to take down the other Vegas casinos? Will the old “Kansas trio” ever reunite?


This tale of forbidden secret love is almost equally split between Muriel and Julius, though she may have the more complex conflicts. As Muriel, Edgar-Jones expertly embodies the typical steadfast supportive housewife of that time, though we can catch her eyes darting about as she formulates a way to go after her compulsion (the gambling) and desires (Sandra, mainly). We feel Muriel’s yearning to break out of her destined societial role, while wanting to shield Lee. And yet, there’s that connection with Julius, played with a dark, brooding charm by Elordi. He’s a restless spirit who never wants to be tethered down, sneaking away quickly (perhaps the ‘swiftest horse”). And then he finds his own liberation by his devotion to Henry, perhaps wanting to ‘settle down” like Muriel, but having to keep his true self hidden from the world. As his brother Lee, Poulter brings great empathy to a role that could easily be a stereotypical “clueless cuckold”, but instead is a good, loyal man trying to understand the change in the two people he adores. Calva makes Henry a fiery, spirited rebel. who wants nothing more than to be alongside Julius in their romantic “bubble”. Calle, as Sandra, has much of that same smouldering persona, coupled with a snarky line delivery, and a determination not to be the fun “side fling” for Muriel. Also of note is Don Swayze as the sneering surly casino pit boss and Kat Cumming as the bombshell blonde who fans the flames of Muriel’s liberated libido.

In just his second feature film, after decades helming “prestige” TV programs, director Daniel Minahan superbly recreates the postwar West while shattering the often “rose-colored” tint of nostalgia, reminding us that the “good ole’ days” didn’t extend to everyone. Minahan gives us the bright diners and casinos, while also giving us the clandestine gay meeting spots an aura of real danger and doom, with those secret revelers always keeping an eye out for the “morality enforcers”. The dialogue is sharp and very witty in Bryce Kass’ screenplay adaptation of the novel by Shannon Pufahl, though the romance of Muriel and Sandra feels more rushed as compared to the evolving relationship of Julius and Henry. In some ways, this feels like a companion piece to BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, with the era’s repressions and hidden affairs, though the story never quite hits the heights of that ground-breaking classic. Still, the performances are solid, and the period fashions and locales are splendid (including the “yechh” chain-smoking). ON SWIFT HORSES is a very well-crafted look at a time when expressing your true self to love was the biggest gamble.

3 Out of 4

ON SWIFT HORSES is now playing in select theatres

OSS 117 Returns in a New 2 Disc BluRay set

En garde, worldwide enemies of France, along with all freedom-loving people! Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath AKA super-agent OSS 117 is on the case! Actually, he’s on two cases as a pair of his deadliest missions is now available in a nifty ultra-cool double BluRay gift set. Yes, I know Santa “made the scene” over a week ago, but if you’re wondering what to do with your gift cards or return credits, well…


First, let’s crack open the dossier file on this operative. The character springs from a series of novels begun by writer Jean Bruce, beating Ian Fleming’s 007 by six years. Of course, the movie studios beckoned, and a movie franchise premiered in 1957 and concluded in 1970. Ah, but you can’t keep a good spy down. Five years before they teamed on the Oscar-winning THE ARTIST, director/co-writer Michel Hazanavicius and star Jean Dujardin re-imagined the hero as a slapstick and often clueless oaf. The inspiration for the 21st-century incarnation is of course OG superspy Sean Connery’s Bond, along with touches of James Coburn’s Derek Flint and Dean Martin’s Matt Helm. However, most current audiences may compare him to Maxwell Smart (Don Adams and Steve Carell) and Mike Meyer’s Austin Powers.

The major difference from the last two agent’s exploits is the filmmaker’s expert mimicking of the look and style of the spy genre of the 60s. For instance, in the first parody flick from 2006, OSS 117: CAIRO, NEST OF SPIES, which is set in 1955, there are lots of rear-projection sequences, day-for-night photography, and bright “pulp novel” color (except for the black and white WWII flashback prologue). Dujardin is the perfect sexist equal opportunity offender in his slick-tailored suits accented by his goofball grin and expert comic timing. He’s sent to Cairo to track down the killers of an old pal. And for the romantic subplot, he’s paired with future THE ARTIST co-star Berenice Bejo as a tough Arab operative.

And on the second disc we jump ahead to swingin’ 1967 for OSS 117: LOST IN RIO, as Hubert heads to “warmer climes” to make a payoff (cash for a list of French Nazi colluders). The colors are still eye-popping reflecting the “mod” look (lots of hippies). Plus there’s a great nod to that era’s multi-image, split-screen storytelling ala THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, not to mention the use of footage from a 50s classic, a Hitchcock-inspired finale, and Matt Helm himself, Dean Martin, crooning on the soundtrack. Hubert hasn’t become more enlightened with time as he clashes with another beautiful female spy, this time from Mossad, played by Louise Monot while eluding former Nazis, vengeful Asian assassins, lucha libre goons, and an American CIA contact who mumbles English language expletive-laden insults.

Now, the gorgeous BluRay transfers should be enough to satisfy any spy parody fans. Ah, but that’s not all you get! Each disc is jam-packed with fantastic extras. There are deleted and alternate scenes, bloopers, feature commentaries, photo galleries, teasers, trailers, and “making of” docs. Actually, the second disc has a bit more as we’re with the cast as they descend upon cinemas running sneak previews and has a very funny on-set profile of star Dujardin. It’s hours of sublime entertainment. And it would look great next to a heart-shaped box of Valentine’s Day candy, or it could easily fit into an Easter basket of goodies. Magnifique, Monseuir OSS 117!

FERRARI – Review

And what’s that zooming toward the multiplex? Why, it’s yet another true-life sports film, and it’s comin’ in hot. Yes, it’s a whole lot faster than the rowing movie, as it is set in the world of auto racing. And unlike the other racing flick this year, GRAN TURISMO, there’s no video gaming involved as the bulk of it takes place over sixty-five years ago. Oh, and the director of this new film has been making some of the most interesting and stylish action epics over the last five decades. He’s focused on one year in a man’s life synonymous with the sport, so it could be considered a biography. Even after all this time that name resonates throughout the world in general. Sure it’s now a brand name, but behind all the iconic autos was the man named Enzo FERRARI.

This profile begins with newsreel-style footage of Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) churning up the dirt raceway in the 1920s. Flash forward to 1957, as he awakens and joins Lina (Shailene Woodley) for breakfast with their eight-year-old son Piero. He says goodbye but doesn’t go directly to his auto factory. Instead, he stops at the crypt of his late son Alfredo (‘Dino’) and the home he shares with his wife Laura (Penelope Cruz). Of course, she knows nothing of Enzo’s second family, perhaps owing to Italy’s ban on divorce in the day. Enzo’s arrival precedes a heated argument ending with her firing a pistol (later one would end with kitchen tabletop lovemaking). It’s a big day at Ferrari S.p.A, as a new racer, Alfonso De Portiago (Gabriel Leone) joins the company team before the next big road race. And much to Enzo’s chagrin, his movie starlet girlfriend Linda Christian (Sarah Gadon) steals some of the fanfare. He appears to have a complex relationship with the press. Enzo despises the “paparazzi” for trying to pry into his personal life, but uses them to plant rumors, like a possible merger with Ford Motors, in order to generate much-needed cash. Seems the company is teetering toward bankruptcy, which forces Enzo to make risky loans with banks and even barter with Laura over shares of the family company. Ah, but all will work out when his team wins the highly-touted race, Mille Miglia, which runs over several miles of public roads throughout Italy. But what would happen if disaster and death take the wheel?

In the title role, Driver (nice coincidence) is quite intimidating as the looming, passionate auto maven. he conveys a man completely focused on his profession, down to the smallest bit of machinery, while also juggling every penny of his company’s dwindling funds. But his best juggling is in his double life. With Lina and Piero he’s a warm nurturing patriarch, doting on his boy while frustrating his mother. But with Laura, he never quite knows what’s behind their home’s front entrance. Like the old fable, is it “the lady or the tiger”? As Laura, Cruz has a fierce bite along with her ultra-sharp claws, as she suspects that Enzo has “something on the side”, while she she to reign in his spending excesses. But Cruz also shows us that the wounds of losing a son have never healed as she lashed at him to unload her smothering grief. As the “other woman” Woodley shows us the defiant attitude that is tempered with a lingering affection for Enzo, paired with a sense of shame for having to exist “in the shadows”.As for team Ferrari, Leone oozes with machismo charm as the new “darling of the tabloids, while another charmer, Patrick Dempsey, conveys an easygoing demeanor as veteran “pedal man” Piero Taruffi.

Oh, the director mentioned above (who also serves as co-producer and “script doctor”) is the talented Michael Mann in his first sports biopic since ALI. He’s worked in many movie genres, but Mann may be best known for his action epic. That skill suits him well in this true tale, particularly in the “signature scene” that will leave audiences stunned. Some critics of auto racing believe it’s an excuse to witness a disaster, and since the film is based on real events, it happens here. Kudos to Mann for not “sugarcoating” the shocking horror of it all by “cutting away” or making it abstract or “dreamy”. The ‘blink of an eye” carnage and its aftermath will have viewers gasping and perhaps a bit shaken. Hopefully, the power of this sequence doesn’t detract from the strength of the quieter scenes like Enzo talking about racing skills with as son, or the haunting montage of the drivers preparing “goodbye letters’ for their loved ones on the night before the big race (and finding a spot for the envelopes to be discovered). The verbal sparring between Enzo and Laura verges on becoming a repetitive cycle, and we’re often not sure of Enzo’s intentions, especially in his relationship with Lina (despite the brawling there’s more heat with Laura). this is offset by the superb cinematography by Erik Messerschmidt, the expert period recreations (fashion, decor, and hairstyles), the gorgeous Italian locations, and some terrific insider info on the sport (I wasn’t aware of the two-man driving teams). Though it occasionally veers off the track, there is lots of super-charged power in the world of FERRARI.

3 out of 4

FERRARI opens in theatres everywhere on Christmas Day 2023

ASTEROID CITY – Review

(L to R) Jake Ryan as “Woodrow”, Jason Schwartzman as “Augie Steenbeck” and Tom Hanks as “Stanley Zak” in writer/director Wes Anderson’s ASTEROID CITY, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features

Wes Anderson is among the most creative directors out there, a true auteur with a distinctive style. His films, including THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS and THE FANTASIC MR FOX, are often quirky, color-drenched, full of cultural references and even whimsical but also deeply human. While not everyone loves their unique style, he has many fans, including this writer. Anderson’s last film, THE FRENCH DISPATCH, was an anthology inspired by the New Yorker magazine, and while Anderson’s newest, ASTEROID CITY, is not an anthology, it’s a story-within-a-story format evokes some of that as does its deadpan off-kilter comedy – but here with an Atomic Age slant, of 1950s candy colors, science-focus, buttoned-down seriousness and even a touch of Area 51.

ASTEROID CITY is the name of a small Southwest desert town in the 1950s, where middle-aged war photographer Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman) has arrived with his three children so his oldest, Woodrow (Jake Ryan), can take part in a science fair-like competition for very brainy kids. The tiny town is named for the asteroid crater that is its one tourist draw, and has one gas station, one diner and one motel, the kind with little cabins. The cabins are filled with the gifted kids and their parents, including a famous actress, Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson). The kids are going to show off their science creations and receive awards at the meteor crater, in ceremony led by General Gibson (Jeffrey Wright) and organized by physicist Dr. Hickenlooper (Tilda Swinton). While waiting for the ceremony, Augie talks by phone with his well-off father-in-law Stanley Zak (Tom Hanks), who lives nearby and who urges Augie to share the tragic secret he has been concealing from his son and young twin daughters.

Except none of that is real, because Asteroid City isn’t a real place. It exists only in a play being broadcast on TV, as the announcer/host (Bryan Cranston) tells us. The whole thing – play and TV broadcast – evokes the 1950s, a time when serious theatrical productions by big-name playwrights, even original ones, appeared on the small screen. There is also just a touch of a “Twilight Zone” vibe to the TV sequences, with their narrator, presented in black-and-white and in a square frame like an old television show.

In contrast to those black-and-white sequences, the world of the play itself, “Asteroid City,” fills the screen with bright pastel colors, reflecting the era’s advertising artwork, with lots of pink, teal and tangerine orange. Everything looks like a stage set – or a movie one. The town has all the classic ’50s elements: a one-pump gas station, a diner with a long counter, a motel with little cabins, even a highway ramp that goes nowhere. From the wood-panel sided station wagons to the meteor crater tourist site, ASTEROID CITY has it all.

ASTEROID CITY is a complicated, three-ring circus of a comedy, a send-up of the ’50s stereotypes and culture, but it is also a film that is likely to divide audiences – a sort of love-it or hate-it film. It is busy and crazy but if you can just go with its flow, and especially if you are a fan of Wes Anderson generally, it is fun, and even impressive that Anderson can pull it all off (Anderson even throws in a little animation). Personally, as a big Wes Anderson fan, ASTEROID CITY delighted me although it may not top my list of favorites. Yet, some others might even rank it as among his best. However, for others, it may be the opposite. If you crave deeper character development or a reflection on human life, which some Anderson films offer, ASTEROID CITY might be irritating more than enthralling. A good rule of thumb might be how you felt about THE FRENCH DISPATCH. Love that one, and this one will likely follow its path to your heart.

As the film alternates between those two story-lines, one with the characters in the play and the other the people putting on that play and broadcast, both stories reflect the 1950s world where they both exist. In the desert world of the play, the adults struggle with their various issues as the kids await the science awards, until a surprise disrupts the carefully-planned program. In parallel, we follow playwright Conrad Earp (Edward Norton) as he crafts the play in which those character exist, and the artistically-driven director, Schubert Green (Adrien Brody), has he shapes it for the studio stage, as well as the tales of the quirky actors in it. Which means some of the film’s actors play dual roles, with Jason Schwartzman playing Jones Hall, the actor playing Augie Steenbeck and Scarlett Johansson playing Mercedes Ford, playing Midge Campbell. Matt Dillon, Stephen Park and Rupert Friend also play dual roles, actors and characters in the play.

Confused? Yes, director Wes Anderson has a lot of balls in the air as he juggles these two stories and this large cast, But this a comedy, which means a bit of chaos works in its favor. There are plenty of sterling comic bits, and visual joking, playing off the kitsch and culture of the 1950s era, with its science-seriousness, and futuristic optimism battling Atomic Age nerves, with a splash of space alien flavor.

ASTEROID CITY is packed with big-name stars, including several Wes Anderson regulars, which gives wide potential for its plentiful weird little comic bits involving supporting characters. And quirky, deadpan characters abound here, among them, Steve Carell as the manager/owner of the town’s sole motel, which has the most impressive oddball assortment of vending machines, including one that sells real estate.

Unsurprisingly, the A-list cast is excellent, and each gets his or her moment. Jason Schwartzman and Scarlett Johansson carry much of the dramatic element, as they share their various struggles, but Tom Hanks, Adrien Brody and others get their moments. A fair amount of comedy comes from Steve Carell as the very entrepreneurial motel owner, but there are plenty of others in the mix.

Actors playing actors playing actors is among the nested elements in this film. This structural conceit is a bit unwieldy at times but whether all the ’50s references about science, alien landings, Actors Studio and more delight or irritate will depend on the individual. One feels that if ASTEROID CITY were a straightforward telling of the story in the play, without the framing device, it would have been sufficient. But Wes Anderson wanted to do more, and so gives us this three-ring circus of a film, not content with just one act in the ring.

ASTEROID CITY has dazzle, it’s fun and sparkling, and has full-bore star power. But the dual-story track can distract, interrupting each story by turn, which might make it harder to engage with the characters. Depending on what someone wants or expects from the film, it will be an enthralling ride or a frustrating one.

ASTEROID CITY opens Friday, June 23, in theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

LIVING – Review

Bill Nighy as Mr. Williams in LIVING. Photo credit: Jamie D. Ramsay. Courtesy of Number 9 films / Sony Pictures Classics.

Bill Nighy gives a striking performance as colorless taciturn bureaucrat whose his rigid, repetitive life is transformed by a terminal diagnosis, in LIVING. Director Oliver Hermanus, working with a script by novelist Kazuo Ishiguro (“Remains of the Day”), re-tells Akira Kurosawa’s IKIRU by transporting it to 1950s London, with its armies of buttoned-down businessmen in identical conservative dark suits, bowler hats and umbrellas, moving through the same drab routines day-to-day. The change works amazing well, and is aided by a perfect script, evocative period-style photography, nice period flourishes and, of course, a remarkable performance by Bill Nighy, which certainly ranks among his best in his long career. LIVING is a moving drama about living a meaningful life, a film well worth seeing.

LIVING opens with credits that completely recreate the look of 1950s dramas, from the style of the text to the spot-on bustling streets to the color tone of the film. The effect is so startlingly convincing that you might think you are watching a film by Hitchcock from 1952, the year that Kurosawa’s black-and-white masterpiece was released. From that auspicious start, the film smoothly moves to a more natural palate as it transitions to train journey, as Bill Nighy’s character starts his own journey.

Nighy’s character does not appear right away. As the top man at a small division of London’s government center, the civil servants under his command talk about Mr. Williams (Nighy) as a revered, aloof figure as they are joined by a young new hire, Peter Wakeling (Alex Sharp), waiting on platform for the morning train. Young Wakeling is eager, smiling and friendly – way too expressive for their tastes – and his unsmiling new co-workers let him know right away that is not proper behavior for their dignified office. When Mr. Williams does arrive on the platform, he merely nods to his underlings, and goes to his separate compartment, like a military officer keeping his distance from the ordinary soldiers.

Of course, there is nothing so grand about the office they share in the London’s civil government office. Mr. Williams bows deferentially to a Sir James (Michael Cochrane), before proceeding to his own department’s tiny office, where he sits at the head of shared table where they process their paperwork. Rigid routine rules everything in their day.

The coworkers offering hints to their new colleague helps introduce us to this gray bureaucratic world. There is only one woman in this male-dominated office, young Miss Harris (Aimee Lou Wood) who dresses with a little splash of warm color and occasionally bends the rules by smiling or even a little joke. But almost immediately she tells us that she is going to be leaving for another job soon, as a manager in a restaurant.

Their paper shuffling routine is interrupted by the arrival of a polite but weary small group of women with a petition, to transform a problem vacant lot into a playground. It is clear they have been here before. In fact, they have been to every department before, shuffled from division to division as each office insists the project doesn’t fall under their purview and sends them to the next one. Eventually, the paperwork goes in some pile where it sits, neglected, until it is discarded and the process starts again.

There is an absurdist clockwork aspect to this Sisyphean routine. But on this day, Mr. Williams breaks routine, announcing he must leave early for an appointment. He volunteers nothing, and his underlings do not to ask, but the appointment is with his doctor.

At the doctor’s office, Mr. Williams gets grim news: a terminal diagnosis and six to nine months to live. The news leaves him stunned, and suddenly considering what he should do with his remaining time. He arrives home late, and we are surprised to learn that he once had more of a life. A widower with a grown son and a daughter-in-law who live with him, we expect them to offer some support when he tentatively tries to tell them about his diagnosis. But he has not even said more than a couple of words before they abruptly brush him off, heading off to bed, while saying they have to get up early. Instead of returning to the office the next morning, Mr. Williams embarks on a wandering journey as he considers his mortality and reflects on what he might do with his remaining life.

Bill Nighy tamps down his usual charm playing this very stern character, at least to start, but bit by bit, we get glimpses of that charm as well as the character’s long-hidden inner life. This brilliant. carefully-crafted performance is the major reason to see this film, but the affecting script, lovely period details, and beautiful photography provide their own delights, as well as supporting Nighy’s work. Nighy and the script move the character from hard flintiness to a lost despair to a movingly human resolution.

Other cast members contribute to that story arc, with Tom Burke offering a nice turn as a surprisingly kind bohemian writer who takes Nighy’s Williams on a brief tour into nightlife hedonism, and Aimee Lou Wood as Miss Harris and Alex Sharp as young Mr. Wakeling who offer glimpses of youthful light and hope, lights that help Williams decide on his path.

The period details are not only spot-on and contribute to the film’s surprising visual beauty. Director of Photography Jamie D. Ramsey wraps everything in warm, striking visual, which frames Williams’s journey well as he comes to grip with his life. The final scene is particularly touching, due to the fine imagery and excellent mis-en-scene from Ramsey and director Oliver Hermanus.

While Bill Nighy is the standout in this film, it is such a well crafted and touching drama that is more than worthwhile and a fitting homage to Kurosawa’s original.

LIVING opens Friday, Jan 20, at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac and other theaters.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

DEVOTION(2022) – Review

It’s important to keep in mind when sitting down to the big holiday meal in a day or so, that many families will have a temporary missing seat at the table. That’s the case with so many households with loved ones serving in the military. And then there’s the empty seat that goes from temporary to permanent. This Thanksgiving weekend’s new film release touches on that with a tale of real-life heroism in the sky. Oh, but it’s not another TOP GUN wannabe, although it features one of the recent sequel’s hunky young stars. This is based on a conflict 72 years in the past. And, as I said, it’s all true concerning a group of men who possess a very special kind of DEVOTION.


The saga starts at a naval air base in Rhode Island as Navy fighter pilot Tom Hudner (Glen Powell) arrives for his new assignment. After checking in with his CO Dick Cevoli (Thomas Sadoski), Tom heads to the locker room and nearly runs into another pilot Jesse Brown (Jonathan Majors). He’s the only African American flyer Tom’s ever met, but the men find they have much in common. Ditto for the rest of the elite squadron. However, Brown rarely socializes with his co-workers (he doesn’t even drink), preferring to spend all of his time with his wife Daisy (Christina Jackson), and their toddler daughter in their rented house. One night, Tom sees Jesse stranded after his car breaks down and offers him a lift home where Tom and Daisy share a beer. Soon after, time at the base gets more intense as Korea becomes a “hot zone. The whole squadron must get familiar with their new Corsair fighter jets in preparation for the “big show”. And things pick up even more when the squad is transferred to an aircraft carrier off the coast of Italy, where Brown must deal with on-deck landings and a group of racist Marines. Tom offers his help, but Jesse wants no special treatment. Everybody has a relaxing shore leave in Cannes, France (and rubs shoulders with an iconic silver screen starlet), But Tom and Jesse butt heads over dealing with equality and confronting prejudice. This flares up in Korea when Jesse ignores orders from Tom (put temporarily in command) during a bombing raid on a bridge. But they’ve got to put their “beefs” aside when they’re sent to back up ground troops during a deadly battle with an overwhelming horde of Chinese forces. Can they become a tight team and make it back home alive?

This story provides another terrific role for a star on the rise, Majors (he’ll soon face off against CREED before, reportedly, taking on the Avengers). His Brown is often quiet, even stoic, but we see that his emotions are bubbling beneath the surface. When he does vent, in a powerful solo sequence facing the camera as a mirror, Majors is riveting and heartbreaking as he rattles off a litany of racist bile he’s endured. Yet he also shows his tender side with his two loves (other than flying), Daisy and his sweet baby. When seeing this, Powell as Tom subtly sneaks in an envious grin. Yes, in many of the scenes, particularly with the French ladies, he’s got that Han Solo roguish charm, but Powell gives us much more of the inner soldier loyalty, building on his scene-stealing turn in the last TOP GUN flick. Sadoski projects a patriarchal warmth as the best “old man” these hotshots could ever hope to follow. He’s tough but doesn’t hide his pride and affection for his “guys”. And speaking of affection, Jackson shines as the apple of Jesse’s eye, who quietly worries for her spouse, but tries to coat her fear with a sassy, “no BS” demeanor. We also get an energetic group of young actors, including pop star Joe Jonas, who provide superb support for the lead duo.

Director J.D. Dillard has ably recreated the nostalgic look of the early 1950s tempered with the rise of tension in the early start of the “Cold War” (and those frozen Korean battlefields illustrate it). He shows us the monotony of the constant readiness for that siren to blare, ushering the guys into their cockpits. The screenplay by Jake Crane and Jonathan Stewart, adapting Adam Makos’ book, avoids several flying ace cliches while giving the Browns a rich, romantic backstory. At times the film gets bogged down with too many heated exchanges between Jesse and Tom over the racial bias of the era. Oh, but when this film gets airborne, it soars. with scenes almost as stunning, well as that other aerial epic from a few months ago. The planes twirl and twist, breaking formation and cutting the clouds from every possible angle. The dog fights are just as deadly as the ones in that “galaxy far far away”, and the sequence with the pilots making practice landings in their new rigs is a tense nail-biter. It all leads to an ending that’s a true emotional “gut punch”. It makes us wonder whether if in the similar type of situation, we’d have the same level of DEVOTION.


3 Out of 4

DEVOTION is now playing in theatres everywhere

MRS HARRIS GOES TO PARIS – Review

Lesley Manville stars as Mrs. Harris in director Tony Fabian’s MRS.HARRIS GOES TO PARIS, a Focus Features release. Credit: Dávid Lukács / © 2021 Ada Films Ltd – Harris Squared Kft. Courtesy of Focus Features

Mid-century high fashion and an irresistibly charming Lesley Manville add sparkle to the sweet, light-as-air MRS HARRIS GOES TO PARIS, an uplifting tale in which an older British house cleaner falls in love with a Dior dress and decides she must have one of her own. It is a grown-up fairy-tale that fits neatly into a familiar genre of British films dealing with the divide between the working class and the aristocratic one. Set in 1957, MRS HARRIS GOES TO PARIS also showcases mid-century couture fashion, with recreations of actual Christian Dior period dress designs, with other visual delights by costume designer Jenny Beavan, the creative force behind the fashions in last year’s CRUELLA.

An outstanding and nuanced performance by Lesley Manville lifts this film, and along with the wonderful mid-century period fashions, is the major enjoyment and reason to see this film, which is a sweet but unsurprising feel-good fantasy, despite a team of writers who tried to interject a little reality, with mixed results. Fans of Mike Leigh’s films and British dramas already know how excellent the talented Lesley Manville is, but she gained some wider recognition for her Oscar-nominated turn in PHANTON THREAD and hopefully with this film, that rise in recognition will continue.

In 1957 London, Ada Harris (Lesley Manville) has been waiting for her beloved husband Eddie to return from WWII, ever since the plane he was flying was shot down. Twelve years later, he still is listed as missing-in-action and Mrs Harris continues to hope for his return, as she ekes out a living by cheerfully cleaning the homes of more affluent people who hardly have any awareness of her beyond her job. The days of this sweet, kindly, unassuming working-class woman revolve around her work and life in her tiny basement apartment, although her lively best friend, neighbor and fellow cleaner Vi (Ellen Thomas) tries to draw her out.

One day, while cleaning the home of an aristocratic but cash-strapped client, the wife (Anna Chancellor) shows Mrs. Harris a beautiful Dior dress she just bought for an upcoming social event, despite being several weeks in arrears to her cleaner, a 500-pound purchase she plans to conceal from her husband. Instantly, Mrs Harris is smitten by the dazzling dress, and despite the high price, she determines to buy one for herself, as her one splurge in her drab life.

That she has nowhere to wear such a fancy dress does not matter to Mrs Harris. She sets out to scrimp and scrub to raise the money to buy her own Dior couture dress, despite the absurdity of a working-class cleaner spending her money to own such a expensive frock. That she has nowhere to wear a couture dress is brought up to her over and over again as she shares her dream, but it does nothing to dampen her ambition or ardor. With help from with her friend Vi (Ellen Thomas) and a roguish Irish bookie named Archie (Jason Isaacs), Mrs Harris finds a way to try to make her dream come through. After a few set-backs and some strokes of good luck, Mrs Harris does head for Paris and the House of Dior.

There is a lot of wish-fulfillment fantasy in director Anthony Fabian’s tale of later-life dreams, based on the 1958 novel by Paul Gallico. This is not the first filmed adaptation of Gallico’s story – in fact, it is one of several tellings of this working-class, middle-age fantasy. However, co-writers Carroll Cartwright, Olivia Hetreed and Keith Thompson worked on the script to inject some surprising, even sobering, moments of reality into the fairy tale sweetness, although with mixed results.

One of the refreshing parts of this story is Mrs. Harris’ single ambition. The down-to-earth Londoner only dreams of owning a fabulous dress, not remaking her life, social-climbing or finding late-life love. This gives her a freshness and grounding that Manville uses to give the character depth as well as making her lovable and inspirational. Of course, some of those other possibilities are raised along the way, but Manville’s performance elevates the character above the script.

Once in Paris, some of the script’s mix of reality and fantasy crops up, with the clueless, optimistic Mrs. Harris having no idea how to even get to House of Dior, much less any awareness of the audacity of her plan to simply walk in. But Manville ensures we can’t help both believe what happens and be charmed and amused by her character’s pluck, as her good-natured directness and kindness win her allies to help her to do just that.

But there are obstacles to overcome. Isabelle Huppert plays Dior’s stern manager and gatekeeper, Claudine Colbert, who tries to head off the working-class widow when Ada Harris tries to sit in on a showing of the new Dior collection. Huppert’s gatekeeper is overruled by a wealthy patron, the Marquis de Chassagne (Lambert Wilson), an Anglophile widower, who offers Mrs. Harris a spot as his plus-one as well as his arm, and by the surprising fact that the charwoman is planning to pay with cash – and flashes the bills to prove it – which persuades Dior’s accountant Andre (Lucas Bravo, EMILY IN PARIS) and even the designer himself (Philippe Bertin) to let her in, as cash-flow has been a bit of an issue of late.

Of course, we get a fashion show, and here costume designer Jenny Beavan gets to shine as audiences are treated to eye-candy in the form of diverse and gorgeous models in flood of beautiful period Dior couture, dresses recreated with the cooperation of House of Dior from their archival collections. Beavan supplements those visual delights with her own luscious designs, making the whole Paris sequence particularly colorful and visually pleasing.

Mrs. Harris expected she could pick out her couture frock and then zip back home, clueless about the need for fittings for the custom dress. But like in any good fairy tale, she gets help. Accountant Andre who offers her the use of his absent sister’s room in the Montmartre apartment they share, and she gets a ride there from model Natasha (Alba Baptista), whom the kindly Englishwoman helped when the model stumbled while rushing into the design house entrance, and who it turns out is the “face of Dior.” While arriving for daily fittings, Mrs. Harris endears herself to the Dior staff, particularly the seamstresses and ordinary workers (and being handy with a needle herself, even helps out a bit), becoming a kind of folk hero to them. However, the top tailor, Monsieur Carré (Bertrand Poncet), is less taken with the frank British cleaner, who makes no attempt to conceal her working class background, but Mrs. Harris is aided by showroom assistant Marguerite (Roxane Duran) who sees the positive effect the unstoppable Ada Harris has on the staff, and intercedes between the haughty master fitter and the working-class client.

Isabelle Huppert’s character is Mrs Harris’ nemesis but ironically, Manville nabbed her Oscar nom for her performance as a similarly chilly gatekeeper to a house of fashion in PHANTOM THREAD. An indication of Manville’s remarkable level of acting skill is in the smooth ease with which she fits into each role. While some have long been well aware of Manville’s considerable talents, PHANTOM THREAD raised the underappreciated Manville’s profile more generally, and hopefully she will at some point gain the same kind of recognition given similar talents like Judi Dench and Helen Mirren. In fact Manville’s performance far exceeds the film she’s in, exploring nuances and aspects of that character well beyond the simple plot.

All the supporting cast are good, although Huppert’s character is so brittle that she does not work as well as a foil for Manville as might be hoped. Lambert Wilson’s Marquis offers a hint of romantic possibility for Mrs Harris, and Lucas Bravo as shy accountant Andre and Alba Baptista as model Natasha offer a little budding romance, although their discussions of Sartre veer rather towards cringe-worthy. Ellen Thomas as Ada’s Caribbean-born pal and Jason Isaacs as an Irish charmer do well as Ada’s friends, although hampered by some unfortunate datedness in the characters.

MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS is a feel-good, all-ages tale with an uplifting and inspiring message, that might be too saccharine for some but which is elevated tremendously by a wonderful performance by Lesley Manville and also is filled with gorgeous delights for fashionistas.

MRS HARRIS GOES TO PARIS opens in theaters on Friday, July 15.

RATING: 2.5 out of 4 stars

LUCY AND DESI – Review

(Original Caption) Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz going over business matters. Picture from Lucy’s personal file.

So here’s the perfect companion to one of the big feature film “docudramas” from the last weeks of 2021. You may even consider it a “super bonus extra” for a proposed home video release. Ah, but it’s so much more than that. It delves into the history and legacy more thoroughly than any “squeezed into a brief timeline” big-screen treatment. Sure there are lots of clips from this duo’s greatest collaboration, which is still being adored by fans all over the planet every day, but there are historical artifacts that many of us have never seen and heard before. And happily, there are the early, early”pre-superstardom” snippets as the careers of these two began to converge and meld. These gems along with archival footage have been assembled by a talented comic actress who might be considered a “spiritual offspring” of the feminine half of the couple in question. Hey, these two still come to mind when examining their main medium’s history. In the arena of real-life couples who worked together, you’ve got Lunt and Fontanne on stage, in the movies there’s Bogie and Bacall and in television, particularly comedy, it all begins with (and some say is still dominated by). LUCY AND DESI.


It all starts with the enduring images of the two, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. There are countless clips of the Ricardos: Lucy trying to share the stage with Ricky at “the club”, Ricky exploding with a barrage of Spanish as he reveals Lucy’s newest scheme, Lucy hatches said plot with BFF neighbor Ethel Mertz. Then the filmmakers take us back to the duo’s modest, even desperate early times. Brother Fred (in an archival interview) tells of his sister Lucy almost becoming the head of the household when a target practice accident nearly takes everything from their grandfather’s Jamestown NY home. She’s determined to be a star, trying out for Broadway shows, modeling, and even creating a “wild west” persona “Montana” Ball to try and jumpstart a hopeful film career as she heads to LA. Not far from the US, young Desi flees the Cuban Revolution of 1933 and barely makes it to Miami, eking out a living by cleaning canary cages before his musical skills attract the attention of Xavier Cugat, leading to the formation of Desi’s own band. Fans only familiar with the sitcoms will be dazzled by the early images of the two, Lucy, a Technicolor flaming-red-haired movie goddess at MGM, and Desi, a gorgeous exotic untamed congo drum-pounding heartthrob. Home movie scenes and audio recordings (Desi on seeing Lucy for the first time, “Now, thas’ some hunka’ woman!”) chronicle their fiery romance, courtship, and marriage. We’re treated to an amazing montage of Lucy’s screen roles, many of which couldn’t quite capture her talents (leading lady or wisecracking supporting player). And there’s that TV show that never “went away”. We see the foundation being built for the Desilu empire, and its demise as the divorce almost derails the entertainment juggernaut. Though the heads of the company wouldn’t perform on camera, they still had a behind-the-scenes working relationship…for a time. The film provides an overview of their solo lives and careers leading up to their final days in the late 1980s.

Oh, that talented comic actress I mentioned earlier is none other than the “pride of Pawnee” Amy Poehler, known for her memorable TV work on SNL and “Parks and Recreations” in her impressive feature documentary debut. Though much of the story and materials are familiar, she brings a real vitality to the legend via access to those family treasures. Hearing the duo’s voices paired with the keenly selected clips adds an unexpected poignancy. Footage shot on the set of the 1960s “The Lucy Show” gives us Desi’s unexpected visit to the Studio, surprising the guest star (another show biz superstar), though Ms. B doesn’t look that pleased (maybe just indifferent). We get Ball’s work ethic, hinted at in Sorkin’s biopic, as she shockingly states that, “I’m not funny…I just work very hard”. And though he professionalism often caused many to label her the “B word’, I’d think that stands for “boss” as we see her presiding over a board meeting of Desilu shareholders just after Desi was bought out. .Ms. Poehler know when to sparingly utilize some great “talking head” subjects. Carol Burnett gushes over her “gypsy pal, Bette Midler tells of Lucy’s mentoring, while Charo (yes the “gootchie-gootchie gal”) sings the praises of Desi while strumming a guitar. Most prominently daughter Lucie Arnaz offers insights and anecdotes, while we only hear from brother Desi Junior. Plus we’re treated to news interviews with TV writers Madelyn Davis and Bob Carroll Jr., along with Lucy’s brother Fred, though it’s a shame that the last surviving TV cast member, Richard Keith (“Little Rick”) doesn’t appear. We really get a sense of the Desilu domination of early TV as Desi was the major force behind the three-camera filming setup (still used today) and (for better or worse) the rerun., That’s one of the sadder aspects of the tale as Desi had to remind folks that he wasn’t just the “lucky stiff’ riding the apron strings of his comic firebrand wife. And this helped accelerate the breakup that devastated fans. My only complaint with the film is its omissions of the post “I Love Lucy” careers of the two. Yes, Lucy’s follow-up sitcoms are here, but no mention of her feature film work: two comic romps with Bob Hope, the surprise hit YOURS MINE AND OURS (recently spoofed in LICORICE PIZZA), and the “megaflop” MAME (reportedly Desi tried to warn Lucy of the bomb, but she didn’t listen). Oh, and no mention of the mid-80s misfire sitcom comeback on ABC, “Life with Lucy” (perhaps that’s a good thing). Plus Desi stayed active behind the scenes in the late 60s show “The Mothers-In-Law”. Maybe it’s not a “knock” to wish this engaging and often moving non-fiction film was a bit longer. And really, couldn’t the world right now use a lot more of LUCY AND DESI? Babalooooo!!

3.5 Out of 4

LUCY AND DESI is now streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video