Author: Village Vidiot

“Motherless Brooklyn,” February 11, 2020 (2019), DVD.  Edward Norton, an actor whose work I really enjoy, read the Jonathon Lethem novel this is based on in manuscript, bought the rights, produced, wrote, directed and starred in this Wynton Marsalis-jazz infused  noir fable of power, corruption, struggle, and resolute friendship.  He moved it from our present…

  “Pain and Glory,” February 5, 2020 (2019), DVD (Spanish with subtitles.)  I have a very strange relationship to and with the films of Pedro Almodovar.  If feels as though he intentionally alternates remarkable works of cinema with superb and emotionally powerful character development and incredible dialogue with works of self-indulgent crap.   This wonderful, thoughtful,…

“The Danish Solution: The Rescue of the Jews in Denmark,” February 4, 2020, DVD, Documentary, 2003.  In these difficult times, I would recommend viewing the 2003 documentary “The Danish Solution: The Rescue of the Jews in Denmark.” Narrated by Garrison Keillor, it recounts the actions of everyday people, rich and poor, that resulted in the…

  “Toy Story 4,” January 25, 2020 (2019), DVD, animated.  Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), and all the gang (fine actors doing excellent voicing, although I missed Don Rickles, d. 2017) are now Jessie’s toys as she goes off to kindergarten where she makes “Forkie,” a spork/toy who becomes part of this community after…

  “Hotel Salvation,” (in Hindi, subtitled), March 9, 2019 (2016), DVD.  Who would have thought Disney would be distributing David Lynch or that he’d make a G-rated film, but both these things apply to this marvelous 1999 film about Alvin Straight (the late Richard Farnsworth) who drove his riding mower 300 miles to see his…

This is a marvelous Chinese film about a child prodigy violinist and his peasant father. The father, seeking the best for his child, sacrifices everything to get him to the city for lessons. It is a lovely and humane film. Really worth watching. See this film

This is a fine French film about Lolita, the overweight daughter of a renowned novelist with a trophy wife barely older than the daughter. She is desperate for her father’s affection (he’s narcissistic and so is she). Indeed, her unpleasant characteristics are part of the film’s strength. She’s tried acting and now wants to be…

This film really worked for a cautionary tale about allowing a system to arrest people in relation to their ‘future’ acts. Very well done by S Spielberg, with a fine job by Tom Cruise, it only breaks down in the last 15 minutes or so. Otherwise, a fine take on the Philip K Dick story….

This film about an Indian wedding and culture in the “world’s largest democracy” started slowly, with set pieces that were predictable, but it evolved rapidly into a captivating piece about family and class in India, about love and obligation, about what matters to people. It is really well acted. The work by the man who…

This excellent and very strange Icelandic film looks at a Japanese businessman who goes to Iceland to perform a religious ritual for his parents but discovers much about himself and the world in the process. Very nasty vision of some American thug/hitchhikers played wonderfully by Lily Taylor and Steven Fischer. Well worth seeing and a…

This documentary revisits the issues raised by “Pumping Iron” almost 40 years ago, following new competitors. Arnold and Lou make appearances of course and Mickey Rourke narrates as the reigning king, Phil Heath, goes head to head with Kai Greene and others. Each individual’s style, personalities, backgrounds, is shown shaping the event and the competition….

Third of the year, third in the theater. First time in a long time. We both enjoyed this slow, tense, atmospheric piece, where character, dialogue, acting, and story line carry this John LeCarre story/film in an ambiguous world of grey people and deceit. Gary Oldman as George Smiley (reprising the role done so brilliantly by…

They’re lying to one another. Forget it. Boring despite a couple of funny jokes

They do take us into the neutered SEC. I

There were more than a few times when I expected a very young Sylvester Stallone’s “Rocky” to emerge on the stage and spit some lines along with our heroine, Patti Dumbrowski, aka, “Killer P” (a wonderful Danielle Macdonald—and Australian no less!). The story lines by writer-director Geremy Jasper track in many ways in this tale…

There is nothing remotely believable about this Justin Bateman-Melissa McCarthy comedy about a boring middle class accountant, Bateman, (the only accountant in the country paid 50k) whose identity is stolen by wacko sociopath, shopaholic McCarthy. He runs off to Florida to save his career in a cockamamie plan to bring her back to Denver so…

There is much to recommend this documentary story of Vito Russo, author of The Celluloid Closet. An early and standout gay activist, he succumbed to AIDS in 1991. He was a founder of Act UP!, he figured in the major opening of gay life in post-Stonewall 1970s NYC and San Francisco. Interviews with friends and…

There are three movies in this Quentin Tarantino written/directed film about a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) who becomes a bounty-hunter along with his German liberator, Christoph Waltz in a brilliant turn. They work together killing white folk for the money and then go off to ‘rescue’ Django’s wife, now owned by the deranged, brutal Candie,…

The tribal areas of Pakistan are truly tribal and the subject of this look at tribalism, gender and women in that area. And one should look at this film. It’s visually stunning, although there are some incredibly perplexing gaps in the story line and script, some inexplicable and needless complications of the plot line, and…

The three of us went to see this one at the Capital. Bronwen and I really enjoyed it. Our daughter, who’d seen it three months before, was so dismissive that it really took a little bit of the fun out the thing. But just a little, because this movie is one hell of a lot…

The story of the crash of 2008 narrated by Matt Damon Excellent movie. See this one and appreciate the perverse irony of S&P resetting US government bond rates at AA instead of AAA Sickening and a must see

The story of Philippe Petit as he planned and executed his World Trade Center tightrope walk of 1974. Inspired to walk from the moment he heard about the buildings, he staged this amazing hack with the aid of a loving and devoted band of followers. I wanted more about the post-walk relationships, especially a where…

The second part of Joshua Oppenheimer’s look at the 19654 genocidal massacres of one million Communists and troublemakers of any sort that irritated the military or local thugs,. and Chinese Indonesians, this film brings Adi Rukun, the brother of one victim, Ramli Rukun, face to face with the men who tortured and murdered him. It…

The same TSs, pregnant nuns, and thieves as before inhabit

The perfect film to watch on the day of the Bentley University commencement We both (and that is a surprise) enjoyed this Ben Affleck vehicle that asks and answers “what would Jason Bourne be like if he had savant skills and Asperger’s Syndrome?”. Is this Affleck’s response to the degraded Damen cycle?. He’s an accountant/stone…