A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood - Based on a true story, this is a biopic about Mr. Rogers, starring Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers and Matthew Rhys as Lloyd, the skeptical Esquire journalist who can't believe that Rogers is who he says he is. While trying to get the story about Rogers (which he is not interested in getting), Mr. Rogers instead finds and helps to heal Lloyd's painful relationship with his father.
Many films come in pairs, and this one follows the recent documentary about Mr. Rogers, Won't You Be My Neighbor? Both film's titles come from phrases of the opening song that Mr. Rogers sung in his acclaimed children's television show. Both films have the same message, the biopic using the point-of-view of a single story, and the documentary using a wider look: that Mr. Rogers was, in person, exactly who you see on screen. If you have not lost your capacity to be enchanted by people like Mr. Rogers and be inspired by his messages, then you will enjoy both of these films. Which one you like better depends on the type of film that you enjoy better. For me, it was the biopic.
The film is good, and deserves praise, but perhaps not as
much praise as it received; some of the praise is really for Mr. Rogers,
or the idea of him, more than for the film, which is good but not
great. Tom Hanks does a credible job as the lead.
Audrey
- A documentary about Audrey Hepburn, covering her fascist parents,
poverty in Europe, her struggles to be a ballet dancer, her film stardom
and pioneering fashion choices, her marriages, and her eventual
humanitarian career on behalf of UNICEF. It's a documentary, nothing
special. The movie shows a few extended montages of three different
ballet dancers, representing Audrey, that serve no real purpose to the
movie. Although I like dance, I found these to be annoying.
Bad Education - Based on a true story, Hugh Jackman and Allison Janey star as Frank and Pam, Nassau County school superintendents who had (according to many metrics) done fantastic jobs. Geraldine Viswanathan stars as Rachel, the young school journalist who takes them down after discovering that they (and others) have been and are embezzling money. Roy Romano also stars. The events are based on the largest public school embezzlement in American history.
This is a well-made, fun film, a little high school, a lot journalism, and a lot of (not very competent) criminals. I say not very competent, but they managed to steal some $11 million before being caught, so there you go. The interest comes from balancing the fact that these people were doing well by their students, such as getting them placed into better schools, against the fact of their financial crimes. As their crimes are discovered, piece by piece, there is a reluctance by the school board to have a good thing come crashing down. Good acting, well put together.
Black Widow - Scarlett Johansson is back as Marvel's Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow. Many other widows are floating around, including Natasha's "sister" Yelena (Florence Pugh), "mother" (Rachel Weisz), and others. David Harbour plays her "father", the Red Guardian, one of the USSR's only super soldiers. As young girls, the sisters were not aware that they and their two parents were planted as a family as Russian spies in the US. Eventually the girls go through the "red room", as their "mother" did before them, and commit many atrocities, nearly all off screen (so as not to make us lose sympathy for them). The movie then jumps forward to following the events of Captain America: Civil War, where they team up to kill the man who not only trains these widows but also drugs them into complete obedience.
There are action sequences, some of them good, many of them ridiculous (Natasha is not a super soldier, but she can survive explosions, falling from tall buildings, etc, that only a super soldier could, for no reason), but action sequences are always the least interesting part of a Marvel movie. Natasha and Yelena have a few good moments of character building, and David Harbour steals any scenes he is in, but for the most part this is the usual waste of talent. Captain Marvel, at least, had a unique story, some real character development, and feminist ideologies, and some fun with twists. This one feels cookie cutter and kind of boring. Maybe it hurts that we all know what happens to Black Widow in the end. It's fine, but frustrating.
Also: Why is it, when we get a
female-led superhero movie, that the female superheroes are always part
of a team, and could not do their thing without assistance? Supergirl
has a cadre of helpers; Superman doesn't. Captain Marvel needs her
friend to shoot down bad guys (at least, until the end when the
screenwriters finally, bravely, give her unleashed powers); same with
Wonder Woman. Iron Man, Thor, and Aqua-man don't (well, maybe Thor
does). Black Widow needs her sister. On the one hand, dismantling the
myth of the "lone genius" is nice. On the other hand, the male superhero
movies don't feel a need to bother with this.
Booksmart - A high school coming of age film about two young women, Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Fedstein) who realize, on the last day of school, that they skipped out on all the parties in order to get into good schools, but that many of their other classmates went to the parties and still got into good schools. So they owe it to themselves to party.
Hijinks ensue.
It is put together well-enough, but I
stand in opposition to every other critic: I didn't care for either of
the girls, or any of what was going on. The film felt to me like a
collection of silly and contrived events, rather than a story driven by
characters and plot. There are the usual freak outs, betrayals,
discoveries (sexual, friendship, etc), and a happy ending. I didn't find
it funny. If you're anyone else but me, however, you will like it.
"Refreshingly original take on the raunchy coming-of-age comedy" and
great chemistry, says Richard Roeper. Whatever.
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