Uninspiring. Unmoving. Overrated. Slow. Basic One of my most anticipated movies of 2019 was just that. The production department created one of the best series trailers for Noah Baumbach’s (The Squid and the Whale, While We’re Young) Marriage Story. In one trailer, lead Nicole (Scarlett Johansson – Lost in Translation, Match Point) is reciting a prepared letter that she wrote about all of the things that she loves about soon-to-be ex-husband Charlie (Adam Driver – BlacKkKlansman, Paterson). It’s a voice overlay where we see the two interacting with each other, both through good times and bad, flashing to scenes with their young son Henry and others in some sort of courtroom. It ends with Nicole saying to Charlie, “I think we should talk.” He responds with, “Okay.” The two sit uncomfortably, looking at each other for a good five seconds (an eternity in a trailer) before he says, “I don’t know where to start.” In the second trailer, it’s a reversal. Charlie recites the prepared letter that he wrote to Nicole. A different series of similar scenes plays in the background, and the ending is the same. It’s clear that this movie is about some sort of fractured relationship. We are left clinging for more.
Category Archives: 2019
The Irishman (2019)
Robert De Niro (Raging Bull, Taxi Driver) reunites with director Martin Scorsese (Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street) for this crime drama that sees everything from the mob to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in this three-and-a-half-hour effort that, if you stick with it, will give at least some sense of satisfaction to those willing to endure it. This all-star cast, which includes Scorsese teaming with Al Pacino (The Godfather, Scent of a Woman) for the first time, also includes Joe Pesci (My Cousin Vinny, Casino), Harvey Keitel (Bugsy, The Piano), Anna Paquin (The Piano, Almost Famous), Ray Romano (The Big Sick, CBS’s Everybody Loves Raymond), Jesse Plemons (Hostiles, The Post), and Bobby Cannavale (I, Tonya, Ant-Man).
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, the much-anticipated biopic about Mister Rogers and his television show, isn’t so much about the man as it is about a story about a man coming to terms with the life he has, letting go of the anger he carries, and becoming the husband and father that he knows he can and wants to be. It’s an interesting take on a trailer that makes you think that this film will be all about Fred Rogers’ (Tom Hanks – Cast Away, Captain Phillips) life on and off the camera. And to an extent, that’s true, but that is not the focal point of A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
James Mangold’s (Logan, Walk the Line) Ford v Ferrari is the perfect movie to see in the theatre. It has action. It has drama. It has a clear protagonist. It makes you want to stand up and cheer for the good guys. This racing movie is much better viewed on the big screen than on a small screen at home. Likewise, a movie theater’s surround system is a better experience than any surround system you might have at home. With that said, this movie has gotten much better acclaim (91% critics, 98% audience on Rotten Tomatoes) than it probably deserved. I haven’t seen many racecar movies, but this movie fails compared to a film like Rush. However, this is a good and highly entertaining movie.
Honey Boy (2019)
Ruthless, raw, and honest. That describes to a tee Alma Har’el (LoveTrue, 11/8/16) Honey Boy, the film based on writer Shai LaBeouf’s (The Peanut Butter Falcon, Borg Vs. McEnroe) own childhood experiences with his father. Showcasing events over two time periods, the 2005 version of Otis Lort (Lucas Hedges – Manchester by the Sea, Ben Is Back) is a 22-year-old, rising movie star who has had violent, alcohol-induced brushes with the law. His latest DUI has landed him in a court-ordered rehab, where he is diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), something which he steadily denies. As part of his therapy, he is pressed by his counselor (Laura San Giacomo – Havoc, Sex, Lies, and Videotape) to dig deeper and pen out the events in his life that have led him to this point. At this point, we continually go back and forth between the 1995 and 2005 timelines.