Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher, Spotlight) continues to show that he is one of the more underappreciated Hollywood heavyweights in Todd Haynes’ (Carol, Wonderstruck) new release. Dark Waters tells the true story of Cincinnati lawyer Rob Bilott’s extraordinarily long legal battle against DuPont Chemical Company and the toxic waste it dumped into West Virginia’s streams and rivers. This poisonous waste contributed to a high rate of cancer cases in the surrounding areas and contributed to an alarming number of deaths among cattle and other animals. The movie is exceptionally well-made. Everyone should see it, as it tackles self-regulation, big business, medical disasters, and company cover-ups on such a grand scale that it seems hard to fathom as possible in today’s world. Today, there is so much scrutiny, regulation, and punishment for companies doing what DuPont did, and it almost escaped without punishment. Almost.
Category Archives: Year of Release
Bombshell (2019)
Based on the real-life scandal at the Fox News Channel, Jay Roach’s (Trumbo, Meet the Parents) Bombshell tells the story of the eruption that occurred when many women were exposed to a sexually harassing environment due to its chairman at the time, Roger Ailes (John Lithgow- Late Night, The Accountant). Bringing to the surface the accusations of numerous women against the head of the company, Bombshell made, at times, an uncomfortable watch. It felt unfathomable that so much of this could have occurred. However, it also seemed that you couldn’t make up a story like this and have it be proven true.
1917 (2019)
1917, director Sam Mendes’s latest venture (American Beauty, Road to Perdition), is a stunning achievement in cinematography, visual effects, sound editing, sound mixing, production design, makeup and design, and direction. While not everyone will be on board with the story, it is hard to deny this movie’s technical accomplishments. I found the story gripping. Still, I completely understand why some will have problems with the sequencing of events, the placement of props, or the overall mission. If, like me, you can let yourself become immersed in all this movie brings to the table, you will have one of the more emotional movie-theater experiences of your lifetime.
Marriage Story (2019)
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 Marriage Story (The Squid and the Whale, While We’re Young). In one trailer, lead Nicole (Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation, Match Point) recites a prepared letter she wrote about everything she loves about her soon-to-be ex-husband, Charlie (Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman, Paterson). It’s a voice-over as we see the two interacting, 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 letter he prepared for Nicole. A different series of similar scenes plays in the background, and the ending is the same. It’s clear this movie is about a fractured relationship. We are left clinging for more.
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).