April 26, 2024
Long before he was performing death-defying stunts as Ethan Hunt and even before he felt the need for speed as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, Tom Cruise showcased his stardom in a little movie called Risky Business. If you aren’t of my generation, then you have no doubt seen the sequence where he lip-syncs to Old Time Rock ‘n Roll while dancing around in his living room. But if you’ve ever seen the film, you know that it is a brilliantly-written comedy about Joel, an introverted high-school student who gets into way too much trouble when his parents go away.
Risky Business is not a gross-out crude comedy like American Pie or Superbad. Instead, it’s a clever film about the intersection of teenage angst and 1980s capitalism, demonstrated when Cruise’s character partners up with a call girl (Rebecca de Mornay) to make enough money to repair his father’s Porsche after it accidentally ends up in Lake Michigan. “Who’s the U-boat commander?” And if you have seen the movie, you know the rest (and are probably adding it to your watchlist for the weekend.) Why am I bringing up a movie that is more than 40 years old? Let me explain.
One of Joel’s friends is Miles, portrayed by Curtis Armstrong, who many people know from the Revenge of the Nerds films, but those of us who appreciated 1980s television comedies know him as the bumbling sidekick Herbert Viola in Moonlighting. Remember how great that show was? It’s now on Hulu if you’re eager to revisit it. Among Armstrong’s many wonderful lines in Risky Business was his advice to Joel when confronted with life’s tough decisions, “Sometimes, you just gotta say ‘What the fuck?’ and make your move.”
That was my feeling (rationale?) two weeks ago when I decided to buy a last-minute ticket to see Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. They were playing an hour from my house and I just couldn’t pass up the chance, even if the ticket was overpriced (I’m sorry I can’t reveal the dollar amount – that’s between me and my credit card company.) Another rationale? I told my wife, “You just never know when it will be the last chance to see them in concert.” Her response: “Didn’t you say that when you saw them (twice) last year?” Busted. Of course, I also said that when I bought a ticket to see them 25 years ago. But she supported my decision because she knows how much I appreciate the live music experience, especially by one of my favorite artists. And of course, the show was magnificent. All the hits, a few rarities and almost three hours of pure bliss. During the encore, all of the arena lights were turned on, so you could see everyone dancing and having the time of their lives while listening to some of the better classic rock songs of the last fifty years. So, needless to say, I’m glad I took the advice of a juvenile delinquent from a 1983 movie that still holds up as a great comedy.
Speaking of legendary musicians, we’re going to start with the first of two excellent documentaries I saw this past month that are both available to watch from home.
Portrait of a Musical Genius – In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon
The sign of a good music documentary? You find yourself listening to the artist’s catalogue over and over again after watching it. Such was the case for me as the music of Paul Simon (solo and with Art Garfunkel) has been in frequent rotation lately. Well, until I became a certified (certifiable?) member of The Tortured Poets Department a week ago. Director Alex Gibney, one of our best working documentary filmmakers, brings us a jumbo-sized look at the career of singer-songwriter Simon, which has spanned over fifty years. The film is split into two parts, with the first one focused more on his time growing up and his rise to fame with Garfunkel. Their break-up caps part one and the second part covers his solo career, along with his brief reunions with Garfunkel. Throughout both parts, Gibney intercuts Simon talking about his life and clips of him working on his latest album, 2023’s Seven Psalms, where he dealt with hearing loss.
In Restless Dreams is shaggy in parts (its runtime is 3 ½ hours, so its two-part structure helps to break it up naturally), but is really well done. The musical performances (live and in studio) are top-notch, especially if you are a fan of Simon’s work. Listening to his songwriting process was very interesting to me, especially the scenes filmed in South Africa, where he created Graceland. Man, that is such a phenomenal album. I was a little surprised there wasn’t more Garfunkel in here, but when you see how troubled their partnership was, it kind of makes sense.
There were also some interesting tidbits I learned, one of which was shocking. In 1981 Simon & Garfunkel performed their famous Concert in Central Park, which I have on CD and have listened to (probably) hundreds of times. One of the songs from the show not on the CD is a song Simon wrote in tribute to John Lennon, The Late Great Johnny Ace. It was excluded from the recording because at the beginning of the song, a very disturbed man jumped on stage and yelled at Simon, “I need to talk to you!” Now, this was less than a year after Lennon was murdered not too far from Central Park. Simon didn’t seem fazed, but it was still jarring to see, and may only be interesting to me. If you like Simon’s music, this is worth checking out. In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon is now streaming on MGM+. What’s that? Well, it’s a cable channel that used to be called Epix and may be available on your cable bundle. It’s owned by Amazon, so you can also get a free trial through Amazon Prime and I suspect the film will land on Prime later this year.
Portrait of a Comedic Genius – STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces
Like my last recommendation, this next documentary is also a two-part look at the life and career of someone who has been in our lives for over fifty years. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love Steve Martin? Director Morgan Neville is another well-known documentarian whose recent films about Fred (Mr.) Rogers and Anthony Bourdain were well-received when they premiered. Neville takes a deep look into Martin’s life and career, with the first part focused on his upbringing and his early career, consisting primarily of stand-up concerts and variety show appearances, including Saturday Night Live. It’s hard to overstate just how popular Martin was in the 1970s with his concert tours and best-selling comedy albums.
The second part transitions to his acting career, with Neville doing a nice job charting some of the successes and failures of his movie choices. I always admire actors who are willing to take chances and Martin is an example of that, and I loved hearing his rationale for those decisions. We also get a glimpse into his current life, with his marriage and first child, his side hobbies (banjo and drawing cartoons) and his partnership with Martin Short on a successful comedy tour and the wonderful Only Murders in the Building. Martin is an interesting character and it’s fascinating to see (and hear) clips during his 1970s heyday, compared to the fatherly figure we’ve known since Parenthood and Father of the Bride in the late 80s / early 90s. If you are a fan of Steve Martin, add this one to your list. STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Underwhelmed – Monkey Man
It’s never good to be labeled “The next [fill in the blank].” The expectations get too high and you eventually get disappointed. In early reviews, Monkey Man, the directorial debut of Dev Patel (who also stars) was compared to John Wick. The anticipation was also increased by the involvement of director Jordan Peele, a producer on the film who encouraged Universal Studios to buy Monkey Man from Netflix and release it in theaters. Alas, this movie didn’t live up to my heightened expectations. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not terrible. In fact, it’s pretty good. Patel plays a man set out on a revenge mission to avenge his mother’s death when he was a child. There are some really cool fight sequences, but I found Patel’s filmmaking style distracting, with too many quick cuts and insert shots of religious imagery and flashbacks to how his mother died. I felt like saying, “We get it. You’re traumatized.” From an acting standpoint, Patel is excellent and I would love to see the (sometimes) rumored casting of him as James Bond come to fruition. I’m sure he’ll continue to grow as a filmmaker, and let’s hope Peele proves to be a good mentor for his next feature film. Monkey Man is now playing in theaters and available to rent on demand.
Not for the Squeamish – The First Omen
In my review of Immaculate last month, my caption was “This movie is MESSED up.” At the risk of repeating myself, we have another messed up horror movie that the true horror sickos will love. If you are a child of the 80s, then you no doubt remember 1976’s The Omen, one of the better Satan-inspired horror movies of that era (nothing will top The Exorcist, but The Omen is pretty damn good.) The First Omen is the feature film debut from director Arkasha Stevenson and serves as a prequel to the 1976 movie. If you are not familiar with any of the sequels to the original, fear not. I’ve seen none of them and it didn’t impact my enjoyment of the new installment, since it’s a prequel.
Nell Tiger Free (who starred in the Apple TV+ series Servant) plays an American nun who travels to an orphanage in Rome to work while she prepares to take her vows. She quickly bonds with her roommate and some of the children, but starts to worry when she suspects something is wrong at the orphanage. Her uneasiness increases when a local priest warns her about one of the children and the motivations of the clergy members running the orphanage. I don’t want to spoil anymore of the plot, so I will leave it at that, along with a warning that there are a few disturbing sequences and images in this film. Too often, origin stories and prequels feel forced and unnecessary, but I was impressed with the story and execution by Stevenson. The payoff in how the ending unfolds and connects to the original film really worked for me. One last warning – this one is not for everyone. The First Omen is now playing in theaters.
From Across the Pond – In the Land of Saints and Sinners and Wicked Little Letters
In the 15 years since Liam Neeson wowed audiences as a father stopping at nothing to find his missing daughter in Taken, he has made a number of what I would call “mindless action movies” and (I’m sure) made a nice living. In full disclosure, I’ve never seen Taken and only checked out a few movies in this genre, none of which impressed me. So, when I saw the description of his latest film, I figured it was an easy one to skip, but two things changed my mind – the premise (set in 1970s Ireland during The Troubles) and the presence of Kerry Condin, coming off an Oscar nomination for the wonderful The Banshees of Inisherin.
In the Land of Saints and Sinners features Neeson as a contract killer, eager to retire and settle down in his small Irish town. Disrupting his plans are the arrival of IRA terrorists, led by Condin, on the run following a recent bombing. A series of events leads to a cat and mouse chase between the two main characters, with an effective combination of suspense and action sequences. Neeson is pretty good, but Condin was the real highlight for me, embracing the nastiness of her character. Suffice it to say, I will be finding every movie she is in going forward. In the Land of Saints and Sinners is now available to rent on demand.
Another actress that I have season tickets to is Jessie Buckley, who co-stars with the brilliant Olivia Colman in the British dark comedy, Wicked Little Letters. Now, these two actresses technically co-starred in The Lost Daughter (for which they were both Oscar-nominated), but they played the same character at different ages, so they were never on screen together. In Wicked Little Letters, they play neighbors who are caught up in a real-life scandal that rocked a small English town in 1920.
Colman’s straight-laced Edith begins receiving vulgar letters in the mail from an unknown sender and she pins the blame on her carefree neighbor Rose, played by Buckley. When the police investigate, they believe Edith’s accusation, to the dismay of Rose, who is forced to prove her innocence to everyone in town. The film features some hysterical scenes where the uptight people are forced to read the ridiculous insults included in the letters, which make their way to other residents besides Edith. But the story only works because of the genius of Colman and Buckley, who have great chemistry as friends turned enemies. If you are a fan of their work, and British comedy in general, this film is worth seeking out. Wicked Little Letters is now playing in theaters.
The Most Divisive Film of 2024? – Civil War
Most times after I’ve watched a movie, I can decide pretty quickly if I want to write about it and whether I liked it or not, usually on a scale of 1-10 (the curse of being a list / numbers guy – every film needs its ranked spot on the list). Now, with Civil War, I knew I was going to write about it, but for several days after watching it, I was really struggling with how much I liked it. There was something nagging at me about the latest feature from director Alex Garland, who brought us the brilliant Ex Machina, pretty good Annihilation, and dreadful Men.
The story is set in a near-future (but unspecified) time where the United States is mired in a war that resembles what you’d see in a third world country. Now, you may be thinking, “Of course, the country is in a civil war – it feels like we are on the brink of a civil war every day in this country.” But Garland didn’t take the obvious way out with the plot of his film, which he also wrote. This isn’t Conservatives vs. Liberals or Red States vs. Blue States. In fact, we learn early on that California and Texas are aligned in an unlikely pairing referred to as the “Western Forces,” having seceded from the Union, which is led by a fascist president who has dismantled the FBI and is serving a third term (somehow). A little too “on the nose”? Perhaps.
There is also a Florida Alliance and another region called the “loyalist states,” but it’s not important to Garland for us to understand how we got here. In early reviews of the film, he has been criticized for not laying out all of the details of how we got to a situation where American citizens regularly deal with the horrors of war. I personally think that criticism comes from people “TV-brained” into thinking everything needs to be a ten-part television series where every plot point is explained to us. I actually didn’t mind the ambiguity, recognizing that Garland was more interested in telling the story of the characters inhabiting the world they lived in, not the beat-by-beat story of how it all went wrong.
Instead of a political / military / social story of how the United States ended up in a civil war, Garland is focused on journalists bringing the story from the frontlines to the newspaper headlines. Leading the charge is veteran photographer Lee (Kirsten Dunst, one of my favorites, who is excellent) accompanied by Joel (Wagner Moura, also very good) traveling from New York City to Washington, D.C. to attempt to interview the President. They are joined by aspiring photographer Jessie (Cailee Spaeny, in her follow up to Priscilla) and veteran journalist Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson, who you have seen many times before). Throughout their road trip, we see them encounter various scenarios that showcase how people are impacted by the war. They are little vignettes that mostly work, particularly when the suspense is ratcheted up and the main characters’ lives are in jeopardy.
My chief complaint (and it’s a relatively mild one) is that I felt the characters were a little underdeveloped and their story arcs were too predictable. The film’s most suspenseful scene (featuring Dunst’s real-life husband Jesse Plemons as a terrifying militant) is incredible, but is set up by the convenient introduction of two expendable characters and a ridiculous plot point that took me out of the film (and briefly into a Fast and the Furious movie.) Plemons was reportedly brought on to Civil War a few days before filming at the suggestion of Dunst after another actor dropped out. He is fantastic, but the bright red sunglasses he wears might be a little too obvious signaling to the audience of his political allegiances.
While the storytelling is on the weaker side for me, the filmmaking talents of Garland are not in question. Civil War is thrilling, suspenseful, and features visceral special effects that rival any well-made war movie. There are times where you will be on the edge of your seat, nervous about what’s about to come, and other times where you will be awestruck at how Garland created the action sequence. The film has some pretty violent moments, particularly the climactic sequence as the forces bear down on Washington, D.C. in pursuit of the Fascist-in-Chief. Designed to ignite conversations and not present a solution to the country’s problems, Civil War is sure to be one of the more talked about movies of the year. And for that reason, I recommend checking it out. Civil War is now playing in theaters.
Let’s Go!!!! – Challengers
Start the Oscar campaign now because it’s Zendaya’s world and we’re just living in it. After an excellent supporting performance in Dune Part Two earlier this year, Zendaya takes center stage alongside Mike Faist (West Side Story) and Josh O’Connor (The Crown) in Challengers. The romantic drama about a trio of tennis players is directed by Luca Guadagnino, whose Call Me By Your Name led to a Best Actor nomination for Timothee Chalamet in 2017. I expect we will hear Zendaya’s name called when Oscar nominations are announced in January, but I’m getting way ahead of myself.
When Challengers opens, Patrick (O’Connor) and Art (Faist) are squaring off in the final match of a U.S. Open qualifying tournament. Coaching Art is his wife Tashi, played by Zendaya. We then go back thirteen years to when the teenage boys met their fellow tennis phenom, bonding over some late-night drinks, cigarettes, and some (ahem) intense chemistry. Let’s just say the trailer does not do this scene justice. As the film progresses, we travel back and forth between the present-day tournament and the lives of the three characters as we learn about their complicated (to say the least) relationships with each other over the years. I won’t spoil anymore of the plot, as it’s best to go into this movie not knowing too much. As it is, I think the trailer gives away too many plot points.
I was very impressed with this film, and it’s currently sitting behind Dune Part Two as my second-favorite movie of 2024. All three actors are fantastic (particularly Zendaya), playing their characters across the different ages and life-experiences with impressive range. The tennis scenes are outstanding (and sometimes dizzying), leading me to ask a few times “How did they film that?” I was riveted by the plot, constantly wondering how Gudagnino would wrap up the story. Now, I wasn’t thrilled with the ending, but I get what he was going for, and I can respect the choices he made during the last sequence, which took a long time to unfold. Challengers is a demonstration of excellence on display across all aspects of filmmaking – writing, directing, acting, and a phenomenal score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (two of the best film composers working today). It’s a sweaty, sexy, excellent time at the movies and I highly recommend it for everyone. Challengers is now playing in theaters.
That’s all for this month’s post. I’ll be back next month for more thoughts on the world of movies, including The Fall Guy (coming May 3rd) and the new Mad Max film Furiosa (coming May 24th). Thanks for reading and if you’d like to be notified of future posts, you can subscribe below.