The Reel World

You could say that West Side Story goes back to 1957 with the iconic collaboration of composer Leonard Bernstein and the very recently deceased lyricist Stephen Sondheim. But that isn't exactly true. The play was a modern retelling of William Shakespeare's equally iconic Romeo And Juliet. Instead of Capulets and Montagues, we have street gangs from 1950's New York City. All of the beats are there and then some. The legendary Robert Wise adapted the play as a film in 1961, which has deservedly gone on to classic status. And there it all sits for 60 years outside of the expected revivals and local productions of the work. Along comes Steven Spielberg who wanted to create a film as homage to his father. Their shared love of the source material here has led to a new film that is likely to captivate a new generation of fans, while also being a love letter to those of us who loved the original ... including Steven Spielberg's pop. The film is a complicated experience, to say the least. It has its shares of ups and downs, to be sure. But does it have the heart and soul of the original material. The answer is a guarded yes.

If you don't know the story, shame on you. I had to admonish a fellow critic who came to the film having never seen the original. Fully shamed, I hope he's corrected that oversight by now. Tony is played by Ansel Elgort. He's a somewhat inactive member of the street gang The Jets. Gang leader Riff (Faist) is itching to have an all-out rumble with rival gang The Sharks. He wants a kind of winner-takes-all event that settles their "beefs" once and for all. He's trying to convince Tony to support the gang and participate in the expected rumble. Tony isn't convinced. The challenge is set to go down at an upcoming dance, where Tony falls in love at first sight with Maria, played by Rachel Zegler. Isn't love just grand? The problem is that Maria's brother Bernardo, played by David Alverez  is the leader of The Sharks. Just the fact that they are talking to each other at the dance infuriates brother Bernardo. Now he's even more wanting that rumble, and he wants the Jets to make sure Tony is there, because he wants to take him out personally. The two lovers spend the next 24 hours before the scheduled fight together growing even closer. Tony convinces Maria he can stop the bloodshed, but this is after all a tragedy, and that's not really going to fit into the template. Don't blame me. Blame Willie S. for dooming these star-crossed lovers from the start.

"It was a name that sounded so sweet ... Synonymous with wealth, style, power. But that name was a curse, too."

If you've ever seen me show up for a movie screening in my sweats and t -shirt, you will know instantly that I'm not going to ever be confused with a person of high fashion. I dress for comfort, and accessorizing usually means I've got shoes and socks on. The jargon of the industry is Greek to me, and I guess sometimes it really is. I've certainly heard of Gucci, but the extent of that knowledge is along the lines of those famous patterned bags that they sell on the street downtown for $20 with no questions asked. Of course those bags often appear to have misspelled the name, so I know a few folks walking around with a Gutchi on their arm and a Rolax on their wrist. I'm guessing that's not exactly dressed for fashion. Ridley Scott rides to the rescue. I still can't tell the bags apart, but I now know a little bit about the famous family that those guys are ripping off.

Good story, unique characters, and original music. I’d say that Disney delivers on its 60^th animated movie. In recent years, Disney has taken us all over the map as they introduced characters (formerly known as Disney princesses) from all different walks of life. From a Norwegian-inspired kingdom (Arendelle) to the Polynesian island (Motunui), this time taking us to the mountains of Colombia. That has always been something that I appreciated about Disney’s film: their wide-reaching landscape. It’s like the cinematic version of Epcot. Another thing I’m grateful about this film is the fact that I was about to make it a family affair, as my wife and daughter joined me for this experience. It’s been a while since we’ve had a film where we could seek the Nalyce stamp of approval, and now we finally have a candidate. Bottom line up front: it did get her stamp of approval, as well as mine.

Encanto tells the story of a family called the Madrigals, who live in an enchanted town in the mountains of Colombia. When they come of age, every child in their magical house has been granted a unique ability such as strength or healing powers. Every child but one. Mirabel, the only ordinary Madrigal, discovers that the magic is under threat, and she may be the only one able to save it.

“Venus Williams is going to be the number 1 tennis player in the world. Absolutely. But you are going to be greatest of all time.”

He was a man with a plan. A 78-page plan, if you want to be exact. We’ve heard the story of Venus and Serena Williams, two sisters from Compton who went on to become two of the greatest tennis stars in the world. Now we will learn the story of the man behind the two tennis legends. Their father, Richard Williams, or as the title says, King Richard. But who could we trust to properly represent the story, and more importantly, who could embody the man? A man who is rapidly becoming a legend in his own domain. In fact, his name and legacy were recently solidified on a soundstage at the Tyler Perry Studio in Atlanta: Will Smith. Now, Will Smith is not a character to be disregarded. This is a man who has found a way to dominate everything that he has ever chosen to do. Music, television, and film. I mean, the guy even tried his hand at stand-up comedy. He has a whole slew of accolades to his name, but there is one thing that has managed to elude him. One award that he has yet to capture despite being nominated multiple times. Quite possibly the most prestigious award that could be bestowed on an actor. The Oscar. Will King Richard be the film that gets him this coveted award? We shall see.

"So now that Captain Rogers and Iron Man are both gone, who do you think's gonna lead the Avengers?"

After over a decade of ruling the feature film comic book universe, I have to ask the question that no one really wants to ask or answer. A lot of things have happened in the real world since the release of the two-part Avengers coda to the last phase of films. In over 22 films, there were only a couple I would have called sub-par and less I would have called stinkers. That hasn't been the case with the start of the post-pandemic Marvel Cinematic Universe. It started with Black Widow, which I have argued doesn't belong here. It works as the third film in a trilogy that includes the last two Captain America films. It has the same feel and much of the same style. I liked it but felt it was horribly mistimed. Things being what they are, that might be expected. Then came along Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, which brought an interesting new dynamic to the MCU but still fell somewhat flat with fans. If you were into their martial arts comics, it might have felt better. The f/x and world-building were incredible, but the film just never connected with me. Now Eternals brings that same feeling of disconnect, and it's a troubling sign for the Marvel stranglehold on comic book feature films.

"Can anyone give me an example of a myth or a story They're afraid of?"

Look at every element of Searchlight's new horror film Antlers and you see nothing but the promise of an extraordinary horror film. Guillermo del Toro is one of the producers and he's got a reputation for building some of the best horror atmosphere you'll ever see. He's one of those visual geniuses that has been inspired by the black & white classics of the genre and his imagination is truly amazing. The film is based on Nick Antosca's short story The Quiet Boy which itself has some pretty incredible imagery. The film also sports a pretty sweet cast starting with Keri Russell known for the Cold War series The Americans. There's Jesse Plemons who blew me away on Friday Night Lights and hasn't disappointed yet. Young Jeremy T. Thomas has a pretty good career if his performance here is any indication of what he can do. The kid does one of the best deadpans I've seen since Christina Ricci's wonderful Wednesday Addams. The British Columbia locations are truly stunning. This looks like a truly great film. And it's certainly not a bad film. But it's far from great. It's an okay film and often that would be fine with me. I enjoy an average horror film as much as the next guy. The trouble is this should have been great and that's a huge disappointment.

“A great man doesn’t seek to lead, he’s called to it. But if your answer is no, you’ll still be the only thing I need you to be. My son.”

Given that this was most likely the most anticipated movie of 2020, I must say that I expected much more from it. Especially given the who’s who list of Hollywood stars who were brought together for this production. Names like Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and the list goes on. I suppose another thing that somewhat worked against the film was the long wait, as this was a movie that was slated for a year earlier, and then the pandemic complicated that, so anticipation for this film was high. Not to mention that this is a reboot of a beloved series that has already been adapted and garnered a large cult following. It is also my understanding that previous adaptation had the benefit of having the creator of the franchise on set to help guide it. That sounds like a recipe for success, if you ask me. Here we have the re-imagining of an idea with a very loyal fan base, which is always a dangerous undertaking. However, Denis Villeneuve’s proven resume with thrillers such as Prisoners and Sicario, as well as his work in the science fiction genre with Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 (which also was based on another classic film), suggested that he was uniquely up for the task of taking on a film such as this. While I did enjoy what Villeneuve created visually, my big issue was with the story, specifically, the fact that it was clearly incomplete.

Totally immersive, the movie The Last Duel takes you into 14^th century France where it deals with wars, the plague, and an economical decline for the kingdom.  Entwined, during that period, is a true story of misogyny, a power struggle, and a rivalry between squires. Powerful acting, direction, and cinematography deliver a compelling story that makes the two and a half hours fly by. In the 1300’s Europe has been wrecked with war and plague, and France has had a good share of the death and destruction. As the story begins, find notable squire and knight Sir Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) returning to his castle from a vicious battle in defense of his king. Having lost his wife to the plague, he marries Lady Marguerite de Carrouges (Jodie Comer), the daughter of a landowner with a vast amount of territory.

Equal in station to Jean de Carrouges, Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) has fought alongside Sir Jean and is welcomed by the court of King Charles VI (Alex Lawther). With the backing of Sir Pierre d’Alencon (Ben Affleck), a favorite of the king, Le Gris underhandedly receives the title of Captain over rightful candidate de Carrouges.

“Michael Myers has haunted this town for 40 years … Tonight we hunt him down.”

In 2018 when Halloween came out, I have to admit I was disappointed. Maybe I just had such high hopes, or the film just simply didn’t offer up anything fresh to the series as I had hoped. Sure, it had its moments, like the long tracking shot of Michael doing what he does best and leaving a trail of bodies behind, but aside from that, I felt it was a relatively forgettable entry. I love the original film. What John Carpenter did scared me as a child and still excites me after numerous viewings. Halloween II is a fun watch that I continue to enjoy. And for a more controversial take, I’m even a fan of Rob Zombie’s Halloween. I liked the time spent with a young Michael Myers, and I look at the film as basically a southern re-telling of the Boogeyman. The franchise is hit or miss, and the numerous timelines do complicate the lore, so I was more than a little skeptical about Halloween Kills and it being the middle of David Gordon Green’s trilogy.

“As long as we are looking over our shoulder, the past is not dead.”

When it comes to Daniel Craig’s Bond movies, I’ve found them to be hit or miss. There are those I love, such as Casino Royale and Skyfall, and then there are those that I wasn’t that into, such as Quantum of Solace and Spectre. However, when it comes to No Time to Die, there is no question that it is my favorite of all the Craig-led Bond movies. Maybe it was how long I’ve been waiting to experience it given that the onset of COVID resulted in the film’s release being delayed multiple times, so by the time it was finally here, I could barely contain my excitement. However, I think it is more likely that the reason is the knowledge that this will be Craig’s final portrayal as the suave secret agent with a penchant for shaken martinis. Either way, Craig’s swan song film was without question great, despite certain elements not delivering on the hype. Craig leaves the franchise with is head held high, as I cannot imagine a more dignified exit for his portrayal.