Hail Caesar! pokes good fun at old Hollywood

Movie Title:       Hail, Caesar! 

Grade:   B+

Rating:   PG-13, 1 hour 45 minutes

In a Nutshell:    Four-time Oscar winning brothers Joel and Ethan Coen have created an extremely entertaining  comedy that pokes fun at Hollywood’s Golden Age, featuring a gigantic cast of today’s A-listers, including George Clooney, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson, Ralph Fiennes, Josh Brolin, Jonah Hill, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and so many more.

Uplifting theme: 

• “People don’t want the facts.  They want to believe.” – Eddie Mannix
• “God wants us to do what’s right.  The inner voice that tells us what’s right comes from God.” – priest in confessional

Things I liked:

• I liked the way the narrator told the story about telling stories.  The Lockheed recruiter tells Eddie Mannix, “The picture business is pretty silly” and yet we still love movies. They move us, inspire us, make us laugh, make us cry, make us feel!
• The film is filled with super funny sound effects, including a bird sound every time someone said the line “On wings of eagles.”  It reminded me of the running gag on “Young Frankenstein”.   A lot of the humor reminded me of the old Mel Brooks comedies.
• Funny cowboy stunt scene.  Alden Ehrenreich does a great job as Hobie Doyle.
• There’s a great dance scene with Channing Tatum in the “Swingin’ Dinghy” bar that will remind you of the fun singing and dancing films featuring legendary Gene Kelly.
• There is an amusing scene where Ralph Fiennes plays an eloquent director who uses words that simpleton Hobie Doyle (and probably some people in the audience) don’t know.  You’ll be ahead of the game when you already know these words: “mirthless” (without laughter), “rueful” (sorrow, pity) , “trippingly” (light and quick)
• “Divine presence to be shot.”   Ha ha
• Wayne knight from Seinfeld: The Complete Series has a bit part.  It was good to see him again, and funny to see him as a movie Extra.
• I thought it was interesting that the main film they were filming during the movie was the story of Christ from the perspective of a Roman soldier, which is exactly what the movie Risen is about, which is also currently in movie theaters.
• The talented Tilda Swinton plays twins.  I’m happy to get as many doses of Tilda as we can get.
• I have always adored Christopher Lambert ever since Mortal Kombat and Highlander: The Movie .  Here he has a tiny part as a German director.  It’s been awhile since I’ve seen him too.  Look close or you’ll miss him.
• My husband and I watched every episode of Numb3rs: The Complete Series , so it was fun to see David Krumholtz, who plays a Communist writer.  The Communist “club” scenes were funny and filled with familiar faces.
• Religious characters in movies are usually made fun of, but not in this one. Josh Brolin’s character is sincere, religious, talented, yet flawed in an endearing way.
• I thought George Clooney’s speech at the cross was both sweet and funny at just the right moment.
• It looked like they filmed on the actual Universal Studios lot.  I was just there a few months ago!  It’s such a fun theme park.   

Things I didn’t like:

• One shot allows you to see right up George Clooney’s nose, hairs and all.   
• Anyone over 50 should be able to remember some of the original stars and movies that are being alluded to in this film.  Those younger may not appreciate all of the inside jokes.
• Some gags go on for a little too long.

Funny lines:

•  “I need some petty cash.  Do you have $100,000?” - Mannix
• “You worship a God who doesn’t love anyone.” – Protestant Clergyman (Allan Havey)

“Not true.  He loves Jews.” – Rabbi (Robert Picardo)

Interesting lines:

• “Same thing…history and economics, isn’t it?” – Head Communist Writer (Max Baker)
• “The picture has worth and you have worth as long as you serve the picture.” – Mannix

Tips for parents:   

• Some “real” profanity, as well as harmless words like “Nuts!”
• Young kids may not get some of the humor or pop culture references.
• Some subtle sexual innuendo, but young kids will probably not catch it.

Tomorrowland speaks to dreamers

Movie:   Tomorrowland  

PG, 1 hour 47 minutes

Grade:  A-

In a Nutshell:  Are you a dreamer?  If so, this Disney film will capture your heart.  Kids will love the non-stop action and futuristic ideas that feel more like believable fantasy than Sci-Fi. Parents will feel young again, but may become annoyed with the preaching about climate change.  It’s kind of a techno-thriller for tweens with a new twist on the ever-popular dystopian genre.

I fell in love with Director Brad Bird’s talent during his animated hit The Incredibles .   While Brad Bird provides the lighthearted fun he is great at, the story gets tangled up by Lost: The Complete Seasons 1-5 writer and co-creator Damon Lindelof.  I think the writers of Lost got lost in their storytelling and that happens a little bit here.

During Spring Break this year, I took the fam to Disneyland.  It happened to be the last day Tommorrowland was to be opened before its reconstruction.  When I was a little girl, it featured an exhibit of what houses would look like in the future.  Up until a couple of months ago, it spotlighted Marvel's The Avengers superheroes and interactive video games mostly.  I can’t wait to see what the new Tomorrowland will highlight to spark our imaginations.  There is a lot from the movie that could easily end up as an awesome new ride…

In the words of Frank, “You wanted to see Tomorrowland…here it comes!”

Uplifting Theme:

·         “There are two wolves and they are always fighting.  One is darkness and despair.  The other is light and hope.  The question is: "Which wolf wins?”   - Casey

“The one you feed.”   - Nate Newton

·         Issues covered in the film include domestic terrorism, industrial sabotage, crime, death, climate change, unemployment, and hope.

Things I liked:

·         Visually, there are some intriguing things to look at and dream about.

·         The musical score is beautiful and feels like Disney magic.

·         What kid doesn’t want to ride in a jet pack?  Scratch that….what adult wouldn’t want to either?  When young Frank is asked why he built a jet pack, he says “If I was walking down the street and I saw some kid with a jet pack fly over me, I’d believe anything’s possible.  I’d be inspired.  Doesn’t that make the world a better place?”  So true!

·         I thought George Clooney (Frank), Hugh Laurie (David Nix), the adorable Raffey Cassidy (Athena), the lovely Brittany Robertson (Casey) and Thomas Robinson (young Frank Walker) all did a terrific job with their characters.

·         In a flood (pun intended) of dystopian movies that preach about the horrible future that awaits us because of our greed, I like that Casey says “I get things are bad.  But what are we doing to fix it?”  Great question.

·         I loved the hopeful ending. 

·         I love both Brittany's and Raffey's gorgeous, long hair.

·         Kids will get a kick out of all the gadets, gizmos, and machines.

·         Super cool multi-layered swimming pools in Tomorrowland!  I love swimming pools somuch that I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to them.

·         Did you notice the Hans Solo in carbonite tribute?
-     I thought it was interesting that they talked about how society is currently obsessed with the dystopian genre and various versions of the apocalypse to the point that we embrace and even celebrate the impending doom with movies, TV shows, books and music.  It's kind of true that we're "feeding that wolf."

Things I didn’t like:                               

·         It’s an infomercial for Disneyland, as well as Coke, and Apple.

·         David Nix’s pants looked like an unimaginative costume designer got lazy.

Funny lines:

·         “Frank, it’s not personal.  It’s just programming.”  - Athena

·         “This is a story about the future and the future can be scary.” – Frank

·         “Frank, you want to know why you could never make me laugh?” – Athena

“Why?” – Frank

“Because you’re not funny.” – Athena

·         “Do I have to explain everything?  Can’t you just be amazed and move on?”  - Frank

Inspiring lines:

·         “Did you make this yourself?  - Athena

·         “Yeah”  -

·         Why?”  - Athena

“I guess I got tired of waiting for someone else to do it for me.” – Frank

·         “It’s hard to have ideas and give up.”  - Casey

“But you won’t give up, right?” – Casey's brother

“Never” – Casey
·         “Which way do you want to go: backwards or forwards?” – Athena

·         Even the teeniest of actions can change the future.” – Casey

Interesting lines:

·         “You’ve got simultaneous epidemics of obesity and starvation.  Explain that one.” – David Nix

Tips for Parents:

·         There is a lot of violence and fighting that results in multiple forms of death: vaporization, crushing, dismembering, implied genocide, etc.

·         Parents are finding that their children are asking thought-provoking questions about fairly deep subjects after the movie.  Yay!

·         Very young children may be frightened by the menacing robots with creepy faces.

·         There is a discussion of tachyon particles to explain some of the science behind the technology in the future.  Your kids may be surprised to learn they’re real.   

·         It’s a great opportunity to introduce your kids to some of history’s great inventors which are mentioned: Tesla, Verne, Edison, Eiffel 

 

Monuments Men movie gets me Googling for more

Movie Title:  The Monuments Men

Grade:  B+

PG-13, 1 hour 52 minutes

In a Nutshell:  This inspiring movie is based on a true story about us all of us.  I admit that I’m curious to learn more about what really happened as the small group of art experts tried to save priceless pieces of history as the Nazi regime began to fall in WWII Europe.  I was in Italy just a few months ago, basking in all of the beautiful artwork and can’t imagine what a terrible loss it would have been to humanity if we didn’t have some of the masterpieces that exist in that country alone. 

Based on the non-fiction telling by Robert M. Edsel,Monuments Men , the subject matter and setting are truly fascinating.  Unfortunately, the movie falls a bit short of what could have been an outstanding cinematic journey worthy of Oscar buzz...for next year.  (It was supposed to be released at Christmas in time for this year's Oscars, but George Clooney chose to wait.)  It misses the German mark...you could say.  The audience I watched the movie with consisted of mostly older people, some who looked like they could have actually fought in WWII. 

This brief tour through war-torn Europe was directed, written, and performed by George Clooney.  It’s a bit of “Geriatric Band of Brothers” heist meets “Saving Private Ryan”, although not nearly as realistic or good as the latter.  The audience loved the camaraderie among the men and were left wanting a little more out of the star-studded cast which includes Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville and the exquisite Cate Blanchett.

Uplifting theme:  What a sobering reminder this film features that Hitler stole lives, art, and even history from all of us.  James Granger says “He really wanted it all.”  Frank Stokes corrects him “He wanted everything.”  Frank Stokes continually reminds his crew that their lives are worth more than a piece of art, and yet they are all willing to sacrifice everything in order to preserve it because it represents mankind’s greatest accomplishments.  

I love that the men refer to various works of art as “she” and “her”, granting true life to images that capture our very soul.  Frank Stokes narrates the journey and explains that they were fighting for culture, our history, and our very way of life.  The works of art are not simply beautiful things to look at and admire, but our history…yours….mine.   It was inspiring to learn that over 5 million pieces were recovered through The Monuments Men project.

Things I liked:

• It was refreshing to see a loyal husband resist an invitation of infidelity, especially on a lonely night in romantic Paris.  Matt Damon’s character, James Granger, even returned the tie he was given by the hopeful woman.
• The sets and scenery were breathtaking.
• One of the most profound scenes was when (SPOILER ALERT) the group finds a big barrel of gold nuggets and then realizes they were from the mouths of Jews who were killed by the Nazis. The scene carried a sobering weight that other scenes lacked.  The audience gasped a few times, which I think, would have made George Clooney proud.

Things I didn’t like:

• It’s a bit slow-moving and disjointed with not nearly enough humor and some missed opportunities to make the film truly wonderful. 
• Substitute the last line of the movie with something better like “Come on, I want to show you something else!”

Funny lines:

• “Do we get to kill anybody?” – Preston Savitz
• “Speak English” said several people to James Granger whose French was terrible.  I’ve been to France and they really do hate it when we Americans attempt to speak their beautiful language.
• James Granger explains “I seem to have stepped on a land mine.” Frank queries “Why would you do that?” repeated by Walter Garfield.  James says “It was a slow day.”  I thought that scene was well done as they tried to come up with a solution and were prepared for any outcome.
• An American soldier says after the war was announced to be over “Isn’t there supposed to be a parade or something?” to which James Granger gently corrects “Probably not in Germany.”
• While talking about setting up some dynamite, two on the team have the following exchange: “Maybe I should do this.”  “What do you know about explosives?”  “Nothing.”  “Ok.”

Inspiring lines:

• “Who will be their protectors?  Who will make sure the Mona Lisa is still smiling?” – Frank Stokes
• “It’s not bad.”  “It’s not good” – an exchange as two of the crew look at a canvas of Hitler’s artwork from his failed run as an art student
• “Frank explains his passion about the Monument Men project by saying “If you destroy their achievements, it’s like they never existed.”
• “Great works of art can never belong to one individual.”  - Donald Jeffries

Things to learn more about:  George Clooney said of this film “It’s so rare to do any story that people don’t know.” I would love to learn more!

• Ghent Altarpiece and the Art of Jan Van Eyck
• Russia’s Soviet Trophy Brigade
• The Nero Decree stated that if Hitler died, the Nazis were to destroy Germany’s infrastructure, as well as other valuables, including art.  Nero was blamed for the fire that destroyed much of Rome.  Forty-two days after issuing the Nero Decree, Hitler killed himself, and a week later, Germany surrendered.
• Michelangelo: the Bruges Madonna and the Piccolomini altar,

Tips for parents:  There is some profanity, but not as much as you would think there would be in a war movie.  People are killed and wounded with some blood and gore.