REVIEW: “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”

January 2, 2020 by Keith Garlington

In 2018 Morgan Neville gave us “Won’t You Be My Neighborhood”, a documentary that told the heartwarming story of children’s television icon Fred Rogers. The film brought back a rush of memories for many of us who grew up watching his program while introducing Mister Rogers to an entirely new and younger audience. Now Marielle Heller gives us an intriguing companion piece with “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”.

Where Neville’s film was more about Rogers the man, Heller’s speaks more to the influence he had. Her film is inspired by a real-life encounter between Rogers and Tom Junod, an accomplished investigative journalist for Esquire magazine. At Junod’s request screenwriters Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster changed his name to Lloyd Vogel and adjusted a few details of their story. Junod was brought to tears after seeing the finished movie which captures the very essence of their meeting and eventually friendship.

Matthew Rhys plays Lloyd, a successful yet notorious writer living in New York with his wife Andrea (Susan Kelechi Watson) and their infant son. Lloyd is harboring some deep, pent-up anger towards his father (played by Chris Cooper) who ran out on his family at the worst time imaginable. Lloyd’s bitterness shows up in his work which over time earns him a toxic reputation.

As Esquire magazine prepares to do a series on American heroes, Lloyd is given the job of profiling Mister Rogers. He thinks the assignment is beneath him, but it turns out Mister Rogers is the only one willing to speak to him. And his caring but adamant editor (Christine Lahti) insists believing it will do Lloyd some good. So he sets out to interview Mister Rogers on the set of his show at WQED studios in Pittsburgh.

I can’t believe it has taken me this long to mention that Mister Rogers is played by Tom Hanks. The quintessential good guy actor playing the quintessential television good guy. It’s such a perfect bit of casting with Hanks deftly channeling Rogers’ kindly tone, subtle mannerisms, and his inquisitive nature that is always born out of his compassion. It’s a supporting role but obviously it’s the one most people will be going to see.

But that’s not to shortchange Rhys who gives a really good performance. Obviously the scenes he shares with Hanks are the highlights, but Rhys stands on his own and makes his character’s inevitable transformation both believable and uplifting. And when he does get with Hanks their characters’ connections are palatable and have an almost spiritual quality to them.

The picture we get of Rogers is that of a gentle genius at psychology and at getting children (and in this case Lloyd) to come to terms with and express their feelings. That really is the meat of the entire film and Heller is the right person to handle it. She has so many interesting touches (I absolutely love how she uses miniatures) and approaches the story with just the right sensibility. And in the end it’s kindness, hope, and compassion that wins the day.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

First Glance: “A Quiet Place: Part II”

January 1, 2020 by Keith Garlington

2018’s “A Quiet Place” was an out-of-the-blue $350 million hit for Paramount Pictures. John Krasinski directed, co-wrote, and co-starred in the modestly budgeted sci-fi horror film that also featured his real-life wife, the always good Emily Blunt. It brilliantly exuded edge-of-your-seat tension while telling a genuinely moving and heartfelt family story. I loved it.

The inevitable but welcomed sequel was teased a couple of weeks ago and now we finally get the first full trailer. It opens with an exhilarating perspective shot in the back seat of a car. It’s clearly teasing a flashback to when the aliens first attacked. But then it shifts to the Abbott family trying to survive outside the confines of their once relatively safe farmhouse. Krasinski is back in the director’s chair while Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe all return. Cillian Murphy and Dijimon Hounsou add some intriguing new faces.

I can’t wait for March 20th which is when the film is set to hit theaters. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Happy New Year!!!

January 1, 2020 by Keith Garlington

Just a quick Happy New Year to everyone who has spent even a little time supporting this little site of mine. Wishing for a fantastic 2020 for each of you and your loved ones. And here’s to another fantastic year of movies. I can’t wait to watch and talk about them with you throughout the upcoming year. Cheers!

REVIEW: “The Vast of Night” (2019)

December 31, 2019 by Keith Garlington

For me the smile-inducing opening to Andrew Patterson’s “The Vast of Night” is just rippling with nostalgia. I wasn’t around during the original Twilight Zone run, but thanks to VHS, syndication, and a father who loved the show, it’s a slice of television history I know pretty well. I didn’t need an introduction to The X-Files. I was there when the series debuted in 1993 and have seen every episode and movie, most of them more than once. Those influences are all over this film.

So when Patterson opens his movie focused on a 1950’s era Philco television, and a show begins playing on it with a host saying in his best Rod Serling voice “You are entering a realm between clandestine and forgotten. A slipstream caught between channels. You are entering Paradox Theater. Tonight’s episode: The Vast of Night.”, needless to say I was hooked.

After the cool introduction the camera blends into the television screen and just like that we’re in the latest episode penned by co-writers James Montague and Craig W. Sanger. The duo’s story is built around a pretty familiar B-movie science-fiction idea. But what sets their script apart is the dense, character-enriching dialogue and the way they steadily build suspense especially in its second half.

The story takes place on the back-end of the 1950’s in Cayuga, New Mexico, a small town where everybody knows everybody. Sierra McCormick (so good here) plays 16-year-old Faye, an unashamed technology nerd who works part-time as a switchboard operator. She grabs her brand new Westinghouse tape recorder and heads to the gym where the entire town is gathering for the first high school basketball game of the season. There she meets her friend Everett (Jake Horowitz), a DJ at the local one-room radio station.

This central friendship is essential to the story and Patterson gives it plenty of room to breathe. Take one especially long rapid-fire conversation we get early in the film. Faye and Everett walk and talk from the gym across town to the telephone office where she works. The camera follows like a silent third party, strolling along and listening to their every word. It shows the incredible amount of confidence the first time director has in his material and more importantly his two stars.

As she settles down for a slow evening on the switchboard, Faye picks up a mysterious frequency she’s never heard before. She calls Everett in the middle of his radio show and he too is intrigued. Always looking for “good radio“, Everett play the sounds on air which leads to a mysterious caller, a secret tape reel, and other hints that something isn’t right. And like a mini Mulder and Scully the two friends follow the growing trail of clues because (as Chris Carter so frequently reminded us) “The Truth is Out There“.

Don’t misunderstand me, this isn’t some knockoff or copycat flick. Patterson, who cut his teeth shooting commercials, surprises with several bold visual choices and interesting aesthetic concepts that give his film its own identity. Some of it may come across as showy to some, but I loved the long, meticulously arranged tracking shots, the audacious fades to black which force us to focus on every word in the background, and the handful on instances where we’re pulled out of the television just for a few seconds, almost like a commercial break, and then put right back in. There is rarely a moment when Patterson and cinematographer M.I. Littin-Menz aren’t doing something interesting with their camera.

“The Vast of Night” may not sport an entirely original concept, but it’s everything that goes into presenting it that makes this movie special. The 1950’s rural Americana setting is full of detail from period costumes to Cold War anxieties. The fun and absorbing dialogue keeps us in the heads of the characters and always in tune with their personalities. And there’s the chemistry between McCormick and Horowitz – so lively and natural. It all makes for a fabulous debut from Andrew Patterson and a fresh reminder of why I love movies.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

Top 10 Films of 2019

December 29, 2019 by Keith Garlington

Can you believe another year has come and gone? And you know what that means – it’s time for the obligatory (but admittedly fun) end of the year Top 10 list. 2019 was a peculiar year at the movies. It started slow but really picked up steam before ending with a bang. From a handful of blockbusters to several strong indies, 2019 offered quite the variety of memorable movies. So let’s get going.

As always I’ll begin by showing love to the fine movies that just missed my top 10. Here are my #11 – 20 picks:

#20 – “Avengers: Endgame”
#19 – “Clemency”
#18 – “Knives Out”
#17 – “Arctic”
#16 – “Us”
#15 – “Doctor Sleep”
#14 – “Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker
#13 – “The Farewell”
#12 – “Transit”
#11 – “The Irishman”

And here are my Top 10 films of 2019:

#10 – One of the most criminally overlooked movies to come out in 2019 was Julia Hart’s “Fast Color”. It’s part dystopian science-fiction and part superhero origin story. But at its core it’s a touching family drama about three generations of women, the conflicts that tore them apart, and the bonds that bring them back together. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is terrific, once again showing she’s an actress deserving of more attention. The same could be said for the film itself, a victim of a botched distribution but one that should be seen.

#9 – This may be the the most authentic portrayal of divorce and it’s many devastating complexities ever put on screen. “Marriage Story” is driven by Noah Baumbach’s dense and emotionally detailed script along with two powerhouse performances from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson. They give us characters we genuinely care about which makes watching their relationship disintegrate a heart-wrenching experience. It’s Baumbach’s best movie to date and one that packs a real wallop.

#8 – One of the biggest treats I discovered out of awards season was this brilliant sci-fi debut from Andrew Patterson. Plucked right out of 1950’s small-town Americana, the movie embraces its influences (“The Twilight Zone”, The X-Files”, etc.). But the film audacious visual approach reveals its own distinct identity. Armed with dense, rapid-fire dialogue from the writing duo of James Montague and Craig W. Sanger and a central friendship brought to life through two fabulous performances from Sierra McCormick and Jake Horowitz). Don’t let this small gem slip by.

#7 – I have to admit, I loved the look of “Jojo Rabbit” going into it, but I never expected to be so affected by Taika Waititi’s wacky yet intensely moving “anti-hate satire“. The film walks the tightrope of taste while being both hilarious and heartbreaking, joyous and appalling. And it’s filled with such rich performances from a totally game cast. Youngster Roman Griffin Davis is a revelation while Thomasin McKenzie earns every ounce of empathy. And Waititi bounds it all together with a beautiful and timely message of hope.

#6 – I dare anyone to try and put Bong Joon Ho’s latest movie in a box or make it fit neatly into any one genre. “Parasite” is filled with delicious black comedy, scathing social commentary, some surprising jolts of heartfelt emotion, and a violent throat punch when you’re least expecting it. The story moves at such an intoxicating pace and just when you think you know where it’s going Bong pulls the rug right out from under you. It’s one heck of a ride and it’s a movie unlike anything else I saw in 2019.

#5 – Who knew we needed another adaption of “Little Women”? Greta Gerwig convincingly makes the case with her fresh and utterly enchanting version of Louisa May Alcott’s perennial classic novel. This is only Gerwig’s second film behind the camera but you would never know it. She captures every ounce of energy, personality, and period appeal while putting her own impressive stamp onto the story. The film also features one of the best ensemble casts of the year led by Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson, Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet, and Chris Cooper among others.

#4 – Quentin Tarantino is a filmmaker who makes movies I almost always find myself wrestling with. But with “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” I was hooked from the very start. In many ways this is Tarantino’s most mature film to date. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t given those wild flourishes of style and that sharp sense of humor he’s known for. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are outstanding and Margot Robbie’s vision of Sharon Tate provides a ray of light Tarantino’s movies often lack. This is the filmmaker at his very best.

#3 – The year of Brad Pitt reached its apex with his stellar lead performance in James Gray’s cerebral space adventure “Ad Astra”. This fresh and thoughtful slice of science-fiction is uniquely its own thing and doesn’t pander to any particular genre norm. Better yet it’s a technical marvel rich with evocative imagery and with potent themes of introspection, forgiveness, and individuality. “Ad Astra” may not be for everyone, but I love it for its meditative pacing, stunning visuals, and terrific lead work from Pitt.

#2 – I never dreamed that a Todd Phillips movie based on the most recognizable villain in DC comics history would come close to my Top 10 list. Yet here we are with “Joker”, not only one of the biggest surprises of the year but for me one of the best films of 2019. Driven by an incredible lead performance from Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker” is a movie that demands more than a simple surface reading. It is perpetually bleak and our interpretations of it say as much about us as it does Arthur Fleck. A menacing score and gritty visuals are just icing on the cake.

#1 – Terrence Malick set a high bar for himself with 2011’s “The Tree of Life”. He hasn’t been able to hit that mark since, at least not until now. “A Hidden Life” is a remarkable accomplishment. It takes the very best things from the two sides of Malick’s filmography (the early narrative-driven stories and his later evocative visual meditations) and melds them together in one beautiful and inspirational experience. He tells the story of Franz Jägerstätter, a conscientious objector who refused to fight for Hitler. Even more, it’s a soulful exploration of faith in the face of unspeakable evil. This is Malick at his very best and it’s the most captivating movie I saw in 2019.

REVIEW: “The Two Popes”

December 27, 2019 by Keith Garlington

I think it’s safe to say this is not your average buddy movie. And while that statement is certainly a thinly veiled attempt at humor, in many ways “The Two Popes” has quite a bit of common with those kinds of films. It just happens to take place within the boundaries of the Catholic church and the buddies happen to be Pope Benedict XVI and the future Pope Francis.

“The Two Popes” is such an odd yet thoroughly fascinating creation. In one sense it’s an enlightening behind the scenes look at one of Catholicism’s most sacred traditions. It also resembles a biopic spending big chunks of time digging into the backstory of (specifically) Pope Francis (aka Jorge Mario Bergoglio). Yet it’s very much a ‘what-if’ dramedy about the unorthodox friendship between a firm-footed conservative (Benedict) and a loose progressive (Francis).

Director Fernando Meirelles, working from a dense and colorful screenplay by Anthony McCarten, infuses his film with a visual style that adds an unexpected vibrancy. Sometimes it looks at its subject from a documentarian’s point of view, but other times Meirelles employs an energetic assortment of flourishes often bathed in bright light and vivid colors. At times it makes you forget that you’re simply watching two elderly men talk.

The perfectly cast Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce do most of the heavy lifting capturing an odd couple-like vibe that’s both honest and at times really funny. We first meet them following the death of Pope John Paul II. They are part of a conclave of 115 Cardinals gathering at the Vatican to choose a new pontiff. The process is shown to be as much political as it is spiritual. In the end German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Hopkins) gets the required 77 votes beating the prospected frontrunner Cardinal Bergoglio (Pryce).

Ratzinger becomes Pope Benedict XVI while Cardinal Bergoglio heads back to Argentina to continue his work among the impoverished. Seven years pass and the Vatican is embroiled in the knotty Vati-Leaks scandal. Meanwhile Bergoglio has prepared to retire but he can’t get Benedict to respond to his letters. Frustrated, he books a flight to Rome but before he can leave he is summoned to the Pope’s summer home at the Palace of Castel Gandolfo.

This begins a steady series of discussions that move from the gardens of the summer palace to Vatican City. Their talks start seriously as pointed debates on Catholic dogma and the direction of the church. But as their icy relationship warms we get more playful back-and-forths about things like the music of ABBA and World Cup soccer. Soon a true friendship blooms and their conversations turn deeply personal and confessional. This opens the door for several of the film’s lengthy but compelling flashbacks.

“The Two Popes” begins with the “inspired by true events” tag but a ton of artistic license is clearly taken. It works though thanks to the film’s ability to make every encounter we have with its two titular characters feel organic and true. The two veteran actors bring plenty gravitas but just as much humor and humanity. And while the movie is a bit talky, you can’t help but be pulled in by its heart regardless of your position on faith.