The Count of Monte-Cristo (2024) ****
Lavish production of the ultimate revenge story, although the plot is so convoluted with so many underdeveloped characters that the count ends up taking a backseat to his own scheme and the emotional center gets lost. We're supposed to go from relishing revenge to wasted obsession, but it's not focused enough on the count to pull that transition off. It also has a convenient subplot about hidden treasure that could be a whole movie by itself and is only there to give him the infinite resources he needs for revenge. And we're expected to believe the masks he wears are on par with the best in modern cinema makeup. Despite all that, it still delivers grandeur and spectacle that's nice to see outside of Hollywood.
Juror #2 (2024) ****
Nicholas Hoult is no Henry Fonda, and Clint Eastwood is no Sidney Lumet, and Juror #2 is no 12 Angry Men, but it's an intriguing story in the same vein. Eastwood's good at presenting the real world without glamour, and he plays down the melodrama in this potboiler for a more matter-of-fact approach, but I think I would enjoy the melodrama version more. Turn up the heat a little.
Seeking Mavis Beacon (2024) ***
A chaotic and cluttered documentary that is less about the model that appeared on the cover of a 1980s computer program and more about the young women inspired to track her down 30 years later. Along the way it touches on a plenitude of topics including deep fakes, internet culture, racial representation, anonymity, and image appropriation, all while they face eviction from their non-profit headquarters. The only thing holding it all together is the unlikely filmmaker detectives and their winning perseverance.
Wonka (2023) ***
Willie Wonka gets the Paddington treatment and it's frustrating because they're trying so desperately hard to make a great film and yet it still falls flat. They even have a decent story that doesn't depend heavily on the original film. Part of the problem is that it's Willie Wonka, so things that should be fresh and wondrous just feel obligatory. Another problem is Timothee Chalamet, who try as he might, is no Gene Wilder. Johnny Depp was no Gene Wilder either. Nobody is Gene Wilder, and he made the Willie Wonka magic work with a character who was quirky and menacing and unpredictable and delightfully funny. There's just no replicating that. But the real problem is that despite the sumptuous production values, it's all very artificial and generically directed, and the musical numbers aren't memorable or fun. The original film had a gritty, real world cynicism to counter the artificiality and wonder of the Wonka factory, and the musical numbers were the highlight of the movie. Wonka is begging for Wes Anderson to come in and give it just the right tone (and honestly, making a mainstream musical like Wonka would probably be more interesting than what Anderson is currently doing).
The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005) ****
I can't say I'm as intrigued by his music as his fans seem to be, but this is a fascinating documentary where artistic expression meets mental illness. Unfortunately, mental illness wins in the end, but it's great to see him persevere in spite of (or because of) his obstacles and the genuine support he receives from those in the music business to try and harness his outpouring of obsessive creativity.
This has a premise similar to my Swope play with a period true story about a wealthy family and poison and a headline grabbing trial, but every choice by David Lean undermines the drama, starting with the casting of his wife Ann Todd, who is simply 20 years too old to play an ingenue under the thumb of an overbearing father. Continental actor Ivan Desny could be Orson Welles' brother.
The Search (1948) ****
Montgomery Clift's "first" film is about a soldier taking in a lost child in the ruins of Berlin after WWII. It's full of charm and heartbreak and offers an interesting look at post-war efforts to rebuild the country and mend broken families. The film suffers from some terrible narration at the beginning (perhaps meant to guide audiences through the multi-lingual story without subtitles) but thankfully it goes away once Clift appears. It's also probably the most charismatic and likable performance I've ever seen from him.
The Mortal Storm (1940) ***
Margaret Sullavan and Jimmy Stewart resist the rise of Nazism in a German mountain village. This is more of historical interest than dramatic interest, being the first Hollywood film to openly confront Hitler's Germany (predating The Great Dictator), but it's a heavy-handed drama even though the same thing is currently happening here. Stewart is more of a secondary character despite being the love interest, but there's a moving performance by Frank Morgan.
The Gay Divorcee (1934) ***
Fred Astaire stalks Ginger Rogers until she falls for him, but she's already married. The story isn't much but the characters are fun, the dialogue whimsical, and there's enough pre-code remnants to give it some spice. Where it falls short is the musical numbers. There's one great dance with Astaire and Rogers, an out-of-place number with young Betty Grable, and an extravagant if choppily-edited 18 minute finale, but the rest of the film hangs on a weak story with a hard to like Astaire.
The Search