With the Golden Globe and SAG nominations announced, it was time to start the movie marathon. Although not all will be considered for the Oscars, the nominations are fairly good predictors.
First up was The Favourite, a look at the reign of Queen Anne of England, Sarah Churchill, her trusted friend, and Abigail Masham, a conniving ex-aristocrat who weasels her way into palace life. Sarah unsuspectingly allows Abigail to become a part of Anne's life as a servant, but soon realizes that Abigail has many ulterior motives. Men do have a part of the movie, but the strength of the film lies in the acting of the three women.
Really enjoyed the historic part of this movie and can understand why it would not appeal to everyone. There is satire that requires a knowledge of the history.
Cast
Olivia Colman
as Queen Anne
Emma Stone
as Abigail Hill
Rachel Weisz
as Sarah Churchill
Nicholas Hoult
as Robert Harley
Joe Alwyn
as Samuel Masham
Mark Gatiss
as John Churchill
Director
Yorgos Lanthimos
It is interesting to see a film of events that happened in your lifetime. Battle of the Sexes chronicles the events leading up to the historic tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. I can remember watching this in 1973, but never was aware of how it all came to be. Super performances by Emma Stone and Steve Carell. It is so depressing to remember and see how not much has changed in the equal pay for all arena. Billie Jean set out to remedy the inequalities of the tennis world and ended up speaking on behalf of all women as she spurned the Lawn Tennis Association and founded with her husband, Larry King, the WTA. The inception of her relationship with her hairdresser, Marilyn Barnett, added a layer of complication to the procuring of sponsorships. A lesbian affair would not have been accepted by most of the population. The movie is more the BJK story and less the BR one. He is, for the most part, a washed up player, addicted to gambling and looking for the "next best thing." I bristled at the male chauvinistic remarks, realizing that I have heard similar recently.
Cast
-
Emma Stone
as Billie Jean King
-
Steve Carell
as Bobby Riggs
-
Andrea Riseborough
as Marilyn Barnett
-
Sarah Silverman
as Gladys Heldman
-
Alan Cumming
as Ted Tinling
Director
- Jonathan Dayton
- Valerie Faris
This was a very complex movie that takes place after WWII. It relates the stories of two families, one black, the McAllans and one white, the Jacksons, who live on the same land. At times it was difficult to follow the stories from flashback to present. The families are strong willed and each character comes forward to demonstrate his or her personality. There are definite parallels between the strong-willed women and their relationships with their husbands. The racism is rampant and uncomfortable to watch. Blige is excellent in her portrayal of Florence, but is up against Allison Janney from I, Tonya, who will most probably walk away with the Oscar.
Cast
-
Carey Mulligan
as Laura McAllan
-
Jason Clarke
as Henry McAllan
-
Jason Mitchell
as Ronsel Jackson
-
Garrett Hedlund
as Jamie McAllan
-
Mary J. Blige
as Florence Jackson
-
Rob Morgan
as Hap Jackson
-
Jonathan Banks
as Pappy McAllan
-
Kerry Cahill
as Rose Tricklebank
-
Dylan Arnold
as Carl Atwood
-
Lucy Faust
as Vera Atwood
Director
The second film of the day was Call Me by Your Name. It was quite different from Phantom Thread. Oliver comes to stay with the Perlmans as a summer intern to Elio's father in 1983 in Northern Italy. The two seem quite different at first, but the chemistry is there from the get go and the erotic tension builds through the first hour of the film.
This was a beautiful movie from the scenery, the delicious looking food and the acting by Timothée Chalamet and Michael Stuhlbarg. The monologue that Stuhlbarg delivers as he gives advice to Elio is one of the most moving in any film.
Cast
-
Timothée Chalamet
as Elio Perlman
-
Armie Hammer
as Oliver
-
Michael Stuhlbarg
as Lyle Perlman
-
Amira Casar
as Annella Perlman
-
Esther Garrel
as Marzia
-
Victoire Du Bois
as Chiara
Director
The concept of freedom of the press vs. the government is just as applicable today as it was in 1971 when the Washington Post under the leadership of Kay Graham and Ben Bradlee decided to publish the Pentagon Papers. The courage that it took is vividly portrayed by Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep as well as Tracy Letts. I remember this time in our history and even the night when the Pentagon Papers were released. A good film and probably an Oscar nomination, but not as complex or intense as Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
Cast
- Meryl Streep
as Kay Graham
-
Tom Hanks
as Ben Bradlee
-
Tracy Letts
as Fritz Beebe
-
Alison Brie
as Lally Weymouth
-
Carrie Coon
as Meg Greenfield
-
Bob Odenkirk
as Ben Bagdikian
-
David Cross
as Phil Geyelin
-
Bruce Greenwood
as Robert McNamara
-
Sarah Paulson
as Tony Bradlee
-
Jesse Plemons
as Roger Clark
-
Matthew Rhys
as Howard Simons
-
Michael Stuhlbarg
as Eugene Patterson
-
Bradley Whitford
as Fritz Beebe
-
Zach Woods
as Daniel Ellsberg
-
Pat Healy
as Phil Geyelin
-
Kelly AuCoin
as Kevin Maroney
Director
A great film for a stay-at-home Friday night. Almost reminiscent of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller, Get Out builds to a dramatic conclusion. Chris is going for a first time visit to Rose's parent's home. They do not know that he is black and he, naturally, dreading the situation has many misgivings. She reassures him that they are not racists. As they approach the house they see 2 black servants who seem to be almost robotic in their actions. It is not to long into the visit that he realizes that something is amiss and the guests at her parents' annual house party are a bit akin to the Stepford Wives mentality. At that point he realizes that he must Get Out. It is understandable why Daniel Kaluuya received a GG best acting nod.
Cast
-
Daniel Kaluuya
as Chris
-
Allison Williams
as Rose
-
Catherine Keener
as Missy
-
Bradley Whitford
as Dean
-
Keith Stanfield
as Andre Hayworth
-
Marcus Henderson
as Walter
Director
We saw Molly's Game immediately after the The Disaster Artist. Another "based on a true story" film, this was a fun one to watch. Jessica Chastain was excellent as Molly Bloom, an Olympic caliber skier, who gave up the slopes due to a catastrophic fall and injury. Pushed by her father to do something productive with her life, she tries out numerous secretarial jobs before landing one with one of the organizers of a very profitable Hollywood poker game. Using her prowess and good looks she takes over the game and runs it successfully until her arrest by the FBI. Idris Elba is fantastic as her lawyer and totally gets Molly's personality. The one downer is the scene with her father (Costner) that plays over-dramatically and without a sense of reality. Would love to read her book.
Cast
-
Jessica Chastain
as Molly Bloom
-
Idris Elba
as Charlie Jaffey
-
Kevin Costner
as Larry Bloom
-
Michael Cera
as Player X
-
Brian d'Arcy James
as Bad Brad
Director
Writer (book)
Writer
Having just returned from France, it was a natural to head to the cinemas to see Dunkirk. What an amazing story of World War II when hundreds of British private citizens hastened to aid in the evacuation of soldiers that were surrounded by the Germans. With very little dialog and a large dose of action, this is sure to be a contender for best picture.
Cast
-
Kenneth Branagh
as Commander Bolton of the Royal Navy
-
Fionn Whitehead
as Tommy
-
Mark Rylance
as Captain of the Moonstone
-
Tom Hardy
as Farrier
-
Cillian Murphy
as BEF Officer
-
Harry Styles
as Alex
Director
