Hello, My Name is Doris

On her name-tag it says Hello, My Name is Doris and what a Doris she is. An awkward woman in her mid-sixties acts on a crush on a younger man. Her friends are mortified. She comes to life. There is a little heartbreak, there is humor, there is sweetness, there are consequences for inappropriate actions. A side-story with her family deals with mortality and grief. Sally Fields gives a performance that really sells the character and the story. In interviews she calls it "a coming of age about a woman of age." I really liked this film.

James White

In the film James White we watch the process of end of life real close up. Dealing with the loss of a loved one is hard enough, but dealing with the long process of  the end of a terminal illness is heartbreaking. Realistic and intense.

The French Connection

I saw The French Connection for the first time in the 70s. I knew nothing of the stars, I knew nothing of drug dealers. I knew nothing of New York. It was still a great ride and a thrilling crime film. Forty some years later, I've watched the film again and it really holds up as a crime thriller. The added bonus is the genius of the filming, staging and action scenes. A cop in a car chasing a hijacked subway train is suspenseful and thrilling. A stakeout scene off Front Street in Brooklyn held familiarity, drama and tension. I enjoyed seeing this film again, a true classic.

Cobain: Montage of Heck

The documentary Cobain: Montage of Heck takes us up through the creative process of Kurt Cobain to his success with Nirvana. His process, his energy, his motivation. The second half of the film chronicles his relationship with Courtney Love. His devotion to family, his addiction, his career, his music. A poignant look into a creative, fervent, passionate, short life. Good documentary.

10 Cloverfield Lane

In 10 Cloverfield Lane what we don't see is the scary part. A woman wakes up in a bunker told of an invasion that has killed everyone and made the outside world toxic. The man delivering the news has an elaborate underground bunker. Is this guy a nut? Is he telling the truth? Is there a way out? Should she stay put? All good questions. All answered in crazy ways. Just enough jump scares. Awesome performances. So good.

Crimson Peak

As far as period pieces go Crimson Peak does the visual proud. As far as ghost stories go it is pretty thin. Couple falls in love. Man brings woman back to his creepy mansion. Woman is haunted and freaked out. Twisted family history revealed. Beautiful film, but not much to it. Kind of cheesy. An OK rental.

Spectre

There are a lot of throw-backs to 007 history in the new Bond film Spectre. The opening scene reminded me of Live and Let Die. When the plane flies through the barn in the final chase sequence, I thought of the opening scene of Octopussy. That sweet old Aston Martin shows up as well. The story? Not great. Daniel Craig is almost boring in this. Could not put my finger on what was missing, but this film was just average.

Macbeth (2015)

The classic Macbeth has been interpreted many times. A man fights to be king. In this interpretation Michael Fassbender brings intensity and nuance to the battles Macbeth fought and the effects on the psyche and family. Excellent film.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

In military terms Whiskey Tango Foxtrots translates to WTF. The film of the same name is based on the memoir of a journalist sent to cover the situation in Afghanistan after war breaks out in Iraq. The acronym WTF is appropriate to all of the messed up situations she finds there. From the violence, to the sexism, to the professional competition this is an interesting story. Good film.

Miss You Already

The film Miss You Already sounded sappy in trailers, so I took a pass when it came to theaters. A woman finds out she has breast cancer and the story shows how her coping effects her family and best friend. As a rental I found this to be a good story of friendship, choices, illness, dreams and family. The performances are outstanding.

Rock the Kasbah

When it come to movies the bigger the star, the bigger the expectation. But even someone like Bill Murray can only do so much. Rock the Kasbah has a mediocre script and takes too long to get to the interesting part of the story. It's almost like 2 movies. This was just an OK rental.

I Smile Back

The story of addiction can be rough. In the film I Smile Back we meet a woman who has a lovely home, husband and family. Her depression and distance from them was so sad to me as she would reject prescribed therapies to self-medicate with coke and alcohol. Interesting to watch a comedian like Sarh Silverman play such a serious dramatic role so well. She played it with respect and compassion. Sad story, good film.

Fun Home

Last year at the Tony Awards I became aware of the musical Fun Home. A stirring performance of the song Ring of Keys enchanted and delighted me. I learned that the musical was derived from a graphic novel by Alison Bechdel. Over the next few weeks I heard a lot of interviews with the author and writer of the musical. Over the summer my Father had a health issue that had me in doctor's waiting rooms where Fun Home kept me company. I loved the book I loved the story. Poignant and brave. Around the holidays my daughter asked what shows I was interested in seeing on Broadway. Fun Home was at the top of my list. Under the Christmas tree this year was a ticket for me along with the announcement that both of my daughters would join me. We made reservations for dinner and made an evening of it.

The show? We made our way into the Circle on the Square and took our seats. The show is staged in the round and we were seated next to the orchestra. An intimate theater. The actors were amazing, the set was an engineering marvel and by the end they had captured my heart. With no intermission, the climax of the play was powerful and the tears flowed freely during the last song. I left the theater with a huge smile on my face and a song and story in my heart forever. What a wonderful show, what a wonderful story. Thanks to Ms. Bechdel for sharing her life and her family with mine. What an experience.

Oscar Picks 2016

This is where I post how I would vote if I were a member of the Academy. Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenant were huge standouts to me this year. Star Wars: the Force Awakens was a crowd pleaser and Brooklyn was one of the nicest films of the year. I have really enjoyed this year in film. Popping the popcorn and tuning in on Sunday night. Wishing Chris Rock a good show! Happy Oscars!

Picture - The Revenant
Actor - Leonardo DiCaprio - The Revenant
Actress - Brie Larson - Room
Supporting Actor -Christian Bale - The Big Short
Supporting Actress -Jennifer Jason-Leigh - The Hateful Eight
Director - Alexandro Innaritu
Animated Feature - Shaun the Sheep
Foreign Feature - Son of Saul
Documentary Feature - Amy
Animated Short - Sanjay's Super Team
Live Action Short -Day One
Documentary Short - Body Team 12
Cinematography - The Revenant
Editing - Mad Max: Fury Road
Costume Design - Cinderella
Makeup and Hair Styling - Mad Max: Fury Road
Original Score - Hateful Eight
Original Song - Simple Song #3
Production Design - Mad Max: Fury Road
Sound Editing - Sicario
Sound Mixing - Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Visual Effects - Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Adapted Screenplay - Carol
Original Screenplay - Spotlight

Oscars 2016: The Films

Until I saw The Revenant I was sure that Mad Max: Fury Road was the best picture of the year. Now they sit side by side in my brain on an equal footing. I think The Revenant will take the Oscar. Of the animated films, Pixar's Inside Out will probably walk away with the statue, but the very charming Shaun The Sheep Movie was my favorite animated film this year. The documentary Amy pulled at a lot of heartstrings and was a nice tribute to a short career. Cartel Land and Winter on Fire could win just on the bravery of capturing the harrowing footage. The only foreign film I saw was Son of Saul. I'll be interested to see if it wins. All of the animated shorts were lovely in their own way. Pixar could walk away with this one too with Sanjy's Super Team, but World of Tomorrow did some innovative stuff. Live action short could go to Stutterer for the sentimental, Day One for the intensity or Ave Maria for a laugh.I got within 4 films of seeing every feature nominated for an Oscar. Not bad! It's been a good year for film.

Oscars 2016: The People

The most consistent thing I have been saying about movies this year is that the stories are OK, but the performances have been outstanding. The supporting acting categories for this year's Oscar will become a popularity contest because all 8 nominated performances are so good. I'm still not sure who I'll pick for my Oscaar Pool, but Jennifer Jason-Leigh for The Hateful Eight and Kate Winslet in Steve Jobs stand out. For the men I really can't pick, all were strong in their own way. Best Actor for me this year was Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant. Such intensity and commitment paid off. Inarritu could win Best Director for the film as well. It's really a masterpiece. The Best Actress will probably go to Brie Larson for her powerful performance in Room, But Saoirse Ronan put in some good work in Brooklyn so we'll see. Bravo to all!

Oscars 2016: The Stories

There were so many great scripts this year. The trend of stories based on true events is still running strong. For original screenplay I think that Spotlight is the standout. Inside Out and Ex Machina are very clever, bu there is an intensity and resonance in the way the journalists dog down the story that is so compelling to me. The adapted screenplay I liked was Brooklyn. A nice story of making decisions and growing up that sat well with me. Carol is a similar story about making decisions that is also well written. Any of the adapted screenplays could win the Oscar and I wouldn't be surprised.

Oscars 2016: The Sounds

Music sets tone and the emotional path in a film. Several beautiful scores accompanied the best films this year. John Williams did a nice job blending the nostalgic with new music in the score of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I really liked the score to The Hateful Eight for it's intensity and drive. I thought that the original songs this year were just alright. Simple Song #3 was the only one that impressed me. For all of the light sabers, robots and space chases I thought the sound in Star Wars: The Force Awakens was most effective. Though I thought the sound editing in Sicario really took you along for the ride.

Oscars 2016: The Sights

Everything we see on the screen feeds our senses. Two of the most stunning films to me this year were Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenant. From editing to makeup to costumes to production design, editing and cinematography, both are stunning. Both are masterful in their visual effects, but I think based on pure emotion, Star Wars: The Force Awakens marries the old and the new to a wonderful effect. Costumes almost become a character in Carol and The Danish Girl. The Oscar could go to any of these and be well deserved.

Boy & the World

The last attainable film in My Oscar Project was Boy & the World. This lovely animated feature follows a young boy out of his idyllic world to the reality of industrialism and environmental decline. The animation is colorful and involved. The story is simple and deep. Loved this film.