Creature from the Black Lagoon

Guillermo del Toro said in an interview, that Creature from the Black Lagoon was inspiration for The Shape of Water so I decided to give it a look. I loved this film. The technology is pretty amazing for the time. The camera work and cinematography are great and the story moves right along and draws you in. So many shots have been recreated in more current films. It was very cool to see the original. I really liked this film.

Destroyer

The story in Destroyer is poorly told. I usually like a film whose time-line jumps around, but this one did not work for me.I felt like I need ed more information sooner to care about the main character. Nicole Kidman turns in great performances, but that story still wasn't very good. An OK rental.

Tribeca Film Festival 2019

Arriving in DUMBO on Wednesday night to return the pups to their rightful home, it is nice to be on familiar ground in Brooklyn. On Thursday afternoon I arrive in Tribeca and make a bee-line for Edward's for my traditional soup and wine lunch as sustenance to begin Tribeca Film Festival. With time to kill I stop in to Reade Street Pub and spend a little quality time with old friends. Continuing the Tribeca circuit, a stop at Tribeca Grille for a snack and a drink proves to be entertaining when a man is escorted out when the bartender stops serving him and he's not having it. The best is his companion's sheepish re-entry to retrieve his coat. Then I make my way to BMCC for a Tribec Talks panel where Guillermo Del Toro is interviewed by Alec Baldwin. The insight, humor and film chat is very exciting. Del Toro is a charmer and tells a good story. O the way back to DUMBO I stop in to The Patriot to say hi to Patience and call it a day. Thanks for the fun Tribeca.

Friday morning I make my way to South Street Seaport and score a  Broadway ticket at TKTS. Sliders at Fraunces Tavern fit the bill for lunch. I always feel like I'm in "the room where it happens" when I am in this historic place. I make my way back up to Tribeca and kill some time at Tribeca Tavern which is near the venue for my Film Festival event today. The Queen Cooperative presented a discussion of film making with Dee Rees, Queen Latifa, B. Monet and Haley Elizaabeth Anderson. It was interesting, heartfelt and inspirational. Smart, strong talented people advocating for the creative process.

Despite the rain, I made it to Lincoln Center where I was seeing My Fair Lady at the Vivian Beaumont theater. What a show! Laura Benanti was in the role of Eliza and she was amazing! Lincoln Center is a sparking jewel full of culture and excitement. Wonderful night of theater.

On Saturday Liza, the kids and I went to Almar for brunch. Delicious as always. Liza and I wandered through the Open Studios in DUMBO. It's always nice to see what the artists are doing in her neighborhood. We had dinner at Superfine and felt very satisfied with our day.

I headed out early Sunday morning so that I could stop in NJ to see Patty & Herb at their new home at Atria Assisted Living. It is a beautiful place and they seemed happy to be there. Clean, safe and lots of kind, helpful people. A stop at GW Carson's Burgers finished off my adventures with a delicious meal before I get home.

All in all, a fun New York adventure. Thanks for the fun Tribeca Film Festival!

Nureyev

A beautifully structured documentary, Nureyev takes us on the journey of Rudolf Nureyev's life and career. The clips and interviews are edited to tell a story of hard work, drive, perseverance, art and focus. Nureyev is a wonderful dancer and lived an interesting life. Excellent documentary.

Roar

The monumental task of making the film Roar is as compelling as the film itself. The story of a man who lives among lions was filmed with real lions. When his family comes to visit and he's not there, it becomes a bit of a horror film as the family fends off the animals that seem to see them as lunch. The production of this film is fascinating yet rather frighting. What a film.

Obit

The New York Times writers featured in the documentary Obit are masters of the craft of writing. Using journalist skills and techniques akin to detective work they give special attention to detail to tell the stories of the lives of people for their obituaries. In this film crafting an obit is like writing a song. Finding the right notes while being true to the subject...with compassion. This is a well structured documentary with some talented, experienced writers. Well done.

Second Act

The performances in Second Act are worthy of a much better script. The story of a woman getting a job under false pretenses is not new, but this cast is so skilled and sincere, I wish they had had better material to work with. There was so much potential here. An OK rental.

Mirai

 The story in the animated film Mirai begs the question, is it time travel or is it magic? A child copes with life in interesting, creative ways. This is a charming film.

The Mule

Clint Eastwood brings an innocence to his character in The Mule to excellent effect. He is not a nice man, yet Eastwood's performance begs for sympathy. I have trouble feeling that sympathy, because he treats his wife and family so poorly. This is a good drama, but I had such a dislike for the character I have trouble liking the film.

Bumblebee

I loved the first Transformers movie. In Bumblebee I felt the same vibe. The character development is good, the action is solid, the story is interesting and there is a big old heart. The humor is well placed and executed. This movie was a lot of fun.

Gloria Bell

I so wanted to like Gloria Bell, but I think it hit a little too close to home. A single, middle aged woman looks for happiness and does a good job satisfying that. When she meets a man who seems to be a good fit, he tries to make her responsible for his happiness as well. He hurts her. He's not emotionally fit to be in a relationship. The third act does not make a lot of sense, but there is one very satisfying scene near the end. The performances are very good, this story just wasn't for me.

The Invitation

Grief can have strong consequences. In The Invitation a group of friends gather for what we think is a dinner party. As the conversation and evening evolve, we learn it is much more. The less you know going in, the better. This film is bizarre, creepy and very well done. If you like something different with a twist, this is a good film.

Aquaman

Superheroes go underwater in Aquaman in this Shakespearean-style drama. The best parts of this film are the world building, visual effects, even a sharknado! The worst parts are the battle scenes. There are too many of them and they go on and on.  There is also a constant harping on the fact that Aquaman is a half-blood. Got it the first ten times. This is an OK rental with decent performances.

Instant Family

Foster care and adoption are addressed in the movie Instant Family. It comes off a bit cheesy and cut and dried, but the portrayal does get messy sometimes, and that's where it shines. The young actors that play the kids are very good. This movie has a big heart and good intentions. A decent rental.

Rogers

http://blog.dvd.netflix.com/new-dvd-releases/spotlight-on-fred-rogers-an-american-icon

Operation Finale

War criminals are brought to justice in the film Operation Finale where a group of spies hunts down Adolf Eichmann.The pace of this film is slow, but the story is important. War criminals do not always get what they deserve. Performances are excellent.

Us

The film Us has all the creepy you would want. A parallel universe makes its way into the real world and chaos ensues. This one is a mind-bender and the less you know going in the better...

Somebody Up There Likes Me

Watching Somebody Up There Likes Me I notice that many boxing films follow the same path. The true story of Rocky Graziano is more interesting than most. The support of his family is very important. The response to the title line "Somebody up there likes me." is "Somebody down here too." Perfect.

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Returning to the world of dragons in How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World was such a pleasure. Hiccup is determined to find a place where they can live in peace with all of the dragons. The visuals of the swarms of dragons are amazing. The characters have their quirks and our hero fights valiantly. The villain's transport made me immediately think Dragon Drone. There is action, adventure, humor and heart. All of this is accompanied by a beautiful score. The closing credits have some very entertaining drawings that allude to what is being credited.Wonderful end to this heartfelt trilogy.

Apollo 11

I was 12 when the US put a man on the moon...and brought him back. I remember being so worried about the astronauts. In the documentary Apollo 11 all of the footage is authentic, much is from the spacecraft itself. In ways that is comforting. In ways that is terrifying. Going behid the scenes with NASA is amazing. At the end of this film I felt like I had been to the moon and back. This is a dynamic documentary.