What was the last film you watched?

[Mel O'Drama]

Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)

Once again, watching with no idea of what the film would be about was a huge help. The name was only vaguely familiar so it allowed me to be taken by surprise by Meryl Streep wonderfully channelling Madame Edith from 'Allo 'Allo:

"I wish you a speedy recovery."

It was far funnier than I'd expected (in context, the scene above had me in stitches), but then pulled the rug out by following up some of its funniest moments with its most poignant. It's the kind of film that makes you laugh at a ridiculous character and then guilts you for your collusion by reminding you of the tragic truth behind it.

It's wonderfully cast down to the smallest role. Even Mavis Riley shows up as one of Florence's society hangers-on. Meryl Streep, naturally, is fantastic (bad singing for entertainment is probably far more difficult than good singing, but she achieves it while sounding exactly like the few recordings of Florence's I've since heard). This is probably the first thing in which I've seen Simon Helberg (other than a few unavoidable glimpses of him in The Big Bang Theory), and he impressed me as well. It's the best Hugh Grant performance I've seen. His character is the one who is aware of the way his wife is perceived but does everything he can to shield her from the truth and preserve her reputation. It's quite painful to watch, but it's also a beautiful love story in its own way.

It's beautifully written and tells a story that even those who'd heard of her may have been mostly unaware of.​

 

[Seaviewer]

Damn Yankees (1958)
About the seven millionth rip-off Faust in which a dedicated Washington Senators fan makes a deal with the devil to become a baseball star to lead his beloved team to victory over "those damn Yankees".
This showed up in my Tubi feed as something to watch after The Pajama Game, and the two films have some common parentage - most importantly co-directors George Abbott and Stanley Donen. This film, however, only has one bona fide hit: "(You Gotta Have) Heart."
Tab Hunter, a one time matinee idol who never quite hit the top of the pile, puts in a stolid performance, and it's interesting to see Gwen Verdon, a Braodway legend, in one of her rare film appearances. Knowing Ray Walston primarily for My Favorite Martian, it's always something of a surprise to see him in one of these musicals (he was also in South Pacific and Paint Your Wagon) but his otherworldliness stands him in good stead here in the role of "Mr. Applegate".

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Yesterday I had a double-bill of biopics about female British leaders (both of whom were alive at the time of their respective film's release but have since died).


First up was:

The Queen (2006)

It was only midway through the film that it dawned on me that I'd probably watched it before. As I watched, a memory popped into my head of The Duke Of Edinburgh calling the Queen "cabbage" as they said goodnight, and then a while later it happened. If I have watched before (as seems likely), then I remembered nothing else about it, about which I feel very grateful, because I thoroughly enjoyed it and found myself impressed with the film's writing and the performances (even if I always struggle to see Michael Sheen as anything other than Kenneth Williams, he was a great Blair).

In particular, I was impressed with the film's stillness, and the fact that it paid tribute to the Queen without becoming an exercise in sycophancy. Some scenes cast both she and her family in a less than flattering light. Just how unflattering possibly depending upon how much one buys into the image of Diana as a naïve, doe-eyed victim of the Establishment, and even in depicting the national hysteria of the public's response to her death the film includes some welcome balance.

There's an awful lot about the film that felt extremely current: discussions of funeral protocols; the film taking place at a time when the family's reputation was tarnished in part by their response to a media-friendly in-law who had fallen out with the family; and even the Queen Mother's comment that the monarchy's place would be scrutinised and challenged more in the wake of the Queen's death. All added subtext to a 2023 screening.​

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Next up was...

The Iron Lady (2011)

It's difficult to watch without comparing these two biopics. Despite the grandeur inherent in royalty, The Iron Lady still felt noticeably bigger. Everything from the performances to the focus on events involving explosions or forceful speeches to a far broader scope of time covered made The Iron Lady feel like it was intended to be an epic.

While the performances in The Iron Lady are great, many of them do nonetheless feel like performances. It also lacks the intimacy of The Queen. There are some great scenes depicting Thatcher's dementia of later years, and many of the scenes of Thatcher alone interacting with "Denis" were great, capturing the sense of confusion and frustration. However, we don't really get to spend time with any of the characters other than Thatcher. The Queen showed Charles's frustration with his mother's response to Diana's death; and Tony Blair at home and interacting with his colleagues. Despite having some great actors amongst the roster of Thatcher's colleagues, most end up as mute lookalikes, there to signpost and serve the story.

This lack of balance in its perspective meant that the frequently damaging impact of Thatcher's government and Thatcher herself (including her time as Education Secretary) on the UK's climate was wholly underrepresented. She was presented rather too much as a misunderstood champion, or a woman resented by her male peers for her status and strength. Unlike Mirren's Queen, it felt as though Thatcher's edges were blunted here to make her more sympathetic, accessible or palatable.

The Iron Lady's extremely broad canvas doesn't do it any favours either. While The Queen picks a moment in time and focuses on it, trusting the audience to follow along, The Iron Lady wants to tell us everything about Thatcher's life in 100 minutes. It's certainly interesting and eventful, and I found myself looking up information on certain events afterwards. Ultimately, though, it feels too busy and, as a result, doesn't take us beneath the surface in any way that satisfies. It's akin to Reader's Digest condensed book or having a Slim-Fast milkshake for lunch. All the needed information and ingredients are supplied but the lack of substance ultimately leave one unsatisfied and with a feeling of having missed out.

This is a Streep vehicle, so one is naturally expected to marvel at how she embodies yet another persona so very different from anything she's done before. It is a great performance, of course, and it's impossible not to see this. And that's the thing: with The Iron Lady, I never quite felt I was permitted to forget this is a Meryl Streep performance. It felt as though it was expected that I should always be mindful of this in order to appreciate it. While in The Queen, in spite of the very different physical makeups between actress and monarch, I frequently forgot that this was Helen Mirren, so completely did she embody the role. Streep's performance was aided greatly by makeup and prosthesis, plus the fact that Thatcher herself was something of a caricature. I'm sure the same could be said for Her Majesty, but that only makes me more in awe of Mirren's reading finding the humanity and nuance behind the imagery without diminishing the truth of her character. In The Iron Lady, more often than not, I found myself seeing Streep as Janet Brown as Thatcher, which is a little bizarre.​

 

[Angela Channing]

Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)​

I love this film and think it's an underrated gem. Completely agrees with your comments about Hugh Grant, until I saw this film I never particularly rated him as an actor but he was really good in this. I also think this is one of Meryl Streep's best film and performances. Her interpretation of Florence could easily have fallen into parody or pure comedy but instead she created a vulnerable, sympathetic and quite moving character. It's a fantastic film, I've seen it three times and with every viewing I've liked it even more.

 

[Angela Channing]

This is a Streep vehicle, so one is naturally expected to marvel at how she embodies yet another persona so very different from anything she's done before. It is a great performance, of course, and it's impossible not to see this. And that's the thing: with The Iron Lady, I never quite felt I was permitted to forget this is a Meryl Streep performance. It felt as though it was expected that I should always be mindful of this in order to appreciate it. While in The Queen, in spite of the very different physical makeups between actress and monarch, I frequently forgot that this was Helen Mirren, so completely did she embody the role. Streep's performance was aided greatly by makeup and prosthesis, plus the fact that Thatcher herself was something of a caricature. I'm sure the same could be said for Her Majesty, but that only makes me more in awe more of Mirren's reading finding the humanity and nuance behind the imagery without diminishing the truth of her character. In The Iron Lady, more often than not, I found myself seeing Streep as Janet Brown as Thatcher, which is a little bizarre.

Both very good films, although I think The Queen is the better of the two.

I think most people know more about Margaret Thatcher so it's easier to pick out things in The Iron Lady that were wrong (for example, I don't think Margaret Thatcher ever wore a hat in the House of Commons). By contrast, we know very little about the Queen beyond her public face, which is surprising considering how long she was our head of state, so it was easier to accept things in The Queen as being believable even though more of it was probably from the imagination of the writer than historical accuracy.

 

[Angela Channing]

Sharper (2023)

Julianne Moore and John Lithgow are two of my favourite current actors so I really wanted to like this film and thankfully I did. It's a clever thriller with lots of unexpected twists. The story is told in an episodic structure focussing on a different character in each part. The main characters in the film are either con artists or their marks (the victims of the con artists) and in each segment of the film it's not always clear who is in each of these roles. It's hard to say much about the film without giving away any spoilers but it's a lot of fun even though I could see the ending coming from a mile off.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I think most people know more about Margaret Thatcher so it's easier to pick out things in The Iron Lady that were wrong (for example, I don't think Margaret Thatcher ever wore a hat in the House of Commons).

I'm sure there were a number of little details like that which passed me by.

I thought one of the more glaring inaccuracies was Thatcher being present at the murder of Airey Neave. Presumably this one was a deliberate choice for dramatic reasons.

By contrast, we know very little about the Queen beyond her public face, which is surprising considering how long she was our head of state, so it was easier to accept things in The Queen as being believable even though more of it was probably from the imagination of the writer than historical accuracy.

Very true indeed. I haven't yet watched The Crown, but I suspect it's this mystique which makes the writers' little indulgences more believable (as well as enticing).

Sharper (2023)

I've seen this one advertised a lot recently and I'm mildly intrigued by the trailers. It's good to know that you enjoyed it.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Completely agrees with your comments about Hugh Grant, until I saw this film I never particularly rated him as an actor but he was really good in this.

It was the same experience for me. I've generally thought of him as a reliable actor who's watchable enough but who plays the same character (adorably awkward slightly dim fop) in everything. He's still very recognisably Hugh Grant here but he makes it work and puts in a great performance. He was the film's grounding force for me.

I also think this is one of Meryl Streep's best film and performances. Her interpretation of Florence could easily have fallen into parody or pure comedy but instead she created a vulnerable, sympathetic and quite moving character.

Agreed. I love the way it still had those parodic, comic moments that initially lured me into thinking it was going to be one kind of film but which turned out to be quite another.

It's a fantastic film, I've seen it three times and with every viewing I've liked it even more.

I can imagine it holds up to multiple viewings. I'd certainly watch it again.

 

[Angela Channing]

Maybe I Do (2023)

To badly paraphrase President Biden, Let me start off with two words: I hated this.

This film is about 3 couples: couple 1 is Susan Sarandon and William H Macy, couple 2 is Diane Keaton and Richard Gere and couple 3 is the son of couple 1 and the daughter of couple 2 who are about to get married but the groom is beginning to have second thoughts. Unknown to everyone else, Susan Sarandon and Richard Gere's characters are having an affair and William H Macy and Diane Keaton meet in a cinema and contemplate having an affair not knowing how their children are connected. Couple 3 decide their parents should come together so they can all discuss the best way forward regarding the impending nuptials. Are you keeping up?

This is meant to be a romcom but it wasn't remotely funny and not even its stellar cast could save this lame production.

 

[Angela Channing]

The Whale (2022)

My usual criticism of plays that have been remade as films is that they don't take enough advantage of the new medium by opening it up more from the limited confines of a stage. In The Whale, the entirety of the story is told within the flat of Charlie, played by Brandan Fraser, but here the limited locations enhances the storytelling by not allowing the viewer to stray beyond the walls of home in the same way that Charlie is imprisoned there by his morbid obesity.

Charlie is a seriously overweight English teacher, who teaches his classes via zoom. He is terminally ill due to health issues brought on by his weight and he is trying to re-connect with his daughter before he dies. Brandan Fraser is truly amazing in this film, giving one of the best performances by a male actor in a film made in 2022. He conveys the sadness and vulnerability of his character impressively but the film is more than him, there are just 5 people in the cast and every one of them gives a powerful performance.

It's easy to think this film is about a fat man dealing with being fat but that's not really that at all, it's more about how people deal with feeling guilty about something and blaming themselves for that and how they express their guilt. Each of the 5 characters in the film dealing with their own issues and often not doing it very well.

An interesting and thought-provoking film.

 

[Angela Channing]

Women Talking (2022)

And the award for the most appropriate title for a film goes to this film because it's almost entirely about a group of women sitting around talking. However, it's far more interesting than I've made it sound so far because the women are part of a religious colony in which the men are all powerful and they abuse the women. The women don't want to put up with this any more so they discuss their options: do nothing, stay and fight or leave. During the discussions some of the group describe what life has been like for them and some of the violence they have been subjected too. We never see any of the violence, just the injuries and traumas caused by it.

There is no stand out star, this is very much an ensemble piece as we follow the deliberations and hear some of the truly awful experiences of some of the women. Not a film that sends you away with a smile on your face but one that scores highly on being worthy and scores moderately on being entertaining.

 

[Seaviewer]

The Whale (2022)

Yes, I've heard something about this one. Sounds like quite a departure from the type of role that Brandon Fraser is known for.

 

[Angela Channing]

Yes, I've heard something about this one. Sounds like quite a departure from the type of role that Brandon Fraser is known for.

Brandon Fraser is great in this. I had only previously seen him in Gods and Monsters (1998) and although he was very good in that, he is outstanding in The Whale. At times he is uncomfortable to watch (there's a scene when he binge eats in reaction to a personal disappointment) and times when he wrings every drop of sympathy from you when attempts to walk unaided to prove his love for his daughter. He acts out a wide range of emotions during the course of the film and it's an remarkable performance.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

The Magic Of Belle Isle (2012)
(AKA 'Once More')

Take Johnny Depp's depressed, reclusive novelist with writer's block looking for his solitude in Secret Window and combine him with Jack Nicholson's grumpy novelist frustrated by the limitations his health condition causes him and bitter at the world. Throw in the novelist from Misery (also directed by this film's Rob Reiner) who has closed the book on his biggest-selling character to the disappointment of a fan of his work, and you have Monte Wildhorn, Morgan Freeman's character in this film.

I had no idea what this film was to be about. I hadn't read any synopses or reviews. The UK title - Once More - could mean anything (I've only this morning discovered its original title and find myself wondering why it was changed from something specific to this film into something generic and pretty much meaningless). The only other information I had ahead of time was the image used for its placeholder on my streaming service: Morgan Freeman smiling in front of clouds. So the film could have been about absolutely anything. Indeed Morgan Freeman's smile was enough for me since I've never found him to be anything less than captivating.

It is difficult to sum up this film, since it's one of those films that's very much about what's happening below the surface. It feels rather TV movie or soap-ish in the regard that it feels quite small and unhurried. This may sound like a criticism, but I mean it in the most complimentary way. There's a lot of everyday life and casual interactions and any hint of "event" begins with character and works outwards.

How well it works is probably going to hinge on how endearing you find the characters or how much the film's voice resonates with you. For me, the film was entirely about the journey from isolation to connection and on that level it worked entirely well. In many ways it's an unconventional film which - most of the time- doesn't feel as though it's trying to please a mass audience (the film feels weaker in those moments which feel more expected or conventional). I also liked the characters, even the kids (cutesy Hollywood kids usually nauseate me, but these all felt cast for their acting ability which is fortunate given how much screen-time they had).

By the by, somewhere in the middle of the film I convinced myself that the lead actress was Kim Lankford and then I couldn't unsee it. By film's end I was even a little surprised to find it was not Kim but Virginia Madsen.

And for those who don't care for the story, the scenery is beautiful (I looked it up and it was filmed in the Greenwood Lake area of Orange County) and I suspect it captures that sense of small towns and their communities very well.

This morning I've read that the film is rated very poorly on a couple of those review/critique sites, and I'm glad I don't pay attention to such things or I would have missed out.​

 

[Seaviewer]

A Fantastic Woman (2017)
Chilean film (with English subtitles) about the travails of a trans woman after the death of her older (apparently) straight male lover.
The usual tropes of such stories are all here: the unaccepting family, the ignorant police detectives, the intrusive questions and violence she must endure. It all takes place in a brooding, almost noirish atmosphere like a mystery, but there's little in the way of plot and no real resolution - typical of a "slice of life" film.

 

[Angela Channing]

A Man Called Otto (2023)

Tom Hanks plays Otto, a curmudgeonly widow who spends much of his time enforcing neighbourhood rules and annoying his neighbours in the process but also has a kind heart which comes to the fore when the situation forces it. He is grieving the loss of his wife and makes several attempts to take his own life but various things happen which prevents him from seeing it through. There are several flashbacks to his early life with his wife and in these scenes Otto is played by Tom Hanks's real life son Truman. There's another Hanks family connection in that Tom's wife, Rita Wilson, sings the closing song of the film.

The central theme of the film is love with characters reaching out to one another even when it seemed like they don't really like each other or want to be friends. So although Otto is usually grumpy and annoying he is a central part of the neighbourhood coming together in times of need.

It's an old fashioned film with old fashioned values but that's part of it's charm and what makes it so enjoyable.

 

[Angela Channing]

The Inspection (2022)

Until recently I wasn't particularly aware of A24 and now it seems like every other film I watch has been produced by them.

This film is about a young gay black man who is estranged from his mother and he decides to join the army to make his mother proud of him. At first he tries to hide his sexuality until the recruits have to have communal showers and he gets..., ahem..., excited and then is is subjected to homophobic bullying from his troop and his seniors. Over time he wins them over and his colleagues come to respect and support him.

 

[Angela Channing]

When You Finish Saving The World (2023)

As I said earlier in this thread, I'm a big of Julianne Moore and here she stars with Finn Wolfhard who is best known as Mike from the brilliant series Stranger Things. She plays Evelyn who has a son called Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard) and they have a strained relationship. She works for a women's refuge and bonds with Kyle, the son of one of the women who goes their for help while Ziggy gets affirmation from singing songs on YouTube for his worldwide followers. Ziggy secretly likes a girl from school who is very politically active and he tries to impress her by trying to get involved in her activism. It's almost as if they see these other people as a surrogate for the son/mother that they would have liked.

The film has some interesting ideas but sadly it's a bit of a mess. The storyline is a bit meandering and the only part that was interesting was the relationship between Evelyn and Kyle. Overall, it's moderately entertaining but it should have been so much better.

 

[Willie Oleson]

The Whale (2022)

I watched the trailer to see what the fuss is all about. I find the "you're an amazing person" dialogue a little off-putting.