Movie with Abe: The Other Story

The Other Story
Directed by Avi Nesher
Released June 28, 2019

Religion can be a source of comfort for people, giving them faith in a higher power and a belief that good deeds count for something since there is indeed someone watching over in judgment. It can also be extremely stifling, forcing those who don’t fit into a box to adhere to standards that suppress their individuality and prevent them from being able to thrive. Putting pressure on them to conform only serves to create more resentment, and there are those raised away from observant religion who find it later, which in turn can create friction with family members and friends who don’t understand or agree with their newfound perspective.

Yonatan (Yuval Segal) arrives in Israel from America after being summoned by his ex-wife Tali (Maya Dagan) and his father Shlomo (Sasson Gabai). The reason for his visit is the impending marriage of his daughter Anat (Joy Rieger) to popular musician Shahar (Nathan Goshen) following the rock star couple’s recent transition to very observant Judaism. As Yonatan gets to know the daughter he abandoned long ago, he begins to help his therapist father with two of his clients, Rami (Maayan Blum), a husband concerned about how his wife, Sari (Avigail Harari), who was raised religious, is involving their young son in the pagan rituals she is attending.

While religion plays a major role in the lives of Anat and Sari, this film doesn’t actually deal much with observance. The concern expressed by Tali and Shlomo about Anat’s wedding has less to do with their disagreements about piousness and how it changes a person and more to do with their lack of faith in Shlomo having actually changed from the former drug user’s bad influences. Rami can’t understand what his wife is doing with a pagan group in Jerusalem, and the fact that it is open only to women and children creates yet another barrier. Yonatan, who has alienated everyone he left behind, arrives and is able to analyze both situations objectively, uninterested in immersing himself in either of the religious worlds and instead trying to understand the people involved rather than only their ideologies.

This film reunites director Avi Nesher with the star of his previous film, “Past Life” (read my interview with him here), Rieger, who serves as the dramatic anchor of this multifaceted story. Dagan steals most of her scenes with a fiery energy, and it’s fun to see Gabai, a seasoned actor from films like “The Band’s Visit” and “Gett: The Trial of Vivianne Amsalem,” in a supporting turn that finds him providing comic relief. This film is involving and unusual in the threads it weaves together, building a thought-provoking experience that explores the intersection of different personalities and cultures.

B+

Movie with Abe: Breakthrough

Breakthrough
Directed by Roxann Dawson
Released April 17, 2019

A film’s title can have significant meaning, and can also serve to reveal where its story is ultimately headed. Some cinematic experiences, especially those based on true events, aren’t reliant on suspense and plot twists to deliver satisfaction, but instead on the power of what’s portrayed to speak for itself and be fulfilling in its own right. Going into a movie with a sense of what you’re going to get out of it can be both appealing and irritating, since expectations being met exactly may end up being lackluster and all too predictable.

Fourteen-year-old John Smith (Marcel Ruiz) is playing with his friends on a frozen lake when he falls through the ice. His two friends emerge quickly, but it takes first responders considerably longer to find him and bring him up. A lack of pulse compels Dr. Sutterer (Sam Trammell) to call his time of death, but the arrival of his willful adoptive mother, Joyce (Chrissy Metz), produces a response in him. Joyce dedicates every moment to being there for John and maintaining a positive attitude, leaning on her husband Brian (Josh Lucas) and her new pastor, Jason (Topher Grace), who she dislikes immensely until he shows up and prays with her for a miraculous recovery.

The title here refers both to John’s fall and his incredible journey back to life, which is dramatized in this heavily Christian production. Joyce is first seen arguing with Jason about who reserved the church space she is using for a meeting, and the two are highly competitive about their approach to faith. Yet there’s never a question of not believing, just simply a clash on how to do it. When Jason remains by her side and insistent that her hope should be maintained, while doctors and friends express doubts about John’s condition, they become bonded together, both espousing an extreme devotion to prayer that they believe has the power to save this boy who should by all accounts be dead.

Ruiz, in his film debut, is unconscious for most of the film, and as a result the spotlight is much more on Metz. Best known for “This Is Us,” Metz delivers an extremely hokey performance here with a regrettable accent, and she’d be much better remembered for her powerful rendition of the Oscar-nominated song “I’m Standing with You,” which plays over the credits and serves as the only reason that this reviewer (and other ardent Oscar fans) saw this film. Grace is capable as always, properly representative of the charismatic nature of many religious figures. This film showcases a formidable survival, but does so in the most obvious and predictable way possible, unnecessarily adapted into this religion-centric production.

C-

Movie with Abe: Ad Astra

Ad Astra
Directed by James Gray
Released September 20, 2019

There are many different type of space movies. Some feature large interplanetary conflicts complete with many battle scenes and alien species. Others begin on Earth and follow astronauts and other explorers as they venture out either in search of a last hope for saving mankind or merely to try to discover the unknown. The specifics of the science aren’t necessarily important as long as the overarching story is appealing and solid. Those seeking action and excitement won’t always find that in some of the quieter, more contemplative science fiction that takes a step back to marvel at the vastness of space and all the possibilities – good and bad – that come with it.

Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) is an astronaut who, after nearly being killed in a power surge, is sent on a mission to attempt to stop this wave of deadly surges that threatens the entire planet and solar system. He learns that his father, H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones), may not have died sixteen years earlier while on a mission of his own as Roy always believed. Roy travels with Colonel Pruitt (Donald Sutherland) to the Moon and must endure many threats as he nears his ultimate destination, where he will transmit a message to his father that everyone hopes he will be able to hear.

This film comes from director James Gray, whose last project was “The Lost City of Z,” which followed the hunt for an ancient civilization in South America. It definitely qualifies as low-key, utilizing sufficient visual effects but opting to focus in on the experience of its central character in a manner reminiscent of the recent “First Man.” It might also well be compared to some of the quieter, subtler moments of “Interstellar” with the tone and pacing of “Annihilation” and “Moon.” It doesn’t completely feel like its own movie in its own universe, but its similarities to other projects make it moderately accessible.

Pitt is on track to win his first Oscar for “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” and this film, released just two months later, represents a chance for him to hone a different kind of performance. It’s not his most stirring turn, but it works well enough. This film represents an expected science fiction endeavor, one that doesn’t tread surprising new ground but performs ably in probing the risks of ambition and the dangers, both internal and external, of being cut off from civilization for too long.

B

Movie with Abe: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
Directed by Joachim Rønning
Released October 18, 2019

Fantasy films, particularly those based on classic stories or fairy tales, tend to follow a certain general narrative. Things begin generally at peace, but a misperception of someone’s true nature leads to unfortunate consequences, likely resulting in an extended conflict that won’t be resolved until after certain irreversible casualties are incurred. True love may save the day, or some more platonic form of care and respect that allows an important individual’s mind to be changed so that they may ally themselves with the good guys. Predictability isn’t necessarily a damning factor, but a film requires some special spark to be worthwhile in its own right.

Aurora (Elle Fanning) rules the kingdom of the Moors while her mother Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) serves as its mostly unseen protector. When Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson) of Ulstead proposes to Aurora, Maleficent is invited to join his parents for dinner, revealing notions of peace from his father, King John (Robert Lindsay), and hateful sentiments from his mother, Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer), whose treatment of Maleficent is far from respectful. When a curse befalls John, Maleficent is blamed, prompting a war between humans and the Dark Fae, one in which Maleficent and Aurora will need to decide where exactly they stand based on their intrinsic connection to the other species.

This film is a sequel to 2014’s “Maleficent,” an uneven adaptation of “Sleeping Beauty.” Like that film, it’s heavy on the effects and its mythical creatures, something that is visually appealing at times but ultimately feels more emphasized than the plot of the film itself. The story feels obvious from the start, an unneeded addition to lore that has been covered and explored many times over. There’s little about the character of Maleficent that makes her presence feel crucial, with Queen Ingrith taking more of the spotlight.

That’s due, of course, due to the casting of Pfeiffer, who always enjoys chewing scenery and rarely gets great roles these days. She’s a formidable match for Jolie, who, like in the first film, isn’t trying very hard. Fanning is good as always, though this too isn’t the most challenged she’s ever been. There is a formula to these kinds of films and a way to make them feel new and exciting, but that’s not what’s on display here. Many, like this reviewer, who wouldn’t have otherwise seen this movie are screening it exclusively to see its Oscar-nominated makeup and hairstyling, which, while decent, is far from reason enough to sit through two hours of all-too-familiar unfulfilling fantasy.

C

Movie with Abe: Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel
Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck
Released March 8, 2019

There is no seeming end to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which continues to produce more movies even after it brought together all of its characters in the epic two-film saga that was “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.” Its superheroes all bring something different to the table, and many are based on very popular comic characters. What’s often most interesting is when the protagonists less featured or well-known get a chance to explore their own origin stories and invite audiences to visit their unique and wondrous worlds.

Vers (Brie Larson) is a Kree soldier with an incredible power that her mentor, Yon-Rogg (Jude Law), trains her to help her harness. When they are separated during a mission to rescue a spy, Vers is interrogated and realizes that the dreams that she has been having of a life on Earth may in fact be memories that can help explain her past, which include a scientist named Lawson (Annette Bening). When she arrives on Earth, Vers meets young S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who quickly learns that she is telling the truth about her alien identity and does his best to support her in her quest to figure out whose side she’s really on and what she can do with the abilities she has yet to fully unlock.

This film, which was the only Marvel movie released in between the two mega-blockbusters that signaled an official end to the fourth phase of films, is notable for being the first of its kind to feature a female lead. Larson is undeniably a fantastic fit for the role, giving Vers a tremendous energy and confidence that allows her to quickly establish a banter with Fury and find entertainment in her every interaction with him and others who attempt to challenge her in any way. Jackson, who has a bigger role here after minor appearances in so many other films in the franchise, is entertaining as always, and it’s fun to see him play a younger version of the character. Ben Mendelsohn is particularly entertaining in the supporting cast.

This film effectively manages to bring in many familiar elements of other Marvel Cinematic Universe projects, including its signature agency and its later director, Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg), and the Kree people. Rather than waste time on too much exposition from the start, this film launches right into the action, allowing the woman also known as Captain Marvel to discover herself along with the audience. It’s an engaging and very watchable experience, one packed with a number of superb flight and chase scenes and great visual effects. The sequel is already in the works, and the way this film delivers on its premise suggests bright things for the future of Captain Marvel.

B+

Movie with Abe: Midnight Family

Midnight Family
Directed by Luke Lorentzen
Released December 6, 2019

The cost of medical care is controversial enough in the United States thanks to the complexities of health insurance, which often charges patients far too much for simple services that should be covered and can end up bankrupting those who require emergency medical attention. Other countries have different systems, some of which are much more regulated and others which struggle to provide even basic services to those in need. That can lead to exploitative behavior, though each situation in which someone appears to be taking advantage requires a closer look into what the market is and just what those utilizing it to their benefit aim to accomplish.

In Mexico City, there are only forty-five ambulances to serve a population of nine million. As a result, for-profit ambulances operate, rushing to the scenes of accidents to offer treatment and then billing their patients for their services. In many cases, patients are thankful but argue that they can’t pay for a variety of reasons, and the Ochoa family goes home having actually lost money by using gas and medical supplies and receiving nothing in return. They do receive kickbacks by bringing those they care for to certain hospitals, but that doesn’t always make up for the costs they must incur and the time they spend responding to calls.

This film highlights a fascinating arrangement in which these ambulance owners compete with one another to arrive at the scene of an accident first so that they can be the ones who are able to provide care, often joking as they race down the road at incredible speeds. Yet there are many times in which the subjects of the film, the Ochoa family, express just how upsetting it is that the government doesn’t have nearly enough resources to be able to respond, and that in some cases they are the only ones to show up, even after someone has been suffering and bleeding out for a long period of time. They also express a true passion for what they are doing, well aware that, like any other occupation, it is a job that demands payment in return for services.

There is a tremendous thrill that comes with riding along in the front seat of the Ochoa family ambulance, springing into action when a call comes in and doing everything possible to make it there quickly and before anyone else. There is plenty of humor injected into this serious subject matter, thanks largely to the commentary provided when the ambulance finds a motorcycle or taxi in its path and berates the driver over its loudspeaker system to get out of the way. This documentary, which made the fifteen-wide shortlist of films competing for the corresponding Oscar, effectively spotlights its topic in just eighty minutes, all of which feel well-used and energetically vital.

B+

Movie with Abe: One Child Nation

One Child Nation
Directed by Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang
Released August 9, 2019

Every country has different laws regarding reproductive rights, and it’s far more common that they limit options rather than grant them. While abortion isn’t uniformly permitted throughout the United States and in other countries, an entirely opposite protocol existed over a number of years in China. The one-child policy aimed to combat a future of problematic overpopulation by ensuring that each family produced just one child. While the effort may have been theoretically humanitarian in nature, the methods of enforcement and effects of relegating families to a single offspring proved deeply damaging to so many throughout the country, in ways that are still being felt.

Nanfu Wang has recently become a mother, prompting her to explore her own family origins. As a second child born to parents in a small village where the one-child decree wasn’t as strict, Nanfu wants to investigate the impact of this national policy. She interviews her own family members and others who played an active role in carrying out the policy to learn about how some were forcibly sterilized and how others abandoned girls in the public market so that they could try again to have a boy instead. She is most curious to learn how they feel now, and is startled to discover how many of them, even those affected negatively by it, still believe that it was necessary and right.

This is a deeply personal film for Wang, who, with co-director Zhang Lynn, chips away at a concept that was widely accepted by so many to understand what took place to let that happen and what was lost as a result. Having a child allows Wang to think in a way she hadn’t before, which makes the questions that she asks her own mother and others all the more insightful, wondering how they could allow themselves to be sterilized or to willingly assist in the violent oppression of those who felt they couldn’t fight back against something that seemed wrong.

Because Wang now lives in the United States, this film, which is presented in English whenever she isn’t speaking to residents of China, is especially poignant due to the way in which the religious right seeks to limit a woman’s control of her body in a way that feels just as manipulative and horrible as when China imposed the reverse. This documentary, which made the fifteen-wide shortlist of films competing for the Best Documentary Oscar, evokes other recent films like “The Act of Killing” that find interview subjects very willing to discuss what many would perceive as willful perpetration of crimes. It’s undeniably disturbing, yet so revealing and important, exposing how an entire nation was impacted in a way that can never really be undone.

B+

Movie with Abe: Maiden

Maiden
Directed by Alex Holmes
Released June 28, 2019

Throughout human history, women have faced an uphill battle to prove that they are equal to, and in many cases, greater than, men. Just as many civilizations decided that certain people were superior to others because of the color of their skin, there has been an assumption that men are smarter and more capable than women, which has led to policies and laws that subjugate them and assign them a lower place in society that is subservient. Grand achievements by women may go entirely unrecognized in spite of their merits, and there are many under-the-radar stories very worthy of being shared widely.

“Maiden” follows the first all-female crew to participate in the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1989. At its core is Tracy Edwards, who was just twenty-four at the time and serving as a charter boat cook before becoming the skipper. Determined to show the men who believe that she and her colleagues are not serious and not capable of achieving what they have, Edwards puts everything on the line, infusing the entirety of her finances and concentration into taking a stand and giving it her all so that they can be taken seriously and maybe even win.

The feat spotlighted in the film is definitely interesting enough in its own right, but what’s even more fascinating is how Tracy’s personality made her a vital part of this effort and also a frustrating one for all of her colleagues. Interviews with members of the crew and others who knew Edwards are extraordinarily enlightening, exploring her commitment to being a trailblazer and not being made to feel like she shouldn’t be able to do something above all else, leading to aggressive and unkind behavior that made her difficult to like and even sometimes hard to respect.

This film is a great portrait of an impressive accomplishment, one made all the more intriguing by the way in which it unfolded. To paint it as a positive instance of teamwork above all would be far too simplistic, and this film doesn’t settle for easy answers. Through its searching and insight, this film manages to be both informative and entertaining, firmly grounded in its late 1980s setting thanks to the clothes and styles seen on screen. This documentary, which made the shortlist of fifteen films for the corresponding Oscar race, is a very worthwhile film, one that’s truly a positive and affirming viewing experience.

B+

Movie with Abe: Aquarela

Aquarela
Directed by Viktor Kosakovskiy
Released August 16, 2019

Water is a pretty big part of the planet, and it factors into the daily lives of nearly every person on earth. Drinking it is necessary for survival, and it also makes up a good portion of all that we consume. It takes up the space between the land formations where people live, and allows humans to swim within it where temperature permits. It’s something many people take for granted, an incredible phenomenon that affects us in tremendous ways yet is often merely something that we look at and fail to appreciate for the wonder that it is.

“Aquarela,” one of the fifteen films shortlisted for the Oscar for Best Documentary, takes a look at just how magnificent water is, along with its other form, ice. Various scenes from all around the world are shown that feature water and ice simply existing, sometimes remaining still and at others erupting violently into something unpredictable and even frightening, uncontrollable and absolutely captivating. This is a truly international production, one that journeys all across the globe to see just how universal water can be, recognizable in every location and yet unique at the same time.

There are few people to be found in this film and even sparser dialogue, and what’s being uttered is almost unimportant. It’s the water itself that serves as the main character, which is definitely a unique cinematic approach. That style and format definitely make this film a challenge to access, since it isn’t inherently thrilling to watch water move and ice melt. It’s definitely slow at times, yet there is an undeniable power to the gradual transformation that allows this film’s subject to truly astound, demonstrating an astonishing power gleaned from the mere act of watching water be water.

Regardless of the way that this film occasionally manages to showcase such effective drama and excitement from training its lens on nature, the eighty-nine minutes it runs is certainly longer than necessary. This is a film that might have more potent had it been constructed as a short film, since the material doesn’t exactly make the case for a feature-length production. It’s hardly the strongest documentary of the year, but one that does manage to achieve what it sets out to do: to capture the incomparable quality and beauty of something that every person encounters and benefits from each and every day.

B-

Movie with Abe: Atlantics

Atlantics
Directed by Mati Diop
Released November 29, 2019

There are many who don’t have control over their own fates, for a variety of reasons. Societies may oppress those who they deem different or less worthy, and it can be hard for those who aren’t given the same rights as the more powerful to find a voice. When unusual or unnatural events occur, it’s likely that someone on the fringes of society will be blamed first, assumed to be guilty of a crime because it would be inherent in their nature. Those wrongly persecuted don’t often find justice since so much is stacked against them.

In Dakar, construction workers are upset that they have labored intensely without any pay for months, and a group of young men leave to try to sail to Spain, in search of better fortunes. Among them is Souleiman (Ibrahima Traoré), who is in love with Ada (Mama Sane), who reciprocates his feelings but knows that her family wants her to marry Omar (Babacar Sylla). Reports that the boat has sunk leave Ada miserable, but events begin to occur that make it seem as if Souleiman is not in fact not dead. As Ada tries to resist the forcible matchmaking that is part of her culture, a determined cop, Issa (Amadou Mbow), sets his sights on her while he struggles with mysterious nightly bouts of lost time.

This film might best be described as simple science-fiction that doesn’t need masterful visual effects or grand-scale plotlines to portray the story of a society haunted by guilt, with their demons returning in a very literal way to remind its people of their misdeeds. Ada is an innocent, someone forced by her future in-laws to take a virginity test as a way of rubber-stamping her purity as she enters a loveless marriage that is definitely not what she wants. Issa, who merely wants to enforce the law, believes Ada has done something, though he isn’t sure of exactly what and whether she is in fact more or less complicit than those who give him his marching orders.

This film serves as Senegal’s second-ever Oscar submission for what is now known as Best International Feature, and, like “Félicité” two years ago, has made the ten-wide finalist list. This is a film that manages to tell its story without much fanfare, using lengthy shots of the sea at night to drive home the isolation that Ada feels. A terrific score helps to enhance a somewhat basic story, one that represents a solid cinematic achievement for its producing country and is moderately engaging even if it’s not nearly as remarkable as many seem to think.

B

Movie with Abe: The Lion King

The Lion King
Directed by Jon Favreau
Released July 19, 2019

Anyone who decides they want to remake a beloved movie should ask themselves one crucial question: is there a particular reason that a new iteration needs to be created? Fans of the original will surely be divided on whether or not an update is necessary, since some loyalists won’t want to have anything disrupt or disparage what they remember and love. When it comes to turning a fully animated production into a live-action film, the result will surely be visually different. Director Jon Favreau tried it a few years ago with “The Jungle Book,” and now he’s back at it again with another animated classic: “The Lion King.”

Young Simba (JD McCrary) yearns to experience all of the Pride Lands kingdom, which he will eventually inherit from his father, Mufasa (James Earl Jones). Eager to dispose of the sibling he hates, the king’s vindictive brother Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) partners with hyenas to kill off both Mufasa and Simba so that he can take the throne. Simba manages to get away and grows to become a friendly adult lion (Donald Glover) thanks to the help and guidance of Timon (Billy Eichner) and Pumbaa (Seth Rogen), who doesn’t realize the fate that has befallen his mother Sarabi (Alfre Woodard) and childhood best friend Nala (Beyoncé Knowles-Carter).

It’s only been twenty-five years since the release of the original film, as opposed to the almost fifty-year gap between the two versions of “The Jungle Book.” It’s not merely a shot-for-shot duplicate with CGI effects rather than hand-drawn animation, but instead one that updates the story slightly and changes up some of the familiar songs. Some scenes are discarded or extended, as this film clocks in at a full half-hour longer than the first one. The modifications are subtle enough in some cases and very noticeable in others, and there’s a different vividness that comes with experiencing this familiar story in live-action with gorgeous backdrops and stunning visuals.

The voice cast selected here is top-notch, with only Jones reprising his role as Mufasa. Selecting popular musicians like Glover and Knowles-Carter to play the leads is a strong choice, but the best decision comes in the form of Eichner, known for his yelly game show “Billy on the Street,” and Rogen, who writes, produces, and stars in comedy movies, who make a superb duo and enliven the already entertaining Timon and Pumbaa’s every scene. Ejiofor and Woodard are also excellent in their respective roles. The visual effects are truly astounding, and even though the two Oscar-shortlisted original songs, played over scenes rather than sung by characters, don’t hold a candle to the tunes composed for the original film, this remake feels totally worthwhile. It’s a perfect successor to Favreau’s “The Jungle Book,” an example of how to try something again in a new way and really do it right.

B+

Movie with Abe: Her Smell

Her Smell
Directed by Alex Ross Perry
Released May 10, 2019

The rocker lifestyle is one that lends itself to indulgent behavior. Finding a creative energy can be done with the help of drugs and alcohol, and often casual usage can lead to dependence, which itself fuels even more innovation that then makes it absolutely necessary to continue. When someone begins to withdraw from chemicals and other negative influences, the result can be truly jarring, unmasking a side of them that looks absolutely nothing like they recognize. Regaining a sense of stability from that point can be difficult, and some people find that they’re never the same.

Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss), the lead vocalist of the punk rock band Something She, is first introduced after a concert when she conducts a ceremony with her shaman (Eka Darville) that leads her to believe that her young daughter’s presence is affecting her in a bad way. Her strained relationships with her ex-husband Danny (Dan Stevens) and mother Ania (Virgina Madsen) are explored over the course of the film, which shows Becky lashing out at her bandmates and manager (Eric Stoltz), irritable at any given moment and ready to explode, until she finally decides to seek help when she realizes just how out of control her life has become.

This film starts in a fiery manner, showing Becky erupting in a fury just seconds after she is first seen on screen. The usage of five different moments over the course of a number of years to tell her story is an interesting narrative device, one that feels just as frantic and uneven as Becky’s life surely does to her and those around her. Like its main character, this film is a bit of a mess, jumping full-throttle into Becky’s rage and barely letting up until it finally provides some respite in the form of introspection and a new outlook for a reformed and totally transformed Becky, who it seems could easily slip and turn right back into her volatile self with even the slightest unfortunate encouragement.

This is an undeniably wild and unhinged turn from Moss, who marks her third collaboration with director Alex Ross Perry. Having achieved fame mostly for television performances in projects like “Mad Men” and “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Moss is doing something totally different here, and she’s most effective when she’s calmed down and understands how she’s treating those around her. She’s the only real anchor of this film, which leans a bit too much into its frenetic and hostile universe. Perry has made other great films about people whose behavior makes them selfish and unlikeable before, like “Listen Up Philip,” but this film feels too off-kilter and uninviting to truly succeed in telling its story.

C+

Movie with Abe: 1917

1917
Directed by Sam Mendes
Released December 25, 2019

There is a certain senselessness to war that finds ordinary people thrown into an extraordinary situation in which they are shooting at and killing each other to achieve some greater purpose. Seen from a distance, it can be easy to dismiss a war or conflict as unnecessary and avoidable, but when soldiers are on the front lines, it’s not possible to choose to walk away or decide not to move forward since there might be an opposing army just a short distance away whose numbers are just as determined to hold their defenses. It’s hard to truly understand that moment without being in it.

In 1917, two British soldiers, Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay) are tasked by their commanders to get a warning message to another division about to launch an attack on what they believe are retreating forces. They are told to walk through their brigades and into unknown enemy territory, accompanied only by each other and the gravity of what they must convey to spare their fellow soldiers from falling victim to a trap. Blake and Schofield have no idea what they’ll find as they continue, but they have no choice but to continue moving to reach their crucial destination.

This is an incredibly immersive film, one that stays with its protagonists for the entirety of its runtime thanks to the focused cinematography by Roger Deakins and subtle editing by Lee Smith. Composed as one shot, this film presents an incomparably intimate war story, an unflinching portrait of two soldiers who must fearlessly march towards an unknown fate, staying straight except for when something occurs outside their field of vision and they turn to look at it. It’s a very effective decision, one that strives to capture the inescapable reality of war and the bravery of these soldiers in a film inspired by stories told by director Sam Mendes’ grandfather Alfred about his own experiences.

This is the eighth film from Mendes, who made his directorial debut twenty years ago with “American Beauty.” After a foray into James Bond with “Skyfall” and “Spectre,” Mendes is back to serious drama with this compelling and harrowing production. Teaming with a truly competent group including Deakins, Smith, and composer Thomas Newman leads to a rich and stunningly powerful result. Chapman and MacKay are excellent, and brief appearances by Colin Firth, Andrew Scott, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Richard Madden enhance rather than distract from the lonely landscape. This film is poised to win many awards, and this effort surely deserves them.

B+

Movie with Abe: Little Women

Little Women
Directed by Greta Gerwig
Released December 25, 2019

Throughout history, and to this day in many respects, women have been subjugated and told that their contributions to society are less worthwhile and valid than those of men, even when the evidence to the contrary is truly undeniable. Many women have fought to be taken seriously and eventually persevered, though there are sacrifices to be made along the way, some of which include the cessation of relationships or the forfeiture of fortunes that might come from living a more acceptable and proscribed life. The intertwining of the two can be most interesting, and is often found in those who grow up in the same home or environment and choose remarkably different paths.

Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) is an enterprising young writer seeking to make a name for herself in a man’s world in 1860s New England, pitching a piece in the film’s opening scene to an editor (Tracy Letts) who insists that a female protagonist should either die or get married at the end of any good story. Jo grows up in a crowded home with her sisters Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh), and Beth (Eliza Scanlen), with the supportive guidance of their mother Marmee (Laura Dern) and the more discerning old-world attitude of their Aunt March (Meryl Streep). As Meg looks ahead to a future as a wife, Amy dreams of being noticed as much as her older sister, and Beth quietly lives in the shadow of her siblings, Jo is courted by an excitable neighbor, Laurie (Timothée Chalamet), and must consider where she wants her life to go.

This is officially the eighth cinematic adaptation of the 1868 novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott, though it’s the only one that this reviewer can be sure he has actually seen and remembered. Director Greta Gerwig, who, like with her solo directorial debut, “Lady Bird,” would have surely played Jo had this film been made a decade earlier, livens up a classic tale with plenty of modern energy, imbuing all of her characters with personality and purpose. The film’s events are presented out of sequence, with unmarked cuts to different moments in the lives of these young women, giving their story a sense of timelessness, enhanced even further by the fact that Jo is writing about their adventures, fighting not to harm the integrity of its content by adhering to the whims of a chauvinistic editor.

This film’s plot is mildly familiar, and certainly more so to anyone who has seen or read previous iterations, but it is made relevant and enthusiastic by the contributions of all involved. Ronan is a fantastic fit for the spirited Jo, and Pugh stands out in the supporting cast as the most self-involved of the sisters who just wants to be noticed as her own person. Gerwig brings back those she has cast before, including Chalamet and Letts, and has now amassed an even greater cadre of talent from which to draw on for future projects. This is an affirming, entertaining journey filled with gorgeous costumes, a wonderful musical score, and a rewarding cast breathing new life into a story that is sure to appear on film again if history is any indication.

B+

Movie with Abe: The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse
Directed by Robert Eggers
Released October 18, 2019

Being in the same place for a long time without much human contact is bound to drive anyone a little crazy. There are some jobs that require isolation and often – though not always – pay well because, though day-to-day tasks may be mundane and not especially challenging, being cut off and far away from civilization is a demanding ask. Some people thrive in those situations and know exactly how to keep themselves sane, and the advent of technology and ways to keep occupied have aided in making the time pass. Others, both in the past and now, find it maddening and simply can’t cope.

Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) arrives on a New England island in the nineteenth century to serve as a lighthouse keeper for a four-week term. His supervisor and lone companion on the island, Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe), is unpleasant and unkind, and continues to give Winslow miserable and burdensome jobs. As he begins having visions that doesn’t make sense, he learns about his predecessor’s fate and begins to worry that he may never escape his present fate and return home.

This film is shot with a 1.19:1 aspect ratio, which aids the feeling of being trapped and boxed in considerably by presenting a literal square in which its characters exist and cannot leave. Presenting its events in black-and-white compounds that sentiment even more, since the nightmarish images that Winslow experiences are reminiscent of gruesome scenes from classic early horror movies that used the starkness of the pictures to make up for lack of technological visual effects. This film isn’t quite a horror movie, though it’s definitely accurate to describe it as a psychological thriller with tendencies towards the terrifying, especially since it’s seemingly Winslow’s mind that plays tricks on him just as the physical environment that surrounds him.

Pattinson is an actor who has improved his reputation considerably in recent years after his breakout role in the “Twilight” saga, turning in a formidable performance recently in the science-fiction drama “High Life.” Here, he holds nothing back as someone who is acutely aware that his grip on reality is slipping, and Winslow has no desire to be taken advantage of by Wake, though he is powerless to do anything about it. Dafoe, who could earn a third consecutive Oscar nomination for his performance, is delightfully unhinged, expressing great cruelty and maniacal enjoyment of his superiority in a turn that feels nothing like his work in “The Florida Project” and “At Eternity’s Gate.” Director Robert Eggers has made an intense, captivating second film after his debut, “The Witch,” one that does seem a bit too eager to follow its characters off the deep end. It’s nonetheless a gripping and deeply unsettling experience.

B

Movie with Abe: The Song of Names

The Song of Names
Directed by François Girard
Released December 25, 2019

A childhood friendship can be enormously influential on a person, and in many cases it can lead to a lifelong relationship that continues through generations of descendants. Events don’t always allow things to go that way, and those who are close may be separated. A reunion years later could occur, though staying apart for that long seems less likely in today’s age of overly accessible social media. If someone has not been in another person’s life for a long time, the imprint of their memory may still be incredibly strong.

At age nine, Dovidl (Luke Doyle) is brought by his father from Warsaw to London in search of a teacher to train the talented young violinist. Gilbert (Stanley Townsend) offers to host the boy, who becomes friends with his son of the same age, Martin (Misha Handley). As the boys grow older, Dovidl (Jonah Hauer-King) grapples with his religious identity when he hears nothing of his family in the aftermath of the Holocaust, and Martin (Gerran Howell) tries to understand and support him. When Dovidl vanishes the same night he is supposed to perform a grand concert sponsored by Gilbert, an older Martin (Tim Roth) is still haunted by his disappearance decades later, prompting an international search for any trace of the long-lost adult Dovidl (Clive Owen).

This film makes masterful use of three separate casts, described by director François Girard as two vertical trios and three horizontal duos. Girard explains that he took care to have them “contaminate” each other while ensuring that they didn’t explicitly watch the filmed work another set had done. It’s an effective choice, one that helps to convey the development of the friendship between these two boys, initially uninterested in each other and eventually so close that they share something deeper than with anyone else. The elder Martin’s quest to find his old friend, expanded from a mere six pages in Norman Lebrecht’s novel of the same name, serves as a fitting frame for this film, one that lives only in Martin’s mind because of the great distance that has grown between them.

Girard emphasizes that this is a film about memory, in part because we “live in a world that is deeply amnesiac, where we are sucked into little screens, which make us captive to the present in an intense way.” Cinema, he believes, is a tool to escape that. This film presents a different angle to the Holocaust, one that doesn’t address it straight on, but instead looks at how being separated from his family affects Dovidl, and how Martin responds to it. That sense of loss permeates the entire film and guides it as Dovidl retreats into his music and Martin searches through his memories to find comfort.

Girard stresses the importance of music, and the genesis of cinema from its predecessor, opera. He enjoyed working with composer Howard Shore, who found ways to connect to his own Jewish heritage in the creation of the music for this film. As director of “The Red Violin” and other music-centric films, as well as a handful of operas, Girard is no stranger to music as a vehicle for storytelling, and this film does that strongly. Its assemblage of strong acting talent in each time period contributes to a deeply affecting film, one that packs a powerful emotional punch with plenty to say about the importance of the journey as well as the destination.

B+

Movie with Abe: Just Mercy

Just Mercy
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
Released December 25, 2019

There is an understandable gravity that comes with a death sentence, mainly because, unlike a life spent in prison with or without the technically-granted possibility of parole, the result is finite and irreversible. Yet many prisoners convicted to death have spent or are currently spending an extraordinary amount of time on death row, waiting and hoping that their execution date will never be set. Those in that situation may debate whether it is still a life that they are living in anticipation of a mandated death, but they may also hold out hope for a last-minute stay or, even more impactfully, that someone will come along and help them get their conviction overturned.

Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) grows up in Delaware and is tremendously affected by a visit with a death row inmate while an intern during law school. He decides to open his own firm, The Equal Justice Initiative, in Montgomery, Alabama with a local operations director, Eva Ansley (Brie Larson). On his first visit to the local prison, Bryan is strip-searched by a racist guard, acclimating him to the prevailing culture of the area. He encounters more harassment from the police and members of the community as he seeks to open up a wound that he believes has sent an innocent man to death row: Walter McMillian (Jamie Foxx), better known as Johnny D., who was convicted of killing a white woman at a dry cleaners based solely on the testimony of a white felon. Though Walter is initially closed off to Bryan’s offer of help, he quickly sees that Bryan will not soon give up when he perceives injustice.

This film joins many others before it in unmasking the systemic racism in place in the South in the United States, representing a tremendous culture shock for Bryan, whose idealistic nature faces multiple setbacks when confronted by law enforcement officials and judges uninterested in reviewing evidence that might contradict their previously-set expectations of what people are capable of based on how they look. It’s easy to become infuriated as a viewer, and Johnny D’s calm, detached demeanor demonstrates just how disillusioned he has already become with his fate. Bryan, not accustomed to it and not ready to accept it, becomes a force for change since nothing is going to stop him from fighting for the rights of others, particularly those with absolutely no power themselves.

A few cases are addressed in this film, but Johnny D’s takes center stage, laying out its discoveries and turns in a relatively straightforward cinematic fashion. Jordan and Larson are both well-known performers who clearly have a passion for this project, and they play their parts suitably enough. It’s Oscar winner Foxx, whose roles haven’t been plentiful or fantastic since his banner year in 2004 with “Ray” and “Collateral,” who truly impresses with a sympathetic portrayal of Johnny D. This film is upsetting and inspiring, doing exactly what it’s supposed to do: showcase injustice and advocate for further change.

B+

Movie with Abe: Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Directed by Céline Sciamma
Released December 6, 2019

There is a permanence that exists with a painting that isn’t the same as its evolutionary successor, the photograph. The act of sitting for a portrait means that minute, precise details need to be expressly noticed and incorporated by an artist rather than merely captured automatically with the click of a button. The disadvantage, of course, is that a painting might not exactly resemble its subject due to its two-dimensional nature, but if the right combination of effort and passion go into a work, it can live on for generations, keeping the essence of the person pictured alive long past their natural years.

In the eighteenth century, a young painted named Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is brought to the island of Brittany and commissioned to create a portrait of Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), who is set to be married soon, by her mother. After learning that Héloïse has adamantly refused to sit for previous hires, Marianne becomes her walking companion to gain her trust. Their relationship develops into something neither of them expected as they forge a bond and a forbidden relationship that makes Héloïse, critical of Marianne’s first effort because she wasn’t aware that she was there to be paint her, eager to spend any time she can with the one person in her life who seems interested in getting to know what she wants.

This film features a few supporting characters, like Héloïse’s mother (Valeria Golino) and Sophie (Luàna Bajrami), a maid, but this is largely a two-person story. For Marianne, Héloïse’s reputation precedes her, and their first actual meeting finds Marianne walking directly behind Héloïse out to the beautiful cliffs and seashore, glimpsing her only briefly as she leaves her guard up. Future walks find them shielding their faces from the wind, and gradually they begin to open up, both literally and metaphorically, with each other, discovering comfort in being intimate together in a way that no one could possibly understand. It’s a stirring tale of passion and affection that grows out of crippling isolation.

The two lead performances here are terrific. Merlant is subdued and intentional as she reacts to surprising elements of her situation when she first arrives and learns of her subject, and reveals a hidden warmth when Marianne finds a friendly face on the other side of her brush. Haenel is wonderfully reserved, saying so much with no more than a small smile and grasping Héloïse’s power to influence her enchanted new friend. Cinematographer Claire Mathon makes tremendous use of light and the landscape, and this film has an intoxicating, timeless feel as a result. As its characters do with each other, it’s easy to get swept away by this beautiful and mesmerizing romance.

B+

Movie with Abe: Missing Link

Missing Link
Directed by Chris Butler
Released April 12, 2019

There’s an unfortunate tendency throughout human history to hate and attempt to conquer that which we don’t understand. Rather than ask questions and try to comprehend the true intentions behind another people or species, we assume the worst and end up ruining any hope of a peaceful relationship, or at least wait to try to establish one until after there have already been unnecessary casualties. There are many literary and cinematic stories of beings or people perceived to be terrible and dangerous that just require a different interpretation, and, even if one person is willing to consider whether they may not actually pose a threat, the masses will usually still come running with pitchforks.

Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman) wants nothing more than to be accepted by his peers for his daring investigation of myths and monsters, but is having trouble being taken seriously. A letter telling him that Big Foot exists leads him to Mr. Link (Zach Galifianakis), a surprisingly evolved and well-spoken creature who just wants to be reunited with other members of his kind, if any still exist. Eager to prove his discovery, Frost agrees to escort him to Shangri-La, a trip that won’t be easy thanks to those Frost has angered in the past, like Adelina Fortnight (Zoe Saldana), and those with more sinister aims, like bounty hunter Willard Stenk (Timothy Olyphant).

This film’s title establishes Link, whose name is given to him for this very reason, as a lost piece of evolutionary history that will explain so much once Frost can actually convince anyone that he really exists. Much humor is derived from the fact that Link is clearly well-read but has no experience out in the world, meaning that he has no appreciation for or ability to distinguish sarcasm, which results in a number of hilarious responses where he takes Frost all too literally when he makes an absurd suggestion. His large, lanky form is the most obvious inspiration for comedy, but the writing here builds on that to make Link a genuinely endearing if completely inept social specimen.

“Missing Link” is the fifth feature production from stop-motion animation studio Laika, in good company with “Kubo and the Two Strings,” “The Boxtrolls,” “ParaNorman,” and “Coraline.” This latest imaginative project features a concept that has been frequently visited before, and even framed in a similar context with close-minded villains looking to squash individuality for the sake of money or societal progress. Yet there’s something that feels joyously original in this presentation, one that is beautiful and colorful. It’s hardly complex, but its simplicity works wonderfully, paying tribute to its protagonist, who really is just a nice guy unsure of how he fits into the world.

B+

Movie with Abe: Where’d You Go, Bernadette

Where’d You Go, Bernadette
Directed by Richard Linklater
Released August 16, 2019

When a person goes somewhere, that can be taken either literally or figuratively. There are those who travel all around the world, seeing as much as they can and taking it in, which can be motivated either by a desire to interact more with society or to escape from it. And then there are those who might stay in just one geographical place and journey to a different head space, imagining great possibilities that seem unattainable or retreating within themselves to build walls and a way to cope with not being able to physically go somewhere. Whatever their reasons or choices, they’re often not understood even by those closest to them.

Bernadette (Cate Blanchett) was a forward-thinking architect who accomplished much before an unfortunate setback that ultimately brought her to Seattle with her tech giant husband Elgie (Billy Crudup) and teenage daughter Bee (Emma Nelson). She spends most of her time sending messages to her virtual assistant while ignoring her neighbor Audrey (Kristen Wiig), who chastises her lack of participation in school activities and all other concerns. When Bee proposes a trip to Antarctica, Bernadette initially agrees but then starts closing herself off more to the world, worrying Elgie, whose perception of his wife is being poisoned by Audrey’s good friend Soo-Lin (Zoe Chao), who happens to be his newest employee.

This film is based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Maria Semple. Its title references its protagonist’s tendency to disappear within herself as well as her literal response to being confronted about the state of her mental health. Blanchett famously starred in the 2007 film “I’m Not There” about the many faces of Bob Dylan, which serves as an exploration of conflicting aspects of his personality. That film, while completely different, does a far better job of tackling its characters’ motivations and desires. This film feels random and rather directionless, crafted with broad archetypes in a moderately unhinged story that never manages to be all that interesting.

Director Richard Linklater is known for past films such as the “Before Sunrise” trilogy and “Boyhood,” and this latest effort is a severe disappointment. There’s nothing particularly extraordinary about it, and it’s not nearly funny enough to be properly perceived as an effective comedy. Blanchett, whose nomination for a Golden Globe is what inspired this reviewer to watch this film, isn’t trying terribly hard, combining an incessant ability to monologue from “Blue Jasmine” with an introverted resolve on display in other films. Crudup is wasted, especially given how good he has been recently on “The Morning Show.” This film isn’t necessarily bad, but there’s nothing great or memorable about it either.

C+