Agnes is married and she has two young adult sons. Agnes only thinks about her family and not herself. In the opening scenes there is a birthday party at her house. Agnes has made the cake and did everything else for her own party. She gets a 1000 piece puzzle set as a gift. She puts the puzzle together very quickly and she does it several times. She sees a notice that someone she doesn’t know is seeking a puzzle partner for a puzzle completion. She has received a phone for her birthday but she’s planning only using it for emergencies. She sent a text to offer to be a puzzle partner. She takes the train to New York and then a cab to the address she has. She gets out of the cab early and walks because she doesn’t have enough money to go further in the cab. Robert is the person she has come to see and he tells her the details about the completion and the prize. He says they will need to practice together regularly to learn to work quickly with each other. Robert is surprised that Agnes doesn’t sort the pieces by color and she is very fast in solving them. Agnes tells her husband that her aunt has broken her leg and she needs help. This is true but her husband doesn’t think it is necessary for Agnes to use her time to help the aunt??
This is surprisingly good and I really liked this movie. Agnes learns from Robert more than how to quickly do puzzles. He points out that she usually never does anything for herself? Her two sons also point that out to her. Agnes hasn’t thought about this when she looks at her life?? Her husband and sons don’t do anything around the home. Louie has a car repair shop and both sons work there. Gabe is fine with this but Ziggy tells Agnes that he hates working at the shop!! Agnes helps Louie with the invoices at the shop along with all her other work. 5* (I really liked this movie)
103 min, Drama directed by Marc Turtle Taub and witten by Polly Mann Natalia Smirnoff and Oren Moverman with Kelly Macdonald, David Denman, Irrfan Khan, Daniel Stewart Sherman, Austin Abrams, Bubba Weiler, Helen Coxe, Mandela Bellamy, Liv Hewson, Lori Hammel, Lawrence Arnacio, Sebastian Chacon, Barry Godin, Matthew Shifrin, Myrna Cabello, Audire Neenan Mhari Sandoval.
Note: Imdb 6.7 out of 10 with 5473 reviews, Roger Ebert 3* Christy Lemire, Rotten Tomatoes 83% with 130 critics 76% audience with 704 user ratings, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Mike McCahill, Common Sense Media Michael Ordona, 5*, age 15+, 4* positive, 4* role models, 2* sex, 4* language, 2* drinking, drugs & smoking, The Globe and Mail 3* out of 4* Kate Taylor, Amazon 4.2* out of 5* with 131 reviews, Letterboxd 3.3* out of 5*, Metacritic 66 out of 100 with 36 critics (26 positive, 10 mixed, 0 negative) 7.6 out of 10 with 19 ratings (14 positive, 5 mixed, 0 negative)
Special Note: Kelly MacDonald was in a supporting role in No Country for Old Men 2007 and Irrfan Khan was in a supporting role in Slumdog Millionaire 2008. Both films won Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards in consecutive years. The movie is set in Connecticut but actually filmed in Yonkers. While Metro-North trains are shown they are not from the New Haven line which is the only line that runs into Connecticut. New Haven Line seats are red. The station shown appears to be Mount Vernon, West. It is likely that the trains are the Harlem Line. Harlem and Hudson Lines have blue seats. Trains leaving from Mount Vernon West do not go to Connecticut without transferring, they also do not go to New Rochelle.
Monday, June 29, 2020
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Where’d you go Bernadette 2019
This film is based on a 2012 novel written by Maria Semple. Bernadette is a loving mom with a teen daughter. She has sacrificed her creative passions to take care of her family. Her daughter Bee and her husband Elgie want to take a trip Antarctica as a reward for Bee's good grades. At first, Bernadette is on board with the trip and then she becomes too frightened to actually take the trip? Elgie doesn’t know what action he needs to take to deal with Bernadette’s behavior?? Possibly, an intervention is needed or she may need psychiatric help??
Before her marriage and the birth of her daughter, Bernadette was an award winning architectural genius. She has set aside all her previous dreams and goals to be a mother. She seldom leaves the house, she doesn’t get along with the parents at Bee’s school and her neighbor Audrey Griffin plus she hasn’t worked in 20 years. She has a phone personal assistant named Manjula in India. She regularly communicates with Manjula and this is how she makes all her purchases. Despite Bernadettes extensive experience with architecture, the family lives in a dilapidated former schoolhouse in Seattle. It seems that everything about this house is in ruin. Bernadette begins to behave more oddly with everyone after the decision to go on the trip? She allows her neighbor Audrey to have the blackberry vines trimmed on the hill behind Audrey’s house. This area is part of the property owned by Bernadette and Elgie. Bernadette knows a LOT more about this trimming work than she is letting on??
There is behavior by a mother with an eccentric, anxious and borderline agoraphobic personality. She falls back on some instances of very strong language and she over buys products from Amazon and Apple. A teen vapes and adults drink alcohol. There is marital discord and upsetting arguments. There is a LOT of discussion about sexism, stereotypes, the importance of mentors and close parent and teen relationships. 5* (I really liked this movie)
109 min, Drama directed and written by Richard Linklater and also written by Holly Gent, Vincent Palmo Jr. Maria Semple with Cate Blanchette, Billy Crudup, Emma Nelson, Kristen Wiig, Patrick Sebes, Zoe Chao, Lee Harrington, David Paymer, Megan Mullally, Laurence Fishburne, Steve Zahn, Patrick Jordan, Shaun Cameron Hall, Amy Rayko.
Note: Imdb 6.5 out of 10 with 12,749 reviews, Roger Ebert 1 1/2* Monica Castillo, Rotten Tomatoes 49% critic with 170 reviews 74% audience with1,530 ratings, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Benjamin Lee, RollingStone 2 1/2* Peter Travers, Amazon 4.2* out of 5* with 1430 reviews, Metacritic 51 out of 100 with 39 critic reviews (positive 14, mixed, 7 negative), 6.4 out of 10 with 45 user scores (21 positive, 18 mixed, 7 negative), Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen 4* out of 5*, 13+ age, 4*positive messages, 3* role models, 1* violence, 2* sex, 3* language, 4* consumerism, 3*drinking drugs & smoking.
Special Note: The story by Maria Semple is a documentary novel but it is told mainly through a collection of fictional archival materials. The Antarctic Station design and construction scenes in the closing credits are actually the Halley VI British Antarctic Research Station. Director Linklater was attracted to the story because of the strong mother/daughter relationship. He is the father of three daughters and a brother of two older sisters. The production scenes on location in Greenland were hampered by a hurricane that lasted for 36 hours. Instead of waiting it out, the crew included footage in the film. This is the first feature film for Emma Nelson in the role of Bee. This is an Amazon Studios production and the company took every opportunity to include Amazon Prime product placements.
Before her marriage and the birth of her daughter, Bernadette was an award winning architectural genius. She has set aside all her previous dreams and goals to be a mother. She seldom leaves the house, she doesn’t get along with the parents at Bee’s school and her neighbor Audrey Griffin plus she hasn’t worked in 20 years. She has a phone personal assistant named Manjula in India. She regularly communicates with Manjula and this is how she makes all her purchases. Despite Bernadettes extensive experience with architecture, the family lives in a dilapidated former schoolhouse in Seattle. It seems that everything about this house is in ruin. Bernadette begins to behave more oddly with everyone after the decision to go on the trip? She allows her neighbor Audrey to have the blackberry vines trimmed on the hill behind Audrey’s house. This area is part of the property owned by Bernadette and Elgie. Bernadette knows a LOT more about this trimming work than she is letting on??
There is behavior by a mother with an eccentric, anxious and borderline agoraphobic personality. She falls back on some instances of very strong language and she over buys products from Amazon and Apple. A teen vapes and adults drink alcohol. There is marital discord and upsetting arguments. There is a LOT of discussion about sexism, stereotypes, the importance of mentors and close parent and teen relationships. 5* (I really liked this movie)
109 min, Drama directed and written by Richard Linklater and also written by Holly Gent, Vincent Palmo Jr. Maria Semple with Cate Blanchette, Billy Crudup, Emma Nelson, Kristen Wiig, Patrick Sebes, Zoe Chao, Lee Harrington, David Paymer, Megan Mullally, Laurence Fishburne, Steve Zahn, Patrick Jordan, Shaun Cameron Hall, Amy Rayko.
Note: Imdb 6.5 out of 10 with 12,749 reviews, Roger Ebert 1 1/2* Monica Castillo, Rotten Tomatoes 49% critic with 170 reviews 74% audience with1,530 ratings, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Benjamin Lee, RollingStone 2 1/2* Peter Travers, Amazon 4.2* out of 5* with 1430 reviews, Metacritic 51 out of 100 with 39 critic reviews (positive 14, mixed, 7 negative), 6.4 out of 10 with 45 user scores (21 positive, 18 mixed, 7 negative), Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen 4* out of 5*, 13+ age, 4*positive messages, 3* role models, 1* violence, 2* sex, 3* language, 4* consumerism, 3*drinking drugs & smoking.
Special Note: The story by Maria Semple is a documentary novel but it is told mainly through a collection of fictional archival materials. The Antarctic Station design and construction scenes in the closing credits are actually the Halley VI British Antarctic Research Station. Director Linklater was attracted to the story because of the strong mother/daughter relationship. He is the father of three daughters and a brother of two older sisters. The production scenes on location in Greenland were hampered by a hurricane that lasted for 36 hours. Instead of waiting it out, the crew included footage in the film. This is the first feature film for Emma Nelson in the role of Bee. This is an Amazon Studios production and the company took every opportunity to include Amazon Prime product placements.
A Million Little Pieces 2018
The setting of this film is in Chicago of 1993. James Frey is 23 years old and he is a lost soul stuck in a spiral of auto-destruction. He is addicted to drugs and alcohol. After a night of partying, James accidentally falls off the balcony of the house where he was staying. He breaks his nose and he awakens from his high hours later. He finds himself on an airplane headed to Minnesota? He is to be admitted to the Hazelden Foundation. This is a rehab center for addicts. James is reluctant to take any steps to address his addictions. In the center, he meets other patients in treatment. Leonard is a foul-mouthed former member of the mob. John is deranged with obsessions and he is unable to contain his primary impulses. Roy has bipolar disorder with religious delirium. Miles is a clarinet player and former judge who turned on his roommate. The rules of the center prevent all contact between men and women by having separated treatment in different pavilions of the center. Despite these barriers, James meets Lilly.
The content of this film is mature and disturbing. The horrifying life of a drug addict is depicted and the difficulty of getting clean. James smokes crack, chugs liquor, chains smokes and dances in poop. He is filmed completely nude from all sides and angles. He also poops nude. John is a gay character and he is also naked. He plays out the worst of homophobic stereotypes including sexually preying on another man in the shower. There is also a suicide and near-death experience. Angry destruction, painful/bloody medical procedure, punching and more. Characters conversations are about the appeal of the highs. There is lots of strong language and prostitution is also shown. 1 1/2* (I didn’t like this movie and I didn’t get very far in viewing)
113 min, Drama directed and written by Sam Taylor-Johnson and also written by James Frey and Aaron Taylor-Johnson with Billy Bob Thornton, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Odessa Young, Giovanni Ribisi, Juliette Lewis, Dash Mihok, Charles Parnell, Ryan Hurst, David Dastmalchian, Tom Amandes, Charlie Hunnam, Andy Mackenzie, Eugene Byrd, Andy Buckley.
Note: Goodreads gives the book 3.65* out of 5* with 218,004 ratings and 11,623 reviews, Imdb 6.2 out of 10 with 1346 reviews, Roger Ebert 1 1/2* Matt Zoller Seitz, Rotten Tomatoes 27% with 48 critics 47% with 61 user ratings, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 2637 customer ratings, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Cath Clarke, Common Sense Media Tara McNamara, age 17+, 3* positive messages, 1*role models, 4* violence, 5*sex, 5*language, 0* consumerism, 4* drinking drugs & smoking.
Special Note: This film is based on the book written by James Frey. In 2006, James was made to publicly admit that the book was not a memoir but fiction. Oprah Winfrey was one of his biggest supporters at this time. She redacted her support and publicly shamed him for passing the lie as truth and profiting from the sales. Oprah announced his deceit on an episode dated 26 January 2006 of The Oprah Winfrey Show. The director, Sam Taylor-Johnson is married to cast member Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Originally, Warner Bros planned on making the film adaptation of the book with Orlando Bloom and Josh Hartnett in mind.
The content of this film is mature and disturbing. The horrifying life of a drug addict is depicted and the difficulty of getting clean. James smokes crack, chugs liquor, chains smokes and dances in poop. He is filmed completely nude from all sides and angles. He also poops nude. John is a gay character and he is also naked. He plays out the worst of homophobic stereotypes including sexually preying on another man in the shower. There is also a suicide and near-death experience. Angry destruction, painful/bloody medical procedure, punching and more. Characters conversations are about the appeal of the highs. There is lots of strong language and prostitution is also shown. 1 1/2* (I didn’t like this movie and I didn’t get very far in viewing)
113 min, Drama directed and written by Sam Taylor-Johnson and also written by James Frey and Aaron Taylor-Johnson with Billy Bob Thornton, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Odessa Young, Giovanni Ribisi, Juliette Lewis, Dash Mihok, Charles Parnell, Ryan Hurst, David Dastmalchian, Tom Amandes, Charlie Hunnam, Andy Mackenzie, Eugene Byrd, Andy Buckley.
Note: Goodreads gives the book 3.65* out of 5* with 218,004 ratings and 11,623 reviews, Imdb 6.2 out of 10 with 1346 reviews, Roger Ebert 1 1/2* Matt Zoller Seitz, Rotten Tomatoes 27% with 48 critics 47% with 61 user ratings, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 2637 customer ratings, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Cath Clarke, Common Sense Media Tara McNamara, age 17+, 3* positive messages, 1*role models, 4* violence, 5*sex, 5*language, 0* consumerism, 4* drinking drugs & smoking.
Special Note: This film is based on the book written by James Frey. In 2006, James was made to publicly admit that the book was not a memoir but fiction. Oprah Winfrey was one of his biggest supporters at this time. She redacted her support and publicly shamed him for passing the lie as truth and profiting from the sales. Oprah announced his deceit on an episode dated 26 January 2006 of The Oprah Winfrey Show. The director, Sam Taylor-Johnson is married to cast member Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Originally, Warner Bros planned on making the film adaptation of the book with Orlando Bloom and Josh Hartnett in mind.
Friday, June 26, 2020
The Farewell 2019
Billi is a headstrong and independent Chinese-American woman. She returns to China when her beloved grandmother is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her family has made the decision to keep grandma in the dark about her illness? Billi is struggling with the idea that grandma doesn’t know the reality of what is wrong her? The family stages an impromptu wedding to allow everyone to see grandma one last time.
Billi is a twenty-something millennial and she lives her life like most New Yorkers. Barely able to pay rent and often on the lookout for a new job. She still goes home to mom and dad to do her laundry. Every time she does this, she knows she’ll have to endure parental comments. Billi’s mother announces the imminent wedding of Billi’s cousin. Something is not right about this announcement? Her parents are pressured by Billi’s suspicion!! They quickly confess to the real health status of her grandma. Billi is shocked by the news!! They all end up around the dinner table at Nat Nat's home back in China. They fake their true feelings around the clock!!
This is a thought provoking film dealing with a loved one’s impending death. There are differences between Eastern and Western philosophies of life. Especially, in the way family members interact with each other. Most of the language is in Mandarin with English subtitles. The words are fairly simple because several relatives don’t know Chinese very well. There is quite a bit of smoking and drinking and a booze-fest at the wedding. A reference is made to gambling which is seen in a seedy, smoke-filled room. The family bonds over drinking games. Positive themes include compassion, empathy and self-control. 2 1/2* (this movie is so-so)
100 min, Comedy directed and written by Lulu Wang with Shuzhen Zhao, Awkwafina, X Mayo, Hong Lu, Hong Lin, Tai Ma, Diana Lin, Yang Zuejian, Becca Khalil, Yongbo Jiang, Han Chen, Aoi Mizuhara, Xiang Li, Hongli Liu, Shimin Zhang.
Note; Imdb 7.6 out of 10 with 41,462 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 98% with 322 critics 87% audience with 2490 ratings, Roger Ebert 4* Christy Lemire, The Guardian 4* out of 5* Wendy Ide, indiewire.com Grade A- Eric Kohn, Metacritic 89 out of 100 with 47 critic reviews (47 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative), 8.3 out of 10 with 195 user scores (171 positive, 16 mixed, 8 negative), Common Sense Media Tara McNamara, 4*, age 11+, 3* positive messages, 4* role models, 1* violence, 2* sex, 3* language, 2* consumerism, 4* drinking drugs & smoking.
Special Note: The family dog’s name is Ellen. In the film Crazy Rich Asians 2018, Awkwafina’s character is called Asian Ellen. Lulu Wang is one of the writers and directors, she also plays piano on the film’s soundtrack. Lulu considerably underestimated the rates she would need to pay to Chinese actors. Shuzhen Zhao in the role of Nat Nat is a very popular actress in China. Lulu personally plead with Shuzhen to accept this role and accept a fee that was affordable. Surprisingly, this film beat out Avengers: Endgame 2019 for the year’s biggest per-theater average!! I had a little trouble reading the subtitles because they are in white print. If there was white in the background, they were very difficult to read.
Billi is a twenty-something millennial and she lives her life like most New Yorkers. Barely able to pay rent and often on the lookout for a new job. She still goes home to mom and dad to do her laundry. Every time she does this, she knows she’ll have to endure parental comments. Billi’s mother announces the imminent wedding of Billi’s cousin. Something is not right about this announcement? Her parents are pressured by Billi’s suspicion!! They quickly confess to the real health status of her grandma. Billi is shocked by the news!! They all end up around the dinner table at Nat Nat's home back in China. They fake their true feelings around the clock!!
This is a thought provoking film dealing with a loved one’s impending death. There are differences between Eastern and Western philosophies of life. Especially, in the way family members interact with each other. Most of the language is in Mandarin with English subtitles. The words are fairly simple because several relatives don’t know Chinese very well. There is quite a bit of smoking and drinking and a booze-fest at the wedding. A reference is made to gambling which is seen in a seedy, smoke-filled room. The family bonds over drinking games. Positive themes include compassion, empathy and self-control. 2 1/2* (this movie is so-so)
100 min, Comedy directed and written by Lulu Wang with Shuzhen Zhao, Awkwafina, X Mayo, Hong Lu, Hong Lin, Tai Ma, Diana Lin, Yang Zuejian, Becca Khalil, Yongbo Jiang, Han Chen, Aoi Mizuhara, Xiang Li, Hongli Liu, Shimin Zhang.
Note; Imdb 7.6 out of 10 with 41,462 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 98% with 322 critics 87% audience with 2490 ratings, Roger Ebert 4* Christy Lemire, The Guardian 4* out of 5* Wendy Ide, indiewire.com Grade A- Eric Kohn, Metacritic 89 out of 100 with 47 critic reviews (47 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative), 8.3 out of 10 with 195 user scores (171 positive, 16 mixed, 8 negative), Common Sense Media Tara McNamara, 4*, age 11+, 3* positive messages, 4* role models, 1* violence, 2* sex, 3* language, 2* consumerism, 4* drinking drugs & smoking.
Special Note: The family dog’s name is Ellen. In the film Crazy Rich Asians 2018, Awkwafina’s character is called Asian Ellen. Lulu Wang is one of the writers and directors, she also plays piano on the film’s soundtrack. Lulu considerably underestimated the rates she would need to pay to Chinese actors. Shuzhen Zhao in the role of Nat Nat is a very popular actress in China. Lulu personally plead with Shuzhen to accept this role and accept a fee that was affordable. Surprisingly, this film beat out Avengers: Endgame 2019 for the year’s biggest per-theater average!! I had a little trouble reading the subtitles because they are in white print. If there was white in the background, they were very difficult to read.
Brian Banks 2018
Brian is an All-Amrican high school football star committed to playing for USC. It has been his dream for a long time to play in the NFL. All his preparations and hopes are halted when he is wrongly convicted and sent to prison. There is a shocking lack of evidence that Brian committed this crime. He is railroaded though a broken justice system and sentenced to a decade of prison and probation. Years later, he fights to clear his name within a system that is still unjust. With the support of Justin Brooks and the California Innocence Project, Brian fights to reclaim his life and fulfill his dream of playing in the NFL.
This is a fact based drama but it’s about a he said she said story. The accuser of the crime doesn’t get to tell her side of the story? It is really moving with good performances and an important story to tell. Sometimes everything that is spoken and printed can’t be taken at face value!! Too many times information gets a skewed treatment or a preconceived stance. It can take digging to find the real truths. This film also shows that simple mistakes made during teenage years can impact the rest of your life.
99 min, Bio directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Doug Atchison with Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear, Sherri Shepherd, Melane Liburd, Tiffany Dupont, Xosha Roquemore, Mystie Smith, Jose Miguel Vasquez, Dorian Missick, Monique Grant, Matt Battaglia, Michael Franti.
Note: Imdb 7.1 out of 10 with 3109 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes, 61% with 69 critics 97% audience score with 1831 ratings,Roger Ebert 2 1/2* Christy Lemire, Common Sense Media Tara McNamara, 2* out of 5*, age 14+, 2* positive messages, 3* role models, 3* violence, 2* sex, 4* language, 0 consumerism, 1*drinking drugs & smoking, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 1427 reviews.
Special Note: Brian Banks went to Long Beach Poly High School and was a part of the prestigious Jackrabbit football team. He also played against De La Salle and this game was featured in the movie When the Game Stands Tall 2014. The setting of this film is in Long Beach California but it was filmed in Memphis Tennessee. Director Tom Shadyac teaches film at the University of Memphis. In 2018, he opened a climbing gym and community center in the Soulsville neighborhood of South Memphis. Shadyac’s family also has a long-running history of leadership at St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis. This Hospital was founded by Danny Thomas and he was a family friend of the Shadyacs.
This is a fact based drama but it’s about a he said she said story. The accuser of the crime doesn’t get to tell her side of the story? It is really moving with good performances and an important story to tell. Sometimes everything that is spoken and printed can’t be taken at face value!! Too many times information gets a skewed treatment or a preconceived stance. It can take digging to find the real truths. This film also shows that simple mistakes made during teenage years can impact the rest of your life.
99 min, Bio directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Doug Atchison with Aldis Hodge, Greg Kinnear, Sherri Shepherd, Melane Liburd, Tiffany Dupont, Xosha Roquemore, Mystie Smith, Jose Miguel Vasquez, Dorian Missick, Monique Grant, Matt Battaglia, Michael Franti.
Note: Imdb 7.1 out of 10 with 3109 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes, 61% with 69 critics 97% audience score with 1831 ratings,Roger Ebert 2 1/2* Christy Lemire, Common Sense Media Tara McNamara, 2* out of 5*, age 14+, 2* positive messages, 3* role models, 3* violence, 2* sex, 4* language, 0 consumerism, 1*drinking drugs & smoking, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 1427 reviews.
Special Note: Brian Banks went to Long Beach Poly High School and was a part of the prestigious Jackrabbit football team. He also played against De La Salle and this game was featured in the movie When the Game Stands Tall 2014. The setting of this film is in Long Beach California but it was filmed in Memphis Tennessee. Director Tom Shadyac teaches film at the University of Memphis. In 2018, he opened a climbing gym and community center in the Soulsville neighborhood of South Memphis. Shadyac’s family also has a long-running history of leadership at St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis. This Hospital was founded by Danny Thomas and he was a family friend of the Shadyacs.
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Wild Nights with Emily 2018
This film is a dramatization of a little known side of the writer Emily Dickinson and her life. Supposedly, she had a relationship for a long time with sister-in-law Susan Huntington Gilbert.
I have added this film to my list of very odd film productions!! I really don’t know what to believe is true and what is false? It seems the only way to determine the truth would be to read the 1955 publication of Emily’s complete poems. Since I am a realist and not a fan of poetry, I don’t intend to take on this challenge!! The bottom line is, this seems to not have made profit and what difference does it really make whether it is based on truth or fiction? This a comedy for entertainment purposes and I don’t think it succeeds in that goal!! I thought Molly Shannon in the role of Emily was overly dowdy in appearance!! 1 1/2* (I really didn’t like this movie)
84 min, Comedy directed and written by Madeleine Olnek with Molly Shannon, Susan Ziegler, Amy Seimetz, Brett Gelman, Jackie Monahan, Kevin Seal Dana Melanie, Joel Michaely, Sasha Frolova, Lisa Haas, Casper Andreas, Allison Lane, Robert McCaskill, David Albiero.
Note: Imdb 6* out of 10 with 695 reviews, Roger Ebert 3 1/2* Sheila O’Malley, Rotten Tomatoes 91% with 76 critics 57% audience with 66 ratings, Slant Magazine 3* out of 4* Pat Brown, Metacritic 7.4 out of 100 with 14 critic reviews (positive 12, mixed 2, negative 0), 5.9 out of 10 with 8 user scores (positive 4, mixed 3, negative 1), Amazon 3.9* out of 5* with 125 reviews, Washington Post 2 1/2* Pat Padua.
Special Note: There is a review online of this movie by Barbara Stephens. “She writes that she has been reading and studying Emily Dickinson since she was a child. She is now 68 years old and she has also read Emily’s letters to Susan. There is a beautiful magazine article published about 10 years ago wherein they described how Emily wasn't the recluse she is always made out to be. She had a large, enclosed garden conservatory where she had many people visit and especially children. Barbara was saddened by this film's approach, believing it to be more a marketable than a true portrayal. She turned it off after 45 minutes. She gave it 2 stars because in spite of the story because it had good production values.” After Emily’s death, her first collection of poetry was published in 1890 by personal acquaintances Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd. They both heavily edited the content and the name Susan was deliberately removed?? Dedications of poems to sister-in-law Susan Huntington Gilbert were obliterated, presumably by Mabel Loomis Todd. A complete and mostly unaltered collection of her poetry became available for the first time when scholar Thomas H. Johnson published The Poems of Emily Dickinson in 1955.”
Additional note from Wikipedia: “Dickinson was a prolific poet yet only 10 of her nearly 1800 poems were published in her lifetime? Many of her poems deal with death and immortality. These themes were also recurring topics in letters to her friends.
Financials: The opening weekend had a gross in the USA of $30,209 on 14 April 2019. The gross in the USA was $519,48 and the cumulative worldwide gross was also $519,48.
I have added this film to my list of very odd film productions!! I really don’t know what to believe is true and what is false? It seems the only way to determine the truth would be to read the 1955 publication of Emily’s complete poems. Since I am a realist and not a fan of poetry, I don’t intend to take on this challenge!! The bottom line is, this seems to not have made profit and what difference does it really make whether it is based on truth or fiction? This a comedy for entertainment purposes and I don’t think it succeeds in that goal!! I thought Molly Shannon in the role of Emily was overly dowdy in appearance!! 1 1/2* (I really didn’t like this movie)
84 min, Comedy directed and written by Madeleine Olnek with Molly Shannon, Susan Ziegler, Amy Seimetz, Brett Gelman, Jackie Monahan, Kevin Seal Dana Melanie, Joel Michaely, Sasha Frolova, Lisa Haas, Casper Andreas, Allison Lane, Robert McCaskill, David Albiero.
Note: Imdb 6* out of 10 with 695 reviews, Roger Ebert 3 1/2* Sheila O’Malley, Rotten Tomatoes 91% with 76 critics 57% audience with 66 ratings, Slant Magazine 3* out of 4* Pat Brown, Metacritic 7.4 out of 100 with 14 critic reviews (positive 12, mixed 2, negative 0), 5.9 out of 10 with 8 user scores (positive 4, mixed 3, negative 1), Amazon 3.9* out of 5* with 125 reviews, Washington Post 2 1/2* Pat Padua.
Special Note: There is a review online of this movie by Barbara Stephens. “She writes that she has been reading and studying Emily Dickinson since she was a child. She is now 68 years old and she has also read Emily’s letters to Susan. There is a beautiful magazine article published about 10 years ago wherein they described how Emily wasn't the recluse she is always made out to be. She had a large, enclosed garden conservatory where she had many people visit and especially children. Barbara was saddened by this film's approach, believing it to be more a marketable than a true portrayal. She turned it off after 45 minutes. She gave it 2 stars because in spite of the story because it had good production values.” After Emily’s death, her first collection of poetry was published in 1890 by personal acquaintances Thomas Wentworth Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd. They both heavily edited the content and the name Susan was deliberately removed?? Dedications of poems to sister-in-law Susan Huntington Gilbert were obliterated, presumably by Mabel Loomis Todd. A complete and mostly unaltered collection of her poetry became available for the first time when scholar Thomas H. Johnson published The Poems of Emily Dickinson in 1955.”
Additional note from Wikipedia: “Dickinson was a prolific poet yet only 10 of her nearly 1800 poems were published in her lifetime? Many of her poems deal with death and immortality. These themes were also recurring topics in letters to her friends.
Financials: The opening weekend had a gross in the USA of $30,209 on 14 April 2019. The gross in the USA was $519,48 and the cumulative worldwide gross was also $519,48.
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story 2020
In Atlanta Georgia, East Lake Meadows was a public housing project. This film is about the people who lived there from 1970 to the demolition of the buildings in 2000. Eva Davis was one of the residents asserting the rights of the tenants. This community was on the edge of Atlanta called East Lake Meadows. For 25 years, many thousands of low-income families called this area home. Most of the people were African Americans and many were on welfare assistance. There were strong bonds among the people but there were also many challenges. A crack wave swept through the neighborhood and there was so much crime, it was nearly unlivable. Children were not out at night because it was extremely dangerous after dark. There were many murders and fights after crack moved into the Meadows. In 2000 (30 years later), Atlanta bulldozed the project to make way for new mixed-income housing. More government and philanthropic funds poured into the area and a thriving community needed to be created.
The mixed-income housing meant that half of the residents were for low-income people and half open market to anyone who wanted to live here. Unfortunately, only about 15% of the former residents returned. Many accepted housing vouchers and they were used to move to neighborhoods just as poor as the Meadows had been. Atlanta was able to rid East Lake Meadows of this dilapidated and run down housing area but it wasn’t a benefit to those who previously lived there. The mixed-income was too high for people on welfare. Some of the former residents regularly meet together to catch up how on things are going for them now. 5* (I really liked this movie)
104 min, Doc directed and written by Sarah Burns and David MacMahon with Henry Cisneros, Bill Clinton, William Jelani Cobb, Eva Davis, Chasity and Rilene Dixon, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Willie Harrison, Lawrence Lightfoot, Beverly Parks, Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mario Luis Small, Brandon Thrasher.
Note: Imdb 6.3 out of 10 with 35 ratings, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 5 ratings, Hollywood Reporter 80 of 100 Dan Fienberg, New York Times 80 out of 100 Mike Hale, Letterboxd 3.6* out of 5*.
Special Note: The executive producer of this film was Ken Burns. This film was shown on PBS March 24, 2020.
The mixed-income housing meant that half of the residents were for low-income people and half open market to anyone who wanted to live here. Unfortunately, only about 15% of the former residents returned. Many accepted housing vouchers and they were used to move to neighborhoods just as poor as the Meadows had been. Atlanta was able to rid East Lake Meadows of this dilapidated and run down housing area but it wasn’t a benefit to those who previously lived there. The mixed-income was too high for people on welfare. Some of the former residents regularly meet together to catch up how on things are going for them now. 5* (I really liked this movie)
104 min, Doc directed and written by Sarah Burns and David MacMahon with Henry Cisneros, Bill Clinton, William Jelani Cobb, Eva Davis, Chasity and Rilene Dixon, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Willie Harrison, Lawrence Lightfoot, Beverly Parks, Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mario Luis Small, Brandon Thrasher.
Note: Imdb 6.3 out of 10 with 35 ratings, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 5 ratings, Hollywood Reporter 80 of 100 Dan Fienberg, New York Times 80 out of 100 Mike Hale, Letterboxd 3.6* out of 5*.
Special Note: The executive producer of this film was Ken Burns. This film was shown on PBS March 24, 2020.
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