Movie Review: The Confirmation (2016)

Posted on July 26, 2017 by Brian Wright

Humor and caring richly imbue this inspiring ultimate modern family movie 10/10
Review by Brian R. Wright

No fewer than four actors in this exceptional film deserve Oscar nominations, including, of course, Clive Owen (Walt), then the others: Jaeden Lieberher (playing Walt’s son Anthony), Patton Oswalt (Drake: the meth addict with a heart of gold who embarrassingly tries to help the father-son team), and Robert Forster (Otto: Walt’s friend and confidant thru Walt’s struggles with alcoholism). Then you can toss in Maria Bello (Walt’s ex, Bonnie who wants Anthony to find moral grounding in her Catholic faith—hence the title, referring to Anthony’s impending confirmation—and even Matthew Modine (Kyle: Bonnie’s kindhearted yet fluttery new husband) for Academy recognition as well.

As we’re doing nominations, let’s also not forget writer/director Bob Nelson, either. Nelson takes the father-son personal, mutual journey to new heights, and reminds us that simple humanity can be sublime, even divine. The movie is pure magic, everyone involved simply hits the artistic target dead, solid, perfect. Every viewing reveals a subtle new truth.

Confirmation

Of what? This is the central metaphor that leaps right off the screen. We know from the first scenes when Walt comes to pick up Anthony (via visitation arrangements of the divorce), that Bonnie is making a special move to have Anthony attend church and ‘get with the program’ so to speak, by the rite of confirmation (which is designed to initiate a child into spiritual adulthood in many Christian denominations). Continue reading →

Movie Review: The Giant Mechanical Man (2012)

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Brian Wright

Detroit/Royal Oak Location Gem__9/10

Fittingly, I picked up this DVD via the Novi Library, Novi being a 2d-tier suburb of Detroit. Reading the jacket, the movie had some known actors and just looked like a literate, intelligent love story, which immediately brought to mind 500 Days of Summer. As I popped it in the player and looked at the cityscapes, I said, “Wait a minute, I’ve seen these buildings, these streets,” many of them in a state of decline. “Is this movie set in downtown Detroit?” Sure enough. Which the writer/director doesn’t explicitly tell you, but you slowly figure it out. And the zoo settings are, indeed, the Detroit Zoo, which is actually in nearby Royal Oak north of the city.

The movie begins with a man walking into what looks like a loft apartment or office in a city, then slowly putting his face on with paint, then his costume, a threadbare-looking silver suit and derby hat, long exaggerated bell-bottom slacks, concealing stilts that make him slightly taller than an NBA center. Tim (Chris Messina) is the Giant Mechanical Man, whose daily mission it is to walk about the streets, then stand still for long periods of time at the People Mover, Grand Circus Park, the Fox Theater, and other Detroit landmarks… where a (very) few people stop put money in his tip briefcase, for which responds with a sort of robotic expressionless motion sequence with hands, arms, and torso. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Blood Diamond (2006)

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Brian Wright

Exciting old-style action-adventure movie with a lingering message (9/10)

As I was growing up in middle class America in the 1950s and 1960s, I got to see plenty of movies. We lived in Overland Park, Kansas, a post-WW2 suburb of the Kansas City metro area. The little town was something out of a Norman Rockwell painting or a Jean Shepherd—author behind the movie, A Christmas Story—reminiscence.

Written by Charles Leavitt
Directed by Edward Zwick

Leonardo DiCaprio … Danny Archer
Djimon Hounsou … Solomon Vandy
Jennifer Connelly … Maddy Bowen

The small downtown included TG&Y (dime store), two drug stores (a Rexall outlet and locally owned “McDaniels”), A&P Groceries, a Sears catalog-order store, an A&W Root Beer franchise, a couple of restaurants, etc… and the Overland Park Theater. When we were just kids, Mom and Pop would shuttle my brother and me to the matinees on Saturday.

I suppose then they went shopping or something—wink, wink—but we never thought to ask. When you’re a child of nine or even nineteen: the universe revolves around you and your parents do not have lives apart from seeing to your every need or whim. Anyway, sorry to get off track. Continue reading →

Movie Review: Improbable Collapse (2006)

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Brian Wright

The puzzling collapse of the Twin Towers and World Trade Center Bldg #7 (10/10)

Written by Rebecca Cerese
and Michael Berger
Directed by Michael Berger

Rebecca Cerese … Narrator (voice)
Glenn Corbett … Himself
Dr. David Ray Griffin … Himself
James T. Hoffman … Himself
Mark Jacobson … Himself
Steven E. Jones … Himself
Kevin Ryan … Himself
William Veale … Himself

Unless you’ve been living in a bubble, you will be aware that a large number of people are convinced the official story[1] of 911 is balderdash. I’m proud to be one of them. Numerous organizations and researchers have pointed out glaring errors, contradictions, physical impossibilities, falsehoods, and government deceits/coverups including: Continue reading →

Movie Review: Grand Prix (1966)

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Brian Wright

Movie, on DVD since 2006, conveys the general worldly ambitions of the times
Reviewed by Brian R. Wright

Review originally posted, July 2007.

When this movie came to the big screen it came to the BIG SCREEN. In 1966 I’m 17 and easily excited by fast cars in exotic places with beautiful people, so Grand Prix filled the bill for my viewing pleasure in every way. Didn’t know anything about acting or directing, what it takes to put a movie together, and I knew precious little about racing. But I recall hearing raves on the movie’s incredible authenticity of Formula One racing as it was carried out in those days.

Like, say, The Titanic or Star Wars, Grand Prix needed and needs to be seen on the big screen with all the technical wizardry that widescreen visuals and multiphonic sound provide. When I first gazed up at the opening credits where the projector generates successive screen splits of various mechanical images of the cars, all with the roaring and revving of highly tuned engines, I was hooked.

It didn’t really matter that the plot was a little weak off the track (though thoroughly believable by modern soap opera standards). The motivations were clear enough and in retrospect I see so many real persons I know in the boiled-down characters… for example, my sister is (was) a dead ringer for the Jessica Walter character and I’m convinced the Eva Marie Saint part was written for my S.O. (significant other). Continue reading →

Movie Review: Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (2005)

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Brian Wright

An amazing experience that evokes all the love of life well lived

And for sure I’ll be checking out Brief Encounter, referenced there, to refresh my memory again of that classic love story. This quiet, small film is a gem one must not miss. In its short 108 minutes are contained the most deeply moving sensibilities available to the human spirit: loneliness, disappointments, irony, humor, friendship, love, and a kindness to strangers that blossoms into a many-splendored bouquet of mutual perception of the highest order. All from the simplest elements imaginable.

It’s about as mundane a plot as can be conceived: an elderly widow moves to London to live in a hotel (the Claremont), paying month to month, to be near her grandson—the mother, Mrs. Palfrey’s daughter, lives away in Scotland. The hope is that said grandson, at the very least, will be glad to know she’s arrived and perhaps pay her a visit or phone her from time to time. Also, she seeks more availability of community and people to know.

Mrs. Palfrey, exquisitely portrayed by Joan Plowright, soon gets to know her handful of fellow hotel residents and settles in to a routine not quite what she had hoped for. Until one day, while she’s out to mail a letter to her daughter and pick up a book for one of her new friends at the hotel, she suffers a minor accident. She’s tended to by a hopeful writer/ house-sitter, Lugo (Rupert Friend)—the young man reminds me of the Edward Albert character in Butterflies are Free. He’s the same age as her grandson… who hasn’t called in weeks; Lugo and Mrs. Palfrey become friends. I’ll let the reader work out some plot opportunities with that. Continue reading →

Movie Review: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Posted on May 10, 2017 by Brian Wright

Insider look at harsh high world of fashion

On the face of it, you wouldn’t think a movie about the cutthroat, glamorous world of high fashion—specifically the relationship between the domineering editor of New York’s premier fashion magazine (Miranda Priestly played by Meryl Streep) and her second assistant, a standout journalism graduate from Northwestern (Andrea Sachs played by Anne Hathaway)—would appeal to “guys.” Devil has chick flick buttoned all over it.

But think again. It’s quite the treasure of a movie for all, particularly in the performance of Ms. Streep, who brings to life the boss in extremis we all love to hate. And truth be told, the movie is a mainly vehicle for displaying the essence of great acting. You can almost make the case, as with the Rachmaninoff 3d piano concerto or some Jack Nicholson movies, that the virtuoso performance is what makes the piece the piece.

The plot is derived from the popular book by Lauren Weisberger which was a New York Times best-seller for six months and published in 27 countries. Andrea (Andy) Sachs represents the author’s own struggles to “make it there” in New York; she seeks a journalism career via jobs that move her forward. She interviews with Miranda Priestly for a second-assistant job at Runway and, surprisingly, lands it. Continue reading →