So I continue!!!!
4
SING STREET
Directed by John Carney
Screenplay by John Carney
Starring Ferdia Walsh-Peelo; Lucy Boynton; and Jack Reynor
Set in Ireland, Cosmo's (Walsh-Peelo) family is having money trouble. So now he has to go to a "rougher" school. Along the way he meets a beautiful girl (Boynton) and he tries to impress her by starting a band with some of his new classmates.
WOW!!! What a surprise!!!
First this film would make a great Broadway Musical, and it probably will end up being so..
It is a musical. It is a comedy. It is a love story.
What makes it work? The three leads perfectly cast. Three actors I have never seen before in film!!
Walsh-Peelo as Cosmo. He is smart and funny and brave. Yes, he does not have the perfect voice, however that even works. He is a teenager with dreams. His voice is not going to be perfect but that makes the film real. Walsh-Peelo owns this character.
Lucy Boynton as Raphina is a find!! She is beautiful. Smart and funny. She also adds a sensitivity to her role. Just wonderful. Boynton understands that sometimes a look says a lot more than a word. Sometimes young actors try to push and explode in their parts. She lets her character almost smolder.
Jack Reynor as Brendan, Cosmo's brother. I think I love his character the most. He is like a Yoda to his brother. He also has a little remorse or longing for things he did not do, or that he was not brave enough to do. I thought Reynor. was really good.
Screenplay:
It is almost a teenage version of another Irish film, The Commitments.
A sweet love story with humor.
Some pretty good 80's music, and some bad 80's music. Strangely, even the bad music is enjoyable.
There is a story line about being bullied and how to handle it. Also, there is something here about finding your niche in an atmosphere where you feel like you are on the outskirts.
Still all these story lines are under one big umbrella about following your dreams.
This film was a wonderful surprise 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. How the song Drive It Like You Stole It did not get any Best song Oscar love is beyond me.
3
DON'T THINK TWICE
Directed By Mike Birbiglia
Screenplay by Mike Birbiglia
Starring Mike Birbiglia; Gillian Jacobs; Kate Micucci; Tami Sagher; Kegan Michael Key; and Chris Gethard
There are movies that are made for multi millions of dollars knowing full well it will be a blockbuster film or even a blockbuster failure.
Then there are smaller films that have award season goals. That is not bad. I tend to like those films because they seem to be better written. I also can go the other way with them because they tend to be depressing.
Then there are films like Don't Think Twice, that are low budget, and are so small that it falls under the radar of award season because it does not have the advertisement push and such (See also Sing Street). However they get made because along the way a producer saw a nice funny quiet story.
Here come Don't Think Twice.
There is not one thing I can find wrong here.
Directing and the screenplay and even the acting by Mike Birgbiglia is all spot on and wonderful.
The film follows a small comedy troupe and close nit friends called The Commune. When one member gets the ultimate job to be on Weekend Live, jealousy and egos start to find its way into the troupe but also into the friendships.
The script is funny touching and thought provoking. Mainly because this type of situation does not just happen in acting/comedy, it happens in the real world. When a co-worker/ friend gets a promotion. When friends go in opposite directions. It is real.
The known star here is Key, But he steps back and lets the other actors shine and they do.
They are all great performances however Gillian Jacobs as Samantha shine above them all.
She is amazing here spotlighted by her last performance on the stage for The Commune. Tears and laughter all at the same time. She is great and one of the best female supporting performances of the year. However like noted in the beginning, too small for Oscar voters.
I wanted to see more, I did not want it to end.
5 out of 5 stars for Don't Think Twice. Small but still you have to find it.
And Number 2!!!!
LA LA LAND
Directed by Damien Chazelle
Screenplay by Damien Chazelle
Starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.
Someone in the crowd may be the one you need to know. So true.
I went in knowing the hype. Fear that the film can never reach the expectations that I was setting.
Wrong!! Everything you hear is true.
-Great acting and chemistry by Gosling and Stone. This is their third movie together. They may be the Bogart and Bacall of our day.
-Great look. From the wonderful costumes to the sets, this film is beautiful. Shadows. Colors that pop. Everything.
-Great music. From the amazing opening number, that has you going, wow this is different!! To the final hits on the key of the piano. It is all wonderful and fun. Yes their voices are not perfect bu that makes them likable and real. They are not locks to be stars, they have to work at it.
-Great dance numbers. So good you want more.
-Great story. The story by Damien Chazelle is fantastic. I think a lot of people do not like the ending. Do not be fooled, this is not a love story. It is a story of two people with big dreams. They come together at a time and place and push each other forward. See Way We Were. See Casablanca.
Music, romance, humor.
Here's to the dreamers!!!
5 out of 5 stars for La La Land
Oh and yes I heard backlash.....please!! Stop it. If you have not seen it ....GO. It is fun.
One more left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My best of the year comes tomorrow!!!
From the shadows as always thanks for your time.
No comments:
Post a Comment