Huge hit! 'Riders of Justice' via 'Fargo'

Rough day? From left: Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Lars Brygmann and Mads Mikkelsen in Riders of Justice

It must be my starvation for action which drove me to Riders of Justice and captured me from the start.

I liked Wrath of Man, too, but Riders has a far better script, better acting and credibility which spells solid entertainment.  

A joy ride through slash and burn hell, but with purpose. Just my kind of film.

Riders is a fantastic thriller, a dark, subtle comedy (of sorts) accompanied by terrific music (by Jeppe Kaas) to complement the austere Danish landscapes of horizontal lines and muted tones where the sun doesn't shine, nobody smiles,  and color (save blood and Christmas sweaters) is absent. 

Anders Thomas Jensen, the director/writer, presents a striking film, sure to excite even the sleeping.  (Wake up, Christine!)

The star (Mads Mikkelsen), is angry, very angry, a man whose rage is palpable, perceived by an audience on edge (we know this is not going to be easy), so close to a man of steel, we are, without patience.

Markus's wife has died in a train accident which injured his teen daughter, now forced to live with her unreasonable, estranged father. 

Was it an accident?  New friends arrive to paint a different picture, and away we go!

The cast includes a nerdy statistician,  

Otto (Nikolaj Lie Kaas); a comedic hacker, Lennart (Lars Brygmann), and the fellow who reminded me of Newman from Seinfeld, Emmenthaler (Nicolas Bro), a tech pro and subtle humorist. 

These guys look like your colleagues, everyday persons you see on the street, with whom you might mingle in a tech warehouse, certainly not the artificial breeds from GQ. Applause to casting director, Djamila Hansen. 

I found only one scene which needed more editing, and that was when the "psychologist" counsels Mathilde (Andrea Heick Gadeberg). The "lineup" at the end was a bit too contrived, too.

The irony of this film is its supposed setting, Denmark, ranked by Global Peace Index as the fifth most peaceful country in the world in 2020. (Iceland was #1 and - surprise! - the U.S. doesn't show up in 21 countries listed.) 

Denmark has a low rate of gun deaths, too, as detailed by GunPolicy.org. From 1998 to 2011, Denmark's rate of death by gun was fewer than two people killed for every 100,000 Danish citizens, and by comparison, the United States' rate was just over 10 gun deaths per every 100,000 citizens in 2013. (It might be about double that by now.)

Riders is a great movie for those who are immune to movie violence, like I find myself becoming. 

And Carla, I think Thor will like Riders and if you liked Pulp Fiction and Fargo, you may like it, too, but you've been warned. Adult language, for certain, with English subtitles.

This is the only time I can recall when the critics at Rotten Tomatoes beat the audience (94% to 91%) and got it right.

patricialesli@gmail.com

Justice Clarence Thomas has his own movie

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in Created Equal:  Clarence Thomas in His Own Words/Manifold Productions


Comments by the filmmaker, producer, and director after the screening of his new film about Clarence Thomas were almost as interesting as the film itself.

An adoring, practically fawning crowd welcomed the first public showing of Created Equal:  Clarence Thomas in His Own Words last week at the Cato Institute. At the show's end, filmmaker Michael Pack and Cato's Roger Pilon, who served as moderator, answered questions from the audience until there were no more.

Most of the questioners preceded their remarks with "brilliant!" and "excellent!" 

In the film, set for airing by PBS next May, Clarence Thomas sits and faces the camera and talks about his life, beginning with his early childhood.  He and his wife, Ginny, sat for 30 hours of interviewing, Mr. Pack said, and it was difficult to reduce that length to two hours, which left no room in the film for contributions and viewpoints from others.

Mr. Pack hopes law schools and other colleges will pick it up. 

Michael Pack at the Cato Institute Nov. 13, 2019 for the screening of his new film, Created Equal: Clarence Thomas In His Own Words/Photo by Patricia Leslie


Archival videos and photographs made excellent visuals, supplemented with the few Thomas family pictures available.


Several times Mr. Pack said that Justice Thomas's life is a classic American story, a much harder upbringing he had than, say, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (whose RBG has earned nearly $14.5 million since its release in 2018. Mr. Pack sighed).
  
In Pin Point, Georgia, close to Savannah, Clarence Thomas's father abandoned his family when the future justice was a toddler. His mother struggled to earn a living wage and take care of her children who roamed the streets when the boys were six and seven years old.

In desperation, she took Clarence and his younger brother to her parents to live, and the two boys delighted to find indoor plumbing and food on the table every night at their grandparents' home. (Nothing was said about what happened to Mr. Thomas's mother or his sister.)

His grandfather was a disciplinarian who instilled hard work in his grandsons, respect for others, and a keen sense of the value of education. Mr. Thomas says he  "really regretted," not visiting his grandfather before he died to tell him "how much I loved and respected him."

The future justice attended Catholic high school and at age 16, considered becoming a priest. That possibility led him to seminary school until a racial epithet after the death of Martin Luther King Jr. caused Mr. Thomas to leave. That was about the time a door opened at the College of the Holy Cross and from there, it was on to Yale law school.

Justice Thomas describes his career and work for Sen. John Danforth (R-MO). After climbing the legal ladder, Mr. Thomas was nominated to the U.S.Supreme Court by President George H.W. Bush in 1991.

Presiding over the Thomas Senate confirmation hearing was Sen. Joe Biden, who, of course, is included at one of his worst moments, to the delight of the laughing audience. 

Mr. Thomas says he had no idea what Sen. Biden was talking about in the hearing when the senator talked about "natural laws," but Mr. Biden announced to everyone present that he and Mr. Thomas knew what he was talking about. (You have to see it.) 

The clash with the testimony of Anita Hill consumed  more in the film than expected. (At least four in the audience were not Thomas fans, including me who believed and still believes Anita Hill.)

When Mr. Thomas learned his nomination had been approved, his response was a sarcastic "whoop-dee-doo." 

Mr. Pack said unequivocally that the justice had not seen the film but Mr. Thomas's wife, Ginny (quoted extensively in it), had.

More than once Mr. Pack said the justice wanted to get his words out.  Clearly, Mr. Thomas still carries a chip on his shoulder which he probably has borne throughout life.

The documentary is an unbalanced portrayal but an autobiography, a hagiography someone suggested today, nonetheless. Mr. Thomas, 71, is now the most senior associate justice on the Supreme Court.

Mr. Pack's company, Manifold Productions, produced the film, with the help of his wife, Gina, a Manifold vice-president, who was also present.  

She urged her husband to shorten Words which is good advice! With redundant scenes of an unmanned boat gliding through Georgian marshes, I say, "cut!"

The banjo and piano made excellent accompaniment in the film as did the guest reception which preceded the showing.

patricialesli@gmail.com



 

'Jim Allison: Breakthrough' is a documentary

From Jim Allison:  Breakthrough

Maybe Ann Hornaday is a scientist on the side.  Or a frustrated wannabe scientist.  

Or she's married to one. 

Or majored in biology, or her mom and/or dad is a biologist. 

Maybe Ann Hornaday has a special relationship with a biologist or another scientist or immunologist. 

Maybe she knows the director, the producers, etc. etc.

Whatever (she's the chief movie reviewer for the Washington Post), I went to see Jim Allison: Breakthrough based on her recommendation to "'just see it'" and, "go twice," and "you won't regret it, and you'll never forget it."  And, another one:
"Just see the dang thing,"

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I am here to tell you that you don't need to see it twice.  You don't need to even see it once (unless you're a scientist or a drug marketer or a pharmaceutical company).  

I've seen it for you. 

It's okay; it's a "feel good" story, describing Dr. Allison's life as he pursues his dream, his remarkable persistence and personal driving force to find a cancer cure to help assuage the death of his mother, his brother, his uncle, and now, he's got cancer, too. (And so will you, if you live long enough.)

Congratulations to Dr. Allison and his colleagues for winning the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2018. And (!), he plays the harmonica...with none other than Willie Nelson! 

This is a good documentary.  It's not a great documentary. 

I do not think it will any awards.  It will not be nominated.

A great story but certainly not a "must see."

I have recommended it to my daughter, a biologist.

It is an education in the long time it takes pharmaceutical companies to get new drugs to the marketplace.

Maybe a re-edited version will cut the many variations of the ocean scene with the Allison brothers which must have been screened at least five times. 

Written and directed by Bill Haney.  The excellent music by Mickey Raphael and Mark Orton exceeds expectations. 


patricialesli@gmail.com

'Linda Ronstadt' is fantabulous

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice is an excellent concert on film from beginning to end, and the music is more than mere snippets of her songs. Many music docs often tease and frustrate fans with vastly shortened versions of the hits we know so well. 

Not Linda.

Her big ones are all here: "You're No Good," "Different Drum," "Blue Bayou," among many, presented by archives and video.  

Hearing them anew made me want to rush out and buy a couple of her albums which number more than 30. She has won 10 Grammys and received 26 Grammy nominations. 

From Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice


In the film, members of Linda's music family (her agents, producers, publicists, band members, boyfriends -  wish Jerry Brown had consented to inclusion) are interviewed with the big stars who remain dear friends: Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris (who tears up at the end), Bonnie Raitt, Aaron Neville, to name a few. 

Their conversations, thankfully, last more than a few seconds. "Teasers," not.

The interviewees expound on the goodness of Linda, her singing ability, her personality (which never seems to waver in the show from her childhood to present day).

Chats with the star of the show bookend the film and show her charm, intact sense of humor, and great looks.

Deterred by disease?  Not.

Her last live concert was in 2009 before problems with her voice were diagnosed as Parkinson's disease in 2012, leaving her unable to sing. She is 73.

"When Will I Be Loved" contradicts the embrace her fans, friends, and family extend to the woman with the sparkling, distinctive voice like none other.

Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Freidman directed.

patricialesli@gmail.com 

Movie review; 'Gloria Bell' is one heckuva waste and terrible also

Oh, my!  She grasps at air, contemplates brushing her teeth, petting an ugly cat and/or smoking a joint. Julianne Moore in the awful Gloria Bell by FilmNation Entertainment


I swear this the last time I'll spend time and money on any movie which has a differential of 50 degrees awful(!) between the critics' and audience's ratings at Rotten Tomatoes.

The audience (44%, positive) is always right. The critics (94%, not a typo) are always wrong, but I am supposing the latter likes to reward their friends in high places.

It is practically inconceivable that a movie could be more zzzzz than The Favourite (British spelling, por favor) or that dreadful cat movie, but this one had made it to the Top Three list.

Delete from this pathetic re-run of bedsheets, Julianne Moore singing songs in her car (please! One or two scenes were okay, but 45?), the same dancing scenes (like we ain't never seen smoky dancing scenes?), and breasts (a new record for most!  A man wrote and directed Gloria Bell, surprise!), and you're left with nuthin' much, save men are cads. 

Who knew?

We need to spend 90 minutes of movie time to learn that?

Why, Miss Moore, age 58, would stoop to this level, I suppose, rests on the articles that appear several times yearly bemoaning the lack of acting parts for aging females. What else is she supposed to do? 

Maintain some class, that's what! 

Dear Readers, take my words for it and ignore the paid critics in this sad tale, one critic who compares Moore to  "wrap[ping] herself in the role like a soft shawl." Yup, a "soft shawl" all right, one that's been picked up in the nursing home and used for rags after it was mistakenly dragged through the mud when it was dropped in the unpaved parking lot when Aunt Fanny stumbled and fell out the car door as her belongings were gathered for her residency in the death house. That's how good this movie is.  And not a comedy!

patricialesli@gmail.com

'Most Boring' Oscar goes to 'The Favourite'

If you waste your time and money on The Favourite, you'll be as sad as Olivia Colman who plays Queen Anne, center in the mobile chair. That's Rachel Weisz carrying a hot water bottle to soothe upset stomachs from engaging in this joyless, dull film by Fox Searchlight Pictures, Final 4 and Waypoint.


It's hard to believe that any movie can be more boring than the lame 2014 cat movie the critics loved, moviegoers hated and which dived at the box office, but The Favourite wins hands down.

Speaking of hands, Favourite wins the award for "Most Hand Jobs" in cinema.  I think it was during one of them that I dozed off for the sixth or seventh time, either then or during the 6,325 times the characters walked back and forth in the hallway which consumed about 45 minutes when all the marches are put together. (I searched for a photo of the march walk but, conveniently, the producers supplied none, probably because the actors made a culvert, and the set was destroyed.)

Speaking of, this has got to be the cheapest set in movie history since it varied none.  But, of course, the de rigueur bare breasts were present, and we almost got to see a naked man except no one would want to see that naked man whose body could be mistaken for a giant wrinkled can, not worth throwing a tomato at (AKA "blood orange").

Also, the F-bomb and (new!) the C-bomb (write and ask) play dominant roles.  

My former colleague, Ben, used to tell me that men love to watch lesbians go at it which explains why this yawning, fawning movie was nominated for Best Picture.  You gotta be kidding.  The only possible nominations should have come for costuming (Sandy Powell:  Why were the gowns so dull and repetitive?) and Best Supporting Actress (but she was nominated for Best Actress) Olivia Colman who plays Queen Anne.

You will thank me for saving you from wasting time and money on this monstrosity which infuriates me that I did. What does it matter that part of it is based on history? It's still horrible. 

Watch for movie takes on other films coming to this site, but none as bad as The Favourite (with British spelling included!). 

patricialesli@gmail.com

Double fault movie: 'John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection'

 
From John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection/Oscilloscope Laboratories

Dear Tennis Fans,

That this movie earned a 100% audience rating and 88%  critics rating at Rotten Tomatoes is shocking, but given the now-that-I-think-of-it expected audience, maybe not so surprising.

But, hey!  I was a member of the so-called expected audience and for me, John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection is an error, a dud.  It is awful.

Half of the film is devoted to McEnroe's temper tantrums, although none of his in this film, quite matches that of Serena Williams last weekend at the U.S. Open.


The French documentary is not about his life, his upbringing, training, or great matches.  It's not about his motivators or methodology which we, the underperforming (or non-performing) can hope to adapt in some manner or another.  

It's not an update on what he's doing in life now besides working as a sports commentator.  What's it all about, Johnny?

It's a single year of his tennis life, 1984, when he played and lost (to Ivan Lendl) at Roland Garros Stadium at the French Open. (McEnroe still gets ill when he has to go to France.)

Despite the loss, this movie star still holds the single year season record, a 96.5% win rate.

The movie has clips from a few great matches with...whom?  Save for the last match, competitors are hidden from view.

I was yearning to see Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, some of the greats McEnroe battled. Instead, I saw lots of McEnroe's shoes, his grimaces, his frowns, his unhappiness, and his towels.  

Oh, and there's the red clay.  (All, about the same shade.) Lots of it to be seen when he points to the lines and argues with officials, never successfully, about what he thinks are errant calls.

Also, there is a surfeit of narration and computer drawings about his serve, his arm positions, his style, his bent knees, in slow motion. A  technical film, for tennis coaches and their students, and that's about all.

In the words of every sub-teen:  b - o - r - i - n - g.

I think I was hoping to see the film, Borg v. McEnroe I've heard about.  Perfection? This ain't it!

I saw it so you don't have to.

Julien Faraut wrote and directed; Mathieu Amalric, narrated.

patricialesli@gmail.com