Motherless Brooklyn

First Hit: Meandering and unfocused attempt to bring this Jonathan Lethem novel to life on the big screen.

Screenwriter, Director, and Actor Edward Norton failed to make this an engaging crime thriller in the tradition of Roman Polanski’s “Chinatown.” Although there were aspects of this film, I thought exquisite, for instance the jazz club scenes and the scenes in Moses Randolph’s office, generally it felt long and tired.

One way it felt tired to me was me having to analyze scenes to see if things were making sense as the film moved along. Often, they didn’t, which is tiring. For instance, a few early scenes in the Minna Detective Agency office were confusing, and I found myself questioning how the agency made any money and had pleasantly nice offices. Everybody in the office seemed flush, not struggling. There were hints that people in the agency drove people around in cars for a fee and that this was a side business, but everyone at the agency always seemed to be in the office and sitting at their desks doing nothing. I kept thinking, how did all four guys in the agency make money? The main character Lionel Essrog (Edward Norton), always seemed to have money to buy drinks with lavish tips, pay for taxis, and buy dinner or two for meetings with other people.

These and other logic questions kept popping up in my mind as the film wore on and took me away from engaging more with the story.

Basically, the story is about Lionel’s dedication to his boss and friend Frank Minna (Bruce Willis). Because Frank gets shot and killed early in the story, Lionel has to find out who did it. He cannot let go of the puzzle in his head, which is where his being afflicted with Tourette’s Syndrome adds to the plot. He’s always blurting out comments at an inopportune time, but it helps him to drive to answers to open questions.

The trail to find his boss’s killer begins from a hint Frank whispered to Lionel just before his death in the hospital from a gunshot wound that Lionel witnessed.

The hint has to do with a woman, Laura Rose (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who un-be-knowingly was fathered by a powerful city politician Moses Randolph (Alec Baldwin). Although he’s never in an elected spot, he’s always been chosen to run the public parks, building commission, and the housing commission. This is where the real power of control over the city lies.

The audience sees his bullying ways in an early scene when he storms into the Mayor's office and demands to have all the commissions he had before the recent election.

Randolph has a genius brother, Paul (Willem Dafoe), whom he keeps on a short leash and on the edge of hope. Paul figures into the story because Lionel interviews him and learns more about his controlling brother Moses.

I can say that I spent 2 ½ hours watching some good scenes with some excellent acting sprinkled in along the way. However, the meandering nature of the movie and overly complicated scenes to achieve a visible result were not well-intentioned.

Norton was at times good as Lionel, but somehow his expression of the syndrome became part of the distraction versus adding to the film and story. It’s a difficult thing to do, and at times it failed. Willis’ small but pivotal part was good while it lasted. Mbatha-Raw was outstanding as Rose. Her ability to be both strong and vulnerable was effectively used. Baldwin was the best of the bunch in this film. Without any doubt he brought the role of powerful non-elected city politician to life. His conversation with Lionel about the importance of building his future dream city was wonderfully done. Dafoe gives a reliable performance as the younger brother of Moses. He's continually seeking approval for his work, and his subsequent disappointment was exquisitely displayed towards the end of the story when he opens an envelope, filled with hope, only to find something else. For me one of the most compelling scenes was between Lionel and Trumpet Man (Michael Kenneth Williams). While in Trumpet Man’s home, he and Lionel talk about their respectively messed up heads and how they each try to soothe their inner beasts. Watching Williams's performance, I was transfixed. Norton both wrote and directed this film. The direction of his own performance needed work. He seemed too engaged with watching himself where trimming his screen time might have helped the film by being more focused. However, he does have directorial talent and was able to evoke several powerful scenes by letting the talent shine.

Overall: I can say that I spent 2 ½ hours watching some good scenes with some excellent acting sprinkled in a long, meandering, and overly complicated moments to achieve an obvious result.

Framing John DeLorean

First Hit: It was wonderful to learn more about John DeLorean, his life, and what happened to this risky innovator.

First off, this film is a combination of straight documentary film and reenactments. There is plenty of original documentary footage, including FBI footage of a sting operation, and interviews of John Z. DeLorean and his family. There are also current interviews with players in John’s life, including his two children. However, the wrinkle is that this movie also consists of reenactments of specific scenes in John’s life. Alec Baldwin plays John in these reenactments.

Being a car enthusiast, starting in the late 1960s, I was very aware of DeLorean’s impact at General Motors. His first impact statement with GM was the Pontiac GTO, the first bonafide muscle car. This was a “gotta have car” in the 60s. In this film, we learn how he figured out how to get the car made and out to the public under the strict design, build, and delivery structure at General Motors.

Because he bucked the traditions to get things done at General Motors, he was observed by senior managers. John’s everything-he-touches-turns-to gold successes at increasing sales at GM led him to become the youngest Division Head at General Motors at age 40. Although he pushed the buttons of the staunch old guard at GM, his bold work had him being touted as the next CEO and President.

However, tired of run-ins with the old guard, and having a lack of design flexibility, DeLorean left GM in 1973 to start his own motor car company, the DeLorean Motor Company (DMC). To find financing he touted his prowess at GM. He got private funding of about $17M and also got a lot more money from the British Government because he was going to build his manufacturing plant in Ireland. This was a real win for the Irish people.

The interviews of the factory workers were wonderfully touching. They loved working there because they were building something together, and the riff between the Protestant and Catholics fell away on the factory floor. This was great for both the people and the governments of Ireland and England.

However, technical issues and quality control issues caused problems with the automobiles, and they didn’t sell. Additionally, the economy took a downturn just as John introduced these cars but what really sank this ship was Margaret Thatcher deciding she didn’t want to continue under the support agreement DeLorean and England had created.

Needing money to keep his dream alive, fix the manufacturing problems, and sell the cars, he got caught up in a drug deal that was going to get him some $24M. However, it was a sting operation by the FBI.

The film goes into more detail about the trial and how it affected his family that what was reported in the papers. Current interviews with his son Zach and daughter Kathryn share how hard it was on the family.

Then it was discovered by a forensic accountant that the original $17M that DeLorean collected had been laundered with the help of an Italian group who took half the $17M, while John took the other half. I didn’t know beforehand about this issue, and it really added to the sneaky way John worked.

Some of the scenes during which Baldwin plays DeLorean, are modeled after the tapes and film of John, like being busted for the cocaine deal, and it’s effective.

DeLorean did not really spend much time behind bars, but he ended up broke and still trying to finish the dream with the DMC2 model. He died in his apartment, alone.

However, it was the film “Back to the Future” that may cement the DeLorean Motor Car as iconic.

Baldwin was very good as John, and I sensed he came close to sharing what DeLorean was like. Dan Greeney and Alexandra Orton did a great job of scripting this hybrid film. Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce did a fantastic job of directing this complex story of a complicated driven dreamer.

Overall: I really enjoyed learning more about this visionary.

BlacKkKlansman

First Hit: Fantastic film about race relations in the United States while reminding the audience about how far we have to go.

This film opens with a clip from the film Gone with the Wind, showing Scarlett walking through hundreds of dead and injured bodies from the Civil War. Then after a horribly racist rant film clip of Dr. Kennebrew Beaureguard (Alex Baldwin) setting the stage for the depth of white racism, this story begins.

We then move to the late 1970’s and Spike Lee captures the feeling, look, and sounds of the time. Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is looking to find work and sees a billboard advertising about being a cop in Colorado Springs. He’s got the perfect afro and in the interview he's told he'll be the first black cop on the police force - the Jackie Robinson of their force.

Stuck in the records room, he gets on a detail to monitor a black power meeting put together by Patrice Dumas (Laura Harrier). The star of the meeting is Stokely Carmichael (Corey Hawkins), now named Kwame Ture, who gives an amazing talk about ending racism in America and embracing black power. Engaging Patrice after the meeting, Ron was both awe struck by Patrice's commitment to the movement along with being smitten by Patrice the beautiful woman.

After this initial work as a detective, he ends up convincing the chief that he could infiltrate the local KKK chapter. Of course, everyone on the force laughs until, on the phone, he gets an interview with the local leader Walter Breachway (Ryan Eggold). When Walter asks to meet him in person, Ron elicits the assistance of white Detective Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver).

Together they make an amazing team as they navigate the process of being Ron Stallworth, Klansman nominee.

To move his official membership along, Ron calls David Duke (Topher Grace) to ask him if he could get his staff to hurry the membership along. David says he’d be happy to help and that he’ll come to Colorado Springs for Ron’s induction into the KKK. All during this time Ron is dating Patrice and Flip is pretending to be Ron during one on one meetings with the KKK.

These components plus a possible bombing and cross-burning, the story about Ron, Flip, Patrice, Walter, David, and Felix (Jasper Paakkonen) as Walter’s radical right-hand man, the story became wildly engaging.

As the film unfolds, Spike Lee does an excellent job of giving the audience, scenes that run the gambit from humor (Ron calling David for the last time), to intenseness (Flip being pulled into Felix’s basement because Felix thinks Flip is a Jew), to today’s racist displays (when the end of the film easily segues into the 2017 Charlottesville march). Then, watching Harry Belafonte as civil rights leader Jerome Turner, I was transported to how real this story was.

The brilliance of Ron and Patrice moving down the hall almost surrealistically and comically as they watched a cross burning through a window was inspired.

Washington was absolutely wonderful as Ron Stallworth. He perfectly captured the struggle of a black man believing in the law and the black power movement. Harrier was divine as the President of the local black caucus. She definitely looked the part as a radical black woman and I couldn’t help but think about Angela Davis each time she was on the screen. Driver was amazing as Ron’s white counterpart. He embraced the role of Ron perfectly. Eggold was very strong as the local KKK leader. Grace was credibly incredible as David Duke. Paakkonen as the wildly unpredictable member of the local KKK was sublime. Belafonte was beautiful speaking his truth through his character. Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, and Spike Lee wrote an engaging power script from Ron Stallworth’s book. Lee showed me again, why you can never count him out from making a powerfully amazing film.

Overall: This is the second film I’ve seen this year that is Oscar worthy.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

First Hit: Holds tension and action throughout, however it is long and we all know the ending.

I’ve said this many a time, what I like about Tom Cruise (here as IMF Agent Ethan Hunt) is that he’s always all in for the characters he chooses. As Ethan Hunt he’s one with the role. What is always disappointing is that we always know how the film is going to end. For instance, my previous review of the film Blindspotting, I had no idea how the movie would end, that’s what partly made it great. Watching Mission, I know that Hunt is going to save the day in the nick of time and he doesn't fail.

Despite that, this film is action packed from the very beginning and creates tension by delivering on some hair-raising predicaments and stunts. One of the nice touches was how the film began. Playing the Mission: Impossible theme music, it showed brief pictures of was to come, just like the television show use to do. The cast is solid, especially Hunts team of Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and Benjamin “Benji” Dunn (Simon Pegg). Their chemistry of working together on previous Mission films makes the impossible missions more possible and believable to the audience – they are pros.

The plot has Hunt attempting to obtain three plutonium devices that are on the black market. The US Government want to keep them out of the hands of terrorists. Hunt makes the choice to save the life of Luther over obtaining the devices.

Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), who Hunt previously captured and put into prison, is attempting to obtain the devices through surrogates. He wants to use the devices to make a point that the world must suffer greatly if it is to get better. His former organization, The Apostles, want the weapons as well.

One of the plot devices is to have CIA agent August Walker (Henry Cavill) join the team to protect the CIA’s interest in IMF’s plot to re-obtain the devices. Walker is directly under CIA Director Erica Stone (Angela Bassett). The twist is that Walker is also playing John Lark who is an enemy of the CIA and IMF.

Hunt and his team are under the direction of former CIA Director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) who now leads the IMF task force. The film shows the tension between the CIA and IMF because the CIA doubts that the IMF can get the job done.

Another twist to this plot is the MI6 agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) who has to redeem herself to her organization, therefore she must also obtain the plutonium devices.

Lastly, trying to broker a sale of the devices the story has the White Widow (Vanessa Kirby). I'm not totally sure why this part was needed but it worked.

What the film has is a number of different groups trying to get control of;  the plutonium, a captured prisoner, or Hunt.

There are plenty of gun battle scenes, lots of chases (cars, motorcycles, running, and helicopter), and plenty of costume changes that the Mission: Impossible team is noted for. Everything is done very well, and the cliff hanging scene is simply a great cliffhanger. Lastly, one of the highlights for me was the different ways the theme song was used throughout the film.

Cruise always puts everything into his action roles. He can be funny, self-effacing, and believable all at the same time. Cavill is good as the agent with dual identity. Rhames is fantastic as part of the IMF team. He shows smarts, affability, and is fully believable in his role. Pegg is spot on as the one always questioning whether a plan Hunt has devised will work or not. In the end, he does his part and is often the one who figures things out. Ferguson is excellent as one of two women Hunt admires and loves. As an agent of MI6 she’s excellent. Harris is good as the slightly off-base mastermind who wants to teach the world a lesson or two. Bassett is good as the CIA Director that is elusive about her commitment to the IMF team. Baldwin was very good as Hunt’s immediate boss. Kirby was good as the White Widow, but I found it difficult to buy into why she held so much sway. Michelle Monaghan was excellent as Hunt’s former wife who is in jeopardy at the end of the film. Christopher McQuarrie wrote and directed this adventure with complete idea of what he wanted and with a knowing how to build tension to the end.

Overall: This was a fun filled film although it was a bit long.

Concussion

First Hit:  Granted, the NFL did not know what was happening at first, but when they learned and refused to do something about it by letting their greed for money persevere, I wasn’t shocked.

Fact: Multiple hits on the head, like what happens on a football field, can cause CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a neurodegenerative disease. This brain damage has directly led to the deaths of many football players and more will needlessly die because of this.

This film tells the story through the eyes of an immigrant who came from Nigeria because he believed that America was the greatest of all countries. Bennet Omalu M.D. (Will Smith) came to the US with more doctorate and master’s degrees than probably any two or three of the most educated people you may know.

Despite being brilliant, people tried to denounce his discovery of CTE because he wasn’t born in this country, was black, and didn’t watch football.

The script was very strong from the get go and when it has him explaining why human brains are more susceptible to this type of injury than a woodpecker or a bighorn sheep you know that he's been careful and pragmatic in his work.

At first he believed that he was helping the NFL when he shared his research with them, but all they saw was economic ruin if the story got out.

The film uses the story of Mike Webster (AKA “Iron Mike”) an NFL center who was considered one of the greatest centers of all time. His untimely death at age 50 from apparent suicide was questioned by Omalu because, nothing in his body said he should have this sort of ending.

What Omalu discovered through detailed unprecedented research was that repetitive head hitting caused CTE. The result gave a reason as to why Webster was hallucinating and not be able to take care of himself. He lost his home, family, and lived in a pickup truck for years before dying.

Supporting Dr. Omalu on this path was his boss Dr. Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks), former NFL physician Dr. Julian Bailes (Alec Baldwin) and Dr. Steven DeKosky. Together they wrote a paper for a scientific journal that when published scared the hell out of the NFL. The film also balances his fight to get the NFL to acknowledge his findings, with his meeting and falling in love with his wife, Prema Mutiso (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). She was amazing in her support of his work.

The film effectively used, hard to watch, scenes of football players hitting each other helmet to helmet and their heads hitting the ground after being tackled. The pacing of the film is perfect and there isn’t a minute wasted on fluff.

Smith was sublime and perfect in this role. He embodied a man who only wanted the truth to be told and would do anything to have it be heard. Brooks was amazing as Omalu’s boss. One got the sense that he admired Omalu as a man and a fellow physician. He wanted to be there to support him because he knew Omalu’s brilliance would reveal the truth. Baldwin was very strong as the former NFL physician who knew that Omalu’s science was correct and was willing to go against his old bosses and friends for the truth to be unveiled. David Morse as Mike Webster was scary great. He held the audience and his fellow actors with the tension he created in this role. Mbatha-Raw was wonderful in her supportive role as Omalu's wife. She provided a grounded sense throughout the film. Peter Landesman wrote and directed this film. His interpretation of the story and use of the actors make this a film to consider at awards time.

Overall:  This film has a lot to say to anyone who lets their sons play football: Do you want to risk the possibility of brain damages?