Rosewater

First Hit: I'm sure that the real story was more compelling than the film exhibited.

There was something lackluster about watching this film. I wasn’t expecting anything explosive or mind boggling, I was hoping to be touched by this film; I wasn’t.

The subject matter is interesting, however it isn’t new ground. There are many historical films about someone incorrectly imprisoned and how they survived. Unfortunately, this ends up being just one of many. Could it have been more? Yes because we have Maziar Bahari (Gael Garcia Bernal) who was Iranian born, his dad and sister were revolutionaries on their own, he works for Newsweek and is imprisoned in Iran for being a CIA and MI6 spy.

Given all this, I never really got a sense as to the main focus of this film: 1) Was it about how Bahari deals with the pressure? 2) Was it about how Javadi (Kim Bodnia) interrogated him? 3) Was it about how Iran wanted to show the world it is a victim of western governments? 4) Was it about how high level international pressure can bring to bear his release? 5) Was it about Bahari’s family, who have been Iranian government antagonists for generations?  

I had high hopes for the film early on when Bahari is abducted from his Iranian family home and his abductors say: “We are here for you now.” They take him directly to prison. This is the point of my review, I had trouble understanding the main focus of the film and therefore I left the theater thinking; interesting but empty.

Bernal was good but the lack of clear direction reduced the effectiveness of script and unknown point of the film. Javadi was also good and only good for the reasons stated above. Jon Stewart wrote and directed this first time effort for him. The lack of direct focus on a particular subject within the context of the story might be a first time filmmaker’s mistake, I don’t know. Yet, this is what it seemed like. Stewart did an OK job, but if he’s going to do more, he has some work to do.

Overall: A good first time effort for Stewart, but the film lacked a single driving focus.

Kill the Messenger

First Hit:  Although not a great film, it was an amazing story and in the end, I really felt for the messenger.

This is the story about how the Reagan led administration allowed the CIA to promote selling drugs in the US to create cash to buy arms for the Nicaraguan Contra rebels.

Congress wouldn’t support arming the Contras so the CIA decided to fund the war by getting Americans addicted to drugs. The irony of course is the Nancy Reagan “Say no to drugs” campaign. Even worse are the deaths of children and adults as a direct result of the CIA action.

Was Reagan in on this - my guess is probably and I "don't know". Jeremy Renner plays Gary Webb the San Jose Mercury News reporter that wrote and broke this story. It so inflamed the government, they called in all their chips with other news agencies and made Webb’s story seem false, unsubstantiated and inaccurate. How this affects his work life and home life are what this film is about.

Shamefully, as history tells us, the CIA’s confession years later didn’t land in the news like the stories made up and published against him. The story ends sadly and is a matter of public record. What it does point out is the criminal nature of our government in the name of stopping “the spread of communism” – yeah right.

Renner is strong as a reporter of integrity. I’m glad this story was told. Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Webb’s editor was interesting and failed to trust her reporter. Rosemarie DeWitt as Gary’s wife Sue was superb. I so enjoyed her presence in the film. Lucas Hedges as oldest son Ian was sublime. Small and pivotal roles by Oliver Platt, Andy Garcia and Ray Liotta were wonderful. Peter Landesman wrote this script from Gary Webb’s own book and Nick Schou's book of the films’ name. Michael Questa adequately directed this film.

Overall:  This was a great story and it saddens me that we cannot trust our government - still can't.

The Last of Robin Hood

First Hit:  Interesting and somewhat provocative, yet it didn’t really probe the controversial aspects of Errol’s behavior.

Kevin Kline was a great pick for the Errol Flynn character. He’s got the subtle charm, sly smile, and eye sparkle that would make him a great ladies man which Errol was known to be.

This film begins at the end of Errol’s career. He’s gazing out of the window of a studio’s office and sees Beverly Aadland (Dakota Fanning) walking to a set. He sends his emissary over to find her and invite her to his office. She is 15 years old but passing for 18 and he’s over 50.

His charm has her going to dinner with him and then to his home where he pushes himself on and in her. Afterward, Beverly ignores Errol but he is persistent, tracks her down, and convinces her that he really cares for her. In the background, Beverly’s mother Florence (Susan Sarandon) is pushing her daughter to be a movie star and seems to allow or ignore risking her daughter’s reputation and safety for fame.

To give an air of proper propriety, Errol devises a plan for Florence and Beverly to go with him everywhere, but it’s when they go to New York that Florence faces the intimate relationship Beverly and Errol are having. The rest of the film is more about what happens to them as a twosome and threesome.  Errol’s has been burning the candle at both ends and this lifestyle brings about his early demise.

The 1950’s was very well represented in both clothing and outdoor scenes in LA and NYC. The automobiles were beautiful and seeing the John Wayne movie marquee was great. What this film was missing was more about Errol’s previous issues which were only talked about and delved into once with a stern talk between Errol and his lawyer.

Kline was really good as Errol and it was a pleasure to watch him be in this character. I think the script let him down. Fanning was incredible, she was able to be the various ages her character was pretending to be allowing her experience to give her the air of being much older than she was. Sarandon was wonderful as the mother choosing blinders when she needed them, yet opportunistic as all get out. Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland both wrote and directed this film. It lacked some of deeper more controversial aspects of Errol’s behavior but what it did was bring light to the man who has long since passed.

Overall:  I admired Fanning’s portrayal of Beverley and liked Kline’s version of Flynn.

Get on Up

First Hit:  The music was great, dancing even better, historically somewhat interesting, and confusing in how it was put together.

I recall listening to James Brown (played by Chadwick Boseman) in the early 1960s thinking, this guy’s doing his own thing and it is very soulful.

Not soulful like the Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas, or The Platters. Brown’s music was in a word “Funky”. He is and was the creator of the funk sound. He mixed musical rhythms together that may have made a classical musical teacher cringe, but in the end the sound was powerful, interesting and in the soulful groove of us all.

His music reached across races – James Brown made such an impact in music that is felt today and will forever be felt. The film gave perspective of where he came from, how he was raised, and his belief that he knew what he wanted his music to sound like. One of the most interesting scenes is during a rehearsal when he told everyone that their musical instrument was a drum – and that the beat he wanted would work if they did what he said.

The film also gave a glimpse as to his beliefs of our government and race. He demanded respect from his musicians and was a task master. He didn’t trust many people. The music came through loud and clear and the camera work on some of the dancing was very good. However the crisscross movement of time to review his past and present life was confusing at times because the relation to time was not well marked. There were times I had to think as to what time in his life we were seeing.

Boseman was really good as Brown and he seemed to get a lot of the dancing footwork down which may not have been easy. Nelsan Ellis played his best friend and bandmate Bobby Byrd. Ellis was really strong and he made Boseman’s character better. He provide a deeper understanding of Brown. Dan Aykroyd played his manager and business partner Ben Bart. As Bart, Ackroyd was fantastic. His seriousness and sarcasm was perfect. Viola Davis as Susie Brown (mother) was very strong and provided both warmth, remorse and depth to the film. Jez and John-Henry Butterworth wrote the screenplay which required research and a willingness to dig into the positives and darker side of his life. Tate Taylor directed this film and may have made it more complicated to view than necessary.

Overall:  The music was outstanding – I enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane.

Jersey Boys

Hit:  Music was memorable and most everything else wasn’t.

Jersey Boys is the story of the “Four Seasons” a group that started in the 1950's and lasted through much of the 1960's before they imploded.

This film is supposed to provide the biographical history of this Jersey based group while providing entertainment. On the musical entertainment end – I really enjoyed the film as anyone, who was around they threw out hit after hit, would have.

The worst parts of the film were incorrect historical references: The first reference to Topo Gigio as an act on the Ed Sullivan show was many years too early. There are also wording references that were not used until the 1980's or 1990's. One segment that felt a bit creepy to me was his singing “My Eyes Adored You” to his daughter. Knowing the song, these two lines alone make it a bit weird: “though I never laid a hand on you…” “playin’ make-believe you're married to me….”

Another aspect that didn’t work was that I never got the sense that they loved the music. I know they must have, but there was nothing in the film that provided that depth of character. What drove them to create the group, as an alternative to being thugs?  

Because this is what the film suggests, I wondered where the story was that had me "get" this. To be in the music business and go through all the ups and downs, you've really got to love music. Yes, they made a great and unique sound for that era - but why did they want to be musicians?

Other parts that were missing had to do with how did Valli's home life fall apart? We didn’t really see the failings of the marriage but were told what they were. In film “show don’t tell” are by words.

Piazza played Tommy DeVito who was the ringleader of the group and of the illegal activities. Piazza did a great job of being arrogant, ignorant, slimy and controlling. Although I didn’t like the character – I wasn’t meant to. John Lloyd Young played Frankie Valli. Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice wrote a week script because it skated around the deeper aspects of the people and story. Clint Eastwood did a poor job of taking this story and making it watch worthy. I did think he did a great job of presenting the music and it appears that was the only thing he was interested in.

You will have to be old enough or fond of old music to sit through this film.