Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House

First Hit: I loved learning more about Mr. Felt because he helped the country from the deceit of a corrupt and lying President.

Mark Felt (Liam Neeson) was a career FBI man. Thirty years he’d worked for the agency as Deputy Assistant to the Director, Herbert Hoover. As Hoover’s right hand man, he saw all the secrets the FBI collected about people.

During the Nixon administration, Nixon feared losing the next election more than anything, therefore he authorized the break-in of the Democratic Headquarters in the Watergate building. When Hoover dies, the White House installs L. Patrick Gray (Marton Csokas)  to run the FBI. He’s a shill for the White House and this infuriates Felt.

The FBI had a history of being separate from the White House and Congress. They held up the rule of law and, as much as possible, were apolitical.

When it appeared that Felt wasn’t going to be made the permanent FBI director, his wife Audrey (Diane Lane) becomes clearly disappointed because, as she explains, set aside her whole life for him and this opportunity and it won’t happen.

As he learns that the Watergate break-in is being buried and covered up, Mark’s patriotic side decides he cannot live with our country being told deceitful lies and telephones the Washington Post with information only he and few others know. One of the things he ensures is that he’s not the only one that knows the information he passes on to the reporters. He becomes, as they name him, Deep Throat.

The film is mostly shot with a dark undertone in its color reflecting the darkness of the times. To add to this darkness, we learn that his daughter Joan (Malika Monroe) walked away from her home never to be heard from again. We never learn why but we know that her mother Audrey wasn’t emotionally available to her.

Neeson is brilliant as Felt. His ability to be emotionlessness towards his work and protect the United States from the corruption in the Presidency was perfect. Lane was excellent as the woman who gave up her life for her husband’s and knew nothing about nurturing her child. Csokas was good as acting FBI director Gray, a man beholding to the president. Peter Landesman wrote and directed this film. I loved the integration of real film footage of the times with this film; it worked very well. The dialogue was wonderfully constructed to create suspense and historical interpretation.

Overall: The film also gave me hope that someone will expose the deceitful ways of our current President.

Only the Brave

First Hit: Inspiring true story about the Granite Mountain Hot Shots.

With the recent fires in northern California, this true story about the brave men who fight these fires on the ground with hoes and back fires was poignant.

Eric Marsh (James Brolin) is the committed “Supe” of a team of municipal level 2 firefighters. They’ve been training for years to become certified “Hot Shots.” Hot Shots are federally funded and government developed, trained and paid for firefighters. However, with the number of fires, expertise of the team, and history of success, this municipally trained and developed group of firefighters want a chance to be evaluated and hopefully certified as Hot Shots.

Brendan McDonough (Miles Teller) is a screw up. He spends most of his time getting high, but when confronted with his old casual girlfriend Natalie Johnson (Natalie Hall) saying she’s pregnant with his child, a switch flips and he wants to be a responsible parent. He hears of a job opening at the firefighting center and he goes into an interview.

In a wonderful scene, Marsh comes right out and asks Brendan when was the last time he used. Then when Brendan also explains that he’s going to be a father and wants to be there for his child. Marsh takes a chance on him despite other members of the crew disliking Brendan having had some history with him.

The film’s story is about redemption; the hard work of Marsh and his firefighting team along with Brendan learning to become a father.

The fire scenes were intensely striking. It was interesting and engaging to learn more about how Hot Shots work. I really enjoyed the camaraderie shown by the men as they worked together for a common goal. One of the best scenes in the film had nothing to do with a fire. It was Eric arguing with his wife Amanda (Jennifer Connelly) in their truck while driving home one night. It felt real, deep and powerful.

There were two downsides to this film for me. One was the role and or performance of Fire Chief Duane Steinbrink (Jeff Bridges). He seemed to not take this role seriously or created more of a characterization than being a helpful friend and strong fire chief. The second downside was the role of the chief’s wife Marvel (Andie McDowell). Her role was very limited and was clearly a scripting and direction issue. It was almost if it would have been a better if Duane was single because there was only one scene that I recall she had where she states something like the men are more married to the fire than their wives. On a more minor note, the whole symbolism of the burning bear didn’t quite work for me.

Teller was fantastic. His portrayal of a druggie and then his transformation to being a sober father was sublime. He continues to be an actor that deserves recognition for doing solid strong work. Brolin was very strong as the intense man who made fighting fires his drug of choice. Connelly was brilliant as Brolin’s wife. Her clear strength as a woman wanting to chart her course was wonderful. Bridges was wasted in this role and I felt bad that his performance brought this film down. McDowell was wasted in another way, she wasn’t given enough of a role to improve the film. Hall was very good in this minor but very important role. Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer wrote a strong screenplay except for the role of the fire chief’s wife. Joseph Kosinski did an excellent job of portraying the fire and how firefighting teams fight them; I was entranced during those scenes.

Overall: A powerful reminder of the power of fire and the amazing abilities of firefighters.

Victoria and Abdul

First Hit: The story was funny, interesting and predictable.

Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) is portrayed as not very interested in her duties or her life. She sleeps through state dinners and when she eats, she scarfs her food down with gusto. During this time, England is a world power and as such, England rules India and therefore she is Empress of India.

During the Queen’s Golden Jubilee (50 years on the throne) leaders of countries came to celebrate and bring the Queen gifts. India sent two Muslim servants to England to present the Queen a special coin. They are told to not look at the Queen when they present the coin. However, Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal) does look at the Queen and she responds in kind.

Inviting him to be her man servant, he gains her trust and friendship and soon she makes him Mushi, which means teacher. With Abdul, she begins to learn Hindustani and of Indian culture which she thinks is appropriate because she’s Empress of India.

The film is focused on her loyalty to Abdul, his loyalty to serve the Queen, and the Queen’s staff worrying that their relationship is inappropriate because he is different and beneath them. There are comical scenes, sad scenes and scenes that share information about the rules of the time.

Dench was perfect as someone who was lost in the boredom of her role as a Queen only to come alive with new interest and energy by way of Abdul. Fazal was excellent as Abdul. His expressions of both wonder at the spectacle of it all and the seriousness of his role as Mushi were very engaging. Eddie Izzard (as Bertie, Prince of Wales) was very good as the resistant son who wanted Abdul gone because without him the Queen’s general health was becoming worse which put him closer to the throne. His cruelty as he takes the throne is horrible. Lee Hall wrote a very good script that brought this story to life. Stephen Frears did a nice job of sharing the story. He provided a plausibility while shedding light on their relationship and deep caring for each other.

Overall: It was entertaining and informative.

Marshall

First Hit:  One of many inspirational stories about this amazing man and his power to change racism in our country.

One of the best things about this film was that Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) was not allowed to speak in court for the accused he was defending. Marshall was sent by the NAACP around the country to defend blacks (colored people) in courts of law. In some cases, because he didn’t have a license to be a defending attorney in some states, he needed a sponsoring attorney.

It’s December 1940 and Sam Friedman (Josh Gad), a soft-spoken insurance lawyer, just finished a case. His office manager, his brother Irwin (John Magaro), surprises Sam that they need publicity and extra money, so he sponsors Thurgood who is going to defend a black man against a white woman’s rape charge. Their first meeting doesn’t go very well as Sam doesn’t like the idea of being involved in a criminal case, let alone one that is defending a black man. Sam’s worried about public opinion and what it will do to his business.

After meeting with the defendant Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown), Thurgood and Sam believe him to be telling the truth that he did not rape Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson). Entering court, Sam tries to tell the judge that Marshall will be trying the case and presents the sponsoring paperwork. Judge Foster (James Cromwell) obviously has a thing against the NAACP and refuses to honor Marshall being allowed to try the case. In fact, he states that Marshall can sit at the defendant’s table but cannot utter a word and if he does, Marshall and Sam will be charged with contempt.

The film does a wonderful job of showing how Marshall was able to influence, engage, and mentor Sam into being a great criminal lawyer.

This film is about the power and influence of Thurgood on people to do the right thing and how he was able bring out the power of belief in others.

I thought the film did an excellent job of showing the 1940's and how the fight against racism was slowly evolving and that Marshall was one of leaders and influencers.

Boseman was excellent as Marshall. How he demonstrated and showed the swagger and the inner belief needed to lead racial change in our country was wonderfully convincing. Gad was amazing. I loved his evolving understanding of how to be a good lawyer on the side of right, which was congruent with his inner belief structure. Brown was very strong as the defendant, he showed a perfect level of fear. Hudson was wonderful as the husband abused woman looking for a little love in her world. Cromwell was the perfect judge. His gruff nature was excellent. Jacob and Michael Koskoff wrote a powerful script. Reginald Hudlin did a great job of creating a feel and mood of the times while making the audience see the ways change in America came to us, one case at a time.

Overall:  It was a pleasure to watch this film as it provided a small glimpse of history.

Horn from the Heart: The Paul Butterfield Story

First Hit: Outstanding film of an enigmatic man who played the best mouth harp ever.

I recall seeing Paul Butterfield in 1969 at Fillmore West prior to my heading into the service. What an experience. It was like a cheetah making its final pounce into the meat that will keep him alive.

“Butter”, as the interviewed Elvin Bishop called him, attacked and coerced sounds and music out of the 6-inch instrument that sounded as if it came from another world. This film excellently captured the man and his path of becoming the best harp player ever.

The film tracks through his life as a musician. This wasn’t surprising, however, what was surprising was that by the film’s end, I realized I learned very little about the man himself. What drove him to be the best harp player ever.

Yes, the film briefly touches on his abrupt and short first marriage to Virginia McEwan and that they had a child named Gabriel. She offered to marry him to keep him from being drafted because the Vietnam war was ramping up.

We also meet the love of his life Kathy, with whom he had a son named Lee. Even though this film dedicates numerous minutes to interviews with Kathy, Lee, and his brother Peter what I learned is that he loved his wife and child, they loved him and he and his brother were once close, not much more. Paul was an enigma a stranger to those around him except when he blew.

His playing was concise, strong, clear, and very intense. It was if he was the sound he made, no more and certainly no less.

I loved how they tracked through his beginnings as the only white guy in a black blues club in the South Side of Chicago, getting asked to sit in by Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters. When he blew, everyone knew he was powerfully pure. He blew and sang from his entire body and soul. It wasn’t long before he became the featured performer in these small Hyde Park blues clubs.

Creating a band of his own, two of Howlin’ Wolf’s rhythm players bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Sam Lay, joined him along with guitarist Nick Gravenits, and eventually guitarists Elvin Bishop, Michael Bloomfield, and keyboard player Mark Naftalin. The lineup of the band fluctuated as people came and left. One this is for sure, his sound brought the blues into the mainstream ears of young people everywhere.

A couple things to note, he was probably the first rock and roll blues band to be integrated and he told drummer, when they started touring, if they don’t accept you, we won’t be playing. He never understood racism or segregation.

This film uses a ton of archival footage of “Butter” playing his heart out. One thing I noticed as he played, that he played the harmonica backwards from the standard way. High notes were on his left and low notes on his right. He was left handed. The music choices in this film are excellent as they show off his versatility.

The interviews were well done and intermixed really well with the archival footage. I was so surprised and happy to see shots of the “Golden Bear” nightclub, where I grew up, in Huntington beach as this club was closed and destroyed in 1986 but Paul’s band played there.

Sandra Warren produced and John Anderson co-produced and directed this film. It was outstanding and the audience can see the care and love they put into this effort.

Overall: A wonderful experience in learning about an amazing musician.