12 Strong

First Hit:  Interesting story, good action, but I was left wondering how close to true it was.

Army action films can be full of rah rah and full of pro-American sentiment, or they can be about people who are engaged in the war. I don’t particularly like the pro-American films as I find that they are conceived with a miss-informed view of, what is. This film walks a fair line because it, ultimately brings it back to the people.

In this case the people are, Captain Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth), Hal Spencer (Michael Shannon) Sam Diller (Michael Pena) and General Abdul Rashid Dostum (David Negahban). Although these aren’t the only human stories in the film, they are the main ones.

The story is about Captain Nelson, sitting in his new home with his wife and daughter watching TV and seeing the planes fly into the World Trade Center buildings. He goes to his command station where he’s been assigned a desk job. However, he’s a warrior and wants his his commanding officer Lt. Colonel Bowers (Bob Riggle) to let him lead his men for a mission in Afghanistan. His right hand man, Spencer, rescinds his re-assignment papers and convinces Bowers to let Nelson lead him and his team of 12.

The team is a total of twelve men who are willing to follow Nelson anywhere despite his lack of combat duty. Once in Afghanistan, out of five other teams flown in, they get selected by Colonel Mulholland (William Fichtner) to be the first U.S. ground troops to fight Al Qaeda directly. The twelve are to fly deep into the Afghan mountains, meet up with General Dostum and provide air support for his troops who want to defeat Al Qaeda deep in the mountains.

The film denotes the cultural differences between the U.S. troops and the Afghans. It spends way too much time (at 2:10 running time) on waiting scenes and scenes that repeat already made points. I wouldn’t be surprised if a judicious editor could cut 20 – 30 minutes and make the film work better.

The scenes of the bombing and cheering of direct hits seemed very realistic. The interaction with Nelson and Dostum were surprisingly good and developed quite nicely. The terrain was represented well and made the difficulty of the mission realistic. I also liked how the horses were made to be an integral part of this story.

The downsides for me were a lack of backstory about Afghanistan's history of tribes and their in-fighting for territory between their factions. The running time also held back the crispness and clarity of the story.

Hemsworth was OK. The role seemed typical and there was little that made his role, or his performance, uniquely engaging. Pena was great. I enjoyed his counter balance and pointed sarcasm. Shannon’s performance seemed a step down from what he’s done recently but I’m fairly certain that it was the role and script versus him. Negahban was excellent and one of the best parts of the film for me. He carried strength and a slow opening to Nelson during the film. Riggle was good, nothing extraordinary and nothing that stood out. Ben Milo was very good as one of Nelson’s team and I loved how he bonded with his young Afghan protector. Fichtner was strong as the Colonel in charge of the American mission. Ted Tally and Peter Craig wrote a mediocre script. Nicolai Fuglsig didn’t seem to have a great command of what type of story he was telling and it ended up lacking real purpose.

Overall:  Although engaging at times, the length and lack of storyline focus made it seem all and more of its 2:10 running time.

The Post

First Hit:  A powerful film about the power of the press to share the truth to the American public and how a woman finds own her power and strength.

People who weren’t born early enough to experience the power of the press in 1971, as depicted in this film, may get a chance to witness this power with today’s political climate.

However, one of the most powerful parts of this film has nothing to do with the press, government secrets, or how the government lied to the public; it has to do with how a woman, Kay (Katharine) Graham (Meryl Streep), found her inner strength and resolve to make a decision that changed history.

Graham grew up privileged, pampered, and cared for. Her life was a world where men, for the most part, ruled the world and roost.

The film opens with her in the throes of finalizing a public offering of The Washington Post's stock. She’s doing this because she's in-charge and the company needs money to survive. When her father died, he'd given control of the paper to her husband who committed suicide which left her in control of the paper.

With a cadre of all male advisors, she is being coached through the steps to make The Post financially stable. However, she struggles to find her words while balancing her social duties as a well-to-do hostess of the Washington elite.

The scene where all the secretaries (that’s what assistants were called then) are gathered in front of the meeting room where she alone would enter a room full of male bankers and other investors, said it all.

As the film unfolds, we get a glimpse of the men she relied on to help her navigate the rough and tumble world of newspapers, the company, and finance. Among the men she works with were her Executive Editor, Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks), who seems to hold Graham in high regard and encourages her to stand up and take charge. Additionally there was Robert McNamara (Bruce Greenwood) who was Secretary of Defense in the lying Nixon administration and a very close family friend of Graham’s. Then there was Fritz Beebe (Tracy Letts) the Post’s Chairman of the Board, in addition to a few others.

The issue that takes her to task and brings her to the forefront is that The New York Times has a headline written from the stolen Pentagon Papers. These secrets were taken from The Rand Corporation by Daniel Ellsberg (Matthew Rhys). On the same day The Times headlines this information, her paper has Trisha Nixon's wedding as their headline.

Ellsberg had discovered that the government, through a recent study sponsored by McNamara, had been lying to the country about our involvement in Vietnam.

With this exposed, Nixon's Department of Justice sent The New York Times a cease and desist. In the background, Bradlee, hating to be scooped by the Times sent Ben Bagdikian (Bob Odenkirk) to find out how to get a copy of the leaked papers. They contact Ellsberg and get boxes of the original papers and begin to write stories to publish.

The awakening and climax is: Will Katharine publish the papers and risk being shut down by the government? Will it negate the public offering? And, will everyone at The Post lose their jobs? This is where the film really is dynamically excellent. The conversations Katharine has with her daughter Lally (Alison Brie), Bradlee, McNamara, and Letts are beautifully constructed and powerfully executed.

Streep was sublime as a woman discovering and then using her power. The evolution of Graham during this film is exquisite. Hanks is extremely strong in his role of protecting the freedom of the press. Odenkirk is fantastic as the assigned Post reporter to find the papers and get The Post back in the fray. Rhys was excellent as Ellsberg for whom I bow to for taking the risk of losing his freedom to tell US citizens the truth of our government’s deceit. Greenwood was great as McNamara. Serving Nixon and being honest with Graham, his friend, was a difficult task. Letts was strong as The Post’s chairman. He wanted and supported Katharine's growth. Brie was perfect as Graham’s daughter. Her role in the bedroom scene added so much to Katharine’s growth. Liz Hannah and Josh Singer wrote an excellent, inviting, and movingly strong script. Steven Spielberg hasn’t lost his touch to create ways for the audience to become fully engaged with his films. The scenes (living room with the papers strung about, the corporate boardroom, the rumbling of the presses starting up shaking the upstairs desks) are typical Spielberg, full, complete, and excellent. However, it was coaxing excellent performances where his ability to work with actors that shined most.

Overall:  This film is perfect for the times; the growing strength of women and holding our government accountable.

Goodbye Christopher Robin

First Hit: Touchingly deep story about how the 'Winnie the Pooh' books came into existence.

Alan Milne (Domhnall Gleeson), a writer of comedic plays and books, was deeply affected by his time in the British Army during WWI, the war to end all wars. Fighting in the trenches he saw the horrors of war—bloody corpses everywhere being feasted on by flies.

Returning from the war, he had difficulty adjusting to life in London. The sudden noises and flashes of light and color brought on severe debilitating impulsive actions that were harmful to himself, his wife Daphne (Margot Robbie), and friends.

Struggling with his experience of war he wrote a book called Peace with Honour in 1934 to protest war and why countries fight with each other. However, struggling to find traction in his life and to get away from the noises that he believes are causing his post war troubles, he and Daphne move to the country. Cotchford Farm, in Hartfield Sussex was a large rambling place with acres of land filled with woods.

Soon after moving Daphne has a child, Christopher Robin Milne (Will Tilson), who is a bright inquisitive child. Neither Alan nor Daphne knew much about parenting so they hire Olive (Kelly Mcdonald) as a nanny. She and Christopher create a strong meaningful bond.

However, when Olive has to leave to tend to her mother and with Daphne in London, Alan and Christopher start spending time in the woods together. This is where the magic and healing for Alan begins and the expressive mind of Christopher is opened and Milne is inspired to write the Winnie the Pooh books, which quickly became beloved by children all over the world.

The film does an amazing job of setting the above story and segueing the story into the power of imagination. The dance between the relationships of Olive and Christopher, Christopher and his parents, Alan and Daphne and most importantly Olive and the Milne’s was powerfully effective. The acting, especially of Tilson, was extraordinary. Additionally, the scenes of an older Christopher (Alex Lawther) and Alan was amazing, especially when they talk at the overlook.

The cinematography, especially the capturing of lighting, was amazing.

Gleeson was powerful as the traumatically affected writer looking for internal creative space to process his creative angst and joy. Robbie is excellent as the mother who didn’t adjust well to motherhood but loved her son and husband. Tilson was sublime as Christopher. He captured the magic of imagination in his eyes and spirit. Mcdonald was amazing as Christopher’s nanny. Her caring heart and deep love for her own life and the life of the Milne’s was wonderfully captured. Lawther was very strong as the older Christopher trying to find a way to lose the shackles of being one of the most famous and celebrated boys in history. Frank Cottrell Boyce and Simon Vaughan wrote an excellent script. It captured the depth of the story all the way through. Simon Curtis knew what he was doing and made this story come alive in all ways. The direction of this story through these actors was amazing.

Overall:  Not being familiar with Winnie the Pooh stories, I was driven to want to read them.

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.

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.