Friday, September 9, 2016

Film Friday

Howl 
It's a movie about a poem, so it's a bit different.  Part courtroom drama (Lawrence Ferlinghetti on trial for publishing it), part poetry reading, part animated scenes that represent the content of the poem, part Allen Ginsberg talking, and part scenes of Ginsberg  with Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady.  It moves well; the 84 minutes goes by quickly.  Eric Drooker came up with some cool animated scenes.  James Franco does a decent job as Ginsberg.  With Jon Hamm as Ferlinghetti's defense attorney and David Strathairn as the prosecuting attorney.      

Dune 
Based on the novel by Frank Herbert.  Sci-fi that features two powerful families fighting over the only planet that produces a spice that allows prescience and is vital to space travel.  It's a mix of interesting ideas and silliness.  I wonder how faithful it is to the novel.  The movie was not received well by critics and director David Lynch distanced himself from it.  The cast includes Kyle MacLachlan (as the main character), Sean Young, Patrick Stewart, Sting (the musician, not the wrestler), Jose Ferrer, and Alicia Witt in her film debut. Narration by Virginia Madsen, who also has a minor on-screen role.       

Silver Linings Playbook 
Dude gets released from a psych hospital, several months after catching his wife cheating on him and going ballistic on the other guy.  He moves back in with his parents in South Philly and commences a plan to get his wife back.  A young woman, whose husband was killed, agrees to help the dude, but at a price.  Katniss Everdeen is the young woman, and she's much better here than in American Hustle, which I reviewed in a previous Film Friday.  The sass is strong with her. A decent amount of feist as well.  There are a few holes in the writing, but there are a lot of funny moments.  I'll give this one a casual thumb up.  With Robert De Niro (dudes' dad), Bradley Cooper (dude), and Chris Tucker (dude's friend).       

Silkwood 
Based on Karen Silkwood's activism at a nuclear plant in Oklahoma.  Merryl Streep as the title character, Cher as friend / roommate / co-worker Dolly Pelliker, and Kurt Russell as boyfriend / co-worker Drew Something. With Craig T. Nelson and Ron Silver.  It's a sad film, but I expected it to be, because it's based on some messed-up stuff.    

6 comments:

  1. Love to see the first film because it sounds original...a rarity for an American film plus I like David Strathairn. I have yet to see Dune and I might one day...isn't Judi Dench in it as well? Silver Linings Playbook is ok and I agree with everything you said and didn't feel it was deserving of all the accolades it got. Silkwood is actually quite good but, yes, it is a downer but since it starred Merryl Streep back in the day when every film of hers was a downer, not surprising (also that the actual person did die).

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    1. Not Judi Dench. Linda Hunt has a minor role. She's the only "famous" female I didn't originally mention.

      Dench did appear in the sci-fi film Chronicles of Riddick.

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  2. I enjoyed Silver Linings Playbook, but I really enjoyed the book so much better. Have you read it?

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  3. I really want to see Silver Linings Playbook. I wasn’t a massive fan of the novel, but a lot of people have told me that the movie is better. Also, Jennifer Lawrence is in it, and she’s pretty awesome.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. I haven't read the novel, so I can't really compare them. But I'd say the movie is worth a watch.

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