Dancing, Mooning, Breathless, Walking & Singing Without Legs and George Clooney
KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN | Lionsgate | Writer/Director Bill Condon |Based on staged musical by Terrence McNally, John Kander, Fred Ebb and
Based on book by Manuel Puig
Although I’ve always been aware of the Broadway musical “Kiss of the Spider Woman” – first made famous by Chita Rivera, then revived through Vanessa Williams, I somehow never stopped to find out what the play was actually about. With a title like that, I always assumed it was sci-fi. Turns out, for the most part, the only otherworldly thing about this story is its power to seduce you with dark and light in equal measure.
Director Bill Condon, who’s no stranger to blending spectacle and emotion (“Dreamgirls”, “Beauty and the Beast”), reimagines Manuel Puig’s 1976 novel as a gorgeously cinematic musical that still honors its stage roots. Set in a South American prison, the story unfolds through the eyes of Molina (Tonatiuh), a gender fluid window dresser whose fantasies of a glamorous movie diva, La Luna (Jennifer Lopez) in her most famous movie musical role entitled “Kiss of the Spider Woman”, has always served as his escape and salvation. More so now, trapped in a dank Argentinian penitentiary.
Much to the reluctance of his revolutionary cellmate, Valentin (Diego Luna), Molina tries to share the story of the movie with him for nightly entertainment. The two cellmates at first have nothing in common, Valentin wants to be left alone with his books, his writing and thoughts of the movement battling on without him. But Molina is not one to sit in silence. Eventually Valentin not only gives into the lure of the story, but the inner beauty and friendship of Molina.
The film is visually ravishing. The sets shimmer between gritty confinement and opulent fantasy. The lead choreographer Sergio Trujillo, and co-choreographers Brandon Bieber and Christopher Scott, have infused the musical scenes with dance numbers to rival old movie musicals like “The Band Wagon” (1953). Costume designs by veteran Colleen Atwood and Christine L. Cantella (“The Little Mermaid”) also deserve a standing ovation: each piece feels tailored to tell a story, whether in the muted tones of the prison or the jewel-toned splendor of Molina’s imagination.
But it’s Tonatiuh who owns this film. Their performance is as magnetic as it is vulnerable, gliding between flamboyant showmanship and raw emotional truth. I sincerely hope they get a lot of attention come awards season—not only do they deserve Best Actor noms, but I have no doubt they’ll slay every red carpet.
Condon has crafted a film that’s both grand and deeply affecting, not only an emotional love story, but with our own rights under attack, this serves as a message about the purest forms of freedom.
Rating: 4 outta 5
BLUE MOON | Sony Picture Classics| Director Richard Linklater | Writer Robert Kaplow
About the last days of lyricist Lorenz Hart being green with envy that his prodigy, the musical genius Richard Rodgers had his first big hit with someone else – the hulking Oscar Hammerstein. To add insult to injury, with the inane musical OKLAHOMA. I loved learning that Hart was such a raconteur, could hold a room with his thoughts and observations. And that he was sexually fluid, falling in love with the essence of someone rather than their gender. I think it was smart setting the whole movie at Sardi’s as if it were a play. I’m always big on dialogue heavy movies and especially fast paced dialogue. The makeup they used on Ethan Hawke did a great job transforming him and I read they used a number of practical camera tricks to make him appear shorter than his actual height.
I think the only misstep was casting Margaret Qualley as the ingenue/infatuation. I typically like her a lot, but she didn’t seem to fit the time period somehow, and her monologue near the end kinda broke the spell for me.
I’m a big movie musicals fan. Although I don’t care much for Rodgers and Hart’s “Pal Joey”, that doesn’t hold much charm (despite the leads being Kim Novak & Frank Sinatra) and “Oklahoma” does have a stupid book … but I grew up on the music of these shows and continue to appreciate all the great musical duos who gave birth to the brilliant songs we call Standards. “Blue Moon” was my favorite film from the 34th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival. I felt like I spoke the language, but for those that weren’t theater kids, not sure it will hold the same appeal.
Rating: 4.5 outta 5
NOUVELLE VAGUE| Netflix| Director Richard Linklater |
Writers Holly Gent and Vincent Palmo
A film that’s as self-aware as it is sincere, as meandering as it is mesmerizing. Set in Paris, the dialogue dances between English and French, with Linklater’s signature mix of casual conversation and philosophical musing. You can practically feel him tipping his hat to “Breathless”, while still infusing scenes with the talky intimacy of “Before Sunrise”.
After watching “Nouvelle Vague”, I sought out Jean-Luc Godard’s much-admired “Breathless”, currently streaming on HBO, and I do see why people always say Jean Seberg radiates off the screen — that combination of fragility and defiance that defined an era. Zoey Deutch channels Seberg so seamlessly here it’s almost eerie — the resemblance is uncanny. Still, it might have been a fun meta moment if Linklater had invited Kristen Stewart to reprise her take on Seberg from “Seberg” (2019). Or would be fun to watch both films back to back, creating a bridge between two generations of actresses interpreting the same enigmatic muse.
I watched this movie and the Springsteen movie in the same week and was struck by the similarities in illustrating an artist driving everyone around them crazy (particularly the money people) in order to see their vision carried out exactly as they see it — and working in whatever unconventional manner they deem fit. I revere freedom above all else, particularly artistic freedom, and yet I found myself, while watching each film, scolding both Godard and Springsteen for being so uncompromising — even knowing that both projects were well-received in the end.
But seeing the seemingly haphazard way Godard went about filming and writing as depicted in “Nouvelle Vague”, it’s remarkable that the film “Breathless” is as coherent as it is. And yet, I can’t quite appreciate its artistry the way many cinephiles do — I respect it; the whole French New Wave thing seems like it was a grand experiment, but I doubt any of the films that came out of that era will ever be an emotional experience for me.
Linklater’s cinematographer David Chambille shot on lush 16mm, capturing that golden, grainy nostalgia of old Paris streets and smoky cafés. But what gives this film its heartbeat is how you get the sense you’re watching a filmmaker reckon with his own cinematic heroes — the same way a painter might copy the masters to rediscover their own brushstroke.
Rating: 3.5 outta 5
BROTHER VERSES BROTHER |Ari Gold Films| Director Ari Gold
From the very first notes, it’s clear this is neither a narrative nor a doc, but rather an invitation to get to know twin brothers (played by the brothers themselves, Ari Gold and Ethan Gold). The camera follows Ari and Ethan through North Beach, San Francisco’s dive bars and alleys steeped in Beat-literary history. They are both musicians, with a capacity to beautifully harmonize like only siblings can. But it’s Ethan who writes the songs – a blend of indie pop and folk, which I responded to immediately and have since checked out several of his YouTube videos.
However, Ethan is not the type to really sell himself, he’s the more reserved brother, still dealing with some leftover side effects of a semi-recent head trauma. It’s unclear if this brought on signs of anxiety and depression or if these were present prior to his injury.
Ari, the director and brain child of this film, is the exact opposite. He’s hyped, energetic and determined to see his brother’s music find a wider audience. Ethan appreciates Ari’s push to some degree, but it’s obvious he finds his brother can be overbearing and doesn’t seem to want Ari to manage him and his career.
The day also includes much talk and worry over their 99 year-old father, Herbert Gold, a peer of Kerouac, Ginsberg, and all the ghosts of San Francisco’s artistic past.
Their bickering, their tenderness, their rivalry — it all rings true. And yet, this filmmaking style inspired by Francis Ford Coppola’s (Executive Producer) concept of Live Cinema aimed at spontaneous, unscripted moments and one-shot format – obviously was given shape prior to shooting and allowed for retakes. It’s also well-edited, not left raw in anyway.
They meet a beautiful young, female balladeer (Lara Louise) who looks exactly like a Fae Princess from a romantasy novel, with whom Ari develops an immediate crush. I did note that in one frame her lipstick is almost non-existent and as they’re walking in what’s supposed to be a continuous shot, the next frame her lips are bright with a pink hue.
By the end of its 91 minutes, this musical experiment and cathartic conversations, delivers a quietly pleasing emotional payoff. Rating: 3 outta 5
IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU| A24| Writer/Director Mary Bronstein
I don’t know anything about this director, but I do like Rose Byrne (I’ve loved her in a number of films, but really like her with Seth Rogan in the Apple TV show PLATONIC. In “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” she plays Linda, the mother of a young girl who has some kind of eating disorder and has to be constantly fed through a feeding tube apparatus. They travel back and forth to some family health facility that makes providing mental health services to the caretaker as well as the patient, a priority, but for some reason this place just gets on Linda’s nerves, especially the strict parking attendant. Her husband is away, but is constantly nagging her about things via phone and text and she seems at a level 9 on the stress meter when we meet her, but that goes to 11 after the ceiling in her bedroom caves in – water and debris gushing everywhere; it’s full of mold and asbestos, so she and her daughter have to go live at a motel for a while, where things only become more unbearable for this woman barely holding it together.
It’s kinda of a tough movie because you feel her stress in your own body. But at the same time, that’s the beauty of it, as obviously, that’s the intended effect. I think casting someone like Byrne, who has a natural comedic sense about her, was a great choice, as a dramatic actress would make the story feel too dark.
The film keeps you off-kilter in that she’s loosing it, making her an unreliable narrator. There are many times when I questioned if an occurrence actually happened or was that in her head? Then the next scene would confirm the reality. Conan O’Brien as her therapist and colleague is a surprising choice for this role, but he was great at expressing his displeasure of Linda.
I’m impressed with the unfolding of this film, but I wouldn’t say, I exactly liked it. It also kinda reminded me of “The Lost Daughter” which wasn’t afraid to admit, being a mom can suck.
Rating: 3.5 outta 5
JAY KELLY| Netflix| Co-Writer/Director Noah Baumbach |Co-Writer Emily Mortimer
A film about a man trying to pick up the pieces of a life he thought he had all figured out, only to realize the cracks were there long before he started paying attention. It’s relatable, a little messy, and very human.
George Clooney brings a worn, grounded charm to Jay. Baumbach writes with his trademark blend of neurotic charm and self-sabotage. Yet there’s still a lot of Clooney inhabiting the character — cool when he wants to be— only letting the edges show. There’s a tiredness to Jay, a quiet panic under the surface that Clooney plays beautifully. You can feel him wrestling with who he used to be versus who he actually is right now, and that tension is a large part of the film, but there’s also a good bit of humor and self-deprecation.
We open with a tracking shot on a movie set. The camera is fast moving burnish colored frames, weaving in and out, catching bits of inside the industry conversations. It’s Jay Kelly’s final scene before the movie wraps. He’d like another, but the director convinces him his last take was perfection. We soon meet his loyal, long suffering Manager Ron (Adam Sandler) a real standout here. He brings humor, heart, and a kind of world-weary patience that gives the film a good deal of emotional anchor. He’ll definitely be showing up on the red carpets this awards season.
Kelly has 2 daughters by two different women, neither of which he’s with at the moment. His youngest girl is graduating high school with a plan to bum around Europe for the summer with her friends. Suddenly, he realizes this is his last chance to spend some quality time with her and decides spur of the moment to follow her. Much to Ron’s displeasure as Jay has upcoming obligations. And this is a man unaccustomed to doing anything solo, so not only does Ron have to interrupt his own family’s plans to follow his most important client, but it means bringing Jay’s whole entourage – publicist (Laura Dern) an assistant, body guard, makeup and stylists, all trying impossibly to look inconspicuous on a public rail going from Paris to Tuscany.
It becomes a whole thing! Most of it entertaining, but I think they could have spent a little less time on the train. Perhaps the middle of the film does sag a little. Although, Jay’s emotional wandering to the past are important glimpses into his current state. And the 3rd act makes up for any lag; where we meet Jay’s irascible father played by Stacy Keach in fine form.
Ultimately, “Jay Kelly” is a warm, funny, gently bruised story about aging, the movie industry, and accepting the dreams which came true.
Rating: 4 outta 5
tinseltine
Tinsel & Tine provides year-round free promotion, sparking conversations and awareness, celebration and reviews of the movie industry - from local indie shorts to international films/filmmakers, to studio driven movies/moviemakers. Mixed with a spotlight on Philly Happenings. #MiniMovieReview #PhillyCalendar
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