2019 Blindspot Pick #6: Amadeus (1984)

Tags

Biopic, Drama, History, Musical

How must it be to be a genius,
Masterpieces to be mined
In the mind,
Unrefined,
And so gradually defined
In an act of new creation
Not unlike how God designed?

Oh, to birth such instant classics,
Such a rare, eternal prize!
Oh, what highs
In human eyes,
We crave as we mythologize,
And what despair we suffer when
Our limits cut us down to size.

Comparisons are no avail
If we’re defined by how we fail.
______________________

MPAA rating: PG for the original, R for the Director’s Cut, due to brief language and nudity

For me, Amadeus is the perfect candidate for a Blindspot pick. I’ve been putting it off for far too long, even getting it from the library a while ago and letting it sit around until I had to return it. On top of that, I kept being reminded of it; the recent anime Steins;Gate 0 had an AI called Amadeus and explicitly referenced the rivalry between Mozart and Salieri, and I also just rediscovered the classic ‘80s tune “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco, inspired by this film. I even got a recent Final Jeopardy question wrong because I didn’t realize Amadeus was based on a play, making it perfect for MovieRob’s Genre Grandeur this month as well. Thus, at long last, it seemed only right to watch the Best Picture of 1984, since I was clearly being pointed toward it.

Winner of eight Oscars, Amadeus is a powerhouse for both acting and music. For his role of Salieri, F. Murray Abraham deservingly won the Oscar for Best Actor, ironically defeating Tom Hulce as his unwitting rival Mozart. Salieri is a tortured soul, deranged and aged far past his prime when the film opens in 1823, and tells a priest of how his classical musical career was overshadowed by the flippant but undeniable talent of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Hulce portrays Mozart as a frivolous man-child, a “creature” as Salieri refers to him, whose high-pitched laugh grows increasingly annoying, yet the elder composer recognizes Mozart’s gift and blames God for leaving Salieri so comparatively untalented. Both performances are brilliantly nuanced, especially by the tragic end, but the Academy chose right that year.

Yet the music is just as much a character as the dueling composers. As Salieri points out early on, everyone recognizes Mozart’s best work, and his best work is put on full display, with even extended stage performances from opera like The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni. (I watched Milos Forman’s Director’s Cut.) Lovers of classical music will revel in the score, but even non-fans will likely appreciate watching the inception of masterpieces that have stood the test of time.

While I recognize the film as a magnum opus for everyone involved, there’s something that bugs me and keeps it from ranking among my favorites. It may seem shallow or unsympathetic, but as I watched Salieri spiral into a tortured wretch of envy, cursing God for giving Mozart the talent he craved for himself, I just wanted to slap him and say “Get over it!” It’s drama, and I know such unbridled jealousy does happen, but I hate when people compare themselves to others because no matter how good you are at anything, there will always be someone better. Salieri had a high-profile position, money, and respect, and instead of viewing Mozart as a colleague, however vulgar he may have been, he made him the source of an inferiority complex, ultimately contributing to his ruin, for which Salieri received nothing but guilt. He may have blamed God, but the fault was his own. It’s a marvelously complicated portrayal of destructive envy that nonetheless frustrated me almost as much as Mozart’s laugh.

Looking back, 1984 was undoubtedly one of the big movie years in history, and it says a lot that Amadeus was able to sweep the Oscars that year, winning Best Picture, Actor, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup, and Sound. Impeccably mounted in its 18^th/19^th-century setting, it’s an overly long but outstanding period piece conveying a historic rivalry that, while fictionalized, still resonates.

Best line: (Salieri) “All I wanted was to sing to God. He gave me that longing… and then made me mute. Why? Tell me that. If He didn’t want me to praise Him with music, why implant the desire, like a lust in my body, and then deny me the talent?”

 

Rank:  List Runner-Up

 

© 2019 S.G. Liput
642 Followers and Counting

 

Gremlins Review: Christmas in July Blogathon 2019

‘Tis the season for Christmas in July, and more specifically Drew’s Christmas in July Blogathon, which just wrapped up. My contribution this year was the classic ’80s film Gremlins, which was more Christmas-y than I remembered. Check out the other contributions this year, and thanks again to Drew for hosting the party!

Drew's Movie Reviews

Hello, friends!

We have now crossed the halfway point of this year’s Christmas in July blogathon! SG from Rhyme and Reason is going to wrap-up day three. SG combines his two passions, film and poetry, to create truly unique reviews. He also loves a good list so you will find plenty of them on his site. Have a look after checking out his review of the non-traditional Christmas classic Gremlins.

---

‘Twas the night before Christmas
And all through the town,
Small creatures were stirring and scurrying round.
They once had been furry;
They once had been cute,
But now they were scaly, and evil to boot!

Because of one snack
After midnight had chimed,
The work of one boy who had gravely mistimed,
These creatures were rampant
And running amok,
And now the whole town had the awfulest luck.

The stop lights were blinking,
Car brake lines were cut,

View original post 731 more words

The Sunshine Blogger Award!

Tags

Award

 

It’s been a while since I got to post something like this, but it’s my honor to accept the Sunshine Blogger Award, courtesy of Christian from AniBProductions. Thanks, Christian! And I highly recommend others check out his animation blog, which posts great character pieces and reviews of animated shows, both East and West. According to the rules of this award, I should:

1. Thank the nominator and include a link to their blog
2. Answer the eleven questions they asked
3. Nominated eleven more bloggers for the award and ask them eleven questions as well
4. Comment on one of their blog posts to alert them to their nomination
5. List the rules and the Sunshine Blogger Award logo (that’s two already done!)

 

So on then to the questions!

 

1. What’s one animated show you’ve watched that you didn’t expect you’d like going into the watch, but wound up really enjoying? (It can be anime or Western animation.)

 

I suppose this could apply to a show that is outside my usual preferences, which typically involve sci-fi. I’ve always steered clear of zombie movies, so I was hesitant about the series Gakkou Gurashi, or School Live! Yet I ended up loving it and even crying by the end. Likewise, I wasn’t much interested in the ultra-violent gangster trappings of Baccano, but its story and characters made it a surprisingly fun watch.

2. Sports fans are everywhere, so if you’re a sports fan, who’s your favorite team and if so, why?

 

Sadly, I’m not much of a sports fan. In fact, the Super Bowl and the Wimbledon finals are basically the only sports I actively watch all year. What football teams I favor were inherited from my parents, so I typically root for the Redskins, Steelers, Cowboys, and Dolphins, although I’ve also cheered for the Seahawks for no other reason than to be different.

 

3. What’s the best thing you ever ate?

 

Boy, that’s tough. There was a corn and trout chowder I had in the North Georgia mountains that has always stuck in my head as truly exceptional, and I still pine after a horseshoe sandwich I tried in Chicago. (For those who don’t know, a horseshoe is an Illinois delicacy of toast, meat, fries, and cheese sauce; pardon my drool.)

 

4. Name a popular series that you disliked, contrary to most people’s opinions?

 

I’ve had a pretty good record of watching shows I at least somewhat liked, but I was definitely disappointed in the anime Angel Beats. It has this huge reputation as an all-time favorite tear-jerker, yet I was annoyed at how rushed the series was. It certainly has its strengths, but not enough of its huge cast got any kind of real character development, and the gut punch twist at the end just left me confused at its lack of logic.

5. Is there a city, place, or a country you’d really like to visit on a vacation?

 

I’ve always dreamed of doing a tour of Europe, from England to Germany to Italy to Switzerland and France. Oh, and I’d love to do the Lord of the Rings tour down in New Zealand and visit all the filming locations.

 

6. What’s that one show or movie you always intended to see or watch, but never got to yet?

 

I’ve actually got my Blindspot series to catch up on movies that fit this description, and there are plenty more for future years, though I’m making progress. As for series, I have yet to see why Code Geass or Breaking Bad are so popular. One of these days…

7. Books or video games?

 

I’ve got barely enough time for blogging, so both have fallen by the wayside recently, but, as a lover of literature, I tend to make some time at least for books.

 

8. Since I liked this one from TPAB a lot, your guilty pleasure movie/anime/series?

 

For anime, that would have to be Girls und Panzer, which is ridiculous fun combining high school girls and tank war games, but I also could mention the English dub of Ghost Stories, which has become famous for its parody-level sense of humor and ad-libbing, like if the characters from Mystery Science Theater 3000 wrote the official dub. It’s highly politically incorrect, and whether you’re black, Jewish, Christian, gay, or dead, there’s bound to be something that will offend you, but it can also be darn funny.

As for movie, a Canadian comedy called Roller Town also fits that description. So bad, you feel guilty about it, but laugh anyway.

9. If you had a dream job, what would it be? (And if you already have it, share it!)

 

I recently settled into a tech job that I honestly love doing more than any job I’ve had thus far, but my biggest dream job I think would be an actual film reviewer for an official website or publication.

 

10. Ok, one fun theoretical setting question: A school relay competition is held between Kunugigaoka Junior High’s Class 3-E (Assassination Classroom), U.A. High School’s Class 1-A (My Hero Academia) and Luna Nova Academy’s girls (Little Witch Academia). The objective is to use teamwork to move a baton about a mile and a half (or 1.6 km) to a finish line, and the course is lined with dense forest. Who wins, and why?

 

I think my vote would go to U.A. High, simply because of the many unique skill sets in My Hero Academia, which have been used in races before. Keep in mind that Kunugigaoka’s class members are entirely normal humans so that puts them at a disadvantage, and I just think that superheroes would edge out magic users.

 

11. What inspired you to be a writer and/or a blogger?

 

I’d always enjoyed movies and lists and writing poetry, and even compiled a list of my top 365 favorite films long before I considered blogging about it. After a failed attempt at starting a hot dog cart business (trust me, it’s harder than it looks!), it was suggested that I try my hand at combining all the things I loved into a blog and counting down that top 365 with a poem and a review over a year’s time. That was back in 2014, and while my productivity has waxed and waned over the years, I’m still here, enjoying this creative outlet with so many others.

Now on to my questions!

 

1. If you could prevent any single Hollywood/entertainment tragedy from occurring, which would it be?
2. If you’ve seen any anime (series or film), which is your favorite?
3. If you could live in any cinematic world, what would it be?
4. If the world was ending and you could only save three songs in the history of the planet, what would they be?
5. What’s a movie that you absolutely hate while others love it?
6. What’s a movie that you absolutely love while others hate it?
7. Are you more of a dog person or a cat person?
8. With what animated character do you most identify?
9. Someone tells you that animation is just for kids and shouldn’t be taken as seriously as live-action. How do you respond?
10. Plain water is suddenly the only liquid available to drink in the world. How do you and the world respond?
11. If you could break any Guinness world record, what would you want it to be?

And lastly the lucky victims bloggers who get to answer the above questions, if they so choose, and accept the Sunshine Blogger baton. (I wouldn’t be surprised if they already have a few awards to their name.)

Vegan Children’s Stories

Sci-Fi Jubilee

Rachel’s Reviews

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

Keithgarretpoetry

Movies and Songs 365

PeggyAtTheMovies

Often Off Topic

Tranquil Dreams

Not quite eleven, but I’m aiming for quality over quantity. And of course, anyone else who wants to is welcome to answer them as well. I’d love to hear as many answers as possible! Thanks again to AniBProductions for kindly bestowing this award on my humble blog!

Apollo 11 (2019) / For All Mankind (1989)

Tags

Documentary, History

 

A lonely halo is the moon,
A muse for which romantics croon,
And nobody is quite immune
From such a storied, distant sphere.

Upon its face, mankind has walked,
From which the moon no doubt was shocked,
For how could men have flown and docked
Upon this pioneering pier?

And now, alone again, the moon
Has only space for its commune
And wonders if we’ll come back soon
To face and further its frontier.
_____________________

MPAA rating for Apollo 11:  G
MPAA rating for For All Mankind:  Not Rated (G is fine)

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 50 years to the day since man first landed on the moon. Those familiar with this blog probably already know that my family has a personal connection to the space program, my grandfather having worked for NASA from 1955 to 1973 and my mother working for NASA contractors during the space shuttle program. That personal connection heightens even more my appreciation for the spectacular feat of engineering and cooperation that was the Apollo 11 mission, a mission depicted in several documentaries, two of which seemed perfect to review today.

Both documentaries were released as anniversary retrospectives, 1989’s For All Mankind on the 20^th anniversary of the first moon landing, and this year’s Apollo 11 for the 50^th anniversary. Both films are entirely archival, made up of actual footage from the Apollo program, though For All Mankind also features voiceovers from interviews with the astronauts. While they both follow the same structure and even share a few of the same shots, both are exceptional in different ways.

Apollo 11 has been making the rounds on TV and theaters, raking in acclaim along the way. It’s an excellent account of the mission, from the monumental launch of the Saturn V rocket as crowds of onlookers marveled from a distance to the tense landing sequence plagued by false alarms. Its best aspect is the visual restoration of the footage, which now lacks any trace of the age inherent to film from 50 years ago. As with Peter Jackson’s They Will Not Grow Old, the footage looks fresh and recent, making every moment feel immediate and much more real than some ancient faded images.

The only drawback for me was how strictly archival the film was, without any narration or sound other than what was filmed. This made several extended scenes of space borderline boring; while the spacecraft’s staggering speeds and dwindling fuel gauge were added for the sake of context and danger (with far-too-small captions), interest definitely depends on how mentally engaged the viewer is, since there isn’t always much happening visually.

Interestingly, after taking 10 years for its assembly and release, For All Mankind had the same issue, originally compiled from old NASA footage without voiceover, only for director Al Reinert to add in interviews based on audience feedback. I thought these interviews added a lot to the film, providing insight directly from those who lived these missions, including Jim Lovell, Michael Collins, and Jack Swigert. You might have noticed that not all of them were on the Apollo 11 mission; that’s because For All Mankind, despite being edited to look like one mission from start to finish, is actually a compilation of all the Apollo moon missions, with a little Gemini thrown in.

The footage may not have the crispness of Apollo 11, but I found that For All Mankind offered far more unique and memorable scenes that I had never seen before: an astronaut making a sandwich in zero gravity, a montage of astronauts playing and repeatedly falling over on the moon, David Scott of Apollo 15 dropping a feather and a hammer to prove Galileo’s theory of gravity correct. I only wish there were some captions or on-screen notes saying which mission each clip was from and which interviewee was speaking during the voiceovers. For All Mankind may not be as detailed as Apollo 11 (the Apollo 13 disaster is glossed over in a matter of minutes), but I thought it offered a more engaging history lesson than the more recent film, ending with a touching tribute to the space program’s casualties, both American and Russian. It’s up there with the best documentaries I’ve seen.

Now fifty from that historic day, it’s equally hard to believe that we haven’t been back to the moon in over 46 years since then. I realize some may view space exploration as an impractical pursuit, but Apollo 11 was an amazing moment in human history, and I sincerely hope that the spirit of dreaming and daring that made it possible will again yield fruit and prove what mankind is capable of accomplishing. In the meantime, we at least have some great documentaries (which I recommend far more than last year’s First Man) to remind us of our past achievements and perhaps renew that same spirit.

Best line, not counting the really famous quotes: (from For All Mankind, summing up how all this was possible) “We are all in this together as a team effort. We’re gonna make it work, and I don’t know how to make it work; I don’t know how to do most of this mission, but I do know that I can assure you that my piece of it is gonna work, and it won’t fail because of me.”

Rank (using thumbs for documentaries):

Apollo 11 – One thumb up, one thumb down
For All Mankind – Two thumbs up

 

© 2019 S.G. Liput
636 Followers and Counting

 

The Bookshop (2018)

Tags

Drama

A bookshop contains many shelves-worth of portals
To lives and to lands unexplored by mere mortals,
Until they are cracked and the pages are spread
To reveal a new world that takes shape as it’s read.

I grieve at the thought that these hubs of insight
Are losing appeal as the futures ignite,
And though that may happen, my shelves are well-stocked
With worlds and their doors that still wait to be knocked.
___________________

MPAA Rating:  PG

Some movies come and go without making a splash, but I don’t think this one even made a ripple, at least in the U.S., which is a shame. Based on Penelope Fitzgerald’s 1978 novel, The Bookshop is a Spanish-British-German co-production that fits into an all-too rare genre: the quiet literature-lover’s drama. It’s funny that the 56% Rotten Tomatoes synopsis specifically criticizes its “meandering pace,” since my VC and I thought that was one of its strengths, and anyone who liked 84 Charing Cross Road or The Book Thief will likely agree.

Emily Mortimer plays Florence Green, a widow who tries to make a fresh start by opening a bookshop in the small English seaside town of Hardborough in 1959. She starts to make unexpected connections with a young assistant (Honor Kneafsey) and the town’s book-loving recluse (Bill Nighy), but her use of what is called the Old House draws the ire of a local wealthy socialite (Patricia Clarkson), who wants to use it as an art center. None of the performances are showy, but they’re all quiet and believable, with Mortimer and Nighy in particular fostering a rare, subdued chemistry.

The Bookshop is simple but heartfelt, and the quaint setting and provincial townsfolk lend themselves to a fond sense of yesteryear, even if it also highlights how quietly cruel the world can be. As much as I enjoyed the bulk of the film, its ending is depressing and less than satisfying in its lack of detail; I suspect the same is true for the source material, but it’s a strong story in desperate need of an epilogue. Yet these kinds of book-lovers’ movies are infrequent enough that I can forgive its flaws. Like You’ve Got Mail and 84 Charing Cross Road, its eloquent affinity for literature is bittersweet and worth cherishing. (Plus, it really makes me want to check out the work of Ray Bradbury.)

Best lines:  (Mr. Brundish, played by Nighy) “In the case of biographies, it’s better, I find, if they’re about good people, whereas novels are much more interesting if they are about nasty people.”

and

(Mr. Brundish, to Clarkson’s Mrs. Gamart) “Old age is not the same thing as historical interest. Otherwise, you and I would be far more interesting than we are.”

 

Rank:  List Runner-Up

 

© 2019 S.G. Liput
636 Followers and Counting

 

Kelly’s Heroes (1970)

Tags

Action, Comedy, War

Patriotism’s the best motivation
To battle a foe in defense of one’s nation,
But riches can be a compelling incentive
To make soldiers patient, resolved, and inventive.
So to end a war quickly, our side should begin
By telling our troops, to our rivals’ chagrin,
“They’ve got tons of gold, and it’s yours if you win!”
_________________

MPAA rating:  GP (PG-13 by today’s standards)

I kind of wish I could have written about a more patriotic film for July 4 than a heist film about soldiers stealing Nazi gold, but at least it was an American effort! Kelly’s Heroes has a lot of the same star-studded military appeal as other World War II films like The Dirty Dozen or The Great Escape, and it owes quite a bit to a stellar cast that seemed to be having fun making it.

With big names like Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Don Rickles, Donald Sutherland, and Carroll O’Connor (a year before All in the Family started), you’d think that most of the film’s budget went into collecting its stars, which also include other recognizable faces like Harry Dean Stanton, Stuart Margolin, and Gavin MacLeod. But they still had plenty to spend on explosions and certainly don’t disappoint in the pyrotechnics department. Eastwood is his usual squinty-eyed self as the titular Kelly, who comes up with the heist plan when he learns of a bank full of gold bars behind enemy lines, but Donald Sutherland is easily the stand-out as the tank commander Oddball, an anachronistic hippy who always seems high as he exalts the power of positive thinking. Between him and Rickles, Kelly’s Heroes has much more comedy than your typical war film, though its lighthearted tone is somewhat undercut when the death toll starts rising.

It’s funny that I can’t help but associate this film now with the anime Girls und Panzer, a ridiculous but fun exercise in tank war games, since the series actually shows some characters watching Kelly’s Heroes (specifically the scene where the German tank’s turret is stuck between a building and a tree) and one character goes undercover under the code name “Oddball.” So Kelly’s Heroes is clearly popular overseas as well. I’m not sure how much of it carries truth, since it was based on an apparently real wartime robbery that was covered up, but it’s a likable blending of genres that exemplifies collaboration through mutual self-interest and overcomes my usual reservations about heist movies, since it’s not illegal if you’re stealing from Nazis, right? It may not have gotten as much contemporary critical love as other war movies of that year, like MASH or Patton, but, for me, Kelly’s Heroes is easily the most watchable of the bunch.

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Best line:  (Rickles as Crapgame, while they creep through a minefield) “Hey! I found one!”
(Big Joe) “What kind is it?”
(Crapgame) “The kind that blows up! How the hell do I know what kind it is?”

 

Rank:  List Runner-Up

 

© 2019 S.G. Liput
636 Followers and Counting

 

Green Book (2018)

Tags

Biopic, Comedy, Drama, History

Road trips are an odd affair,
The constant movement far from home,
A different bed come every night,
The landscape shifting out of sight
As cars continuously roam
On quests their occupants must share.

Friends may think they have rapport,
Until the road bares every irk
In ways that cannot be ignored,
And likewise those with no accord
May find that under quarrels lurk
A bond they never knew before.
_________________

MPAA rating:  PG-13

Who doesn’t love a movie about unlikely friendships? From Lethal Weapon to Driving Miss Daisy, there’s something universally appealing about two very different people overcoming those differences in favor of mutual respect, and, as with those two examples and this film, race is often one of those separators. Green Book is the latest crowd-pleasing member of the genre that also dives into that racial divide, and while some have accused it of not diving deeply enough, it hit an amusing and poignant balance that I enjoyed enormously.

It’s hard to believe that Viggo Mortenson is Danish, much less that he once played Aragorn in Lord of the Rings, considering how perfectly he inhabits the role of an overweight Italian-American bouncer named Tony Vallelonga, a.k.a. Tony Lip. Despite some latent racism, he grudgingly accepts a job as a driver for famed black pianist Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali), who needs transportation and protection during a two-month concert tour of the South in 1962. Even beyond race, they couldn’t be more different, Tony crude and confrontational, Dr. Shirley sophisticated and haughty; hence, the unlikely friendship. It’s a role reversal of expected stereotypes of the era, and the two actors embrace the dichotomy while forming unexpected bonds through food, music, language, and the recognition of right and wrong.

Many have called Green Book a reversal of Driving Miss Daisy, and while the point is not unfounded, Green Book has a more socially conscious goal in mind. It may not dive as deeply as some people may have wanted, but its view of race relations still feels honest and ultimately hopeful. (Incidentally, “some people” also say that Driving Miss Daisy and this film were unworthy Best Picture winners, but, in my opinion, “some people” are wrong.)

I really don’t get a lot of the backlash toward this movie, like the supposedly tone-deaf scene where Tony teaches Dr. Shirley how to eat fried chicken. It’s like critics are trying to filter it through every potential-racism, social justice lens they have at their disposal, while I don’t see it as anything but an example of the different worlds to which these two characters have been exposed. They each share pieces of those worlds with each other during their journey, whether it be Shirley’s eloquence in composing Tony’s letters home for him or Tony’s unwillingness to accept any insult. And while there are shades of the dreaded “white savior” tropes that critics make far too much of, I’d argue that Tony gets more from Dr. Shirley than the other way around, particularly a changed perspective on his former prejudice.

Contrary to the assertions of writer/producer (and Tony’s son) Nick Vallelonga, some of Dr. Shirley’s family have denounced Green Book as untruthful, claiming that his and Tony’s relationship was nothing more than that of employer and employee, while other sources have come out with evidence that they were in fact friends. Either way, Green Book takes its historical inspiration and creates a wholly satisfying road-trip movie, especially for those who don’t try to psychoanalyze its themes too deeply.

Though it could have focused more on The Negro Motorist Green Book of its title, I, for one, am glad for its Oscar success, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Ali. The performances and script are full of charm, humor, and empathy, and Green Book fits comfortably among the great unlikely friendship road movies, with an ending that even directly recalls the last scene of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Race is a touchy subject these days, and while many may disagree, this movie serves as a welcome reminder that mutual understanding can seem unlikely but is always within reach.

Best lines:  (Tony Lip) “The world’s full of lonely people afraid to make the first move.”

and

(Dr. Shirley, channeling MLK) “You never win with violence. You only win when you maintain your dignity.”

 

Rank:  List-Worthy

 

© 2019 S.G. Liput
636 Followers and Counting