Amadeus (Director's Cut)

Directed by Miloš Forman who also brought us One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, this film was not what I was expecting from a Best Picture (1984) winner, regardless that the Director's Cut was 20 minutes longer than the theatrical release. This was a film that was technically impressive and lavishly produced, the directing, cinematography, production design, editing, hair, make-up and costume design, music (and dance!) were top notched, but the acting and the cast was inconsistent, and the story - adapted by Peter Shaffer from his own Broadway production - was challenging to say the least.  Amadeus was, surprisingly, a rather broad comedy, light on the histrionics and overt dramatics, and more fictionally dramatised than biographically factual. Nonetheless, even at 3 hours long, this film never felt long or boring. Forman's directing was superb and the storytelling - for all its challenges - was intriguing and engaging. 

Lead actors F Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce were at two opposite ends of the spectrum of greatness Abraham was great from the moment he was introduced and held it together as the tortured maestro who felt that God had betrayed him as he lied and schemed to ensure Mozart's failure. On the other hand, Hulce's performance deepened as the film progressed. His infantile portrayal of Mozart started off grating but as the story unfolded and Mozart's fortune reversed, Hulce gained depth and dimension. Mozart's final moments were extraordinary.

However, the rest of the cast with their broad American accents - especially female lead Elizabeth Berridege as Constanze Mozart - was intrusive and weirdly disjointed. Also, why did some then speak with horribly bad Italian/German accents?

Mozart's music was phenomenal and arresting, and one would expect nothing less from a film about his life. Cinematography was by Forman's fellow Czech, Miroslav Ondříček, and was beautiful especially the interior, candle-lit shots. Twyla Tharp choreographed the dance/ballet/opera sequences and they were equally beautiful.

Amadeus was a fascinating, albeit more fictionalised than factual, look into Mozart's life and music. It definitely made Mozart a more intriguing character than what most lay person would assumed, and gave a resurgence to Antonio Salieri that he - allegedly - so desperately craved when he was alive.

Rear Window

What a masterpiece! A phenomenal masterclass in tension and suspense and directing. Through 112 minutes, the story telling was simple but the tension was unrelentless. Truly, you never knew who to trust, who to believe and who is telling the truth until the final few moments. And even then, who will survive? Who will make it out?

Simply, masterful!

Also ironically, this was the perfect self-quarantine, lock-down, shelter-at-home, circuit-breaker movie. Stuck at home, with nowhere to go? Have your lobster thermidor delivered, your daily nursing care coming in to give you a massage and your telephoto-lens and/or binoculars handy for some neighbourly spying.

And of course, make sure you have the gorgeous, stunning, absolutely lovely Grace Kelly coming to visit you daily, dressed to the nines (thank you Costume Designer Edith Head!). Has she ever been more beautiful in a film?

Plot-wise, Rear Window was deceptively simple, but looking deeper, John Michael Hayes' screenplay also examined the concepts of stereotypes and inherent biasness, the evolution of relationships, emotional dependency, herd mentality, truth vs fiction, the voyeurism of film, and to put a modern spin, toxic-masculinity and liberal feminism. This film was truly fascinating. It has aged well and worked incredibly on so many levels.

However, the real gem was Hitchcock's masterful direction. No blood, no violence yet a violent crime has been (or has it?) been committed. We see what James Stewart's crippled, home-bound, photographer / photojournalist sees and our information is as limited as his and our view point as shaped as what Hitchcock wanted us to know. Every other speaking-character was the perfect foil for Stewart's conspiracy theory, throwing in doubts and providing reasonable counter-arguments...that is until they too were convinced by the circumstantial evidence and the story told by Stewart. It was like a lawyer weaving the best story of the evidence available to convince the jury of their case. Simple but so effective.

Stewart was a great everyday man to be put in this scenario. He had that sensibility that allowed him to be highly relatable, yet just a hint of danger to be make every man want to be him. Of course, having Kelly has his paramour definitely helped his allure. But Kelly was more than just a pretty face here - and that poise!!! - and like most Hitchcockian leading ladies, she also served to propel the narrative and incite character development in the leading man. Notwithstanding, she was also shown to be smart, brave and resourceful, but as the times had it, also dependent on the man.

Music was by Franz Waxman, who also did Sunset Boulevard, and it really helped to enliven the lived-in feeling of being in a NYC neighbourhood and tightened the screw of suspense and melancholy.

Rear Window was utterly riveting and unbelievably tensed. Hitchcock achieved so much with seemingly so little. Brilliant!

Casablanca

Casablanca is a film that stood the test of time. It gave us a pair of leading actors that sizzled with on-screen chemistry and a Romance for the ages. It also gifted us with two immortal lines that are still oft-quoted these days, some sixty years later, and an iconic love song/theme that still echoes a great love and the promise it held.

At a surprisingly brisk 102 minutes, Casablanca had a tightly paced story of love, intrigue, spy-games, politicking and patriotism. There was nary an ounce of fat on it, and sometimes that could be detrimental as we see in a few scenes where director Michael Curtiz fell prey to expositional dumping to move the plot along. Thankfully, these narrative hand-holdings were usually brief and the actors competent enough to deliver them without losing interest.

However, the opposite was true for Humphrey Bogart's Rick who, throughout the film, maintained a mysterious backstory that only served to make him an even more interesting character and his motivations less clear cut.

Similarly, the luminous and stunningly beautiful Ingrid Bergman, was also not the archetypal damsel-in-distress. She was a well-rounded character that had her own agency and had to made difficult choices. It was never clear until the final moment who she would choose, although some would argue, that the choice was made for her. But, she could have not gone along with it - we have seen her being headstrong.

Together, Bogart and Bergman were electrifying and their chemistry utterly palpable.

Also outstanding, was fellow Best Supporting Actor nominee Claude Rains who delivered a number of the funniest lines in the film.

Max Steiner's score for the film was sublime and the refrains and variations of As Time Goes By was so effective in conveying the emotional weight of the Llsa and Rick's varying relationship. And that scene of the dueling National Anthems, was equal beats rousing and emotionally resonant.

A 1942 Best Picture winner, Casablanca is a classic that remained very watchable now. Great Romances never go out of style. "Here's looking at your, kid! We will always Paris!"

Never Rarely Sometimes Always [VOD]

Superbly written and directed by Eliza Hittman (go watch Beach Rats on Netflix), with a star-making turn by Sidney Flanigan, supported by an equally impressive Talia Ryder, this Sundance Special Jury Prize winner and Berlin Silver Bear winner was a harrowing, highly affective and emotionally draining film. It will definitely not be for everyone for this was clearly a pro-choice, libber flag-waving film. But, boy, was this film powerful! This film should be watched by as many people as possible, but for all those who believe in a woman's choice over her own body and that termination of pregnancy is a healthcare right,  then this film should be essential. It made me feel so proud of the strong, powerful, proud women amongst us and so damn ashamed of my gender.

All the male characters in the film were of varying degree of nastiness, i.e. all men are creeps but some are more so and some are less so, but creeps nonetheless. That might turn some male viewers off, but is your male ego really that fragile? Although some brutal honesty might make you a more honest man. And, only a female-led creative team could have pushed this message out, so kudos to them!

Hittman's directing was riveting. Filmed in a 70s docu-like style, the honesty of the narrative was brutal. Quite frequently dialogue-free, the emotional and physical journey of Flanigan's character was brought out through her raw acting (her acting debut!) and Hittman's intimate yet tender and non-intrusive camera work. We were always with her and that emotional resonance and empathy was electrifying, yet also sometimes scarily suffocating.

Towards the end of Act Two, where the title of the movie gets repeated (and it all made so much sense...no spoiler here), Hittman and Flanigan absolutely knocked it out of the park in that one long take that was a roller coaster ride of emotions and catharsis. Absolutely brilliant.

Yes, there was a bit of meandering in the middle where the film got a bit less tight, especially the subplot with Ryder's character and a boy; and yes, there were times when you would just want to grab Flanigan through the screen and lead her to the right decision. But then that would be missing the film's point, that our lead character is a flawed character, however for all her flaws, it was not her fault that she ended up where she was. True, she made choices but similarly she should also be allowed to be all other choices. As the film's tagline goes, it is her journey and her choice.

Flanigan and Ryder will have exciting careers to come and definitely two young stars to look out for.

And with Beach Rats and Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Hittman is definitely on the brink of a big breakout. Both films, so different in subject matter, yet similar in approach, felt honest, authentic and sincere. Will she go the way of Lynne Ramsay or Katherine Bigelow? Hopefully, both.

Unorthodox [Netflix]

An emotionally powerful and smartly written mini-series, mainly in Yiddish!, that, unlike many of Netflix's series, was just of the right length (4 episodes) with no bloat and no unnecessary tangents. A superb cast led by the utterly fascinating and totally engaging Shira Haas, this miniseries not only shone a spot light on the Hasidic Jewish community but also dove unflinchingly into the exploration of self-actualisation, gender equality, love and marriage, and communal bonds. Created by an all women behind-the-screen team, this series created an uniquely strong and individualistic character in Esther Shapiro nee Schwartz aka Etsy whose journey of self-realisation we follow closely over four hours. Sometimes intimately but never exploitvely nor removed. There were no outright finger-pointing here and almost all the main characters were fully realised, each with their own faults, demons, way of thinking and strengths. Ultimately, we end up sympathising with  all of them - yes even the Moishes, "There's always a Moishe" - and that is the power of great writing and directing. The last hour of this series was a powerful, roller coaster of emotions that culminated with a cathartic and satisfying end for us and for Etsy. This was not necessarily an escapism sort of TV for the quarantine age, but if you are looking for quality binge - looking at you Tiger King - you cannot get better than Unorthodox.

Emma.

If nothing else this was one of the most stylish Jane Austen adaptation, but that was about all it had going for it. Then again, the period in its title should have clued us in that this Autumn de Wilde adaptation would be more style over substance. The costumes were the real star of this film and if still remains in the conversation at year-end, it might get a nomination for Best Costume Design. Anya Taylor-Joy and Austen's prose were a tied-second. The former had large, expressive eyes and wore the period fashion beautifully, while the latter's prose made the film came alive although there was a strong discordant with the rest of the screenplay by acclaimed novelist Eleanor Catton which unfortunately seemed clunky and inelegant next to Austen's rhythmic monologues.

De Wilde told the story aptly and succinctly, but other than gorgeous costumes and sumptuous production designs, she did not elicit anything new from the source novel that has not already been done. Consequently, this iteration might appeal more to newer audience who are unfamiliar with the novel or the previous films.

Taylor-Joy portrayed Emma with bright-eyed confidence and it was not difficult to imagine that her Emma was as Austen described: clever, handsome and rich. However, she seemed to lack the inherent wit that characterised Austen's heroines and which was so wonderfully personified by the likes of Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet and Keira Knightley.

The boys, played by Johnny Flynn and Callum Turner, appeared to match, physically at least, with Taylor-Joy and the period itself, but neither had the flair or charisma to light up the screen or ignite genuine chemistry with Taylor-Joy.

Bill Nighy was hilarious and he and Josh O'Connor got the best laughs with their physical comedy.

Also getting some laughs were the mostly-silent manservants and maids.

Cinematography was by Christopher Blauvelt who did a great job with a lot of the indoor scenes; music was by Isobel Waller-Bridge (sister of Phoebe) and David Schweitzer, and it was time-period appropriate but also not entirely memorable.

Emma. was a beautiful film that offered little to seasoned movie-goers and Janeites, however it will be a good, simple introduction to Austen's works and the beauty of her language.

Onward

This was a mid-to-lower tier Pixar animated film that had the usual Disney/Pixar heart but lacked the innovation or originality that elevated the best of pre-merger Pixar. It was a G-rated fantasy/action quest that was solely targeted at children and hence the simplicity of the story, the emotions, and the action. Also, its lead characters -  though capably and convincingly voiced by Tom Holland and Chris Pratt - lacked depth and were more annoying than endearing. Their quips, some good ones by Pratt, also felt more juvenile than layered. Then again, it could have been a directorial choice for realistic teenage portrayal, but in that case, Dan Scanlon failed to connect that angst with audience's empathy.

The animation here was nothing to shout at and I highly doubt that this film will even crack the Best Animated Film Oscar shortlist next year. It was a 103 minutes long child-friendly animation that seemed like yet another placeholder until Pete Doctor's Soul arrives later in the year.

The story was straightforward and uncomplicated, but the journey was littered with well-tread tropes that could seem refreshing to young viewers, but for adults it bordered on tediousness and repetitiveness. Thematically, the film was on-brand for Disney/Pixar and the bright colours, large-eyes, cuteness factors will surely enchant the younglings, and the lesson was definitely worth learning for them. Accompanying parents and other adults will not be utterly bored. At least the film was brisk.

The voice cast was a highlight. Holland, with his Peter Parker/Spider Man, could be the embodiment of America's awkward male teenage angst. Pratt was more Andy Dwyer than Star Lord which suits him better. Julia Louis-Dreyfus seemed to be having fun, but not more so than Octavia Spencer who sounded like she was on some sort of sugar-rush!

Music was by Mychael and Jeff Danna, and unfortunately it was unmemorable. Similarly, the title song, "Carried Me with You" by Brandi Charlie was also forgettable. They  will not be getting any Oscar nominations next year.

Onwards was a watchable Pixar film - as they all are - but it was definitely not one to remember. Although I will not be surprised if a sequel comes along.