Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Some Award-Nominated and Award-Winning Movies You Might Not Know About: "Heretic," "A Different Man," "Maria" and "Lee"

[I review the movies "Heretic," "A Different Man," "Maria" and "Lee," all award-nominated and/or award-winning films.  Did they deserve recognition? Are more awards on the way? We shall see. Read on.]


Heretic (2024)


Two young female Mormon missionaries knock on the wrong door!

Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are on a mission, literally.  They are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints aka Mormons, and they are going door to door as one does when one is a Mormon missionary.  They just happen to knock on the door of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant). 

Now our first clue that this is a horror film is the fact that Mr. Reed's house is in a very remote, dark area. When the young women arrive, Mr. Reed appears to be alone when he answers the door and invites them in.  But they tell him they are not allowed to be alone with a man, but he assures them that his wife is preparing a blueberry pie in the back of the house. And in fact, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton smell blueberries, so all must be well.  And m-m-m-m, blueberry pie. They begin to discuss their religion with Mr. Reed, but it isn't long before Mr. Reed makes several uncomfortable comments about their Mormon faith and the nature of belief. And when he steps out of the room, Sister Barnes realizes that the smell of blueberry pie is from a candle, the front door is locked, and they have no phone signal.

Uh-oh.  Let the horror story play out. Girls, LEAVE NOW...er, if you can!

After haranguing the young women with his disappointment with religion, Reed initiates a "The Lady or the Tiger" type game.  He gives them a choice of two doors to go through to get out of the house. Door #1 if they still believe in God; Door #2 if they no longer believe.  They enter the "Belief" door but discover that both doors lead to the same dungeon.

Wait.  It gets worse. It's what's down there.

Written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, this is a tense cat and mouse game with great dialogue, atmospheric cinematography and a message: why do we believe what we believe?  But despite a deeper message, this is still a classic horror film that will not only keep you on the edge of your seat but mess with your mind - and it's fun to see Grant chewing the scenery as a bad guy after years as a romantic lead and humorous curmudgeon. He is particularly creepy here, but in a very entertaining way. And the young actresses give him a run for his money.

Awards: 23 nominations, most for Grant's performance, notably a Golden Globe and a Critics' Choice nomination for Best Actor (Critics' Choice Awards to be decided January 12th).  

Will this get an Oscar nod?  I think Grant might, but even though the film is good and entertaining (I liked it), I don't think the movie will. The Academy doesn't usually reward horror films.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you are a horror fan and especially a Hugh Grant fan, you will enjoy this.  (For rent on Amazon Prime and Apple+)



A Different Man (2024)


An aspiring actor has a medical procedure to alter his disfigured face, but his suddenly handsome face turns his life into an ugly nightmare. 

Edward Lemuel (Sebastian Stan) is a struggling actor with neurofibromatosis that manifests as a disfiguring facial condition. That's not an easy issue to deal with if you are an actor and Edward has been relegated to corporate films highlighting how important it is to be sensitive to those with disabilities. He is a lonely guy who is not very outgoing and tries to hide his face.  However, he is happy when Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), an aspiring playwright, moves in next door. They become friends and Edward has romantic feelings toward her but is too afraid to act on them. 

Then, Edward is given the opportunity for an experimental medical treatment and he takes it, and wouldn't you know? It actually cures him and suddenly he is handsome. And he doesn't want to be Edward anymore - that ugly guy - so he assumes the identity of "Guy Moratz" and wants to leave Edward behind.  He claims that Edward has killed himself and in a way, I guess he has (I have to say that this movie reminded me of a guy version of "The Substance").

Time passes and we learn that Guy/Edward is now a wealthy and successful real estate agent and all is going well until one day, he discovers that Ingrid has written and is producing an off-Broadway play called "Edward," and guess whose life it is based on? Edward auditions for the part and gets it and it doesn't hurt that he has a mask of his old face.  He and Ingrid begin a sexual relationship, though Ingrid remains unaware of the truth of his identity. 

Then enter Oswald (Adam Pearson), stage left. Oswald also suffers from neurofibromatosis, and because of that, has taken an interest in the play.  Unlike Edward, however, who was reclusive and shy when he was suffering neurofibromatosis, Oswald is confident and charismatic and becomes the life of the party, befriending the cast and crew, much to Edward's chagrin.

Suddenly Ingrid and Oswald are close and it's downhill from there for Edward. And it's a nightmare. However, the film ends with a wonderfully funny and ironic line, so watch for it.

So is this a comedy?  

Barely and if so, a very dark one.  Written and directed by Aaron Schimberg, the whole movie plays like a B-movie version of "Frankenstein," except in reverse.  There is an ominous noir soundtrack, a "mad doctor," and then his creation, a new Edward, except this time the creation goes from ugly to handsome. However, we are reminded that changing our appearance does not necessarily change our personalities or make our lives better. We can't change who we are on the inside just by changing ourselves on the outside. 

You might not be familiar with Sebastian Stan and that could be because he is a man of many faces. He has been Tommy Lee in the TV mini-series "Pam and Tommy (2022)," Vlad Tenev, the Bulgarian-American entrepreneur, in "Dumb Money (2023)," and Donald Trump in "The Apprentice (2024)," to name a few of his roles.  And now he literally plays a man with two faces, that lead him down a nightmarish path.

Awards: The movie has 38 nominations and seven wins, most notably a 2025 Golden Globe win for Stan for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy and a Best Leading Performance award at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival. 

It will be interesting to see if Stan gets an Oscar nomination.  I predict he will.  Not sure about the movie, though this is the kind of film the Academy likes but not sure if it had a wide enough release.

Rosy the Reviewer says...though Stan's performance is amazing, this is a very strange film that has some very uncomfortable moments.  It's not for everyone. (For rent on Amazon Prime and Apple+)


Maria (2024)


The last days of opera star Maria Callas.

The movie begins with a nice bit of introduction and exposition about La Callas.  But then it's 1977 and Callas (Angelina Jolie) has died and the film cuts back to her last seven days.  

It's the end of her life, and Maria Callas is living a reclusive life in Paris with her two minders, Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino) and Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher).  Her voice is not what it once was and she reflects on her life. She is also taking Mandrax, a strong sedative that was popular in Europe and Ferruccio is concerned.  She tells Ferruccio she is going on a walk and he says he doesn't like her going out alone.  She says she has her Mandrax.  He replies that is not a good companion.  And then the film takes a very strange turn.  She also tells Ferruccio she is going to be filmed and when the film director arrives he says his name is...wait for it...Mandrax (Kodi Smit-McPhee). They go for walks. Maria and Mandrax. That's when I started going "Huh?"

Written by Stephen Knight and directed by Pablo Larrain (he also did "Jackie," and "Spencer," so he likes to do biopics about iconic women), we follow Callas around for seven days and in a series of flashbacks and actual footage of Callas, we are reminded of her life, career, and her longtime affair with Aristotle Onassis before he married Jackie Kennedy. This is not a straight-forward biopic.  It jumps around and you finally get the idea that much of what we are seeing is all in Callas' imagination. She is wandering around Paris on drugs living in the past.

This film succeeds or not on Jolie's performance because she is in every frame.  She even supposedly did her own singing, spending months learning to sing opera.  Of course, it's not just her singing.  Callas's voice is also there but the thought was that Jolie actually singing would look more realistic than if she did lip syncing. And it looks and sounds fine but here is my problem with Jolie.

For me, Angelina Jolie is a very cold actress.  Some actresses have a warmth that comes out of the screen.  She does not.  However, Callas was not exactly warm and fuzzy, so I guess Jolie's presence works here as Callas, but I had a very hard time feeling much empathy, even though I am an opera fan.

Awards: 22 nominations and four wins: Jolie won the Gotham Award for Best Actress as well as Best Actress awards at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and from the Las Vegas Film Critics Society.  She was nominated for a Golden Globe but did not win and is up for a Best Actress award at the Critics Choice Awards to be broadcast January 12.  The movie itself was nominated for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival, but again did not win.

Should Jolie get a Best Actress Oscar nod?  In my opinion, no.  And it's a huge no for Best Picture.

Rosy the Reviewer says...huge fan of opera, huge fan of Callas, not a fan of this movie.  I don't think you will like it either, even if you love opera and Callas. (Netflix)




Lee (2023)


Biopic about Lee Miller, an ex-fashion model and photographer who became an acclaimed war correspondent for Vogue Magazine during WWII.

No one today probably knows who Lee Miller was but it's clear that Kate Winslet wants you to know, and Miller, indeed, had a compelling story and interesting life.

It's 1977, and Lee Miller (Winslet) tells her story to an anonymous interviewer, and through a series of flashbacks we see her life unfold.

Lee was a model in New York City as well as an aspiring photographer. She also was the muse for artist Man Ray, though the film doesn't go into that relationship much. In flashback, as Miller tells her story to her interviewer, she begins in 1937 when she was living a bohemian lifestyle in Europe (and yes, Kate takes her top off as she seems to do in most movies) as a bon vivant.  She meets and falls in love with Roland Penrose (Alexander Skarsgard). The two move to London where Lee becomes a photographer for Vogue and photographs Londoners as they cope with The Blitz during WWII. She wants to go over to mainland Europe to photograph what is really happening with the war, but the UK restricts women from serving near combat.  However, when the U.S. enters the war, she is able to get overseas where the action is alongside photojournalist David Scherman (Andy Samberg, yes, that Andy Samberg).

During the Liberation of Paris, she was able to photograph the public shaming of Parisian women who were accused of collaborating with the Nazis, but it was her photos of the atrocities committed at Buchenwald and Dachau that put her on the map as a serious war journalist, though many of her photographs were never published because they were considered too "upsetting."

After her stint overseas, Lee suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism and it wasn't until after her death that she attained the respect she deserved.

Kate Winslet is always good, and here she puts in a tour de force performance as the young-ish Lee all the way to the old Lee.  Winslet was also one of the producers and it is apparent that this was very much a labor of love for her. But here's the surprise.  Andy Samberg also stars...in a dramatic role!  I didn't recognize him at first but there he was and he was very believable.

Awards: Nine nominations (Winslet nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress) and one win (Women in Film Crystal Award).

Though Winslet deserves an Oscar nod, I am thinking this film written by Liz Hannah, Marion Hume, and John Collee and directed by Ellen Kuras was not widely seen so she could be overlooked, likewise the film.

Rosy the Reviewer says...Winslet puts in a wonderful performance highlighting the life of a woman who deserves to be remembered (you should know about this woman). The ending is particularly poignant when it was revealed who her interviewer was.  I cried. (Hulu and for rent on Apple+)




See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!


Monday, December 30, 2024

More December Movie Picks: "Carry-On," "The Apprentice," and "The Outrun"

[I review the thriller "Carry-On," as well as the Trump biopic "The Apprentice" and "The Outrun," a poetic story of the healing power of nature]


Carry-On (2024)


A mysterious man blackmails a TSA agent into letting a dubious carry-on bag onto a Christmas Eve flight.

Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) is a TSA officer at LAX and LAX is a good place for him to work because, let's just say he is lax.  He is not very ambitious, licking his wounds from failing at the police academy.  His pregnant girlfriend, Nora (Sofia Carson), a supervisor at the airport, has encouraged him to reapply.  In an attempt to act like he cares, he asks his boss to let him do the baggage-scanning lane to have the opportunity to show him he has what it takes to deserve a promotion.  It's Christmas Eve and what Ethan doesn't know is that he is going to have an even bigger opportunity to show he has what it takes...but not in any way he expected. 

While at his post scanning carry-ons, a customer comes up to him with an earbud she said she had found. It has a note on it to listen to it at which point he is contacted by "The Traveler (Jason Bateman)," who orders him to let a specific carry-on case pass through the scanner --- or Nora will be killed.  Meanwhile, "The Travelers" accomplice, "The Watcher (Theo Rossi)," monitors Ethan through a surveillance system. Ethan tries to thwart them, but every time he tries to alert someone to what is happening, something bad happens.  And things go from bad to worse.

Meanwhile, LAPD detective Elena Cole (Danielle Deadwyler) has gotten wind of this and alerts the Department of Homeland Security and a sweep of the terminal is ordered.  There are many twists and turns and lots of running up and down the terminal as Ethan keeps trying to interfere with the bad guys' nefarious plot and getting foiled by the Traveler. And it becomes more and more difficult to figure out who are the bad guys and who are the good guys. And what the heck is in that carry-on?

At first I had a difficult time with Jason Bateman as a bad guy, but he pulled it off. Taryn is believable as a disaffected TSA agent who really wants to be a cop and the cinematography adds to the drama. Lots of close-ups. Yes, some of the stuff here is far-fetched. Written by T.J. Fixman and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the film falls into "Snakes on a Plane" territory at times and there are some frustrating moments where Ethan could have gotten himself out of this. He also does a bit too much running around the terminal but, all in all, the pace and action makes for a satisfying thriller.

I had to ask myself whether this would fall into the Christmas thriller debate. You know, that debate about whether or not "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie?  This one also has a Christmas theme, and I think that is a popular thriller theme, because taking something homespun like Christmas and adding terror to it is especially scary...and thrilling. Whether this will make Christmas movie debate status like "Die Hard" is debatable!

Rosy the Reviewer says...this was the #1 most watched movie on Netflix for several weeks and is still in the Top Ten, so if you like thrillers and can suspend your disbelief at times, there are some thrills to be had here. I am now suspicious of everyone's carry-on! (Netflix)

 


The Apprentice (2024)


The story of how Donald Trump started his real estate business in New York City and his friendship with Roy Cohn.

Sebastian Stan plays Donald Trump as a young man trying to please his unpleasable rich father and figure out what to do with his life. It's 1973 when he fortuitously meets Roy Cohn (played by Jeremy Strong), a lawyer and prosecutor who made sure Julius and Ethel Rosenberg went to the electric chair. He was also Senator Joseph McCarthy's chief counsel during the Army–McCarthy hearings in 1954.  He later became a "fixer" in New York City and was not above shady antics to do his fixing. Trump's father, Fred Trump, was being investigated by the federal government for discrimination and Donald asked Cohn for his help. Cohn blackmailed the lead prosecutor and the case was settled.  Thus Cohn became Trump's mentor, teaching him how to dress, how to manipulate media relationships and his three rules for success: Attack, attack, attack; never admit wrongdoing; and always claim victory, even if defeated. Sound familiar?  Trump learned Cohn's lessons well.

When Trump wants to develop the Commodore Hotel near Grand Central Station, Cohn again uses blackmail to help Trump get a $150 million tax abatement for the project. Thus began Trump's career as a real estate mogul, though not all of his projects went well. The Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City comes to mind. Hard to believe someone can run a casino into the ground.

Trump's personal life also wasn't going that well. Dazzled by Czech model Ivana Zelnickova (Maria Bakalova), he had to have her but that marriage eventually sours. Let's just say he got tired of her. His older brother, Fred Jr. (Charlie Carrick) spirals into alcoholism and when his father, Fred Sr. (Martin Donovan) was suffering from dementia, Donald tries to gain control of his siblings' inheritance to pay off his debts.

Meanwhile, Trump and Cohn continue their successful but dark partnership until that also sours. Basically, Trump gets tired of him too. When Cohn suffers from AIDS and needs him, Donald is not there.

Stan is amazing as Trump.  He has the walk and the lips down.  And Jeremy Strong is wonderful as Roy Cohn. He managed to make me feel sorry for a very bad guy...well, almost.  I see Academy Award nominations in their future.

Whether or not you are a Trump fan, this film, written by Gabriel Sherman and directed by Ali Abbasi, is a well-done, addictive film experience, that like a train wreck, you will not be able to take your eyes off it, in a good way.  The film really drives home a premise of why Trump is the way he is and how he got that way.  Even if only half of what is on display here is true, it's a scary portrait. 

If you are a Trump fan and know he hates this movie because he thinks it's a hatchet job or if you don't like Trump and are sick of seeing and hearing him, think of this as an adaptation of a Dickens novel and Trump's character is Uriah Heep or he is Mr. Burns on "The Simpsons." Something like that. Pretend it's not really him because this movie all by itself, fiction or reality, is very, very good.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a riveting examination of the early life of our soon-to-be second-time-around, President. (For rent on Amazon Prime and Apple+)



The Outrun (2024)


A young woman living in London and struggling with alcoholism, returns to the Orkney Islands, where she grew up, to heal.

Rona (Saoirse Ronan) is recently out of rehab and has returned home to Scotland's Orkney Islands. Her parents are still there but are separated so Rona spends time with them separately, sometimes with her bipolar father (Stephen Dillane) on his farm, sometimes with her very religious mother (Saskia Reeves). 

In flashbacks, we see how and why Rona ended up back in the Orkneys. She started out as a biology graduate student in London where she met her boyfriend, Daynin (Paapa Essiedu) and succumbed to some serious clubbing. When her drinking gets really bad and it leads to her losing Daynin and getting attacked she enters a rehab program and then returns home to Orkney to heal.

There she takes a job with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds which involves a systematic search for the now-rare corn crake, listening for its distinctive frog-like call. Only 30% of corn crakes survive the migration to return to their breeding grounds each year. When Rona has a near relapse, she moves to the remote Papa Westray island, home to a tiny community, where she lives by herself.  Like the corn crake, will she survive her migration away from drinking? 

This film is all about Saoirse. It makes or breaks because of her, and she makes it work with her incredibly poignant face and an ability to make you feel her pain. You will be pulled in, rooting for her to make it. I am rooting for her to get a Best Actress Oscar nomination for this.

Based on the memoir by Amy Liptrot, this is a slow-moving, poetic film that jumps around in time but in a good way. (Keep an eye on Rona's hair color as it changes during various aspects of her life). Having read the book, I wondered how it would work as a film because not a lot happens, but thanks to Ronan's tour de force performance, director Nora Fingscheidt at the helm, and a screenplay adaptation by Fingscheidt and Liptrot, it is a mesmerizing experience and possibly inspirational for those wanting to stay sober. Rona learns that life always gives you a reason to drink but living one day at a time can work. It never gets easy, but it gets less hard. And living quietly in nature, appreciating being alive, can be healing.

Oh, and in case you are wondering - what is an outrun? In Scottish English, it is a piece of grazing land on a farm or outskirts which is where Rona takes herself to heal.  But the word also means to out distance, beat or escape which also applies as Rona tries to out distance, beat and escape her drinking.  

Rosy the Reviewer says...part nature film, part science lesson but mostly a meditation on addiction and the power of nature to heal. Beautiful and inspiring. (For rent on Amazon Prime and Apple+)


See You Next Time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, X, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer where I share short reviews about TV shows I am watching, books I am reading and all sorts of other fun stuff that doesn't appear here!

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

Saturday, December 7, 2024

What To Watch in December!

[I review "Conclave," "We Live in Time," "Emilia Perez" and the documentary "Carol Doda Topless at the Condor."]


Conclave (2024)



An inside look at how a Pope is chosen - with some conspiracy and mystery thrown in.

The Pope has died so the College of Cardinals goes into seclusion for a papal conclave (that's what the process is called for choosing a new Pope) led by Cardinal-Dean Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes). And we get to be there as flies on the wall to an ancient and mysterious process that few know about.

The four men vying for Pope are Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci), an American liberal; Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), a Nigerian with socially conservative views; Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow), a Canadian mainstream conservative; and Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), an Italian traditionalist who wants to go back to the old ways - you know, services in Latin, no birth control, fish on Fridays, all of that.  But there is also a newcomer, someone unknown to the Cardinals - Archbishop Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz) of Kabul, who claims the late pope secretly made him a cardinal.  His arrival is strange because no one knew about him but particularly strange because Benitez is Mexican.  How did he end up as the Archbishop of Kabul?

There is mystery and drama afoot.

Bellini and Lawrence are the two leaders of the Church's liberal wing, but neither claims to want the papacy but it becomes clear that is not really true. As Lawrence leads the conclave, he learns about a mysterious medical appointment the former Pope made for Benitez in Switzerland that was later canceled.  He also learns that the pope demanded Tremblay's resignation hours before dying.  However, when confronted, Tremblay vigorously denies this. Then a secret is revealed about Adeyemi and Head nun, Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini), plays a pivotal role, sharing a secret with Lawrence.  And there is more - a bribery for votes allegation, a suicide bomber attack on the Vatican, and a huge twist you won't see coming!

Who knew there was so much drama around electing a Pope?

Drama, indeed.  Based on the book by Robert Harris adapted for the screen by Peter Straughan, this is one of the best dramas of the year and one could say it's an allegory for the world's current political climate, conservative vs. progressive.

I have been in love with Ralph Fiennes ever since "The English Patient."  No one broods like Ralph.  And he has lots to brooder over here. He is also surrounded by an ensemble cast of wonderful actors and the film is highlighted by brilliant cinematography thanks to Stephane Fontaine. Directed by Edward Berger, this movie has Oscar written all over it.

Rosy the Reviewer says...who knew a papal conclave could be so riveting and exciting, but it is and with that a huge twist at the end, I was speechless, something I rarely am, but, when it was revealed... Kaboom!  Mic drop!  This film is not to be missed! One of the best of the year! (Streaming for free on Peacock and also available for rent or purchase on various other streaming platforms)


We Live in Time (2024)

Tobias (Andrew Garfield) and Almut (Florence Pugh) "meet cute" and fall in love... and then she gets sick.

On his way to sign divorce papers, Tobias is hit by a car driven by Almut, an up-and-coming chef. They fall in love but then Almut discovers she has ovarian cancer.  But she gets treatment, the cancer goes into remission and she and Tobias are able to have a child.

A few years later, Almut is now head chef at her own high end restaurant, and Tobias and Almut are living in the countryside with daughter, Ella, but then Almut's cancer returns.  She doesn't want to undergo treatment again, wishing to live "six to eight amazing months" rather than months of chemotherapy, but when Tobias proposes marriage, she decides to undergo treatment. At the same time, Almut is invited to participate in the Bocuse d'Or, a prestigious cooking competition, a challenge that conflicts with her treatment and her wedding and, when confronted about this by Tobias, Almut says she wants her daughter to remember her as an accomplished chef rather than a sick and dying woman.

Written by Nick Payne and directed by John Crowley, the film weaves together the past and present in flashbacks and flashforwards that could be confusing to some viewers - Tobias and Almut meeting "cute," if being hit by a car by your future love interest could be considered "meeting cute;" their romance before her cancer diagnosis; the birth of Ella; and Almut's career as a chef and participation in the Bocuse d'Or cooking competition. So there is something here to satisfy those who like love stories; something for those who like drama; something for those who appreciate good acting; something for you foodies out there; and plenty of tears to be jerked if you are hooked on tearjerkers.

But this is not a movie wallowing in sadness. Yes, this is one of those "dying woman love stories," but what sets it apart from most is that Almut refuses to be defined as a dying woman and instead continues with her life right up until the end.

I couldn't get over how much Florence Pugh reminded me of Kate Winslet. Not just in looks but in getting her kit off (that's Britspeak for taking off one's clothes) as did Kate (she was even kind of known for that). I have always been a Florence Pugh fan but not so much Andrew Garfield, probably because I wasn't that into Spiderman but then he did "tick, tick...boom" and I was in.  And here he does a good job as a charismatic romantic lead. Pugh and Garfield have chemistry and are great together.

Rosy the Reviewer says...despite a cringey birthing scene in a gas station toilet, this is a poignant love story about living your life fully right up until the end. (available to rent on Amazon Prime and Apple+) 



Emilia Perez (2024)

The story of four Mexican women who are each seeking to find their own happiness: Emilia Perez (Karla Sofia Gascon), an ex-cartel leader who fakes her own death; Rita Mora Castro (Zoe Saldana), an underappreciated lawyer who gets caught up in Emilia's life; Jessi (Selena Gomez), Emilia's ex; and Epifania (Adriana Paz), a once abused wife who enters into a relationship with Emilia - and it's a musical!

Against her conscience, Rita defends a prominent media figure's wife accused of murder, arguing the death was a suicide.  Soon after winning the case, Rita is asked by cartel kingpin Juan "Manitas" Del Monte to help him fake his own death after having sex reassignment surgery so he can start a new life as a woman.  Rita finds him a doctor and he pays Rita a huge amount of money.  Meanwhile, his wife, Jessi, and his children are moved to Switzerland for their own safety. After the surgery, Manitas begins a new life as Emilia Perez.

But wait just a minute.  This is not going to be one of those happily ever after stories. Think of this as a telenovela (even though this movie is very French), one of those over-the-top Latin American soap operas, but with music. 

So four years later, Emilia's and Rita's paths cross in London...and not by chance.  Emilia misses her children, so Emilia once again asks Rita to help her by arranging to bring Jessi and the children back to Mexico City to live with Emilia, telling Jessi that Emilia is a distant cousin of Manitas and Emilia wants to help Jessi raise the children. Jessi is skeptical but acquiesces because she wants to reunite with Gustavo Brun (Edgar Ramirez), an ex-lover.  Unbelievably, Jessi doesn't recognize Emilia (but, hey, this is a telenovela).  All goes well for a time when Emilia wants to reunite with her family and make restitution for her life as Manitas, using her connections for good by setting up a nonprofit to help find "the disappeared," and to identify bodies of cartel victims. Through that, Emilia meets Epifania, a woman whose abusive husband's remains were identified and the two begin a relationship.

But then all hell breaks loose! It doesn't end well.  But you knew that.  

As I said, this is a sort of telenovela with an original plot, excellent acting, lush cinematography (thanks to cinematographer Paul Guilhaume), music and even some humor! The scene where Rita interviews a sex reassignment doctor in Bangkok is a hoot! 

Does everything work? No, but I have immense respect for movies that try to do something new and to take risks.  This is like something you have never seen before. 

Karla Sofía Gascón is amazing, playing both Manitas and Emilia.  You would never guess it was a woman playing Manitas. And Gascon herself is transgender, beginning her transgender transformation in 2018. Selena Gomez is everywhere these days, starring in the popular series "Only Murders in the Building" as well as this, and she has a single coming out that her over 700 million followers on social media will no doubt embrace.  And did you know she is a billionaire? But this role as the horny ex-wife of Manitas will surprise everyone.  It's a departure for her.  No more the young Disney star. Adriana Paz is also good in a smaller role, but Saldana dominates as she is in almost every scene and is the character that connects everyone. She is outstanding. These four women won the Best Actress Prize as an ensemble at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and the film, loosely based on the book "Ecoute" by Boris Rason and adapted and directed by Jacques Audiard, won the Jury Prize.

Rosy the Reviewer says...Wow!  A unique and poignant musical film experience, a feast for the eyes and ears, not to be missed.   (In Spanish with English subtitles on Netflix)

 

Carol Doda Topless at the Condor (2023)


A documentary about Carol Doda, who in San Francisco in 1964 became the first dancer to go topless. She became a tourist attraction as famous as The Golden Gate Bridge!

I moved to San Francisco in 1970, the day after I graduated from college in Michigan. I knew I had missed the Summer of Love, but after seeing this documentary, I realized I missed way more than that.  San Francisco was hopping starting in the early 60's when it was the center of the Bohemian movement and free love.

So there I was, a little virgin Michigan girl...well, a virgin when it came to living in a big city...and as I explored San Francisco's famous North Beach neighborhood, I couldn't avoid Carol Doda. A billboard highlighting her "assets" decorated The Condor Club on the corner of Broadway and Columbus (and it's still there).  North Beach was, and still is, a happening place.  It was where all of the nightclubs were but also the Italian restaurants, comedy clubs and Lawrence Ferlinghetti's famous book store, City Lights

So who was Carol Doda? 

She started out as a waitress but she also liked to dance and then Rudi Gernreich invented the topless bathing suit and that opened the flood gates. Doda was the first dancer to appear topless in the United States, and "Topless" became a thing. Everything was topless including topless ice cream shops and topless shoe shines (back when there actually were shoe shines). And Doda embraced it. Doda had said "I want to be in show business and I don't know any way except to show my boobs."  And so she did. Her act at The Condor became the place to go. 
  
And who said size doesn't matter?

Carol was a beautiful woman, but her breasts were not gigantic by any means so she set about making them so through silicone injections. Not recommended today.  Silicone injections were outlawed in 1992.  But for a time, it worked and Doda's breasts were the stars of the show at The Condor. She also danced "bottomless," as in totally nude until that was outlawed in 1972.  She retired from stripping in the 1980's but continued to entertain into her 70's. Little known factoid: Doda Dome in Yosemite National Park was named for her.

But for all of the titillation (sorry), there is a feminist twist here.  Doda said she was one of the original "bra burners"...wink...wink...but at the same time, she did take control of her life, did what she wanted with her body and there was a certain empowerment in that.

Rosy the Reviewer says...written and directed by Marlo McKenzie and Jonathan Parker, this is an interesting little tidbit in the history of San Francisco. (Amazon Prime)


                                      See you next time!

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