Month: July 2022

Beginning or the End?

Downton Abbey: A New Era -2022 -PG13

Ok, I’m an Anglophile, I admit it. At 3:00 in the morning of April 29th, 2011, I hosted a royal wedding watch party to celebrate the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton. Friends expectantly gathered in splendid hats—meaning lots of feathers of course, our best American fashion effort. My peacock plume matched my teal pajamas perfectly, bought new from Ross for this regal occasion. Earl Grey tea, scones, clotted cream, lemon curd and orange marmalade were daintily served in my 1973 wedding china. Finally, a use for those fancy gold-trimmed cups and plates! No surprise when Downton Abbey debuted also in 2011 on PBS Masterpiece Theater, it was totally, absolutely, utterly must-watch tv in my home. I adored every single member of the Crawley family and their household staff (well, except nasty Miss O’Brien). 

Cue the Downton Abbey theme song “a character in its own right” and I’m scanning the Yorkshire countryside for the Dowager of Grantham to emerge, an ever sarcastic comment on her lips, petite cane in hand.  Which brings me to one complaint about the film, when was it ever acceptable for the inimitable Violet Crawley (Dame Maggie Smith) to be called “Old Lady Grantham”? That was jarring and wrong! The story itself included so many red herrings that early on I deliberately switched from hunt to enjoyment mode and stopped chasing after the who’s who of sick and dying (Cora & Violet Crawley) and the South of France Crawley field trip “who’s your daddy” plot line (Robert Crawley). Back at the Downton estate, a silent movie is being filmed, “The Gambler,” keeping Lady Mary busy (and tempted), especially when the film is canceled midstream: suddenly silents are out, talkies are in. No! Downton’s leaky roof needs the revenue! Never fear, Mary and her elegant voiceovers save the day. Even the 1920 film industry gets a new lease on life! A new cinematic era!

Just like the film title declares, the various characters move into neat and tidy new beginnings, most definitely offering a satisfying “happily ever after” ladies’ curtsy and gentlemen’s bow for each as the Downton Abbey saga (may) finally come to an end. Let’s all lift our pinkies to creator Julian Fellowes in hopes of a third Downton Abbey adventure, a dignified one of course. 

Great Balls of Fire!

Top Gun: Maverick – 2022 – PG13

Curbing my enthusiasm was not in the cards when I heard TG2 would be released on my June 2020 birthday! Girls night out! Top Gun hats for party favors! And then came Covid, pandemic, quarantine. Grounded! Instead I celebrated with a small group of intrepid, socially distanced friends for a backyard projection of the 1986 original. When the sequel was finally released this summer, two years later than expected and 36 years after cult favorites Maverick, Iceman and Goose roared overhead and buzzed the control tower, true confessions, it felt a tiny bit anticlimactic. Tiny. But once settled into the theater, everything was right with the sky and I even did my best to drum the sparse, docile crowd into a Super Hornet jet frenzy with cheers and applause. The film is a blast, full of ridiculous human drama and a military mission straight from Star Wars, but such loud fun!

Two gripes though: one, the whole Rooster-son-of-tragically-killed-TG1-Goose grudge storyline detracted from the ensemble of characters. Too much unnecessary tension. Two, ghosting Charlie (Kelly McGillis) with Penny (Jennifer Connelly) as Maverick’s TG2 new love interest might make sense from a casting point of view but I needed Charlie to minimally make a cameo! Boo! However, kudos to the producers for Iceman Val Kilmer’s inclusion. He is one of my all time favorite actors (Doc Holliday in Tombstone, epic!) who, surviving throat cancer, needed AI technology and archival audio for his voice to be recreated. The exchange between Cruise and Kilmer made me absolutely verklempt.

All in all, locked and loaded with superb action, defying stunts, booms and blasts, gasps and laughs….buckle up for an emotional and aerial big screen adventure. EXACTLY why I go to the movies! Now, if I could just figure out how to buzz the projection room! Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!

Memphis Magic

Elvis -2022-PG13

I was just a nosy little kid in 1957 when I eavesdropped on my older sister whispering to her friend over the phone that “Elvis the Pelvis” was about to perform on tv. The Ed Sullivan “we have a really big show tonight” was a Sunday staple at our home so I expectantly curled up on the green divan next to my mom hoping Topo Gigio wouldn’t take up too much of the time—I couldn’t wait to see this Elvis person do his crazy gyrations. To my 6-year old dismay, the cameras shot only from his waist up! Meh. Done with Elvis. Bookending my ho-hum relationship with Elvis Presley was turning down tickets to see his last Bay Area performance, November 28, 1976 at the Cow Palace. Ridiculous white jumpsuit. Too fat, too old. He died a few months later, August 16, 1977. Blowing off that concert opportunity ranks as one of my life’s biggest regrets. Fortunately, this film filled in much of the Elvis era that I shrugged off. A lot of the (too long) 159 minutes underscored what is common pop knowledge: PFC Elvis looking absolutely fab in an army uniform, gorgeous Priscilla, love and marriage, welcome to the one and only Lisa Marie, hello Hollywood, Viva Las Vegas, professional exploitation, mommy madness, daddy disturbances, medical mayhem, sex, drugs and rock and roll….leading to the tragic yet predictable finalé, Elvis has left the building. Framing the rise and fall of Elvis (fabulous Austin Butler) through the eyes of his lifelong agent, Colonel Tom Parker (enigmatic Tom Hanks) was an innovative storytelling twist that perked me up. A domineering and abusive presence, this Mississippi to Memphis saga is narrated from Parker’s self righteous and self serving point of view, forcing me and the three other blue hair patrons in the theater to silently protest and defend poor Elvis from our heated Cinemark recliners. Then there was a subtle, cryptic corollary—that I’m still mulling over—between a charismatic experience that overcame Elvis as a boy at a Pentecostal tent revival and the swooning, screaming, sobbing female crowds overwhelming Elvis as a singer. Was there a mystical or psychological connection? Maybe, maybe not but these oddly parallel phenomena make for fascinating fodder. If you like Elvis songs, the movie is crammed full. If you are an aficionado of rock icons curious about the “King of Rock and Roll” Elvis is worth your time. Me, I’m now planning a double feature of Jailhouse Rock and Blue Hawaii. BYO-popcorn!

Nothing There

Nope -2022-R

“Jordan Peele is so amazing and edgy and inspiring! His new film defies description, amazing on multiple levels, creative and so sophisticated that Nope is impossible to quantify! Perhaps the best film EVER! I can’t wait to see it!” —Voice from the Peele Herd-
Nope, not me. Sorry to claim lone dissenter status but Nope is a film equivalent of the ageless folktale, The Emperor’s New Clothes. Everyone is impressed with well, nothing. The foolish, royal dude is proudly parading naked. Nothing on. That’s how I felt leaving the theater, reflecting on multiple layers of nothing. Here’s my summary: A fist-bumping chimp who whacks out and chews the faces off a few studio hosts was the horror. Check. A floating, mattress-like alien spacecraft was the sci-fi. Check. A quick witted, smack talking, wannabe rapper sister teamed with a stoic, single utterance, wannabe Clint Eastwood cowboy brother and a bored, techno savvy rough-and-ready Fry’s guy were the combined weird Peele deal. Yep. Check. Check. Check. But, I couldn’t make sense of any of it. Coherent? Nope. Scary? Nope. Captivating, spellbinding, riveting? Nope, nope nope! A group of 20 somethings grabbed their popcorn and walked-out sometime between the marauding monkey and the mystifying mattress. More followed. I stayed. Regrettably. But hey it’s Jordan Awesome Peele! Maybe you will spot the invisible clothes that I missed. So have a go and let me know.