Movie Review: Tar

It has been noted, more than once, that great creators are not necessarily the most compassionate or humane individuals the world has ever produced. Such is the case with Lydia Tar, the subject of the Oscar-courting biopic starring Cate Blanchett, called appropriately enough, “Tar.” Throughout the two hours and a half plus of running time, we see many instances of this, but it’s important to also keep in mind the saying that “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” Whether it’s possible or not to both achieve immortality through one’s creative powers and be remembered as a good person, the film is a fascinating exploration of a mercurial woman.

Beginning with an onstage in-person interview with the (real) Adam Gopnik, a New Yorker critic playing himself because apparently, he had the free time and inclination, Cate offers up a portrayal of a multi-talented musician who composes, conducts and has a degree in ethnomusicology, (which sounds like something Newt Scamander would major in), plus she designs and sews some of her outfits herself. Cate is the subject of a memoir entitled, “Tar on Tar,” and teaches at Juilliard where she has to explain to boneheaded millennials that the impact of a composer’s work should be measured by more than his or her skin shade and sexual orientation. Alas, she’s not exactly warm and supportive of those around her, including her long-suffering assistant (Noemie Merlant) or her partner (Nina Hoss) with whom she shares a home in Berlin and has a young daughter. The action moves quickly enough to Germany, where Cate is in charge of an orchestra about to put on a performance of a Mahler symphony. Cate offers up many insights about music, some in English, but also some in un-subtitled German because apparently the average movie reviewer (unlike me) is multilingual and doesn’t require them. She starts running into a heap of trouble, as her past actions return to haunt her just when things are looking rosy, as they tend to do in biopics.

Sadly, when Cate was younger, she had an affair with a musician who is now accusing her of sexual misconduct, and this is a scandal that won’t go away with a few simple denials. Although Cate can handle a mean girl who’s been bullying her daughter with a few well-placed threats, adult conflicts are harder to handle. Pretty much everything that can unravel does, including her personal life, and eventually rather than learning life lessons, Cate moves to an Asian country and experiences catharsis by swimming in a waterfall and getting a job leading a rather quirky orchestra, which isn’t explained well, it’s as if the director got a little bored and decided to just wrap things up already. But the film is worth seeing if you have an interest in classical music. At first, you will be aware that Cate is Giving A Performance, but then you’ll settle back and become absorbed in the movie. Cate slashes her arms about while conducting, she stalks around, she lies and betrays, she does it all. Watch for that Oscar nomination which is likely the point of “Tar.”

Movie Review: Ticket to Paradise

Back when I used to watch it, “Saturday Night Live,” had a recurring skit about “The Needlers: The Couple Who Should Be Divorced,” which was amusing if predictable once you figured out the recurring plot twist. Sample dialogue to therapist:

Her: “He sits around all day, watching soap operas!”

Him: “I like to know my wife’s friends.”

But they stayed together because apparently the makeup sex was awesome. In “Ticket to Paradise,” George Clooney and Julia Roberts play exes who bicker constantly but just maybe still have that spark buried under all the barbs. Many movies have gotten mileage out of taking two incompatible beings and forcing them to coexist in a small space for a prolonged period of time. Here the setting is Bali, a gorgeous island where their daughter (Kaitlyn Dever) has decided to wed, jettisoning a law career to marry a hunky seaweed farmer (Maxime Bouttier). They can agree on nothing except that this is a colossal mistake. Cue the wacky high jinks, people. 

Before the credits have barely faded, we get a preview of how George and Julia can wreck what is supposed to be a joyous occasion for their only child when we see them sitting next to each other at Kaitlyn’s graduation. “Love you,” one shouts, as she takes her diploma. “Love you more,” the other retorts. And so it goes. When they fly down to stop the ceremony, they encounter turbulence – literally and metaphorically – although Julia’s current boyfriend, the pilot, assures them it’s nothing.  Alas, they disembark on Bali to learn that Kaitlyn and Maxime are very much in love. Maxime has a large, close family who use the language barrier to amusing effect, which of course, Kaitlyn envies and longs for, too. It doesn’t take long before George and Julia have conspired to steal a pair of rings required for the ceremony, and things get worse from there, whether it’s George risking shark bite or Julia’s boyfriend actually getting bit. Unsurprisingly, it takes Kaitlyn getting angry and telling them a few choice truths before they realize that perhaps – wait for it – they’ve made a mistake.

“Ticket to Paradise,” is an amusing way to spend two hours if you don’t want to have the pants scared off you by “Smile” or “Halloween Ends.” Or if you don’t want to see the amputation scene in “The Banshees of Inisherin,” from the trailer I have a feeling that the two leads would be better off rekindling their friendship by flying to Bali, not removing their digits, but then no Oscar nominations. George and Julia are more tolerable than the Needlers, and I would even watch a sequel, though there’s nothing deep here, just a good time.

Movie Review: Halloween Ends

Confession: I wasn’t sure I was ready to sit down and view “Halloween Ends,” having barely recovered from the last installment in which the formerly geeky Anthony Michael Hall of my cinematic youth leads an out-for-blood mob in pursuit of Michael Myers, who has been terrorizing the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois for decades. But the first Michael does not appear here, perhaps he died in the last movie. Truthfully, there was so much gore and so many victims, I can’t remember. However, the second Michael does, both in possession form and actual form, and yes, – spoiler alert – he’s finally dispatched.

“Halloween Ends,” begins on Oct. 31 in which a college student (Rohan Campbell) who is babysitting a little boy, winds up the suspect when the child is murdered. Years later, the entire town treats him with suspicion and hostility although nothing has ever been proven in court. Meanwhile Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is busy writing her memoirs which gives the film a distinct “Doogie Howser” vibe, as we keep seeing the screen and hearing a voiceover. Her granddaughter (Andi Matichak) is still a nurse at the town hospital, though she’s about to be passed over for a promotion by her sexist pig of a boss. The plot quickly falls into the grooves of a first season “Smallville” episode, in which outcast Rohan gains some kind of union with Michael Myers after almost being killed by a group of band nerds. (I must say, band nerds sure have gotten a lot more vicious since I was one.) After that, he starts facing down his foes which is good, but also finding really creative ways to end their lives, which is not so great. You know Hollywood, outcasts are only allowed to get so much revenge.

Rohan also starts seeing Ali, and they make plans to leave the town. Unfortunately, Jamie Lee is on the case and realizes what is really going on. It all culminates in another Halloween gorefest, in which Jamie Lee again faces down Michael Myers, and this time has apparently done the correct research on how to end someone’s life. (Hint: Go for the veins and do slice in the right direction.) Is Michael Myers gone for good this time? Well, there’s a hint in Jamie Lee’s final voiceover. Evil does not end, it changes shape. Which means, that even if this franchise is kaput, and this was a satisfactory conclusion, horror as a genre is here to stay. And perhaps, given the fondness for horror prequels, the next film could be about Michael’s elementary school years. Given Hollywood, one never knows.

Movie Review: Amsterdam

“A star-studded hot mess,” is what the Roger Ebert site reviewer calls “Amsterdam,” and I was busy processing this when the power (temporarily) went out, leaving me staring at a blank screen. Clearly, the day was destined to be weird, so I decided to go and see it anyway. (I also started thinking of a song called “Amsterdam,” an earworm I picked up watching “Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates” as a kid.) Directed by David O. Russell, it begins as a murder mystery and then goes on to more grandiose statements about the World As We Know It Today, even though it’s set in the nineteen-thirties, post-World War I. I did not actually find it a hot mess, though “star studded” is accurate, and most of the actors appear to have visions of Oscar-nominations dancing in their heads as they progress through it.

In the movie, Christian Bale plays a half-Jewish doctor with a social-climbing girlfriend (or some kind of female unit) who is sent to the front because that will allegedly help him on Park Avenue. In his regiment, he meets John David Washington (who later practices as a lawyer), and they become fast friends, who add a third when they are both injured and meet a nurse (Margot Robbie) while they are recuperating in the hospital. Margot is also an artist who makes collages and sculptures from the metal she extracts from her patients’ bullet wounds, and they form a trio once Christian and John have healed sufficiently. Christian does lose an eye, (cue repeated not too funny gags), but a nice duo of Good Samaritans offers him a lifetime supply of free glass eyes for his service. However, they make it clear there are Strings Attached.

Alas, two decades later, the two men witness a murder of a young woman who is the daughter of a general who also dies mysteriously. To clear their name, they seek help from a couple who turns out to be the brother and sister-in-law of Margot, now living in America and under care for her “nervous disorder.” This leads them to the possibility that there is a secret society involving eugenics and a coup to overthrow Franklin Roosevelt and eventually, they persuade a famous general with clout among the veteran groups to assist them. But the bad guys are also pressuring the general, and so that all leads to a tension-filled evening where justice and the future of the free world hangs in the balance. Yes, after two spring films (“2000 Mules,” and “Secrets of Dumbledore“), we get yet another film whose theme is election fraud. “Amsterdam” does have important things to say about how power corrupts, and it has famous actors in gorgeous period clothes saying them, and I found it worth a watch what with the relevance, though Mr. Russell seemed doubtful I would get them without being told rather plainly. But your mileage may vary.