Movie review - "Cruella" (2021) **

 Modern day Disney trying to jazz up some IP with a fresh name or two. Emma Stone powers a lot of it with her charisma and charm and Emma Thompson helps out, but the laziness of the dramatic construction tell after a while, as does the endless, endless parade of sixties and seventies songs.  There's so many golden oldies. So many scenes of people entering rooms.

The film has the cheek to rip off The Devil Wears Prada and manages to make what should look bright and poppy - 70s fasion in England - grimy and dull. Maybe if they'd added songs for people to sing. Cut out all the entrances and the golden oldies soundtrack. Had Emma Stone talk to camera. Had a bit more life in it.

Mark Strong does some solid reality-based playing. Maybe he needed to camp it up more. It was a hard slog.

Book review - "Start to Finish: Woody Allen and the Art of Moviemaking" by Eric Lax

Do we really want movie making advice from late period Woody Allen? His films are so flabby and hit or miss these days. Still, Lax wrote some excellent books on Allen so I thought I'd give this a go. There are boring slabs but it was worth it.

Lax follows Allen while he made An Irrational Man a not particularly highly regarded Allen film but not a shocker (Allen says Curse of the Jade Scorpion is his worst... he may be right).  He follows Allen through the process of writing, casting, prepping, shooting, editing and post production of this movie in sometimes exhaustive detail. Only a real fan will enjoy the stuff about him getting the right shade of colour or sound or cuts or on a set. He's a compulsive worker who has some good people on his movies - his work ethic is to be admired.

By Lax lets him off the hook in key areas - the fact Allen's scripts are finished too soon, his unwillingness to write with a collaborator (which he's done before), his seeming inability to make a film where a young hot thing doesn't want a middle aged man, the clunky dialogue.

There's also this really uncomfortable chapter in the middle where he addresses the Woody sex stuff - Lax basically accuses Dylan Farrow of making it all up having been trained by Mia, and quotes Soo Yi and Moses in support. He makes some valid sounding arguments in Allen's defence and then goes and writes vague things like "Allen has spent millions of dollars trying to be in contact with Dylan". Ah, it's so sordid and every account I've read of this someone seems to have an axe to grind and no one ever footnotes their pieces.

There is interesting stuff - Allen talks of his admiration for European directors, Bob Hope and films like Shane, and chats about the DOP (Gordon Willis used to make him go over every scene every night and now he gets on the floor and wings it - that's a key reason why his later movies are so flabby). He clearly lives in a world where no one truly challenges him - he has employees whose opinions he respects, that's a different thing. The book ends with him getting that dream deal from Amazon and he whines about it. Seriously. But still, he's out there, plugging away.

Movie review - "La La Land" (2016) ***1/2

I was resistant to see this - I think all the Oscar hype and I hate to be bullied into seeing a film - but those reservations melted away with that marvelous opening number. It was bright, colourful and fun, and I love how the filmmakers made sure we knew they were really dancing on a real freeway.

It got everything off to a great start - so too did the number "Someone in the Crowd" with Emma Stone and her friends getting ready to go out.

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone can't exactly sing or dance but they are likeable movie stars. It's very well directed and I loved the bold colours. The musical this reminded me of more than any other was The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort with its colours, non-Broadway feel and unhappy ending.

It did go on a bit and for me there was a too much jazz and talking about jazz - I guess I was more interested in the movie stuff. It may have gotten all those Oscars because old Academy voters were relieved the younger generation hadn't forgotten them.

Movie review - "An Irrational Man" (2015) **1/2

Woody Allen rips off himself again - there's a brooding misanthrope with a disastrous love life who worries about the Meaning of It All; an artistic environment (in this case the philosophy department of a college); a nubile young woman who can't resist the lure of a middle aged man; a murder; debates about morality; scenes in the rain; nicely presented furniture; awkward expositional dialogue.

Joaquin Phoenix adapts very well to Woody Allen-land - his quality (lost, intelligent, charismatic) is spot on and he's very good in the role, even if all the hip flask sipping to indicate his alcoholism was clunky. I loved the Russian roulette sequence and his motive to commit murder.  Emma Stone and Parker Posey are good value as the women in Phoenix's life and it was nice to hear a vaguely modern tune on the soundtrack - "The In Crowd" - instead of that croaky jazz (although it is over used - how about two new tracks Woody?). At least this is a film for grown ups.

But it's frustrating, especially for Allen fans who would have seen so many of these elements before. On a simple murder tale basis I felt he could have used supporting characters more - Stone and Parker both have boyfriends and Stone has parents and a friend who get introduced, and I kept waiting for them to do something important in the story, but they don't. Even Parker barely does anything in the last portion of the film.

Because it has movie stars, nice production values and adult themes I did enjoy watching it. I just wish it had been better.

Movi review - "Aloha" (2015) **

Not the worst movie ever made but Cameron Crowe's worst. It has pleasing tunes, gorgeous scenery and likeable movie stars but is needlessly confusing. I'm guessing Crowe wanted to rip off Local Hero - if that was the case it's easy to see how you do it: military man Bradley Cooper is in disgrace for accepting bribes in Afghanistan, his connections with Hawaii mean he is sent to Hawaii to negotiate a deal on a military base with the locals, he falls for Emma Stone who believes the sky belongs to us all, and catches up with old flame Rachel McAdams who is the one who got away, Hawaii gets under his skin, he realises his military mission is dodgy and takes the side of the Good over the Evil, and earns the love of Emma Stone and gets redemption.

That I could follow. But this is confusing. Cooper works for an independent contractor, not the military, but still works a lot for the military; it's never really clear exactly how much disgrace he's in for what happened in Afghanistan (is it public? is he up on criminal charges?) or why he has so much sway and esteem in Hawaii or who is in charge; Emma Stone is meant to be a truth telling free spirit shocked at nuclear weapons in a satellite... and she's a fighter pilot? And its needlessly confusing - surely Crowe was more interested in the characters and Hawaii and love instead of his story, but his story is so muddled you can't focus on the other stuff. Surely they could have fixed it all up with an opening scene that set everything up clearly.

Or not. Because I think on another level the movie is simply miscast - the supporting characters are fine and Rachel McAdams is lovely as always but Emma Stone too college girl and lightweight to be a believable fighter pilot (it needed someone like Reese Witherspoon, someone you can believe who would study intently and could fire missiles). Bradley Cooper seems like a nice guy rather than someone tormented.

Some pleasing moments such as Stone and Murray dancing to 'I Can't  Go For That' by Hall and Oates and it looks good.

Movie review - "Magic in the Moonlight" (2014) **1/2

Sweet, dopey Woody Allen romantic comedy which has a flimsy central idea that really should have been turned into an episode of an anthology picture but benefits from its 1920s setting in the South of France, and the usual strong cast. Colin Firth is professional in the lead, which would have been better with a young Woody or Owen Wilson - he's okay I just think it would have been more fun with a neurotic lead. Also it doesn't feel right the a skeptic would also be a magician - it felt as though he should have been an academic or a morose stand up comic or journalist or something. There was a disconnect for me.

Allen is clearly biologically incapable of making a movie where the male lead doesn't fall in love with a woman young enough to be his daughter, but at least Woody isn't playing the part, and the heroine is lovely Emma Stone, who suits the cadences of Woody land perfectly.

Hamish Linklater is fun as the ukele-playing wet drip of an American - as is Jackie Weaver. I wish Allen had found more to do with Marcia Gay Harden (Stone's mum) and the other rich Americans - the movie could have done with a few more subplots. Compared with the depth and tightness of say Hannah and Her Sisters there film reflects poorly - it doesn't have the energy or depth. But it does have a charm, and is pleasing to watch.

Movie review - "Birdman" (2014) ****

A movie of very high quality, particularly the directing and acting, but I didn't think it was quite up to the praise it's received. My main beef was with the script, which feels a bit wonky and improvised - all the subtext is spelt out in dialogue, and is too often repetitive ("what is real?" "are you real?" "this is all fake").

The supporting characters weren't that memorable despite the quality of the people playing them - Naomi Watts is a jobbing actor and that's it, Emma Stone is a recovering junkie and that's it, Andrea Riseborough is a bit mad but basically nice, Amy Ryan (Keaton's ex) is just a nice person and that's it.

And also it lacked a certain reality for me - all this hoo had taking place on stage felt too OTT, there were far too many scenes of things going viral, and I'm no fan of theatre critics but the depiction of the one here (played by Lindsay Duncan) was really unfair.

But I loved a lot of it: it really captures the atmosphere of New York's Broadway district (something too few movies attempt these days) with its random musicians, crazy people and hustle and bustle of the streets; it's a Broadway movie at a time when such a beast is rare (are there really that many back stage people at shows today?); Ed Norton is great fun as an egotistical capital "t" theatre director; it's stunningly directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, and shot by his cinematographer with those fabulous long takes; the editing is a marvel; Michael Keaton completely commits to the role.

Movie review – “Friends with Benefits” (2011) **1/2

These sort of movies always cheat because you know they’re going to get together at the end – heck these two are basically together at the beginning, spending all their spare time together, going on dates-in-all-but-name, not really seeing anyone else. Mila Kunis does see that doctor for a bit (played by that actor who always turns up in romantic comedies), it doesn't turn out well, Justin Timberlake doesn't seem to care that much. That's about the extent of exploring the "issues" of a commitment-less relationship.
Director (and co-writer) Will Gluck seems more interesting on exploring the fact that his characters are in a romantic comedy (just as he was self referential about making a teen film in Easy A) - there are jokes about the expectations created by Katherine Heigl movies, they watch a mock rom com (with Jason Segel and Rashida Jones), etc - but even this is kind of cheating, and pointless.
On the other hand, Gluck's direction has plenty of imagination and verve, the film has energy, the two leads work well (I do think Justin Timberlake is more of a character actor than a star). It's just the script isn't the best, with it's stock situations (New York, publishing) pumped up with modern tech references (bible apps, Wii), father with dramatically convenient Alzheimers, no really decent support roles (there are two "best friends" during an opening monologues by the two stars who never say anything and are hardly seen again, and Jenna Elfman is wasted).

Movie review – “Crazy Stupid Love” (2011) **** (warning spoilers)

Excellent, smart rom com with a very strong cast at the top of their game. Full of great lines and observations – while it smacks of Hollywood here and then (the whole idea of Gosling playing Henry Higgins to Steve Carrell, Carrell’s final speech in front of the school) there is enough truth there to make it worth while. Ryan Gosling will please his many fans, Emma Stone is bewitching, the young kids are excellent. Validates stalkers and Dirty Dancing fans. Love the bit where Gosling asks Stone if she can just ask one personal question of him.

Movie review – “Zombieland” (2009) ***

Another movie about zombies? But the public sensed a good one and the result was a surprise hit. Why not – it’s a good movie, genuinely funny, a bright look at America post zombie apocalypse. They’ve gone for humour, only occasionally tackling the enormity of what's happened. The four leads are terrific - Emma Stone is a real fan boy's idea of a believable dream girl who might actually be into you. Bright lines, Bill Murray's cameo is wonderful. The last act is a noisy action sequence - it runs out of ideas around then.

Movie review - "Easy A" (2010) ***

A sensational idea - a good girl decides cultivate a reputation as a bad one out of boredom and a desire to help a friend - plus a brilliant star making performance from Emma Stone. It doesn't quite exploit the potentials of the idea - the sexual politics are skimmed, the Christians are all caricatures, the handling often broad. I kept thinking maybe this would have been better as a play where it could have more time to develop characters and themes. But it's energetic and lively and well acted on the whole; Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson are lovely as Stone's parents (there are some great family scenes).