This page contains reviews of films seen during the months of October to December 2015

“Trainwreck” - I had seen Amy Schumer on TV doing her standup routine and found it just a bit over-the-top with regard to sex and bodily functions. Just not my kind of humor. But I thought it might be interesting to see if she does the same sort of things in a film she wrote and stars in or tones it down. Well, “Trainwreck” starts out with Amy (as "Amy") being single and engaging in a variety of one-night stands in which her primary rule is to get away from the man as soon as possible. There’s a sense here that she was portraying a woman doing the sort of things in such sexual relationships usually associated with men. But then the tone of the film changes. Suddenly Amy, who hadn’t seemed particularly interested in a serious relationship, meets Aaron, a nice-guy orthopedist specializing in treating famous sports stars (played wihout much pizzazz by Bill Hader). As a result, the film becomes a more down-to-earth romance, although not terribly funny for a comedy, as we meet Aaron’s patients, LeBron James and Amar’e Stoudemire, among others. “Trainwreck” certainly has some amusing moments, including the portrayal of Amy’s overbearing boss by an almost unrecognizable Tilda Swinton, a humorous portrayal of her father (by Colin Quinn) who teaches Amy and her sister as children that monogamy isn’t a great idea, and the cameo appearances of people such as Daniel Radcliffe, Marisa Tomei, Chris Evert, Matthew Broderick, Tony Romo, and Marv Albert. Nothing particularly stands out in this film. It’s mildly entertaining. Not bad, but not anything special either. Amy Schumer has a big reputation for comedy and it’ll be interesting to see if her comedic talents ultimately expand so that her humor goes beyond sex, bodily functions, and mild romance. B- (12/24/15)

“Mad Max: Fury Road” - I started to watch this film once before and lasted about 15 or 20 minutes. It seemed awful and mindless. But when I saw it nominated for a Golden Globe and listed as one of the best films of 2015 by some movie critics, I decided I had to give it a second chance and watch it through to the end. I had never seen any of the previous three “Mad Max” films, also directed by George Miller, but I had some idea what was happening in these films. A post-apocalyptic Australia in an intense desert setting. Characters with wild outfits and strange names battle for necessities and turf using weirdly inventive motor vehicles and motorcycles. At the center of the latest “Mad Max” is, of course, Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy), a loner in the middle of a certifiably crazy scene who has been captured by the bald-headed troops of Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), the ruthless and masked aging overlord of the Citadel. But when Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron) escapes from the Citadel with a group of women, including Immortan Joe’s “wives,” Max finds himself joining their escape and the battle with Immortan Joe’s pursuing super-wheeled troops. What follows is the ultimate chase scene because in this movie the chase scene is virtually the entire film and what we see is like watching Cirque Du Soleil versus the monster trucks, with a touch of rock band thrown in. As the almost non-stop action rolls on, we witness people climbing and crawling over a variety of in-motion vehicles, flying like circus or trapeze artists, or crashing onto vehicles or the ground. The stunts are truly spectacular aided by an effective musical score. But ultimately one question must be faced. Is this, as some have said, a metaphor for our current situation where those in control of necessities, such as oil and energy, often run the world? If so, I found it to be a rather weak metaphor. Although Immortan Joe apparently has control of the water supply at the Citadel, and metes it out to the masses in small quantities, that seems a minor aspect of the plot (if one can call it that). Instead, “Mad Max: Fury Road” is simply the most awesome stunt/action film of all-time. However, while it has two top stars as the leads, neither Tom Hardy nor Charlize Theron demonstrates any significant acting chops in this film. Hardy’s Max barely talks and when he does, it sounds more like mumbling. Theron’s Furiosa, with grease all over her face, spends most of her time driving, fighting, and staring. One additional thought: no explanation is ever given for the fact that while the necessities of life (such as water and apparently food) are in short supply, there seems to be a never-ending supply of (1) gasoline to run the motor vehicles (although there is nary a gas station in sight) and (2) bullets and bombs. So, in conclusion, is this a film deserving of consideration for acclaim? On plot, I’d have to say no. But on its more than spectacular presentation, I’d have to say yes. A- (12/24/15)

“Jimmy’s Hall” - Directed by Ken Loach (“The Wind That Shakes the Barley”), “Jimmy’s Hall” is based on the true story of Jimmy Gralton, an Irish leftist who left Ireland early in the last century, lived in New York City, and then returned after the Irish civil wars. As portrayed in the film, Jimmy (Barry Ward) returns shortly after the economic crash of 1929, with a singular desire to re-open a dance hall in his poverty struck home community to provide joy, entertainment, and learning for the locals, including the woman he loves, Oonagh (Simone Kirby). But this is Ireland early in the century and it is under the thumb of the Catholic Church and militaristic fascists. The idea of a leftist (they call him a “Communist”) bringing people together is simply too much for them. The result is an at first figurative and later literal battle between the forces of individualism and enlightenment and the forces of hate, fear and intolerance. The characters in the film are portrayed with sincerity and authenticity, clearly the touch of director Ken Loach. Jimmy has the support of the local working-class people, including Oonagh, and Marie (Aisling Franciosi), the daughter of the local chief fascist, Commander O’Keefe (Brian F. O’Byrne), who ultimately teaches his daughter a lesson when she laughs in church at the priest trying to shame those attending Jimmy’s dance hall. In addition to a vivid performance by O’Byrne, a brilliant performance comes from Jim Norton as Father Sheridan, the articulate but intensely overbearing local Catholic priest who is incapable of conceding any of his powers and control over the people. “Jimmy’s Hall” is an excellent examination of the pressures in Irish society during the Depression and serves to bring insight to some of the things going on in America today. A (12/20/15).

“Danny Collins” - Coincidentally, the theme of “Danny Collins” resembles that of “Ricki and the Flash” about an aging rocker attempting to re-establish a relationship with family. Al Pacino is the title character, who once starred in the style of Neil Diamond, but who has led a life of debauchery. When he receives a letter, many years late, sent to him by John Lennon, he suddenly decides to quit his old life and establish a relationship with the one child he had but has never seen. Pacino is charming but somewhat miscast as a pop singing star on the wane, although thankfully the singing part is a minor aspect of the film. With his manager (Christopher Plummer) advising against it, he leaves LA for New Jersey and suddenly arrives at the door of his long lost son, Tom (Bobby Cannavale), his wife Samantha (Jennifer Garner), and their young daughter Hope (Giselle Eisenberg). While attempting to woo the affections of his son and daughter-in-law, Danny also makes a valiant attempt to establish a relationship with Mary Sinclair, the attractive middle-aged manager of the hotel at which he is staying (Annette Bening). Overall, while not exactly a film that will blow you over, “Danny Collins” has its charms. And while I’ve never been a big fan of Al Pacino, he seems to be doing a better job of playing more charming characters as he ages. B (12/16/15)

“Ricki and the Flash”- Meryl Streep proves once again that she can play almost any part. In “Ricki and the Flash,” directed by Jonathan Demme, she’s Ricki, a middle aged woman who left her family in Indiana behind to seek a career as a rocker in Los Angeles. She and her group, the Flash, led by her boyfriend Greg (Rick Springfield), perform at small clubs. They’re not bad but they’re obviously not terribly successful in the music business. But then Ricki gets called home by her ex-husband (Kevin Kline), and finds herself facing some family news and problems, including hostility from her children. What makes the film interesting is that Ricki never loses her cool and gradually finds herself getting closer to her children, including her daughter Julie (played wonderfully by her real life daughter, Mamie Gummer). Julie has just survived a suicide attempt and is in miserable shape, but Ricki starts bringing her around. While “Ricki and the Flash” is not a great film, it is entertaining (it’s always a pleasure to watch Meryl Streep) and has one of the most upbeat endings I’ve seen in this sort of film in a long time. B (11/28/15)

“Testament of Youth” - Based on the autobiography of Vera Brittain, “Testament of Youth” is one of many film explorations of the experiences of the British people just before, during, and after WW I. The film stars Alicia Vikander (“Ex Machina”) as Vera Brittain, the eventual writer/novelist, pacifist, and feminist; Dominic West and Emily Watson as her parents; Miranda Richardson as the woman supervising her studies at Oxford, and Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones”), Taron Egerton, and Colin Morgan as the young men in her life. Vera Brittain was a writer/novelist, pacifist, and feminist and “Testament of Youth” explores her developmental years as a young intellectual and the period during which she left Oxford to volunteer as a war nurse. Despite covering a time period in British history that is otherwise well documented in film and television, the true story of Vera Brittain is quite poignant. The performances are outstanding, the romance charming, and the pain and despair of the war and its consequences are excruciating. B+ (11/24/15)

“Citizenfour” - Journalist Glenn Greenwald and documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras are contacted by a mysterious person identified only as “Citizenfour” who claims to have secrets about the NSA and its spying on the American public. That person turned out to be Edward Snowden. Here, Laura Poitras has documented their meetings with Snowden in Hong Kong where Snowden was holed up in a hotel room. Little by little Snowden reveals the shocking extent of the spying, demonstrating that virtually no phone or Internet communication is private and that NSA spies were listening in or viewing Internet connections, including those from beyond the US. While the film itself is rather mundane until Snowden leaves Hong Kong after his exposure to the world, it tells a terrifying story of how the US was violating the fourth amendment of our Constitution on a daily basis and how whistleblowing, which is supposed to be protected by law, is an extremely dangerous game for the whistleblower. At the end, Snowden is seen living in an apartment in Russia with his girlfriend (who chose to come to Russia to live with him). In the conversations between Snowden, on the one hand, and Greenwald and Poitras, on the other, Snowden is shown to be a very intelligent and articulate individual who was willing to sacrifice himself to expose what he considered to be outrageous practices of the NSA. The sad part of this story is how little most Americans seem to care. B+ (11/5/15)

“While We’re Young” - This is a comedy by writer/director Noah Baumbach (“The Squid and the Whale,” “Frances Ha”), about a variety of themes, including career envy, aging, friendship, and documentary film-making ethics. Ben Stiller plays Josh, a documentary filmmaker married to Cornelia (Naomi Watts), whose father Leslie Breitbart (Charles Grodin) is renowned in that field. Josh has been laboring for years to make a documentary that, from his description and scenes of interviews with an elderly professor (Peter Yarrow), looks dismal. He alternately looks for approval from his father-in-law and angrily envies his success. In addition, Josh and Cornelia’s childless marriage is looking problematic. The two seem bored by their friends, especially when their best friends have a baby. But when the middle-aged Josh meets an exciting and cool twenty-something couple consisting of Jamie (Adam Driver), an up-and-coming documentary filmmaker, and Darby (Amanda Seyfried), things begin to change. Josh and Cornelia are initially invigorated by hanging out with this young and lively couple, imitating their interests and style, but, of course, things eventually go downhill. Ben Stiller does a workmanlike job as a man going through a mid-life crisis and experiencing somewhat unstable emotional and professional shifts in his life. Naomi Watts seems somewhat wasted as an unlikely partner for Ben Stiller’s character. Adam Driver, on the other hand, is just right as the enthusiastic and interesting Jamie, a man whose ideas make Josh examine his own approach to his life and his profession. B+ (10/31/15)