SAVAGE SCORECARD 2018 PART ONE: THE HONOR ROLL

It is time for the lists, dear readers! It is time for my annual Savage Scorecard series, where I compile my favorite and least favorite films of the year. For me, the cinematic year of 2018 was an exceptional one, where filmmakers both veteran and not really pushed themselves to realize films that often stood very tall creatively and artistically.

For this first set, I will begin with "The Honor Roll," films that did not make the Top Ten or even what I like to refer to as "Number 11," but were indeed strong, notable releases well worth viewing. As always,  I will direct you to where you can read the entire, full reviews of each film should you wish to see them.

SAVAGE SCORECARD 2018: THE HONOR ROLL

"A QUIET PLACE"  DIRECTED BY JOHN KRASINSKI
-The post-apocalyptic tale of a family struggling to survive and escape from a collective of monsters who ravenously arrive by being attracted by the slightest sound, made for a horror thriller so ingenious that I was surprised that I had not seen something like it before.

Essentially a silent movie, I thoroughly enjoyed how Krasinski established the rules for his cinematic universe by showing us how sound can and cannot be utilized, how it travels, how day-to-day existence works without sounds and on a more existential level, how the sounds of nature have returned to the forefront of the world again. All of these tactics, and eschewing with horror film tropes like excessive gore, ensure that "A Quiet Place" remains a taut, gripping, stylish and effective pulse-pounder filled with strong performances and anchored by a genuinely moving Father/daughter story between Krasinski's character and his teenage daughter Regan (played by deaf actress Millicent Simmonds).
(Originally reviewed July 2018)

"A WRINKLE IN TIME" DIRECTED BY AVA DuVERNAY
While there were some qualities housed inside of children's films that do not sit terribly well with me, (an insistently bustling wall-to-wall film score, platitudes repeated ad nauseum, aspects of some of the younger actors' performances) Ava DuVernay's otherwise dazzling, emotionally satisfying adaptation of the Madeleine L'Engle classic novel is indeed filled to the brim and beyond with effective child-like wonder.

The story of 13-year old Meg (played by Storm Reid) on her tireless search, with the aid of three astral travelers (Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, and Oprah Winfrey) to save her long disappeared Astrophysicist Father (played by Chris Pine) as well as the universe in the process, is ultimately the type of children's film that is indeed in short supply: one that is child friendly while also being artful, sophisticated, empathetic, psychedelic and also one that refuses to exist as an empty piece of mercenary product as it carries the message that love itself will save existence.

And furthermore, representation is everything for when was the last time you saw a film in which the heroine (!) was a teenaged, bespectacled African American girl who is a Scientist and Mathematician who is given the opportunity to change the universe through the brilliance of her intelligence, the belief in herself and abilities, the strength of her convictions and the purity of her compassion. What DuVernay has delivered is a young woman's inner journey from self-doubt to empowerment while also displaying a joyous ode to Afro-futurism and Black excellence. 
(Originally reviewed March 2018)

"ANNIHILATION"  DIRECTED BY ALEX GARLAND
Alex Garland's lavish and challenging dark dream of a film is that rare science fiction film that is greatly more concerned with ideas rather than pyrotechnics and the result is a disturbing, deliberately paced experience that is simultaneously somnambulistic and sinister.

Natalie Portman stars as a Professor of cellular biology who joins a team of military scientists (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, Tuva Novotny) into a mysterous quarantined zone known as "The Shimmer," a landscape of constant mutation, time manipulation and from which all previous scientific exploratory teams have never returned.

Garland has created a film where the aesthetics and atmosphere contributes to the overall effectiveness of the film as much as the plot and characters and in ding so, he has weaved an experience that feels as haunting as a bad dream without falling completely into terror. For what I think Garland achieved greatly is to present the concept of what is evolution and the idea that as something begins to assert itself into existence, then something invariably must begin to disintegrate.

This is a film that will indeed, and insidiously, burrow under your skin. 
(Originally reviewed March 2018)

"CREED II"  DIRECTED BY STEVEN CAPLE JR.
While not quite as powerful as Ryan Coogler's primal "Creed" (2015), Steven Caple Jr.'s sequel advances the story of Adonis Creed (the titanic Michael B. Jordan) and Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone, again eliciting a warmly effortless and deeply effective performance) as the film brings the events of "Rocky IV" (1985) full circle as Adonis battles Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the man who murdered his Father, Apollo Creed in the boxing ring 30 years prior.

Caple Jr. not only elevates the cartoonish qualities of "Rocky IV"  to an emotionally riveting degree by applying a greater sense of humanity and gravitas, "Creed II" is a stirring and soulful examination of Fathers, sons, the legacies left behind and the legacies attempting to being built. How all of those concepts clash and conflict entirely rests within the characters of old warriors still wrestling with and being haunted by the consequences of their choices and how the young lions try to leap out from those immersive shadows while also honoring them. Additionally, I loved how Caple Jr. also delivered a richly moving story set within the 21st century Black experience via the love story and growing family of Adonis and the hearing impaired rising singer-songwriter Bianca Taylor (Tessa Thompson).
(Originally reviewed December 2018)

"JULIET, NAKED"  DIRECTED BY JESSE PERETZ
Director Jesse Peretz's pitch perfect adaptation of the excellent Nick Hornby novel certainly does suggest a certain followup to the sublime High Fidelity, as we are again presented with the melancholic obsessions of a music fan and the turbulence that ensued with his romantic partner. But, for "Juliet, Naked," we probe even further as the film is a deeply perceptive story of middle aged malaise, arrested developments and the ruts we find ourselves stuck inside of and all contained within an aching love triangle.

Rose Byrne absolutely sparkles as Annie, the film's main protagonist, the long suffering girlfriend of Duncan, the aforementioned musically obsessed Duncan (an excellent Chris O'Dowd). And Ethan Hawke is sublime as the reclusive rock star Tucker Crowe, the object of Duncan's adoration yet who miraculously formulates a connection with Annie. For Annie, the wonder of this film is that we are not given an experience that simply boils down to which man she will choose. What we are given is the story of a woman trying to attain happiness through self discovery and serious attention towards herself.

Jesse Peretz's "Juliet, Naked" is a "small" film with an enormous reach.
(Originally reviewed September 2018)

"FIRST MAN"  DIRECTED BY DAMIEN CHAZELLE
After blowing me completely away with his blistering, brutal "Whiplash" (2014) and kind of lulling me with his over-rated "La La Land" (2016), Writer/Director Damien Chazelle returned to form (for me) with his episodic docudrama/interior exploration of Neil Armstrong (played by Ryan Gosling in a performance that is accomplished, difficult, mature and quietly intense), which is by turns visceral and demonstrably muted, a distinct set of juxtapositions that worked fluidly in this remarkably poignant film.

From visually striking and harrowing first person only viewpoints from the cockpit of one rocketship journey after another during America's attempts to reach the moon, Chazelle essentially dives into Armstrong's psyche as well, while creating a poetic psychological drama of grief and mourning over the death of his daughter, making the full experience of "First Man" artfully solitary and elegantly claustrophobic.
(Originally reviewed October 2018)

"TULLY"  DIRECTED BY JASON REITMAN
Admittedly, this film contains a wild plot twist that still feels to be unnecessary and its ending does wrap things up in too tidy of a bow, but despite those misgivings, "Tully," the third collaboration between Director Jason Reitman and Writer Diablo Cody, is a whip-smart, deeply empathetic, rightfully unglamorous look at 21st century Motherhood.

Charlize Theron, in a searing performance, stars as Marlo, a not-so-young Mother, with a loving but detached husband, and now three children, and is barely able to hold herself together as she is severely overwhelmed and suffering from nearly debilitating exhaustion and sleep deprivation. Enter 26-year-old Tully (MacKenzie Davis),a "night nurse," who is assigned to the home to assist with the children and house cleaning while Marlo can finally sleep. Marlo and Tully soon formulate a close friendship, which forces Marlo to confront the person she was when she was younger and the dreams she had for herself at that age compared and contrasted with who she is right now.

Where this film succeeds richly is how unsentimental, and therefore, how realistic a portrayal of Motherhood is presented throughout. The sense of draining normalcy of feeding, breast pumping, changing diapers and repeat and repeat ad nauseum showcases how Marlo finds her own body becoming less human and more machine like, her visage descending into catatonia and all delivered without any sense of prefabricated melodrama. In fact, and at its finest, "Tully" is a film that passionately illustrates that being someone's Mother, and surviving to tell the tale, may be the most heroic act one can do.
(Originally reviewed May 2018)

STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO: "NUMBER 11"

THE ROAD BETWEEN US: a review of "Green Book"

"GREEN BOOK"
Screenplay Written by Nick Vallelonga & Brian Hayes Currie & Peter Farrelly
Directed by Peter Farrelly
***1/2 (three and a half stars)
RATED PG 13

I have to admit to you that I was apprehensive about seeing this one.

In 2018, an exceptional year that showcased differing styles and genres of Black filmmaking excellence, from titles as varied as Spike Lee's "BlacKKKlansman," Boots Riley's "Sorry To Bother You," Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther," Barry Jenkins' "If Beale Street Could Talk" among others, I just was not certain if I really had it in me to see what was kinda, sorta looking like yet another race themed drama with a White protagonist in the leading role serving as some sort of savior figure to the noble yet perpetually helpless Black person...i.e. akin to what we have already seen in purportedly well meaning films like Tate Taylor's "The Help" (2011) and definitely, John Lee Hancock's "Me And My Pet Negro"...oops, I mean, "The Blind Side" (2009). 

And yet, I did indeed venture to my theater to finally regard Peter Farrelly's critically acclaimed and Oscar nominated "Green Book," a film whose trailer certainly did seem to possibly evoke the very kind of film that I had been fearing to see. While the end result is indeed one designed to attain more of a commercial, mass appeal film-going experience, I was indeed extremely surprised and  undeniably moved by what Farrelly achieved...especially as I never thought that one half of the Writing /Directing team of the likes of "Dumb And  Dumber" (1994), "Kingpin" (1996), and "There's Something About Mary" (1998) even remotely had something this nuanced, thoughtful and hopeful in him.

Set in 1962, "Green Book" stars an excellent Viggo Mortensen as Tony "Tony Lip" Vallelonga, an Italian-American New York City nightclub bouncer searching for new job opportunities after the establishment at which he is employed is closed down for renovations.

Tony is soon invited to meet Dr. Don Shirley (a wondrous Mahershala Ali), an African-American classical pianist, housed in a lavish abode directly above Carnegie Hall, who offers Tony employment as  his personal driver through the Midwest and deep South for an eight week concert tour, with plans to return to New York City by Christmas Eve. After some hesitation, due to his own racist prejudices, Tony accepts the job and is given a copy of author Victor Hugo Green's The Negro Motorist Green Book, a guidebook for Black motorists displaying the locations of motels and restaurants that will provide service.

On their shared journey, Tony and Dr. Shirley clash with each other as Tony is intimidated and irritated by Dr. Shirley's affluence and refinement and in turn, Dr. Shirley is disturbed by Tony's coarseness, crass manners, and propensity for violence. And unquestionably for both men, racial stereotypes, prejudices and self-perceptions prove to be the most difficult road map to navigate as their experiences tentatively, gradually, hopefully deliver a greater understanding and respect of each other as well as themselves.

On the surface, Peter Farrelly's "Green Book" may indeed exist as precisely the kind of racial harmony crowd pleaser that I loathe. The kind of disingenuous race relations movie that only exists to make White liberals feel great about themselves for proclaiming themselves to being liberal. At its worst, the film could have been nothing more than Bruce Beresford's Best Picture Oscar winner "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989) in reverse...and in the year of both "Black Panther" and undeniably, "BlacKKKlansman," a film like that would be inexcusable!

Thankfully, not only did Peter Farrelly seem to understand the potential obstacles for a film such as this one, I think he even cleverly played into and then upended the "Driving Miss Daily" comparisons and conceits by ensuring the truth of the characters' humanity remained at the forefront, regardless of the film's lighter tonality. In essence, I think that Farrelly knows his strengths and understands that he is not the Spike Lee kind of filmmaker and storyteller, so to speak. Yet that being said, I do believe that he played directly towards his own considerable filmmaking and storytelling strengths, and in the process, revealed a greater nuance and depth that I, and I would assume you as well, never knew that he possessed.

As you look back at the filmography of Peter Farrelly and his brother Bobby Farrelly, in addition to creating over the top, audaciously vulgar hard R rated comedies, each of their films did indeed feel to champion some sort of outsider figure be it a sad sack one-handed bowler and an ingenue Amish man in the aforementioned "Kingpin," a state trooper afflicted with personality disorder in "Me, Myself & Irene" (2000), and even conjoined twins in "Stuck On You" (2003), for instance.

For "Green Book," Peter Farrelly has turned towards that similar attention towards those subjected to the societal sidelines in an obviously more dramatic, and therefore, socio-political fashion as the issues of race, racism, identity politics and the prejudices we hold are indeed the engine driving this film as our two main protagonists drive throughout the deep South.

Essentially, Farrelly has fashioned a film that could work as a companion traveling piece to both John Hughes' "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (1987) and Alexander Payne's "Sideways" (2004), two superior road movies that served a comedy of manners surrounded by darker themed character studies of men all reaching personal crossroads. For "Green Book," his attention to story, character, and period detail are all entirely on point but where the film finds its power is through Farrelly's exceedingly difficult navigation of, again, the proper tone where comedic elements do not diffuse the inherent drama and overall honesty of the piece or that the drama does not grow to be too heavy for the comedy to be unsustainable.

And yet, there is the very rightful questioning and even criticism towards the film that the lightness of its tone trivializes the subject matter and the real people and situations upon which this film has been based and inspired by. A healthy debate about this very issue is necessary without question and it was, in part, the cause of my trepidation for even seeing the movie in the first place. On the other hand, not every film can be "BlacKKKlansman," and not very film needs to be or even should be, for there are many roads up the same mountain and different people can be reached with the same message presented in different ways. To that end, there is a delicate balance at work to remain honest to the characters, their emotions and the environment and time period in which they all exist when creating a film experience designed for mass audiences. Now that I have seen the film, I can say for my sense and sensibilities, Peter Farrelly's "Green Book" accomplished its goals handsomely because, regardless of the tone, the film felt true.

Yes, "Green Book" contains more than its share of character driven humor in the vein of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple (1965), two mismatched individuals thrown together irritating each other tremendously yet tentatively learning from and about each other, eventually building towards a greater understanding. Farrelly has great fun playing Dr. Shirley's highly educated polish off of Tony's working class roughness. But all the while, he never loses sight of that racial component that fuels precisely who and why they are who they are. Unlike a film like "The Help," I deeply appreciated how Peter Farrelly did not feel afraid of his subject matter as he remained resolute with presenting a film that is about racism, therefore not shying away from the ugliness, the very images and feelings that should make us all feel dangerously uncomfortable.

I think of an early scene in the film when Tony's wife Dolores (a warm Linda Cardellini) is present when two Black repairmen are working in their home. Not only are several of Tony and Dolores' extended family members also on-site, presumably to deter those sexually voracious Black men from potentially raping Dolores, Farrelly even further has Tony take the two glasses that both Black men have used to drink the water that Dolores has graciously given, and tossed them into the kitchen garbage can--for why would, and how could his pure White lips touch the same glasses that have been "contaminated" by the lips of Black people.

In this brief scene, Farrelly demonstrated to me that he was ready and willing to deliver racism's painful sting, while also delivering the absurdity and possibly, the shame one may be able to feel once they see racism for its unrepentant cruelty, especially if it is how they themselves once housed the same values...like Tony.

Of course, this brings us to what could be another debatable criticism concerning "Green Book," and that is of the White Savior/Magic Negro conceit, where the White character exists to save the helpless Black protagonist and conversely, the Black character is solely served as a plot device to aid the White protagonist, never existing as a three dimensional character at all. With t his film, a debate of this sort is necessary but again, I felt that Farrelly smartly overstepped those conceptual pitfalls, by ensuring both men were presented as realistic human beings.

For Tony, I felt that we were subjected to an exploration of a man's awakening, to his own racial prejudices, to the insidious nature of racism itself and his own sense of White privilege, as well as newfound understandings of loyalty, friendship, family, romance and communication. With regards to his attitudes towards race, Tony has spent his entire life inside of a community where racial epithets are bandied around carelessly, and attitudes towards anyone different are clearly born more from  ignorance than legitimate fear, completely suggesting that everything Tony has ever known in the only neighborhood and community he has ever known (and will most likely never leave), has exclusively been taught, handed down and accepted blindly. And so, with Tony Lip, we are experiencing one character isolated from everything outside of his very small window to the world.

Yes, Tony houses racist attitudes but is he definitely a racist? I would think that a full fledged racist would have immediately walked out of the door upon simply meeting Dr. Don Shirley, and he certainly would never have accepted employment that placed him in a position of servitude to a Black man.

Yet, he does accept and the further the film travels and the darker the film becomes as the two men extend deeper into the South, where issues of racism are more overt--including an unfortunate altercation with police during an unfortunate detour into a "Sundown Town" and a powerful sequence where the high society establishment at which Dr. Shirley is scheduled to perform refuses to seat him for dinner in their own restaurant--it does not take terribly much for Tony to take Dr. Shirley's side...yes first, it is because it is his job, but soon and crucially, it is because it is the human thing to do.

That being said, Tony is forced to confront his own prejudices in subtler ways, especially when he is a figure who claims to hate Black people while loving Black culture, which then fuels his stereotypes about Black people, all of which are torn apart by the existence of Dr. Don Shirley, who doesn't fit into any conceivable box Tony wishes to place him.

In all of the ways Tony appreciates Shirley's elegance--most notably in his coaching and re-writes of the love letters Tony sends home to Dolores (a very sweet touch)--Tony's own sense of inferiority rises its ugliest head when he challenges Shirley's "Blackness" regarding "Black" foods Shirley doesn't eat and the Black musicians he doesn't listen to. "I'm Blacker than YOU!!" he admonishes towards Dr. Shirley.

Think about this for a moment or two. To possess the audacity, arrogance, and misguided sense of privilege to feel righteous enough to define the existence of another person. Indeed during moments like this one in "Green Book," we are witness to Tony's own sense of White privilege as he inflicts it upon Dr. Don Shirley as well as an unveiling of his own dark insecurities about what kind of a human being he is to proclaim such knowledge over another he knows he knows NOTHING about.

As with every performance that I have witnessed from Viggo Mortensen, his work as Tony is rich, complete and one that exists only within the cinematic universe that surrounds him, ensuring that any past performances, and our memories of them, never creep into our "Green Book" viewing experience.

As terrific as Viggo Mortensen is, Mahershala Ali's performance as Dr. Don Shirley is mesmerizing in its depth, dignity, sorrow, pain, empathy and grace. Certainly this portrayal could have easily existed as nothing more than a persnickety caricature, an updated version of the cruel stereotype of the "uppity Negro." But no.

As we have already seen in films such as Justin Tipping's "Kicks" (2016) and his Oscar winning performance in Barry Jenkins' "Moonlight" (2016), Ali has more than proven himself to being the caliber of actor to immerse himself into the full histories of his characters, regardless of how much screen time he owns. And in doing so, he completely upends all aspects of whatever stereotypes and prejudices viewers may house towards the characters he portrays. He opens his mouth, you regard his eyes and with a sublime immediacy, all you ultimately witness is the content of character, the power of soul.

With regards to the criticism of this character essentially serving no other purpose than to exist as the "Magic Negro," I vehemently disagree with that assessment as Mahershala Ali's performance is beautifully nuanced and multi-layered. For the role of the affluent, highly educated, eclectic, artistic, proud and dignified Dr. Don Shirley, Mahershala Ali is indeed presenting a form of superior Black excellence, a miracle unto itself considering the time period.

But, most importantly, Ali is also delivering a truly lived in, and often deeply painful character study of a soul in isolation as his wealth, talent, education, choice of music he performs, diction and elocution run in contrast to what both Blacks and Whites believe Black people are and can only exist as, a brutal quandary for countless people of color...including myself. In addition to race, there is also the aspect of Shirley's homosexuality, briefly presented in the film but a crucial characteristic that only serves to enhance his sense of disconnect from his own race, other races and sadly, even his own brother, from whom he is essentially estranged.

It woud be more than enough for Shirley to undergo a concert tour of high White society enduring a variety of forms of racism the entire way--including the reality of having to travel via Green Book in the first place--while still possessing the wherewithal to perform at the eight of his artistic powers and also maintaining a sense of dignity and integrity in a world that refuses to view him as human. But, there is always more to endure when one is a Black man in a White world, especially one like Dr. Don Shirley. And for that matter, there is always more to endure when existing as a Black man in a Black world, when the Black man in question  who nurses his pain with alcohol nightly.

With Tony Lip and Dr. Don Shirley, the journey of "Green Book" is literal, emotional and cerebral as the film simply presents the conceit of how much we could actually learn about each other if we just took the time to talk to each other, to sit and listen, to regard and to actually be honest with ourselves enough to admit to our own prejudices and when we do not understand something or someone who is foreign to ourselves, especially now as we are all so entrenched within our own societal camps 

I do realize that does sound more than a little naive. And I guess that it is. Additionally, the film does veer towards a bit of the formulaic and some elements of its road movie structure are a tad predictable. But, in all honesty, these are minor quibbles for a film this well intentioned and executed. Peter Farrelly's "Green Book" is a quietly powerful humanistic vision of possibility and wouldn't the possibilities that can occur when we value each other's differences while discovering the similarities between ourselves in the process make for a better world?

Imagine...

SAVAGE CINEMA'S COMING ATTRACTIONS FOR FEBRUARY 2019

There he is!!! My favorite dragon ever...Toothless!! And this month, we shall be witnessing him and his adventures with Hiccup for the final time.

Yes dear readers, this month, Director Dean DeBlois' "How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World," the third and now final installment will be released and I am simultaneously excited and apprehensive about it as the previous two chapters elicited some powerfully charged and fully unexpected emotions through their beautifully rich storytelling and characterizations. Here is hoping the very best has been saved for last...I'll be sure to have Kleenex handy for myself.

Now of course, on February 24th, I'll be ready for the 91st annual Academy Awards telecast and to prepare, I will unveil my annual Savage Scorecard series, which details my favorite and least favorite films of 2018.

Again, lots to write and also as always, wish me luck...and oh yes, I'll see you when the house lights go down!!!!

REACTIONS TO THE OSCAR NOMINATIONS: A SAVAGE CINEMA EXCLUSIVE

And we are off once again, dear readers...but why is it that I don't feel nearly as excited as in years past.

Look...do not get me wrong. After reading about this year's nominations for the 2019 Academy Awards, I was immediately thrilled about two items:

1. Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther" was one of the eight nominees for BEST  PICTURE, certainly notable for being the first superhero themed film to receive such recognition but also, because it was undeniably one of the very best films of 2018 regardless of genre.

2. Secondly, Writer/Producer/Director Spike Lee, was FINALLY nominated in the category of Best Director, this time for his superior helming of "BlacKKKlansman," also an exceedingly well deserved Best Picture candidate. This long overdue recognition serves as Lee's very first nomination in this category after 30 plus illustrious years as one of America's finest filmmakers, in my opinion.

But aside from those two nominations, this year's nominations felt to be overly predictable, in ways that were more than deserved and other, which dishearteningly felt like the result of excessive studio campaigning rather than an honest representation of what the very best cinema that 2018 had to offer--and for my time and money, 2018 was an exceptional year at the movies.

It is of no secret to me that the Oscar season possesses more than its share of elements that are akin to a horse race rather than a celebration of cinematic art. but there felt to be something different in the air this time around. I guess it is a certain obviousness to the behind the scenes wheeling and dealing that is leaving a bad taste in my mouth, especially as aspects of the film industry and the world of how films are even being distributed and viewed have changed dramatically.

With the eight Best Picture nominees, I have currently seen five--"Bohemian Rhapsody," "The Favourite," "A Star Is Born" as well as the aforementioned "Black Panther" and "BlacKKKlansman." "Green Book" I had missed due to personal issues between Thanksgiving and Christmas and I just haven't gotten myself to "Vice" just yet but hopefully, with their nominations, I'll now be able to catch up with both of those.

And then...there's Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma."

"Roma," which was partially financed by Netflix, is indeed a heavy hitter critically and now with the Academy as it is standing tall with 10 nominations. It is the film that I wish to see the most out of the nominated films and especially because of its critical acclaim as well as my status as a fan of Cuaron's stellar cinematic work.

But, I have not seen the film as I do not have Netflix, the platform upon which the film is currently streaming, and also because its theatrical release has been even less than scant, with no theater screenings at any theater whatsoever in my city of Madison, WI.  For Netflix, regardless of whether the film wins Best Picture or not, it is a win-win situation for them as they can now become a major player against both the traditional and independent studio systems as well as continuing to claiming an exclusivity for their platform by having the product that you can only go to them to even see--an aspect that, as far as I am concerned, dilutes the art as well as the shared experience of the cinema as an art form!

I resent not being able to see "Roma" at this time, frankly because I do not wish to feel forced into purchasing something I do not need just to watch one movie. Or two movies, for that matter as The Coen Brothers' "The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs," a second Netflix exclusive, nominated for Oscars but a film I have been unable to see due to the lack of a theatrical release.

I do bring this grievance up for the following reason: It is the irony of a streaming service, a corporation not remotely interested in making movies or the theater experience, arriving with the very motion picture that only an exclusive group of people can see at a time when the movies and movie going experience are existing at a particularly precarious period for filmmakers and audiences regarding which films are available and which films are even being made. For how can one really celebrate the art and artistry of the movies when one is unable to even see what is being held up as representative of the very best the movies have to offer in a given year?

And then, on the opposite end, is "Bohemian Rhapsody" truly the very best the movies has to offer?

Yes, I know that so many of you loved "Bohemian Rhapsody" and that you were not alone as it was indeed a box office smash and it took some surprise major wins at this year's Golden Globes. But for me, I can honestly think of 20 films that I felt represented a certain greatness (all will be revealed on this site soon), as well as better leading performances than Rami Malek's (honestly, Ethan Hawke's career best performance in "First Reformed" should have been recognized).

For that matter, I have read similar criticisms towards "Green Book," again which I am unable to speak towards as I haven't had the chance to see it yet. But, I am concerned that we have a couple of popular but flawed films representing "THE BEST" when there were some truly great, exciting and downright audacious features that have not been recognized at all (Academy, you really dropped the ball by not showing "Eighth Grade," "The Hate U Give," "Won't You Be My Neighbor" and especially "Sorry To Bother You" some love).

Then, there were the typical Academy oddball moves regrading their snubs. Like, why were Bradley Cooper, Peter Farrelly and for the love of Pete, Ryan Coogler not nominated in the Best Director category for their work on "A Star Is Born," "Green Book," and "Black Panther" respectively? It is not as if the films directed themselves!

Furthermore, where were the female directors this year?

But of course, there was good news.

 For instance, and aside from "Black Panther" and Spike Lee, I was happy to see all three actresses--Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz--all rightfully nominated for "The Favourite."  I was thrilled that the great Sam Elliot finally received his first ever nomination, again, rightfully so, for his work in "A Star Is Born." The severely under-represented "If Beale Street Could Talk" from Writer/Director Barry Jenkins was otherwise correctly represented in the Best Adapted Screenplay category as well as for Best Original Score, which was so rapturously composed by Nicholas Britell. 

Apples and oranges...apples and oranges...but even so, there is a ho-hum quality to the nominations overall, when they could have been more exciting and well rounded.

Hopefully the host-less Oscar telecast on February 24, 2019 will provide some excitement.

WE EXIST: a review of "Glass"

"GLASS"
Written and Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
**** (four stars)
RATED PG 13

Hear me out, dear readers, for I have not lost my senses.

In some ways, I have to admit to feeling somewhat resentful with feeling that I need to apologize for my feelings towards the latest film from Writer/Director M Night Shyamalan, a figure whose celebratory status as a filmmaker ascended spectacularly, plummeted profoundly and has begun a gradual ascension once more...although one that is housed with a certain skepticism at best and vehement disdain at worst.

In fact, regarding the tenor of at least one review I happened to see regarding "Glass," Shyamalan's finale to the surprise trilogy that began with his finest film to date "Unbreakable" (2000) and continued with the claustrophobic freak flag that was "Split" (2017), the writer of the piece ended up composing what I feel to be a film criticism cardinal sin: reviewing the person or public persona and the perceptions of either instead of what is on the screen.

As for me, the filmography of M. Night Shyamalan has been one that I am admittedly affectionate towards. In some ways, the cinematic wine he serves just happens to be the very kind that I happen to enjoy, as he has long established a style, a tonality, a full idiosyncratic style and vision unlike anyone else. For that alone, I feel he is to be celebrated, or at least appreciated, for devising a point of view with his films, whether you like them or not.

Without question, "The Sixth Sense" (1999) still holds up after (good gracious!) 20 years. I believe that we can all agree on that assessment as it has long felt that people, including his detractors, will only allow him this one legitimate success. For me, I have found value with his misfires like "Lady In The Water" (2006) and even the much maligned "The Happening" (2008), as they each did represent his artistic approach honestly but yes indeed...don't get me wrong and don't get me started on the disastrous "The Last Airbender" (2010).

I will concede that M. Night Shyamalan indeed may have lost his focus creatively for some time but beginning with the sneaky, creepy, small-scaled " The Visit" (2015), he has been slowly rebuilding his brand as well as his confidence and with "Glass," for my sense and sensibilities, he has crafted not only his best film in years, but a terrific concluding chapter to a most unorthodox trilogy.

Set a full 19 years after "Unbreakable" and three weeks after the grisly events of "Split," M. Night Shyamalan's "Glass" opens with Security Guard David Dunn (Bruce Willis), now working with his adult son Joseph (again played by Spencer Treat Clark) as the secret vigilante known in the media as The Overseer, as he is in hot pursuit of "The Horde," the full collective of 24 personalities inside of the dissociative identity disorder afflicted Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy).

After a showdown with Kevin's most ferocious personality known only as "The Beast," both he and David are soon apprehended by the authorities and placed into a mental institution where they are each supervised by the facility's head psychiatrist Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson), who is out to prove that both individuals are suffering from delusions of grandeur and actually do not possess superpowers like comic book heroes and villains.

And what of the fragile boned yet feverishly agile minded comic book aficionado Elijah Price a.k.a. Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson), who is also incarcerated in the institution by Dr. Staple? Well, despite his seemingly lobotomized appearance, one can never count this particularly insidious mastermind down for the count, now can we?

As with all of M. Night Shyamalan's features, it is best to not divulge anything more than this basic plot description so as not to produce spoilers. While I am certain that many of you out there will not believe me and some of you may feel that I have gone out of my head, I'm telling you and I am sticking firmly by my assessment, as I sat and watched "Glass," I can honestly tell you that I was enormously entertained, engaged and even at times enthralled as Shyamalan again used his series, what is now being referred to as the "Eastrail #177 Trilogy," to inject vibrant new life into a film genre that desperately needs a fresher, and decidedly more unique perspective.  

It has indeed been a long and strange journey from "Unbreakable" and "Split" to "Glass" regarding the cinematic landscape that surrounds all three films and in a way, "Glass" faces more than a bit of an uphill battle and not just from Shyamalan's hungry critics. Back in 2000, the superhero genre in film was essentially non-existent, or better yet, it was nothing approaching the box office behemoths those sorts of films receive today.

In true Shyamalan fashion, "Unbreakable" made my jaw hit the ground so powerfully in that film's final moments when he pulled back the curtain to reveal that what we had been watching, in addition to a moody, meandering, existential thriller was indeed a comic book superhero origin story, an odd conceit at that time. Yet now with "Glass," you are unable to throw a pebble and not hit 20 superhero themed movies and television programs, therefore any sense of novelty has been erased, threatening to make Shyamalan's film just another one in the more than overstuffed pack.

I have spent considerable time and energy over the years bemoaning the sheer amount of superhero themed material that has been, and is continuing to be, released in our theaters currently and I will spare you the rants once again. But I do bring it up for a specific reason in comparison with what I experienced with "Glass."  What truly set M. Night Shyamalan's film miles apart from so many other in this specific genre is a singular point of view, which would then make for a wholly unique film experience, regardless if there were zero comic book themed film playing in our multiplexes or if there were 100.

For what we are seeing within the genre itself is a relative sameness that has now become as predictable as the sun rising each morning. By now, we understand how these films work, what they do, how they operate and what differentiates them is a matter of quality, so to speak. Not everything is able to be what Christopher Nolan accomplished with his "Dark Knight Trilogy" (2005/2008/2012), but, make no mistake, we are all receiving a brand that is dictated by certain qualities and aesthetics that are inherent to the genre, thus ensuring their continued financial success.

Yet, from a filmmaking standpoint, these sorts of films do indeed carry a certain directorial anonymity. Even the Marvel Comics films, as good as they are, are essentially anonymous works. Really, aside from Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther" (2018), can you really speak of the artistic differences between say Kenneth Branagh's "Thor" (2011), Peyton Reed's "Ant-Man" (2015) and  Scott Derrickson's "Doctor Strange" (2016) and Jon Watts' "Spider-Man:  Homecoming" (2017)? No shade intended for any of those movies but I am expressing this thought to establish that the Marvel films have established a brand that dictates a particular lack of individualized artistic personality.

With "Glass" on the other hand, we are firmly placed into M. Night Shyamalan's cinematic universe and no one else's and he is representing no one other than himself, therefore automatically setting him and his film completely apart from all other films in the genre while also celebrating and often deconstructing and re-building the genre simultaneously. Working brilliantly alongside Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis, Composer West Dylan Thordson and his entire set design crew, Shyamalan has ensured that his film looks and honestly, sounds unlike any other film within the genre as he utilizes his trademark slow burn, dialogue heavy style to grand effect, keeping us all intensely focused and increasing unhinged due to the mounting, menacing developments within the story and characters.

Just regard how Shyamalan frames his action, never once falling into the ADD editing styles and CGI bombast that are now pre-requisites of the genre. He explicitly knows precisely what to reveal and when, just what should be left within the frame and what should be left out. Seemingly simple movement make for grand effects throughout "Glass" and I so appreciated the visual skill on display. To that end, I loved how color was used throughout the film as certain colors represented certain characters in a truly lush comic book fashion.

But all of those aesthetic touches would mean nothing without a story and I felt that Shyamalan was working in peak form with "Glass," allowing the film to serve as its own entity while also wrapping up a film trilogy is high style. As the titular Mr. Glass, Samuel L. Jackson is obviously having a delicious time portraying his evil genius, making him a figure to be feared as well as one to empathize with as his horrific actions speak to his existential crisis of discovering and living up to what he believes to be his life's purpose. Sometimes, there is nothing more joyous than seeing and hearing Samuel L. Jackson tear into a luxurious monologue and Shyamalan has not let him down by supplying him with several that flow as musically as ever. 

Sarah Paulson struck a commanding yet deeply eerie presence as Dr. Staple, a figure who takes hold of the films lengthy mid-section as she attempts to convince all three figures that they are not who or what they each believe themselves to be. So focused Paulson is, again mastering Shyamalan's massive dialogue to the point where she was nearly convincing me that I had not seen what I know I had seen over the previous two films.

But James McAvoy, as with "Split," is a veritable hurricane to regard. Obviously thrilled with being completely let off of the chain as he tackles a whopping 24 personalities, McAvoy remains so beautifully in control of his acting powers, never losing focus and exploring his wonderful physicality throughout, making his body appear to magically shrink and even grow in size to complement the characters of the never aging 9 year old boy, the prim and proper older woman or the full horrifyingly ravenous force of the Beast.

Even Shyamalan seems to be gleefully rubbing his hands with his good fortune in casting James McAvoy as he has designed a couple of mesmerizing sequences that display McAvoy altering personalities in real time from one to the next, sometimes in a rapid succession. And every single time, McAvoy's transformations are complete, ensuring that we, in the audience, are seeing and fully understanding which persona poor Kevin has been possessed by. James McAvoy is absolutely...ahem...marvelous.

And finally, I loved how self-aware "Glass" happened to be, serving up a comic book story all the while knowing that it is a comic book story. For some, it may read as yet another example of M. Night Shyamalan's perceived rampant ego but for me, it was just good old fashioned storytelling at work. Storytelling that enveloped me and made me hungry to know what was coming next and how all three films connected explicitly, a quality I felt Shyamalan served to strong effect.

I know. I know. I am certain that many of you will remain unconvinced regardless of my words and may not even try to see this film. Or you may go anyway and hate it upon principle. I do understand that. Believe me, I think that Michael Bay, for instance is the death of cinema itself. But that being said, I am willing to give him a chance and give praise should I feel that anything he devised spoke to me positively.

So, I just ask the same of you regarding M. Night Shyamalan's "Glass,"  a riveting dark dream of a comic book tale presented in full, unapologetic, unrepentantly personalized style and substance.

THE ENDURANCE OF BLACK LOVE IN WHITE AMERICA: a review of "If Beale Street Could Talk"

"IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK"
Based upon the novel by James Baldwin
Written For The Screen and Directed by Barry Jenkins
**** (four stars)
RATED R

A film of devastating beauty.

It has not been lost on me whatsoever, that within this purely exceptional cinematic year, we have been exuberantly presented with an unusually high amount of excellence regarding Black cinema. From superhero epics (Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther"), to children's fantasias (Ava DuVernay's "A Wrinkle In Time"), to bare knuckled, high wire satires (Boots Riley's "Sorry To Bother You"), to crowd pleasing blockbusters (Steven Caple Jr.'s "Creed II"), to coming of age dramas (George Tillman Jr.'s "The Hate U Give") and of course, Spike Lee's blistering "BlacKKKlansman," 2018 truly delivered a cinematic spectrum pertaining to the Black Experience unlike anything I have seen in years past.

And now, as I have taken in Barry Jenkins' "If Beale Street Could Talk," his adaptation of the James Baldwin novel as well as his follow up to the Oscar Best Picture winning "Moonlight" (2016), not only has Black cinema received one of its highest achievements this year, the movies as a whole, and therefore all of us who love the movies, have been given what could only be considered to be a gift.

Barry Jenkins' "If Beale Street Could Talk" is a work of visionary elegance, a sumptuous tone poem that simultaneously soars and plunges into the profoundly urgent yet tender heart of its central love story and the uncompromisingly dark heart and shameful indifference of America's relentless injustices. In what is unquestionably one of the year's most humane films, we also have one of its finest. It is just a privilege to see something as supremely artful as what Barry Jenkins has delivered to all of us.

Just as with the James Baldwin novel from which it is based, "If Beale Street Could Talk" takes place in Harlem during the early 1970's and centers itself around the relationship between the film's narrator, 19 year old Tish Rivers (KiKi Layne) and her 22 year old artist/fiancee Alonzo "Fonny" Hunt (Stephan James). Cherished best friends since childhood, now grown into committed lovers with hopes of beginning their adult lives together, which includes becoming parents to their unborn child, find themselves with dreams crucially deferred as Fonny is falsely accused of rape and imprisoned, leaving Tish to endure her pregnancy without him.

While undoubtedly terrified, Tish and Fonny remain determined to not allow their love for each other to falter, even as jail eats away at Fonny's spirit. Meanwhile, Tish is surrounded and held upright by the tenacious love of her family, which includes her salt-of-the-Earth Father, Joseph (the excellent Colman Domingo), her fiercely compassionate Mother, Sharon (the inimitable Regina King) and her sharp tongued sister Ernestine (Teyonah Paris), each of whom all attempt to discover solutions to Fonny's plight and ultimately, get him freed.

Told in an exquisite, non-linear structure, Barry Jenkins' "If Beale Street Could Talk" is a film that is decidedly and purposefully not in any hurry to reach any conclusions or destination. It is a work that unfolds luxuriously. Working in breathtaking tandem with Cinematographer James Laxton and most crucially with Composer Nicholas Britell's elegant, melancholic score, Jenkins has again delivered a stunning, languid film, an experience of expressionistic poetry fully designed for audiences to luxuriate themselves within the spoken and visual language as if one is sitting alone reading and fully digesting a series of sonnets.

Barry Jenkins is not interested in extolling an agenda, or even instructing the viewer how to think or feel. But with that, he has presented a work of pure artistry and aching empathy as his presentations of African-Americans' upended dreams merged completely with the persistence of hope, love, family and justice make the film as powerful a statement about being Black in America as any more incendiary works about the same subject matter. 

In many ways, the film feels like a series of moments, or better yet, memories of moments, all played back to Tish, and therefore, to us in the audience, much like our own memories--almost determinedly refusing to run in the sequence in which they occurred in real life, but as some sort of mental patchwork as Tish tries to stitch together said moments in order to make greater sense of the tragedy that has only continued to exist and quite possibly may refuse to conclude.

In doing so, what we are given is the basis, strength and dogged endurance of the film's love story between Tish and Fonny. A walk in the rain after a meal in Spanish Harlem. The joy in, at long last, being accepted into renting and moving into the first real address of their young adult lives. Marveling at sharing baths together as small children to the realization of their deep and pure emotional connection as lovers. Making love for the first time in a basement apartment with raindrops clearly audible outdoors. Just the look of unending love from one set of eyes and soul to the other. To me, this was a cinematic love story that moved like Miles Davis' "Sketches Of Spain" (released July 18, 1960) and was as lush as the most colorful Picasso paintings.

Barry Jenkins doesn't just show us the love, he bathes us inside of it, through his peerless usage of color, lighting and the superlative work from his two leads, KiKi Layne and Stephen James, two actors that I am unfamiliar with yet will firmly keep my eyes open for from now own as their respective performances, weaved the dreamlike and a grounded, multi-layered quality that spoke to the romantic heights and the brutality of the injustice that kept them apart and solely through a racist fallacy and judicial system. 

To that end, Barry Jenkins' "If Beale Street Could Talk" could serve as a companion piece to both Steve McQueen's "12 Years A Slave" (2013) and Ryan Coogler's "Fruitvale Station" (2013), two films that deftly illustrate that for Blacks in America, we are never as free as we just may think or believe ourselves to be. That whatever freedoms that we may happen to possess can be taken away and even obliterated within an instant, leaving us trapped in worlds we never created for ourselves, with people who disregard our shared humanity for we are never seen as human beings, and that is if we are not extinguished altogether.

Through Tish, we are witnessing an awakening. Not to suggest that she is necessarily naive or viewers the world through rose colored glasses, especially considering the straightforward nature of her family. But, it is when she gradually moves from family to Fonny to the larger outside world that her worldview builds, is challenged and a greater realization and understanding is unearthed as a result.

A stunning sequence late in the film, as she is employed as the first Black female at a department store makeup counter, showcases her perceptiveness with how she is viewed and treated by Black and White male customers and the minute details revealed, and as riveting as they are, provide a window into the world of Black women that is, in essence, unseen in modern cinema and therefore unacknowledged in the real world for who else would know or empathize?

Tish's awakening is mirrored with or own as we view this film and to that end, connects us even greater to the love she holds for Fonny and the love he holds for her in return. Again, Jenkins simultaneously lifts us in its purity and crushing us in its adversity, an adversity that is delivered to a superior, haunting degree through the character of Daniel Carty (played by the enormously gifted Brian Tyree Henry from FX's "Atlanta"), an older friend of Fonny's, just released from his own falsely accused jail time. His monologue, which contains revelations about himself and his place as a Black man in a White world, is quietly shattering in its sobering reality and it rightfully hovers throughout the film afterwards as a cloud of sorrow.

It is this very awakening that permeates throughout the entirety of "If Beale Street Could Talk" as Barry Jenkins also gives us a front row seat into the diversity of the Black community from families that are more secular, to ones that are more religiously devout and the divide that exists in between. Social-political outlooks that are more conservative to liberal are presented as well, again showcasing the reality that African-Americans are not a monolithic unit who work as if within a hive, all holding beliefs of the same mind.

Yet, above all else, Jenkins celebrates the tenacity that exists within the love of the Black family, and therefore, the love that has afforded us our continued existence within a corrupt system that is designed for us to not survive. Love will find a way for working class Black Fathers to somehow find the money to pay the young Jewish attorney's legal fees to try and get Fonny released from prison. Love will find a way for a Black Mother to travel to Puerto Rico to hopefully confront the woman who wrongfully accused Fonny, thus having him arrested. And love will find a way to keep Fonny's soul alive behind bars when all hopes for release are running out. And even still, Jenkins is wise to question that for all love's power, is love ever really enough when faced with racist inhumanity?

By the film's end, I experienced this feeling of submergence. I just succumbed. I succumbed to the sheer weight of this transcendent experience that Barry Jenkins has devised. All of the pieces were finally in place and the reality settled itself into the Black American tragedy that has happened before, and now and for that matter, the future as well. For if we are unable to be viewed as equally worthy of life and love as our racial counterparts, will true freedom ever be achieved, regardless of the love we hold for each other, and especially when hope is lost?

Barry Jenkins' "If Beale Street Could Talk" is an undeniable work of art, filmmaking excellence, Black or otherwise, at its most resplendent.

SAVAGE CINEMA'S COMING ATTRACTIONS FOR JANUARY 2019

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

As the cinematic year of 209 begins, I am hoping that during this first month of the new year, I am able to move forwards and finish up some 2018 duties as well.

1. "GLASS"
I could not be more excited about this film, the third installment in Writer/Director M. Night Shyamalan's unorthodox, unexpected comic book saga, which began with "Unbreakable" (2000) and continued with "Split" (2017). Hopes are high for Shayamalan to pull this one out. Let's hope that he can do it.

 2. "IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK"
I have been most anxious to see what Writer/Director Barry Jenkins would come up with to follow up his Oscar winning "Moonlight" (2016) and I believe that this coming weekend, the film will, at long last, arrive in my city.

And after I see that film, I will begin to compile my 2018 wrap up, the annual Savage Scorecard series, detailing my favorite and least favorite films of the year.

So, with that, please do have me in your thoughts and I will pledge to give you my very best. And as always, I'll see you when the house lights go down!!