Suffragette

Where to start with the superlatives for Director Sarah Gavron’s wonderful film Suffragette is the question.

Let me start by saying that, in a time when Millennials here and abroad seem to be voting in to a lesser degree, it should be mandatory, at least for the women, to see this film and learn what their grandmothers and great-grandmothers went through to get the right to vote.

This brilliant story, crafted by Writer Abi Morgan is a composite of the lives of three real women brilliantly played by Cary Mulligan in an award-worthy performance.  Truly, if she isn’t nominated for an Academy Award, there is something terrible wrong in Tinseltown.
 

It starts with a spectacular panorama of London in 1912, when the woman’s movement for the vote moved from a peaceful, lobbying approach to an aggressive, sometimes violent, activism.  The scene and, indeed, the entire film is superbly crafted by Production Designer Alice Normington and is awesomely photographed by Cinematographer Eduard Grau, using digital cameras for the interiors, but 16 millimeter cameras for the exteriors to create a graininess that evoked the times.

Once the main location is established, the incredible Editor Barney Pilling cuts to Maud Watts, the character played by Cary Mulligan, who is working in a laundry factory.  But, Grau’s camera gets close up, moving us beyond the English background and indicating this woman could be American, Australian…any woman of the age.

And, that is the point of this story.  It is about women everywhere, who have fought for the right to vote.  And, it is a testament to the talent of female filmmakers, that the Producers, Director, Writer, Production Designer and Actors make this the quintessential “chicks’ flick.”  But, one the guys should see, as well.

There have been some good films this year, but few that are great.  Suffragette is one of the great ones and you would be doing a disservice to yourself not to see it. 

I give Suffragette a 5 out of 5.

Side Note: With her excellent performance, Helena Bonham Carter redeemed her family's honor, if not karma, since her great-grandfather was Lord Asquith, the Prime Minister of England at the time, who stood against the women's right to vote.

Clouds of Sils Maria

Writer/Director Olivier Assayas’ Clouds of Sils Maria is, perhaps, the most thought-provoking film I’ve seen this year; the kind of film that sticks in your mind for days after seeing it.

It’s the story of an actress, (superbly played by Juliette Binoche), who, at age 40, is having trouble accepting the fact she is playing the character of the “older woman” in the revival of the play that launched her career at age 20, when she played the ingénue.  

On a deeper level, the film examines the world of celebrity, where the quality of talent and performance is overshadowed in the tabloid/social media age of “starmeters” and who is supposedly “hot” and “trending.”

Kristen Stewart gives one of her best performances to date as the au currant personal assistant to Binoche’s character, representing both the new age and the youthfulness the aging actress misses in herself. 

The interplay of the two is captivating and insightful, making this a must-see film for those looking for smart adult fare.

Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux’s images of the Swiss Alps and the clouds “snaking” over Sils Maria as harbingers of storms compliment the story and add to the reason for viewing this wonderful film.

I give Clouds of Sils Maria a 4.4 out of 5.

Pan

Director Joe Wright became my favorite filmmaker after Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, The Soloist and Hanna.  Then, there was that valiant, but failed effort of Anna Karenina where he tried to locate the story on a stage, miscasting the supposedly enticing Count with someone Anna would have to be blind to fall for.  But, I let it slide.  Everyone is entitled to a screw up.

Now, Wright has directed Pan and, while it is not a bad film…young children will enjoy it…, it just makes me wonder, “What’s up with Joe?”

Here, Hugh Jackman and a miscast Garrett Hedlund are playing as if they were cartoon characters in a nonsensical script by Writer Jason Fuchs, who is much better at animated scripts.  What’s more, they are playing on cheesy-looking stage sets by the normally excellent Aline Bonetto.  $150 million for this!!???

The only respite is with a few real locations shots that hint at what this could have been.

 

Fortunately, the well-cast Rooney Mara as Tiger Lily and the earnestness of young Levi Miller as Pan are there to save the production from going to “Neverwhere.”

I pray for Joe to get back to real locations and the really good stories for which he has a genius.

As for Pan, I can only give it a 3.3 out of 5 for the kiddies.

The Martian

Thanks to a bare-bones, yet poignant, script by Writer Drew Goddard, the Cinematography of the great Dariusz Wolski and Production Design of Arthur Max, Director Ridley Scott’s The Martian grips its audience as if it is an event that is actually occurring.

 

Of course, having Matt Damon as the potential victim…an astronaut, mistakenly left behind on Mars…is icing on the cake.  And, having Jessica Chastain, Michael Peña, Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Kristen Wiig and Chiwetel Ejiofor to back him up, makes the movie a veritable feast.

This is a Robinson Crusoe-type story that keeps viewers fully engaged with the hero’s ingenuity and wherein the will to never give up is the lesson for us all.   

The film’s only fault is some needed pruning within a 15-minute segment about two thirds into the action.

Despite that, I give The Martian a 4.2 out of 5 and encourage you to see it.