Dying is easy…

 

Dying is easy…

Do not jump to conclusions… despite the headline. My health is fine. The reference is rather to something attributed to Edmund Gwenn, a well-known character actor of the long ago, best known for his portrayal of Kris Kringle in the motion picture perennial, Miracle on 34^th Street.

Gwenn was fatally ill In the late 1950s when he was visited by a friend who supposedly said something to the effect that, “this must be terribly difficult for you,” to which the actor’s last words were reported to be, “… dying is easy… comedy is hard.”

True or not, the saying is part of a show business lexicon that has endured as such for more than a half century.

All that is a long way to get me into some commentary about comedy which, admittedly, is not my bailiwick. Don’t get me wrong… personally I think I am a very amusing fellow, but… I would concede... not everyone would agree. Certainly, there is nothing in my oeuvre to indicate a penchant for dialogue or characters that might evoke gales of laughter.

All that said, I do enjoy a good laugh. They are harder to come by these days but most recently my rave review of the Netflix revival of Younger, starring Sutton Foster, stands as evidence that scarce though it may be, comedy may still be found. And that being said… especially since of late I have gone on and on about the great dramas to be seen on movie and TV screens, I thought I would bring to you… in no particular order… this drama guy’s suggestions for things to watch (or, if you will, re-watch) that should readily amuse and entertain.

First off, a disclaimer: these films are of a different era and may not suit one’s sensibilities in this time of the Me-Too Movement. Most, if not all, might not even be made in our current heightened consciousness environment regarding sexism and racism. Okay… I will give you that. But when these films were made, they were… (hell, still are) … really terrific works of art.

Starting off with some classic motion pictures in this idiom… I would begin with the Preston Sturges gem, The Lady Eve, starring Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda (currently available on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, and most streaming services). His Girl Friday, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, and directed by Howard Hawks, is in the same league and can be found on the same venues as The Lady Eve.

Even better might well be Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, or Bringing Up Baby, another film directed by Hawks, this time with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. Those same two actors star in The Philadelphia Story, directed by George Cukor. I would round out this primarily pre-war era with Leo McCarey’s brilliant, The Awful Truth with Irene Dunne and Cary Grant, and Holiday … not a knee-slapper, but one of my personal favorites. Once again, George Cukor directs Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn.

Getting past the black and white epoch of motion pictures, I can easily suggest, My Cousin Vinny, starring Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei, When Harry Met Sally, starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan and directed by Rob Reiner from a Nora Ephron screenplay, Get Shorty, starring John Travolta, Danny DeVito and Gene Hackman, Woody Allen’s Annie Hall, and Some Like It Hot (filmed in black and white but a lot more recently than its forbearers).  Everyone knows this wonderful Billy Wilder movie stars Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, and Tony Curtis but I thought those folks should (once again) be memorialized here. Amazon Prime should be an easy place to start searching where to stream all of these.

Here are the TV shows that are every bit as worthy as the above listed motion pictures… and where to find them: Amazon features the close to perfection The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Younger (my current passion) has its seven seasons on Netflix, while slightly lesser works such as The Good Place, Seinfeld, Derry Girls, Dead to Me and Fisk can also be found adjacent to Younger on Netflix. They are all worthy of your attention.

Hulu has about as interesting a failure as you will ever see in Bunheads. It stars Sutton Foster of Younger fame. ‘Nuff said. This streaming service also has Modern Family and Boston Legal, two of the better Network TV comedy shows, with the latter being the series that proves just how good writer/producer David E. Kelly used to be. Hulu also has The Bear. Simply put, a great television series.

That brings us to MAX, which thankfully continues to put forth Hacks as well as reruns of Veep, and Barry with the acknowledgement that television simply does not get much better than these shows. They are followed quickly on the premium channel by Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Larry David Show. All terrific series and all with solid credentials for entry in the pantheon of Television’s absolute best comedies.

That’s it… the subject may be humor, but I am dead serious about these recommendations. It will be hard to top them. Finally, a query: How many of you went from watching Cory Booker give his record breaking, more than 25-hour, filibuster then immediately segued into Frank Capra’s classic motion picture, Mr. Smith Goes To

Washington? To those who did not join me in this exercise, you missed something special.

It would be fun to get the numbers from the normally very secretive Amazon about the “hits” the movie got on their service… and even more interesting to speculate how many of the movie’s viewers would agree with me that the Dems should redistribute the movie as a counter punch to the growingly infamous Elon Musk and his (to- say-the-least) ham-handed political tactics.

 

Barney Rosenzweig   

LONG DAY’S JOURNEY

Homeland and Younger, two of the greatest binge adventures in my experience are over and I am doing some catch-up from Adolescence to The Apprentice, No Other Land, Sing Sing, and finally, Zero Day. Do not settle in; most of these barely merit the time spent watching them, let alone the time it takes to write a critique.

The best of these is Adolescence, a depressing family drama featuring some brilliant performances and some strikingly powerful directorial work. The latter is by Philip Barantini,whose style is so well suited to this kind of story that it is hard to imagine this limited series of four chapters being presented in any other way. Stephen Graham as the father (and co-creator--with Jack Thorne--of the mini-series) gives an acting tutorial and is impressively matched by the woman who plays his wife, Christine Tremarco. Their scenes through the finale of the final episode rival anything of its type you are likely to see on any television series. Erin Doherty, as the social worker/psychologist in the third chapter gives a beautifully understated performance and Owen Cooper… in his debut as a professional actor… is chillingly believable and heart-rending in the title role. See it on Netflix.

The Apprentice, believe it or not, is a not so bad movie. It is easy for me to recommend, primarily because of the performances of Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohen and Sabastian Stan as Donald J. Trump. It all takes place in the 70s and 80s and is a prequel for what we are now observing as a nation. Trump had his lawyers try to stop the film’s release, probably because he hadn’t seen it for, while young Donald is not the most appealing of characters, the movie successfully evokes some sympathy… if not empathy… for its leading man. You may rent it on Amazon Prime or the film may still be seen on some local movie theatre screens. Want more of the Trumpster? I am told he is a regular on Fox News and can often be seen at various Tesla dealerships around the land.

No Other Land… a film about life as a Palestinian in the West Bank… won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature film. It is a mediocre movie whose real claim to fame is that it brought together two young men (one Israeli and one Palestinian) to collaborate on making this (I presume) well-meaning, crudely shot, even more amateurishly edited, poorly constructed story that could have been… should have been…way more meaningful. In the much ado about extraordinarily little category is the fact that the film has received pushback in Israel on political grounds (as well as an attempt by the Mayor of Miami Beach to have the film banned). This has probably contributed to the “must-see” and/or the “let’s give this thing an award sight unseen” hysteria that has materialized at the Motion Picture Academy and at festivals around the globe. If you must, you can see this film at select independent theatres in the US.

Sing Sing is a very different kind of prison story… that of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts Program at New York’s infamous house of incarceration. Once again, there are some fine performances… especially that of Colin Domingo and Clarence Maclin, who in fact served a term in the prison, plays himself, and is credited as co-author of the screenplay. Both men are excellent, both were nominated by the Academy for their respective performances along with a screenplay nomination for Maclin. The movie is a sweet, sometimes funny, oftentimes poignant motion picture which I am happy to recommend. You can find it on MAX.

And now for something, completely different… NOT REALLY. The last of this bunch is Zero Day, an old-fashioned political thriller, brought up to date with some buzzwords courtesy ofMSNBC and FOX. It sorta asks the question, what would things have been like if Joe Biden had not sought a second term, Donald Trump was a non-event, and Kamala Harris had become President when something like a 9-11 occurred? A great cast, led by an unusually boring Robert De Niro, with support from the almost always outstanding (but not so much here) Jesse Plemons. I thought Angela Bassett was ordinary but, as usual, was happy to see Joan Allen and Connie Britton who were fine in lesser roles. Lesli Linka Glatter directed this very pedestrian limited series which is fascinating only in that in the past she contributed to many episodes of the fabulous Homeland. Here, no such luck. Not one memorable scene, not one performance to point to with admiration, not a mystery worthy of the term. Poor… no, boring… writing. In comparison, this makes Three Days of the Condor, and The Parallax View (two semi-vintage films of the same genre) look like Gone With The Wind.

Too strong? You should have stayed up watching this Netflix mediocrity until 2:30 AM like I did.

 

Barney Rosenzweig

Sweet Sorrow

 

At the end of the 84th episode of Younger… a series made pre-Covid by MTV but only recently re-released on Netflix… I sagged. I found myself in a funk, feeling as though I had lost a friend. A really, really, good friend. Like a school boy’s crush. It was sad, but true. It was over.

I have never found anything so easy to watch… “stream” would be the better term… for I never was able to view only one episode and then stop. In fact, I am quite sure I never watched less than three episodes at a time. On Netflix, that would take about an hour. Five or six episodes at a time were not out of the question and so, in less than two weeks’ time, I watched all seven years of this beautifully produced, wonderfully acted, well written, totally captivating dramedy. There is a part of me that wants to fill the page with quotes from the bright dialogue or try to recapture for you moments that occurred in almost every episode where I was moved to tears. But I am not going to do that.

There are so many layers in this tale of a recent 40-year-old divorcee who must reinvent herself to get back into the marketplace, to get a job that meets her needs as well as the tuition requirements for her daughter’s college. It is rich in social commentary, sexism, ageism, and it is so delightfully romantic. It is Cinderella meets Sex and the City, coupled with a touch of Lena Dunham sensibility meeting Pretty Woman, and then better than all that put together.

This is NOT The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. It is not a homage to style in cinema, nor does it attempt anything close to that. One admires Maisel… often freezing the frame to reverse the action to see a particular shot again. That does not happen with Younger… this is not ground-breaking stuff… it is more basic than that. I was so into this show, so captivated by what transcended style, so drawn into the lives… specifically the life… of the primary character, that now… at the end of episode 84… the show is over, and I am bereft. Sutton Foster, who IS the lead character Liza Miller, the focus of this series, is out of my life and I feel the loss… deeply.

The actors who make up the ensemble of Younger deserve better than they will get here. They were all quite good, all worthy of some mention and I am sorry for not going on about them. I am simply too smitten by their leading lady. 

I am reminded that I saw Sutton Foster on Broadway in her Tony Award winning performance 20some years ago in Thoroughly Modern Millie. If you check back through old reviews of mine, my recollection is you will find Ms. Foster was the only thing I praised in the Hugh Jackman revival of The Music Man where she played Marian, the librarian (of course).

The bad news for me is that it would appear Sutton Foster is a real Broadway baby and consequently does not do a lot of television. Too bad. It is the best argument I have heard yet for cloning.

Still driven by this new obsession, I moved on through my Google machine, turning up a series I had never heard of with the unfortunate title of Bunheads. Believe it or not, this show from over a dozen years ago which you can find on Disney, not only stars Sutton Foster (heavens be praised), they matched her with the same team that would go on from there to make the series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

I mean, is God a Cagney & Lacey fan or what?

Back to planet Earth.

Even with Amy Sherman-Palladino at the helm, Bunheads is not great. That possibly accounts for why there is only the premiere season for us to watch, BUT… it ain’t bad… not even close to bad… and it stars SUTTON FOSTER.

Be still my heart.

 

Barney Rosenzweig

 

 

 

A FOLLOW-UP

The usual amount of folks have inquired as to my opinion about the Oscar broadcast. In brief: Conan O’Brian was surprisingly good. I have never been a fan, but I thought he took an almost always thankless job and handled himself (and it) very well. On the other hand, HULU, the service that streamed the show to those of us not able to get ABC, should issue a public apology and return their monthly charge to its subscribers.

The movies themselves this season I believed to be less than stellar, and it did not surprise that it would therefore turn out to be one of those perverse Academy years… of which there are more than a few… where a tiny motion picture (such as Anora) prevails over other, seemingly more prestigious, films. (Hello? The Greatest Show on Earth over High Noon? How about Crash over anything?)

Frankly, the Academy sort of lost me at the nomination level, excluding Nicole Kidman for Babygirl, and much more egregiously, Angelina Jolie for Maria.

Onward: the casual reference made to other best of all time dramatic television series in my tribute to Homeland, got a great deal of response… enough so that I have given a list of the “best of all time” the thought it deserves. First are my choices:

Besides Homeland… clearly, in my view, number one… there is (in something close to in-order) The West Wing, Deadwood, Justified, The Americans, The Game of Thrones, Friday Night Lights, Downton Abbey, The Good Wife.

Everyone else’s list includes the above plus The Sopranos, Oz, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Band of Brothers, Six Feet Under, Succession.

Being a gent now in his mid-80s, I lived Mad Men and so was never very inclined to watch it as entertainment. And, although I have revisited The Sopranos and The Wire occasionally, I am none-too-sure they hold up as well as you might remember. Breaking Bad had a flaw in its origins that I could not get past (though it was still an exceptionally good show in most respects). I must confess to never having watched Band of Brothers or Six Feet Under and will put them on my list of maybe someday. I enjoyed Succession very much as well as Oz, but readily admit I have no desire to see them again.

I can add little to the multiple tributes to The West Wing and will simply stick by my original comment that it is “the finest Network series” ever made. It still holds up, even though it is a tribute to a kind of American political environment that no longer exists.

FX had something going in a way few broadcasters ever did, and Justified, The Americans, Fargo, The Shield, and American Horror Story are but a few examples of their acumen. Some of my readers claim the final episode of The Americans beats the finale of Homeland, but I take issue with that.

The two great series on HBO cannot stake out any claims for satisfying finales. Deadwood abruptly ended, then years later they came up with a two-hour movie unworthy of this spectacular series. Then there was the ending of The Game of Thrones which practically caused a boycott of the one-time prestigious premium channel.

My list concludes with two other Network series, Saturday Night Lights and The Good Wife. Terrific writing, great casting and very, very entertaining dramas. It would be far less than modest of me to not confess I took some time the other evening to check the two-part finale of my own Cagney & Lacey (season 7) on Amazon Prime. My show is not in the league of the aforementioned, but… I am happy to say… not bad either. I am still proud of it.

A final couple of notes as to input from readers. Younger, a newish series on Netflix was recommended to me and I tried out at least a half dozen episodes. Extremely cute and most definitely worth your time. In half-hour serial form it explores the trials of a 40-something recently divorced woman attempting to get back in the job market by presenting herself as someone in her mid-20s. Sutton Foster just about pulls off that challenge while placing the series on her back and running with it. It is more than “cute.” It is downright charming.

And then there is the HULU presentation of The Rivals, based on a book of the same name by Jilly Cooper and recommended to me by an erstwhile member of my The Trials of Rosie O’Neill writing staff. Ms. Cooper and I are the same age, but she is a much better and far more prolific writer than this 87-year-old. I have read that she believes this is her best book which may be true; I can only testify that the series based on this book of hers is a hoot… A Bridgerton PLUS… brought into the 20^th century and at just the right time in the1980s to take advantage of a barrage of terrific pop music from the period.

Aiden Turner, who you may remember in the title role of the PBS hit, Poldark, is one of a trio of male leads and there is a plethora of great British talent backing this troika as they romp around the gorgeous Cotswold countryside while Margaret Thatcher runs the UK from #10 Downing Street.

Apparently Disney-owned HULU is responsible for bringing this terrific series to an American audience. If nothing else, in my book, it makes them more than even for the mess they made of the Academy Awards.

Finally, finally. My fabulous editor and proofreader has taken off for a well-deserved trip to Europe to see the Northern Lights. If there are more mistakes in the foregoing than you are used to, it is because of her absence. She may be back before the next one of these NOTES… or, maybe not. Apparently one must be flexible when scheduling views of these mid-night light shows, forcing me to ask you for tolerance and patience as well.

 

Barney Rosenzweig

Great TV

This column has been on a slight hiatus due to travel, some health issues (now mostly resolved), and my homecoming to a still-under-re-construction of my Island paradise.

Not only that, but there is the sad fact that this has been a largely undistinguished year for motion pictures and so, after over a decade of nagging, I finally got my spouse to sit down with me and watch what I believe to be (week after week) the best series ever made for television. It has occupied virtually all our viewing time for weeks.

I will not keep you in suspense; the series to which I refer is Homeland, starring Claire Danes. I know, I know, you have seen it. That’s what everyone tells me. Funny how the research from SHOWTIME, where the show resided for over eight years, indicates an average audience of something under two million television screens. There must have been a lot of Homeland parties with dozens of folks watching on their neighbor’s TV.

Let me simply say, whether you actually saw the show or not, watch it now. It is still great and there is nothing available that I can think of to compete with it (ok… perhaps, West Wing, best Network series ever, as well as two HBO giants, Game of Thrones and Deadwood). At my house we are mid-way through the final season of Homeland as I write this, and I cannot wait for the last episode which, if memory serves, is one of the very best series finales EVER.

Homeland consists of a total of 96 brilliant… and still timely… hours. Magnificently produced, smartly written, and beautifully acted by an outstanding cast led by Ms. Danes with more than adequate support from Mandy Patinkin, F. Murray Abraham, Damian Lewis, Rupert Friend, Morena Baccarin, Elizabeth Marvel, Costa Ronin and, if you take a good look at some of the earlier episodes, you will even see a teen-age Oscar nominee (A Complete Unknown) Timothee Chalamet, as the son of the Vice President of the United States.

I am watching Homeland on HULU with the only caveat being, whoever they acquired their series’ prints from, had at one time inserted commercials, leaving for the Hulu presentation those sometimes abrupt cuts to black where a commercial was once inserted. SHOWTIME didn’t have advertisers, Hulu doesn’t either, but somewhere along the way these episodes were configured to allow for them, making the presentation less than perfect. If you want perfection, you can buy/rent what I believe to be a more pristine version on Amazon Prime.

From the sublime to the ridiculous… or at least the less artful. Let me start with the 50^th Anniversary of Saturday Night Live. The great producer Lorne Michaels should be embarrassed by the show he put on but will at least have the satisfaction of having delivered an audience numbering over 15 million households. I would also guess he might well be pleased by the star power he was able to bring to SNL and NBC over the show’s history and particularly for this 50^th anniversary special.

I will not go into the quality of the humor, or the writing of the show; first off, comedy is a very subjective thing and not my area of expertise. What I do criticize is the lack of basic craftsmanship. Lorne, and the entire NBC crew, should be chastised for the more than poor presentation in something as basic on Network TV as sound quality. It was horrific… and I am not talking about a hearing aid malfunctioning (for openers, I don’t have/use such a thing even though my children and grandchildren all would testify that I ought to)… this was arguably one of the most amateurish technical messes I have ever witnessed on anything approaching Primetime. Buzzing, background noises being presented in the foreground while the principals up front could hardly be heard. It was a mishmash that should never have happened but once it did, needed to be corrected within minutes. It never was.

Regarding a lack of craft, there is Nickel Boys, one of the less than stellar motion pictures nominated for an Academy Award. It is an historical drama of America’s segregated south, and no one can accuse director RaMell Ross of anything but good intentions. But good intentions are not all that is needed. This film has taken the use of “subjective camera” to such an extreme that it makes a statement (intended or not) that the craft of making a motion picture doesn’t count for much. That doesn’t get my vote. Watch it if you must. I am betting you will agree with me.

September 5 is another historical drama that is far better made, but somehow also did not truly float my boat. Maybe it is because I am old enough to remember watching that 1972 Olympic Village event live on TV which, as I recall, was far more dramatic and effective than this representation of that  historical Munich incident.

And, finally, speaking of live historical events on television, Donald J. Trump and JD Vance have pulled off some of the best TV in memory. And what a shame that we had to see it. Perhaps you disagree, but I cannot help but believe that the United States of America will never again be thought of in the same way as it was before this staged ambush in the Oval Office of the Ukrainian President on international TV. I believe it was staged… premeditated by our country’s leaders… in the misguided belief that it would somehow make our country look stronger. How can anyone imagine a single ally in Europe or Asia that will ever fully trust, or rely, on the word of this America again? Frankly, I am not at all sure how that makes anyone but our adversaries “look stronger.” Great TV… but at what cost?

 

 

Barney Rosenzweig

BACK IN PARADISE

 

Still nursing a small case of L.A. Nose, I am back in the land of Ponce de Leon and already feeling younger, better, and… no question about it… warmer. I am not, however, feeling particularly charitable toward the collection of films I have seen of late but have yet to review. Let me start  with the smallest of a long list which begins with three documentaries: Martha, The Bibi Files and Waltzing with Brando, all three may be seen on Netflix.

OK, OK, I know, the latter is not really a documentary… but I didn’t know that for most of the time I was watching the “biographical film.”  Billy Zane, the producer and star of the project, does such a good Brando that I thought I was watching archival home movie footage of the super star, rather than an actor’s interpretation … AND I WORKED WITH BRANDO ON TWO FILMS!  Admittedly, it was almost 60 years ago, but…. one does not forget Marlon Brando (well, apparently one does). Actor Zane really had me fooled, but that said… in all candor, I cannot imagine why anyone made this film or why anyone other than folks like me would be interested in watching the thing. I could go on, but why? Only a Brando freak could possibly enjoy this movie, and I am betting there are not too many of us left.

Martha, as you may have surmised is the very same Martha Stewart of food and fashion fame. Oftentimes, an individual must die before a documentary about their life is warranted---in this instance a successful career and a prison sentence suffices. The film is pretty good and worthy of your time on Netflix provided you have any interest in documentaries or the lady herself.

The Bibi Files might be truly scandalous if one never watched MSNBC or read a newspaper. There is a lot of footage leaked from what are reportedly confidential interviews between Israeli authorities and Mr. Netanyahu… who comes off as a junior league Bob Menendez, settling as he does for cigars for himself and cases of champagne for his wife. Sort of a yawn. Personally, I honestly believe Israel’s prime minister is a much bigger crook, and guilty of a whole lot more than this film implies, but not only are the cops not asking those questions, the filmmakers themselves barely scratch the surface  of corruption. 

Nosferatu is another film about which I would advise fellow audience members to forgo. The original, a silent classic made in 1922 by director F.W. Murnau…. set a standard and had a definite look… both cinematically and in the way Count Dracula was to be portrayed. For whatever reason this latest version of the mother of all suckers (what, too crude?) tries hard to emulate that original look in an attempt, I suppose, to prove the old saw that sexiness is in the groin of the beholder. Versions of Dracula between the two Nosferatus had the Count looking a lot more interesting to the female of the species… as well as audience members. Whomever it was that came up with the line, “Don’t be afraid… only one moment of pain and then… eternal life” never saw this movie to realize just how long a “moment” can be… or how painful. If you insist, it may be viewed on Amazon Prime.

Part One of Wicked is two hours and forty minutes long…. And there is no Dorothy! Part Two will not appear anywhere locally until next fall so don’t even think about making a Barbie/Oppenheimer kind of evening at your local theatre. This movie gives “over the top” new meaning. It is very overblown, very gay, and very green. The yellow brick road is a long and winding thing, but once we actually arrive at the Emerald City the pace begins to pick up. The fact that it takes the better part of two hours to get there is… you should excuse the expression… a Shanda… not only for the neighbors, but for anyone watching.

I’m Still Here is a true story out of the Brazil of over a half century ago with the very real feeling of don’t be surprised if it happens here. The politics of a police state in action and its impact on a loving and loveable family is truly poignant and, understandably, it is winning a plethora of awards internationally. Fernanda Torres took the Golden Globe for Best Actress and is nominated for an Oscar for her role in the film. The movie is too long at two hours and 18 minutes but not so long as to be off-putting. In these days where authoritarians seem to be cropping up all over the planet, a movie with this kind of content should be required viewing. See it on Netflix.

The hot motion picture of the year is about capitalism, antisemitism, addiction,  immigration, fidelity, art and architecture, as well as having at its core, strong sexual themes. The Brutalist is on everyone’s list of favorites to win multiple Academy Awards. Maybe. I would readily agree that it is an important film but would quickly add that it is also a most uneven one. There were times where I found the filmmaking itself to be downright klutzy…. plenty of moments of taking time (sometimes too much time) to make a point and others, where important moments are practically thrown away. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a good movie, but not (as advertised) a great one.

Finally…. I needed a break and Turner Classic Movies provided me one with the original A Star is Born starring Fredric March and Janet Gaynor. Like most of you, I had seen versions two, three, and four (Judy Garland/James Mason… Barbra Streisand/Kris Kristofferson…Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper) but I had never seen the Selznick Production that started it all. Janet Gaynor was nearing the end of her career when the movie was made nearly 90 years ago… by then really a bit long in the tooth to play this role… but Mr. March was fabulous and so is this movie. By far the best of all the Star is Born idiom… and, in fact, the best of all that are mentioned in today’s Notes From a Warm Island.

 

Barney Rosenzweig 

 

The Not-So Funny Papers

 I was two years old when Batman was introduced via DC comics, nine months after Superman made his debut. A year later the dark knight’s hometown of Gotham came on the scene and the threesome: Superman, Batman, and that unwholesome community of Gotham, transformed the comic book industry.

By the time I was a young adult, I had pretty much given up on Superman, Wonder Woman, and the DC oeuvre, with the notable exception of Batman. There was something about that dystopian universe that always continued to fascinate me.

I never read or saw a single Aquaman, or a Flash, Green Lantern, Cyborg, or a Green Arrow.

The super hit movies featuring Captain America and/or The Avengers I have given short shrift, and I have written about the Deadpool series while stifling a yawn. For clarity, these few are from the Marvel universe, not DC; a distinction without much of a difference… at least to the average layman.

As a kid, another favorite… right up there alongside Batman but for vastly different reasons… was Captain Marvel. He, too, is 85 years old but only joined the DC universe a half century ago. Because of complicated legal clearances, the good Captain (now Shazam except in the newer female versions) and his alter ego, Billy Batson, never really got to compete on a level playing field with Superman or Batman, but of late he/she/they have bounced back a bit in the world of motion pictures.

Despite the historical references, I am forced to admit that my comic book credentials are limited… every bit as much in the idiom of film as they were back in the day before my mom innocently tossed out an incredibly valuable collection of DC comics on the afternoon I left for college.

Back to Gotham’s vigilant vigilante: as nearly everyone knows, Batman has a plethora of fascinating/over-the-top bad guys with whom he is honor bound to interact. Some have become stars of their own films… origin stories, if you will, which give us the humble beginnings of these various villains before the coming of age of the caped crusader. Many, if not all, are old enough to have been around on that evening of trauma when a pre-pubescent Bruce Wayne witnessed the gunning down of his parents in a dark Gotham alley.

I have already praised The Penguin, the dramatic series on MAX that stars Colin Farrell in the title role. Now, once again, comes Joaquin Phoenix, reprising his 2019 Oscar winning role in The Joker in the motion picture, The Joker: Folie a Deux.

Both Joker films have been somewhat controversial. The first received mixed reviews despite grossing over a billion dollars worldwide and bringing the film 11 Academy nominations and its leading man the award for Best Actor.

Five years later, I could not remember whether I had even seen the first film or not. I had, of course, but apparently, was not that knocked out since it failed to leave much of an entry in my memory bank.

Fans of the first film have dug in with vituperative remarks about the sequel, even though this latest version has been put together by the same creative team as the first with the impressive addition of Lady Gaga. To the dismay of DC, the fan reaction has been reflected in lackluster business at the box office.

Personally, I don’t care what anyone says… it’s a very interesting movie. The two stars give their all, and the direction and production design are spot on perfect.

I wrote “interesting” rather than “good” because I readily acknowledge this film is not for everyone. But folks, it is really interesting. A leading character with a split personality in a film also freakishly bi-polar, split between a grim/dark look at an anti-utopian Gotham… and a musical! And they bring it off. The writer, the director, the actors… bravo.

I took the time to look again at the now oft revered 2019 “original.” I didn’t like it as much as the new one. I gotta tell ya, I missed the musical numbers. I missed Lady Gaga. I hope you don’t. Both films can be seen on MAX.

Then there is Didi… the polar opposite of The Joker films. A small movie about an even smaller leading man---barely a teenager--- trying to find his way by text and skateboard in a modern-day California suburb. It is charming, poignant, very nicely put together, and I have nothing more to say on the subject except to recommend that you try it on Peacock or Amazon Prime.

Finally, rounding out this troika, is the season’s surprise movie. It seems there is one every year and often it is an off-beat film such as this that tends to knock the Academy members off their chairs and gets their votes. The film that fills that space this season is Emilia Perez (hello, this just in, thirteen nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). It can be viewed on Netflix and may or may not get enough of those wide-eyed votes to which I referred, but I would not bet against it.

Once again, some mixed reviews, but I found this a very worthwhile way to spend a couple of hours with some happy cinematic surprises, an interesting couple of characters, and some fabulous performances.

Three movies… one where the leading man wears makeup, another where the only thing he has to make up is his homework assignment, and a third about a one-time leader of a drug cartel gone trans.

Who could ask for anything more? Maybe you… so more reviews will be coming soon… and, with any luck, the next batch direct from my Island paradise.

 

Barney Rosenzweig