2023 Blindspot Pick #4: Jerry Maguire (1996)

06 Tuesday Feb 2024

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When you’re on top of the world,
It’s a long way down,
And heavy is the haughty head that’s lost its crown.

When people fall from favor
And drink a bitter cup,
They’re likely to do anything to climb back up.

When rugs are pulled from under
Someone in mid-fall,
They start to prize stability (or alcohol).

When people face their falling,
They break or crack or bounce.
You don’t know which ahead of time, but that’s what counts.
____________________________________

MPA rating: R (for language and one sex scene)

I don’t know why I can’t seem to spit out reviews like I used to, but I’m finally back to continue last year’s overdue Blindspot series. It feels like movies nowadays don’t quite leave the same cultural impact as they once did, with famous lines that everyone recognizes, though there are still some (Hunger Games and Endgame come to mind). Jerry Maguire is the poster child of such an impact, a 1990s rom com that introduced not one but at least three iconic lines into pop culture. So it seemed only right that I should learn the context of the likes of “Show me the money!” and “You complete me,” the Tom Cruise hit that won Cuba Gooding, Jr. an Oscar and showcased the cutthroat world of sports agents.

Being a big fan of writer-director Cameron Crowe’s later film Elizabethtown, I was able to recognize how he recycled elements of Jerry Maguire into that film, which may have factored into why it wasn’t as well received. The set-up is essentially the same: a young hotshot excelling in his field is suddenly brought low by a misjudgment on his part that costs him his job and his shallow girlfriend. The difference is that most of that happens to Orlando Bloom within the first ten minutes of Elizabethtown, while the self-destruction of Maguire (Cruise) is far more gradual, as his attempt at reawakening his conscience leaves him with only one loyal client in football player Rod Tidwell (Gooding) and one sympathetic employee in Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger in her breakout role).

In place of Kirsten Dunst’s manic pixie dream girl in Elizabethtown, Dorothy is a far more down-to-earth presence, a working single mother whose romantic relationship with Jerry carries more nuance while also being a bit hard to read at times. I feel like Bonnie Hunt’s role as her supportive sister is rather overlooked as well. Through all the lows and highs, from arguments over Rod’s obstinate demands to the uncertainty of dating a single mother and how to balance his devotion to both, Tom Cruise proves himself to be a winning leading man yet again, with a natural charisma that leaves no doubt as to how Jerry became such a superstar in his field. I do find it funny, though, that Cruise still hasn’t won an Oscar, while Gooding, Zellweger, Crowe, and fellow co-star Regina King have all gotten their golden statue eventually.

I can certainly see why Jerry Maguire was a hit, with an effective Cameron Crowe script full of passion and personality for its star power to embody, as well as a great soundtrack and plenty of fun cameos. Even though I see why the earlier film is more critically acclaimed, I can’t help but prefer Elizabethtown, which is more unrealistically quirky but also more streamlined in its character arc and generally cleaner and funnier. Maybe it’s just that I’m not into sports, but I’m still glad to have finally seen this ‘90s classic. It completes me (or at least my Blindspot list).

Best line (that I didn’t know originated in this movie): (Jerry, begging Rod to be more agreeable) “Help me help you.”

Rank:  List Runner-Up

© 2024 S.G. Liput
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THE LIST (2024 Update)

08 Monday Jan 2024

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I cannot believe it has been ten years since I first started this blog with a countdown of my top 365 favorite movies with a poem for each one. I think it was just an outlet for my obsessive list-making, since it was a list I had already compiled on my own even before I thought to turn it into a blog. Since then, I’ve been constantly adding and removing and rearranging as only a compulsive cinephile would, and the fact that I’m still here ten years later is a wonder to me. A lot has changed, like making the leap from Panera cashier to software developer (I thank God every day that I’ve escaped from the world of customer service), but my love of movies and poetry has remained constant, even if the frequency of my posts has waned in recent years.

So then, let’s get into the 10-year anniversary version of THE LIST, padded though it be with ties and grouping of franchises together. This is probably the smallest shakeup of any year simply because the eleven films I’ve added this time (in bold below) lend themselves well to being grouped with ties or franchises. 😀 So that eases the blow of having to remove others to make space for the new arrivals. In fact, there were only three new films that actually took up a slot, meaning (thanks to one combination) I bid a fond farewell to only two: Joseph: King of Dreams and The Great Mouse Detective. Like last year, I’ve actually removed the films that were at the bottom of the previous year’s list, rather than saving them with some forced rearranging. Psycho was at #365 for a long time, but it keeps edging up to safety.

While there was some shuffling toward the bottom, there isn’t much movement this time in the middle of the list, but for the first time since 2019’s Little Women, we have a movie that actually managed to crack my Top 100, namely Dungeons & Dragons. And the rest of the new entries fared quite well, generally making it into the top half of the list, though perhaps on the coattails of films already present there. The biggest mover was Galaxy Quest, jumping from #309 to #255, simply because I enjoy and appreciate that movie more every time I see it. I also finally combined Shrek and Shrek 2, alongside the new Puss in Boots: The Last Wish; I don’t know why those were separated for so long, but that prevented one removal.

As I said in my previous post/end-of-year list, I thank everyone out there who has liked, commented, followed, or read anything I’ve written in the last ten years, even just once. It can seem at times like I’m just flinging my rhymes and ramblings into the Internet void, so any sign that someone else has engaged with it is a reassuring treat for me. Until I can get a musical or whatever it is I’m writing off the ground, I can still take pleasure in my little corner of the blogosphere, whether it’s one or ten more years to come. Thank you again, and here’s hoping 2024 will be another great year for movies!

1.  The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003)

2.  Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995)

3.  Forrest Gump (1994)

4.  It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

5.  The Sound of Music (1965)

6.  Star Wars Trilogy (1977, 1980, 1983)

7.  Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016)

8.  Titanic (1997)

9.  Toy Story Series  (1995, 1999, 2010, 2019)

10.  Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

11.  The Princess Bride (1987)

12.  Beauty and the Beast (1991)

13.  Groundhog Day (1993)

14.  The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

15.  The Prince of Egypt (1998)

16.  You’ve Got Mail (1998)

17.  The Wizard of Oz (1939)

18.  The Avengers (2012), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Infinity War (2018), and Endgame (2019)

19.  Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

20.  War Horse (2011)

21.  The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018)

22.  Cast Away (2000)

23.  Heart and Souls (1993)

24.  Pirates of the Caribbean (2003, 2006, 2007) and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)

25.  Tarzan (1999)

26.  Les Miserables (2012)

27.  Ben-Hur (1959)

28.  Elizabethtown (2005)

29.  Star Trek (2009)

30.  The Chronicles of Narnia (2005, 2008, 2010)

31.  The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001)

32.  Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

33.  Oliver! (1968)

34.  Whisper of the Heart (1995)

35.  Spider-Man Trilogy (2002, 2004, 2007)

36.  The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2004)

37.  Doctor Zhivago (1965)

38.  Babe (1995)

39.  The Blues Brothers (1980)

40.  Jurassic Park (1993)

41.  84 Charing Cross Road (1987)

42.  National Treasure (2004) and National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

43.  Ratatouille (2007)

44.  The Fugitive (1993)

45.  True Grit (1969, 2010)

46.  Evita (1996)

47.  The Lion King (1994)

48.  Inception (2010)

49.  When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

50.  Back to the Future Trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990)

51.  Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

52.  Chariots of Fire (1981)

53.  Lilies of the Field (1963)

54.  Life of Pi (2012)

55.  Mary Poppins (1964)

56.  Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

57.  Glory (1989)

58.  Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

59.  The Family Man (2000)

60.  The Sixth Sense (1999)

61.  Aliens (1986)

62.  Life Is Beautiful (1997)

63.  Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

64.  The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

65.  Awakenings (1990)

66.  Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

67.  Paulie (1998)

68.  Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

69.  Home Alone (1990) and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

70.  The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

71.  Big (1988)

72.  Jumanji (1995)

73.  Somewhere in Time (1980)

74.  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

75.  A Christmas Story (1983)

76.  Speed (1994)

77.  Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

78.  Little Women (1994, 2019)

79.  1776 (1972)

80.  High School Musical Trilogy (2006, 2007, 2008)

81.  Wit (2001)

82.  Serenity (2005)

83.  Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

84.  Gone with the Wind (1939)

85.  Aladdin (1992)

86.  The Greatest Showman (2017)

87.  Saints and Soldiers (2003)

88.  La La Land (2016)

89.  Fantasia (1940)

90.  Shadowlands (1993)

91.  Hook (1991)

92.  Young Frankenstein (1974)

93.  The Truman Show (1998)

94.  The Ten Commandments (1956)

95.  Star Wars Prequel Trilogy (1999, 2002, 2005)

96.  October Sky (1999)

97.  Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

98.  Holes (2003)

99.  The Martian (2015)

100.  The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

101.  About Time (2013)

102.  Mr. Church (2016)

103.  Taking Chance (2009)

104.  Signs (2002)

105.  Star Trek: Generations (1994)

106.  Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

107.  The Santa Clause (1994)

108.  Starman (1984)

109.  The Passion of the Christ (2004)

110.  Train to Busan (2016) and Peninsula (2023)

111.  1917 (2019)

112.  Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Far from Home (2019), and No Way Home (2021)

113.  Brother Bear (2003)

114.  Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

115.  WALL-E (2008)

116.  The Green Mile (1999)

117.  On Golden Pond (1981)

118.  Air Force One (1997)

119.  Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2013)

120.  Shrek (2001), Shrek 2 (2004), and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

121.  The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

122.  Star Trek into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek Beyond (2016)

123.  Big Hero 6 (2014)

124.  To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

125.  The Matrix (1999)

126.  The Right Stuff (1983)

127.  Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

128.  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

129.  Shuffle (2011)

130.  The Mask of Zorro (1998) and The Legend of Zorro (2005)

131.  The Color Purple (1985 and 2023)

132.  Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

133.  Cyrano (2021)

134.  The King’s Speech (2010)

135.  X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

136.  My Fair Lady (1964)

137.  Iron Man Trilogy (2008, 2010, 2013)

138.  The Hunger Games series (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2023)

139.  Men in Black Trilogy (1997, 2002, 2012)

140.  The Music Man (1962)

141.  Ghostbusters Trilogy (1984, 1989, 2021)

142.  Ready Player One (2018)

143.  Yentl (1983)

144.  The Blind Side (2009)

145.  Regarding Henry (1991)

146.  Alien (1979)

147.  Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

148.  The Polar Express (2004)

149.  Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

150.  Julie and Julia (2009)

151.  Airplane! (1980)

152.  Castle in the Sky (1986)

153.  Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021)

154.  Secondhand Lions (2003)

155.  Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

156.  Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

157.  National Velvet (1944)

158.  Darkest Hour (2017)

159.  A Christmas Carol (any version)

160.  E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

161.  The Little Mermaid (1989)

162.  Die Hard trilogy (1988, 1990, 1995)

163. Soul (2020)

164.  Source Code (2011)

165.  Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

166.  Gattaca (1997)

167.  Planet of the Apes Trilogy (2011, 2014, 2017)

168.  Inside Out (2015)

169.  Oppenheimer (2023)

170.  Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

171.  Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

172.  Overboard (1987)

173.  Cinderella (1950) / Cinderella (2015)

174.  A League of Their Own (1992)

175.  The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971)

176.  Tangled (2010)

177.  Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

178.  Zootopia (2016)

179.  The Untouchables (1987)

180.  Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)

181.  Treasure Planet (2002)

182.  Ella Enchanted (2004)

183.  Splash (1984)

184.  Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monsters University (2013)

185.  Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)

186.  How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

187.  Guardians of the Galaxy (2014),  Vol. 2 (2017), and Vol. 3 (2023)

188.  Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018)

189.  Mission: Impossible III (2006), Ghost Protocol (2011), Rogue Nation (2015), Fallout (2018), and Dead Reckoning (2023)

190.  Selma (2014)

191.  Doc Hollywood (1991)

192.  Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion (2022)

193.  Extraordinary Measures (2010)

194.  The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974)

195.  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

196.  Enchanted (2007)

197.  Up (2009)

198.  What’s Up, Doc? (1972)

199.  Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

200.  Wolf Children (2012)

201.  Jojo Rabbit (2019)

202.  Your Name (2016)

203.  Wolfwalkers (2020)

204.  Pocahontas (1995)

205.  Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

206.  Rudy (1993)

207.  Mulan (1998)

208.  Hidden Figures (2016)

209.  As Good As It Gets (1997)

210.  Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)

211.  King of Thorn (2010)

212.  In the Heights (2021)

213.  Les Miserables (1998)

214.  Spaceballs (1987)

215.  My Left Foot (1989)

216.  The Way (2010)

217.  The Prestige (2006)

218.  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)

219.  Blinded by the Light (2019)

220.  Labyrinth of Lies (2014)

221.  The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

222.  Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

223.  Saving Private Ryan (1998) / The Longest Day (1962)

224.  To Sir, with Love (1967)

225.  Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019)

226.  The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005, 2008, 2012)

227.  Harriet (2019)

228.  The Father (2020)

229.  United 93 (2006)

230.  Joyeux Noël (2005)

231.  Woman in Gold (2015)

232.  Twister (1996)

233.  Foul Play (1978)

234.  Coco (2017)

235.  Funny Girl (1968)

236.  Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), and Creed (2015)

237.  Hello, Dolly! (1969)

238.  Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

239.  Weathering with You (2019)

240.  Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

241.  April and the Extraordinary World (2015) / Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)

242.  Déjà Vu (2006)

243.  Out of Africa (1985)

244.  Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)

245.  The Hobbit Trilogy (2012, 2013, 2014)

246.  Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

247.  Hoosiers (1986)

248.  The Great Escape (1963)

249.  Arrival (2016)

250.  Scrooged (1988) and Spirited (2022)

251.  The Naked Gun (1988)

252.  Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986)

253.  Philadelphia (1993)

254.  Raising Arizona (1987)

255.  Galaxy Quest (1999)

256. The Jerk (1979)

257.  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

258.  Ghost (1990)

259.  Misery (1990)

260.  School of Rock (2003)

261.  42 (2013)

262.  Daniel Craig Bond films – Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021)

263.  Gravity (2013)

264.  Vantage Point (2008)

265.  Peter Pan (1953)

266.  The Terminal (2004)

267.  Eddie the Eagle (2016)

268.  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

269.  Jane Eyre (1970)

270.  Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension (2011)

271.  The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

272.  The Girl Who Leapt through Time (2006)

273.  Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Waterworld (1995)

274.  Ride Your Wave (2019)

275.  Cloud Atlas (2012)

276.  Anastasia (1997)

277.  Violet Evergarden: The Movie (2020)

278.  Short Term 12 (2013)

279.  X-Men (2000) and X2: X-Men United (2003)

280.  Green Book (2018)

281.  Surrogates (2009)

282.  Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

283.  WarGames (1983)

284.  Hidden (2015) and A Quiet Place (2018) and Part II (2021)

285.  Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

286.  Cars (2006) and Cars 3 (2017)

287.  My Girl (1991)

288.  Memphis Belle (1990)

289.  Soul Man (1986)

290.  The Terminator (1984)

291.  The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)

292.  The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

293.  Casablanca (1942)

294.  Rain Man (1988) and Dominick and Eugene (1988)

295.  One Cut of the Dead (2017)

296.  Pinocchio (1940) and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

297.  City Slickers (1991)

298.  The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

299.  Patema Inverted (2013)

300.  Forget Paris (1995)

301.  A Silent Voice (2016) / Hear Me (2009)

302.  Dances with Wolves (1990)

303.  Doctor Strange (2016)

304.  Akeelah and the Bee (2006)

305.  Murphy’s Romance (1985)

306.  Shenandoah (1965)

307.  The Red Violin (1999)

308.  A View to a Kill (1985)

309.  Wonder Woman (2017)

310.  Con Air (1997)

311.  Unbreakable (2000)

312.  Trading Places (1983)

313.  Sister Act (1992)

314.  Something the Lord Made (2004)

315.  The Way Back (2010)

316.  Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980)

317.  Dave (1993)

318.  Annie (1999)

319.  Elemental (2023)

320.  The Elephant Man (1980)

321.  The Ultimate Gift (2006)

322.  Mean Girls (2004)

323.  The River Wild (1994)

324.  A Beautiful Mind (2001)

325.  Finding Forrester (2000)

326. The Big Year (2011)

327.  Starter for 10 (2006)

328.  Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)

329.  The Pianist (2002)

330.  Wayne’s World (1992)

331.  Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

332.  The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (2010)

333.  Steel Magnolias (1989)

334.  Encanto (2021)

335.  Searching (2018) and Missing (2023)

336.  Chronesthesia (or Love and Time Travel) (2016)

337.  Dancer in the Dark (2000)

338.  Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

339.  Please Stand By (2018)

340.  Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

341.  Music and Lyrics (2007)

342.  The Abyss (1989)

343.  The Breakfast Club (1985)

344.  Places in the Heart (1984)

345.  Psycho (1960)

346.  Chicken Run (2000)

347.  Black Panther (2018) and Wakanda Forever (2022)

348.  Hercules (1997)

349.  Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

350.  Klaus (2019)

351.  In Time (2011)

352.  The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

353.  The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

354.  Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

355.  A Monster Calls (2016)

356.  Ordinary People (1980) and Rabbit Hole (2010)

357.  Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

358.  Seven Samurai (1954) / The Magnificent Seven (1960/2016)

359.  Citizen Kane (1941)

360.  The Conjuring (2013) and The Conjuring 2 (2016)

361.  Sneakers (1992)

362.  Remember the Titans (2000)

363.  Wuthering Heights (1970)

364.  A Chorus Line (1985)

365.  Shazam! (2019)

My 10th Blogiversary and 2023 List Additions

01 Monday Jan 2024

Posted by in Movies, Reviews, Writing

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And here we are at another milestone I never expected to reach, ten whole years for the Rhyme and Reason blog! I realize this year might be described as my least prolific or most neglectful year yet, and I think that came down to two reasons. For one, my Ireland/Scotland vacation back in May, my first international trip ever, threw off a lot of my routines, so it was both a big distraction and the highlight of the year. Secondly, I’ve been devoting a lot of my creative energies to my planned musical, which is progressing nicely, but still has a long road ahead of it. I can’t wait for the day when I can actually share it with the world, just not yet.

I’m still glad, though, that I was able to take part in NaPoWriMo back in April and still churn out the occasional review throughout the year, just to remind anyone out there that I’m still around. My Blindspot series has especially suffered, but I hope to wrap that up quickly in the new year, and maybe, hopefully do better with 2024’s Blindspot list. Hope springs eternal, even in the scattered world of time management.

The past year has been full of ups and downs, but good movies remain a consistent up whenever they come along. Hollywood found its stride in 2023 with some unqualified hits, despite Disney’s financial woes and the various strikes that rocked the movie industry. With my more limited theater-going, I wasn’t sure if I would have enough real favorites to compile my annual Top Twelve list, but there were more hits than I recalled. True, this is the first year that I don’t have a full twelve List-Worthy films to add to THE LIST of my Top 365 favorites, but I’ve included a couple high runners-up to round out my top films that I’ve seen in 2023 (not just 2023 releases). Not surprisingly, animation and musicals are well-represented, with a few more serious entries for good measure.

Before the countdown kicks off, as is tradition, I will pay respects to the outstanding runners-up that are worthy of praise but didn’t quite make the cut, including Shadow in the Cloud, Elvis, Matilda the Musical, RRR, Suzume, The Invisible Man, Living, Sound of Freedom, Last Night in Soho, A Million Miles Away, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels, Blue Beetle, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Journey to Bethlehem, and Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire. Plus, just as I have before with Hamilton and Come from Away, I’ll give kudos to the filmed stage performance of the musicals Waitress and Titanic that released this year. I still can’t quite bring myself to classify such recordings as typical movies, but they are well worth watching.

I can’t help but feel that this list has no resemblance to any critic’s end-of-year list, but these are my tastes and my list. What were your favorite films of the past year? I know I have plenty to catch up on (ahem, Barbie), so I’ll gladly take any recommendations! Now, on to the Top Twelve list!

12. Missing (2023)

Missing was an opportunistic watch, since I saw it on my transatlantic flight to Ireland. I had my doubts that the screenlife storytelling that worked so well in Searching could support another mystery about an online missing person investigation, but this spiritual sequel manages to nail the same level of tension and intrigue, even if its gimmick strains realism a bit. Luckily, the gimmick is well-utilized, keeping the audience guessing throughout.

11. Lincoln (2012)

While I still have a few Blindspots to watch, I somehow made time for this Spielberg biopic that has long been on my shortlist of potential Blindspots. The fact that it didn’t quite rise to the level of being List-Worthy is by no means a knock on the film’s quality, since Daniel Day-Lewis’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Lincoln is everything I could have hoped. Dense with talky politics and strong performances, this film played into my love of Civil War history perfectly. Another viewing could raise it to List-Worthy, since Lincoln deserves every one of its accolades.

10. Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Viewed as a casualty of the busy summer movie season, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning may not have quite lived up to its predecessors at the box office, but this Tom Cruise series continues to go strong, staying timely with a rogue A.I. as its villain. While I have some qualms about how it trades out its female leads, Hayley Atwell is a welcome addition, and the thrills and set pieces never disappoint.

9. Elemental (2023)

A sleeper hit, Elemental proved that Pixar’s trademark world-building magic still lives on, this time in a universe of living fire, water, earth, and air elements. While romance has been present before in films like Up and WALL-E, this is the first time they’ve tackled the straightforward rom-com formula, and the result is a charming fable of attraction, prejudice, immigration, and family expectations, with wondrous animation to boot.

8. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)

While it was hardly a flop, I feel like I’m more positive toward this prequel than most. Focusing on the 10th Hunger Games, decades before the tale of Katniss and Peeta, this return to Panem is a riveting origin story for Coriolanus Snow, proving how even monsters can begin with good intentions. True, it’s rather long with a divisive lack of resolution, but I thought it recaptured the thrills and themes of the original series quite well.

7. Peninsula (2020)

One of the several horror movies I didn’t get to reviewing this past Halloween, Peninsula once again subverts my general aversion to the zombie genre. Another film in the world of Train to Busan, this story expands the action from mid-apocalypse to post-apocalypse as a guilt-ridden thief-for-hire navigates a zombie-infested cityscape, and while it’s not as affecting as the original, it still delivers a pulse-pounding and ultimately satisfying redemption story.

6. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

It’s not often that an animated sequel surpasses its original, but this second Puss in Boots film was a supremely entertaining return to form for a DreamWorks franchise I thought to be dead. Exploring mortality in a surprisingly nuanced way, this fantasy adventure had all the laughs and beautiful animation I could want, easily becoming the biggest surprise of the year.

5. Oppenheimer (2023)

While I didn’t partake in the Barbie half of the Barbenheimer craze, I did go for the serious half, Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated biopic about the father of the atomic bomb. Considering Nolan’s last film Tenet got caught in its own logic, this was a return to form for Nolan, fashioning a mature puzzle box of a film that is as thought-provoking and well-acted as it is long, even without flashy action scenes. In a genre known for its cookie-cutter style, Nolan’s take on the biographical film is entirely his own.

4. The Color Purple (2023)

The last film I saw in 2023, this musical version of The Color Purple took a film to which I already had a strong emotional connection and gave it a brilliant Broadway treatment. While I think Spielberg’s original still edges it out, this new version hit all the notes it needed to and made me cry twice. And what can I say, if something makes me cry, I love it.

3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

There isn’t much more I can add to all the accolades heaped upon the sequel to 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse, so I’ll just acknowledge that all of it is deserved. My full appreciation may depend on how well the finale in this trilogy sticks the landing, but as of now, Across the Spider-Verse built out Miles Morales’ world and beyond with expert nerdy craftsmanship, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

While the Marvel franchise had further struggles this year, James Gunn provided a crowd-pleasing hit to close out his tenure with Marvel and the Guardians. Milking pathos as well as nostalgia, this last hurrah for Star-Lord, Rocket, Drax, and the rest of the crew gave us one of the most hissable villains in recent memory, as well as one of the most feel-good conclusions.

1. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Tell me I’m not the only one who absolutely loved this movie! I don’t even play D&D, but I do love the fantasy genre, and Honor Among Thieves combined so many elements into a marvelously entertaining package that I instantly became a fan. Every character, every set piece, every inventive special effect, every joke that landed added to my enjoyment and made me wish it could spawn a franchise that would give me more. I love everything about it, which is a rare feat for any movie these days.

And that’s another blog year in the books. As always, here are my own unofficial awards for the year’s films:

Best opening scene:  Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Best final scene:  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Coolest scene:  Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (the shapeshifting chase scene)

Biggest emotional impact:  The Color Purple

Oldest film:  Lincoln (2012)

Most recent film:  The Color Purple (2023)

Longest film:  Oppenheimer (180 minutes)

Shortest film:  Elemental (101 minutes)

Best soundtrack:  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (hey, it has both Rainbow and Florence)

Best score:  Oppenheimer

Best special effects:  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Most mind-bending: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Most family-friendly:  Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Most mature:  Oppenheimer

Funniest:  Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Scariest: Peninsula

Best male performance:  TIE: Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer and Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln

Best female performance:  Danielle Brooks in The Color Purple

Personal favorite poem written: Thor: Love and Thunder

Most represented year: 2023, with nine films

So there you have it. Not as much representation from films outside of 2023 as in the past, but the last year has definitely provided some winners. I want to thank everyone who has read, liked, commented, or followed in the past year, despite my waning activity. I still want to continue with this blog as a creative outlet for as long as I can, and I do have some lists in mind for the months ahead to celebrate my 10th year of blogging in earnest. Thank you all, and I wish everybody a Happy New Year and a blessed 2024!

Journey to Bethlehem (2023)

25 Monday Dec 2023

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Merry Christmas, everybody!

____________________

At the turning of the centuries,
Though no one knew it then,
A babe was born to save the world,
Incarnate God. Amen!

But surely you have heard all this;
By now it might be trite,
The midnight clear, the first Noel,
That timeworn silent night.

It’s easy for familiar truths,
Traditions every year,
To not have quite the gleam they bore
When times were more sincere.

Perhaps we may have changed with time,
But truths stand hard and fast.
Traditions, like God’s promises,
Are comfort, for they last.

Although we know them all by heart,
We need reminding still,
That what the carols advertise
Rings true and always will.
____________________________

MPA rating: PG

To complete this trilogy of musical posts, here’s a more recent release from this year. I feel like someone, assumedly director and songwriter Adam Anders, watched The Nativity Story and thought to himself, “This would be even better as a musical” and then made it so. Journey to Bethlehem takes the well-trodden Biblical story of Jesus’ birth and injects a pop-music sensibility that both adds entertainment value while also slightly watering it down.

From the second song, in which Mary is bemoaning her expected role of marrying someone she’s never met, I thought that this was like the High School Musical version of the Christmas story, so I felt vindicated when I read that Anders co-wrote the script with Peter Barsocchini, who also wrote all three HSM movies (of which I remain a fan). So the character types and conflicts are all too familiar, yet the actors make the most of them, with Fiona Palomo as Mary and Milo Manheim (a recent Disney star from the Zombies franchise) as Joseph having an easy chemistry and excellent songs both together and solo. The soundtrack delivers on many levels, some better than others, but highlights include the opening title song and “Mother to a Savior and King,” which explores Mary’s own self-doubt. And I mustn’t forget Antonio Banderas as King Herod, who seems to be having fun mugging through his one song “Good to Be King.”

The plot of Journey to Bethlehem was clearly tweaked from the Biblical record to add peril to the climax and to better space out the musical numbers, so I can understand the decisions on a pure story basis.  Yet it felt at times like I was trying to keep track of how many deviations there were from the established narrative. In this film, Herod tries to ignore Rome’s census order but is persuaded to use it solely as a means to find the mother of the foretold Messiah, leading to several close calls where it’s assumed Mary would be immediately recognized as such if she were to be caught. It was also surprising to give a redemption arc to Herod’s son Antipater (Joel Smallbone of the band For King and Country), who gets one of the best songs as well.

Likewise, the wise men, here a trio of bickering comic relief figures (Rizwan Manji, Geno Segers, Omid Djalili), come to Herod even before the census or Jesus’ birth and then leave for Bethlehem (which isn’t far from Jerusalem) to hang out with the shepherds for months perhaps so that they also are witnesses to the heavenly angel chorus. Plus, there are odd omissions, like the absence of Mary’s acceptance of the role declared by Gabriel (Christian rapper Lecrae) during the Annunciation scene or the inclusion of Zechariah’s muteness without any subsequent depiction of his son’s birth.

Yet for all the little things that nagged at me, Journey to Bethlehem is still an entertaining Christmas film, and I never got the sense that the changes were intentionally trying to subvert or undermine the meaning behind the story, which is refreshing. It also boasts impressive costumes and choreography that are far better than they would have been if this were made ten or fifteen years ago. It’s proof of how far Christian films have come. While I’m not quite sure if this movie rises to the level of a perennial classic to watch every Christmas, it’s still a laudable version of the Nativity with a soundtrack that deserves appreciation even outside its target audience.

Rank:  List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
785 Followers and Counting

2023 Blindspot Pick #3: London Road (2015)

21 Thursday Dec 2023

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Have you heard? Have you heard?
There are rumors running rampant.
Have you heard that there’s a murderer whose killing is undampened
By the increase in policemen
Or the neighborhood’s unease?
There’s a chance he could be anyone the average person sees.

No immunity for anyone
From danger or suspicion.
There’s a liar in our midst who lacks the basest inhibition.
Could be him. Could be her.
I won’t sleep until we know.
Though even when they’re caught, I fear the fear may not let go.
_______________________

Rating: TV-14 (equates to PG-13)

It’s no secret that I love musicals. I just said so in my last post. But that doesn’t mean I love all musicals by default; they have to earn it. An example of that love not coming easily is London Road, a 2015 drama based on a stage musical about the 2006 serial murders by the Suffolk Strangler, or rather about their impact on the surrounding Ipswich neighborhood. With the concept of a murder mystery musical and featuring actors like Olivia Coleman and Tom Hardy, I added the film to my Blindspot list with little other knowledge about it.

The locals of Ipswich were interviewed at the time about their fears and concerns about the murders, as were the sex workers being targeted by the killer, and the songs use this verbatim testimony as lyrics. Thus, all of the songs sound like real people speaking normally, complete with “um”s and “yeah”s and pauses that go with such realism. However, to make these interviews work as songs, there is quite a bit of repetition involved, hammering in less-than-eloquent points like “it’s ‘orrible, idn’t it, eh?” and “begonias and petunias and, um, impatiens and things.” Plus, this repetition is mostly done through talking along with the tune rather than actual singing, so if you thought Tom Hardy couldn’t sing, this won’t prove you wrong. The film’s cinematography tries to inject some visual interest into the musical numbers, but the lyric style largely yields rather dull songs that feel much longer than they are.

And yet I still rather appreciate London Road as an experiment, one that isn’t quite successful but still effective in its own way. It immortalizes these seemingly mundane conversations and frames them in a way that reflects how the community as a whole responds to tragedy, from doubt and fear to a desire for better things beyond. I probably wouldn’t listen to the songs on their own, but they often begin with that awkward talk-singing and actually do sound nice by the end as voices overlap amid violin or synthesizer. It’s highly unique, and I credit the inventiveness of the original play’s creators (Alecky Blythe and Adam Cork), as well as the producers of the film version for adapting a story Americans like me might not otherwise have been able to see on stage.

Rank: Honorable Mention

© 2023 S.G. Liput
785 Followers and Counting

Spirited (2022)

17 Sunday Dec 2023

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The question has haunted mankind like a ghost:
Can somebody honestly change?
It seems that by thirty or forty at most,
They’re set in their ways
The way furniture stays,
The kind you don’t sell but at best rearrange.

And yet we hear tales of how others transform,
The hackneyed morality plays.
But those are anomalies, far from the norm,
For wishers and dopes
Who need fuel for their hopes
That common unkindness is only a phase.

But Grinches and Scrooges are likely short-term:
No heart changes shape when it melts.
You can’t shake foundations; they’re simply too firm.
It’s nice to believe,
But let’s not be naïve.
If I don’t plan to change, why should anyone else?
__________________________

MPA rating:  PG-13

I have long wished that there were more original movie musicals. Rather than waiting for stage musicals to become popular enough to warrant film adaptations, I think there are stories that are better served by getting the movie treatment up front, and Pasek and Paul are leading the way. The Greatest Showman was a mainstream hit, but it seemed like last year’s Spirited didn’t get nearly as much buzz; plus, being an Apple TV+ exclusive means it sadly won’t get the usual annual holiday reruns either.  So it seemed only right that I do my own small part to promote this modern retelling of A Christmas Carol, mixed in with meta Scrooged-style comedy milking the chemistry of stars Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds.

The twist to this version of the oft-oft-oft-adapted Dickens story is that it is from the ghosts’ perspective, turning the ghost quartet who once haunted Scrooge into a multi-generational corporation where the dead create personalized illusions to improve one terrible person each Christmas. The current Ghost of Christmas Present (Ferrell) is torn about just how much good they’re doing with these individual redemptions but finds a challenge in the form of cynical media manipulator Clint Briggs (Reynolds). While the supposedly “unredeemable” Clint insists he’s too savvy to undergo the usual moral awakening, both he and his ghostly guide must grapple with just how much someone can change.

Where Spirited shines most is what every musical strives for: fantastic musical numbers. Between the upbeat earworms of Pasek and Paul and the stunningly energetic choreography by Chloe Arnold, the big dance numbers go hard. There are good smaller songs too, but when they aim for a Broadway-level showstopper, every single one succeeds, making it truly mind-boggling to me that the soundtrack got no awards attention at all. I was glad when RRR’s “Naatu Naatu” won the Oscar for Best Original Song, but it’s a little galling when this film’s “Good Afternoon” or “Do a Little Good” are better than any of the other nominees. My personal favorite is “Ripple,” which was cut from the film itself (likely for time) but was clearly too good to not include and was thankfully added to the end credits.

As for the rest of the film, it’s a likable redemption story that doesn’t play out quite as predictably as the usual Christmas Carol adaptation. Ferrell’s Ghost of Christmas Present is the film’s heart as he showcases how the hardest person to forgive is oneself, while Reynolds’ Clint fits comfortably into his lovable jerk mold, wielding his self-proclaimed knowledge of human nature to stoke conflict and cancel culture without ever noticing the aftermath. I’ve never been a fan of either actor’s brand of comedy, but, while there are still moments here that don’t always land for me, I’d consider this some of their best work. This is especially because of how well they stretch their musical chops, despite not having much experience with song and dance, the same being true for Octavia Spencer as Clint’s self-loathing employee. The entire cast does a great job, from Broadway heavyweight Patrick Page as Jacob Marley to Sunita Mani and the voice of Tracy Morgan as the other two Christmas ghosts.

Spirited would be a good film with just its plot, but the music puts it into instant classic territory in my book and a film I plan to make part of my annual Christmas movie schedule. It can seem a bit overlong and overwhelming at times, but I enjoyed my second watch this year more than I did last year, when I added it to my top 365 list and then never reviewed it. If a movie can poke holes in cynicism, promote the idea that anyone can change for the better, and make me dance and sing along, that’s my kind of movie.

Best line: (Ferrell’s Ghost of Christmas Present, to a party guest dressed like Buddy the Elf) “You look stupid.”

Rank:  List-Worthy (tied with Scrooged)

© 2023 S.G. Liput
785 Followers and Counting

2023 Blindspot Pick #2: Sunset Boulevard (1950)

24 Friday Nov 2023

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Before renown and everything,
I’d sit at home aspiring
And planning out my rise to fame,
To make the whole world know my name.

And as I dreamed, I followed through.
I sought the scenery to chew;
I earned the roles and accolades
And strode red carpets for decades.

I basked in viewers’ tears and laughs
And votive snaps of photographs.
I was a star, and stars will shine
Regardless of the bottom line,

Regardless of a flop or two,
Regardless of some new debut,
Regardless of unringing phones
Or dreaded birthday milestones.

A star’s above forgettably
Conveyor-belt celebrity.
Although I now more dimly burn,
A supernova I’ll return.

They’ll be reminded of my heights
When they behold my name in lights.
They may forget but can’t ignore
A star they’ve known and loved before.

They may forget but how can I
When I’m the one who’ll never die?
So, waiting for my phone to ring,
I sit alone remembering.
____________________________

Rating:  Passed (equivalent of PG)

I always try to include a few old classics in my Blindspots, since I don’t watch and review as many films from yesteryear as a cinephile probably should. Sunset Boulevard is one that has always slipped through the cracks, with Gloria Swanson’s iconic performance as washed-up starlet Norma Desmond overshadowing the film itself in pop culture. So it was worthwhile to see what else the film had to offer.

In typical film noir fashion, William Holden’s Joe Gillis delivers the story’s narration, though we see right from the start that his character is floating dead in a Hollywood pool before launching into a feature-length flashback. Gillis’s prospects as a screenwriter have dried up and, while fleeing from repo men, the starving artist stumbles upon the decaying mansion of former star Norma Desmond, cared for solely by her attentive chauffeur Max (Erich von Stroheim). Since Norma desires help with her own self-aggrandizing screenplay for a comeback film, Gillis sees her as a short-term meal ticket, but he’s unprepared for her increasing obsession with him and reclaiming her fame.

With director and co-writer Billy Wilder at the helm and boasting three Oscars out of eleven nominations, Sunset Boulevard deserves its status as a classic while also being rather overrated, in my view. Holden is an outstanding leading man, wrestling with the choice of humoring Norma’s whims or returning to poverty, and it’s no wonder his career took off after this. The Oscar-winning screenplay is also replete with good lines both clever and self-deprecating toward Hollywood, though I question the film’s Wikipedia classification as a “black comedy.” And then there’s Gloria Swanson herself, one of the titans of scenery-chewing, who was well-cast (alongside former silent director von Stroheim) for the film to have a semi-autobiographical element about ex-stars striving for relevance. As much as she fits the character and does well with the more vulnerable scenes, the ways Gloria/Norma mugs at the camera is distractingly extreme at times, which may have been the point but still comes off as utterly dated acting.

Sunset Boulevard is one of those cases where both “I get it” and “I don’t get it” apply. I can see how someone watching the film or reading the script would clap vigorously and proclaim that this is great cinema, but the most I can muster is agreeing that it’s well-written cinema. It ultimately left me with no other emotion but pity, pity for all the characters and their deluded forms of love and self-destruction. Thus, it’s not a film I can say I particularly enjoyed or would want to watch again, making the descriptions of it as one of “the greatest movies ever made” ring hollow. It’s not the first time I’ve disagreed with film critics, but I can still appreciate what Sunset Boulevard does well, now that I’ve seen its close-up.

Best line:  (Joe Gillis) “You’re Norma Desmond. You used to be in silent pictures. You used to be big.”   (Norma)  “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.”

Rank: Honorable Mention

© 2023 S.G. Liput
782 Followers and Counting

The Invisible Man (2020)

20 Monday Nov 2023

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Do you feel a chill that warns “Beware”?
Are you not alone when no one’s there?
To be a human is to err,
So surely I am wrong.

Do things just move all on their own?
Is every creak a new doubt sown?
It’s obvious that I’m alone,
So surely I am wrong.

Are muscles tightened like a spring?
Do you detect some unseen thing?
But no one else is noticing,
So surely I am wrong.

But there it is again, you hear?
The subtle sound of someone near.
I’m waiting like a staring deer
For someone, something to appear.
The eye will lie, but trust the ear;
It knows it when the coast’s not clear.
Am I unstable if I fear
What no one else confirms is here?
Am I to trust the ones who jeer
And say that I’m a fool to fear?
I’m not a fool! I know it’s near,
So what if you are wrong?!
___________________________

MPA rating:  R (for language and violence)

I’m a little disgusted with myself for having four different scary movies lined up for October and then not getting to review any of them before Halloween. But “better late than never” has become the new mantra for this blog. I had heard good things about The Invisible Man, a February 2020 release that managed to make a decent splash before COVID shut down Hollywood releases. The concept of invisibility has never had quite the punch of monsters like vampires and werewolves, but this film proves how nightmarish it can be in the wrong hands.

This latest incarnation of The Invisible Man makes some clever changes to the typical H.G. Wells story of a mad scientist creating an invisibility serum, instead focusing on one of his victims before he ever acquired such a power. Elizabeth Moss gives an outstanding and honestly Oscar-worthy performance as Cecilia Cass, the battered girlfriend of possessive optics genius Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen). When she flees his clutches and goes into hiding, Cecilia is startled to learn of his apparent death, only to then be haunted by an increasingly violent invisible force that makes everyone around her question her sanity.

The voyeuristic nature of invisibility has precedents, such as in 2000’s Hollow Man, but this film puts Cecilia’s relationship trauma and the stalker-ish behavior of a vengeful lover front and center. The concept of gaslighting has become more prominent (and misused) in our Internet age of misinformation and manipulation, but its use here mirrors the origin of the word, the 1944 film Gaslight where a cruel husband psychologically torments his wife to make her go insane. Luckily, Elizabeth Moss is an expert at acting crazy and more than delivers in her arc from battered victim to helpless prey to empowered avenger. Aldis Hodge as Cecilia’s supportive friend and Michael Dorman as Adrian’s smarmy brother fill their roles well, but this is Moss’s film through and through. To match her, the villain is brilliantly depicted as a faceless aggressor before his “death,” only for that faceless aggression to take a new unseen form that threatens to make its presence known through violence at any moment. Not knowing where he is remains key to the film’s ever-present tension, making the moments when we do know stand out even more.

Between expert performances and Leigh Whannell’s stylish direction, The Invisible Man is an instant horror classic and possibly the best use of invisibility in the genre. That said, the villain’s choices start to break down near the end, and it does get a bit overlong, continuing beyond the expected climax to try gaslighting Cecilia, as well as the audience, even more. The actual ending still works, just taking a more uncomfortably personal turn than an action scuffle and leaving open a window for theorizing and sequel potential. In contrast to the gorefests I try to avoid (though this film does have its brutal moments), I subscribe to the horror principle that what you don’t see is often scarier than what you do, and The Invisible Man uses that rule to its advantage while applying it to an all-too-realistic scenario.

Best line: (recurring) “Surprise.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
782 Followers and Counting

2023 Blindspot Pick #1: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

15 Sunday Oct 2023

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“Parting is such sweet sorrow,”
Said the bard through Juliet.
It’s bittersweet
Till next we meet
Lest you or I forget.

But sweetness fades with waiting
While bitter amplifies.
By fits and starts,
Two hostage hearts
Will wear new love’s disguise.

And when the parting’s ended
And our hearts meet again,
The memory
Still sweet can be
But only as ‘twas then.
_____________________

MPA rating:  Not Rated (PG-13 seems right)

I’ll admit that October does seem a little late to start on that Blindspot series I announced back in January, but I at least haven’t waited this long to start watching them. I have already seen five of them, but my reviews have been painfully slow in coming. I need to get better at carving out time for them and not being afraid to keep them short. Since I’ve been knee-deep in writing a musical, it seems only right to kick off the Blindspot reviews with an acclaimed foreign musical called Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, or The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

Sung-through entirely in French, the film follows two young lovers, mechanic Guy (Nino Castelnuovo) and umbrella store clerk Geneviève (Catherine Deneuve), whose swooning rendezvous are kept secret from Geneviève’s busybody mother (Anne Vernon). Yet their budding romance is foiled by Guy’s being drafted to fight in the Algerian War. As Geneviève’s mother impresses on her the importance of marrying well, the young girl is faced with a difficult choice and a heartbreaking regret.

I can certainly see why The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is so beloved among cinephiles and stands as one of the quintessential bittersweet romances. While opera had its own long-standing tradition, an original, sung-through musical was quite a novelty for the time and an artistic risk that might not have paid off with lesser artists. But Michel Legrand’s haunting melodies add a tender beauty to the sung dialogue, which would be rather mundane if just spoken. A behind-the-scenes featurette was quite interesting as Legrand was interviewed about his initial struggles developing a theme for each character, an important element of musical writing. I was impressed to learn that all the actors were lip-syncing to other singers’ voices, considering how well Deneuve and Castelnuovo acted in line with their “singing.”

While the music is key to the film’s fame, even earning a Best Original Song Oscar nomination for “I Will Wait for You,” the parting song between Guy and Geneviève (also somehow getting noms for both Original and Adapted Score), the sets and cinematography deserve just as much praise. Considering director Jacques Demy’s previous two films were in black and white, the colors here are as vivid and impressive as Dorothy stepping into Oz, like an interior designer’s wet dream. The rooms and stores have brightly variegated walls that often look freshly painted, Geneviève’s yellow jacket pops against the rainy blue streets, and every choice of paint, costume, and wallpaper feels intentional for the background to accent the scene and give it an iconic look. Rarely does the use of color feel so integral to a film’s identity and success, making the lack of any technical Oscar nominations feel criminal.

If I’m being totally honest, the music tends to sound the same after a while, lacking variety that would keep the middle section from getting rather monotonous and boring. The film’s interest and emotion are highest at the beginning and end, and its final scenes especially have a superb bittersweetness that clearly went on to inspire other films like La La Land. Ultimately, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg feels like a film everyone ought to see at least once, making it a perfect Blindspot pick, but it’s not the kind of musical I’d want to rewatch often or one I would recommend to those musical-haters out there (you know who you are). Even if its narrative loses steam, it is impressive art for both ear and eye and a laudable trailblazer for musical cinema.

Best line: (Geneviève) “Mother, he’s leaving. He’ll be away for two years. I can’t live without him. I’ll die.”  (her mother, Madame Emery) “Stop crying. Look at me. People only die of love in movies.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

© 2023 S.G. Liput
782 Followers and Counting

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)

04 Monday Sep 2023

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Franchises and ruins share at least one thing in common,
And no, it’s not that both attest to how the best declined.
Whether we discuss the MCU or Tutankhamen,
It’s that they both give hope to those in search of more to find.

For ardent archaeologists, they know there’s always more,
Beneath the dirt, untapped, covert, and waiting to be found.
Likewise, the nerds of fandom herds will pray as they explore,
That patience be rewarded if they simply stick around.

While one digs in the future and the other in the past,
They live for tiny victories, discoveries to tout.
They can’t all be an ancient tomb or Endgame unsurpassed;
Sometimes it’s just a broken bust they can’t do much about.
________________________

MPA rating: PG-13

I realize my output has slowed of late, but, despite struggling with my writing schedule, I have not forgotten this blog. Besides, it’s not like I’m taking fifteen-year breaks between entries like a certain Harrison Ford series. Anyway, as my past reviews and rankings might indicate, I am pretty forgiving when it comes to franchise films that others lambaste. I still like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull more than anyone I know, and I can find plenty to enjoy from the supposed worst of Star Wars and the MCU. So I welcomed one final installment in the Indiana Jones franchise; Crystal Skull did have its issues, so perhaps one last adventure could end Indy’s cinematic journey on a high note. But though Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny has some bright spots, it was more of a letdown than even I was expecting.

Set mostly in 1969, this truly final adventure for Indiana Jones involves the crotchety archaeologist being pulled into another race for a potentially magical Macguffin, pursued by a former Nazi scientist (the ever reliably villainous Mads Mikkelsen) and his CIA accomplices, as well as Indy’s goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) with unscrupulous motives of her own. The titular Dial of Destiny is the Antikythera mechanism, an actual ancient Greek artifact with gears that could predict astronomical events, though here it’s a simpler device with two halves that are believed to map time instead.

Say what you will about Crystal Skull but it did at least give Indy a happy ending with a son and marriage, and I do take issue with sequels like this that justify their existence by doing away with all that to make the main character miserable at the start. Nevertheless, director James Mangold proves to be a surprisingly effective stand-in for Spielberg, bringing a great sense of fun and adventure to the film’s opening sequence. It’s an extended chase back in 1944 with a perfectly de-aged Indy back in his Nazi-thwarting prime alongside his timid friend Basil (Toby Jones), Helena’s father. If the whole film had been as good as the opening, it would be a hit recalling the franchise at its best. It’s just not the same once we jump to older Indy at his glum retirement party.

I will give credit to the fast pacing that never lets too much time go by without a chase or a tense stand-off. One extended pursuit is a hoot as Indy, Helena, her young sidekick Teddy (Ethann Isidore), the bad guys, and vengeful mobsters all chase each other through the narrow streets of Tangier. I also appreciated some welcome cameos, including John Rhys-Davies returning as Sallah and Antonio Banderas as another old friend who helps with a Mediterranean dive. With all the action, it does take some suspension of disbelief to accept the now-octogenarian Ford’s ability to keep up. He doesn’t engage in the old-fashioned fisticuffs as much, but he still jumps from vehicles, climbs cliffs, endures injury, and falls out of planes with the best of them (or at least his body double does).

Despite the caveats above, I was still enjoying Dial of Destiny for the most part and was prepared to defend it against naysayers up until the ending. Obviously, I won’t spoil it, but it takes a supernatural turn that was hard to accept, with an unsatisfying villain defeat due to their own dumb decisions and a climax of historical passion that I just didn’t buy. It’s not the worst thing ever, but it felt like the first draft of a finale rather than the finished product, a neat idea that should have gone back to the drawing board. I was sort of hoping the time travel element might wrap back around to the opening sequence a la Back to the Future Part II, but I suppose that would be too supernatural. I was also underwhelmed by Helena’s character; Waller-Bridge has a winking charisma that’s easily likable, but her ideals are in direct opposition with Indy’s (complete with a smug barb about capitalism). Though they bond a bit, it’s not clear how much moral growth, if any, she’s had by the end.

I so wanted to like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, but this is a case where I can agree with the disgruntled crowd. I would still watch it again for its good moments proving the effort that went into making this a worthy sequel and the simple fact that I love Ford in the lead role. It didn’t deserve to be the massive financial bomb it was, but sadly it’s a prime example of ending a franchise with a whimper rather than a bang.

Best line: (Indiana Jones) “I don’t believe in magic, but a few times in my life, I’ve seen things. Things I can’t explain. And I’ve come to believe it’s not so much about what you believe; it’s how hard you believe it.”

Rank: List Runner-Up

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