As a biography film about one legendary Hollywood figure, “Trumbo” looks trivial compared to his larger-than-life status. Here is a man who steadily fought against the injustices inflicted upon himself and his ill-fated colleagues for years while never bending his hardcore left-wing political beliefs, but the movie merely chronicles what happened during the darkest period of his life in Hollywood. Its subjects are certainly worthwhile to be told and shown, but what we get here is a passable TV movie instead of something more passionate and interesting.
It is 1947 in Hollywood, and Dalton Trumbo (Brian Cranston) has been riding on his fame as one of the top screenplay writers in the town, but the storm is gathering as he and his colleagues are increasingly concerned about the Red Scare being spread around the country. When fascism swept across Europe during the 1930s, Trumbo and many other left-wing American figures joined the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), and that had been tolerated for a while as the Soviet Union became one of their nation’s allies during the World War II, but the tide was turned once the war was over and then followed by the beginning of the Cold War, and the American society became warier of the increasing influence of the Soviet Union and China during that period.
And that was when the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) came in. Unfairly deemed as the enemies of the American society, many people around the country were brought to this really shameful un-American committee in Washington D.C. and then forced to testify about their former/current left-wing political activities or against people close to them, and Hollywood was no exception. While several prominent right-wing Hollywood stars including John Wayne and Ronald Reagan were willing to step forward for driving communism out of Hollywood, the powerful moguls of top Hollywood studio films made the blacklist for avoiding public accusation and protecting their industry, and their blacklist resulted in many personal pains and tragedies during the reigning years of HUAC, which reached to the peak with the rise of Senator Joseph McCarthy during the 1950s.
As partially supported by Trumbo’s friend Edward G. Robinson (Michael Stuhlbarg), Trumbo and his close colleagues fight together against HUAC. When they are subpoenaed to the committee, Trumbo and his friend Arlen Hird (Louis C.K.) refuse to testify about anything, and they soon become unemployed and ostracized like many other blacklisted people in the town. They are also jailed for contempt of Congress, and they bitterly hear more bad news from HUAC while serving their time in prison.
When Trumbo is released, he accepts with resignation that nothing can really be done outside for a while, but he does not stop at all. He keeps writing screenplays, and his friend Ian McLellan Hunter (Alan Tudyk) willingly becomes the front writer for one of Trumbo’s screenplays which becomes the basis of a certain classic Hollywood film. Trumbo is also hired by the King Brothers Production, and its owners Frank and Hymie King (John Goodman and Stephen Root) do not mind about employing Trumbo and other blacklisted writers at all as long as Trumbo and his team quickly write or re-write heaps of screenplays for their cheap B-movies, though Trumbo and his colleagues still have to hide behind pseudonyms.
As Trumbo works for more than 15 hours every day under his constantly demanding schedule, he keeps pushing hard not only himself but also others close to him. His family have to move to a smaller house due to their economic difficulty, and they also have to work as his assistants while Trumbo concentrates on writing during every waking hour of his. As Trumbo’s long-suffering wife, Diane Lane does not have many things to do except showing her character’s admirable patience, and the same thing can be said about Elle Fanning, who plays Trumbo’s rebellious daughter who becomes as passionate about social issues as her father.
In the end, as some of you already know, things eventually get better for Trumbo. His screenplay for “The Brave One” (1956) wins an Oscar although the award officially goes to his pseudonym Robert Rich at the ceremony. Not long after Kirk Douglas (Dean O’Gorman) requests Trumbo to write the adapted screenplay for “Spartacus” (1960), Otto Preminger (Christian Berkel) visits Trumbo for himself, and Preminger’s film “Exodus” (1960) becomes a big blow to the blacklist along with “Spartacus” as both Douglas and Preminger stand by Trumbo and keep his name in their respective films.
This is surely a dramatic life story, but the director Jay Roach and his screenplay writer John McNamara, who adapted Bruce Cook’s biography “Dalton Trumbo”, fail to generate sufficient narrative momentum despite a good lead performance by Bryan Cranston, who did whatever he could do with his role and is recently rewarded with his first Best Actor Oscar nomination. Occasionally wielding his character’s wit or cigarette, Cranston is wholly prepared to show warts and all of Trumbo, but he is not helped much by the weak screenplay which monotonously trudges across the time span of more than 20 years. In case of its many historical inaccuracies pointed out by critics, I could overlook them easily because I usually respect artistic freedom in fiction, but the result is flat and unengaging with no particular new insight into Trumbo or that struggling period of him and others. Many scenes feel artificial in its mood and dialogue, and I became more annoyed by the frequent appearances of subtitle to remind us of the passage of time at every major plot turn.
Besides Cranston, “Trumbo” has a few good things to watch, and they make the film tolerable to some degrees. Louis C.K., who can switch himself easily between humor and pathos as shown from his TV comedy series “Louie”, shows a more serious side as a fictional character who is the composite of several real-life people, and Michael Stuhlbarg has a small bitter scene which reminds us of how many of us can be easily bent under social pressure. John Goodman delightfully chews his scenes as a brash movie producer who will not tolerate anyone who dares to interfere with his business, Christian Berkel keeps his face straight as your average stiff German filmmaker, and Helen Mirren is deliciously hateful as malicious Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hooper. Like Cranston, they all call for a better film probably buried somewhere inside this forgettable outcome, and that is a shame indeed.
When I was going through another miserable day of my graduate course during the early 2010s, it happened to be my turn to clean the floor of my laboratory, and I used a newly bought mop for the first time. While equipped with a bucket for washing water, the mop was capable of self-wringing through its clever handle design and a spinning basket in the bucket, and it was one of a few commercial cleaning tools which really impressed me for inventiveness and convenience. I did not have to wet my hands or bend my back for washing the mop, and, of course, I got extra time for my procrastination through this convenient mop.
And there is her father Rudy (Robert De Niro), who left his family a long time ago but has been around the family while running his local garage which happens to have a shooting range right next to it. She lets her father in the family house after his third marriage failed, and Tony is not so pleased to share his place with his ex-father-in-law who does not think highly of him. She also takes care of her father’s messy accounting matters, but she is not appreciated much by him or her petty half-sister Peggy (Elisabeth Röhm), who frequently disregards Joy whenever it suits her.
Unlike most of us who are fine with our sexual identity, some people are not comfortable with their body, and many of them are willing to go outside our conventional definition of sexuality. Regardless of whether we approve of this or not, we can only imagine what they feel before and after they make their final decision on that medical surgery which will affect their life and body forever in many ways.
“Creed” is an underdog movie true to the dogged spirit of its old senior in many ways. Faithfully following its senior’s footsteps with some bittersweet sense of nostalgia, the movie also brings a considerable amount of fresh energy into the franchise which is going to be 40 years old in this year, and it is unexpectedly vigorous and surprisingly poignant in its pulsating mix of old and new things. It is indeed predictable and conventional in its familiar genre formula, but the movie did its job far better than I expected, and it definitely deserves its own place right under its senior as a well-made sports drama packed with lots of vigor and heart.
Jordan, a promising young actor who has kept steadily advancing since his breakthrough turn in “Frutivale Station”, remains as the center of the film in his strong unadorned performance which is alternatively intense and sincere. While physically convincing on the screen, Jordan is engaging to watch as a good-natured lad trying hard for an opportunity to prove himself outside his dead father’s big legacy, and he also has a good chemistry with Tessa Thompson, who plays a girl with whom Donnie happens to be romantically involved by chance. Like Donnie, Thompson’s character has her own aspiration she will follow to the end in spite of several obstacles including her deteriorating hearing ability, and the screenplay by Coogler and his co-writer Aaron Covington thoughtfully handles the development of this intimate relationship with sensitivity and intelligence.
Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight” is a violent, bloody piece of work drenched in stylish excess and vicious black humor. This aspect will not surprise you if you are familiar with many of Tarantino’s sensational works, but this eighth film of his is quite mean, brutal, and ruthless even in his standard. After establishing its cold, snowy ground with a bunch of various untrustworthy characters stuck within a closed space, this savage western film mercilessly and relentlessly strikes us hard with how much its unlikable characters are literally hateful to the core, and you will be gripped by its ambitious take-no-prisoner exercise in bloody nihilism for more than 2.5 hours – or repelled by its relentless serving of simmering murderous hate and barbaric remorseless violence on its big, wide canvass of 65 mm film.
And then Ruth and Warren come across more things to worry about. As the weather gets far worse than expected with a freezing blizzard, the stagecoach stops by Minnie’s Haberdashery, and they and others in the stagecoach have to spend at least a few days in this place until the blizzard is attenuated. Ruth and Warren become more watchful than before as they notice a few strange things in this place. They are told that the owner of the haberdashery is currently absent due to a family matter, and the haberdashery is being taken care of by a Mexican guy named Bob (Demián Bichir). In addition, there are Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), a British hangman who will probably execute Daisy as a certified professional; Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), a cowpuncher on the return trip to his home; and General Sanford Smithers (Bruce Dern), a former Confederate general who seldom moves on a sofa near the fireplace in his numb, flaccid state.
Beginning with one very grim human condition, “Room” takes us into a small isolated world of its two main characters who have depended only on each other for years. While we are horrified by the darkness of their terrible circumstance, we are also touched by their intimate relationship which has been a tiny but precious light during their many unimaginable days of captivity, and the movie becomes all the more powerful as observing the resilience of their deep mutual love which leads them to the possibility of hope and salvation in the end.
Through his close, intimate approach to the story, the director Lenny Abrahamson, who previously directed offbeat comedy film “Frank” (2014), sticks tightly to Ma and Jack’s isolated environment. We are immersed into their limited viewpoint as the cinematographer Danny Cohen’s camera usually stays close to them as if it were another captive in their space, and Abrahamson’s two lead performers are believable in their unadorned but captivating portrayal of a human relationship under an extraordinary circumstance. The screenplay by Emma Donoghue, who adapted her acclaimed novel of the same name, is an engaging mix of pathos and innocence, and the movie also works as a nail-biting thriller when Ma begins to realize that she must do something very risky for herself as well as her son.
Tremblay and Larson never take any single wrong step as they push or pull each other in the vibrant depiction of their characters’ relationship. When Ma and Jack clash with each other over what is really real or not at one point, their conflict and pain feel palpable to us as the camera alternates between the powerhouse actings by Larson and Tremblay, and then there comes a tense sequence in which Jack must be very brave as he follows his mother’s desperate measure for what may be their last chance of rescue.
We now observe Ma and Jack’s slow, difficult rehabilitation process, and it is harrowing to see how they are still not entirely free from their former condition. Jack is often bewildered by his new world which is far more open and comfortable, and he sometimes misses his former world where there were only him and his mother. Tremblay is achingly tentative as Jack takes his first steps into the world outside, and it is touching to see how quickly Jack adapts himself well to his new environment. Kids are vulnerable indeed, but they always surprise us with the resilience in their young plastic mind, and what Tremblay achieves here is as memorable as Abraham Attah’s strong work in “Beasts of No Nation” (2015), which is another unforgettable child actor performance of 2015.
While it is a slick animated feature film on the technical level, “The Good Dinosaur” is not wholly satisfying in terms of story and characters, and that is a surprise considering that it is made by none other than Pixar Animation Studios. Sure, there have been a few low points this legendary animation studio went through since its groundbreaking start with “Toy Story” (1995), but even its lesser films such as “Cars” (2006) and its underrated 2011 sequel have more personality compared to this film, which is not awful at all but rather forgettable on the whole.
Anyway, the harvest season comes again, and the family work harder for stocking their silo with harvested corns, which will support them during the upcoming winter. Henry assigns Arlo to guarding the corn silo from critters, and Arlo is eager to prove himself as his older siblings already did, though he is still not so confident while being afraid of many things including a pack of hideous chickens in their farm (my another question: what is the possible use of chickens for a herbivore dinosaur family? Chicken manure, perhaps?)
During their journey, Arlo and Spot meet various types of dinosaurs, and these dinosaur characters are more or less than the reptilian version of western film archetypes. There is a dopey moment involved with a shamanic Styracosaurus voiced by the director/co-writer Peter Sohn, and then we get a bunch of nasty pterodactyls lead by Thunderhead (voiced by Steve Zhan). Arlo and Spot also encounter a Tyrannosaurus cowboy family running a longhorn ranch, and Sam Elliot is amusingly imposing in his voice acting as the tough, seasoned head of this family with lots of sharp teeth (God helps whoever happens to deal with them over their longhorns).
It is always interesting to watch professionals doing their best together. “Spotlight” gives us such an experience like that, and this top-notch journalism drama is calm, concise, comprehensive, and straightforward just like any good investigative article you read from newspapers. While its journalist characters are grasping the staggering scale of their unexpected scoop which will affect not only their city but the whole nation in the end, we are absorbed into the vivid, meticulous presentation of their slow but steady work progress against the corrupted system, and we become more aware of what is being at stake for them as their deadline approaches day by day.
The Spotlight Team has been independently operated under Robinson’s supervision, and we meet his three reporters: Michael Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams), and Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James). After Baron suggests to Robinson that they should dig more into the case of a Catholic priest who turns out to be responsible for numerous cases of child sex abuse, the Spotlight reporters instantly embark on the further investigation on whether the Boston Archdiocese really turned a blind eye on its bad apple. They may not be surprised when it turns out to be true, but they are shocked to learn that this is not a singular case at all. There are far more sexual predators wearing shepherd’s skin around the city, and the Archdiocese has been concealing these dangerous guys and their crimes just for protecting its holy public reputation.
We also observe how mighty the Boston Archdiocese is as an opponent who can pull many strings through its considerable social/political influences around the city. The Spotlight Team members keep getting blocked from the courtroom documents which are necessary for their investigation, and they also feel the pressure from the outside in several directions. When Baron meets Cardinal Bernard Law (Len Cariou), this seemingly benevolent cardinal fully expects the Boston Globe to be on his church’s side, and that surely makes their meeting rather awkward. Regardless of how much Cardinal Law was actually responsible for the injustices committed under his leadership, you will roll your eyes to learn that he was virtually exempted from his scandalous blunder by his superiors in Rome while promoted to a more prestigious position later.
“Brooklyn” is a simple but touching film with lots of heart and mind. This is basically a classic coming-of-age drama with an innocent touch of fairy tale, but it is told so well through exemplary storytelling, commendable period mood, and first-rate performances that I found myself fully absorbed in its young immigrant heroine’s emotionally complex situation. Like many immigrants coming into US before or after her, she reaches for a life of good opportunities, and the movie shines with genuinely moving moments as she immerses herself in her new world and then comes to make an important decision for her changing life.
In a drab urban neighborhood where everyone looks lonely and isolated, “Macadam Stories” unfolds three different odd stories in parallel. While sharing the common tone and background with each other, these comic tales rarely intersect with each other, and that aspect further emphasizes the sense of loneliness and desperation around its main characters as it often looks like they are the only people in their gray monotonous world.
For dealing with his difficult situation, Sterkowitz comes to devise a way to use the elevator without coming across his neighbors. He notices a considerable time gap during night, so he starts to sneak out at night with his wheelchair, and that is how he happens to encounter a weary nighttime hospital employee played by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. Probably inspired by a movie he previously watched on TV, he lies about himself during their first conversation, and he keeps going along with that deception as he continues to meet her during his routine night hours. They approach to each other bit by bit, but our sad sack guy is clumsy as usual – and she looks weary and depressed as before.
Although there is a language barrier between them from the beginning, John begins to enjoy and appreciate the hospitality of this sweet old lady who has been living alone since her son was sent to prison. As he becomes a sort of surrogate son for her, John feels more comfortable than before although he is going to be picked up by his people once his current messy situation is over. The movie has a small fun with John and Madame Hamida’s rudimentary communications over the language barrier, and we get a humorous scene when they talk over an American TV soap drama they are watching together.
