NostalGeoff

Tag: 40s

• The United States vs. Billie Holiday…Review

  Posted at 9:56 pm by Geoff, on March 9, 2021

  

  The US government’s persecution of prominent members of the black community has been a recurring theme this Oscar season. MLK/FBI details the harassment and surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr. Judas and the Black Messiah follows an informant who infiltrates the Black Panthers in order to take down Fred Hampton. And now, The United States vs. Billie Holiday focuses on the FBI’s attacks on the legendary singer. They targeted Holiday (Andra Day) because of her song “Strange Fruit”, which tells the story of the lynching of Black men and women in the South. The FBI claimed the song would incite riots. They were actually worried about it inspiring a burgeoning civil rights movement and threatening their way of life. White life. 

  
  US vs. Billie Holiday covers her story from the 1940s to the 1950s. By this time she is an established star touring the country. She also has a huge drug problem that threatens to derail her career. Jimmy Fletcher (Trevante Rhodes) comes onto the scene at this time. He’s claims to be a journalist, but is actually a Federal narcotics agent. The head of the division, Harry Anslinger (Garrett Hedlund), knows about Holiday’s drug issues. If he can take her down with that she won’t be able to perform “Strange Fruit”. Thanks to Fletcher’s betrayal, Holiday is sent to prison. Oddly enough, when she gets out, she accepts him back into her life and they begin a relationship. But he’s still being used by Anslinger to get to her, a role that Fletcher begins to rebel against. 

  
  Director Lee Daniels has a lot to juggle with this film. It’s part biopic, romance, and historical drama. As a result Holiday’s story often feels disjointed, like Daniels is jumping around from moment to moment in an attempt to capture everything. Also, the sudden tonal and visual shifts are distracting. It’s a very interesting piece, but it could have been more cohesive. Day, on the other hand, often exceeds the movie she’s in. She truly embodies Holiday from the start, going beyond a simple imitation. Plus, her performances in the musical numbers are captivating. It’s an incredible debut that is deserving of the Oscar talk.

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  Posted in Movies | 0 Comments | Tagged 40s, 50s, Movies, Reviews

• Hollywood…Review

  Posted at 10:11 pm by Geoff, on May 4, 2020

  

  Ryan Murphy’s latest project, Hollywood, concentrates on the infamous movie industry town in the post-WWII 1940s. But this isn’t a straight up version of what happened back then. Instead, Murphy takes a detour and imagines “what if”. What if a black woman could have been the lead in a major motion picture? What if a woman ran the studio? Or what if a gay man was able to come out and still have a career?  

  A variety of characters bring this vision to life. Jack Costello (David Corenswet) is an actor who dreams of making it big in the movies. Unfortunately, he can’t get work and needs to support his family. That leads him to Ernie (Dylan McDermott) a colorful character who runs a gas station that is front for a prostitution ring. The attendants are all hot guys who fulfill the needs of customers looking to go to “Dreamland”. Jack’s first client is Avis (Patti Lupone), a former actress who is neglected by her brash studio boss husband, Ace (Rob Reiner). We also meet longtime Ace Studio executives Dick (Joe Mantello) and Ellen (Holland Taylor). Then there’s black aspiring ingenue Camille (Laura Harrier), her Filipino director boyfriend Raymond (Darren Criss), and Archie (Jeremy Pope), a gay black screenwriter. The show also includes real people from the era. Anna May Wong (Michelle Krusiec) was an Asian actress who never got the chance to break out of the stereotypical roles Hollywood put her in. Murphy seeks to rectify that. Henry Wilson (Jim Parsons) was one of the slimiest talent managers in town. He sexually abused his clients, young men who trusted him with their careers. Parsons is fantastic at playing this reptilian character. Henry’s most famous client was debonair matinee idol Rock Hudson (Jake Picking). I’m a big Hudson fan, but this particular portrayal is horrible. He’s written as a clueless buffoon, stumbling in every scene. It’s a weird choice.

  After the first few episodes, the new reality begins. Ace has a heart attack and is sidelined in the hospital. This allows Avis to step in and run the studio. She greenlights Meg, a film directed by Raymond, written by Archie, and starring Camille. None of these people would have been able to reach these goals in the actual 1940s, but in Murphy’s world all of the “others” can finally win. It’s an exciting concept to push aside the old straight white men and let someone else have the power. The problem I found, though, was the execution. Murphy hits us over the head with how monumental these fictional events would have been. Think of what it would have meant to a little black girl to see Camille on the big screen. And then he cuts to that girl. The same thing is done with a black gay man and an Asian family reacting to Archie and Anna’s successes. He doesn’t just show us, but also continually puts it in the dialogue. You can only hear people go on and on about their previously unattainable dreams before it begins to sound trite. I get it, this is a big deal. The other thing is that these triumphs are reached with very little pushback. It comes too easy, eliminating any tension in the plot.

  On the plus side, the production is gorgeous. Murphy and crew meticulously recreate the decade through the sets, costumes, and music. Lupone’s hats deserve their own special Emmy. The younger actors are very charismatic, particularly Costello and Pope. I also liked the inclusion of the veteran actors who get to do a lot of heavy lifting. Seeing Mantello, Holland, McDermott, and Lupone in scenes together is captivating. I only wish that the story matched the strength of the other elements in the series.

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  Posted in TV | 0 Comments | Tagged 40s, Reviews, TV

• JoJo Rabbit…Review

  Posted at 5:49 pm by Geoff, on October 25, 2019

  

  JoJo Rabbit is both a dark satire and a heartwarming coming of age film. It’s hard to imagine those two very different genres coming together, but writer/director Taika Waititi makes it work.

  The film centers on JoJo Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis), a ten-year-old growing up in Germany during World War II. He is obsessed with the Nazi party, so much so that his imaginary friend is Adolf Hitler (Waititi pulling triple duty). This goofy childish version of Hitler urges JoJo on when he feels discouraged or scared. He’s a helpful imaginary friend, aside from being evil of course.

  JoJo’s mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson), does not share his political views. He discovers that she’s hiding a teenage Jewish girl, Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie), behind a wall in their house. He threatens to turn Elsa in, but she warns him that Rosie will be punished as well if that happens. JoJo reluctantly accepts Elsa in his home and learns more about her and Jews in general. He begins to question the teachings of the Nazi party as he forms a friendship with someone who is supposed to be his enemy.

  JoJo marks Davis’ film debut. It’s impressive that such a young actor in their first role would be able to handle it so expertly. He’s in almost every scene and carries himself like a seasoned professional. McKenzie and Johansson are equally strong. There’s also a great supporting performance from Sam Rockwell as JoJo’s eccentric instructor.

  Over the course of the film we see JoJo grow in ways he wasn’t expecting. Having Elsa thrown into his life allows him to see another viewpoint and to become more compassionate. It’s a touching evolution. Then there’s the satire where Waititi shows how insane and ridiculous the Nazis can be. Some audience members made be offended by having a wacky version of Hitler, but his ideologies are shown to be dangerous as well as buffoonish. You can laugh at him and be repelled at the same time. Waititi expertly combines a mix of emotions and tones in order to create an engaging film.

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  Posted in Movies | 0 Comments | Tagged 40s, Movies, Reviews

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