Spotlight

Michael Keaton stars in this old style drama of the Spotlight investigative reporting team at the Boston Globe.  It portrays their scoop of the Catholic Priest abuse unfolding in 2001-2002 in Boston.  With Boston being 53% Catholic the Church leans large.  As one line say "The Church thinks in centuries - are you prepared to do the same?"

Director of Photography does a great job interspersing the shots of the characters with a church looming in the back.  And Robbie (Keaton) has a nice subplot with his high school - as he notes, he's born and raised Boston.  Good casting of Mark Ruffalo as the hotheaded reporter, Rachel McAdams as the more thoughtful one, and Stanley Tucci as the harried plaintiff's lawyer (e.g. A Civil Action).

Of course it reminded me of one of my top 10 All the President's Men - a mystery, a good v. evil struggle.  Well done

* * * * * of 5

My All American

As you gather around the Thanksgiving table and settle in for some UT football on Thursday night, be sure to go see the movie showing now "My All American" starring Aaron Eckhart and Finn Wittrock.

Written by Angelo Pizzo who wrote Rudy and Hoosiers, the story is set in the late 1960s as Darrell Royal (played by Eckhart) recruits an undersized player from Colorado to play for UT.  

Freddy Steinmark (Wittrock) proceeds to have a dream-like football career before he starts having pain he can't ignore during the 1969 season culminating in the Game of the Century Texas v. Arkansas [ which of course Texas won].

UT football, Darrell Royal, Austin are co-stars of the show.  The scoreboard at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium (for many years) has been named the Freddy Steinmark Memorial Scoreboard - even a longtime fan like me did not know that).

A good story - keep a stiff upper lip - it's a sad one.

Mockingjay Part 2 * Hunger Games

I went to the double feature of Mockingjay Part 1 and Part 2, the last part of the Hunger Games (quad movie).  The decision to break this into 2 movies was a pretty good one.  Part 1 starts with Katniss waking up in recovery in District 13 after having caused the revolution to be televised.  She is being groomed to be the leader, the Mockingjay.

Part 2 starts after Peeta attacks Katniss.  As the group begins their assault on the Capitol, the team is created.  Here it turns into Aliens, right down the line.  But it is never a bad idea to mimic a classic movie.  Not to spoil the ending but it does circle nicely to the beginning of the original Hunger Games (2012).

Both Hunger Games and Catching Fire were 4 of 4 star movies.  Here both Mockingjay Part 1 and Part 2 are 4 of 5 stars under the new system.

Love the Coopers

Steve Martin must have been called to star in this movie - "It's a Christmas family movie, Diane Keaton is the mom, you'll be the dad, Father of the Bride, It's Complicated."

What do  you think, Steve?

"I'd rather be the voice of the dog" he must have said.

So John Goodman gets cast with glasses against Diane Keaton.  It's an ensemble piece, like Christmas Day, Love Actually where a lot of competing story lines all come together in one big package.  But the supporting stories are not so good.   Your classic middle age losers as the children.  Still, a nice holiday movie.  And Steve Martin is the dog!


* * * of 5

Rock the Kasbah

Bill Murray stars... yes that was the hook for me.  Regretably, it is not 1981 anymore and the fact that this grandfather is here (without Wes Anderson's magic) and that means... ZZZ.

The (dirty) relationship between Manager and Talent (called sacred in the movie) reminded me of another movie that made you want to take a shower afterwards Breaking a Monster, from SXSW.

The beautiful Leem Lubany (all 17 years old) was a bright spot in this otherwise snoozer.

Here's a more detailed review - from someone who cared a bit more than me.  Casablanca comparisons?    More like Ishtar.

* * of 5

Steve Jobs

It's official - movies about Steve Jobs just stink.  Jobs (2013) was the worst movie of 2013 and this latest is really not a whole lot better.  It's a bit more true to the fine biography by Walter Issacson, but that is probably why the subject appealed to a serious historian and not a mainstream movie maker.

Aaron Sorkin takes a crack at the story but it comes across as an extended TV show like his creation West Wing- too much fast talking, wise cracking, plot leading questions.  "What is it about an adopted child like you?" - tries to Cliff Note the whole thing.

And there's no scope to it- we have three acts - well done in their part.  It's like A Christmas Carol where he's visited from Ghosts of Apple Past.  And Seth Rogen playing Fozzy Bear- Steve Wozniack.  Any more bearded slobs actors?  The light/dark aspect is just too right to resist beating into the ground for a filmmaker.

Michael Fassbender makes the most of the role and does a nice job.  But the whole thing is an paen to Jobs - he can do no wrong, even when he's getting fired, abandoning his family, distorting reality, etc.  They tried... but, it's a no.

* * of 5