After a bit of a baby-induced hiatus, I’m happy to jump back in the saddle and get back to talking movies. There is perhaps no better time to do this as this is exactly when the good movies start to flow! Traditionally, late in the year into January is when movies with Academy Award potential really start to become available to regular folks. In the past, this entailed many Oscar-hopeful films finally trickling to theaters across the country after limited runs in bigger cities. Now, that paradigm has changed somewhat.
For the second year in a row, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the organization in charge of the Oscars) has waived the theatrical release requirements for SOME films to be eligible, due to the pandemic. Though for films to waive the theatrical release, (in other words, going straight to streaming), there previously had to have been a planned theater run that was curtailed because of COVID. Needless to say, because of that rule and the trends of the industry, we have access to lots of Oscar-bait movies currently on both streaming services and in theaters.
With that in mind, I hope to bring you my thoughts on some of these films over the next months. And maybe throw in a few other fun things along the way as time allows. You’ll also possibly see some new voices helping out on the column in the upcoming weeks.
This week, I’ll bring my reviews for “The Power of the Dog” and “West Side Story.”
“The Power of the Dog” (streaming on Netflix)
This western written and directed by Jane Campion is set in 1920s Montana. Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons play wealthy brothers who run a ranch. Kristin Dunst plays Rose, a waitress in town with a grown son, Peter, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee. Plemons’ George soon marries Rose, brings her to the ranch and sends Peter to college. Phil (Cumberbatch) thinks Rose is using George for money and treats her horribly. Rose descends into depression and alcoholism at the ranch. When Peter eventually comes back from college and stays at the ranch, the volatile situation grows worse as Phil and the ranch hands relentlessly mock him. When Phil starts to take a shine to the boy, Rose is concerned about the relationship. In the end, events take a tragic turn, which I won’t spoil.
So, I have spoken a lot about my love of westerns. I’m also a fan of Campion’s work, dating back to her directing “The Piano” in 1993. Basically, I feel like I should have been poised to love or at least like “The Power of the Dog.” But I can’t really say that I did. On the plus side, the performances were pretty stellar and Cumberbatch and Dunst will likely earn Oscar nominations for theirs. The music was awesome and captured that western scope. The cinematography was awe-inspiring.
With all of this, I just didn’t really enjoy the movie. I can see why it’s getting tons of accolades and almost completely positive reviews, but I just couldn’t embrace the story. Cumberbatch’s character was so miserable and nasty that it negatively impacted the whole experience for me. I’m not sure I love Smit-McPhee as an actor either. The ending is also a little tricky regarding the big plot twist. I figured out what happened on the first viewing, but when I was researching the film, it appears that many viewers did not understand what happened, hence many explanatory videos on YouTube about it.
In the end, this western will not go onto my list of favorites. I may try to rewatch the film before the Oscars and see if I can enjoy it more on a subsequent viewing. “The Power of the Dog” is easily viewable since it’s on Netflix. If you see it, let me know what you thought. I’m interested to know what other average viewers like myself thought about it.
Now on to something wonderful…..
“West Side Story” (exclusively in theaters)
I hope I don’t have to summarize the plot of this one too much. This classic musical is a retelling of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” set in 1950s New York and directed by Steven Spielberg. The rival gangs the Jets and the Sharks are fighting for territory. In the midst of this, Puerto Rican Maria, the sister of the Sharks’ gang leader, and Tony, a former Jet trying to change his ways, fall in love at first sight. If you’ve seen the original 1961 movie or any number of high school or college productions of the musical, you’ll know the tragic turn of events that wraps up the story.
Though this movie was on my “most-anticipated of 2021” list, I was skeptical. Was it really a good idea to remake a great movie (so good that it won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture)? The answer, quite simply, is YES! This movie is fantastic. I don’t want to exaggerate, but “West Side Story” is my favorite movie that I’ve seen in a few years. I love, love, loved it. I’ve seen it twice in the theater and wouldn’t mind going again. Spielberg does an amazing job blending elements of the 1961 movie and still updating the film to make it fresh.
The cast is amazing. Maria is played by newcomer Rachel Zegler, whose singing ability is probably the best in the movie. Ansel Elgort (from “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Baby Driver”) stars as Tony and is really the only “movie star” among the younger cast. Some have noted that he is a weaker link in the movie. I didn’t think so. I found his dancing to be passable and his singing to be quite good. A variety of Broadway vets make up most of the cast. Rita Moreno, who won an Oscar for her portrayal of Anita in the original film, also stars in a great role Spielberg added just for her.
Beyond the cast, there are so many other highpoints in this movie that I can’t possibly cover them all. The set pieces are well-thought out, bright and colorful at times or dirty and gritty when they needed to be. The script is also super well-adapted. It adds some intriguing elements that the original didn’t really have, including more thoughtful commentary on race, class, and gentrification. The song and dance numbers are so fun that I didn’t want to leave the theater. My absolute favorite is “Gee, Officer Krupke,” sang by a few of the Jets delinquents in a police station.
One interesting choice in the film was Spielberg’s decision not to use subtitles even when Spanish is being spoken. This might frustrate some viewers, but I wasn’t really bothered by it. Maybe because I remember enough random Spanish vocab from my high school and college days. To me, it made the movie feel more authentic.
I could go on and on about this one. I’ll wrap it up by encouraging you all to check out “West Side Story.” Whether or not you’re a fan of musicals, this movie is so well-done, beautiful and fun, that I think anyone can appreciate it.
As always, send your feedback or topic ideas to Bridget at news@wrightcountymonitor.com.
