Review: "Fences"

The two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning August Wilson was, I would argue, one of the finest American playwrights of the 20th century. Prior to his death at age 60 in 2005, he had penned 16 plays, including a collection of 10, dubbed "The Pittsburgh Cycle," depicting the African-American experience in Pittsburgh in each decade of the century. His piece set in the 1950s, Fences, won Wilson his first Pulitzer and only career Tony Award in Best Play.

Now, Fences has been adapted to the big screen by leading man and director Denzel Washington, who brought along with him most of his fellow cast from the immensely successful, Tony-winning 2010 revival of the play. This marks the first time a Wilson play has been brought to the silver screen and the result, while imperfect, still packs a solid punch.

Fences focuses on the Maxson family - father and breadwinner Troy (Washington), his wife Rose (Viola Davis) and their son Cory (Jovan Adepo). There's also Troy's brother Gabe (Mykelti Williamson), whose head injury in World War II left him mentally impaired; Bono (Stephen Henderson), Troy's best friend and a constant presence in the Maxson house; and Lyons (Russell Hornsby), Troy's estranged son, whose dreams of becoming a musician don't sit well with his father. That's largely on account of Troy's failing earlier in life to become a professional baseball player, something he believes was on account of the color of his skin but, in actuality, was due to his age. That sentiment creates great conflict in the home when Cory gets scouted by a college football team - something Troy is adamantly against - and blood further boils among the Maxsons when Troy reveals something to Rose that will forever alter their marriage.

Wilson's words are stirring as ever in Fences and the acting is dazzling all-around. Davis, who is largely relegated to the background in the film's first half, walks away with the picture's back half in a powerhouse, enormously empathetic turn. Adepo is a great find and Henderson a real charmer, managing to steal moments with a simple smile. In the demanding and commanding role of Troy, Washington does fine work selling Wilson's brilliant dialogue. His performance does, however, seem more tailored to the stage than screen - where Davis has toned down her delivery a bit to fit the new medium, Washington is still playing the back row of the balcony.

Washington's direction of Fences is a bit on the staid side - considering this, The Great Debaters and Antwone Fisher collectively, he certainly seems a more compelling force in front of, as opposed to behind the camera. The picture recalls recent stage-to-screen adaptations like August: Osage County and Doubt that, without a great filmmaker calling the shots, got all of their mileage out of the screenplay and performances.

That isn't to say Fences is a bad film in the least - it's a must-see for Davis's performance alone. And I would love to see additional Wilson works adapted to the screen, except preferably with another, more daring director at the helm.

B+

Review: "La La Land"

Ah, the movie musical. When done right, it can create more magic upon the silver screen than any other film genre. Singin' in the Rain, All That Jazz, even Little Shop of Horrors - all make me swoon. I've been all too often underwhelmed, however, by recent offerings - ho-hum stage-to-screen adaptations of the likes of The Producers, The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables, among others. Even the Oscar-winning Chicago I felt missed the mark, albeit to a lesser extent than those three.

So, I was of course ecstatic when I first heard about filmmaker Damien Chazelle - whose Whiplash I was completely head-over-heels for - collaborating with the endlessly charming Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling on an original (!) musical for the big screen. Oddly enough, the result, La La Land, is something I think works a bit better as a love story than it does a musical.

The story - Mia (Stone), an aspiring actress who works as a barista on a Hollywood studio lot, meets Sebastian (Gosling), a brilliant jazz pianist who makes ends meet playing uninspiring Christmas jingles at a restaurant. Their brief first encounter is during a moment of road rage on a busy Los Angeles highway. Mia later discovers Sebastian playing a gorgeous composition at the restaurant (which gets him fired from that gig) and sees him perform again (a not-so-gorgeous tune this time) at a party months later.

At this point, they (at last!) start to warm up to each other, and Mia and Sebastian create plenty of adorable moments, but the relationship is greatly tested by their careers. Mia finds herself rejected in audition after audition, while Sebastian is pressured to abandon his classic jazz sound for something more mainstream and pop-heavy. The love between these two is palpable and undeniable but hey, we're talking about a city infamous for building dreamers up, only to tear them down.

Scattered throughout the picture are, of course, an array of original songs, composed by Justin Hurwitz, who also worked on Chazelle's Whiplash. There are some goodies here - I particularly liked "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)," performed by Stone, and "Mia and Sebastian's Theme," a key piano composition of Sebastian's - but I have to admit, I did not leave the theater humming a whole lot. The splashy opening number "Another Day of Sun" was all too reminiscent to me of those cheesy late-'90s Gap commercials that brought swing music back to the mainstream. Other tunes are well-choreographed on the screen but fail to much resonate beyond the dancing. Still, the Hurwitz orchestrations on the whole are pretty great and Chazelle has a fine grasp on how to effectively shoot a musical.

Beyond the music, there are of course the film's stars, Stone and Gosling, both of who truly dazzle here. Yes, they're irresistible to watch, and can sing and dance pretty darn well to boot, but these are two powerful, subtle, even often times heartbreaking turns, worthy of all the attention they've garnered thus far. When Mia abandons a dud of a date to join Sebastian at a screening of Rebel Without a Cause? Talk about sparks flying.

From a technical perspective, the picture looks terrific, with lovely cinematography by Linus Sandgren and production design by David Wasco. The film is edited by Tom Cross, who won a richly deserved Oscar for his work on Whiplash.

Is La La Land among the all-time great movie musicals? Not in the least. I don't even think it's Chazelle's strongest film or quite among the best pictures of 2016. It is, however, a real charmer and an immense delight to sit back and watch Stone and Gosling take over the screen. And hey, even if it's not a great musical, it'd still be pretty sweet if this film inspires non-musical lovers to check out some of the older, better stuff.

B+

Review: "Jackie"

Not long after the assassination of her husband, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy invited acclaimed political journalist and historian Theodore White to the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts to discuss the 35th U.S. president's legacy. The interview resulted in a Life Magazine essay that famously, at the suggestion of the first lady, drew a parallel between the late president and King Arthur of Camelot.

Director Pablo Larrain's captivating Jackie - one of the year's finest motion pictures, if perhaps not the best - utilizes this conversation as a means to delve into the psyche of the first lady (Natalie Portman, in a dead-on, tour-de-force turn that somehow manages to outdo her Oscar-winning Black Swan performance), before, during and following the tragic events of November 22, 1963.

We watch as Kennedy films her immensely successful A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy television special and are treated to select few, rich moments of the glory days of the Kennedy presidency, when the White House was filled with grand entertainment and joy. Then, of course, there are the horrors of that fall day in Dallas, Texas, the gruesomeness of the assassination itself and the whirlwind nature of the events to follow for the first lady, from Lyndon B. Johnson's abrupt swearing-in to the presidency to the countless and complex arrangements Kennedy needed to make over the days to follow. There are powerful scenes between the first lady and the grieving Robert F. Kennedy (Peter Sarsgaard), her longtime friend and assistant Nancy Tuckerman (Greta Gerwig) and the warm and enlightening Father Richard McSorley (John Hurt).

While there are a number of impressive, convincing performances to be found throughout Jackie - beyond those mentioned, John Carroll Lynch (as LBJ), Beth Grant (as Lady Bird Johnson) and Billy Crudup (as White) are also memorable - this is of course largely still a one-woman show, and Portman completely nails it. Not a false note is struck as Portman goes through a plethora of emotions, and she's greatly supported by Larrain's brilliant, often Kubrick-like direction and a marvelous screenplay by Noah Oppenheim.

Jackie is a true sight to behold, and to listen to, for that matter. The look and feel of the time is captured beautifully by costume designer Madeline Fontaine, cinematographer Stephane Fontaine and production designer Jean Rabasse. Mica Levi's dazzling, often overwhelming original score is surely one of the year's best.

Natalie, go get that Oscar #2!

A+

2016 Oscar Nomination Predictions (December)

Aloha, awards fans! It has been one hell of a month since my last set of Oscar predictions, with race-altering Golden Globe and SAG nominations, plus a heap of critics awards announcing their favorites of the year. Some wannabe-contenders, like Allied and Rules Don't Apply, fell flat on their faces, both critically and financially, while the likes of La La Land, Manchester By the Sea and Moonlight steamrolled their way through the precursors thus far. Little, however, is truly set in stone when it comes to this year's Oscar nominations - so much can happen between now and January 5 (when AMPAS nominating opens to members), let alone Oscar nominations morning on January 24.

With that said, please check out below my latest Oscar predictions, for the month of December. In parentheses you will find how many slots a contender has moved up or down since my November rankings. In a number of cases, I have eliminated a film or performer entirely. I will do one more, final set of predictions in January.

Have fun and, as always, feel free to comment with your own thoughts too!

Best Picture

1. La La Land (-)
2. Moonlight (+4)
3. Manchester by the Sea (+1)
4. Lion (+8)
5. Arrival (-2)
6. Fences (+1)
7. Hidden Figures (+2)
8. Silence (-3)
9. Hacksaw Ridge (NEW)
   ---
10. Hell or High Water (NEW)
11. Loving (-3)
12. Jackie (-10)
13. Nocturnal Animals (+1)
14. Sully (-1)
15. Florence Foster Jenkins (NEW)

DROPPED
Rules Don't Apply (-6)
20th Century Women (-5)
Allied (-1)

Best Director

1. Damien Chazelle, La La Land (-)
2. Barry Jenkins, Moonlight (+4)
3. Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea (+3)
4. Martin Scorsese, Silence (-1)
5. Denis Villanueve, Arrival (-3)
   ---
6. Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge (NEW)
7. Garth Davis, Lion (NEW)
8. David Mackenzie, Hell or High Water (NEW)
9. Pablo Larrain, Jackie (-5)
10. Clint Eastwood, Sully (-1)

DROPPED
Denzel Washington, Fences (-4)
Warren Beatty, Rules Don't Apply (-3)
Jeff Nichols, Loving (-1)

Best Lead Actor

1. Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea (-)
2. Denzel Washington, Fences (-)
3. Ryan Gosling, La La Land (-)
4. Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic (NEW)
5. Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge (-)
   ---
6. Joel Edgerton, Loving (-2)
7. Colin Farrell, The Lobster (NEW)
8. Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool (NEW)
9. Tom Hanks, Sully (-2)
10. Michael Keaton, The Founder (-3)

DROPPED:
Warren Beatty, Rules Don't Apply (-5)
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nocturnal Animals (-2)
Robert De Niro, The Comedian (-1)

Best Lead Actress

1. Natalie Portman, Jackie (+1)
2. Emma Stone, La La Land (-1)
3. Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins (+2)
4. Isabelle Huppert, Elle (+5)
5. Amy Adams, Arrival (-1)
   ---
6. Annette Bening, 20th Century Women (-3)
7. Ruth Negga, Loving (-1)
8. Hailee Steinfeld, The Edge of Seventeen (NEW)
9. Emily Blunt, The Girl on the Train (NEW)
10. Jessica Chastain, Miss Sloane (-2)

DROPPED
Taraji P. Henson, Hidden Figures (-4)
Kate Beckinsale, Love & Friendship (-1)

Best Supporting Actor

1. Mahershala Ali, Moonlight (+4)
2. Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water (+4)
3. Dev Patel, Lion (+6)
4. Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea (-2)
5. Michael Shannon, Nocturnal Animals (-1)
   ---
6. Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins (+2)
7. Issey Ogata, Silence (NEW)
8. Ben Foster, Hell or High Water (NEW)
9. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals (NEW)
10. Simon Helberg, Florence Foster Jenkins (NEW)

DROPPED
Liam Neeson, Silence (-11)
Peter Sarsgaard, Jackie (-8)
Adam Driver, Silence (-4)
Stephen Henderson, Fences (-1)

Best Supporting Actress

1. Viola Davis, Fences (+2)
2. Naomie Harris, Moonlight (-)
3. Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea (-2)
4. Nicole Kidman, Lion (+1)
5. Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures (+1)
   ---
6. Lily Gladstone, Certain Women (NEW)
7. Janelle Monae, Hidden Figures (NEW)
8. Molly Shannon, Other People (+2)
9. Greta Gerwig, 20th Century Women (-5)
10. Felicity Jones, A Monster Calls (-1)

DROPPED
Lupita Nyong'o, Queen of Katwe (-4)
Annette Bening, Rules Don't Apply (-3)

Best Original Screenplay

1. Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea (-)
2. Damien Chazelle, La La Land (+2)
3. Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water (NEW)
4. Matt Ross, Captain Fantastic (NEW)
5. Noah Oppenheim, Jackie (-4)
   ---
6. Nicholas Martin, Florence Foster Jenkins (NEW)
7. Efthimis Filippou and Yorgos Lanthimos, The Lobster (NEW)
8. Mike Mills, 20th Century Women (-1)
9. Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Phil Johnston, Jennifer Lee, Rich Moore, Jim Reardon and Josie Trinidad, Zootopia (-1)
10. Peter Berg, Matt Cook and Joshua Zetumer, Patriots Day (NEW)

DROPPED
Barry Jenkins and Tarell McCraney, Moonlight (-10)
Jeff Nichols, Loving (-8)
Warren Beatty, Rules Don't Apply (-5)
Ron Clements and John Musker, Moana (-2)
Asghar Farhadi, The Salesman (-1)

Best Adapted Screenplay

1. Barry Jenkins and Tarell McCraney, Moonlight (NEW)
2. August Wilson, Fences (-1)
3. Luke Davies, Lion (+3)
4. Jeff Nichols, Loving (NEW)
5. Jay Cocks, Silence (-2)
   ---
6. Eric Heisserer, Arrival (-4)
7. Allison Schroeder, Hidden Figures (-2)
8. Tom Ford, Nocturnal Animals (-4)
9. Todd Komarnicki, Sully (+1)
10. Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan, Hacksaw Ridge (NEW)

DROPPED
Ben Affleck, Live by Night (-4)
Whit Stillman, Love & Friendship (-3)
David Birke, Elle (-2)

Best Animated Feature

1. Zootopia (-)
2. Moana (-)
3. Kubo and the Two Strings (+3)
4. Miss Hokusai (+4)
5. The Red Turtle (-1)
   ---
6. Sing (-3)
7. Finding Dory (-2)
8. The Little Prince (NEW)
9. April and the Extraordinary World (-2)
10. My Life as a Zucchini (NEW)

DROPPED
Sausage Party (-2)
The Secret Life of Pets (-1)

Best Cinematography

1. Linus Sandgren, La La Land (-)
2. James Laxton, Moonlight (+6)
3. Rodrigo Prieto, Silence (+1)
4. Bradford Young, Arrival (-2)
5. Stephanie Fontaine, Jackie (-2)
   ---
6. Seamus McGarvey, Nocturnal Animals (-1)
7. Bill Pope, The Jungle Book (-1)
8. Greig Fraser, Lion (NEW)
9. Giles Nuttgens, Hell or High Water (NEW)
10. Robert Richardson, Live by Night (-3)

DROPPED
Caleb Deschanel, Rules Don't Apply (-2)
Charlotte Bruus Christiansen, Fences (-1)

Best Costume Design

1. Mary Zophres, La La Land (-)
2. Madeline Fontaine, Jackie (-)
3. Consolata Boyle, Florence Foster Jenkins (+3)
4. Colleen Atwood, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (+3)
5. Dante Ferretti, Silence (-2)
   ---
6. Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh, Love & Friendship (-1)
7. Seong-hie Ryu, The Handmaiden (NEW)
8. Renee Ehrlich Kalfus, Hidden Figures (NEW)
9. Lizzy Gardiner, Hacksaw Ridge (NEW)
10. Sharen Davis, Fences (-2)

DROPPED
Albert Wolsky, Rules Don't Apply (-7)
Jacqueline West, Live by Night (-2)
Joanna Johnston, Allied (-1)

Best Film Editing

1. Tom Cross, La La Land (-)
2. Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders, Moonlight (+3)
3. Jennifer Lame, Manchester by the Sea (+4)
4. Thelma Schoonmaker, Silence (-2)
5. Alexandre de Francheschi, Lion (+5)
   ---
6. Joe Walker, Arrival (-3)
7. Sebastián Sepúlveda, Jackie (-3)
8. Joan Sobel, Nocturnal Animals (-2)
9. Blu Murray, Sully (-)
10. John Gilbert, Hacksaw Ridge (NEW)

DROPPED
Hughes Winborne, Fences (-3)

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

1. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (-)
2. Florence Foster Jenkins (-)
3. Jackie (+1)
   ---
4. Hail, Caesar! (+1)
5. Hacksaw Ridge (NEW)
6. Nocturnal Animals (NEW)
7. Silence (-1)
8. Love & Friendship (-1)
9. Suicide Squad (NEW)
10. La La Land (NEW)

DROPPED
Rules Don't Apply (-8)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (-3)
Star Trek: Beyond (-2)
Live by Night (-1)

Best Original Score

1. Justin Hurwitz, La La Land (+4)
2. Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka, Lion (NEW)
3. Mica Levi, Jackie (-1)
4. Alexandre Desplat, Florence Foster Jenkins (+3)
5. John Williams, The BFG (+2)
   ---
6. Michael Giacchino, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (-1)
7. Abel Korzeniowski, Nocturnal Animals (NEW)
8. Nicholas Britell, Moonlight (NEW)
9. Mark Mancina, Moana (-6)
10. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Patriots Day (NEW)

DROPPED
Johann Johansson, Arrival (-11)
Kim Allen Kluge and Katherine Kluge, Silence (-10)
Michael Giacchino, Zootopia (-5)
Thomas Newman, Finding Dory (-1)

Best Original Song

1. "City of Stars," La La Land (-)
2. "How Far I'll Go," Moana (+2)
3. "Audition (The Fools Who Dream)," La La Land (-1)
4. "We Know the Way," Moana (-2)
5. "Victory," Hidden Figures (-)
   ---
6. "Drive It Like You Stole It," Sing Street (NEW)
7. "Can't Stop the Feeling," Trolls (+2)
8. "A Letter to the Free," 13th (-1)
9. "Faith," Sing (NEW)
10. "The Rules Don't Apply," Rules Don't Apply (-)

DROPPED
"Go Now," Sing Street (-5)
"The Great Beyond, Sausage Party (-3)

Best Production Design

1. David Wasco, La La Land (-)
2. Dante Ferretti, Silence (-)
3. Jean Rabasse, Jackie (-)
4. Stuart Craig, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (+1)
5. Christopher Glass, The Jungle Book (NEW)
   ---
6. Alan MacDonald, Florence Foster Jenkins (NEW)
7. Barry Robison, Hacksaw Ridge (NEW)
8. Anna Rackard, Love & Friendship (-2)
9. Jess Gonchor, Live by Night (-2)
10. Patrice Vermette, Arrival (NEW)

DROPPED
Jeannine Oppewall, Rules Don't Apply (-7)
Gary Freeman, Allied (-2)
David Gropman, Fences (-1)

Best Sound Editing

1. La La Land (-)
2. Arrival (-)
3. Hacksaw Ridge (NEW)
4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (-1)
5. Sully (+3)
   ---
6. Patriots Day (NEW)
7. Deepwater Horizon (NEW)
8. Captain America: Civil War (-2)
9. Silence (-5)
10. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (-5)

DROPPED
Passengers (-4)
Moana (-1)

Best Sound Mixing

1. La La Land (-)
2. Arrival (-)
3. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (+1)
4. Sully (+4)
5. Hacksaw Ridge (NEW)
   ---
6. Zootopia (+1)
7. Moana (-1)
8. Silence (-5)
9. Captain America: Civil War (-)
10. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (-5)

DROPPED
Passengers (-1)

Best Visual Effects

1. Arrival (-)
2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (-)
3. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (-)
4. The Jungle Book (+1)
5. Captain America: Civil War (+1)
   ---
6. Sully (NEW)
7. Deadpool (NEW)
8. Doctor Strange (-1)
9. Passengers (-4)
10. Deepwater Horizon (NEW)

DROPPED
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (-3)
A Monster Calls (-2)
Star Trek: Beyond (-1)

Best Documentary Feature

1. 13th (-)
2. Gleason (-)
3. The Eagle Huntress (+2)
4. I Am Not Your Negro (NEW)
5. Fire at Sea (+1)
   ---
6. The Ivory Game (NEW)
7. Life, Animated (NEW)
8. Cameraperson (NEW)
9. O.J.: Made in America (NEW)
10. Zero Days (NEW)

DROPPED
Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World (-8)
Equal Means Equal (-7)
Miss Sharon Jones (-4)
By Sidney Lumet (-3)
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (-2)
Newtown (-1)

Best Foreign Language Film

1. Toni Erdmann (Germany) (-)
2. The Salesman (Iran) (-)
3. Land of Mine (Denmark) (NEW)
4. The King's Choice (Norway) (NEW)
5. A Man Called Ove (Sweden) (NEW)
   ---
6. My Life as a Zucchini (Switzerland) (NEW)
7. It's Only the End of the World (Canada) (NEW)
8. Tanna (Australia) (NEW)
9. Paradise (Russia) (NEW)

DROPPED
Death in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) (-8)
Sand Storm (Israel) (-7)
Ma'Rosa (Phillippines) (-6)
Elle (France) (-5)
Julieta (Spain) (-4)
From Afar (Venezuela) (-3)
The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki (Finland) (-2)
Barakah Meets Barakah (Saudi Arabia) (-1)

2016 Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations

Congratulations to this year's Screen Actors Guild Awards nominees!

Best Ensemble

Captain Fantastic
Fences
Hidden Figures
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight

Best Lead Actor

Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Fences

Best Lead Actress

Amy Adams, Arrival
Emily Blunt, The Girl on the Train
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins
Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
Dev Patel, Lion

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea