Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan, 2023)

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Rating: Q=8, P=8 / Obsession

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=4

Biopic, World War II, Physics, Philosophical

Breathtaking, absorbing, poignant, philosophical, full of conflict. Oppenheimer is Christopher Nolan's masterpiece and this story is one of the most well-crafted and important to be told in quite a while. It doesn't hurt that Cillian Murphy portrays the conflicted, complicated, and brilliant physicist astonishingly well (plus he's my favorite actor) and is surrounded by an amazing supporting cast. 

This story wrestles with disturbing US political history, with the tragic and haunting consequences of knowledge and invention, war and death -- serious and real topics. Nolan manages to make a film that is active and fierce while still being somber and dialogue-driven. He shows us Oppenheimer in "reality" as others see him and as he interacts with people, scientists, politicians. But we also see into his troubled and stirring mind, his reality. Nothing shows this more clearly than the climactic scene of Trinity when we see a lifetime of research and work and possibility explode in a fiery cloud of death in the dark desert. We watch as Oppenheimer watches, just his breathing and complete awe. It is beautiful filmmaking.

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The French Dispatch

The French Dispatch (Wes Anderson, 2021)

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Rating: Q=7, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Newspaper, Writing, 1960s, Art, Politics, Crime

I had somehow missed Wes Anderson's 2021 film, who knows why, but I finally watched it after seeing the newest piece Asteroid City. The French Dispatch is a collection of vignettes (another film that has stories within stories) but all of them are quirky and funny and overly-dramatic. There are some fantastic performances from Timothee Chalamet, Benicio Del Toro, and Lea Seydoux (and many others). While I liked the film and truly enjoyed the concepts and aesthetic, as always, this one wasn't as captivating for me as some of the others. I'm not sure why, perhaps because it was three independent stories... nevertheless, it is beautiful filmmaking and worth watching!

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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (James Mangold, 2023)

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Rating: Q=6, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Indiana Jones, Adventure, 1960s, Archaeology, History, Time Travel

The last Indiana Jones film? Well, if it is this is a lovely way to finish the saga. I went in expecting nothing special and was pleasantly surprised by the action, concepts, and the nostalgia. I wasn't thrilled with the main female character--Phoebe Waller-Bridge performed well, I just didn't like the character. I was also hoping for more Marion and Sallah but what we got was very appreciated. There are some interesting ideas in this story and the setting works. Mads Mikkelsen is brilliant (he's so good at being evil) and I was fully immersed in the action and adventure. A great escape.

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SPECIAL: Mel Brooks Films Part 1

These past few months I've been watching and re-watching all movies directed by Mel Brooks. It's been a blast revisiting favorites and discovering classic comedy I hadn't seen before. Rather than wait until the whole list has been watched and reviewed, here are the first 6 films with a few comments. 

The Producers (1967)

Rating: Q=5, P=6 / Average OJ
Scale 1=2, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

The first film is always notable and The Producers is classic. Impressively, it has a whole new generation of fans due to becoming a Broadway musical success. But the original film has always been a love-hate relationship with me because its such a comedy of errors (I can't handle them, usually). Leo Bloom is a wonderful character, by the way...Gene Wilder is magnificent.

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The Twelve Chairs (1970)
Rating: Q=5, P=5 / Average OJ
Scale 1=2, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

I'd never seen this film before and found it amusing in many ways, though it doesn't have the same spark as other later films. I did enjoy watching Dom DeLuise having hysterical fits.

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Blazing Saddles (1974)
Rating: Q=7, P=8 / Obsession
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=4

Still probably my favorite Brooks film and one of my favorite comedies of all time. There are so many glorious comedic moments in this movie and brilliant satire. The comedians are having so much fun and you can tell. I learned--not sure how I didn't know--that Richard Pryor co-wrote this script. I love it even more now knowing that.

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Young Frankenstein (1975)

Rating: Q=7, P=7 / Obsession
Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=4

This film is arguably the best comedy film of all time. It still holds up for me in every way. Favorite line: "My grandfather's work is doo-doo!"

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Silent Movie (1976)

Rating: Q=6, P=7 / Can't Get Enough
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=4

I had never seen Silent Movie before. Why, I can't say, because it is hysterical. So much zaniness and random cameos from Paul Newman to Marcel Marceau. I highly recommend this one that doesn't get enough love.

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High Anxiety (1977)

Rating: Q=6, P= 6 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Another film I hadn't seen before, which is very weird to me since this is a spoof on Hitchcock films. For a whole semester of my life I watched almost nothing but Hitchcock movies... this homage/parody is hilarious and has great references for Hitchcock fans. Not my favorite Brooks film, but it is still very fun.

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