Awkainings (1990)

A friend of mine had been trying to get me to see 'Awakenings' for years, I'd seen a few scenes of it back in the 90's but had never gotten around to watching the whole thing. Well the movie was about to leave Prime so that worked as a motivator/ excuse for me to finally sit down and watch it, I did, I loved it, and I was able to get another friend to sit down and watch it later that same night. I guess I'm better at giving movie recommendations then taking them? 

The 1990 film 'Awakenings' is based on Oliver Sacks 1973 memoir of the same name. In 1969 Sacks was working at a New York long term care facility where the use of a new anti Parkinson's drug L-DOPA, was able to revive decades comatose patients who had all been victims of a 1920's epidemic of Encephalitis Lethargica. In effect these patients comatose state was the result of a condition that acted like a super-accelerated Parkinson's, like humming bird wings it was a though they were vibrating so quickly as to seem motionless. This new serum was able to revive what seemed to be around a score of people, but only for a number of months, after which the new drug ceased being effective and they returned to a near vegetative state.

Robin Williams plays the Sacks surrogate Dr. Maclom Sayer (why not just call the character Oliver Sachs I'm not sure), Robert De Niro plays Lenord Loe, the first patient they test the new drug on, and who was little more then a child when he went under. So this is a Williams / De Niro movie, what an odd paring, and they are both excellent in this, each playing against type. Williams a closed in, socially awkward doctor, De Niro essentially a teenager, a good boy who wakes up a middle aged man and has to cope with that. 

The film also has a largish supporting cast, many other patients, but also Julie Kavner as a sympathetic nurse, John Heard as a less sympathetic hospital administrator, and Penelope Ann Miller as a sort of love interest for De Niro. This is a beautiful film, both happy and sad. Though the 'cure' is only temporary it inspires those around the patients, principally hospital staff including Williams, to not waste the precious gift of life they are given. ****

Boogie Nights (1997)

 'Boogie Nights' is an early Paul Thomas Anderson film, that expands upon his 1988 mockumentary short 'The Dirk Diggler Story'. Both films follow the rise and fall of a 1970's & 80's porn star who goes by the name Dirk Diggler, Mark Wahlberg plays him in the latter film. Real name Eddie Adams, Diggler is a none-to-bright-bulb who is very well endowed sexually. Porn producer/director Jack Horner (played by Burt Reynolds in his only Oscar nominated performance, and the actor would express very mixed feelings about taking the part) would guide him through tremendous success within the burgeoning pornographic film industry, though ego, aging and drug abuse would shatter his career and lay him quite low, the film contains a morally gray coda of Diggler again entering the porn scene in the mid 80's. 

When glancing at review quotes about the film on Rotten Tomato's I saw one writer note that watching this movie is a very complicated film going experience, and with that I would concur. This film progresses from period drama, to comedy, to tragedy, though these veins flow into each other throughout. It is kind of difficult to get a grasp on what this movie is. 

Among other things it's an ensemble piece, Dirk is the primary focus and our main through line character, but the picture has a board Altmane-sque cast of characters, and it presents them as more or less what they are, warts and all, without going out of its way to judge them for you. 

The rich cast includes Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Heather Graham, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Philip Baker Hall. Julianne Moore has a heartbreaking role as porn star who goes by the name of Amber Waves, a cocaine addicted wreck who is desperate to regain some custody over her children, but who is not fit to have them despite her legitimate love for them. 

I thought here that Reynold's had the most interesting part, a sort of 'nice guy' pornographer', he is ultimately exploiting these people, taking advantage of them, but he also seems to care for them, can be generous and forgiving. I thought about it for a bit and Hugh Heffner comes to mind, a very pleasant, likable personality, in some ways quite progressive, but at the end of the day he's making his money off porn, and porn can crush people, before the camera, behind the camera, and watching on screen. 

The film is unsettling, though it can also be gripping, sad and funny. I'd heard comparisons to the work of Quinton Tarentino, which I mostly thought over stated, with the expectation of one, maybe two rather Tarentio-esque sequences late in the film. Again this is more like Robert Altman then perhaps anything else. 

This is a film that I think at some point I am going to need to revisit, it really leaves an impression, even if your not sure what exactly to make of it by the end. ****

The Academy Award Winning Film 'The Duchess' (2008)

 Nominated for two Oscars and winning one (best costume design), it became a kind of running joke between me and a friend of mine to always refer to this movie as 'The Academy Award Winning Film 'The Duchess''. For awhile we seemed to bring the film up a lot, but I never actually saw it until a few weeks ago. 

The movie is based on the true story of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (Keira Knightly), an 18th century English aristocrat known for her fashion sense, ahead of her time political outspokenness, and a scandalous personal life (though how much of the latter was known at the time, I'm not clear). Georgiana would have an out of wedlock daughter with future British Prime Minister Charles Gray (Dominic Cooper); but was married to William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes) with whom she had three biological children and a complicated relationship. The Cavendish's would in time become functionally a polygamists household, with Elizabeth 'Bess' Foster (Hayley Atwell) being the third party, until marrying the Duke with Georgiana's permission following her passing. 

The story this reminded me most of is 'Anna Karenina', which Ms. Knightly would also star in a film version of four years later. Knightly is good in this, as are the main supporting players, however I think Ralph Fiennes has the most interesting and complicated role. The Duke is an often cold, rather boring man, but he has depths to him that he doesn't often let out and you can actually see him grow over the course of the film. Yes he is selfish, but he also feels boxed in by the role he is expected to play, though like his wife he pushes social strictures to the breaking point. 

It's a beautiful looking picture, gorgeous locations and costumes, some neat lighting. I rather liked the soundtrack, largely composed of period classical music but I was quite taken by the end credits suite, which I have subsequently listened to several times. This is a kind of high class melodrama, boarding on soap opera, but still a fine film, and a rather sexual one. ***

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)

 In his book 'Dave Barry Turns 40', the author muses that the older you get the less you remember of each succeeding decade and when it comes down to it all your likely to remember of the 1980's is Tammy Faye Bakker. Tammy Faye was once a pretty big deal, an icon, famous for her heavy make up, she was ubiquitous in certain circles, and arguably a decade defining figure. Yet for those whose lives or memories don't go back to before the fall of the Iron Curtin hers may be a largely or completely unknown persona. 

The new movie 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye' is a reintroduction of its titular figure and her evangelist husband Jim Bakker, played heartily by Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield. Based on the well regarded 2000 documentary of the same name, the film follows Tammy Faye from her humble childhood in International Falls, Minnesota, her courtship and marriage to aspiring preacher Jim Bakker, and the couples monumental rise from traveling evangelists (who used a puppet show to attract children, who would then bring their parents), through the panicle of televangelism in it's 1980's hay day, to the collapse and aftermath of their empire through overextension and greed. 

At it's height the couples PTL (Praise The Lord) ministry and network was pulling in 9 digit figures annually, was the forth biggest broadcast network in the United States, and even built a theme park. The couple embodied an aspirational, prosperity gospel mind set that a good chunk of the country found appealing, while behind the scenes infidelities, both personal and economic would build and pull the whole house of cards down. 

Often garish figures who made a point of oversized emotional displays on air, the Bakkers had a clownish quality that could easily over take any attempt to portal their story dramatically. They all but ask to characterized. Yet this movie gives them a pretty fair shot, warts and all. 

Directed by Michael Showalter of MTV's 1990's comedy troop 'The State', heretofore his best known film both before and behind the camera is the cult classic summer camp comedy 'Wet Hot American Summer', which came out twenty years ago. Like Adam McKay with 'Vice' or Jay Roach with 'Bombshell', this is a comedy director taking on fairly serious, real life events, playing much of it straight, but all of it with a knowing quality. 

The film compresses a lot of material, to give a solid, survey course presentation of the story. I thought the thing was well paced, I was never board. In the early parts of the movie I was somewhat distracted by the prosthetics applied to Ms. Chastain that literally changed the shape of her face to conform with Tammy Faye's squattier visage. Then I got used to it. 

Solid performances, both hers and Garfield's, the latter's being of necessity a little subtler. Tammy Faye is presented as being very sincere in her convictions. Yes she was overly dramatic and loved the spotlight, but she seems to have really felt that she was doing good, and she was doing some, and to genuinely have wanted to help people. Jim's motives are murkier. 

Tammy Faye is presented as rather comfortable with the gay community, and in fact would lead a ministry focused on that group in her later years, after her divorce from Jim (Tammy Faye would die in 2007, Jim is still alive and once more preaching on TV). Tammy Faye was really the principle, often load woman's voice in the early days of large scale televangelism, an arena dominated by the likes of Pat Robertson, and Jerry Falwell Sr., the later is the chief villain in a film that is largely shades of gray. Falwell used the couples scandal's as means towards hostile takeover of their network, which would ultimately go bankrupt. 

I thought there was a lot to like in this film, and though it has a TV movie quality, it's generosity and largely non judgmental approach to it's subjects was welcome, and even a little surprising. ***1/2

The Star Trek Project: Next Gen Season 5 Highlights

 Beginning after the season 5 premier 'Redemption 2'. 

Season 5 episode 2 "Darmok" 

This episode seems to be more loved by Trek fans generally then by me particularly. However it is solid, and a bit of an original Trek throw back in it's story. It's also one you will often hear referenced by Trek nerds and in memes, so worth seeing. 

Episode 3 "Ensign Ro" 

Introduction to the character Ensign Ro in particular, and to the Bajoran race generally. Bajoran's will be central players on the series Star Trek: Deep Space 9.

Episode 5 "Disaster" 

Basically a disaster movie on the Enterprise. Good energy to this one. 

Episode 6 "The Game" 

Wesley Crusher returns, a young Ashley Judd is his love interest. A prescient critique of addictive video games. 

Episodes 7 & 8, "Unification Part 1", "Unification Part 2". 

Spock, the Romulans, more fall out from the Klingon civil war, Ferengi arms traders. a rather packed couple of episodes. 

Episode 14 "Conundrum" 

Interesting way to play with interpersonal dynamics amongst the characters when the crew suffers from memory loss and must figure out who they are.

Episode 15 "Power Play" 

How Picard handles a hostage situation in Ten Forward. 

Episode 17 "The Outcast" 

The series tackles LGBTQ issues. 

Episode 18 "Cause and Effect" 

A time loop episode. 

Episode 19 "The First Duty" 

Episode is set chiefly at Starfleet Academy, Wesley returns, and some more Picard backstory. 

Episode 21 "The Perfect Mate" 

Guest star Famke Janssen's genetic programing compels her to become Captain Picard's dream woman. 

Episode 23 "I, Borg" 

Removed from the collective consciousness can a long Borg develop personal identity? 

Episode 24 "The Next Phase" 

A kind of "ghost story". 

Episode 25 "The Inner Light" 

A beloved episode where Picard gets to experience a different life. 

Season 5 Episode 26 and Season 6 Episode 1, "Times Arrow, Part 1" & "Times Arrow, Part 2". 

Time Travel to 1893 San Francisco. 

Goldmember (2002)

'Goldmember' is the final film in the Austin Powers trilogy, a series of spy spoofs in which the final two films aren't really needed. This movie, which like the others breaks the forth wall a lot, even comments on the repetitiveness of the gags, and boy are they repetitive, as are the films basic structures. I think I may have liked this marginally more then the second one, but it's very close, though I think 2 is the grosser picture. While I saw the first two films in this series in the theater back in the 90's, I chose not to pay and see this one theatrically. Probably a good call. ** 

Millie (1931)

Playing out over the course of nearly 20 years, 'Millie' features poor Helen Twelvetrees repeatedly betrayed by men, resulting in a failed marriage and a broken quasi-engagement. An embittered Millie murders a lecherous older man when he takes aim at her estranged 16 year old daughter. Thing is I've seen movies like this before, this is not a unique story line for pre code film. The movie is pretty meandering until around it's final third. **