steven-leibson Reviews

The Magic Christian (1969)

It was a bomb when I first saw it in 1971. Still Is.

[2/10 · 29 November 2021]

This is the sort of movie I've tried to forget for 50 years. The Peter Jackson's new "The Beatles: Get Back" documentary on Netflix reminded me of it, because it's going to be shot in the same location (Twickenham Studios) immediately following the time when the Beatles were being filmed. So I showed my wife the 3-minute trailer for this movie, which you can find on YouTube. Think of a an overly long, very unfunny Monty Python episode and you have pictured this movie exactly. It was a bomb in 1971 and, 50 years later, it still is, despite the number of big-name actors in the cast and cameos.

Queen Bees (2021)

Sugary sweet, the only way to grow old

[7/10 · 13 June 2021]

This film takes you into the realm of senior living. It's a feel-good film and it's a lot of fun. We all hope to grow old comfortably, in pleasant surroundings, with great food. We also hope that if we're afflicted with cervical cancer, Alzheimers, or a stroke, that they're just minor inconveniences as portrayed in this film. In other words, this film is a light way to spend a couple of pleasant hours watching our futures as we hope they'll unfold.

Cruella (2021)

What if Disney combined Birds of Prey, Oceans Eleven, Devil Wears Prada, James Bond, and Vivienne Westwood

[9/10 · 6 June 2021]

Can you make an entertaining film by blending features from the Joker's girlfriend Harley Quinn in "Birds of Prey," a successful heist film like Oceans Eleven, the daring of a Bond film, a swath of "The Devil Wears Prada," and meld it with the 1970's London punk fashion story of designer Vivienne Westwood? Can you do all that as a backstory for a six-decade old, animated Disney feature film? Can you sew all those different fabrics and parts into one cohesive garment? Apparently, you can. There is so much brilliant writing, over-the-top performance, and spot-on production brilliance packed into this movie that it must simply be seen to be appreciated. I've never seen a movie like this and I don't think there's a written explanation that can do it justice. If you love all sorts of films like the ones listed above, you'll love this film.

Nomadland (2020)

Profound - Illusive quiet in the eye of a storm

[9/10 · 3 May 2021]

This movie fully deserves its three Oscars. It's an insightful movie into the inner mind of a woman swept away by the events of the Great Recession. Her home and in fact her entire town are gone with the town's sole major employer. Her beloved husband has died after a draining illness. She has no kids. She's alone and mentally hollowed out. Now, all she has left are her van and the possessions she can fit into it. She survives as a migrant worker. She works at an Amazon distribution center during the seasonal rush of the Winter holiday. Otherwise, she works odd jobs wherever they can be found. Her new family and friends are similarly dispossessed American nomads living in vehicles of one sort or another. This is "Grapes of Wrath" written just as large as Steinbeck's Great Depression novel but triggered by the Great Recession in the 21st century. Brilliantly acted by Frances McDormand with a few professional actors plus some actual modern American nomads including perhaps the most famous and accomplished nomad of all, Bob Wells. For those who reviewed this movie negatively because of its slow pace, the pace it depicts is the pace these nomads are forced to live. Most of us will never experience this life. This is as close as we'll ever get.

First Cow (2019)

A small film worthy of watching on Amazon Prime

[8/10 · 21 February 2021]

"First Cow" is a small film in scope, in format (4:3), and in release - its really only available as video on demand. It's a relatively expensive film to watch on Amazon Prime, but still less expensive than buying two movie tickets to a theater, which is hard in the time of COVID. This is a buddy film set in the pre-territory Oregon wilderness of 1820, when the fur-trading Hudson's Bay Company was the government. The buddies are an itinerant cook named "Cookie" and a well-traveled Chinese man named "King-Lu." The two accidentally find each other during a trapping expedition. They part quickly and then rejoin shortly after that. King-Lu has a spectrum of entrepreneurial aspirations and Cookie dreams of opening a hotel or bakery. He's a trained baker's apprentice from Maryland. The two hatch a scheme to make money in the wilderness. The scheme involves making pastries using stolen milk from the only cow in the territory, the "first cow" of the film's title. As the only tasty fast food available in 1820 Oregon, the donuts sell like hotcakes. However, this movie's not really about the cow nor the resulting donuts. It's about two wanderers finding each other at the end of the world and become fast friends. No explosions. No superheroes. No gunfights. No muddled morality. Just a small, tight buddy film set in unfamiliar and interesting terrain with a fascinating and subtle look at the Northwest Native Americans as backdrop. If you enjoy film for film, this is one you want to see. Caveat: If you demand that a film fully connect all of the dots for you, this one won't satisfy. You'll need to noodle on some things.

Soul (2020)

Pixar's latest clever masterpiece is knee deep in life, the universe, and soul

[10/10 · 29 December 2020]

"Soul" is a surprising delight. This is the same crew that brought us "Inside Out" five years ago. Go a million light years farther into deep introspection, invoke the hereafter and the here before, add the mysteries of life, and then wrap it all in smooth jazz - and that's "Soul." This is not a kid's cartoon. I don't think children will likely resonate with half of the dialog, but adults will eat this movie up. The concepts are profound, the questions are deep, and the animation is vivid, drifting back and forth from the surrealism of Dali, to the cubism of Picasso, to the photorealism of Baeder, and then back again. Did you ever watch "Yellow Submarine"? Well, "Soul" is a "Yellow Submarine" for the 21st century, with the high visual notes of "Fantasia" and the original music of Jon Batiste thrown in for grins and giggles. Philosophically, we have all been here before; we have all asked ourselves these questions; and this movie offers an answer - Pixar's answer anyway. You owe it to your mind, body, and soul to watch this movie. It'll tickle your innards, or at least your inner mind.

The Midnight Sky (2020)

Right down the alley for end-of-the-world movies: boring, slow, predictable

[3/10 · 28 December 2020]

It's really hard to make a post-apocalypse movie. They tend to be tedious, slow, boring, predictable, and a bit of a downer. "The Midnight Sky" is right down the alley here. Don't get me wrong. It's got great space scenes. It's got George Clooney. OK, that's about all it has that's good. This movie runs just two minutes under two hours. At the one hour mark, I was checking to see how much longer. At 1.5 hours in, I was praying for it to end. And I love SF movies. This movie really does walk in the footsteps of past post-apocalyptic debacles like "Silent Running" and "Zardoz." It's amusing that this movie includes a short clip of perhaps the best movie of this genre: "On the Beach." If only it were that good. But the endpoint's the same, mostly, so why not watch "On the Beach" instead?

The Right Stuff (2020)

A worthy addition to "The Right Stuff" pantheon

[9/10 · 18 October 2020]

Nope, it's not the book. Nope, it's not the movie. It's something else. This series has dispensed with all of the events prior to the selection of the original seven Mercury astronauts. That means Chuck Yeager, Muroc, Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club are not in this series. To compensate, you get 21st-century CGI effects and some new, semi-invented interpersonal relationship complications among the highly competitive Mercury astronauts, and the promise of added chapters for events that took place after Wolfe wrote the book. So far, it's the same subject material, abridged and made as a docudrama. Some new characters have been added, like the beautiful 2nd Lieutenant and Nurse Dee O'Hara played by Kaley Ronayne, obviously to "spice up" the plot. (She's worthy of being in this series. Look up her history.) You want the book? Read it. You want the original movie? Watch it. This series is something additional, and is quite digestible.

I Am Woman (2019)

A Musical Biopic Worth Watching

[10/10 · 10 October 2020]

Anyone who lived through the 1970s and 1980s knows Helen Reddy's music, even if you don't know that she's the singer of certain songs like "Delta Dawn." You probably do know that she sang the Women's Movement anthem "I am woman," for which the movie is named. Reddy's music infuses the made-in-Australia movie "I Am Woman," so the film is worth watching just to hear the songs. I had no clue as to Reddy's background or the down-and-up-and-down life she lived during her celebrity days. Reddy just passed away a couple of weeks ago as I write this, but she participated in this movie's production so I'll assume this movie is as authentic as a biopic gets. Australian actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey, who plays Reddy in the movie, looks stunning. Some of the songs are recordings of Reddy and some are recreations sung by Chelsea Cullen, an Australian singer. My ear can't tell the difference. A very pleasant two-hour diversion from the current reality in 2020.

The Two Popes (2019)

Amazing writing, amazing performances, incredible movie

[10/10 · 24 December 2019]

I'm not a Catholic, and this movie is very, very Catholic. But beyond that, it's one of the deepest cinematic examinations of faith I've ever seen. Sir Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce, playing Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (who later becomes Pope Francis) respectively, both deliver brilliant, finely crafted lines with stellar performances. (It's somewhat ironic that two Welsh actors are playing a German and an Argentenian, but most of the film is spoken in English, so it works out in some strange way.) I really didn't follow the most recent transition between Popes, so I had not expected to be so deeply involved with this movie, but I am very glad to have watched it. Highly recommended for its insightful look into the human condition and the underpinnings of faith with its sometimes wavering texture, even for the most religious of us. Beautifully filmed on location in Argentina and the Vatican. If you subscribe to Netflix, then I suggest you watch this movie tonight.

Cats (2019)

Cats can sing and dance. It's a fantasy.

[6/10 · 22 December 2019]

Like "Moulin Rouge," the movie "Cats" is a weird sort of fantasy movie, far, far removed from reality. "Cats" is definitely the lesser movie, but still the concept is interesting, the digital fur fascinating, the singing can be terrific, and the dance moves (ballet, hip hop, Fosse, and tap) are great. If dancing, singing cats isn't your thing and if you're not a cat person, best go see some other film. This one's definitely for diehard fantasy fans. Also, if cat-like people or people-like cats with digitally twitching tails and ears freak you out, then stay away.

Ford v Ferrari (2019)

An amazing recreation of mid-century motor racing

[8/10 · 16 December 2019]

If you know car history, then the ending of this docudrama movie is never in doubt. Damon and Bales deliver excellent performances, but this is a car movie and the cars are the stars. For viewers of a certain age, seeing Shelby Cobras, Ford GTs, Ferraris, Corvette Stingrays, and other iconic racing cars (or their computerized recreations) from the 1960s chew up the tracks feels like putting on old, comfortable shoes. The cinematography and what has to be a ton of CGI (verified in the credits) plus the pounding, distorted, absolutely perfect guitar music really make this movie for me. I remember seeing the movie "Gran Prix" in the 1960s. It set the bar for car-racing movies. This movie attains the same level of gritty realism. The theme song for this movie is a gritty, instrumental version of "Poke Salad Annie" and it too is perfect for the movie.

Knives Out (2019)

A lot of fun, once you get over Daniel Craig's southern accent

[9/10 · 1 December 2019]

The reviews didn't prepare me for how funny this movie is. There are a lot of fast quips flying by. Listen carefully or they'll get past you. For example, one character, after hearing Daniel Craig's southern accent, says "What is this, CSI KFC?" Hilarious! I didn't guess the real culprit. I was sure the entire movie and I was wrong. Lots of fun following the action and the portrayals. This is not a deep movie. It has a simple message: Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Sword of Trust (2019)

Small, weird film that's the love child of Deliverance and National Treasure

[6/10 · 9 August 2019]

A very quirky film that takes place in today's American Deep South. So naturally, it's about the American Civil War (The War of the Northern Aggression). There's an old, inherited Union (The Army of the Northern Aggression) sword that supposedly proves that the south won the war. The sword now belongs to a lesbian couple who team up with a Birmingham pawnbroker and his dim sidekick to sell the sword to a collector for big bucks. That's when the characters plucked from Deliverance start to appear. This movie is never predictable. At least it has that going for it.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

Rowling's Hot Mess of a Movie

[3/10 · 19 November 2018]

This review isn't going to change the minds of committed Potterheads. They'll see this movie no matter what because it's set in the Harry Potter universe. If you don't live in this universe, then this movie likely will make no sense to you at all. There's very little character development and the frenetic cutting from scene to scene gives you no time to make sense of what you are seeing nor even catch your breath. If you want to know who the main characters are or why they act the way that they do, better start studying the voluminous online documentation because there's precious little discussion in the movie to catch you up. The first Fantastic Beasts movie was far more muggle friendly. (Muggles are non-magical people largely unaware of the Potter universe.) The movie is already number one at the box office, so it will do well. Too bad. Rowling's storytelling skills and expansive vision deserved better.

First Man (2018)

A movie about the social and psychological costs of the US manned space program

[7/10 · 21 October 2018]

This movie may not meet your expectations if you're expecting to see a rip roaring, feel good movie along the lines of "The Right Stuff" or "Space Cowboys." This movie is a tightly focused look at the psychology and the psychological costs of being an astronaut. In particular, being Neil Armstrong. As an engineer myself (but hardly an astronaut), I think Ryan Gosling captures the quiet introspection of the engineering (enginurd) type. He can focus his mind on trying to solve problems whether its his young daughter's brain tumor, finding a missing Agena docking target in orbit, or finding a safe place to land on the moon as the fuel runs dangerously low. Solving problems is the essence of engineering and Gosling captured this essence in a bottle. Claire Foy sheds every shred of British to become the quietly suffering astronaut's wife Jan, who is constantly left behind to deal with the home front as her husband flies into the skies, into space, and ultimately to the moon. This movie focuses almost entirely on these two people, their relationship, and their kids. The rest of the cast is there to support, from a considerable distance.

You should know that my wife did not care for this movie. There are long scenes of being shaken (in a simulator, on the Lunar Lander Research Vehicle, in a Gemini Capsule, in an Apollo Capsule, and in the Lunar Module). There are long looks at the lunar landscape reminiscent of the glacial pace of Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey." The movie tried her patience. For me, I've been mentally entangled with the space program starting with the earliest days of the Mercury 7 astronaut team. I watched every launch on black and white TV. Even without seeing them in the movie, I know that Redstone and Atlas boosted Mercury, Titan boosted Gemini, and two Saturns boosted Apollo. If you're that type of person, then "First Man" is your type of movie. Otherwise, go watch "The Right Stuff."

The Wife (I) (2017)

That which lies hidden

[9/10 · 21 September 2018]

It's a pleasure seeing Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce play husband and wife in this tragicomedy of a film. The story opens in 1992 with Joseph Castleman getting a phone call at oh-dark-thirty from the Nobel Committee telling him he's won the Nobel Prize for literature. As the story moves forward, it also flashes back to tell the story of this marriage, where it started, and how it got to where it is. Watch carefully and you'll click onto the secret long before the reveal towards the end of the film. However, the real joy in this film is watching Glenn Close's face bring nuance and substantial explanation to the events of 1992. It's a masterful performance.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

Handsome Prince falls for commoner and evil mother tries to interfere

[8/10 · 8 September 2018]

"Crazy Rich Asians" is the familiar Cinderella story transplanted from its origins in France to Singapore. It's about a rich, handsome Prince (of commerce) who has fallen in love with someone who is not a princess (she's an economics professor), and the Prince's mother tries to prevent this mismatch from reaching its obvious conclusion. At times, this movie reminded me of a James Bond film because of its exotic sets. At times, it reminded me of the wedding comedy "Bridesmaids" for its focus on wealth and female attire. But always, this movie is as accessible to middle-class Caucasians as it is to Asians. The lineage of the actors really doesn't play into the themes, except for the Chinese family traditions, expectations, and assumptions woven into the story. This is a fine and enjoyable film, even if the ending is never in doubt.

Trek: The Movie (2018)

A Mormon teen comedy/drama about faith

[7/10 · 3 May 2018]

Tom is a modern-day Utah teen who lost his faith a year ago during a traumatic experience. Now he's signed up for a three-day handcart journey, a re-enactment of the Mormon migration to Utah in the mid-1800s by dozens of high-schoolers. It's a sort of Mormon vision quest and a rite of passage. However, Tom's not feeling it. He says he doesn't wish to become another "Latter Day Droid": someone whose Mormon faith is automatic and unthinking. But Tom's dad bribes him with a winter ski pass and the deal is sealed.

The three-day trek across wilderness with his peers, pushing a handcart and living somewhat like the Utah pioneers of the 19th century affects most of the participants taking part in the re-enactment in very positive ways, teens and adults alike. I don't want to say much more about the movie because I'd prefer not to spoil it.

You don't need to be a Mormon to appreciate this movie. I'm not a member of the LDS church, for example. The movie's surprisingly unjaded, like a Hollywood teen film from the 1930s or 1940s starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. So it's a refreshing change from today's more jaded, more nuanced Hollywood with its infinite shades of gray.

The characters in "Trek" are unusually polite, unusually sensitive to each other. Even the teens. Even the "NoMo" (non-Mormon) teen from LA who is on the trek with the others. Yet these teens are still contemporary. A few speak hip-hop slang for example, which at least grounds the film in the present though it stretches credulity to hear such polite kids speak fly. I'm guessing this movie isn't going to get wide distribution. That's a shame.

We've seen many similar movies about loss of faith for other religions: Christian, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, etc. Now, the LDS church has one of these films too and it's uniquely Mormon, and uniquely flavored by the beautiful Utah scenery.

Phantom Thread (2017)

Borin....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[3/10 · 4 February 2018]

There's a lot of potential in the movie's concept: brilliant 1950's fashion designer, creating fashions for Europe's upper crust, owns a cool 1950's British sports car, a confirmed bachelor who meets a waitress and dines with her that night. Could have gone places. Didn't. This is a slow movie about some very strangely damaged people somehow accommodating each other in ways neither my wife nor I could fathom. You know how you see some movies and wonder for two hours "When's it going to start?" That's this movie.

LBJ (2016)

This movie provides more depth to LBJ than I expected

[8/10 · 5 November 2017]

I was 10 when LBJ became president. I associated him more with possibly putting me in Vietnam than anything else. It wasn't a good impression. This movie and Harrelson's excellent portrayal fleshes out the man as someone who had mastered the art of political give and take, who was as powerful a senator as you could become, and yet someone who needed people's approval and even love. If you expect to see LBJ the great manipulator and master politician, you'll only get a little of that. More, you'll get exposed to LBJ's complex relationships with his wife Lady Bird, John and Bobby Kennedy, Kennedy's presidential staff, and one or two congressmen such as Senator Russell of Georgia. Set against a huge backdrop, this is still an intimate movie of LBJ the man. My wife and I both enjoyed it.

The Trip to Spain (2017)

Third in a series. Doesn't hit on all cylinders but when it does, it's great

[7/10 · 16 July 2017]

This is the third movie in a series of road trips by funny man Steve Coogan and his sidekick Rob Brydon. I still recall the second movie, "The Trip to Italy," which shares the same premise: two semi-famous British entertainers eat their way through a country while entertaining each other with scripted and improvisational banter and comedy. "The Trip to Spain" echoes the last movie except the scenes are in Spain and the language being spoken is Spanish.

It seems to me that there's a lot more involvement with people playing Coogan's and Brydon's families and love interests in this third movie and for me, this pierces the bubble of the movie's conceit. Coogan calls his married lover in New York and a camera just happens to be there to capture her end of the call? If that part isn't unscripted, then the whole movie is scripted with perhaps some improvisation. So when Coogan and Brydon entertain each other with endless facts about the towns they're visiting, they're not being erudite, they're reciting scripted lines. Some of the overlong imitations of Marlon Brando, Mick Jagger, Sean Connery, and particularly Roger Moore--those are likely to be improvisational.

In all, this is a pleasant movie and the Spanish scenery and architecture steal the show and are probably worth the price of admission alone. The bit about food and reviewing restaurants seems muted and subdued in this film compared to the last one.

The ending however, deserves to live on the cutting room floor. (Again, that's my opinion.) I'll leave it to you to decide on that one.

All the Rage (2016)

For pain sufferers not helped by conventional Western medicine

[8/10 · 12 June 2017]

An engrossing look at a doctor who has committed his life to curing people with severe pain who have not been helped by conventional Western medicine. There's still a lot that the medical community/medical industry does not know. One thing we do know is that the brain and amygdala make all sorts of body-regulating chemicals, of which we have only a partial understanding. That Dr. Sarno's approach has helped many people makes it worthy of study. If people can feel better by reading his book, that's great. Just as it's great if people feel better when stuck with pins by an acupuncturist. Getting back to the movie, I'm not sure how I feel by seeing Larry David and Howard Stern appear as providers of testimonials. They're popular, but I'm not a big fan. I'm also not a fan of celebrity testimonials for medical treatments, as they are grossly overused by purveyors of elective surgeries and fringe nutritional treatments. Whether these help or hurt overall, I can't say.

The Lovers (I) (2017)

Will have a hard time finding an audience

[4/10 · 28 May 2017]

This movie starts out slow. It never gets much faster. I cannot fault the actors. Debra Winger and Tracy Letts could obviously have done far more with better material. As it is, we see a couple that has obviously fallen out of love with each other. Each has an active affair on the side and neither seems to be aware of or care about the other. The movie telegraphs a great climax taking place in the near future as the son (Tyler Ross) is due back from college with his girlfriend and both Mommy and Daddy think that's the perfect time to reveal their infidelity and end the marriage.

Although this movie is called a comedy in many reviews, it's just not that funny. It's also not that interesting. It's really hard to identify with these characters who have a great life, a great home in the LA suburbs, two good jobs, a great kid, and such empty lives. It's sort of like watching a poorly written Dante's Inferno. These people are in a Hell of their own making. We don't know why and we don't really care.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Not nearly as good as Volume 1

[4/10 · 13 May 2017]

This movie has already earned the better part of a billion dollars in box office receipts, so it's like spitting in the wind to write a bad review of it. But here it is. This movie is a hot mess. A melting pot of a bunch of old SF movie plots blended into what's going to be largely hard to understand for a lot of people not already enraptured by SF or the Marvel Universe. Our heroes start out doing what they always do: taking on impossible tasks and succeeding. Then pissing everyone off and becoming goats. The movie then fractures into many, many subplots. There are not one but two father/son-issues subplots. There's the men-become-gods cliché trope (calling Gary Mitchell). There's the rival siblings subplot. There are not one but two budding romances. There's the inferiority complex of a goodhearted character who pushes away his friends so he won't get hurt by them. There's the evil-but-goodhearted space pirates plot. Also there are numerous bits and pieces lifted from dozens of other SF films including several in the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises. There's also plenty, plenty of pretty, pretty CGI eye candy.

If you can't get enough of this stuff, then Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 is a buffet for you. Eat hearty.

Oh yeah, many of the songs are far more obscure this time and they were an integral part of Volume 1.