Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

The Electrifying Life of Louis Wain

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This movie won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it sure was mine. This is the kind of little British drama you can usually find on PBS.  It is the true story of Louis Wain. If you are like me, and never heard of him, I suggest you google his name before watching the movie.  Take a look at his very interesting, and sometimes bizarre, drawings and paintings of cats.  Before Louis Wain, people believed cats belonged outside catching mice.  Most would not have dreamed of keeping one in the house. Wain’s drawings were so popular that they helped launch cats as companions and pets.  In “The Electrifying Life of Louis Wain” Benedict Cumberbatch does an outstanding job of showing us Louis’s unorthodox mind.  His life is hard and confusing to him (he may have been autistic or suffered from schizophrenia) until he marries his sisters’ governess – played delightfully by Claire Foy.  Their romance is so sweet and Louis is blissfully happy.  But this being a true story, unfortunately, it doesn’t stay that way.  The electricity in the title refers to the Louis’s belief that electricity can pull us forward in time and help us hold on to our memories.  This idea inspired him to create cats that became more and more psychedelic over the years. But his inner demons cause his life to become sadder and his sanity more tenuous.   Olivia Colman adds her terrific voice as the narrator.  This story gave me a deep appreciation of this man I had never heard of, and his unique and powerful pictures of cats. If you’re interested, you can find this mesmerizing tale on Amazon Prime.

Being the Ricardos

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Are you a fan of the old 1950’s sitcom, “I Love Lucy?”  If so, I think you will enjoy this movie.  If you are asking yourself, “Lucy who?” this may be one to skip.  As I am a fan, I totally enjoyed “Being the Ricardos.”  The whole thing takes place in one week  during the filming of an episode of the hit show.  It starts with the script read  on Monday and takes us all the way to the final live performance on Friday.  Much happens in that week though.  First, Lucille Ball is accused of being a communist.  This revelation could be, and was, the kiss of death for a lot of 50’s actors, writers and directors.  Second, the tabloids had published pictures of Desi out on the town with another woman.  Last of all, Lucy finds out that she is pregnant, and she and Desi have decided to write the pregnancy into the show. This is absolutely unprecedented and shocking to their network and sponsors who were afraid even referring to her as pregnant would  lose viewers (and revenue!).  All of this drama is woven in and out of the performances of the four key players.  And they are all marvelous!  Nicole Kidman does not do an imitation of Lucille Ball, she becomes her.  You really get to see the difference between the ditzy Lucy Ricardo and the tough as nails Lucille Ball.  Javier Bardem surprised me.  I never felt he parodied Desi Arnaz in any way.  J.K. Simmons was the curmudgeonly William Frawley as Fred Mertz.   Nina Arianda is heartbreaking as Vivian Vance who played Ethyl Mertz.  Even though she and Lucille Ball were around the same age, it was always her fate to play older, dowdier and dumpier.  On top of everything else, there are flashback scenes which were my favorites.  These scenes showed how Lucy and Desi met, how much in love they were, and how astute they were as business people. The two Arnaz children apparently approved of this vision of director Aaron Sorkin and they are the executive producers.   If you are looking for a documentary, this is not the movie for you, although you may want to check it out if it streams on Hulu or Netflix.  If you are a fan, you will definitely want to check this one out.

House of Gucci

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Wow!  Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci” is quite a movie!  This basically true story has it all.  Lady Gaga plays Patrizia, an ambitious party girl who marries into the ultra conservative and super rich House of Gucci.  Adam Driver is Maurizio Gucci, who marries her against his father’s – Rodolfo Gucci played by Jeremy Irons – wishes, and is disinherited.  Rounding out the major players are Al Pacino as Aldo Gucci and Jared Leto (almost unrecognizable) as Paolo Gucci.  They are Maurizio’s uncle and cousin. The plot centers around Patrizia who cajoles, plots, connives and charms Maurizio into taking charge of the Gucci empire – by any means necessary.  Of course, it only ends up destroying the family.  The people in this story are  despicable as they participate in betrayal, tax evasion, back-stabbing, forgery, and even murder.  I am reminded of “The Godfather” in the sense that, at first, you kind of like the characters.  At first! Salma Hayek plays Pina Auriemma who is a television psychic. She advises Patrizia, and as Patrizia and Maurizio’s stars rise, so does hers.  But the greed, jealousy and envy so often at the core of the exercise of wealth based power soon take the auspicious beginnings down the path to turmoil, desperation and an inevitable, futile and sordid end. This is one cautionary movie that will make you glad you were not born into lavish wealth.  Obviously, this is a very adult movie – you would want to leave your children at home. Nonetheless, the acting is superb, the settings extremely well done and the story is engrossing.  I highly recommend this movie for a chance to see the seamy underbelly of the fashion world.

Dream Horse

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I am a sucker for an underdog story with a happy ending. Especially when it is TRUE!! “Dream Horse” is a little movie with a big heart. It is the story of some of the inhabitants of a poor, forgotten Welsh town that has definitely seen better days. The coal mines are shut, jobs are scarce. Everyone seems to be barely ekeing out a living. Toni Collette playes Jan Volkes, a part time bartender and grocery check-out clerk who dreaams of getting out of her rut. A chance meeting with Howard Davies (Damien Lewis of Band of Brothers) sparks a crazy idea. Jan decides to raise enough money to buy a horse, breed her with a great racehorse, and raise the colt to be a champion racer – all with no experience. But it would cost a lot of money to do so, way more than she can finance. So, she convinces around 20 or so of her neighbors to join the venture as a syndicate, with each one promising to pay ten pounds a month for two years. Ten pounds is a challenge for these people, but they get caught up in Jan’s enthusiasm and hope for the future, and so the venture is a go. With the money, they are able to purchase a mare. A one time stud fee leads to the birth of an energetic little colt they name Dream Alliance who is raised in the little stable Jan’s husband (Owen Teale) has built in their small yard. Dream Alliance a shining beacon of hope for Jan, Howard and actually the whole town. British cinema stalwarts Nicholas Farrell (Chariots of Fire) and Peter Davidson (Doctor Who) perform ably in supporting roles. I am not going to spoil the plot, but of course there are many bumps along the way leading up to the culminating race – the Welsh Grand National! This is an exciting, emotional and heart warming story. I found myself actually clapping and there may have been a tear or two shed. In fact, I dare you not to cry! Currently Dream Horse is not streaming anywhere; so don’t walk, run out to a theatre before this gem of a movie is gone.

Ford Vs. Ferrari

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I know absolutely nothing about auto racing, and even less about the famous French 24 Hours of LeMans endurance race.  Did you know that the race is exactly what it says – a 24 hour auto race at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour?  I didn’t know that.  Did you know that a team of two racers take turns driving in four hour shifts?  I didn’t know that either.  This movie was quite an education for me, and it entertained me too!  Ford vs. Ferrari tells the true story of car designer (and one-time racer) Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and his friendship with driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale).  When Ferrari patriarch Enzo Ferrari rejects a deal for a merger with Henry Ford II in an insulting way, Ford decides he is going to win the next LeMans.  Shelby is hired to design and build the car, price is no object, as long as he is willing to listen to a committee of executives that include sympathetic Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) and Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas), who doesn’t like the driver Shelby has hand picked.  Ken Miles is rebellious to say the least and is apt to do or say something that doesn’t reflect the image Ford wants to project (this is the 60’s).  The movie does a really good job of showing the ins and outs of the auto racing industry, as well as the excitement and hazards of racing itself. It also shows the deceit and venality that seem to continue to be a hallmark of how business men conduct themselves. There is some good acting on the parts of Matt Damon and Christian Bale, but all the supporting actors are excellent too.  After you see the movie, google Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles – the movie is really good but still doesn’t do either men full justice.