Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

The Post

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Are you looking for a powerful, riveting movie that will give you a historical perspective of the ’70s and yet is very relevant to today’s influx of fake news and assaults on the First Amendment?  If you answered ‘yes’ to that question, ‘The Post’ is the movie for you.  I was a teenager when Nixon was president, and I had heard of The Pentagon Papers; but really didn’t know what all the fuss was about.  This movie schooled me, that’s for sure.  Steven Spielberg directs this timely story that defends freedom of the press even when what is published could embarrass or even implicate those in authority and in the public eye.  Meryl Streep plays Katharine Graham, the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, while Tom Hanks plays Ben Bradlee, her editor-in-chief.  The basic plot involves how the Pentagon Papers, which outlined how every president since World War II lied to the American public about our involvement the Vietnam War,  were acquired by several major newspapers – and the basic Constitutional issue of whether they should be allowed to publish them or not.  President Nixon tries to use his power to stifle the publication (sound familiar?)  of the papers, citing national security.  The Post’s, and press in general’s, contention is that a free press, particularly when the government is lying to its people, is a critical protection as established in the Bill of Rights.  I think you know what happened!  The large supporting cast are all pros and really help to make this movie exciting.  I especially enjoyed Bob Odenkirk whose character, Bob Bagdikian, has a key role to play in the shenanigans.  I really think everyone, Republicans, Democrats and anyone with concerns about our country  alike should see this movie and take a look at how real news is made!

Darkest Hour

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I predict an Oscar nomination for Gary Oldman in a riveting tour-de-force playing Winston Churchill in ‘The Darkest Hour.’   The movie depicts a few key weeks right before and immediately after Churchill became prime minister in 1940.  He was a flawed man, cantankerous and opinionated, but the right man at the right time to lead his country into a war against the seemingly unstoppable Nazi war machine.  Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’ took us through what happened through the eyes of people who were there.  Joe Wright’s ‘Darkest Hour’ demonstrates the strategy and politics of how Churchill, with practically his whole party against him, the party leaders still seeking appeasement, remained steadfast in the defense of good against evil, and came up with the plan given the code name  Operation Dynamo.  We also get to see Churchill’s humanity as he banters with his wife (played by Kristin Scott Thomas, who should have had more screen time) and rides the underground to get a feeling of what the ordinary people think.  This movie is a good introduction to this tumultuous time  and might make people research the reasons and background of how Churchill led the British and their Commonwealth at a time they truly ‘stood alone’ against what seemed impossible odds (the United States wouldn’t send aid to the British at this stage of the war, as they faced their “Darkest Hour,’ because of our isolationism and neutrality. It is almost saddening seeing Oldman, as Churchill, reacting to Roosevelt’s inability to send help).  Another thing I loved about this movie was the use of some of Churchill’s speeches. He was a top rate orator and wrote his own, unlike most politicians today. Because he wrote them, they sound honest, powerful and inspiring.  I highly recommend this movie to people who like to see the behind the scenes history of great leaders – warts and all!

Dunkirk

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In 1940, British and French soldiers are trapped against the English Channel by the German army after a set of military disasters at the beginning of World War II.  In a desperate tactic, the English, using mainly civilian boats and crews, were able to evacuate more than 300,000 soldiers to live and fight another day.  If you are thinking that this doesn’t sound like an exciting event, think again!!  This movie really brings this story alive with a mixture of historic detail and great story telling.   Kudos to Christopher Nolan.  The movie is told from three different perspectives:  a British private desperately trying to get home, an RAF pilot flying a Spitfire and an average man who helms his commandeered boat to rescue as many of the boys as he can.  Mark Rylance plays the civilian ship owner who shows the calm determination of the men who sailed the “cockle shell” fleet to the war torn Dunkirk beaches.  His reasons become clear as the movie progresses.  It is no fluke he won an Academy Award for “Bridge of Spies.” This man has quite the acting chops!  Tom Hardy portrays a Spitfire pilot with a quiet fortitude as he battles against German fighters and a bomber over the Channel.  There is not a lot of dialog here, Nolan lets the action tell the story and oh what a story it is!  The reactions shown by the rescued soldiers and the British people that meet them sum up the story, with a final summation provided by one of the men reading parts of Winston Churchill’s famous address about fighting on as the Battle of Britain looms. This is Nolan’s first historical movie and I hope it won’t be his last.  We saw the 70mm film version and let me tell you, several times I thought I was watching 3D because of the way the film puts you in the middle of the action.  All in all, this was a thrilling and emotional ride that will leave you wanting to run to the nearest bookstore (or on-line website) to research more about this great unsung (in movies) event from World War II.

Silence

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I want to start out by saying that Martin Scorsese is one of my favorite directors.  From ‘Casino’ to ‘Good Fellows,’ from ‘Shutter Island’ to ‘Hugo,’ he has never disappointed me.  So it is with a heavy heart that I must not recommend this movie.  The plot sounded intriguing:  the true story of Portuguese missionaries in Japan in search of their missing mentor at a time when Christianity is outlawed and priests are forbidden.  A lot of people, including me, may not be familiar with this period of history.  It took Scorsese 28 years to bring Shusaku Endo’s acclaimed book to the screen; and the scenery, costumes and cinematography are indeed breath taking.  However, the story of two men hiding and starving for a great deal of the movie doesn’t make for a pleasant viewing experience for the theater goer.  There are scenes after scenes of people being killed in gruesome ways, of the poor peasants suffering and the inability of the two priests, handcuffed by their Jesuit orthodoxy, to actually be of help.  This movie is depressing from beginning to end.  I would wait to see it at home, when you can break up this 160 minute movie into smaller chunks.  I can not fault the acting of Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neesan, Ciaran Hinds or the heartbreaking performance by Tadanobu Asano, the “Johnny Depp” of Japanese Cinema.  His portrayal of the man who seems to worship and yet betray the priests is incredible.  This is the kind of movie that might win some awards, but most people will not want to watch it to find out why.  If I love a  movie, I want to see it again and again; this was not one of those movies.