Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

West Side Story

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“West Side Story” won 10 Academy Awards in 1961 and two Tonys in 1957.  It was such a smash success that no one thought that it could ever be redone.  That didn’t stop Steven Spielberg though. He had big shoes to fill and boy did he fill them!  The story is essentially the same as that of Romeo and Juliet.  If you are a fan of Shakespeare (and I definitely am), you will appreciate how closely the two stories parallel each other.  Juliet in this case is Maria played flawlessly by newcomer Rachel Zegler.  Romeo’s role goes to  Ansel Elgort who plays the love sick Tony.  Tony used to belong to the Jets, a local gang he started with his friend Riff.  But he is on parole, and has been keeping his distance from the gangs.  They are poor, disadvantaged and angered by the demographic changes in the neighborhood they grew up in.  The immediate object of their hatred, and the perceived reason for all their problems, is the Puerto Rican gang headed by Maria’s brother, Bernardo – the Sharks.  As the rivalry between the two gangs come to a boil, Maria and Tony briefly meet at a community dance, and fall in love.  This forbidden love sparks a full blown rumble that has the expected dire consequences.  Every actor in this movie is ideally suited to their part and they perform perfectly.  Some of the standouts are David Alvarez as Bernardo, Mike Fist as Riff, but especially Ariana DeBose as Anita.  She had a hard row to hoe trying to take on Rita Moreno’s Academy Award winning role as the fiery girlfriend of Bernardo, who loves America.  I was especially heartened to see that Rita Moreno was given a role in this film and she even gets to sing a solo!!  Everything about this is top-notch.  Remember, the great Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein wrote the lyrics and score so you know the songs will be spectacular.   The emotional punch caused by a great director, terrific actors, timeless songs and beautiful cinematography had me in tears at the end.  If you see only one movie this year in a theatre, please let it be this one.  Also, don’t forget the Kleenex.

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.

Ghostbusters Afterlife

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Do the following words mean anything to you: Spengler, Ecto 1, Shandor, Muncher, Keymaster, or Zuul? If so, I have just the movie for you! If you have no idea what any of those words mean, I think you would enjoy this movie anyway. “Ghostbusters Afterlife” is chock full of references and homages to the original movie, while at the same time adding new life into the Ghostbusters franchise. The newest spectre seekers are played by some up and coming youngsters: Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things and It, as Trevor), Mckenna Grace (as Phoebe), Celeste O’Connor and Logan Kim (Podcast). Trevor and Grace are siblings who are dragged to the middle of nowhere to live in a spooky old house inherited by their mom (Carrie Coon). Her father, who she hates for having essentially abandoned her as a child, left it to her. Circumstances force them to move out west! Unbeknownst to them, their grandfather was Egon Spengler, one of the original Ghostbusters (played back then by Harold Ramis). The plot follows the kids and their friends – Podcast is especially fun – as they try to figure out why various strange phenomena are occurring in their small, seemingly boring, town. Strange sounds, daily earthquakes, and other spooky things are happening. Paul Rudd plays a disaffected teacher who has lost interest in the job. He shows his summer school students some very inappropriate movies. But ultra-smart Phoebe connects with him when she finds he is an ameteur siesmologist. They start investigating the reasons for the unnatural quakes; while Trevor and Podcast track other sources and clues. There are a lot of little sub stories, and plenty of references and humor that come along the way. And it all adds up to some special arrivals who “help” the kids save the planet.   By the way,stay to the very end to see a spoiler for a sequel, perhaps.  SPOILER ALERT: It has been all over the internet that some of the characters from the original 1984 movie show up in this one, and they do! If you are a fan, you will be satisfied and a little moved by the end of it all. There’s more than enough to entertain fans at any level.

Red Notice

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What were you expecting out of a movie with Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne Johnson, and Gal Godot? Well, you won’t be disappointed, for that is exactly what you’re going to get!! Ryan Reynolds (Booth) plays his usual wise-cracking, Deadpool-ish character who describes himself as the World’s Greatest Art Thief. Dwayne Johnson (Hartley) is the intrepid FBI agent out to bring him to justice, and Gal Godot is the mysterious “Bishop,” who is beautiful, smart, and kicks butt like Wonder Woman. Yes, you have seen these characters in these same parts before, but that does not detract from the fun. The ludicrous plot has much to do with possessing all three of the ancient golden eggs said to have been given to Cleopatra by Marc Anthony. Two of these eggs are in private hands, but the third has been lost to time. Booth claims he knows where it is. The person who can deliver the lost third egg to a rich Egyptian collector – so he can give it to his daughter, yep her name is Cleopatra, on her birthday – will be $800 million richer. I advise you to forget the plot and just enjoy the banter, chases, escapes, and surprises. The action is virtually unending, the twists and betrayals many and surprising, and the effects are awesome. Look for a delicious cameo by a famous English singer-songwriter. This movie won’t win any Oscars, but it’s a fun ride, and will certainly entertain you for a few hours.

Last Night in Soho

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“Last Night in Soho” is an interesting thriller that moves between London’s Soho of the 1960s and the present time. Thomasin McKenzie (JoJo Rabbit) plays Ellie, a country girl who has moved to London in order to study fashion designing. Ellie has some kind of presight, and sees things that aren’t ‘there.’ She sometimes sees visions of her mother, who committed suicide when she was 7. Thomasin brings to life the innocent girl in the big, wild city in a sympathetic and believable way. After moving in with a party girl room mate, and discovering she is the leader of a clique of ‘mean girls,’ Ellie decides to find a place of her own. She ends up in an old, creaky apartment owned by Dame Diana Rigg (in her last movie appearance). Things begin to go really wrong. Ellie sees visions of a mysterious girl named Sandy (Anya Taylor-Joy) who seems to be living the high life in the swinging sixties. She has aspirations to be a singer and falls under the sway of Jack (Dr. Who’s Matt Smith), who appears to be a friendly fun guy who seems to have the “ins” to help her get started. These dreams turn into nightmares as Jack shows himself as a real creep, bordering on pimp, who wants to absolutely control Sandy. Ellie believes she is seeing through her dreams the events that lead up to Sandy’s murder. And the lines are starting to blur between dream and reality. I won’t say more, but there are some delicious twists a la Alfred Hitchcock. The costumes are stunning and the soundtrack is mesmerizing. The recreations of “swinging” Soho are atmospheric and evocative. The whole thing was conceived and directed by Edgar Wright, who also helmed “Shaun of the Dead” and co-authored “Ant-Man.” I think this is his best movie to date. If you are obsessed with the 60’s like I am, you will enjoy the eerie and earthy quality and cinematography. The story is a little slow to start, but once it gets going, I think it will have you hooked until it comes to a most bizarre conclusion.