Adnerb the Movie Nerd

Movie reviews from a middle school teacher's perspective

Dune

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Dune is set in a distant future. Arrakis is the only planet in the known universe that produces the spice Melange, the most valuable and essential commodity in the universe. It gives long life, greater vitality and heightened awareness. So, whoever controls Arrakis will amass untold wealth and power. The Padashaw Emperor controls this universe and rules with the aid of the Landsraad. The Landsraad is composed of the great houses, and is extremely political, very cutthroat and brutal. Arrakis is a hot, almost uninhabitable environment of desert and
mountains. It’s controlled at the beginning by Baron Vladimir (Stellan Skarsgard) of the House Harkonen. The native life is composed of the giant sandworms, fierce guardians of desert spice fields and the Fremen, the mysterious denizens who want to be rid of the Imperial houses and have made an agreement of convenience with them regarding spice harvesting. But the Fremen have other plans, there is prophecy, mysticism and a looked for mahdi. And that’s just the overview! Timothee Chalamet stars as Paul Atreides, the only son and heir of the Duke Ledo the Just (Oscar Isaac) of the great House of Atreides. Duke Ledo is inexplicably handed Arrakis by the emperor, displacing their deadly enemies, the Harkonen. They know the Emperor plans treachery, and try to take precautions. However, it’s too little, too late. There is death and the virtual destruction of the Atreides clan. Paul will need to step up and rise to his destiny. Dune is a complicated book, and I can see how people who are not familiar with previous movies or the original book, could be confused. But director Denis Villeneuve does a great job helping the uninitiated follow the story, while giving hardcore Dune fans the details. Chalamet handles the task of showing a young nobleman faced with sudden disaster and tragedy and rising to the challenge with strength and intelligence. The supporting cast is superb, and includes Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, David Bautista, and Charlotte Rampling along with the aforementioned Oscar Isaac and Stellan Skarsgard. The scope of this epic, the stunning settings, and well designed costumes, are beautifully done. Even though Dune comes in at over 2 1/2 hours, it is only Part 1 of this epic story. There is something for everyone in this movie and you do not need to be a fan of Dune to enjoy it. Honestly, I can’t wait for Part 2!

The Card Counter

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I really like Oscar Isaac, but I did not care for this movie. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn’t seen the trailer. I felt that “The Card Counter” trailer is very deceptive. I knew it wasn’t going to be a comedy; but it left me with the impression that it would be a little mysterious, but light hearted, revenge motivated sort of story with some clever twists and surprises. Wow was I wrong! Oscar Isaac plays William Tell, an ex-convict who has been released from prison not too long ago. While in prison, he had taught himself how to count cards and he makes a moderate living by moving around the country, winning just enough money in various casinos to get by. He escapes notice, and a subsequent ban, by keeping his winnings low. His life gets complicated when he decides to play in a high stakes poker tournament in order to help an aimless young man (Tye Sheridan) out for revenge against a mutual acquaintance (Willem Dafoe) with a dark and cruel past. Even the addition of Tiffany Haddish as his contact and controller, La Linda, doesn’t help anything. If this had been the main theme of the movie, I might feel totally different. However, it’s interwoven with a subplot involving Tell’s involvement with the Dafoe character in torturing prisoners at Abu Ghraib that is jarring and brutal. And the rest of the movie moves at a slow pace with little to really make it interesting or generate any involvement with the characters. Isaac does give a great performance, but not enough for me to recommend this one. You will not come out of this movie in a good mood. In fact, I found the whole thing down right depressing.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

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I watched the very first Star Wars movie in 1977 when it first came out.  Then it was a completely fresh and new  kind of movie.  In fact, I think it is safe to say that the original Star Wars usuhered in an era of acceptance for serious SciFi that has flourished ever since.  Through it all, I have followed the highs (Luke, I am your father) and lows (Jar-Jar Binks) of the series, including the off-shoot movies like ‘Rogue One’.    So you can imagine my disappointment at the terrible reviews some people have been giving this one.  DO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THE REVIEWERS!  This was a great and fitting ending for true Star Wars fans.  I loved it!  Yes, some of the action seems simple and innocent, but this is true to the original and I wouldn’t want it any other way.  In this episode, an enemy from the past resurfaces and is, of course, bent on dominating and ruling the galaxy.  The old gang, introduced two episodes ago, are all back.  Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega) and of course, Rey (Daisy Ridley) must work together to help the small but hopeful resistance fight back.  Daisy will find out her bloodline in a surprising revelation, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) will come to terms with his destiny, and many old favorites will be featured including Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian.  There will be some deaths, expected and unexpected, as well as a few pleasant surprises including a new droid named D-O.  I thought this movie ties everything up and it is a fitting conclusion to 40 years of being happily and fully entertained.  An era has come to en end, but in a great way.

Operation Finale

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This movie is a rather low-key political thriller based on a true story.  In this compelling tale, set in 1960, the Mossad, Israel’s nascent intelligence agency, has gotten information that the notorious Adolph Eichmann, the architect of the “Final Solution,” is alive and living under an assumed name in Argentina along with his wife and sons.  Many Nazi’s escaped Germany at the end of World War II, but Eichmann was one of the higher level SS escapees avoiding justice, and one that had an especially central role in the adminstrative machinery of the Holocaust.  Oscar winner Ben Kingsley plays Eichmann in a stellar performance, showing the facets of a man who sought to escape the responsibility for what he’d done, but was still haughty and arrogant while maintaining a familial gentility with his own people.  The philosopher Hannah Arendt  coined the term “the banality of evil” referring to Eichmann, and Sir Ben’s performance demonstrates how apt the characterization is.  Oscar Isaac ably performs the role of Peter Malkin, one of the Israeli agents tasked with bringing him in, with subdued passion and intensity.  After the Israeli government decides to kidnap Eichmann and take him to Israel to stand trial for his extensive war crimes, a tense cat and mouse game ensues between the Mossad agents and the ex-patriate Nazis and their sympathizers among the Argentinian politicians trying to find them and end their mission.  Why they must do this and how it is accomplished makes for an engaging movie.  If you are interested in WWII history and how this Nazi war criminal was brought to justice, you will definitely enjoy this film.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

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Are you a fan of the Star Wars movies?  You can bet I am and I was eager and excited to see this latest installment.  All the characters we loved from the last installment like Rey, Poe, Finn BB-8,  and Kylo Ren, are back as well as old favorites like Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, R2D2, and C3PO.  What a cast! This movie also boasts a great script, spot on direction and wonderful and sweeping scenery.  In a nutshell:  The Last Jedi has everything I want to see in a Star Wars movie.  If you are like me, someone who loves and watches tons of movies, it is hard to come up with something new and inventive that actually surprises me.  “The Last Jedi” did it though, and how!  Once it gets going, the action is fast paced and shifts from story line to story line fluidly, keeping the viewer interested and looking forward to the next scene. Scenes between Luke (Mark Hamill) and Rey (Dasiy Ridely) evoke those between Luke and his teacher,Yoda.  Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey continue to have some kind of a connection through the Force that we all know will  not end well for one of them, but adds exposition and a dimension to the Force that hitherto has been unexploited, in the movies at least .   Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Issac) continue to shine in their supporting roles.  New comer Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico was surprisingly poignant as a maintenance worker who has a key role in helping the Resistance.  There are too many minor characters to name, but Benecio del Toro and Laura Dern are just two of the many standouts.  Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if you don’t end up wanting to own an “ice fox.”  Porgs aside, the ice foxes are absolutely cute and cool. Director and writer Rian Johnson has done a masterful job of respecting the episodes that came before and at the same injecting new life and humor into the eighth episode in a saga that happens in a galaxy far, far away!