The Whale
In titling a film, you only get one chance at making a great first impression. For a film like “The Whale,” a would-be moviegoer associates the title with the man’s size and assumes it is likely a crazy diet comeback story and declines to see it. “The Whale” just might be the biggest film surprise of 2023, and I assure you that it is not what you think it is. 

The film stars former 90s hunk actor Brendan Fraser as Charlie, a reclusive college English professor who hides his face on camera when teaching courses while serially ordering enormous pizzas. It is no secret that Charlie might have a week at best to live, and he’s determined to reconnect with his estranged adolescent daughter, Ellie, played with fiery angst by “Stranger Things” actress Sadie Sink.

Ellie has no problem letting the humiliations fly at Charlie with unrelenting speed. He abandoned her and her mother years earlier over another lover, only to deal with grief in an unexpected way, which is of course compulsively eating. His only real companion is his personal nurse, Liz, played with a gallows humor by actress Hong Chau. Director Darren Aronofsky has done a masterful job at bringing playwright Samuel Hunter’s work to the big screen, as in true play fashion, this film is set entirely in Charlie’s rainy apartment with only a half dozen characters.  

Fraser hits the perfect dramatic notes as a flawed and failed man who uses what little time he has left to put right what once went so greatly wrong in his life and that of his daughter Ellie. Aronofsky packs the film with plenty of heavy drama, but chooses precisely when to sneak in one or two unexpected humorous scenes to give the audience and Charlie a break from being reminded that one’s life is indeed fatalistic.  The levity brought in makes the characters in this film feel all the more real and by the time the film was nearing the end there wasn’t a dry eye in the auditorium and plenty of people were absolutely riveted upon its sudden ending.  

In 2009, Aronofsky had another flawed character film in “The Wrestler” starring Mickey Rourke as a man who is on borrowed time and strives to right a whole lot of wrongs.  What that film lacked in reconciliation, Aronofsky more than makes up for it here.  “The Whale” is the most honest acting performance that Fraser has ever done, and he currently has the accolades to prove it.


To Leslie
One of the more unique aspects of Oscar season is seeing little-known films and actors/actresses being nominated. Andrea Riseborough is an English actress with a dozen or so noir films to her name (my personal favorite is “Mandy”), and she’s finally broken through to U.S. audiences with “To Leslie,” a hard luck film. Riseborough stars as the titular Leslie, an alcoholic Texas mom who suddenly wins the lottery and then proceeds to squander it away.  Director Michael Morris paints a rather bleak tale, letting Riseborough sink as low as one human can go, only to have her rise like a phoenix through some very unforgiving ashes. “To Leslie” isn’t a comeback story, but Riseborough has taken dramatic care in showing you that redemption can come in any form. ​

The Menu
Writer Jonathan Swift once laid out a definition of satire as a sort of glass wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own. This remarkably astute definition holds up well some 300 years later. If Swift exchanged the word glass for plate, his quote could almost stand for the tagline in director Mark Mylod’s newest film, “The Menu.” An awkward blend of the “Ten Little Indians” theme mixed with black comedy and tossed with abject horror, Mylod has created the ultimate film-tasting menu for an audience - no reservations required.

An ensemble cast rules this picture and contains the likes of Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, John Leguizamo, Paul Adelstein and Janet McTeer as uber-wealthy elitists who converge on a tiny private island that holds the incredibly exclusive restaurant known as Hawthorne. The impeccable Ralph Fiennes plays the delish part of creepy celebrity head chef Julian Slowik, whose bevy of sous chefs and maitre’d’s surround him with military-like precision as he announces the tasting course before each service.

Foodie culture has always been wildly popular, and the film spares no expense in creating some of the most visually stunning dishes peppered with rarified ingredients and coupled with pronunciations that would challenge even Gordon Ramsay. As the courses progress, little revelations about Chef Julian and his sous chefs are revealed with sometimes-deadly proportions. The buildup alongside the courses served give each audience member a slight taste of what is to come, and the film lets you know that, like a true plate tasting, an entire meal must be served before a critique is made.

Colin Stetson penned the film’s score, which combines both a playful elegance and dramatic upswing as to accompany each course, no matter how fantastic or disturbing it may be plated. Golden Globe nominations and various critic societies have lauded the performances by Taylor-Joy and Fiennes who are constantly at odds in the film. Do fast food and fine dining mix? Only in a quirky, over-the-top film like “The Menu” can that be answered.


White Noise
Actor Adam Driver lately has been trending into Christian Bale territory with his willingness to take on acting roles where there is a physical transformation to a point that you almost do not recognize him. In the totally absurdist comedy “White Noise,” you find Driver going to the absolute comedic maximum. And it works. The film is based on a novel of the same name by author Don Delillo, who was something of a cult writer of just about anything.

For the this film, we are caught up in all the neon and absurdities that existed in 1984 as Driver takes the role of Jack, a professor in a field that’s yet to be truly founded. His wife, Babette, played here with perfect comedic wit by actress Greta Gerwig, helps to keep her own wily household in line with the all the children they share between them. The kids follow mostly in Jack’s footsteps of wild interests and absurdities, all the while searching for normality in their town.
​
It takes a man-made natural disaster to upheave Jack and his tribe and take them on a preposterous series of events before any third act ever begins. The film plays two ways; on the surface it’s comedy fun and just below that is pure nominalism. After viewing this film, it sounds like a class that Jack would certainly teach.

The Fabelmans
Expression through the arts is perhaps the most cathartic way of dealing with whatever slings and arrows life may hurl. If one cannot fully utilize therapy to bring about calm, one is likely to pick up a pen, or paintbrush and expel his or her feelings upon paper or canvas. Steven Spielberg chose to pick up a movie camera, and, boy, are we ever glad that he did. His list of films seems almost endless: “Jaws,” “Schindler’s List,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “E.T” “Jurassic Park,” “Munich,” “Lincoln,” etc. These films have conflicts, bold characters, and cinematic endings of magnificent proportions. While making such classics, was Spielberg troubled? 

His latest directorial film is “The Fabelmans,” and it’s his own autobiography. The film stars Paul Dano and Michelle Williams as Burt and Mitzi Fabelman, parents of a slightly dysfunctional Jewish family from New Jersey. They take their oldest child, Sammy (obviously a young Spielberg), to his first film, DeMille’s “Greatest Show On Earth,” which leaves such an impression that the boy is forever crashing his toy train set while filming with his 8mm camera.  

Burt is a pre-Silicon Valley computer genius in the 1950s, and the family moves across the country, with stops in Phoenix and Northern California. Their moves from predominately Jewish neighborhoods to more ethnically absent neighborhoods weigh heavy on the entire family, especially for young Sammy, whose camera tends to capture the truth no matter how painful it really is.   

Virtually every scene in the film is a wink and nod to Spielberg classics, and these references will be evident to rabid Spielberg fans. “The Fabelmans” is a personal love letter from Spielberg to the world, and for those who are interested in what makes a filmmaker tick, you won’t find a better picture to see than this. 


The Banshees of Inisherin
Academy Award winning director Martin McDonagh delivers one of the more awkward (yet seriously funny) “dramedies” in “The Banshees of Inisherin.” Set in the 1920s, the film stars Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell as former best friends Colm and Padraic, who live on one of the tiniest islands in all of Ireland. McDonagh delivers a cinematographer’s dream in that almost every outdoor shot is made from pure Emerald Isle perfection, yet not all is rosy there on Inisherin. The tavern fiddler Colm has a midlife crisis and suddenly cannot stand to be in the mundane presence of Padraic. 
​
The midlife severance crisis between older men is a film topic that is rarely seen, and Martin, who also wrote this screenplay, has done a bang-up job in bringing out the blackest of comedy tropes to get such an underutilized plot some attention. The film is confidently Irish in its purpose, but comes across to American audiences as both unique and refreshing. Outdoing himself again, Martin and the film’s actors should reap some nominations come award season time. ​

8-Bit Christmas
In the fifth or sixth year of my life, our kindly guidance counselor, Mrs. Whitaker, came to my first grade class on chilly December day to engage us in talks about the Christmas holiday. She asked us individually what we wanted for Christmas, and I excitedly told her what I thought was the best answer in class … a Nintendo. She laughed and told me I had expensive tastes “for requesting such a pricey computer game.” I dismissed her comment as not being up to snuff on the latest Nintendo marketing campaigns. Had she not seen the dizzying levels of 8-bit graphics? Did she miss the enormous Nintendo display at the Hixson K-Mart, that always had a snaky line of juvenile Nintendo fans waiting endlessly for that chance to play a round of Mike Tyson’s Punch Out?

I did indeed get my Nintendo that very Christmas (which I still have today), and 35 years later, fresh off a Black Friday weekend of trying to score an Xbox X gaming console, I can tell you that the thrill of gaming and the chase for it never gets old. During “8-Bit Christmas,” I relived everything from 1988 with gusto.
​
The film stars actor Neil Patrick Harris as the grown up version of young Jake Doyle. One snowy day he breaks out the old Nintendo to regale his smartphone-addicted daughter (“Dad, it looks like a gray Tupperware box”) about what the console is and the powerful story behind it. The viewer is instantly transported to 1988 in suburban Chicago to see younger Jake, played by Winslow Fegley, engage his parents in Nintendo talk, only to be shot down at every turn. It’s all there in whimsical, nostalgia-filled scenes: the schoolyard Nintendo debates; Power Gloves; shopping mall sellouts; the overbearing neighborhood rich kid who already had the Nintendo; even the dreaded “video games cause violent behavior” talk. Jake’s adventures take him to incredible lengths all over the Chicago area in search of his greatest prize before he and his friends concoct a 15-point plan of epic proportions to procure the most coveted Christmas gift of all time. Perfect for pre-teens, this film will allow parents around during this era to fondly reminisce with their own kids, making this a funny family film to watch together. I really shouldn’t give this film three stars – truly, I shouldn’t. But for anyone who managed to get that Nintendo and still keeps up with gaming today (just like I still do), this film is for you.


King Richard
Actor Will Smith is no stranger to sports biographies, but in “King Richard,” he takes a much quieter road and it pays off well. Smith stars as Richard Williams, father to superstar tennis players Serena and Venus Williams. The film spans the early years of the Williams sisters to their upbringing in Compton, where their father began to foster their love of tennis on bombed-out tennis courts - at all hours and in both rain and shine. Armed with an 80- page document, he bombards tennis coaches and media personalities with facts about his kids, showing commitment that knows no bounds. His zest for their success is tactfully balanced out by his wife Brandy, played with a solid resolve by actress Aunjanue Ellis. Director Reinaldo Green helps steer a powerful cast to put this film as one of the better sports biographies in recent memory. A feel good ride, “King Richard” is an uplifting film that shows dreams sometimes really do come true. ​

"The Many Saints of Newark"
Nearly 22 years ago, “The Sopranos” crime drama debuted on HBO. Created and largely produced by “Rockford Files’” veteran David Chase, the series went on to amass a staggering 26 Emmy and Golden Globe awards amidst over 100 nominations. The show centered around middle-aged mob boss Tony Soprano (played with a volatile and buffoon-like gusto by late actor James Gandolfini) and his organized crime family in northern New Jersey. With a supporting cast featuring some of the most colorful scenes in American television history, the show was aptly mixed with drama, comedy, and scenes of ultra mob violence. Since the show ended in 2007, a long gestating prequel film was said to be in the works chronicling the early days of organized crime in 1960s New Jersey backdropped against the bloody Newark Riots. Written by show runner David Chase himself and directed by “Sopranos” veteran director Alan Taylor, “The Many Saints of Newark” is quite the modern mob masterpiece.

The film stars actor Michael Gandolfini as a young Tony Soprano. His father, James, who held the titular role, passed in 2013, but the physical resemblance and impeccable Soprano mannerisms here are a spot on match. He’s mentored in the film by a cousin-in-name-only, Dickie Moltisanti, who is as violent as he is charming. Their up and coming mafia exploits are juxtaposed against the riots taking place, which heightens the drama for all involved. The fierce performances and underworld dealings make for a mob film that hits in all the right places. For the many fans of HBO’s award winning crime drama series “The Sopranos,” virtually no explanation is needed as to why you should watch this film. For those who have never seen an episode of “The Sopranos,” what could you possibly be waiting for?


"Cry Macho"
Throughout the many years, actor and director Clint Eastwood has given audiences more film westerns than just about any other working actor in  Hollywood today. In his latest acting and directing romp, “Cry Macho,” Eastwood manages to put together a clever amalgamation of his all his western films with a subtle nod to some of his non-western films, as well. He stars here as a former rodeo star and broken down horse wrangler named Mike Milo. With his family long gone and out of the picture, Mike is approached by his former boss, Howard Polk, played musician/actor Dwight Yoakam. He asks Mike to rescue his son from abuse in Mexico, where he is in his mother’s care. Mike makes his way to the city to learn that not only is the ex-wife a woman of criminal power, but young Rafael is a juvenile delinquent who relishes illegal cockfighting. Eastwood’s gravelly voice convinces the kid and his cute pet rooster, Macho, to come along back to the States so he can meet his dad. Sure enough, there are bits of trouble along the way. Watching “Cry Macho” made me think about all the hard-edged cowboy toughs that Eastwood has played over the many decades, and how once those films ended, you never knew for certain about character’s fate. Here in “Cry Macho,” we are treated to a memorable scene. Suffice to say, if this is to truly be Eastwood’s farewell, he ended his career on a magnificent note.
​
Both films are in theaters and available for streaming,

Alright you guys and ghouls, we’ve reached that time of year once again. The nights get dark a little earlier, and there is a chill to the air as the harvest moon runs high and bright. Looking for that certain scary film to close out an October night?  Look no further than these recommendations.

"True: Tricky Treat Day"
Streaming’s most popular animated series, “True and the Rainbow Kingdom,” has a delightful Halloween special just for smaller kids! “True: Tricky Treat Day” features the plucky female hero aptly named True, who, along with her friends, discovers that a yeti eats a cursed piece of candy and has the world turned upside down with menacing Howling Greenies. With bright-eyed animations galore, this little spook film plays wonderfully to all younger children and their families.

"The Witches (2020)"
Roald Dahl is the famous children’s author to such wonderful books as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “James and the Giant Peach.” One of his little lesser known works is “The Witches,” a brooding children’s fantasy tale about a young boy and his grandmother who seek refuge from a gaggle of witches at a grand hotel. This updated remake of 1990 version stars Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, and Stanley Tucci in the main roles, as comedian Chris Rock voices the animated mouse role of Hero. A bit much at times for smaller children, this film plays more to the pre-teen audience.
​
"Fear Street"
Based on R.L. Stine’s famous “Fear Street” series, a clever amalgamation featuring some of his most horrific plots has finally been given the big screen treatment.  Set in the mid 90s, the warring high school factions between students from Sunnydale and Shadyside come to a head when a 400-year-old witch is awakened from her slumber, and the two sides must team up to destroy her once and for all. The film comes across as an R-Rated version of streaming’s super popular franchise “Stranger Things.” Anyone who is a fan of Stine’s books will certainly enjoy this scare trilogy.

"Werewolves Within"
Loosely based on a video game of the same name, “Werewolves Within” has a lot more going for it than meets the eye. It’s the story of a newbie forest ranger who befriends a mail carrier in a small, politically divided town. After a series of strange happenings and with he help of a scientist, residents in the town take armed refuge in a creaky lodge. Half comedy and half gore-fest, “Werewolves Within” makes for a howling good horror comedy.

"Candyman (2021)"
Here is a modern update on the legendary Clive Barker short story that’s produced by Oscar winner Jordan Peele. The mythology builds upon the original film and on the urban legend of reciting Candyman’s name in a mirror in order to conjure him.  Literally armed with a grizzly hook for a hand, he’s not exactly there to grant any wishes. A noir thriller at times, “Candyman” has that rare distinction of being a horror sequel that actually works.
​
Honorable Horror Mentions
“Porno”  Set in 1992, movie theater employees find a hidden room with a forbidden film reel. When played, it conjures up a vivacious succubus that stalks men. Whip smart dialogue with over-the-top effects, this film was a surprisingly big hit at film festivals.
“Amulet”  A homeless soldier in the heart of London takes a job to repair an older home. He’s allowed to fix everything except for the attic, which is said to house a very disturbed woman.  Frightening tension with just the right amount of slow burn pacing, “Amulet” is an off-the-charts disturbing horror film.

"The Green Knight"
Buried somewhere in the vast literary Arthurian legends is a poem called “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” The unknown 14th century-authored work tells of a great knight named Gawain who serves on King Arthur’s famous Round Table. On a night of great feasting, the twisted and literally-colored green Green Knight appears to issue a challenge to Arthur’s men: Any brave man may step forward to offer up a fatal blow, but if he fails, then the Green Knight will execute the failed knight in exactly one year. Sir Gawain leaps up with a heavy axe to swiftly end the challenge, and he fails. Sir Gawain’s life is on the clock. 

The film is a masterful, cinematic take on this little known Arthurian poem. Writer and director David Lowery clearly uses his history as an experienced cinematographer in filming a mythical set piece of almost epic graphic novel proportions. The rich colors and powerful blending of the almost fantasy-like atmosphere create a darkened fantasy film not seen since Tom Cruise’s “Legend.” Leading the undersized role of Sir Gawain is actor Dev Patel, who has been nominated across so many award shows he will surely hit that Oscar win at any time. He plays Sir Gawain as a seemingly brave man who doubts himself under the epic shadow of his uncle, King Arthur, played here with a quiet sensitivity by “Mission Impossible” series perennial bad guy, Sean Harris. Given the weighty plot and traditional Arthurian regulars who appear, the film somehow carries the audience from scene to scene with an almost effortless prodding. 

The source material here is original, and you can tell that Lowery took the best lines straight from that Middle Age chivalric poem. Part quest, part sword and sorcery, “The Green Knight” is one of the best films to ever capture the more untold parts of the Arthurian legend. Haunting, cinematic, and virtuous in its ambition, this film is sure to entertain.


"Queen Bees"
In cinema history, there are several aging-ensemble casted films that have the uphill task of cranking out pure comedic joy. Ron Howard’s “Coccoon” is the best example of such a film, where the older folks engage in youthful pastimes. In director Michael Lambeck’s comedy “Queen Bees,” the best scenes lie not with slapstick visuals, but instead with witty and soulful dialogues. The film stars Ellen Burstyn as Helen, an older widow always locking herself out of her home (whenever she’s not burning it down). Her family has reached a breaking point, and she’s off to Pine Grove for a brief stay at the swanky retirement community. She’s quick to find that the environment is anything but genial, as she learns that the place is gossipy, ultra-dramatic, and catty beyond belief. To help guide her through the motions, a bevy of colorful older residents begin opening up to her. 
​
The cast here is solid: James Caan, Ann-Margaret, Loretta Devine, Jane Curtin and Christopher Lloyd. A widow, Helen is inexplicably drawn to the charm of fellow resident, Lothario Dan, played here with a plucky spirit by actor James Caan. While the film has its great share of heavy emotional subjects, overall it is a witty crowd-pleasing comedy with a lot of laugher and just the right touch of soul.

"In the Heights"
Hollywood lately has only been putting out one big musical film a year, it seems. Even before the throes of COVID-19, not many were cranked out. “La La Land,” “Rocketman,” “Hamilton,” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” were all fantastic, award-winning musicals that received some of the highest praise among film critics and movie fans. Even with movie theaters still operating on limited opening schedules, one musical is out there right now that, like the above mentioned ones, is simply too good to pass up.

“In the Heights” takes place in the little-depicted borough of Washington Heights, which sits above the more affluent part of Manhattan. Set in a traditionally Latin neighborhood amidst the struggles of social pressures and gentrification norms, the film zeroes in on pair of delightful actors, Anthony Ramos and Melissa Barrera, who have big struggles and bigger dreams. Ramos portrays the levelheaded Usnavi, who has the potential opportunity to move back to his family’s native Dominican Republic to reopen his father’s beachfront bar. Barrera plays the attractive role of the local beauty tech who aspires for something a little more in the city.

“In the Heights” boasts a massive ensemble cast, and we get some minor storylines along film’s journey. But for the heart and soul of the film, Usnavi and Vanessa are our focus, and what a colorfully fantastic and upbeat scene they make for us! The song and dance numbers here are vibrant cultural spectacles pulled off with precision like moves, and they have a depth and passion beyond the ages. Each little character that comes and goes has a story, a battle that they’re all fighting, unknown to outsiders. The crossover of vignettes almost have an anthology feel to them, but instead they paint a much larger picture of a thriving community on the upswings of hope. Director Jon Chu has done a masterful job in adapting this award winning musical written for the stage by Quiara Alegría Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda and turning it into something fresh and exciting with musicals scores that have to be heard to be believed. You need that cool summer musical film refreshment?  “In the Heights” has it.

"Great White"
There remains in me a great unslaked thirst for preposterous shark films. Of course, nothing comes as close to aquatic film perfection as “Jaws,” but for every killer shark film that comes along, I always find myself making comparisons. “Great White” stars a largely unknown Australian cast that is lead by actors Katrina Bowden and Aaron Jakubenko. In the film, the couple heads up a seaplane business, and clients fall prey to a shark attack during an excursion. Thus begins the larger portion of the film that’s based in aquatic survivalism, but true ichthyologist film fans will notice quite a few nods to other killer shark films from cinema history As a whole, shark films always carry a high level of suspense, as you never know just what is lurking underneath those wavy currents. Director Martin Wilson does an incredible job of making you feel safe one moment, and then twisting you in your seat with suspenseful dread the next. “Great White” is a decent, tightly acted shark film that indeed has a bite. ​

"Wrath of Man"
Madcap British filmmaker Guy Ritchie truly leaves no thrilling plot device left standing in his latest action picture, aptly titled “Wrath of Man.” With such a title, you know that there will be little left in terms of characters and personal property standing by the end of the film, and, with action superstar Jason Statham leading the way, you just know it’s gonna be a wild, wild ride.

The film stars Statham as Patrick Hill, a new and muscled employee of the Fortico Security company, which serves as an armored car service. Before long, on what’s presumed to be his first official run, there’s an attempted robbery of Patrick’s truck that he’s able to defend, dispatching the perpetrators with ease. Too much ease, to be precise. Ritchie’s films are known for having more deep character subplots than an onion’s got layers, and “Wrath of Man” is no exception. Opposite Hill’s storyline is the anti-hero subplot involving a former military platoon member named Jan, played with a ruthless cunning by actor Scott Eastwood, son of the uber-famous and legendary Clint Eastwood.
​
“Wrath of Man” is a filmed quite well, with an above average cinematographic pace that moves with the action. It is one of those action pieces where the characters all carry guns and you tend to hear a lot of clicking, bullets being loaded and triggers snapping. Ritchie, who also wrote the film, is a master of the “work, shoot, swerve, double-cross” heist film where nothing is as it seems, and everything changes on a dime. Unpredictable, “Wrath of Man” is a surprisingly well-made heist film and does more to cement actor Jason Statham’s credibility as the best leading action picture actor working today.


"Land"
​“Walden” by Henry David Thoreau is perhaps one of the most classic pieces of literature most students are ever introduced to in school. The writer describes the nurturing silence of nature bringing solace to the tired soul. Watching the film “Land” was at times like watching a contemporary film on Thoreau’s most famous work itself. The film stars actress Robin Wright (who also directed) as the melancholic Edee, a woman who flees to the confines of nature deep within the Rockies after an unspeakable tragedy upends her world. Her initial venture into self survival alone in the woods doesn’t go as planned, but in the panic of it all, she manages to find friendship in a local hunter named Miguel, played with rustic charm by award-winning Mexican actor Demián Bichir. Both characters in the film are what most would consider loners, and they’ve self-isolated to one of the loneliest areas known to man, the unforgiving wiles of nature. There’s a slow build between the two in the film as Miguel teaches Edee how to physically survive while she teaches him emotionally live. The film itself runs just 90 minutes, but I found myself wanting more. Wright has managed in her directorial debut to give us characters, exposition, climax, and resolution in such a concise time that it’s nothing short of brilliant. I truly hope she has another turn in the director’s chair very soon. ​

"The Father"
Watching “The Father,” I was reminded of another “tour-de-acting-force” from a British actor that I covered a few columns back. The late actor John Hurt portrayed a terminally ill musician with fading gusto in “That Good Night.” Hurt’s character begrudgingly made amends with his estranged family, as his knew his time was short. With “The Father,” we have a similar setup as the overly talented actor Anthony Hopkins plays a man (named Anthony) lost to the throes of dementia. His remaining family members try their hardest to balance his mental outbursts against finding strides that resemble a somewhat normal life. Both characters in both films are fading fast as they try to remember the good times and the people around them. 

The film is actually based on French playwright Florian Zeller’s own hit, “Le Père.” Zeller himself serves as both a first time director here and as the screenwriter as well. His cast of characters is small, but quite powerful in their acting prowess. British actress Olivia Colman has perhaps the most thankless job in the entire film, portraying Anthony’s transient daughter Anne. Early in the film she brings along her boyfriend, Paul, who is played by actor Rufus Sewell. 

Hopkins’ acting here is world class, as his portrayal of a dementia patient is what earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 2021 Oscars. “The Father” is a most real and most heartbreaking film in its portrayal of dementia patients with a sometimes grim, but unfiltered, camera lens.    


"Sound of Metal"
There’s indeed a cruel fate in losing ones livelihood over physical impairments. In “Sound of Metal,” we meet the drummer of a heavy metal band named Rueben, who is slowly losing his hearing with a warning that it may go away entirely one day. Such a rotten diagnosis reminds me of drummer Rick Allen for the band Def Leopard. He lost his whole arm in a car crash just as the band was reaching the pinnacle of its stardom. Did it stop him? No; instead Allen relied on a custom drum kit to keep on rocking and is still with the band as its drummer. But in the film, Rueben needs expensive ear implant surgery to possibly restore his hearing. Hearing loss isn’t his only demon to battle, as Rueben also is a recovering addict. Seeking help and shelter with his longtime girlfriend, Lou, played here with gritty purpose by actress Olivia Cooke, Rueben begins to rationalize what’s evolving in his ever changing and newfound world. 

“Sound of Metal” was nominated for half a dozen Academy Awards and won two for Best Editing and Best Sound. Sound is what this film is really all about, delving into what we humans hear, try to hear, and ultimately end up hearing. Director Darius Marder is able to completely do away with any stigmas attached to disabilities. Actor Riz Ahmed absolutely shines here in the lead role of Rueben, and he is certainly an actor to keep an eye on in the future when it comes to powerful, award worthy roles.