#Also it has hands down my favorite Emma Thompson performance

[thatguywiththetumb1er]

The thing that frustrates me about all those takes that are like “Cruella’s mom was killed by Dalmatians” jokes is that CLEARLY you haven’t seen the movie. Like yes, that’s objectively dumb, but the movie is FULLY AWARE of how dumb that is, and Lowkey LEANS INTO IT. Not as much as I’d personally like it to (and honestly I wish Alex Timbers could have directed the film as planned because knowing his other work something tells me he would have more) but Cruella isn’t a girlboss lady Joker movie. Like there are times when it might act like it but mostly it’s a weird comedy about a bunch of loser thieves trying to scam their way through the world of high fashion and I at least was GENUINELY SURPRISED how much I liked it.

#Also it has hands down my favorite Emma Thompson performance #since I saw her as Mrs. Lovett #I have to assume after every cut she just burst into laughter #Shes a DELIGHT

[douxreviews]

Pride and Prejudice (2005) Review

"Your hands are cold."

This version of Pride and Prejudice is not well loved by die-hard Austen fans. It changes things and speeds up the timeline of the book to a brisk and unbelievable pace. Keira Knightley is too flirty and Matthew Macfadyen isn’t up to the role, or so the common complaints go. For my part, I love this movie. It’s not my favorite version, but that’s about the worst I can say about it.

The script takes liberties with the characters and the social edicts of the time, it’s true, but in my opinion, all is done for the greater purpose of making the story relatable. The film manages to translate the feel of the book to something modern audiences will easily understand without losing the essence of the time period. It’s actually quite impressive. 

For instance, an early scene shows Lizzy and Charlotte Lucas gossiping under the bleachers at a dance. Miss Elizabeth Bennet would, of course, never do anything like that, but the result of the scene is that Charlotte and Lizzy’s closeness is established instantly without taking time away from moving the plot along. In a similar fashion, Lizzy’s flirtation with Wickham rapidly discloses her romantic interest in him and her open weeping in front of Darcy shows how comfortable she is with him, all without taking up valuable time.

The idea continues with costuming and set direction. Miss Bingley’s gown for the Netherfield ball is an excellent example. I don’t believe spaghetti straps were invented at the time, but the different fashion of her dress communicates how fashionable she was in comparison with the more old-fashioned dresses of the Bennet sisters. Netherfield is decorated sparsely, in line with the relative minimalism that is considered elegant today. A fashionable home in Regency period England would be overrun with art, statues, and other decorative objects, but today less is more, thus the minimalistic Netherfield looks far more fancy and rich to us than the cluttered Bennet house.

This is also the most overtly romantic of all the Pride and Prejudices. Elizabeth and Darcy in the field at dawn is like a dream. It’s clearly a departure from Austen’s original text, but, let’s face it, we read/watch Pride and Prejudice for the romance. Its light satire and well crafted characters are all well and good, but we love the damn thing for Elizabeth and Darcy. What’s the harm in acknowledging that and giving the audience a bit of what they want?

The film boasts my favorite Bennet family. Brenda Blethyn (thankfully) dials back the annoying on Mrs. Bennet. She is still an embarrassment to her older girls, but she is less obnoxious to the audience than the Mrs. Bennet of the 1995 miniseries. All the Bennet women, in fact, are fantastic. Rosamund Pike plays Jane who is (for once) actually prettier than Elizabeth. The story makes a rather big deal of Jane being the prettiest one, but in virtually every other film version, it seems the casting director couldn’t help but make the heroine the pretty one. I like the levels of pretty Jane and Elizabeth have in this movie. There’s no denying Keira Knightley is gorgeous, but Rosamund Pike is more traditionally beautiful. Pike’s Jane is very good. She isn’t as annoyingly perfect as other Janes. It might be my imagination, but I think she plays her a little dim as well, which works.

Kitty (a pre-pixie, pre-peroxide Carey Mulligan, if you can believe it) is also slightly different than in other versions. She is more of a hanger-on to Lydia than a partner in crime. Jena Malone’s Lydia is less obnoxious than other versions, although I don’t think she quite nails the character. Honestly, I’m not sure anyone has. Julia Sawalha (1995) came the the closest, but she is just a little too annoying. For me, Mary Bennet (Talulah Riley in her first film role) is the true standout. While other Marys have simply been punchlines, Riley brings something very real to the character. She feels left out by her sisters and is desperate to carve out a niche for herself in the family and in local society. She is always the overlooked one.

I must admit I haven’t liked Donald Sutherland since I found out Joss Whedon disliked Donald Sutherland. And yes, before you ask, I would jump off a bridge if Joss Whedon told me to. That said, Sutherland’s mumbly performance of Mr. Bennet might be the worst I’ve seen. He did get the character’s laziness down, but in certain scenes, he is almost indecipherable. Enunciation. It’s a thing.

Despite Keira Knightley’s excellent performance, Jennifer Ehle remains my favorite Lizzy. She’s just truer to the character. As far as Matthew Macfadyen goes, his performance is flawless excepting the fact that he is not Colin Firth. Had the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice never been made, I think Macfadyen might have gone down in history as the quintessential Mr. Darcy. Sadly, he lost the crown to Firth by a decade. You just can’t do better than Colin Firth, sorry.

As for the more supporting characters, the Bingleys and Georgiana Darcy are good, but I prefer those in the 1995 miniseries. They just don’t get enough screen time here to really stand out. I do like the goofiness Simon Woods brought to the role of Bingley and the mean girl-ittude of Kelly Reilly’s Caroline. As for Tamzin Merchant (Georgiana), I still haven’t forgiven her for how annoying she was in The Tudors.

Judi Dench is a god, which should be news to no one. The only better Lady Catherine I can imagine is Maggie Smith. It should be noted that both are way too old for the role (remember Lady Catherine is supposed to have a daughter in her early twenties) but to hell with that. When one can fit Judi Dench into a movie, one does.

Speaking of excellence in casting, for once (FOR ONCE!) supposedly plain Charlotte Lucas is not drop-dead gorgeous. Claudie Blakley is adorable and excellent in the role. She is completely likable but adds Charlotte’s desperation for a husband in undertones. That’s largely unseen in other versions. Other Charlottes come across as man-stealing bitches. Most characters in the film have an earnestness about them, even the redoubtable Mr. Collins. He is less of a punchline here than in other film versions, even than in the book. He is still obnoxious, god knows, but it’s dialed down to a believable level.

Bits and Pieces:

Many reviewers criticized the movies for using an ampersand instead of the word “and,” accusing the filmmakers of deviating from Austen’s standards. These reviewers should take a look at Austen’s personal letters. She uses ampersands constantly. 

Emma Thompson did uncredited rewrites on the script. Love her.

The soundtrack to this movie is one of the most sinfully beautiful pieces of music I’ve ever heard. I listen to it all the time. It’s particularly good for bubble baths.

Favorite Moments:

The Bennet girls rushing to be ready to greet Bingley and Darcy and then pretending that they’ve just been sitting calmly

Bingley practicing proposing to Jane (kindly played by Darcy)

Elizabeth and Darcy in the field

Darcy pacing outside the Bennets’ house as he waits for Mr. Bennet’s word of approval. Darcy is cutest when he’s at his most awkward. This goes for all versions.

four out of four cold hands

sunbunny

#Pride and Prejudice #Jane Austen #Elizabeth Bennet #Fitzwilliam Darcy #Keira Knightley #Matthew Macfadyen #Joe Wright #Doux Reviews #Movie Reviews #something from the archive

[esonetwork]

Fall Movie Preview 2019

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Fall Movie Preview 2019

Fall movie season is here! This is always my favorite time of the year to see movies. There’s such a wonderful variety of films available to see in theaters. Everything from awards season contenders, indie darlings, and exciting space adventures! Get ready to make your way to the theater because this looks like it’s going to be a great season at the movies. Let’s take a look at what’s coming soon.

SEPTEMBER September 13th The Goldfinch Starring: Ansel Elgort, Oakes Fengley, Nicole Kidman, Finn Wolfhard Bring the tissues and prepare yourself for a rollercoaster of emotions because this is gonna be a wild ride. The Goldfinch is based on the Pultizer Prize winning novel by Donna Tart. This is one of the best books I’ve read recently, but it’s quite an emotional journey. It follows 13-year-old Theo Decker after the traumatic death of his mother in an art museum bombing. It’s a haunting and powerful story about the human condition once grief becomes a prominent force in one’s life. The film is directed by John Crowley with Roger Deakins as director of photography. That’s what I call must-see cinema.

Hustlers Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Cardi B, Lili Reinhart Based on a New York Times article, former strip club employees band together to hustle their Wall Street Clients during the late 2000’s financial crisis. This looks a bit like the heist of Oceans 8 meets the real world story of Molly’s Game. It has quite a star studded female cast of movie/TV/and music stars and is directed by Lorene Scafaria (Seeking a Friend at the End of the World, The Meddler.)

September 20th Downton Abbey Starring: Michelle Dockery, Maggie Smith, Hugh Boneville, Jim Carter You love Downton Abbey, I love Downton Abbey. Everyone loves Downton Abbey. I can hear the theme song playing in my head just thinking of the movie being released. That’s right, the beloved TV series is coming to the big screen. Hopefully, it won’t be anything like the season 3 finale. (Real fans know the pain and struggle. We can’t go back to that time.) In the film, Downton Abbey will be visited by the royal family. I’m sure it will make for quite an impressive cinematic experience. As a fan of the show, I can’t wait to see it all on the big screen!

Ad Astra Starring: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Liv Tyler Just two months after showing the world that he doesn’t age in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Brad Pitt is back and he’s going to space. It makes sense, fall is the only logical time to release a film in the space genre. (The Martian, Interstellar, First Man, Arrival, Gravity were all released in the fall,.) Ad Astra is all about an astronaut who takes on a mission to uncover the truth about his missing father. The film is directed by James Gray (The Lost City of Z, The Immigrant). I just hope Brad Pitt gets to wear his iconic Hawaiian shirt. Audiences demand to see it again.

September 27th Judy Starring: Renée Zellweger, Finn Wittrock, Jessie Buckley, Rufus Sewell There’s nothing like a good biographical drama. Throw in musical numbers and it’s a hit in my eyes. Renée Zellweger stars as the iconic Judy Garland in this biopic that explores her life in 1969 as she arrives in London to perform a series of sold out concerts. Word from the Telluride Film Festival is that Renée Zellweger gives a very strong performance as Judy. Could she have an awards season run on her hands for Best Actress? We’ll see very soon!

OCTOBER

October 4th Joker Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert de Niro, Zazie Beets Joaquin Phoenix stars as the Joker in this standalone film that focuses on the origins of the DC villain. The film received an 8 minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, which seems pretty excessive for any movie. I’m just not a movie applauder. It’s unnatural to me. I’m also not much of a Joker enthusiast so I can’t get too excited about this or the way it seemingly wants me to feel sympathy for the Joker. I don’t. He’s a terrorist. However, this is going to be a huge cinematic event. There are striking similarities to 70’s hit films The King of Comedy and Taxi Driver in the first trailers of the film. Director Todd Phillips clearly wanted to make a unique comic book film and this one will have people talking.

Lucy in the Sky Starring: Natalie Portman, Dan Stevens, Jon Hamm Another space movie! Fall movie season demands it. After returning from space, astronaut Lucy Cola begins to feel withdrawn and disconnected from reality. The film is loosely based on Lisa Nowak, an astronaut who lost her grip on reality after returning to earth after space travel. One thing’s for sure, with a cast including Natalie Portman, Jon Hamm, and Dan Stevens, this one promises some impressive acting.

October 11 Gemini Man Starring: Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen An assassin becomes the target of a mysterious government operative who can predict his every move. Soon he finds out that the mysterious operative is a clone of himself. Can Gemini Man help director Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) find critical acclaim again after 2016’s underwhelming Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.

The King Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Robert Pattinson, Joel Edgerton Based on Shakespeare’s Henriad, The King follows Henry V as he takes the throne after his father’s death and navigates a kingdom filled with war, chaos, and political strife. While all of that is very interesting, I think we need to discuss the hair in this movie. First of all, there’s Timothée Chalamet’s bowl cut, which is quite a situation. So very round and tragic. Why Timothée? You know you have great hair, but the bowl cut is not your look! Then, there’s Robert Pattinson’s wig. It’s kind of amazing. The hair in this movie alone is going to keep me entertained for 2 hours. The King will be in limited release theaters on October 11th and begin streaming on Netflix November 1st.

October 18th Zombieland: Double Tap Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin This sequel comes 10 years after the popular zombie comedy first made its way to theaters. A lot has changed for the cast since 2009. Emma Stone has won an Oscar for La La Land, Jesse Eisenberg received a nomination for The Social Network, and Woody Harrelson has appeared in several projects including the Oscar nominated Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and the critically acclaimed series True Detective. That doesn’t stop this cast for returning for a sequel!  This time around, the team is back in the American heartland to face off against evolved zombies.

The Lighthouse Starring: Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe I was initially indifferent towards this movie, but after watching the trailer I have to see it just to solve the mystery of who spilled those beans! Willem Dafoe is going INSANE over it. “Why’d ya spill your beans?” Someone please answer him before he turns into the Green Goblin! This movie is about two lighthouse keepers who try to maintain their sanity while living in seclusion on a remote island in Maine. (It’s also about beans, I think). The cinematography for The Lighthouse has a unique old Hollywood feel that is very intriguing.

Jojo Rabbit Starring: Taika Watiti, Scarlett Johannson, Roman Griffin, Sam Rockwell Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) directs and stars in Jojo Rabbit, an “anti-hate satire” about a young German boy whose imaginary best friend is an idiotic version of Hitler. One day, he discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home and Jojo’s world is turned upside down. There’s no doubt this will be controversial, but the key word here is satire. Taiki Waititi is Jewish himself and the film is obviously making fun of Nazis.

NOVEMBER

November 1st The Irishman Starring: Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci Martin Scorsese’s long awaited gangster epic is finally premiering this November. The 3 1/2 hour crime drama (Scorsese loves a good 3-hour runtime!) focuses on the life of Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran a mob hitman who played a role in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. Netflix is distributing the film, but it will be available to see in select theaters on November 1st for cinematic purists. It will begin streaming on Netflix November 27th. (Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Go ahead and watch a 3-hour mafia epic with your family for the holiday! It’s Martin’s gift to you.)

Harriet Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Janelle Monet, Joe Alwyn The true story of Harriet Tubman and her harrowing escape from slavery that eventually led to the Underground Railroad. Cynthia Ervio is going to be amazing in this role! She was such a breakout star in Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale. Can’t wait to see her portrayal of Harriet Tubman.

Terminator: Dark Fate Starring: Mackenzie Davis, Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger The Terminator is back. In yet another installment of the franchise that will last forever, Sarah Connor and a hybrid human must protect a young girl from a newly modified Terminator from the future.

November 8th Doctor Sleep Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Jacob Tremblay 39 years after The Shining, it’s getting a sequel. Based on the novel by Steven King, Doctor Sleep focuses on an adult Danny Torrance as he meets a girl with similar “shining” powers and tries to protect her from a cult called The True Knot. There’s a lot of talent involved in this project, but The Shining is untouchable in terms of classic movies. There’s no need to make a sequel. Not to mention, this plot summary sounds kind of weak. Consider me very skeptical that this will be good.

Last Christmas Starring: Emilia Clarke, Henry Goulding, Emma Thompson A Christmas rom-com! Let’s jump for joy because a Christmas rom com is making its way to theaters! Last Christmas is all about Kate, a depressed woman working as Santa’s elf in a department store. She keeps bumping into the same man, Tom, who may help her find happiness in the holiday season. Henry Goulding/Emilia Clarke romance+Christmas? Sounds like a recipe for the perfect holiday movie!

Honey Boy Starring: Shia Labeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe It’s no secret that Shia LaBeouf has had a chaotic lifestyle in his post-Disney days. It looks like audiences are about to find out what has gone on behind-the-scenes in Honey Boy. The film is written by LaBeouf and follows his own experiences with fame and the strained relationship with his dysfunctional father. Noah Jupe and Lucas Hedges will be playing Shia LaBeouf as a child and teen actor, while Shia LaBeouf will play his own father for a meta twist. As someone who grew up watching Even Stevens and saw Shia LaBeouf’s career progress, this is one of my most anticipated films of the fall.

November 15th Ford v. Ferrari Starring: Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Catriona Balfe American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles attempt to build a revolutionary race car for Ford to battle Ferrari at the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1966. The premise of this movie reminds me a little bit of Ron Howard’s Rush which is a very underrated movie that should be watched if you haven’t seen it.

The Report Starring: Adam Driver, Jon Hamm, Tim Blake Nelson The Report is a political drama about an FBI agent’s investigation into the CIA’s torture practice on suspected terrorists after 9/11. Adam Driver stars in the film and he’s about to have a major fall movie season. The Report and Marriage Story (more on that one a little later) could easily get him awards buzz. In fact, I predict he’ll be nominated for an Oscar for one of those roles. Plus, he’ll be in Star Wars in December. You’ll be seeing a lot of him in the next few months.

Charlie’s Angels Starring: Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska, Elizabeth Banks Did we need another Charlie’s Angels reboot after the 2000’s movie trilogy and the ABC TV show? No. Yet there’s nothing Hollywood loves to more than to reboot a franchise we’ve just seen! This time around the angels are played by Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinski. Elizabeth Banks is directing and co-starring in the project.

November 22nd Frozen 2 Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf go on an adventure to an enchanted autumn forest to find the origin of Elsa’s powers and save their land. Just when everyone finally got Let it Go out of their heads, Disney is gonna hit us with another Frozen movie. I have to admit, I’m intrigued by the concept of the autumn forest. We need more movies that take place in the fall! It should be it’s own sub-genre.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Starring: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson He’s already played Walt Disney, Captain Phillips, and Sully so it’s fitting that Tom Hanks would play Mr. Rogers on the list of “America’s favorite people” up next. The movie is all about the friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. I cannot wait to see this. If you haven’t watched the documentary about Fred Rogers called Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, do it before this is released! It’s going to add so much depth to the cinematic experience.

November 27th Knives Out Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette When a famous crime novelist is found dead on his estate, a detective is enlisted to investigate the family. Knives Out is directed by Rian Johnson (Looper, The Last Jedi) and packed with stars. It looks a bit like Bad Times at the El Royale meets the style of a Wes Anderson movie. I’m very interested in the central mystery at play here, but I can’t lie, Chris Evans is the reason I’ll go to the theater for this.

December 6th Marriage Story Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern This one is gonna be majorly sad, so let’s all take some time to prepare ourselves. A stage director and his actress wife struggle as their marriage falls apart and they proceed with a difficult coast-to-coast divorce. Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, Frances Ha) directed the film which has already been receiving high praise from early festival screenings. This will definitely draw comparisons to Kramer vs. Kramer and Baumback’s The Squid and the Whale based on the trailer’s tone. The juxtaposition of the couple’s happy memories vs. the court scene at the end of the trailer is just heartbreaking. Marriage Story will be available to stream on Netflix December 6th.

December 13th A Hidden Life Starring: August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Matthias Schoenaerts Few movies have affected me the way Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life have. It’s certainly not a movie for everyone, but it works for me. The unconventional narrative, epic cinematography, and orchestral score are unforgettable. Critics from festival screenings have said that A Hidden Life is his best work since The Tree of Life meaning I’ll need to see it ASAP. The film is based on a true story about an Austrian farmer named Franz Jaggerstatter who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II. The trailer looks beautiful and poetic.

December 20th Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega The latest Star Wars trilogy will complete with The Rise of Skywalker. Taking place after The Last Jedi, the members left in the Resistance will face the First Order once again. The conflict between the Jedi and the Sith reaches a breaking point bringing the Skywalker saga to an end. I have so many questions about this movie! Was Kylo Ren actually lying to Rey about her parents in The Last Jedi? Could they really be important people? Will she turn to the dark side like this preview suggests? (I hope not). Why is Palpatine (the villain who died in Return of the Jedi) talking in all of the trailers? Thankfully, J.J. Abrams is returning as director for The Rise of Skywalker to answer all of my questions and hopefully deliver a great Star Wars film.

Jumanji: The Next Level Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was one of the biggest surprise box office hits in recent years, appealing to people of all age groups. It’s no surprise that The Next Level is being released so quickly after the massive success of Welcome to the Jungle. This time around, the group goes back into the game, but a few of their grandfather’s are sucked in as well. That means Kevin Hart will be playing Danny Glover and Dwayne Johnson will be portraying Danny DeVito.

Cats Starring: Francesca Hayward, Jason Derulo, Judi Dench, Jennifer Hudson, Taylor Swift Forget Star Wars, forget A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, forget A Hidden Life. Disregard everything on this list. Cats is going to be the cinematic moment of 2019! That CGI? Legendary! The actors could have worn cat suits or make up like the stage play, but director Tom Hooper decided that this is the 21st century…time to try out a new technique called digital fur technology! So now this movie exists. It’s difficult to describe what this digital fur technology looks like, but it’s not cats. I will say the trailer was released with plenty of time before the movie gets to theaters so there’s hope that the finished product will look way better than the original trailer. If I’m being totally honest, I love anything musical, so I’m totally going to see this.

December 25th Little Women Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Laura Dern Greta Gerwig’s highly ancitipated second film is a remake of the beloved Louisa May Alcott novel, Little Women. You all know the story, but I’ll do a quick plot recap anyway. Little Women is told through the eyes of Jo March as she recounts her life growing up with her 3 sisters: Meg, Amy, and Beth. Each have their own distinct personalities, but have a very strong bond with each other. The film reunites Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet as Jo March and Laurie for a mini-Lady Bird reunion. It also contains a little Big Little Lies reunion with Meryl Streep and Laura Dern. What a great Christmas day release!

That concludes this Fall Movie Preview! As you can tell, there are tons of movies releasing this season in all genres. What are you most excited to see this fall?

[hellchilde]

Reactions to Beauty and the Beast: 2017

Like most of my generation, I have a special connection to the Disney animated film, Beauty and the Beast, when it was released in 1991. I was 4 at the time, already obsessed with Disney, enough that I had the Little Mermaid memorized and my parents had recorded Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty on cassette tape for me to listen to in the car. Beauty and the Beast changed the game for me. Here was a princess with brown hair who liked to read and was considered a little odd by her village - awesome, just like me! The music and visuals were stunning, the story was captivating, and it became my new favorite Disney film (until 1992′s release of Aladdin, which I remember seeing five times in the theaters, but that’s another story).

When news came that they were remaking Beauty and the Beast in a live action film, I had a mixed reaction. On one hand, I was excited about how modern technology might remake some of my favorite Disney visuals in a whole new medium. But at the same time, I was skeptical of recapturing the magic of the original. I have never seen the Broadway show, so I didn’t have that for reference. I just hold the original animated version very dear to my heart.

The movie was just released on Netflix, and my reaction is still mixed. It’s probably best summed up in a pros and cons list...

Cons first:

- I saw this for the first time on a laptop screen, rather than in theaters. I could tell there were portions that were meant to be viewed with 3D glasses in a theater, and that’s one thing I hate about movies produced for 3D. I can’t stand it when you see a part that is so obviously meant to have some kind of visual effect, mostly because I don’t see movies in 3D and the effect is always lost and just generally superfluous. I almost never see an effect that works better in 3D. The exception might be something like How To Train Your Dragon, where the 3D effects are subtle and woven in more seamlessly. - A side effect of this 3D effect was maybe some of the grandiose, sweeping shots felt just kind of ... boring. One of my favorite songs/shots in the original was Belle’s song about wanting a life of adventure and excitement as she runs out to the field, right before the horse returns and signals her father’s imprisonment. The song is stirring and beautiful, and she looks so wistful and hopeful. In the 2017 version, rather than keeping the focus on Belle’s longing expression, the scene pans out over a boring kind of landscape like an excuse to show off more CGI work. The movie did this a few times, zooming out or panning when I would have preferred a closer look at the characters and the emotions on their faces. - Why was this movie so effing dark? Maybe it works better in a theater, but on my laptop screen, even with the brightness turned up, it was often hard to figure out what was happening. The lighting definitely needed some work. - For a big budget Disney film, I found the CGI lacking. I know the Beast’s design has come under some criticism (understandably). The other CGI characters looked intricate, but again, there was a severe lack of focus. The shots were too wide-frame or quick or dark to take in the details that were so beautiful. I really liked Cogsworth’s design, but we only clearly got to see it in a few shots near the end. - There were some tweaks to the story, some more bothersome than others, and some of that is probably nostalgia speaking. I’m undecided about how I feel about Gaston leaving Maurice to die in the woods ... in the end, I think it was kind of extra and didn’t add much of anything to the story. I did have a problem with Agathe being the secret sorceress the whole time.  Again, didn’t add anything to the story, and she didn’t even have any dialogue that would explain her reasoning behind staying so close to the prince all these years. She showed up to save Maurice (pointless) and then at the end to wave her wand (also pointless). - The change that I hated the most was the library scene! In the original film, the Beast has the library set up as a gift, and he’s so excited he has Belle close her eyes before she enters, and he flings the drapes open, and he’s so THRILLED to see her reaction! It’s beautiful character development, and I love the Beast’s facial expressions in the animated version. In the live version, the whole scene is underwhelming, he brings her to the library because he thinks she isn’t well read, and he doesn’t even think of offering it as a gift until she seems excited to be there.  Just so womp-womp and lacking the emotion of the original. - Actually this exact same thing happens in the final scene! It’s the climax, Gaston has cornered the Beast, verbally and physically berating him for daring to fall in love with Belle, and the Beast has basically given up the fight, too heartsick to go on. But then she appears, and his face transforms like light breaking over the trees. He sighs her name like it’s the meaning of life, and his whole body softens, and he has the will to fight for his life once more. It’s utterly beautiful. Cut to the 2017 version, which is shot far too wide for any kind of such beautiful emotive transformation and the CGI lacks the subtlety or lighting to portray the Beast’s relief to see Belle again. Yeah, you can tell he’s happy, but it’s not nearly as effective as the original. - Not entirely sure how I feel about “historically accurate” Disney movies. The original took place in a sort of timeless “France”, possibly post-monarchy but somehow with a prince ... you just don’t question it.  But between referencing “the war” and flashbacks to Paris (and needing to leave it) and the costumes referencing a very specific time period, you have to wonder what’s going on. Has the monarchy been overthrown? Why is there still a prince? What’s Napoleon up to? What are the politics outside of the little town? I found it distracting in the course of the movie because these questions can never be answered and still keep the integrity of the original story at all intact. That would be a different movie. Possibly very interesting. Probably more in line with the Anastasia movie than Beauty and the Beast. - I almost forgot the accents. It’s a thing with all of these movies, but honestly, we have British accents, French accents, and American accents. I wish they would stick with one accent for everyone in the movie, it would make it much more cohesive.

That being said, there were some things that I really liked about this movie...

- When the movie wasn’t overly dark and jerking it to the wide pan shots, the visuals were beautiful. When they got the CGI right, they got it REALLY right. The marketplace was really well done, so colorful and cheerful - I got the feeling this was something they had pulled from the Broadway version because the ensemble thing worked really well. Also that final ballroom scene where they’re all dancing ... stunning colors, not too dark, well-shot in a wide frame that fits the scene. - Luke Evans killed it as Gaston.  Loved it.  A+ performance.  Hot damn. So entertaining to watch. - In the same vein, I was pleasantly surprised by the celebrity cameos! Kevin Kline! Emma Thompson! Ian McKellan! Ewan McGregor?! (did not recognize him in all the makeup)  All very entertaining. I loved Kevin Kline’s Maurice. - Le Fou’s character definitely didn’t match with the original, but somehow I didn’t mind it? I liked that he was a little less of a bumbling idiot and questioned Gaston and even brought him down from some kind of weird PTSD-related rage surge. I thought he was pretty fun. Did not like the gay crumbs thrown to us by having him dance with a guy for 0.5 seconds. But I am willing to overlook it because he was fun to watch. Also, such amazing chemistry with Luke Evans/Gaston. - At first I was pretty annoyed with the Beast in general, and overall I liked him less than his animated counterpart. He was pretty mumbly and not nearly animated enough with his expressions. So, partly the actor and partly the CGI. But as the film went on, I liked him more and more. When he wasn’t being mumbly, he had a fun dry humor that I enjoyed. The transformation into a human is still basically disappointing because human men are boring, but I giggled when he growled playfully at Belle at the very end. - The ~music~! All of my old favorites and some new ones! Again, some I liked better than others, and the Gaston song I felt was particularly disappointing if only because it’s really a favorite of mine and I’m nostalgic enough not to want it to change at all. But it was so good to see them done in a new way and to relive that piece of magic.

When it comes to it, I was entertained and I’d probably watch it again. It doesn’t come close to beating out the original, which I think was both more emotionally effective and beautiful to watch. But it was a good new take, and there were parts of it that I really enjoyed. I’m still bothered by the historical stuff, though, and I want to figure it out! Why doesn’t this movie give me the answers I so desperately require!

#beauty and the beast #beauty and the beast 2017 #movie review #movies #movie #long post #i just have lots of opinions

[domingokern701-blog]

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[christophergill8]

Oscars, tax breaks and best tax-themed films

When the Academy Awards are handed out Sunday, Feb. 26, it's a good bet that most of the films already were tax winners. They used special tax breaks to help offset their sometimes enormous production costs.

As of Jan. 1, all those credits will come from states.

End of the federal film tax break: The only federal tax incentive designed specifically to keep film and television production in the United States ended when 2017 arrived.

It was part of a group of extenders — temporary tax breaks that must be periodically renewed by Congress — that lawmakers last year decided not to renew.

The law, section 181 of the Internal Revenue Code, reduced investors' risk by allowing a 100 percent loss against taxable income in the year or years the money was spent. For example, a producer or investor in the 30 percent tax bracket who put up $1 million for a film could save $300,000 in taxes.

The deduction was allowed on the first $15 million invested in every qualified project. For shows made in certain low-income areas, the cap increased to $20 million.

In 2015, the same federal tax break was extended to theatrical productions. Thanks, Hamilton.

It's possible that the film and TV tax break, which was enacted as part of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 in an effort to stem the stem the flow of shows to foreign countries, could be renewed, either separately or as part of expected tax reform.

It's more likely, however, that with budget hawks, who are looking to trim any and everything, and Donald Trump, who has his own issues with Hollywood, now in charge of shaping U.S. expenditures, the federal film and TV tax incentive will not be revived.

State, local options remain: that means there will be more competition for state tax incentives, which have been around for a quarter century.

The National Conference of State Legislatures provides a brief history —

Louisiana was the first state to adopt state tax incentives for film and television production in 1992. In 2002, Louisiana expanded its program and the state's film industry began to experience strong growth. Other states responded to Louisiana’s success. By 2009, 44 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. offered some form of film and television production incentives. However, popularity for these programs has waned, and support for the film industry has decreased in recent years. In 2016, only 37 states continue to maintain film incentive programs, and several of these states are tightening the requirements for qualifying expenses and reeling-in per-project and annual program caps.

A count by The Hollywood Reporter in April 2016 shows 33 states, along with Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, offer film and TV producers a variety of tax credits, grants, rebates or a combination of the tax breaks.

Many cities also offer additional tax enticements for movie et al makers. Down I-95 from me, San Antonio is adding as much as 7.5 percent in incentives for film projects on top of Texas-offered incentives.

Weighing total cost of movie tax breaks: The key for lawmakers at all levels is finding a way to balance the creative arts' production incentives with the fiscal needs of other state programs.

During the recent recession, that became more difficult, with growing budget deficits forcing many states to reduce or eliminate their film and TV tax incentives.

Others, however, have extended or expanded their tax breaks.

Once the film industry luminaries get past the Oscars, the final and most important event of the current awards season, expect its members to start lobbying for the return of the federal tax credit.

Financial film favorites: While tax breaks for movies, television shows and even video game productions do cost us taxpayers at the state and possibly federal levels, the immediate money matter to us as movie goers is whether our Cineplex ticket price was worth it.

This time of year also generates a lot of discussion about not only the current best movies and performances, but also of classic films.

In advance of the Oscars, FindLaw has been taking to its Twitter account to highlight Hollywood's on-screen connections to attorneys. Most recently, the legal marketing component of Thomson Reuters, directed us to a Business Insider article on what movies get right and wrong about lawyers.

But what caught my eye were FindLaw's polls, like stereotypes of onscreen lawyers and favorite legal classic movie. The results of that last one shocked me.

"Legally Blonde." Really?

My reaction:

Judgy? Yes. But I had some legitimate alternatives. I sent FindLaw my list of best legal movies (they asked!). And it got me thinking about tax-related flicks.

Best tax movies: That social media conversation got me thinking about movies in which taxes played a plot role. Sometimes it was a major creative component. In others, it was a glancing tax mention.

Regardless, to celebrate the 2017 Oscars, here are my favorite movies, in my preferred order, in which a tax matter is part of the plot.

The Shawshank Redemption: Taxes aren't the film's major focus, but Andy Dufresne's knowledge of the tax code helped him survive and -- spoiler alert -- escape prison, first by his helping prison guards and then getting inside the warden's financial double dealing. Plus, it's got a great cast (Morgan Freeman!). Regardless of where Shawshank is in its broadcast, when I run across it on TV, I must watch it to the end.

The Untouchables: This sleek version of mob boss Al Capone's vicious reign and the efforts of a select group of Armani-clad Treasury Department agents to bring him down boasts a cast of three Oscar winners (Robert De Niro as Capone; Kevin Costner as Eliot Ness; and Sean Connery, who snagged his best supporting actor statue as Ness' streetwise lieutenant Jim Malone). There are plenty of shootouts, but the film's most frightening scene may well be the one in which the Untouchables' tax accountant brandishes a Tommy gun.

The Producers: The plot for this zany movie, co-written by comic genius Mel Brooks, is one big giant, funny, zany tax fraud. Down-on-his-luck producer Max Bialystock (Nathan Lane) teams up with timid accountant Leo Bloom (Matthew Broderick) in a get-rich-quick scheme to put on the world's worst show. Three words. "Springtime for Hitler."

Stranger Than Fiction: Will Ferrell plays an IRS auditor who suddenly finds himself the subject of narration only he can hear. The narration, by a writer portrayed by Emma Thompson, begins to affect Farrell's character's entire life, from his work, to his love-interest, to his death. The movie wasn't a commercial success, but I enjoyed it, even Ferrell playing against type. But the movie makers probably would have made more money if they'd come up with a story of the IRS auditing the Talledega Nights drivers.

The Descendants: The plot includes an arcane tax law, the rule against perpetuities, which helped make it a hit with estates and trusts attorneys. Oscar winner George Clooney made it a hit among the general public. The screenplay writers took home an Oscar for their work.

The Firm: In this thriller, based on a book by John Grisham, lawyers deal with taxes and securities for incredibly wealthy and awful people. It has an impressive cast of Oscar winners and nominees, including Tom Cruise, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter and David Strathairn, and the late, great Sidney Pollack in the director's chair.

The Blues Brothers: A bit too long, especially for a concept that came out of a Saturday Night Live skit, but the soundtrack alone — Aretha! — gets this on my list. Jack and Elwood spend 2 hours and 13 minutes on a mission from God to raise money to pay taxes on the orphanage where they were raised.

The Mating Game: Yes, I know, you haven't heard of this one, primarily because it was made in 1959. Tony Randall plays a tax collector who heads out to rural Maryland to find out why a farm owner hasn't paid taxes, ever. As he tries to calculate the farm's income, his task is complicated by the lovely farmer's daughter, played by Debbie Reynolds. Hilarity ensues.

The Young Philadelphians: Another cinema classic, also from 1959. (What happening with taxes that year?). A young Paul Newman is an up-and-coming tax lawyer, struggling to climb Philly's Main Line social ladder. The tax connection is overshadowed by themes of class, principle, loyalty and manipulation as Newman's character must move from the Internal Revenue Code to the criminal legal world after his best friend is charged with murder.

Say Anything: Earnest slacker Lloyd Dobler, portrayed by John Cusack, and his boom box have become iconic symbols of devotion. Oh, yeah, the object of his love must deal with her dad going to prison for tax fraud and tax evasion. But that boom box belting out Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes." Perfect.

If nothing on the 2017 Oscar list catches your film fancy, consider tracking down one of these 10 tax-related movies.

You also might find these items of interest:

Movie and TV production tax credits, trick or treat?

Did tax credit cut cause Pixar to close its Vancouver office?

Film tax incentives sometimes lead to extra state costs for criminal prosecution

from Tax News By Christopher http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/DontMessWithTaxes/~3/__zPYslPcGM/oscars-tax-breaks-and-best-tax-themed-films-.html