Author: Frank Mengarelli

I have always been Frank.

Matt Ross’ CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review

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This is a wonderful film.  I don’t know how Matt Ross got this film made, even anchoring it with an actor like Viggo Mortensen, it had to be difficult.  Mortensen is the patriarch of a gaggle of children who he and his late wife raised in the wilderness of Washington.  They all know how to hunt, make a tourniquet, and speak a plethora of languages from Japanese to German.  His wife, who suffered from a mental illness killed herself and in turn, Mortensen packs all his children up into his Ken Kesey-esque bus and they travel to Nevada to stop her from being buried so they can cremate her and flush her ashes down the toilet like she wanted.

 

The film asks and answers an elusive question.  How much reality would one sacrifice to raise his children in such a noble yet unrealistic manner?  What he and his wife set out to do is remarkable – raise children away from the dangers and structure of society, is very admirable, but all the virtues of their upbringing yield an unrealistic member of society.

Viggo Mortensen certainly does deserve his Academy Award nomination for Best Actor this year.  He is terrific.  This might even be his finest performance, but that’s such a tough call to make considering his wonderful canon of brilliant performances.  Most of his character is told through his body language, which for Mortensen seems natural and organic, not as if an actor is acting.

The film, also written by Matt Ross, is so unique it is refreshing.  We don’t really see too many films like this anymore; an adult drama with humor and heart that roots an emotional connection through its taut narrative very early on in the picture.  Frank Langella shows up in the third act; watching Mortensen and Langella matched up is why a lot of us love movies.  CAPTAIN FANTASTIC isn’t a perfect film, but its originality truly is awesome.

 

Damien Chazelle’s LA LA LAND

by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review

Damien Chazelle is the next Bob Fosse.  His latest film, LA LA LAND, is cinematic perfection, and he and his film are on pace to win the Oscar for director and picture, among many others.  Chazelle has already won the Golden Globe, and just won the Director’s Guild of America’s achievement for the best direction this year.

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The film is not only a throwback to the musicals of the golden age of Hollywood, but also Alfred Hitchcock’s VERTIGO, and of course the French New Wave.  The film is warm, tender, funny, romantic, and bittersweet.  Both Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone give two beautiful showboats of a symbiotic performance.  They constantly make each other better, scene by scene, and their chemistry is so undeniable that they rank up among some of the greatest screen partners of all time: Nicholson/Dern, Belushi/Aykroyd, Tracy/Hepburn, and De Niro/Keitel.

Chazelle absolutely knows what he’s doing.  Every single frame had been mapped out prior to filming, neither Gosling nor Stone’s singing is pushed past what they can do, in turn making the musical numbers revolving around their singing absolutely natural and organic.  The aesthetic is vivid and astonishing, Chazelle makes brilliant use of color, accentuating the frame with costumes, sets, and hair and makeup.  He executes any and every aspect of the film in such a flawless way, showcasing his eye for absolute detail.

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Inside of the film lays an incredible love story, not only between Gosling and Stone, but for music, passion, and the arts.  The film features the best special effect all year, (yes – better than the CGI recreation of Peter Cushing in ROGUE ONE) where Gosling and Stone dance amongst the stars.  For as much of a token of nostalgia the film can bring, it is also steeped richly within its own originality particularly with original music composed by Chazelle’s musical partner, Justin Hurwitz.

LA LA LAND is magical.  It represents the best that Hollywood has to offer.  There is nothing subversive, nothing is cloaked in the shadows of the film.  Mark Wahlberg isn’t unrealistically saving the day for the hundredth time in as many days, there’s no political statement to be made – this is a film made by a lover of cinema for lovers of cinema.

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Best Actor 2017

by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Festivals, Santa Barbara International Film Festival

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Denzel Washington is the modern day Cary Grant.  He carries himself with grace and dignity.  He is charming, affable, and is one of the few cinematic icons that is worthy of that title.

Denzel was honored at the 32nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival, receiving the Maltin Modern Master Award with a two-hour question and answer with Leonard Maltin.  It was incredibly joyous to listen to Denzel speak about everything from SAINT ELSEWHERE to FENCES.

He was very candid, yet gracious when he spoke about himself and his early career.  He frequently lauded the late Bruce Paltrow, producer of SAINT ELSEWHERE, who released him early from his television contract so he could star in A SOLDIER’S STORY and CRY FREEDOM.  He spoke in a very fond and sentimental way about Paltrow, attributing to his generosity that allowed Denzel to become the star he is today.

Denzel spent a lot of time talking about his childhood and how he accidentally found his calling as an actor.  He spoke about how he was continuously told he was a natural on stage and how that led to his ego being inflated. He learned early on that his natural talent as an actor could only get him so far, so he constantly studied and practiced his craft.

He spoke about his relationship with Spike Lee and how no one in Hollywood had employed and birthed more black actors and crew in Hollywood at the time. Denzel’s son now works for Lee as an assistant, and Denzel’s son told his father that Spike truly has earned his name.  He credits Lee with forcing him to become the actor he is today, that no one had pushed him and challenged him as much as Spike did.

Denzel just won best actor at the Screen Actors Guild, and he is poised as the front-runner heading into the Academy Awards at the end of the month.  Executive Director of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Roger Durling, called Denzel’s turn in the film the pinnacle of his career.  Durling is correct, Denzel is a marvel in the film, and he knows when to yield the screen to other performers in the film.  His subtlety in the film allowed Viola Davis to outshine Denzel, in his most Denzel performance.
Denzel is one of the few actors left in Hollywood that not only draws the masses to the theatre, but he also is the epitome of a role model. To say that Denzel is one of the greatest actors ever does not do him justice.  He is more than an actor, he’s more than a director; Denzel Washington is an iconic titan.

STAR WARS POWERCAST EPISODE VI: Let’s Discuss Carrie Fisher and CGI Recreation

by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review, Podcast, Star Wars

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Join Frank and Tim as they bring you yet another amazing STAR WARS POWERCAST.  This time, we discuss the passing of Carrie Fisher and how Lucasfilm/Disney should handle the role of Princess Leia in Episode 9.  We also discuss what we think is going to happen, the newly announced title for Episode 8 THE LAST JEDI, and whether or not Disney should CGI reconstruct Carrie Fisher for Epsidoe 9.

The Opening Night of the 32nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival

by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Festivals, Santa Barbara International Film Festival

The 32nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival opened last night with the cathartic and uplifting documentary CHARGED: THE EDUARDO GARCIA STORY.  Eduardo was shocked with 2400 volts of electricity that cost him am arm, ribs, and nearly his life.  The film is an inspiring story of resilience, passion, and the eternal flame of the human spirit.

Executive Director of the festival, the ever so dashing Roger Durling, introduced the film in a candid and heartfelt speech.  He spoke about the power of film, how it can not only inspire us, but also save our lives.  Durling then went on to speak about how he is not only an immigrant, but also an American.

He spoke passionately and proudly of how the festival is showcasing films from fifty different countries and how cinema and the arts are so powerful, they can deconstruct walls.

CHARGED is a fascinating film, and marks the second time in the festivals thirty-two years that it has opened with a documentary.  Coming up, Denzel Washington will be receiving the Leonard Maltin Modern Masters Award, celebrating Washington’s career right as he comes off his Screen Actors Guild award for FENCES, poising himself as the front runner in the Best Actor race.

There is much, much more to be excited about at this years festival.  Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone will be awarded Friday.  In total, sixteen actors who have been nominated this year for an Academy Award will be hosted.  Stay tuned for our SBIFF podcast that will feature red carpet interviews!

The Year was 2016, and Warner Brothers Dared to Be Different.

by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Editorial, Film Review

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With recent news of Ben Affleck’s directorial departure from the tentatively titled, THE BATMAN, the state of the DC cinematic universe is a bit uncertain, personally, I have full faith in Snyder and company because I think a lot remains to be seen.  One thing is for certain; the rabid echo chamber is loud as ever.  There are a lot of people who HATE the DC films.  Hate them with a fiery passion.  Hated them before they came out, and once the films came out, they acted as if someone set their Facebook page on fire.

In 2016, Warner Brothers took a huge gamble.  They set out to make films for adults, in their own way.  Sure, they had a lot of catching up to do in regards to the near flawless template that Marvel created, but Warner Brothers made a clear decision; they were making films by adults for adults.  Batman was a blood lusting killer.  Harley Quinn was the epitome of over-sexualization.  Jared Leto took the Joker to an almost unrecognizable level.  Jesse Eisenberg played the anti Lex Luthor.  Both films were so anti-PC, it was a cinematic revelation.

Perhaps there is some trouble at DC, but then again, maybe there isn’t.  The internet has birthed an overpopulated mass of film websites (PTS included) that are a constant trove of clickbait headlines (PTS NOT included).  It seems as if every day for the past year, the state of the DC universe was on the verge of collapsing.  The second JUSTICE LEAGUE film was canceled.  SUICIDE SQUAD 2 isn’t happening.  Early word is WONDER WOMAN is as big of a “mess” as the previous two films.  If there’s one thing I can tell you that I know for certain, no one really knows what’s going on other than the executives at WB/DC.

Here’s the bottom line.  BvS and especially SUICIDE SQUAD made a ton of money.  Sure, BvS underperformed a bit, but it still made a lot of money.  And both films made A LOT more money than the second and third installments of Marvel’s cinematic universe.  Worldwide, SUICIDE SQUAD made 746.6 million dollars, and that was WITHOUT opening in China, which is the biggest market next to America.  SUICIDE SQUAD was a flat-out hit, and Warner Brothers were so happy with it, they signed Margot Robbie to an exclusive deal, which includes the pseudo follow up Harley Quinn film directed by David Ayer.  Will Smith is getting his own Deadshot film, there will be an official sequel to SUICIDE SQUAD at some point, and the FLASH and AQUAMAN films are in the pipeline.

DC Films does not want to be Marvel Studios.  They want to be better, and they still can be.  They have the two most valuable superhero properties; Batman and Superman.  There could be any number of reasons why Ben Affleck decided not to direct THE BATMAN.  It could be the underperformance of LIVE BY NIGHT, it could be that he doesn’t feel comfortable directing a CGI-heavy film, or it could be something completely plausible that will surely be silenced by whatever website decides the real reason is.  Basically, it does not matter.  Ben Affleck is still the Batman, and he still developed the script and is still producing the picture.  If I had to venture a guess as to what’s going on with Affleck is that he’s struggling with whether he wants to be a movie star or an auteur, because realistically, he cannot be both.

 

 

 

Episode 36 John Moore’s I.T. with Special Guest William Wisher

by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review, Podcast

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William Wisher with Pierce Brosnan on the set of I.T.

Join Frank with returning guest William Wisher, to talk about his latest film, I.T. which stars Pierce Brosnan in his finest post-Bond role!  The film was directed by Bill’s friend and collaborator John Moore, and Bill co-wrote and executive produced the feature.  In the chat, they discuss the digital age, cyber security, how 9/11 has not only affected cinema, but the world in general, and the evaporation of privacy.  Bill also details his wonderful working relationship with Pierce Brosnan and his production partner, the late Beau St. Clair and what it was like working in Ireland.  I.T. is currently available to stream on Netflix, or for purchase on Amazon.com and other outlets.

 

Lawrence Kasdan’s BODY HEAT

by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review

BODY HEAT is about burning desire.  You can feel and smell the sweat, the cigarette smoke, and the deception and betrayal.  It’s sexy, sleazy, but above all, it’s a genre setting film that birthed the erotic thrillers of the 1980’s and launched the careers of Lawrence Kasdan, Kathleen Turner, and William Hurt in the process.

It’s a fascinating feature, it’s a soft remake of the classic DOUBLE INDEMNITY and was shadow produced by George Lucas.  Kasdan was able to roll all of his screenwriting star power into making his directorial debut with a film so sexy and steeped in noir, that it remains cinematic classic.

William Hurt and Kathleen Turner’s chemistry in the film is so powerful, that you can instantly feel and relish in their sexual tension.  Hurt’s character progression is remarkable; he starts out as the seedy lawyer and then he’s the alpha male in heat, then he’s the lover who will do anything for Turner, and then he ends up as the ultimate chump whose lust completely blinded him from the telegraphed motives of his obsession.

Yet without John Barry’s remarkable score, this film would not be nearly as powerful and sexy as it is.  The sexy jazz score with an abundance of saxophone truly accentuates the mood of the feature.  It is easily one of the best film scores of all time.
The picture is stocked with wonderfully memorable supporting performances from Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, and Mickey Rourke in his breakout role singing along to Bob Seger.  The film also found it’s way into Cormac McCarty’s screenplay for THE COUNSELOR, in a scene between Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender, Pitt cautions Fassbender by recalling a scene between Rourke and Hurt.

After all, this film is a very heavy cautionary tale about lust and more importantly, obsession.  When we latch onto an obsession with such velocity and abandon any sense of reality, there’s a very good chance that we’ll burn ourselves down in our own fiery passion, and that’s exactly what William Hurt does.

Top Ten William Hurt Performances

by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review, Top Ten

William Hurt has been a fierce cinematic presence for decades, and now he’s slowly embarked on making his mark in television.  He was the epitome of a sex symbol in the 1980’s, a uniquely handsome movie star who brought an abstract and fresh approach to each role he consumed.  Sex symbol status aside, Hurt was nominated three years in a row for Best Actor, winning his first nomination for KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN.  He has been able to navigate the waters of blockbuster films like CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, independent dramas like THE KING, and television.  His first prominent turn on the long form medium was in FX’s DAMAGES where he played a former lover and father to Glenn Close’s son.  He then starred as Captain Ahab in MOBY DICK and most recently he gave an eccentric turn as Donald Cooperman who is the big bad in Amazon Studio’s GOLIATH that recently yielded Billy Bob Thornton Best Actor at this past year’s Golden Globes.  Hurt has been around since the late 1970’s and has always delivered fine performances even when the film itself paled in comparison to his performance.

THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST 1988 Dir. Lawrence Kasdan

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This film marks the third collaboration between Hurt and writer/director Lawrence Kasdan as well as the two being reunited with Kathleen Turner.  Here, Hurt gives a very sensible turn as a man in constant mourning over the death of his son; the grief is crippling.  He navigates the waters of the film with a reserved sense of humor, yet the audience becomes absorbed by the sadness in his eyes.  As the film progresses, and his life is renewed with the love and affection from Geena Davis, his reserved and heavily introverted Macon Leary begins to breath life and flourishes.

ALTERED STATES 1980 Dir. Ken Russell

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Hurt made a huge splash with his first film role.  This is a film that pushes every boundary possible while exploring the themes of obsession and the human psyche.  He is absolutely perfect as the young and sexy scientist looking to push our reality into new realms.  Being his first film, this allowed Hurt to tackle thematic subject matter that even to this day would be rendered taboo.

THE BIG BRASS RING – 1999 Dir. George Hickenlooper 

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This film is a cinematic anomaly.  Based upon an unproduced screenplay by Orson Welles, the film follows Hurt as a gubernatorial candidate who has a very dark and very secretive past that’s exposure hinges upon his former mentor.  Hurt has always played these types of characters well.  Men who try their best to be noble, but are completely shrouded by their past transgressions.  This is a film that is difficult to track down, but well worth it.

THE BIG CHILL 1983 Dir. Lawrence Kasdan

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There are few actor/director relationships that were so fertile and rewarding as William Hurt and Lawrence Kasdan.  In this film, Hurt plays Nick, the drug addicted intellectual who was psychologically changed by his tour in Vietnam.  While each character in the film was written and performed with such care, Nick was the one role that all the male actors lobbied Kasdan for, but he wrote the part specifically for Hurt.

BODY HEAT – 1981 Dir. Lawrence Kasdan

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Kasdan’s first feature was an unofficial remake of DOUBLE INDEMNITY, and it was also the genre setter for the steamy and sweaty erotic thrillers of the 1980’s.  There are not many films sexier and more dangerous than BODY HEAT.  With John Barry’s silky score, to the constant sweaty sex between Hurt and Kathleen Turner – this film will always be unmatched.  The arc of Hurt’s character is fantastic.  He plays the role perfectly.  He’s the sleazy lawyer turned obsessive lover turned the ultimate dupe.

BROADCAST NEWS – 1987 Dir. James L. Brooks

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Nominated for Best Actor by the Academy, Hurt portrayed the bubble headed blonde anchorman who had a complete and utter lack of understanding of what he was reading into the television, but that didn’t matter because he looked great doing it.  He plays this character with as much gusto as he does with moral ambiguity.  He’s not a bad guy by any means, but he’s not nearly as noble as he is propped up to be.

GOLIATH – 2016 Amazon Studios

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This is a television show that didn’t make any wakes when it was dropped in October of 2016.  Hurt plays the big bad of the show, he’s the archetypal noir villain who sits in an office that is shaded by his own shadows and web of secrets.  The right side of his body is cover in horrid burn scars, from the top of his head to his hand; that only adds to his mysterious intrigue.  He speaks in riddles and poetic fables in a cadence that only he is capable of.  Billy Bob Thornton won the Golden Globe for his performance in the film, but it’s an injustice that Hurt’s performance seems to have been left by the wayside.

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE – 2005 Dir. David Cronenberg 

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In this film, Hurt gives one of the best performances of all time.  His total screentime is less than fifteen minutes, and he strategically brought in to close the third act of the film.  He is absolutely menacing in this film, from Cronenberg’s use of eye light on him to his rustbelt accent – Hurt owns the entire picture that was already great before he shows up.  This film also highlighted Hurt’s cinematic return.  He won Best Supporting Actor from the New York and Los Angelos film critics association, and he was nominated by the Academy for his role, only to lose out to George Clooney.

I LOVE YOU TO DEATH – 1990 Dir. Lawrence Kasdan

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This marks the last collaboration between Hurt and Kasdan.  In this film, Hurt takes on a completely zany and hysterical role as a drunkard pool player who gets roped into killing a man for a couple hundred dollars.  His role is very small, but his long hair, John Lennon esque sunglasses, and obsession over Reggie Jackson marks this an incredibly unforgetable performance.

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN – 1985 Dir. Hector Babenco

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Fresh off his two collaborations with Lawrence Kasdan, Hurt risked his movie stardom gigantically by taking on a role in a small film where he played an imprisoned, flamboyantly gay sex offender in a South American prison.  He strips himself of every single masculine quality and becomes this very feminine and fragile character who copes with his horrible life by retelling the love story from a Nazi propaganda film to his freedom fight cellmate, Raul Juila.  Hurt won Best Actor from the Academy for his fearless performance, further lamenting this as one of the best performances in cinema history.

 

 

 

Amazon Studio’s GOLIATH

by Frank Mengarelli, posted in Film Review

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Amazon Studios quietly released a new series in October called GOLIATH from creators David E. Kelley and Jonathan Shapiro.  It stars Billy Bob Thornton in his Golden Globe winning turn as Billy McBride.  Thronton is his seminal drunk, lovable loser role but with a twist; he’s a brilliant (defrocked) lawyer.  Thornton reluctantly gets lured into a case against a weapons contractor that is represented by a gigantic law firm that he helped created and no longer is a part of.

The casting of the series is wonderfully rounded out by Maria Bello who is Thornton’s ex-wife, Molly Parker as a cut throat lawyer working for Thornton’s former film, Harold Perrineau as the judge overseeing the case, Dwight Yoakam as the CEO of the weapons contractor Borns Tech, and William Hurt in a beautiful showboat of a performance as Donald Cooperman, Thornton’s former partner.

This show has a very complex structure.  It is equal parts CALIFORNICATION with Thornton in an apathetic daze, where he spends his days drinking and co-parenting his daughter with Bello – yet it is steeped heavily in dark LA noir.  Just when you forget about how transgressive and dangerous the show is while watching Thornton bumble through a scene with his trademark zeal – we get quickly reminded of the dangers of the show by a cut to William Hurt who is always seated in his dark office, face half covered in burn scars, listening as his gaggle of lawyers discuss their best course of action against Thornton, as he answers their questions with a paratrooper signalling clicker.

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The affability of Thornton is starkly contrasted by the overbearing menace of Hurt.  He’s the big bad of series, and his danger and power is very much akin to a Blofeld esque villain of importance and stature.  Hurt’s brilliant performance is a reminder that he hasn’t faded as an actor, but that he is constantly able to turn out remarkable work decade after decade, never allowing himself to disappear as time carries on.

It hasn’t been announced if there will be a second season of GOLIATH, whispers are that the show will not continue; which comes as bittersweet news.  The series wrapped itself up brilliantly, without the finale hinging upon a second season.  Much like HBO’s LUCK or AMC’s LOW WINTER SUN, the series contains and closes its taut narrative within a singular season, yet the characters are so rich and developed with complexity and care that it truly would be a shame to let them go so quickly.  Whatever the fate of GOLIATH may be, it stands tall and even superior to most of Netflix and HBO’s original programming.

GOLIATH is available to stream on Amazon Prime.