Top Ten Movie Picks for Top Half of 2022

The following films are my top picks so far this year:

1.   Doc. Fire of Love - French film with footage of Volcanoes "chaser" couple's life work (and death)

2.   Norwegian film "The Worst Person Ever" - Only wants what she can't have

3.   After Yang - Futuristic look at memory, life and what matters starring Collin Farrell 

4.   Oscar Nominated Short Films - My favorite was from Poland

5.   Top Gun Maverick - Top Gun Two with too little of Val Kilmer and too much Tom Cruise

6.   Pixar's animated Seeing Red - Tweens talk emotion and menstration 

7.   The Lost Daughter - Starring Olivia Coleman and Dakota Johnson

8.   The Duke - True geriatric British caper starring Dame Helen Mirren and Jim Broadbent

9.   The Book Publisher - Starring the under appreciated Amanda Platz and Sir Michael Cain

10.  S. Korean film House of Hummingbird 

   

Melinda's Top Ten Picks for the Top Half of 2022

 The following top ten picks put my favorite events from Around the Grapevine in Sonoma County:

1.   Dave Chappelle at Luther Burbank Center - A surprise engagement that was an unforgettable                                     evening of laughs and social commentary.

2.  Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Company at Luther Burbank Center

3.   Future Farmers of America and 4H groups brought their prized, reared "pets" to the auctioning block     to the butcher block.  These young people are incredibly impressive.

4.   Fran Lebowitz in conversation at Luther Burbank Culture Center.

5.   Alonzo King Line Ballet Company at Luther Burbank Center.

6.   Jazz singer Bobe Cespedes at Raven Performing Arts Theater

7.   Jazz musicians Dave Holland and Kevin Eubanks perform at Jackson Theater

8.   Classical Pianoforte Adam Maltz at Raven Performing Arts Theater

9.   Jazz singer Dianna Reeves at Sonoma State University     

10. Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra Orchestra performs her latest compositions at Sonoma State Univ

Smooth Jazz with Bobby Watson and His Quartet

Bobby Watson and his jazz quartet performed at 222 on Sunday night in Healdsburg.  Art gallery by day, improvised night club by nightfall, 222, located at 222 Healdsburg Avenue is about to embark on its first full year as a multi-cultural venue for live arts performances in the evening.  The season opened on a high note with the grammy winning jazz composer and sax player extraordinaire, Bobby Watson and his quartet.  Classical music as well as jazz will be featured for the 2022-23 season.  Authors and poets will be spotlighted as well as Indie movies.  A silent film night will be shown with live piano accompaniment.  The art gallery represents 50+ artists showcasing oil paintings, collages and sculptures. The cabaret tables set for four were low lit. The ambiance was intimate and relaxing.  Every table had a bowl filled with individually wrapped Godiva chocolate hearts.  The 100 guests were comprised of mainly local residents who welcomed one another.  The artworks are priced from $500-40,000 and are purchased by Sonoma soused tourists searching for souvenirs aside from spirits.  Bien sur, beer, wine and spirits were available for purchase.  Watson took to the improvised 3' high stage, an arm's length from the front tables.  Behind the quartet hung a massive oil painting of kaleidoscope, colors.  The painting was the perfect backdrop for the lively performance.  (It is the priciest piece in the gallery.)  The first bright, upbeat number featured solos from drummer, Akira Tana and bassist, Essiet Essier.  Veteran dummer, Tana has recorded with legendary artists; Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Zoot Sims.  Essier's solo featured him plucking the neck strings while simultaneously strumming the bass.  This achieved a hollowed, percussive sound.  It wasn't until after their second number that Bobby Watson addressed the audience, "I thought I'd get right down to the business of making some music."  His jovial banter and warm manner was infectious within the group and those gathered.  Watson spoke about marrying into a musical family and co-writing with his wife and his wife's sister.  My favorite piece had a mellower pace and blended in some Ellington'e musical phrases  and riffs from popular tunes such as "Favorite Things," The second to last piece was entitled "ETA," named when his wife was 8 months pregnant with their daughter.  The last piece of the night was "In Case you Missed It," which brought the music full-circle to the jaunty and timber rich sounds of their first pieces. The entire evening maintained an upbeat, celebratory vibe that heralds in a welcomed season ahead. 

Doc. FIRE of LOVE Volcanoes up Close and Personal

The visually stunning and hypnotic doc. "Fire of Love" is a compilation of videos and interviews of Maurice and Katia Kraft, a French couple who were professional volcanoes "chasers".  Much of the footage has never before been seen.  The scientific couple flicker on screen in front of majestic, volcanic eruptions.  Viewing the footage we can appreciate why they dedicated their lives to studying volcanoes throughout the world.  The film starts with footage on June 2, 1991.  The couple is seen on Mount Unzen in Japan just hours before they're killed instantly by the volcano's explosion.  Earlier, Maurice prophetically predicted his own death by such an explosion.  Katia explained she follows Maurice everywhere he goes because if he were to die there would be no reason to continue living.   Their passion for one another and their joint life's work is understandable and enviable but for a seeming death wish.  Regardless, the compilation of photographs, films and scientific notations amassed are immensely valuable.  In 1985, the couple made an impassioned plea to the government of Columbia to order an evacuation of citizens around the Nevado del Ruiz volcano because of its impending explosion.  Tragically, their warnings were unheeded.  The resulting devastation was staggering with an estimated loss of 25,000 lives.  Maurice and Katia vowed to make it a mission to alert nations to forewarn nations to avoid such needless tragedies in the future.  Their vigilance didn't prevent protecting themselves, their friends and crew filming on Mount Unzen.  "Fire of Love" is a fascinating and compelling film.  It's a charming, love story of two like minded individuals with a shared passion.  They met as college students, married soon after graduating and agreed not to have children and devote their energy towards documenting and understanding volcanoes and lava flows.  They traveled around the globe  pioneering the study of volcanoes and sharing their findings.  The film is also a breathtakingly, beautiful National Geographic expose of nature's destructive, omnipotent prowess. The movie works on both burners.  The narration deters from the film with sanguine quotes and its melancholic, monotone.   However, the score serves to intensify the magnificence of lava flows and volcanic eruptions.  This is a must see film to be seen on the big screen.   Its haunting imagery will emblazon molten memories into your cerebrum.   Maurice and Katia fell victim to their need for notoriety and funding which fueled their zeal to take their studies to the precipice.  "I prefer an intense and short life to a monotonous, long one." (M. Krafft) 

Jim Broadbent Helen Mirren Star THE DUKE Droll and Dame Mirren Shines in Her Role

THE DUKE (2020) is a perfectly charming film based on a true, albeit unbelievable, crime caper.  The unlikely hero is 60 year old Robin Hood wanna be, Kempton Bunton.  Bunton (the indomitable Jim Broadbent) incredulously steals a Goya painting, the of Duke Welling, from the National Gallery in 1961.  He attempts to ransom the painting for a peculiar amount.  The precise amount that would pay the license fees for all the working class veterans in his area.  Bunton was arrested and sent to jail for hooking his telly to the BBC without paying for the required license.  Incarceration rates would escalate in the US if citizens were arrested for clandestine cable connections.  Bunton, can't hold onto any sort of paying job  due to his incessant, pompous chatter or ill advised idealism.  Bunton's is a grandiose, blowhard and a wanna be playwright.   Bunton's persevering, long suffering and hard working wife, Dorothy, is portrayed  by Dame Helen Mirren.  If Mirren were to run for Queen she'd win, easily.  (Oh, I guess that's not how it works). Nonetheless, Mirren is acting royalty.  She gives the the film its heart and soul and the viewer their money's worth.  Mirren's love and frustration for her husband is endearing as well as perplexing.  Just when we've become frustrated with Bunton, he manages to ingratiate himself with his ideals or disarming unflappability.  Bunton is arrested upon returning the painting to the Gallery after realizing the ransom plan is flawed.  His court appointed attorney, Matthew Goode, admits a defense seems futile.  Goode is also one of Englands gifts to acting.  The courtroom drama is somewhat reminiscent of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" with a British flair.  You'll root for Bunton's acquittal.   Director Roger Michell (b S Africa 1956) directed Helen Mirren in "Elizabeth, A Portrait" and Julia Roberts in "Notting Hill". Sadly, the film was released posthumously after Michell's unexpected death in 2021.  THE DUKE makes a jolly good rental for watching at home on the telly.       

The BEAR-Hulu Series Puts Heat into the Kitchen WATCH IT!

Christopher Storer's new drama series, THE BEAR is an enticing ensemble drama set in a working class, Chicago neighborhood sandwich shop.  The central character, Carmyn "Carmy"(Jeremy Allen White) is a celebrated, top NYC restaurant chef.  Carmy returns to Chicago to take over his brother's popular sandwich shop shrouded in debt.  The story is told partly in flashback where we learn Michael, Carmyn's brother committed suicide and bequeathed the shop to him.  Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) plays "Cousin Richie" Michael's best friend and partner in the business.  Most of the heat in the kitchen steams from Richie's resentful reluctance to adapt Carmyn's changes to running the business, managing the staff to convert the place into a polished, profitable dining establishment.  Richie's persona is a foul-mouthed, know-it-all tough with more soft spots than a wheel of Swiss.  Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) is a fine dining chef who seeks employment at The Bear, bearing her honed skills in the kitchen mired with top notch business acumen.  The two other main characters are Natalie "Sugar" Carmyn and Michael's loving and forbearing sister and Uncle Jimmy (the formidable Oliver Platt) as the wealthy, seemingly benevolent ally that wants to buy the business.  Michael was in debt to Uncle Michael for a $300K business loan.  The ingredients for a savoring soap opera are brewing but the taste de resistance is the mix of the actors from top to bottom that brings the pot to a simmer each episode.  Each episode leaves us craving for more.  The motley mix of employees with big hearts and stuffed inside a tiny space include pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce), stubborn but dependable sous chef Tina (Liza Colon-Zayas) and Somalian chef Ebrahim (Edwin-Lee Gibson) a battle of Mogadishu survivor.   Shown in flashbacks is an unrecognizable Joel McHale as a villianous chef and former boss to Carmyn at the swanky NYC restaurant Eleven Madison.  The mixture is heavily laden with the cream of the crop actors.  The filming catches the intensity behind the scenes in restaurants, piques the salivating glands of foodies, pays homage to the Windy City and cooks up a souffle of suspense for what happened and mainly, for what the next course will serve up.  I give THE BEAR an A rating.   C'est Magnifique!  

The STARLING-Starring Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd and Kevin Klein

Lily (Melissa McCarthy) and her husband Jack (Chris O'Dowd) are a loving couple in this comedy-drama whose lives are shattered with the sudden death of their infant daughter, Katie.  The devastating loss is too much for Jack to bear.  Jack attempts to asphyxiate himself but thankfully saved by his wife.  Lily is left alone to manage her grief while Jack receives professional help in a group mental institution.  Grief is a very individual process for everyone; even couples must process alone.  The STARLING, directed by Oscar nominated Theodore Melfi ("Hidden Figures" and "St. Vincent") is an earnest film of coping with loss.  The unconsolable loss of a child and the demands it makes upon a couple's union are convincingly portrayed by the talented, comedic actors McCarthy and O'Dowd.  Lily is striving to function through her grieving while maintaining her sanity.  Gardening was a passion Lily returns to with a vengeance only to be physically embattled with a bird that is fighting for territory.  The bird's attacks on Lily are silly but serve to navigate the film.  The bird, a starling, gashes Lily's forehead.  Lily turns to the aid of a local vet, Dr. Larry (Kevin Klein) for first aid, bird tutorials and physiological support.  The preposterous connection between Dr. Larry and Lily would falter in less capable hands if not for the exceptional performances of the stellar actors Klein and McCarthy.  There's murmurings of compassion nestled within understandings that we are not meant to live alone.  Relying on others and offering aid is healthy and natural.  Brilliant minor casting with Daveed Digs and Skyler Gisondo give loft to what might have proven a clunky melodrama.   The STARLING is a film that could get easily looked over but is worthy of watching. 

Doc. ACCEPTED-Unconventional School Broke Rules to What End?

The doc. ACCEPTED, follow students and Mike Landry, founder of TM Landry school in LA.  Trailers show the exuberance of gaining Ivy League admissions shared by students, peers and Landry.  These viral videos boast TM Landry school with 100% college admission and 30% admission into top Ivy league schools wound their way into top TV spots, spouting triumphant work ethic proving a success story. The sanctioned news exposes exposed fraud and abuse used to gain access.  Landry proves to have an Icarus mentality which has landed him in hot water.  More damning is the collateral damage to hard working teens whose dreams became deferred.  Four former students in the class of 2019 chose to leave before graduating with the four other students from their class.  Those departing students were interviewed in Dan Chen's documentary.  The euphoria of the school dissipates quickly when these young people give credible testimony to their experiences and glimpses into their lives.  Mike Landry is a wanna be minister and reveals himself to be a sinister Svengali.  Landry has the students chant back, "I am somebody!" This is representational of the racial protests of the 50s when black men wore signs,  "I am a man."  The students respond by rote, "I love you" in the foreign language Landry calls out.  More impressive would've been Landry's speaking using correct grammar.  A pithy complaint in comparison to the hardships faced by these students.  Especially, those and their folks who put their faith, and limited means into Landry's pricy and misleading promises.  Landry avows fear tactics and humiliation as motivational tools.  He forewarns of poverty, incarceration or early death.  Currently Landry is charged with battery by a former student and under federal investigation for fraud. "I'm only interested in winners," Landry says, interrupting a student trying to share her struggles.  It appears the ends justify the means.  Falsifying transcripts, fraudulent activities and subjects and embellished bios are alleged as typical ammo used to appease admittance boards.  This unconventional school has no set schedules and no homework.   School days are from 9AM to 7:30AM.  No video was taken in classrooms or from teachers.  This class year coincided with celebrity parents being charged with using bribes or false test scores to gain acceptance for their privileged progeny.   Affluent parents' criminal behaviors tilting an unbalanced playing field more in their children's direction is heinous.  Mike Landry's actions fester like rotten meat.  What happens to these students whose dreams have been deferred.  How do those who got into the Ivies vie?  What will happen to Mike Landry and his school?   

CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH - Uh Meh

The likable but forgettable film CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH has its tender moments nevertheless it manages to slips under the radar.   Andrew (Cooper Raiff) is a millennial in denial of future plans past the partying stages of college days.   After graduating Andrew returns home to his mother (an iridescent Leslie Mann) and step father's (Brad Garrett) home without having secured a job.  His 13 year old bro David (Evan Assante) is on the precipice of puberty while Bar Mitzvah parties are getting into high swing.  The parallels between dawning manhood between preteen and post grad are prevalent. The problem being David's maturation is nascent and Andrew's absent.   The movie moves beyond your flailing 20 something searching for direction, albeit not arduously, when familial bonds are scrutinized.  Andrew agrees to take David to a Bar Mitzvah party where he empathizes with awkward adolescence keeping timid teens from the dance floor.  With nothing to lose Andrew gets the party started to great success and a burgeoning career as a party starter is born.  At the party Andrew meets Domino (Dakota Johnson) whose there with her 16 year old daughter, Lola (Vanessa Burghardt in a brilliant performance.)  Lola has autism and was held back in school 3 years and in the same class as David.  Lola's socialization with her peers has its unique challenges apart from those of her younger classmates.  Andrew's confidence or perhaps lack of, flourish under attention and adoration.  He ingratiates himself into Lola and Domino's lives as he's  attracted to Domino.  Andrew is fond of giving advice to his younger brother eager to gain his attention and wisdom.   Andrew's self-importance turns to arrogance and he presumes to advise Domino on what she wants from life.  Topics of mental illness and alcoholism are mentioned but not given overt attention.  This serves the film's meandering focus as our hero lacks a driving sense of purpose.   Domino's fiancé Joseph (Raul Castillo) appears brutish.  However, Joseph delivers the most poignant line in the movie when he thanks Andrew for looking out for his family.  The terrific performances by Leslie Mann, Dakota Johnson and Vanessa Burghardt are disarming.  Cooper Raiff wrote, directed and starred in CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH.  It's is a coming of age film that's charming in the teenage years but off-putting in 20 something millennials.  Andrew is not detestable nor as likable as he considers himself to be.  It's questionable whether to see or not to see.  Seems to me to be - meh.