Marianne and Leonard: Words of Love - Leonard Cohen doc. with Little Interest but for Him

The verbose, disjointed doc. on the life of Leonard Cohen (b Canada 1934) is structured around the love story of the legendary poet/singer/song writer and his muse Marianne Ihlen (b Norway 1936).  The fractured biopic begins with Cohen living on the Greek Isle Hydra in 1960 where he meets Marianne. She's married with an infant at the time.  Marianne's marriage soon falls apart with her heart falling overboard to Leonard, a struggling, impoverished novelist.  Their love story is highlighted with archival footage of the handsome dark haired Leonard & fair haired beauty smiling, sailing & living a blissful bohemian lifestyle.  Marianne made it possible for Leonard to devout full-time to writing.  The intimate photos & homemade movies hold little interest to an outsider.  The voice overs are from friends & artists living in Hydra.  Marianne modestly claims she never found herself beautiful ,"my face is too round."  I agree with her assessment and puzzle over the circular lissom construct of the film.  Ihlen & Cohen's relationship was solid prior to his fame as and ebbs away with Cohen's rise to celebrity.  Their gossamer connection over the lifetime were only 7 years in the 60s.  Both passes away in 2016.  Although their loose thread acts as the ark for delving into the many fascinating incarnations of Cohen's life.  His battle with depression was omnipresent along with  an insatiable appetite for women &hallucinogens.  Judy Collins is the first to get Cohen onstage to sing one of his songs.  He suffered severe stage fright but achieved an immensely successful career writing, recording & performing his poetic/folksy songs spanning decades.  Acad. Award winning Amer. documentarian, D. A. Pennebaker & BAFTA winning British director Nick Broomfield  needed serious editing with many of the garrulous interviews from people on the periphery of Cohen's life especially the wife of an author friend.   Too much irritating time is allotted her as a self-proclaimed expert on Leonard's love life and the incapability of great artists to maintain stable relationships.  The recollections from band member Ron Cornelius (who sounds like Bill Clinton) are riveting and revealing.  Cohen's evolving genius as a writer & performer and his eccentric inhabitations from living in a monastery and his rise back from poverty & obscurity in his 70s are ample reasons for appreciating this doc.  It's dubious why the film attributes itself an iconic love story.  It serves as a zeitgeist into the 60s and loving tribute to a profound artist.  Cohen is a captivating character whose an amalgamation of Keats, Dylan, Simon, Guthrie and Dustin Hoffman yet an astoundingly talented & unique individual.

Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" Stars DiCaprio, Pitt and Margot Robbie

"Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" is written & directed by Quentin Tarantino.  I'll save you time & cut to the chase - the film is ho-hum & lackluster despite an excellent cast & creative re-writing of events surrounding the gruesome Hollywood murders of movie actress Sharon Tate.  Tate was married and pregnant with director Roman Polanski's child.  While 8 months pregnant, Polanski was abroad while Tate was in their Hollywood home.  She was not alone and her guests were also victims of this brutal & scandalous melee included in the zeitgeist of the late 1960s.  Tarantino draws out terrific performances from a cast that probably needs little direction including DiCaprio, Pitt, Margot Robbie, Daniela Pick (Tarantino's wife who plays DiCaprio's wife) and Bruce Durn in a small but unforgettable turn.  The look & sound both on the set and off the TV stage set where Rick Dalton (Leonard DiCaprio) is playing an aging, "useless" western actor shadowed by his unflappable stunt double and hired lackey, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt).  Dalton's career is becoming washed up (thanks in part to his heavy boozing).  Booth is clinging to his stunt-man career at the heels of Booth.  Needless, Booth's self-defense skills & wherewithal serve both him & Dalton well.  Dalton lives next door to Sharon Tate & Roman Polanski.  Their neighborly paths are sure to cross.  The buildup to the high noon shootout massacre that occurred at the Tate home on August 8th, 1969 is tedious and dried up.  Quentin adds his fairytale rewriting of history around the Manson clan and Tate mansion murders.  Fans of Quentin's bloody fights will not be disappointed nor will fans of this epoch.  In fact, the fabricated ending is inordinately preferable as was his ingenious ending in "Inglorious Basterds."  However, the events in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" are shallow and unsatisfying in their build-up to the expected twist to historic twisted event.  The film begs to be revered but it's too helter-skelter to feel ignited.

Melinda's Suggested TV Series Viewing You May Want to See - or Not!

If you're looking to binge or do some watching from home this summer, here are my favorite picks in preferential order:

1.  Fleabag (Season 2) - British series written/starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge
2.  Big Little Lies
3.  The End of the F--king World - British series
4.   Pose - Season 1 - Billy Porter is phenomenal and a Reminder of AIDS in the 80s
5.  Killing Eve - (Season 1) British series written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge
6.  Dead to Me
7.  Fosse/Verdon
8.  The Baker & The Beauty an Israeli series
9.   Dark - German sci-fi time travel series hard to follow but it draws you in

Here are a few that I just couldn't get through in descending order or interest:

1.   Game of Thrones (I know - most Emmy nominations Ever)
2.   This is Us
3.   Sharp Objects
4.   Russian Doll
5.   Orange is the New Black
6.   Euphoria
7.   Chambers
8.   Stranger Things

"Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am" An Artful Biopic Flick that Makes You Think and Feel

The biopic doc. on Toni Morrison (TM) is an insightful, immersive and artistic reflection of one of the world's most brilliant writers.  And, in doing so, it's a testimony to the omnipotence of words with their capacity to embody lives & experiences intensely that are outside one's self.  From the onset, the film establishes its flair for meshing creative visual artistry which frame the literary genius of Ms. Morrison.  There's a montage of photographs & images dissected and refigured in a stunning compilation spanning images of TM's life.  TM is the author of her own life on screen.  She is candid, eloquent, direct and delightful in her interviews off-camera along with footages of other recorded interviews.  Legendary literary figures & iconic individuals bring their insightful commentaries about TM, their relationships to her and the impact of her extraordinary work.  Some of the exceptional interviews are from Walter Mosley, Sonia Sanchez, Hilton Als, Farah Griffin, Russel Banks, Angela Davis and Oprah Winfrey.  TM exclaims her writing as focusing on the black experience in America is in a unique clear voice told free from the "white gaze,""without the non-white judgmental eye."  TM's narrative is driven by deep interior pain of the poor, made to feel inferior class of blacks' point of view.  Although TM describes her upbringing in OH as a cordial melting pot.  Her desire to attend college was to expand her horizons and put distance from home.  This artful & absorbing doc. is punctuated by paintings & photographs by mainly African Americans illustrating an epoch of slavery & segregation in our country which TM confronts in her writings.  The film points out literary awards weren't bestowed TM in a timely manner.  TM's laughs off this push for honorary recognition which have been given including the Amer. Nobel Prize & Pulitzer Prize in Literature & the Presidential Medal of Honor.  The artists whose work highlights this film were for the most part overlooked during their lifetime.  In addition to being a prolific and magnificent writer, TM was also an editor,  college professor and single mother of two sons.  The film retains an intimate & ebullient tone throughout.  TM tells us "I'm smart early in the morning."  She's up before sunrise, "the most glorious part of the day" and gets in 3 productive hours of writing.  Feeling overwhelmed TM construed a list of all she was doing and whittled it down to the only 2 that mattered: being a mother to her sons & writing.  There is an earned luminescent hubris engulfing TM.  There's no barriers between TM's narratives and her reader.  TM identifies as a black writer, exploring race, history and the black experience.  Her rapport with the camera instills a fresh directness that feels conversational while stirring controversial dialogue.  This doc. is a must see film.  It's directed by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.  Toni Morrison's literary prowess is immeasurable.

Top 10 Cultural Picks for the First Half of 2019 from Around the Apple

Here is my list of my favorite cultural happenings that were happening around the Big Apple in alphabetical order:

1.   AILEY II - An all new program

2.   Siah Armajani's Iranian/Amer. Artist - Retrospective at the Met Breuer

3.   Jean-Michel Basquiat's Artworks at the Brandt Fdtn.

4.   INK - by British playwright James Graham

5.   Juilliard Spring Dance Performances

6.   Marcus Miller Electric Miles at Jazz at Lincoln Center

7.   Socrates by playwright/actor Tim Blake Nelson at The Public

8.   The Pink Unicorn a One Woman Show with Alice Ripley

9.   What the Constitution Means to Me written and starring Heidi Shreck

19.  Whitney Biennial

Special mention to the prescient off-Broadway play AFTER about bullying and gun violence

Melinda's Top Ten Movie Picks for the First Half of 2019

Here are my picks for the best films since Jan. 1, 2019 in alphabetical order:

1.   Amazing - A doc. of an Aretha Franklin concert filmed in LA Jan. '72 over 2 days

2.   Arctic - Brazilian dir. Joe Penna's film based on a true story of survival

3.   Booksmart - Written by Emily Halpern & directed by Olivia Wilde.

4.  Fighting with My Family Based on a true story of Prof. Women's Wrestling with Dwayne Johnson

5.   If Beale Street Could Talk - Based on James Baldwin's novel

6.   Late Night - Mindy Kaling writes & co-stars with Emma Thompson

7.   On the Basis of Sex - based on Ruth Bader Ginsburg

8.   The Biggest Little Farm - A doc. written/filmed/starring John Chester; CA organic farming

9.  They Shall Not Grow Old - A WWI doc. with restored original footage

10.  Yesterday - A musical fantasy homage to The Beatles

Special commendation to Spanish dir. Pedro Almodovar's doc. The Silence of Others

HBO - Two doc. films not to be missed

FOSTER - the Foster System in LA

On Tour with Aspergers are US - 4 comics with Aspergers on a road trip

Mel Brooks' YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN' the Musical at the Raven - 'Hark - Forever More'

Many will argue  Mel Brooks' films "The Producer" or "Blazing Saddles" are amongst the funniest films of all times.  Brooks co-wrote & co-starred with Gene Wilder in "Young Frankenstein."  The film opened in 1974 (in Milwaukee where Wilder is from) and Brooks claims this is his best film.  "The Producers" went on to become a major Broadway Musical Hit.  "Young Frankenstein" had a short life-span on Broadway (2007-09) with mixed reviews.  The Raven Performance Theater in the quaint town of Healdsburg, CA, are offering a Halloween treat complete with live music and some surprisingly strong performances from its cast of local playhouse performers.  The hilarious film is a hard act to follow against the comedic geniuses of Wilder, Brooks, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman and Madeline Kahn.  The slapstick, visual humor made fleeting only fleeting glimpses in this production.  Dr. Frankenstein (Troy Thomas Evans) comedic acting flatlined but his singing voice along with that of Inga (Mary Watts Sparks) were both admirable.  Frau Blucher (Tory Rotlisberger) did spark some genuine gleeful comedy.  Igor played by Bill Garcia doesn't compare to the late great Marty Feldman in the role but he stole the show.   Credit the live orchestra with transforming this community theater into a viable "Off Off Broadway" show.  Conductor Kelly Considine lead an excellent score with gusto.  The orchestra alone made it worth the paltry $30 admission price.  Kyle Craft on violin and Ruth Wilson on French Horn were first rate, first chair musicians.  There was budding talent to be found on stage with two young performers.  Cecilia Brenner, just 11 years old was terrific and Emilia Naples, a sophomore at the local high school was a stand-out with her fabulous dancing.  Both were in the ensemble.  SF Ballet look no further than your own backyard for a budding star in Naples and Brenner might bring locals bragging rights for hometown talent.  I recommend the Raven's production of "Young Frankenstein" as and enjoyable romp and a reprieve against today's pressures.  "Humor is just another defense against the universe."  (M Brooks).

The Film "Yesterday" Imagine a World Without Beatles Music if You Can

"Yesterday" is a fantasy (or perhaps horror) film wherein the Beatles were never formed and the multitude of memorable songs that formed the soundtrack to our lives are gone.  Stop and think about it, no uniting of Paul, John, George and Ringo.  Dir/producer Danny Boyle ("Slumdog Millionaire") romantic musical comedy plays on the premise the Beatles band had never born.  Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) is a fledgling singer/songwriter getting by with a little drudgery job.  He has 1 unflagging fan, Elie (Lily James "Downton Abbey").  Elie is his manager & long time admirer since their teens.  Not having made it in the music business, Jack tells Elie he's had enough.  Elie tries to convince him to stick with it, he's got talent and miracles can happen.  What happens is the entire planet goes dark (y2k deja vu) for 12 minutes while Jack is on his bike.  He slams into a bus.  It's a miracle he survived.  When he wakes in the hospital, Elie is at his side.  Hey dude, is the premise of the movie based on a dream?  Na-na na, na - let that idea out & let it in, allow the fantasy to begin.  Once out of the hospital, Elie presents him with a new guitar (he sweetly weeps for his demolished guitar).  Elie with a couple friends (one a doppelgänger for Paul McCartney's son) ask him to play.  Jack chooses "Yesterday" to the astonished praise of Elie & friends.  They don't seem to recall the song or the Beatles.  Is this a dream or a joke gone on too long?  Jack attacks the internet.  The only reference to Beatles are - beetles.  He becomes a real nowhere man, not knowing what he's going to do.  He begins to perform Beatle songs to growing adoration from increasing crowds.  Ed Sheeran (playing himself) pops over to his house having heard him play & asks him would he like to open for his band.  Jack agrees immediately (despite his dad running ridiculous interference).  Sheeran is one of the many delightful surprises.  If Sheeran can play out of character, he may have another career acting.  And, Malik has great promise as a singer.  Kate McKinnon's role as the LA ruthless music exec who  tempts Malik with money & fame is a big put off.  Rocky (Joel Frey "Game of Thrones") on the other hand puts in scene stealing performance as the underfoot lackey.  Rocky is only trying to HELP Jack.  Rocky says to Jack "I never not got what you not got in Elie."  The movie strums along with the Jack & Eli love story everyone sees except Jack before it's too late for him to say he's sorry and he's gonna lose that girl.  Patel & James performed together in perfect harmony. "Yesterday" is a charming and entertaining homage to the Beatle's songwriting genius.  the Beatles' music will defy the test of time as in all great art.  The film "Yesterday" is a pleasurable romp into a nightmarish world without the music.  Imagine a world without cigarettes, it isn't hard to do.  You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.  Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

The doc. Film "The Biggest Little Farm" is Big on Charm, Wisdom and Nature's Beauty

John and Molly Chester have worked out the recipe for marriage mixed with manure for good measure that's matured into a phenomenal organic farm in CA.  This didn't happen without them getting their hands dirty or spirits dampened.  John is an award winning film and TV writer/director.  His wife Molly, a farm to table organic chef.  They're happily married & living in Santa Monica when they became dog driven to revitalize hundreds of acres of barren farm land into a utopian, self-sustaining organic farm.  This was achieved through "a delicate dance of co-existence" amongst nature, nurture, organisms, animals & people.  Dog driven because after being drawn to rescue dog named Todd.  Their vows now included a permanent home for Todd. Todd was beloved by John & Molly but not their neighbors.  Todd's non-stop howling whenever they were away and got them evicted.  Naturally, John's talent as a filmmaker & Molly's love for cooking organically with added ingredient of needing to relocate landed them in Moorpark, CA; just over an hour N of LA.  With financial backing, inexplicable soil hacking, fundamental understanding of farming lacking (and cameras packing) John & Molly sought mentors, help and 8 unforgettable years later, their dreams  of a productive "traditional" farm using diversity, ingenuity, grit grew into a miraculous reality.  Getting there was a slow journey of disillusionment,  debacles, devastation & determination.  This indefatigable twosome created something profound.  This wondrous cinematographic doc. captures  nature's beauty & brutality. The viewer will discover fragile harmony in our eco-system energized by the impermanence of life.   John is not only the hero of his domain.  He's totally hands on, heart fully committed and discretely behind the camera.  John is the writer, dir. producer and cinematographer of this phenomenal film that gives you an inside look at the complex inter-workings of nature's inherent sustainability and human ingenuity.  "There's more to see than can ever be seen.  More to do than can ever be done."*   John narrates with poetry and sage.  Amy Overbeck's editing is brilliantly dissected & 'thymed' spanning nearly a decade.  "The Biggest Little Farm" is magically unpredictable.  It's a paradox of co-existence and a creative observation on the delicate equilibrium balance; pest or salvation, problem or resolution.   John and Molly unearthed an interconnected beauty of land and nature and discovered a comfortable level of disharmony essential to thrive.  Parents, you may want to take your children to see the "Lion King" but you MUST take them with you to see "The Biggest Little Farm."  "It's the circle of life and it moves us all."*

* (E John)

Late Night Shines with Mindy Kaling, Emma Thompson-A Modern Mary Tyler Moore and More

The film "Late Night" is formulaic funny stuff that is riotously clever, politically incorrect and much more than a light fare chick flick.  A behind the scenes TV talk show host & writing staff is not ground breaking material but "Late Night" throws in saucy curves and hard hitting lines.  Molly (Mindy Kaling "The Mindy Project") is the film's screenwriter and co-star who pars with her boss, TV Late Night host Katherine (the inimitable Emma Thompson). Kaling pays unapologetic homage to old TV shows; particularly the beloved "Mary Tyler Moore Show".   Kaling tosses her hat high & laughs rain down amid some well earned tears.  Molly is your perky, irrepressible single working woman looking for her big break in TV.  Katherine is the curmudgeon boss who hates perky.  Katherine has a steely facade covering for a big heart after all.  The Late Night Talk Show with host Katherine Newbury has been flailing for the past several years. It's become stale, dated and worst of all, not funny.  There's blame to go around from its haughty host and its all white stale male writing team for whom Katherine's stifled and been hostile.  The comedy writers type casting is straight from "40 Rock" (as is the locale).  They're a motley mix of talented actors.  Katherine assigns them numbers according to their seats rather than addressing them by name.  A few of the number crew to call out are Hugh Darcy, Reid Scott, Max Casella and Denis O'Hare as Brad her long-time cohort.  Amy Ryan is perfect as the menacing network head who intends to stop the bleeding by cutting Katherine from her show.  Katherine knows she's been negligent, lazy & sexist.  She hates working with other women and orders Brad to hire a woman on the staff.  Molly's happenstance circumstance land her the job despite her feeble qualifications.  But, timid Molly is not.  Mindy as Molly has never been more appealing or subversively clever.  The "Me too Movement" gets a she too slut shaming and there's affirmative action blaming.  Molly remains undaunted.  She refuses to be marginalized by white male privilege or kowtow to a bitchy boss.   This may sound trite but Late Night goes rogue.  It's a pastiche of hubris, humbling humor with earnest emotional tugs & twists.  Kaling's screen-writing is innovative  "cartharcissim" deserving of a standing ovation.  "Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." Mindy Kaling is no Yeats, at least not yet.  But, "Late Night" is a sure bet for LOL fun.