Welcome to the 810th Edition of my series. Tomorrow I start a whole new chapter in my life. I am starting my new job at Innovista Health Solutions as a claims examiner which is similar what I did before when I was with Concentrix and lost my job against my will. I'm nervous but exited to get back into this line of work and hope to make this work. I also want to remind everyone of Christmas in July at the Marion Civic Theater where I am in MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET: THE MUSICAL. To those all year round Christmas lovers, this is the perfect event. To those that only want to hear about Christmas in December, please understand we tried last December but I don't think any explanation is needed. I am exited for this time around that I get to be the store psychiatrist Sawyer and get to return to my villainous roots. I've gone on long enough, let's get to the selections for the week.
In the Heights (2021): I start the week out with this contemporary musical which was directed by Jon M. Chu, based on a book by Quiara Alegria Hudes, and based on the stage play by Lin-Manuel Meranda who also co-stars. Anthony Ramos stars as Usnavi who is a bodega owner living in the neighborhood in Washington Heights and never loses hopes of going to his native land of the Dominican Republic. Leslie Grace co-stars as Nina who is returning from the neighborhood after a year of college not really knowing what she wants despite what her parents want. Meranda, Corey Hawkins, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Jimmy Smitz, Gregory Diaz IV, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco, Noah Catala, Mateo Gomez, Marc Anthony, Olivia Perez, Analia Gomez, Dean Scott Vazquez, Mason Vazquez, and many others co-star in this musical. Many will know that Meranda wrote the huge Broadway hit HAMILTON. This was what he wrote before and in my understanding to get the funding needed for HAMILTON. This was just an amazing and feel-good musical about making the most of what you have and the importance of the neighborhood. Like HAMILTON, this is set to a lot of hip hop and has a lot of fun numbers. I went to see this at a local drive-in a half hour from where I live. This is available to watch on HBO Max
A Man Called Ove (2015): Hannes Holm directed this Swedish film based on the book by Fredrik Backman. Rolf Lassgard stars as Ove, who is very grumpy and tries to enforce the block association rules. He spends the rest of his time visiting his late wife's grave. Bahar Pars co-stars as Parvaneh who moves into the neighborhood with her family and sees through Ove's rough and grumpy exterior forming an unlikely friendship. Filip Berg, Ida Engvoll, Borje Lundberg, Johan Widerberg, and many others co-star in this Swedish film. Berg plays the younger Ove in flashback scenes and is a great young to old casting. As we get to know Ove, it is easy to understand the source of his rough personality and then get behind him more. I was surprised about moving this movie was to me. This is available to watch on Tubi.
Persepolis (2007): Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi directed this animated film based on a comic by Satrapi and based on her. Chiara Mastroianni stars as the outspoken Marji in '70s Iran who sees what a tyrannical place it has become through Islamic fundamentalists. Her parents send Marji to Vienna in hopes of building a better life for herself but still finds it difficult to adjust. Catherine Deneuve, Gena Rowlands, Danielle Darrieux, Simon Abkarian, and many others co-star in this film. This uses silhouette animation to tell the autobiographical story and does a very good job. This looks at some very serious situations but still has some humor to go along with it. This is really worth a look.
A Doonesbury Special (1977): Technically, this is a tv special but since I make the rules, it is my animated short for the week. Faith Hubley, John Hubley, and Garry Trudeau directed this tv special based on Trudeau's classic comic strip. Much of the classic characters like Mike Doonesbury, voiced by David Grant, Zonker Harris, voiced by Richard Cox, Joanie Caucus, voiced by Barbara Harris, Mark Slackmeyer, voiced by Charles Levin, among others. This has the characters reflecting on their lives now compared to what life was like in their idealistic college days in the '60s. I read this some as a kid but it's been a little while. I guess it is best to get to know the characters through the comic strip first before reading to understand them more. This was created during '60s-'70s counter culture and accommodates to the times when written like characters getting older, the kids growing up and just things going on at the time. Some of this is political satire and many other things. This can be found on Youtube.
I Know Where I'm Going (1945): Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger wrote and directed this British romance film. Wendy Hiller stars as Joan Webster who is a stubborn English woman moving to Scotland to find love just knowing where she is going. She is trapped on the Island of Mull due to the weather where she meets soldier Torquil MacNeil, played by Roger Livesey. While there, Joan is still determined to go through with her plans no matter the weather while she slowly falls in love with Torquil. George Carney, Walter Hudd, Finlay Currie, Margot Fitzsimmons, C.W.R. Knight, Pamela Brown, and many others co-star in this film. This is a well-done love story and Hiller brings the bound and determined Joan to life very well. There are also a lot of beautiful locales to look upon in this already good movie. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
The Circus (1928): This is my silent film for the week which was written, directed, and just about every other thing you can think of in movie jobs by Charles Chaplin. Chaplin reprises his role of the Tramp who is still trying to make it in life and is on the run after the police think he is pickpocket. While on the run, he stumbles onto a circus where he becomes an accidental sensation among the audience. When the circus hires him, they realize his comedic talents come by accident so they put him in situations where he will get laughs. While there, he meets lovely trapeze artist Merna, played by Merna Kennedy, who is the stepdaughter of the abusive head of the circus. Al Ernest Garcia, George Davis, Tiny Sandford, and many others co-star in this silent film. While talkies had gotten on the rise, Chaplin decided to stick to his silent roots while also being a very difficult time in his life going through a divorce and his mother dying during filming. This is one of Chaplin's more underrated films and deserves a watch. This is available to watch on HBO Max and the Criterion Channel.
American Beauty (1999): Sam Mendes directs this film on the dark suburban life. Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, and Thora Birch star as the Burnham family Lester, Carolyn, and their daughter Jane. They are not the happiest family in the world and mostly just hate one another. Lester starts to develop feelings for Jane's friend Angela, played by Mena Suvari, and everything just spins out of control from there. Wes Bentley, Peter Gallagher, Allison Janney, Chris Cooper, Scott Bakula, Sam Robards, Barry Del Sherman, Ara Celi, John Cho, and many others co-star in this film. I will let you all know that this is not a family movie so probably not one to watch with the kids. It is still a very compelling film to watch seeing such a dysfunctional suburban family. This has also been parodied many times with the scenes where Lester is imagining Angela among a bunch of roses. This would also be part of the inspiration for the hit TV series DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES.
Charade (1963): Stanley Donen directed this mystery thriller. Audrey Hepburn stars as Regina Lampert who learns of her husband's murder but also learns she really knew nothing about him. She soon must deal with various men that include the likes of Cary Grant, James Coburn, George Kennedy, and Walter Matthau who none are who they appear. Ned Glass, Jacques Marin, Paul Bonifas, and many others co-star in this film. This has been referred to by many as the best Alfred Hitchcock movie that he didn't direct. This has some comedy, romance and some good suspense. Grant and Hepburn made a great screen couple but would be their only one. This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.
It Should Happen to You (1954): George Cukor directed this romantic comedy. Judy Holliday stars as Gladys Glover who moves to Central Park looking to make a name for herself. She uses the money she has to buy a billboard to put her name on it and after it extends to others, her life changes overnight. Jack Lemmon in his film debut co-stars as Pete Sheppard who is a documentary filmmaker and takes an immediate liking to Gladys but does not like this newfound fame feeling she is being exploited. Peter Lawford co-stars as advertising executive Evan Adams III who is trying to cash in on her fame. Michael O'Shea, Vaughn Taylor, Connie Gilchrist, Whit Bissell, and many others co-star in this comedy. This does deliver a lot of laughs. This is the start of a great career for Lemmon showing his great comedic timing that went along well with Judy Holliday who is a very underrated comedic actress by today's standards. This could be a good double feature to go along with A FACE IN THE CROWD. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
The Good the Bad the Weird (2008): I end the week with this Korean film which was directed by Jee-Woon Kim. Jung Woo-Sung, Kang-Ho Song, and Lee Byung-Hun star as three Korean gunslingers who rival one another for a treasure map but must also team up against some Chinese bandits and the Japanese army. This is a western parody most notably to the obvious THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY but this has its own direction. This has some great action scenes with a high body while also having a lot of comedy. This is available to watch on Hulu.
Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week.
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