Friday, October 18, 2019

"Henry V" Review

Henry V



Henry V is an adaptation of the original Shakespeare play of the same name, done by the infamous adaptor of all things Shakespeare, Kenneth Branagh.  After much research I have discovered his last name is pronounced "BRA-nah".

For those of you who don't know (I sure didn't), Henry V was the King of England from 1413-1422.  Smack in the middle of the Hundred Years' War, Henry led a now-legendary military campaign into France.  His most famous battle was at Agincourt.  He led his army into battle personally, and with fewer numbers than his French foes.  Some say the English were outnumbered as much as six to one.

I'm going to be honest with you.  I didn't understand anything anyone said in this movie.  It's over two hours long, and there was one line I was able to entirely decipher through words alone.  Just one.

"Bear them hence"

Every single other line of dialogue was entirely useless to me in communicating what was going on.  I had to rely on other means.

This is a good time to talk about Kenneth Branagh.  The man is a Shakespeare adaptation machine.  He hasn't stopped yet and this movie was released in 1989.  He's also an incredibly competent director.  Even though I had no idea what anybody ever said in this movie, I almost always knew what was going on.  One scene was entirely in French (without subtitles), but I understood what was happening in the scene, and what the scene was for.  I don't speak French.  That is maybe the best compliment I could give Mr. Branagh on his direction (he was nominated for Best Director for Henry V).  Through the performances, the inflections of the lines, the costumes and the settings, the body language, and also the music, I was able to not only understand the story, but also all the character and interpersonal dynamics.

The cast is loaded.  Headliners include Kenneth Branagh himself, Judi Dench, Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane, Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed, Ian Holm, and an early role from Christian Bale.  And Brian Blessed was born to wear the armor he wears in this movie (Henry V won the Oscar for costume design).

The version of Henry V that Branagh portrays here is basically the English version of President Whitmore from Independence Day.  He's this über inspirational leader who inspires soldier and audience member alike.  Even though I had no idea what he was talking about, his speech to his soldiers before the battle was still awe-inspiring, and for me it rivaled President Whitmore's speech from Independence Day.  I'm not kidding.  That's a lot of praise for Branagh's performance right there (he was also nominated for Best Actor for Henry V).  I freaking love the speech from Independence Day, and this one might have been better.

Even though I had no idea what the heck anyone was talking about, I still recommend Henry V for your viewing pleasure.  I'm not some cretin, it's just that Shakespeare is Shakespeare.  I use context clues to understand it when I read it, and they proved enough for watching it too.

Henry V is rated PG-13 for a bloody battle.  They aren't wrong, it is bloody.

Now a small housekeeping item.  Some exciting times are coming soon for Big Shot Critic.  So stay tuned.


      Big Shot Critic

Friday, October 4, 2019

"Genius" Review

Genius


I've decided to write another review.  I guess I had fun with the last one.  I've been trying to write more and more.  I've been reviving old projects, dusting off this old blog, and journaling extensively.  I even wrote a letter to a friend recently.  I like writing.  And when I'm feeling especially responsible, I take the chances I have to do it.

And I've been going to the library roughly once a week.  Obviously I like movies, and this is a new exercise to enjoy new movies.  I started with "A" in the DVD section.  I picked a movie I hadn't seen before, and I watched it.  The next week I brought it back, and I repeat the process with "B", and so on.  The keen reader will note that my last review was of a movie that started with "F", and this one starts with "G".

So far in this exercise I've watched Aloha, Annapolis, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Chariots of Fire, The Cat and the Canary, Down with Love, The Eagle, From Up on Poppy Hill, and Genius.  Though they all looked interesting to me, they have varied from amazing (I wrote about that last week) to truly terrible (Aloha).  In summary, just because you directed Jerry Maguire doesn't mean you have anything good left, Justin Lin has grown as a director, ensemble elderly British casts are still inexplicably entertaining, Spock's dad runs fast, not all silent films are classics, Renée Zellweger does more than squint, Rudolph Valentino deserved the star power he had, read my previous review, and read this review.

There.  You're caught up.

Genius is the true story of Maxwell Perkins.  Truly an historical footnote of a man.  Did you know that Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Thomas Wolfe were all discovered, fostered, edited, and published by the same man?  And I can honestly say he lives up to his larger-than-life legacy as a slightly interesting bit of twentieth century trivia.

I tease, but it is genuinely interesting.  And the relationship the film focuses on - between him and Wolfe - is beefy enough to fill the movie, and to entertain.  I will say outright that the casting was huge in Genius, and certainly provided most of the draw for me.  Laura Linney and Nicole Kidman are obviously good in their roles, but I came for Jude Law and Colin Firth, as Thomas Wolfe and Maxwell Perkins, respectively.  You get bonus cameos too, from Guy Pearce and Dominic West.  And if you keep a sharp eye you'll even spot Vanessa Kirby.  She is everywhere and it's starting to scare me.

A lesser screenwriter would have given in to the temptation to make Jude Law's Thomas Wolfe a manic pixie dream girl to Firth's stoic Mr. Perkins.  But John Logan is John Logan.  He makes movies, not mistakes.  As a result, the two actors paint the two characters as interesting, funny, charming, likable, very unlikable at times, and very real.  I'm sure everyone's hope in making this movie was to construct a window into what it may have really been like.  I don't think there's anyone left to say if they got it right or not, but it sure feels like a window on a real part of history.  And that's good enough for me.

Thomas Wolfe was a writer.  And he wrote a lot.  It is inspiring to me to see a part of his story.  And the other stories of the other people around him who have a love for writing.  It had a direct influence on me deciding to write this review, and I think that would make Thomas Wolfe happy.  John Logan too, but he's not dead so who cares.

Genius is rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and suggestive content.  It was written by John Logan and directed by Chuck Norris.  I'm just kidding, it was directed by Michael Grandage.


      Big Shot Critic