The Great Gatsby

THE GREAT GATSBY--Directed by Baz Luhrmann/ starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan/screenplay written by Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce, based on the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald/rated PG-13/ 2 hrs. 23 min.

Bifocal Reviews written by Ageless1der Barbara Rich & The Other Guy

(B) I had mixed feelings about this film. I definitely enjoyed the second half much more than the first. The meat of the story didn’t really make itself evident the first half. I think too much time was spent on the opulence and extravagance. After so many lavish parties, I got it. Gatsby is rich. Maybe I was tired and restless and inpatient waiting for some real substance, but over an hour into the film (waaaayyyy too long) the story grabbed my interest. I liked the character (Nick Carraway), played by Tobey McGuire a dedicated friend who was not completely blinded by the glitz. He saw Gatsby for the dreamer and optimist that he was, and appreciated him for that quality above all others. All the supporting roles were adequate. As far as the modernization of the music I prefer to keep a classic a classic and go all the way with the era. The music, the fashion ALL belong in the twenties. That’s my opinion. If you want to see or hear modern tales and music, there are many films out there to satisfy. Don’t change a classic. That’s why it’s a classic. I give two and half binoculars for the second half of this film. Gatsby, for me, was good, but not great.

(OG) I liked it, obviously a little more than Barbara. If you are looking for a carbon copy of the novel, brought to life on the screen, then don’t see this film. There have been some changes, and if your gauge-needle is going to be stuck on how this film compares to the book, then you might be disappointed, if your view of the book is limited. There has been some speculation that the film is series of annoying contrasts that were not apparent in the original story: Gatsby is the only character that is real, or the rich and the poor are stereotypes, or that the dialogue is not realistic for anyone except Gatsby, or that the music is an annoying blend of modern and period pieces. I say: That’s what the book was all about. Luhrmann, I believe captured the essence of the original Fitzgerald novel while bringing in just enough new elements to reach perhaps a new and “harder to reach” audience. He even found a way to bring some of the original writing directly to the screen. The truth is, the roaring twenties and today are not that much different from one another. Jazz, I once heard, is a an original American music that allows everyone to do their own thing while working together for the common good...just like the American government.” Jazz allows each individual a moment in the spotlight to make the best of the moment. In everyone’s own way, we get to interpret our own story in a sense. Is that what today's music is trying to do? Regardless, that’s what this film is for me. That’s an important theme in the book and in this film. Ultimately, Gatsby created himself for the idealized love of a woman. It doesn’t matter what other’s think of the woman or the man himself. The character is unshaken throughout. I give this one three binoculars. The time went smoothly and quickly for me, and I am an English literature teacher, and a fan of the novel.

Eric Lee Message in a Bottle

This is just a portion of the full interview I just completed with Eric Lee. You can read the whole interview--some really thought provoking comments--at www.worldwidedojo.com in my Legends and Legacies column.

MUD--The movie

MUD--Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols/Starring Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Sam Shepard/with strong performances by Ray McKinnon, Sarah Paulson and Reese Witherspoon/2 hr 10 min/PG-13

Bifocal Review written by Ageless1der, Barbara Rich & The Other Guy

(B) Shades of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.  I really enjoyed this film. It got to the heart of young boys’ adventures, first loves and the onset of puberty. Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland gave stunning performances as the young boys. Matthew McConaughey felt very comfortable in the role of a river fugitive who befriends the boys. The panoramic views of the muddy Mississippi were gorgeous. Seeing the riverboats on the Mississippi made me long for the simple, unencumbered river life. I was particularly moved by the sub-story of two boys’ hunger for knowledge and their relentless pursuit of action, based upon the gauge of “it’s the right thing to do.” Sometimes responding from this gut feeling led to getting a black eye. Sometimes the other guy got the black eye. Yet, this pursuit was powerful and nonchalant in the lives of these boys.  This film was marvelous in its simplicity and the supporting roles were also cast (and performed) very well. I don’t want to overrate a film at the start of the movie-going year, so I give this film 3 ¼ binoculars.

(OG)  The comparison to Huckleberry Finn was probably very intentional, but even if it weren’t I couldn’t help but make the link from the very beginning of this film. Like the Huck saga, this was a very simple story with a lot of layers. In fact, beyond the suspense and intrigue was a romance, echoed by another romance, echoed by third and fourth. For me, the character studies, and the thematic dissections that orbited around a non-judgmental look at the power of love (at all familial and non-familial levels) made the layering much more interesting. I also appreciated that when it came to driving the plot and sub-plots, good storytelling was the catalyst. From the salvaging of a boat, stuck in the trees, to a history of snake bites, the viewer was given clues all along the way, like breadcrumbs or footprints on the beach, that lead to a satisfactory and non-contrived resolution of all the layers. I also loved this perfectly cast, perfectly acted, story driven gem. I give it a four.

QUARTET

Quartet--Directed by Dustin Hoffman/starring Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly/Pauline Collins/screenplay Ronald Harwood from his own play/rated PG-13/1hr 39 min

Bifocal Review by Ageless1der Barbara Rich & The Other Guy

(B) I loved this movie.  Hoffman’s directing was superb, but Billy Connolly stole the show.  Every time he was in a scene I knew I was going to laugh. However, all the performances were great, even the staff at the retirement home. For me, the source of entertainment was less about opera and more about seniors aging in the most luxurious of accommodations that was appealing.  If I have to go to a retirement home, this is where I want to go.  The grounds were spectacular.  It reminded me of Downton Abbey.  Front and center are the relationships of these retired musicians.  My fear, as I watched this film, was that it would depress me, like the film Amour, but instead, it inspired me to live life to the fullest. It did have some poignant moments, which were just enough to make it real. The delicate combination of laughing at ourselves as we age and the pure sensitivity shown toward one another was magical. Please see this film.  Seniors? Don’t miss it. The three and a half binoculars I give this film are earned on many levels.

(OG) You either love opera or you hate it. I happen to love it. Is that a requirement for liking this movie? Not really. There are a few great numbers ( or pieces of larger songs) embedded within this film, but it is really about love and glory, both lost and regained, and the poetic maxim: It is better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all. In this case, it is even better to regain a glimpse of past glory and/or love even if we most (including ourselves) believe that we are too old to really enjoy it. The poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson's In Memoriam is where these lines are found:

I hold it true, whate'er befall;


I feel it, when I sorrow most;


'Tis better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all.

Regardless how you feel about opera, I think it is better to have seen this movie and enjoyed it, than to miss it altogether. Even if you must see it On Demand, see it. I give this film a hearty 3½ binoculars.

THE CROODS

The Croods—Directed by Chris Sanders&Kirk DeMicco/starring (voices of) Emma Stone, Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Cloris Leachman, Catherine Keener/screenplay written by Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders from a story by John Cleese, Sanders and DeMicco/rated PG/1hr38min.

Bifocal Review by Ageless1der Barbara Rich & The Other Guy

(B) I’m sorry to say that this is a movie that I didn’t enjoy, except for one scene, which was on the trailer and the only reason I went to see the film in the first place. So, I actually could have missed the full-length feature and been just as entertained. It was a series of explosions and senseless chases and pursuits the likes of which I always try to avoid. All I have to say, is I give the movie one binocular and the luxury movie theater experience a resounding four.

(OG) I saw this in a luxury cinema, on my own personal lounge chair, eating and drinking quality fare that was served to me at my seat. Notwithstanding the fact that I generally don’t like to review animated drawings alongside live actors, I have to say I enjoyed myself very much for this hour and a half. I’m not sure why. I will give this film two binoculars, and leave it at that.

Bifocal Reviews--Breakfast with Oscar

Bifocal Reviews by Ageless1der, Barbara Rich & The Other Guy

Identity Thief

Identity Thief—Directed by Seth Gordon/ starring Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy, John Cho, Clark Duke/screenplay written by Craig Mazin, from a story by Jerry Eeten and Craig Mazin/running time:111 mins /rated:R

Bifocal Review by Ageless1der Barbara Rich and The Other Guy

(B) Very easily this film could go directly to video. This is a movie you might see when you have nothing else of value to do.  There are some scenes that were funny, but many more were just felt like jokes I had heard before. Bateman and McCarthy did what they did best and were very at home in their roles. However, I would like to see them step out of these molds and spread their wings a little. I liked the ending better than the beginning, and I like a funny, happy movie. So, I don’t want to discourage anyone from having a good laugh, but compared to the other films I’ve seen in a theater this year, I give it two out of FIVE binoculars. I’ve been lobbying for a change in our Binocular Scale, and four was never enough for me. So, from now on, the most possible is five and the least is what I call a monocle.

(OG) I wish I HAD missed this one. Really. My only laughs were out of desperation. When I go to a movie (and spend LOTS of money to get into the theater) I WANT to be entertained at a level that is somewhat equal to the time it took me to earn the cost of admission. I like both Bateman and McCarthy and the pairing should have yielded much more, in my opinion. They tried, they really tried, but neither one could save this turkey. I’ve seen some truly great films this year and I’ve seen some that were merely worth the price of admission, because I was entertained. This was neither of those, for me. I would have been very happy to catch parts of this on cable, sometime in the distant future, with the option to visit the fridge or bathroom while the movie ate up a couple of hours…because that’s where it should be headed...post haste. Since I’ve already spent too much on this film, one binocular and one monocle are all I can spare. Identity was not the only thing stolen by this unfunny film.