Coco

 Did Ya Ever See Coco?  

Because of my opinions on Disney I don’t see many of their movies, unless they are heavily recommended, or, if they happen to be shown somewhere I am.  This was an example of the latter.

It was shown at the end of the year at work.  I caught half or two thirds of the movie and was very impressed, so I had to go check it out.

Coco is made by the team at Pixar.  I had heard that some of their movies, after the golden age of the 90s to 2000s, had a dip in quality so I made no effort to watch them.  Perhaps this is why I was so impressed with Coco.  My bar was so low that when Coco flew over it, it was like they leaped over a mountain.

On the face, Coco is about a young boy trying to get his family’s approval and escape the land of the dead.  It is set during Mexico’s Day of the Dead.  The boy, Miguel, comes across his past family members as he seeks for approval to be a musician as his living family do not approve.  This leads him to meet Hector, a down and out skeleton who only wishes to see his daughter and be remembered.  The two have an up and down journey as they try to return Miguel to the living world.  It's a journey of being true to yourself and chasing your dreams (Miguel wants to be a musician so bad).

But there is more than that.  

Coco is about legacy.  In an intensely powerful way too (for me at least).  We meet characters who are forgotten and disappear forever.  Lets not forget this is a kids movie about wanting to play the guitar when your family doesn’t.  I haven’t seen a children’s movie ever dwell on mortality in such a way.  Maybe kids don't see this layer but it is so evident.  The scene where Hector plays one last song for his down and out mate before he is forgotten forever… It ruins me.  This scene alone starts with a gag about the song lyrics being too rude for Miguel to hear and ends with one of the most emotional deaths, if you can call it that, I've seen.  It sets up the stakes for Hector’s journey.  If he is forgotten he is gone forever.  We see this affect him throughout the movie and it brings an emotional climax to the third act. 

However, the legacy element really hits hardest for me when (spoilers) Miguel and Hector find out they are family.  This was not the subtlest of plot developments but the execution is top.  The emotion of the scene is drawn out as the music plays and extra bar and the shots linger on the characters.  It was pleasing to see a movie take its time at the important beats.  Too often I have seen these moments undercut by humour or play out too fast.  When a movie takes its time and allows the characters to feel and think the audience does the same.  It doesn't squander these moments.

And now Coco (further spoilers).  Coco is the elderly great-grandmother of Miguel.  Her part in the story is crucial to the journey.  Coco is the only character with a memory of Hector but her memory is fading.  It seems that she has dementia.  Dementia is a horrible disease and this movie suggests and deals with it with a soft touch.  The final scene with Miguel and Coco is touching and it uses music therapy that pays off for the family who rejects music.  Finally all the themes of the movie peak at this moment.  It is a well crafted climax to an entertaining and truly touching movie.

Footloose

Did Ya Ever cut loose? Footloose?

Man, I love this movie. There is something about it that just takes me. It would a guilty pleasure if only I felt guilty for loving it.

I got this feeling times are holding me down.

Why do I love this movie? On the face of it this film is a teen movie about dancing. But it isn’t that at all I think. 

So the basic gist of it is; young Kevin Bacon arrives in small town America, probably the Midwest.  Look, it's a very religious town, and a very, very white town (which probably explains why the remake is set in a small Southern American town, like Alabama Southern American not Buenos Aires Southern America).  The town is borderline a religious cult (at one point they do start burning books) that is run by their church preacher.  The minister, John Lithgow of all people (the career he has had is wild), has a tight hold of the laws in the down and has outlawed certain books, rock and roll music and, of course, dancing.  Kevin Bacon, Ren, is not going to conform easily since he is from Chicago, the big smoke, where none of these laws exists.  Throughout the movie he butts heads with the authorities and locals and people dance.  That's the movie in a nutshell.

But there are a number of themes that run throughout.

Kevin Bacon’s Ren is trying to stay true to himself whilst trying to open the eyes of the locals just so he can fit in.  He and this mother left the big city to get away now that his father is no longer there.  A fresh start.  But run-ins with the police and at school have left him frustrated with no release.  We get the famous ‘angry dance’ in the warehouse to “Never” by Moving Pictures when his irritation is at peak levels.  It doesn't help when he starts dating John Lithgow’s daughter.  The Preachers daughter, Ariel, seems to just be stirring things up, she is crazy in this movie.

Ariel is almost the flip side to Ren in this film.  I think Ren is trying to be himself in a society that is not accepting of him.  Whereas Ariel is trying to be someone she isn’t, to act out against the society and, really, her father.  She is constantly disobeying John Lithgow and her introduction to us involves her trying to climb from one moving car to another.  But she stops, preaches one leg on each and starts whooping and wooing at an oncoming truck.  She is reckless.  She screams an oncoming train and during both these events she puts her friends and boyfriend in serious danger.  She has overreacted to an overreaction.  Her brother, John Lithgow’s son was killed in an accident when returning from a party out of town (of course she does the same at the end of the second act), and John Lithgow, Rev. Shaw, has placed a ban on parties, music and dancing etc.

Rev. Shaw has the most interesting story arc for me.  He is the authority in the community and is doing what he believes in the best interest of the town.  As a result Ariel is under stricter rules as the child of the manse, ergo, crazy, wild behaviour.  But throughout the movie Shaw is challenged over and over again.  He uses his judgement as a father and a spiritual leader to make decisions.  However, the rest of the town have been suckered along with this, going further in their steadfastness.  But eventually we see Shaw go over the edge and hit his daughter leading him into re-evaluation of himself and his leadership.  I like how he is contrasted with his wife, who gradually opens up to seeing her daughter live her life when Shaw wants to keep her in a safe, wrapped in bubble wrap.

Let's also not forget the kickass soundtrack.  Kenny Loggins in the 80s must have made a fortune.  Not just having his songs as movie tie-ins but also writing some absolute bangers.  Footloose (the song) is unbelievable.  I absolutely love this track.  I think this has led to my love of the movie even more.  Just play it after a long day at work and you'll understand. 

Tár

Did ya ever see Tár?  It's getting some serious awards buzz.

Tár is one of those movies that gets released just before Christmas in the US but a month or so later elsewhere.  I showed up on a number of 2022 Top 10 lists.  Of course I couldn't make my list, being that I didn’t get to see it until 2023.  But to be honest it would make the list.  Last year I watched 25 (new) movies in the cinema, one a fortnight is too bad,  the rest were all released on streaming or I got a loan of a copy.  There were plenty of good movies last year.  My first 5 posts/episodes for this blog/podcast (blogcast?) were my favourites from those I watched last year.  Tár is the first new (for me in the UK at least) movie I’ve watched this year.  I won’t be in my Top 5 for 2023.

Maybe it was the front baggage of seeing it top a load of lists around the time it was released here.  Maybe it is the awards hype it was getting…

It wasn't.

Before I give my reasons for disliking this movie, a positive.  Cate Blanchett is incredible.  I never saw through the character to the actor, I only saw the character she was creating.  She was excellent.  So good in fact that I think she might scoop up plenty of statues, and deservedly so too.  However, I really want to see Michelle Yeoh get the glory for Everything Everywhere All At Once.  Cate Blanchette already has a well stocked trophy cabinet and the big awards have a history of giving statues for career performances, so fingers crossed for Michelle Yeoh.  to be fair Blanchett has earned every accolade for this role.  Her character is an eccentric, unusual woman who falls off her pedestal and she performs it like a master.

And this is probably my first issue..  The movie is one performance.  An excellent performance yes but it is not surrounded by much else.  For me at least.  The film felt baggy, drawn out and at 2 hours 38 minutes, it did feel like much happened.  The run time wasn’t deserved.  Around hours in not much had happened and I was checking out.

Tár leaves bread crumbs along the way and they mostly get picked up at the end.  But they were too thinly spread out and only collected in the last half hour, when i was checked out.  One early one involves Blanchett’s titular (Lydia) Tár being videoed on a phone with text messages over layed and does it get resolved?  I don’t think it does.  In fact I think it only happens three times in the movie.  And for what?  Don’t know.  We have occasional dialogue that leads to Tár’s demise but over the long run time it's too little and too sparse.

The thing is, that, the end of the movie suddenly opens up her back story of two minutes? Before pacing on to a hasty conclusion.  I don’t get it.  Everything up until the last 30 or 40 minutes is reasonably interesting but when the ‘payoff’ comes it just feels like a let down.

I think that's how I’d best describe this movie… a let down.  Cate Blanchett puts on screen an absolutely mega performance, which has a stunning one take regarding separating the art from the artist, very current that is a high mark for this film, but ultimately is doesnt follow up on its early success.   Shame, I was curious to see if anything would top Everything Everywhere All At Once.

I think I’ll go watch Footloose to feel better.

Everything Everywhere All At Once

It really is.

Everything Everywhere All At Once is easily my favourite, and the best movie I watched last year.  It may be the best trip to the cinema I've ever had.

I knew going in that this was going to be an... unusual film.  Having seen Swiss Army Man, the Dainels' (directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) first feature, I knew to expect something very different from your average movie.  And that's what I got... and so, so much more.

Even the basic plot synopsis screams out how different this movie is.  Let's look at the IMDb log line... "An ageing Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, in which she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have lived."  Okay firstly how many movies have a 58 year old Asian woman as their main character?  I can't think of any, anywhere, ever?  Definitely none coming out of the US.  Secondly, if there are movies with a protagonist like this and how many of them are action adventure movies?  If there are any let me know because I'd watch that.  What is more, the movie includes a multiverse where the Daniels throw all sorts of crazy ideas and images at.  It's hard to even list the different universes this movie poses, there are so many.  Universes where Evelyn (our main character) is a kung fu master, a chef, a rock, a movie star, a pinata, a genius, the list is endless and bonkers.  

The movie is largely in two halves, Everything and Everywhere, with All At Once acting as the epilogue.  Everything is the wild and crazy part of the movie.  It sets up the premise and unloads truck loads of gags.   It is immature and hilarious.  The second half, Everywhere, does a complete flip.  Now we pivot in the greatest and most breathtaking way you could imagine.  I'd hate to spoil it here for you.  But it layers upon that ridiculous first half with so much emotion.  The three characters of Evelyn's family get such a just payoff that even the toughest nut will crack.  Honestly I was in tears by the end of it.  It is a rare thing to have a movie take such a big turn and it works out.

"Every rejection, every disappointment has led you here to this moment"

Everything Everywhere All At Once also brings back Ke Huy Quan (Data from The Goonies and Short Round from Temple of Doom) to the screen for his first role in over twenty years and he is excellent in this.  It is great so see him again.

The whole cast is wonderful.  Jamie Lee Curtis as the jobs worth tax woman is such an enjoyable role.  But It is Michelle Yeoh's movie.  She puts on a masterclass here.  She is fantastic at handling the emotional beats and action sequences with equal excellence.  I hope she gets some serious award recognition, I only worry that as this is a smaller movie she could get snubbed.

On that.  The movie had a budget of US$25 million.  We are living in the time of $200 million blockbuster movies and, I think, that this is a greater achievement than any of them.  When I look at everything going on in this movie my mind is blown that they can do this with such a small budget and the biggest Marvel movies all look ugly, CGI browns and purple, no thanks.

But a word of warning...  This movie is not for everyone.  Whilst it looks like an ADHD fever dream I do understand that this is not for everyone.  Some of the jokes are very childish but I find that this contrasts so well with the second half of the movie.

I want more movies like this.

It is a tragedy that is movie has no UK home media release, help us out A24.