Top 10 Movies of 2020

Mebh Óg MacTíre (left, voiced by Eva Whittaker) and
Robyn Goodfellowe (Honor Kneafsey)
in "Wolfwalkers"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

10) Wolfwalkers - After seeing this latest addition from the animation studio, Cartoon Saloon, I realized that I have to take time to see some of their other films because this movie was just too good.  The story takes place in 17th-century Kilkenny, Ireland, and follows a hunter (Sean Bean) who is tasked with killing a group of wolves in a nearby forest.  However, his daughter, Robyn (Honor Kneafsey), an apprentice hunter, befriends a young girl, Mebh Óg MacTíre (Eva Whittaker) from the woods and finds out that she’s part of a group of wolfwalkers, mystical beings who are humans by day, and wolves by night.  The voice acting is rich in emotion as Robyn and Mebh build their friendship, keeping you immersed in the life-changing journey in which they find themselves.  This is a magical and heartwarming story that’s bolstered by the gorgeous 2-D animation, the visuals of which provide colorful and stunning landscapes for the young adventurers as they face danger and fight to keep the wolves safe.  There isn’t any doubt that you’ll be swept away from this movie’s storybook mythology. 

From left: Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, 
Viola Davis, Michael Potts, and Glynn Turman in 
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

9) Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom - Four years after Denzel Washington’s terrific film adaptation of August Wilson’s play, “Fences,” director George C. Wolfe now gives us the next movie treatment for a Wilson play with this story of blue’s singer Ma Rainey (Viola Davis), who, on a tumultuous afternoon, records some songs with her backup band at a studio in Chicago.  Davis is transcendent as Ma Rainey, emanating both her character’s towering presence as a stage performer, while also showing Ma Rainey’s determination to not be pushed around.  And, Chadwick Bozeman, in his final performance, is thunderous and heartbreaking as the band’s trumpet player, Levee Green.  This adaptation remains true to the source material, never omitting anything significant.  Although this is pretty much a scene-for-scene adaptation, that’s not a negative thing in the slightest.  What this means is that we’re given all of the power of Wilson’s text and the ferocity of a live stage performance, leading you to experience the force of the cast come right through the screen.

Riz Ahmed in "Sound of Metal"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

8) Sound of Metal - If there was any movie this year that did everything that it could to make it seem like you're walking in the main character’s shoes, it’s director Darius Marder’s drama about a heavy-metal drummer (Riz Ahmed) who finds refuge in a deaf community when he begins experiencing progressive hearing loss.  Ahmed turns in a performance that’s at once heartbreaking in his despair for losing his hearing, but then slowly turns inspirational as he begins to adjust to a world without sound.  Marder provides considerable insight into the transition that Ahmed’s character makes as he slowly begins to lose his ability to hear, while also exhibiting what the rest of the hearing-impaired community experiences in their daily lives.  Aside from that, Marder’s expert sound design provides flawless work in immersing us in the muffled and distorted sounds that Ahmed’s character experiences, as well as the near total silence at certain points.  The amount of detail, both narrative and technical, that goes into exploring the main character’s new life is a thought-provoking experience that you shouldn’t miss.

Evan Rachel Wood in "Kajillionaire"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

7) Kajillionaire - Writer-director Miranda July’s latest movie has a touch of weirdness to it right from the start, but that’s not a bad thing at all because it draws us quickly into the story, which focuses on a family of con artists who believe in living on the bare minimum.  The performances from Evan Rachel Wood, Richard Jenkins, and Debra Winger all group well together to exhibit an off-kilter family that doesn’t require much, and Gina Rodriguez is equally good as a young woman who’s invited into the family’s schemes.  However, it’s Wood’s performance that keeps you hooked in the growing complications of the characters’ scams, showing someone who remains conflicted in choosing to either break away from her family or stay with them, oftentimes seeming like an outcast among her mom and dad.  July’s film tackles the issue of materialism in a unique and poignant way as we see the evolution of the relationships within the story.  Even though the notion of people being more important than things is a topic that’s been explored many times before, it’s nevertheless a prevalent theme that’s examined here with humor, emotion, and vigor.

Carrie Coon and Jude Law in "The Nest"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

6) The Nest - It’s hard to believe that it took writer-director Sean Durkin almost a decade to bring us another movie after his first one, “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” but he has finally returned with his latest thriller.  His movie follows a father (Jude Law) who moves his wife (Carrie Coon) and their children (Charlie Shotwell and Oona Roche) to his native England when an enticing business opportunity is offered.  Not too long after moving, each member of the family begins to experience the impact of their transition in different ways.  Law and Coon provide fiery work as their characters start to become at odds with each other, showing the crumbling of their family in disquieting detail.  As with Durkin’s previous movie, he imbues his latest film with subtleties that add new levels to what you’re watching, making you think and rethink what must be going on through the heads of the characters.  The deconstruction of this family is effective in how it takes its time showing each thread come undone as you begin to think they’ll never be the same, and Durkin assures you’ll be wondering that the whole way through.

From left: Leslie Odom Jr., Eli Goree, Kingsley
Ben-Adir, and Aldis Hodge in 
"One Night in Miami"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

5) One Night in Miami - One of the best directorial debuts of this year comes from Regina King in her adaptation of Kemp Powers’ 2013 play, for which he wrote the screenplay.  The story chronicles a fictional meeting in a Miami hotel room between Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Muhammad Ali (Eli Goree), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), following Ali’s surprise victory against Sonny Liston.  The four lead performances provide a superb on-screen bond as they discuss and sometimes fight over what it means for them to be iconic figures in the middle of the racial tensions of the 1960s.  Each of them is given a moment to command a scene, and they never try to outdo each other, but rather show that this is a collaborative effort.  Despite the movie just taking place in one location for most of the movie, their acting talents, Powers’ words, and King’s newfound filmmaking abilities keep the emotion going and never allow a dull moment to happen, showing how much can happen over the course of a night.

Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman in "Mank"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

4) Mank - Six years after the release of his last film, “Gone Girl,” director David Fincher finally returns to the movies with “Mank,” which tells the story of screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman), as he’s tasked with writing the script for “Citizen Kane.”  Oldman not only brings a fine amount of humor to the role, but also a sense of weariness that shows someone who’s strained by the time crunch of his screenwriting assignment.  While the supporting cast is talented as a whole, Amanda Seyfried is the standout, delivering one of her finest performances as witty and wise film actress Marion Davies.  Working from a screenplay by his late father, Jack Fincher, David Fincher conjures up a superb account of Mankiewicz’s writing process for “Citizen Kane,” as well as an intriguing view of the inner workings of Hollywood.  When you mix it all with black-and-white cinematography and gorgeous period detail, the over-half-a-decade wait for another Fincher movie was worth the wait.

Orion Lee and John Magaro in "First Cow"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

3) First Cow - Director Kelly Reichardt is known for her minimalist stories that still have much to say, and that trend continued this year with her drama, “First Cow.”  Her latest film tells the story of a cook, Otis (John Magaro) and his new friend, King-Lu (Orion Lee), who start a small baking business.  However, they need milk, and their only source is a cow that belongs to a wealthy landowner (Toby Jones).  This is movie that thrives on the friendship that’s built between the two main characters, and Magaro and Lee’s performances provide plenty of emotional insight into their connection that strengthens throughout the film.  This is a transportive experience as Reichardt invites you to visit 19th-century Oregon Country and the beauty of the West, immersing you in the sounds of nature and everyday life that Otis and King-Lu experience.  It’s the type of movie that’s built mostly on small moments, but those moments lead to something impactful, and this makes “First Cow” one of the latest examples of how much a filmmaker can do with a small-scale approach to storytelling.

22 (left, voiced by Tina Fey) and Joe Gardner 
(Jamie Foxx) in "Soul"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

2) Soul - With movies like “Up” and “Coco,” Pixar isn’t a stranger to handling stories that involve life and death, focusing on this theme in emotional, beautiful, and unique ways.  They’ve done it once again with their latest film, which follows Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), a band teacher and aspiring jazz pianist who’s given a chance to launch his career as a professional musician.  Before he can do that, he must try to reunite his soul with his body after they become separated.  Foxx elicits great amounts of vigor as his character shares his love of music, and Tina Fey, who voices a soul named 22 who assists Joe on his journey, brings a quick-witted persona to her character and revels in some of the movie’s funniest lines.  As Pixar has done many times before, they’re able to present deep subjects in gorgeous and imaginative ways, telling a story that transitions between the soft, otherworldly glow of the “Great Before,” a place where souls prepare for life on Earth, and the vibrant, bustling setting of New York City, where Joe lives.  This is another stunning stroke of originality from Pixar, once again showing an inventiveness that doesn’t have any boundaries.

From left: Isiah Whitlock Jr., Norm Lewis, 
Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, and Jonathan 
Majors in "Da 5 Bloods"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

1) Da 5 Bloods - For his latest film, Director Spike Lee delivers another blistering movie with historical elements.  The story follows five African-American soldiers, Paul (Delroy Lindo), Otis (Clarke Peters), Eddie (Norm Lewis), Melvin (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), and Norman (Chadwick Boseman), who find a locker of gold bars in a place crash in Vietnam, but lose it after an enemy attack, which kills Norman.  In the present day, the four veterans and Paul’s son, David (Jonathan Majors), return to Vietnam to search for the gold and Marvin’s remains.  Every performance is superb, with the five veteran characters exhibiting a connection that gives you a full view of the strength of their bond, but it’s Lindo who’s given the chance to go on a whole other level as he displays the psychological trauma that he’s been suffering ever since his days in the army.  Between the film’s detailed narrative, accomplished technical aspects (in particular the use of different aspect ratios), rock-solid camaraderie amongst the cast, and what could be the most nerve-shredding scene in movies this year (if you’ve seen this movie, you know which scene), this is an epic story of friendship that will leave its mark on the viewer.

Separated from His Body, a Soul Makes a Life-Changing Journey

22 (left, voiced by Tina Fey) and Joe Gardner 
(voiced by Jamie Foxx) in "Soul"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

While many of Pixar’s movies have succeeded in exploring emotional territory that can be just as enriching for adult viewers as it can be for children, a prime example of just how deep and intricate they can take a concept is their 2015 film, “Inside Out.”  Not only did this movie offer poignant material in the usual Pixar fashion, but it did so by taking an inventive look inside the human psyche and exploring its inner-workings through the use of anthropomorphic emotions as characters.  It’s one of the studio’s finest examples of their ability to offer complex storytelling while also being entertaining.

The studio accomplishes something similarly with Pete Doctor (who directed and co-wrote “Inside Out) and Kemp Powers’ new movie, “Soul,” which focuses on an intricate view on the subject of life and death.  As with many other Pixar movies, this one doesn’t shy away from focusing on heavy topics, and with a fine balance of wit and drama, the film explores its theme in a unique way that’s the standard of Pixar.

Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) is a music teacher in New York City who feels dissatisfied with his job.  Before his chance to break out as a jazz musician, his soul is accidentally separated from his body and must find itself in the “Great Before,” a place where young souls are prepared for life on Earth.  To get back to Earth, Joe recruits the help of another soul, named 22 (Tina Fey).

Foxx provides heartfelt work as a man who has a passion for music and a soul who has a determination to reunite with his physical self.  He brings laughs when his character tries to adjust to the world of the “Great Before,” exhibiting a comical panic as he races to make things right.  However, as the film goes on and he begins to realize that there’s more to his life than what he expected, Foxx makes a superb, heartwarming turn as his character has a breakthrough that’s an emotional highlight of the movie.

Fey is her usual comedic self, voicing a soul who has been in the “Great Before” for a long time and doesn’t wish to go to Earth.  She exhibits her fast-paced humor and has her typical great delivery of some of the film’s funniest dialogue.  Later in the film, Fey’s character is given a similar chance like Foxx’s to exhibit some poignancy in her role as she goes from someone who doesn’t wish to experience life to someone who begins to consider that there may be aspects about life that make it worth living.

While the supporting voice cast is terrific all around, such as Phylicia Rashad as Joe’s mother, Libba, and Angela Bassett as Dorothea Williams, a jazz musician and saxophone player, the standout is Rachel House as Terry, an antagonistic, takes-her-job-too-seriously soul counter in the “Great Beyond.”  The cunning tone of her voice, mixed with the way in which the animators make her move around in a sly nature adds to a character who’s so much fun to watch as she calculates her movements and slightly bumbles her way through getting the job done.

The screenplay by Doctor, Powers, and Mike Jones is an imaginative existential story.  We’re provided with a detailed look into Joe’s life throughout the movie, giving us a view of his passions and his connections with his friends and family and showing us the kind of person he is before we journey along with his soul as he makes some deep discoveries about himself.  The narrative that Doctor, Powers, and Jones create is a view of life and death that only writers behind a Pixar movie could have created, a type of genius that always has you thinking, “How did they come up with this?”  Of course, by now, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Pixar can craft something like this.  The way in which this trio is able to write a complex story that deals with topics like life, death, pre-existence, and finding one’s purpose, and have it all coalesce results in a screenplay that exhibits an abundance of feeling and intelligence.

Doctor and Powers provide stunning animation for the film’s settings in the “Great Before” and NYC.  The “Great Before” is imbued with soft, ethereal colors, while the city is vibrant with the throngs of people, busy streets, and shop windows, creating an immersive experience within the environments of the film and empowering your senses as you take in another stellar world that Pixar has created.  Accompanying the lively visuals is a score from Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste.  Reznor and Ross create otherworldly music for the sequences of the film that take place in the “Great Before,” while Batiste provides a catchy, jazzy score for the scenes that take place in the city. 

Given the story material, it could have been tricky to balance lightheartedness and misty-eyed emotion, but as directors, Doctor and Powers pull it off without issue.  Through their beautiful exploration of what it means to live, “Soul” is a movie that will make you feel alive.

Grade: A

One Afternoon in a Recording Studio, Tension and Art Collide

From left: Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo, 
Viola Davis, Michael Potts, and Glynn Turman in 
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" 
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com 

Check out my review on SiftPop.com!

In Denmark, a Group of Teachers Drinks for Academic Purposes

From left: Thomas Bo Larsen, Lars Ranthe, 
Mads Mikkelsen, and Magnus Millang in 
"Another Round" 
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

Over the decades, many mainstream comedies have enjoyed placing their characters in situations where they drink excessively and find themselves in unpredictable and, to them, unmemorable shenanigans. They have fun and regrets in equal measure, leaving you to revel in the antics that unfold as these characters have some of the best times of their lives.

This type of story takes an intriguing turn in director Thomas Vinterberg’s comedy-drama, “Another Round.”  Here, we see the characters’ alcoholic adventures as something that’s much more than about them drinking.  It’s instead a story that explores the characters through a humorous and emotional lens.

In Copenhagen, Martin (Mads Mikkelsen), Tommy (Thomas Bo Larson), Peter (Lars Ranthe), and Nikolaj (Magnus Millang) are teachers who feel as though they’re not motivating their students as much as they can.  To fix this, they decide to test psychiatrist Finn Skårderud’s study that discusses how maintaining a BAC of .05% makes you more productive and creative.  As the four friends begin to conduct this experiment, they will see both the positive and negative impacts of their research.

Mikkelsen, who stared in Vinterberg’s 2012 film “The Hunt,” delivers a performance that’s both fun and dramatic.  He excels in bringing to realization an everyday character going through some personal issues, showing the boredom and uncertainty of being in a rut.  However, in the scenes where he begins the experiment and becomes more confident in front of his students, Mikkelsen sweeps you up in this new nature of his character.  He then makes a heartrending transition into someone whose life begins to fall apart when the experiment seems to go too far.  This is a human story that’s helped made possible by a very human performance, resulting in another piece of work that further proves Mikkelsen’s reputation for being a distinguished actor in global cinema.

The bond between the four main characters is what makes this film feel as fresh as it does.  Whether it’s them enjoying drunken nights or sticking together through hardships, the actors portraying these characters bring a superb amount of strength to their on-screen chemistry.  As we watch Mikkelsen, Larson, Ranthe, and Millang portray the ups and downs of this point in their characters’ lives, this quartet of actors imbue it all with an emotional depth and abundance of energy that makes them a compelling team to watch.  

The screenplay by Vinterberg and Tobias Lindholm, both of whom have co-written several other screenplays, may seem like something we’ve seen before in terms of adult characters trying to bring more fun into their lives, but the narrative does well in providing us with witty and poignant interactions between the characters, grounding the movie in an authenticity where this story could have fallen into a trivial night-of-binge-drinking sort of narrative.  It’s not until we arrive to around the half-hour mark where they begin the experiment, so before then, we’re given plenty of time to become familiar with these characters, particularly in a 10-minute scene at a birthday dinner where you’re given an idea of the chemistry that will be the foundation of the movie.

Vinterberg and Lindholm also manage to have their screenplay create a balance in the amount scenes that each character is provided.  Throughout the movie, the screenwriting duo not only creates sequences that focus on the these characters spending time together, but also showing them in their individual environments, be it when they’re each instructing a class or interacting with their families.  So, despite Martin being the main character, the screenwriters also give us detailed views of who his three best friends are, an aspect that adds more depth to the story.

The cinematography from Sturla Brandth Grøvlen utilizes a lot of handheld camera movements, having the viewing experience the characters’ drunkenness with the swaying of the camera during their inebriation.  Whether it be in a bar or running down the street while intoxicated, you’re in that state of mind as Martin and his friends increase their BACs.  While this camerawork is used to fine effect in the humorous scenes, it’s greatest impact comes in the dramatic scenes as the friends’ drunkenness increases and their lives begin to spin out of control.

As a director, Vinterberg accomplishes the changes in tonal shifts when the lives of the characters become more complicated as their experiment goes on.  These skillful transitions punctuate the growing troubles that the characters experience, slowly leading us from merriment to hard-hitting emotions as Martin and friends go through a set of events that make you feel as though you’re watching actual people traverse through both the good times and the bad.

Vinterberg has made a movie where there’s much believability in the lives that he’s depicting, and by the time you’ve finished going on this journey, you might wish to go for another round.

Grade: A-

Over One Night, Four Icons Dissect Their Lives

From left: Leslie Odom Jr,. Eli Goree, 
Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Aldis Hodge in 
"One Night in Miami" 
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

When a movie tackles historical events, it’s important that they remain as true to real life as they can.  However, there are some times when, for the purposes of the story, they might have to stretch the truth a little.  But, as long as they get most of their subject right, this can be forgivable.

But, there are occasions when getting really creative with history can result in something invigorating.  This was accomplished by Kemp Powers for his 2013 stage-play debut, “One Night in Miami,” which followed a fictionalized account of four notable figures spending time together.  Now, actress Regina King makes her filmmaking debut with the movie adaptation of the same name, offering a compelling look into the meeting at the center of the movie.

The story unfolds in a Miami hotel room on a night in February 1964 with Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Muhammad Ali (Eli Goree), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.), following Ali’s stunning win against Sonny Liston.

The four leads create unforgettable chemistry as they talk, laugh, and argue through various discussions about their roles in life.  All of them exhibit a passion within their performances as they express the deep-rooted emotions of their characters.  Whether it be a scene of Ali praying with Malcolm X, Malcolm X and Sam fighting over how they should use their cultural status in the fight for equality, or Jim trying to calm Sam down after the latter argues with Malcolm X, each of the four leads is given an opportunity to show the power that they can contribute to this impressive quartet or actors.  They all express the dramatic weight that comes with each of their character’s journeys, presenting us with a view of what their real-life counterparts must have experienced.

Despite this movie focusing on four people for most of the runtime, the mightiness of the four lead performances proves that this movie would have worked even if it was just them in the movie without the brief supporting characters on the side.  With the leads spending a lot of time together, they do terrific work in not trying to outdo each other, but they instead give each of their performances the right amount of grandeur, while also allowing the others to shine.  This is a collaborative effort that works without flaw, and once the movie is over, you know that each of the leads gave everything they had and left it on the screen.

Powers’ screenplay mainly takes place in a hotel room, but the minimalist setting doesn’t lessen the power of the story in any way.  Before we arrive at the hotel, Powers provides us with an introductory scene for each lead character to help us get to know where they are at that stage in their life and to show us what issues they’re facing at that moment.  By the time that their lives converge in the hotel room, they’re able to provide an insight of what the outside world is like for them, just by the discussions that they have in that room.  The interactions that take place between the leads, whether it be two, three, or all four of the characters, offer many avenues through which to explore different topics.  It’s because of this that you have an idea of what each of the leads is thinking in terms of the issues that they face in the ‘60s, using a brief timeframe within the story to provide us with a bigger picture of their ongoing struggles.  Powers delivers an in-depth examination for each of his four main characters, and with just one night of these characters’ lives, we feel as if we know them by the time the film ends.

King shows much talent behind the camera, giving viewers an emotional portrait of four individuals trying to make it through their successful, yet challenging lives.  With a small, central cast and a limited setting, King displays a passion for getting the most out of what the story calls for and explores the era that’s depicted in superb detail.  Between the poignancy of the characters’ hardships, the lightheartedness of their growing friendship, the strain that sometimes arises among them, and the sense of hope that eventually prevails, King does well in having you understand the impact that this time period has on the characters.

Through the lens of this movie, “One Night in Miami” is a story from which can gain a lot, making it a night you won’t forget.

Grade: A

While Stuck in Bed, a Screenwriter Creates His Masterpiece

Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman in "Mank" 
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

I realize that to say this is a cliché, but there isn’t any denying that Orson Welles’ 1941 film, “Citizen Kane,” is one of the greatest and most iconic movies ever made.  Between Welles’ groundbreaking direction, his majestic and heartrending performance, and a story about its main character’s American dream and the emptiness of excessiveness, Welles constructed a movie that, after almost 80 years since its release, never fails to leave the viewer in awe at its ambition.

Despite Welles’ name maybe being associated with this movie the most, “Citizen Kane” didn’t all spawn from his mind.  He had a great deal of help from screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, and his writing process is chronicled in director David Fincher’s biographical drama, “Mank,” an intriguing story of old Hollywood and the hurdles that Mankiewicz had to face in order to complete his work.

In 1940, RKO Pictures offers Orson Welles (Tom Burke) total creative control for his next movie, “Citizen Kane.”  He recruits the help of Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) to write the script, who’s recovering from a broken leg that he sustained in a car accident.  As Herman works to complete his screenplay on time, he will also have to deal with other issues that threaten to hinder his work.

Oldman provides a performance that’s both humorous in how his character handles tough situations with his wit, but also melancholic in how his relationships between him and the people with whom he works become more and more damaged.  It’s a role where Oldman presents the strain that his character experiences as he faces a time crunch.  He never goes overboard with displaying how stressed Herman begins to feel and doesn’t indulge too much in the clichés of characters who are writers, but instead shows an understated weariness that exhibits what his demons and the demanding nature of the work are doing to him. 

The film has a fine supporting cast, such as Lily Collins as Rita Alexander, Herman’s secretary; Arliss Howard as Louis B. Mayer, cofounder of MGM; Ferdinand Kingsley as Irving Thalberg, a film producer; Tuppence Middleton as Sara Mankiewicz, Herman’s wife; and Charles Dance as newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst.  While all of these cast members do well in their roles, they either don’t have a lot of memorable material, or don’t have much screen time.  However, two cast members who are given the chance to make an impression are Amanda Seyfried as actress Marion Davies and Hearst’s mistress, and Tom Burke as Orson Welles.  Seyfried is given a couple of scenes with Oldman as their characters get to know each other, opening up a relationship that becomes more complicated as Herman nears the end of his script.  For Burke, the final confrontation between Orson and Herman simmers with tension as the two argue over writing credit, providing a scene that’s reminiscent of the Winklevoss twins’ intellectual-property lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg in “The Social Network.”

The screenplay by Jack Fincher, who’s David’s father (he passed away in April 2003), has an intriguing similarity to the screenplay for “Citizen Kane,” in that it plays around with the chronology of the film’s events.  Just like how Mankiewicz’s screenplay goes back and forth between Kane’s life and the investigation that follows his passing, Fincher’s narrative transitions between Herman writing the screenplay and his years in Hollywood leading up to being offered the project.  In the scenes that take place in the past (that timeframe spans from 1933-1937), we’re given a detailed account of the events that surrounded Herman’s life, particularly his involvement in local politics and how it intertwines with his work in Hollywood.  It’s a refreshing change of pace of how, in a movie about the making of a movie, we don’t see something that’s just about the filmmaking process, but we also see an aspect of Hollywood that doesn’t seem like it’s explored too often in movies that take place in that location.

For the scenes that occur during Herman’s time writing “Citizen Kane,” they all take place in a secluded house, providing audiences with a feeling of how Herman must feel in having to stay in one place as he tries to recover from his injury and buckle down to get his work done.  With characters coming in and out of the house to check on his condition and to see how the screenplay is progressing, the amount of time that we spend in the house shows us the stress of Herman’s writing process and the pressure to finish his screenplay on time.

The score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who provided unforgettable scores for Fincher’s “Gone Girl,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” and “The Social Network,” shows a new depth to their talent as they deliver a score that’s reminiscent of the style of classic Hollywood movies.  When you consider how modern the scores are for their previous three movies with Fincher, you won’t feel anything less than impressed with this switch their able to make.

“Mank” is Fincher’s first movie in six years, following “Gone Girl,” which means this is the longest wait that we’ve had between movies from him.  That wait was worth it to see Fincher’s behind-the-scenes view concerning a specific chapter of the making of “Citizen Kane.”  This movie doesn’t have the look or feel of Fincher’s previous films, but given the amount of time we waited for another one of his movies, it’s exciting to see him return with something that’s different.  The cinematography by Erik Messerschimdt, who provided the camerawork for several episodes of “Mindhunter” (a show where Fincher directed seven episodes) employs black-and-white photography, and when that’s paired with production design by Donald Graham Burt, who has collaborated with Fincher on five of his other movies, we have a film that evokes the spirit of Hollywood’s golden age.  Whether it be a studio lot, a film set, an Election Night party, or Hearst’s San Simeon mansion that recalls Kane’s cavernous mansion Xanadu, this movie immerses you in detailed environments both in and around Hollywood.

At one point in the movie, Herman says, “You cannot capture a man’s entire life in two hours.  All you can hope is to leave the impression of one.”  It’s safe to say that David and Jack Fincher have accomplished that for “Mank.”

Grade: A-

As a Young Drummer Loses His Hearing, He Enters Another World

Riz Ahmed in "Sound of Metal"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

For a director making his feature filmmaking debut, Darius Marder has to be commended for showing an ability to immerse us in the life of the main character, especially when that character has to go through a significant lifestyle change.  In his new drama, “Sound of Metal,” Marder depicts this character’s experience through an authentic lens and presents their new way of life with all of the necessary details in such a way that makes this a strong entrance for Marder in the filmmaking world.

Ruben Stone (Riz Ahmed) is a heavy-metal drummer and former drug addict who performs with his girlfriend, Lou (Olivia Cooke).  When Ruben begins to lose his hearing, his sponsor puts him in contact with the head of a deaf community, Joe (Paul Raci), who helps Ruben become acclimated to his situation.

Ahmed brings in a heartrending, yet equally inspiring performance as someone who must move on from the life her knew before in order to adjust and make the best of what’s happening to him.  The panic and frustration that he feels as the realization hits him about losing his hearing is painful to witness, showing a person who exhibits so much talent but is then placed in a situation where he might not be able to use it anymore.  There are also the scenes of contemplation as Ruben must figure out how he’s going to move forward with his impairment, and the intense consideration that Ahmed exhibits during these sequences keeps us invested in his journey as we wonder what he intends to do in this scenario.

Cooke provides terrific work as Lou, a character who shows a strength in needing to leave Ruben at the deaf community as he tries to adjust to his hearing impairment.  She displays how much her character cares about Ruben’s well-being, presenting an effective picture of Lou’s unwavering love for him as they go through a challenging moment in their lives.  The scene before they part is one of the most emotional in the film, with Lou’s plea for Ruben to work hard at the deaf community showing the lovingness of someone wanting to put their life on hold and refusing to move on without their significant other.

The movie also includes several nonprofessional, hearing-impaired actors to portray the other members of the deaf community in which Ruben stays.  The standout is Raci, who plays Joe, the head of the community, and it’s a compassionate performance of someone who wants to do whatever he can to help Ruben and the rest of those for whom he cares.

The screenplay by Marder and his brother, Abraham, not only plays out as a study of how the main character transitions into a nearly soundless world, but is also about people saving each other in times when they’re lives seem to be falling apart and when we have to give up certain things in order to heal completely.  It’s something that’s explored not throughout the movie, but mainly focused on at certain points while providing enough insight for that topic.  When the film isn’t focusing on that aspect, it’s a compelling and eye-opening view of Ruben trying different methods in order to assimilate into his new state of being.

Before Ruben begins his days at the deaf community, the narrative spends enough time establishing the relationship between him and Lou, which helps to heighten the poignancy of their separation when Ruben begins his stay at the deaf community.  It’s not until we’re about a third of the way through the movie that Ruben and Lou, temporarily, go their separate ways, so by then you know how deep their bond is and how hard it is for them be apart.

Darius Marder uses subtitles throughout the movie, and they’re used several ways.  When the subtitles appear with the purpose of describing the different diegetic noises throughout the film, it’s a heartbreaking detail because we’re constantly reminded of the sounds on which Ruben is missing out, whether it be the leaves rustling, wind in the grass, insects trilling, or birds chirping.  This is another aspect of Ruben’s journey that allows us to feel deeply for him because it makes you think about how much we might take these beautiful, earthly noises for granted until they’re not there anymore.  Besides these everyday sounds, we also go through muffled, distorted noises and almost total silence, letting us experience what Ruben goes through as it becomes more and more difficult for him to hear.

However, there are also scenes that have an impact on how they don’t use subtitles.  These scenes occur at the deaf community when Ruben is near someone or a group of people as they communicate with sign language.  In these scenes, the lack of subtitles places us in Ruben’s shoes as he has trouble understanding what’s being said to him and around him.  This is an effective way to have us feel the uncertainty that he experiences when trying to become used to a new style of communication.

In a story about connecting with people and the world itself in the midst of unexpected challenges, “Sound of Metal” is thunderous.

Grade: A