Recent Movies: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood; Joker; Les Misérables

Recent Movies

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Based on a true story: in 1998, Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) is a tough, cynical journalist working for Esquire magazine. He is assigned to write an article on Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks) of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” fame. With various meetings between the two in New York and Pittsburgh, Fred’s gentle approach to life breaks through Lloyd’s emotional distance that is due to a troubled childhood.

The story of Lloyd and his family is somewhat predictable but it is still genuinely moving. But the movie truly shines every time Hanks is on the screen as he ably channels a revered spirit of the past, one whose attitudes might seem out-of-place at first but are the perfect antidote for Lloyd’s jaded sadness. This movie takes the viewer back to a time when the likes of Mr. Rogers still had influence and good influence at that. And in the seemingly simplest ways, Hanks can generate tears with the smallest of gestures. His portrayal of Rogers is like that of a human of a higher spirit (which many believed Fred Rogers to be).

One of the most enjoyable moments of the film occurs when a small group of young strangers recognize Mr. Rogers on a subway train. Their spontaneous action is delightful especially when tough-looking, middle-aged men join in on the fun. The late 1990s is not long ago but it was just shortly before the current era of massive selfie/smartphone addiction. As such a joyful crowd moment is unlikely to happen in our current times (though the eventual post-COVID era might change things), this scene – and the nostalgia it revives – adds to the many other enjoyments of “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”.

RATING (out of four stars):   * * *

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: Acting by Tom Hanks

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Joker

**** THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS ****

Gotham City, USA – 1981: Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is an aspiring comedian who works gigs as a clown. He and his mother (Frances Conroy) live together and both have mental health problems. As Gotham City has a great divide between the haves and have-nots, Arthur (a have-not) is often treated with contempt and sometimes with violence. This further escalates his insanity.

Like “Parasite”, “Joker” is a film released in 2019 that highlights the consequences of extreme economic inequality. It’s long overdue that this toxic, widespread situation was given this kind of attention.

“Joker” has clever tie-ins to other films. Regarding the 1989 release of “Batman”, the current film’s conclusion repeats a pivotal flashback in the earlier film. Similarly, in “Joker”, a scene of a certain young, rich boy sliding down a pole from the back porch of his home is a teasing indication of what is to come in the future.

There is another clever reference to another film of the 80s: “The King of Comedy” (1982). In the older film, Robert De Niro played a struggling comedian who was an obsessive fan of a talk-show host. In “Joker”, De Niro switches roles and plays the talk-show host over whom Arthur obsesses.

“Joker” has disturbing moments of violence. It also has a very cynical outlook and none of the characters are truly likeable. But overall, the film surpasses these disadvantages and turns out to be very powerful.

Other films, when dealing with insanity, become as unbalanced as the character going insane. Not so with “Joker”. While Arthur’s downfall is not easy to watch, it is understandable considering what is happening in the world around him – a world very similar to our current one during the past thirty years or so (at least before the current COVID era). The film’s anarchistic revolt against the indifference of the rich and powerful can resonate with many.

And its climactic scene on a talk show set is brilliant. While Arthur is going further downhill in the most uncomfortable of ways, there is a point where he seems smarter than anyone believed him to be. It is in this scene when Phoenix does his best work in a performance that has rightly won him many awards.

In addition to the film’s lead performance, praise must also be given to the directing by Todd Phillips, the cinematography by Lawrence Sher, and the musical score by Hildur Guonadottir.

RATING:   * * * 1/2

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Les Misérables

In the Parisian suburb of Montfermeil, tensions mount to a peak between a group of three police officers vs. the commuity residents most of whom are poor and of African or Middle-Eastern heritage.

The three police officers are a mixed bag. There is a good cop, Stéphane (Damien Bonnard), a bad cop, Chris (Alexis Manenti), and a mostly good cop, Gwada (Djebril Zonga), who commits a terrible, careless act. In Montfermeil, the adult leadership figures include a crime boss known as “The Mayor” (Steve Tientchieu); and Salah (Almamy Kanoute), a restaurant owner who is one of the cooler heads whose advice and guidance are often respected.

The varying, ongoing conflicts have an endless, frenetic energy that is heart-stopping. Director Ladj Ly (also one of the script writers along with Giordano Gederleni and Alexis Manenti) has created a thriller within a social commentary in that it is next to impossible to predict what could possibly happen next. The film also includes a fascinating, ambiguous ending after which it is easy to wonder how the film could end at that point; and later realizing that there is likely no real ending possible as the conflicts seem endless.

It is easy to compare “Les Misérables” with “Do the Right Thing” which was released thirty years earlier. Each film involves tensions and violence between the police and residents of a mostly black neighbourhood. A difference is that DTRT involves fascinating characterization (including females, an important element lacking in Les Mis) before the building tensions become violent. The current version of Les Mis is violent from the start with little time to know the characters. One exception is an off-duty chat between Stéphane and Gwada. Unfortunately, there is no such scene among any of those living in Montfermeil. This lack ends up making some of the local teens appear as two-dimensional thugs. An exception is a very brief scene involving Issa (Issa Perica) who is shown slouched and depressed after a day from hell. While he instigated most of the day’s events that caused him such trouble, it is still easy to feel sad for him and his fate in that brief moment.

Despite some missing elements, “Les Misérables” is a fine addition to other works of the same title. Ironically, Montfermeil is the same troubled setting in the original book written by Victor Hugo, published in 1862.

RATING:   * * *

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Upcoming Reviews:  Bombshell;  Honeyland;  Judy;  The Traitor;  1917;  The Rise of Skywalker; And the Birds Rained Down; Little Women;  Portrait of a Lady on Fire;  Knives Out;