January 19th 2023
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
The Last Shift
The Two Killings of Sam Cooke
It's taking a little while for me to catch up with some of the films out there at present, and anyway, I've already reviewed several of them late last year. So the focus again this week is on a few you may like to catch on streaming platforms, especially Pinocchio, which has just won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film.
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Dir: Guillermo del Toro & Mark Gustafson
Length: 117 mins
Streaming on Netflix
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© Netflix - an animation masterpiece
and a classic story with a new slant |
"Why do I need to see another film based on an old kid's story?" I asked myself. Dumb question! Because this version, fifteen years in the making, is a piece of genius. It already has 43 major awards, and deservedly so. This heart-rending, glorious, funny and oh-so-creative stop motion animation uses the device of a cricket (voiced by Ewan McGregor) to tell the story. Other top-shelf actors are there: Cate Blanchett as Spazzatura, a mischievous side-show monkey, Christoph Waltz as Volpe, a malicious carnival entrepreneur who exploits Pinocchio, Tilda Swinton as an otherworldly creature in charge of matters of life and death, and David Bradley (Walder Frey in Game of Thrones) as Geppetto, grieving father and wood-worker extraordinaire. The little wooden boy with the big nose, voiced by Gregory Mann, is so naughty yet so appealing, as is Carlo (same actor), Geppetto's real life child who dies. Ultimately this is a father and son fable with many important themes: love, acceptance, prejudice, finding your place in life, friendship and more. It is beautifully executed, a visual treat, and will make you laugh and cry. A total delight for all ages!4.5 - wholeheartedly recommended
The Last Shift
Dir: Andrew Cohn
Length: 90 mins
Streaming on Netflix
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© Netflix - low key human drama with
a brilliant Richard Jenkins perf |
Stan (Richard Jenkins), once a high school athlete, has worked in a fast-food joint for the last 40 years. Now he decides it's time to leave and go look after his dementia-ridden mother. He is training up his replacement, a young parolee, Jevon (Shane Paul McGhie). This small, low-key drama has so many surprising and subtle undertones. Jenkins is a past master at portraying Mr Average, and his Stan is laden with pathos: his pride in and acceptance of a lowly paid job, his underlying prejudices, the sadness of his life that has gone nowhere. Jevon, by contrast, is a man full of potential but hampered by a system that gives colored people minimal opportunities. With smart dialogue and terrific chemistry between the characters, this is the sort of watching that gives insight into the harshness of real life for many people.4 - highly recommended
The Two Killings of Sam Cooke
Dir: Kelly Duane
Length: 74 mins
Streaming on Netflix
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© Netflix - Sam Cooke - you send me!
What a voice, what a tragic end. |
I find myself of late gravitating to narratives and docos that deal with either racial issues or with musical icons. Combine the two, and all the better! This 2019 doco about soul singer Sam Cooke examines several plausible theories about why he was killed - shot in a sleazy motel in 1964 - at the age of 33. The film plays in parts like a traditional music doco, showcasing the career and vocal talent of a black singer who made a big mark in the white world. But the story also becomes political, drawing a picture of an activist, who refused to be yet another exploited colored person, and who fought for better pay and rights for his people. How much Cooke's activism brought about his death is uncertain. With fabulous music and insightful interviews from friends, family and historians, this is powerful and moving watching.4 - highly recommended
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