Wednesday, December 18, 2013

MOVIE REVIEW...AMERICAN HUSTLE

Carole Mallory

Author, Actress, Critic, malloryhollywoodeast.blogspot.com
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Movie Review...American Hustle...Maybe

Posted: 12/18/2013 10:42 am

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Mobster Robert De Niro's in an uncredited cameo will shock you in this film. He's riveting, has never been more sinister, and he is funny. His lack of vanity is staggering, but this film belongs to Christian Bale. With his pot belly and toupee Bale will charm you as Irving Rosenfeld, a sleazy con artist. In American Hustle, David Russell's story of mob action in Atlantic City the acting is over the top. The opening sequence with Irving Rosenfeld painstakingly putting on a toupee is jaw dropping. After looking at obese, vulgar Rosenfeld (Bale), who was a former stud as Batman, one knows wild, insane characters will come to Atlantic City and Rosenfeld's crafty, criminal mitts. Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) as his paramour has never looked sexier, prettier and acted with such wit. She is sharp and to the punch.
Russell's talent as a director of icons of today's cinema makes this film happen. Stars listen to him, want to work with him and everyone shines. The plot is filled with twists, turns and then some. The refreshing, hip dialogue occasionally overlaps as it does in life and not often on the screen. Everyone is filmed to look their best in outrageous costumes and make up, because after all, this is the razzmatazz of crap tables, baccarat, corrupt politicians, mayors for hire and FBI agents out to make a name for themselves. Glamour of the wacky and wonderful underworld. Wonderful because Russell is making us laugh at the foolishness of it all. Good comedy is played for earnestness which De Niro, Bale, Adams, Bradley Cooper, Louis C.K., Jeremy Reiner and Jennifer Lawrence do with aplomb.
American Hustle begins with Rosenfeld who is married to Roselyn Rosenfeld (Jennifer Lawrence) falling in love with Sydney Prosser (Adams). He takes Sydney to his dry cleaning establishment to outfit her in his latest rejects from customers who forgot to pick up their cleaned clothing. That or they didn't want them. Adams is impressed with her new wardrobe choices. One dress looks like a wrap designed by Diane Furstenberg. Irving Rosenfeld explains earnestly to Sydney that he is a con man and Sydney,instead of running from him, falls for him. They create a new con in which Sydney adopts a British accent and the title of Lady. Enter Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) as an ambitious FBI man who wants to make a name for himself and take them down. He wears curlers, Sydney wears curlers and Irving wears his toupee. The plot with a corrupt Mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Reiner) is fraught with complicated wire tappings, entrapment and frankly gets too involved. Russell wrote this with Eric Singer, but, at times, I felt that it was in love with itself. Norman Mailer once said, "Chaos is not plot." Well, Norman Mailer was not much of a director. But Russell does make your head spin trying to follow his chaotic plot. Clever it is and at times too cute. Still a fun time was had. Just a bit tiresome in the end. A few too many curlicues. But what masterful performances! The laughs will sustain you, if the plot doesn't.
 
 
 

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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

PAGE SIX OF NY POST MALLORY SAYS SHE BROKERS END TO MAILER, GORE VIDAL FEUD

Mallory says she brokered end to Mailer, Gore Vidal feud

By Richard Johnson
December 16, 2013 | 5:46pm

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Carole Mallory — the former model and actress who became a writer after a torrid affair with Norman Mailer (who knew it was contagious?) — is taking credit for ending the long and bitter feud between Mailer and Gore Vidal.
In her new Kindle book “My Friendship With Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal: How They Buried the Hatchet,” Mallory tells how she convinced both men to sit down for a joint interview for Esquire magazine.
One major obstacle: Norman Mailer once punched Gore Vidal at a party after a bad review. While still on the floor, Vidal said: “Once again, words fail Norman Mailer.”
After Esquire published an illustration showing Mailer kissing Vidal, the cranky Mailer ended his affair with Mallory. But the two literary lions never bared their claws at each other again.
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Monday, December 16, 2013

MY FRIENDSHIP WITH NORMAN MAILER AND GORE VIDAL: HOW THE BURIED THE HATCHET




  Here's My Friendship with Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal: How They Buried the Hatchet.  A bit of history as recognized by Don Hewitt, producer of 60 Minutes who wrote me a note, "Nice Job!"  
 
 
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Thursday, December 12, 2013

INSIDE LLWEYN DAVIS

Movie Review...See Inside Llweyn Davis

Posted: 05/09/2005 4:00 am

At first glance Inside Llewyn Davis is about a week in the life of a struggling folk singer in Greenwich Village in the sixties. Nostalgia. But at closer look, it is about much more. Guatemalan born with Cuban ancestry Oscar Isaac portrays Llewyn Davis with an understated charm. Bless the Coen Brothers for casting him , for their fine writing, for keeping control of this important film so that they can de Hollywoodize it. No credits in the beginning. No ego. Humble. Just a soulful Llweyn Davis singing a folk song. He is in a bistro that features folk singers. This was the era. The Kingston Trio. Joan Baez. Folk singers were gods. Successful ones. But what about all those struggling performers who never achieved fame? One of these is named Llewyn Davis and this is his story. His struggle. His meeting with poignant characters on his journey to support himself. His love for and tenderness to cats. His courage.
Cameos by fine actors who deliver powerful understated performances give this film a curiosity which makes one wonder, "Whom will Llewyn encounter next?" First we have a terrific performance from Carey Mulligan as Jean who needs an abortion no thanks to Llewyn. Mulligan is strong, angry and delightful with her foul..I am no longer the Gatsby darling...mouth. Then we have a subdued Jason Timberlake as Jim who sings along with Llweyn. Timberlake is also understated and shines because of this. None of that hot shot, slam bam kind of performance, but a mellowness that adds richness to his brief moments on screen. Then we have Juilliard graduate Adam Driver, known for his role in Girls as Lena Dunham's boyfriend in another one of his quirky, over the top performances in which he sings along with Timberlake and Isaac and grabs the comedy from the scene. Then we have junkie John Goodman who appears as a passenger in a car bound for Chicago from New York and Llweyn is one of three. Oh, not to forget a cat that Llweyn has been schlepping throughout first half of the film. The cat has escaped from one of his many friend's apartments where he has been forced to overnight due to no place to rest his weary bones. Goodman as Roland Turner comes alive from his heroin induced state for jarring comedic moments, but as with all of the Coen Brothers work, the comedy comes naturally out of the performer or the situation. Often black, dark and wickedly funny. Nothing is forced. Goodman has rarely been better. When Llwelyn arrives in Chicago he meets with F. Murray Abraham as Bud Grossman. Not the austere character he plays on Homeland, Abraham's portrait of Grossman as a folk-singers-only-club owner is again subdued. And again, thanks to the Coen Brother's direction, Abraham's performance is sensitive, tender and refreshing. One of the best of his career. He takes long moments and fills them with thought. About Llweyn. The music arranged by T-bone Burnett becomes a character and is the mortar that makes these scenes cohesive. Fine folk singing links the scenes of Llewyn's downtrodden, dejected, and yet inspiring week. There are many more performers who give richness and texture to this fine film, but as they say in the arts, "There wasn't the room or time to mention them." And this is again what Inside Llewyn Davis is about. Finding room and time to pay attention to the striving, struggling artist. It does not have to be a folk singer. Inside Llweyn Davis is about all performers and the journey along the way to make a living at a craft they love -- be it singing folk songs, dancing, writing, whatever. Loving a craft so much that one puts up with the bullshit along the way. Loving the craft enough that doing it is enough of a reward. One critic wrote, 'I've seen Inside Llewyn Davis many times and still don't know what it's about," Inside Llweyn Davis is about being Inside llweyn Davis and this was enough for me.
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Monday, November 25, 2013

MY FRIENDSHIP WITH KURT VONNEGUT AND JOSEPH HELLER

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Wednesday, October 30, 2013

MOVIE REVIEW ENDER'S GAME


Carole Mallory

Author, Actress, Critic, malloryhollywoodeast.blogspot.com
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Movie Review--Ender's Game...Thought Provoking

Posted: 05/09/2005 3:00 am

Why War? Why unnecessary death? How do we know what the enemy is thinking? Ender's Game poses these questions and many more about war. Our Iraqs. Just what and whom did we destroy besides one of the great art museums of the middle East. All the people. The children. Why? Why can't we communicate?
Ender's Game based on the best selling novel by Orson Scott Card is about training a boy to lead our troops composed of children into battle in a near future space age war. Humanity is being threatened to the point of extinction by an alien race. Harrison Ford who is his usually competent self is the highly esteemed Colonel Hyrum Graff. Asa Butterfield last seen as Scorcese's Hugo, magnificently portrays Ender Wiggen. 
A shy, but brilliant boy Ender can strategize with the best of them and is pulled out of school to attend the elite Battle School. Ender who is being tested and turned into an empathetic killer quickly masters increasingly difficult war games and soon is chosen to be the next great warrior for humanity by Colonel Graff and promoted to Command School.
We never know what the enemy wants. Our best trained child warriors can not ask questions. They are just trained to kill. Like drones. Sitting at machines preparing to kill the enemy ,the Formics, who have ravaged earth. The legendary heroics of international Fleet Commander Mazar Rackham (Ben Kingsley) prevented all from being lost in the last battle. Kingsley with a tattooed face is meant to be menacing and efficient in his role. His performance is a kind of exclamation point of military at its most formidable and most ludicrous.
Water is mentioned as a reason for the enemy to be after our nation. We're taught to be afraid of them, to hate them, to want to eradicate them. 
Viola Davis is Major Andersen and assists Colonel Graff, but as with all of her well chosen characters, she has a fierce independent streak and disobeys her Colonel when she sees fit. Abigail Breslin plays Ender's sister in a part too small for her talent. No longer the child fromLittle Miss Sunshine, she has grown up into a beauty . One hopes her maturity does not impede her career and she is not forced to do a Miley Cyrus to get better roles. Hailee Steinfeld, as a fellow soldier, befriends Ender and they have a winning relationship as they support each other flying through space. The direction by Gavin Hood is spellbinding and while the special effects work, the music is too obvious and the usual ploy of an IMAX Sci fi film to lay it on thick. 
As to the plot, it is about the indoctrination of children being taught to fear and to hate by the military, but they can't question their superiors. Never question. Just kill. War games are a way of life. Always told they are games, not real. Training. Until one day...
Ender Games poses real questions in a make believe IMAX world. These questions are important and thought provoking. But, please, with such a serious message, why do we have the stereotypical sci fi monster that we've seen so many times before that we feel he is our neighbor instead of an Alien.
 
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Friday, October 25, 2013

MOVIE REVIEW, LAST VEGAS,,.IT WORKS!


Carole Mallory

Author, Actress, Critic, malloryhollywoodeast.blogspot.com
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Movie Review..Last Vegas--It Works!

Posted: 05/09/2005 3:00 am

Viva Douglas, De Niro, Freeman and Kline. This gang pushing seventy takes off for Vegas to celebrate the wedding of its only single member, Billy (Michael Douglas). Paddy (Bobby De Niro), Archie (Morgan Freeman) and Sam (Kevin Kline) are retired and on the verge of packing it in, but decide to give Billy a bachelor party. While the cast of four mega stars has Oscar reverberations, this film would be a clone of The Hangover without its clever script packed with crisp pistol whippin'dialogue written by Dan Fogelman and the agile direction by Jon Turtletaub. Fogelman (The Guilt Trip) has written a celebration of seniors not just for seniors that has start to finish laughs. Genuine heartfelt laughs. The plot is thin, but you won't really care. Sure we have the Medicare gags, a few Viagra gags, but the comedic chops these guys display by working off of each other like an Oscar-worthy -improvisational-volley -without -a -pause, makes the price of admission inconsequential and the script's flaws forgivable.
Billy (Michael Douglas) is engaged to a 32 year old cutie Lisa (Bre Blair) though he is coming up on seventy. Wealthy and a playboy extraordinaire, he arrives in Vegas and accidentally hears a sixty something (Mary Steenburgen) singing in a small almost empty cocktail lounge. Diana provides the sensuality and independent spirit needed to make an impression on Billy. The other bachelors also are attracted to Diana, but it is Billy and Paddy who spar for her attention. Steenburgen is splendid, singing beautifully in a way that shows her serenity and inner peace. 
Last Vegas should spawn a sequel of four women going off to Paris for a bachelorette party. Let's give the girls a movie like this one! With the exception of Diana and Sam's wife, Miriam (Joanna Gleason), women are objects in Last Paris. Vegas is hardly the city known for liberated women. Alas Steenburgen's character is a welcome breath of feminism.
The script falls short when these swinging geriatrics enter a disco after Freeman wins $100,000 at black jack, as there is not much forward plot movement or pizzazz and the dialogue turns to boring. But it quickly picks up when our boys judge a beauty contest (sure we've seen this before but not with this gang) and when Paddy and Billy lock testosterone over Diana. Dean (Jerry Ferrara) surfaces in the disco, but he is merely a vehicle to supply women to the boys for the final party they will throw and to illustrate that while our boys are close to seventy, they have more sex appeal in their pinkies than youthful Dean with his adolescent macho view of women. Dean does not know how to talk to a woman he fancies and Archie, Mr. Smoothie, gives him clues. Watching Morgan Freeman dance and gyrate those hips is one of the highlights of Last Vegas. He is the only one of these aging swingers to get out there and strut his stuff. It's scenes like this that keep you smiling and rooting for this group facing the Pearlie Whites on their terms. Smiling as they enter. No self pity here. Last Vegas is about a love of life no matter what the age. And this joie de vivre is contagious. The theatre was packed and laughs were loud and easily had. Analyzing this film is silly. Just as silly as the plot. This film is to be enjoyed. Just sit back in your seat, dig into that pop corn and let the boys entertain you. This film is more like the Full Monty than Hangover Three.
Douglas looks swell for his age. Freeman does not seem to age. DeNiro still has sex appeal at his age. Kline becomes sexier as the film progresses. Kline's disheveled white locks give him an elder statesman allure. These guys still have it and this is why it is a wrong to say that Last Vegas-- with its terrible title --is only for seniors and that when one reaches sixty or seventy, life is over. These handsome men are still going strong and showing us how to laugh at it all.
 

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