Movies
For a movie named after a major year during the most significant military conflict of the 20th century, 1917 doesn't really have a lot to say about the broader scope of WWI, neither historically nor philosophically. On the philosophic side, I suppose we already have Paths of Glory being the most perfect and profound work we could ever ask a movie to be about the ideological underpinnings of the war, but I'll say that in a world in which our cinematic and cultural history is disproportionally focused on WWII, I would have liked to see a movie that took seriously the historical implications of the war that was such a sickening logical end point for the Industrial Revolution and more generally the European Enlightenment at large that it basically invented modernism ex nihilo. At any rate, neither of those things are what 1917 wants to be, which I suppose is fine in theory, but if it's not going to be that, it should probably have had interesting characters (it doesn't—these are stock war movie types) or an engaging screenplay (it does in fits—the writing veers from very good to very obvious) or at the very least some sort of strong anti-war stance (hardly, even though WWI is a war whose very existence is an anti-war statement—the movie pays some lip service to this idea, but it's clearly not its MO). It's not even that interesting as what it's been marketed as—i.e. a war movie done all in one take; the long takes (which were digitally stitched together into one) are nicely done, but this movie gains absolutely nothing except an abstract conceptual impressiveness from the decision to one-take this thing, and what appears onscreen is virtually interchangeable with any other of the handsome but conventional editing and cinematography usually produced by a Deakins/Mendes pairing. It looks pretty nice, but I've seen movies that look nice like this. Grade: C
Pretty solid action-thriller with enough visual panache and attitude to make it feel distinct. Samara Weaving is great as the lead, as is Adam Brody's heel turn. There's not a lot to its general theme that rich people suck, but in fairness, rich people do suck. Grade: B
Gotta admit that it took the better part of the first hour of this movie for me to swallow my intense disdain for New York high fashion and just enjoy this as a snappy character piece, and even then, I'm not thrilled by the movie's imbalance between glamour and critique of the industry, especially when the critique is couched in the ways that in-house politics hurt those who have been loyal to a brand, rather than the pervasive racism, sizeism, classism, etc., of the industry attitudes that Streep's character represents or the fact that Anne Hathaway's character is an assistant to apparently one of the most powerful people in the publishing world and yet can't afford rent. But then again, here I am over here watching and moderately enjoying a Beavis and Butt-Head movie, so it's not as if I have the moral high ground. And the performances are really good in this movie—particularly Streep, who definitely has some proto-Aunt-March energy, and Tucci, who gives probably my favorite performance I've seen from him (and who is the best-dressed of any of the core cast—the hats, Anne, why? You're looking like Stacey Dash in Clueless</i>!). The editing is also super sharp, too—far sharper than the slack style typical of the mid-2000s "professional woman in NYC" movies. I do wish the end of the movie stuck to the more melancholic tone that the situation clearly warrants—Hathaway smiles at Streep from across the street as the triumphant music swells, as if Streep isn't a deeply tragic figure both trapped in a job that virtually mandates cruel and inhumanizing behavior while simultaneously knowing nothing else to do but to continue to fortify the system that's devoured her soul. The sad part about "Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven" is that the devil is still in Hell, you know? Grade: B-
The filmmaking and tone gives off the same semi-amateur "faith-based film" vibes that I get from Kendrick brothers movies like Facing the Giants. I don't know enough about the Israeli Hasidic Jewish culture this portrays to know if the movie has a more complex interaction with the traditions of its faith than Facing the Giants does, but on its surface, this strikes me as centered on a much thornier and interesting dilemma regarding the intersection of ethics, compassion, and faith than anything the Kendricks have ever come up with. It's sweet while only being a little cloying, and I enjoyed the parable-esque aspects of its plot. Grade: B-
The warmest, sweetest movie I've seen in a very long time. A dynamite showcase for an off-format Charles Laughton and 100%-effective American myth-making. Grade: A
Television
In its third season, GLOW complicates a lot of the warm solidarity dynamics of its first two seasons, moving its characters past the honeymoon stages of their wrestling camaraderie and into the thorny implications of their roles within the wrestling world. What does the rampant cultural mockery within the GLOW act mean once the characters actually begin to come to terms with it? How to do closeted characters who feel a covert freedom within the world of wrestling navigate their relationships with those who are fighting for more open LGBT acceptance? What does it mean for these characters when some have more powerful creative and executive roles within GLOW than others? What does "female liberation" mean when women have vastly different goals for success? A lot of chickens come to roost in this season, which is tremendous, and you get series-best arcs for Bash, Debbie, and Sheila. The rest of the cast has that familiar problem for a show of GLOW's structure, which is that a dozen half-hour episodes don't really give enough time to fully flesh out their arcs, though most of the characters get some tremendous moments. Marc Maron is basically off doing his own thing the whole season, and for as much as I like Marc in this show a lot and his isolation fits thematically, I have to think that the time spent on his LA showbiz arc might have been better spent giving more screentime to, for example, the fascinating dynamic between Melanie and Jenny. As it is, the show's a lot messier than last season, which is occasionally to its benefit, but not always. Grade: B+
Music
As pure and as infectious as a power pop album has ever been. By 1995, Sweet had finally shed all of his '80s alt-rock scruffiness (even Girlfriend had a lot of that) and found his baby-faced pop soul underneath, and I am here for it. Grade: A
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