A Walk in the Woods

First Hit:  Enjoyable, interesting at times and funny – it was “A Walk in the Woods”.

This film has two veteran actors past their prime, showing why they still have something left in the tank.

Bill Bryson (Robert Redford) and Stephan Katz (Nick Nolte) are two old friends who’ve not seen each other for quite some time. Bryson gets an idea that he needs to change something in his life and decides to walk the Appalachian Trail (From Georgia to Maine).

His wife Catherine (Emma Thompson) doesn’t want him to do this, thinks he’s too old and makes a stipulation that he has to do this with someone. He calls lots of people and everyone turns him down, except Katz who wasn’t asked directly but heard it from a mutual friend. He’s interested because he has arrest warrants out against him and this will give him some relief from those worries.

The characters are clearly defined, Bryson refined, well spoken, and intelligent, while Katz is rude, crude, and well worn. But during the walk we see their likeness and learn of their history together. All the while each is walking in this beautiful part of the country for their own reasons.

They meet people along the way that supposedly challenge their beliefs, but only one, hiker Mary Ellen (Kristin Schaal), challenge them as a team. I never got a solid clear feeling as to why Bryson did the hike in the first place but it probably wasn’t important.

Overall, Redford was strong and was perfect to play this reserved controlled character. Nolte has had a lot of hard miles on him and was perfectly cast in this role because his character called for his background. Thompson was effective in her small role. Schaal was perfectly annoying and wonderful in her role as fellow hiker. Rick Kerb and Bill Holderman wrote a good screenplay that effectively highlighted these two disparate characters. Ken Kwapis got a fair amount of great scenes from these two, but some of the scene sets were obviously done in a studio.

Overall:  This was a very enjoyable film.

Grandma

First Hit:  Most of the time it was creatively funny and interesting while being topical.

Lily Tomlin (Plays Elle Reid – the grandmother) is in one of her finest moments as an actress. It allows both her acerbic and humorous qualities to exist in the same person while making sense.

Her granddaughter Sage (Julia Garner) arrives at her home looking for help. She’s young, pregnant and without the money she needs to have an abortion scheduled for later that day. Elle doesn’t have the money either and although Elle’s daughter and Sage’s mother Judy (Marcia Gay Harden) has money, neither want to ask her.

The story aims to help bridge this gap between grandmother, mother and daughter. Elle is also a lesbian and her live-in lover Olivia (Judy Greer) who is getting the boot early on in the film, provides another side of the story and the complexity of Elle’s life is slowly revealed as the movie unfolds.

Although complex, the story is also simple and gives the audience enough to think about as the story unfolds. This is one of the strong points of the film. Additionally, many of the shots of Sage and Elle driving in the vintage car are precious as was the interaction between Elle and her former husband Karl (Sam Elliot).

Tomlin is fantastic and makes the emotional wise role work well. Garner is a star in this film. She’s both angelic and vulnerable. Harden is strong in her small role. Greer’s perfect in her small and pivotal role. Elliot is absolutely divine as the former husband. Paul Weitz wrote and directed this insightful, funny, poignant film.

Overall:  This film has staying power after watching it.

Mistress America

First Hit:  At times this film was really funny, however the point and feeling weren't lasting or memorable.

This is one of those films that can be entertaining and funny while watching it and it soon fades from memory. Tracy (Lola Kirke) is in college. She’s timid in the world.

She’s a writer and has little confidence in her writing, her ability to attract men, and has few friends. Her soon to be sister by marriage, Brooke (Greta Gerwig), lives in NYC and Tracy meets her for the first time. Immediately she discovers that Brooke is almost the opposite of her. Outgoing, confident, and connected with lots of people.

The humor is the way Brooke operates in the world and how Tracy reacts. Brooke spends most of the film trying to open a restaurant, meeting with people for its financing, spends time with friends where she is life of the party. She also has 100 new ideas a minute and one gets the sense she has a difficult time implementing the ideas.

The developing relationship between the two women helps Tracy gain confidence in herself and allows her to assert herself in the world and in her life. Some of the scenes, like when Brooke meets with investors, were effectively staged and well done.  

When Brooke and Tracy meet Brooke’s former lover, now married to Brooks former friend, was a little pushed at times and I’m not sure having the pregnant lady hanging around added anything except an occasional laugh. Some of the dialog was excellent and was both spiritual and anxiously shallow at the same time.

Kirke was good and very engaging at times. Gerwig was almost too aloof but created a strong character. Michael Chernus (as Dylan) and Heather Lind (as Mamie-Claire) were strong in their parts as former friends and lover. Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig wrote, at times, an insightful and funny script. However, it did get a little convoluted the rest of the time. Noah Baumbach did a good job keeping the odd story interesting and aimed to a conclusion.

Overall: This was an Interesting and forgetful film.

American Ultra

First Hit:  The abilities of Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart made this film work.

When we are introduced to Mike (Eisenberg) he sits bloodied and being questioned by a law enforcement officer.

Then we quickly reel back to where his voice over tells the audience that he is a major screw-up. He gets high all the time, he’s afraid to leave his town. He works at a “Cash and Carry” convenience store in a small, sleepy, and uneventful town. He lives with his girlfriend Phoebe (Stewart) who seems to really care about him and doesn’t seem to mind Mike’s inabilities to function at a very high level.

What we end up learning that Mike and Phoebe are both CIA agents, with Mike being a secret weapon. He’s in hibernation, but when he becomes activated he’s a killing machine. Supervising CIA Agent Adrian Yates (Topher Grace) decides he want to eliminate Mike and begins a plan kill him with his own brand of psychologically modified agents. Protecting Mike and Phoebe is Agent Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton) who activates Mike so that he can protect himself. Some of the funniest scenes are short scenes with Mike’s friend Rose (John Leguizamo).

Eisenberg is perfect for this role, introverted, intense, physically adept and fully in-charge of his character. Stewart is wonderful as the agent who falls in love with the person she was assigned to protect. Their chemistry and interaction is wonderful. Grace is very good as the guy trying to make a name for himself. Britton is good as the protecting agent. Leguizamo is fantastic as Mike odd-ball, drug dealing friend. Max Landis wrote a strong, interesting and funny script. Nima Nourizadeh did a wonderful job of making the script come alive with action and dark comedy.

Overall:  I enjoyed the ways kitchen items can be used to create harm.

Ricki and the Flash

First Hit:  Nothing lasting about this film and moments were really enjoyable.

It must have been interesting for a real life mother (Ricki/Linda played by Meryl Streep) and daughter (Julie played by Mamie Gummer) to play film life mother and daughter.

The resemblance was there and I couldn’t help but wonder if Meryl’s movie making career created some angst in Mamie’s relationship with her? My guess is that there might have been some but not as much as in this film. Here Ricki/Linda leaves her marriage to Pete (Kevin Kline) to follow her dream of being in a Rock-n-Roll band. Pete was left to care for the three kids, Julie, Josh and Adam, alone. Pete marries Maureen (Audra McDonald) who steps in and becomes the mother Ricki/Linda isn’t.

However, this film is also about following your dreams regardless if you become rich and famous for it. Her band is her family now and we get to watch her relationship grow with Greg (Rick Springfield) the lead guitarist.

The band’s covers of songs by various artists are strong and authentic enough to make it work. Their versions of these songs take into account the age of the band members as well as their abilities. Although I didn’t particularly like the songs chosen – they work well enough.

The film is about acceptance and seeing things from another’s point of view.

Meryl Streep was almost convincing as someone who lives in a dream land kind of way. Her dialogue was good for the part but Streep's inane intelligence belied her part. It seemed hard for me to see Streep be a character that didn't understand the impact of her choices. It is difficult to play ignorantly spacey. As the film progresses her character begins to get it, so the acting isn’t as difficult. Gummer is pretty good at being the spoiled child who cannot believe her marriage turned out the way it did. Kline was very good as the father, still loving his first wife, loving his second wife, and knowing where to be strong and flexible. McDonald did a strong job of being the woman who raised someone else’s kids. Springfield was very good as Ricki’s band mate and lover. It also gave credibility to the music playing in the film. Diablo Cody wrote the, at times, adequate and compelling script. Jonathan Demme directed the cast well, it was just that the subject matter wasn’t presented in the strongest way.

Overall:  This was a feel good film and for the most part it worked.