Miles Ahead

First Hit:  Oddly entertaining and playfully interesting, this atypical biography kept me watching.

Because Don Cheadle signed on as both director and main character, he must have wanted to connect with Miles Davis the man and his music.

As the film opens it's the 1970's and we immediately delve into the quirky, singularly self-focused, and angry life of Miles Davis as he sits in his messy apartment, headphones on, listening to a reel to reel tape. He’s focused on the sounds which the audience cannot hear.

A knock on the door gets reluctantly answered and there stands Dave Brill (Ewan McGregor) who says he’s a reporter for Rolling Stone Magazine. Punching Brill in the face is the greeting Miles gives.

Together they go to Columbia Records and try to get money for what might be on the tape. However, Columbia states they already own the tape by contract. The obvious unspoken drive is that Miles needs money for drugs.

The film awkwardly goes between present day (1970’s) of the film and his past life (1945) including the love of his life, a dancer, named Francis (Emayatzy Corinealdi).

The awkward transitions do not belie the important information gained, but it makes the film difficult to enjoy. Although I understand the importance of the tape (his future), the focus on its theft and capture didn’t help the film’s story. However, in the end as we learn what is on the tape and what has happened, we see the importance of the next person who understands Davis’ approach to music.

One scene that stayed with me was when Miles discussed how he broke music down to core components to see and learn how to “free it up”. As you might expect, the music in this film was superb.

Cheadle was really strong as Davis. He brought the kind of independent intensity that made Miles’ the innovator he was. McGregor was good as the reporter and supporter of Davis’ quest to own and control his music. Corinealdi was very good as Davis’ wife who struggled under Miles’ increasingly drug fueled paranoid nature took hold over their marriage. Steven Baigelman and Cheadle co-wrote this screenplay that seemed to suffer by the storyline used to document/film part of Davis’ life. Cheadle did direct some wonderful scenes as well as scenes that weren’t as strong. The segues were not well done.

Overall:  It was interesting to get a glimpse of the genius residing in this musician.

A Hologram for the King

First Hit:  Although, it is a typical fish out of water story, the acting is wonderful which elevates this film to very good.

The opening sequence is amusing and pointed. To the background music of The Talking Heads song “Once in a Lifetime”; Alan (Tom Hanks) is walking through a set with his shack, house, car and wife all blowing up in sequence with the song - ending with him looking up at the camera saying “How did I get here?” Then we find Alan sitting on a plane full of Muslims, a prayer session begins with a cleric leading them using the flight attendant’s microphone.

This opening gives the audience the sense that we are going for a ride. Alan is going through a divorce, he’s made a couple business mistakes, needs money to keep his daughter Kit (Tracey Fairaway) in college; he feels like a failure. So he’s off to sell the King of Saudi Arabia on a holographic meeting system.

He’s full of anxiety, his boss keeps the pressure on with daily phone calls and he has a lump on his back that worries him. Each day he gets up and has missed the shuttle bus to the technology center, an hour or so outside the city where he and his team is staying. However, I kept wondering why his team didn't collect him in the morning for the shuttle?

Anyway, this plot device gives him the opportunity to call a driver/guide. Yousef (Alexander Black) likes to talk when he drives while listening to 1970's hits on his tape system. They get along great and it is in the car we begin to see the stress Alan is going through.

Watching Alan slide downhill like this is hard, and Hanks pulls this off with aplomb. But when he needs to be on, he’s ready with a strong sales pitch backed by a smile and an easy way to befriend people. Every day he’s told his contact will meet him the next day, but the day arrives and he’s told "this will not be possible."

His fluctuation between patience and impatience is perfect and when he does get the meetings done, he and his team are ready. But this is only part of the story, through a set of circumstances, he ends up meeting a Zahara (Sarita Choudhury) a doctor who both helps him with his building anxiety as well as diagnosing the lump. This story is about taking a chance on a new beginning.

Hanks is typically strong in this role as a lost man. He’s able to make his circumstance and steps he takes believable. Tracey Fairaway is wonderful as the daughter who looks up to her dad as well as seeing the pain and stress of what he’s going through. Choudhury is very strong as the woman Muslim doctor. Her dance between the rules of her culture and her feelings was marvelous. Black is comically perfect as the driver who also dances between both worlds; his Saudi roots and his western exposure. Tom Tykwer wrote and directed this film. The dialogue was strong as were many of the scenes, especially with Hanks in the hotel room.

Overall:  This was a solid feel good film.

Hardcore Henry

First Hit:  Gave me the sense of either being in a video game or playing a video game.

Being my age, I was around when the first widely available user games (Pong and Space Invaders) were created.

I’ve watched others, including my grandson, play games for short periods of time and I can see why people get engaged. It’s a fast responsive experience and there are many levels to each game. The player has to remember where they are and where they are going, what weapons they have available and what will kill them.

From my uneducated and inexperienced view, most of today’s games are mostly involve killing an enemy regardless if they are human, alien, or monsters of some sort. Additionally, they have a full array of weapons. However, what is missing when I watch the players and their avatars, are consequences, consequences for their actions.

In the non-reality of a video game, consequences, such as death are not felt or experienced by the players. Just game over only to begin again. It is not real. This film, shot in the first person, we are the players avatar. From the get go the audience goes for a wild ride.

As first person, we get to do surgery on our self to change power-packs, kill nearly a hundred people, and leap tall buildings in a single bound. Along the way, we get to grab new weapons, have brief exchanges with others but move on with our task.

This character, Henry, was full of action, kill mindlessly, and do all sorts of engaging superhuman things; all without a concrete purpose that can be felt.

Although there are actors, it was difficult for me to identify individual performances because each segment or scene with the actors is too brief and very chaotic. Ilya Naishuller and Will Stewart wrote this intense, all action, script. Naishuller also directed his script and, in the end, I’m not sure it was something I’d want to experience again.

Overall:  This film was intense and full throttle “in your face” action with no real point.

The Jungle Book (3-D)

First Hit:  An amazing, truly delightful and  well crafted film – Kudos.

This film is a real treat. The personalities of the animals worked from every angle and aspect.

Loosely based and inspired by Richard Kipling’s book of the same name, this movie truly comes to life on the big screen. Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is the boy, who is raised in the jungle by a wolf mother Raksha (voice by Lupita Nyong’o), the wolf pack and black panther Bagheera (voice by Ben Kingsley).

The wolf pack leader Akela (voice by Giancarlo Esposito) has accepted Mowgli and has the pack protect Mowgli from harm. Because he's being raised by wolves, the boy is trying to be a wolf and is discovering it is difficult. However, he does have magic (human) ways to creating things which Bagheera frowns upon.

The danger is that Shere Khan (voice by Idris Elba), a tiger, is out to kill Mowgli because the boy’s father burnt Shere Khan with the red flower (fire) when Mowgli was a baby and wants revenge. When Shere Khan kills Akela, the boy has to escape. Bagheera thinks the boy needs to return to mankind but on the way the boy gets lost and runs into Kaa (voice by Scarlett Johansson) a Python who wants to eat him. Just as this happens, he gets saved by Baloo (voice by Bill Murray) a honey eating brown bear.

Although the ending is predictable, the magic is in how this film gets there and in the way it is presented to the audience. This story is exquisitely shot and the attention to detail is extraordinary. The movement of the animals was so clearly researched that is seemed as though their animated bodies and Mowgli's real body were all in one world. It was perfect.

Sethi was wonderful as the young boy. My guess is that he did a lot of work to prepare for this role, especially because of the physical nature of it. His warmth and intelligence showed through in his character. Nyong’o's voice added a deep soulful feel to the mother wolf. Kingsley’s voice gave us a rich commanding panther that was filled with compassion. Elba’s voice for the tiger was perfectly intense, intimidating, and filled with fire. Johansson’s voice for the seductive Python was mesmerizing. Murray was both captivating and funny as the day saving bear. Christopher Walken’s voice (and singing) was scene stealing as King Louie (homage to Louie Armstrong whose voice was used on the 1967 version of this film) the Gigantopithecus Bornean orangutan and king of the monkey world. Walken was amazing. Justin Marks wrote a fantastic screen play from Kipling’s book. Jon Favreau did all his homework and made sure this film sets a new standard in animation. Additionally, his use of 3-D was spot on. It was an addition not a distraction. Bravo!

Overall:  Disney shows it still has the chops to deliver the highest quality animation film having an engaging story while setting a new benchmark for all those who follow.

Criminal

First Hit:  Although a very improbable storyline, I enjoyed seeing Costner again.

I found it hard to believe the foundation that Dr. Franks (Tommy Lee Jones) found a way to implant the memories of CIA agent Bill Pope (Ryan Reynolds) into an uncaring prisoner Jericho Steward (Kevin Costner).

However, once I got past this and accepted the premise, the film was interesting enough to keep me focused. The reason why this transfer is to take place is that Pope had learned of a plot by “The Duchman” Jan Stroop (Michael Pitt) to sell dark-worm code.

This code allowed the owner to control all of the US Military’s defense systems while also being able to launch nuclear missiles. What he wants in return for the code is; $10M, a passport, and a new identity in the US. Pope was closing this deal but was shot and killed by an anarchist Xavier Heimdahl’s (Jordi Molla) team of enforcers.

Although Pope is physically dead the CIA is keeping his brain alive by hooking him to machines. Heimdahl wants the code for himself so that he can rule the world and will do anything to get it. Pope’s CIA boss Quaker Wells (Gary Oldman) is also very determined to get the code because he knows Heimdahl will hold the world hostage. This is when Wells hires Dr. Franks to try this experimental approach of moving the dying Pope’s memories to Jericho.

Costner is good at being the guy who sees and feels no consequences for any action he takes. There are multiple scenes showing this and he pulls it off. Ryan Reynolds has a more minor role although his thoughts are major part of the film. Pitt is sufficiently nerdy and agitated to pull of his role. Jones is somewhat miscast as he does better in stronger roles. Molla is very good as the antagonist. Oldman over acted his role, especially in the initial hospital interview scenes when Jericho gets out of surgery. Douglas Cook and David Weisberg wrote the improbable script although sections of when Jericho interacts with Pope’s wife and daughter were very good. Ariel Vromen did a good job of making the improbable story watchable.

Overall:  Costner's acting held this film together and made it very watchable.