Month: November 2016

fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them

Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) has the Hermione role and Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has the Potter role as a defender of Magical Beasts.

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

The “Fantastic Beasts” magical clan in New York does not have the warmth of its English, “Harry Potter” counterpart.

It does not feel like 70 years back in time, rather like 70 years ahead of time. The United States does not have the castles and New York definitely does not have the English countryside. I think it should have started in England, just for reference.

Eddie Redmayne staring as Newt Scamander has the Potter role as a defender of Magical Beasts. In 2014, he starred as Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything” and in 2016, Redmayne starred in the biographical drama “The Danish Girl,” which I could not get out of my mind while I was watching this movie.

What I would have liked to see was Newt capturing those beasts, in England and in other countries, then going to New York. It is not clear why he is going to New York. Why not just go straight to Arizona to release his creatures?

Katherine Waterston staring as Tina Goldstein, has the Hermione Granger role, but is a sorry version of her. Tina is a failure as an auror. She lacks the intelligence, pluck and inventiveness of a Hermione. She looks less powerful and she is less powerful. I would have liked to see her blossom into her power.

I found it hard to believe that Tina could have held onto Newt, without his polite co-operation. This is a very lop-sided partnership.

Turns out, Tina has a sister, Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol), who usurps all the sex appeal, beauty and heart, in her role. Too bad she prefers non-magical folk as possible suitors, Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler).

Queenie seems to appreciate Jacob’s appreciation of her cooking. Okay, this is playing it too traditional. They keep Jacob around because he is so likeable?

Toward the end of this story, the magical beasts lose the focus. Now, we need to pay attention to magical children who have been abused by non-magical folk. Harry Potter was abused, but he never became a monster.

To tie this story together, Newt could have tamed this child, just like he does his magical beasts. That would have tied this story together better for me.

Are they a magical clan in New York, or vampires in New York? I was left with a very cold, disappointed feeling.

Screen-writer, J. K. Rowling, seems to suffer under the pressure of trying crank something out. I like it when she is adventurous and really knows and loves her territory.

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11/28/2016 # Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

doctor-strange-body-spirit

The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) separates the spirit from Doctor Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) body.

DOCTOR STRANGE

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

“Doctor Strange” (Benedict Cumberbatch) learns the hard way that following the dark side is not the way to go.

As a successful, talented, young surgeon, with a photo-graphic memory, everything seems easy to him in the beginning. Until, of course, things start to get hard. And, in spite of his over-confidence, I found that he did possess a moral compass.

Our surgeon attracts loyalty, because, like attracts like. Rachel McAdams plays Christine, his love interest, who stands with him to the point of being a door mat.

When things go really bad for him, she is his point of light that keeps him sane. He leans heavily upon her for support. She is a friend/wife/muse figure in his life.

My one criticism of this story is that too much emphasis is given to the dark side. And the whole film lost me when the dark side was depicted as a male face in the universe.

What about the idea of drawing power, strength, eternality from the light side? I thought it was going in this direction with the depiction of Dr. Strange’s spirit being separated from his body.

Our surgeon tries to make a case for the light side when he says, “I heal people. I cannot kill people.”

He is described as arrogant, for humiliating another surgeon, who was ready to body wrap a patient. Should Dr. Strange have just agreed with this surgeon’s opinion, and not saved the patient? Sometimes, it takes moral courage to use one’s special abilities.

His humility is on full display in Nepal, where he seeks healing from the Ancient One, a sorcerer, played by Tilda Swinton. The scenes of his training and self-healing is very satisfying. I just could not take the face in the sky part or the part where everyone is using the dark powers to survive.

And last, but not least, the humor in this story is fantastic. Doctor Strange’s levitation cape has the kind of sass that was missing in his love life.

11/15/2016 # Doctor Strange