Month: April 2019

THE BEST OF ENEMIES

Sam Rockwell (KKK leader), Babou Ceesay (Charrette leader) and TaraJi P Henson (Civil rights leader) confront each other.

THE BEST OF ENEMIES

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

It is tempting to go see how superheroes are saving the world in “Endgame”, but in the film, “The Best of Enemies”, we are shown how real superheroes are saving the real world one choice at a time.

Sam Rockwell plays the leader of the Ku Klux Klan, C.P. Ellis, in Durham, North Carolina.

And, Taraji P. Henson plays a local African American civil rights activist, Ann Atwater, also from Durham, North Carolina in the 1970’s.

In my humble opinion, both Rockwell and Henson should receive Academy Award nominations for this film.

These are real people, who come to the conclusion, that hate no longer divides them, after they get to know each other while co-chairing a school desegregation charrette.

They somehow bond in the process and come to see that they have more in common than they realized.

Atwater and Ellis both had children that they cared about, both were struggling financially, both assumed leadership roles in their respective arenas, and they were both caring individuals.

In this film and in real life, Atwater decides to help Ellis, and vice versa.

He had four children, one of which was born deaf and blind. She hits an emotional cord in him, when she uses her influence to help that child.

She also respects his display of the KKK information, by protecting it from any harm.

When Ellis sees this, his stance against Atwater begins to soften.

While being the leader of the KKK, Ellis also started a youth group, which was just dropped, when no one else could fill his shoes.

Hate or love, these are the choices.

The choice to express love brings them both the right kind of recognition.

Ellis goes on to become a union organizer and Atwater surrenders her single mom status, then becomes a deacon at the Mount Calvary United Church of Christ.

Their willingness to be open to listening to each other, had a healing effect on both individuals, who remained friends to the very end.

In fact, Atwater did the eulogy at his 2005 funeral, which is not shown in this film.

The real Ellis and the real Atwater.

Wiki for “The Best of Enemies”:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Best_of_Enemies_(2019_film)

Actress Taraji P. Henson:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraji_P._Henson

Actor Sam Rockwell:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Rockwell

Director/writer Robin Bissell:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/be-prepared/robin-bissell-talks-the-best-of-enemies/vp-BBVm5dH

https://www.productionhub.com/blog/post/triple-threat-robin-bissell-wrote-directed-produced-new-film-the-best-of-enemies

Reel vs Real:

http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/best-of-enemies/

Documentary of Atwater and Ellis friendship:

http://www.historyvshollywood.com/video/an-unlikely-friendship-documentary/

Interview with Ann Atwater:

http://www.historyvshollywood.com/video/ann-atwater-interview-best-of-enemies/

History of the Ku Klux Klan:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan

Ann Atwater:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Atwater

C.P. Ellis:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._P._Ellis

4/26/2019 # the Best of Enemies

HOTEL MUMBAI

Pakistani wife (Nazanin Boniadi), hotel waiter (Dev Patel), and American architect (Armie Hammer) respond to noises in the hotel.

HOTEL MUMBAI

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

The events that occurred in 2008 at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in India are depicted in “Hotel Mumbai” in a graphic, yet constructive manner from the viewpoint of Australian filmmakers.

So far, this film has been released in Canada and the USA, with opposition in India, which has even blocked Netflix from screening it.

I needed to see the beginning of this film twice, to better see how the events unfolded.

It appears that a Pakistani terror group landed by boat, then broke up into groups headed for various locations in Mumbai, India, one of which was the hotel.

The compassion of the hotel leaders, worked both for and against them.

On the one hand, they had very loyal employees, and on the other hand, they let the terrorists walk right into the hotel in the midst of a panicked group of civilians.

The terrorists have on head phones.

They are listening to directions and reminders of how these people, the wealthy, were responsible for their poor fortune.

And, of how they would be remembered as heroes that the whole world was watching.

Some of the terrorists felt that this was good enough reason to slaughter civilians, others were conflicted.

Dev Patel plays one of the loyal composite hotel employees, Arjun.

And Anupam Kher plays Chef Hemant Oberoi, a hotel chef.

Both were responsible for saving the lives of their hotel guests in a game of cat and mouse.

Armie Hammer plays an American architect staying at the hotel with his Pakistani wife, played by Nazanin Boniadi, who is actually an Iranian-British actress.

Armie Hammer most recently can be seen in the film, “On the Basis of Sex” as Martin D. Ginsburg (Ruth’s husband).

The power of prayer is highlighted, when the Pakistani wife saves her own life by quoting passages from the Koran to one of the conflicted terrorists.

Too bad she did not start it in time to save her husband and her Russian admirer. This was an interesting grouping.

Was sympathy for the American or the Russian? The Russian, played by Jason Isaacs, was not as squeaky clean as the clean cut American.

Jason Isaacs is probably most remembered for his role as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films.

This film is full of controversy and I hesitated to review it because of the graphic violence, but I feel that its content has socially redeeming qualities.

A lot of different cultures are depicted, so you may or may not be offended, but timely messages give it value.

See this film at your own risk.

Pakistani wife (Nazanin Boniadi) is comforted by Russian admirer (Jason Isaacs).

Real versus Reel:

https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Hotel-Mumbai-True-Story-45693994

Dev Patel:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dev_Patel

Armie Hammer:

https://en.wikipeda.oirg/wiki/Armie_Hammer

Anupam Kher:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anupam_Kher

Jason Isaacs:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Isaacs

Nazanin Boniadi:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazanin_Boniadi

Tilda Cobham-Hervey:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilda_Cobham-Hervey

Director Anthony Maras:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Maras

Screenwriter John Collee:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Collee

Wiki for Hotel Mumbai:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Mumbai

No support in India:

https://swarajyamag.com/insta/no-support-for-hotel-mumbai-in-india-sensitive-content-legal-tussles-stand-in-the-way-of-dev-patels-films-release

4/12/2019 # Hotel Mumbai

DUMBO (2019)

Sweet, innocent Dumbo.

DUMBO (2019)

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

First of all, this is an animal rights film.

There are some complaints that the little baby elephant, Dumbo, was being abused, when it is actually Dumbo’s mother, who was abused.

A cruel handler was using meat hooks to move the mother elephant after she had just given birth.

There were no children in the audience when I attended, who had a problem with how Dumbo was treated.

This is not like E.T., where children were experiencing severe separation anxiety, when E.T. had to go home.

At the beginning of this film, I have to admit that I was squirming in my seat.

I was sorry that this sweet, innocent baby elephant was going to have to live in the sleazy atmosphere of the circus. I believe this atmosphere was created deliberately.

But, I was relieved by the end of this film that the mother and her baby, Dumbo, would get to live in freedom together.

Dumbo (2019) divides people up into two groups, adults who are caring, and adults, who are cruel.

As we get to know the circus that Max Medici (Danny DeVito) leads, we learn that most of the members are a family of caring individuals.

In contrast, V. A. Vandevere’s (Michael Keaton) Dreamland is plugged into personal gain and exploitation, in a very desperate way.

An aspect that I liked, was the film’s call for the acceptance of physical differences.

When Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) arrives on the scene, back from WWI, he tells his two children, “Hey, It’s still me,” when his two children appear to be taken back by his one-armed appearance.

And, there is the issue of Dumbo’s over-sized ears, which also turn out to be a blessing.

Farrell’s character proves that if you have courage and heart, having only one arm does not matter.

By the end of this film, the audience was routing for Holt’s heroism and courage, and the same can be said for Dumbo.

I feel that the director, Tim Burton, approached the theme in a very masterful way.

Colette Marchant (Eva Green) is the romantic interest, who at first looks like she might be listed on the cruel list, but proves that she really belongs on the caring list of characters.

The beautiful Colette sees Holt’s kindness and courage, and finds that those qualities are more important than his having only one arm.

Green’s Colette is a sympathetic character, full of grace, bravery and wisdom.

Do not miss this film, and bring your children to see this film.