Movies Of The Spirit - Page 16 of 21 -

VICTORIA & ABDUL

Judi Dench as Queen Victoria and Ali Fazal as Abdul Karim

VICTORIA & ABDUL

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

The true story of Queen Victoria and Abdul Karim is used to illustrate every facet of ageism, racism and sexism as it existed in Victorian England.

In 1887, Karim meets Queen Victoria when she is 68 years old, and has been queen for fifty years. She was tired, bored and ready to die.

As I see it, Karim was not about to let that happen, not on his watch. It was a time when sexual liaisons were popular, but I do not think that this was what was happening.

Her eldest son, and heir apparent, Edward VII, was a notorious womanizer, and probably assumed this of his mother.

What attracted Queen Victoria to Abdul Karim, was his positivity, devotion and kindness to her. Karim was the son that she wished she had.

Reading the history of this era, I discover that there was bad blood between Victoria and her son, Edward VII.

Two weeks after Edward was reprimanded by his father for being a womanizer, the Queen’s beloved husband, Albert, dies. This is not something a wife or mother forgets.

After her husband Albert’s death, with whom she bore nine children, Queen Victoria expressed her deep grief by wearing black for the rest of her life.

With Karim by her side, Queen Victoria gets a second wind, and becomes a popular, benevolent mother figure to her subjects and to Karim for another 14 years.

The argument of which culture was the more civilized of the two, English or Muslim, is another part of this film.

Edward VII is anxious to take over the throne. Here’s where the ageism part comes in.

Edward tries everything under the sun to make that happen, short of taking a gun to her head.

After thirteen years of service, Karim takes a year off to return to India. When he returns, he finds Queen Victoria is markedly aged and feeble. She dies three months later.

The kind and considerate queen did make provisions for Karim. She arranged for him to be given property and a pension in India, which director Stephen Frears and writer Lee Hall did not mentioned in the film.

Karim’s estate was in Agra, where his family resided until the Indian independence.

Karim died eight years after the queen, he did not have any children.

While this film was being made, there were protesters in Agra. They tried to stop the resurrection of the statue of Queen Victoria, which was taken down after the independence revolution.

This is a fascinating story and I am so glad I was able to catch it.

Judi Dench deserves to get a best actress nomination for her role in “Victoria & Abdul.”

Queen Victoria Bio:

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

Abdul Karim (the Munshi) Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Karim_(the_Munshi)

Edward VII’s Bio:

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

Right wing group stalls shoot of Ali Fazal’s ‘Victoria and Abdul’ in Agra over Queen Victoria’s statue:

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/Right-wing-group-stalls-shoot-of-Ali-Fazals-Victoria-and-Abdul-in-Agra-over-Queen-Victorias-statue/articleshow/55497083.cms

Queen Victoria and the Munshi in 1893.

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12/3/2017 # Victoria & Abdul

A BAD MOM’S CHRISTMAS

A Bad Moms Christmas

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

There is plenty of guilt to go around in “A Bad Moms Christmas.”

And, in my opinion, that is why the newer generations are dropping out of religion, in general.

This film, brings in the big guns, the grandmothers, played by Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski and Cheryl Hines.

If the mothers thought that other mothers were critical, that pales when compared to their own mothers.

What these grandmothers need to realize is that they need to not only bribe the grandkids, but they should also bribe their own daughters.

Their daughters need their support and goodwill.

And, unless the grandmothers happen to have really good Long Term Care policies in place, they need to have their daughters like them, not compete with them.

The main problem appears to be that the grandmothers do not have lives of their own.

One shows up to sponge, another to compete, and the third grandmother wants to be her daughter.

The standouts of this film for me were Susan Sarandon as Carla’s (Kathryn Hahn) hippy mom and Wanda Sykes as Kiki’s (Kristen Bell) psychiatrist.

Mila Kunis should never have agreed to let her mother, or the directors (Jon Lucas and Scott Moore) of this film, talk her into wearing that ridiculous nose while caroling.

What may work for guys in a Hangover film, does not translate well for a woman in a female role. It is just not funny.

I did like this film, and cried happy tears at its ending.

Mothers, make even the undertaker sorry to see you go.

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11/13/2017 # A Bad Moms Christmas

LBJ

Lyndon B. Johnson (Woody Harrelson) gets sworn in after Kennedy’s death.

LBJ

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

If you were around when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, you may remember that Lyndon B. Johnson was not exactly a welcome replacement.

I witnessed these events during the last years of high school and my first years of college during the 1960’s. This film is correct with the charge that his physical appearance was a factor in his not being accepted.

I remember family members referring to LBJ as “Shit-face.” However, Abraham Lincoln wasn’t exactly a show horse, either.

The distance of time does help to clearly see what LBJ did with his time in office. He was a very productive United States president, who committed himself completely to carrying out Kennedy’s vision.

LBJ created an impressive array of benefits, with his war on poverty, which we now enjoy and pretty much just take for granted.

In the film, Woody Harrelson, as LBJ, illustrates that it wasn’t his good looks, but (I prefer) his big heart and hard work that got it done.

Another film that Harrelson pulled his weight in as lead actor was as Larry Flynt in “The People vs. Larry Flynt.”

LBJ’s accomplishments included the Civil Rights Act, Medicare, Medicaid, the 9-1-1 system, Food Stamps, the Social Security Acts, the Bilingual Education Act, and he was the president who put the Black attorney, Thurgood Marshall on the Supreme Court.

This is just a short list of his long list of political accomplishments.

Jennifer Jason Leigh does an outstanding job of portraying Lady Bird Johnson.

Leigh not only looks and sounds like Lady Bird, but she illustrates how his wife single-handedly healed LBJ’s wounded ego and self-destructiveness, so he was able to ignore all the negativity surrounding him.

When I graduated from college, I went to Hawaii, and while on a tour, the local guide complained and blamed LBJ for the flowering bushes along Hawaiian freeways. Another one of LBJ’s agenda items was beautifying the National Freeway System. At the time, he just could not do anything right.

If you get anything from this film, it is, leaders with big hearts, need to also have thick skins.

Bio of Lyndon B. Johnson:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyndon_B._Johnson

Bio of Woody Harrelson:

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

Bio of Jennifer Jason Leigh:

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

Lyndon B. Johnson versus Woody Harrelson.

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11/11/2017 # LBJ

MARSHALL

(l to r) Josh Gad, who plays the Jewish attorney, Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall and Sterling K. Brown as Joseph Spell, the man accused of rape.

MARSHALL

Film review by Marlene Ardoin

Of all the landmark trials that Thurgood Marshall was involved with, why do the filmmakers of “Marshall” pick a rape trial?

Thurgood Marshall won the case for integration of schools; he overthrows the South’s “white primary;” he strikes down legality of racially restrictive covenants; he demolishes legal basis for segregation in America; he ends the practice of segregation on buses, which ended the Montgomery Bus Boycott; he successfully defends civil rights demonstrators; and he becomes the first African American named to U.S. Supreme Court (1967–1991).

Are these accomplishments too boring for us to understand? I really don’t want to learn about them in the footnotes at the end of this film.

Director, Reginald Hudlin, has amassed an impressive cast, but his film seems overly concerned about the manhood issues of black men and Jewish men.

I feel that the script’s humiliating jabs at Jewish manhood were uncalled for. I don’t care what your ancestors went through, you get to carry your own bags.

Josh Gad, who plays the Jewish attorney, Sam Friedman, is Jewish in real life. Most practicing Jews are strong, but humble, and make a point of giving back to the community. They are very sensitive to homelessness, which is part of their ancestral baggage.

Marshall’s accomplishments give him his manhood, not (spoiler alert) winning a rape trial.

The script was written by Michael Koskoff, a successful, practicing attorney and his script-writing son, Jacob Koskoff.

There is a lot of interesting detail, like what to look for when picking a jury, but had they chosen to write about one of Marshall’s more history-making trials, they may have had a shot at an Academy Award.

In “Marshall,” perhaps without realizing it, the filmmakers illustrate, arguably, how women are the most oppressed group.

Kate Hudson plays Eleanor Strubing, the trapped, abused wife. She gets royal care as long as she doesn’t have any feelings, ideas or aspirations of her own.

Eleanor is the white version of Marshall’s own wife, Vivian (Keesha Sharp), who keeps miscarrying her pregnancies, which appear to be stress related.

The juror, Mrs. Richmond (Ahna O’Reilly), shows us the female leadership potential, when allowed freedom.

When was it that women got the vote? August 18, 1920, was only about 20 years before Mrs. Richmond is leading this jury.

Did Mrs. Richmond have a happy marriage; did she have an education; did she have her own money; her own property? Power was not something women during the 1940’s were used to having.

And, last, but not least, how was it that Thurgood Marshall was so successful as a trial attorney, winning 29 out of the 32 Supreme Court cases? One possible reason was that he could easily pass for White.

He does get a good education and he is very motivated to right the wrongs of his race. But, his physical appearance allowed juries and judges to identify with him and his objectives. That is my theory, and I am sticking to it.

Thurgood Marshall in 1936 at the beginning of his career with the NAACP.

Bio of Thurgood Marshall:

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

Bio of Chadwick Boseman:

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

Bio of Josh Gad:

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

Bio of director Reginald Hudlin:

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

Bio of Michael Koskoff (Jacob is his son):

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm7817658/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

Kate Hudson as Eleanor Strubing

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10/20/2017 # Marshall

9/11

(l to r) Wood Harris, Olga Fonda, Charlie Sheen, Luis Guzmán and Jacqueline Bisset, moments before the disaster.

9/11

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

I feel the pressure to review “9/11” quick, before it disappears from the theaters. The anniversary of this infamous event is over, but with all the current disasters in the news, this story is still relevant and timely, and worth seeing.

Some people are not seeing it because Charlie Sheen fell off their pedestal. I am here to tell you that in this film, I can verify that he has kicked the coke, prostitute and “winning” reputation.

Charlie Sheen is believable as a billionaire stock trader, who effectively defends his right to be.

Based on the stage play, “Elevator” by Patrick Carson, it covers every angle of human behavior in a disaster.

Whoopi Goldberg is solid as the faithful elevator surveillance operator, who will not budge from her position, because she knows that people are depending on her help in the crisis.

Luis Guzmán plays Eddie, the custodial engineer, who becomes indispensable to the survival of the five individuals trapped in the elevator together.

Jacqueline Bisset is Diane, the billionaire’s estranged wife, who is reminded of all his good qualities during the disaster. One minute, she wants him to sign the divorce papers, and in a twinkling of an eye, she is defending him to his critics with vivid examples.

But, the billionaire (Charlie Sheen) earns his right to live. An avid reader, he cites examples of how they can survive a disaster in an elevator.

He points out that he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he sacrificed his own health, his own marriage and his own family, for his success.

Wood Harris is Michael, a Black courier, who reveals his own prejudices and Olga Fonda plays Tina, a Russian mistress, who has reached her limit in such a relationship.

All of these people ultimately realize that if they are going to survive, they need to drop the assumptions about each other and work together.

I appreciated the poetic touches in this film, such as the elevator worker passing the desperate wife without recognition of each other as ashes fall all around them.

The ending is abrupt, but it allows each filmgoer to decide for themselves, who deserves to live or die.

I highly recommend “9/11,” and I am planning to pick up a DVD copy of it for my collection.

Above and beyond worker, Whoopi Goldberg as Metzie.

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9/19/2017 # 9/11

WIND RIVER

Rookie FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) enlists the help of game tracker, Cory (Jeremy Renner).

WIND RIVER

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Taylor Sheridan, writer/director of last year’s “Hell or High Water,” appears to champion women in “Wind River.”

Sheridan points out how young, American Indian women get raped and disappear regularly, with no records to verify the crimes.

In the film, we discover that there are at least three young women, who have met this fate. There appears to be a serious cockroach infestation in the area.

So, who do the FBI send? A female FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) from Las Vegas, or is it Florida, is sent to Wyoming.

Jeremy Renner plays Cory Lambert, an effective and sharp-shooting U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tracker. It appears that wild animals, who prey on livestock, are kept better track of than rapists and murderers on the reservation.

Rookie FBI special agent Jane Banner (Olsen) needs lessons on how to survive in the brutal Wyoming winter weather, and Cory (Renner) helps her out, so she enlists his help in her investigation.

The investigation leads us to an oil rig community, who are raping the reservation lands in yet another way.

The brother of the raped girl, Chip (Martin Sensmeier), is an addict, living in a trailer on the reservation. The impotence of the American Indians appears to be generational. Wyoming lands are a brutal and a hopeless place for the offspring.

In the script, Cory (Renner) chastises Chip for not doing more with his life. He tells him that he could have gone into the services or to college.

His sister, Natalie (Kelsey Chow) , seemed to have a happy high school life, according to the pictures of her.

But, as soon as she leaves school, at 18, she is released from any adult instruction or direction. I guess this is what happened to her brother, Chip, as well.

Back to our female FBI agent, she proves that she has as much grit as she has humility in her situation.

The one thing that rubbed me the wrong way, was the graphicness of the rape scene as it unfolded. The situation was believable and just a little bit too pornographic for my taste, which seems to be a Sheridan signature move.

Is Sheridan suggesting that the American Indians are to blame? Or, is there something wrong with how the US government deals with the American Indian population?

Either way, the American Indians are portrayed as victims. Why can’t they be the heroes in this story? And why does the director choose non-American Indians to play their roles?

By hero, I do not mean running six miles barefoot in the snow.

If there is one thing the American Indians do not need, it is another tale of how badly they have become victims.

Bio of writer/director Taylor Sheridan:

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

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9/12/2017 # Wind River

AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER

Al Gore continues giving climate workshops.

AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

Al Gore proves that he does not need to get the Supreme Court to grant him the presidency. He is recognized as a President, anyway, as far as the rest of the world is concerned.

With his follow-up film, “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” he drives home his point of what is happening with some graphic images of changes in our world, proving that his predictions from his first film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” are all coming true.

It has been about ten years since his first film. Gore has gotten grey hair and the world has gotten drastic floods, droughts, melting glaciers and large fish swimming down the streets of Miami at high tide.

The nightmare is coming true. Gore describes recent typhoons delivering water bombs caused by warmer ocean temperatures.

Every day the news is filled with stories of humans suffering the effects of global warming.

Most recently, 500 plus dead in the Sierra Leone mudslides. Masses of humans relocating to new locations because of drought, rising ocean waters, rising temperatures, fires and floods.

In his first film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” Gore makes the statement that China will not buy our automobiles, because the U.S. autos do not meet their environmental standards. That was ten years ago, now China is interested in electric cars.

In “An Inconvenient Sequel,” Gore is seen trying to solve India’s hold out during the 2016 Paris Climate Accord by calling up Solar City. India felt that atomic power was morally needed for their development.

Solar City was not equipped to solve India’s problems, but India did finally relent on April 22, 2016 by signing the agreement in New York.

On August 1, 2016, Tesla announced in a joint statement with Solar City it would be acquiring the company in an all-stock $2.6 billion merger. Elon Musk owns 22% of Solar City stock.

Gore might have offered India several options. How about suggesting hydro power to them.

This documentary shows how Gore has gained recognition and status on the world stage.

A group of Chinese students recognize him on the subway, Canada’s Trudeau greets him at a conference and he can be seen participating in negotiations with other countries.

Gore does not need no stinking presidency, because he cares about clean energy, the world and the future we leave for future generations.

Al Gore Bio:

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

Wife/husband duo Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk interview of filmmakers:

http://www.hammertonail.com/interviews/cohen-shenk-interview/

Paris Climate Accord:

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

Solar City

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

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8/22/17 # An Inconvenient Sequel

GIRLS TRIP/ROUGH NIGHT

Girls Trip (top) versus Rough Night (bottom).

Guess who wins boob exposure contest?

GIRLS TRIP Versus ROUGH NIGHT

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

I thought it might be interesting to compare the black and white versions of college girl reunions in “Girls Trip” with “Rough Night.”

I was struck by how much more conservative “Girls Trip” was in comparison.

The black girls, Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish and Jada Pinkett Smith talk about showing some skin, but they only show so much at their ten year reunion in New Orleans.

Even the bad girl, Deborah Ayorinde as Simone, seems tame compared to the white girls in “Rough Night.”

The black girls want a proposal, not a boyfriend in “Girls Trip.”

The white girls in “Rough Night,” Jess (Scarlett Johansson), Alice (Jillian Bell), Frankie (Ilana Glazer), and Blair (Zoë Kravitz), don’t seem to care about that marriage proposal. They are more up for male castration, bisexuality, male strippers, and vibrators at their ten year reunion in Miami.

Demi Moore is very daring as a female sex addict in “Rough Night.”

The black girls in “Girls Trip” are still looking for a man to provide protection, partnership and motherhood. But, somehow, betrayal is what they get from their men, who walk all over them.

There is one male in “Girls Trip,” Larenz Tate as Julian, a musician, who gives up his apartment for the women and who makes sure that they are safe, is appreciated, but does not appear to be a serious relationship option. He does not have the financial resources or the macho image.

What occurs in both films is the dynamic of women being pitted against each other.

In “Rough Night,” the school teacher, who does not have a mate, is placed at the bottom of pecking order, being replaced and left out of invites. She is seriously pitied, but if you wait to the end of the credits at the end of the film, she does get her revenge.

And, in “Girls Trip,” all the women at one point turn on each other, but at the last minute, realize that they are the ones who can be counted on to accept each other unconditionally.

The white girls in “Girls Trip” are not let into the black circle, but are allowed to be helpful in promoting their careers. They are not seen as the competition.

Each film has so-called successful females. In “Girls Trip,” Regina Hall as Ryan Pierce, is a successful self-help writer and lecturer. And in “Rough Night,” Scarlett Johansson as Jessica “Jess” Thayer, is running for political office.

Ryan’s male partner is cheating on her, and Jessica looks like she may lose the election, because she does not look like she will put out. The male factor sabotages their efforts.

What about money? The white girls in “Rough Night” clearly have no worries financially, but the black girls in “Girls Trip” do not have such financial privilege.

I know that this is a comedy, and things are taken to the extreme, but it does expose our culture for what it is. Americans are seriously messed up when it comes to male/female relationships, marriage, career, money, identity and sex.

Ideally, men should be able to be men and women should be able to be women, no matter what color their skin is. Just because you are smart does not mean you have to be a cad, unless, of course, you are exploiting someone else. That goes for both men and women, black or white.

These days, gender identity is an added factor, which is slightly mentioned in “Girls Trip,” but it is front and center in “Rough Night.”

So, it appears that each person is an individual with an individual identity. Maybe Americans are starting to get something right, after all. We are starting to see the individual, rather than just their color, gender or wallet.

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8/4/2017 # Girls Trip/ Rough Night

BLIND

Suzanne Dutchman (Demi Moore) walks in park with blind Bill Oakland (Alec Baldwin).

BLIND

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

I found myself becoming fond of the film “Blind,” in which Alec Baldwin and Demi Moore give it their best try to make being blind sexy. And, Dylan McDermott makes being a white collar financial criminal into a scary, vicious thug.

Baldwin plays Bill Oakland, a novelist/ college professor, who has community service volunteers read his student papers for him at a Center for the Blind, which is where he meets Suzanne Dutchman (Demi Moore).

Suzanne gets 100 hours of community service, just for being married to Mark Dutchman (Dylan McDermott).

The female judge says that she does not believe that Suzanne knew what her husband was accused of doing, but dishes out the punishment anyway.

If anyone is a selfish, narcissistic psychopath, it is McDermott’s character, Mark. There is one scene in prison, where he effectively shows his colors. I was really frightened for Suzanne, when her husband, Mark, gets himself out of jail.

Never confront a narcissist about anything, because they will come at you with their teeth bared. McDermott does a great job of demonstrating this principle, while in prison.

This film tries to demonstrate that even though a man or woman is blind, they can still lead a meaningful life that contributes positively to life.

A future prospect of driverless autos could really enable the blind, who could get from place to place without depending so heavily on others.

In the film, “Blind,” Suzanne gets to know Bill, while her husband is in jail. She reads his student’s papers, looks up Bill’s novel, then visits his classroom, while he is teaching.

The major flaw of this film is too much explanation about being blind in the dialogue. The point being made is that they are just like everyone else, except they do not see.

This film would have been far more romantic, if the characters just acted out the situations. The audience gets it.

Why does Suzanne find Bill attractive? Bill gains her respect, and her husband, Mark, loses her respect. Her skin begins to crawl under the shame of her husband’s jewels.

Baldwin is drop dead handsome as a blind man. I was surprised to see him in such a vulnerable role.

Baldwin’s character is very frustrated having to depend on others, until Suzanne shows up.

In one scene, he keeps the office hot, and refuses to open the windows for Suzanne, which forces her to start shedding clothing. He also uses his novelist skills to paint a very romantic possibility of a life in France.

One of Bill’s male readers gains his trust enough to be invited to help him out at his home. This worker takes advantage of that trust by taking one of Bill’s manuscripts without asking.

Bill lost his sight in an auto crash, which also killed his wife. I got the impression that he was about to ask for a separation, when this accident occurred.

Michael Mailer (son of novelist Norman Mailer, 4^th marriage) is the producer and director of “Blind.” His half-brother, John Buffalo Mailer (Norman Mailer’s son, 6^th marriage) wrote the script and performs in the film. He plays Jimmy, an attendant at the Center for the Blind.

And, we also get to catch a glimpse of Baldwin’s real life wife, Hilaria Baldwin, as Susanne’s yoga teacher.

“Blind” is fun to watch, and makes it easy to understand the world of blindness.

Suzanne Dutchman (Demi Moore) receives a necklace from her husband, Mark (Dylan McDermott).

Dylan McDermott BIO:

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

Screenplay by John Buffalo Mailer:

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

Directed and produced by Michael Mailer:

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

Norman Mailer Bio:

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

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7/19/2017 # Blind

THE BIG SICK

Kumail waits at the hospital with Emily’s parents (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano)

THE BIG SICK

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

This is my favorite film, so far, this year.

“The Big Sick” is all about how a brave Muslim comedian, Kumail Nanjiani, (true story) meets an American girl, Emily V. Gordon (Zoe Kazan) in his audience, while he is struggling to become a comedian.

She brings out the best in him, and he responds by loving her forever.

As the story opens, Kumail is fighting his way out of the expectations of his Pakistani, Muslim family, who are not too subtle about hooking him up with a nice Muslim girl.

This is post 9/11, when all Muslims are under intense scrutiny by all Americans. In fact, Emily’s parents, are quick to ask him, point blank, “What’s your take on 9/11?”

Breaking out of his multi-faceted, straight-jacket, after having been confronted with this question, over and over, Kumail responds, “Yeah, it was bad, we lost 19 of our best guys.”

Clearly, Kumail is letting go of all sense of safety. He is saying go ahead and kill me now. A stressed-out Muslim, seeks suicide by stressed-out American parent.

I loved seeing Holly Hunter as Emily’s mother. As always, she is laser-sharp in her approach, but fair. She has disappointments in her marriage, but stays for the love and support.

As soon as we see Emily’s father, Terry, played by Ray Romano, we know immediately what attracted Emily to Kumail. He’s the spitting image of her father. Except, the real Terry Gordon, does not look that way at all. I guess the filmmakers felt a need to explain the attraction.

Kumail puts together a one-man, stand-up show to introduce Americans to his Pakistani culture. He innocently is trying to show us why he is proud of his country of origin.

Emily, a student therapist, suggests to him, that what would make this piece interesting to Americans, would be for him to tell us about how he really feels about his country.

This is the key that unlocks Kumail’s career as a comedian. There is nothing like extreme tension to make people laugh.

In his final stand-up performance, Kumail explains about how his parents do not approve of his chosen profession. “There is doctor, lawyer, hundreds of jobs, Isis, then, at the bottom of the list, is comedian.”

I have to say that before seeing this film, I was aware of the existence of a Muslim comedian, who talked about being a Muslim in America.

This film is a must see on many levels. It’s timely, relevant, real, and it tackles what matters in today’s definition of a marriage.

top to bottom) Movie Emily (Zoe Kazan) and Kumail vs real Emily and Kumail.

Kumail Nanjiani Bio:

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

Emily V. Gordon Bio: ( Zoe Kazan)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_V._Gordon

Holly Hunter Bio:

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

Ray Romano Bio:

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

History vs Hollywood:

http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/the-big-sick/

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7/10/2017 # The Big Sick