Tag: Tom Hanks

2023 RAZZIES: “Blonde”, “Elvis”

2023 RAZZIES: “Blonde”, “Elvis”

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

The Razzie phenomenon began in 1980, but with as much as we now know about bullying and harrassment, I think it is time to pop the razzie balloon.

Recently, the films they make fun of, are also up for major film awards like “Blonde” and “Elvis.”

It is so easy to hurl insults at a vulnerable individual.

In the past, The Razzies have picked on easy, publically vulnerable targets.

They love to make fun of couples who are in love, ” Fifty Shades of Grey,” “Breaking Dawn,” and “Gigli,” come to mind.

Their picks are also cruelly sexist, racist, and even make fun of the newbie and the underage target, like Macaulay Culkin.

Why don’t they go after films, that are unapologetically violent, racist, sexist or cause irredeemable harm?

If they cannot do this, then this should be the last year of the Golden Raspberry Awards, as their powerful enemies keep getting heftier and heftier.

The Razzie winners will be announced on Oscar’s eve on March 11, 2023.

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Full list of 2023 Razzie award nominations:

https://en.as.com/entertainment/2023-razzie-award-nominations-the-full-list-n/

Every Razzie Worst Picture winner by year:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/every-razzie-worst-picture-winner-by-year/ss-AA160Iud?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=94de560834cc42ea8523dc0a808c23a7#image=1

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BLONDE

BLONDE - Marilyn & husband

Netflix's Blonde Has 2022's Scariest Movie Scene - Gamerstail BLONDE - Marilyn in bed

BLONDE

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

It seems that no matter how many times Marilyn Monroe’s story is attempted, she gets a Razzie nomination, because everyone just sees one thing, Marilyn’s naked body.

Producer, Brad Pitt, tries to illustrate the pathos of her situation in multiple ways, from childhood to her last breathe, but we still just see Marilyn’s naked body.

The film script for “Blonde” skips over her years in foster care and her first marriage to James Dougherty at age sixteen.

The Fictional novel, Blonde, by Joyce Carol Oates (The Ecco Press/HarperCollins) was a finalist for the 2001 Pulitzer Prize, but the story in this film is wildly fictional and scantily symbolic.

Nowhere in Marilyn’s biography does she get involved with the eldest son of Charlie Chaplin.

Though Marilyn is compared to Charlie Chaplin in her “ability to blend comedy and tragedy.”

Marilyn was looking for the missing father figure in her life, which explains her attraction to and idolatry of men in authority positions, which “Blonde” does point out correctly.

Unfortunately, men in authority positions at that time, did take advantage of beautiful women and used their lack of money as leverage.

The real Marilyn Monroe had to fight for her opportunities and for her money, until she just did not have the ability to fight anymore.

Ana de Armas does a great job of capturing Marilyn’s perception, innocence, and emotional nakedness.

This time, the Razzie creators do not get to exploit her in the cruelest way yet.

They do not get to pin her up for ridicule as a symbol of their own desire and self-loathing.

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Trailer: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Blonde+2022&docid=608005135920276919&mid=7838116A78C119B8E35B7838116A78C119B8E35B&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Monroe

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ELVIS

Image result for elvis movie 2022 Elvis (2022) Full Movie | Free HD To Watch

Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” with Tom Hanks and Austin Butler Opens to Muted Praise from Critics at ... Image result for elvis movie 2022 tom hanks

ELVIS

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

The Razzies go after Tom Hanks, of all people, for playing Elvis’s manager. why?

I think Hanks should be congratulated for having the courage to play what appears to be an unattractive, flawed character in the film.

The Colonel had secrets, but on the other hand, he stood beside Elvis during the good times and the bad. He was not a fair weather friend.

Even Elvis’s family felt Colonel Tom Parker deserved every penny for his services.

I feel this is a clear Razzie case of a younger generation bullying and making fun of the values of an older generation as depicted in the film,”Elvis.”

Elvis clearly respected the Colonel as a manager and as a friend.

Elvis did not judge people by their age or appearance, which was part of his appeal to the masses.

And, that is why Elvis was loved and why the Razzies are not loved.

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Trailer: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x87zl7

Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonel_Tom_Parker

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2/25/23 # 2023 RAZZIES: “Blonde”, “Elvis”

SULLY

sully-plane-with-people-on-wings

Sullenberger manages to land the aircraft in the Hudson without any casualties.

sully-with-co-pilot-jeff

Tom Hanks as Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and Aaron Eckhart as co-pilot Jeff Skiles.

SULLY

By Marlene Ardoin

January 2009 was a month of miracles. The first African American became a U.S. President, and on January 15^th, an American pilot, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger saved 155 passengers by landing his plane on the New York Hudson River.

The film, “Sully”, not only captures this event, but it plays homage to the experience of an older pilot, who used his years of training to its maximum advantage. His aircraft was disabled by striking a flock of Canada geese during its initial climb out of LaGuardia Airport of New York City.

We all have had experiences where we cannot believe that something is happening, then we are forced to let go and let intuition take over. The angel guides of Sully Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) and his crew landed what appeared to be an impossible plane landing.

Happening just a few years after New York’s 9/11 event in 2001, the New York rescue teams were well prepared for such an event.

This film also brings up the question of what other actions might have been taken. Of course, the event had to be investigated, even though all the passengers were saved. Someone has to think about the damage to the plane. Can one sue the Canadian geese? How about the Canadian government as the responsible party?

Sully had no previous experience with water landings, but he was a glider pilot and a safety expert. In this film, he tells the investigators that he just eye-balled it. Tom Hank’s Sully has a lot of personal dignity and charm in his communication style.

Here are a few interesting side facts.

His co-pilot, (Aaron Eckhart as Jeff Skiles) was a relative stranger. They had little experience flying together. “At the time of the accident, Captain Sullenberger had logged a total of 19,663 flight hours, 4,765 of which were accumulated in A320 aircraft. He was also a safety expert and a glider pilot.

The first officer was Jeffrey B. Skiles, 49, who was on the last leg of his first assignment in the Airbus A320 since passing the training course to fly the type. Skiles has accrued 15,643 flight hours throughout his career.

Sully’s own father, committed suicide in 1995, which is not brought up in the film. “On December 7, 1995, Sullenberger’s father committed suicide by gunshot shortly after being released from the hospital for major surgery. He had been suffering from depression in the face of a long and difficult convalescence ahead of him.” Among other things, Sully is a suicide prevention activist.

Sullenberger married fitness expert and television personality Lorraine “Lorrie” Sullenberger in 1989 (Laura Linney as Lorraine Sullenberger), with whom he has two daughters, Kate and Kelly. The Sullenbergers reside in the San Francisco Bay Area.

And director, Clint Eastwood, has made yet another provocative film featuring the resilience of Americans.

Chesley Sullenberger – From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

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

Real events vs. Hollywood depiction:

http://www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/sully/

9/21/2016 # Sully

HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING

Hologram for the King, receptionist

Tom Hanks gets the run-around by Saudi receptionist.

Hologram for the King, dinner

Culture shock begins with dinner.

HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING

By Marlene Ardoin

Tom Hanks, as Alan Clay, communicates the feeling of overwhelm as an American executive during the recent financial meltdown in the global market. In fact, he even has a panic attack. His personal fallout includes a disintegrating marriage and the loss of his home. He feels unable to control his circumstances.

He was formerly a Schwinn bike executive, until that business fell to the global competition. His company thought that outsourcing the manufacturing of Schwinn in China was a good idea. He explains that China learned how to make a good bike in the process, and developed their own brands to compete at a much lower price.

So, we arrive in Saudi Arabia with our executive, who is now representing a hologram company. He must deal with jet lag, culture shock, and a nasty cist in the middle of his back. This is all building the stage for his stage-four panic attack. The cist could represent what has been festering inside him that has now positioned itself in the unreachable part of his back. It is like the piece of straw that broke the camel’s back.

His pain causes him to reach out to two Saudi individuals, the broad-minded taxi driver (Alexander Black) and the out of place, female Saudi doctor (Sarita Choudhury). They both rush to his side in the midst of his panic attack.

The film does a good job of hitting all the points in culture shock of an American in Saudi Arabia. 1) They are given a tent to set up their hologram demonstration that has no Wi-Fi signal, no food and no air-conditioning. 2) He gets the run-around from the receptionist. 3) He discovers that they are not the only culture there to meet the king. A Scandinavian contingent has been waiting for about 18 months. 4) Drinking is not allowed in Saudi Arabia, but somehow, everyone is finding alcohol. 5) Women need to hide their hair and their bodies. 6) Men can have several wives. 7) Anyone who is non-Muslim is not allowed within miles of Mecca. 8) Single women are not allowed to be alone with single men. 9) Only the husband can make a decision to divorce. And, 10) women are not supposed to have an education or a career.

Our beautiful female doctor has two children and is trying to get out of her marriage. It seems that her husband has not paid attention to her for some time. Enter a very stressed-out American, who could really use a little tender attention and love.

The buildings in this film about Saudi Arabia are palatial. Our doctor takes our American to her home by the sea. Because of customs, she has to impersonate a man in order to go swimming with him. This turns out to be an erotic surprise, totally unexpected.

Our American is very social, and his attempts at being friendly eventually are reciprocated. He finds that he can start a new life in Saudi Arabia, and his daughter, who is ever faithful to him, may just get that college education after all.

The king does show up, but only after our American develops the nerve to ask for air-conditioning, food and Wi-Fi connection to his tent.

4/29/2016 # Hologram for the King