Resistance

Many know the name Marcel Marceau as the famous French mime who rose to worldwide popularity in the 20th century. He performed in front of millions, and taught the art of mime for decades. However, many people don’t know the story of his early life in World War 2.

Born Marcel Mangel, he worked in his father’s butcher shop, and practiced and performed routines of Charlie Chaplin. Marcel also painted in his spare time. He was a prolific painter later in life.

When the war broke out, Marcel was only sixteen years old. He helped his brother and cousin in caring for children orphaned by the Nazis. In the film Marcel performed for the children, clowning around in silence, building their trust.

Silence later became a necessary tool for the children. In later days, Marcel helped transport children to safety in Switzerland. He performed for the children as they traveled, in total silence, which in turn kept them silent. He risked his life and made the trek to Switzerland several times, saving hundreds of children.

Marceau is portrayed in the film by Jessie Eisenberg, who was in “The Social Network”, “Now You See Me”, and more. While two decades older than Marceau was at the time, Eisenberg seems to have a natural affinity for the role. In fact, his mother was a clown, performing at children’s birthday parties, often performing some of Marceau’s routines.

This film is violent but not gory. There are several camera cutaways when a person gets shot. Still, there are many violent scenes of beatings, shootings, and descriptions of unspeakable torture. One heartbreaking scene in the film is the capture of Marcel’s father. He was taken to Auschwitz and murdered. Eisenberg lost several family members to the holocaust as well.

Marceau received the Wallenberg award in 2001 for his actions during the war. The ceremony was recorded, and is posted below. Marceau speaks on his time in the war, which includes many more stories of survival. He also performs a number which illustrates the battle of good and evil.

This film is at once inspiring, heartbreaking, life affirming, and haunting.

As the world is currently under a pandemic, this film has not been released in theaters. Yet it is available to rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, and more.

Well worth the rental price, now available for rent, 4 stars.

https://www.history.com/news/marcel-marceau-wwii-french-resistance-georges-loinger

http://www.openculture.com/2018/08/marcel-marceau-used-mime-skills-save-childrens-lives-holocaust.html

A Secret Love

This documentary tells the tale of Pat and Terry, a lesbian couple of more than 60 years. During World War II Terry played baseball in the All American Girl’s Professional Baseball League, the AAGPBL, made famous in the Penny Marshall movie “A League of Their Own.” Terry met Pat while playing ball, and the rest, they say, is history.

The film begins with Pat and Terry as an elderly couple. The women then shared how they grew up, how they met and fell in love. After the war they moved from Candada to Chicago. They both worked for an interior design firm for more than twenty years. They lived in a walk-up apartment for twenty years, and then shared a home for twenty more years. Now the house they live in is too much for them to maintain. Family members meet with them to decide a plan for the future.

The movie travels back in time, showing what it was like for the two women in the 1940s and 50s, a time when it was against the law to be gay. There are wonderful photographs, archival film footage, and love letters between the couple.

Incidentally, the song “A Secret Love” plays at the beginning of the film, which is quite fitting for this love story. I've also posted a cover of the song performed by the late George Michael.

Now streaming on Netflix, three stars.

The Music of Silence

Based on a book of the same name, this movie tells the story of opera star Andrea Bocelli. The movie begins in childhood, when Andrea found his voice. As a young adult his voice changed, and he gave up singing. 

In his university years he began to sing again, in a piano bar. Every expert that comes to see him sing declare that he could never be an opera singer. 

One day, a piano tuner comes to the bar. He's seen Andrea perform, and urges him to study with a vocal coach. He then begins to study with the vocal coach, which was painstakingly detailed.

One of the tenets of singing is, ironically, silence. Many professional singers maintain complete silence on days that they will perform, saving their voice for their performance.

At the end of the film there are videos of Bocelli's life, including performing in operas, a feat that no one thought a blind singer could do. 

Amazing performances from Tony Sebastian, who plays Bocelli, and Antonio Banderas as his vocal coach.

Now streaming on Netflix, 4 stars.

Circus of Books

This documentary tells the story of a married couple who bought a gay porn store in West Hollywood in the 1970s. Their store was a meeting place for young gay men in the community. The bookstore sold porn magazines and movies on VHS. As their business grew, they began a mail order business, and later produced their own pornography.

The heart of the film is the flip side of the coin, when the couple’s son comes out as gay. Most of the workers in their store were young gay men. Now that they had a gay son, everything changed. The film shows the evolution of attitudes and opinions of the parents, and in an ironic twist, the demise of their business.

Now streaming on Netflix, two stars.

Best of Enemies

Set in the 1970s, this movie tells the tale of two polar opposites who work on opposite sides a community issue-school integration. Taraji P. Henson stars as Ann Atwater, a popular community leader in the black community. Sam Rockwell stars as C.P. Ellis, a local gas station owner and high ranking member of the KKK.

This movie is based on a true story of a community working together to decide whether or not to integrate their local school system. While they begin the film on opposite sides of the issue, the two in real life later became friends. Trigger warning: there are some racial epithets uttered in this film. There are also disturbing images of hate in the film, including a klan hood and robe.

Now on DVD, streaming on Showtime. Three stars.

The Upside

Based on a true story, this film is a fictionalized version of two men, Philip and Dell, on opposite ends of society. 

Philip is a quadriplegic, insanely rich, and lives in a penthouse apartment, owning a garage full of cars he can no longer drive. Dell, conversely, is behind on his child support payments and can’t find a job. Philip is a quadriplegic who needs around the clock care. Dell is hired to care for Philip, with absolutely no experience in the medical field.

Great performances by Brian Cranston as Philip, Kevin Hart as Dell, and Nicole Kidman as Philip’s executive secretary. 

Now on DVD, streaming on Showtime, two stars.

The Happytime Murders

This movie tells the tale of Phil Philips, a puppet private eye who used to be a cop. His human partner is portrayed by Melissa McCartney. In case you are wondering, 99% of the cast of this film is a Muppet. That’s right, this is a private eye, film noir, buddy cop movie in which one cop is human and the other is a puppet.

The story of the film involves McCarthy and her puppet private investigator partner investigating a string of murders. All of the murder victims have one thing in common: they were cast members of the “Happytime Gang” show. Who is the killer? And who will be next?

The film takes place in the future, in a society comprised of humans and puppets. The humans are dominant in the society, leaving puppets as second class citizens. The metaphor of racial issues in the United States is prevalent and unmistakable.

The film is a Henson Company production, directed by Brian Henson, son of the late Jim Henson. Muppet fans will recognize the voice of Phil Philips-it is remarkably similar to the voice of Johnny Fiama, a Muppet that made his debut in the Muppets Tonight TV show in the 1990s.

Because it is a Muppet film, the humor is broad. There are many sexual scenes in the film; because the film is mostly Muppets, the scenes are seen as comedy. Yet, if these scenes contained footage of humans doing these sexual acts, these scenes would be found in pornography.

Available on DVD, now on Showtime, 2 stars.

Unorthodox

Based on the book by Deborah Feldman, this mini-series tells the story of Esty, a young woman that flees her sheltered life in a Hasidic Jewish community in New York. She flees to Berlin to begin a new life. 

There are some scenes that are triggering, or that might be hard to watch. 

The movie is a tale of women’s rights, feminism, and the desire to live an authentic life. 

Now streaming on Netflix, two stars.

Self Made

Octavia Spencer stars as Madam C.J. Walker, the first female millionaire in the United States. 

Madam Walker began her enterprise by making a balm for black women who had problems with their hair; it proved to be so successful, she later expanded her brand, creating an entire line of beauty products. 

Walker’s story is truly that of a self made success. She accomplished what was thought to be the unthinkable, at a time when women did not even have the right to vote. Her life is an inspiration for multiple generations of women in the United States and around the world.

The film reminded me of the film “Moulin Rouge” in that it uses modern music to bring the audience in to the film. That was a little jarring for me in the first episode, that juxtaposition of a period piece with modern music. Still, I got used to it in Moulin Rouge, I got used to it in this film. 

Brilliant performances by Spencer, Blair Underwood, Garrett Morris, and Tiffany Haddish. 

Be looking for this title at award season time. Now streaming on Netflix, 4 stars.

Mother's Day

This film is a fictionalized account of a true story. 

Set in Ireland, on Mother’s Day morning, a young man goes to the local shops to buy his mother a card. He’s on his way home when suddenly, there is an explosion. The boy is thrown several feet in the air, and collapses in the shopping square. Sadly, he did not survive his injuries. 

The explosion was a bomb, one of many between Ireland and Northern Ireland in the time known as The Troubles. This tragic loss began a dialogue between two women, one on either side of the conflict. The two women began  regional dialogue, which became a national dialogue, which changed the history of Ireland and Northern Ireland forever. 

Now streaming on Britbox, 4 stars.

https://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Day-Anna-Maxwell-Martin/dp/B07R93V7F7

A Song for Jenny

Based on a book of the same name, this movie tells the story of a vicar in England who loses her daughter in a terrorist bombing on the underground in London. 

The loss of her daughter shakes the vicar’s faith. How can she minister to others when she is barely holding on? How can she preach forgiveness when the concept of forgiving her daughter’s killer is unthinkable? 

Brilliant, heartbreaking, thought provoking. Now streaming on BritBox, 4 stars.

Christopher and His Kind

This film is a dramatization of a book by Christopher Isherwood of the same name. Christopher, a member of the elite class in English society, finds it difficult to life his life as a queer man in the 1930s in England. 

To begin to live a life as his true self, he travels to Berlin, Germany. There he meets a man and falls in love. 

As the Nazi party begins to grow in power, Christopher returns to safety to England. Now what will happen to him? What will happen with the love of his life?

Now streaming on Amazon Prime, two stars.

The Queen

This documentary is about a drag queen beauty pageant that happened in the late 1960s. 

I had never heard of this film, and didn’t know what to expect. It’s raw footage over a few days leading up to the beauty pageant. A winner is crowned, and bedlam ensues. 

This film is a snapshot in time in American history in the queer culture. It’s hard to remember that, at the time this film was made, being gay was illegal in the United States. 

It’s a wonder that this film exists, and is available to watch today. Now on Netflix, three stars.

https://decider.com/2020/01/27/the-queen-1968-drag-documentary-on-netflix/

Marriage Story

This fictional film is a fictional story about what happens when a couple divorce. Homes are divided, lawyers are hired, and it all gets ugly from there.

Amazing performances by Adam Driver, Scarlet Johansson, Alan Alda, and Laura Dern, who won an Oscar for a performance in this film.

Now streaming on Netflix. Three stars.

The Pharmacist

This documentary is part true crime, part espionage, part advocacy. In the film, Dan Schneider lost his son in an act of murder. He then begins to delve into the crime, trying to find his son’s killer.

As life goes on for Dan after the loss of his son, he went back to work at a pharmacy. Some time later, he began to notice a strange coincidence-namely an increase of customers with prescriptions to OxyContin. 

Why are all of these people on this drug? Who is writing these prescriptions? These questions and more are answered in this film. Now streaming on Netflix, three stars.

https://time.com/5778759/the-pharmacist-netflix/