Author: ruth

I'm just an ordinary girl who loves flicks across all genres (except horror). From Jane Austen costume-dramas, lush fantasy epics to sfx-laden, full-throttle action, my taste in movies can be quite perplexing. My dad was in the film biz in the 70s in my home country Indonesia, so I guess I inherit his love for writing and movies. But it's my mother who first introduced Hollywood classics early in my upbringing. When I was about 11 or 12, she brought "Gone with the Wind," "The Sound of Music," and "My Fair Lady" VHS tapes from her European vacation. To this day, I still think Clark Gable is one hot & manly man (even for someone who despise mustache!); and who didn't have a crush on that stringent-but-hunky-in-uniform Captain Von Trapp? As for "My Fair Lady," the inimitably classy Audrey Hepburn was (and still is) the fairest maiden in Tinseltown. Top 10 Favorite movies: Batman Begins, Ben-Hur, Casino Royale, Dear Frankie, Gladiator, Moulin Rouge, Return to Me, Roman Holiday, Sense & Sensibility, The Gods Must Be Crazy.

FlixChatter Review: KODACHROME (2017)

On By ruthIn Flix Reviews4 Comments

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When this title flashed on Netflix, my hubby was instantly intrigued because he’s an amateur photographer who’s been dabbling in music scoring. The movie blends the subject of photography and music but essentially is a family drama featuring a struggling music executive Matt and his dying estranged father Ben. They end up taking a road trip together fro New York to Kansas in order to process Ben’s last rolls of Kodachrome film before the one and only remaining lab closes and his captured moments are gone forever.

The title refers to the brand name for a color reversal film introduced by Eastman Kodak in 1935, and this film was based on a 2010 New York Times article titled For Kodachrome Fans, Road Ends at Photo Lab in Kansas. Jason Sudekis plays Matt, Ed Harris is her famous photojournalist Ben, and Elizabeth Olsen plays Ben’s nurse Zooey. 

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There seems to be SO many films where the character suffers terminal illness that it becomes kind of a cliché. I do like road movies and the presence of Ed Harris as a curmudgeon man whose past is behind him actually makes for some amusing dialogue. I had just seen WandaVision AND Ted Lasso back to back so I’ve got to admit that the main reason I saw this was to see Wanda and Ted in the same movie. Of course after a while, the gleeful amusement wore off and we’re left with two so-so characters. Somehow I knew the two characters would end up together despite their initial not-so-cute meet up. For the most part, the most interesting relationship is the father/daughter one, so the romance feels a bit like a third wheel. There are some scenes where Matt and Zooey talk about their favorite music and bands, but somehow the whole thing feels forced as it seems to only be a contrivance for the two characters to bond.

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I think this is the first time I saw Sudekis in a dramatic role, and though he’s not as effortless in that genre, I think he’s proven to be a versatile actor. For sure he’s instantly sympathetic and comes across as a genuinely nice guy despite saying some very nasty things. I quite like the way Matt’s journey plays out in the film as it peels back the layers to tell us why he’s so resentful of his dad. There are some memorable scenes of them visiting Ben’s brother on their journey and naturally tensions rise as uncle Dean(Bruce Greenwood) and his wife actually raised Matt. Zooey’s character on the other hand, isn’t fleshed out at all, but at least she’s more than just the token girlfriend.

The film feels personal to director Mark Raso, his passion for the subject matter is palpable. DP Alan Poon shot the film beautifully on 35mm Kodak film so the visuals are lovely as well. Unfortunately, the sentimental melodrama and predictability dampens it from being truly great. You can see where the story is going long before it happens, which takes away some of the key moments. I knew exactly what the contents of Ben’s Kodachrome films before they are revealed and that Matt would come to defend his dad during a crucial moment that affects his career. Those moments are still able to tug my heartstrings however. The really poignant moments comes from Ed Harris, especially when they’ve reached Kansas and he’s recognized by other photographers. The character almost feel like it’s based on a real person and I could imagine a photojournalist who constantly travels would probably have a strained family relationship.

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Kodachrome isn’t the greatest family drama out there, but still worth a watch for Harris’ performance that always elevates the material.

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Thursday Movie Picks: Female Cinematographers

On By ruthIn Featured Actor/Filmmaker, The Flix List10 Comments

ThursdayMoviePicks

Given today’s THURSDAY MOVIE PICK‘s topic is on female cinematographers, I thought I’d reblog this post I did last November.

Check out my appreciation for the fabulous work of Charlotte Bruus Christensen, Rachel Morrison, Maryse Alberti, Mandy Walker, and Ellen Kuras

FlixChatter Film Blog

I’d been wanting to do this post for a while, but somehow haven’t got around to it. Well, thanks to last week’s Thursday Movie Picks on favorite cinematography, which I had actually missed, I thought I should make up for it this week.

The awesome topic came from Brittani who went with films highlighting female cinematographers on her post, so for this list I’m picking five female DPs whose work I admire, and it’s safe to say they’re some of the best DPs working today.

Before I get to that, I must say that perhaps more so than other key players in filmmaking like directors/writers/producers, DPs are still very much a man’s world. Based on WomenAndHollywood.com, of the top 300 films from 2016 to 2018, 97% were male and 3% were female were credited as the director of photography (DP) across the top live action films, which translates…

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Musings on AMERICAN PSYCHO (2000) – released 21 years ago today

On By ruthIn Flix Reviews3 Comments

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Yesterday I stumbled upon the fact that American Psycho was released on April 14, 2000, which was 21 years ago today. I can’t remember when I saw this movie exactly, but for sure it was before Christian Bale became the caped crusader. So before he became Batman, his big break was playing Patric Bateman. Written/directed by Mary Harron, based on a Bret Easton Ellis‘ novel, this dark satire has become a cult classic since it debuted at Sundance. The reception was unsurprisingly mixed, some praised it for its great screenplay and performances (especially Bale’s), but the violent nature didn’t land well with some people. To be honest, I remember fast forwarding some of the really horrific scenes, especially the graphic violence against women. 

A film about a narcissistic psychopath who delves into his violent, hedonistic fantasies isn’t exactly for everyone, but its satirical message was spot on for its time… and still true today. It’s a bold, unrelenting, even vicious commentary on vanity, gross excess and reckless materialism… as this Guardian article points out, “Bateman would probably be held up as an archetypal model of American success, were it not for the fact of him being a murdering psychopath. The book directly compares the power-longing, money-grubbing tendencies of the American WASPish elite to mental dysfunction.”

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I really can’t imagine anyone else but Bale as Bateman and he apparently campaigned heavily for the role, ignoring many people’s advice that it’d be career suicide to do this part. Bale even turned down parts/auditions for nearly a year in the hope of winning this part, clearly that gamble paid off for him!

This Vulture interview with Mary Haron, she spoke about how Bale was perfect for the role and his dedication for it, and nearly losing him because the producers wanted Leo DiCaprio as he was a bigger star than Bale.

But the part that really got me was how Bale transformed himself physically so quickly… which later became sort of a signature for him as a shape shifter. This is what Haron answered when asked if Bale had already looked fit like Bateman:

“No, no, no, he was this skinny English kid. I said, “Christian, have you ever been to a gym?” He said no. And I said, “Well maybe you should go to a gym, because Patrick Bateman works out, so just get a gym membership.” Two weeks later, he’s totally transformed. I had no idea how obsessive Christian was or what I was unleashing with this kind of casual comment.”

The ensemble cast is pretty amazing!! Jared Leto, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Josh Lucas, Justin Theroux, Reese Witherspoon, and Willem Dafoe. 

Of course since Suicide Squad came out, I can’t get over the fact that here Batman did kill the Joker, mwahahahaha!!

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This is one of the most quotable movies and so many of them are hilarious!!

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Now THIS one is my personal favorite scene of mine… it made me smirk every time I see raised lettering on ANY business cards!

AMERICAN PSYCHO TRIVIA

Thanks to IMDb trivia, I feel like the behind-the-scenes drama warrants a making-of documentary of this film!

Per IMDb, the single biggest cost on the film was purchasing the rights to the various songs used throughout, including those from Genesis, Robert Palmer, Depeche Mode, Huey Lewis and the News, Chris de Burgh, and Simply Red.

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During the shooting of the film, Bale spoke in an American accent off-set at all times. At the wrap party, when he began to speak in his native English accent, many of the crew thought he was speaking that way as an accent for another film. They had thought he was American throughout the entire shoot.

When Leonardo DiCaprio was still attached to the project, feminist activist Gloria Steinem lobbied him not to make the film, as his fan base consisted predominately of young teenage girls, and he could ruin his career. Steinem had spoken out about the novel several times and was against the film version in any incarnation. Her involvement is rendered especially interesting insofar as she would soon become Bale’s stepmother (as Steinem and Bale’s father were dating at the time that Bale accepted the part). Bale later dismissed rumors that he specifically accepted the role to irk Steinem as unsubstantiated gossip.

Looking for a way to create the character of Patrick Bateman, Bale stumbled onto a Tom Cruise appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman (1993). According to co-writer and director Mary Haron, Bale saw in Cruise “this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes,” and Bale subsequently based the character of Bateman on that. Interestingly, Cruise is actually featured in the novel. He lives in the same apartment complex as Bateman, who meets him in an elevator and gets the name of Cocktail (1988) wrong, calling it “Bartender.”

Someone made this music monologues on YouTube, and I just had to include it here

Now, it’s been reported that Whitney Houston did not allow her songs to be used in the film because of its violence. But you could hear The Greatest Love of All in the background, and per this article, here’s why:

Lynn Volkman, Houston’s representative, said ”since they’re not using Whitney’s version, and she didn’t write the song, they didn’t need to come to us.” She added, ”if the public perceives this to be a Whitney song, I think I’m going to call her lawyer and see what his thoughts are.” In the final film, Bateman discusses Houston even over an instrumental version of ‘The Greatest Love of All.” Houston became a part of the American Psycho mythos — even if she didn’t like the film’s violence.

Let me end with one of my fave gifs from the movie…

Well, what do you think of AMERICAN PSYCHO?

FlixChatter Review: FRENCH EXIT (2020)

On By ruthIn Flix Reviews2 Comments

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I saw this movie a while ago but I just kept getting distracted by other films to finally got a chance to review it. The story is based on Patrick deWitt’s elite-society satire novel of the same name, with the author himself also penning the screenplay. Now, not having read the book, I can’t compare the two, though on paper I could see how the premise could potentially work as a movie. Whether the book translates well onto screen is another matter entirely however,  but one thing for sure, Michelle Pfeiffer is perfectly cast as the protagonist. Frances Price is an elegant and eccentric Manhattan widow who after a mere dozen years after her husband’s death has ran out of her inheritance. She manages to convert whatever left off her assets into cash before she jets off to Paris to stay in her fellow socialite girlfriend’s apartment, taking her sullen son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges) and her black cat in tow. The oddly named cat Small Frank proves to be a significant plot point that takes an even bizarre turn later in the movie.

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Frances is the kind of woman who doesn’t seem to let anything ruffles her… she didn’t break down or cry even when her accountant informs her that all the money’s gone. The role seems to be made for Le Pfeiffer who’s effortlessly charming and can beguile you with simply a look or a subtle gesture. She also looks amazing in her opulent attire, I especially love her fringed black dress and fur-lined camel coat. There’s always an air of mystery about her and I have to admit that’s what helps keeps me engaged in this movie. Hardly anything happens and some of the bizarre things that do happen, such as when they encounter a clairvoyant (Danielle Macdonald) on the ship, it’s done in such a nonchalant way that one can’t help but just shrugs it off.

The mother/son pairing of Pfeiffer and Hedges seems interesting at first, given how defiantly passive he is. He seems devoid of emotion as he casually dumps his fiancée Susan (an underutilized Imogen Poots) to accompany his mother. After a time, Malcolm grows more baffling and deeply unaffecting, and I wish there’s a better chemistry between the two. Now, Malcolm’s dullness is more of the fault of the script than Hedges’ acting. In fact, I think all the actors did their best to elevate the material and its skeleton thin plot. Director Azazel Jacobs peppers the film with lovely Parisian scenery, but it can only distract me for so long before I long for something meaningful in this movie. In the third act, suddenly the small apartment is crowded with people Frances meets along the way. Valerie Mahaffey as Frances’ quirky French neighbor Madame Reynard, Isaach De Bankolé as the private investigator have some memorable moments. Even Susan suddenly turns up with her boyfriend (Daniel di Tomasso) and things gets pretty chaotic.

There are some supernatural elements in the final act that makes the film even more surreal. Frances asks Madeline to channel Frances’ dead husband, in the apartment bathroom of all places! It’s also here that we learn why Small Frank behaves the way it behaves and why he’s given such a bizarre name. This revelation is seemingly random, instead of something that’s been an organic progress from the beginning. The few moments between Frances and her caring best friend Joan (Susan Coyne) is quite amusing as Frances is self-aware that ‘her life is riddled with clichés.’ There’s also a rather poignant scene of her reaching out to a homeless person outside her apartment, perhaps her last desperate attempts to find meaning in her hollow existence. It all feels a little too late however, thus it doesn’t really carry any emotional resonance.

Overall, despite Pfeiffer’s delightful performance, this movie doesn’t really stick in my mind long after its closing credits. It’s as if the writer is only interested in making the characters bizarre for its own sake instead of people we can connect or relate to in a meaningful way. I do like seeing Pfeiffer in a more comedic role, and she’s truly the reason this movie is worth a watch.

Have you seen FRENCH EXIT? Well, what did you think?

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FlixChatter Review: Wolfwalkers (2021)

On By ruthIn Flix Reviews4 Comments

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A young apprentice hunter and her father journey to Ireland to help wipe out the last wolf pack. But everything changes when she befriends a free-spirited girl from a mysterious tribe rumored to transform into wolves by night.

I’ve been a longtime fan of Cartoon Saloon, an Irish Animation Studio based in Kilkenny, Ireland that’s earned five Academy Award nominations, including this one. Wolfwalkers marks the last of the Celtic folklore trilogy that starts with The Secret of Kells (my intro to the Cartoon Saloon) and Song of The Sea, this time directed by Tomm Moore (one of the studio’s founders) and Ross Stewart. Once again, the main draw for me is the stunning visuals, merging traditional art techniques with modern digital methods.

The story takes place in mid 1600s Ireland in the town of Kilkenny where residents are ordered to clear the neighboring woods for farming from an authoritative Lord Protector (Simon McBurney). Now, a pack of wolves are living in the woods and Cromwell have summoned hunter Bill Goodfellowe (Sean Bean) to help exterminate them as they’re scaring the woodcutters. Bill’s daughter Robyn (Honor Kneafsey) is a rebellious teen who feels confined in Kilkenny, so of course, she defies her dad’s order to stay put and sneak out to the woods herself with her pet falcon, Merlin.

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I love a story of unlikely friendship and that’s a frequent theme used in Moore’s animated features. So that’s the case again here when a mysterious girl who lives amongst the wolves end up becoming friends with Robyn. In all of the promos for Wolfwalkers, there’s always this striking image of a girl with huge eyes and even bigger orange mane. I’m immediately mesmerized by Mebh (Eva Whittaker) who calls herself a ‘wolfwalker’ as she can talk to wolves. Despite Robyn’s initial hesitation (naturally people are afraid of things they don’t understand), the two form a bond as they’re both free-spirited and also feel misunderstood. As it turns out, the ‘wolfwalkers’ are in search of a new home, So Robyn devices a plan for a nonviolent way to free the woods of the wolves, but Bill simply wouldn’t hear of it and gets upset with Robyn for being disobedient.

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It’s interesting too that Robyn’s rather strained relationship with her over-protective father is in direct contrast to how close Mebh’s bond is with her mother who hasn’t come back from her travels. There’s an emotional scene when Mebh is distressed and misses her mother, surrounded by her wolf family who are equally sad, and you just feel for them. She may appear cool and confident, but just like any kid, she longs the care of her parent and that is a universal familial theme anyone can relate to.

The supernatural aspects of the Irish mythology is fascinating and certainly makes for some magical hand-drawn visuals. I absolutely love the ‘transformation’ sequences where the human turns into wolves and vice versa. Though I’ve seen other Cartoon Saloon movies and familiar with their work, I think Wolfwalkers take the visual flair up several notches. The colors, attention to detail, everything is so distinctly unique and sets it apart from other animated features. Even though the technique is obviously state-of-the-art, but there’s still something wonderfully traditional and organic to their drawing that I find so beguiling!

The setting is similar to The Secret of Kells as it’s set in the woods with its lush greenery. Once again, the imagery is so evocative that you could practically smell the trees, flowers, damp moss, and the leafy grounds the characters tread on. Whether at night or during the day, the visuals is always magical to behold.

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Story-wise, it draws parallel to real history in terms of how England has had its control over Ireland. But even if we don’t quite know the historical significance, it touches upon the theme of fear and what the leaders consider as ‘evil’ in the world… and the consequence of making enemies with those who are perceived as different from us. The way the Lord Protector demonizes the wolf, and the stern way it’s defending its patriarchy and status quo, is quite relevant to what happens in today’s society.

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I grew up watching Disney animated movies, and I continue to appreciate animated features which have grown more and more sophisticated. Of course as I grow older, I crave a deeper story in these films and that’s what this animation studio delivers on top of the stunning visuals. It’s a feast for our eyes as well as ears, as the Wolfwalkers’ soundtrack is also amazing! Frequent Cartoon Saloon collaborator Bruno Coulais composes the ethereal, Celtic-tinged music. I especially love the song used in the trailer, Running with the Wolves, performed by Sofia Coulais and Camille Joutard, but all of them are lovely to listen to.

If I’m allowed to have one gripe however, is that in the final act, the resolution feels a bit too conveniently perfect. SPOILER ALERT (highlight to read) When Bill gets bitten by Moll, Mebh’s mother in wolf form, he too becomes a wolfwalker and ends up attacking the Lord Protector in his wolf form to save his injured daughter. The villain ends up plunging to his death in an epic way, but then Bill quickly embraces his wolfwalker identity and the movie hints that he and Moll find love and they all live happily ever after as they all ride a wagon to find their new home, with the wolves pack running alongside them.

I suppose it’s fine to see a happy ending here, after all it’s a conclusion of the Irish folklore trilogy, I just wasn’t expecting the ‘happily ever after’ trope here. To its credit though, at least it doesn’t feel too saccharine sweet, and given the grim pandemic period we’re all living in, we could all use a happy ending to sweep us off our feet. So thank you, Tom Moore + co. for giving us nearly two hours of beautiful visual feast to escape to. I know I’ll be rewatching this one for years to come.

Moore has been nominated for an Oscar for The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea, but has not won. I love that someone started a hashtag #WolfwalkersShouldWin on Twitter and I wholeheartedly agree. I am hoping the third time’s the charm and I’ll be rooting for them come Sunday, April 25!

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Have you WOLFWALKERS? Well, what did you think?


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Thursday Movie Picks: Amateur Sleuth

On By ruthIn Blog Events, The Flix List24 Comments

ThursdayMoviePicksHappy almost Friday! It’s TMP time! The Thursday Movie Picks blogathon was spearheaded by Wandering Through the Shelves Blog.

The rules are simple simple: Each week there is a topic for you to create a list of three movies. Your picks can either be favourites/best, worst, hidden gems, or if you’re up to it one of each. This Thursday’s theme is… AMATEUR SLEUTH.

This is a fun topic and there are tons to pick from! I always like to mix classic and contemporary movies, so that’s what I’ll do again here.

SPELLBOUND (1945)

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A psychiatrist protects the identity of an amnesia patient accused of murder while attempting to recover his memory.

Any chance I can talk about Gregory Peck I’ll jump at it, ha! This is the film I fell for the ridiculously handsome classic actor with a swoon-worthy deep voice, who was only 29 at the time in his fourth feature film. It set off an obsession for the next year, now I owned pretty much ALL of his movies!

Gregory Peck Ingrid Bergman Spellbound

Can’t believe it’s a decade ago since I saw this, I have to rewatch this soon. It’s actually the first time I saw Ingrid Bergman as well, and both of them light up the screen as they fall in love. I like the double mystery of solving Peck’s character’s amnesia issue through psychoanalysis, and figuring out the killer of the real doctor. Classic Hitchcock in terms of direction, camera work, visual style, mood, etc. featuring a brief but memorable the dream sequence by Salvador Dali. I also love Miklós Rózsa‘s astounding score, perhaps my fave of all Hitchcock movies. The final sequence is indelible as well, which has been copied many times over by other filmmakers.

REAR WINDOW (1954)

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A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.

I hadn’t planned on picking two Alfred Hitchcock films here, but well, he was the master of mystery noir. This one also features one of my fave classic actors, James Stewart, and another classic beauty Grace Kelly. 

This is definitely one of the best films confined in a single location, and the set design is absolutely astounding. Apparently the set was constructed specially for this movie, on the whole they built about 30 apartments and about half was fully furnished! I also love the costume design by the legendary Edith Head (notably all of Grace Kelly’s gorgeous dresses), I’m shocked she was NOT nominated for an Oscar for her work here.

Rear Window Costume Design

This movie was my January 2015 Blindspot pick, and I loved it! Despite the lighter, playful tone, the film packs a lot of interesting themes about psychology, human nature that are intrinsic in most of Hitchcock’s films.

BATMAN BEGINS (2005)

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After training with his mentor, Batman begins his fight to free crime-ridden Gotham City from corruption.

I gotta include one of my favorite comic-book films here. Bruce Wayne aka Batman is an amateur super sleuth and crime fighter. The first of Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight trilogy shows Bruce’s foray as a detective, teaming with up with Gotham City’s police commissioner Gordon. I LOVE the dynamic between Christian Bale and Gary Oldman, two of the best actors working today.

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Batman didn’t just bring down crime lord Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson) but also exposed the real villain Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson), the radical leader of League of Shadows who wants to destroy Gotham. It wouldn’t be a stretch to think of this film as a noir thriller that happens to have a superhero character in it, and I’m excited that the upcoming THE BATMAN will show the caped crusader in his detective mode than what we’ve seen in other films!

ZODIAC (2007)

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In the late 1960s/early 1970s, a San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac Killer, an unidentified individual who terrorizes Northern California with a killing spree.

I caught this one almost a decade after its release, which apparently didn’t do too well at the box office. It’s surprising given the star-studded cast, but then again this was a year before Robert Downey Jr. became Iron Man and long before Mark Ruffalo became his fellow Avenger as the Hulk. Interesting how the three leads have now become Marvel stars!

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At almost 2.5 hours long, this David Fincher murder mystery is more of a slo-burn film but an effective and suspenseful one. There are some lighter moments too between Jake Gyllenhaal and RDJ, as the film focuses on the life of the detectives on top of being a whodunnit type film. The sinister part is that the story is based on real events in the San Francisco Bay area, adapted from Robert Graysmith’s non-fiction book of the same name (Gyllenhall played Graysmith in the film).

So which are YOUR favorite movies about amateur sleuth?

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Film News I’m excited about – Olivia Colman, Helen Mirren, Julia Roberts + George Clooney

On By ruthIn Flix Reviews11 Comments

It’s been a while since I actually curated recent movie/casting news that I’m excited about. I was reading one after another involving filmmaker/actors I love so I thought I’d include them here. 

Sam Mendes, Olivia Colman Team for Love Story Empire of Light

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Per THR, the Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes will be directing his own script (his first solo outing as a screenwriter), with Olivia Colman set to star in what sounds like a romantic drama. Mendes will once again be teaming up Roger Deakins in this feature project, the acclaimed cinematographer he worked with on 1917, Skyfall and Revolutionary Road.

The premise is described as a love story, “set in and around a beautiful old cinema, on the South Coast of England in the 1980s.”

Aawwww…. I absolutely LOVE the sound of Empire of Light… even the title sounds enchanting. With Deakins as the DP, surely the film would look absolutely beautiful. Nice that they’re making love, not war, this time around.

I also love seeing love stories involving women in the prime time of their lives (not gonna say older woman, as she’s only a year older than I am, and women in mid 40s are NOT old). I wonder who they’ll cast opposite Colman. I actually like the pairing of her with Rufus Sewell in The Father, though they barely shared a scene together.

 Searchlight Pictures is the studio behind this and the movie is set for a Fall 2022 release. Can’t wait!!

Helen Mirren to Play Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in ‘Golda’

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Another intriguing biopic starring one of my favorite leading ladies!! Per The Wrap, Dame Helen Mirren will play another iconic historical figure, this time it’s as Israel’s only female Prime Minister, Golda Meir.

Guy Nattiv, an Israeli director (Oscar winner for the short film Skin) will direct the film from a screenplay by Florence Foster Jenkins‘ writer Nicholas Martin. The film is called Golda and focuses on the intensely dramatic and high-stake responsibilities and decisions she faced during the Yom Kippur War.

Here’s the full synopsis:

On October 6th, 1973, under cover of darkness, on Israel’s holiest day and during the month of Ramadan, the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan began a surprise attack on the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. Outnumbered and outgunned, Golda Meir confronts the immediate, clear and present danger of a ticking time bomb that she hoped never to face. Surrounded, isolated, and frustrated by the infighting of her all-male cabinet, with little hope of rescue, one woman is in a race against time to save millions of lives on both sides of the conflict.

Per the article, Nattiv was born during the Yom Kippur War, so naturally this is a personal story for him. Apparently during the final chapter of Meir’s life where this deadly surprise attack occurred, she was undergoing secret treatments for her illness. I personally am not familiar with the legendary leader, known as the Iron Lady of Israel, so I’m looking forward to seeing her story brought to life!

George Clooney & Julia Roberts re-teaming in rom-com Ticket To Paradise

George Clooney and Julia Roberts

Two of my favorite rom-coms are Notting Hill and One Fine Day, starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney, respectively. The two had only done the Ocean Eleven movies and a thriller called Money Monster (which I haven’t seen), so I like the idea of seeing them together in a romantic comedy!

Per Variety, director Ol Parker (the Mamma Mia movies) will direct this from a script he co-wrote with Daniel Pipski. Here’s the premise:

Clooney and Roberts will play a divorced couple that teams up and travels to Bali to stop their daughter from making the same mistake they think they made 25 years ago.

I was wondering if the film will be shot on location in Bali (an island in my home country Indonesia), but apparently it will in Queensland, Australia. Obviously they have good tax incentives there from the Australian federal government and from Screen Queensland’s Production Attraction Strategy. In any case, this sounds like a fun movie!

Now, as a film as well as theatre lover, THIS is something I cannot wait to watch!! National Theatre Live brings the best of British theatre to cinema screens all over the UK and beyond and this time they’re adapting another Shakespeare classic.

The National Theatre’s Romeo & Juliet

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This stylized film of Shakespeare’s masterpiece from the National Theatre celebrates the theatrical imagination. In this contemporary retelling, a company of actors in a shuttered theater bring to life the tale of two young lovers who strive to transcend a world of violence and hate. Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley star as Shakespeare’s immortal star-crossed lovers. Check out the trailer below:

Another actor from The Crown continues to be making waves I’ve been enchanted by Josh since he played Prince Charles in The Crown. I’ve only seen Jessie in a couple of movies and she’s pretty memorable, so this is quite an intriguing pairing. I notice British actor Adrian Lester in the cast as well, love his work. Per PBS’ website, Great Performances Executive Producer David Horn is quoted as saying “During the ongoing performance shutdown in London and New York, we’re delighted to participate in this compelling hybrid of theater and film that brings an exciting contemporary perspective to one of Shakespeare’s most iconic plays.” 

The production of this modern Shakespeare adaptation looks positively mesmerizing!

Romeo & Juliet Premieres Friday, April 23 at 9/8c on PBS.

Are you excited about these projects?