June Pick: My Cousin Rachel

Because nothing likely to interest us had arrived in time for the first Tuesday of this month, we're postponing our outing to the second Tuesday, June 13th, when we'll be seeing My Cousin Rachel. 

It's a remake of the 1952 version of the Victorian-era novel by Daphne du Maurier. Back then, Olivia de Haviland starred as a woman suspected by her cousin, played by Richard Burton, of evil doings. This time, Rachel Weisz takes the title role while Sam Claflin glowers as her suspicious cousin.

SYNOPSIS: 

A dark romance, the movie tells the story of a young Englishman who plots revenge against his mysterious, beautiful cousin, believing that she murdered his guardian. But his feelings become complicated as he finds himself falling under the beguiling spell of her charms.

REVIEWS:

At this writing, no reviews of this new version of My Cousin Rachel had been published. So instead, especially for you true cinephiles, is Bosley Crowther's New York Times review of the original version:  

http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9501EFDD1E3AE23BBC4E51DFB4678389649EDE

May Pick: The Circle

Our pick this month, The Circle, is a sci-fi thriller based on Dave Eggers' chillingly prophetic 2013 novel of the same name. Tom Hanks stars as the Steve Jobs-like mastermind at a seemingly benign company that a young programmer, played by Emma Watson, is overjoyed to join. That is until its overwhelmingly pervasive corporate culture makes her feel that Big Brother is not only watching but ... 'nuff said for now.

We'll be seeing The Circle at the Yonge-Dundas Cineplex on Tuesday, May 2, for the 1:15 screening. As always, we'll try to meet near the box office about 20 minutes earlier. But if don't see me or other club members when you arrive, just go in and watch the movie. 

SYNOPSIS:  When Mae (Emma Watson) is hired to work for the world's largest and most powerful tech & social media company, she sees it as an opportunity of a lifetime. As she rises through the ranks, she is encouraged by the company's founder, Eamon Bailey (Tom Hanks), to engage in a groundbreaking experiment that pushes the boundaries of privacy, ethics and ultimately her personal freedom. Her participation in the experiment, and every decision she makes begin to affect the lives and future of her friends, family and that of humanity.

TRAILER:  https://www.cinemaclock.com/ont/toronto/movies/the-circle-2017/videos

REVIEW:  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/27/movies/the-circle-review-emma-watson-tom-hanks.html?_r=0

April Pick: The Zookeeper's Wife

A suspenseful WWII-era drama is our April pick. Based on a true story, The Zookeeper's Wife focuses on the incredibly dangerous strategy undertaken by a woman who, with her husband, is in charge of the Warsaw Zoo. Their chosen mission is to shelter as many people and animals as possible from Nazi brutality. Jessica Chastain (Oscar-nominated for her stunning work in The Help) stars in the title role.

We'll be seeing the film at the Varsity Cinema (ManuLife Centre, Bay & Bloor) on Tuesday, April 4, for the12:00 screening. As always, we'll gather near the box office about 20 minutes earlier. If you don't see me or other Movie Club members, just go in and watch the film and meet us afterward if you plan to nosh & natter at Scaccia downstairs.

SYNOPSIS: The time is 1939 and the place is Poland, homeland of Antonina Zabinski and her husband, Dr. Jan Zabinski. The Warsaw Zoo flourishes under Jan's stewardship and Antonina's care. When their country is invaded by the Nazis, Jan and Antonina are forced to report to the Reich's newly appointed chief zoologist, Lutz Heck. The Zabinskis covertly begin working with the Resistance and put into action plans to save the lives of hundreds from what has become the Warsaw Ghetto.

TRAILER: http://www.thenews.pl/1/11/Artykul/280849,Film-about-WarsawZoo-couple-who-saved-Jews-to-premiere-in-2017

REVIEW: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-zookeepers-wife-2017

March Pick: The Last Word

For those of us in need of some wry laughs just now, thanks to the weather and the inescapable politics down south - count me in - I've chosen a comedy called The Last Word, which stars Shirley MacLaine as ... well, read the synopsis and review below and you'll get the idea.

We'll be seeing the film at the Varsity Cinema (ManuLife Centre, Bay & Bloor) on Tuesday, March 14, for the 2:00 screening. As always, we'll gather near the box office about 20 minutes earlier. If you don't see me or other Movie Club members, just go in and watch the film and meet us afterward if you plan to nosh & natter at Scaccia downstairs.

SYNOPSIS:  In The Last Word, Shirley MacLaine is Harriet Lauler, a once successful businesswoman in tight control of every aspect of her life. As she reflects upon her accomplishment, she's suddenly inspired to engage a young local writer, Anne Sherman (Amanda Seyfried), to pen her life's story. When the initial result doesn't meet Harriet's high expectations, she sets out to reshape the way she is remembered, with Anne dragged along as an unwilling accomplice. As the journey unfolds, the two women develop a unique bond which alters not only Harriet's legacy, but also Anne's future.

• CAST: Shirley MacLaine, Amanda Seyfried, Thomas Sadoski, Philip Hall, Gedde Watanabe, Tom Everett Scott 
• 
  

TRAILER: https://www.cinemaclock.com/ont/toronto/movies/the-last-word-2017/videos

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REVIEW - NOW Magazine:  The Last Word stars Shirley MacLaine, gloriously grumpy - and appealing - as Harriet Lawlor, a former ad executive who wants to edit her own obit. She enlists the help of the obit writer at her local daily (Amanda Seyfried), who quickly discovers that there isn't a person who's crossed Harriet's path that has a nice thing to say about her. That's okay with Harriet, who decides she'll just start doing the kind of stuff that generates an inspiring obit. Surprise - she turns out to have a heart beating under all that bravado. MacLaine dominates with her kick-ass energy and Seyfried is convincingly pissed off and teary in all the right places. Sure, the pic is a by-the-numbers heartwarmer whose every narrative move you can predict 10 minutes before it unfolds. But it also has MacLaine.

February Pick: The Founder

After the annual flurry of terrific movies released during the holidays, there's a virtual dearth of good ones opening by the first Tuesday of February. So, with apologies to any club member who's already seen it, I chose a movie that opened a week or so ago for our February pick. 

It is The Founder, for which star Michael Keaton is (as usual) drawing rave reviews. He plays Ray Kroc, the oddball whose epiphany about what a game-changer fast food franchising could be, turned a tiny business into a global behemoth.

We'll be seeing The Founder at the Yonge/Dundas Cineplex for the 1:45 screening - meaning that, as always, we'll try to gather near the box office about 20 minutes earlier. Those who wish to nosh & natter after seeing the film will do so at Spring Rolls.

SYNOPSIS:  The true story of how Ray Kroc (Keaton), a salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers' speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. He maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire.

TRAILER:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX2uz2XYkbo 

REVIEWS: 
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/peter-travers-the-founder-movie-review-w455928

http://observer.com/2017/01/the-founder-review-michael-keaton-rex-reed/

January Pick: La La Land

If you've waited to see La La Land, which is being called a "musical masterpiece" that hearkens back to those wonderful all-dancing all-singing films so many of us love, your reward is to see it with your fellow Movie Club members. 

We'll do so on Tuesday, January 10, at the Yonge/Dundas Cineplex for the 1:20 screening (meeting, as always, near the box office about 20 minutes earlier). Here are the deets about a flick that's being touted for Oscar gold this year.


SYNOPSIS:  Director Damien Chazelle, who made his first big splash with Whiplash, has his characters "dare to swoon the old-fashioned way," as Variety's review described the movie. 

“La La Land,” the review goes on to say, "is set in contemporary Los Angeles, but its heart and soul are rooted in the past, and so are its characters: Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a sleek jazz pianist in silk ties who’s a cranky purist about what he listens to, what he plays, and where he plays it, and Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress and playwright who’s deep into the magic of the old movie stars, though she’s a tad less obsessive about her fixation. 

"She works as a barista on the Warner Bros. lot and is always cutting out of work to get to auditions; if one of them ever resulted in her landing an acting job, she’d probably be ecstatic no matter what it was. These two meet, scuffle, and fall in love, and they do it through a series of song-and-dance numbers, composed by Justin Hurwitz (the lyrics are by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul), that are tenderly shocking in their catchy anachronistic beauty. The film’s score is such a melodious achievement that there are moments it evokes the bittersweet majesty of George Gershwin." You can read the entire Variety review at: http://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/la-la-land-review-venice-ryan-gosling-emma-stone-1201846576/.

TRAILER:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pdqf4P9MB8

December Pick: Allied

For our December pick, I've chosen a spot of escapism from our own troubled times. It is Allied, a romantic WWII thriller that's been called "a bit like Casablanca in reverse." Brad Pitt plays a Canadian wing commander serving in the Royal Air Force and Marion Cotillard plays ... well, let's decide for ourselves after seeing Robert Zemeckis' latest film.

We'll see Allied at the Varsity Cinema (ManuLife Centre, Bay & Bloor) for the 1:10 screening, meaning that we'll meet near the box office about 20 minutes earlier.

SYNOPSIS:
Allied is the story of intelligence officer Max Vatan (Brad Pitt), who in 1942 North Africa encounters French Resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour (Marion Cotillard) on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Reunited in London, their relationship is threatened by the extreme pressures of the war.

TRAILER:

http://www.cinemaclock.com/ont/toronto/movies/allied-2016/videos/206365

REVIEW:  http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/movies/allied-review-brad-pitt-marion-cotillard.html?referrer=google_kp&_r=0

BTW, if you missed my email about this, the Movie Club members who attempted to see our November Pick, Hacksaw Ridge, ended up walking out because the Yonge/Dundas Cineplex insisted that it could only be seen in the VIP auditorium, where ticket prices are $20. I asked why and was given some flimsy excuse about the film being presented there because it has mature themes and violence. "Uh," I replied, "you mean like most other films you're presenting at regular prices?" No answer I could understand was offered. And when I inquired whether VIP prices were being charged at other Cineplexes, the answer was no. I lodged a complaint in the name of LIFE's Movie Club, but don't hold your breath waiting for a change in policy.