Month: September 2018

‘Colette’ excels as a fresh tale of ‘He said, She wrote’

Jeff Mitchell

“Colette” – The phrase “He said, She said” has pushed to the front of the country’s consciousness during the last week of September, and millions of Americans have staggered to the month’s finish, looking forward to the weekend and October.  Anything to turn the page. Director Wash Westmoreland’s picture is a figurative page-turner about the world-famous writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette or Colette (Keira Knightley) in a film defined by a troubled and colorful story of “He said, She wrote.” Opportunities for women at the turn of the 20th century were limited,…

Thompson, Tucci lead ‘The Children Act’ but the script needs discipline

Jeff Mitchell

“The Children Act” – “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” – Nelson Mandela Judge Fiona Maye (Emma Thompson) faces difficult decisions every day.  With stacks of high profile cases and judgments piled up in her well-documented history, the work refuses to slow down in her present.  On any given weekday, one can find Judge Maye quietly stewing in her chambers, pouring over documents, making phone calls, and wrestling with conflicting – and sometimes explosive – particulars. From…

This unnecessary rebirth of “A Star Is Born” does shine brightly

Jeff Mitchell

“A Star Is Born” – Lady Gaga can act, and Bradley Cooper can sing. If one takes away anything from director Bradley Cooper’s remake of “A Star Is Born”, it is the aforementioned statement. Cooper plays Jackson Maine, a famous country singer.  How famous?  The man cannot walk 20 yards without someone recognizing him, patting him on the back, claiming their fandom, and/or asking for a photo.  Jackson has the world by the tail, but not unlike every human, he suffers from flaws, and the biggest is his alcoholism. After…