Author: Jeff Mitchell

‘The Seagull’ does not take off and fly

Jeff Mitchell

“The Seagull” – “It’s hot.  It’s quiet.  No one does anything.  Why does no one do anything?” – Irina (Annette Bening) After experiencing “The Seagull”, a film adaption of Anton Chekhov’s play, one might ask Irina’s question about the movie itself.  Sure, the A-list cast members – Bening, Saoirse Ronan, Elisabeth Moss, Corey Stoll, Billy Howle, Brian Dennehy, and Mare Winningham – do something.  More than something.  They bring their acting A-games to director Michael Mayer’s picture, but the uninspired and sometimes muddy visuals match the pedestrian pacing, and the…

‘On Chesil Beach’ refreshingly strays from typical romance themes

Jeff Mitchell

“On Chesil Beach” – “Actually, I’m a little bit scared.” – Florence (Saoirse Ronan) “I think I am too.” – Edward (Billy Howle) Chesil Beach, a natural barrier made of pebbles, stretches for 18 miles in Dorset along the English Channel.  This thin landmass of small rocks looks delicate from the air, but Chesil Beach is not an environmental wonder that just materialized overnight.  It has a solid foundation with eons of history. Edward and Florence, in their very early 20’s, get married and then honeymoon at an inn next…

Schrader and Hawke form a dark, absorbing partnership in ‘First Reformed’

Jeff Mitchell

“First Reformed” – Rev. Toller (Ethan Hawke) isn’t well. He’s hurting both mentally and physically. At 46, he feels lost.  To cope, he drinks.  He drinks too much. Thankfully, he is working.  Reverend Kyles (Cedric the Entertainer) secured him a job at the First Reformed Church.  A small, tourist place of worship, which is known more for its history rather than its present.  The pews remain mostly empty during Rev. Toller’s Sunday sermons, save a handful of followers, but First Reformed was built in 1767, and it is about to…