Paterson (2016) - Bus driver poetry drama a small gem

♥♥♥♥

 

+ Best New Jersey Movie of the Year

 

Lots of scribbles and a dramatic love-uttering tag-line lies around the sleeping couple on this poster for Jim Jarmusch's Paterson

 

Paterson is a bus driver and part-time poet in Paterson, New Jersey. His Iranian-American wife wants him to deliver his works in public, but he is more private about them.

 

Paterson is written and directed by Ohioan master filmmaker Jim Jarmusch (Permanent Vacation (1980)), with William Carlos Williams (The Term (2003, short)) and Ron Padgett contributing poems. It is Jarmusch's 13th feature.

Production-wise likely Jarmusch's smallest venture in years, Paterson is also his first good film since Broken Flowers (2005). In Paterson he seems to have created an alter ego following the line of thought; if I hadn't become X (a filmmaker), what else might I have ended up as? (A bus driver/poet apparently.) On the surface one might find it a bit grating that a bus driver in himself is not interesting enough, - that one of everyday life's heroes in this way only seems to 'exist' in Jarmusch's world, if they also produce art just as himself. But this is really more related to Jarmusch's own passion for everything creative than a statement of the real world and its inhabitants.

If you care for poetry, this will ramp up your enjoyment of Paterson, which may otherwise seem small and dull. Adam Driver (House of Gucci (2021)) is good but almost too handsome for the title role of the good and supportive husband, and Golshifteh Farahani (Extraction II (2023, VoD)) is sweet as his cupcake-baking love. Barry Shabaka Henley (A Star Is Born (2018)) is delightful in a supporting role as an honest bar owner. 

Paterson is undeniably smaller than the greatest of Jarmusch's heyday (Dead Man (1995) and others), but nevertheless a good one.

 

Related posts:

Jim Jarmusch: 2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2013 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED VI]

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) - Jarmusch's drowsy vampires, an overrated bore

2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

The Limits of Control (2009) - Jarmusch hits career low with idea-bereft embarrassment 
Broken Flowers (2005) - Hip search for son and self with Jarmusch and Murray
Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) - Pleasant, precious vignette sit-down with some wonderful people    
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) - Whitaker serves ancient samurai justice in Jarmusch's cool treat   

1995 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 
Dead Man (1995) - Jarmusch's bold, poetic, rich Americana masterpiece 
Top 10: The best B/W movies reviewed by Film Excess to date  
Down by Law (1986) - Jarmusch's jailbreak movie is an independent character gem 

 

 

Watch a trailer for the movie here

 

Cost: 5 mil. $

Box office: 10.7 mil. $

= Flop (returned 2.14 times its cost)

[Paterson premiered 16 May (Cannes Film Festival, main competition) and runs 118 minutes. Driver reportedly took a commercial bus driver's license for the part. Shooting took place in the Fall of 2015 for 30 days in New York and New Jersey. The film opened #36 to a 69k $ first weekend in 4 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #32 and in 70 theaters (different weeks), grossing 2.1 mil. $ (19.6 % of the total gross). North America was the film's 2nd biggest market. The biggest was France with 2.7 mil. $ (25.2 %) and 3rd biggest was Poland with 878k $ (8.2 %). The film lost the Palme d'Or to I, Daniel Blake. Jarmusch returned with Gimme Danger (2016, documentary) and theatrically with The Dead Don't Die (2019). Driver returned in Silence (2016); Farahani in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). Paterson is certified fresh at 96 % with an 8.50/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Paterson?

House of Gucci (2021) - Gaga slays as Patrizia Reggiani

♥♥♥♥

 

+ Best Period Movie of the Year + Best True-Crime Movie of the Year  

 

An expensively dressed cadre of top stars front this dark poster for Ridley Scott's House of Gucci

Patrizia is the opportunistic daughter of a truck company owner from Milan, who manages to hook the heir to the Gucci fashion empire. But her possessive, power-focused personality makes for a sour life for her unwitting law student beau.

 

House of Gucci is written by Becky Johnston (Under the Cherry Moon (1986)) and Roberto Bentivegna (El Otro Lado (2008, short)), based on the non-fiction book The House of Gucci: A Sensational of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed (2001) by Sara Gay Forden, and directed by British master filmmaker Ridley Scott (The Duellists (1977)), whose 27th feature it is. 

The colorful, tabloid media-qualified chain of events are served with a distanced, brisk touch and an ironic distance, an eye for the gauche and pompous in both the rough-diamond outsider, who turns out to be a scheming gold-digger, and the inflated egos at large in the Gucci family. This provides nice parts for Al Pacino (Two for the Money (2005)), a clownish Jared Leto (How to Make an American Quilt (1995)) as the family's black-sheep cousin, and Jeremy Irons (Eragon (2006)), who is especially good as the unlucky heir's (Adam Driver (The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018))) father. Salma Hayek (Grown Ups 2 (2013)) is fun in a small role as a psychic.

But the main act, of course, is Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born (2018)), who owns the film as Patrizia Reggiani. Patrizia has a temper, and she doesn't like to lose. A juicy role, where Gaga gets a chance to show her skills in plenty of outrageous, stylish, (including many bad taste extreme) outfits and wigs - as well as sunglasses and ski goggles, and hats! She is the main reason to watch House of Gucci, and she is on fire here as a ruthless and sometimes frightening woman.

The narrative moves without ever becoming very surprising, but it maintains an entertaining energy due to the performances and light grip on the material. There are no heroes in House of Gucci, which is peopled by deeply flawed, mostly self-serving characters, which makes it somehow very relatable I think. It is impressive work by the 82 year-old filmmaker.

Related posts:

Ridley Scott: 2021 in films - according to Film Excess 

The Martian (2015) - Scott and Damon triumph with hopeful sci-fi adventure  

Prometheus (2012) or, Even Then, Space Eggs Were Bad News
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Robin Hood (2010) - R. Scott's grand film of the English legend 

2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2008 in films - according to Film Excess 

Body of Lies (2008) - R. Scott's terror actioner is a fatiguing turkey 

2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2007 in films - according to Film Excess 

American Gangster (2007) - Great American - now black - gangster picture
A Good Year (2006) - Ridley Scott likes Provence

Matchstick Men (2003) - Great Cage job highlights entertaining Scott crime dramedy 

Hannibal (2001) - Grisly highlights in low-yielding Scott sequel 

2000 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Gladiator (2000) - Experience the grandeur of the Roman Empire in Scott's dramatic masterpiece

G.I. Jane (1997) or, The Amazing Seal Woman! 

Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date  
Blade Runner (1982) director's cut - Visual extravaganza, great SF 

Top 10: Best future-set movies
Alien (1979) or, Space Eggs Are Bad News

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

 

Cost: 75 mil. $

Box office: 93 mil. $ and counting

= Too early to say

[House of Gucci premiered 9 November (London) and runs 158 minutes. Several directors and stars had been attached to the project since 2006. Shooting took place from March - May 2021 in Italy, including in Rome. The film opened #3, behind fellow new release Encanto and holdover hit Ghostbusters: Afterlife, to a 22 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it has since spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#3-#4) so far, grossing 41 mil. $. It is set to release in 7 more markets in December, January and February, including Italy, Australia, South Korea and Japan. Reggiani and descendants of the Guccis, and designer/filmmaker Tom Ford, have all attacked the film in the press. Scott is set to return with Kitbag. Gaga does not have her next acting gig announced yet; Driver returns in 65 (2022). House of Gucci is fresh at 61 % with a 6.10/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of House of Gucci?

Girls - season 3 (2014) - Life-troubled bunch start to give grey hairs

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The recurring cast members of the third season of Lena Dunham's Girls in a messy hotel room arrangement makes up its poster

Creator/co-director/co-star Lena Dunham's (Camping (2018, TV-series)) amusing New York-set youth comedy returns with regulars Hannah (Dunham), Marnie (Allison Williams (American Dreams (2004, TV-series)), Jessa (Jemima Kirke (Wild Honey Pie! (2018)) and Shoshana (Zozia Mamet (The Boy Downstairs (2017)) as the girls, and regular boyfriends Adam (Adam Driver (Frances Ha (2012)) and Ray (Alex Karpovsky (Happy Baby (2016)).

The following contains SPOILERS:

 

Jessa has been to rehab, and three of her friends drive up to take her home from there, but all four are caught in teenage-like behavior systems (ep. 2: Truth or Dare). Hannah's crazy magazine editor boss (John Cameron Mitchell) gets found dead in the Hudson River, and Hannah's response doesn't compute as the proper amount of grief according to her surroundings (ep. 4: Dead Inside). Hannah escalates her blunted reaction by using his funeral as a venue for her getting a good book deal. Marnie begins an illicit affair with Shoshana's first real boyfriend Ray. Hannah somehow lands a job at GQ magazine and worries about her creative writing, and whether boyfriend Adam will cheat on her, as he has landed his first Broadway acting job.

A rather extreme episode (ep. 9: Flo) has us meeting Hannah's mother (whom we knew), but also her aunts and cousin - and the group of women seem to compete in being the most unbearable, hysterical, ridiculous and bothersome. This, of course (?), around the passing of Hannah's grandmother (June Squibb). Luckily not a relatable episode on my part.

Jessa relapses to her drug problem, as Marnie explores her singing talent, and Adam breaks up with Hannah for a spell. She quits her magazine job and trashes everyone there on the way out, and later discovers Ray and Marnie's affair. (Quite funny ep. 11: I Saw You).

Shoshana discovers Ray's infidelity and is infuriated, but her attempts at winning him back are unsuccessful. Jessa helps a handicapped artist she works for with euthanasia, then thinks twice and calls 911. For Hannah, the series ends on a high note, with a promise of something new.

 

The child-like young adult characters sometimes are more pathetic and irritating than funny, as the season kicks off, and their very short perspective on reality also wearies considerably, especially in the first half of the season.This puts a depressant weight on the show, which only in its best episodes feels fresh still in season 3, which ends with a promise of a new start for Hannah, still a good hook to return to Girls.

 

Best episodes:

 

Episode 7: Beach House - Written by Dunham, Jenni Konner (Undeclared (2001, TV-series)), Judd Apatow (This Is 40 (2012)), Sarah Heyward (SKAM Austin (2018, TV-series)); directed by Jesse Peretz (New Girl (2011-12))

The four girls take a weekend trip to Marnie's parents' swanky Hamptons house, where Marnie's meticulous activities and 'healing' program gets scrapped, as Hannah instead invites Marnie's gay ex and his three gay friends to party and spend the night with them. Steam is let out in this maybe one of the best episodes of the series overall.  

 

Episode 12: Two Plane Rides - Written by Dunham, Heyward; directed by Dunham

Hannah is accepted to writers' grad school in Iowa. Adam is sulking after his Broadway premiere and pushes her away from him. The Marnie-Ray-Shosh situation culminates. Jessa has a life/death dramatic experience.

 

Related posts:

Lena Dunham: Girls - season 2 (2013) - Hannah Horvath and Co. still make for fun TV chums 

Girls - season 1 (2012) - Dunham arrives with refreshing, idiosyncratic NY youth howler

 

 

Watch a 4-minute scene from the season here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: None - TV-series

= Uncertain

[Girls - season 3 premiered 12 January - 23 March on HBO and runs 12 episodes averaging 28 minutes, totaling approximately 336 minutes. Shooting took place in New York. The season had ratings from 278k to 1.11 mil. viewers in North America, an improvement from the previous season. The cast returned in season 4 in 2015. The season was nominated for 2 Golden Globes and 2 Emmys. Dunham also wrote Cover Girl (2014, short) and acted in Happy Christmas (2014) during the year of season 3. Kirke did not get more credits before season 3; Mamet gave a voice performance in Back to Backspace (2014, TV short) and acted in High School USA! (2013-15); and Williams returned in College Musical (2014) and Peter Pan Live! (2014, TV movie). Girls - season 3 is certified fresh at 91 % with an 7.85/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of Girls - season 3?

Girls - season 2 (2013) - Hannah Horvath and Co. still make for fun TV chums

♥♥♥♥

 

 + Best Returning TV-series + Best Youth Title of the Year

 

Creator/star Lena Dunham fits in poorly to the conventional symbol of a woman next to a funny tagline on this fine poster for her Girls - season 2

Season 2 of creator/co-director/co-star Lena Dunham's (Creative Nonfiction (2009)) New York-set comedy series of four young female friends trying to find their place in life and relationships in the Big Apple drives on with the established characters and conflicts from the first season.

The following contains SPOILERS:

 

Hannah (Dunham) has moved in with her gay friend Elijah, and the two throw a party, in which Shoshanna (Zozia Mamet (Wiener-Dog (2016))) is awkward after having lost her virginity. Hannah acts as an unofficial nurse for her former flame Adam (Adam Driver (The Meyerowitz Stories (2017))) due to her co-responsibility for his getting hit by a truck one dramatic night, (in the final episode of season 1), while she also has a new sex friend in hot Donald Glover (30 Rock (2006-12)).

But she soon loses him to their differing political views and his lack of praise for her new essay; and Hannah calls the police, when Adam has let himself into her apartment.

Hannah has a one-day affair with a separated doctor (Patrick Wilson (Little Children (2006))) and quits her café job to fully pursue her writing. Soon after she has a gig to write an e-book, but this stresses her to the point that her OCD returns, and she visits psychiatrist Bob Balaban (Gosford Park (2001)).

Adam breaks his AA promise and returns to Hannah; and Marnie (Allison Williams (College Musical (2014))) uses her secret talent of singing at an event, which gets her bastard ex-boyfriend Charlie back to her. Even though he is a weak and very annoying character, she worships him. Adam recognizes Hannah's OCD, runs to her place and kicks the door in to better her.

 

An amusing but somewhat sentimental end to the season, which keeps development afloat for each of the four leads, along with three recurring male characters (Adam, Charlie and Ray), though with focus mostly on Hannah. Jessa (Jemima Kirke (Untogether (2018))) has the least development during season 2, but there is a full episode dedicated to her and Hannah's trip to the country to visit her (terrible) parents, played by Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)) and Rosanna Arquette (Pulp Fiction (1994)) (episode 7: Video Games.)

It is great to have these Girls back on the small screen.

Best episodes:

Episode 3: Bad Friend - written by Dunham, Sarah Heyward (SKAM Austin (2018, TV-series)), Deborah Schoeneman (The Newsroom (2014, TV-series)); directed by Jesse Peretz (Divorce (2016, TV-series))

Hannah interviews at a magazine, whose editor wants stories that come from outside its writer's comfort zone. Hannah tries to give this by scoring cocaine from a neighbor and partying with Elijah, who confesses to having had sex with Marnie. Hannah throws him out and confronts Marnie with being, in Hannah's mind, a bad friend. Hilarious episode.

Episode 4: It's a Shame about Rey - written by Dunham, Heyward, Schoeneman; directed by Peretz

Hannah entertains with too acerbic imitations of her friends at a celebration of her first published article, leading to the evening breaking up. Shosh learns that her boyfriend Ray (Alex Karpovsky (Rosy (2018))) has moved in with her. Jessa meets her new husband's (Chris O'Dowd (Bridesmaids (2011))) parents, leading to a toxic break between the two, and her running off with 11,500 $. Touching, hilarious and original episode.

Related post:

Lena Dunham: 2013 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED VI]

Girls - season 1 (2012) - Dunham arrives with refreshing, idiosyncratic NY youth howler

 

 

Watch a 2-minute clip from episode 10 of the season here

 

Cost: Unknown

Box office: None - TV-series

= Uncertain

[Girls - season 2 premiered 13 January - 17 March on HBO and runs 10 episodes averaging 28 minutes, totaling approximately 280 minutes. Shooting took place in New York. The season had ratings from 484k to 866k viewers in North America, a sizable slip from the first season. The cast returned in season 3 in 2014. The season was nominated for 5 Primetime Emmy awards. Dunham also wrote and directed Best Friends (2013, short) and wrote Choose You (2013, short) during the year of season 2. Kirke did not get more credits before season 3; Mamet acted in The Last Keepers (2013); and Williams in The Mindy Project (2013). Girls - season 2 is certified fresh at 94 % with an 8.03/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Girls - season 2?

Girls - season 1 (2012) - Dunham arrives with refreshing, idiosyncratic NY youth howler

♥♥♥♥

 

Characters Jessa, Marnie, Hannah and Shoshanna lounged closely together on a couch on this poster for Lena Dunham's Girls - season 1

 

Girls - season 1 is created by Lena Dunham (Creative Nonfiction (2009)), who also plays protagonist Hannah and directed 5 of the 10 episodes. It is based on her own experiences as a young woman creative working in New York. The following contains SPOILERS.

 

Hannah Horvath, an aspiring twentysomething writer from Michigan, living in New York two years after graduating from college, gets a bomb dropped in her life in the first episode, which also introduces us to her three closest friends, Jessa (Jemima Kirke (The Little Hours (2017)), Marnie (Allison Williams (Get Out (2017)) and Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet (Goldbricks in Bloom (2016)) and her fuck buddy Adam (Adam Driver (BlacKkKlansman (2018))): Her parents have decided to cut her financial umbilical cord, prompting Hannah to quit her unpaid apprenticeship.

Hannah attempts to restart the steady financial, parental support in a visit to them (episode 6: The Return), but she ultimately cannot get herself to ask for it and instead has a random sexual encounter in the very sweet episode, which also has her parents (Peter Scolari (Dean (2016)) and Becky Ann Baker (Gotham (2015, TV-series))) in a sexual accident!

The various couples, affairs and complications, especially in relation to Hannah, make up the bulk of the show. As the season ends, Marnie moves in with Shoshanna, who finally has her virginity taken by musician/café manager Ray (Alex Karpovsky (Being Frank (2018)). Jessa surprises everyone by marrying her recent, well-off lay (Chris O'Dowd (The Double (2013))), and every one 'randomly' meet at the ceremony, letting Hannah 'run into' her former boyfriend Elijah (Andrew Rannells (Bachelorette (2012))), who is now gay, and the two decide to move in together. Marnie hooks up with the cute best man, and Adam is out of it and gets run down in the dramatic night that follows.

Though there are continuity issues (in episode 8: Weirdos Need Girlfriends Too) and some conspicuous use of chance (in episode 10: She Did), Girls - season 1 is a refreshing and very funny new companion with an original sense of realism and diversity in its body images, which Dunham herself leads, unafraid to look like a heavy-set pear in an ugly sweater. There are several terrific performances, and especially Dunham, Driver and Williams are killer actors in Girls.

 

Best episodes:

 

Episode 2: Vagina Panic - written by Dunham, Lesley Arfin (Awkward. (2013, TV-series)), Sarah Heyward (SKAM Austin (2018, TV-series)); directed by Dunham

Hannah has more awkward sex with Adam, and so do Marnie and Charlie (cute Christopher Abbott (Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2010, TV-series))). Jessa fails to show up for her own scheduled abortion, while Hannah gets tested for STDs (due to Adam's perceived frivolity), and Shoshanna admits that she is a virgin. Really funny and fresh episode.

 

Episode 4: Hannah's Diary - written by Dunham; directed by Richard Shepard (The Perfection (2018))

Jessa briefly loses the children she is babysitting in the park. Shoshanna fails to have sex (for her first time) with an old flame. Hannah has started in a secretary job, tries to get used to her new 'handsy' boss and receives a dick pic from Adam. Marnie's boyfriend Charlie and his musician friend Ray conduct a song about what they read in Hannah's diary, which is critical to her friends, predictably causing strife. Really sharp episode; Dunham is fearless and outstanding with painted eyebrows here. 

Episode 9: Leave Me Alone - written by Dunham, Bruce Eric Kaplan (Seinfeld (1997-98)), Deborah Schoeneman (90210 (2010, TV-series)); directed by Shepard

Hannah struggles with her identity as she fails to sparkle at a reading of her creative material. Jessa gets motherly advice from a terrific Kathryn Hahn (Kroll Show (2013-15)) as the crisis-hit mother she is babysitting for. Hannah's financial mess has been covered by Marnie so far, but it now drives them to a conflict that concludes with Marnie deciding to move out of their shared apartment.

Dunham talks about season 1 for 39 minutes in this video

Cost: Unknown

Box office: None - TV-series

= Uncertain

[Girls - season 1 premiered 12 March (South by Southwest Film Festival, Austin, broadcast first on HBO from April 15 - June 17) and runs 10 episodes averaging 28 minutes, totaling approximately 280 minutes. Shooting took place in New York. The season had ratings from 678k to 1.09 mil. viewers in North America. The cast returned in season 2 in 2013. The season won 2 Golden Globes and 1/5 Primetime Emmy nominations. Dunham also wrote Nobody Walks (2012) around the time of season 1 and had parts in Supporting Characters (2012) and This Is 40 (2012). Kirke did not get more credits before season 2; Mamet acted in Sunset Stories (2012), Mad Men (2010-12)) and Rhymes with Banana (2012); Williams in Jake and Amir (2011-12, TV-series short). Girls - season 1 is certified fresh at 94 % with an 8.35/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Girls - season 1?