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Note: This review was submitted before the 2022 Academy Awards aired on March 27.
“tick, tick … BOOM!”
The Oscar-nominated performance by Andrew Garfield makes this a movie everyone should see. Even if musicals are not your cinematic cup of tea, all of you are likely to be emotionally moved as he plays Broadway playwright Jonathan Larson.
You watch Larson, who later wrote the Broadway hit “Rent,” doubt his choice of careers as he finds himself two days short of his 30th birthday in 1990. Working on a play for close to eight years that appears to be going nowhere, his relationship with his talented girlfriend (Alexandra Shipp) crashes on the Broadway rocks.
Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is likely to win an Oscar for his song in “Encanto,” this film functions as an off-Broadway play about the making of an off-Broadway play. Sensing that he will be an old man when he turns 30, Larson feels he is wasting his life.
Garfield’s singing captures the strength of this film. While the story itself is best described as a hit-and-miss movie, it nonetheless captures your heart as you watch Garfield’s Larson’s emotional reaction when he learns that his close friend Michael (an unforgettable Robin de Jesus) is dying of AIDS.
Even if you are not a fan of musical films, this movie is worth hunting down. At a minimum it demonstrates that Andrew Garfield has artistic talent that he was hiding in “Spider-Man” (2012 and 2014).
“The Batman”
I’ve loved all the “Batman” films, even the forgettable one starring Ben Affleck. Batman is a haunted human being trying to exist in a world where his parents were murdered when he was a young child.
My nephew John, who reviews films, loved this movie for multiple reasons, and he is a smarter movie critic than his aging uncle. However, I found the confusing nature of the plot leaving many viewers struggling in the same fashion as the recent “The Matrix: Resurrections” film.
To begin, this was one of the darkest films from an environmental standpoint ever made. You feel that you are in a rainstorm in nearly every scene. It was like the sun disappeared in Gotham.
Yet the story was interesting. It was helped by some great performances, beginning with Zoë Kravitz as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman. Her stirring relationship with Batman left me on an emotional roller coaster.
Paul Dano was great as the Riddler, a psychotic genius intent on killing all Gotham’s law enforcement leaders. Given that they were all wretched crooks, he left you feeling like Sen. Lindsey Graham after he called for the execution of Putin.
And while Colin Farrell is completely unrecognizable as the Penguin, Jeffrey Wright and Andy Serkis are sensational as Gotham’s only honest cop and Batman’s butler and caregiver.
But what elevates this film at every turn is the performance of Robert Pattinson as Batman. He has previously displayed his talent in the “Twilight” films and “The Lighthouse” (2019) and he succeeds in making sense out of a senseless life.
The problem with the movie is that its three-hour length caused it to lose momentum. Nearly every character in Gotham was a despicable human being, and you felt a bit anxiety ridden as you waited for the Riddler to kill them off.
And do you think Batman and Catwoman walked off together? Like it or not, see the movie and find out.
Ukraine and Vietnam
As I, like many, watch the disaster unfold in Ukraine, I can’t help but be reminded of our country’s actions in Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s. It is ironic that we condemn Russia’s invasion and the killing of many civilians while we conveniently forget that we did the same thing in Vietnam.
It is undeniable that we unleashed bombs on the country and urban populations. We compounded our slaughter by spreading the chemical Agent Orange, which poisoned thousands of men, women and children. Remember the picture of the burned little naked girl crying as she walked with other children down a road? Isn’t it interesting that we ignored the criticism of Russia and China for our actions?
Though we mock Russia for controlling the media in their country and arresting protestors, we should aim a lens on what was happening in our country to citizens opposing the Vietnam War. While over 50,000 American boys died in that carnage, it is important to remember what happened to the young anti-war protestors at Kent State in 1970.
While we labor to end Russia’s unjust invasion, as Americans we must never forget the phrase, “been there, done that.” Let’s remember the past to lead the world in an honorable fashion.•
Robert Hammerle practices criminal law in Indianapolis. When he is not in the courtroom or the office, Bob can likely be found at one of his favorite movie theaters preparing to review the latest films. To read more of his reviews, visit www.bigmouthbobs.com. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
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