Displaying items by tag: Tony Hale

OPUS

US, 2025, 104 minutes, Colour.

Ayo Edebiri, John Malkovich, Juliette Lewis, Murray Bartlett, Melissa Chambers, Tony Hale, Stephanie Suganami, Amber Midthunder.

Directed by Mark Anthony Green.

Although it was chosen to screen and the Sundance Festival, Opus received fairly negative critical reviews and failed at the box office.

However, if you want something interesting that is not always predictable, with some themes inviting reflection, you could do worse than see Opus. (This review is in favour.)

At first we are taken into the contemporary media world, press and magazines stories, radio and television, the world of music and entertainment. And the central character is Ariel, played by a Ayo Edibiri, a lively and versatile young performer, award-winning for her role in the TV series, Bear, but also very in films, after the Hunt, Ella McCay. She is young, ambitious, wanting to do research, write stories. Her rather jovial insensitively ambitious boss is played by Murray Bartlett.

There is a lot of talk in the film about a singer and media star of the 1990s, Alfred Moretti, who has been absent from the limelight for 30 years. Suddenly, he sends an invitation for the launching of a new album, Ariel specifically included in the invitation.

And, then, transition to the deserts of Utah and a remote, rather lavish, mansion and site, the home of Moretti.

One of the great advantages of this film is the fact that John Malkovich plays Alfred Moretti, not what we might expect of a star of the 90s but he soon convinces us with his smooth talk, storytelling, charm, eccentricities, then his actually singing and his eccentric dance movements and visual and suggestive imagery. And, John Malkovich can do it (and he could even do variations on his persona in the 1999 Being John Malkovich).

But, the welcoming scene is overdone, lavish, and Ariel and ourselves noticing so many people on the property, dressed uniformly in blue, children and adults, education, workplaces – and then the word is mentioned, “cult”. If this sounds an intriguing mixture, it is.

All guests, including Juliette Lewis as a television host, are treated with great hospitality, exotic meals, their host singing with intriguing lyrics, their all being fitted out with new wardrobes. But, then the move towards some dramatic violence.

The sinister aspects of the cult soon emerge, and Ariel trying to escape, trapped, getting loose – and Moretti making a speech with all his followers standing with champagne flutes (and audiences who remember the mass suicide in Jonestown will be thinking of that). And they drink.

But, that is not exactly how the film ends – some more intriguing characterisation, the fate of Moretti, Ariel having success with a bestseller about her experiences, and the suggestion that the atmosphere of cults with charismatic leaders and power over their followers is still among us.

1. The life and work of Alfred Moretti? His career, retirement, his commitment to the Level?
2. The world of the media, print, radio, television, New York, offices? The journey through the Utah desert? The centre, the buildings, the grounds, interiors? Costumes and decor?
3. The range of songs, the lyrics, dramatising the musical style and performance of Alfred Moretti? And the sinister aspects of the cult?
4. The focus on Ariel, age 27, skill in writing, wanting to be a journalist, stories, interactions with Stan, his gentle demeanour, but wanting to do the writing with her notes, taking credit?
5. The reputation of Alfred Moretti, his career in the 1990s, evocative, provocative, lyrics, visual imagery, movement and gestures? After 30 years? The prospect of a return?
6. Invitation, Ariel, the discussions with her friend, anxious for a career? His urging her to create perspective? her being invited, joining the group, Stan, Clara and her past relationship media, Bianca, paparazza, Emily, The influences, Bill and the media, interviews, previous clashes with Moretti? The personalities, eager to be associated with Moretti? The plane, the welcome, the lavish treatment, the travel on the bus, the instructions, through the desert, the arrival? The fans outside, the touch of the fanatic?
7. John Malkovich as Moretti, an idiosyncratic personality, the charm, sinister aspects, his speeches, jokes, his songs and performance, the welcome to the guests, renewing old acquaintances? His speech, the dinner, talking with Ariel, her questions? The emergence of the current atmosphere, the people of all ages, education, work, craft? Concierges and guards? Jorg and his story at the meal, telling her real? The others with their personal stories?
8. The Level, Levellers, the philosophy behind the cult, religion, achievement, talent, democracy, the emergence of those who are talented, brands and intelligence? Moretti and his leadership, the episode with the oysters and the searching for the pearls?
9. Ariel and her experience, the concierge on guard, the bubblegum sounds, listening to the song in the room, the screens and surveillance, everybody listening to the song? Ariel, going jogging, running through the compound, all the encounters? And the discussions with Moretti?
10. Bill, the massage, his talk, his being killed, the body in the way, Ariel and her fear not noticing it?
11. The day proceeding, Emily and her disappearance, the later appearance in the cushion, the diagnosis, her face, contortions, her death? The tour, Stand being shot with the arrow, the boys apology? Ariel and becoming more suspicious?
12. The gathering, the performance of the song, eccentric, mannerisms, the lyrics? Moretti and his reaction, the press conference, asking the question, Ariel and her knowledge of Julius Caesar and her answers? The appearance of Emily? Clara and her wig, being pulled? Stan and his being stabbed? Ariel, disturbing Moretti, her escape?
13. Ariel, trying to escape, wanting to leave, the sinister attacks on her, the little girl and her friendship, the puppet show, the rats and the critique of Billie holiday?
14. Ariel, in the attic, the concierge coming through the window, her being captured, bound with Clara? The sympathetic member, cutting her bonds, information about her escape? The fire?
15. Her running, the pursuit, climbing the fence, the fan outside (the previous scenes of the fans and their posters), Ariel taking his car?
16. Two years later, the flashback to the police arriving, the members of the cult drinking the champagne, assumptions that it was like Jonestown, the revelation that they were going throughout the world, permeating all kinds of jobs for the Level to overcome? Moretti in jail?
17. Ariel, the publication of the book, her success, visiting Moretti in jail, his admitting the murders, his manipulating her to write the book and publicise him?
18. The TV interview, the interviewer wearing the Level pearls… And the future?

SKETCH

US, 2025, 93 minutes, Colour.

Tony Hale, D'Arcy Carden, Bianca Belle, Kue Lawrence, Kalon Cox.

Directed by Sam Worley.

What to expect from a film with the title Sketch? Would it be a story about art and drawing? Will it be a happy bringing to life of sketches? Or, will the sketches be menacing and threatening?

In this case, the latter.

As we watch Sketch, we might also be wondering what the impact will be on children, the young, boys and girls, who can identify with the central characters and with their situations. The character in this film who does the sketches is Amber, young, along with her brother, Jack, and her father, Taylor, her grieving the death of her mother. She has a sketchbook, and the gift of a sketchbook from her father, but the sketches are dark, bleak, ominous, monstrous, sinister fantasy…

And, while the first part of the film is “realistic”, family life, Amber and her difficulties at school, the response to her sketches, the antisocial attitudes, the rest of the film goes into the world of fantasy, her sketches coming alive, in the forms of the great range of monstrous creatures, of all sizes, large and small, all kinds of colours, gigantic sinister skeletal creatures, small yellow eyeballs, a range of spiders… So, how will the children’s audience deal with these sketches coming to such frightening life?

The main part of the film consists of the older generation being confronted by the monsters, then the school bus and a crash and Jack and Amber and another boy, Bowman, being pursued through the woods, especially to a mysterious pool which is the source for magic, the sketches coming to life.

The film is based on a short film, Dark Colours, by writer-director, Sam Worley, who takes the opportunity to imagining himself into the grief of a young girl, her emotions, her imagination, her morbid feelings and reactions, and their coming to life – but, with the hope that this explosion of imagination be a step towards some kind of emotional healing.

Audiences have the emotional strength to appreciate this unexpected storytelling, it will be over to parents to decide whether the youngsters will be able to cope, benefit, or not, by this usual cinema experience.

1. The title, general, then menacing?
2. The blend of the realist and the imaginative?
3. The town, America, Middle America, home, school, school bus, the countryside? Then the sketches, their coming alive, monstrous, size and colour, menacing, destructive?
4. The film and the target audience? Parents, grief, coping with grief, children and grief? The children, the fantasy world of monsters, but combating monsters?
5. The family, Taylor, his role as Father, personality, grief, relationship with his children? At home, at school? Jack, age, games and adventures? Amber, age, withdrawn, morose, the sketches? The relationship with their father, loving, wilful?
6. The selling of the house, Liz, the range of clients, the visitors, Taylor and his erratic behaviour, in and out, his moods?
7. Amber, her sketches, dark, the teachers, concern, her father’s reaction? The sketchbook? Private? Her father, accidentally seeing the sketches? Her reaction, the importance of the pool, Jack and his phone, magically fixed? The sketchbook, the powers of the pool?
8. The action of the film with the emergence of the monsters, their range, representing Amber’s sketches, monstrous? Colours, size, activities, threats?
9. Taylor and the monsters, spiders, the visitors for the sales? Spots on the wall, the spiders, the eyes?
10. The episode of the bus, Taylor holding it up, the crash, the monsters, the driver, the children, getting out of the bus? The two going to safety? Amber and Jack and Bowman, adventures, threats, in the forests, confronting the monsters, pursued, the going back to the house? Liz and Taylor and the search, returning to the house?
11. The crisis, the realisation that the monsters embodied Amber’s feelings? The children, the pool, creating counter-monsters, the other monster sketching, the buildup to the final confrontation?
12. The effect of this film as symbolic of grief, expressing grief, even monstrous, confronting, coping, conquering?

EAT WHEATIES!/ DEAR ELIZABETH

US, 2021, 88 minutes, Colour.

Tony Hale, Alicia Cuthbert, Danielle Brooks, David Walton, Alan Tudyk, Sarah Clarke, Paul Walter Hauser, Robbie Amell, Kylie Bunbury. With thanks to Elizabeth Banks.

Directed by Scott Abramovich.

Tony Hale is very well known to television audiences, 65 episodes of Veep, 84 episodes of Arrested Development as well as many films and other television series.

This is his film.

He plays a genial middle-aged man, competent in his work, but rather simple in many of his approaches to life. It is one a sympathetic brother and an unsympathetic sister-in-law. He is awkward in relationships. And he has a sometimes peculiar sense of humour which irks some of his audience.

There is a reunion for his college group and he is asked to be on the coordinating committee. The key to the film and his response is that he was at college with actress and director, Elizabeth Banks, dating one of her sorority sisters. He makes a lot of this – writing to her agent for an autographed photo as a gift for his brother, sending it back when it is smudged, alienating her agent with his continued requests, her eventually getting a restraining order on him – which, of course, bewilders him.

He decides to overturn the restraining order, finding lawyers too expensive but finding one, played by Paul Walter Hauser, with an online qualification but less expensive. A lot of the enjoyment in the latter part of the film is the court case, the speeches, the antagonism of the agent, the attentive listening to the judge, and the lifting of the order.

Alan Tudyk plays a sympathetic friend who turns on him. There is the reunion, his being shunned.

But, there is a happy ending, the sister-in-law giving birth and becoming more sympathetic, his invitation to be godfather, and finally, a message from Elizabeth Banks who has been away and not privy to all the upsets, a sympathetic message.

And, the titles? Dear Elizabeth is obvious. But Eat Wheaties! is a quote from Elizabeth, encouragement, that she used in her early years.

1. The two titles, dear Elizabeth Banks, her saying, “Eat Wheaties!”?
2. Offices, homes, barbecues, hospitals, class reunions, the courts…? The musical score?
3. Tony Hale as Sid Straw? A good man, limited, work at the office, relationship with his brother, Tom, the jokes at the wedding and Jenny’s reaction? His long speeches and jokes? With people at the office, Bruce? Black joked with Sam? The meeting with Katelyn, the outing, the night together, her later reactions, the breakup? His acceptance?
4. The question of Elizabeth Banks, class reunion, his being the co-chair, the organisation, his memories, dating one of Elizabeth Banks’ sorority sisters? Asking the signed photograph for his brother’s birthday? The smudged copy? His continued appeals, agent, Frankie and her harsh reactions, the sympathetic assistant? Asking for the restraining order, its imposition, the effect on Sid, approaching the various lawyers, their costs, finding James Risk, with his family, qualifications, online degree, dodgy, less expensive? Sid going with him, the friendship, in the court, James and his speeches, awkward, his impassioned plea? And winning the case, going back to Bruce and the other managers, apologies and recompense, the previous insult at the bank, showing the tellers the cheques, going to a bank which is courteous?
5. The online posts, poetry, outpourings, his not realising they were going viral, his brother’s response, the agent’s response, the reaction in the office, Bruce giving notice, firing him? His attempts at other jobs?
6. Sid and his being friendly, his brother’s speech about him and their friendship, support, Jenny objecting, her later relenting, his speech before the guests arrived, Brandon and the jokes, Alison, the connection with Frankie? Alison in the court prosecuting for Frankie? And the birth of the baby, their asking him to be Godfather and laughing at jokes?
7. Wendy, at the diner, friendly, chatting, giving him the drinks, the final talk, at the hospital, the kiss?
8. The reunion, the various meetings with Dave Lambert, friendship, his son, the smells? Dave not wanting to mix with Sid? The guests awkward?
9. Sid, writing the children’s book, the recitation, the publication, success? Softball sequences, David and his son? Sid finally enjoying softball?
10. And the finale message from Elizabeth Banks, and the outreach to Sid?