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A scene from 'Jurassic World: Dominion.' Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

The Jurassic Park franchise launched in 1993. Based on the 1990 novel by Michael Crichton, Steven Spielberg directed the film from a screenplay by Crichton and David Koepp. Featuring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, B.D. Wong, Samuel L. Jackson, and Richard Attenborough, the special-effects packed film became the highest-grossing film released worldwide until that time, besting Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Jurassic Park perfectly combined taut structure, grounded humor, and effective effects.

Spielberg and Koepp returned for The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), along with cast members Goldblum and Attenborough, joined by Julianne Moore and Vince Vaughn. The film received mixed reviews but a positive audience response, breaking multiple box office records. Jurassic Park III (2001) was the first without Spielberg as director. And while it brought back Dern and Neill, the film received a predominantly mixed-to-negative response. 

A scene from ‘Jurassic World: Dominion.’ Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Jurassic World: Dominion, directed by  Colin Treverrow, reunites cast members from the entire network: Dern, Neill, Goldblum, Wong, Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Omar Sy, Isabella Sermon, Justice Smith, and Daniella Pineda. Rounding out the starry cast are DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, Campbell Scott, Scott Haze, and Dichen Lachman. 

The initial premise is fascinating. A news report explains that following the destruction of the Central American island Isla Nublar, dinosaurs now live among us, always hungry and often violent. The new normal raises ethical questions of accountability and coexistence. These de-extinct animals result from man’s manipulation of science and, therefore, society’s responsibility. Quick cuts of dinosaurs attacking juxtapose with compelling images of these wandering creatures living out of time and place. One powerful clip shows a dinosaur eating garbage next to a train track. Beauty, danger, nobility, and abandonment are all on display. 

However, after this brief prologue, the film denigrates into a mess of science fiction and thriller clichés that are hopeless retreads of the first three films. The convoluted machinations include the corrupt Biosyn (sin?) Corporation, Sir Benjamin Lockwood’s cloned granddaughter, biogenetically engineered locusts the size of Dachshunds destroying the food chain, altering DNA and splicing of genomes, black market breeders, and a few other threads not so much woven into the narrative fabric as clumsily stapled. 

A scene from ‘Jurassic World: Dominion.’ Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

However, with all the plot, there is something ploddingly by the numbers, with one predictable action sequence after another, repetitions of previous Jurassic outings, or pale copies of Indiana Jones. Dominion recalls Godzilla vs. Rodan more than the earlier focused and well-crafted incarnations of the Jurassic universe. Strangely, Dominion nods more to the work of animator Ray Harryhausen and the Sinbad series than to Crichton’s world.

And while strong actors populate the cast, they cannot elevate the stiff dialogue of Emily Carmichael and Colin Trevorrow’s witless screenplay. It is nearly impossible to play multiple notes in a one-dimensional character. Stock outlines substitute for human beings, with everyone talking in breathy, important voices. Fortunately for them, they are mostly directed to look up when they hear dinosaur footsteps. There is lots of running (the people) and chomping (the dinosaurs) and disinterest (the audience).

Dern and Neill give vague performances and are uncomfortable in the cringe-worthy romance awkwardly forced onto their characters. Goldblum’s quirky mannerisms make his Apartments.com commercials appear subtle. Scott plays the corporate villain like Tom Hanks channeling a neurotically twitchy Steve Jobs. Platt and Howard show up. Wise and Athie almost—but not quite—manage to rise above the swamp. As the clone, Maisie, Sermon finds a few more shades than the rest of the company, bringing honesty to the struggle with personal revelations. But these glimpses hardly save the film.

The special effects seem tired, with a ragtag combination of CGI (the locust swarm is particularly unimpressive) and animatronics (basic Disney World). As a result, Dominion feels less blockbuster and more thrill ride without the thrill. Michael Giacchino’s generic score does most of the heavy lifting, with dark chords and lush strings substituting for emotion, style, and actually earned tension. 

The final moments of the film return to the movie’s initial potential. But at the end of a bloated two and a half hours, it is far too late. Let’s hope, as with the real dinosaurs, Jurassic World: Dominion marks the extinction of the franchise.

Rated PG-13, the film is now playing in local theaters.

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Bay House owner Brian Warasila will be featured in A World Within a World: Long Island's Bay Houses. Photo by Martha Cooper, 2015

By Tara Mae

We are all islanders here, whether by birth or by choice. Individual relationships with the water may vary, but for many it is a core component of cultural identity: a source of relaxation, recreation, sustenance, and survival. 

The Maritime Film Festival, presented by Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington in conjunction with Long Island Traditions in Port Washington and The Plaza Cinema & Media Arts Center in Patchogue, explores the flow and ebb of people’s connections to the sea and the lifestyles it provides. 

The festival will feature three films that are anchored in an appreciation of welcoming and weathering the elements of island life. Each documentary will have its own screening and be followed by an audience Q&A session with the filmmakers and others involved in the projects. [See schedule below.]

The festival begins with The Bungalows of Rockaway on Tuesday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m. Narrated by Academy Award winner Estelle Parsons, the film chronicles 100 years in the tragicomic tale of New York’s biggest summer bungalow colony. 

“The Bungalows of Rockaway illustrates, through the detailed, eloquent, diverse voices of historians, bungalow residents, and Rockawayans and the use of archival images, the long history, meaningful to residents past and present and the city as a whole,” said producer Elizabeth Logan Harris who will participate in the post-screening discussion.

A World Within a World: The Bay Houses of Long Island will be screened on Tuesday, June 21 at 7:30 p.m. This film explores from historical and contemporary perspectives the lives, histories, and experiences of bay house owners in the Town of North Hempstead. 

“The bay houses have a rich history going back to the 18th century and are a part of Long Island’s heritage that many, including myself, knew little about. Besides their aesthetic beauty — giving unparalleled access to the beauty of the marshlands on the south shore — they also offer a glimpse into a sub-culture of families who maintain and love the houses for many generations,” co-director Greg Blank said. 

Co-director Barbara Weber and folklorist Nancy Solomon, who helped put together the festival, will join Blank to talk about the documentary after the viewing.

The festival concludes with Maiden, on Tuesday, July 12 at 7:30 p.m. The documentary is the story of the first all female crew, assembled by British sailor Tracey Edwards, to compete in the 1989 Whitbread Round the World Race, a 32,000 mile global circumnavigation competition.  

“We were just people racing around the world and trying to win. The social impact was not apparent to us until later and it is incredible how the story resonates 30 years later,” crew member Dawn Riley, now Executive Director of Oakcliff Sailing Center, said. 

She and Edwards will reunite to answer questions and reflect on their experiences. 

While Maiden has previously been shown at Cinema Arts Centre, this is the first time The Bungalows of Rockaway and A World Within a World: The Bay Houses of Long Island are being presented there.

“We are thrilled to have such a great range of films,” said Dylan Skolnick, co-director of the Cinema Arts Center.

Nancy Solomon, a folklorist who specializes in maritime culture and Executive Director of Long Island Traditions, a nonprofit that focuses on recording local architecture, organized the film festival as a way to promote and ideally preserve the ethnography of Long Island.

“Long Island is becoming overdeveloped, especially along its coastlines. So the traditions of boat builders, boatyards, fishermen, baymen, bay houses, are in danger. If we don’t start learning about people carrying out these traditions, we are going to lose them,” Solomon said.  “The purpose of this festival is to introduce [audiences] to a very rich heritage of people and places that are part of our cultural identity.” 

She pitched the idea to Skolnick, who hopped on board. 

“It is a true collaboration,” Skolnick said. “At the Cinema, we try to bring great movies from around the world and bring great stories from the local community. These movies fit perfectly with the sort of stories we want to tell.” 

A continuation of a film series that began at Plaza Cinema and Media Arts Center in April, Solomon worked closely with both Plaza Cinema and Cinema Arts Centre to create a celebration of coastal culture through cinematic storytelling.

“I want the festival to help educate people about maritime culture of Long Island and how we can preserve it. The films we selected are all about different places in our region and topics relating to struggles of local people,” she said.

The festival was made possible through grants from the Suffolk County Office of Cultural Affairs, Robert L. Gardiner Foundation, and National Endowment of the Arts. 

The Cinema Arts Centre is located at 423 Park Avenue in Huntington. Tickets to the Maritime Film Festival are $17 for the general public and $12 for members of Cinema Arts Centre. For more information about the festival and films, please visit www.cinemaartscentre.org.

Film Schedule:

■ The festival kicks off with a screening of The Bungalows of Rockaway on June 14 at 7:30 p.m. Narrated by Academy-Award winner Estelle Parsons, The Bungalows of Rockaway tells 100 years of the tragicomic story of New York City’s largest summer bungalow colony, that of the Rockaways. With enticing vintage postcards, archival photography, Marx Brothers home movies, hilarious boardwalk tales, personal accounts recounted by bungalow residents and Rockawayans alike, all grounded by historians, the film brings viewers close to the highs and lows of a large, thriving, affordable, urban seaside resort. The film, directed by Jennifer Callahan and co-produced by Jennifer Callahan and Elizabeth Logan Harris, will be followed by a Q&A with Harris.

■ Up next is A World Within a World: Long Island’s Bay Houses on June 21 at 7:30 p.m. A World Within a World explores the lives, history, and experiences of bay house owners in the Town of Hempstead from both a historical and contemporary perspective. Based on fieldwork by folklorist and maritime ethnographer Nancy Solomon of Long Island Traditions, local filmmakers Barbara Weber and Greg Blank capture the essence of how bay house owners have persevered and endured through severe storms and hurricanes as well as eroding marshlands all while preserving traditions that began in the early 19th century. The film profiles Long Island families who have owned bay houses for over 100 years including the Muller, McNeece, Burchianti, Warasila, Jankoski families. The screening will be followed by a Q&A and discussion with directors Greg Blank and Barbara Weber and folklorist Nancy Solomon.

■ The festival closes with a screening of Maiden on July 12 at 7:30 p.m. In 1989, long dismissed and belittled as the only woman crewmember on the ships where she worked, British sailor Tracy Edwards set out to prove herself in the biggest way possible. She assembled the world’s first all-female international crew and entered the Whitbread Round the World Race, a 32,000 mile global circumnavigation competition that, until then, had been the exclusive domain of male seafarers. The screening will feature a Q&A with Maiden Captain Tracy Edwards and sailor Dawn Riley, Director of Oakcliff Sailing School.

 

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Tom Cruise as test pilot Captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

In 1986, 24-year-old, pre-couch-jumping Tom Cruise was featured in a string of high-profile films: The Outsiders (1983), Risky Business (1983), All the Right Moves (1983), and Legend (1985). Poised for a breakthrough, his performance as rebellious Naval Aviator Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in Top Gun secured his stardom. The highest-grossing film of the year, it made over 350 million dollars worldwide. 

Many critics found little to love outside of the aerial dynamics, but it became a pop culture hit, winning the Academy Award for Best Song, “Take My Breath Away” (music by Giorgio Moroder; lyrics by Tom Whitlock). Inspired by Ehud Yonay’s article “Top Guns,” the film’s screenplay (by Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr.) combined endless flight jargon with dialogue lifted from the lesser After School specials. 

Peppered with clichés like “he’s a wild card” and “it’s not your flying, it’s your attitude,” the film lacked depth, subtlety, and even basic tension. The insufferably smarmy Maverick is not so much a character but the smirk of one. Outside of one “steamy” scene between Cruise and co-star Kelly McGillis, the homoerotic movie is populated by men in towels talking about the need to shower. Both misogynistic and juvenile, Top Gun made Risky Business seem emotionally sophisticated. 

As early as 2010, a Top Sequel was in development. Finally, after years of delays, Top Gun: Maverick arrives 36 years after the original’s release. Instead of a clumsy sequel, the creators have forged a smart, entertaining, well-made film that is visually stunning. If the screenplay (by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie) is not exactly Citizen Kane, the storytelling is defined. The characters are simply drawn but true to the situation. There is an honesty and a general earnestness that harkens back to the better war movies of the 1940s. Joseph Kosinski has directed his actors to play the characters straight down the middle. There are not a lot of surprises, but the can-do spirit works.

Cruise’s Maverick is a much-decorated pilot but still a captain. For every commendation he has received, overstepping has prevented him from receiving a promotion. While his skills are never in doubt, his problematic behavior towards authority has not so much stalled his career but buried it. At the end of the first film, Maverick requested a position as a Top Gun trainer. He reveals that he only lasted two months.

The older Maverick is low-key but still rebellious, rankling his superiors. Rear Admiral Chester “Hammer” Cain (Ed Harris) tells him, “The future is coming. And you’re not in it.” 

Maverick’s formal rival, “Iceman” (Val Kilmer), now commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, has called Maverick back to Top Gun. (Except for Cruise, Kilmer is the only holdover from the first film. He has a single scene where he mostly communicates by typing as the admiral has throat cancer.) The mission is to take out a rogue state’s uranium enrichment plant before it opens. Surface-to-air missiles and skilled fighter pilots protect the canyon. The only way to bomb the plant is to literally fly under the radar in a demanding, dangerous mission.

Vice Admiral Beau “Cyclone” Simpson (John Hamm) and Rear Admiral Solomon “Warlock” Bates (Charles Parnell) have gathered an elite group of fighter pilots for Maverick to train.

The plot is simple, with the sole complication that one of the pilots, Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, is the son of Maverick’s former radar intercept officer and best friend, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards in Top Gun). While cleared of the responsibility for his pal’s death, Maverick still carries guilt, and he reveals that at the request of Goose’s widow (now dead—Meg Ryan in the earlier film), he has done everything to prevent Rooster from flying. Eventually, Maverick and Rooster come to terms with their joined histories.

A minor romantic subplot involves Maverick and a bar owner, Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly), but it generates little heat or interest.

The film’s two driving forces are Cruise and the mission. Both Cruise and Maverick have aged well, and the general lack of arrogance makes for a watchable experience. As the writing is focused, the technical details are clear. The actors lean into the physical demands and challenges of the flying and the mantra that “It’s not the plane. It’s the pilot.” The cavalier comment in Top Gun—“A need for speed”—here actually makes sense. Everything builds up to a spectacular final act, with the operation beautifully orchestrated with the right amount of suspense and a couple of twists that help keep it interesting. The faceless, but ominous enemy, is smartly handled.

Top Gun: Maverick’s major song, Lady Gaga’s “Hold My Hand,” plays over the credits. It is an appropriate metaphor for the film. A bit schmaltzy but also effective, honest, and wholly satisfying.

Rated PG-13, the film is now playing in local theaters.

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'The Golden Girls'
Fathom Events presents a special screening of six of the most memorable episodes of ‘The Golden Girls’

Fathom Events has announced the return of the Emmy Award-winning television sitcom, “The Golden Girls,” to select theaters nationwide for the second consecutive year.  “Forever Golden!  A Celebration of the Golden Girls” hits movie theaters for two nights: Tuesdays June 7 and 14.

The series stars Bea Arthur (Dorothy Zbornak), Betty White (Rose Nylund), Rue McClanahan (Blanche Devereaux), and Estelle Getty (Sophia Petrillo) as four women in their golden years who share both a home and a friendship in Miami, Florida.  This special event will feature some of the most memorable episodes from the series.

“We’re excited to bring this beloved show back to the big screen this summer,’” said Ray Nutt, Fathom Events CEO. “The storyline and the friendships between these very different women have stood the test of time.  Fans love it just as much now as they did when it first aired on television back in the 80’s.”

This must-see, two-night event will feature episodes including:

The Competition, Season 1, Episode 7:  In a bowling competition, it’s Dorothy and Blanche verses Rose and Sophia. If Sophia and Rose win, Dorothy will allow Sophia to go back to Sicily for a visit with an old beau and if Dorothy and Blanche win Sophia will give her a pair of antique earrings.

It’s a Miserable Life, Season Two, Episode 4:  The girls circulate a petition to save a 200-year-old oak tree which is located on the property of the most hated woman in the neighborhood, Frieda Claxton, who wants the tree cut down.

The Sisters, Season 2, Episode 12:  For Sophia’s birthday, Dorothy flies in her sister, Angela from Sicily as a surprise. However, Dorothy’s the one who’s surprised when Sophia’s reaction is that of disgust.

Scared Straight, Season 4, Episode 9:  Blanche’s brother, Clayton comes to Miami for a visit and Blanche goes all out fixing him up on blind dates. However, Rose learns the truth, Clayton is gay and is afraid to tell Blanche the truth about himself.

Sisters of the Bride, Season 6, Episode 14:   Blanche’s gay brother Clayton, makes a visit to Miami with a surprise, he has found the right person to make a commitment to, but Blanche still can’t get over Clayton’s sexual orientation. Meanwhile, Rose expects to win a Volunteer of the Year award.

The Case of the Libertine Belle, Season 7, Episode 2:  The girls participate in a murder mystery weekend and Dorothy has a ball when she solves a mystery. However, when Blanche is accused committing a real murder, Dorothy will have to use all her keen detective skills to find the real murderer.

“The Golden Girls” premiered in September 1985 and delighted fans over 7 seasons and 180 half-hour episodes.  The series follows Miami homeowner Blanche Devereaux, joined by Rose Nylund and Dorothy Zbornak, brought together by a fateful ad for roommates posted by Blanche in a grocery store.  The three are joined by Dorothy’s mother, Sophia Petrillo, a feisty Sicilian woman who rounds out the fabulous foursome.  Together, the women form the perfect circle of friends.

“Forever Golden!  A Celebration of the Golden Girls” will  play in movie theaters on Tuesday, June 7 and Tuesday, June 14 at 7 p.m. (all times local).  Locally the film will be screened at Regal Deer Park 16, 455 Commack Road, Deer Park; Island 16 Cinema de Lux, 185 Morris Ave., Holtsville; and Farmingdale Multiplex, 1001 Broadhollow Road, Farmingdale. A complete list of theater locations is available on the Fathom Events website can be purchased online at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices.

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A scene from 'The Wizard of Oz." Photo courtesy of Fathom Events

One of the most influential films of all time is returning to movie theaters for two days only.

Fathom Events and Warner Bros. will present “The Wizard of Oz” in over 800 select  theaters nationwide on Sunday, June 5, and Monday, June 6.

“In celebration of what would have been Judy Garland’s 100th birthday, join fans across the county for a special showing of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ featuring a rarely seen extended musical number,” said a release from Fathom Events. In the scene, Ray Bolger (Scarecrow) performs a dance routine that was cut from the original movie.

Adapted from L. Frank Baum’s children’s tale about a Kansas girl’s journey over the rainbow, the film was directed by Victor Fleming (who that same year directed ‘Gone With the Wind’), produced by Mervyn LeRoy, and scored by Herbert Stothart, with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg. Starring Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton, the film opened at Grauman’s Chinese Theater on Aug. 15, 1939. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, winning awards for Best Original Song for “Over the Rainbow” and Best Original Score.

In this classic musical fantasy, Judy Garland stars as Dorothy Gale, a young Kansas farm girl who dreams of a land “somewhere over the rainbow.” Dorothy’s dream comes true when she, her dog Toto, and her family’s house are transported by a tornado to a bright and magical world unlike anything she has seen before. Unfortunately, she makes a mortal enemy of a wicked witch when the house falls on the hag’s sister. Now, befriended by a scarecrow without a brain, a tin man with no heart and a cowardly lion — and protected by a pair of enchanted ruby slippers — Dorothy sets off along a yellow brick road for the Emerald City to beseech the all-powerful Wizard of Oz for his help to return home.

In 1989, it was selected by the Library of Congress as one of the first 25 films for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” MGM reissued the film in 1949 and 1955.

In our neck of the woods the film will be screened at Island 16 Cinema De Lux in Holtsville  and Farmingdale Multiplex Cinemas in Farmingdale on June 5 at 3 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. and on June 6 at 3 p.m.

Tickets to “Wizard of Oz: Judy Garland 100 Years Over The Rainbow” can be reserved at FathomEvents.com.

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Time to buckle up! In celebration of its 45th anniversary, Smokey and the Bandit returns to over 650 select theaters nationwide on Sunday, May 29 and Wednesday, June 1, courtesy of Turner Classic Movies and Fathom Events.

Directed by Hal Needham and starring Burt Reynolds, Jackie Gleason, Sally Field and Jerry Reed, Smokey and the Bandit delivers outrageous laughs in one of the biggest box-office hits of all time. The movie was the second highest-grossing domestic film of 1977 and spurred numerous spin-offs.

Burt Reynolds and Sally Field in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Fathom Events

Bo “Bandit” Darville Bandit (Reynolds), a fun-loving, fast-talking trucker, takes on his craziest haul yet—delivering 400 cases of beer from Texarkana to Atlanta in just 28 hours. With Sheriff Buford T. Justice (Gleason) hot on his trail and eager to teach him some respect for the law, the Bandit joins forces with good ol’ boy Cledus (Reed) and runaway bride Carrie (Field). 

Gear up for huge laughs, pedal-to-the-metal action, and some of the wildest car crashes ever filmed!

Viewers will also be treated to exclusive behind-the-scenes insights and background information about the making of the movie from Turner Classic Movies.

Locally the film will be screened at Regal Deer Park 16, 455 Commack Road, Deer Park on May 29 at 4 p.m. and June 1 at 7 p.m.; Island 16 Cinema de Lux, 185 Morris Ave., Holtsville on June 1 at 7 p.m.; and Farmingdale Multiplex, 1001 Broadhollow Road, Farmingdale on June 1 at 7 p.m. 

Up next, The Wizard of Oz, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, The Thing, The Fifth Element and Forever Golden! A Celebration of the Golden Girls head to the big screen in June.

To order tickets in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.

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From left, Harry Hadden-Paton, Laura Carmichael, Tuppence Middleton and Allen Leech in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Focus Features

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

In 2015, the landmark television series Downton Abbey ended its six-season run. Four years later, Downton Abbey arrived on the big screen (reviewed in this paper in September 2019). Set in 1927, the story focused on a visit from King George V and Queen Mary. While the film lacked the weight and depth of the series, it was a satisfactory outing for Crawley fans, featuring almost the entire roster of principals. 

After several delays in release, Downton Abbey 2, rechristened Downton Abbey: A New Era, arrives. Picking up one year later, the film opens with the wedding of former chauffeur Tom Branson (Allen Leech) to Lucy (Tuppence Middleton), the illegitimate child of Lady Bagshaw (Imelda Staunton). The scene serves as a reverse curtain call of the entire cast—both upstairs and down. 

A New Era weaves two unrelated plots. In one, the Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) has inherited a villa in the south of France, left to her by a possible former paramour, the late Marquis de Montmirail. While the Dowager is too ill to travel, members of the household journey to meet the man’s irate widow (Nathalie Baye) and welcoming son (Jonathan Zaccaï). Here, questions arise regarding the Earl of Grantham’s (Hugh Bonneville) birth.

Meanwhile, in need of a cash influx, the family leases Downton to a film company. Lady Mary takes charge of the endeavor, dealing with the director (Hugh Dancy), who, in traditional Downton fashion, falls in love with her. The undertaking is made more difficult by its beautiful but crass leading lady (Laura Haddock), coupled with the reality that silent films are dying.

The plots serve to put the characters in action but do little more. However, they offer a reminder that the Downton universe revolves around property—acquisition, ownership, and maintenance. Beginning with Episode One, Downton Abbey was driven by the issue of entailment and succession. With this shadow no longer present, the tension is gone. Even the roof repairs seem less dire and more a whacky (and almost desperate) way to introduce a screwball element. There is something tamped down in the emergency.

The simplistic arcs are predictable and provide opportunities for glorious scenery and occasionally sitcom exchanges. There are many jokes at the expense of the film industry and the French, but the barbs are benign. The film is liberally sprinkled with minor subplots involving a peppering of romance and domestic frustrations, but these function to give the less active characters a bit of screen time. 

Ultimately, the problem at the core of both films is that the characters have matured. They no longer have the life-and-death conflicts that shook their worlds and forced them to look outward and inward. The entire clan has become not just better people but their best selves. The often dangerous and destructive relationship that fueled the conflict between Lady Mary and her sister, Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael), no longer exists. If they are not best friends, they are as close as possible. 

Even the usually destructive Barrow (Robert James-Collier) has become a more benevolent soul. Happiness is not bad, but it is not the furnace that heats a story. The roadblocks and hurdles are minor; the experience is almost tacit. The culmination of emotional growth is not necessarily the best dramatic force.

Because of this, the first two-thirds of the film are composed of brief scenes (sometimes as short as two or three lines), jumping from place to place and from one set of characters to another, allowing for barely a breath. The frantic, frenetic, and often whimsical quality has a Muppets Take Downton Abbey feel.

Strangely though, these are minor cavils. Watching A New Era—which is an improvement on the first—reminds us of the journey taken. The actors are uniformly true to the characters who have aged and seem appropriately worse for wear. The delicacy and honesty of the performances echo a world created over many years. The final act allows the characters to breathe. Even in the most contrived situations, the company is incapable of a wrong or false note.

In one of the most beautiful scenes, Isobel (Penelope Wilton) and the Dowager (Smith) reflect on their history, reminding us how these longtime adversaries developed a deep bond. This is the film—and Downton—at its best.

Many loose threads are tied up, providing closure. But the ending also honors the circle of life, composed of births and weddings, illnesses and deaths. 

It would be a safe bet that there will be a Downton Abbey 3, probably dealing with the problematic situation in Lady Mary’s marriage to racing fanatic Henry Talbot (absent from the film as actor Matthew Goode had production conflicts). In addition, societal changes, financial challenges, and global conflict will likely offer myriad opportunities. And while nothing will take us back to the height of Downton Abbey, we will gladly join the Crawleys as they move forward.

Rated PG, the film is now playing in local theaters.

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Jim Broadbent and Neal Barry in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

In 1961, London’s National Gallery acquired Francisco de Goya’s early nineteenth century The Portrait of the Duke of Wellington. Valued at £140,000, the work was stolen on August 21, just nineteen days later. Falling into the “this is too far-fetched to be true,” the culprit was revealed as sixty-one-year-old Kempton Bunton, a taxi driver from Newcastle Upon Tyne (located in the northeast of England). Brought to life in The Duke, the film marks the final work of director Roger Michell (Notting Hill), who passed away in September 2021.

According to Bunton’s grandson, Chris, the screenplay takes very few liberties with the actual story and reflects his grandfather’s character—though the real Kempton was not as warm as his screen counterpart. Jim Broadbent fully inhabits Kempton Bunton, whose campaign against pensioners having to pay for a television license leads him to theft.

Two approaches could have been taken to tell this fascinating story. The first would have been a dark and serious exploration of the common man railing against the system (think auteur Mike Lee’s grittiness crossed with screenwriter Jack Rosenthal’s realism).

Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Or in contrast, the creators could have selected a more whimsical approach in the vein of the Ealing Studio comedies (those that featured character men such as Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers). Writers Richard Bean and Clive Coleman have opted for the latter, with the result being an engaging mix of old-fashioned caper with a sensitive and touching underpinning.

The film opens with Kempton on trial, then flashes back to his earlier tribulations, including a short stint in jail for using a T.V. without the necessary license. An eccentric of the first order, he writes and submits plays that are never produced. In addition, he chatters so much to his cab clients that he loses his job and eventually loses a later position in a bakery for calling out the boss for abusing a Pakistani worker. 

His wife, Dorothy (flawlessly played by Helen Mirren), cleans house and babysits for a local councilor and his wife (Anna Maxwell Martin, finding depth and nobility in a small role). Dorothy finds her husband’s never-ending antics and quixotic crusades overwhelming and perpetually frustrating. A shadow separates the couple: the death of their eighteen-year-old daughter in a bicycle accident a dozen years earlier. Kempton battles for the greater good of humanity but is often oblivious to his wife’s pain.

Jim Broadbent in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Their adult children include a supportive, good son, Jackie (a likable Fionn Whitehead), who dreams of being a shipbuilder, and the prodigal, Kenny (a surprisingly likable quasi-hoodlum played by Jack Bandeira). Kenny, along with his recently separated girlfriend, Pammy (Charlotte Spencer, wonderfully amoral and ambivalent), is hiding out with his parents. Pammy’s discovery of the painting stashed behind a false backing in a wardrobe drives the latter part of the story.

The film is brisk and often funny, with shades of Blake Edwards at his best and most focused. Split screens, Mike Eley’s spot-on cinematography, and a jazzy score by George Fenton complete the 1960s feel. 

Broadbent is in his element, whether trying to get petition signatures, struggling with his writing, going against a racist, or being delightfully honest when questioned in the dock. He easily nuances the performance without losing the broader comic strokes. His scenes with the always brilliant Mirren reveal a troubled but enduring marriage of two unlike but equal souls. 

Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey’s Henry Talbot, Lady Mary’s second husband) charms as Kempton’s barrister, Jeremy Hutchinson, in turn bemused and delighted by his client.

While courtroom scenes can be predictable, Broadbent’s quirky, raw honesty creates a riveting and satisfying climax. Through the wit and clever banter, the message of “I am you, and you are me” resonates. The trial’s outcome, the family struggle, and a surprising revelation make a satisfying resolution to The Duke, an entertaining and touching film. 

Rated R, the film is now playing in local theaters.

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Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate Films

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

The informal definition of “meta” (according to Merriam-Webster.com) is “showing or suggesting an explicit awareness of itself or oneself as a member of its category: cleverly self-referential.” No term better describes Nicolas Cage’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. And while it is directed by Tom Gormican, from a screenplay by Gormican and Kevin Etten, Cage is the sole reason. 

Nicolas Cage plays Nicolas Cage—or, at least, a version of Cage. Here, he is a larger-than-life star with a larger-than-life ego. It is hard to say whether this reflects or distorts the actual Cage. However, Cage, one of the busiest and most enigmatic actors, offers a delightful “meta” performance.

Nicolas Cage in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate Films

The Cage on display in The Unbearable Weight is an ego-centric star just on the cusp of decline. Frantically pursuing a role, he auditions in front of a restaurant as the director attempts to get into his car. There is more than a whiff of desperation as Cage does everything but beg for the part in the upcoming film.

Driven by fiscal problems (he is in arrears to the tune of $600,000 for the apartment he rents), he agrees to attend the birthday party of billionaire playboy Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal), being held on Javi’s compound in Mallorca, Spain. 

While there, CIA agents Vivian (Tiffany Haddish) and Martin (Ike Barinholtz) approach Cage. They inform him that Javi is an arms dealer who has kidnapped a politician’s daughter to drive him out of an upcoming election. The agents enlist the reluctant Cage to aid with the recovery mission.

The plot veers to Hollywood blockbuster. While initially elements nod towards something heightened and outrageous, in the end it is a buddy comedy between Cage and Pascal. There is an attempt to satirize (at least spoof) the genre, but mostly it lands in safe territory. There are funny moments (the wall scene spoiled by every trailer; a viewing of Paddington 2), but many situations seem forced (an acid-tripping scene; the sedative bit).

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is at its best when delving into Cage’s psyche and simultaneously mammoth and fragile ego. Several times he is confronted by his younger self. Regrettably, there are only three of these moments, and we are left wondering if there were not more that ended up cut because they were (once again) too “meta.” 

Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate Films

Cage’s ability to put himself in the crosshairs of his own pretension make for the strongest fodder. He often speaks of his acting process—“nouveau shamanic”—and his desire to make a “character-driven adult film.” He struggles with the difference between actor and movie star, perpetually obsessing over his choices. He is not so much oblivious to his daughter, Addy (Lily Sheen), as his energy is misplaced, mistaking his own likes for sharing. His fractious but not unloving relationship with his estranged wife, Olivia (Sharon Horgan), highlights his inability to look beyond his career. He is where doubt and narcissism implode.

Both Sheen and Horgan give fine, understated performances, but they are minor characters on this broader stage. Neil Patrick Harris appears briefly as Cage’s agent, a character that barely has one dimension. The same is true of Alessandra Mastronardi as Gabriela, Javi’s faithful assistant. Paco León, as Javi’s cousin Lucas, is a by-the-numbers hoodlum. Haddish and Barinholtz hit the right notes but have very little to play.

Pascal makes the perfect fanboy who possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of the minutiae of Cage’s career, complete with a trophy room (also spoiled by the trailers). While Javi is eager for Cage to star in the screenplay he has written, the burgeoning bromance drives the character. The plot creaks in fits and starts, and an unfortunate plot twist softens the entire nature of the relationship. But Pascal and Cage have real chemistry and make the more conventional stretches watchable.

The film is an uneasy mix of comedy, abduction thriller, and meta-exploration. If the creators had leaned more into the last (think Being John Malkovich), the result would have been both engaging and surprising. But, in the end, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent delivers an entertaining parody that does not quite live it up to its greater potential. One suspects that they had a bigger concept and lost their way. Or perhaps, they got spooked thinking that just like the discussion of film within the film, something more esoteric would not play to a general audience. Or, even a greater heresy, sell. 

Rated R, the film is now playing in local theaters.

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One of the newly renovated theaters at the Cinema Arts Centre. Photo by Nate Close

After a long closure, and full renovation, Huntington’s Cinema Art Centre has reopened for in-person screenings and events

After more than two years, the Cinema Arts Centre (CAC), 423 Park Ave., Huntington has reopened with a newly renovated space. Independent film screenings and special programming are back at the cinema, with great events planned for this spring and summer, and more on the way.

Having first closed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CAC decided to use the opportunity to embark upon a large scale renovation of its lobby and three theaters. The work on the theater includes brand new seats, carpeting, ceilings, an updated ventilation system, as well as new paint and carpeting in the lobby and new seats and tables in the café, which are set to arrive any day. The floors in the theaters have also been re-profiled to create better sight lines, the bathrooms have been refurbished, and additional handicap seating has been added to the theaters.

New lobby carpeting at the Cinema Arts Centre. Photo by Nate Close

During its closure the Cinema Arts Centre stayed busy presenting pop-up and drive-in screenings along with a diverse range of virtual programming, some of which will continue in some capacity into the future.

The Cinema is now open for in-person programming, and tickets are on sale for a number of films and special events this year. One series that particularly excites that staff is the Maritime Film Festival.

A celebration of Long Island’s coastal culture, the multi-day Maritime Film Festival, will explore topics such as Long Island’s bay houses, the first all-female crew of sailors to circumnavigate the globe, and the Bungalows of Rockaway. The festival will feature a number of special guests including filmmakers, subjects of the films, and experts on Long Island history. You can purchase tickets or find more information about these and other events at www.cinemaartscentre.org

“It has been a long road to get us to this point,” said Nate Close, director of communications at the CAC. “We experienced a few delays along the way but we are thrilled to be finally reopening as an even better version of the Cinema Arts Centre. With our comfortable new seats and more modern theater design, we are excited to once again provide a space where people in our community can come together. We want to sincerely thank our members, donors, and everyone in our amazing Huntington and Long Island communities who made this possible.”

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