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Lady Bird (2017): Hometown Glory*

Lady Bird above all else is proof that sometimes the best stories are told on a minimalist scale. Now you may be asking – what the heck do I mean by saying that?

Well, it is my hot take that Lady Bird has resonated with viewers because it is such an intimate, personal story. It may not be a story that you can relate to on all levels, but it is a story told in a manner which lets you in and connect with what is portrayed on screen. Of course this is down to the talents in front of and behind the camera.

Full disclosure – I have a bit of a soft spot for the film’s writer/director Greta Gerwig. In her directorial debut, Gerwig acquits herself quite well in composing a love song with multiple notes, all centered around the tumult of high school senior Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) and her somewhat predictably fraught relationship with her mother (Laurie Metcalf). She is a teenager after all …

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Black Panther (2018)

Well, here it goes … some summary thoughts on Black Panther. Be assured, there are no spoilers here.

Simply stated, Black Panther is a visual feast for the eyes*. It is produced on a scale I have rarely (if ever) seen projected on the big screen. In a word, the world of Wakanda is MAGNIFICENT and must be seen at the cinema to be fully appreciated (IMAX > 3D in my opinion).

Power in a Picture: He might be the King, but there is a lot of matriarchal power on display in the film Black Panther. Pictured (l. to r. Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), T’Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Okoye (Danai Gurira) (Photo Credit: Marvel Studios).

As it relates to the story itself – after a somewhat deliberate start, once the action of the story kicks off (and boy does it), I found myself fully immersed and engaged in this world and its players. So focused was my attention, I did not feel the passage of time.

The construction of Black Panther makes it a solid standalone movie, independent of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In other words, never did I feel like any foreknowledge of any previous Marvel film was required to understand or enjoy this film – it stands on its own. That said, director Ryan Coogler was able to weave tidbits from prior films in a way that served both novice and MCU devotees well.

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The Post (2017)

To be honest, I did not realize (or had a momentary lapse and forgot) who was the director of The Post was until I saw the closing credits. But there was a part me that was not wholly surprised. More on that a bit later …

The Post (2017)

Based on the legal and journalistic drama behind the release of the Pentagon Papers, The Post threads a very thin narrative line – it is part political thriller (the DNA of All the President’s Men is quite evident) and part human interest/personal drama, centered on The Washington Post’s owner Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep). It also explores the evolving relationship between her and editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks).

Now, I am not going to give too much of the story away, because frankly a quick internet search will tell the tale of the Pentagon Papers. While I am not a spring chicken, I am surprised that I did not recall this story from my history classes during my school days. I could offer more commentary in that regard, but I digress. Back to the film.

Ah yes, the performances. Not much to say in this regard except what else do you expect? Streep, Hanks and a wonderful collection of supporting actors who made this a true ensemble piece.

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