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Saudi Women's Driving School (2019)
Surprising Revelation
For anyone who has clung to negative conceptions of Saudi Arabia, this documentary introduces the viewer to an unexpected aspect of life for women in that country since the lifting of the ban on women driving autos unaccompanied by a male member of the family. New opportunities have come with the lifting of the ban, some of which would have been unheard of before. "Saudi Women's Driving School" does not cover any resulting problems, therefore rendering a one-sided view of the subject. One can simply enjoy seeing young women taking advantage of these new opportunities, many of which merit enthusiastic applause. To reveal these experiences along with an additional lifting of a centuries-old restriction against women would amount to spoilers, so I would recommend viewers to seek out this documentary and plan to be amazed.
The Shootist (1976)
The Mount Rushmore of Movies
Nothing I can write will equal what has already been shared here by other reviewers. There have been movies with a similar collection of the monumental stars of the Twentieth Century. Somehow, this movie surpasses all the others in acting, cinematography, writing, pacing and drama, especially if you narrow the field to American Westerns.
While I might cringe at Bond's declaring herself to be a window of one year's duration after the death of her husband at age 41 when it is obvious that Lauren Bacall is well past that age, the moment passes like a fleeting gust of western wind. The characters and their beloved actors engrave themselves in the mind of a sensitive viewer.
The moment that hit me squarely in the heart was the glimpse of John Wayne's hand, freckled with age spots: the actor and man he portrayed were living, breathing if ageing, dying human beings.
I don't expect another Western to come along, ever, to match the quality of "The Shootist."
The Lion King (2019)
Enchanting!
Anyone who has lived with felines or other non-human creatures learns quickly how to interpret emotions through facial expressions, position of ears and tail and especially the appearance of the eyes. They don't need silly artificial grins or scowls. All the creatures in "The Lion King" expressed their emotions in the natural manner. The criticism about the characters lacking emotion is not valid.
Characters were more fully developed in this live-action version, much more than they were in the animated version. The female lions (who do most of the work in lion prides) played a significant role in the opposition to Scar's assumption of the title of King.
I'm not sure how much CGI was responsible for the action scenes, but they were executed to perfection. Han Zimmer's enthralling music swirled around the action loud and clear, and he was given recognition during the closing credits in large font displayed on a screen dedicated to him.
All the actors breathed life into their characters through evocative voice work. Only Beyoncé was a little off, sounding more American than African.
I'm glad I ignored the reviews and went to see the movie. If you haven't seen it, I hope you'll give it a chance...better hurry while it's still showing. I'm giving it a 10 to balance out the undeserved 1's and 2's.
The Commuter (2018)
Why, Liam, why?
Excalibur, The Mission, Kingdom of Heaven, Schindler's List, Les Miserables, The Lion, The Witch , and The Wardrobe: there are surely omissions from this non-chronological filmology for Liam Neeson. And while I held my breath for the former policeman and just-fired insurance salesman he portrayed in The Commuter, I have to ask why he's taking on these lesser characters in the last few years. His characters have usually been highly-principled men who keep to the moral road and favor diplomacy over violence to solve dilemmas, despite character flaws. I can only imagine it's because roles for actors become more scarce as they pass age 50, whether male or female. Still, with his reputation, I'm hard pressed to justify these latter choices of roles.
It is his performance in The Commuter that compels me to give an 8/10 rating to this movie, although several other actors performed well and the suspense factor attacked me with unbearable anxiety.
Maximilian (2017)
Rewarding Exxperience
Showtime/Starz has given viewers a refreshing and rewarding experience in running the limited series "Maximilian" this spring, an insightful exploration of Fifteenth Century European history, concentrating on France, Germany, Austria and Hungary. At the time, France consisted of somewhat independent provinces, as did Germany, the greatest part of Germany known as the Holy Roman Empire. This focus on these countries is a refreshing change from the usual concentration on British history that we're offered in the category of Old World history.
Also refreshing is the absence of melodramatic soap histrionics characteristic in Hollywood productions. If the actors in "Maximilian" at times seemed too stone-faced, the viewer must take into account the behavior standards of royals and aristocrats both in previous centuries and in modern times. This does not mean there is a lack of emotional expression, just that it is more tempered, allowing for some highly charged scenes at pivot points along the way.
There is some frankly presented nudity and the brutality of the times, but not overly graphic. One nude scene in particular provides one of the most hilarious scenes in the world of cinema.
It was particularly rewarding to see this series in German and French with subtitles, much to be preferred over dubbing. Amazingly, the characters all communicated with one another across language barriers, each speaking in his/her native language, while seeming to understand one another perfectly.
I highly recommend "Maximilian." Don't pass this one up.