It’s The Most Wonderful Time For The Flicks

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By Ken Stokes

Editor’s Note: As the year ends, the year’s best films begin to get released. Winter in the movie world is the antithesis of its summers, when mega-blockbuster-and-overly-optimistic-sequel season is in bloom. It’s all customary, and revolves around “award season”—early spring—and the summer break from the public and private school system. In light of all this, Wood River Weekly has asked former Disney executive and Wood River Weekly contributing columnist Ken Stokes to pen some reviews on this year’s most high-profile films.

‘Being The Ricardos’

Sorkinesque on steroids, this movie dares to head into territory that’s as dangerous as it gets—a drama about comedy. But that’s not really what it’s about. If you loved “The West Wing,” “The Social Network,” et al., you’ll drink this up like … like Vitametavegamin.

The film is sumptuously crafted using virtually every trick available to a screenwriter. And there’s the rub—with so many plots, themes and devices in play (color, b&w, flashback, flash-forward, commentary, on-camera, off-camera, fantasy, reality), it’s extravagantly showy. And Sorkin sticks the landing. I mean, come on, an emotion-laden double-ending with a reversal … Simone Biles, eat your heart out.

But as any great artist will tell you, effort and technique should vanish. And it rarely does in ‘Ricardos.’ I frequently caught myself watching the movie as if I were viewing a Monet or a Seurat, too closely. Too often, I saw the artistry and not the image. Never fear, all that’s more than offset by the dazzling, often heartbreaking dialogue and terrific performances across the board. Just don’t expect it to be “I Love Lucy.”

‘Belfast’

Kenneth Branaugh’s cinematic memoir “Belfast” is small, yet substantial—a terrific addition to the pantheon of finely-crafted films which look at the dynamics of poverty, war and rites of passage through a child’s eyes (the most recent being “Jojo Rabbit” by Taika Waititi).

A deft balance of wisdom, nostalgia, fear and humor, “Belfast’’ is also a reminder that gang dynamics are rooted in economics, not race. And if this truly is an accurate reflection of Branaugh’s family, it speaks volumes as to the source and depth of his artistry.

‘The French Dispatch’

Following the masterful “Grand Budapest Hotel,” Wes Anderson has officially jumped the shark. About an hour into “The French Dispatch,” I needed an analogy for this anthology. And this is it: “Dispatch” is the equivalent of the TV show “Cake Wars”—all fondant and physics, but what the hell does the cake taste like? Is it extraordinary? Is it any good? Is there even a cake in there? Does it matter?

Anderson’s latest film is an exercise in the heresy of form over function and style over substance.

For comparison, check out the Coen brothers’ “A Serious Man,” where the customary and exotic Coen ingredients boil down to a simple, universal truth: Be a good boy.

I know “Dispatch” is informed by—and possibly a commentary on “The New Yorker” magazine—but what it’s about eludes me. Any takers?

‘King Richard’

“King Richard” doesn’t break the mold of inspirational sports films. Rather, it fits the mold to a T and plays with the genre in some much needed and very compelling ways.

Will Smith’s performance is the equivalent of a two-minute point at a Grand Slam final, and there’s a deus-ex-machina moment 20 minutes in that’s worth the price of admission all by itself. If Smith gets the Oscar, it’ll be because he earned it with this performance and for no other reason.

‘West Side Story’

Comparisons to the iconic 1961 film are pointless, and insulting to both. Steven Spielberg’s take on the legendary musical is nothing less than a masterpiece in its own right which transcends the source material and is easily his most vibrant, kinetic and emotional work in decades. Tony Kushner, the peerless playwright of “Angels in America,” has elevated the screenplay from the book of a musical into a full-blooded drama that simultaneously navigates period and contemporary sensibilities.

The casting and performances are exquisite, and none dare call nonagenarian Rita Moreno’s role a cameo. Steven Sondheim frequently apologized for his lyrics in this, his debut work on Broadway. I’m sorry, Steve, they were, are, and always will be wonderful, especially in this glorious setting. RIP and enjoy the show.