The Filtered Excellence: December 4, 2020
Bob Geldof once asked “Where is the filtered excellence!?” It’s right here. Once a week we take a break from comedy to bring you this week’s picks of the best things to watch, the most interesting things to do, great things to try, the best picks to read, our favorite things to listen to and more.
WATCH THIS
Mank. Gary Oldman portrays screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz in this Netflix film by David Fincher. Written by his father, Jack Fincher, it weaves back and forth between 1940 and the early 1930s, with Mank, recovering from a broken leg, attempting to stay sober long enough to write Citizen Kane; and his days as a top flight screenwriter for MGM. It’s during his run at MGM where he befriends powerful media magnate William Randolph Hearst (Charles Dance), and his mistress Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried). A frequent guest as Heart’s dinner parties, Mank plays court jester – and social critic – for studio heads Louis B. Mayer (Arliss Howard) and Irving Thalberg (Ferdinand Kingsley) and other members of California’s social elite. What Mank saw, and heard during these interactions became the basis of what many consider to be the greatest film ever made, Citizen Kane. The movie also covers Mank’s struggles to finish the screenplay, his battles with Orson Welles (Tom Burke) to receive proper credit for his work, and how it irreparably damaged his relationship with Welles, Davies and Hollywood. Fincher, working with cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt, honors his father’s memory and classic Hollywood filmmaking itself with stunning period pieces, costumes and a story that owes a great debt to Citizen Kane. Oldman is fantastic in the title track, capturing all of the boozy screenwriter’s sense of righteousness and self-destructive behavior. Lily Collins also turns a wonderful performance as Mank’s secretary/caretaker Rita Alexander, while Amanda Seyfried combines vulnerability and Brooklyn brassiness as Marion Davies. With stunning visuals and dynamic performances, Fincher has put together a film that will be well represented during awards season. One of the year’s best. Mank is available now on Netflix.
Red, White & Blue. The third installment of Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology series stars John Boyega as Leroy Logan, who joined the police force after his father Ken (Steve Toussaint) was brutally beaten by police over a traffic ticket. The film shows how that decision put him at odds with his father and how becoming the face of minority recruiting made him a pariah within his own community. McQueen also tackles how Logan, despite being an exceptional officer, faced racial hostility – subtle and upfront – from his colleagues and superiors. Boyega excels as Leroy Logan, presenting both measured confidence and silent rage as he plants the seed to change systemic racism from the inside. Steve Toussaint puts in outrage front and center as the elder Logan, seeking to find a measure of justice for his assault and have inner conflicts about his son’s decision to join a team that he’s actively fighting. With strong performances and a moving soundtrack, it’s another stellar outing from what has been a fantastic film anthology. Red, White and Blue is available now on Amazon Prime.
Three By Terrance Malik. As one of the last of the true Hollywood auteurs, the films of Terrance Malik always feature remarkable visuals and themes that explore reason versus instinct, the present and the transcendent, and humanity’s relationship with nature. The Criterion Channel looks back at Malik’s remarkable career by featuring three of his most celebrated works. It will included his debut feature Badlands starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek; Days Of Heaven with Richard Gere and Brook Adams and the 2005’s , The New World. It’s three films that best represent one of cinema’s greatest directors. Three by Terrance Malik is available now on The Criterion Channel.
READ THIS
Face To Face: The Photographs Of Camilla McGrath. When Italian countess Camilla Pecci Blunt married record executive and art gallerist Earl McGrath in 1963, it also marked an unexpected union between high society and bohemia. Some of the top names in music, fashion, politics and art were frequent party guests with McGrath playing both hostess and photographer. Before she passed away in 2007, she amassed over 60,000 photos but they were made public, until now. This new book shows some of McGrath’s best work, with candid shots of Jackie Kennedy, Mick Jagger, Barbara Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, Andy Warhol, Allan Ginsburg, Keith Haring, Bryan Ferry, Jerry Hall, Bette Midler, Nancy Pelosi, Calvin Klein, Jerome Robbins, and much more. There’s also essays and remembrances by Andrea DiRobilant, Fran Lebowitz, Harrison Ford, Jann Werner, Griffin Dunne and Vincent Fremont discussing McGrath’s impact on their lives and careers. It’s the ultimate insider’s look at a world very few of us get to experience. Face To Face: The Photographs Of Camilla McGrath is available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all major book retailers.
DO THIS
New York City.: Fire & Soul: 100 Years Of Harlem Art. This new exhibit explores 100 years of the Black American experience, covering everything from the Great Migration and immigration; gender identity and sexuality; to how politics – and racism – has continuously played a role in the artistic interpretations of Black life in America. While the Black Lives Matter campaign has taken a backseat in the current news cycle, this exhibit shows how the struggle isn’t new and it’s still ongoing. Fire & Soul: 100 Years Of Harlem Art is at The Kente Royal Gallery through January 3rd. You can also go to www.artcrawlharlem.com for more information.
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Stay Safe.
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