Movies -- A Recap -- Part XLII -- Tough Watches

The characters in Green Book were not what I expected, in a good way (though perhaps not a surprising way).  I expected more of a white savior narrative from big Hollywood.  While some of that is baked into the historical plot (the white guy went along as a bodyguard, so sometimes was literally, physically, the savior), the emotion in the movie to me felt very much equalized, perhaps even reversed.  In the end, it's a beautiful portrait of an unlikely friendship forged during a drive through the Southern states while segregation was still strong.  There are some light, funny moments despite the weight of the circumstances.  It stars one of my faves, Viggo Mortensen, as the driver and Mahershala Ali as the phenomenal pianist Dr. Don Shirley.  In a supporting role, the always lovable Linda Cardellini brings it home.

You'd have to be living under a rock to have neither read, seen, nor heard about Killers of the Flower Moon in the last decade.  But since we're talking about movies here, I'll save my commentary about the book for another time (or never). The basic story is the same: oil is discovered under land owned by the Osage Nation, whose members begin dying mysteriously. Though they nominally become wealthy, the Osage are considered incompetent in the eyes of the law and white guardians are appointed to look after their money.  Meanwhile, the deaths continue.  Eventually they draw the attention of the Bureau of Investigation (which would become the FBI).  The movie was perhaps most discussed for the heavy consultation with members of the Osage Nation during the making of the film.  Of course it was not without the "white savior" criticism (see, Green Book) and others, but no movie about a controversial topic is going to be. 

Oof, It Ends With Us was a tough one.  Two young, beautiful people - Lily and Ryle - fall in love.  The relationship gets a little bit dangerous, a little bit controlling ... was that violent?  Or an accident?  It's all complicated by flashbacks to Lily's younger self and the violence that existed in her family.  It's nuanced, complicated, and ambiguous.  The ending was a little bit candy-coated; however, after the doubt, confusion, and violence running through most of the film, it was a nice palate cleanser.  I have never been shy about my adoration of Blake Lively, who carries this movie on her lovely shoulders.  I also have a new crush on Brandon Sklenar, though time will tell whether it's a crush on him or a crush on his character in this movie, Atlas Corrigan.  (Irony of ironies: both Blake Lively and the former publicist of the leading man have filed suit against him alleging sexual harassment, hostile work environment, retaliatory behavior, orchestrating a smear campaign, and other things.  He counter-sued, and both suits are ongoing and schedule for trial in March 2026.)

Monster's Ball is an old one.  It stars Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton as troubled souls who find comfort in each other, against all odds and and against logic. I'm not sure you can call them themes, but the movie touches on racism, crime and capital punishment, suicide, economic struggles, and related issues.  There is so much tragedy in this movie.  One thing I really enjoyed was that there were all sorts of little quirks that were never explained, like why Billy Bob Thornton's character always at his chocolate ice cream with a plastic spoon; they were hints that there was a lot more to these characters than the viewer ever saw.

I wasn't sure whether or not to include The Gift in this category, as it's a much more traditional suspense-thriller than seems like would befit the theme. But when I think back on the movie, I'm still creeped out by Joel Edgerton's character and the chaos he produces in the lives of and relationship between the other leads. These sorts of stories, full of psychological attacks and gaslighting that cause one to question their own sanity, coupled with the sort of terror felt mostly (though not exclusively) by women, disturb me in the most primordial parts of my brain.  They get into my psyche in a way that blood-and-gore horror simply does not do.  Then there are the questions of coercive control within the relationship, which is a whole other issue.  So I can't say I recommend this one, exactly, but it sure does accomplish its goal and -- as far as this category is concerned -- remind me about the evil that can be out there.