West Side Story *****
Yes, Virginia, there are movies that need to be 2 hours 36 minutes long (three minutes longer than the 1961 version). I know this is now considered a problem play, but screenwriter Tony Kushner made a valiant effort to solve some of the problems, as did Stephen Spielberg, who cast actual Hispanic actors. The plot (thank you Romeo and Juliet) as well as the music (thank you Sondheim and Bernstein) are breathtaking. This is a moving theatrical experience. Go if you can. And Rita Moreno, not a cameo. My wife feels that Maria’s despair and suicide in the end if done in a beautiful and sensitive way would have greatly enhanced the ending. After all, it is what Shakespeare did.
House of Gucci***
Adam Driver, Lady Gaga, Al Pacino, Ridley Scott at the helm. What could possibly go wrong? Ridley Scott’s power, I fear. At 2 hours 38 minutes, it is almost precisely an hour too long. Hollywood is afraid to cut the films of A-list directors these days, which produces massive self-indulgence. I know I have been riding this hobby horse for half a century, and the odds are that no one in Hollywood is hearing me. But the fact of the matter is there was a five-star film inside the bloated carcass of this self-indulgent overload.
Power of the Dog****
Yes, it is a half-hour too long, so I wouldn’t normally give it four stars. But director Jane “The Piano” Campion’s obvious respect for her viewers, combined with an astounding performance by Benedict Cumberbatch (he plays unlikable!) moved me as close to five stars as I’m willing to get on a film that could easily have been 25% shorter and so more interesting.
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