Meet the Fockers (2004) * *

 

Directed by:  Jay Roach

Starring:  Ben Stiller, Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand, Teri Polo, Owen Wilson, Blythe Danner

Meet the Parents (2000) was a one-joke movie with the joke long exhausted before the movie creaked to an attempted happy ending.   Meet the Fockers is slightly better, mostly because Greg Focker's (Stiller) parents join the festivities and both find a way to exasperate Jack (DeNiro) simply by being themselves.  Greg's parents are Bernie (Hoffman), a retired lawyer and Roz (Streisand), a sex therapist specializing in senior citizen clients.   They are everything the tight-assed Jack is not:  Openly affectionate, expressive, and love their son.   They even go as far as to build a shrine to him displaying his ninth place ribbons. 

In case you forgot, Greg's birth name is Gaylord, or Gay for short.  This movie and its predecessor squeezed every drop of humor out of this fact.   These movies tend to do that.   The Fockers are proud to be who they are.   They're surely honest to a fault, specialize in TMI, and Bernie has a habit of using the toilet while Jack takes a shower.   But they aren't emotional stiffs like Jack, who Greg is desperately trying to impress and wants to keep his fiancee Pam's (Polo) pregnancy a secret from him. 

The trouble with Meet the Fockers is its tendency to take the slapstick road or gross-out humor avenue (a piece of foreskin flies into fondue, for example).   This is a sign of desperation.   At one point, Greg is injected with truth serum by Jack to get him to spill the beans publicly about a past relationship with the family maid which may have resulted in a son which Greg knew nothing about.  The scene unravels, as do many in Meet the Fockers which ultimately wastes some good comic performances in favor of the lowest common denominator.  

The Old Man (2022) * * * 1/2 (on FX/Hulu)

 

Starring:  Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman, Bill Heck, Christopher Redman, E.J. Bonilla

If the first two episodes of FX's new series The Old Man are any indication, this will be a humdinger of a show.    The opening scenes show an old man waking up at various times during the night to weakly urinate.   We then learn this is all part of a recurring nightmare featuring his late wife.   His phone calls to his daughter ominously refer to a past which he would rather keep hidden.   Doctor visits and walking two large, loyal Rottweilers are part of his routine, which is soon shattered when a man breaks into his home in the middle of the night.   The man shoots the intruder, who is armed with a gun with a silencer, and then flees after police ask too many questions about what seems to be a home invasion.

The man is Dan Chase (Bridges), who we learn was once a CIA operative who has killed many people many years ago.   Chase isn't his real name, but we suspect the latest in a long line of aliases used by a man in hiding for thirty years.   Chase calls his daughter to let her know he's on the run again and we figure this is not the first time they've had this conversation.   Then Chase receives another call from a friend from the CIA days, Harold Harper (Lithgow), who warns Chase the feds are closing in on him, likely at the behest of an Afghan warlord who did business with Chase and Harper many years back.  Harper and Chase have a respect and a history, both of which would rather have it buried, but it is now seeing the light of day.   

Harper offers Chase a chance to disappear.  If he doesn't, Harper will find Chase's daughter and put the screws to her as a way of bringing Chase into the light.   Chase refuses, which isn't the answer Harper was looking for.   Harper simply wants to return to his home and tend to his grieving grandchild who recently lost his parents.   The phone call sets up the entire story and the complex relationship between Chase and Harper.   Neither wants to be in this predicament, but each must act according to their natures.   Flashbacks in the second episode have Chase played by Bill Heck and Harper played by Christopher Redman.  Each captures the spirit and behaviors of their older selves as younger men.  

Chase can certainly defend himself, as we witness during a long, tiring fight with a younger agent tasked with capturing him.   Chase is no John Wick.   He is not indefatigable or immune to pain.  When the fight is over, Chase finds another place to hide to heal and figure out his next move.   Another fight like that may kill him.   It exhausted me just watching it.   Chase rents out a room from a lonely, troubled divorcee (Brenneman) with her own troubles.   It is here where Chase's sensitive nature takes over, consoling her while showing off his culinary skills.   A romance will likely take place, which wouldn't be in either person's best interests.  

What we sense from watching The Old Man is the personal stakes involved.   Bridges and Lithgow both expertly handle the nuances and dimensions of their characters, with many more to come now that events of the past rear their ugly heads.   They do things they don't necessarily want to do, but must to protect what they value most.   For Chase, it's his daughter.   For Harper, it's to avoid having to explain his actions from decades ago involving the warlord.   At the end of episode two, we see just how far Harper will go to keep his secrets.   

The Old Man isn't simply about one old man, but two, both with their pasts and both trying to forge a path forward as their worlds prepare to crush them.   Bridges and Lithgow are wonderful actors with a history of award-winning performances between them.   We may be seeing a couple more here in this riveting new series. 

Father of the Bride (2022) * * *

 

Directed by:  Gary Alazraki

Starring:  Andy Garcia, Gloria Estefan, Adria Arjona, Isabela Merced, Diego Boneta, Chloe Fineman

The third filmed version of Father of the Bride isn't a retread, but like the 1991 hit starring Steve Martin, it covers different ground even if the storyline does not.   The latest Father of the Bride stars Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan as Billy and Ingrid Herrera, Cuban-American parents of attorney Sofia (Merced), who lives in New York and returns home to Miami to visit.   Billy and Ingrid, unbeknownst to everyone, have been undergoing marriage counseling and are now deciding to divorce.   They are about to break the news at a family dinner when Sofia announces her engagement to Adan (Boneta), a Mexican-American attorney who works with Sofia and will be moving with her to Mexico City to start a non-profit law firm there.  

This rankles Billy on many levels, including Sofia moving to Mexico City with a man she has only known for six months and he and Ingrid have never met.   Adan soon meets Billy and Ingrid and you wouldn't find a more devoted fiance anywhere.   He even comes from money.  ("My dad has a soccer team"), but Billy is still suspicious of a man who will follow his wife to Mexico City to open a non-profit (non-profit???) and doesn't watch sports.   Billy is a self-made architect who came to America with nothing and built his own architecture firm and proudly provided for his family.   Adan's father, while a nice guy, flaunts his wealth with lavish parties on yachts and a giant mansion.   Billy is much more humble and believes the Cuban-American family traditions will be gobbled up by the Mexican side of the family.  

Billy likes Adan, but with his own divorce looming, he questions the marriage and whether it will succeed.   The divorce is an element which wasn't part of the Spencer Tracy or Steve Martin versions of this story.   It adds another layer of insight into Billy's feelings and also how he views Ingrid, who he clearly still loves but can't quite find the right way to express it.   Garcia and Estefan create vivid, warm performances which propel Father of the Bride from being yet another remake of the classic story.  

Like the first two versions, this Father of the Bride exhibits warmth and gentleness while touching upon ideas not thought of in the other films.   

King Ralph (1991) * * *

 

Directed by:  David S. Ward

Starring:  John Goodman, Peter O'Toole, John Hurt, Richard Griffiths, Camille Codouri, Joely Richardson

Ralph Jones (Goodman) is a struggling Las Vegas lounge singer hit with great news at the best possible time:  He is the last of the Windham royal family after a freak electrocution during a photo session kills the entire royal family in one fell swoop.   He will be King of England, a job that provides as many pitfalls as rewards.   Yes, Ralph will live in a palace and access to untold riches, but he also must make public appearances where etiquette and couth count for something.   Also, Lord Percival Graves (Hurt) schemes to have Ralph discredited so he may claim the throne himself. 

King Ralph is a fish-out-water story with some obvious gags, but the slapstick isn't what makes it work.  It has a heart and Goodman is funny without even trying.   I also enjoyed O'Toole as Sir Cedric Willingham, King Ralph's private secretary who navigates him through the tricky, sometimes shark-infested waters of being a monarch.   Cedric has his work cut out for him with the oafish, clumsy Ralph.   Further muddying the waters is the appearance of stripper Miranda Green (Codouri), to whom Ralph is instantly attracted and for whom he is willing to throw away the monarchy.   

Writer-director Ward (The Sting) doesn't provide much freshness to Ralph's story, but observes the traditions well enough.    A scene in which Ralph breaks into song to liven up a party with the King of Finland as his guest of honor is simply thrown in so Goodman can belt out a musical number.   That scene falls flat, but others have charm of their own.  There are enough of the latter scenes to make King Ralph worthwhile.  

Murder on the Orient Express (1974) * * * 1/2

 

Directed by:  Sidney Lumet

Starring:  Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Sean Connery, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Jacqueline Bisset, Michael York, Vanessa Redgrave, Anthony Perkins, John Gielgud, Martin Balsam, Rachel Roberts, Wendy Hiller, Denis Quilley, Colin Blakely, Ingrid Bergman, Richard Widmark

There is nothing quite like an all-star cast having a ball with an Agatha Christie murder mystery.   This cast not only knows how to stage a murder, but they do it with panache and style.   Murder on the Orient Express is an achievement in simply keeping the names and players straight while working with all of the moving parts of a complex murder aboard the snowbound Orient Express train.  In the center is Albert Finney, whose Hercule Poirot has slicked back black hair which seems glued on to his head, beady eyes, a semi-handlebar mustache, and a nose for deceit.   Nothing escapes this man.   His interrogation style is to lure the suspect into a false sense of security (or insecurity) so they say more than they should.   Also amusing is Mr. Bianchi (Balsam), the Orient Express' head honcho and friend of Poirot's who believes they all did it.

The victim is the cold and despicable Ratchett (Widmark), a shady American with a past to hide who is found stabbed twelve times in bed in his cabin.   The suspects, and there are plenty, include:  A loud widow (Bacall) who insists a man broke into her cabin in the middle of the night, Ratchett's dutiful manservant (Gielgud) and secretary (Perkins), a British officer on his way back from India (Connery), the officer's secret fiancee (Redgrave), a Hungarian count (York), his wife (Bisset), a Russian countess (Hiller), her maid (Roberts), and a Swedish missionary carrying around a heavy amount of guilt (Bergman).   Poirot delights in prying these suspects loose from their secrets.   Finney has such fun playing Poirot he can barely contain himself.   When he comes across clues which will help break the case wide open, he jumps and laughs.   This is a man who loves his work.

Murder on the Orient Express is directed by Sidney Lumet, no stranger to directing big-name actors all looking to take their turn to shine.   Lumet was one of the masters.   His filmography is a diverse and complex mix of genres of which he was equally adept at presenting to audiences.   The train itself is lavish and the scenery is majestic.   Most of the action takes place inside the stalled train which is awaiting rescue while it is stuck on the tracks.   The pressure is on Poirot to solve the case before help arrives and the messy case is ultimately turned over to the Yugoslav police.   No need to worry.  Hercule Poirot, the world-famous detective, is on the case which is not the news the murderer (or murderers) wanted or expected to hear.   

Rear Window (1954) * * * 1/2

 

Directed by:  Alfred Hitchcock

Starring:  Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Raymond Burr, Wendell Corey

The view in the picture is seen throughout Rear Window by L.B. Jeffries (Stewart), who is temporarily wheelchair-bound with a broken left leg and bored out of his skull.   Jeffries, or Jeff as he called by his friends, is a magazine photographer who hasn't been doing much photographing lately.   The cast, which runs all the way up to his waist, is due to come off in a week, but until then he mostly stares out his window observing his neighbors who helpfully keep their own windows open for the world to peer into their lives.   Then again, the temperatures have climbed into the 90's and the apartments likely don't have air conditioning, which is likely why everyone keeps their windows open.   One couple even sleeps out on the fire escape to keep cool.

One of Jeff's more peculiar neighbors lives across the courtyard.  He is Lars Thorvald (Burr), whose wife spends her days in bed.  One night, Jeff hears a scream and Lars is ducking out into the alley at 2am with a suitcase in hand.   Why such odd behavior in the middle of the night?   Lars' wife is soon seen walking out of the apartment with Lars and shoved off into a taxi.   The wife is never seen again.  A highly suspicious Jeff contacts a detective friend named Doyle (Corey) to investigate the disappearance.   Doyle is unable to uncover anything unusual.  Lars pays his rent on time.  His wife was put on a train bound for upstate and no sign of foul play exists.   No matter.  Jeff insists a crime has been committed.   Is his imagination running away with him, or is he on to something?  

Caught in the middle is Jeff's gorgeous model fiancee Lisa (Kelly), who visits Jeff nightly and despairs that he is unwilling to commit to her.   She clearly loves him and he may love her, although he keeps her at arm's length.   It becomes evident that the goings-on at the Thorvald residence takes precedence over Lisa's feelings.   Soon, Lisa grows interested in Jeff's obsession.   Does she really want to know, as Jeff does, what happened to Thorvald's wife?   Or is this her way to grow closer to Jeff?   At one point, Lisa puts herself in danger to assist Jeff and discover the truth.   We also have convoluted feelings about Jeff for allowing this to happen.   Then again, if an intelligent, loving beauty like Lisa isn't good enough for Jeff, then no one is.

Jeff finds something enthralling about peering through binoculars at Thorvald, who has no idea he is being spied on.   When it appears Thorvald has done nothing wrong, both Lisa and Jeff seem disappointed rather than relieved.   It's as if the two will have to finally confront their own feelings about each other instead of being distracted by Thorvald.   What to do?   Keep digging at Thorvald.  A dog belonging to one of the other neighbors is soon found with its neck broken, so Jeff now has another piece of the puzzle to solve.   

Because Jeff is played by Jimmy Stewart, we find ourselves sucked into his story more quickly than we might another actor.   Jeff is not heroic or ethical (he even questions the ethics of spying on Thorvald).  He can be downright salty at times and we just want to shake him into the realization that Lisa loves him and he should love her back.   Rear Window's main point of view is through Jeff and we find ourselves conforming to his vision.   Rear Window works wonderfully as a thriller and a mystery, but I found the mystery of Jeff and Lisa just as engrossing.   

Barry-Season Three (2022) * *

 

Starring:  Bill Hader, Henry Winkler, Anthony Carrigan, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Michael Irby, Laura San Giacomo

Barry successfully teetered on the edge of darkness in the first two seasons, but season three disappoints because of the curious lack of energy this time around.    The show is in the doldrums with themes of guilt and redemption weighing so heavily on everyone's mind.   Barry (Hader) himself mopes around disheveled and bearded and in serious need of a good night's sleep.   The weight of the world is on his shoulders, as it should considering how many people he has killed as a hired assassin and innocent people he had to off to cover up his crimes.   

As season three begins, Barry's friend and acting teacher Gene Cousineau (Winkler) has learned from Barry's former boss Fuches (Root) that Barry indeed killed Gene's beloved Det. Moss.   Gene is terrified at Barry's crimes, but Barry convinces Gene to keep quiet by having him hired on the television show which he also recently scored the lead role.   Gene, an egomaniac who has been searching his whole career for such a break, finds he can live with this trade-off.   

Barry's girlfriend Sally (Goldberg) experiences the high of starring in her own sitcom and the low of having it cancelled after one episode because, according to network suits, it didn't hit certain demographics.   Which ones?   Who even knows.   Prior to this, Barry and Sally have a loud argument which frightens Sally to the point that she breaks up with Barry.   Also on the scene is NoHo Hank (Carrigan), the Chechen mobster who is having a secret affair with Cristobal (Irby), the son-in-law of the leader of the Bolivian drug cartel warring with the Chechens.   Fuches himself is in exile on a remote European farm, seemingly happy, until a phone call from Barry springs him into action attempting to destroy Barry by informing victims' families that Barry was the killer of their loved one.  One is Det. Moss' father, who forces Gene into giving up Barry.  

Barry is feeling the heat of having victims' relatives trying to kill him while seeking absolution and forgiveness.   This life is surely weighing on him, so I suppose we can forgive him if he misses a few days' worth of shaving.   Barry doesn't lack for activity, but it feels bogged down by unseen forces.  Barry was always black comedy, but the black has overtaken the comedy.   The ending of season three is appropriate and the plotlines seem to tidy themselves up into neat conclusions.   Will a fourth season be necessary?  I say no.