Movies to Watch - August 2019

1. 'The Mule' (2018)

A normal man of the middle class is pushed to his limits, and takes serious risks that could backfire on him. This is essentially the premise of legendary actor and director Clint Eastwood’s latest film in which he stars and directs as an octogenarian horticulturist turned drug mule named Earl Stone. Based on true events, this unreliable family man, and an even worse husband, Earl has sacrificed his love of flowers for the love of his daughter and wife. More at home on the road with his drinking buddies and colleagues than with his own family members, Earl has spent over thirty years doing what he does best much to the chagrin of those who care about him including his soon to be wed granddaughter.

Earl is faced with the unsettling reality of the crippling economic recession beginning in 2008, and the subsequent rise of eCommerce outlets when his horticulture lifestyle and flower gardens go out of business. All Earl has left is his love of the road, his ability to never get a speeding ticket, and a lot of debt that he’s not sure how to get out of. Earl has the utter misfortune to run into people who are shady yet loaded with cash, and Earl, being as desperate as he is to stay afloat economically, goes ahead and trusts them anyway, despite not knowing about the illicit cargo he is transporting around the country for them.

You are left feeling bad for Earl, because despite putting work first all those years, and missing time with his loved ones, he partly did it to feed his family and give them a good life, even if he was away most of the time. Eastwood who plays Earl in the film is not an innocent lamb and deserves punishment for what he did, but he is simply a manipulated fall guy and another casualty to the endless ‘war on drugs.’ Pursued by federal agents and cartel criminals, Earl ends up between a rock and a hard place, and you have to wonder how we can live in a society where an old man such as himself has to resort to being a drug mule in order to get by financially, and create a good life for himself and those close to him.

Overall, this is a good movie that I would recommend for its questions about morality, family, and the consequences economic hard times can have, and are still a reality for so many people who choose to take illegal means, or are forced to do so in order to survive or get by. It’s clear from the movie that crime doesn’t pay, but we are left to reckon with the absurdity of an eighty plus year old man needing to work for the cartels in order to thrive economically.

2. 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' (2019)

It may not be Tarantino’s best, but it’s certainly not his worst. With a stellar cast of characters including Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, etc., This film does a great job of invoking the nostalgia and uniqueness of Hollywood in its heyday during the late 1960s. Set in a time when hitchhiking was normal to partake in, hippies were hanging out in ranches, and the Manson family was beginning its reign of terror, Tarantino has an uncanny ability to bring those cultural tenets together to produce a satisfying film.

Between the cars, the outfits, the egos of the actors, you get a real sense of what it must have been like to be in Hollywood during that golden era. Even still, Tarantino as in his other films, likes to put his own spin on history, and without revealing too much, the last thirty minutes of this film are among the most satisfying that he has put to the big screen. It would not be a Tarantino movie without some craziness and shocking moments occurring. One of the best parts of ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ is the chemistry between Brad Pitt’s character, Cliff Booth, a stuntman who does all the dirty work with a smile on his face and Leo DiCaprio’s character, Rick Dalton, an actor who is struggling with the notion that his career may be on the downslope.

While the film gets off to a slow start and certain scenes are drawn out way too long, the writing is well-done, the characters are interesting to see develop, and the payoff of the ending is way too satisfying to not recommend this film. Especially if you are a fan of Hollywood history and the era of the 1960s, you’ll definitely enjoy this one.

3. 'Blinded by The Light' (2019)

Brrrrrruuuuucccceeeeee! Springsteen fans are going to love this film. I know I did and that's for a couple of reasons. The actors are really likable in this one, and the story they’re telling is one as old as time, but in a setting and an era that I found pretty compelling. There are some similarities between the coming of age of someone like a Bruce Springsteen and the film’s main character, Javed Khan (played by Viveik Kalra). Even though they are from different countries, different races, and different religious beliefs, there is a universal truth that underlies what Javed and Bruce went through as younger men. Dealing with overprotective or absent fathers, searching for one’s own identity, trying to find true love, and figuring out how to make their dreams come true These are the powerful themes of the film that are timelines across cultures and across borders.

Also timeless is the fight against hatred, bigotry, and intolerance among those who don’t accept others who are different, living in their communities. The film is not just about Springsteen’s music and how it relates to a young man’s search for his place in the world, but also about a family’s immigrant dream to create a better life for themselves in a community that can be rather cruel and mean at times. Not only is Javed trying to make his dreams come true, but his family are also trying to fit in to a town, Luton, where they are minorities, and are discriminated against.

I particularly like how Blinded by The Light, while it followed the formulaic story of similar films, has its own identity, and its own unique setting and characters that make it a rewarding watch. There are some lessons to be taken from this film beyond just enjoying the music of the Boss. It’s about balancing family responsibilities and your own independence and desires, and also about what your priorities are in life.

Music isn’t everything, but it’s the sweet, fulfilling topping that will get you through hard times when things look bleak. That is part of the appeal of Bruce Springsteen’s music, and it’s why his music is so powerful and resonant from Asbury Park to Luton, and from New York City to London. If you get the chance, see this film even if you don’t like Springsteen. It is more than just a musical, and at its core, it’s about the triumph of love over hate, and of dreams over despair.