Babylon - Review
Babylon - Budget of $78 - 80 million - 3 hours and 9 minutes
Manny worked odd jobs in LA in 1926. He got an elephant to studio executive Don Wallach's party and helped keep tabs on attendees. Manny's boss tells him to ignore Elinor St. John because she is a gossip journalist. Sidney Palmer plays the trumpet with his band while avoiding the depravity around him. Lady Fay Zhu performs a song and picks a beautiful woman in the audience to kiss. Manny takes a smoke break and sees a woman, Nellie, crash into a statue. She poses as a famous actress to get into the party, but the security guard doesn't fall for it. Manny pretends to know Nellie and sneaks her into the mansion. Then, Manny takes Nellie to a private room to do drugs. Nellie admits she wants to be a star, and he desires to be a part of something that will last forever. Someone pulls Manny aside because a woman, Jane Thorton, overdosed, and they want to get her out without the other partygoers knowing. Manny suggests they use the elephant as a distraction. Manny's boss remembers that Jane has to be on the movie set at 8 a.m. There is no way Jane will be ready on time, so the boss runs to the ballroom, spots Nellie wildly dancing, and chooses Nellie to replace Jane. Outside, actor Jack Conrad gets into an argument with his wife, and she leaves him at the mansion. Jack walks in and orders every alcohol on the menu.
Manny wakes up in a mansion filled with trash and unconscious bodies. His boss tells him to take Jack home because he is too drunk to drive. After getting Jack comfortable, Jack hires Manny to be his assistant on set, and Manny accepts. He returns to the mansion to find Nellie leaving in the stolen car she crashed the night before. He declares his love for her, and Nellie drives away to her first acting gig. Manny, Nellie, Jack, Elinor, Sidney, and Lady Fay will be in and out of each other's lives over the next few years. Hollywood will bring out the best and worst in all, but one change will redirect the course of their careers: sound in movies.
Most viewers today don't understand the complexity of making a silent film. This movie shows every step of filming, lighting, stunts, and painting words for the screen. Next, the audience will see Hollywood's difficulties after pivoting to talking films. Directors and sound engineers had to work with the technology they had available. So adjusting microphones could take 30 minutes, and remembering lines was an actor's new hurdle. Everyone had to navigate this new venture together, while some paid the ultimate price. During this movie, you will notice that Hollywood is the antagonist. Studios cruelly throw away talent after building their brand off their work. Some fall into dangerous activities and sink into a depression without a safety net. This movie spends most of its time tearing Hollywood apart, but the last 5 minutes are a love letter to everything it accomplished. While the movie is fun, it's far too long. The editor could cut an hour out of the film and tell the same story. While seeing it on the big screen is worth it, one viewing is enough.
I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars
Ain't life grand - Nellie
You don't have to do that to get my attention - Jack
I think I'm in love with you - Manny
I am - Lady Fay
I'm self-taught - Sidney
Why did they laugh - Elinor
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Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody - Review
Whitney Houston sings in the church choir led by her mother, Cissy Houston (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). Whitney has the talent, but Cissy wants Houston to sing her way. She tells Whitney to sing all the words accurately, learn the melody, and use her head, heart, and gut. Whitney heeds Cissy's words and performs as Cissy's background singer at nightclubs. On stage, Cissy and Whitney are perfect, but off stage, Whitney hides from her parents' arguments. She and her brothers do drugs to escape the yelling matches.
One night, Cissy looks at the crowd and sees Clive Davis in the audience. She pretends to lose her voice and demands Whitney sing in her place. She tells Whitney to sing Greatest Love of All or get a beating. Whitney blows Clive away, and he believes Whitney is the voice of a generation (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). Clive wants to sign Whitney to a record deal immediately and invites her to his office. Cissy wants Whitney to sign without pause, but her father, John, wants Whitney to think twice. Clive talks to Whitney alone. He promises to be hands-off with her personal life but hands-on with her career. Whitney signs. In the elevator, her parents tell her that she needs to be America's princess to succeed in the business. This contract is the first step in the rise and fall of Whitney Houston.
This movie doesn't offer any new information about Whitney Houston. However, it gives viewers an insight into her relationship with Clive Davis and Robyn. If you are looking for more Whitney and Bobby gossip, watch the Lifetime movie (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). The script allows viewers into Whitney's songs, from picking to performing. The actors do a magnificent job of re-enacting her videos, performances, and on-stage flare. But you will leave with the feeling of attending a Whitney concert with behind-the-scenes footage. And nothing more.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars
God gave you a gift, and you got to use it right - Cissy
Whitney Elizabeth Houston, you always say your middle name - Robyn
My 'ok' is different than your 'ok.' My ok comes with investments and obligations. Yours come with a side of fries - Clive
I'm proud of you, mommy - Bobbi Kristina
These are my nice jeans - Whitney
Marry me - Bobby Brown
100 million dollars - John
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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish - Review
Puss In Boots throws a party in the governor's mansion and invites the town without the governor's knowledge. Puss attempts to escape when the governor returns, but his party wakes a giant monster. After defending the monster, Puss stays to celebrate. Sadly, the bell Puss used to defeat the giant fell on Puss, killing him. Puss wakes with a veterinarian examining him. He tells Puss that he's run out of lives and needs to retire from adventures. The veterinarian gives Puss the address for Mama Luna's Cat Rescue. Puss goes to a bar to drink his cares away when a wolf sits next to him. The wolf pulls out a wanted poster with Puss's image, and they fight. Puss is fearless until the wolf draws blood. Puss's life flashes before his eyes, and he runs away. Puss buries his signature garb and retreats to Mama Luna's.
Puss slowly adjust to life as a house cat named Pickles and finds a dog hiding their. The dog doesn't have a name or a family but hopes to be a therapy dog. One day, Goldilocks and the Three Bears crime family come to Mama Luna looking for Puss. But they don't recognize Puss with his long fur. They find his buried clothing on the property and assume Puss died. Puss overhears them talking about stealing a map to the falling star and can't believe it. The falling star can grant one last wish, and Puss desires the map to find the star. He wants to wish for nine more lives.
Two thieves stole the map for Big Jack Horner. After Pinocchio upstages him, Jack wants to use the star to wish for all the magic in the world. He collects magical relics for his private display. Puss and the dog watch Jack double-cross the thieves and put the map on his desk. Puss sneaks into the room to open the chest and finds Kitty Softpaws inside. Kitty and Puss fight over the map until Goldi and the Bears barge in to take the map. Kitty wants to map to make a wish. Puss and Kitty knew each other from the past and didn't get along. However, Kitty, Puss, and the dog run with the map to find the fallen star. Puss doesn't know that Jack, Goldi, the Bears, and the wolf are hot on their trail.
This sequel incorporates excellent animation with fantastic storytelling. It's unnecessary to see the first film or the Shrek movies to understand Puss In Boots. This movie expands on the legend of Puss and introduces new characters with ease. And writers ensured not to weaken Puss's storyline for the other characters. As you watch, notice each time they take a shot at Disney and Pixar movies while acknowledging Mary Poppins and Terminator (FTC Affiliate Disclaimer). This film packs well-timed, sometimes inappropriate, dark humor. This humor allows parents to laugh as their kids focus on the animation. This film is excellent for the whole family while teaching an appreciation lesson to children.
I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars
Welcome. Mi casa es su casa - Puss
You're not living up to the legend - Wolf
What are we looking at - Dog
Wow, that was the saddest funny story I've ever heard - Kitty
That was not just right - Goldi
I'll get you my kitties and your little dog, too - Jack
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