From a commendable cast to their colorful characters, the stunning storyline to its sinister setting, along with a steady stream of twists, surprises and laughs, I loved every minute of it. Then I walked away thinking foremost of one gorgeous and timeless automobile– a true classic star who elegantly carried her own weight throughout the film. The 1978 Eldorado Biarritz clearly adds to all things fabulous about American Hustle.
If you go in expecting it to be absolutely ridiculous– funny in a few places yet just downright stupid in more– then you won’t be disappointed. The storyline just can’t seem to stay on track, if ever there was an intended track from the outset. Through ups and downs, along with a scattering of chuckles among just as many eye rolls, it’s quite a ride! Because I for one really like the main characters– the “team” if you will– I was excited to see them again. The many celebrity cameos are commendable, a close second to my number one reason for sitting through the entire rudderless production. A big fan of all things ’70s as I am, it’s like looking in the mirror– or wishing I was, that is! With your expectations properly calibrated as mine quickly became, you too should enjoy Anchorman 2. It’s silly, it’s tired, and most of all of course, it’s all about the fabulous wardrobe!
My first question came to mind before the film began to roll. Why, I asked, weren’t at least some if not all the actors from the first installment brought back to their roles for round two? The answer, or a portion of it, seems to have already been presented. Still, the business behind the making of a film certainly does not make the big screen’s overall continuity– or clearly lack thereof– any easier to swallow.
As always, my watching of the movie and the subsequent composing of my thoughts on it came before I endeavored to read any reviews. Now that the time has come to explore what others have to say, I myself have to say I’ve reached some points of agreement with the critics on Atlas Shrugged Part II.
It took me a while to get past the new cast, as I spent a good half of the movie comparing the current actors to those who played the same roles in Part I. My conclusion, alongside one unflattering review I’ve now read: Some were stronger this time around, most notably in my opinion Hank Rearden. Others plainly were not, foremost Hank’s wife Lillian, to borrow the words, “beamed in from a third-rate soap opera.” Francisco: Better. James: A draw. Dagny: Worse, amid more words written for me, even within a positive preview: “She certainly acts well… but she lacks the glamor and beauty of her predecessor in the role.” And it goes on.
Atlas Shrugged Part I, released 18 months ago, took place in 2016 and 2017, as indicated with date stamps throughout. Why then, I next asked myself, is no year attached to the days and months of Part II? For continuity’s sake, why not stay on the same stated time path? Continuity– again– does not carry Part I into Part II, disappointingly enough, drastic crew changes and production enhancements notwithstanding.
The storyline is reasonably clear; I followed the plot even more closely this time, if not for production value because I now feel I have an even deeper understanding of Ayn Rand’s complex and multi-layered story than I had upon seeing Part I. Still, not all moments are easily believable; in fact many remain a downright overstretch of the imagination. While a few intense and mind-triggering scenes boost the overall flow, too much of the acting comes off as shallow, rushed and unconvincing. The energy and cadence of the film remain high, as various punch lines either affirm or rattle our personal philosophies. And of course there’s Hank, powerful to a far yet unfortunate point. And it goes on.
Too many questions might force you to simply suspend belief in order to enjoy the story while processing its content. Why is most of the population of our country inexplicably absent? In this not-far-off doomsday fantasy-tempt-reality, is the majority simply at home and out of sight? How could the executive and legislative branches of government actually work together enough to pass such drastic and objectionable new laws? Have all the brilliant minds really disappeared, leaving but one to try to crack the code of what could be “the engine of the world?” Perhaps this is not the fault of any director, but rather that of the author herself. And it goes on.
For the viewpoints that surely spark controversy and incite argument, and despite the range of appreciation, shall we say, for the philosophy of Ayn Rand, this movie clearly invites you to think for yourself, amid alternating doses of reality and fantasy. Altogether, Atlas Shrugged Part II is securely worth the watch, even if– as proclaimed by the director himself– not for everyone. Read some more reviews first if you feel you must; there are plenty out there. Just take the good with the bad as I have, as you reach your own points of agreement and disagreement, ideally without prejudice, but with– dare I say it– a shrug or two of your own.
And it goes on. We’ve just begun to finally see who he is. Part III is yet to come.
Certain questions will forever remain unanswered. No time-leaping cinematic journey through the complex life of one of America’s most powerful yet complicated figures of history will ever put all the pieces together. We’re left to wonder, as perhaps well we should for the sake of ongoing argument and analysis. While this latest depiction surely rests incomplete in its overall life coverage– most do after all– the retelling of such infamous though calculatedly unproven historical details has made its way onto the big screen in a film very well worth your time and consideration. Simply put, go see J. Edgar.
Some unrealistic makeup notwithstanding, Leonardo DiCaprio pulls off a solidly believable portrayal of the enigmatic bulldog who for almost a half-century ran the department that grew to become during his reign the Federal Bureau of Investigation. While Director Clint Eastwood necessarily ignores many significant years and events, the history he does choose to cover maintains focus on the man of mystery who shaped and influenced– by means both good and not so good– federal law enforcement in this country.
Reality and Portrayal
There is no other J. Edgar Hoover. We already knew this. Still, as with so many high-ranking government officials, the daily struggle ensues between the personal and the public man. In Hoover’s case this may very well have been more than the average struggle, as Eastwood’s film steadily examines, and which no doubt draws us to the ticket window. Perhaps even more than his personal files for blackmail comes the unresolved fascination with Hoover’s sexuality. While the film unambiguously delves into this subject, it does so with a surprising amount of respect and restraint. In other words, the recipe is light on sexual behavior, heavy on conflicted emotional intimacy, all intertwined with another day on the job. His relationships are strong yet difficult, with his mother, with his colleagues, and certainly with the man he “needed.” This we see and see well.
Critics will call J. Edgar a disappointment– and they have— but as usual I believe in coming to my own conclusion. So should you. From unconvincing cameo portrayals of RFK and Nixon, to poignant moments with Clyde Tolson, to telling scenes with Hoover’s mother and the loyal presence of “Miss Gandy” throughout, all peppered with historical tragedy and even some splashes of Hoover-style wit and humor, this film demands our attention from start to finish. In the end, we’re left with that sense of wonder. If only Miss Gandy hadn’t been so faithful as to destroy all those personal files, I say! But of course, she did. Thanks to her, we’ll never know. Thanks to Clint Eastwood, we know a little more.
Dagny works, in more ways than one.
It ended powerfully but all too soon. I was left sitting on the edge of my seat, literally, eagerly awaiting the start of Part II. Whether or not we’ll ever see the second act, however, remains to be seen.
Despite testimony that could have easily tainted my outlook, I settled into my seat unswayed, holding onto my high expectations. In the end, on the whole, my expectations were mostly met. I’m pleased to state with confidence that “Atlas Shrugged Part I” is well worth the time, the cost, and most of all, the lingering mental workout.
One vital prerequisite exists, however, this being to at least peripherally know the story before entering the theater. After all, at hand is one multi-faceted, detailed and philosophical story that requires constant and unwavering attention. Blink and you might miss something. Allow your mind to wander for five seconds and you might pass over a line of paramount and later significance. As this would seem true for even those who know the story inside and out, I can’t imagine how a viewer could manage to follow blindly. Let’s just say I’m personally somewhere in between these two ends.
The visual effects of the film prove strong and impressive throughout. The miles upon miles of shiny new railroad track, fictitious of course, are stunning, leading into a bridge of true grandeur (and pivotal controversy) that I only wish existed in real life. While other effects are obviously computer generated, they remain at the very least passably believable.
The casting and the acting, while already the scorn of many a review, pass in my book, though not perfectly. I’m not exactly sure how I pictured Dagny Taggart as I read the novel, but suffice to say, her big screen debut works for me, despite a weak scene or two. Ellis Wyatt was flawlessly cast, as was Lillian Rearden, wife of Hank, who himself strongly grew on me from my initial point of skepticism. The only character I pictured entirely differently than he “emerged” is James Taggart, who simply seemed all too soft and youthful. But then, considering where he ends up, perhaps this is intentional.
Like railroad track itself, the film does an effective, and surprisingly succinct, job in rolling out a route to comprehending the overall plot of “Atlas Shrugged.” The story is built on two very powerful yet opposing belief systems, each with its respective merits and shortcomings. While I’m not here now to define and argue these details, I will say that I walked out of the theater with my mind heavily leaning in one direction over the other.
The year is 2016, and doom is upon just about everyone, save one steel manufacturer and the owners of one railroad for whom the steel is produced. It’s frightening to consider this fictional doom becoming reality. When we really arrive at 2016, a short five years from now, will gasoline be $37 a gallon, the Dow close below 4000, and railroads rule the land as the only affordable means of transportation? Moreover, will the federal government’s actions to turn the country’s economy around really be the solution? The latter is the question of all questions that “Atlas Shrugged” leaves us to ponder and somehow try to answer. This may be a bigger mystery than the most famous question of the story itself, at least more controversial and perhaps even unsolvable. In the meantime, bring on Part II!
It began powerfully. It ended equally if not more so. And I’m left feeling for Dagny. Perhaps I need speak no more, except to say I love the bracelet, and to repeat: So who is he? His identity, finally, is all the clearer.
Ryan R. Sanderson 