by Philip Price Directors: Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel & Josh Gad Rated: PG Runtime: 1 hour & 43 minutes As a parent who has seen “Frozen” approximately 108,054,523,678,245 times it would be easy to go into a sequel with a cynical mindset expecting directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck to repeat themselves or simply recycle the rather exceptional visual and auditory elements that worked so well the first time, but have been consumed so frequently since that it now seems there was never any other option for what that film was meant to be or be received in any other way than becoming the cultural milestone that it did.
There is also the inherent fear that studios will play it safe to the point they will simply re-fashion the first film to include a few new characters and a few new songs that will have the old characters go through the same motions of learning the same lessons, but never actually have them grow in any real or meaningful sense. With this film in particular though, this never seemed as if it was going to be a concern - otherwise this sequel would have arrived three years ago. What made the idea of “Frozen II” exciting from the first teaser was the fact it seemed apparent the writing and directing team were intent on not repeating themselves - at least as far as narrative went - for even though “Frozen II” ultimately comes to explore many of the same themes touched upon in the original film it isn't doing so in a re-purposed fashion, but more expanding on them - namely, the idea of love not solely being that of a romantic quality, but that this greatest and most mysterious of all emotions is maybe even more genuine when there is no romantic factor to the equation, but is instead a pure, authentic, respectful appreciation of and connection to another being. This is a sequel that is admittedly a tough one to crack as it explores the ripples left over from the first film's complex emotional arcs. Furthermore, there's this idea that the world of “Frozen” only needed to be expounded upon if there was a desire for it and while the answer to that might seem obvious given the amount of money the first film made when taken on face value there was no real need to fill in further historical moments from the history of Arendelle. Still, “Frozen II” has many things on its mind and chief among them is allowing its two protagonists to come to terms with how they wound up in the crazy positions the events of the first film landed them in; if “Frozen” was about Elsa and Anna figuring out who they are then “Frozen II” is about them figuring out who they were meant to be and how well that aligns with who they've actually become.
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by Julian Spivey Almost Famous – Hulu – Now One of the finest movies since the new millennium Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous,” a semi-autobiographical film about his early days as a teenage reporter for Rolling Stone magazine, is now on Hulu. The film sees Patrick Fugit’s William Miller (a stand-in for Crowe) travel with the fictional band Stillwater for a piece in Rolling Stone where he forms a friendship with the band’s guitarist, played by Billy Crudup, and a groupie who goes by Penny Lane, played by Kate Hudson. Wall Street – Hulu – Now Oliver Stone was one of the most important directors in Hollywood during the second half of the 1980s and he followed up his 1986 Best Picture Oscar-winning “Platoon” with “Wall Street,” a drama about the dark side of the corporate world. The movie features Michael Douglas in an Oscar-winning performance as Gordon Gekko, one of cinema’s all-time great villains, as he warps a young stockbroker, played by Charlie Sheen. The film is now on Hulu. Marriage Story – Netflix – December 6 One of 2019’s most critically-acclaimed and potential award worthy films is Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story,” which premieres on Netflix on Friday, December 6. The film stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, in potential Oscar-nominee performances, as a married couple going through a coast-to-coast divorce. The film features a raved about supporting cast of Laura Dern, Alan Alda and Julie Hagerty. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season 3 – Amazon Prime – December 6 Amazon Prime’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” has been one of the funniest comedies on television or streaming over the last two seasons and the streaming service drops season three on Friday, December 6. The series follows Midge Maisel, played by Rachel Brosnahan, and her stand-up comedy career in the late ‘50s/early ‘60s after stumbling into it comedy one night at a club after her husband cheats on her. The antics between her and her manager Suzie, played by Alex Borstein, are laugh out loud hilarious. Brosnahan, Borstein and Tony Shalhoub have all won Emmys for their terrific performances in the show. The Two Popes – Netflix – December 20 Fernando Meirelles’ film “The Two Popes,” based off Anthony McCarten’s play “The Pope,” is garnering some potential awards talk for its lead roles of Anthony Hopkins as Pope Benedict XVI and Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (the future Pope Francis). The film revolves around a conversation behind Vatican walls between the conservative Benedict and liberal Bergoglio to find common ground to help forge a new path for the Catholic Church. “The Two Popes” premieres on Netflix on Friday, December 20. |
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