Writing about movies today feels odd when the world is shut down by a disease whose cause is still unknown. If anyone had written last year that we would be wearing masks in public, washing our hands throughout the day and be shut in our homes, who would have believed it? But here we are, confined by the new culture that offers us reading and television in isolation. The break for us is that the movie industry is altering itself to fit this new time when audiences are watching from their living rooms.
Another positive change is the soaring quality of television productions. Ken Burns has brought brilliance to the medium we once thought of as lightweight. This year he unveiled a superb view of American history with his documentary “The Roosevelts.” If you think it’s not your thing, just try it. You won’t turn it off.
You can also try some of these older movies you may have missed the first time around.
“Deepwater Horizon”
(2016) – Three powerful, quiet performances (Gina Rodriguez, Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell) deliver courage instead of melodrama in the unvarnished reality of the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Though not a documentary, this movie shows the horrifying reality of what led to the explosion of the oil rig four miles off the Louisiana coast in 2010. The reality of the filming brings the whole thing to life.
“The Aftermath” (2019) – Hamburg in ashes after World War II is haunting and the film’s three fine actors Keira Knightley, Jason Clarke and Alexander Skarsgard bring that point home. Knightley and Clarke deliver three people trying to rebuild their lives after the death of their young son. Although the script has moments of being ordinary, the actors convey emotion beautifully with expressions rather than words.
“The Founder” (2017) – This one hands us an intriguing history of the McDonald’s empire. From founder Dick McDonald (Nick Offerman) who created the original in 1954 with high standards, to the ambitious dynamo Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) who carried the company to 1,600 locations around the world. Kroc saw the future of fast-food restaurants and did something about it.
There is a quiet pleasure in watching these three movies based on actual events that dip into different periods in our history. These three stories unfolded in 1945, 1954 and 2010 and they will hand the tone of those times to everyone who watches them in the future. The fun of it lies in the fact that movies deliver not just the incidents of the story but also in the way they are made the flavor of their decade.
“The Roosevelts” series has the deep strength of presenting history in genuine historical footage. In creating it, writer/director Ken Burns has dropped all of us into the reality of the events and culture of the times he films. The three movies bring historical moments alive through the talent and interests of their fine directors, actors and designers. You can’t miss with any of these.
Joan Ellis’ movie reviews can be found at JoanEllis.com.
The article originally appeared in the May 21 – 27, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
