Jeff Lubeck

Few films that attempt to place its audience in another time period completely succeed in delivering what feels like a full transformation.

The Lighthouse is set on a isolated and essentially barren island in the North Atlantic United States in the 1800’s.  The principals are a Lighthouse Keeper played by Willem Dafoe, and his hand a transformed Lumberjack played by Robert Pattinson.

From the opening sequence to its end The Lighthouse is visually engrossing. Once the characters present themselves, the same can be said about the story-line and dialog.

The Lighthouse, the island environment, the men, the way they look, dress and talk could not be more convincing. With the addition of an eerie story-line, The Lighthouse captures and surrounds you with intrigue, question, apprehension, and fear.

The Lighthouse is not for the faint of heart or those seeking mindless entertainment.

As with the characters, there will be times you want to leave The Lighthouse – but simply cannot.

Jeff’s Worthless Trivia & Other Thoughts

Cinematically, The Lighthouse is a good as it gets in film today – at least from my perspective. I go to see films solely for the cinematography.

The chemistry between Dafoe and Pattinson is electric.  Both are nothing short of brilliant in their roles.

The otherwise exotic model Valeriia Karaman has a small but key role in The Lighthouse.  The visuals in her scenes is equally exotic.

Bombshell is a movie that presents the end of the reign for Rogers Ailes the creator of Fox News. But that is not what the film is about.

Bombshell is about the dilemma of harassment in the work place as it relates to a number of females who work under Ailes – including but not limited to Gretchen Carlson, and Megyn Kelly.

However, let’s backup a moment.

In 2016 the (self) important Leads of Fox News – Roger Ailes, Bill Shine, & Bill O’Reilly are safe and sound on the chessboard the is National Cable T.V.  They have occupied this position for years and in some cases decades.  By the mid 2010s they are protected from any challenge – especially if it involves sexual harassment.

Bombshell is all about what is right, wrong, and in-between in Television News in 2016.  However, it should be kept in mind that Bombshell is being presented and portrayed by Hollywood which does not have a terrific record on this front either. 

In short, Bombshell is much about beautiful T.V. people who feel forced [sic. to be sexually] compromised in order to advance their careers being portrayed by beautiful movie people.

While Bombshell is easy on the eyes, given the viewer is watching beautiful people wearing perfectly tailored outfits that highlight the best aspects of their physic – it is not the best part of the film – not even close.

Bombshell is at its best when things get serious.  Bombshell evolves into a much, much better film as human frailty is presented.

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Jeff’s Worthless Trivia & Other Thoughts.

Bombshell is worth viewing if only to see the performance of John Lithgow in role of Roger Ailes. In my eyes, it is an Academy Award winning performance.  I am not surprised with the Hollywood establishment nominating Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.  However, both are playing a version of their movie-selves we have seen in many other films.  Lithgow deserves better.