Day 21 of The Year Apart (and Sometimes Not)

Today’s Challenge (from Davis):

"Write a paragraph review of a film you’ve seen recently."

Charles wrote about the documentary Jane:

Went to see the new documentary about Jane Goodall tonight. Charlotte and I joined by some of my dearest and oldest friends here in Hawai’i. Jane’s fascination with chimpanzee’s mirrors our own. We ask what we can learn from them. We pray they have the knowledge of the Universe in their conspicuous similarity to humankind. And yet we find ourselves more enamored by the story of one woman whose purpose was so clear and direct that she began living alone in the jungles of the Gombe and found everything she would need for the rest of her life. And we yearn for that sort of laid out golden path towards relevancy and legacy. And we enjoy the stunning footage they shot there decades ago. And we admire the alien African sunsets. And we find ourselves compelled by a balding “belligerent old male” named Mr. Gregor, our only clown. And the credits roll. And we laugh together because we are together.

Davis wrote about Stephen Spielberg's The Post:

I went to see The Post with understandably high expectations. I was, like many American kids growing up in the 90s, a big fan of Stephen Spielberg. I had a book of photos from behind-the-scenes action on each of his smash successes up to the point of the book’s publishing that was specifically tailored to my demographic. In other words, Stephen Spielberg was an icon of film directing for young people like me. He was the standard to which all aspirants should hold themselves. The Post is his latest and, to put it bluntly, did little more than leave me with a sense of underwhelm. The film is, by no means, poor. In all accounts, it is the tops of their relative games doing what they do best, but still, it felt all but fresh. Perhaps I had grown accustomed to being blown away by the magic Spielberg has historically captured in his films, or maybe I was stuck in a nostalgic longing for my own childlike wonder, but this film did not meet the mark for me. The highlight was, without a doubt, the incredible cast and their performances. I was genuinely excited to see Bob Odenkirk and David Cross (both halves of Mr. Show), Bradley Whitford (Get Out), Michael Stuhlbarg (Call Me By Your Name), Jesse Plemons (Friday Night Lights), Sarah Paulson (general greatness), and particularly Carrie Coon (The Leftovers) all of whom simply provided an incredible backbone to the two main stars of the film, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. Streep was, without a doubt, the driving force of the performance element. Her brilliance is almost never questionable and it was simply a treat to watch one of the greats continue her greatness. Hanks was wonderful, too, but not overtly. He was standard, reliable Hanks and I had no objections to it, except, perhaps, that I am more partial to his sweeter, more open-hearted roles. The score was composed by John Williams and served its purpose. Nothing iconic about it, but, then again, when you are charged to compose music for a tale of a newspaper, how much room do you have to innovate? He’s one of the greatest of all time and it was, by no means, weak, just not phenomenal. In brief conclusion, the shots were pretty, the music was nice, the sound worked, the cast was all-star, and yet it ultimately left me with less awe than I’d been geared up for. Perhaps that is on me, or the Hollywood system that perpetuates these pedestals, but next time I go see a Spielberg, my expectations will be ebbed.