Moviefone Editorial

Tag: mary-steenburgen

  • Best Diane Keaton Movies

    Diane Keaton in 'Annie Hall'. Photo: United Artists.
    Diane Keaton in ‘Annie Hall’. Photo: United Artists.

    Diane Keaton has passed away, and the iconic actress will never be forgotten.

    The Oscar-winning actress appeared in such beloved franchises as ‘The Godfather‘ and ‘Father of the Bride‘ series, classic comedies like ‘Baby Boom,’ ‘The First Wives Club‘ and ‘Something’s Gotta Give,’ as well as Woody Allen films such as ‘Manhattan,’ and ‘Annie Hall,’ for which she received the Academy Award for Best Actress.

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    In honor of the new movie, Moviefone is counting down the 25 best films of Diane Keaton’s career.

    Let’s begin!

    Related Article: Diane Keaton, Iconic Star of ‘Annie Hall’, Passes Away at the Age of 79

    25. ‘Father of the Bride Part II‘ (1995)

    Touchstone Pictures
    Touchstone Pictures

    Just when George Banks (Steve Martin) has recovered from his daughter’s wedding, he receives the news that she’s (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) pregnant … and that George’s wife (Keaton) is expecting too. He was planning on selling their home, but that’s a plan that—like George—will have to change with the arrival of both a grandchild and a kid of his own.

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    24. ‘The Godfather Part III‘ (1990)

    In the midst of trying to legitimize his business dealings in 1979 New York and Italy, aging mafia don, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) seeks forgiveness for his sins while taking a young protege (Andy Garcia) under his wing.

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    23. ‘Hanging Up‘ (2000)

    A trio of sisters (Keaton, Meg Ryan and Lisa Kudrow) bond over their ambivalence toward the approaching death of their curmudgeonly father (Walter Matthau), to whom none of them was particularly close.

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    22. ‘Morning Glory‘ (2010)

    A young and devoted morning television producer (Rachel McAdams) is hired as an executive producer on a long-running morning show at a once-prominent but currently failing station in New York City. Eager to keep the show on air, she recruits a former news journalist and anchor (Harrison Ford) who disapproves of co-hosting with the current morning host (Keaton).

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    21. ‘The Family Stone‘ (2005)

    An uptight, conservative businesswoman (Sarah Jessica Parker) accompanies her boyfriend (Dermot Mulroney) to his eccentric and outgoing family’s annual Christmas celebration and finds that she’s a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life.

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    20. ‘Maybe I Do‘ (2023)

    Vertical Entertainment
    Vertical Entertainment

    Michelle (Emma Roberts) and Allen (Luke Bracey), who have reached the point in their relationship where they are considering next steps, decide to invite their parents (Keaton and William H. Macy, Susan Sarandon and Richard Gere) to finally meet and to offer some understanding of why marriage works. Except the parents already know each other quite well, which leads to some very distinct opinions about the value of marriage.

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    19. ‘Darling Companion‘ (2012)

    The story of a woman (Keaton) who loves her dog more than her husband (Kevin Kline). And then her husband loses the dog.

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    18. ‘Marvin’s Room‘ (1996)

    A leukemia patient (Keaton) attempts to end a 20-year feud with her sister (Meryl Streep) to get her bone marrow.

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    17. ‘Finding Dory‘ (2016)

    Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) is reunited with her friends Nemo (Hayden Rolence) and Marlin (Albert Brooks) in the search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?

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    16. ‘Looking for Mr. Goodbar‘ (1977)

    A dedicated schoolteacher (Keaton) spends her nights cruising bars, looking for abusive men with whom she can engage in progressively violent sexual encounters.

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    15. ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter‘ (2023)

    (L to R) Diane Keaton as Diane, Mary Steenburgen as Carol, Candice Bergen as Sharon, and Jane Fonda as Vivian in 'Book Club: The Next Chapter,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Diane Keaton as Diane, Mary Steenburgen as Carol, Candice Bergen as Sharon, and Jane Fonda as Vivian in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ a Focus Features release.

    The highly anticipated sequel follows our four best friends (Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen) as they take their book club to Italy for the fun girls trip they never had. When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure.

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    14. ‘Manhattan Murder Mystery‘ (1993)

    A middle-aged couple (Woody Allen and Keaton) suspects foul play when their neighbor’s wife (Lynn Cohen) suddenly drops dead.

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    13. ‘Poms‘ (2019)

    A woman (Keaton) moves into a retirement community and starts a cheerleading squad with her fellow residents (Jacki Weaver and Pam Grier).

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    12. ‘Mack & Rita‘ (2022)

    When 30-year-old self-proclaimed homebody Mack Martin (Elizabeth Lail) reluctantly joins a Palm Springs bachelorette trip for her best friend Carla (Taylour Paige), her inner 70-year-old (Keaton) is released — literally.

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    11. ‘Manhattan‘ (1979)

    Manhattan explores how the life of a middle-aged television writer (Woody Allen) dating a teenage girl (Mariel Hemingway) is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend’s mistress (Keaton).

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    10. ‘Something’s Gotta Give‘ (2003)

    (L to R) Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson in 'Something's Gotta Give'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
    (L to R) Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson in ‘Something’s Gotta Give’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

    Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson) is an aged music industry exec with a fondness for younger women like Marin (Amanda Peet), his latest trophy girlfriend. Things get a little awkward when Harry suffers a heart attack at the home of Marin’s mother, Erica (Keaton). Left in the care of Erica and his doctor (Keanu Reeves), a love triangle starts to take shape.

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    9. ‘The First Wives Club‘ (1996)

    After years of helping their hubbies climb the ladder of success, three mid-life Manhattanites (Keaton, Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler) have been dumped for a newer, curvier model. But the trio is determined to turn their pain into gain. They come up with a cleverly devious plan to hit their exes where it really hurts – in the wallet!

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    8. ‘Book Club‘ (2018)

    Four lifelong friends (Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen) decide that their lives could change by becoming nasty and reading ‘Fifty Shades of Grey‘ in their monthly book club to get inspiration on how to handle sexual pleasure at an elderly age.

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    7. ‘Crimes of the Heart‘ (1986)

    Three sisters (Keaton, Jessica Lange and Sissy Spacek) try to come to grips with the meaning of their mother’s suicide.

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    6. ‘Reds‘ (1981)

    An account of the revolutionary years of the legendary American journalist John Reed (Warren Beatty), who shared his adventurous professional life with his radical commitment to the socialist revolution in Russia, his dream of spreading its principles among the members of the American working class, and his troubled romantic relationship with the writer Louise Bryant (Keaton).

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    5. ‘The Godfather‘ (1972)

    Diane Keaton in 'The Godfather'. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
    Diane Keaton in ‘The Godfather’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    In the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael (Al Pacino) steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.

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    4. ‘Baby Boom‘ (1987)

    The life of super-yuppie J.C. (Keaton) is thrown into turmoil when she inherits a baby from a distant relative.

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    3. ‘Father of the Bride‘ (1991)

    George Banks (Steve Martin) is an ordinary, middle-class man whose 22 year-old daughter Annie (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) has decided to marry a man from an upper-class family, but George can’t think of what life would be like without his daughter. His wife (Keaton) tries to make him happy for Annie, but when the wedding takes place at their home and a foreign wedding planner (Martin Short) takes over the ceremony, he becomes slightly insane.

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    2. ‘The Godfather Part II‘ (1974)

    In the continuing saga of the Corleone crime family, a young Vito Corleone (Robert De Niro) grows up in Sicily and in 1910s New York. In the 1950s, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) attempts to expand the family business into Las Vegas, Hollywood and Cuba, while his wife (Keaton) wants out of the family.

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    1. ‘Annie Hall‘ (1977)

    Diane Keaton in 'Annie Hall'. Photo: United Artists.
    Diane Keaton in ‘Annie Hall’. Photo: United Artists.

    New York comedian Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) falls in love with the ditsy Annie Hall (Keaton).

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  • Movie Review: ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’

    Diane Keaton as Diane, Mary Steenburgen as Carol, Candice Bergen as Sharon, and Jane Fonda as Vivian in 'Book Club: The Next Chapter,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Diane Keaton as Diane, Mary Steenburgen as Carol, Candice Bergen as Sharon, and Jane Fonda as Vivian in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ a Focus Features release.

    The sequel to 2018’s ‘Book Club,’ which is entitled ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ opens in theaters on May 12th and is once again directed and co-written by Bill Holderman.

    What is the plot of ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter?’

    Four older best friends, Diane (Diane Keaton), Vivian (Jane Fonda), Sharon (Candice Bergen) and Carol (Mary Steenburgen), take their book club to Italy for the fun girls’ trip they never had in their youth to celebrate Vivian’s upcoming marriage. But when things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure that will change all of their lives forever.

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    Who is in the cast of ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter?’

    ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ stars Oscar-winner Diane Keaton (‘Annie Hall,’ ‘The Godfather’) as Diane, Oscar-winner Jane Fonda (‘Klute,’ ’80 For Brady’) as Vivian, Oscar-winner Mary Steenburgen (‘Melvin and Howard,’ ‘Back to the Future Part III’) as Carol, and Oscar-nominee Candice Bergen (‘Gandhi,’ ‘Carnal Knowledge’) as Sharon, as well as Oscar-nominee Andy Garcia (‘The Godfather Part III’) as Mitchell, Don Johnson (‘Knives Out’) as Arthur, Craig T. Nelson (‘The Incredibles’) as Bruce, and Giancarlo Giannini (‘Man on Fire’).

    Initial Thoughts

    The result is a very predictable comedy that is still funny and overall entertaining thanks to the colorful characters and excellent performances from the four leading actresses.

    Mary Steenburgen stars as Carol, Candice Bergen as Sharon, Diane Keaton as Diane and Jane Fonda as Vivian in 'Book Club: The Next Chapter,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Mary Steenburgen stars as Carol, Candice Bergen as Sharon, Diane Keaton as Diane and Jane Fonda as Vivian in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ a Focus Features release.
    Credit: Riccardo Ghilardi / © 2023 Fifth Season, LLC.

    The Sequel’s Story and Direction

    ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ begins during the COVID lock-down and shows our characters dealing with the pandemic by continuing their book club through Zoom. The pandemic soon ends and the four friends are reunited in person, but all their lives have changed. Vivian (Fonda) is now engaged to Arthur (Johnson), Diane (Keaton) is in a serious relationship with Mitchell (Garcia), Sharon (Bergen) has retired from being a Judge, and Carol (Steenburgen) is having issues with her husband (Nelson), while her restaurant closes due to the pandemic.

    When Carol is reminded that they all planned to take a trip to Italy together back in their youth, she suggests that they travel there now to celebrate Vivian’s upcoming marriage. As one can imagine, high jinks ensue. While there is not a lot of the actual book club featured in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ that’s okay, as the character-driven story and the performances of the lead actresses is enough to keep the film moving, funny, and compelling. However, it is also very predictable, and there are not a lot of real surprises in the movie.

    For example, the opening scene actually gives away the ending, if you can recognize which of the lead actresses’ voice is the narrator, and spoiler alert … you definitely can! Another predictable moment comes when Carol, who is having issues with her husband coincidentally runs into her old boyfriend in Rome. Sparks fly as you can imagine, but if you guessed that nothing happens between them and she eventually makes up with her husband, you’d probably be on to something.

    So the movie is littered with extremely predictable moments but to the credit of director Bill Holderman and the cast, none of that really matters. The heart of the movie are the relationships between these four women, and the slightly outrageous characters each one of them has created, which is where the humor stems from. It’s clear that Holderman realizes that, as he keeps the focus mostly on the leading ladies, their characters, and the beautiful locations of Italy, as nothing else in the movie really matters at all. In that sense, Hollderman has the freedom to allow the other characters, situations, and minor plot points to go to the wayside as the only thing that is important is our four main characters, their friendship, and their experiences together.

    Diane Keaton stars as Diane, Jane Fonda as Vivian, Candice Bergen as Sharon and Mary Steenburgen as Carol in 'Book Club: The Next Chapter,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Diane Keaton stars as Diane, Jane Fonda as Vivian, Candice Bergen as Sharon and Mary Steenburgen as Carol in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: © 2023 Fifth Season, LLC.

    Related Article: Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen Talk ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’

    Italy is a Character in the Movie

    ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ shot on location in Italy in some of the country’s most famous locations, and Hollderman takes full advantage of it. Italy is definitely its own character in the movie, and cinematographer Andrew Dunn shoots the actresses with beautiful vistas and famous Italian locations behind them like the Pizza della Rotonda, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. It adds a layer of excitement to the project, and also grounds the film in a certain reality, even in the movie’s most ridiculous or predictable moments.

    Mary Steenburgen stars as Carol, Jane Fonda as Vivian, Diane Keaton as Diane and Candice Bergen as Sharon in 'Book Club: The Next Chapter,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Mary Steenburgen stars as Carol, Jane Fonda as Vivian, Diane Keaton as Diane and Candice Bergen as Sharon in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: © 2023 Fifth Season, LLC.

    Keaton, Fonda, Bergen and Steenburgen

    But the movie only works because of the carefully created characters performed by the four excellent leading actresses. You can tell that they all really like working with each other, as it shines through their performances and relationships with each other on screen. It also helps that each actress was perfectly cast and plays a character similar to their own onscreen personas.

    Diane Keaton plays Diane (that can’t be a coincidence), a neurotic woman still looking for love, not unlike an older version of Annie Hall. Fonda plays Vivian, an older woman trying to hold on to her youth and beauty, which is almost the same exact character as she recently played in ’80 For Brady.’ Bergen plays Sharon, a bawdy career women fearful of retirement, reminiscent of her classic TV character Murphy Brown. And Steenburgen plays Carol, a free spirited women, who still loves her husband, but is looking for some excitement in her life, which in line with characters she’s played in the past in films like ‘Back to the Future III.’ None of this is meant as a criticism, but rather just to say that the actresses play characters they are well suited for and because of that, create very memorable performances.

    In a film like this, it’s easy for one or two of the lead actresses to get less screen time than the others, but that is not the case here. While in some ways the story is told from Keaton’s character’s point of view, all of the main characters have nice arcs and each actress is given time to shine. Keaton and Fonda’s characters find their true voices before the end of the movie, and the two actresses share a very nice emotional scene together. Steenburgen’s Carol has a full arc too, and in many ways her story is the heart of the movie. But Bergen surprisingly has the best comedic moments and is very funny in the film, especially when she is squaring off with Giancarlo Giannini.

    , Jane Fonda as Vivian, Candice Bergen as Sharon and Mary Steenburgen as Carol in 'Book Club: The Next Chapter,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Diane Keaton stars as Diane, Jane Fonda as Vivian, Candice Bergen as Sharon and Mary Steenburgen as Carol in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: © 2023 Fifth Season, LLC.

    The Men

    Speaking of which, Giancarlo Giannini, best known for action dramas like ‘Man on Fire’ and ‘Casino Royale,’ is very funny as an Italian police captain that has it out for Bergen’s Sharon, and in turn her friends. But again, his “change of heart” in the third act is another example of the film’s predictability. But overall, while they have very little screen time, the male actors are very good in the movie and support their female counterparts quite well, without ever drawing the attention away from them.

    Andy Garcia, Don Johnson, and Craig T. Nelson all have great chemistry with their significant others, Keaton, Fonda, and Steenburgen, respectively. While Garcia and Johnson both play “nice guys,” Nelson has a little more to do playing the “hapless nice guy,” although again, his character’s turn in the end was about as predictable as they come.

    Final Thoughts

    In the end, even the movie’s predictability can’t stop the film from being fun and entertaining, thanks to the character-driven story and outstanding performances from Keaton, Fonda, Bergen, and Steenburgen, not to mention the beautiful locations. It may not be for everyone, but I know my mom is going to love this movie!

    ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ receives 7 out of 10 stars.

    Diane Keaton stars as Diane, Jane Fonda as Vivian, Candice Bergen as Sharon and Mary Steenburgen as Carol in "Book Club: The Next Chapter,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Diane Keaton stars as Diane, Jane Fonda as Vivian, Candice Bergen as Sharon and Mary Steenburgen as Carol in “Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Riccardo Ghilardi / © 2023 Fifth Season, LLC.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter:’

    Buy Tickets: ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy ‘Book Club’ on Amazon

    ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ is produced by Focus Features, Makeready, and Fifth Season. It is set to release in theaters on May 12th, 2023.

  • ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ Cast Interviews

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    Opening in theaters on May 12th is the sequel to 2018’s ‘Book Club’ entitled ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ which is once again directed and co-written by Bill Holderman.

    What is the plot of ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter?’

    Four elderly best friends (Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen) take their book club to Italy for the fun girls’ trip they never had. When things go off the rails and secrets are revealed, their relaxing vacation turns into a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country adventure.

    T3QEVjyfUgjGGDXDvqREO2

    Who is in the cast of ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter?’

    ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ stars Oscar-winner Diane Keaton (‘Annie Hall,’ ‘The Godfather’) as Diane, Oscar-winner Jane Fonda (‘Klute,’ ’80 For Brady’) as Vivian, Oscar-winner Mary Steenburgen (‘Melvin and Howard,’ ‘Back to the Future Part III’) as Carol, and Oscar-nominee Candice Bergen (‘Gandhi,’ ‘Carnal Knowledge’) as Sharon, as well as Oscar-nominee Andy Garcia (‘The Godfather Part III’) as Mitchell, Don Johnson (‘Knives Out’) as Arthur, Craig T. Nelson (‘The Incredibles’) as Bruce, and Giancarlo Giannini (‘Man on Fire’).

    Moviefone recently had the honor of speaking with Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen about their work on ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ the friendship between their characters, working together, shooting on location in Italy, and what audiences can expect from the new movie.

    Jane Fonda stars as Vivian, Candice Bergen as Sharon, and Mary Steenburgen as Carol in 'Book Club: The Next Chapter,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Jane Fonda stars as Vivian, Candice Bergen as Sharon, and Mary Steenburgen as Carol in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Riccardo Ghilardi / © 2023 Fifth Season, LLC.

    You can read our full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Fonda, Bergen and Steenburgen, as well as writer Erin Simms, and director Bill Holderman.

    Moviefone: To begin with, what would you say to moviegoers sitting down to watch this film for the first time to prepare them for the theatrical experience they are about to have?

    Candice Bergen: Well, it’s more of a film than it seems. It’s a very lighthearted film, but at the same time, it’s inspiring. It’s moving, and you come away from it feeling more about friendship than you did before.

    Jane Fonda: Be prepared to laugh a lot and maybe cry a little. And you certainly want to book a ticket to Italy.

    Mary Steenburgen: I mean, it’s some of the most beautiful scenery you’ll ever see in a country that all of us deep down inside either want to go to or have already fallen in love with. It was so beautifully shot, and it’s about something real. It’s about real friends, and funnily enough, in real life, we really are friends.

    Mary Steenburgen stars as Carol, Candice Bergen as Sharon, Diane Keaton as Diane and Jane Fonda as Vivian in 'Book Club: The Next Chapter,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Mary Steenburgen stars as Carol, Candice Bergen as Sharon, Diane Keaton as Diane and Jane Fonda as Vivian in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ a Focus Features release.
    Credit: Riccardo Ghilardi / © 2023 Fifth Season, LLC.

    MF: Jane, can you talk about Vivian’s nervousness regarding her upcoming marriage and how this trip to Italy with her friends really helps her find her true voice again?

    JF: Very well said. I don’t want to give anything away. There is a wedding. It’s not what people are going to expect. There’s a big surprise, and I do think that it’s the experience that she’s had during this trip with her friends that allows her to accept that big surprise.

    Mary Steenburgen stars as Carol, Jane Fonda as Vivian, Diane Keaton as Diane and Candice Bergen as Sharon in 'Book Club: The Next Chapter,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Mary Steenburgen stars as Carol, Jane Fonda as Vivian, Diane Keaton as Diane and Candice Bergen as Sharon in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: © 2023 Fifth Season, LLC.

    MF: Mary, Carol is looking for some excitement in her life, and it’s her suggestion that she and her friends take a trip to Italy. Can you talk about that and the way this vacation really changes her life?

    MS: I mean, Carol, my character is a chef that’s had quite a bit of success. At the very beginning of the film, her restaurant, which has been her lifelong dream, has had to close because of COVID. So I think I’m a little lost and I come across this journal that I’d written in when I was a young woman. I realized that the four of us had planned this trip to Italy and we never made it. So I just think it’s time. We’re reading the book, ‘The Alchemist,’ that talks about fulfilling your destiny, listening to the beat of your own heart and going for your dreams. So I just say we have to go, and we do.

    Diane Keaton as Diane, Mary Steenburgen as Carol, Candice Bergen as Sharon, and Jane Fonda as Vivian in 'Book Club: The Next Chapter,' a Focus Features release.
    (L to R) Diane Keaton as Diane, Mary Steenburgen as Carol, Candice Bergen as Sharon, and Jane Fonda as Vivian in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter,’ a Focus Features release.

    MF: Finally, Candice, can you talk about how Sharon is coming to terms with her recent retirement, and how this trip gives her an opportunity to finally cut loose with her friends?

    CB: She does. She cuts loose in a gondola and it was really fun. In fact, it’s the first time she’s been retired and she can be with her friends, and be in Italy and give herself to that trip wholeheartedly. Because she no longer has the burden of being a judge on her shoulders.

    Mary Steenburgen, Candice Bergen and Jane Fonda star in 'Book Club: The Next Chapter.'
    (L to R) Mary Steenburgen, Candice Bergen and Jane Fonda star in ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter.’

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter:’

    Buy Tickets: ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy ‘Book Club’ on Amazon

    ‘Book Club: The Next Chapter’ is produced by Focus Features, Makeready, and Fifth Season. It is set to release in theaters on May 12th, 2023.

  • Movie Review: ‘Nightmare Alley’

    Rooney Mara and Bradley Cooper in 'Nightmare Alley'
    Rooney Mara and Bradley Cooper in ‘Nightmare Alley’

    Opening in theaters on December 17th is the new neo-noir thriller from Academy Award-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro entitled ‘Nightmare Alley,’ which is based on the novel of the same name by William Lindsay Gresham. The film stars Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (‘A Star is Born’) as a 1940s carnival con-man turned famous mentalist who meets his match in a psychiatrist played by Oscar winner Cate Blanchett (’Blue Jasmine’).

    In addition to Cooper and Blanchett, the movie also features an impressive cast that includes Academy Award nominees Rooney Mara (‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’), Toni Collette (‘The Sixth Sense’), Willem Dafoe (‘Platoon’), Richard Jenkins (‘The Shape of Water’), and David Strathairn (‘Good Night, and Good Luck), as well as Academy Award winner Mary Steenburgen (‘Melvin and Howard’). The result is another absolute masterpiece from Guillermo del Toro, a visually stunning and extremely disturbing movie that actually gets better the more you think about it after viewing, which features Bradley Cooper in the best performance of his career thus far.

    The film begins by introducing us to a mysterious drifter named Stan (Cooper), who gets a job at a carnival doing odd jobs in the early 1940s. One of his jobs includes working with Clem (Dafoe) running the “freak show.” The “freak,” as Clem explains, is a “fake,” and is actually just a local drunk that they bribe with booze to eat live chickens in front of an audience. Eventually, Stan befriends Pete (Strathairn) and Zeena (Collette), who are “mentalists” at the carnival, but are actually just con-artists. Pete begins teaching Stan some of his tricks, but Stan wants to learn more and attempts to read Pete’s book of secrets. Stan soon starts a relationship with Molly (Mara), who plays the “electric lady” in the show. When a local sheriff threatens to close down the carnival, Stan steps up and uses his new “powers” to convince the cops to let them go. Stan and Molly eventually marry and leave the carnival to start an act of their own.

    The film then flashes forward several years, and we find the couple performing a successful “mentalist” act for wealthy socialites in the big city. Stan and Molly now have a very extravagant life, living in hotels and driving fancy cars, a long way from their carnival days. Molly is happy, but yearns for more attention from Stan, who is obsessed with his own fame and ambition. The trouble begins during one of their performances, when a psychiatrist named Dr. Lilith Ritter (Blanchett) challenges Stan and is skeptic of his abilities. Stan is able to “con” his way out of it but becomes captivated with Lilith and eventually becomes seduced by her to con wealthy businessman, Ezra Grindle (Jenkins). But when the con goes wrong, it will threaten not only Stan’s relationship with Molly and everything he’s achieved, but it will also threaten his life.

    With ‘Nightmare Alley,’ director Guillermo del Toro is able to infuse the film with all the strange elements of the macabre he loves including societal outcasts and the supernatural, which creates a tone and a mood that is completely del Toro’s own. While based on the original novel, technically it is a remake, since the source material was first adapted into the 1947 movie starring Tyrone Power. However, del Toro has made a film that stands completely on its own, and in many ways is his most very personal movie.

    I have to admit, I wasn’t really sure how much I enjoyed the movie while I was actually watching it, but I have not been able to stop thinking about it since I saw it, and the movie just gets better the more I relive it in my head. Del Toro has a vision that is truly unique to him, and the Oscar winning filmmaker masterfully builds the suspense and mystery throughout the film. While I did guess the twist ending before it happened, I believe del Toro spread clues throughout the movie like breadcrumbs, so the audience could play along and “solve the mystery” before the conclusion was actually revealed. This gives the entire story a “predetermined nature,” in a sense saying that there was nothing Stan could do, he was always destined for this outcome, something that the character shockingly says out loud in the movie’s final moments.

    Del Toro filled the film with some of the best character actors working today including Richard Jenkins, Tim Blake Nelson, Clifton Collins Jr., Mary Steenburgen and, del Toro’s constant collaborator, Ron Perlman. Willem Dafoe feels right at home playing the untrustworthy Clem, who is really our introduction to the carnival world. But it’s Toni Collette and David Strathairn as Stan’s mentalist mentors Zeena and Pete Krumbein, respectively, who really stand out. Collette gives a warm yet vulnerable performance, while you sympathize with Strathairn’s down-on-his-luck character. Rooney Mara is also wonderful as Molly, the best thing that ever happened to Stan, unfortunately he doesn’t know it. Mara plays her character with a sweetness and a naïveté that is in stark contrast to Stan’s unbridled ambition.

    Coming off of very strong performances this year in both ‘The French Dispatch’ and ‘Don’t Look Up,’ Cate Blanchett gives another marvelous turn that could earn her an Oscar nomination. As Dr. Lilith Ritter, Blanchett is cold and calculating, and every bit of a match for Stan. Blanchett’s role embodies the idea of a Femme Fatale, and the actress is excellent at conveying her character’s motivations in the subtlest of ways. The actress is absolutely electrifying in the role and has great chemistry with Cooper. But it’s Bradley Cooper’s magnetic, powerhouse performances that really makes ‘Nightmare Alley’ worth seeing. Cooper puts on a masterclass of acting and absolutely loses himself in the role.

    I absolutely loved ‘A Star is Born’ and thought Cooper deserved an Oscar for that role, but this is easily the best work of his career. While we all know that it has been predetermined that this is “Will Smith’s year,” and that he will definitely win an Oscar for ‘King Richard,’ I wouldn’t be cleaning off the mantelpiece just yet if I was the former-Fresh Prince as Cooper could definitely give Smith a run for his money this coming award season. Cooper’s performance is multi-layered, as playing Stan requires him to really portray three different types of characters at once, including a mysterious but ambitious young man, a successful socialite, and a washed up drunk. The actor excels at portraying all three aspects of the character and delivers a believable, well-rounded performance.

    In the end, ‘Nightmare Alley’ may be based on previous source material but feels completely like it originated in the head of Guillermo del Toro. The material is synonymous with the filmmaker’s sensibilities and is a haunting piece of neo-noir cinema, grounded by an outstanding performance from Bradley Cooper.

    ‘Nightmare Alley’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.

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  • ‘Book Club 2’ Is in the Works, According to Mary Steenburgen

    ‘Book Club 2’ Is in the Works, According to Mary Steenburgen

    Paramount
    Paramount

    “Book Club” is adding another chapter.

    A sequel is in the works for the romantic comedy starring Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen.

    Steenburgen herself revealed the news to Andy Cohen on his SiriusXM show “Radio Andy.”

    “I guess we’re doing ‘Book Club 2,’ because the film was incredibly successful,” she said. “It made so much money.”

    The first movie earned $91 million worldwide — a smash success considering its $10 million budget.

    In “Book Club,” four friends read “Fifty Shades of Grey,” which inspires them to make changes in their romantic relationships.

    The actresses all became real-life friends, so getting the gang back together for a sequel seems as much of a social event as a good movie business decision.

    “We’re kind of obsessed with each other, because none of us had ever worked together,” Steenburgen explained. “Our stories are so incredible. And I love it because I’m the baby of the group.”

  • 10 Things You Never Knew About ‘Step Brothers’

    10 Things You Never Knew About ‘Step Brothers’

    Columbia Pictures

    It’s been ten years since Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly starred in “Step Brothers” and reminded us that they’re one of the great comedic duos of our time. And somehow, we doubt Brennan and Dale have grown more mature over the last decade. Celebrate this milestone by enjoying some fun trivia you might not know about this modern comedy classic.

    1. A car light advertising Hugalo’s Pizza can be seen in Brennan and Dale’s bedroom.  Hugalo’s is the company Ferrell’s character Ricky Bobby worked for in 2006’s “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” after losing his job as a race car driver.

    2. Director Adam McKay first conceived the film while editing “Talladega Nights,” after overhearing someone in the editing room mentioning “bunk beds.”

    Columbia Pictures

    3. While the part of Derek ultimately went to Adam Scott, both Jon Hamm and Thomas Lennon were considered for the role.

    4. The Sword that Brennan shows to Dale is a replica of the one used by Adrian Paul in 1992’s “Highlander: The Series.”

    CBS Television Distribution

    5. Both Ferrell and Reilly actually performed their respective parts during the big musical number. Reilly had previously learned to play the drums while working on 1995’s “Georgia.”

    6. Mary Steenburgen plays Ferrell’s mother in the film, despite only being 14 years older than Ferrell in real life. She previously played stepmother to Ferrell’s character in 2003’s “Elf.”

    New Line Cinema

    7. Actor Richard Jenkins only realized late into production that he had once worked for Reilly’s father in Chicago and, in fact, had met Reilly before when Reilly was four years old.

    8. The rough cut of the film clocked in at a whopping five hours, but McKay managed to trim the final version down to just 98 minutes.

    Columbia Pictures

    9. The high school where Brennan and Dale perform at the talent show is named after the actual school McKay attended, Great Valley High in Pennsylvania.

    10. Director Adam McKay shared his plans for a potential “Step Brothers” sequel in 2011 in an interview with Screen Junkies, revealing that one of the brothers will have gotten married and had children. However, both McKay and Ferrell have downplayed the possibility of a sequel in recent years.

  • Nick Nolte Swept Up in Georgia’s ‘Spectacular Views’

    As it turns out, the story about a 2,200-mile trek along the Appalachian Trail was a sojourn of the body and mind for Nick Nolte in “A Walk in the Woods.”

    “The views were high—spectacular views,” the 74-year-old tells Made in Hollywood of the sweeping landscape in the Peach Tree State, adding, “So yeah, it was a journey.”

    Nolte brings to life the memoir of travel writer Bill Bryson’s five-month expedition, based on the 1998 book that shares the movie title, which stretched from Georgia to Maine.

    In the biopic he stars as Stephen Katz, a long-lost friend of Bryson (Robert Redford), who joins the writer on the expedition.

    Co-starring Emma Thompson and Mary Steenburgen, “A Walk in the Woods” opens Friday.

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