Reel Corner - August 2023

August 2023 Issue
Reel Corner by Donne Paine

A Word or Two About Ageism

 

The Reel Corner was recently at a barbecue where a sweet woman, age 76, was lamenting that she was denied being godmother to her grandchild by her pastor for being too old. Too old really?

Our current president is 80, a past president running again at age 77, and the Pope is 86. Twenty-five percent of our Congress is over 70 years old, and if you remember, George Bush celebrated his 85th birthday with a skydive in 2009.

In the film 80 for Brady or Book Club: The Next Chapter all the leads are over 70: Sally Field, 76; Diane Keaton, 77; Lily Tomlin, 83; Rita Moreno, 91; Candice Bergen, 77. Jane Fonda’s (85) love interest in Book Club was actor Don Johnson, who is age 73. And then there is Harrison Ford, who is all the rage at 80, being featured on a recent People Magazine cover, and going shirtless in the opening scene of the 2023 film, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Advice from The Reel Corner, never let anyone tell you that you are too old!

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY 2023 | PG 13
Harrison Ford, Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones | Directors: James Mangold

Daredevil archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to retrieve a legendary dial that can change the course of history. Accompanied by his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), he soon finds himself squaring off against bad guy Dr. Voller, a former Nazi who works for NASA.

There are so many things about this movie The Reel Corner loved. The Spielberg/Lucas/Disney franchise knows what Indy fans want: Nazis; valuable artifacts with special powers, tombs with secret passages, deadly eels, a youngster to tag along, and plenty of unsavory characters.

The mix of good and bad starts in the first sequence, a flashback to the final days of World War II features Indy (Harrison Ford) and Basil Shaw (Toby Jones), a quirky colleague, trying to reclaim some of the historical artifacts which are being stolen by the Nazis. In this flashback, Ford is a figure of de-aged computer-generated imagery (CGI) that convincingly looks quite human. It sets up a standard of over-used effects that may be the film’s greatest flaw, but that is the reality of today’s action filmmaking.

After a cleverly staged sequence involving anti-aircraft fire and dozens of dead Nazis, the film jumps to 1969. An elderly Indiana Jones is retiring from Hunter College, unsure of what comes next. Enter his goddaughter wanting his help and the chase is on. This is a fun film for Indy fans wanting to escape the heat.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE—DEAD RECKONING PART ONE 2023 | PG 13
Tom Cruise (age 61) Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales | Director Christopher McQuarrie

Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One aptly sets the stage for an explosive culmination through a story filled with breathtaking action sequences, incredible tension, and a cliffhanger ending. Throughout the story, several revelations, twists, and turns provide Mission: Impossible 7 with a myriad of spoilers. This movie is fast-paced with incredible Cruise action.

SOUND OF FREEDOM 2023 | PG 13
Jim Caviezel, Bill Camp (age 61) | Director Alejandro Monteverde

Sound of Freedom focuses on U.S. Federal Homeland Security agent, Tim Ballard, who sets out on a dangerous mission to rescue a young girl from child traffickers. In his pursuit to race against time and find the girl, he quits his job and risks his life to execute the rescue mission. Unfolding primarily in the depths of the Colombian jungle, Sound of Freedom is an uplifting tale of courage and heroism. A special message from actor Jim Caviezel is worth waiting for after the credits.

References: www.imbd.com, www.variety.com, www.screenrant.com

 

Donne Paine, film enthusiast, once lived around the corner from the Orson Wells Theater in Cambridge, Massachu-setts, where her strong interest in films, especially independent ones, began. Supporter of the arts, especially films, she has traveled to local and national film festivals including Sundance, Toronto and Tribeca. There is nothing like seeing a film on the big screen. She encourages film goers to support Hilton Head local theaters, Park Plaza Theater and Northridge. To support her habit of frequent movie going, Donne is a vaccine medicine nurse consultant and also the author of 4 Interview Pillars available on Amazon. See you at the movies!