The Iron Claw a numbing assault
If you didn't know any better, you'd likely think the phrase, "If I didn't have bad luck, I'd have no luck at all," was coined to describe the experiences of the Von Erich family. A multi-generational clan of wrestlers, they would climb to the pinnacle of success within the sport, yet the personal cost for the fame and fortune that came their way proved too much. With The Iron Claw, writer/director Sean Durkin portrays this familial saga, one started and dominated by a driven patriarch who is blind to the psychological abuse he is inflicting on his sons.
Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) was always a dreamer, hoping to one day dominate the world of professional wrestling, a goal he regrettably fell short of achieving. As such, he pushed his sons into the world he loved so much, hoping they would be able to get further than he did, pounding into their heads from an early age that if they were physically strong nothing could hurt them. Of course, his three sons, Kevin (Zac Efron), Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) and David (Harrison Dickinson) find, with tragic results, that this is far from the truth.
The film charts the rise of the three boys through the wrestling ranks, where they find a degree of success that proves fleeting. Kevin says at one point that he always thought his family was cursed and unfortunately, a series of tragedies bear this out. The United States' boycott of the 1980 Olympics, physical setbacks and bouts of substance abuse plague them over the course of two decades, the family crumbling in the face of what seems like a non-stop assault.
Fritz's insistence that every setback can be overcome and his blindness to the emotional and psychological trauma he inflicts upon them with his constant hectoring proves their undoing.
While Durkin's adherence to the facts is commendable, the film eventually becomes nothing more than a series of traumatic scenes. You can only wring the hearts of your viewers so often, and Durkin simply goes to the well too often. Instead of being moved by the Von Erich's plight, I ended up being numb to their suffering. The cast does a fine job, Efron and White each transforming their bodies to meet the physical demands of their roles, delivering as well during the film's more emotional moments. Maura Tierney is a standout as the long-suffering matriarch of the family, her quiet pain and unspoken hurt an effective throughline.
To be sure, The Iron Claw is a well-made film; however, it's in need of a few more signs of hope in addition to the fleeting moment provided at the end. In theaters.
Familial bond makes for solid Plan
Take the premise from True Lies and expand it to include a deceived family rather than just a wife left in the dark and you have The Family Plan, an unexpectedly fun piece of popcorn entertainment. As directed by television veteran Simon Cellan Jones and written by David Coggeshall, the film moves along at a brisk pace, alternating between mildly comedic moments, muddled action scenes and standard familial drama. And yet, the tone struck by the cast makes the material more than bearable and at times entertaining.
Dan Morgan (Mark Wahlberg) is a used car salesman who embraces the anonymity that comes from living in a cookie-cutter home in the suburbs of Buffalo. He's a great dad, a caring husband and a good neighbor. He also loves routine and hates social media. In short, he's just a regular, mildly uptight guy. But, of course, he has a secret, and it's a doozy.
Seems he was once a government assassin who left that life behind, never bothering to tell his wife, Jessica (Michelle Monaghan), about his past. Eighteen years later, it all falls apart when an errant picture of Dan is posted online, and before you know it, his former colleagues are on his tail.
What follows is the road trip phase of the film, as Dan throws Jessica, his petulant teenagers, Nina and Kyle (Zoe Maragaret Colletti and Van Crosby), and toddler son, in the van for an impromptu trip to Las Vegas. They're surprised and pleased with this impulsive getaway, not knowing they are on the run and Sin City is the destination where Dan will pick up new passports and identities for them all.
While Ciaran Hinds and Maggie Q phone in their performances as Dan's malevolent father and his former girlfriend, respectively, Wahlberg and Monaghan sell this particular brand of soap, earnest in their approach. You believe they are long-time marrieds, while Coletti and Crosby are equally fine as the teens struggling to find their ways. These four are the glue that hold the film together, their rapport and interactions convincing, each of them likable and sympathetic.
The films biggest problem is the editing of the action sequences, of which there are many. Cut together at a seizure-inducing pace, these scenes are a muddle. And, if you object to the mixture of violence with family fun, this may not be your cup of tea. Still and all, I was never bored with The Family Plan, and while it has its faults, I wouldn't mind spending more time with the Morgans, something I can't say about every family I meet. Streaming on Apple TV+.
Maestro a treat for Bernstein fans
Ambitious and immersive, Bradley Cooper's Maestro proves to be a showcase for its two principal performers, as this biopic of Leonard Bernstein as a conductor–composer-philanthropist-philanderer pulls no punches in its portrayal of him or his wife, Felicia. Using a 1989 interview as a framing device, what unfolds is a flashback narrative alternating between recreations of Bernstein's career highlights and, more importantly, scenes from his private life.
We witness the career-making day when he's asked to fill in for ailing conductor Artur Rodzinski, his working with Jerome Kern on On the Town, the triumphant 1973 performance of Mahler's "Resurrection" at Ely Cathedral, and his commitment to his famed children's concerts.
Yet, it becomes apparent that the relationship between Bernstein and his wife, Felicia (Carey Mulligan), is the foundation of the film, the throughline that ties everything together, as it was with his life. Theirs was a bohemian relationship, one in which Bernstein was allowed to pursue other partners, mostly men, while Felicia turned a blind eye until she could do so no more. Hubris proves to be Bernstein's Achilles heel, his genius used as an excuse for boorish, selfish behavior that would not be tolerated in mere mortals. It's far from a complimentary portrayal, but it is honest.
It's Cooper and Mulligan who pull and keep it all together. The chemistry between them is obvious, their scenes crackling either with sexual tension, subdued anger or unspoken love. Whether making eyes and flirting or expressing long-suppressed grievances while hurling barbed insults at one another, these two hold us in rapt attention. If there is a flaw, it's that this seems made for those with more than just a passing knowledge of Bernstein. There's little context provided regarding how the work we see Bernstein doing builds towards his success or at times, specifics provided regarding what or when we are seeing him perform. This leads to a bit of frustration, and the film takes on a fragmented feel during its middle section, so many events flashing by, a lack of cohesion setting in with no dates being provided and concerts going unnamed.
Still and all, Maestro proves complex and challenging, and when the music takes center stage, which is not often enough, it soars. The highlight is the Ely Cathedral sequence, the camera subtly gliding through and around the orchestra, closing in on and retreating from Bernstein, while Cooper displays the composer's passion for his music in recreating how he would physically express himself with his entire body. It's the highlight of the film and one of the best scenes of the year, one that encapsulates the passion Cooper, and all involved, bring to this passionate, if at times disjointed, movie. Streaming on Netflix.
