Two recent reviews...
Movie- It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood. ***
The newest Tom Hanks movie is playing at the historic Colonial Theater here in Phoenixville. It's playing in the smaller White Rabbit theater, not the older and larger main theater. Frozen II is playing there. However, don't let that deceive you. "Neighborhood" should get it's fair share of attention once word of mouth gets around about the film, as well as all the positive reviews so far ( The film got a 97% score on the Rotten Tomatoes website).
The movie stars Hanks as Fred Rogers, A.K.A. Mister Rogers, the long-time host of the children's PBS program called "Mister Roger's Neighborhood." I'm sure Hanks well get a much-deserved Best Actor nomination in January. He embodies Mister Rogers perfectly in mannerisms, very close in voice, and at certain angles, is even a dead ringer for the late host.
The flick isn't so much a biopic as it is about the effect Mister Rogers had on others around him. A reporter from Esquire Magazine in New York is assigned to do a brief story on a hero, specifically Mister Rogers in Pittsburgh. The saintly celebrity has a positive influence on the cynical, angry young reporter, who is harboring deep-seeded feelings against his elderly father, for abandoning his dying mother for other women.
The reporter is taught to forgive from Mister Roger's examples.The film is "inspired" from a true story and a real magazine article. The story is often moving, sweet and touching, never descending into syrupy schmaltz.
Sometimes genuinely good people do exist, as hard as that is to believe, especially in today's world. Mister Rogers was not a saint; he was merely a good, kind person who probed feelings and touched those around him.
I was too old by the time Mister Rogers started his daily program in 1969. But I always was impressed by the simplicity of his children's show and his soft, easy-going approach to kids.
Too bad Mister Rogers isn't around today, when we need him most of all. Maybe PBS will reruns his show someday. It wasn't time-sensitive and could be repeated with today's generation of children. The basic message is the same as it was 50 years ago- love and kindness always win out in the end.
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John Cleese at the XCite Center in Parx Casino ***
It was good to see 80-year-old john Cleese in person. He took the stage for 90 minutes by himself and captivated the sold-out crowd in Bensalem, Pa. He has such a familar, soothing voice, and winning, zany sense of humor that one wished the show were a bit longer.
Cleese basically talks about his life, sitting in a chair and chatting, like a chat over afternoon tea. He tells jokes, offers puns and mostly reminisces about life in general. Helping him along is a slide show of photos, as well as film clips of his work, everything from his early Monty Python days to his Python movies ( "Monty Python and the Holy Grail") and solo films ("A Fish Called Wonda").
It was a delightful and funny 90 minutes. Even if one wasn't a die-hard Python fanatic ( that's me), the show would still be enjoyable just for the fact that Cleese is such an engaging fellow.
It's good to appreciate such icons while they are still around. Maybe the Pythons will reunite again down the road for a film or shows? Til then, we have treasures like Cleese to keep us smiling like no one else can.
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