Moss & Freud 

An engrossing film based on the events that occurred between Kate Moss and Lucien Freud about the coming together of these two unlikely collaborators from completely different worlds.

Kate Moss the English superstar model and Lucien Freud known as the foremost 20th-century English portraitists. Both at the time at the top of their respective careers. The film explores their disparate personalities and lives. How Moss young experimental and frenetic stumbles into Freud's disciplined intense artistic universe.  As his building obsession with his new muse develops, Moss at first bemused and flattered, slowly begins to grasp the importance that drives her towering mentor.  Derek Jacobi as Freud gives a compelling powerful yet restrained portrayal as the artist. Ellie Bamber as Moss also gives a nuanced convincing performance, under the polished direction of James Lucas who gives the film convincing glimpses into the obsessive world of the painter.  263 stars.

The Sheep Detectives.

George (played by Hugh Jackman) a sheep herder who lives in an aluminum house trailer on his farm. Every evening after he has tended to his flock who all have names, he reads them detective stories as they gather around, unaware that this wooly surrogate family can understand and absorb the tales. One morning as they wonder around their idyllic pasture one of the sheep discover Georges dead body lying in the grass. Stunned and bewildered they decide using all of their ovine cunning to try and find on their own the perpetrator of this fowl deed. Hindered more than helped by their human overlords they set about reconstructing in the best Agatha Christie tradition motive suspects and means. Herein lies the plot. The sheep skillfully animated by a huge cast of technicians and supported by a smaller but talented cast actors including Emma Thompson, Molly Gordon and Michael Wildman, and a much larger cast of voice talent to create and endearing atmosphere of wooly earnestness human buffoonery and ultimate redemption. This is a film for children, although it is well enough executed that adults will not have wasted their time watching it. 

300 Baaas and no humbug 

 

The Devil Wears Prada 2

Sequels even ones as well thought out, written, acted, produced as this one come with a built in curse. That of being by their nature unoriginal. The initial surprise ingenuity is missing no matter how strenuous the creators might try to mask this.  Plus there is the underlying smelly grab for money that further taints the effort. That being said this effort is worthy for the excellent quality of its recreation. The twenty year gap between the original surprise hit helping, especially for those with a poor memory. The quartette of original players have been cleverly reassembled with a startling lack of any physical effect. The story as well has been updated to mesh with the current state of printed media decline. Nevertheless the glam glitzy world of high couture has been displayed with unalloyed abandon adding to the fun of the whole visual trip. Maybach limousines along with every famous fashion name are sprinkled throughout like confetti at a drunk although very high end family reunion.  Meryl  Streep effortlessly reprises the imperious  Miranda Priestly, Anne Hathaway as the goofy and far too charming Andy Sachs Emily Blunt brings her English edge as the conniving Emily Charlton and Stanley Tucci  as the ever faithful Nigel. The roles are entirely within the acting chops of the entire quartet. Despite my original provisos, this is a fun well executed recreation of the original. 328 stars