Tolkien (2019)

I hadn't been aware that a J.R.R. Tolkien biopic was in the works, and so it came as a pleasant surprise when my wife and I learned about it.  We saw "Tolkien" in theatre, and both of us really enjoyed watching it.

Movie poster for "Tolkien" (2019)

Nicholas Hoult was a fitting choice to portray Tolkien as a young man.  There were also great performances by Lily Collins as Edith Bratt, and the actors who portrayed Tolkien's friends, the other members of the T.C.B.S. club.

I had read both Daniel Grotta-Kurska's "unauthorized" and Humphrey Carpenter's "authorized" biographies of Tolkien, published around the time of Ralph Bakshi's "The Lord of the Rings" movie, and so was already somewhat familiar with Tolkien's life.

I didn't realize the film had received such mixed reviews, or that the Tolkien Estate didn't endorse it.  (Certainly, there were liberties taken with historical facts.  Tolkien and Bratt were married by the time he went to fight in WWI, for instance).

Nevertheless, I'm a big fan of the Inklings, particularly J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams, and so am also looking forward to seeing "The Most Reluctant Convert: The Untold Story of C.S. Lewis".

As for "Tolkien", I think it needs to be understood that a biopic is a form of storytelling, just as historical films should not be equated with documentaries, and so my wife and I are looking forward to watching it again, this time with our kids.

Braveheart (1995)

The mid-1990s witnessed a flourish of interest in Scottish history.  The film "Rob Roy" starring Liam Neeson was released in April, 1995, followed by "Braveheart" starring Mel Gibson, in May.  I saw both films in theatre.

Movie poster for "Braveheart" (1995)

I loved the battles, drama, and romance in "Braveheart".  It won the Oscar for Best Picture, although criticism has mounted over the years, with respect to its historical inaccuracies.  Still, it encouraged me to learn the actual history, by making me care.

I'd already made plans to spend the summer in Paisley (near Glasgow) that summer, and was interested to learn that most Scots enjoyed the film, although snickered at it (mostly the accents, and the casting of Gibson as William Wallace).

My time in Scotland kicked off an abiding interest in everything Scottish.  I got the chance to see a fair bit of the country, and met lots of interesting people.  (I even learned to appreciate Irn-Bru, but wouldn't touch black pudding or haggis).

The following year saw the release of "Trainspotting", starring Ewan McGregor, set in Edinburgh.  By that time, I was living in Montreal, and saw the film at Cinema du Parc, a wonderful repertory cinema (still in operation).

Netflix's "Outlaw King", released in 2018, tells the story of Robert the Bruce, and a similar film (intended as a sequel to "Braveheart") premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2019, but a wider release, planned for 2020, was canceled.

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)

When I was a kid, my older cousin had a small poster of Bruce Lee pinned up in his basement (above and to the left of their television).  Whenever I asked about it, he would make enigmatic statements about Lee's death.

Movie poster for "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" (1993)

"Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" is based on the book "Bruce Lee: The Man Only I Knew" written by Linda Lee Cadwell, his wife at the time of his death (although the movie has been criticized for taking liberties with actual events).

Nevertheless, the decision to include supernatural elements and over-the-top martial art sequences results in a look and feel very similar to the films that Lee was known for.  (In other words, I think he would have approved.)

I credit this movie for contributing to my fascination with California.  On a trip to stay with friends in San Francisco, back in 1998, I picked up a copy of the San Francisco Bay Guardian featuring Bruce Lee on the cover (which I brought back for my cousin).

I rented "Dragon" to watch with my wife, before we got married.  We were living in Montreal at the time, and made it a "theme" date, also getting dinner in Montreal's Chinatown, beforehand.

Sadly, the film is dedicated to the memory of Lee's son, Brandon, who died several weeks before its release.  Like his father, he was doing what he loved, making movies, and also like his father, he died too young.