Displaying items by tag: Dean Norris

THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT

US, 2024, 127 minutes, Colour.

Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian, Dean Norris, Shanice Shantay, Gregg Sulkin, Jay Reeves, Sam Waterston, Susan Sarandon, Oprah Winfrey.

Directed by Tyler Perry.

Inevitably many people who see this film will remember  the 2016 drama of African-American women who were employed as part of the World War II effort, Hidden Figures.

This is a film written and directed by Tyler Perry, a significant influence in making American movies with African-American themes, with his own studios in Atlanta, Georgia, writing, directing, often appearing. While most of his films have had family and domestic themes, his now taken on the portrait of this significant group of women, their volunteering for war service, their treatment by the American military, their experience of racist discrimination and insult, their being given a mission, offered  little support, even hindered, but a fine achievement in distributing in 90 days towards the end of the war, a huge amount of mail to and from those soldiers on war fronts.

While the film is based on actual characters and events, especially the leader of the women, Major Charity Adams, played with strong conviction by Kerry Washington, personal stories are introduced which gives a humane perspective to the military enterprise.

Initially, the film focuses on December 1943, young pilot crashing, his letter being taken by a passing soldier who has come from the trenches and placed it in the mail bag. Then, back to 1942, Philadelphia, the young man, Jewish, and his love for an African-American girl, Lena, her demanding mother and grandmother, who work in catering for events, the lyrical happiness between the two and his going off to war. With no news from him, Lena, Ebony Obsidian, volunteers for the war effort.

Some of the scenes parallel sequences in films about recruits arriving, the conditions, the severe officers, the physical demands on training, the variety of personalities, clashes and working together. Lena is the youngest and there is a focus on a group of women throughout the film, making the story more personalised.

The story is historically situated when the mother of a soldier has not heard from her son for three years, stands vigil at the Whitecap house, asked to see Eleanor Roosevelt, explaining the situation to her, to her husband the President, and Mary MacLeod Bethune, an American advocate for women in the war. (As a bonus, they are played by Susan Sarandon, Sam Waterston and Oprah Wnfrey.)

The key to the story is the women being assigned to go to Europe to work on the distribution of the huge amount of undistributed letters. Some of the heads of the military, especially General Halt, Dean Norris, are particularly demanding, obnoxious, blatantly racist, for example, horrified at black women reading the letters of white men. Obstacles are placed, the mail is kept at an old English school, conditions difficult, the women renovating their headquarters, working out logistics, not succeeding immediately, finding clues, Lena, especially, contributing while eventually getting that lost letter from the opening of the film and finding the young man’s grave.

The women’s achievement is not well acknowledged but they are acclaimed by a group at the railway station. However, the work was minimally recognised until decades later. In fact, there are many photos of the women at the end of the film, newsreel footage, and the actual Lena, aged 100, interviewed and reminiscing about the experience. And the military camp where they trained has had its name changed to include a tribute to Major Adams.

Many audiences were very much moved by watching the film. Those with military background raise quite a number of objections about the stage of battles, funerals, uniforms and many details which prevented them from being moved overall by the impact of this tribute.

1. Based on actual characters and events? The final tributes, comments, photos and newsreel footage?
2. The US, the atmosphere of World War II, those in service, those at home, communications, lack of information? The piling of the letters in England? The need for distribution? Morale for the soldiers?
3. The work of Tyler Perry, producing, writing, directing? African-American stories, African-American issues? Issues of racism? American society?
4. The prologue, 1943, December, the action sequences, the trenches, the soldiers going over, killed, bombings, the plane crash, the young soldier, the encounter with the plane, seeing the letter with the blood, taking it and putting it in the mail? The dead pilot?
5. 1942, the focus on Lena, her age, at school, with her severe mother, with her grandmother, the home scenes? Friendly with Abram? His visit to the house, her riding in the back of the car, the exhilaration, his love for her, her shyness? Catering for the party, the bigoted girlfriend, standing in the way, insulting, the two going outside, the song, You made me love you…? The farewell? The impact on Lena, no news, thinking that Abram was dead, her family, the future, studies, her decision to join the army?
6. The introduction of the African-American women and their war service? The range of those joining up, the film’s focus on the particular group, their characters, backgrounds, interactions, Jonnie May and her brashness, the more refined and religious young women? Lena in this group? The big number of women joining?
7. The buses, arriving, the introduction of Major Charity Adams, in charge, her personality, the responsibility, her self-assurance, yet the continued attacks on her and her confidence, racism, prejudice against women? The development of her character throughout the film, the loyal assistant, the stern drills for the women, the training, her comments on Lena, the later speaking privately with her, affirmation, and her praise for her insight for the distribution of the male through the symbols on the envelopes? The mission, her meeting with the authorities, their contempt for her, lack of letters and orders, on the plane, in the UK, the derogatory remarks about the women, seem on the ship, the conditions, seasick, they’re coming off the ship, marching in order and taking the salute?
8. The importance of the mission, lack of faith in the women, the character of General Halt, his personality, rigorous Army, racist, assertion of the white males, humiliating major Adams, the various confrontations, the final confrontation, Major Adams and her defiance? The possibilities of court-martial? The death of the women in the accident, the funeral, no military support, the chaplain, the severity of his sermon, the attack on Major Adams, her going to the office, finding his mail, spying on her, dismissing him?
9. The logistics of sorting the letters, the vast number, the conditions, King Edward’s School, the cold, the accommodation, the women transforming it, making it habitable, even the beauty parlour, the cold, the vermin, the effect on the mail? Setting up, sorting, the slow sorting, the condition of the mail?
10. The various ideas, names and categories, locations, maps and indications, Lena and her noticing the symbols, the map, greater flow of the letters? Of the continual hindrance by the bureaucracy, the army prejudice, the officers and their words and treatment of the women?
11. Lena, her letter, going to the cemetery, reading the letter? His message? The attentions of Hugh, his background, service, intending to marry, the friendship with Lena, the dance, the song, her grief? The funeral, accompanying her to the cemetery, accompanying her back to the barracks?
12. The women going on strike, Major Adams and her reaction, their applauding her?
13. The background of the woman and not receiving any mail, standing outside the White House, Eleanor Roosevelt, bringing her in, the discussions, the visit of Mary McLeon Bethune, the pioneer for African-American women? President Roosevelt himself?
14. General Hall, the death of Roosevelt, comments on Truman, his ridiculing of the women and their work?
15. The ultimate success, the methods, within 90 days, the distribution of so much mail, the scenes of the men receiving it in the war areas, the families, the woman who stood outside the White House?
16. The women at the station, the acclamation by the crowd?
17. The final information, the lack of acknowledgement of the work, the women? Lena aged 100, the interview, her comments, the photos of the other women? And the renaming of the Fort – and the honouring of Major Adams?

CARRY-ON

US, 2024, 190 minutes, Colour.

Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Theo Rossi, Tonatiu, Logan Marshall-Green, Dean Norris, 'SinquaWalls, Curtiss Cook, Gill Peres-Abraham.

Directed by Jaume Collett-Serra.

Most audiences would be thinking of Carry-on luggage on planes. However, some British critics raised the objection that “Carry on” was sacrosanct with the series of broad comedies from the 1970s on with Sid James and the Carry on cast…!

This is an action story is set on Christmas Eve, reminding audiences that one of the most popular Christmas films was, in fact, Bruce Willis in .  Die Hard. This is very much in the Die Hard vein.

There is a violent opening, Russian drug dealers, confrontations and killings, and an abduction. Expectations are set. And, with Jaume Collett Serra as the director, with quite a number of action films during his career, especially with Liam Neeson (Non-stop, Run all Night, The Commuter), there are quite some complications and confrontations.

Then the focus is on the main character, Ethan, Taron Egerton (The King’s Man, also playing Elton John in Rocketman), working on security at LAX with his pregnant girlfriend, Nora (Sofia Carson) as an executive job. This gives the basis for the human element during all the dangers at the airport.

The film spends some time showing the workings of security and the staff at Los Angeles vast airport. Then Ethan finds himself pushing for a promotion, given a different desk which, it emerges, upsets the careful plan of the arch criminal, called The Traveller (heard at first, then seen as Jason Bateman calmly and relentlessly and implacably sinister). The aim is to get a bag with nerve gas through security without examination.

The film maintains its tension throughout, the focus on Ethan, the pressures, the threats to kill Nora, his racing through the airport many times, using his wits, the face-to-face with The Traveller, the passenger with the case…

In fact, the film builds up tension with the arrival of the LA police, Homeland security, suspension of security action, flights delayed, the locating of the case, the threat that the nerve gas could pervade the whole airport.

We hope that the scenario would be impossible in real life, but! In the meantime, for those who have celebrated Christmas too often with Die Hard, here is its successor.

1. Christmas crime and potential disaster movie? Action, characters, tension?
2. Los Angeles setting, LAX, outside, arrivals and parking, the interiors of the terminals, the offices? The van, communications with The Traveller? The musical score?
3. The introduction, the Russians, the money, the nerve gas, the killings, the reports? The abduction of the hostage, being held in the van?
4. Ethan and Nora, together, age, relationship, the stories of the backgrounds, police Academy, application and rejection, lying, about his father? Father’s career? Life together, travel to the airport, respective jobs? Nora and her challenger about the police Academy?
5. Ethan, character, hurrying, late, the head and his comments, preparations for Christmas Eve, Ethan asking for a promotion, friendship with Jason, Jason offering the change? The rest of the staff, Eddie, his music, his jobs? The security desks and monitors, the line of travellers, security, the baggage, the collage of personal criticisms and crankiness passengers?
6. The setup, The Traveller, first hearing his voice, the woman and the tray, the earpiece? The situation, The Watcher and everything under surveillance, the connections? Jason as the target, his home watched, the threats to his family? The transition to Nora, getting all the information about her? The Traveller using it?
7. The situation, airport security, Christmas Eve crowds, the threats? Audiences identifying with Ethan, listening, conversations, challenges, the threats to Nora, the phone and the message, cancelled and its later being checked? Unease, the information about the Traveller? The bag, the red tag, the mystery of the contents, its being let through?
8. The cat and mouse with The Traveller, personalities, his calm, control, eventually being seen, meeting with Ethan, their discussions, the threats?
9. Elena, police, the murders and investigation, the burning of the building, the recording, getting some information, deciphering the nerve gas name, googling? Her contacting the agent, his working with her, the revelation of his being a phony, the driving, the crash? Elena, the contact with Homeland, getting to the airport, taking control, the airport manager of the shutdown? List of 50 suspects?
10. Ethan, running through the airport, the lunch with Nora, tension, his hurting her, reconciliation? His changing the name on the list? His finding the case, the instructions for disabling the nerve gas?
11. The interviews, the threat to the chief, the passenger killing him? The deaths, his passing the ticket and message to Lionel, Lionel’s death? Jason, believing Ethan was wanting a promotion, the change of the drink, collapse?
12. The buildup to the tension in the airport, Elena and her control, the encounter with Ethan, his pushing her? With the passenger, the passenger and the earpiece, the fight, his death? Ethan and the swapping of the bags?
13. The passenger, controlled by The Traveller, care for his husband, killing the supervisor, collaboration, The Traveller urging him to kill Ethan, his death?
14. The change of plan, the different flight, Ethan with Nora, the plan, whether the plane should go or not, his getting to the plane, the baggage area, dismantling the nerve gas, The Traveller and his phone, going down, the fight, Ethan and his shrewdness, the final confrontation, the nerve gas in the freezer, The Traveller and his death?
15. The background of the politics, the politician and her move, companies and wanting contracts, a scenario of the nerve gas, her being killed by the Russians, no matter how many deaths – and the threat for the deaths in the airport itself?
16. Nora, the pregnancy, talk about the baby, later, happy baby, going to Tahiti, Jason and his family?