Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (2016)

 

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them - 2016

Coming up next we have 2016's "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them", the first in a prequel series to the very successful Harry Potter franchise.  British wizard Newt Scamander arrives in America and finds out that a whole bunch of strange things are going on in the wizarding world.  On top of all this, several of his magical creatures have escaped.

The film's cast includes Eddie Redmayne, Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Johnny Depp, and Gemma Chan.

Arriving in New York in 1926, British wizard and magizoologist Newt Scamander has come to study the magical creatures of America.

The briefcase he has brought with him is full of strange and wondrous things.  When you're writing a book on the subject of magical creatures, it's only fitting that you should own some, and Newt keeps all of his in this Mary Poppins sort of briefcase.

One of these creatures, a niffler, gets loose and is attracted by all things shiny and valuable.  Unfortunately, Newt is unable to catch him.

Inside the case is a thunderbird named Frank.  It's Newt's intention to return him to his natural habitat, "the wilds of Arizona".

There are many, many types of creatures in Newt's briefcase.  Newt's new friend and aspiring bakery owner Jacob Kowalski can't believe his eyes.  "I don't think I'm dreaming," he tells Newt.  "I ain't got the brains to make this up."  Jacob is a no-maj, a regular human with no magical capabilities and Newt has broken some rules by allowing him to glimpse into magical life.

Newt is also in possession of an Obscurus, which lives inside magically gifted children with suppressed capabilities.  It's considered highly dangerous in the wizarding world.

With Jacob's help, Newt is able to track down the niffler, who is hiding out in a jewelry shop.

Several of Newt's creatures have escaped, including this monster, who falls in love with Jacob.  He's got to wear special gear in order to lure it close enough for Newt to re-capture it.  "Why would I have to wear something like this?" Jacob asks Newt.  Newt replies, "Because your skull is susceptible to breakage under immense force."

Newt and Jacob are aided by two magical sisters, Tina and Queen Goldestein.  Queenie and Jacob form quite the bond and it's adorable to watch their relationship grow.  Tina and Newt have a sort of love/hate relationship.

Newt's arrival in America couldn't have come at a worse time.  Things aren't going well for the wizarding community in New York, and the President of MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America) wants answers.  Non-magical humans are being killed and relations between the two worlds are becoming hostile.  What's more: evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald has escaped from prison and no one knows his whereabouts.

Groups such as the New Salem Philanthropic Society, led by Mary Lou Barebone, condemn witches and wizards to the citizens of New York.  "Hear my words, and heed my warning, and laugh if you dare.  Witches live among us!" she proclaims to the gathered crowds.

Mary Lou's adopted son Credence is at a loss to know what to do.  He's been educated to hate the wizarding world, yet he is being actively sought out by Percival Graves, the director of magical security.  The dilemma literally tears him apart.

And a mysteriously powerful obscurus is terrorizing New York.  This magical being is even more powerful than the one that Newt has contained in his briefcase.

Soon, the magical forces are on display for wizards/witches and the no-maj humans to see, and none can believe their eyes.

And the appearance of Gellert Grindelwald, who has been hiding in plain sight, shocks everyone.  "Do you think you can hold me?" he asks MACUSA president Seraphina Picquery.  "We'll do our best, Mr. Grindelwald," comes her measured reply.

Cast rundown:

   Eddie Redmayne..............................Newt Scamander

   Dan Fogler.......................................Jacob Kowalski

   Katherine Waterston.........................Tina Goldstein

   Alison Sudol....................................Queenie Goldstein

   Colin Farrell.....................................Percival Graves

   Carmen Ejogo..................................Seraphina Picquery

   Ezra Miller.......................................Credence Barebone

   Samantha Morton.............................Mary Lou Barebone

   Jon Voight.......................................Henry Shaw Sr.

   Johnny Depp....................................Gellert Grindelwald

   Gemma Chan...................................Madam Ya Zhou

And that's it for Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them.  During the filming for the Harry Potter movies, Eddie Redmayne auditioned for the role of Tom Riddle, but he was turned down after reading just one line.  For Fantastic Beasts, according to J.K. Rowling, he was the only one in consideration for Newt Scamander and was offered the part without having to audition.

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Winter's Tale (2014)

 

Winter's Tale - 2014

Coming up next is 2014's "Winter's Tale", a story about two people who fall in love.  One dies, and the other continues to walk the earth nearly a century later searching for his "miracle".

The film's cast includes Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Russell Crowe, William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly, Will Smith, Ripley Sobo, Eva Marie Saint, and Graham Greene.

I love the opening monologue for this film.  "What if, once upon a time, there were no stars in the sky at all?  What if the stars are not what we think?  What if the light from afar doesn't come from the rays of distant suns, but from our wings as we turn into angels?  Destiny calls to each of us.  And there is a world behind the world where we are all connected.  All part of a great and moving plan.  Magic is everywhere around us.  You just have to look.  Look.  Look closely.  For even time and distance are not what they appear to be.  We are voyagers set on a course towards destiny to find the one person our miracle is meant for.  But be warned: as we seek out the light, darkness gathers.  And the eternal contest between Good and Evil is not fought with great armies, but one life at a time."

In 1916, Pearly Soames is out to get a young man named Peter Lake.  Pearly is in fact a demon who runs the city of New York as a gangster.  And Peter used to work for him as a thief.

A mysterious white horse arrives on the scene as Peter's cronies close in around Peter.  Peter climbs on its back and is astonished to discover that the horse has wings.  The two make a quick getaway.

Peter decides to give up his life of crime and ride the horse to Florida.  However, before he can go, the horse stops in front of a large house and won't budge.  Peter decides to do one more "job" before riding south.

Within the house, a young woman named Beverly Penn is seeking relief from a high fever.  She has consumption.  In fact, she must sleep outside in the cold weather and bathe in frigid waters to keep the fever at bay.

When he catches her playing the piano as he attempts to rob her house, Peter can't take his eyes off of Beverly.  She completely captivates him.

She takes him to the kitchen and invites him to have tea with her.  They start to fall in love right then and there.

Meanwhile, Pearly has discovered that it is Peter's destiny to provide a "miracle" for a girl with red hair.  Thinking that this girl is Beverly, he contrives to kill her and prevent Peter from saving her.  Peter arrives just in time on his horse and spirits her away.

They ride to the Lake of the Coheeries, where Beverly's family has a large estate.  There, Peter is welcomed by the Penn family and especially by Beverly's little sister Willa.

Peter and Beverly spend a lot of time together and fall deeper in love.

When Pearly goes to Lucifer and asks to be allowed to follow Peter (he is bound by supernatural laws that limit his movements to the five boroughs of New York), his request is denied.  Pearly calls in a favor and plans to poison Beverly.

Back in New York, Peter and Beverly attend a ball (Beverly's first).  They have a wonderful time.  Unfortunately, the poison is delivered in Beverly's glass of champagne, and she drinks it unaware of what she is sipping.

Beverly dies that night in Peter's arm.  Peter is extremely distraught at being helpless to save her as he loses the love of his life.

Peter watches Beverly's funeral from afar.  Her little sister Willa looks off into the distance and sees him.

Willa approaches Peter, who apologizes for not being able to save Beverly.

Later that day, Peter is cornered by Pearly and his group of fellow demon thugs.  After he sends his horse off to save its life, Peter is pushed off the Brooklyn Bridge by a very satisfied Pearly, who watches him splash into the waters below.

We flash forward to 2014, where we find out that Peter is still miraculously alive.  However, he suffers from amnesia and an obsession with the drawing of a girl with red hair that he was supposed to save and couldn't.

With the help of a woman named Virginia Gamely, Peter is able to recover his memories.

Virginia is quite shocked that Peter and the man in the hundred-year-old photos seem to be the same.  "What's happening here?" she asks.

She takes Peter up to meet her boss, who just happens to be Beverly's little sister Willa.

When Peter calls out her name, Willa holds out her arms and embraces him, recognition lighting up her eyes.

Willa takes Peter and Virginia back to her house, where she offers them tea in the kitchen.  It's the same house that Peter knew all those years ago, and memories of Beverly come flooding back to him.  When Virginia asks Willa for some kind of explanation, all Willa can say is, "Well, in a life this long, you do see things.  Things that don't always add up to the world we think we know."

While all of this is going on, Pearly finds out from Lucifer that Peter was Beverly's miracle, and it caused him not to die.  Pearly asks to be made mortal so that he can fight Peter and end his life once and for all.  Lucifer grants the request.

Virginia invites Peter back to her apartment for dinner.  There, he discovers that she has a daughter that is very ill with cancer.  Peter comes to realize that it is Virginia's daughter, Abby, that he is supposed to save.  He is her miracle.

When Pearly gets too close, Peter takes Virginia and Abby (by way of the mysterious horse that has returned) to the abandoned Penn estate at Lake of the Coheeries.

Pearly shows up and an epic battle rages.  Ultimately, Peter is able to defeat him.  Pearly turns into snow as the last bit of life ebbs from his mortal body.

Peter is able to save the dying Abby, and Virginia gratefully scoops her into her arms.

With his mission accomplished, Peter visits Beverly's gravesite.  There, he stares into the eyes of his horse and realizes it's time to go and join Beverly.

Peter climbs onto the horse's back.  The horse gallops quickly and flies into the stars, as Beverly narrates the ending.  "No life is more important than another.  And nothing has been without purpose.  Nothing.  What if we are all part of a great pattern that we may someday understand?  And one day, when we have done what we alone are capable of doing, we get to rise up and reunite with those we have loved the most, forever embraced.  What if we get to become stars?"

Cast rundown:

   Colin Farrell..................................Peter Lake

   Jessica Brown Findlay.....................Beverly Penn

   Russell Crowe...............................Pearly

   William Hurt..................................Isaac Penn

   Jennifer Connelly...........................Virginia Gamely

   Will Smith.....................................The Judge

   Ripley Sobo..................................Abby Gamely

   Eva Marie Saint.............................Willa Penn

   Graham Greene.............................Humpstone John

And that's all for Winter's Tale.  The book that this film was based on was published in 1983.  That same year, the author sold the film rights to Steven Spielberg.  Martin Scorcese was also interested in the film rights, but backed out as he deemed it "unfilmable".

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