orlando-somera

This performance is so far from Nicole Kidman's usual leading lady roles, it's a bit of a shock, but you get over it quite quickly because it's very convincing. I could not find the Nicole Kidman I've watched over the years no matter how hard I looked, even in flashbacks where she's made to look much younger than her character's age. She is quite attractive in those flashbacks in stark contrast to her character's haggard and wasted look in the movie's present, which means she manages to switch between being a looker and a virtual bag lady all within the same movie. The topper is you can see the connection between the two women. As it happened I realized I can't think of any other actress who could have done the same.

The story is a grim one and apparently not well liked by many, but I found it engrossing and very well produced. Nicole is a tough but somehow fragile detective haunted by her youthful misdeeds. What bothers me is that Nicole's Oscar worthy performance is going to be ignored by the Academy, a real travesty.

And Seth Rogen is also at his best, thankfully. This is quite a slick movie despite its tendency to go a little 'frat boy' more than once. But this is Theron's movie for me. I caught myself thinking, why can't we have leaders like her Secretary of State, Charlotte Fields? Granted, she doesn't have to contend with something as awful as our border problem, or as nauseating as John Bolton, but she does have to handle some other thorny obstacles so it isn't entirely a soft ball send up. Anyway, I very much enjoyed being allowed so close to Theron even if it's only a role. And really she does American woman better than most American women!

The ideas here are entertaining and the execution is more than impressive. Alita is a fully formed person who is easy to care about. Christoph Waltz is quite good as her resuscitator, and her friend, Hugo, played by Keean Johnson, is engaging enough, but what the film needed is a great villain though it did find a string of lesser ones.

Mostly the film is a continuous up. I would say only the last quarter or so falters a bit though not fatally. Most of the movie is a well acted well directed delight. And it's certain people will demand a sequel.