THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

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"The Bad And The Beautiful" is a great title for this fascinating self-reflexive triptych melodrama about the inner-workings of Hollywood's early '50s Studio era of success.

It's telling that the picture won seven Oscars back in 1953.

Vincente Minelli's direction is breath-taking.

Kirk Douglas plays Johnathan Shields, a big time Hollywood studio exec with an eye for talent, and all the charm in the world to attract those who fit the bill.

We follow three of Jonathan's victims through flashback chapters that accumulate toward a rich character study of each character, and their fraught relationship with their mutual frenemy.

There's the former business partner, the rags-to-riches starlet, and a hometown novelist turned L.A. screenwriter.

Lana Turner is out of this world as Georgia Lorrison, an upcoming star under Jonathan's underhanded guidance. Talk about sexy, Gloria Grahame brings sexy forward and back.

"There's always good and bad in everything," couldn't be truer than in this stylish, almost post-modern, look at narcissism in the days when men were men, and boys were boys. 

Tragedy strikes in the cruelest of ways before Jonathan finally loses control of his manipulative powers.

Never drop your guard.

Not Rated. 118 mins.

THE PENGUIN LESSONS

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Based on Tom Michell's 2016 memoir about his time spent teaching English during a coup in Argentina in 1976, "The Penguin Lessons" is a stellar politically-minded comedy, packed with subtle and not-so-subtle humor, historic political perspective, and Steve Coogan's infectious wit.

And, there's a penguin. I know what you're thinking, another shaggy dog story. Not so fast.

"The Penguin Lessons" is all about metaphors. As such, our penguin guide gifts us with the power of identifying underlying meanings in pretty much everything that the movie has to offer.

Facing up to social responsibility is on the list for Steve Coogan's instinctively truth-telling rendition of Tom Michell. Lying takes too much effort. It's easier for Tom to rip off the band-aid when touchy questions arise.

Throw in a dramatic tearjerker aspect, and you've got some sublime entertainment.

Björn Gustafsson is excellent as Tom's taller-but-less-confident co-worker.

Serious and funny in equal parts, the well-paced narrative gravitates toward deeper truths than you realize until you are stuck in its deep water. 

However potentially treacherous the dramatic terrain of working with children and/or animals, Steve Coogan dances through the tricky narrative like the experienced dancer he proves to be in one of the movie's pivotal sequences.

It's always value-added when there's dance involved. This sequence shines.

Here is a family movie built to stand the test of time. "The Penguin Lessons" will be a safe bet when you see it available to watch on an airplane.

Steve Coogan's comic genius seems to always find its level. This thematically rich material perfectly matches Coogan's advanced skill-set.

Hilarious. I couldn't possibly count how many times I laughed or cried during this masterful picture.

Director Peter Cattaneo ("The Full Monty") captures every microscopic nuance of comedy, tragedy, satire, romance, and mystery in this wonderful movie. 

Impressive.

Rated PG-13. 110 mins.

DEAD CALM

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Quentin Tarantino's opinion that the '80s was a terrible decade for films, gets a cold hard slap from Australian director Philip Noyce's intense 1989 thriller.

Between Billy Zane's best Marlon Brando impersonation as a sociopath, Nicole Kidman's break-out performance as a mother traumatized by the death of her young son, and Sam Neil as her experienced sailor husband, is a movie that stands the test of time.

"Dead Calm" is the only non-3D movie I know of to have a scene capable of making you duck out of the way when it hits.

Wow.

"Dead Calm's" triple climax is a satisfying doozy.

The action takes place on the high seas where Rae (Kidman) and hubby John (Neil) are sailing on their luxurious sailboat on an extended vacation.

Trouble comes fast and furious when they rescue Hughie Warriner, the lone survivor of six-person crew aboard a still sinking ship.

The less you know going in, the better because this movie has so many surprises to take your breath away.

Fun, scary and suspenseful from start to finish, get out the popcorn and beer for this white-knuckle thrill ride.

Bon appetite.

Rated R. 96 mins.