#jonah lees

[flytotheway]

John and Paul moments in Midas Man part 1

[moviesframes]

Blue Moon (2025)

Directed by Richard Linklater

Cinematography by Shane F. Kelly

[rhapsodylink]

This made me *chefs kiss* in the Midas Man film! There's also a moment where they're throwing jelly beans and Ringo says to George "you don't like them do you?" Absolutely brilliant!

I thought the guy who played Paul had really done his homework. Absolutely nailed all of Paul's mannerisms. (Blake Richardson) I wasn't sold on the casting of the other lads, but George's drawl was spot on.

Really enjoyed the film, and thought it clever how they only used songs they'd covered throughout 😏

Just love that early/mid sixties period. Its so classy.

[thaern]

It's funny how almost everyone is talking about how good job did Blake as Paul in Midas Man but we as a group are ignoring the fact that maybe Leo Harvey is being slowly getting possessed by the spirit of George Harrison

[mariwatchesmovies]

Blue Moon (2025) dir. Richard Linklater cine. Shane F. Kelly

[moviemosaics]

Blue Moon

directed by Richard Linklater, 2025

[widgenstain]

Blue Moon review

After almost a week (saw it on February 23rd) of recovering from that train trip and a ton of shitty work things (and, you know, the world), here’s my review for Blue Moon.

I purposefully avoided reading any reviews or details on it, so I could go into it as blind as possible and I haven’t really read up on any now either. I do know that the movie is a bit divisive though and I think I understand why, but I for one LOVE it. Please keep in mind that I’m a depressed writer and theatre nerd, so I’m pretty much the target audience for this. There won’t be any spoilers behind the cut, it’s not a movie that really has “spoilers” and it is a real story with a foregone conclusion, but if you do want to go into it completely blind as well, especially as an Andrew fan, I suggest you stop reading here.

The film is one of those beautiful works of art that are more play than film. It’s shown almost in real time, almost everything takes place in the same bar in the same night, on the same set and there is a certain detachment from realism that gives it a very theatrical feel. In the best sense.

At first glance Ethan Hawke’s Lorenz Hart seems irresistible, bonmots flying off him, an awkward charm flooding the bar and all its patrons. He drinks too much, but it’s the premiere of his former partner’s biggest hit yet, can you really blame him? He’s also smitten with a young college student who is supposed to appear later that night, he soliloquies about love and beauty to the slightly vulgar bartender, engages the piano player, who dreams of Broadway fame with his stories of writing hit songs, and geeks out about the beauty of words with an established writer. It’s all very Oscar Wilde, incredibly witty, a bit offensive, DEEPLY funny and yet the cracks are coming in.

Then they all break open when Rodgers, his former partner, appears with his premiere party. Hart is a sad clown, a genius no doubt, brilliant and funny, but he’s not made for real life.

He fails at simple tasks like showing up on time, fails his friend and therefore keeps falling behind, despite the genius and despite the love the people around him have for him. Boy is it brutal!

The way Linklater, without any gimmickry, shoves a reality lens over all the things Hart says, how there indeed are protagonists and background actors in real life too, but not necessarily for the reasons Hart had mentioned before. The way all the artistry means nothing against necessities, or war, or capitalism, and how people can have affection for someone, but still be out of patience for them and no, not love them back. It’s gorgeous. I could go on for 15 more paragraphs of that, the script is packed with astonishingly beautiful lines and callbacks and they’re executed brilliantly. Uproariously funny and depressingly sad at the same time. Powerful, poetic shit that hits way too close to home.

But I’m here to talk about the important things: I think I know why there are no stills of Andrew out yet and it’s because he just looks too damn hot in this.

You can roll your eyes at this and discard it as fangirl talk, but I’m not making this up, the movie makes a point of it. Hart is dishevelled, balding, with deep lines on his face and comically short. This is emphasised with theatrical means, I think some people had problems with that, but it’s deliberately grotesque! He’s contrasted with Rodgers, dressed in finely tailored clothing, eyes bright, teeth sharp, cheekbones even sharper. He’s healthy, successful, he’s the one people really want and he’s taking them in the end. He’s reality cutting in, sharp and brutal, but not without heart.

Andrew isn’t in the film much, it’s not a big part, but it hits hard and the one scene where Hawke and he go up against each other on the stairs, it's just pure acting gods in their element. Mind-numbingly good! MORE PLEASE!

I can see why some people won’t like it, it’s a bit cerebral, some people might find things to complain about in the casting, others might not enjoy the monologue-ish style, I found there were some lengths right before the finale, but it is a gorgeous piece of art that should be watched by more people than who probably will end up watching it, when it is widely released.

[mclennonlgbt]

Midas Man review (with spoilers!)

Yesterday I had the unique opportunity to watch a biopic about Brian Epstein. Although the film is currently only available in certain countries, @pauls1967moustache organized a watch party, which I joined. Thank you!!!

"Midas Man" has many advantages. The main one is the leading male role: Jacob Fortune-Lloyd did a great job. He perfectly portrayed Brian's complex personality. He was able to convincingly present both his uncertainty and tremors, as well as his perseverance in promoting the Beatles. Eppy said with full confidence that his boys would be bigger than Elvis - clearly he believed it deeply, even when higher-ups in the music industry laughed in his face. Fortune-Lloyd also convincingly played Brian's emotions related to his sexuality. On the one hand, Epstein did not want to run away from his nature, but on the other - he was well aware that sex between men was a crime and could expose him to blackmail. In one scene, Brian's parents pressure him to be more careful because revealing his sexual orientation in the newspapers could discredit the family business and end the careers of the Beatles and other artists he manages. Brian, filled with guilt, apologizes to his parents for "causing them pain." I have been following this thread with interest and I am glad that it has not been omitted or trivialized.

Unfortunately, the love story disappointed me. It was very cliché. Brian met someone he quickly began to care about. Tex did not reciprocate his feelings, he just wanted to have fun and benefit from Epstein's influence. Ultimately, he left without saying goodbye, stealing money and documents. I know the real Brian dated some shady guys, but it wasn't portrayed very convincingly in the movie. Perhaps Edward Speleers, the actor playing Tex, failed.

How did the Beatles fare? Not bad, but... nothing more. I must praise Blake Richardson, who played Paul - his facial expressions were very reminiscent of McCartney's. Blake was very authentic, I felt like I was looking at Paul. I also liked Wallace Campbell as Ringo. Unfortunately, the remaining Beatles were exaggerated. I'm thinking specifically about George (played by Leo Harvey Elledge). John, on the other hand, lacked depth. I had the impression that he was just a cheeky kid who thought he was entitled to everything. The young Lennon had a more complex personality. Besides, Jonah Lees who played him almost didn't look like him at all xD Speaking of which, the wigs looked terrible in most scenes. I guess there wasn't enough budget for it.

I was surprised (in a negative sense) by the complete omission of an important thread in the history of the Beatles: Brian's infatuation with John. Whether or not Lennon reciprocated the feeling, it was largely Epstein's motivation to pursue the band. When we jumped from 1963 to 1964 and there was no mention of the trip to Barcelona, ​​I was confused. Instead, the creators decided to focus on a fictional romance between Brian and Tex.

The advantage of the biopic is that viewers have the opportunity to meet other artists that Epstein managed. In one scene, Brian proudly introduces us to Billy J. Kramer, Tommy Quickly and... Cilla Black (Darci Shaw). Brian and Cilla's relationship is definitely one of the most touching and adorable elements of the entire film. It is clear that the singer is Epstein's favorite, and not only in professional terms. They are simply a pair of devoted friends. From what I understood, Cilla knew about Brian's orientation and fully accepted it.

"Midas Man" is a decent movie, better than I expected. However, these are not the heights of cinematography. I had the impression that Brian was presented somewhat sweetly, as a person without flaws (perhaps his family took part in consulting the script?). I think a rating of 7/10 would be fair.