Rudd returns as Ant-Man, coked-up bear, the Downey story

Stars of David

By Nate Bloom, Stars of David Contributing Columnist

Editor’s Note: Persons in bold are deemed by Nate Bloom to be Jewish for the purpose of this column. Persons identified as Jewish have at least one Jewish parent and were not raised in, or identify with, a faith other than Judaism. Converts to Judaism, of course, are also identified as Jewish.

“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”

The fifth film in which Paul Rudd, 53, plays “Ant-Man” (AKA Scott Lang), this new Ant-Man movie opens in theaters on Feb. 17. For “Ant-Man” novices, here’s the essential info: Lang got AntMan “super” powers via a suit created by Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man (he’s played by Michael Douglas, 78). Lang’s companion, Hope Van Dyne, AKA the Wasp (played by Evangeline Lily) is the daughter of Pym and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer). Hope got her “superpower” wasp suit from her mother.

The plot is way too complex to lay out here. Suffice it to say that the characters described above are “the heart” of the new film.

“Cocaine Bear”

This black comedy-thriller opens in theaters on Feb. 24. It is based on a real story. In 1985, a smuggler pilot dumped a lot of cocaine over a Georgia forest. Later, a forest bear was found dead. It had eaten about 75 pounds of cocaine. The “real” bear didn’t scare or hurt anyone. In the new film, the bear goes on a murderous rampage.

Alden Ehrenreich, 33, has a costarring role. He was “discovered” (about age 13) when Steven Spielberg watched, at a bat mitzvah, a short comedy film that Ehrenreich made. Since then, his career has been kind of star-crossed. Two “big” films he starred in, which were supposed to be big hits, flopped (“Beautiful Creatures” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”)

“Cocaine Bear” was directed by Elizabeth Banks, 48. She is best known as an actor (“Hunger Games” and “SpiderMan,” plus many others). “Bear” is Banks’ third film as a director (“Pitch Perfect 2” and “Charlie’s Angels” were her first two).

Banks married (2003) her (Jewish) husband before a rabbi and they have two sons. In 2013, Banks said that she studied Judaism before marrying, practices Judaism, but didn’t quite formally convert (“all but the mikveh”). Well, there have been no conversion “updates” since 2013. Banks may have taken that ‘dip’ in the last decade.

The Downey story

“Sr.” is a “now-streaming” original Netflix documentary about avant-garde director/ writer Robert Downey, Sr. It was co-directed by Downey, Sr. (19362021) and his son, famous actor Robert Downey, Jr., 57. This isn’t a “by the numbers” biography. It is a very moving portrait of father and son as they make parallel “home movie” biographies of Robert, Sr. The two films have been merged, creating the film we see.

I felt (in a good way) the documentary was a great excuse for father and son to spend a lot of time together, knowing that Robert Sr. was suffering from Parkinson’s and his time was short.

Most people aren’t familiar with Robert Sr.’s films. You learn something about them in the documentary. Long ago, I saw Sr.’s best-known films: “Putney Swope” (1969) and “Greaser’s Palace” (1972). The former pioneered funny “fake ads” that satirized the Madison Avenue variety. A few years later, such fake funny ads became an SNL staple. “Greaser’s Palace” was a wild, sort-of Western that starred the late Allan Arbus. It’s worth viewing. (Robert Jr. had brief roles in both films and clips of him as a child actor are in the documentary).

The Netflix film addresses Robert Sr.’s long-term cocaine addiction and it alludes to Robert Jr.’s near-fatal battle with coke addiction. Robert Sr. candidly says what a mistake drugs were and how much he regrets that his behavior influenced his son. But there is so much love between this father and son that “blame for addiction” isn’t an issue that divides them.

The big takeaway from the film is the tender love among Downey family members. Robert Sr. clearly loves and enjoys his wife, his son and his charming grandchildren (Robert Jr.’s young children).

Robert Jr.’s wife, talent agent Susan Levin Downey, 49, is seen now and again. Robert Jr. has said that she was critical to his recovery and sobriety. They wed in a Jewish ceremony and Downey Jr. now calls himself “Jewish-Buddhist.” I strongly suspect their children are being raised Jewish.

Robert Sr. was born Robert Ellis. His father was “all Jewish” and his maternal grandmother was Jewish. (Robert Jr. is “3/8” Jewish). In the film, Downey, Sr. explains why he took the “non-Jewish” last name Downey.

Frankly, Robert, Sr. comes off as a funny old Jewish guy. Appropriately, Alan Arkin, 88, and Norman Lear, 100, two funny old Jews, are briefly interviewed about Downey, Sr.

Coincidence: Downey, Jr. (as “Iron Man”) has co-starred with Rudd (as Ant-Man) in three “Avengers” movies — and Downey certainly knows about bad behavior while high on cocaine.