Jindabyne

Jindabyne ****

Directed by Ray Lawrence
Written by Beatrix Christian, based on the short story "So Much Water So Close to Home", by Raymond Carver

Starring:
Laura Linney as Claire Kane
Gabriel Byrne as Stewart Kane
Chris Haywood as Gregory
Deborra-Lee Furness as Jude
John Howard as Carol
Leah Purcell as Carmel
Stelious Yiakmis as Rocco
Eva Lazzaro as Caylin-Calandria
Sean Rees-Wernyss as Tom
Alice Garner as Elissa
Simon Stone as Billy
Betty Lucas as Vanessa

123 Minutes(Rated R for disturbing images, language and some nudity. )
----------------------------------
"Jindabyne" is a quiet masterpiece that gets you from the first frame and leads you on a two hour trance which ends with a bang. Well, more like a slap. Literally. This is based on the short story "So Much Water So Close to Home" by Raymond Carver, and if you think that the plot sounds familiar, its because it was one of the short stories featured in 'Short Cuts." Only here it is done in a much longer fashion, with much more intense characters and even well acted. I do love "Short Cuts" but it is clear that Gabriel Byrne and Laura Linney act much better than the unknown actors in the parts in that previous film. One may not want to see "Jindabyne" because they have technically seen this story once before, but I can assure you that the story has much more depth than the thirty minute Altman installment in "Short Cuts," and certainly does have more twists than you would expect.

"Jindabyne" is the story of a family-Stewart, Claire, and their little son Tom. They live in the historic town of Jindabyne, where the folks seem to care the most about fishing over anything else. Stewart and a group of friends plan on going on a fishing trip in the next weekend. Claire has had enough of fish, and has bigger things to worry about-especially when her son and the little girl next door bring and knife and pills to school with the intention of slaying the class rabbit. But Stewart writes everything off and is excited for the holiday. Working at a gas station every day seems to take its toll. The four men go on the fishing trip, and right when they are about to begin Stewart discovers the dead body of a girl. He begins to freak out, and the four of them debate on what to do, until it is clear. Tie the girl up by the leg, attach it to the base of a tree, leave it in the river, fish for two days, and then on Sunday they could report it as they are leaving. Of course this does not sit well with the people of the town, who question the morality of Stewart and the men. How could they live with themselves to spend a few days fishing while there is a dead girl only a few feet away? The family of the dead girl also begin to be disturbed, and the entire town seems to lash out at the men. Claire begins to become disturbed as well, and as she would want to stand by her husband she cares more about the well being of the dead girl's family, and makes it her mission to make them as comfortable as possible, no matter the cost to her own family.

"Jindabyne" attempts to be a few things, always generating tension and always being engrossing. The film starts in "Zodiac" style, with a woman driving down the road being pursued by an old man in a truck. This is, of course, the dead girl from the lake, and while we don't see the murder, the man's presence throughout the film always makes tension. Director Ray Lawrence does every scene with precision and a very creepy style. The score adds to the disturbing feelings. Take one scene where Laura Linney's Clare is swimming the lake with her son. She has her son sit on the edge of the beach so that she could just swim out to the center of the lake quickly and then come back. When in the center of the lake she sees this man (who we know as the murderer) asking the kid a question, and she hurries back to the beach but he is gone by the time she gets there. Now this scene has easy tension-for the viewer we know what this man is capable of. But the music is haunting, and applies to the scene. It's quiet, but eerie, as is the whole film. The disturbing nature of the film also comes from the story, but at the same time we understand Stewart and the men's point. And then there are times when you wonder how they could have ever done such a thing.

This is not exactly an easy film to get through. After the screening, where there were only a small handful of people on a Sunday night, there wasn't much of general love for it. It is slow, and unfolds slowly. The actual discovery of the body happens about forty minutes into it, but it really engrosses you into the characters. Gabriel Byrne isn't one of my favorite actors, but he seriously surprised me with his work here. Laura Linney turns in yet another powerhouse performance, and while it may seem like Byrne is the main character she really is. This film is about how the town's reaction effects her, and not Stewart and the men. "Jindabyne" is a study of the effect of death on people, and silently floats to one of the year's best. This is a haunting little movie, expanding an interesting tale already laid out twelve years ago.

Zoo

Zoo **1/2

Directed by Robinson Devor
Written by Robinson Devor and Charles Mudede

Starring:
John Paulson as Mr. Hands
Russell Hodgkinson as H

76 Minutes(Not Rated-Really Really Disturbing Content.)
-----------------------------------
"Zoo" is a somewhat nature documentary, and is of the fascinating subject that Werner Herzog should have made. Herzog seems to have made his mark on the nature documentary in my head after the masterpiece "Grizzly Man," and I have the feeling that if he was the one that constructed "Zoo" it would have had as much artistic merit as it does merit of interest. "Zoo" is more of a docu-drama than an actual documentary, and that fake account made the film a little more pretentious than it should have been. Director Robinson Devor tries to make this a compelling drama, and it seriously takes away from the subject at hand. He tries to make a more artistic work from such disturbing content, when I really just wanted to hear about what happened, and more about the issue.

But what is the issue? I have been rambling on about how disturbing it is, but what is "Zoo" about. "Zoo" is about a group of people that all met online, and decided to use the farm of one of them to meet up and fulfil their desires-to have sex with the horses. Yes-they get together, and they have sex with the animals. It seems that in Washington State, at this time, sex with animals was not something illegal. And these men film themselves doing it, have ropes and such around to "work the horses" better, and they get into groups and do it. Everything is under wraps and fine until one of them gets injured and ends up dying in a freak accident by bleeding internally. Suddenly the men are all on the verge of people caught-and animal activist groups get involved, the police get involved, FBI, everyone.

Now "Zoo" does make for great conversation, and it is clear that the subject matter is a fascinating one. However, only two of the men would reveal actual interviews, and instead of interviewing experts on the matter, Devor does the film like a drama, using actors as the men and having them reconstruct what the interviews are saying. However Devor also becomes a little obsessed with his own vision, and uses far too much slow motion and extremely melodramatic music to try and create these emotions that simply aren't there. At times I wanted to pop his ego and have him simply tell the story with talking heads and facts. If he wanted to make a dramatic version of this story, that is what he should have done. This is why Herzog is the master of the documentary, and this is also why "Grizzly Man" was so disturbing and effective. He would use actual footage, and run with it, not inserting his own ego or pretentious direction in every single frame. The high rating for "Zoo" is not based on how the film is made, but what the film is about. This is interesting to pay attention to the subject matter, but in the end a conversation about it would probably be more interesting than the film itself. "Zoo' is not very well made at all, and even the name Robinson Devor makes me think of some kind of private school know it all, or some stuck up film student. That is probably one of the most biased and unfit things I have ever said, but I thought it was somewhat humorous.

One thing that I was a bit happy with in "Zoo" was the fact that it doesn't exactly set blame to the men. Instead it tells the story and lets the viewer decide if it was right or wrong. I found it clearly wrong-there is no way to determine if a horse decided to also have sex with a human-but Devor never actually says "You did wrong! You are sick!" It is up to the viewer to choose. This is a technique that was used in "Grizzly Man" as well, and it really does make for more interesting thought and conversation with your mind isn't drilled with the opinions of the director. I can't exactly recommend "Zoo," but for more information on these zoophiles this is really the only thing you could resort to. I only wish it was in better hands.

Poison Friends, Next, Kickin' It Old Skool, In the Land of Women, Diggers, The Invisible

Poison Friends *1/2
Directed by Emmanuel Bourdieu
100 Minutes
Not Rated(Language)

"Poison Friends" is a tedious exercise. This is the story of three friends, one of which shapes the other two into what they become. However their critical friend is really a loser unto himself, who is always judging but never following his own advice. And he becomes a liar, and eventually looses everything. The film has a paper thin plot, but is really an uninteresting character study of Andre Morney, who cares so much about making a good name for himself with others that he doesn't care about himself. A very tired and drawn out story, one where you check your watch often, and one with nothing really notable about it. This is more of a waste of time than anything else.
--------------------------
Next ***
Directed by Lee Tamahori
96 Minutes
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action, and some language.

"Next" is a complete fluff action film, with plenty of plot holes, undeveloped characters, and some "classy" one liners. Then why did I give it such a high rating? Because I had a blast. Nicolas Cage goes back to action after some more dramatic turns as Cris Johnson, a man who can see into the future. The only thing that makes him human is that he could only see his own future, and he could only see two minutes at a time. The only time where things are different are when they involve Liz, where he could see far into time. He is being hunted by Agent Callie Ferris who needs his power to try and stop a nuclear weapon, but Johnson wants nothing to do with this. The chase begins. Problems with "Next" are plenty-there is never a reason why Liz is special to Cris, and they script writes that problem out by claiming that it was "destiny." Callie is pretty underwritten as well, and the Cris Johnson characters has moments where you detect the sadness of his power and how he never gets the chance to be surprised with life, and Cage does it well. He has always done action well. There is plenty of hokey and over the top action sequences as well, and Cage seems to be going to the same hairstylist that Tom Hanks went to for "The Da Vinci Code."

However, I will recommend "Next" because it is a lot of fun, and exactly what you expect when you see a movie like this. The opening scenes are pretty brilliantly executed, somewhat humorous even, especially Cage's escape route out of a Las Vegas Casino where he always knows what is going to happen. There are a few decent twists, and the whole two minute thing does make for certain plot twists. The ending is a little strange and while it doesn't pack everything neatly, it doesn't leave a sour taste either. "Next' will not last very long, but you could consider it the opening act for "Spider-Man 3" and the upcoming summer movie season. Like the comedy act before The Rolling Stones goes on. . .

Oh yea. . . .and was that Peter Falk. . . ?

And also, as a side note, I noticed many references to Stanley Kubrick. One scene has Cage in a chair with his eyes being forced open, right in front of a television set, with drops going into his eyes, (Clockwork Orange). Another has the TV on with "Dr Strangelove" on. Hmmm. . .
--------------------------
Kickin' It Old Skool **
Directed by Harvey Glazer
107 Minutes
Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content and language. (edited for re-rating)

Stupid humor gets out of a coma with "Kickin' It Old Skool," which is the first real wide release for the ever growing Bob Yari Release Group. Jamie Kennedy plays Justin Schumacher, who was a twelve year old breakdancing fan living in the 80's, until a horrible stage accident puts him in a coma for twenty years. Now out his parents are stuck with medical bills, and Justin, who has the mind of a twelve year old, gets his old breakdancing group back together again to win a dance contest. At the same time he tries to win back the heart of Jen, the woman who loved him when they were kids-but of course she is engaged to the biggest jerk in the world. "Kickin' It Old Skool" is a decent comedy for the type of young crowd on a Friday night who love stupid, random humor. It may not be a "Blades of Glory" but it is a rather good time at parts. It does meander a bit in the third act when they focus on all of the dancing contests, but all in all this is a pretty straightforward film-the target group will enjoy it, and it clearly isn't for everyone. And I still respect David Hasselhoff for continuing to make fun of himself. . .
--------------------------
The Invisible **
Directed by David S. Goyer
97 Minutes
Rated PG-13 for violence, criminality, sensuality and language - all involving teens.

Be warned! "The Invisible" is certainly not the ghost story that it is being made out to be. It is really a teenage character study-two rather depressed young people whose lives change after a misunderstanding. Nick Powell seems to have a perfect life, but he has been very sad since the death of his father. Then there is Annie, whose life has resorted to crime ever since the death of her mother. When Annie beats Nick up after a misunderstanding she believes she killed him and hides the body so that it would not be found. Nick manages to walk the Earth in an invisible form, so nobody can see or even hear him-except Annie. With time running out until Nick eventually will die, he tries to get Annie to have a change of heart, and to confess to everyone where the body is. Now the marketing for "The Invisible" is extremely misleading-scenes in the trailer make it out to be a psychological ghost story like "The Sixth Sense." Hunks of the trailer were not in the film, and images from the film are twisted out of context in the trailer. At times it is a decent character film, and the ending, although slightly melodramatic, is sweet in an odd way. Justin Chatwin can't really carry a film, but it is Margarita Levieva as Annie who is the highlight. Supporting work by Marcia Gay Harden makes me wonder why she has an Oscar, and she can clearly do better. She probably knows this too. "The Invisible" is slightly better than some other Hollywood releases, but it isn't good enough to push one to the theatre.
--------------------------
Diggers ***
Directed by Katherine Dieckmann
95 Minutes
Rated R for language, drug use and some sexual content.

Paul Rudd matures in "Diggers," and proves that he is more than just a seventh friend or an "Anchorman." "Diggers" is a very entertaining and funny story with a good amount of heart, telling the story of four clam diggers living in 70's New York. Clam digging runs in the family for these men, and we follow them after the death of Hunt and Gina's father(Paul Rudd and Maura Tierny, respectively). "Diggers" is a film that Ed Burns would have made, only it is does better and with more respect to the characters. This isn't something that you go and see because you want to look for deep symbolism, but something to see for great characters going through a "coming of age" moment. The best work probably comes from Ken Marino, as Lozo the only one of the friends who is married and has children-four of them to be exact. He is always yelling at his wife and complaining to his kids, but at the end of the day you know that he really does love them all. He does it with the perfect amount of both desperation and humor. "Diggers" is one of them films that comes out in the theatre on Friday and on TV that night, and then on video the next Tuesday. Any of those mediums are acceptable to watch this fine film.
--------------------------
In the Land of Women ***
Directed by Jon Kasdan
97 Minutes
Rated PG-13 for sexual content, thematic elements and language.

The ads for "In the Land of Women" are extremely misleading, making it seem more of a romance between the Adam Brody character, and the much younger one played by Kristen Stewart. What was get is a brief romance between them, but in the much grand scheme of things thing is a film about the interactions between the Adam Brody character(Carter) and the women that he comes across. After being dumped by his beautiful supermodel girlfriend, Carter moves in with his demented grandmother, falls for the neighbor, and hangs out when her daughter. These are more realistic characters than I would have expected-one gets cancer, one is having the typical school boy problems, the other is having an affair. At times it is a little too convenient, and it is a bit of a downer, but that's life for the most part. What I liked about this was how much it caught me by surprise-how I went in expecting one thing and I got another. It is a sweet little film, and maybe a bit better because I can relate to the main character.

Snow Cake

Snow Cake ***1/2

Directed by Marc Evans
Written by Angela Pell

Starring:
Alan Rickman as Alex Hughes
Sigourney Weaver as Linda Freeman
Carrie-Anne Moss as Maggie
David Fox as Dirk Freeman
Jayne Eastwood as Ellen Freeman
Emily Hampshire as Vivienne Freeman
James Allodi as Clyde

112 Minutes(Not Rated-Language, Sexual Content, Disturbing Image)
-------------------------------------------------------
"Snow Cake" is a mini-masterpiece that is ultimately sweet and effective. Taking on the disease of autism, made famous in the late 80's with "Rain Man," "Snow Cake" manages to avoid being a copy of that film by actually creating unique and different characters, even if the situations are similar. Alan Rickman and Sigourney Weaver are brilliant in their roles and even together, as they play off each other perfectly in any scene that they are in.

"Snow Cake" tells the story of Alex Hughes, a man who just got out of prison and is on his way to Winnipeg for unknown reasons. While in a coffee shop he stumbles upon Vivienne, a young woman in the the need of a ride. On the car rides, which Alex reluctantly agrees to, the two of them form a small bond, which comes to an abrupt end when a truck violently slams into the car, killing the girl but leaving Alex without a scratch. Alex is not being blamed, but for his own sake of mind he goes to visit Linda, Vivienne's mother. When he arrives he learns that she is autistic-she lives by herself and has a job working as a shelf stocker at a supermarket, but she isn't able to be completely independent. She responds to her daughters death with a dead face, and realizes that she won't ever see Vivienne again but probably doesn't fully understand why. She is more concerned with the upcoming Tuesday, when she has to take the garbage out. That was Vivienne's job, so Alex agrees to stay until Tuesday. He has to follow her rules, can't stay in her kitchen, but eventually he starts a connection with Maggie, a girl next door who Linda believes in a hooker. Alex begins to try and let go of his guilt, and his past demons start to beckon him when he can't but help to realize a parallel between why he killed this man in the past, and what happened to Vivienne.

The "Snow Cake" script manages to avoid being a simple soap opera of Alex and Linda, but becomes an engaging, warm, and humorous story of getting over guilt and living in the present moment. And although Rickman is good, it is Weaver who once again steals the show. Between this and "The TV Set" she is having a very good month. Weaver brings a certain amount of energy to the role that is needed, and she is extremely convincing when Alex brings joy to her by giving her a bunch of little balls that sparkle. Carrie-Anne Moss may be the only films weakness-not because of her presence but simply because of her character. There is not much use for her, and it is a somewhat forced love story, but the film cannot all be just Alex and Linda, however entertaining those scenes are. One in particular is when they are playing Scrabble, and Linda calls it "Superhero Work Scrabble," so that words can be made up, and existing words like "Bang" can be spelt "Baang." By the end of "Snow Cake" I felt a little happier than I did walking in. Made with a budget of next to nothing, director Marc Evans finds it able to make something beautiful out of a stark white landscape, and finds great performances in all of his actors. This a sweet little gem, both heartbreaking and happy at the same time. I loved this film.

From Take to Taxidermia: Short Reviews of Films at The Sixth Tribeca Film Festival

The 2007 Tribeca Film Festival (April 25th through May 6th) makes six years of showcasing movies throughout Manhattan, and ironically for the first time I am going to be seeing some of the film. Sadly, because of schooling ahead, this will probably be the last time I go for some time. The Festival consists of 157 films, and about 16 short films, as well as panel discussions, music, and family fare. My festival consists of fourteen films-ranging from drama, to comedy, to anime. I will be seeing some premieres, some films that have no distributor, and some films that will be coming out in the next couple of months. I have the early scoop.
---------------------
April 27th

Take ***1/2
Written and Directed by Charles Oliver
99 Minutes
This Films Has Not Yet Been Rated, but would probably be a PG-13 for the strong adult material.

The Festival started on April 25th with films about the environment, hosted by Al Gore. My festival's opening selection was "Take," the writing and directing debut of Charles Oliver, who tells a uniquely tragic and hopeful story of Ana, a struggling mother, and Saul, a struggling nobody with a gambling problem. We know that something has happened between the two, but what exactly it is is the mystery that Oliver takes us through during the film. All leading up to a climax in a grocery story that starts the beginning of an extremely tense and moving final act. The problem with "Take" is that there isn't much of a mystery. I was able to figure out exactly what happened between Ana and Saul before Oliver actually shows it, but the scene was still effective because of the powerful acting by Minnie Driver and Jeremy Renner. Driver has been making a very deep impression on me between this and her work on "The Riches," and Renner has also done some decent work in the past. This is easily the best that I've seen him. "Take" is a story of both redemption and forgiveness, something that doesn't seem to happen enough.

I attended the world premiere of "Take." At the screening was director Oliver, Minnie Driver, some of the producers, and Bobby Coleman, the young actor who plays Driver's son. I do not see any reason why this should not be picked up anytime soon, and could be considered for Oscars at the end of the year, especially for Driver. Oliver does drama without being melodramatic, and is able to convey multiple symbols without being too pretentious. "Take" has a perfect tone, and conveys a beautiful message without getting overly preachy. It is a complex story, well written, and acted to perfection.

Black Sheep **1/2
Written and Directed by Jonathan King
87 Minutes
This Film Has Not Yet Been Rated, but would be a hard R for strong graphic bloody violence and some language.

Although it is being released on June 22nd, "Black Sheep" is making a tour at Tribeca as well. "Black Sheep" is from New Zealander Jonathan King, who creates a horror comedy, which has become all the rage these days. Here he takes a quite obserd plot, which is probably what makes it the most compelling. This is the story of a bunch of farmers who are experimenting on sheep, until one of the activists trying to save them accidentally unleashes the experiment onto the exisiting sheep, turning them into blood sucking killers. In additon there is the visiting brother of the scientist farmer who has a deathly fear of sheep, but must band together with the female activist(Experience) and another friend of him to try and survive the attack. "Black Sheep" is a pretty ridiculous film, but is made hilarious by the fact that there are killer sheep on the loose.

There is just something funny about a sheep suddenly popping up and than hearing creepy music to go with it. And the sheep travel in droves, which of course make them even more scary. To make matters even more surreal, there are those the sheep bite, who turn into super strong were-sheep. My only problem here is that eventually is gets somewhat tedious, especially towards the final battles at the end. The resolution is somewhat brilliant, but over time you wonder how many different organs can the sheep rip out before the end. It is still a fun time and one seriously worth checking out when it is released on June 22nd. "Black Sheep" was part of the midnight program at Tribeca, which show some off color and strange films to a crowd of people that is probably stoned or drunk. In addition, there was a Q and A with King after the film, to some decent questions, and then a bunch that were probably the results of some of those substances.
---------------------
April 29th

The Matrimony *1/2
Directed by Hua-Tao Teng
Written by Qianling Yang and Jialu Zhang
90 Minutes
This Film Has Not Yet Been Rated, but would probably be a PG-13 for scary scenes.

It's a shame that my festival was made imperfect with "The Matrimony," which was such a sad and pitiful horror film that for a second I thought that it was made by an American director. And I'm sure that in the future this will be remade with someone like Jennifer Love Hewitt. "The Matrimony" tells the story of doomed love-Junchu wants to marry Manli, until Manli is killed in a horrible accident. As per his mothers wish, Junchu marries Sansan but refuses to touch her or even take a part in her life. Sansan eventually unlocks the mysteries of Manli, and Manli visits her and tries to possess her body to be close to Junchu again. "The Matrimony" just isn't scary-and it offered nothing memorable in any way. The actually jump scenes are either extremely forced, or are just based on the most unscary things-at one point there is scary music accompanying a woman seeing her own reflection in a mirror. Any creepy atmosphere is also destroyed by the over the top nature the film has. "The Matrimony" is competing for the audience award, which gives 25,000 dollars to the winning director of the winning film. This does not stand a chance, and it's participation in the festival cheapens the whole affair. Based on the future selections I have a feeling that "The Matrimony" will be crowned the worst of the fourteen next week.
---------------------
April 30th

Nobel Son ***
Directed by Randall Miller
Written by Randall Miller and Jody Savin
107 Minutes
This Film Is Not Yet Rated-will most likely be an R for the violence, language, sex-rather unsavory content all around.

"Nobel Son" is the newest film from husband/wife team Randall Miller and Jody Savin. If you are not aware of anything they have done in the past, they made a little fiom called "Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School" which was released last year. Met with no profit and little praise, "Marilyn Hotchkiss" was really a very sweet and tender film which I adored. Now there is "Nobel Son," an extreme shift in direction for the two, going from sentimental to a gritty dark comedy thriller. Assembling a cast as good as before-Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Bryan Greenberg(who has clearly come a long way since "Prime"), Mary Steenburgen, Ted Danson, Danny DeVito, and Eliza Dushku, "Nobel Son" begins with Eli(Rickman) learning that he is about toe recieve the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Eli's already inflated ego gets even bigger, until his thunder is ruined when his son Barkley(Greenberg) is kidnapped by someone who claims to be Eli's other son from an affair. He demands two million dollars. The rest is a mystery with a detective played by Bill Pullman, and then a family thriller where secrets are revealed and nothing is sacred anymore.

Miller and Savin cram their script with twist after twist, and the direction style is quick paced and filled with loud techno music. This creates a feeling of constant urgancy, and you are always trying to figure out what is going to happen next. Be warned that this style takes a little time to get used to, and the constant loud noise from the opening scenes may seem annoying at first, but when you get into the page turner aspects of the script the style simply makes it more effective. The acting is strong and on par, with Rickman once again charming the audience no matter how much of a bastard he is. I do not see how this film should have a problem finding someone to distribute it, and the Christmas themes should make for a great dark Christmas caper at the end of the year. At the screening I attended Greenberg, Dushku, and Shawn Hatosy from the cast were there, as well as Miller and Savin.

Numb ***
Written and Directed by Harris Goldberg
93 Minutes
This Film Is Not Yet Rated-Would be R for Language and Sexual Content/Nudity, and Drugs

"Numb" is a seriously funny kind of love story-something in the vein of "Punch Drunk Love." Matthew Perry delivers some of the best work that he's ever done as Hudson, a man who one night smoked far too much pot and ended up getting a disorder known as depersonalization. He often feels detached from reality, as if everything is happening around him and he isn't partaking in it at all. He is a struggling screenwriter with his friend and business partner, and he is constantly either taking pills or seeing a new shrink to try and cure his problems. Everything changes when he meets Sara, a beautiful business executive who falls for him as well. The two of them try to work things out with his problem, but can the relationship last?

Perry brings a strong human side to this character that is basically freaking out at all times, and whenever you feel a little doubt as to if you should like him or not, you are reassured through the eyes of his friend, girlfriend, and shrink/lover in the middle, that he truly is a good man. Screenwriter Harris Goldberg tells his off-color love story without resorting to the quirky nature that many indie comedies feel they must go to in order to be successful. He could have easily turned this into a wacky story with Sara being a Kate Winslet in "Eternal Sunshine," but he managed to make the characters original without trying to have them go over the top. It is really a well written script. Not once throughout this film did I connect Perry with Chandler, and he truly is the only man for the job. As Harris Goldberg said in his introduction of the film, "Perry is my Gregory Peck." Hopefully he will extend his arms once again past "Friends" and do more solid work like this. This is an easy crowd pleaser.
---------------------
May 2

The King of Kong ****
Directed by Seth Gordon
79 Minutes
This Film Is Not Yet Rated-Probably PG for a brief sexual joke.

"The King of Kong" is by far one of the best documentaries I've seen in ages-informative, fun to watch, intense. It was a complete blast, and at times it was like I was watching a narrative piece. It was the first film I actually ripped a five for the vote ballot that they pass out before each feature. It's that's good! "The King of Kong" dives into the world of competitive arcade game playing, and follows Steve Wiebe, a good hearted family man who just lost his job and finds solace in the arms of Donkey Kong. And not the Super Nintendo Donkey Kong, but the classic game where Mario is on the construction site and has to rescue the girl who has been captured by the beast. It was one of my favorite games as a child, and after I write this I plan on digging out the Game Boy and playing a few rounds of my own. Wiebe wants to have the highest score, which was set in 1982 by Billy Mitchell, who scored almost 900,000 points. We follow Wiebe through his struggles, and through Mitchell's plans to ensure that he keeps the highest score. Mitchell plays subtle, but hard.

The information comes from the knowledge of video games that I learned about. I have never really made fun of "gamers," because truth be told they have a skill that I could only dream of having. And the old simple 80's arcade games are a favorite, but you cannot be fooled by the simplicity. They require an intense amount of logic and skill and memorization, and they certainly are not for everyone. If anything this film gave me a larger respect for them. There were also some fun facts. For instance, I did not know that there is an ending to every arcade video game. Eventually the game will run out of memory and a KILL SCREEN will come up, which will have the level start like normal and then randomly kill you character because it can't go on. The intensity comes from the battle between Steve and Billy, even though we all want Steve to win and everybody clearly wants him to win behind the camera. Steve is definitely the hero. Billy is easily the villain-portrayed as a pompous jerk (with a beautiful, large chested wife, which was actually hilarious), he never once plays Steve at the game and does not even say hello to him. (for some reason if they made a Hollywood version of this story I could see Peter Dinklage in the part).

"The King of Kong" plays like a film, which is rare for a documentary. It has an amount of intensity and fun that many narrative features lack nowadays. There is even a surprise twist ending that will have you smiling, and then an emotional final shot which will actually make you a little sad because you laughed at a joke relating to it just a minute earlier. This is the best documentary of the year, and easily surpasses the winning at the Oscars last year-sorry Al Gore, Steve Wiebe entertained me more. "The King of Kong" is set for a release date from Picture House in the middle of August, so look for it then.

The Poughkeepsie Tapes ***1/2
Written and Directed by John Erick Dowdle
87 Minutes
This Film Is Not Yet Rated-an easy R for extremely disturbing content, some nudity, strong violence).
"The Poughkeepsie Tapes" is a rare film. It is one of the only films that I could think of that actually succeeded in scaring the living daylights out of me, something that no modern day horror film has ever done. The film takes fear to a new level, and actually makes death and torture creepy. This is really a strong competitor to the sniff violence and torture films of late-"Saw," "Hostel," "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," etc. "Poughkeepsie Tapes" is shown in mockumentary style, and tells about a killer who terrorized a few towns for ten years. The killer would basically take anybody, bring them into his basement for an extended amount of time, and then mangle their bodies. The twist is that he would record everything, and eventually he left a series of tapes in his house in Poughkeepsie for the police to find. The film focus is that of the killer and Cheryl Dempsey, a young teenager who he kidnapped and held in his lair for eight years, calling her slave, having her repeat the phrase "You are the master and I am pleased to serve you," over and over again, while wearing some kind of freaky mask. Meanwhile the cops try with no avail to find the killer.

Much of the film actually takes place on the videos that the killer does, which allows for a creepy atmosphere, similar to the feeling of watching January's "Alone with Her," only this time there is actual fear. And the torture mostly takes place off screen, with the most shocking things either taking place in the dark or off camera. The scenes between Cheryl and the killer in the basement will make you hold your breath, and the green tint of the tape as well as the no edits make for extreme realism. there is also a somewhat dark comedic tone at times, especially the way that the police and reporters handle the situations-sometimes it seems like writer/director Dowdle is actually saying that this killer is smarter than everyone else, which is usually the case. I also enjoyed the way September 11th is used, another commentary on where priorities lie in this country. At the screening the woman that played Cheryl made a comment saying that this film is not disposable like films like "Saw," and "Hostel" are. And that is the truth. This is something so shocking and creepy that it will stay with you long after you leave the theatre. It is a tragic horror story that borders on real life, which is often worse than what is concocted out of people's imaginations.
---------------------
May 3rd

The Cake Eaters **
Directed by Mary Stuart Masterson
Written by Jayce Bartok
95 Minutes
This Film Is Not Yet Rated-Probably a PG-13 for some light sex, and language.

"The Cake Eaters" repersents the directorial debut for Mary Stuwart Masterson, and she certainly doesn't go for any extroadinary lengths to try and make a name for herself. "The Cake Eaters" is a rather uninspired family drama that centers around three men in the Kimbrough clan. There is the patriarch Easy, played lovingly by Bruce Dern, who lives with his son Beagle, who works in the lunchroom in the local school. The two lead a peaceful life recovering over the death of their wife and mother. They get by selling her things in a field with other vendors, including Marg, who turns out to be having an affair with Easy, and her granddaughter Georgia, a young teenager with a muscle disease that makes her want to do a few things before she dies-and one of them involves Beagle. Also entering the picture is Guy Kimbrough, played by writer Jayce Bartok.

There is no real pressing reason for this story to be told, and none of the characters really standout. With the exception of the scenes with Kristen Stewart's Georgia, almost everything throughout the film fell flat. And the character of Guy Kimbrough was the most extra considering Bartok gets second billing. I suppose he wrote himself in for the sole purpose of writing himself into the movie, even though his silent presence makes his scenes boring, and the lack of any development with the character makes him utterly useless. I simply did not get much enjoyment out of "The Cake Eaters," found it somewhat dull and a little bland. The script does not really care about bringing out dimensions in any of the characters, and Masterson's directing is standard and extremely basic. Mary Stuwart Masterson was present at the screening for a Q and A after the film, which I sadly had to miss because I had to take quite a trip to the next screening. Perhaps she would have shed some light and made me reconsider my position on the film.

Purple Violets ***
Written and Directed by Edward Burns
100 Minutes
This Film Is Not Yet Rated-Probably R for language and a coupla sexual references.

"Purple Violets" is clearly some of the best work that Edward Burns has does. Burns is known for his coming of age stories involving male bonding, and that pattern was broken last year when he released "Looking for Kitty," which was more of a buddy/detective story. Sadly nobody saw "Looking for Kitty," and Burns male-bonding movie "The Groomsmen," also released last year, has a much larger audience. "Purple Violets" is basically told from a female perspective-here played by Selma Blair. Blair plays Patti, a writer who has taken ten years off to do research for something else and is married to a foul husband. While eating with her friend Kate(Debra Messing) she runs into her old college boyfriend Brian(Patrick Wilson) and Kate's old college boyfriend Michael, played by Burns himself who constantly calls himself by his own name. Michael wants to say sorry to Kate for wronging her in college, and Patti and Brian rekindle old flames, by sadly both of them are tied down-her to her husband and him to his younger girlfriend. Brian is a writer as well and wants to break away from the mystery fiction he is famous for and move on to literature-something meaningful. Nobody likes meaningful.

"Purple Violets" is a funny and sweet little gem with four terrific performances to boot. Blair is transcendental in the lead, and her soft and frail nature makes her glow onscreen. Patrick Wilson is slowly making a strong name for himself with brilliant work here continuing his best performance from "Little Children." Debra Messing is witty, and it is Burns himself that actually works here. Burns usually plays the same character in all his films, but her you see a certain amount of maturity that I saw emerge in 'Looking for Kitty," but disappear in "The Groomsmen." On the side, I have a hard time between those two films-"Kitty" was made first but the fact that it was released second often does confuse me. Perhaps my only problem with the film are the characters of Patti's husband and Brian's girlfriend. We know that the central love story is between Patti and Brian and that their others are keeping them apart, but their others are two of the worst people you could ever meet-only done to the extreme. Had they been better people there could have been more conflict within Patti and Brian. "Purple Violets" proves that Burns is growing up, and is a fascinating study on what happens after college, the types of people we become, and the types of people that we want to be.

Watching the Detectives ***
Written and Directed by Paul Soter
93 Minutes
This Film Is Not Yet Rated-Probably PG-13 for sex and language.
"Watching the Detectives" is a departure for both writer/director Paul Soter, and the star Cillian Murphy. Soter, who is one fifth of Broken Lizard-the comedy team that make such raunchy hits as "Super Troopers" and "Beerfest," has crafted a delightful romantic comedy, and Murphy, who is probably best known for his intense and heavy work in "Batman Begins" and "Red Eye" is taking an active part in a heavily comic role. And yet they are both so comfortable in their parts to the point where it seems like they are pros at the genre. "Watching the Detectives" has Murphy play Neil, the owner of a small Mom and Pop video store that is facing problems from the big guns up the street. Neil is a good man who loves the movies, and often spends the day in his store with the other movie obsessed people that hang out there. One day he meets Violet, an adventurous femme fatale type that takes Neil on an adventure of his own-and teaching him that doing is sometimes better than watching, and lession that I hope somebody will teach ME some day.

"Watching the Detectives" mainly works because of the chemistry between Murphy and Lucy Lui, who plays Violet. It is also a smart script that Soter has penned, with plenty of sly movie in-jokes, and special cameos by members of the Broken Lizard team. I counted three of them, including Soter himself. Murphy plays the screwball comedy scenes very well, and he is extremely funny and likable. I have seen him do lighter work in "Breakfast on Pluto," his best role, and here he is witty and can appeal to a mainstream audience as well. "Watching the Detectives" should have no problem getting a release by the end of this year, and is a fantastic indie romance. And for once it's not exactly a quirky type of romance.
---------------------
May 4th

The Killing of John Lennon ***1/2
Written and Directed by Andrew Piddington
120 Minutes
This Film Is Not Yet Rated-Probably R for violence and language.

"The Killing of John Lennon" is a kind of cross between "Taxi Driver" and "The Assassination of Richard Nixon." It is also the second John Lennon film in the last year, the first being "The U.S. vs John Lennon," which I never saw. While that film told Lennon's story about what he did, "The Killing of John Lennon" describes the results of that. Mark David Chapman was fed up with life, living in Hawaii in the 80's with his wife that he probably doesn't really love. One day Chapman came across "The Catcher in the Rye" and was completely enaromed in the story, believing that the story was really about him. Chapman eventually comes to the conclusion that he is Holden Caulfield and goes on a quest to get rid of the biggest phony around-John Lennon. The man that promotes anti-materialism and yet has numerous houses and other things. Chapman travels to New York and begins waiting outside Lennon's apartment for his chance.

"The Killing of John Lennon" does not provide sympathy for Chapman. Unlike "The Assassiantion of Richard Nixon," we don't even get the chance to watch the man slowly fall down. He had already fallen. Instead we get to study the pathology of this man-we see him get ready to do it, and than change his mind at the last minute. And then he was driven to do it again. And the success of the film clearly comes from Jonas Ball, who plays Chapman, virtually being in every single frame of the film. Ball has this naturally appareance on screen, drifting from the somewhat charming to the completely insane. The close-ups are actually frightening. This is an interesting film to watch. It also gave me some knowledge on Chapman, who I did not know much about at all. I always heard that "The Catcher in the Rye" was a book for serial killers, but I did not know where that concept came from. "The Killing of John Lesson" is a fascinating film, well acted and well written. Before the film there is a disclaimer saying that "All of Chapman's words are his own." This is important because its clear the amount of research that went into the film-with actual testimonials. And it clear that Piddington really wanted to get into Chapman's head, which he does well. At a Q and A after the film, Piddington declared that he never met Chapman and never wanted to because of his manipulative nature, and his ability to speak to the press. While I think meeting him would have made the research complete, to each his own. Mad at Chapman or not, this is fine film making.

On a side note, there is also a lot of editing that needs to be done. Piddington said that this was the first print that they made on the film, and it is shows. While the film is supposed to be set in the 80's, there is a scene where Chapman is in a cab and billboards reflecting on the windsheld advertise such films as "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," and "Shrek 2." I really don't think that those films were around in the 80's.

In the Land of Merry Misfits **
Written and Directed by Kevin Undergaro
108 Minutes
Not Rated-Probably R for Language, Nudity.

"In the Land of Merry Misfits" will go down in Mattina history for certainly being the strangest film at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. A colorful, wacky, and zany adventure that looks like it should been a B-70's movie, is an instant cult classic that, if was able to get around, would be a prime candiate for midnight movie status. It also helps that I saw the film at midnight. "In the Land of Merry Misfits" could be considered a "Rocky Horror" of the 21st century. Narrated by John Waters this is the story of Will, who is traveling to see his girlfriend and stop her from moving far away for a job. On the way his car breaks down in the town of Bethany, where misfits run rampage. They are a weird bunch, generating from a Junkie to a group of men that dress in rabbit costumes for the Bunny Scouts. Will meets Heather, a beautiful woman that helps the misfits after a tradgey in her life, mainly because she wanted to have a good time. And Will gets involved in a strange quest for a "grail of popularity," as well as a mechanic that has to take his clothes off whenever he works on a car.

"In the Land of Merry Misfits" is almost impossible to rate. Because as a movie it clearly isn't anything groundbreaking-it is horribly acted and the over the top nature kills all seriousness. But it is special because it is unlike anything ever seen before, so I think a two is perfect. This is a film that will find an audience and could one day be popular at the midnight screenings. I really cannot see a full release for it, and many people walked out of the screening room. John Waters narration makes the film even more strange, and if Waters was involved it means that it is A-okay in his book. At the screening were members of the cast, who entertained the audience in character, and at times those little ditty's were more entertaining than the film. There was A.V, the director of the play within the films "Santa and Hitler's Christmas in July," and there was Monchichi, a large man in drag that sings a "Song of Popularity." Sitting right in front of me was Ronathan the Town Thespian, and when I heard the name Ronathan I couldn't stop laughing. "In the Land of Merry Misfits" has taken ten years out of the lives of all these people, a constant bruden and strain as the cast dealth with constant setbacks, reshoots, and even death. The introduction proclaimed that this film was "change my life!" While "In the Land of Merry Misfits" is not life changing, it is enjoyable and special in its own zany way, and certainly one of the more unique films at the festival.
---------------------
May 6th

Brave Story **
Directed by Koichi Chigira
Written by Ichiro Okouchi, based on a novel by Miyuki Myiabe
113 Minutes
This Film Is Not Yet Rated-Probably PG for some scary scenes

Part of the Tribeca Film Festival every year is their program for families-this includes a street fair, some drive-thru films playing "Surf's Up" and "Gumby," and then the public screenings early in the morning. In order to make my festival complete I picked one of the family films to go and see and settled upon "Brave Story." "Brave Story" is an anime film, and while those are never my forte, I am sometimes intriqued by the more original ones. "Brave Story" works like a Miyazaki if Miyazaki was not as magical as he is. Director Chigira is obviously influenced by the work of Miyazaki as he weaves us through the story of Wataru, a young boy whose father has left the family to be with another woman, and his mother is ill. Wataru gets stuck into a magical world where he must find the Tower of Fortune, which will give him one wish which he hopes to change his destiny and bring his family back together again.

"Brave Story" lost me in a few parts, plotwise, which is probably not a good thing because the film is intended for kids. I was confused at times, and usually when I am confused in a film like this I try to ignore it and let the visuals wash over me. But the visuals here are standard, and the colors and images did not stand out to me. In fact much of it was CGI meshed with the 2D animation, which always somewhat distracted me. I did enjoy the last ten minutes, mainly because of the moral of the story-which is to not want to change yourself in any way because it is all the little things that make up a person which makes them them. It is a valuable lesson, and I can admire the magical lengths that this film goes to get that point across, only for a better anime see a Miyazaki, which can never go wrong.

Taxidermia ****
Written and Directed by György Pálfi, based on short stories by Lajos Parti Nagy
91 Minutes
This Film Is Not Yet Rated, and will probably stay that way. This film includes, to name a few. . .
Graphic Nudity
Sex
Violence
Language
Graphic Organs being Ripped out of the Body
Vomit and Other Gross Excretions
Taxidermy

"Taxidermia" is the last film of my Tribeca Film Festival, and it proves the old adage of "saving the best for last." A month ago at this moment I did not even consider the Tribeca Film Festival, and I only went on the website to look up something. I came across the "T" in the Film Guide and next to this film there was a picture of a very very fat man against a black background, and I knew that I must see this film. I did not know how many others I would see in such a short period of time, and before I knew it Toranto was in the mix, and that's all in the future. "Taxidermia" is a complete masterpiece-tender and delightful wicked, featuring some of the most graphic images that I have ever seen in any film. . . ever. It is unusual, with a script boasting three insanely unique tales that interweave into the story of three generations of one of the most dysfunctional families ever put on screen. The first story is of Morosgoványi Vendel, a soldier who has the power of shooting fire from his penis. Morosgoványi, in his spare time, also enjoys pleasuring himself to the women around him, which eventually gets him into trouble. The second story is of his obese son, born with a tail that was cut off, who spends his days practicing for eating contests. The third is of this man's son, who is a taxidermist that allows his father to live with him (now at least ten thousand pounds) and has the job of making sure the cats do not get a hold of him.

It is extremely difficult to describe how strange a film this is. From the first image of the fire coming out of Morosgoványi's penis, you know what you are in for. Scratch that. From the opening logos, seeing the ever so infamous Tartan logo, you should know what you are in for. Tartan films always offer extremely dark and strange tales, and this might be one of the darkest. I am extremely fascinated with films from these dark and impoverished countries. "Taxidermia" is from Hungary, but there is also "The Death of Mr. Lazarescu," (Romania) and "Lunacy," (Czech Republic) which are similarly themed and which also blow my mind with their originality of images. This is not for the squemish, and there is something that happens in the last ten minutes that blew my mind as I watched it. This is one of those films that I feel I will never see again even though I really want to. I could only hope there is a New York release in the future, or some kind of access to it. This is a dark masterpiece, and easily the best film that I saw at the Tribeca Film Festival.
--------------------------------------------
That being said, I guess it is safe to say that the festival is really over. It has been a fun week and a few days, and I feel privilaged to have seen everything, even the bad. I am pleased to see some future indie hits (Numb, Watching the Detectives, Purple Violets, Nobel Son), obsure films that I had the pleasure of experiencing at least once in my life (Taxidermia, The Poughkeepsie Tapes, In the Land of Merry Misfits), films that are coming soon that I managed to get a sneak peek at (The King of Kong, Black Sheep), and even the films that I did not really like very much (The Cake Eaters, Brave Story, The Matrimony.) But it was all an experience, and one that I will value. I look forward to Toronto in September, and I look forward to getting some sleep for the next few weeks. Sadly I will not be present at next years Tribeca Film Festival, but hopefully one day I will return. It's sad to say that it is complete. . .

Triad Election

Triad Election ***

Directed by Johnny To
Written by Nai-Hoi Yau and Tin-Shing Yip

Starring:
Louis Koo as Jimmy
Simon Yam as Lok
Nick Cheung as Jet
Sui-Fai Cheung as Mr. So
Ka Tung Lam as Kun
Suet Lam as Big Head
Tian-lin Wang as Uncle Teng
Ping-Man Tam as Uncle Cocky
Mark Cheng as Bo
Yong You as Black Ren/Chinese Security Bureau Chief
Siu-Pang Chan as Long Guen
Mo-Hau Cheung as Mr. Shu
Andy On as Lik
Yue Tong Pan as Janice

93 Minutes(Not Rated-Strong Bloody Violence, Language)
--------------------------------------
In the long run, what will make "Triad Election" suffer is the fact that it has subtitles. But this is the kind of film that those who love "Goodfellas," "The Godfather," or "The Departed" would want to add to their collection. And the best part is that it tells an equally exciting tale in a clean ninety minutes, never dragging, and one can never complain that it is too long. But many of those who love "Goodfellas," "The Godfather," or "The Departed," or at least the ones that I know, would probably never consider to watch a film with subtitles, even though here they are missing out on one hell of a ride. "Triad Election" gets down and dirty with political aspects of underground triads, or criminal organizations. It is a sequel to the 2005 film "Election," which is not to be confused with the dark comedy from 1999 with the same name. I have not seen the first, and it is clearly easy to watch this without having seen the first. For a special two week run at the Film Forum in Manhattan, you can see "Triad Election" four times a day, and smack in the middle of the afternoon you can check out "Election." And sadly, as much as I would have liked to make this a double feature, with Tribeca looming its head in the distance, I find the chances of seeing "Election" extremely slim.

We start the film with Jimmy, a businessman who has gone straight even though his past is tainted with life in the triad. This may or may not be shown in "Election." Jimmy's clothing even matches his past-he wears a black suit with a white shirt underneath, as if his black past is trying to overshadow his white present. He wants to build a house for his wife Janice-three stories-one for them and the other two for their children, who will become either doctors or lawyers. Everything changes with the upcoming triad election. The godfather of the organization gets to have a two year term before a revote. The current godfather would like a second term, and a series of others would like a chance as well. Jimmy ends up getting involved with a business deal that goes sour has him unable to do business in China. He would be able to if he was the godfather, and he really wants to begin a large business deal as soon as possible.

It is probably the bloodiest election ever(bloodier than the one in 2004) but director Johnny To manages to avoid many graphic images and present a violent gangster story that all audiences can watch. Perhaps he goes a bit overboard involving a human getting put through a meat slicer, but then images like that sometimes cannot be avoided. What makes "Triad Election" so powerful is its depiction of characters, and the tragic hero is Jimmy is played perfectly by Louis Koo. Often subtle, without much facial reaction, he shows us this happy man at the start and then the ultimate, tragic, and ironic finale. Koo actually makes you care for this character who really brings everything onto himself, and the final minute seems to promise an "Election 3." But first I will have to check out the first part. "Triad Election" is a must for those who love mafia films. It would be a shame to let this darkly comic gangster story slip past you simply because it has subtitles. Most of the time there is action on the screen without dialogue. And remember, Scorsese did remake "Infernal Affairs" with "The Departed," so you know that these are the types of films that he pays attention to, and hell, probably even learns a bit from. This is wonderful entertainment.

Wristcutters: A Love Story

Wristcutters: A Love Story ***

Directed by Goran Dukic
Written by Goran Dukic, based on the novella Kneller's Happy Campers, written by Etgar Keret

Starring:
Patrick Fugit as Zia
Shannyn Sossamon as Mikal
Shea Whigham as Eugene
Tom Waits as Kneller
Will Arnett as Messiah
Leslie Bibb as Desiree
John Hawkes as Yan

91 Minutes(Not Rated-Violent/Disturbing Content, Language)
--------------------------------------------------
I always say that when it comes to film I am extremely lucky to be living in New York. If you think about it, I have seen a lot of very interesting things, advanced screenings, and theatrical events that just would not be the same if I were in, lets just say, Utah. I have been able to watch Crispin Glover preform right before the showing of his film "What Is It?" I was able to meet Justin Theorux at one of the first public screenings of the David Lynch film "Inland Empire," and now at the end of the month I will be watching fourteen films thanks to the Tribeca Film Festival. And that's just in the last five months. Now I have been given the chance to see a special advanced showing of "Wristcutters: A Love Story," and there is still a good few months before its actual release date. The film isn't set for release until the end of August.

My rating for "Wristcutters" is a three, which is generally a recommendation. In my head I did debate back and forth, and for a long while I considered a two and a half. It seriously took a lot of time to actually figure out what I thought of the film, and I don't even know if I understand completely yet. But I will try my best to get my point across. Based on the title you could probably understand that this is not a movie for everyone. It claims to be a love story, but the first part of that title is all about slitting a wrist, something that generally isn't connected to love and romance. I knew the basic premise of the film, but still didn't really know what to expect. And it is a strange film with a bit of a muddled screenplay-shifting tones often-its a road comedy, than a quirky character piece, and then a love story which is where it kind of fell apart. It is probably worth seeing simply for the fact that I have never really seen anything quite like it, even though it is far from perfect.

"Wristcutters" starts with just that-a young man cutting his wrists. This is Zia, and we never really know what drove him to cutting his wrists. He seemed relatively happy. Estranged from his parents he lives with his girlfriend Desiree, a beautiful young blonde who did something to him but that is never really revealed completely either. We than learn that Zia did die, but found out that life after death is basically a worse version of his former life. At least for those people who kill themselves. He lives in a place that looks a lot like Earth, but nobody can smile, the sun never shines, there are old beaten up objects randomly scattered around, and he is stuck at a job at the pizza place in the day and at night is forced to live with his bossy room mate Eric. One night he meets Eugene in a bar and the two hit it off. Eugene introduces him to his family. Zia is sad, though, and he finds that the only thing he misses in life is Desiree. So when he learns that she ended up killing herself shortly after he did, he convinces Eugene to go on a road trip with him to find her. The two of them set off, picking up hitchhiker Mikal along the way, who claims that she is here by mistake and wants to find the People in Charge. Eugene and Zia reluctantly allow her to come, and they all drive in the beaten up car with the broken headlights and a passengers seat that seems to have a black hole under it, and anything that is dropped never returns.

Out of all its elements-the road comedy, the love story, etc-my favorite element in "Wristcutters" is when it is a buddy comedy. This is before Mikal even enters the picture, but Zia and Eugene are alone in the car together, and some of their banter is truly hilarious. One example is when Eugene fears an Arab taxi driver, and believes that this man killed himself as an act of terrorism and is now in this place because he plans on doing the same. The love story portions don't really work because Mikal is not exactly the most interesting of characters, and writer/director Dukic tries to make her likable by making her a little offbeat and quirky, something that worked for, let's say, Kate Winslet in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." And then at the end, and this isn't really ruining anything, when Zia eventually finds Desiree, her fate and what she has become and what happens to them is so forced, outlandish, and ridiculous, and I should have realized when there was an unexpected cameo from Will Arnett. And the films ultimate moral that, surprise!, life is worth living and you shouldn't kill yourself, isn't exactly a moral. I can't see that "Wristcutters" will save lives in the long run. The film also gets better grounds when it introduces us to Tom Waits as Kneller, a man who holds a camp for those who cannot support themselves, and it's always a pleasure to watch Waits.

One thing that is for sure, "Wristcutters" will probably make a small sum at the box office, but will become a hit on DVD for high school and college kids. I have a feeling this will become another "Napoleon Dynamite" or "Brick," or "Donnie Darko" where the young folk find it "edgy and cool." Hell, they may even like it simply for the suicide themes meshed with quirky elements. It is pretty obvious who will like this film, and I can see that it'll get a little overexposure by the beginning of next year. It is a decent film with some comic moments, worth seeing maybe once because it is something a little different, but this is not something to be treasured or cherished. See for yourself in August when "Wristcutters" is officially opened.

The Tripper, Stephanie Daley

The Tripper *1/2
Directed by David Arquette
93 Minutes
Rated R for strong horror violence and gore, drug content, language and some sexuality/nudity.

-David Arquette's political horror film is a mess of a message with a mostly cliched storyline and no real interesting killings. This tells the story of a Ronald Reagan obsessed killer who dons the mask, and heads out into the woods once a year to attack the group of hippies that gathers for a music festival, hosted by a character played by Paul Reubons. It was actually pretty funny at the start, and seeing Jason Mewes play yet another drug addled man was quite a hoot, but once the slayings begin it becomes your average slasher film, and not even a strong anti-war message is able to make it anything else.

Stephanie Daley ***
Directed by Hilary Brougher
91 Minutes
Rated R for disturbing material involving teen pregnancy, sexual content and language.

-A powerful and deeply moving story of a young girl, unaware that she was pregnant, who ends up killing the baby when it is born after only five months. The rest of the film has her story being told by a shrink, played by Tilda Swinton, who is pregnant herself, and needs to be an outside source to evaluate Stephanie Daley. Swinton is good, but it is young Amber Tambyn who is remarkable as the title character. "Stephanie Daley" is a great character study of not one, not two, but three different people, and how children and bringing a life into the world could in fact be the death of something else. Timothy Hutton also stars as Swinton's husband, and it is always great to see him in anything.

Hot Fuzz

Hot Fuzz ***1/2

Directed by Edgar Wright
Written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg

Starring:
Simon Pegg as Sergeant Nicholas Angel
Nick Frost as PC Danny Butterman
Jim Broadbent as Inspector Frank Butterman
Adam Buxton as Tim Messenger
Olivia Colman as PC Doris Thatcher
Paddy Considine as DS Andy Wainwright
Steve Coogan as Metropolitan Police Inspector
Ron Cook as George Merchant
Timothy Dalton as Simon Skinner
Kevin Eldon as Sergeant Tony Fisher
Martin Freeman as Metropolitan Desk Seargent
Paul Freeman as Reverend Philip Shooter
Stephen Merchant as Peter Ian Staker
Bill Nighy as Metropolitan Chief Inspector Kenneth
Rafe Spall as DS Andy Cartwright
Billie Whitelaw as Joyce Cooper

121 Minutes(Rated R for violent content including some graphic images, and language).
-------------------------------------------------
"Hot Fuzz" is a complete blast from beginning to end, and an ingenious satire. This is to cop and actions movies as "Shaun of the Dead" was to zombie features, and it makes sense that the three responsible for that brilliant film are all responsible for this one. Sadly, "Hot Fuzz" does not live up to "Shaun of the Dead" which I find to be a masterpiece the more times I see it, but perhaps all "Hot Fuzz" needs are another few viewings and I will be whistling the same tune. Now to really appreciate "Hot Fuzz" I suppose one needs to have a little bit of knowledge when it comes to action (Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg claimed to have watched roughly 200 action films in a row for the sake of "research), and one must care for British humor. I am sure that a lot of the jokes in "Hot Fuzz" did go over my head, but there is still enough for everyone-after all they did release it in America.

Simon Pegg plays Nicholas Angel, a London super cop whose antics may have made London safer, but have made the rest of the cops on the force(or staff, because the word force does not sound as good) look bad. In an ingenious opening scene where Angel is transferred to the village of Sandford, there are cameos from three great British actors-Martin Freeman, Steve Coogan, and lastly Bill Nighy. Angel packs up his bags and moves to Sandford, which is claimed to be the safest village in the entire country. There hasn't been a murder in over twenty years. Angel ends up meeting the large colorful crew in the village, and makes pals with Danny Butterman, the son of the Inspector Frank Butterman. Danny is a kind soul who loves action movies, and wants to know everything from how many guns Angel has fired while jumping in the air, and if there is a spot on a persons head that will explode if he is shot there. However something strange is happening in the village, and one by one some people are being killed. The town calls them accidents, but Angel begins to get a little curious and investigates in the comings and goings of Simon Skinner, a rich man in town who runs a giant grocery store. But Angel is about to discover that there is indeed more to the killings that meets the eye, and perhaps his original notions and theories are completely wrong.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost make a great team, and while their characters as Angel and Butterman may not be as memorable or even as quotable as Shaun and Ed in "Shaun of the Dead," they are both hilarious nonetheless. Wright assembled a much grander cast this time, and in addition to the three actors on the force, there is Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, and even Paddy Considine playing a character that isn't losing his mind. Considine should do more comedy, and whenever he appeared on the screen I started laughing. There are also unbilled cameos by Cate Blanchett and Peter Jackson, the former which I did notice, and the latter which I didn't realize until I read about it later on. I kind of want to see the film again now that I know where to stop him(Hint-ho ho ho). The script is much longer than the film should be, but I do think that this is a spoof of the action genre that they are doing. Most action films end up going much longer than they should, often times having run times in the triplet digits when they should only be in double. All of it is leading to the amazing action finale(about 30 minutes, I'd say) that takes no prisoners. There is an impaling, seniors getting punched in the face and firing guns, and even a priest getting shot and shouting "Jesus Christ." The script is ingenious in the many plot twists that end up occurring, and the four endings that are cleverly tacked on at the end. I knew it was a joke, and wished that they kept going. The two of them eventually don cool shades, toothpicks, and begin to say witty phrases whenever one of the bad guys reaches a demise.

For "Shaun of the Dead' fans there are a lot of references to that film in joke format. There are a lot of throwbacks to those jokes revamped a bit to fit these characters. In "Shaun of the Dead," the Pegg character attempts to jump over a fence only to fall when it caves in. In "Hot Fuzz," the Pegg character manages to leap over a series of fences like these, and then it is the Frost character that ends up making a fool of himself. There are a few others, one of the most notable for those who loved when Ed in "Shaun of the Dead' shouts "Yeaaa booy." And even through all of the action and costume jokes, probably the funniest subplot is the relationship that forms between Angel and Butterman. They become like brothers, and maybe even something more-including those long speeches where the cops talk about why they joined the force in the first place, all to the tune of some kind of sappy piano music. Wright and Pegg seriously did their job researching the action genre, with camera angles, music changes, and even the grain on the screen that appears during serious action sequences. "Hot Fuzz" made me wonder what they would do next-and even if they didn't do a homage or a spoof to anything I just want Wright, Pegg, and Frost to team up for something soon. They are too golden to ignore. "Hot Fuzz" is a lot of fun, and one of the year's best.

Lonely Hearts

Lonely Hearts **1/2

Directed by Todd Robinson
Written by Todd Robinson

Starring:
John Travolta as Elmer C. Robinson
James Gandolfini as Charles Hildebrandt
Jared Leto as Ray Fernandez
Salma Hayek as Martha Beck
Scott Caan as Detective Reilly
Laura Dern as Rene Fodie

108 Minutes(Rated R for strong violence and sexual content, nudity and language.)
-----------------------------------------
"Lonely Hearts" is yet another attempt-and for the first time in a while one that actually almost makes the bar-to recreate a film noir type feeling through verbal communication, set design, lighting, and costumes. The last time this happened-"The Black Dahlia"-it was a complete failure. "Lonely Hearts" actually seems to make some kind of effort, even though the script falls flat when you realize that Robinson wasn't trying to tell a story, he was trying to pay tribute to an old family member of his. That's right, if you look at the cast list, look at the name of the character played by John Travolta, and then look at the name of the writer/director, you may see something similar. In fact, the Travolta character is really the grandfather of director Todd Robinson, and at times it felt like he was trying to pay respects to his grandfather, all at the expense of the viewer.

Now I love film noir, and for some reason every time an American director tries to recreate the feeling of a good old film noir, I get a little excited. I love the mood and look of it, and in the most recent writing project of mine I often try to get into the noir mood. But every director somehow fails at it, makes it flat or something along those lines. The fact of the matter is that "Lonely Hearts" is really two stories-one a film noir and the other a soap opera in the life of Elmer C. Robinson, and it is easy to understand while watching which one is the weak link.

Travolta plays Elmer C. Robinson, a detective who lost his wife three years ago when she shot herself in the head in their bathtub. He never figured out why she did it, and she never left a note. Him and his son don't talk about the death, but it is clear that it brings in a lot of tension. He has been having a small fling with somebody else on the squad-Rene-but refuses to bring her home or introduce her to his son. We then meet Ray Fernandez, a con man who meets and robs lonely women who put "Lonely Heart" classifieds in the newspaper. His latest is Martha Beck, a damaged young woman that instantly sleeps with Ray, and joins him on his spree. However she brings murder into the mix, and with each person that Ray is planning to rob, she gets jealous and ends up murdering them. . . usually with a hammer. Elmer goes off to try and solve the Lonely Heart Murders, along with his friend and partner Charles Hildebrandt, but he is unaware at the problems that it'll bring into his life.

Now "Lonely Hearts" has a large A-list cast, and they all bring in decent performances. And it is an interesting film, especially when it focuses on Ray and Martha and the murders that they commit. The other half is all about Elmer, and that would have been fine except for the fact that I would have rather watched him try and solve the case as opposed to him having a heartfelt talk with Rene-played by the usually criminally underused Laura Dern. In fact in the end everything seems to tie together easily, and there was never any thrill in the chase for the two killers, which is how "Lonely Hearts" fails as a detective story. The noir feel is there, and both Travolta and Gandolfini wear the long coats and the neat hats that I have always been fond of. There is the usually dark shadow scenes, and the rain where the beads slowly fall off the tip of the hat. There is the dry detective acting, and the slow jazz music playing in the background during most of the scenes. There is no doubt about Robinson's effect as a director. It is his screenplay that needs a bit of work, and when he isn't glorifying or paying tribute to his late grandfather there is actually a decent story here. The personal bits in Travolta's life did not add to the soul of the film, and it really ended up making it suffer. "Lonely Hearts" is a well acted and interesting crime story that for some reason is not getting a bigger release. The cast alone could probably allow it to be somewhat successful. There are some aspects of it that actually are brilliant, but there is also enough for me to just not recommend a theatre viewing. This is enjoyable, but not every minute is worthy.