Two at Sundance at BAM: Good Dick and Man on Wire

Good Dick

Directed by Marianna Palka

"Good Dick" is a kind of cross between "Punch Drunk Love" and "Lost in Translation," if both of those movies took their rather offbeat love stories and turned them into completely forced and even at times rather creepy indie fair. Marianna Palka writes, directs, and stars in this project of her's, as a unnamed woman who comes into a local video and only rents dirty movies. The people that work at the store are fascinated by her, especially our nameless male character (this is starting to seem a lot like "Once" too with the name thing. . .), who takes her address and starts bringing her dirty movies to her door, telling her that his aunt recently died who lives in the building and he is in grief. He begins to stay at her house, sleeping in her bed after she looses a bet, and having to deal with her emotional lifestyle-mainly her sexual compulsions and how she only wants to sexually please herself with the movies.

The film tries to be more offbeat than it really is, and it borders this quality into near-creepiness, mostly on the part of the male character, played by Jason Ritter. His self-proclaimed love for her, with I saw more as an obsession, eventually got strange-him showing up at her house night after night, masturbating in her bed while she takes a shower in one scene, and than even calling himself her boyfriend when she doesn't seem interested. If Palka intended us to get the impression that she was interested in him in her distant way, it did not come across, except for when she follows him to the movies one night but doesn't go in. I really liked Palka's acting here, and she really did make a character worth depicting, and I would have liked more of that. I would have liked more about her and not about this forced odd love story that was being told.  As for Palka and her tone, I'm not exactly sure what she wants this to be-comedy, drama? I don't know. The subject matter is serious, and I have a feeling on the page the material was supposed to be serious, but it borders on the edge of being just plain bizarre-the audience was laughing too much, and I really don't think that was the intention. She is trying to channel all of these other, and better, indie films-the nameless characters of "Once," the odd OCD of "Punch Drunk Love," and than at the end she whispers something in his ear, much like the ending of "Lost in Translation." However the different between the whisper at the end of that film is that Bob and Charlotte actually earned that private moment for the two of them, and I was able to feel the love they had for each other. "Good Dick" simply feels like it wants them to have a private moment, but they didn't earn it. There was not an single ounce of love in this film, and as amusing as it was for a short period of time it really is rather meaningless.

** of ****

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Man on Wire

Directed by James Marsh

"Man on Wire" is a consistently entertaining and even fascinating documentary which won a few prizes at the Sundance Festival earlier in the year. It's one of those stories that comes along every once in a while that really does just show that the best stories cannot be made up. And much like the main subject of "Grizzly Man," or "Deep Water," "Man on Wire" has such a fascinating main character-in this case we follow Philippe Petit, a tightrope walker who, in the 70's, attached a wire across the two World Trade Center towers and walked back and forth a few times, eventually getting arrested. Doing a mix of interviews with the actually people involved in the incident, and a reenactment, Marsh crafts a very entertaining and thoughtful story, which is even also quite intense. Although I will admit that I would have liked some more after the incident-it even hints at how Petit changed after the event and after he started getting famous, but it doesn't explore that. And I would have been curious how Petit would have felt after 9/11 occurred, with the towers being a different kind of symbol than it was for others. 

"Man on Wire" is being released through Magnolia Pictures on August 15th.

*** of ****

Sundance at BAM Opening Night: American Teen

Once again the Sundance Film Festival has come to Brooklyn for a week of narratives, documentaries, short films, and music, and apparently a few art exhibits. I have several tickets to films playing this year-some of them coming out in the next few weeks, and some of them without a distributor yet, but no matter the case I am sure that it will be like every other festival-some great, some so-so, and some so bad that I would never want to see them again. With the opening night selection of "American Teen" we are already off to a bad start. A few other titles that I'll be seeing in the next few days that could be of interest are the documentary "Man on Wire," the Sam Rockwell dark comedy "Choke," "Frozen River," and "Ballast,"-the latter of which I am looking forward to after a reliable recommendation came my way.

The opening night festivities were standard-a few speakers for twenty minutes batting off names of folks that I could really care less about. It was funny the applause that was received when the woman thanked one of the sponsors which was a vodka company. And there was a speech like the master of all BS artists Marty Markowitz, and I was surprised by how many applause he got-apparently not many of the people in the crowd were from the area. And then there was a little 'thank you' from Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gyllenhaal, who are on the board at BAM. And than the film started-

"American Teen" will likely be the documentary of the summer that many flock to see. It should make a great deal of money, and I really can see several folks buying into it. Charting the senior year of a group of high school students at a small school in Indiana-focusing in on five of them-Nanette Burstein tries to craft a mosaic of growing up and coming of age-a subject that I could relate to strongly as I have recently graduated high school and have started college. The five kids are Hannah Bailey-a spunky, artistic, freewheeling young girl whose heart was recently broken by her boyfriend of two years. Then there is Colin Clemens, the high school jock who hopes to get to college on a basketball scholarship because his parents don't have enough money to pay for it on their own. Then there is Megan Krizmanich, the high school princess who has her strong clique of friends-two of whom seem to have some kind of odd fling happening between them which she doesn't seem to like. There is Mitch Reinholt, a rather popular boy who has interest in Hannah. And lastly there is Jake Tusing, the loner type fresh with a face full of acne and long black hair that just about covers his eyes. Interested in video games and not having many friends, Jake really just wants a girlfriend, and finds himself heartbroken a few times over in the search for the right one. And so we follow these five kids during their year long endeavors-through fights, heartbreak, college acceptances, and lastly the big senior prom.

My problems with the movie lie completely with the way the material is handed. There is a good documentary here, just not in the hands of a very good documentary film maker. I get the idea that Burstein wants to try and steer clear of the stereotypes of the typical high school stories, and yet that is exactly what she feeds into. By finding herself with subjects of a small town, it becomes easier to do so. My high school was nothing like the high school depicted here or in the John Hughes movies-there was no jocks, there was no importance in sports, there were hardly any cliques. It was almost like a large united community in a way. But the thing with that structure is that there is no real conflict there. By fitting themselves into the common stereotypes of high school, she is able to manipulate conflict and create her movie. She works with conflict that has been seen before in fiction films-there is even a "big game" segment towards the end of the movie where the final shot is shown in a slow motion scene. And by seeing how the five she picks end up getting rather content and happy and satisfying endings, I wonder if there were any subjects that she focused on and dropped because of their uneventful conclusions-namely Mitch, who hardly gets any type of arc and seems to only be in the film as much as he is because it completes the five "Breakfast Club" type characters that Burstein is obviously looking for-after all, she even models the poster after it, and it works perfectly.

Another thing I had a problem with is the rather condescending tone that is going on during the whole thing. There were segments where the audience was laughing, but the material was shifted in a way where it seemed like it was set up for the audience to laugh AT the subjects and their lives and not WITH them. For example, when it is revealed that Colin's day is an Elvis impersonator it seemed like the audience and Burstein was not taking that seriously, instead making a joke of their lifestyle. Another was in Megan's house. This is a family that is somewhat better off than others-they have some money and she seems set when it comes to another related to that. Her staircase is filled with pictures of her young sisters and brothers, all who have some kind of portrait, which got a laugh. Burstein also does not exactly allow us to care for many of the characters, mostly Megan. One scene we can see her being a rude and horrible person, and than the next they try to tug at our hearts to try and get some sympathy. The tone really is all over the place, and I never get the feeling that Burstein actually cares for her subjects.

That all being said, some of the material is really really good, but in the hands of someone a little more competent of putting a documentary together it could have been used to its full potential. There is an interesting study here of growing up and changing and coming to terms with adulthood that just is lost in Nanette Burstein's muddled agenda. She seems to want to drift away from the cliche moments of high school that we have seen again and again, and yet she chose subjects that would lead us down those paths. Her choices are wrong from the first minute, where you can easily see where all of this is going to go. There is no reason to blame the subjects, all of whom live and act exactly how one would expect. It is the fault of the creator, who sadly took something potentially memorable and made it something forgettable, disposable, and ironically enough (a word I hate to use, but it does apply here for irony) cliche.

"American Teen" is opening July 25th by Paramount Vantage.

** of ****

Postal

Film fans, video game fans, and even Ed Wood fans have heard the name Uwe Boll, perhaps the worst living director out there right now, but certainly one that has a lot of faith in himself. I haven't seen a film by him since 2003 when I subjected myself to the awful zero star film "House of the Dead," which ended up being the worst film of that year, and perhaps one of the worst films ever made. He followed those up with "Alone in the Dark," "Bloodrayne," and lastly "In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tail," which all barely made any money and barely generated any fair reviews let alone good ones. He's angered film fans with his bad movies, and angered video games fans with his bad adaptations. There is even an online petition where he claims if he gets a million names he will stop making movies forever. But seriously, watch some kind of interview with him-he really thinks he is something special, and it is very very funny.

Well, Boll has mixed things up a bit here with "Postal," another video game adaptation, but its a straightforward comedy. An offensive, loud, bloody, and very un-PC comedy, which, I will admit, actually did manage to make me laugh at some points. "Postal" is a bad film, but not nearly as bad as "House of the Dead" in that it is such a trainwreck of a film that some of it actually seems to work in an insanely twisted way. The first scene depicts two terrorists on the plane on September 11th debating on how many virgins they will get in the afterlife, until they just decide to land in the Bahamas, until the passengers end up bringing the plane down into the towers. If that makes you look at the screen in disgust, than this clearly isn't the movie for you. We are then brought to Paradise, a trailer trashed little town where our main characters-billed as Postal Dude-is going to an interview, while his rather rotund and adultery prone wife yells at him. Postal Dude is obviously about to go. . .well, you know where, until he is approached by his cult leader Uncle Dave (played by Dave Foley) to help him rob an amusement park, as both of them are in need of some money. They plan to rob the park of a bunch of dolls, which the Taliban is actually intending on stealing to put vials of some kind of disease to spread around America-a way to spread terrorism without actually killing any of their own. 

You would really have to walk into "Postal" knowing what you are in for-and it really does apporach "so awful that it is tolerable status." Pretty much every aspect of this movie is awful-much of the acting (including a cameo by Verne Troyer as himself) is just awful, although Dave Foley manages to actually turn in something decent here, which is understandable as he just is so naturally funny. The lighting is overly bright, the music is just painful to the ears. But the ridiculous nature of some the jokes are oddly humorous. Even though he is a mass murderer and an awful man, the concept of bin Laden going to self-help meetings to work on issues of anger is oddly amusing. This really is a bad movie, but it is fun to watch, especially in a crowd that laughs when the words "A Uwe Boll Film" come up. 

The reason why I even went to see "Postal,"-the first film of Bolls that I actually gave money too, and this is having a hard time breaking the 5,000 barrier-is because of the story behind it. The film has been pushed back and back and back, and it was going to be set for a wide release last Friday, to go against "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." But at the last minute the 1,500 screen release was reduced to a mere 13, and the only place in all of New York State that you can find "Postal" is the Cobble Hill Cinemas, a small little theatre in Brooklyn that I haven't even been to since 2004. As for Boll, I will say that I did not sign his petition-I just couldn't. First of all, he is doing what he loves to do, and he is such an interesting character to follow that we has already written himself in the history books. We have a man here who appears in the middle of his own movie as himself, makes fun of himself, proclaims to the creator of the "Postal" video game that the movie we are watching is great, and than ends up getting shot in the testicles, and folks want to get RID of him? A character like that? But, unless something generates as much talk or humor as the story of getting "Postal" into theatres did, I think I have seen my last film by him.

Final Grade

** of ****

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The Edge of Heaven, Redbelt, The Children of Huang Shi

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Directed by Andrew Adamson)

As entertaining and expensive "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" was, there is just something missing from it to make the better than the last installment "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe." There is some element of magic or character missing here. I watched the action in this film from a detached standpoint, not really caring about what would happen to any of the people or animals here, but finding it interesting enough to follow. There is heart missing from this film, something that makes every single successful fantasy story successful-and its also why "The Golden Compass" was quite a failure. We follow the four children-Lucy, Susan, Peter, and Edward-once more as they find themselves in Narnia, a year after the events of the last film, but two hundred years after the events of the Narnia scenes of the last film. Narnia is in trouble, and it has been taken over by another race of people, but the trustworthy and mistreated Prince Caspian ends up teaming with the four children to save Narnia and restore it back to its original state.

Last summer I bought a big volume with all seven of the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis, and they were quite wonderful-epic novels in miniature form which are being somewhat overblown in these movie forms. The last film was actually quite wonderful to watch as the book was so wonderfully rich with themes, characters, and plots. I remembered the novel for "Prince Caspian" was also rich, but the themes, characters, and plots are all somewhat dulled here. And yet, as detached as the viewer will be from the action here, it is still engrossing, and the special effects battle scenes are quite a wonder to behold. The film is more of a spectacle, and while that is the definition of a summer movie, it isn't all that should be looked for in them.

*** of ****, but its a very mild recommendation.

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The Edge of Heaven

Directed by Fatih Akin

A few years ago I was very taken by Fatih Akin's "Head On," which was one of the oddest love stories in recent memory. His follow up "The Edge of Heaven," which I was very close to seeing at the Toronto Film Festival last year, is another oddly structured film, but one so absorbing, and so rich in character and plot, that the narrative flows naturally. Nothing in this film seems forced or unneeded, with the exceptions of the "Magnolia"-esque moments which cross the characters together. The film follows Ayten, a young man whose father Ali pays Yeter, a hooker in town, to move in with him and be his only client. Yeter has a daughter named Nejat, who works as a resistance in another part of Turkey. When she is arrested, she asks for the help of a German named Charlotte, and the two of them strike up some kind of a lesbian affair, much to the chagrin of her somewhat rude, ex-hippie mother Susanne, who somehow finds herself trying to help Nejat through her plight. 

Akin really is a terrific director based on the two films that I've seen of his. There are a few questionable things that he chooses to do, which somewhat destroy many of the twists in the narrative-for example the fact that he heads some of the films sections with telling us about the death of characters that we have not yet encountered. And I'm not exactly sure how I feel about the ending, which does not tie up every loose end, but in a film that paints such a large scope it might be almost impossible to really show exactly how everything ends. Suffice to say that "The Edge of Heaven" is more good work by a director who really seems to know what he is doing, and I look forward to his next film.

*** of ****

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Redbelt

Directed by David Mamet

"Redbelt" is David Mamet's first film since his awful misstep "Spartan" in 2004, but he did reclaim himself in 2006 when he wrote the screenplay to "Edmond," a film staring Willian H. Macy which I am very fond of. "Redbelt" brings Mamet into the world of jujutsu, which apparently Mamet is quite fascinated with. We follow Mike Terry(played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, in a rare leading performance) , a man who owns his own dojo, but is having problems with money. When an accident involving a gunshot has his window broken, Mike finds himself in a world of underground fighting, movie stars, and creepy mobsters who bet on fixed fights, all going against his principles of non-violence and limited confrontation. 

Mamet surrounds Ejiofor with his regulars-wife Rebecca Pidgeon, Ricky Jay, David Paymer, and a few others-while also mixing it up with a few newcomers, including a misplaced Tim Allen as the cocky movie star. He ends up crafting a sometimes muddled mystery story, but an interesting fable about principles and sticking to ones own thoughts about life. Ejiofor really does shine here, and being virtually in every scene really does help matters. A few things in the screenplay for "Redbelt" maybe could have been cut out, or just changed a bit to make Mike's problems a little less and a bit more realistic. But this really did make Mamet a name more lined up with success as opposed to failure-"Spartan" is a film not left very well in my memory. 

*** of ****

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The Children of Huang Shi

Directed by Roger Spottiswoode

"The Children of Huang Shi" is far from being a perfect film-it follows the formula for these types of movies to the letter-but it certainly is well made, telling an important real life story and telling it well. Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays George Hogg, a journalist living in London who cons his way into going to China to follow the report of the violence and war happening there. After he gets injured and his partner is murdered, George is sent to Huang Shi by Lee, a nurse played by Radha Mitchell, who wants George to help the young orphaned kids who live there. Hogg finds himself working with the kids, and helping them to find more faith in the life that was almost taken from them, while at the same time finding love with Lee, and finding more about himself than he ever knew before.

There are several obvious turns in the film that we've seen before in movies like this-the love story for sure, which could possibly deviant from life, although I did not do all my research, and the evolution of the kids from when they meet Hogg to the end of the movie. We even get a few real life interviews with the actual kids (now adults) during the beginning of the end credits for the movie. But it never feels manipulative-it just feels like we are hearing this rather uplifting and nice true story. Meyers really isn't a great actor, and there are some moments in this film where you somewhat find yourself laughing at him, but this has been consistent in just about all the films I've seen him in-including "Match Point" which is probably his best role. Mitchell is very good, and grows on me every film I see her in both professionally and visually, and there is good supporting work by Chow Yun-Fat, who provides some minor comic relief. And the cinematography here is quite epic, and nearly every shot is beautiful. "The Children of Huang Shi" is an obvious cookie cutter of a movie for the war torn country/love story drama, but it is a well made one, using the cliche elements as an advantage instead of as a fault.

*** of ****

OSS 117-Cairo-Nest of Spies, Priceless, Noise, Reprise, Roman De Gare, Sangre De Mi Sangre

OSS 117-Cairo-Nest of Spies

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius

"OSS 117-Cairo-Nest of Spies" is a somewhat amusing spoof of James Bond films, probably in a way that is more true to the actual Bond film formula than say the "Austin Powers" movies, but no way nearly as likable or endearing. In fact, some of the jokes here grow flat very quickly, and overstay their welcome. But it is elevated by a very likable performance by Jean Dujardin, who was nominated for a few French film awards for his work here. He plays agent OSS 117, who is distraught after finding out about the death of one of his fellow agents, Jack. We see some rather homosexual humored flashbacks of the two of them spending time at the beach He is sent to find out who did it, getting involved with a group of terrorists in the Middle East, a bunch of skeletons in the middle of the sea, and lastly Nazis, all while at the same time wining and wooing various women, who sometimes turn out to be bad all along.

The film certainly does capture the looks and the feel of the Bond films, right down to the color tinting. And Dujardin is obviously having a lot of fun with the role, but that is not enough to really make it a fully worthwhile endeavor. First of all, the concept of spoofing Bond films isn't exactly an original outing, and this script certainly doesn't have enough jokes to sustain its rather long 100 minute running time. It's the type of film to sought out only if you really need it as a last resort. You're time could be spent worse, but this certainly isn't a straining film to take in or an imperative one to see.

**1/2 of ****

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Priceless

Directed by Pierre Salvadori

"Priceless" is one of those French comedies that seem to like to come out this time of year-disposable, yet enjoyable, light, and very entertaining. Much like "The Valet" or "Apres Vous," "Priceless" tells a somewhat ironic love story, between two rather unlikely people. The two here are Jean and Irene, played by Gad Elmaleh and Audrey Tautou, who is right at home here in her element. Jean is a poor and rather hopeless man who works several jobs, including a nighttime hotel bar-tending job which Irene walks into one night after she cannot sleep. She sees Jean and mistakes him for a rich man-Irene is looking to marry to marry for money which is why she wines and dines older rich men and only them. The two of them spend a night together, but when she finds out who he really is, she ends up milking him for all he is worth as all he wants is a little romance. Eventually he ends up getting involved with a lonely rich woman, in the same hotel as Irene who is starting to con another lonely old man, and something more than expensive clothes and watches begins to come out of this.

"Priceless" does seem to follow a formula for these types of films, but it is entertaining and likable and very sweet. Gad Elmaleh is a fun protagonist to watch, with his Buster Keaton like eyes that seem to contain all the sadness and romance in the world. He reminded me a bit of Dany Boon in last year's "The Valet." Tautou doesn't really have much of a challenge here, and this is a role that can play in her sleep, and sometimes it seems like she does. She never really charmed or wowed me as much as others were, and "Amelie" almost does nothing for me. But "Priceless" is quite enjoyable and very funny.

*** of ****

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Noise

Directed by Henry Bean

The main problem with "Noise" is that there really isn't enough movie to sustain its (painfully) short 90 minutes. A ten minute short film, yes, or maybe-just maybe-twenty. An ironic morality tale, possibly. But in its current state, it is just one awfully executed idea after another. We start by meeting David Owen, played by Tim Robbins, who begins to spout out ideas and problems that all New Yorkers have-the noise is just too damn much. David targets car alarms, and whenever a car alarm goes off he goes and cuts the wires, and also maybe breaks a window or two. The film is told in flashbacks as he is caught by a young woman who demands her money back for her car, but then gets roped into trying to fight for "the cause," all while David is targeted by the cities Mayor, played by William Hurt whose wig is probably worth the ticket.

There is just no movie here-the real plot ends after the first ten minutes, which provide the voice over narration set up, which is quite funny and enjoyable. Any single person who lives in or visits Manhattan often can understand David's plight, so we can relate to him almost right away. But it becomes dull-he breaks a car, he gets arrested, he gets in trouble with his wife, repeat. She eventually does leave him, and than we get thrown into an odd relationship between David and the girl that he is telling the story too, and there is even a misplaced three-way scene which is only there to pad the running time. Bean tries to give his script a message about how everyone is trying to find their own type of perfection to make life worth living, which comes through only because one of the characters states this. The climatic moments where David drills his point home by disrupting a block with an extra loud car alarm in his own car does seem to work, but there is seventy-five minutes in between the start and finish of this empty shell of a movie to get through that is almost painful.

** of ****

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Reprise

Directed by Joachim Trier

"Reprise" is getting some earth-shattering praise, and is certainly is a good film. But I can't help but feel like this debut film-by Joachim Trier who certainly will have a follow-up after the success of this-overdoes it by letting style tell the story more than the characters, who are interesting enough to not be loaded with insert shot after insert shot, and narration that is just completely misplaced. At the start of the film we have Phillip and Erik, who both submit their novels to publishers at the exact same time. Phillip gets his book published first, but ends up having a rather painful crisis, mostly because of his relationship with Kari. When he gets out he tries to duplicate their relationship once again, bringing her to Paris exactly a year after they went the last time, and trying to get her to fall in love with him again through his repetitive "When I get to zero, than you'll be in love with me" and than counting down from ten. We also follow Erik, who ends up getting  his first novel published much later, but actually does have a follow-up later on. 

Trier does a good job at capturing the feeling of being young and getting the first marks of being successful. There is hope in all of these characters at some point which sadly begins to diminish as the film continues. This is highlighted by the two very well done lead performances by Anders Danielsen Lie and Espen Klouman Hoiner. But I do not think that Trier was comfortable in finding his own style to tell the story, and we get many jump-cuts, and rewinds, and voice overs, and split screens, making the story overly confusing and sometimes impossible to really connect with. But it does so hopeful promise for a rising director, who will hopefully find his tone in his next outing. 

*** of ****

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Roman De Gare

Directed by Claude LeLouch

From what I can recall, "Roman De Gare" is my first film by Claude LeLouch, and it is certainly an absorbing and mysterious thriller, which really does grab you from the beginning. There are so many red herrings and twists and diversions that when you think you've figured it all out, everything shifts. It's all about the crossing of the paths of three characters-Pierre, Huguette, and Judith Ralitzer-an award winning novelist. Pierre finds Huguette in a gas station after her fiance abandons her on the way to see her parents and offers to give her a ride. The viewer already has their suspicions about Pierre, as at the start of the film we hear about the escaped convict "The Magician," who does a magic trick for all his victims. Pierre is seen doing a magic trick for a little boy early on. How these characters cross paths and what happens is really best left unsaid, as it ends up being a surprising and amusing and engrossing and very funny ride, all the way to the final twist. Each character has their moment of being untrusting or suspicious, and its how the script weaves in and out of this forboding feeling that makes it a successful thriller.

Most of my problems with "Roman De Gare" didn't come until the credits were done and I had left the theatre, but its just the standard plot holes that you generally discover while watching any type of thriller. But throughout the film you really watch it with rapt attention, and it is really a very, for lack of a better word, taut thriller.

***1/2 of ****

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Sangre De Mi Sangre

Directed by Christopher Zalla

I missed "Sangre De Mi Sangre" at last years Sundance at BAM festival back when it was called "Padre Nuestro," and I wonder what brought about the title change. It won an award for Best Dramatic Film at the 2007 Sundance Festival, and I can understand why. I kind of loved "Sangre De Mi Sangre," and its probably the best and most unpredictable of the many immigration films that have been coming out of late-including the awful "Fast Food Nation," and the cute by obvious "Under the Same Moon." What starts as a simple mistaken identity film ends up becoming a powerful morality tale, which takes several unexpected turns, and ending with much more to be said but all on film. At the start we meet Juan, a stowaway on his way to New York who steals the identity of Diego, another young man who is on his way to find his father. While Juan ends up going to Pedro, Diego's father, Diego enlists in the aid of the cocaine addicted sometimes prostitute Magda, who helps him for a fee.

The tone here is consistently dark, with the constant foreshadowing of danger as every minute passes. In the end it is a very well made thriller, plotted perfectly and with a rather frantic style that really is at place here, as opposed to some segments in "Reprise." As for the abrupt ending, which does not conclude everything for these characters, is very fitting as well because it really does tell the end of the story. The fates of Juan, Pedro, Diego, and Magda is really up for you to decide-with the exception of one of them, not to reveal anything too much-but its the way Zalla handles what comes before it is the important part, which he does well.

***1/2 of ****

Iron Man, Speed Racer, The Fall

Iron Man

Directed by Jon Favreau

"Iron Man" is your standard superhero introduction script, elevated by the charismatic and constantly sharp and entertaining performance by lead Robert Downy Jr. It is him that ends up making the movie memorable-not the story, not the effects, not even the hero himself. As Tony Stark, Downy Jr. is able to play his wise cracking and charming self, and at the same time is able to blow things up and fly around in the air. Despite its rather slow start, "Iron Man" is quite an entertaining introduction to both the character, and the summer at the movies. Downy Jr. plays Tony Stark as if he's been doing it for years, providing enough of a mediation of wit, sarcasm, and even a mild amount of warmth to make it believable. Other than that, the script is really the standard superhero story-the telling of how the hero came to be, a few comical scenes involving the hero trying to figure out all of the powers they have, and than finally the introduction of the villain. In this case that is the Iron Monger, played by Jeff Bridges, who, of course, is the long time friend of Tony Stark who obviously thinks that business comes first. This is pretty much the meat of the film-the theme of big businesses being quite a villain worse than anything could imagine, and Tony Stark-at the start a powerful weapons creator-really does see the errors of his ways. But that aside, the performance is great, the action scenes are mostly terrific, and its enough fun to forgive the fact that we've seen these origin stories before. If all the elements remain in place for the sequel, than a more original story will prove to be something even more special.

*** of ****

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Speed Racer

Directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski

On the other side of the spectrum is the headache inducing 'Speed Racer." Remember in the late 90's when a bunch of people in Japan suffered a seizure from that episode of "Pokemon?" Well, those that were fine at the end of that incident will be screwed here, as "Speed Racer" is one flashing light and sparkling color after another, while also combining some rather awful dialogue, acting, story, and a similar message as "Iron Man," except presented in terrible fashion. We have our Speed Racer, who has always dreamed of being fast just like his brother Rex, who long ago died in a freak accident after beginning to race underground. The Racer family has always been interested in things that go fast, right down to Pops Racer owner his own garage (played by John Goodman, who is always the highlight of the everything-Walter Sobcheck anyone?) Older, Speed Racer looks to be following in his brothers footsteps, until he is introduced to Mr. Royalton, who has to throw the concept of money into the equation to try and rid the heart out of racing and turn it all into business. First of all, the Wachowski's don't seem to know what they want this to be-a children's movie, a film for younger adults, or a throwback to the world of anime, so it tries to be all three. We have our children's movie-complete with an annoying young brother and his monkey-a film for younger adults-complete with many many many sexual innuendo's-and than our anime-where the bright lights and flashing headache inducing colors come into play, as does the constant green screen which I'm sure the entire movie was shot against. Emile Hursh, who got acclaim from last year's somewhat overrated but good "Into the Wild," throws that credibility out the window here, as does most of the "talent" involved. The Wachowski's just manage to do everything wrong here, including being extremely long in length. There is about a forty five minute halt somewhere in the middle here, and by the time the final race comes along (which some folks have mentioned gave them the "chills,") you just stop caring. The Wachowski's throw in an obvious twist at the end of the film which does give hope for a sequel, but I highly doubt we will see the racing world again, at least not for a long while.

*1/2 of ****

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The Fall

Directed by Tarsem

"The Fall" is beautiful to look at, highly imaginative and creative, and very ambitious to boot, despite having its pretentious moments here and there that become just a little showy. I haven't seen the first film by Tarsem, "The Cell" from a few years back, but I hear that it was as highly experimental as this one. Taking place in 1920's LA, "The Fall" tells the story of young Alexandria (played by the wonderfully natural Catinca Untaru), who suffered a fall and is recovering in a hospital. While looking for things to do, and while not being under the watch of the kind and beautiful Nurse Evelyn, Alexandria meets Roy Walker, a Hollywood stunt man also recovering from an accident. He begins to weave to Alexandria a fantastic tale about the evil Lord Odious, who is being hunted by a slew of characters including Charles Darwin, an explosives expert, a hunter, an ex-slave, and finally a mysterious masked man that looks like Roy quite a bit. In exchange, Roy gets Alexandria to sneak into the closets and steal him some morphine in his attempts to kill himself, which keep failing. As Roy's life gets darker and darker, it reflects in the story as he begins to kill character after character.

Tarsem shot this film in eight-teen different countries, and takes advantage of some really beautiful shots that certainly deserve to be seen on the big screen. But it is at times where his attempt to blow the viewer away through the visuals ends up getting in the way of finding real heart into the characters. Our two leads Untaru and Lee Pace (who suddenly has been popping up in everything since "Pushing Daisies") do find some naturalness in their on-screen relationship. One touch I really liked a bit was having Alexandria say things at times to which Roy doesn't understand, causing her to repeat it, which is certainly realistic considering both the age and language barrier between the two. But Tarsem's script is a bit all over the place, trying to infuse too many things into one movie-the story within the story, the outer story, and than the throwbacks to Hollywoods and such. There were a few parallels between the the two stories that I haven't been able to catch on because I do not think Tarsem highlighted that section enough. At times the film does get a bit arty-such as the slow motion black and white opening credits with Beethoven's 7th (as beautiful as it is) playing in the background. But "The Fall" ends up being a special experiment and event that deserves to be seen, on as big a screen as possible, to wash into the beauty that Tarsem tries to infuse in every shot. I just wish he threw more effort into the other aspects of the film, as "The Fall" could have been something more masterful-and it should have been.

**1/2 of ****

My Blueberry Nights, Fugitive Pieces, Stuff and Dough, Then She Found Me

My Blueberry Nights

Directed by Wong Kar Wai

Wong Kar Wai's first English speaking film has been talked about for some time now, especially considering it is the debut feature of singer Norah Jones. Her early Oscar buzz vanished very quickly when word got out that the movie was no good, and while "My Blueberry Nights" is somewhat of a mess, there is even to slightly recommend it, if you look hard enough. Jones plays Elizabeth, a young woman who has just had a nasty breakup with her boyfriend. She seeks refuge in a local diner owned by Jeremy (Jude Law), where she spends several nights with him discussing her life. Eventually she leaves New York and goes on a journey across America coming into contact with three different characters. One is Arnie, an alcoholic cop who is perpetually celebrating his last night of drinking, played perfectly by David Strathairn. The second is his estranged wife Sue Lynne, played by Rachel Weisz, and lastly is Leslie, a gambler who needs a lift to visit her father to get more money, played by Natalie Portman. In each encounter, Elizabeth learns a bit more about life and love and all that good stuff.

The highlights of the film are easily Jons and Strathairn, with the former carrying herself quite well considering she isn't used to this type of work. But the Arnie character really ends up being the heart and soul of the piece, and when he is gone everything somewhat falls apart. Weisz is certainly not doing her best work here, and by the time we get along to meeting the Portman character, you've certainly had enough. Jude Law does his typical Jude Law thing, which he hasn't deviated from in some time. But the films weakest link is easily Wong Kar Wai himself, who feels the need to throw in this very annoying stylistic approach to the story. Some scenes are some in slow motion, a few are through the camera that is placed at the top of the diner, and a song that Jones sang especially for the film is played several times during important moments, to the point where I could not take it anymore. He directs like a film school student trying to get artistic, when I know to expect better from him, despite him never exactly "wowing" me to the full extent of the word. "My Blueberry Nights" is a bit of a chore to get through, but the good aspects are exceedingly good to make it somewhat worthwhile.

**1/2 of ****

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Fugitive Pieces

Directed by Jeremy Podeswa

"Fugitive Pieces" opened the Toronto Film Festival last September in which I was at attendance, but was unable to get a ticket to the gala event. It finally opened in New York three weeks ago, to a final product that was quite disappointing. "Fugitive Pieces" is a rather emotionless independent drama about Jakob, a young boy who during WWII escaped from Poland where his parents are killed, and found himself in Greece under the care of Athos, a kind older man who takes Jakob under his wing. Podeswa decides to do a structure of flashbacks, showing us the adult Jakob before delving into his past. We see Jakob is clearly disturbed by something, which affects his marriage to Alex. Adapting from a novel by Anne Michaels, Podeswa is clearly trying to make something out of nothing, which is probably why he inflicts this type of structure on us. But the central performance by Stephen Dillane is quite dull, which could fit the emotionless character of Jakob, but I really don't think that is what he was doing with it. In addition the flashback segments offer nothing exactly, giving us the standard war story formula with the "wise older man" formula that we've also seen before. The film moves at a very slow pace as well, and the distance that the viewer has from the characters makes it a bit more unbearable. I read somewhere that the ending to the film has changed-the ending at the festival was apparently a bit of a downer. The ending in this film was somewhat hopeful, but I wonder what was originally there. Maybe it gave some kind of life to this very forgettable film.

** of ****

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Stuff and Dough

Directed by Cristi Puiu

"Stuff and Dough" is the first film made by Cristi Puiu, released in Romania in 2001. It was given a United States release probably after the success of Puiu's 2005 masterpiece "The Death of Mr. Lazarescu," which had a decent run here in 2006-and it was indeed one of the best films of that year. "Stuff and Dough" has the possibility of being one of the best released films this year, and it shows that Puiu had the magic right from the beginning. I did miss the first minute or two of the film, but not enough to ruin any of the story. We are introduced to Ovidiu, who is enlisted by the rather shady man to deliver some "medical" supplies to a certain location by 2pm, in exchange for some money. Ovidiu's parents run a small kiosk in the back of their house, and Ovidiu wants to someday start his own. Going against the rules of going by himself to make the delivery, Ovidiu is joined by his friend Vali and Vali's girlfriend Bety. Ninety percent of the film takes place in the car on this trip, shown in shaky camera, which begins with conversations galore from little trivial things such as the asphalt-kind of like a Jim Jarmusch or a less pretentious Richard Linklater. And then the car begins to be followed by a mysterious red van, whose connections to the whole shady business are never exactly told.

Puiu manages to keep the tension constantly flowing with his realistic approach to the narrative-and a lean 90 minute run time, nearly an hour shorter than "Lazarescu." With this entire so called "Romanian New Wave" I have been so impressed with how several of these films take simple plot lines, and end up making such complex and engrossing films-the cat and mouse chase here, the all night deterioration of health in "Lazarescu," or even the real time talk show in "12:08 East of Bucharest," or just an abortion in "4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days." I am very grateful that Film Forum showed "Stuff and Dough' for two weeks, and I don't think it stuck like "Lazarescu" because its gone now. It is certainly worth a look-see, especially for both fans of "Lazarescu," or these new Romanian films in general.

**** of ****

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Then She Found Me

Directed by Helen Hunt

"Then She Found Me" is the directing debut, and obvious pet project, of Helen Hunt, who not only directed and acts the lead role, but also wrote much of the screenplay, based off the novel by Elinor Lipman. What we get is a rather well made, well acted, and enjoyable little human dramedy, which certainly is not without its flaws and problems, but an endearing effort all the same. My problems with this film did not really surface until after it was over, and they still weren't that much anyway. Hunt plays April, a thirty or fortysomething woman that is getting to the age where she wants to have a baby. Recently married to Ben (Matthew Broderick, the casts weakest link who seems a bit awkward in his role), April is separated from him to quickly to conceive. After a break-up quickie on the kitchen floor, Ben disappears from town, and the distraught April begins to be courted by Frank (Colin Firth), the father of one of her students. To add to everything, April, an adopted child, is found by her birth mother, talk show host Bernice (Bette Midler), who suddenly wants to connect with her daughter after all these years. She does eventually become pregnant, but the father ends up being someone other than you'd expect.

There is quite a bit going on in the film to involve yourself in, and the three central stories that you can fall back on. April's story involving herself and her desire to want children. Working as a teacher she is able to experience distant relationships, but having one of her own is too important to her-she writes adoption off very fast. And than we have her love story(ies) with Frank, who is charismatically played by Colin Firth. Firth has been doing the same types of roles for a while now, but he seems like he is trying extra hard here, giving so much life to Frank that there is quite a bit to laugh at. You even feel his pain at times. And lastly is this mother/daughter story, and Hunt and Midler clearly have a good time playing off of one another-each other possibly talking quicker than the other. Several reviews for this have found a fault in Hunt finding the right tone for the piece, but I found that it drifted from comedy to drama and back again very well, despite the heavier dark tone of the third act. I also admired how Hunt directed the film, resorting to a few interesting shots. She actually looked like she knew what she was doing, or wanted to try a few things, as opposed to say Mike White's directing debut "Year of the Dog" last year, where his shots repeated to be the character speaking close up and in the center of the frame. All in all I enjoyed "Then She Found Me" quite a bit, and it seemed like what Hunt needed after lackluster roles in the last few years.

*** of ****

My Father My Lord

I was honestly quite surprised by how much I was effected by "My Father My Lord," perhaps one of the smallest movies I've seen in a while. David Volach' directorial debut is a quiet affective family drama, centering around a family of three where religion is the central focus. Although it in the end, it is the message that religion should not be the most important thing with any family. We follow the story through the eye of Menaham, a young boy who lives under the stern religious following his his Rabbi father. His father does love him, but in this lifestyle, it is religious practice which must come first. A scene where Menaham's mother instructs him to go into the living room to speak to his father is very telling in that his father never says a word to him as he reads his religious templates. The film moves along its very thin 72 minutes almost plotless, until a trip to the Dead Sea culminates in a tragic accident. 

This is the debut feature of Volach, who actually picked up the audience award at the Tribeca Film Festival last year, which honestly surprises me. This is a film not for every ones taste-very simple story, if having a story at all, and reminiscent of many of the realist films of decades ago. I am mildly reminded of Apu in "Pather Panchali," simply because of the following of this young boy. Volach opens our eyes-and the eye of Menaham as well-through many simple beautiful scenes-included Menaham discovering an old woman, recently dead, being loaded into an ambulance. Her faithful dog whimpers as he jumps in behind her. It also helps that the film is beautifully shot and scored, creating quite a hypnotic atmosphere, especially during the final scenes at the Dead Sea, where suspense quickly builds. I walked in knowing that there was to be a rather somber ending, but I could not expect how deeply I was able to become invested in these characters in only a little over an hour. "My Father My Lord" is a very effective moral drama, slowly developing its characters and creating a universe all of its own.

Final Rating-

***1/2 of ****

Baghead

"Baghead" is the new film by the Duplass Brothers, and if you have absolutely no idea who I am talking about when I say that, hopefully in the near future you will. They impressed me quite a bit with their film "The Puffy Chair" about two years ago, and they continue to impress me with the slightly better "Baghead," which is already being marketed all wrong based on the single trailer I've seen for it. "Baghead" is, at its core, a relationship comedy, with elements of horror sprinkled into it. It has pretty much the same tone as "The Puffy Chair," and even similar characters, only its in a mild horror setting. Based on the marketing it seems like Sony is trying to get this out as your typical "four people in the woods" type of movie, with laughs thrown in to tell people they are going to have a good time. And I suppose, if you really want, you can call "Baghead" one of those "mumblecore movies," that so-called genre of film making that really isn't picking up as much as Andrew Bujalski would hope. You can read more about that movement here. But I did not consider the Duplass' last film a mumblecore movie nor do I consider this one one, despite it having similar styles.

So now that I've managed to confuse everyone, why did I like "Baghead?"

First off, it started with the perfect joke for a film festival attendance to hear. The film actually starts at a film festival screening, and its a really arty and pretty bad film with some nudity thrown in. Our four main characters have quite a laugh at it. And when the director comes out for the Q & A, the Duplass Brothers poke fun at audience questions-"What was the budget?" In this case, it was one thousand dollars, but he wanted it to be half of that. And so we meet our quartet, who regroup in a restaurant after the screening and decide to go off into the woods for the weekend and write a screenplay for them to act in, and get out of being extras for the rest of their lives. There is Matt and Catherine, who seem to have had a fling going on for almost ten years. He says its over. She says that hes the love of her life. And then there is Chad, who has a little crush on his friend Michelle (the excellent Greta Gerwig), but she seems to have her eyes more set on Matt, especially during this weekend get-away. Chad seals the deal with Michelle being his movie-girlfriend (a hint at the movies heartbreakingly sweet final lines), but nobody is able to come up with any ideas until Michelle has a dream about a creepy figure outside with a bag over its head. And then suddenly creepy things start to happen, and this baghead perhaps isn't a figment of anyones imagination after all.

But like I said, this is primarily a relationship drama, with the horror used comedy, satire, and just as a way to highlight this relationship drama even more. I was surprised how great I found all of these characters, and just how natural they were to me. Greta Gerwig, who was the best part about "Hannah Takes the Stairs," even though the rest of the film did not raise the bar that high, continues to showcase her talent here, and its an extremely natural performance. There is some good buddy laughs between Matt and Chad (played by Ross Partridge and Steve Zissis, the latter of whom I wish had the last name Zissou since it comes so damn close). And Elise Muller as Catherine plays a jealous angle quite well, but also avoids being a caricature and is able to be very human here. And while the horror elements are easily bought into-there are a few fun scares sans any hint of blood and gore at all-it was not until after the film where I realized how they fit into the entire scope of the four characters and their relationships with one another. 

"Baghead" avoided being everything I had expected it to be, but in an extremely good way. I left the theatre extremely satisfied with what I saw, and I really loved everything about it. I loved the characters, their situations, and the final scene which just reached an unexpected note of poignancy, on the same level that 'The Puffy Chair" ended-these are two very abrupt endings (no fade-outs, no real hint of the film about to be over at all), but both end their films on such perfect notes. I walked out of the theatre not only happy to have seen the film, but happy that there is a contentment within this group of characters-as if they were my own friends that I just spent 85 minutes with. 

This is the aim of Andrew Bujalski's movement-to make movies with characters so natural and real that it gives the viewer the impression of being out with their friends. But his movies obviously want to be that-they reek of pretentiousness and simply try to hard. But without trying as hard, the Duplass Brothers made these natural characters that I WANTED to be around. The film just reminded that there is hope-hope in love, hope in life, and even hope in good independent film making. This is one of my personal favorite films of the year at this point.

"Baghead" was set for release in summer, but seems to have been moved to avoid confusion with "Towelhead," which was originally under the better name of "Nothing Is Private," so in the end everyone really loses. 

Final Rating-

**** of ****

Tribeca 2008 Report

Two weeks ago I made a special trip to the city for the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. After having such a terrific time at the festival last year (which you can read up on right here), I knew that I would have to find a way to go, despite the barrier of college in the way. This year I was able to see eleven films showing at the festival-some already set for distribution in the coming months, some that will most likely get a distributor very soon, and some that I hope to never see again. 

First up was "This Is Not A Robbery," a quite delightful documentary that managed to be successful without an overtly political theme. It was just plain fun. It's these types of documentaries that I really do get the most enjoyment of, taking an rather odd topic and making it colorful and enjoyable. Lucas Jansen and Adam Kurland take on the story of a man named J.L. "Red" Rountree, who lived a long life where he was screwed over several times financially, and finally snapped at the age of eighty eight when he went out one day and robbed a bank. He robbed several banks for a few years (he was put in prison for life when he was 92 and he died very shortly after), none of which were very successful, and it came to the point where he only began to do it because he thought that "stealing was fun." "This Is Not A Robbery" is the type of story that fiction wishes it could create but never will-an enjoyable and highly entertaining documentary.

*** of ****

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Next was "Simple Things," a Russian film by Aleksei Popogrebsky which I really wasn't overly fond of. Being raved about as "one of the best Russian films in recent memory"-which I really can't comment on having not seen that many Russian films in recent memory-I had a hard time really immersing myself into this film. This is the story of Sergei Maslov, a doctor who has quite a bit on his plate. He is having problems with his wife, his daughter seems to have run off with a no good boyfriend, his mistress is angry at him, and an aging actor asks him for help to kill himself in exchange for a pricey painting. While the main acting by Sergei Puskepalis is wonderfully nuanced and very rich (which made the fact that he's had a small role in one other movie aside from this that much more shocking) I was never able to really invest myself into these characters. There are scenes of dialogue where nothing really moves forward, and I felt like everything took a kind of halt . There is also a somewhat awful meshing of tone, mixing comedy into the strong drama when it is not really needed at all, and this includes the ending. "Simple Things" was not an awful film, but certainly not an awful film, but I expected something more. There are better Russian films out there at the moment, including "The Banishment" which I hope finds it way here soon.

**1/2 of ****

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Next was "The Cottage," a rousing good time (and everyone in the theatre seemed to be enjoying it too.) Starring Andy Serkis (Gollom from "Lord of the Rings" and "King Kong") and Reece Shearsmith as brothers David and Peter, we follow their failed (right from the start) attempt to "kidnap" a rich man's loudmouthed and crude daughter Tracey, and than collect on the ransom money. Retreating at a cottage in the middle of the woods, the two bumbling would-be criminals, another partner, and Tracey end up crossing paths with a psychopathic deformed farmer, while at the same time avoiding two Korean hitman brothers hired by Tracey's father. I enjoyed "The Cottage" from the very start for its two very different approaches-the buddy aspect between the two brothers who can be no more opposite and the scare sequences involving this farmer creature. Some of its horror/comedy mergings are a bit awkward, but the quite dark ending is very fitting for it, and most of it does work. And the real mixed feelings come after its over, but the ride really is quite an enjoyable one. 

"The Cottage" is actually now on DVD, getting just a few screenings at Tribeca. I am glad that I got to see it.

*** of ****

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My Saturday began with "57,000 Kilometers Between Us." a film that I really found nothing worth liking. A painful excursion into a dysfunctional family, the movie is based on the commentary about technology-where does it begin and end, especially in real life where the world is pretty much revolved around screens. Our main character Nat lives in a world where everything is propelled on a screen, as her mother and her stepfather are the stars of an internet reality television show. Her only real friend is Adrien, a sick young boy who speaks to her over the computer while in the hospital. Nat is only really happy in this technological world, and as her life with the family gets odder and odder it could be that this fictional world is better than reality.

The problem with this was its extreme nature-as a way to highlight the main points of what director/writer Delphine Kreuter wants to say, she really does make Nat and Adrien's life a real hell. The family antics just become painful to watch, and you know it is when the wonderful Mathieu Amalric is resorted to climbing around on all fours during a dinner scene. There really is a hollow quality to this-nothing to relate to, and nothing you'd want to relate to. An interesting question posed in an uninteresting movie. When I walked past the director sitting in a chair on the way out (me skipping the Q & A because I would rather eat than have to sit through more of her work) I somewhat felt bad for her. The theatre was emptying quite a bit and there was no real applause for it (which is rare. I've sat through extreme trash which have still gotten claps. "57,000 Kilometers Between Us" is just such a messy and poorly made dull film that there really is nothing much worth clapping for.

*1/2 of ****

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"Somers Town" is Shane Meadows follow up to his highly acclaimed film last summer "This Is England"-which, if I recall right, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year as well. To some extent I liked his previous film, although not to the higher accolades as several other fellow film fans. I was highly impressed by the lead performance by Thomas Turgoose, who returns in this film along with Piotr Jagiello (both of whom won the Best Acting Award at the Festival). They play Tomo and Marek. Tomo is a runaway from Nottingham who ends up being mugged and robbed and left with nothing in London. Marek lives with his newly divorced father, who spends his days working and his nights drinking with some friends he made on the job. These two lonely souls end up finding each other and get into all sorts of mischief and trouble. Along the way their bond strengthens, and they both find friendship with Maria-a beautiful waitress who they both have the eyes for. 

"Somer's Town" is a very simple little movie, given so much life by these two leads. Meadows shoots all in black and white, and while that usually ends up being a stunt by the director to give it an arty feel, it really does add to the story-kind of like of cruder British Woody Allen film. This is quite obviously a quick project after "This Is England,"-perhaps he had some extra time on his hands and did not want to lose Turgoose before he ends up being looked for. I really did love these two man characters, and despite only running a lean 75 minutes the film really does feel complete. Turgoose is especially terrific, not loosing any of that momentum he got from "This Is England." I personally think this is a Meadows best film since "Dead Man's Shoes," which I found to be a perfect drama. My somewhat lackluster festival lineup was given a massive boost here.

***1/2 of ****

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The first forty minutes or so of "Charly" were quite possibly some of the most brutal forty minutes I've spent in a theatre in a long while. The packed crowd at the start slowly dwindled over this amount of time-I believe less than half of the theatre was filled when the credits began to roll. But staying and making it through the tough times were quite rewarding for me, as the second half of "Charly" introduced me to both a great character and a new actress I intend on keeping my eyes on. We follow the story of Nicolas, a young boy who seems to always have his head in a book and his mind outside of the fact that his family life is not one to be thrilled about. He eventually runs away from his home, and ends up meeting Charly, a young woman who lives in a roadside trailer. Working at night and having odd obsessive compulsions revolving his housework by the day, the two of them manage to forge an odd little friendship, awakening Nicolas from his slumberous youth.

At the start, it was almost unbearable to watch these day by day actions for Nicolas, who was perhaps one of the dullest characters I've observed in a while. I understand this was probably Isild Le Besco's intention, to make the third act that much more sweeter, but it was really hard to invest myself in this movie when I was getting nothing in return. The groans from the audience were almost awkward for me to endure. And then there was a silver lining at the end-and her name is Julie-Marie Parmentier, who plays Charly. She was excellent here, and had such command on the screen. Beautiful and quirky and odd and annoying all at the same time, she really threw a much needed amount of life into this sometimes painful film to endure. Of course the movie certainly doesn't become a masterwork into the second half, but it made it tolerable enough for "Charly" to be worthwhile. It isn't everyday I'm able to make a new discovery for myself.

** of ****

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When I saw Bill Plympton's name on the bill for a Tribeca screening, I made sure I revolved my schedule around it. I have been into Plympton's animation since I first saw his short "Guard Dog" a few years ago, and even made a special arrangement to see "Hair High" about a year and a half ago. Also, his films rarely seem to get picked up, so I feel lucky to have seen his new film already. "Idiots and Angels" is a bit darker than his usual fare, but it certainly doesn't lose quality. In fact, Plympton may have crafted one of his best films yet, in this strange odd story about a completely rude man who wakes up one morning to find a pair of angel wings on his back. 

The story goes into several odd directions, but Plympton is the master of the interesting drawn image. He draws the old fashioned way, and than gives the sketches to his animators who make them come to life. I forget the number of sketches that he says "Idiots and Angels" was, but it was quite mind-boggling. I have a hard time drawing one picture let alone in the several thousands. He is also great at creating a fine mood here, with a beautiful musical score and some selected Tom Waits songs that really blend into the dark atmosphere. Yes, strange things happen, but that is to be expected from a Plympton film. It's the effort and this amusing directions his stories go into that make them so worthwhile, despite a sometimes grueling pace, which he works with often-you really do get adjusted to it quickly.

*** of ****

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"The Secret of the Grain" won several top awards at the French Academy Awards, and I plan on seeing it again when it is readily possible. There was quite a bit to take in here, in this story of a sixtysomething year old man, fed up with his dull job at a shipyard. Mr. Slimani is divorced and instead of making it strange and detached, he stays close to his family. His plan is to open a restaurant aboard a boat, but the only problem is that his salary cannot pay for such a venture. With the help of his young niece (the excellent Hafsia Herzi), he tries to make this dream a reality, with several complications along the way.

The film was quite involving, especially with the subplots regarding the various family members, including a cheating husband. A scene where his wife ends up blowing up at Slimani about all of her problems was terrific, and I only wish that I made a better mental note about her character name so that I can look her up. This makes my interest in revisiting this film even better. Some of the film does get a bit tedious, as can be expected with a 151 minute running time-many scenes overstay their welcome, including the climatic scene at the end involving bellydancing (and when bellydancing can become dull, that is when there is a problem.) I was also massively impressed with the lead-Habib Boufares-who has never acted in a film before. This list of amateur actors impressing me continues after "Simple Things." But I did like "The Secret of the Grain," and intend on seeing it more when it is possible. I feel like things flew past me, which can affect my enjoyment of it-it could possibly grow even more.

*** of ****

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"Katyn" was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language film this year, so I'm certain that it will make its way into theatres soon enough. And it also involves the Soviets attack on Poland, and this time period in history seem to have become quite typical for awards-I wasn't very impressed with "The Counterfeiters" or this, so I'm hoping that this period dwindles-but after the success of "The Lives of Others," I do not see that happened soon. "Katyn" follows four families during the way, tragically interweaving them in your typical interweaving ways. What really annoyed me about this was how manipulative it was, trying to get the audience to fall into its tragedy in the most obvious ways possible. In trying to make the finale more intense and deep they really went the whole nine yards to get graphic, and when the film blacked out and lasted a minute more before the credits with the sounds of chanting in the background, I was more angered than moved. Not angered at the horrors of war that these people had to go through, but angered at the film makers who not only approached new ground, but did not even be dramatic in a new way. This film was obvious and poorly made from the beginning, but the sounds of tears in the audience made me see that many could fall for it. I really did not like this film at all.

** of ****

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Lastly was "Bitter & Twisted," which while enjoyable and somewhat touching in an odd way, would sometimes tread into extremely odd territories, that I still cannot really make heads or tails of. In a way it reminded me of "Imaginary Heros" from a few years back, in telling of a family in the wake of the suicide of one of their own. In both cases it is an older brother, who leaves behind a stoic and overweight father, a mother who intends on turning her dull life around, and a brother who does not know what to do with himself (played by director Christopher Weekes). He also lusts after Indigo, his neighbor who went out with his brother before he died. While some moments truly do go into quite moving territory, others go into more surreal and odd. To mention two, I would say the mothers encounter with a rather creepy bachelor in his apartment, and the oddly homosexual friendship between Weekes and a guy named Matt, who lives with his senile father. The film would take these odd interludes in the midst of the somewhat gritty drama, all combined with a lovely musical score. "Bitter & Twisted" is a strange film, but an effective debut by Weekes, who I think needed to work a bit on tone for his next cinematic venture.

*** of ****

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And thats all for Tribeca 2008-looking forward to another trip in 2009. 

I also saw "Baghead," which I intend on writing an extensive review for very soon because of how much I liked it.