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Sundance Review: The Man Next Door (El hombre de al lado) |
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Spotlight Reviews
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Written by Blake Griffin
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Sunday, 31 January 2010 22:44 |
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The Man Next Door is working it’s magic in the World Dramatic Competition and Sundance. It comes from Argentina, and demands that it be noticed. It’s directed by two promising young men, Mariano Cohn, and Gastón Duprat, who co-wrote the script together as well. And are both credited as the film’s cinematography. Narcissistic much?
The film is overwhelming simple in it’s storyline. An extremely successful designer named Leonardo, lives in a home named Casa Curutchet. The only home that Le Corbusier built in the Americas. Apparently it’s a big deal in Argentina. He lives there with his wife and daughter. They’re awakened one morning to the noise of a sledgehammer, he finds that a neighbor has torn a hole in one of the Modernist icon’s perfect white walls, intending to build a window for the house on the other side. The soundscape created is almost as poignant as Australia’s Noise.
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Read more... [Sundance Review: The Man Next Door (El hombre de al lado)]
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Sundance Review: The Killer Inside Me |
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Spotlight Reviews
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Written by Blake Griffin
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Sunday, 31 January 2010 22:14 |
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I had tickets to Killer Inside Me long before all this crazy media attention it’s gotten over the past few days. Truth be told, I didn’t even know what it was about when I made the purchase. I just decided to tag along with my brother-in-law when he announced he was going. Since the premiere, there’s been all sorts of stuff going around about the violence in it. There’s this article from NYDailyNews.com, which clearly insinuates that Jessica Alba herself was so offended by the violence, she walked out during the premiere. Or there’s this recording of an angry audience, specifically an angry woman, during an Q&A, demanding, of director Michael Winterbottom to know ‘who’s responsible for this?’ Geez! You’d think these people have never been to a film festival before. And you know for certain they’ve never seen something like Antichrist, or even one of the Saw movies, or Lust, Caution, or Nurse Betty, or anything David Cronenberg has ever done. I will say now that yes, there’s violence. One specific scene shows Alba being beaten for literally several minutes. But on the grand scale of violent movies that have received an R rating, this is not one of the worst offenders. And without being a communist, I would say that I mildly agree with Han Suyin when she said, ‘moralists have no place in an art gallery.’ Or an arthouse theatre.
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Read more... [Sundance Review: The Killer Inside Me]
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Sundance Reviews: Welcome to the Rileys |
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Spotlight Reviews
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Written by Blake Griffin
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Sunday, 31 January 2010 22:07 |
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Kristin Stewart is continuing on her crusade to try and distance herself from the Twilight series, and establish herself as a serious actress. Last year she did it with Adventureland, and this year, she has a couple films at Sundance. In one, she plays Joan Jett, and in it has a lesbian love scene with Dakota Fanning. In the other, Welcome to the Rileys, she plays a 16 year old, runaway, making ends meet in New Orleans as a part-time exotic dancer, and part-prostitute. Okay, we get it Kristin, you’re a serious actress. Fortunately, she has some great company in Rileys that makes her look pretty good.
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Read more... [Sundance Reviews: Welcome to the Rileys]
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Sundance Review: Jack Goes Boating |
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Spotlight Reviews
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Written by Blake Griffin
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Sunday, 31 January 2010 21:54 |
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It was only a matter of time before Philip Seymour Hoffman decided to direct. He’s gained enough cred in the business to warrant giving him a chance. But it is slightly shocking that he chose to make his debut with a romantic comedy. Did anyone else see that coming? His film, Jack Goes Boating is a movie version of a play by the same name. Hoffman actually played Jack in the off-Broadway production. He brought along two of his stage co-stars as well, and got Amy Ryan to play his leading lady. Not too shabby for his first cast.
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Read more... [Sundance Review: Jack Goes Boating]
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Sundance Review: Night Catches Us |
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Spotlight Reviews
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Written by Blake Griffin
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Sunday, 31 January 2010 21:37 |
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Night Catches Us is a mildly interesting first attempt at directing by Tanya Hamilton, an alum of the Sundance Lab. The story (which Hamilton also wrote) takes place in Philadelphia in 1978. It focuses on two former Black Panthers, Marcus (Anthony Mackie) and Pat (Kerry Washington). Marcus returns to Philadelphia, after several years in exile, to attend the funeral of his brother. His reasons for avoiding his hometown aren’t immediately clear. What is clear, is that he’s not welcomed there by many. His former comrades make it abundantly clear that he is no longer welcome, and should leave if he wants to avoid trouble. Pat is the only friendly face in town. But their budding relationship is difficult for friends, and especially for Pat’s daughter Iris (Jamara Griffin).
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Read more... [Sundance Review: Night Catches Us]
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Spotlight Review: Fish Tank |
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Spotlight Reviews
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Written by David DiMichele
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Sunday, 31 January 2010 20:05 |
Starring: Kate Jarvis, Michael Fassenbender Director: Andrea Arnold Release Date: January 15, 2010 (Limited)Running Time: 124 min MPAA Rating: NR
Distributor: IFC Films - - - Suffocation and boredom have grown extensively perverse for fifteen-year-old Mia, a young woman with an invisible visor shrouding her vision of the real world and who possesses lofty dreams that may not seem so rewarding. The weariness in the uncongenial surroundings of a housing project located in the underbelly of England, her home, overcomes hope and dreams. But there is a ruthless, intense and enlightening discovery to be found in this environment. A lesson that can educate an individual in the subject of Life can be located here. Innumerable individuals can willingly succumb to the realizations of the harsh conditions and descend morally and physically (like Mia’s mother does), or others can challenge and struggle with the unruly conditions to find self-transcendence. A naïve little girl, cynical in every approach she takes, wants to meet reality and mingle with ideas, forces and individuals who prove to be smarter, sexier, meaner and more cunning than she can ever be. She hasn’t a father, her younger sister is a foul-mouthed little brat and her mother drunkenly mopes around their home, barely clothed, with a cigarette always in her mouth dancing to hip-hop music. Maybe Mia ( Katie Jarvis) doesn’t want to ever come to resemble these characteristics which pervade her life. Maybe she is content with who she is but is just suffering due to her detrimental surroundings. Her window for opportunity is decreasing. If she plans on leaving her fish tank she needs someone to help her pry it open. Help arrives unexpectedly, though, and in an unexpected entity.
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Read more... [Spotlight Review: Fish Tank]
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Spotlight Review: A Prophet (Un prophète) |
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Spotlight Reviews
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Written by Blake Griffin
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Tuesday, 26 January 2010 05:16 |
Starring: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Hichem Yacoubi, Adel Bencherif and Jean-Emmanuel Pagni Director: Jacques Audiard Release Date: January 20, 2010 (Limited)Running Time: 150 min MPAA Rating: Rated R for strong violence, sexual content, nudity, language and drug material.
Distributor: Celluloid Dreams, Canal +, France 2 Cinema - - - Jacques Audiard, who has long been considered a French master, takes his work in a completely new direction with his latest project A Prophet. While I was extremely happy with his previous style (The Beat My Heart Skipped, still ranks in my top ten favorite movies of all time), his new focus is infinitely more broad, and brings a new sense of realism to the table that I could stare at for hours (and ended up doing just that since the film runs around 150 minutes).
What's more impressive, is that Audiard co-wrote the script with Thomas Bidegain. His story is a gritty, and brilliant look at the French prison system (which the European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly condemned, and Nicolas Sarkozy himself called a national disgrace). It centers around a young Arab man, Malik. At nineteen, he's been sentenced to six years for assaulting an officer. It's never clear if he actually did the crime. In fact the matter is settled by one indignant response to the accusation by a prison guard, he claims not to have done a thing. Whether or not he did is of no consequence to the rest of the film, but it seems to me he's innocent, which makes his evolution into a crime boss in his own respect that much more interesting. Malik is played by a virtually unknown actor named Tahar Rahim. His performance is remarkable in all aspects. The film spans six years (where Malik ages 19 to 25). His physical performance is remarkable, as he seems to mature quite rapidly. His face is in a constant state of healing, whether it's his cheek bleeding where a razor blade was hidden, or the marks of a spoon shoved so far into his eyeball, he temporarily loses his vision. Audiard, who frequently enjoys working with some of the best actors in France, couldn't have asked for a better leading man.
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Read more... [Spotlight Review: A Prophet (Un prophète)]
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Spotlight Review: The Boat That Rocked (Pirate Radio) |
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Spotlight Reviews
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Written by Blake Griffin
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Tuesday, 24 November 2009 01:12 |
Starring: Bill Nighy, Philip Seymour-Hoffman, Nick Frost, Rhys Darby, Tom Sturridge Director: Richard Curtis Release Date: November 13, 2009 Running Time: 116 mins. MPAA Rating: R - for language, and some sexual content including brief nudity. Distributor: Universal Pictures - - - Has anyone really decided what this film is called yet? It's on IMDb under The Boat that Rocked, Fandango has it as Pirate Radio, the theatre that I went to see it at displayed a poster with The Boat that Rocked, I'm confused. And so, must have been director Richard Curtis, since it became apparent during the showing that he didn't really know what he wanted to say. The most representative advertising the film did, was to say, ‘from the people who brought you Love Actually.' They both had charming and funny moments, but they both wandered around, never really sure of where they are supposed to be headed.
The story follows a ship that broadcasts Rock and Roll into the UK. It's called Pirate Radio, because apparently the government didn't allow land-based stations to play that sort of music? I don't know. It wasn't clearly explained. The ship is full of DJs that each have a show, and a few extraneous crew members there to fulfill flat character types (the lesbian, the fatherless youth looking for a family). They listen to good music, do drugs, and bring women on board to have sex with, but they're only allowed once a week (and they're not allowed to live on the boat unless they play for the other team).
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Read more... [Spotlight Review: The Boat That Rocked (Pirate Radio)]
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Spotlight Review: The Twilight Saga: New Moon |
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Spotlight Reviews
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Written by Jed Medina
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Sunday, 22 November 2009 03:19 |
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner Director: Chris Weitz Release Date: November 20, 2009 Running Time: 130 mins.
MPAA Rating: PG - 13 Distributor: Summit Entertainment - - - Sequels are inevitable. Movie fans demand continuity and studios rely on tested formula to make money. Summit Entertainment's franchise (and biggest money-maker) The Twilight Saga has launched the marketing drive for its second movie New Moon way ahead of its release. This is not because the whole series is in jeopardy or because fans demanded such intensive coverage, but simply because shrewd business strategy suggests so. Directed by Chris Weitz, New Moon continues the love story of Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen, two lovestruck teens who fell in love, despite the fact that, one of them is not human. In this sequel, Edward left Bella in order to protect her from the danger posed by his family and other vampires. In Edward's absence, she gets to know Jacob Black, a childhood friend who happens to hold secrets of his own. Things get more complicated as vampires and werewolves and humans interact. Bella finds herself choosing between holding on to the past or accepting a new future. But what and more importantly who will she choose? New Moon offers more action and thrills, CGI effects which are not necessarily goundbreaking but essential in putting shape and identity to Meyer's fictional characters and (of course) more cool music. Over-all, Weit'z follow-up suceeds in many fronts and also failed in some important areas, but it proved Summit's decision to replace Catherine Hardwicke justified.
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Read more... [Spotlight Review: The Twilight Saga: New Moon]
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Spotlight Review: The Messenger |
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Spotlight Reviews
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Written by Blake Griffin
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Wednesday, 04 November 2009 05:37 |
Starring: Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone Director: Oren Moverman Release Date: November 13, 2009 Running Time: 113 mins.
MPAA Rating: R Distributor: Oscilloscope Laboritories
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There’s something slightly odd about a former Israeli army officer making a movie about broken American veterans of the war in Iraq. But that’s just what The Messenger is. The film is Oren Moverman’s directorial debut and is currently in competition at Sundance.
The story follows Will (Ben Foster), a decorated war hero that came home with a purple heart for saving some friends during an attack in some nameless Iraqi city. Although he’s sent back to the states, he still has a few months left of service. His superior assigns him to the task force in charge of informing the next of kin of soldiers’ deaths within twenty four hours of the event. This is a two man job, and he’s partnered up with Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson), who is clearly damaged goods (even though he’s never seen any real action). He’s in quasi-recovery from alcoholism and does things by the book. The two form an awkward bro-mance and go from family to family informing them of the worst news they’ll probably receive. Will becomes particularly affected by Olivia (Samantha Morton), whom he informs her husband is dead.
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Read more... [Spotlight Review: The Messenger]
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