New Releases for June 1st, 2010
Alice in Wonderland
Directed by Tim Burton.
Based on the books by Lewis Carroll. Just as about to say her vows to her arranged husband-to-be at her wedding, 19-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) spots the little white rabbit and follows him down the rabbit hole into Underland. There, she encounters a wide array of characters, namely, Tweedledum and Tweedledee (voice of Matt Lucas), the Blue Caterpillar (voice of Alan Rickman), the Cheshire Cat (voice of Stephen Fry), Dormouse (voice of Barbara Windsor), the Mad Hatter (Johnny Deppy) and the tyrannical Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). Alice, with the help of her new friends, joins the good White Queen (Anne Hathaway) on a quest to dethrone her evil sister, the Red Queen, who had once taken the throne from her during a battle and brought darkness upon Underland. The mostly dull screenplay by Linda Woolverton re-imagines the classic story of Alice in Wonderland rather than merely following it religiously, but, in the process, Woolverton has drained out all of the story’s magic, heart, thrills and cleverness. All you’re left with are director Tim Burton’s eye-popping, breathtaking CGI animation and a few lively characters, especially the big-headed Red Queen and the delightfully bizarre Mad Hatter. Even while you watch the film in 3D, you’ll find it difficult to feel part of Alice’s journey because her character seems too cold and distant from the audience, so you’d probably care less about what happens to her. Moreover, some of the scenes might frighten and disturb little kids, such as when the White Queen throws chopped fingers into a pot to make a magic potion or when Alice battles the Jabberwocky monster in a very run-of-the-mill action sequence that lacks exhilaration. At a running time of 1 hour and 48 minutes, Tim Burton’s Alice and Wonderland manages to be visually stunning and sporadically amusing, but lacks thrills, heart and cleverness. It’s ultimately too scary for little kids and too unimaginative, pedestrian and bland for grown-ups. Number of times I checked my watch: 3 Released by Walt Disney Studios.
The Sun
Directed by Aleksandr Sokurov.
In Japanese and English with subtitles. In Japan 1945, Emperor Hirohito (Issey Ogata) decides to renounce his divinity to the public before his defeat at the end of World War II. The public and even his own servants have always regarded him as the divine incarnate of the Goddess of the Sun. In the opening scenes, Hirohito listens to his chamberlain (Shirô Sano) going over his schedule for the day which includes studying marine biology, resting, composing a letting to his son and meeting with his own generals. The first hour of the film isn’t particularly compelling as you watch Hirohito going about his daily routines as his divinity mask, so-to-speak, gradually falls down. At times, he twitches his mouth in an idiosyncratic way that makes him seem very odd and, most importantly, less-than-divine. During his rest, he has a very vivid nightmare of American warplanes in the form of fish that drop bombs onto Japan. When General Douglas MacArthur (Robert Dawson) arrives in Tokyo and has a meeting with Hirohito, that’s when the plot begins to get somewhat interesting. Hirohito emerges in front of the press wearing clothes that very much unlike the kind that you’d expect to find on an emperor. He behaves so much like Charlie Chaplin during his poses that the press calls him by the name of “Charlie” as they snap photographs of him. Director Alexander Sokurov, who previously directed Alexandra and Russian Ark, maintains a slow pace that feels very sluggish at first and takes a while to get used to. He includes a visual palate that’s filled with washed-out colors and cinematography that provides a dreamlike atmosphere. The choice of musical score adds an eerie quality to the film, which gives you the feeling that something tragic and devastating might happen at any given moment. Issey Ogata delivers a low-key performance that’s not captivating per se, but that’s more because of the rather dull screenplay by Yury Arabov which fails to tap into Hirohito’s thoughts and feelings throughout the film. With the exception of a few gently revealing scenes, Hirohito pretty much remains at a cold distance from the audience, especially at the very end of his downfall as the divine emperor of Japan. At a running time of 1 hour and 50 minutes, The Sun boasts stylish cinematography and a well-nuanced, gentle performance by Issey Ogata, but it often drags and fails to be truly captivating and engrossing as a character study. Number of times I checked my watch: 4 Released by Lorber Films.
The Wolfman
Directed by Joe Johnston.
Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro) returns to his hometown village, Blackmoor, to find his missing older brother, Ben (Simon Merrells), whose fiancée, Gwen Coliffe (Emily Blunt), desperately searches for as well. It turns out that Ben had died an unnatural death when attacked by something mysterious that’s currently plaguing the village and viciously killing many of its inhabitants. Lawrence has yet to come to terms with his mother’s death during his childhood. The image of his father, Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins), holding his dead mother, whose throat is slit, still haunts him to this very today. One night, Laurence goes out during a full moon and gets attacked by a mysterious creature that leaves him with a few deep gashes on his chest. His wounds somehow heal fast and he gains strength all-of-a-sudden, sparking the suspicions of Abberline (Hugo Weaving), an inspector. Soon enough, he transforms into a werewolf and must avoid being held hostage for medical examiners who strap him to a chair in front of a large crowd. Co-screenwriters Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self have taken the screenplay by Curt Siodmak based on the 1941 film and turned it into a gory, uneven mess that lacks palpable scares and thrills as well. An intelligent and alert audience member should be able to figure out everything that happens throughout the film within the first 15 minutes, so there’s no sense of mystery or suspense to be found. Whenever Lawrence turns into a werewolf, you’ll find a few mindlessly entertaining scenes, but they soon become tedious and just as bland as the scenes during which he’s a human. Any moments meant to be tender or heartbreaking feel cold and dull instead. Anthony Hopkins does add some gravitas to the role of Sir John Talbot and, at times, his performance somewhat recalls the creepiness of much better-developed character Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs. Director Joe Johnston, who previously directed Hidalgo, Jurassic Park III and October Sky, moves between fast-paced action sequences and slow-paced dramatic scenes very unevenly, although it’s worth mentioning that on a purely aesthetic level, the cinematography, musical score, make-up effects and settings do add some visual richness to an otherwise dull film. At a running time of 1 hour and 42 minutes, The Wolfman manages to be visually stylish and initially suspenseful, but too unevenly paced while deficient in surprises, imagination and palpable thrills. Number of times I checked my watch: 4 Released by Universal Pictures.
New Releases for June 8th, 2010
Shutter Island
Directed by Martin Scorcese.
Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane. Two U.S. Marshals, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), arrive by ferry to Shutter Island, a remote island off the coast of Massachusetts. They’re sent to the Aschecliff Hospital on the island to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a mental patient, Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer), who left behind a note underneath the tiles of her cell stating, “Who is 67?” and “The law of 4.” The more that Teddy and Chuck interview the inmates at the mental asylum, the more Teddy realizes that something strange and perhaps even sinister is taking place there involving Rachel’s disappearance. Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), the chief psychiatrist who runs the asylum, calmly informs and assists Teddy throughout his investigation, but you can sense that Dr. Cawley might be hiding some kind of secret. Meanwhile, Teddy’s haunted by the memories of serving in World War II when went on a mission to rescue prisoners from a concentration camp. He also hasn’t overcome the death of his wife, Dolores (Michelle Williams), and his three kids. To explain the plot any further would some of its surprises. However, the screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis, has so many obvious red herrings, revealing clues and foreshadows that anyone who’s able to use logic and reason while processing information will be able to figure out the ending, which is meant to be jaw-dropping, but instead comes across as anti-climactic. A truly compelling and suspenseful mystery thriller ought to have an intelligent screenplay that can’t be easy to figure out and flows smoothly and organically even during its many twists and turns. All the red herrings, mindboggling twists seem gimmicky rather than clever and the flashbacks merely distract here, so you’ll ultimately feel nauseated and used like a Bangkok whore after the navy left port. Ben Kingsley, just as expected, adds gravitas to the film with his solid, engaging performance. DiCaprio also impresses with a sensitive performance as the increasingly paranoid Teddy. Patricia Clarkson briefly shows up as a former nurse in one of the film’s most captivating and well-written scenes. Unfortunately, well-written scenes like that are far and few between in Shutter Island because much of it is contrived and dumbed-down without enough subtleties, especially during a speech by Dr. Cawley near the end. Director Martin Scorcese at least includes impressive cinematography, costume design and set design to add to the eerie, foreboding atmosphere, but he could have easily cut down a few scenes that drag to keep the running time under 2 hours rather than overstaying its welcome at 2 hours and 18 minutes. Ultimately, Shutter Island manages to be an overlong, nauseating thriller lacking palpable suspense and clever twists which can’t be saved by its exquisite production values and solid performances. Number of times I checked my watch: 3 Released by Paramount Pictures.
New Releases for June 15th, 2010
The Book of Eli
Directed by Albert and Allen Hughes.
30 years after a final war has ravaged the world, Eli (Denzel Washington) roams the post-apocalyptic terrain of America. He carries a precious book, the last remaining bible in the world, and goes on a quest headed westward to find a safe haven for it. After killing survivors who attempt to kill and cannibalize him, he travels to a town out west where Carnegie (Gary Oldman) serves as the town’s ruler with tyrannical powers. Eli soon meets Carnegie’s subservient wife, Claudia (Jennifer Beals), and his adopted daughter, Sorara (Mila Kunis). He learns that Carnegie desperately wants to take Eli’s bible away from him so that he could study it and use that knowledge to strengthen his own dictatorial powers over the townspeople. The screenplay by Gary Whit combines action, dark comedy, suspense and fantasy elements in a very uneven way with mixed results. At least it doesn’t feel as tedious as The Road which treaded similar ground. Denzel Washington, just as expected, adds gravitas to the role of Eli while Gary Oldman is quite compelling as Carnegie. However their characters are written with such one-dimensionality and laziness that neither of them is worth rooting for. Mila Kunis gives a wooden performance that distracts from the film’s overall momentum whenever she’s onscreen. Albert and Allen Hughes, a.k.a. the Hughes brothers, includes some exciting action sequences with stylized violence, but the palpable excitement wanes after each subsequent action scene. The Hughes brothers should have either taken the action down a notch or two and focused more on Eli and his deep connection with the sacred bible. Moreover, a gimmicky twist in the third act comes across as so illogical that it makes the entire film seem so silly, absurd and pretentious in hindsight. At a running time of just under 2 hours, The Book of Eli overstays its welcome and feels preposterous, sophomoric, pretentious and barely engaging thanks to the talents of Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman. It might make for a great midnight movie to laugh at given its abundance of absurdity and mindless violence. Number of times I checked my watch: 3 Released by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Burma VJ
Directed by Anders Østergaard.
In English and Burmese with subtitles. This suspenseful and captivating documentary focuses on the civilian uprising in Rangoon, Burma against the Burmese military dictatorship during 2007. No one had challenged the dictators since 1988 when students protested against the Burmese government and, in turn, 3,000 protesters were massacred. Aung San Suu Kyi had led the revolt and since then has remained in house arrest. Nearly thirty years later, a small group of video journalists, known as the Democratic Voice of Burma, risk their lives to document events from 2007 uprising which the mainstream media don’t want to cover because of fear. Instead, they broadcast propaganda to make the government appear just and even moral when, in truth, they’re far from it. Out of fear that history will repeat itself in exactly the same way that had occurred during the 1988 uprising, the Democratic Voice of Burma wants to expose the evils of the military junta to the world without sugar-coating or spinning it in any way, shape or form. Not surprisingly, though, especially if you’ve read Naomi Wolf’s book The End of America about the step-by-step processes of reaching a state of fascism, the fascist government in Burma did everything in their corrupt power to suppress any truthful media covering the uprising, banning foreign journalists and even shutting down the internet as a means of further closing down the society as a whole. One of the Democratic Voice of Burma journalists, a Burmese man codenamed “Joshua,” bravely recorded the rebellions in Burma with his small, hidden camcorder. He concurrently documented the plight of other courageous, selfless video journalists just trying to do their job for the sake of democracy and truth. When his life was threatened, Joshua fled to Thailand where he found safety in a house and continued his journalism from there with access to the internet. Director Anders Østergaard blends footage from the journalists’ camcorders along with dramatizations of Joshua’s experiences in a well-edit way that keeps you fully riveted as if you were watching an edge-of-your seat thriller with some devastatingly poignant and infuriating moments. He wisely avoids excessive voice-over narration, talking heads and preachiness. Ultimately, at an appropriate running time of 84 minutes, Burma VJ finds just the right balance between entertaining the audience and provoking them intellectually as well as emotionally, without a dull moment from start to finish. Number of times I checked my watch: 0 Released by Oscilloscope Laboratories. 
Sex Positive
Directed by Daryl Wein.
This fascinating documentary focuses on the life of Richard Berkowitz, a former gay S&M hustler who, along with his friend Michael Callen, became an aids activist during the 1980’s. He wrote articles as well as co-wrote a book about how to practice safe sex to avoid spreading AIDS called How to Have Sex in an Epidemic. Back in the 80’s, as the AIDS epidemic began to rise, many people didn’t quite understand the seriousness of the disease or its true origins. Berkowitz fervently believed that gay men shouldn’t merely abstain from having sex altogether, but safe sex practices should be promoted instead. The public needs to be educated about safe sex, though, and they still need that awareness and knowledge to this very today in order to avoid contacting and spreading the disease. Throughout Berkowitz’s activism, Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, a virologist and AIDS doctor, discovered that the disease isn’t merely a new virus but rather one that’s caused by a combination of different, complex set of factors. Sonnabend, Berkowitz and Callen were both very brave for going against the medical establishment which didn’t do enough to prevent the HIV virus or AIDS. Concurrently, even members of the gay community criticized Berkowitz and tried to silence him because they couldn’t accept the fact that promiscuous behavior with unprotected sex can significantly increase the chances of getting AIDS. Director Daryl Wein includes many intriguing interviews with Berkowitz, now in his 50’s, as he candidly recalls how he turned from an S&M hustler to an AIDS activist and, after many of his friends died of AIDS, he turned to cocaine to escape all of the traumatic events going on around him. He also interviews archival footage, photographs and interviews with Dr.Sonnabend, Berkowitz’s mother and Michael Callen, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1993. It’s important for both the public, physicians and the media, to fully grasp what Berkowitz, Callen and Sonnabend have to say about AIDS and safe sex because, when it comes down to it, it’s a matter of life or death, public health and, above all, evolution. Especially now that the AIDS virus has been on the rise, being unaware of the dangers of unprotected sex and promiscuity can have detrimental effects on one’s health, so it’s crucial to not only understand the harsh realities, but to factor them into your everyday life while taking them seriously---mere abstinence is not the solution. At a running time of only 1 hour and 18 minutes, Sex Positive manages to be a thoroughly fascinating, illuminating and vital documentary for everyone young and old. Number of times I checked my watch: 1Released by Regent Releasing/Here! Films. 
Youth in Revolt
Directed by Miguel Arteta.
Based on the novel by C.D. Payne. 16-year-old Nick Twisp (Michael Cera) lives with his mother, Estelle (Jean Smart) and her younger boyfriend, Jerry (Zach Galifianakis). He’s an awkward, shy teenager, still a virgin and hasn’t had a girlfriend yet. His mother sends him to a mobile home park during the summer to spend time with his divorced father, George (Steve Buscemi), who’s sleeping with a younger woman old enough to be his daughter. During his visit, Nick meets and falls in love with Sheeni Saunders (Portia Doubleday), a blond teenager who seduces him with her sexiness, charm and joie de vivre. She doesn’t appear to be into him as much as he’s into her, though, and still communicates with her ex-boyfriend, Trent (Jonathan Bradford Wright). Nick develops an alter ego named Francois Dillinger who dons a mustache and behaves much more confidently and rebelliously than Nick. With the help of his alter ego’s clever schemes, Nick finds a way for him and Sheeni to get together again, but, concurrently, he gets into trouble with the law and, essentially, becomes a fugitive. Ray Liotta plays a local police officer who happens to be a boyfriend of Nick’s mother. Unfortunately, screenwriter Gustin Nash fails to balance the comedic and dramatic aspects of the film deftly enough. The humor for the most part falls flat, although a few of the attempts at quirkiness and dark humor do generate some laughter, but not nearly enough to buoy thecontrived dramatic scenes. The interactions between Nick/Francois and Sheen have a tone and visual style that recalls Godard films from the French New Wave, i.e. Breathless, Band of Outsiders and La Chinoise, but Nash ruins the effect of the homage by having one of the character refer to Breathless directly, thereby insulting the audiences intelligence. On a positive note, It’s quite refreshing to watch Michael Cera show off his acting chops in the alter ego role of Francois Dillinger, unlike the typecast role of Nick which is quite reminiscent of Paulie Bleeker that he played in Juno. At a running time of 1 hour and 30 minutes, Youth in Revolt manages to be whimsical, mostly engaging and occasionally funny, but it’s too uneven, pretentious, and lacks genuine poignancy as a coming of age story.Number of times I checked my watch: 3 Released by The Weinstein Company.
New Releases for June 22nd, 2010
Green Zone
Directed by Paul Greengrass.
Based on the book by Rajiv Chandrasekaran. During the U.S. occupation of Baghdad in 2003, Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Matt Damon) leads a team of soldiers who go on a mission to search for weapons of mass destruction in the Iraqi desert. He and his team don’t find any of those weapons even though that U.S. intelligence claims that they exist there. Clark Poundstone (Greg Kinnear), a U.S. intelligence official, continues to insist that the weapons of mass destruction exist despite that Chief Miller questions the intelligence because all of the missions have been complete failures and, therefore, a waste of time and human casualties. Chief Miller wants to know the truth about the mysterious source named “Magellan” which, supposedly, provided the intelligence about WMD. He turns to Martin Brown (Brendan Gleeson), a CIA operative, and a reporter, Lawrie Dayne (Amy Ryan), to help him get closer to Magellan. The deeper he gets into the investigation, the more his life becomes in danger and he finds himself questioning the real purpose of the Iraq War as well as realizing that the government has been lying to him and to the American public. Screenwriter Brian Helgeland seems less concerned with delving into these provocative, important, timely political issues than in setting Chief Miller up for more action sequences. Helgeland offers very little in terms of intrigue and suspense because the path that Chief Miller follows to find and capture Magellan is very pedestrian and unsurprising. For example, how do you think Poundstone will react if he were to discover that Miller is about to reach Magellan’s whereabouts? Unfortunately, the rushed third act falls apart with a very contrived, oversimplified turn of events. Director Paul Greengrass, known for his previous films, Bloody Sunday, the Bourne series, and United 93, films too many scenes with very shaky camerawork if there were an earthquake during production. That shakiness not only creates nausea, but also a false sense of tension which should have come from the characters and screenplay instead. Interestingly, Green Zone shares the same director of photography with The Hurt Locker, a far more realistic and delicately crafted war film. At a running time of 1 hour and 55 minutes, Green Zone is an underwhelming war film that’s low on tension, surprises, cleverness and intrigue while high on nauseating camerawork and lazy oversimplifications. Number of times I checked my watch: 4 Released by Universal Pictures.
She’s Out of My League
Directed by Jim Field Smith.
Kirk (Jay Baruchel), a young, insecure man, works as a TSA employee, and hangs out with his bizarre group of friends, Devon (Nate Torrence), Stainer (T. J. Miller) and Jack (Mike Vogel). His ex-girlfriend, Marnie (Lindsay Sloane) refuses to take him back. One day, a sexy blonde woman, Molly (Alice Eve), shows up at the airport and accidentally leaves her cellphone behind at the checkpoint before boarding the plane. Molly meets up with Kirk to retrieve her cellphone from him at a party and, soon enough, the two begin dating even though he’s socially awkward, kindhearted, average-looking guy while she’s a blonde bombshell. Basically, he’s a 5 and she’s a 10, so he feels special that she’s paying attention to him in the first place. His mother (Debra Jo Rupp) and father (Adam LeFevre) seem ecstatic when he brings her home. Her parents, though, don’t quite warm up to him after an embarrassing first-meeting with them. Will Kirk find a way to boost his self esteem? Will Kirk and Molly’s relationship survive? What kind of flaws might Molly have? If Molly were truly smart, she wouldn’t take the relationship with him too seriously after seeing his crazy, obnoxious and rude family who initially assume she’s a prostitute. Co-writers/directors Sean Anders and John Morris don’t quite know how to milk this derivative premise for enough laughs to sustain the entire film. A truly great romantic comedy, i.e. When Harry Met Sally… or, more recently, 500 Days of Summer , should find the right balance between comedy and drama while avoiding contrived or corny situation. Most of the sight gags here, which include a bodily fluid scene that’s not nearly as funny as the similarly gross-out scene in There’s Something About Mary, are so obvious that they can be predicted from a mile away, so once they finally occur, you’ll find yourself rolling your eyes. Anders and Morris should have either taken more risks with the comedy because, after all, it has already earned its R-rating, or grounded its drama more into reality. The character of Kirk doesn’t really have enough memorable or interesting qualities to make him stand out as a character. Baruchel and Eve do bring some charm and charisma onscreen, but the most amusing, radiant and scene-stealing performance here belongs to Krysten Ritter who plays Molly’s best friend, Patty. At a running time of 1 hour and 44 minutes, She’s Out of My League is mildly amusing and charming, but often bland, tedious and not nearly as funny as it could have been with a gutsier and more imaginative screenplay. Number of times I checked my watch: 4 Released by Paramount Pictures. 
New Releases for June 29th, 2010
Antarctica
Directed by Yair Hochner.
In Hebrew with subtitles.Omer (Tomer Ilan), a Tel Aviv librarian about to turn 30, begins a relationship with Ronen (Guy Zo-Aretz), a journalist interviewing an author who claims to have been abducted by aliens that communicate with her. Danny (Yiftach Mizrahi), Omer’s ex-boyfriend who’s also dancer who has lots of sexual energy, still has feelings for Omer. Meanwhile, Omer’s lesbian sister, Shirley (Lucy Dubinchik), has fallen out of love with her older girlfriend (Liat Ekta) and would prefer to travel overseas alone. In yet another subplot, a young dance student hits on Danny. The screenplay by writer/director has some witty dialogue and interesting characters, but its dramatic tensions gradually wane because too many characters overstuff the convoluted plot which makes it messy and occasionally confusing. Any one of the subplots could have been fleshed out into a separate film, especially the subplot about the author abducted by aliens who takes Ronen and Danny to a meeting for alien abductees. Other scenes feel campy such as when actor Noam Huberman briefly shows up in drag as Danny’s mother, Shoshana. It would have been wiser had writer/director Yair Hochner not gyrated so often between so many genres and focused just on the film’s dramatic and romantic elements or at least taken the comedy further. On a positive note, he includes some stylish cinematography and imaginative editing, especially during the first 5 minutes where he effectively uses split screens during the raunchy sex scenes. Antarctica could have been more refreshing and engrossing with a more focused screenplay, but at least it manages to be mildly engaging to watch. Number of times I checked my watch: 3. Released by Regent Releasing/Here! Films.
The Crazies
Directed by Breck Eisner.
When a mysterious toxin contaminates the water in a small Kansas town, its townspeople start going crazy and killing everyone around them. The government sends soldiers in Hazmat suits to gather up everyone in the town and contain them. Some of the survivors include Sheriff Dutton (Timothy Olyphant), his wife, Dr. Judy Dutton, Becca Darling (Danielle Panabaker) and deputy sheriff Russell Clank (Joe Anderson), each of whom desperately struggles to stay alive by defending themselves from the “crazies.” They also have to avoid getting captures by the aggressive U.S. military which is responsible for accidentally releasing the deadly virus, a government bio-weapon, during a plane crash in the town. The screenplay by Scott Kosar and Ray Wright, based on the screenplay for the 1973 film by George A. Romero, takes a very simple and formulaic premise that treads similar ground as such films as 28 Days Later and Outbreak, but keeps the thrills and scares coming often enough to horror fans engaged. Anyone expecting character development or profound messages should look elsewhere because what unfolds here is nothing but pure action, chases and suspense without any distracting or contrived subplots. Admittedly, you’ll find a few silly and redundant lines of dialogue. Director Breck Eisner includes a little gore along the way, but not enough to make horror fans sick to their stomach---just when you think it’ll veer toward torture porn when a farmer goes crazy with a pitch fork, it shies away. Eisner does a great job of escalating the tension through the set design, lighting, musical score, sound effects and pacing that doesn’t allow you to catch a breath. A particularly inventive, memorable and suspenseful sequence takes place inside a car wash. At a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, The Crazies manages to be a slick, stylish and finely crafted albeit unsurprising horror film that delivers the requisite chills and thrills. Number of times I checked my watch: 2 Released by Overture Films.
Creation
Directed by Jon Amiel.
Based on the book Annie's Box by Randal Keynes. In the mid -19th Century, scientist Charles Darwin (Paul Bettany) still hasn’t gotten over the death of Annie (Martha West), who had died when she was only 10-years-old. Every since her death, Charles has essentially abandoned his faith in God while Emma (Jennifer Connelly) has remained devoted fervently to God. His mental health gradually deteriorates the more he fails to come to terms with Annie’s death and the more he spends time doing experiments and research for his new, controversial, groundbreaking book entitled The Origins of the Species. The book contains evidence of his theory of natural selection and the transmutation of the species, among other findings in the field of evolutionary biology. Reverend Innes (Jeremy Northam) and Emma both oppose Darwin’s writing of the book because it’s so subversive and refutes the existence of God. Darwin’s colleagues, Hooker (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Huxley (Toby Jones) stand by his side and encourage him on, though. Director Jon Amiel moves the pace along leisurely and includes exquisite cinematography. Unfortunately, screenwriter John Collee fails to bring Charles Darwin to life in an engaging and moving fashion. Paul Bettany does his best with the given material to sink his teeth into the role and does it with conviction, but he nonetheless remains at an emotional distance from the audience throughout. Jennifer Connelly has a few poignant scenes reminiscent of her performance in A Beautiful Mind where she also happened to play the wife of a genius-gone-mad. Collee should have spent less time dragging out the melodramatic subplot about the effects of Darwin’s deep depression on his wife because eventually it veers into soap opera territory and becomes tedious. Why not flesh out more of what made Darwin such an integral part of evolutionary biology and further examine the escalating tensions between him and the Church? That would have made the film much more compelling, provocative and illuminating. At a running time of 1 hour and 48 minutes, Creation has strong performances and exquisite cinematography, but feels too bland, maudlin and ultimately underwhelming. Number of times I checked my watch: 4 Released by Newmarket Films.
The Eclipse
Directed by Conor McPherson.
Michael Farr (Ciarán Hinds) lives with his two young kids (Eanna Hardwicke and Hannah Lynch) and still grieves over the death of his wife two years earlier. When he’s not writing supernatural fables, he works as a chauffeur for authors who must travel to the annual Literary Festival taking place in the Irish seaside town of Cobh. He meets Lena Morelle (Iben Hjejle), a London-based author of a book entitled The Eclipse, who might be able to help him figure why he’s seeing all sorts of strange apparitions because she had once seen a ghost back when she was 11-years-old. They both gradually get to know one another even while they’re haunted by their past. Lena tries to forget about an affair she had in the past with author novelist Nicholas Holden (Aidan Quinn), who’s now an alcoholic, aggressive man fighting demons of his own. Director/co-writer Conor McPherson deftly combines drama, romance, suspense and horror with just the right touch of brief comic relief that serves as a form of levity. At its core, though, the plot poignantly centers around the relationship between Michael and Lena as they both have to deal with a lot of baggage from their past that weighs down on them throughout their percolating romance. The ghosts that Michael sees can be taken literally or, more interestingly, metaphorically because they could signify that he’s haunted by his tragic past regarding his beloved wife’s death which he still hasn’t overcome. It’s also worth mentioning superb performances by the underrated Ciarán Hinds and Iben Hjejle, both of whom sink their teeth into their roles with ease. McPherson maintains a gently eerie mood that keeps you engaged at the edge of your seat as you’re wondering how everything will culminate precisely and whether or not Michael will be able to find a sense of tranquility because, after all, he’s a kind-hearted man who deserves to be happy. The scenery of Ireland becomes a character of its own that slightly adds to the foreboding, chilling atmosphere throughout. At a running time of 1 hour and 28 minutes, The Eclipse is an unconventionally tender, heartfelt, well-acted and intriguing ghost story that offers both style and substance. Number of times I checked my watch: 1 Released by Magnolia Pictures.
Everlasting Moments
Directed by Jan Troell.
In Swedish and Finnish with subtitles. During the early 1900’s, Maria Larsson (Maria Heiskanen) lives in Sweden her husband, Sigfrid (Mikael Persbrandt) and their seven children. Sigfrid works as a dockworker and often comes home drunk. He verbally and physically abuses her, yet she remains by his side because, after all, he’s the breadwinner of the family. As he continues to dominate her life and comes home during a dockworkers’ strike, she needs to get some sort of income for her family, so she tries to pawn a camera that she had won in a local lottery. The friendly camera store owner, Sebastian Pedersen (Jesper Christensen), convinces her to keep the camera to hone her skills at photography. Soon enough, she develops a passion for photography as well as a strong bond with Sebastian, who teaches her how to use the camera. Through his kindness and warmth, he represents the stability and tranquility that’s missing from her life. Her passion for photography allows her to briefly escape all her abusive husband. As you watch her going back home to him every time, you wonder how she’s able to gather the inner strength not to leave him. Maria Heiskanen delivers a profoundly moving performance that radiates with warmth, charisma and raw emotion as Maria, which helps you not only to care about her character, but to feel thoroughly immersed into the events that happen to her. The screenplay co-writer/director Jan Troel fleshes out the characters of Maria, Sebastian and Sigfrid in a way that brings them to life with all of their flaws and complexities without any contrived or awkward moments. Wisely, he doesn’t paint Sigfrid merely as a monster. There’s more time him than meets the eye and you can get a sense of why Maria might have fallen in love with him years ago. Have they fallen out of love now? Has Maria fallen in love with Sebastian? The answers to those questions aren’t quite as simple as they seem, which makes the film quite thought provoking. Moreover, Troel includes lush cinematography with muted colors that look beautiful in a very gentle, unpretentious way so as not to be distracting or to undermine the story itself. At a running time of 131 minutes, Everlasting Moments manages to be a profoundly moving, tender and engrossing drama filled with beautiful cinematography and stellar performances. Number of times I checked my watch: 1. Released by Criterion.
The White Ribbon
Directed by Michael Haneke.
In German with subtitles. In 1913, a year before World War I commences, a series of mysterious, tragic events plague Eichwald, a small, rural village in Germany. The village doctor (Rainer Bock) became seriously injured after falling down from his horse as it crossed a path that had a wire that caused it to trip. Who placed the wire there? What might be their motivation(s)? Adding to the mystery, no one can find the wire that supposedly was there. While the doctor recuperates in another village, Mrs. Wagner (Susanne Lothar), the midwife and mother of Karli (Eddy Grahl), takes care of his children, Anna (Roxane Duran) and younger brother, Rudolph (Miljan Chatelain). Klara (Maria-Victoria Dragus) and Martin (Leonard Proxauf), the children of the village’s Protestant pastor (Burghart Klaussner), offer to keep Anna and Rudolph company. A farmer’s wife dies after falls through the rotten floorboards of a sawmill belonging to the farmer’s boss, the Baron (Ulrich Tukur), and, soon enough, the blame is placed on the Baron for the “accident”. Someone beats up Baron’s son, Sigi (Fion Mutert), in retaliation for that event. In another subplot, the new local schoolteacher (Christian Friedel) courts Eva (Leonie Benesch), the 17-year-old nanny at the Baron’s estate. Writer/director Michael Haneke has woven a very intricate and elliptical mystery drama that, at times, feels psychologically horrifying because you never really know what kind of tragic event will occur next or who/whom should take the blame for that matter. He builds the tension very gradually and wisely doesn’t spoon-feed revealing information about the mystery to the audience. The tragic events themselves aren’t displayed onscreen, so there’s always more questions than answer. In turn, you’ll be questioning the true motive(s) of each character, even the seemingly innocent ones. Should you trust the narrator (voice of Ernst Jacobi), the older version of schoolteacher speaking to the audience from years later? Attentive audience members should pay close attention to the pastor’s dialogue, especially when he talks to his children about the loss of innocence and purity, enhancing the meaning of the film’s allegoric title. Each of the child actors gives a compelling performance which will make you forget that this actually marks their feature film debut. Haneke also leaves out a musical score and includes a lush, hauntingly beautiful black-and-white cinematography with so much visual richness that every scene could easily be paused, admired and studied as if it were a painting. At a running time of 2 hours and 24 minutes, The White Ribbon manages to be engrossing, suspenseful and quietly haunting with exquisite cinematography and meticulous attention to detail. Number of times I checked my watch: 0 Released by Sony Pictures Classics.
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