BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD

BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD... IRISH TOAST OR RUTHLESS FAMILY FUN?! DISCUSS...
It seems as if dysfunctional families are more the norm than the rule. In a story written so tightly, shaving inches off the reels of film and mastering such a precise plot, we dive into two a story about two brothers. Andy (Philip Seymour-Hoffman, certainly busy these days) and Hank (Ethan Hawke) are perhaps equally doomed. Andy is married to Gina (Marisa Tomei, who has fully come into her acting prime) and slowly we are sent back in time. With each trip, the details about the brothers, their lives and the whole plot unfolds and comes into focus. As the layers are revealed bit by bit, the story gets more and more repulsive. Andy is an arrogant prick who has a nasty cocaine habit in addition to his many lackluster qualities. Hank is not the sharpest tack in the box. It is he who provides a moral compass of sorts, but his pace falls behind his brother's smarmy actions. Again, we are shown the results of traumatic childhoods, real or perceived. The lines blur, because it isn't black or white. There is a lot of gray and adults need to be accountable for their own lives and let go of the past or they may end up a plot line for some writer's dramatic script. So well written and driven by the characters, this cast and the script are all brilliant and clever. Films like these are a testament to how truly violent and scary the world is now. The unthinkable is served to us with the nightly news on our TV trays. Did somebody say Menendez?
PICK: Outstanding script, sharp, clear characters and a very well laid out plot.

THE SAVAGES

THE SAVAGES TYPICAL DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY

"Maybe dad didn't abandon us. Maybe he just forgot who we were."

There are some things that we accept as part of life and others that we didn't even consider. We are born. We have a mother and a father (or two mothers or two fathers...) and someday we will die. What happens from A to Z is that we realize two important things. One is that we aren't teenagers anymore (more obvious in body than spirit) and two is that our parents, whether good or bad, have done their best (which may not feel like the best, but it is theirs) to help us reach a point when the roles reverse. This is payback to our parents for making it through our adolescence. Siblings, Jon and Wendy Savage (Philip Seymour-Hoffman and Laura Linney) have been estranged from their father for a length of time when the receive the call that their father's girlfriend has died and now he needs assistance. In this very clever and well crafted film, we get to know these characters. They have flaws, but they aren't evil. They are human. It becomes obvious how this circle keeps spinning round. By the rules of nature we keep swearing that we won't repeat our parent's "mistakes", but we do anyway. The Savages show a realistic portrayal of a family, that like many others, was traumatic and that trauma breeds into adult life "issues"... which is why we have therapists. This movie has heart and insight into one of the most important lessons. We are all flawed. Superior acting, seamless path between reality and fiction; a movie to watch twice.

PICK: Flawless acting provides us with realistic family drama. Well done.

CLOVERFIELD

CLOVERFIELD... MAKE SURE THE DRAMAMINE IS NEAR
Long ago and far away, I can recall Saturday afternoons spent with my brother watching Godzilla movies and drinking Dr. Pepper. Cloverfield is the new version of Godzilla. The film begins at a loft in Manhattan, full of 20-something beautiful and fabulous people. Everything is going well and then the lights go out and the ground moves. When the lights come back on, they watch the news, assuming it was an earthquake, and see that "something" is wrong in Manhattan... really wrong. So the movie is about who lives and who dies (and how they die) and just when you think it's over... "Hud: Okay, just to be clear here, our options are: die here, die in the tunnels, or die in the streets. That pretty much it? Rob: Yeah... that's pretty much it". This isn't a movie I would normally rent, but all the "blood/country" still in my system and I wanted something different. Overall, I was pretty impressed with Cloverfield. No big named stars, but it was easy to forget they were actors. One guy brought a camera with them as they fled and most of this is seen through his eyes/the camera lens. That was what I hated about the Blair Witch Project. It was hard to follow all the bumpy camera work without feel nauseated. This film has some very realistic scenes (I felt a flash of the WTC attack) just as many unbelievable scenes. It was just the right mix to make each cancel the other out. The worst feeling isn't the fear, but the dread; running from an invisible, but still very big, bad enemy; literally fighting for your life. Cloverfield, by the way, originally was a working name for the movie, but comes from the boulevard that the production offices were located on in Santa Monica during this shoot.
PICK: Entertaining and scary without being overly gruesome or bloody. Not for children!

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL A PERFECT MATCH
The world can be a lonely and terrifyingly lonely place when you are both alone and lonely. This is an original film about how one town joined together to make the world a little less lonely for one man. Lars (Ryan Gosling) is a painfully lonely man. He is socially awkward and very quiet; Until one day, he gets the best present ever. Her name is Bianca, half Brazilian and half Danish and the effect she has on him transforms him from recluse to bright and self-assured. Oh, a more more thing... she comes from a box. No, seriously. The difference between Lars and maybe every other man searching the site, is that all Lars wants is companionship. He's far too withdrawn into his own world that is takes a woman who can listen. But she does more than that. His brother (Paul Schnider) and wife (Emily Mortimer) who begs Lars to join them for breakfast, dinner, coffee, water?? get Lars to see the doctor, Dagmar (Patricia Clarkson) who diagnoses Bianca with "low blood pressure" and thus has to "treat" her (while attempting to look into his mind) regularly. After the initial shock, people begin (as requested by the doctor) to treat Bianca as a real person, while also showing support for Lars and whatever he's mixed up about. In his words, via Bianca, "All she wants is to be treated normal." He wrestles with reality as he argues with Bianca. It's safer. Soon Bianca has a social schedule that rivals Lars. The town really rallies together and piece by piece, the gap gets wider between Bianca and him. The conclusion of this film is sweet and heart touching. What's more touching is how the way this whole town reaches out for Lars, instead of making him an outcast, is genuine and sweet. This is a movie about what happens when someone is treated with compassion and care, despite the situation. Why can't we all remember to do this? (and yes, there is an actual 'Real Doll" site)
PICK: An original and odd premise to show the most simple kind of love. Well done.

JUNO

JUNO... THE LITTLEST INDIE THAT COULD
"You should've gone to China, you know, 'cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events."

Unless you have been hiding out under a rock since December, you have already either heard about or have seen Juno. It was nominated for a million categories the standouts being their many Oscar nominations including Ellen Page (Juno) who was nominated for best actress and Oscar winner Diablo Cody for best screenplay. In a year where most all the nominated films were literally bloodbaths, this was the fresh breeze, a lifeboat to save the movie goer drowning in blood and violence. Not since the After School Specials or just about anything on the Lifetime channel has a movie been made about a teen facing pregnancy, nevertheless a funny one. Juno is a true character, richly written and delightfully portrayed. She has a keenly developed level both maturity and immaturity, which I think is part of the human condition, however her spin is unique. Loved her brief and hilarious interaction with Rainn Wilson (Dwight from NBC's The Office). When I was much younger we used the term "home fry" and at the time it seemed cool. Who knew? The cast on the whole has clearly developed characters, who supported Juno, each holding their own as an integral part of the story. The best part of this film was how it found itself rising from the indie cinemas (The Grand Cinema) into the more mainstream theaters as the buzz grew louder. Who would have guessed that a bright and funny film could cheer up so many in the 2007 "blizzard of blood".
PICK: Very clever, well written and refreshingly delivered. A VERY big pick!!!

THERE WILL BE BLOOD

THERE WILL BE BLOOD IS BOLDLY COLD BLOODED
"I don't want to talk about those things. I see the worst in people. I don't need to look past seeing them to get all I need. I've built my hatreds up over the years, little by little, Henry... to have you here gives me a second breath. I can't keep doing this on my own with these... people. [laughs]"

This was a Daniel Day-Lewis movie, without even the slightest doubt. When a grown man can say "I take your milkshake" and make it sound threatening, that's some serious acting, because milkshakes are inherently good. I won't go into elements of the story as it was a long film and sometimes pretty slow. The plot was not the focus, however. It was Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview, a self-made oil tycoon. The first time we meet him he is well spoken, confident even a bit arrogant. Then one by one, each worst than the one before, Plainview is a very bad man. He lies, he steals, he does the unthinkable in his quest to gain control of the oil rich area and the pipeline it could link to. It works. But at what price? This is a story about a very very bad man and his ability to pull the same from people who are seen as good. He is ruthless, driven and greedy; and those are some of his better traits! Across the board Day-Lewis swept the awards season. He is hardly recognisable and every gesture, every move, right down to his little finger stays in character. This was an intense and bold movie based on an (Upton Sinclair novel (Oil!) brought to us by Paul Thomas Anderson, known for, among others: Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, and Boogie Nights. This film was dirt, greasy, dirty and confusing. (Confusing, please elaborate)... it was confusing because it is hard to fathom the increasingly rotten things this character says or does. Did I mention that this man was terrible??? Worth the time, but don't touch the milkshake.

PICK: This film takes us to another world and introduces us to a man who demands blood.

RESERVATION ROAD

RESERVATION ROAD A HEART BREAKING JOURNEY
One night, 2 fathers, 3 children... 1 fatality... what would you do?
How does one night change two families forever? Ethan and Grace Lerner (Joaquin Phoenix and Jennifer Connelly) are a typically happy married couple. They have two beautiful children Josh and Emma (Sean Curner and Elle Fanning). {Critic's note: I'm sure glad we keep getting replacement Fanning children just as Dakota is now a teen. I hope they stay happy and keep on procreating!} They stop at a gas station (Critic's note: STOP going to the gas station after dark ie: Death Sentence). At the same time, Dwight Arno (Mark Ruffalo) and his son are headed back from a baseball game. His family is not so happy. He lives to see his son Lucas (Eddie Alderson) per the custody arrangement. He is a doting father and is a bit of a hero in his child's eyes. The place their lives intersect is on RESERVATION ROAD. What comes next is the same event, told by each side in their own perspective. There are no "bad guys" or "good guys" there are humans who are grieving and in pain where the good and the bad line turns into gray. Performances were outstanding. Phoneix and Connelly show powerful gut-wrenching drama so well that it comes out from the TV and actually knocks the breath out of you. At first I thought Ruffalo was going to be a toss-away character, but alas, he really showed up for this role and did a supreme job. What threw me was Mira Sorvino, as Ruffalo's former wife. I didn't even recognise her until the end of the film. Her part isn't overly large, but that's something when you don't even know who a well known actor is. A story about the universal human condition. Well done.
PICK: Hands down, powerful performances, a lesson on grief, guilt and revenge.

WALK HARD

WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY...TOO HARD
For the record, I love John C. Reilly and think he is one of the most underrated actors today. The concept of this movie is great because of the many stories about the music business and the tortured souls who work until death or overdose, or suicide, or rehab... Jim Morrison, Ray Charles, Janis Joplin, Johnny Cash (Walk the Line-duh). Walk the Line is the movie that has the most focus in this film. For a while, it's funny and as it goes on then it is okay and by the end I thought, hmmm. I don't think it was John C. Reilly's performance in the film. There were several hilarious scenes and it was cute to see how they stole the Walk the Line material and twisted it just a little. That being said, it was too long and we got the joke (watch for Tim Meadows as he "tempts" Dewey). The idea was funny but the script really needed to be tight. It was too easy to see the punch line at the end of the joke. If you like those sorts of movies and/or John C. Reilly, then you will get a laugh or two, but don't hold your breath for much more. Did you think I would let this title just pass!?
RELUCTANT PICK: Only because I love John C. Reilly and the genre.

THE HUNTING PARTY

THE HUNTING PARTY WELL WORTH CRASHING

"Only the most ridiculous parts of this movie are true" with that introduction (and be sure to see the ending/credits where the movie follows its provocative "welcome to this film"). This is a movie about the people who we depend on for clear and correct information. Sure, the government issues statements and has press conferences, but how do we really know what is real and what is ridiculous? "Putting your life in danger is actually living.... the rest is television." Meet Simon (Richard Gere) who is a weary man. After watching terrible acts of war during his time as a journalist, he gets too close to his story and basically lost it on live network TV. Then he faded away. Cast away once Simon's partner ins crime, he has been making his way up in the network Duck (Terrence Howard) a definitely much cushier job. Five years after the Bosnian war, Simon cleverly "runs into" Duck. He is given the opportunity of a lifetime and knowing how he works well with Simon, he hesitantly agrees. This movie cries out "gonzo journalism". Both Gere and Howard have been seen in much calmer roles, but they really bring it in this one. There is chaos everywhere yet we clearly see the bond between the men. In the middle of a hostile situation there are jokes and sarcasm and surprises. On their excursion there are some bumps in the road and we are reminded of how very real life and death are when you are not sleeping snugly in you bed in the good ole USA. This was a really good movie. There are turns and twists and a few left hooks at the CIA. Their adventure was incredible as was this film.

PICK: Who wouldn't want to watch Gere and Howard for 101 minutes? Fascinating story!

THE MUSIC WITHIN

THE MUSIC WITHIN A BIT OFF KEY
This is the fantastic story of a man, Richard Pimentel (Ron Livingston) who after returning from Vietnam with a severe hearing problem, slowly finds his passion to help other Vets with getting employment and eventually legal status. This story and his work are the birth of the American Disabilities Act. There was actually an "ugly law" whereas those with significant impairment could be "asked" to leave when all the really wanted was pancakes. What I found to be so incredible about this film was Richard's friend, Art (Michael Sheen). I thought they had cast a real actor who has Cerebral Palsy, but no, it was an amazing transformation. Although the movie deals with very dramatic and serious issues, there is also just a bit of wit and sarcasm. The real-life story of the man who went through all these barriers and educated everyone about disabilities is awesome. There is more information about him on the DVD, special features. Something got lost in translation. The story is amazing. Sheen was amazing. Livingston had some strong scenes but was bland else wise. I just didn't feel a connection with the main character. The story lagged and I felt it could be edited down into a neat half an hour after school special. It wasn't a terrible movie, but feels more like a docudrama than an inspirational story of the ultimate triumph of the human spirit.
NOT quite a pick: I wanted to like this movie, but the real story overshadows the film

ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES

ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES AN UNUSUAL COMBINATION
What an unbelievably odd film John Turturro has brought to us. Literally, as it finished production back in 2005, but due to studio politics, Turturro chose to use his own money to distribute it here. I think that movies go through trends just like other media. It appears that the year 2007 was the year for off-beat musicals. If others were "off-beat" than this movie jumped the tracks and kept on running. Nick (James Gandolfini) will probably remembered best with his work on the Sopranos. Who better to play a crude and unpolished unhappily married man that he? His wife, Kitty (Susan Sarandon) delivers an unexpectedly range of character; from softness to nag. So, with him unhappy wedlock, he does what any man does, he has an affair. Her name is Tula (Kate Winslett) and to date, I have not seen her in a more slutty, raw and crass character. She was totally unrecognisable during the first few scenes of the movie as we only see her in the shadows, dancing. The whole movie is like that. Strange and unexpected. It does not take itself too seriously or over the top, like it could have easily been. The song and dance numbers are engaging. To see the policemen pirouette, the pregnant women in step using their bellies as props... so bizarre and surreal. Parts of the script even comes from song lyrics. There are so many outstanding performances, even those in short cameos that constantly keep you drawn to the film. Christopher Walkin is Bo, Kitty's cousin who helps her deal with the whore who has been seeing her husband. It is truly full of excellence and just plain craziness. Some of the musical numbers didn't fit well into a scene, but the others outweighed the difference. There is serious drama in the film as much as the serious absurdity. Some were randy and crude and some touching and insightful. Well worth a peak.

PICK: What a bizarre and engaging film/musical and a powerful cast of characters is delightful.

THE GOOD NIGHT

THE GOOD NIGHT WAS INDEED GOOD

"Sometimes I wish that you could just hit the sack and never wake up. If your favorite song never ended, or your best book never closed, if the emotions mustered from these things would just go on and on, who wouldn't want to stay asleep? The guy who discovers that perpetual dream, he's my man."

This is the theory taught by Jack-of-all-trades, Mel (Danny Devito) who teaches a 'class' in lucid dreaming at the community center. That is the movie, in a nutshell. Gary (Martin Freedman) is the epitome of the walking dead. He is a musician at heart, once a pop star, who is forced to dampen his creative spirit for the bill-paying world of commercial jingles. Gwyneth Paltrow is Dora, Gary's girlfriend but is is neither a girl or a friend. She could dampen the room by merely walking in to it. She is draining the life force from Gary one day at a time. The only one with genuine heart is seemingly Gary, but it is sad and lays dying in his chest like dead weight. Until one day... or should I say night, Gary meets a beautiful woman, Anna (Penelope Cruise). She is alluring, mesmerizing and above all, she likes him; perhaps adores him. It's like she was waiting for Gary to fall asleep so he could join her in this blissful dream world. Then he wakes up. He goes on a quest of sorts to figure out how to use lucid dreaming to spend as much time as possible with this woman, enter Mel (Danny DeVito). This film is lovely. In the same vein of Vanilla Sky (also with Penelope Cruise) the lines between real world and dream world are blurred.We are brought to a climax with the conventional ending, fooled intentionally and then like real life, BAM... I rarely flinch or gasp aloud, even with scary movies. This ending hits the audience upside the face and we never saw it comin'. Obviously I won't get into details. This movie is a lovely look at the human spirit and how basic our needs can be. It is a creative and well thought out original film. The characters are fresh and dynamic, but above all else, real.

PICK: Interesting look at the reality of relationships as well as the reality with ourselves.

WRIST CUTTERS

WRISTCUTTERS DARK EXISTENTIAL LOVE STORY
Welcome to the land of the dead, or more precisely, the land of those who have killed themselves. Needless to say this is a very dark comedy. It is an "indie" film and the cast is mildly recognisable. Patrick Fugit (Who was great in Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous) played the lead role of Zia. The lead actress, beautiful Shannyn Sossamon as Mikal coincidentally played a character from the bland film, Rules of Attraction, who suicides in perhaps the most graphic of suicide scenes. There is potential here for a great expressive film but it is just one one razor blade short of a pack of razor blades. It tries to address the theories on life after death, but it's almost too deep for its own good. When I thought I understood the symbolism and meaning of the plot and characters I was turned upside down and then everything looked pretty silly. It was an interesting story but after a while of not finding a traceable plot, I lost interest.
NOT a pick: Interesting but also tiresome. I might see it again for a dollar.

SOUTHLAND TALES

SOUTHLAND TALES FANTASTIC ROMP THROUGH THE UNIVERSE

"I am a pimp, and pimps do not commit suicide." From this moment on, I will be a Dwayne Johnson (Boxer Santos) fan. He was able to pull off that campy stylized balance of intended sarcastic humor and not-so-serious-seriousness. This was a mind bending, stylized campy excursion into the future where nothing is what anyone could predict. What a fantastic romp in the park this was. To attempt to explain the plot I would face too difficult a task. Basically, it is about "this is the way the world ends" and politics, government, eco-terrorism, cyberspace, and porn stars to say the very least. The cast (Sarah Micheller Geller, Justin Timberlake, Jon Lovitz, Sean William Scott, Mandy Moore, and a huge handful of current and former SNL cast) could not be more star studded than this one which surprisingly went to DVD way too quick. It is different, dizzying and compelling all at once. The characters are fabulous and larger than life but something about it just makes you more and more drawn in. If I were to enjoy a guilty pleasure, this would be it. You either really like it or really hate it. I really enjoyed this movie. http://southlandtales.com/

PICK: This film was fun and fabulous. Keep an open mind and hold on.