Nebraska

—“Nebraska” is one of those slightly quirky, somewhat sentimental, wonderful films that begins in the unspoken realm of family interactions and slowly reels you into the narrative. It’s part road trip, part family drama, and part glimpse at small town life. Many of the images are stunning, showing the landscape in black and white while the script blurs most of the edges. The film depicts the heartland I know, and is not one of those smart, urban, coastal films inhabited by people stepping out of the fashion pages and heading toward their next shrink appointment. There are some very funny moments and times when things are a bit wistful, maybe even melancholic, but it holds together as a single tale and is well worth seeing. By the end, a son has a better understanding of his father’s past and of the paths taken, regretted, and forgotten over time. Both Bruce Dern and Ruth Squibb’s performances are superb and Alexander Payne’s deliberate direction is spot on.

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[2013. 115 min. Directed by Alexander Payne. Starring Bruce Dern, Will Forte, and June Squibb.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/15/movies/nebraska-directed-by-alexander-payne-stars-bruce-dern.html?_r=1&

American Hustle

—“American Hustle” is alarmingly complex and very successful. An A-list cast and a remarkable script combine to raise lots of questions about the gray areas of life and the need to feel valued and loved. In the film, everyone’s working an angle, there’s a little deception in every act, and everyone’s trying to get ahead. The world is inhabited by con artists and corrupt or manipulative characters who are also endearing, sympathetic, and a little like us all. Ends and means and ethics often take a back seat to matters of survival. This is an A-list film and director David O. Russell and his cast (Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence) deserve kudos.

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[2013. 138 min. Directed by David O. Russell. Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence, and Louis C.K.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie/american-hustle/review/660832

Out of the Furnace

— I usually like dark films and “Out of the Furnace” is dark, but it is only a so-so film. A few scenes reminded me “Winter’s Bone” and “Mystic River” and I wish “Furnace” could have been in their league. Christian Bale does an admirable, understated job as the working class guy whose life is out of control, and Woody Harrelson is perfect as a meth-dealing, fight-club-organizing, killing hillbilly. In fact, as I think about it, Casey Affleck, Willem Dafoe, Forrest Whitaker, and Sam Shepard all do a fine job too, but somehow all the characters add up to more gritty reality than anyone needs. The film heaps dirt and drugs and illness, upon rejection and tragedy and death, over and over again, until things couldn’t get much more sad and bleak.

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[2013. 116 min. Directed by Scott Cooper. Starring Christain Bale, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana and Woody Harrelson.]
http://news.moviefone.com/2013/12/05/out-of-the-furnace-review/

The Book Thief

— “The Book Thief” is nicely crafted and fairly well acted, but it seems a little more like a made-for-TV movie than a theatrical release. It’s a bit too sentimental and seems to exist outside of historical context. The horror is relegated to a heightened fear in the neighborhood, a quick scene of Jews being led to a concentration camp, and a bombing or two. Somehow the children, while professing a hatred of Hitler, still seem innocent enough. In fact, there’s something naïve about the whole thing, and you’d think that would be hard to do when you have Death narrating. Remember, this is based on a young adult novel, so it isn’t surprising that there is a great deal of compassion and hope and morality in the story, even if the focus is a bit narrow.

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[2013. 131 min. Directed by Peter BergBrian Percival. Starring Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush, and Emily Watson.]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/book-thief-movie-review/2013/11/13/ea0f896a-47db-11e3-a196-3544a03c2351_story.html

Philomena

— In many ways, “Philomena” is a smaller film than its current theatrical competition, but its clever script, expert direction, and Judi Dench’s tour de force performance leave it more than able to compete. True, the target demographic, based on the audience when I saw the film, appears to be over-60ish white women, it is still a film worth seeing. For those who were raised Catholic, we’re reminded of the role Catholic guilt and forgiveness played in our lives and the ambiguous nature of sin, particularly as it was served up sixty years ago. Mostly, I suppose, the film has more to say about nothing being black and white, and about forgiveness and acceptance over time. Thanks Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, and Stephen Frears.

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[2013. 98 min. Directed by Stephen Frears. Starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan.]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/philomena-movie-review-judi-dench-shines-in-this-alternately-funny-wrenching-drama/2013/11/26/6a11f5f4-56db-11e3-835d-e7173847c7cc_story.html