The Wolfpack

— An interesting documentary about six brothers and their sister, all raised in near-isolation in a Manhattan apartment. It’s a decent film, mostly because the brothers are articulate and likeable with a curious background. During their years of mostly isolation, feature films provided the bulk of their understanding of the outside world and they re-enacted scenes from favorites like “Batman” and “Reservoir Dogs”, providing the filmmaker with great visuals and an entry into how we perceive the “real” world. The problem with the film is that it doesn’t provide enough information. The filmmaker lucked out when she stumbled upon the pack of boys just as they’d started to push the boundaries set by their father and peek into the outside world, but while we’re given hints that their father’s motivation wasn’t solely to protect them, the filmmaker never seeks the answers we want, focusing instead on contrasts between life in the apartment and on the streets, between urban and rural settings, between fiction and reality… The film is worth seeing, but isn’t among the top documentaries I’ve seen this year.

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[2015. 80 min. Directed by Crystal Moselle. With Bhagavan Angulo, Govinda Angulo, Jagadisa Angulo, Krsna Angulo, Mukunda Angulo, and Narayana Angulo.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/24/movies/the-wolfpack-tells-of-one-new-york-apartment-with-seven-children-locked-inside.html

The Homesman

— Westerns may be a dying art form, but Tommy Lee Jones isn’t giving them up without a fight. This is a slow moving but beautiful story of a plain and bossy woman (Hilary Swank) joining forces with a grumpy opportunist (Jones) to transport three women, all driven crazy by the bleak isolation of pioneer life, across Nebraska to Iowa. It’s a long tale and sometimes the film (Netflix) seems to belabor the slow progress across the plains, and it seems a shame that the focus is as much on Jones’ character as on Swank’s, who is so competent and determined, hindered only by her gender. All the same, both Jones and Swank give great performances and, with smaller roles by the likes of James Spader, John Lithgow, and Meryl Streep, it’s definitely an interesting film.

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[2014. 122 min. Directed by Tommy Lee Jones. Starring Tommy Lee Jones and Hilary Swank.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/14/movies/the-homesman-stars-hilary-swank-and-tommy-lee-jones.html

The Rewrite

— Hugh Grant seems to be playing Hugh Grant, the loveable and goofy guy with a twinkle in his eye and a couple of women to provide conflict and force him to question his priorities and need for love. As romantic comedies go, this is just okay. Earlier Grant films are more fun so why bother with this one?

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[2014. 107 min. Written and directed by Marc Lawrence. Starring Hugh Grant, Marisa Tomei, J.K. Simmons, and Allison Janney.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-rewrite-2015

Love & Mercy

— Musician biopics are a varied bunch. “Love & Mercy” is more successful than many but still a little off kilter in places. It smartly focuses on two periods in Brian Wilson’s life, the exceptional songwriter/musician/producer at the peak of his game (think “Pet Sounds”) and the Brian Wilson about ten years later when a troubled childhood, drugs, and psychological problems had rendered him first reclusive and then under the spell of a Svengali therapist. The audience is drawn into Brian’s increasingly cacophonous life thanks to a skillful soundtrack but we also see Wilson from too many points of view so the film sometimes lacks focus or clarity. Paul Dano and John Cusack do acceptable jobs as the two Brians, but Elizabeth Banks is the standout playing older Brian’s new love interest with a subtlety and reserve no one else seems to exhibit. It’s a fascinating film whether you know much about the Beach Boys or not, but I did notice that most people in the audience probably knew the words to most of the songs. I usually prefer documentaries to biopics of rock stars, so I liked the documentary “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck” more, but “Love & Mercy” is still worth your while.

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[2014. 121 min. Directed by Bill Pohlad. Starring John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, and Paul Giamatti.]
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/08/love-and-mercy-review-brian-wilson-biopic

I’ll See You In My Dreams

— Blythe Danner just doesn’t do many film roles these days making her starring role in “I’ll See You In My Dreams” even better. The film itself is a softly poignant glimpse at a woman of a certain age coming to terms with the difficulties of fulfillment and companionship. It’s not as though the film is particularly original, but it is at least realistic and filled with the right mix of laughter and sadness. Its low budget made it feel more like a play than a film, which is fine when you have actors who can sustain that mode. It’s worth seeing to catch a glimpse of the elegant and competent Danner, as well as because it’s worth encouraging films with themes favoring people over 50 instead of under 25.

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[2015. 92 min. Directed by Brett Haley. Starring Blythe Danner, Martin Starr, Sam Elliott, Malin Akerman, June Squibb, Rhea Perlman, and Mary Kay Place.]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/still-learning-about-life-in-ill-see-you-in-my-dreams/2015/05/20/b422be76-fa6d-11e4-9ef4-1bb7ce3b3fb7_story.html

A Face In the Crowd

— Excellent collaboration between Elia Kazan and writer Budd Schulberg. In 1957 it must have been a glimpse as what might become, but from today’s perspective it’s a look at what is—the intermingling of politics and business thanks to the power of television. A young Andy Griffith does a good job as the unknown whose backwoods television persona helps him rise to power, eventually able to sell snake oil or senators with equal ease. (DVD)

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[1957. 126 min. Directed by Elia Kazan. Starring Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, Anthony Franciosa, Walter Matthau, and Lee Remick.]
http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-02-26/film/famous-for-being-famous/full/