Marguerite

— A fascinating film inspired by the life of Florence Foster Jenkins, a wealthy American opera singer who sang for private audiences for three decades before giving a public concert at Carnegie Hall and receiving blistering reviews. (She died not long afterwards and Meryl Streep is playing her in a soon-to-be-released biopic directed by Stephen Frears.) In “Marguerite”, Catherine Frot perfectly plays Marguerite Dumont, a tone deaf French baroness with too much money who fancies herself to be an opera singer. She hosts invitation-only concerts at her estate and her guests all rave about her talent even though her screeching is obvious. Her husband and butler “protect” her from the truth while the servants put cotton balls in their ears whenever she's singing. It sounds like a set-up for a farce and, although there is some comedy in it, Frot’s Marguerite is so fragile and tender that you feel concern, not humor in the situation. Instead of being vaudevillian, the film considers when politeness becomes patronization, when encouragement become manipulation, whether art is in the eyes of the artist or the audience, in the power of music and of love, in the need for dreams and the effect of dreams fulfilled and dreams shattered. It’s also a gorgeous film, but perhaps in need of a bit more editing and it should have stopped about fifteen minutes earlier. That aside, Catherine Frot is incredible in the title role.

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[2015. 129 min. Written and directed by Xavier Giannoli. Starring Catherine Frot, Denis Mpunga, Andre Marcon, and Michael Fau.]
http://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/marguerite-venice-telluride-film-review-1201581323/

Mississippi Grind

— Who would have thought we needed another gambler flick, but this easy moving road trip and buddy film (DVD) is worthwhile thanks to Ben Mendelsohn’s still hopeful but slightly desperate appeal and Ryan Reynolds’ rakish charm. It moves along at a leisurely pace from the Midwest to the delta as the divorced and debt-ridden addict and his new, younger, and seemingly carefree friend form a bond and work on their own issues. While there’s something very appealing about the film, it’s not quite on a par with “The Hustler”, “California Split”, “The Cooler”, “Casino”, “Rounders”, and “The Sting”.

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[2015, 118 min., Written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Starring Ben Mendelsohn, Ryan Reynolds, and Yvonne Landry.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/05/magazine/the-perfect-predictability-of-gambling-movies.html

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

— Ben Affleck’s not a bad Batman but who wouldn’t look good next to Henry Cavill’s two-dimensional Superman? These two, with their anxiety and mother issues, need to be in counseling, not onscreen for 150 minutes killing and maiming for some greater good. Zack Snyder seems to enjoy poking around in the dark recesses of both heroes minds but this is just tiresome and no amount of action or angst or CGI can lift it up. Other than Cavil and an irritating Eisenberg, there’s a competent cast who could have made it entertaining if they’d only had more to do than worry about power and corruption, and the differences between gods and men. Gone is the sharp repartee that makes many of Marvel’s features so much fun. Mostly missing is any tender interaction—Cavill doesn’t have the acting chops to pull off much emotion and Affleck’s Batman is a bully through most of the film. Even the music is wearisome. No one has any fun at any time in this film, including the audience. Go see “Deadpool” instead or rent "Guardians of the Galaxy".

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[2016. 151 min., Directed Zack Snyder. Starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavil, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Iron, Holly Hunter, and Gal Gadot.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/25/movies/review-batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-when-super-friends-fight.html

Mustang

— A troubling tale of empowerment about five spirited sisters that opens at the end of the Turkish school term with the girls horsing around with some of their male classmates by the beach. The world seems light and fun until their innocent games are reported to their uncle as sexually charged and shaming the family. They’re sent to a doctor to make sure they’re still virginal, then locked in their house without access to phones or computers or other “instruments of corruption”. As they try to marry off one of the girls, she balks and manages to marry a boy she loves and with who she’s been having a clandestine relationship, but the other sisters won’t have a choice. They are given lessons to make them good wives, preparing them to be married off. Suitors arrive, not for the girls to consider, but for their uncle to select. The younger sisters have no desire to suffer their fate, but they are virtual prisoners in their barred home and their male-dominated, religious heritage. There’s a calm touch to the direction that almost makes what’s happening more disturbing since it’s entirely told from the girls’ point of view. In the end, only the youngest daughter is able to escape, leaving viewers to see a long road ahead before the situation will change for other women.

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[2015. 97 min. Directed by Deniz Gamze Erguven. Starring Gunes Sensoy, Doga Zeynep Doguslu, and Tugba Sunguroglu.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/20/movies/review-in-mustang-turkish-sisters-and-traditions-clash.html

99 Homes

— An excellent and intimate look at the fallout of the 2008 subprime mortgage meltdown, focusing on the personal struggle one man who, trying to help his family and get his feet back on solid ground, goes to work for the same man who turned him out of his own home. The ethical quandary he faces and the cost of his success are subtly revealed. It leaves you feeling helpless and witnessing the effects of a system out of control. While this film and “The Big Short” both deal with the same general subject, “99 Homes” operates on a smaller and more intimate scale. In many ways, it touches the heart while “The Big Short” pushes the anger button. Both are films that should be seen. [DVD]

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[2014. 112 min. Directed by Ramin Bahrani. Starring Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, and Laura Dern.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/movies/in-99-homes-a-man-buffeted-and-then-manipulated-in-floridas-foreclosure-disaster.html

Infinitely Polar Bear

— An tender look at a 1970’s family consisting of a manic-depressive, Boston blue-blood father, his black wife, and their two daughters. The film [DVD] has a slice-of-life feeling to it, as though we’ve been made privy to the family’s struggles and joys. Stories of families in crisis often have a darker feel to them, but this film seems purposely colorful with reds and blues and yellows everywhere. There’s no denying Mark Ruffalo’s talent and his bipolar ups and downs are filled with tenderness and exuberance, but it seems as though we see a good deal more of his manic side injected for likability and wackiness, than his depressive side, emphasizing a cutesiness that’s seems injected in an effort to make the film more appealing to general audiences. Cutesiness aside, it’s a good film (DVD) with a good cast, particularly Ruffalo.

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[2015. 90 min. Directed by Maya Forbes. Starring Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Imogene Wolodarsky, and Ashley Aufderheide.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/infinitely-polar-bear-2015/

Tickled

— A mention of “competitive endurance tickling” on a social media site begins an investigative journey that seems more like a "mockumentary" than a documentary. Journalist David Farrier and his colleague Dylan Reeve try to ferret out the person responsible for auditioning athletic young men to be participants in fetish films and then setting up websites and distributing the videos, embarrassing the participants, threatening them, and damaging their reputations and futures. They uncover deep pockets and fake names, progressing along a shadowy path but ultimately identifying the wealthy man responsible. Along the way they are subjected to personal and legal threats at every turn and, with the release of the film, legal action continues. This is an oddly weird and fascinating film about not so much a fetish industry as a bully, with just enough humor and intrigue to make it fun to watch. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2016.)

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[2016. 92 min. Directed by David Farrier and Dylan Reeve. Featuring David Farrier, Hal Karp, Dylan Reeve, and David Starr.]
http://variety.com/2016/film/markets-festivals/tickled-review-1201685765/

Those Who Jump
(Les Sauteurs)

— A Malian refugee living with about 1,000 more men on Mount Gurugu, is given a camera to document his time at the camp trying to scale the border fence, escape then border guards and enter Spain. At times the footage is a little rough but it’s a small price to pay for the personal and up-close look provided as migrants document their own story. Not only is the resulting film riveting, it’s interesting to see a film where the original two directors gave up so much responsibility for what was recorded. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2016.)

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[2016. 100 min., Directed by Abou Sidibe, Moritz Siebert, and Estephan Wagner.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/who-jump-les-sauteurs-berlin-866147

Presenting Princess Shaw

— It’s easy to smile at this portrait of a musical underdog who puts her songs and personal diary entries on YouTube for the masses. She sings at clubs to nearly empty rooms and goes about her life hoping to be discovered and loved. Meanwhile, Israeli musician Kutiman sees one of her a cappella videos and, unbeknownst to her, adds instruments and puts the resulting mash-up back out there. Princess Shaw becomes a YouTube phenomenon! Lucky for the documentary, Princess Shaw is also a charming, good-hearted, warm and vivacious subject and the film is completely enjoyable. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2016.)

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[2015. 100 min. Written and directed by Ido Haar. Featuring Princess Shaw, Ophir Kutiel, and Smantha Montgomery.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/you-princess-tiff-review-824403

Author: The JT LeRoy Story

— The weird story of a “gender fluid” author, JT LeRoy, whose troubled past and praised novels brought fame, acceptance, and celebrity friends until the world found out LeRoy was really a Brooklyn mother named Laura Albert who’d been posing as LeRoy’s manager. The method used to tell the story makes it more interesting now than I suspect it was when the truth came out in 2005. Albert becomes the narrator supported by taped phone conversations with various people who were part of her story (most notably Courtney Love), still photos, video, and pen-and-ink drawings. What emerges is a patchwork quilt of Albert’s life and stakes in one of the oddest literary hoaxes of the century. I thought the film was great fun but it was obvious some of the audience weren't quite as taken by it's quirky subject matter. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2016.)

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[2016, 110 min., Written and directed by Jeff Feuerzeig. With Laura Albert, Bruce Benderson, and Dennis Cooper.]
http://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/author-the-jt-leroy-story-review-sundance-1201687541/

Between Sisters

— A subtle and intimate look at two sisters: Teresa, 89, whose health is failing, and Ornella, 68, who spends much of each day helping her older sister. Viewers witness the day-to-day interactions, sometimes strained and sometimes loving. Teresa is moody and often unhappy, refusing to discuss death or much about the past. Ornelia wants to know more about their family’s history and pushes Teresa for information. What emerges is a sensitive look at siblings, aging, and the secrets we all hold. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2016.)

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[2016. 75 min. Directed by Manu Gerosa.]
http://www.voxmagazine.com/arts/movies/between-sisters-offers-the-pain-and-love-of-family/article_fafe27ee-dbe6-11e5-a7ed-47eaac2d8081.html

The Bad Kids

— A good look at kids on a downward path and a high school with teachers and administrators who care. Each student has their own set of problems and circumstances and Black Rock High School is the last chance for them to stay within the educational system. It’s hard not to feel their pain or rejoice over their successes, and the film does provide hope that some, perhaps many, can succeed. It adopts a cinema verite look in the present, not filling in too much backstory, particularly with respect to teachers and administrators and sometimes we’d like to know more, but it is a good look at at-risk situations and a reminder that kids can be successful if nurtured and given a chance. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2016.)

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[2016. 101 min. Directed by Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe (a.k.a. Lou Pepe)]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/bad-kids-sundance-review-856417

Life, Animated

— An emotionally charged look at Owen Suskind, a young man whose autism caused him to stop communicating when he was three, and his parents who slowly began to feel they’d lost their son forever. Hope returned when Owen’s father realized a garbled few words Owen was saying were a line from an animated Disney film. In time they came to realize that Owen had memorized the dialogue from every animated Disney film and did, in fact, engage in complex thought within his animated world. The Disney films became the hook with which they started again communicating with their son. Now in his 20s, Owen’s moved to his own apartment and has a part-time job. There no denying the appeal of this film—it just makes you feel good and seems joyous. It’s also great that this is such a well done documentary. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2016.)

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[2016, 99 min. Directed by Roger Ross Williams. Featuring Owen Suskind and Ron Suskind.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/22/books/life-animated-by-ron-suskind.html

The Music of Strangers

— A beautiful look at a multicultural group of world-class musicians making up the Silk Road Ensemble. Although Yo-Yo Man may have been the instigator, it’s clear each of these visionary musicians shares his belief in making a difference through music and finding that space where cultures overlap, in adopting ideas from each other and changing the world. This is a wonderful film from a filmmaker with a good track record (“20 Feet from Stardom” and “Best of Enemies”) and it doesn’t disappoint. In addition to the larger picture, it also offers interesting looks at the individual struggles some of the musicians face. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2016.)

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[2015. 96 min. Directed by Morgan Neville. Featuring Yo-Yo Ma, Kinan Azmeh, Keyhan Kalhor, Cristina Pato, and Wu Man.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/music-strangers-yo-yo-ma-824992

Thy Father's Chair

— A look at unmarried, no-longer-young, identical-twin, Orthodox Jewish brothers living with a couple of cats in the NYC house they inherited. They are surrounded by the accumulation of years of non-functioning electronics, old clothes, newspapers, trash, and who knows what else. There are bedbugs. It’s clutter and dirt that's been out of control for more than a year or two. The unseen upstairs tenant somehow forces the issue and a cleaning company patiently works with them to get the place cleared, cleaned, and fumigated. The film is old school documenting and, although I was a little worried about where things were going early on in the film, I’m glad I stuck with it. It is more than a Jewish hoarder’s tale. These brothers have more than one problem but they also have a great sense of humor and an openness that makes it hard not to like them. Appropriately, it is dedicated to Chantal Akerman. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2016.)

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[2015. 74 min. Directed by Alex Lora and Antonio Tibaldi.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/thy-fathers-chair-idfa-review-846197

Sonita

— The story of Sonita Alizadeh ends up being the inspirational tale of a female teen rapper in Iran whose music decries the injustice she and other Afghan women endure. Her mother and brothers discourage her music, insisting she find a man willing to buy her for marriage, the only suitable path for a young and single woman, but she persists. It’s a dangerous road she travels, continuing with her music and trying to secure a passport to leave Iran, ending up with a scholarship to attend school in Utah. Her story is uplifting but it’s impossible not to think of all the women in Afghanistan who continue to suffer oppression and abuse. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2016.)

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[2015. 90 min. Directed by Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/sonita-idfa-review-843610

Kate Plays Christine

— Oh dear. Sometimes you see a documentary film that you have trouble describing as a documentary and sometimes you see a film you just don’t like watching even if it’s kind of intriguing. That’s the way I felt about “Kate Plays Christine”, Robert Greene’s latest sort-of-documentary. To be fair, I felt the same luke-warm way about “Actress”, at an earlier film of his that was also well received by critics. “Kate Plays Christine” is a look an actress preparing for the role of news reporter Christine Chubbuck in a biopic about her life and on-air suicide in 1974 at the age of 31. By the end, it’s clear the actress and the director were in cahoots to make the audience unsure of the line between documentary and fiction. Ostensibly the film is documenting the actress preparing and researching for the role but there evidently isn’t really a role because the film will never be made, only some scenes of it which will become part of the “documentary” and we're not sure if the actress knew this at the onset or found out later. Add to that the fact that the scenes that are made are so overacted as to be bad, maybe intentionally. It’s all so confusing and that’s evidently was Greene wanted. As with “Actress”, the main character just isn’t very likable and it was hard for me to care much one way or the other. Oh, and the film really could have used a bit more editing—obviously the editor finds the nitty gritty of an actor’s method more interesting than I did (or the 20-30 people I watched bolting for the door about halfway through). It’s an interesting film, but I’m not convinced it’s worth thinking much about. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2016.)

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[2016. 112 minutes, Written and directed by Robert Greene. Starring Kate Lyn Sheil.]
http://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/kate-plays-christine-review-1201690902/

Weiner

— In 2013, Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin allowed filmmakers access to Weiner’s NYC mayoral campaign but, instead of recording a comeback, the filmmakers ended up documenting a campaign and a relationship stressed to their limits by a second scandal, a media frenzy, and a spotlight that wouldn’t go away. The film successfully casts a wider eye on Weiner, sometimes tender and sometimes less so. As interesting is the picture that evolves of Huma Abedin. In the end, it’s hard not to admire Weiner’s dedication to his constituency and Huma’s support of him in spite of his personal issues. In one scene we watch as he skillfully turns an angry audience to a supportive one thanks to his own likability and believability and, maybe, his own compassion and tenacity. The connection between Huma and Hillary Clinton, while only referenced in the film, echoes the background as we view things during the 2016 primary season. The film was paced well and interesting. I’d recommend it. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2016.)

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[2016. 96 minutes, Directed by Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg.]
http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance-review-weiner-is-the-best-documentary-about-a-political-campaign-ever-made-20160124