Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie

— [DVD] If you liked the television series, then this is really just a longer episode but I have to admit, funny as it was, it was also a little boring by the time it ended. The plot was pretty thin and, good as Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley are, at some point it’s just the same joke again and again.

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[2016. 91 min. Directed by Mandie Fletcher. Starring Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, and Jane Horrocks.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/absolutely-fabulous-the-movie-2016

Anomalisa

— [Stream] This is a very odd film with puppet animation (sounds horrible but is really effective), looking at a depressed guy dealing with his life…or maybe not. He’s a motivational author in Cleveland for a speaking engagement. He meets up with an old girlfriend but that doesn’t go well; he picks up an adoring fan, probably to escape the feelings he’s been having. The next day he returns home to his wife and son. All of the actions are off-putting, and there’s kind of a dreamlike feeling throughout, and maybe a doubt as to whether the main character’s real, or others are real, or any of us are real. In the end, I’m not sure what really happened but it was very interesting and triggered plenty of odd feelings. The guy who wrote and directed it also did the screenplays for “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Being John Malkovich”, two other head-scratching films I liked in spite of my confusion about them.

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[2015. 90 min. Directed by Duke Johnson and Charlie Kaufman. With David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Tom Noonan.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/anomalisa-2015

Life

— “Life” is way too familiar for those of us who’ve been seeing films for 40 years or more because it goes well past paying homage to “Alien” to outright stealing much of its storyline. I suppose the bright side is that they’ve stolen parts of an excellent sci-fi thriller and managed to do a pretty good job of things. I was on board with the first half of the film and not only was the story written and paced well, it was visually exciting too. I thought it was less effective in the second half, when things were too formulaic. The actors all deserve credit, for believable but not over-the-top deliveries, unlike the music which was irritatingly insistent. The film’s a cut above mediocre but can’t shake remaining in the shadow of “Alien”.

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[2017. 103 min. Directed by Daniel Espinosa. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rebecca Ferguson, and Ryan Reynolds]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/life-2017

The Last Word

— Obsessive, compulsive, perfectionist Shirley MacLaine doesn’t appear to have much of a life but she does have plenty of money. Unwilling to leave anything to chance, she strong arms the newspaper editor to have their obituary writer write her obituary so she can make sure it does her justice. The only problem is that no one has a kind word to say so she embarks on a four-prong attack to rewrite her life so people will admire her, her family will love her, she’s made a difference in at least one life, and she has some unexpected trait or talent that adds distinction to her life. The only problem is that the fun of her tart, blunt, unfiltered remarks at the beginning of the film slowly disappears as she moves from mean-spirited to quirky, even lovable. It’s a role we’ve seen Shirley MacLaine play before and her talent is really why this film doesn’t fail. Her timing is still impeccable and there’s still a twinkle in her eye. I’ve always liked her and it’s just a shame there aren't better roles for someone of her age and talent.

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[2017. 108 min. Directed by Mark Pellington. Starring Shirley MacLaine, Amanda Seyfried, and AnnJewel Lee Dixon.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-last-word-2017

Dirty Grandpa

— This is easily the worst film I’ve seen in the past few years. It’s awkwardly overt and offensive but not with enough cleverness to be campy. Kind of sad to see De Niro’s talent squandered so completely.

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[2016. 102 min. Directed by John Phillips. Starring Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, and Zoey Deutch.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dirty-grandpa-2016

The Sense of an Ending

— There’s a sense of introspection throughout this film and that’s appropriate. The main character seems to have been a little self-absorbed most of his life and only now that he’s retired is he starting to realize his past isn’t necessarily what he remembers. What seemed tidy is starting to fray and he has to come to terms with it. Jim Broadbent is a superior actor, but he a little soft in this film or maybe the script doesn’t give his character the edge that's needed. As a result, you almost come away from the film thinking the point is that he should have been nicer as a student and then should have focused more on his family, but that he still has time to become a better person. Well, that may be true, but it doesn’t require a moment of thought from the viewer. Instead, the focus should clearly be on how we distort our histories over time, beefing up our own narratives and then, of course, ask whether it’s better to live with an altered past, or to ferret out the truth, and what the price is to have these selective memories. Although Broadbent’s character lacks pizzazz, Charlotte Rampling is exquisite as Broadbent’s first love who hasn’t glossed over the past—I wish she'd had more screen time.

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[2017. 108 min. Directed by Ritesh Batra. Starring Jim Broadbent, Charlotte Rampling, Harriet Walter, and Michelle Dockery.]
http://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/the-sense-of-an-ending-review-1201953824/ https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/apr/01/julian-barnes-i-told-the-film-makers-to-throw-my-book-against-a-wall-

Elle

— Well, this one took me by surprise. I had some vague notion of what it would be based on the previews and the rave reviews Isabelle Huppert was getting for her performance. What I got was a complicated thriller that only Paul Verhoeven could put together making full use of Huppert’s subtle talent. It isn’t at all fair to describe it as about a woman who’s raped, isn’t sure what she thinks about the rape, finds out who the rapist is, and then takes her time figuring out her own feelings and what, if anything, she should do about them. There’s a lot more going on with plenty of unspoken looks and uncomfortable feelings, eventually coexisting with an undertone of awkward perversities and power struggles. It’s mostly a very dark comedy in a world of self-absorbed, privileged, neurotics with complicated relationships and fantasies. If you missed it when it was in theaters, see it now that it’s on DVD.

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[2016, 130 min. Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Starring Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling, and Virginie Efira.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/elle-2016

The Founder

— Michael Keaton does a good job in this biopic about Ray Kroc, the salesman from Illinois who saw the franchise possibilities of Mac and Dick McDonald’s burger joint in San Bernardino, and then wrestled the business away from them. It’s an American story and the maneuverings associated with Kroc’s rise to fame are certainly interesting and darkly humorous, perhaps even more so in an age of alternate truths, rewritten history, and instant gratification. I enjoyed Keaton's abilities as well the story itself, which placed Kroc as the protagonist who manages to take someone else’s idea and turn it into a 8 billion dollar company. Now that's the American dream!

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[2016. 115 min. Directed by John Lee Hancok. Starring Michael Keaton, Nik Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, and Linda Carrdellini.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-founder-2017

The Finest Hours

— A retelling of what may be the greatest small-boat rescue ever, when a nor’easter broke apart two oil tankers. The aft half of one of them, the Pendleton, managed to maintain power for a while until the hull flooded. All available cutters were trying to rescue the other tanker so 4 crewmen took a 36’ wood boat with an official capacity of 12, maneuvered through rough waters with waves cresting at nearly 70 feet, lost their compass, rolled over twice while crossing the Chatham shoal, and still managed to take on 33 stranded sailors and make it back to shore. It’s a Disney film, reminding us of 1950’s values and of miracles that can bring tears to our eyes. It’s well done even if it’s also something of a throw-back to earlier times. (Netflix.)

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[2016. 115 min. Directed by John Lee Hancok. Starring Michael Keaton, Nik Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, and Linda Carrdellini.]
http://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/the-finest-hours-review-1201682105/

Southside with You

— Here’s a film (DVD) that should have been a short. There’s really only fifteen minutes of content in this re-imagining of the first date between Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson. It’s cute and nostalgic. Actors do an adequate job and the direction and editing are also adequate but there’s just not much meat on these rose-colored bones.

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[2016. 84 min. Written and directed by Richard Tanne. Starring Tika Sumpter and Parker Sawyers.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/southside-with-you-2016

I Am Not Your Negro

— In the mid-1970s, James Baldwin wrote thirty pages, outlining a book about the lives and deaths of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Those notes, and words from Baldwin’s other writings, form the narration for this excellent film. I’m reluctant to admit it but part of me has started turning a blind eye to the recurring images favored by most recent documentary films aimed at diminishing my white filter when considering current black perspectives. The discussion has been inundated with images of Michael Brown and Eric Garner and, as with the larger political climate, focusing as much on blame and anger as on the larger picture and solutions—the narrative has narrowed its focus. The good news is that “I Am Not Your Negro” steps back a bit, thanks to James Baldwin’s eloquent pen, and really does make me think about race in the United States and why there is the anger. Looking at how blacks were depicted in the 1960s reminded me of ways racism was hard-wired in all of us, blacks and whites alike, and listening to Baldwin as he considers the American identity puts things into perspective. Sadly, while my white mind wants to think much has changed in forty years, much still remains to be changed. It's amazing how Baldwin's ideas resonate all these years later. This is a very good film. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2017.)

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[2016. 93 min. Directed by Raoul Peck. Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. Featuring James Baldwin, Harry Belafonte, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and many more.]
http://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/i-am-not-your-negro-review-new-york-film-festival-james-baldwin-1201876756/

Whose Streets?

— (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2017.)

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[2016. 101 min. Directed by Obaidah Zytoon & Andreas Dalsgaard.]
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jan/20/whose-streets-review-ferguson-documentary-sundance-film-festival

Donkeyote

— (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2017.)

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[2017. 86 min. Directed by Chico Pereira.]
http://cineuropa.org/nw.aspx?t=newsdetail&l=en&did=322297

Still Tomorrow

— (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2017.)

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[2016. 88 min. Directed by FAN Jian.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/still-tomorrow-950580

Strong Island

— This look at the violent death of a black man 25 years ago and the judicial system that allowed his killer to go free is made personal by the director whose life was changed by the tragedy. As Yance Ford tries to make sense of his brother’s murder, the audience is drawn into the situation. His family was happy—loving, dedicated, and educated parents living in their suburban Long Island home with three children—but their lives were forever altered when their son, William Jr., was shot during an argument at a local garage. Evidence as to who killed William seemed clear but the grand jury chose not to prosecute. As Ford re-examines the event and interviews family members as well as himself, we’re drawn into the helplessness of their situation at the time. As Ford’s mother talks to the camera and we see her strong moral principles, the color-blind attitude she tried to give her children, and the pain as she confronts her failures, her struggles become all too real. Even Ford, as he comes to see he is in some ways partly responsible for what happened, needs healing that doesn’t seem to come. In the end, we’re changed by this excellent combination of investigative look and personal narrative, both pointing to the systemic indifference America still has for dead blacks. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2017.)

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[2017. 107 min. Directed by Yance Ford.]
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/yance-fords-powerful-cinematic-memoir-strong-island

HyperNormalisation

— Adam Curtis, something of a BBC cult figure, seems to favor rambling over a direct approach as he blends archival footage with his own voice-over and ends up with a patchwork that packs a wallop. It’s part conspiracy theory, part history, and a lot of detours—almost like being lost in a Google search loop or falling for one more YouTube video, and then another and another. In the end, Curtis manages to add enough of a unifying gesture to this look at the current political landscape, to give us a sense of how we got where we are and to leave us a little conflicted as to where we're headed. It’s a very different kind of storytelling that’s greatly influenced by the internet and, at 165 minutes, you may be tempted to pass on it but it’s worth the time. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2017, but it’s also on YouTube.)

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[2016. 166 min. Written and directed by Adam Curtis. With Adam Curtis, Donald Trump, Valdimir Putin, Victor Gotbaum, Patti Smith, Henry Kissinger, Hafez al-Assad, Thomas Schelling, Ronald Reagan, Timothy Leary, Ruhollah Kohomeyni, and many more.]
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/adam-curtiss-essential-counterhistories

Brimstone & Glory

— (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2017.)

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[2017, 67 min. Directed by Viktor Jakovleski.]
http://www.voxmagazine.com/arts/movies/true-false-film-review-brimstone-glory/article_33712b56-00fa-11e7-9b34-0b2075e3934d.html

Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun?

—This is more an experience than a film. Travis Wilkerson narrates his work live, sitting just stage right of the screen in front of his laptop while a mix of interviews, images, and home-movies are displayed. Wilkerson had heard that S.E. Branch, his great-grandfather who operated a store in Dothan, AL, had killed a black man named Bill Spann in 1946. Information was sketchy and no one really wanted to talk about it, so the “film” is a recounting of his journey of discovery, but he spends little time on the killing itself. Instead he focuses on the men themselves and on their families, turning the “film” into a look at two families, one black and one white. The live narration makes the experience all the more personal and riveting. The title comes from Phil Och’s song “William Moore”: “Did you wonder who had fired the gun? Did you know that it was you who fired the gun?” and Wilkerson seems to accuse all whites of being responsible for all racism, past and present. Whether you agree or not, the look at the Branch and Spann’s descendants living parallel by decidedly very different lives raises lots of issues worth considering. This is a film/performance I'm glad I saw. (Shown/performed at True/False Film Fest 2017.)

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[2017. 70 min. Directed by Travis Wilkerson. Live narration by Travis Wilkerson.]
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-true-false-gun-wilkerson-20170304-story.html/

Quest

— (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2017.)

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[2017. 105 min. Directed by Jonathan Olshefski.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/a-stirring-portrait-an-city-black-family-968971

Manifesto

— This is Cate Blanchett showing off her acting chops and, I'm sure, a lot more but my knowledge of 20th century art just isn't up to fully understanding what's going on. She plays 13 characters, including a school teacher, factory worker, funeral orator, choreographer, punk, anchorwoman, CEO, scientist, puppeteer, widow, and a homeless man. Each character embodies a different “art manifesto”—things like Pop Art, Situationism, Stridentism, Suprematism, Futurism, Dadaism, Minimalism, Conceptual Art, Fluxus Art, and Dogma 95. The dialogue is a mix of musings from philosophers, painters, filmmakers, and artists, wrapped into 13 personas that sometimes seem antithetical or placed in surprising situations. It has humor and passion, but I couldn’t help but wish I’d known more about the various manifestos before seeing the film. People who were at the screening with me seemed to either love or hate the film—no one escaped without a reaction. It was originally presented as a Berlin and New York art installation with 13 screens, one for each character, and more recently packaged as a film. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2017.)

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[2016. 94 min. Written and directed by Julian Rosefeldt. Starring Cate Blanchett.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/manifesto-review-967077/

Stranger In Paradise

— This film walks the line between fiction and documentary, something increasingly common in “documentary” films. In this case, Europe’s power relationship with refugees is observed in a dramatized Sicilian classroom setting where recent refugees are instructed by a teacher who can be gentle and fatherly, but at other times incredibly negative, sowing despair among those seeking happiness. The audience sees the roller coaster ride the refugees are on and understands instinctively the metaphor, but is left on its own to figure out what it thinks of the relationship. (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2017.)

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[2016. 77 min. Written and directed by Guido Hendrikxx. Featuring Valentijn Dhaenens.]
http://variety.com/2016/film/festivals/guido-hendrikx-immigration-doc-stranger-in-paradise-idfa-1201921740/

Step

— (Shown at True/False Film Fest 2017.)

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[2017, 83 min. Directed by Amanda Lipitz. ]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/step-review-sundance-2017-966856