The Infiltrator

— Bryan Cranston really is mesmerizing with his commanding voice, intelligent eyes, and furrowed brow. It’s hard not to compare his role in “The Infiltrator” with his Walter White character in “Breaking Bad”. Both are men moving inside the drug world, but as “The Infiltrator” he’s on the right side of the law. It’s based on the true story of FBI agent Robert Mazur who goes undercover as a money launderer to take down part of Pablo Escobar’s cartel. It’s not very glitzy, more seedy than anything, but it's the right undercurrent for this fascinating, tense story of a sting operation. Cranston is perfect at showing the toll pretending to be someone else takes, particularly when the stakes are so high. Some of the film seems familiar, but that okay since there just seems to be an environment in which drug lords operate that’s portrayed similarly in most drug cartel films. Cranston alone makes it worth seeing, but it helps that the story's really very good too. (My only word of caution is that while less bloody than many, there are a couple of scenes that happen quickly and almost without warning, that aren’t for the squeamish.)

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[2016. 127 min. Directed by Brad Furman. Starring Bryan Cranston, John Leguizamo, and Diane Kruger.]
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/13/movies/the-infiltrator-review-bryan-cranston.html

Our Kind of Traitor

— This is a fine little espionage film, both because it is based on the John le Carré novel and because it has some decent actors with parts that are developed well. Its good entertainment and holds your interest, but it doesn’t have the complications and twists I enjoy in Cold War era films. Like “A Most Wanted Man”, the film’s fairly linear, and it wasn’t much of a challenge keeping track of the action. It’s still well done and worth seeing if you like spy films, but it’s not in a league with “The Spy Who Came In from the Cold” or “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”.

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[2016. 108 min. Directed by Susanna White. Starring Ewan McGregor, Stellan Skarsgard, Damain Lewis, and Naomie Harris.]
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/our-kind-of-traitor-20160629

Swiss Army Man

— This has to be the weirdest and most imaginative film I’ve seen in a long, long time. Hank, a suicidal man stranded on a deserted island, receives new hope after befriending Manny, a flatulent corpse that washes ashore. A bromance ensues and the duo set out on a quest to find the girl of Hank’s dreams. Odd as this is, music video turned film writer/directors Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan (known as “DANIELS”) manage to make it a fascinating, creative journey. At first I was a little worried but once I just let it happen, I got into it. It ends up a being an imaginative look at loneliness, loss of the fearlessness of childhood, resilience, the creative spirit, and even stalking! Paul Dano adds to his recent streak of outstanding roles (“Youth”, “Love & Mercy”, “12 Years a Slave”, “Prisoners”, “Looper”), and is perfect as Hank. Daniel Radcliffe, whose appeal I'd not previously understood, does an amazing job as Manny. Ultimately, the outside-the-box hand of the directors is everywhere and you’ll love it or hate it. I was mostly intrigued, charmed, and delighted by this bizarre film, although I scratched my head for a few days afterwards, wondering about it.

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[2016. 97 min. Written and directed by Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. Starring Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/swiss-army-man-2016

Free State of Jones

— It’s a shame that this is so tedious as to render what’s probably a pretty fascinating Civil War story into something that feels long enough to have been a mini-series or a lengthy and bad documentary. It ends up being so influenced by recent headlines as to seem preachy. Its main problem seems to be that it just plods along with no rhythm, sometimes forgetting how helpful it can be to let the story unfold naturally instead of hitting the audience over the head with righteousness. Even Matthew McConaughey, who can usually make a scene better with his charm or a clever line or two, is dull. I spent more time wondering if he'd ever wash his dirty face and shave his scruffy beard than considering issues being raised. About the only time you’re not holding back a yawn is when there’s enough blood splatter to cause you to cringe. This really isn’t my kind or film, nor a particularly good film.

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[2016. 179 min. Directed by Gary Ross. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, and Keri Russell.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/free-state-of-jones-2016

The Meddler

— I’m not sure why “The Meddler” arrived in theaters with so little fanfare. Aside from living with a misleading title, it’s really an interesting, funny film thanks to Susan Sarandon who is amazing. Instead of being solely about a meddlesome mother, it’s about family, loss, love, heartbreak, reinvention of self, letting go, and beginning anew. It may be look like a standard dramatic comedy, but it’s really better than that and doesn’t try to be anything more than it is, but that’s more than enough.

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[2015. 100 min. Written and directed by Lorene Scafaria. Starring Susan Sarandon, Rose Byrne, J.K. Simmons, Jerrod Carmichael, and Cecily Strong.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-meddler-2016

Freeheld

— Julianne Moore can do better than this! It’s based on the real story of a landmark LGBT rights case after a dying lesbian, seeking to have her policeman’s pension go to her partner, has her request denied even though the pension would be given if she was a married policeman. Even Moore can’t save this from looking more like a made-for-TV saga than a theatrical release. Too often the human side of the conflict is overpowered by its political agenda. Every time our hearts become engaged with the inequity of the situation, we are jerked into the national issue as though we are unable to understand the inequality inherent in this one situation is indicative of an endemic inequality. I’m glad I saw it on DVD because it really is a small screen thought.

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[2015. 104 min. Directed by Peter Sollett. Starring Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Michael Shannon, and Steve Carell.]
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/freeheld-20151001

Love & Friendship

— There’s a reason “Pride and Prejudice” has been made into a movie four times and a television mini-series three times while this is the first we’ve seen of Jane Austen’s “Lady Susan”, brought to the big screen with the title “Love & Friendship”. It’s pretty and witty but overly melodramatic for my liking. It feels a lot like a theatrical script since it suffers from a feeling of larger than necessary mannerisms and modulation. It’s filled with dull and dim-witted men surrounded by quick and conniving women making the behind-the-scenes decisions while skillfully maneuvering Regency customs. Think “I Love Lucy” in 19th Century England but not quite as funny. Don’t get me wrong, it is funny and a little naughty, and Kate Beckinsale is wonderful.

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[2016. 92 min. Directed by Whit Stillman. Starring Kate Beckinsale, Cloe Sevigny, and Xavier Samuel.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/love-and-friendship-2016

The Lobster

— “The Lobster” may be even more weird than I had expected. It’s also more complex than I had expected. It takes place in an alternate world where marriage and children are still the objective but really goes a bit farther than our world goes to dissuade other options, offering lots of opportunities for very dark humor. It’s playing the art houses and the audience I saw it with enjoyed the humor—most were coupled too. What I hadn’t expected was for it to also have a very odd but tender love story. Ultimately, the rules for those who’d appropriately paired didn’t make life much better—they just got to continue on with their species. There was a stiffness about all the characters that left viewers with little question that this might be sci-fi but is, instead, a strictly Dystopian tale. I liked it and the audience’s reaction to its ending was particularly interesting.

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[2015. 119 min. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Starring Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, and Jessica Barden.]
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/lobster-cannes-review-795869/