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

Dallas Buyers Club

— “Dallas Buyers Club” is a lot more than just the story of a homophobe who became an inadvertent hero among those who were HIV-positive and often gay in the 1980s, back when many of us knew very little about AIDS. It’s something of a David vs Goliath story (McConaughey vs. the medical and pharmaceutical wall), but also a coming of age film, with McConaughey’s character shifting from a crude, uber-straight electrician and bull-riding braggart to an unknowingly compassionate crusader helping people living with HIV. All you’ve heard about McConaughey’s weight loss and extraordinary performance is true, and Jared Leto does an amazing job as well. This is a powerful film and one well worth seeing. I’m still amazed that Matthew McConaughey grew up and became an “actor” and star in films I like. (As an aside, it also amazes me that it’s been twenty years since “Philadelphia” was released.)

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[2013. 117 min. Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, and Jared Leto.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dallas-buyers-club-2013

All Is Lost

— It’s amazing how many good films start showing up in theatres after mid-October. “All Is Lost” falls into the genre of man vs. nature and man persevering, but it’s definitely on the better end of the scale thanks to Robert Redford, the sole character in a film with very few spoken words. It’s hard not to remember “The Old Man and the Sea” and to see allegory everywhere but even if you ignore the economic and political undertones, it is a mesmerizing 106 minutes and worth your while to see it.

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[2013. 106 min. Directed by J.C. Chandor. Written by J.C. Chandor. Starring Robert Redford.]
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dallas-buyers-club-2013

12 Years a Slave

— “12 Years a Slave” deserve all the ballyhoo it’s gotten. It looks at slavery with a directness that’s unexpected and warranted. Chiwetel Ejiofor does an excellent job of portraying Solomon Northrup, the main character, with both dignity and hopelessness appropriate to the story. The audience is left to confront the reality of slavery, even if understanding it is impossible. Steve McQueen’s film is amazing and has moved to the top of the group of four very good films I’ve seen this fall (“Enough Said”, “Captain Phillips”, and “Gravity” are the other three). See it!

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[2013. 134 min. Directed by Steve McQueen. Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael K. Williams, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Lupita Nyong'o, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt, and Alfre Woodard.]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/12-years-a-slave-movie-review-a-masterpiece-of-form-content-emotion-and-performance/2013/10/16/1b158e76-34e8-11e3-8a0e-4e2cf80831fc_story.html