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Big Miracle: Movie Review

Laura Aguirre — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:50:56 +0000

It’s unusual for one event to make the whole world blink at the same time, but in Ken Kwapis‘ latest that’s exactly what happens. Big Miracle, starring Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski, tells the fascinating true story of three grey whales who captured the world’s attention when it was discovered that they were trapped in ice near Point Barrow, Alaska. It’s hard to go wrong with a story about whales, just like it’s hard not to smile at a YouTube video of a kitten. But this story is about more than cute whales, it’s about real people and real lives. Let’s review Big Miracle, but beware, some of these stories will shock you.

The Players:

Director:Ken Kwapis
Writer: Jack Amiel & Michael Begler (screenplay), Thomas Rose (book “Freeing the Whales”)
Starring: Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Ted Danson, Kristen Bell
Cinematography: John Bailey

The Plot:

Based on real life events, Big Miracle tells the story of a family of grey whales stuck underneath the ice in a small Alaskan town. News reporter Adam Carlson (John Krasinski) and Greenpeace advocate Rachel Kramer (Drew Barrymore) work with the Inupiat community and big time oil tycoon J.W. McGraw (Ted Danson) to rescue the whales, and in the process manage to get the whole world’s attention.

The Good:

The Performances: John Krasinski has got to be one of the most charming and likeable people in the biz, both onscreen and in real-life. Yes, he seems to only play one character (Jim from The Office), but he’s great at it. In Big Miracle, his character, Adam Carlson is a Jim-type – hardworking, honest and witty. Krasinski possesses this strange power where anything he’s in automatically feels right, and that’s the deal here. He’s also got awesome people around him, like Drew Barrymore who’s almost as charming as he is. She plays Rachel Kramer, an outspoken animal lover who will die fighting for what she believes in. Barrymore plays her character with passion and delivers a touching performance. Also worth noting is the awesome Ted Danson, who plays an oil tycoon. Danson couldn’t be more different than his character, but in the film you wouldn’t be able to tell. One could say he’s the “villain” of the story, but it’s hard to hate him because he’s just so damn hilarious.
A Strong Message With No Agenda: Big Miracle could have been a preachy film, telling us to save the earth and its wild life, but Kwapis chose to focus the attention on the people rather than their cause (hey, this isn’t a documentary). Plain and simple, this is a story about people coming together and doing what is right, despite their own personal agendas. The film shows that people can be good and selfless when it comes to something bigger than themselves. In this story, an oil tycoon, a Greenpeace advocate, Alaskan natives and even the Soviet Union come together to rescue three whales. Yes, they all have different point of views, but at the end of the day, they realize that saving these whales is what’s most important.
Real Footage: One of the most outrageous stories in the film is a love story between a Colonel and a government worker. The film shows how these two people came together because of the whales, meeting over the phones and later falling in love. As ridiculous as this story sounds, it’s 100% real. They actually met and married. At the end of the film, Kwapis chose to include actual footage of broadcasts that aired during the rescue in’89. He also included home videos of some of the real life characters that the actors portrayed, and there’s even a short clip of a young Sarah Palin! It was quite enjoyable.
Collective Experience: Big Miracle offers a collective experience. It’s not quite a comedy, not quite a love story, and not quite a drama, but it does offer a lot of laughs, a lot of cute moments and maybe, if you’re sensitive enough, a few sobbing moments. It’s a roller-coaster ride!

The Bad:

A Fictional Love Story (SPOILERS!): One story that wasn’t actually true was the love connection between Adam (Krasinski) and Rachel (Barrymore). The two shared a past and throughout the story we learn that Rachel still has feelings for Adam. In the end, the two rekindle their love and get back together. Their love story just didn’t feel right. There was other great material that it just felt unnecessary. Also, they share more of a brother/sister bond, so it was awkward to see them kiss.

Overall:

Big Miracle is a cute movie with great performances and a humble message. Definitely worth checking out.

Rating: 7.5/10

Big Miracle opens February 3, 2011.

Photo Gallery:

Trailer:

Will you watch Big Miracle?

Sundance 2012: End of Love – Movie Review

Christie Ko — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:09:47 +0000

Check out Mali’s take on The End of Love here!

I think I officially have my Sundance 2012 dramatic crush: Mark Webber. End of Love is a heartstring-pulling film with amazing performances and hilarious cameos. Built on the father-son relationship between Webber and his son (in real life) Isaac Love, this largely improvisational film captures with astounding realism a story of a struggling actor in LA, grieving, broke, and trying to be a father to his son.

The Players:

Director/Screenwriter: Mark Webber
Cast: Mark Webber, Shannyn Sossamon, Michael Cera, Jason Ritter, Amanda Seyfried, Frankie Shaw

Synopsis:

Mark is on the verge of losing everything. He’s an out-of-work actor at the end of his rope; exhausted and heart-broken. Down to his last dollars and begging his roommates for a little more time, he’s not unlike many Americans. But he is also grappling with the serious emotional trauma of losing the mother of his son. This film follows his desperation and humiliation as he tries to father his son, to find romantic and platonic emotional support, and to be a successful adult.

The Good:

It’s really unbelievable that this was improvisation. At the Q&A following the screening, Mark Webber explained that he never told Isaac what to say; that they let him say what he wanted to say, and he and the cast adjusted and followed his lead. It just worked out….AND HOW. There are moments when the dialogue and action between the father and son is so unbelievably perfect for the moment that it just breaks the heart.

There’s also a pretty amazing party scene with Michael Cera, Aubrey Plaza, Alia Shawkat, and a bunch of other actors I assume are his friends. It’s funny and whacky.

The Bad:

I was a little disappointed with the fact that the protagonist (Mark) doesn’t progress that much. He manages to take one step forward, and granted, it’s a big step, but I expected more from a feature like this. He also explained during the Q&A that the reason why he chose this topic and made this film was because he wanted to tell the story of what it’s like to be at the end of a relationship; that when a major relationship ends, it feels like a death (his actual ex and mother of his son, Frankie Shaw, is also in the movie as his dead wife). These things considered, I can see how some might find this film self-indulgent.

Overall:

The dynamic between father and son, and the sheer serendipity of how the dialogue and story progresses is really absorbing and worth watching. Sad, but enjoyable…

Rating: 7

Sundance 2012: Goats – Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:57:36 +0000

I woke up early to catch a 9:00am screening of Goats at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It’s hard to enjoy just about any film at that hour of the morning, get caught up in a not-so-fast-moving drama, or let alone laugh out loud at a odd concept, but somehow Goats managed it all and had me leaving the theater ready for more.

The Players:

Director: Christopher Neil
Screenwriter: Mark Jude Poirier, based on his novel
Producer: Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Eric Kopeloff, Shannon Lail
Cast: Graham Phillips, David Duchovny, Vera Farmiga, Ty Burrell, Justin Kirk, Keri Russell

Sundance Synopsis:

Having a self-absorbed New Age mother and an estranged father means 15-year-old Ellis Whitman has grown up relying on an unconventional guardian: a goat-trekking, marijuana-growing sage called Goat Man. So when Ellis decides to leave the alternative ways of his desert homestead for a stuffy East Coast prep school, major changes are in store. But not in the way you’d think. Though often stoned, the exceedingly smart and capable Ellis effortlessly aces school and excels at track. As the year progresses, it’s his relationships with the adults in his life that test him, challenging his beliefs about responsibility and trustworthiness.

The Good:

The Supporting Cast: Vera Farmiga goes over, David Duchovney goes under, Justin Kirk wiggles through and all together they somehow manages to create a perfectly balanced, albeit insane cast.
The Goats: The meaning behind them and how they’re weaved into the story works perfectly. They are the perfect balance of purpose and comedic value that helps move the story forward while also decorating the scenery.
The Dynamics: In any good drama, the thing that sells it is the chemistry between the characters and this film has just that. With odd but realistic responses that seem completely appropriate in the situation provided and story-line that doesn’t take their audience for granted, the characters and the script really are what makes this film.

The Bad:

Lack of a Solid Ending: The ending is sweet and nice, but the film as a whole feels like it needed the stakes raised and the ending to have more purpose. This comment may have been the result of seeing too many films without a grand finale on the same day, but there was so much build up, that it was a shame to see it not add up to more.
No Emotional Release: Though Graham Phillips gives a solid performance in the lead role, it’s frustrating that his character never gets to release the tension that he’s caring with him throughout the entire film. Not that the film needed a cliched, over the top dramatic scene, but the fact that you’re so invested in his character makes you want to see him have his moment and allow him to release all the frustration that we, the audience, feel for him.

Overall:

It’s a nice, sweet comedy, with some fun moments at an interesting family dynamic. Much like all of the Sundance film this year, there’s nothing ground-breaking nor innovative about it, but it is an easy watch, and a very good representation of the dramedy genre.

Rating: 7/10

Sundance 2012: The End of Love – Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:00:06 +0000

Check out Christie’s take on The End of Love here!

One of the most emotional and touching films of this year’s Sundance Film Festival is The End of Love. This is one of those films that sits with you long after you’ve left the theater and doesn’t let you go. It’s a beautiful representation of what a look at one mans story in a very simple way can be represented.

The Players:

Director: Mark Webber
Writer: Mark Webber
Producers: Mark Webber, Liz Destro, Matt Sprague
Cinematographer: Patrice Cochet
Cast: Mark Webber, Shannyn Sossamon, Michael Cera, Jason Ritter, Amanda Seyfried, Frankie Shaw

Sundance Synopsis:

Mark is a struggling actor stuck between the life he once knew and the one waiting for him. When the mother of his two-year-old son suddenly passes away, Mark is forced to confront his shortcomings. Their fates, now intertwined, hang in the balance as Mark grapples with his ability to grow up. When he meets Lydia, a young mother, he is no longer able to live in the comfort of denial.

The Good:

The Relationship: Webber and his son are beautiful to watch on screen together. There’s really no other way to show the true love between father and child than by showing just that. Using toddlers on set is one of the most difficult things in the world, but for this film, used in this way, it not only works for the film, it makes it.
The Simplicity: This is not an outwardly complicated story, the complications are in the natural drama that comes from human emotions. Because of simplicity, you’re able to focus on the minute which makes this film a truly beautiful experience all around, proving that you don’t need a giant spectacle to have an impact on audiences.
The Heart: This is something that you can’t manipulate out of a film, it’s just something that’s there or it’s not. This film is packed with heart and it emotes from the screen giving you everything you you could hope for in a drama.

The Bad:

Not really feeling anything.

Overall:

This is an amazingly simple and yet introspective film that is well worth settling into.

Rating: 7.5/10

Sundance 2012: About Face – Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 17:22:11 +0000

About Face: The Supermodels, Then and Now is a new Sundance documentary that attempts to talk about the fashion through the eras. There are elements to this film that I want to love, but unfortunately it’s really more of a fluff piece featuring interviews with too many different models at once and no real in depth perspectives or new takes on the modeling industry. The models have low self-esteem, eating problems and different takes on Botox. It doesn’t take 80 minutes to realize this. So what was it trying to do…

The Players:

Director: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
Producers: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Chad Thompson
Models: Christie Brinkley, Carmen Dell’Orefice, Jerry Hall, Beverly Johnson, Paulina Porizkova, Isabella Rossellini, Christy Turlington

Sundance Synopsis:

About Face: The Supermodels, Then and Now is a step back in time to a glamorous, yet complicated, era when drugs were rampant and women were routinely harassed and mistreated. The divergent attitudes among the women about everything from the business of modeling, to aging and plastic surgery, are fascinating and priceless. This insightful documentary celebrates the raw intelligence and staying power of these timeless icons

The Good:

The Models: They managed to get a great group of models from throughout the eras who all represented a change in time and how fashion effected women, civil rights, drugs, politics, medicine and issues around the world. It would have been nice to ask them more about these issues because they all seemed to have a lot more to say about it then was seen on screen… And botox is just not that interesting.

The Bad:

No Exploration: There are a few near reveals that capture your attention, but then they never explore the ideas brought up. The psychology behind some of the events that happened to these women are fascinating, it’s a shame not to look a bit deeper at them and really find out the effects of what living in the world of fashion does to a person.
Locations: The footage was basically just interviews with the models in one location, with a couple of photos of their previous work. There was no new footage of them working, nor anything from their lives now that would gives us any further insights to where they are now. This was simply one long interview with a handful of different voices.
Nothing New: Let’s break down the films reveals and see what we found out… Models in the 70′s did cocaine… a lot of cocaine. Models still do, have done and will do drugs. Models don’t eat. Models don’t ever feel pretty. Models are bitchy to other models. Models lie about being older to model when they’re too young and lie about their age later when they’re too old. Anything new here? Nope.

Rating: 4/10

Sundance 2012: Smashed – Movie Review

Mali Elfman — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:50:28 +0000

Another solid film coming out of Sundance, Smashed is one of those films that may seem like “just another Sundance film” but has enough twists and interesting dynamics that is seperates it from the pack. And though Mary Elizabeth Winstead steals the movie with one of her best performances to date, the film’s strong supporting cast and a number of surprising and fun moments are really what make it a success.

The Players:

Director: James Ponsoldt
Producers: Jonathan Schwartz, Andrea Sperling, Jennifer Cochis
Writer: Susan Burke, James Ponsoldt
Cinematographer: Tobias Datum
Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Mary Kay Place

Sundance Synopsis:

Kate and Charlie like to have a good time. Their marriage thrives on a shared fondness for music, laughter . . . and getting smashed. When Kate’s partying spirals into hard-core asocial behavior, compromising her job as an elementary schoolteacher, something’s got to give. But change isn’t exactly a cakewalk. Sobriety means she will have to confront the lies she’s been spinning at work, her troubling relationship with her mother, and the nature of her bond with Charlie.

The Good:

Mary Elizabeth Winstead: It’s wonderful to see her leading a powerful drama and doing it brilliantly. It’s also great to see her running around with no make-up, in horrible clothing and being completely comfortable in letting herself indulge in this extremely rich, off the wall, non-cliched role. She’s made splashes before, but this is really a film that will hopefully bring her career to another level.
Pushing the Boundaries: With a film that deals with relationships and subject matter we’ve seen before, it’s refreshing to have a few moments that still manage to surprise the audience, without them being completely unrealistic.
The Relationships: Aaron Paul and Winstead are wonderful on screen together and completely believable as that quirky, close, in love, Silverlake couple. Their chemistry is beautiful and together they make for a powerful duo.
Nick Offerman: He has some of the best lines in the film, ones that very few actors could get away with saying and still have an audience like the. He’s wonderful to watch and again, added an interesting dynamic to the film that no one really see’s coming.

The Bad:

The Peak: The film peaked a little early and then the finale didn’t really pay off as much as it could have. It was honest ending, and one that deserves respect, but there was a part of me that wanted a little something more. In the end, there wasn’t a strong or clear message to the film. Perhaps I’ve just seen too many films in a row that don’t really end with a bang, but this one did such a great job at setting up all of these wonderful story-lines, that it felt like there could have been that extra little kicker at the end that would have made it even more impressive.

Overall:

Packed with a fun mixtures of humor, darkness, drama, and a number beautiful performances this is a Sundance darling that’s well worth your time.

Rating: 7.5

Sundance 2012: Red Hook Summer – Movie Review

Brendan Walsh — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:41:21 +0000

Spike Lee is back! He premiered his latest joint, Red Hook Summer this week at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival to a sold out crowd of 1300, and it has become one of the most talked about films of the festival. In a return to form (and Brooklyn), Lee brings back the colorful visual and storytelling style (and even a few characters!), that made him famous with Do The Right Thing. As usual, he doesn’t pull any punches, and left audiences with a lot to discuss. Check out the rest of the review after the jump…

The Players

Director: Spike Lee
Screenwriters: Spike Lee, James McBride
Starring: Clarke Peters, Jules Brown, Toni Lysaith, Nate Parker, James Ransone, Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Spike Lee

Synopsis:

Flick (Brown), a 12 year old boy from Atlanta, is made to spend the summer with his Grandfather Enoch (Peters), a Baptist Bishop in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Removed from his cushy, suburban trappings for the first time, Flick gets a strong dose of urban life, and an even stronger dose of his Grandfather’s spirituality. As he acclimates to his new surroundings, Flick learns about friendship, young love, and his mysterious family history.

The Good:

Welcome Back, Spike - This film feels much closer to Lee’s earlier works, like, She’s Gotta Have It, Do The Right Thing, and Crooklyn. In fact, he even brings back Mookie, the pizza delivery man he played in Do The Right Thing for a couple of key moments. But the film’s richly colored look (Shot digitally on the Sony F-3 as well as an iPad 2), quick editing (by an NYU grad-student of Lee’s), and large cast of diverse characters, makes for an engaging story. Lee insisted, though, that this film is not a sequel to Do The Right Thing, but just a chapter in his “Brooklyn Chronicles.” Somehow, it’s nice to know that all these stories take place in the same universe.
Clarke Peters - Peters might be the most soulful actor working today. Between HBO’s The Wire and Treme, as well as his numerous supporting roles, Peters has a winning track record as far as solemn, sincere performances go. His gravitas and authority allow him to dominate the film whenever he is featured on screen. His sermon scenes are energetic and powerful, and the struggle that is rife within him is clear and dynamic. Though the story is told through the children’s eyes, the film belongs entirely to him.
More Wire Actors – Though they’re only briefly featured, Red Hook Summer also features James Ransone, who played Ziggy Sabotka in the 2nd season of The Wire, as well as Isiah Whitlock Jr., who played Clay Davis on the show. Ransone gives a particularly charming performance, in the brief scenes in which he’s featured, and Whitlock gets to deliver his trademarked line: “Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiit.” This is of no real consequence to the film…I’m just a giant fan.

The Bad:

The Kids – Now, this is not to say that the kids are bad performers, but it is to say that they’re handed a little more than they can manage. Both children have a few meaty monologues that are written so distinctly in other peoples voices, that it is clear they’re struggling to achieve their speeches’ true meanings. In fact…
The Voices – I certainly can’t fault Spike Lee for having a distinct and unique voice among other filmmakers. However, at a certain point, it sounds like almost every character is speaking as him. If he wanted to postulate in his own timbre, he could have simply left it up to his self portrayed character, Mookie (which he does, more than a couple of times). The characters all have separate traits & characteristics, but verbally, are almost indistinguishable.
Twisty 3rd Act – Now this is something that I don’t actually consider to be bad, but it seems to be the most divisive aspect of the film among audiences here at Sundance. Without divulging too much, the movie takes a hard left turn towards the end that changes the tone of the film entirely. Others seemed to find it inconsistent with the rest of the story, and that difference seems to have driven a lot of the controversy surrounding this film. But for the record, I actually enjoyed it, and don’t count it as a negative when tallying up my final score for this film.

Overall:

Spike Lee has always been an unflinching filmmaker, who makes exactly the film he wants to make. If this story were in the hands of anyone but his, it would have turned out to be a chore. However, Red Hook Summer has a strong energy and enjoyable characters that keep the story clipping along from beginning to end. As a unique coming of age story, ultimately Red Hook Summer turns out to be a film that will provoke the discussion of whether or not religion is a force that compels people to be decent to each other, or enables them to hide from their own truths.

Rating: 8/10

Sundance 2012: Kid-Thing – Movie Review

Christie Ko — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:41:46 +0000

This is my first exposure to the Zellner brothers’ work, and I’m intrigued, but I found it a bit confusing. They have a quirky comic edge and a healthy respect for the bizarre that amuses and attracts me. That said, there is a darkness and a stillness to Kid-Thing that I found unsettling and hard to watch. The Sundance Film Festival is often a staging ground for experimental dramas, and I would put this film in that category.

The Players:

Director/Screenwriter: David Zellner
Cast: Sydney Aguirre, Susan Tyrrell, Nathan Zellner, David Zellner

Synopsis:

Annie is a depressed, angry, 10-year-old loner growing up outside of Austin. With no strong adult figure and no real friends, she spends her days in search of things to steal, smash, or terrorize. One day she discovers a trapped woman in an abandoned well in the woods. Unsure of what to do, or whether or not the woman is real or “the devil”, Annie refuses the woman’s pleas for rescue. Instead, she brings her food, drink, and a walkie-talkie, forming a bizarre and contentious relationship between them.

The Good:

Sydney Aguirre is a disturbingly convincing angry child with violent and destructive tendencies. The offbeat comedy of her deadbeat, useless father, and the antics of her boredom lend the film some much needed relief in Annie’s bleak and lonely existence. The humor in this film is drawn out of the prolonged repetition of sounds and actions; extending scenes beyond comfort until you’re led to an uneasy laughter. It succeeds in being at once both devastatingly depressing and cruelly funny.

The Bad:

In the same way that the comic scenes are drawn out, so are the dramatic and soul-crushing scenes. With what felt like a multitude of long, stationary shots chronicling the desperation and isolation of Annie’s life, it was difficult after a while to stomach.

Overall:

It seemed as though the humor and the drama were fighting each other for our attention in this film. There are some interesting and daring ideas, but the cohesion wasn’t quite realized. It was a scenic but bumpy ride.

Rating: 5/10

Sundance 2012: I Am Not a Hipster – Movie Review

Christie Ko — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:22:42 +0000

Based on the title and Sundance 2012 program description, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this film. Full disclosure, I was pretty sure I was going to hate it, mainly because I, too, Am Not a Hipster (hint). But an unexpected thing happened part way through: My heart started pounding, and I realized that I was anxious for the characters and their situation. And later, when I teared up, I had to give up on my aspirations of being an eye-rolling naysayer…

The Players:

Director/Screenwriter: Destin Daniel Cretton
Cast: Dominic Bogart, Alvaro Orlando, Brad William Henke, Tammy Minoff, Kandis Erickson, Lauren Coleman
Music: Joel P. West

Synopsis:

The protagonist, Brook, is a popular, but depressed San Diego musician dealing with the passing of his mother some months before. Wary and disinterested in success or fame, he thwarts the efforts of his well-meaning best friend and is a bona fide, disaffected asshole to the people around him.

When his three sisters and father show up on his doorstep to spread their mother’s ashes, Brook is pushed to his emotional breaking point. Lashing out at everyone with a holier-than-thou pretension, cruel japes, and even with his fists, Brook’s sole redeeming factor is the side of him that comes out when he’s with his loving and adorable Midwestern sisters.

The Good:

“Hipster Culture” is a tricky subject because one of its central themes is an identification with the idea of being counter-culture. So, naming the phenomenon and categorizing it as a subculture is self-defeating. Nevertheless, I think it’s fair to say that we have accepted a working definition of the term “hipster” and associate it with certain negative connotations. And all those negative connotations you can think of when you hear “hipster” completely apply to Brook. So what saves him as a character? How can you like him or care what happens to him?

Dominic Bogart manages to pull off Brook’s ennui without it being whiny. This film is not a pity party. Instead of dwelling on his “hipsterdom”, the film explores why he is so depressed. You find yourself empathizing with him, as deplorable as he has been, because in truth, he is not disaffected nor disinterested. He is deeply affected by loss and loneliness.

The Bad:

I really enjoyed the dynamic of Brook with his caring, quirky, lovable sisters. I would have liked to spend more time with them in the film. Their relationship with him and with each other could have felt more developed. Also, I was expecting more of a resolution with his estranged father.

Overall:

This film is well written and well executed by a talented cast. It has a great original soundtrack by Joel P. West, and some moving musical performances. This is a funny and touching character study that turns your preconceived notions of what it means to be a hipster upside down.

Rating: 7/10

Sundance 2012: Beasts of the Southern Wild – Movie Review

Christie Ko — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:13:49 +0000

This film has Criterion Collection written all over it. It has everything I wanted it to have: stunning imagery, complex, well-developed characters, a blend of folktale and modern-day storytelling, and a truly masterful incorporation of the real and the imaginary. A brilliant, inventive, and beautiful coming-of-age journey, Beasts of the Southern Wild is by far my favorite film to-date from Sundance 2012.

The Players

Director: Benh Zeitlin
Screenwriter: Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin
Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry

Synopsis:

The Bathtub is a small and impoverished Louisiana Delta community on the verge of being destroyed by sea-level rise after being cut off from the mainland by a levee. Hushpuppy, a six-year-old girl with an artful imagination spends her days playing with their animals and imagining what it would be like if her mother, who left some time before the movie takes place, were with her.

When her father and sole care provider falls ill, he gruffly, and seemingly cruelly, races to teach her to survive on her own; fishing, boating, weathering gulf hurricanes, and learning the ways of the people of the Bathtub, whose very existence is in peril. Hushpuppy’s journey is scary, gritty, but at the same time uplifting.

The Good:

It is remarkable how deftly this film illustrates Hushpuppy’s experience of the world, and how easy it is to sink into it. At any moment, you feel as though you might drift off into Oz. But the real world turns out to be just as magical, confusing, delightful, and frightening as any fantasy world might be. With such a rich cast of characters and some truly amazing performances, it’s really hard to explain how enjoyable this was to watch.

Overall:

I have nothing negative to say about this film. I loved it. I loved the story, the characters, the world, the cinematography, everything! If you can see this in theaters, do it.

Rating: 9/10

Sundance 2012: Celeste and Jesse Forever – Movie Review

Brendan Walsh — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:37:58 +0000

The Sundance Film Festival is full of emotional relationship dramadies, but so many of them feel like writers and directors working out their emotional issues from their own relationships. By using their movies as a cathartic opportunity to whine about their breakups, they miss the chance to connect with audiences and speak to the human condition and shared experiences. But that is not the case with Lee Toland Krieger’s Celeste and Jesse Forever. The film, which stars The Office‘s Rashida Jones and SNL’s Andy Samberg, is not about the pain of ending a long, substantial relationship, but about the way we’re forced to move on and grow as a result. Check out the rest of the review, after the jump…

UPDATE: Watch Mali Elfman and Brendan Walsh review Celeste and Jesse Forever.

Celeste And Jesse Forever

Director: Lee Toland-Krieger
Screenwriters: Rashida Jones, Will McCormack
Players: Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Will McCormack, Emma Roberts, Elijah Wood, Chris Messina

Synopsis:

Celeste and Jesse are the perfect couple, except for one thing: They’re divorced. Months after their break-up, they’re still best friends and living with each other. But when they realize that it’s time to move on, their lives are thrown into upheaval, and the two must reevaluate the way they view each other and themselves.

The Good:

Chemistry - Samberg and Jones are adorable together. Their comedic backgrounds allow for a quick repartee, and a natural back and forth that makes it easy to believe them as more than a couple, but great friends. But their dramatic scenes are especially strong. The way they argue never feels like a forced shouting match, but as if the two are more disappointed in what they find in the circumstance, resulting in real heartbreak. Rashida Jones has displayed broad emotional range in her TV career, but with the scope of a whole feature film her to breathe as an actress, she drives the films story and emotions with her performance.
Samberg?! – I normally can’t stand Andy Samberg. I don’t like his smug persona or his over the top, clumsy acting style. However, in this film, he is positively disarming. He is rarely playing for laughs, and turns in a shockingly natural performance. His dramatic scenes are reserved and quiet, accenting the internal confusion towards the state his character suddenly finds himself in.
Cinematography - Director of photography David Lanzenberg shot the film on the Arri Alexa, which is a high latitude digital format, allowing for great detail in high and low light situations (think Drive), and it is employed nicely. Backlit, early morning shots are evenly shaded, and dark nighttime shots are full of rich facial details. The filmmakers really took advantage of the capabilities of their camera system.

The Bad:

Subplots - There are a couple of subplots that are in fact essential to the story, but in the moment feel superfluous or unresolved. Particularly when Jones’ brand designer character tries to get back on her feet in the dating world, and when she establishes a new friendship with a combative, pop star client. Though ultimately relevant to the story, leading Jones’ character to where she needs to be, they feel a little clunky in the moment.

Overall:

Celeste and Jesse Forever ultimately stands as a testament to the benchmark relationships that define who we become as adults. Most people seem to have one especially substantial relationship before finding their true loves, and this is a story about that and the process of moving on. It has great performances from talented comedic actors (Elijah Wood’s performance as Jones’ gay assistant is especially well tempered and fun), and stands apart from the generic romantic comedies churned out by studios, as well as distinguishes itself from the pretentious, overwrought relationship dramas commonly attributed to Sundance.

Watch Mali Elfman and Brendan Walsh review Celeste and Jesse Forever:

Rating: 7.5/10

Sundance 2012: Queen of Versailles – Movie Review

Christie Ko — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:53:47 +0000

I think it’s fair to say we as Americans have an obsession with the rags-to-riches story and a fetish-like desire for judging rich and famous people with a mixture of envy and disgust. The Queen of Versailles, Jackie Sieger, has everything, is pretty out-of touch with reality, and benefited greatly from the sale of sub-prime mortgages. And yet somehow, she is completely and utterly likeable. This Sundance 2012 tragicomic documentary is an equal-parts moving and funny post-recession commentary on the folly of the American Dream.

Players:

Director: Lauren Greenfield
Executive Producers Frank Evers, Dan Cogan
Producers Lauren Greenfield, Danielle Renfrew Behrens
Cinematographer Tom Hurwitz

The Plot:

Jackie and David Sieger live like royalty in a massive estate in Florida with 8 kids. Financed by David’s timeshare resort company, the family is preparing for the completion of the pièce de résistance of their success; a massive 90,000 sq/foot home: the largest house in America. Simultaneously, David works to open a new building in Las Vegas. But when Wall Street plummets in 2008, things start to fall apart around them. Attempting, sometimes very unsuccessfully, to adapt to their new level of income, the family shows us a side of the recession we could not have imagined.

The Good:

I was captivated by this piece for the full 100 minutes. It is hilarious. Lauren Greenfield does a spectacular job of drawing out the absurdities of a lifestyle most of us fantasize about. Mix together the best of Jon and Kate Plus 8, The Osbournes and The Beverly Hills Hillbillies; that will give you an idea of the type of comedy you’ll see in this film. But that being said, this film is also a tragedy to which one might draw almost Faulknerian comparisons. Instead of mourning for the death of the glorious South, we mourn the death of our fucked-up American Dream.

The Bad:

I wanted more. This film takes place over the course of 4 years, but I still wanted more. I want to see their kids grow up and get jobs to support themselves. I want to see Jackie and David (her husband) deal with their strained relationship. I want to see their nanny find a way to visit her family. I want to see what happens to their unfinished, foreclosed palace, Versailles. I know it’s a little unrealistic for this type of documentary, but I wanted to see more of a conclusion. It felt unfinished.

Overall:

Nothing is funnier than the absurdity of real life. I enjoyed this quite a bit and think it is right on the mark as a funny and moving piece of social commentary.

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