tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51054348273328765062024-02-19T10:27:39.944-08:00Indie Film GuruThe best of American independent and foreign films.Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-48657355560576762582013-09-28T14:33:00.005-07:002013-09-28T14:43:22.629-07:00I Declare War<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>More Than a Game </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span><br />
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<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Flies" target="_blank">The Lord of the Flies</a></i> meets <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/?ref_=sr_2" target="_blank">The Hunger Games</a></i> as a preteen contest of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capture_the_flag" target="_blank">Capture the Flag</a> devolves into something darker in <i><a href="http://drafthousefilms.com/film/i-declare-war" target="_blank">I Declare War</a></i>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2285927/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Jason Lapeyre</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2086668/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Robert Wilson</a> directed the film from Lapeyre's own script. The end result is an effective story based on Lapeyre's typically dark and allegorical social themes, enhanced by Wilson's low-budget action and horror sensibilities. <br />
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The story opens in the middle of a preteen war game. Kwon (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3071852/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Siam Yu</a>) is excited to be on the team led by his best friend, PK (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2797152/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" target="_blank">Gage Munroe</a>), a master strategist who has never lost a game of war. The stakes are higher this time, because for the first time they are up against Quinn (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4808331/?ref_=tt_cl_t4" target="_blank">Aidan Gouveia</a>), a general who is PK's equal in the field.<br />
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In previous games the kids have followed the established rules to the letter, but the nature of the game changes when Skinner (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3563624/?ref_=tt_cl_t3" target="_blank">Michael Friend</a>) launches a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_d'%C3%A9tat" target="_blank">coup d'etat</a> against Quinn and takes over the opposing team. This is more than a game to Skinner. It's personal. For reasons not fully revealed until the climax, he is engaged in a personal vendetta against PK, and he's going to win this game at all costs. <br />
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<i>Siam Yu and Gage Munroe</i></div>
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In a bid to lure PK into his trap, he takes Kwon as a prisoner. The helpless youngster becomes the object of whatever torture Skinner can conceive, as he channels his anger for PK against Kwon. As Skinner ups the stakes by dispensing with the rules of the game in his obsessive bid to dethrone PK, the rule of law begins to break down among the other members of his team. <br />
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Without clear rules or a goal that makes sense to them, the other soldiers degenerate into an orgy of betrayal and vindictiveness that dramatically raises the emotional stakes and sends the game into a free-for-all, with no one in real control. Personal insecurities and suppressed resentments are unleashed as the kids turn on each other, including members of their own team.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Michael Friend</i></div>
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The story is told from a viewpoint of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperreality" target="_blank">hyperreality</a>. The characters sometimes behave like children and other times improbably like adults. PK speaks about military strategy with knowledge far more befitting a <a href="http://www.usma.edu/SitePages/Home.aspx" target="_blank">West Point</a> cadet or graduate student than a child of 13 years old. <br />
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Although the actual weapons of battle are sticks and stones, the audience viewpoint is filtered through the imagination of the kids, who see their weapons as submachine guns and hand grenades. The result is disconcerting as the kids appear to fire on each other with live ammunition. The loud explosions and gunfire add to the chaos. <br />
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It's an interesting way to make a point. My mind told me I was watching a real life and death battle before my rational mind kicked in to remind me that it's all make-believe. It's an innovative technique to underscore the point that this is an allegorical tale, and the kids are really us - adults. <br />
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This is a clever film that had me hooked from beginning to end. With emotions running high and so many separate agendas in the mix, the story continues to take unexpected turns and keeps the suspense taut until the very end. <br />
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Each of the actors gets a moment in the spotlight as their personal demons are exposed one-by-one, which makes the film a terrific vehicle for its young actors. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2903787/?ref_=tt_cl_t5" target="_blank">Mackenzie Munro</a> plays Jess, "the girl" who manages to crash the all-boy club in her single-minded pursuit to win Quinn's heart. She impresses him with her abilities, so that he allows her to play on his team. Once he is ousted in the coup, Jess assumes a more destructive agenda. Her secret plan is to avenge Quinn annd impress him simultaneously by undercutting Skinner and taking the flags of both teams by herself. As she becomes more aware of the sexual tension she arouses in the adolescent boys, she begins to use that as a weapon, too. <br />
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<i>Mackenzie Munro</i></div>
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These kids look painfully like us, and it's easy to see in their characters <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bashar_al-Assad" target="_blank">Bashar al-Assad</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin" target="_blank">Vladimir Putin</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama" target="_blank">Barack Obama</a> and especially our coworkers at the office. The story channels <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Flies" target="_blank">The Lord of the Flies</a></i> in its pessimistic view of the human race, and does not offer the same hope of redemption found in similarly-themed films, such as <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">The Hunger Games</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0266308/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Battle Royale</a></i>. <br />
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If you like well-told allegorical tales about the human condition, I highly recommend this film. I found it very thought-provoking, as well as stimulating from a cinematic standpoint. By the way, if you are not aware of the aforementioned <i>Battle Royale</i>, I highly recommend that you rent it. It's a controversial Japanese film that was ahead of its time in 2000. The film was too hot to touch by US theatrical distributors at the time of its release, due to its depiction of kids in lethal combat. It's interesting that <i>The Hunger Games</i>, which appears to be a retelling of the Japanese story, became a hot property for these same distributors after the novels on which it was based achieved best-seller status. I guess they don't know their audience as well as they think. <br />
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My only disappointment with <i><b>I Declare War</b></i> is the pervasive pessimism of its storyline. Although there is much truth in it, I prefer to believe that despite our shortcomings, we are better people than the baser instincts that we sometimes allow to consume us. <br />
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Unfortunately in this story, the hapless Kwon learns that if you want a true friend, get a dog. <br />
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<i><b>I Declare War</b></i> is currently in limited theatrical release in the USA, but it's available for VOD at <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/i-declare-war/id657751953" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Declare-War-Watch-Before-Theaters/dp/B00E5X5X6Y/" target="_blank">Amazon Instant Video</a>, <a href="http://www.vudu.com/movies/#!overview/451269/I-Declare-War" target="_blank">Vudu</a> and <a href="http://watch.drafthousefilms.com/buy/i-declare-war-digital?referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Ftitle%2Ftt2133239%2F%3Fref_%3Dsr_1" target="_blank">VHX</a>. <br />
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<br />Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-41749070537699186362013-09-15T20:04:00.002-07:002013-09-21T04:30:38.251-07:00Crystal Fairy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vL4YtGQ7TADPkiO1zgOsMjVJU2Wms2Rtp_TL0EG2zBx5cQNOuXWHsY4Bj2Th_jevwnI2hshGwAilviHgWDu2Z_gh2juqo4pDCy2YdmWsHpQobQcTfKBaTDSmq2LkIxc31ST_8a9bp1g/s1600/crystal-fairy-poster-header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vL4YtGQ7TADPkiO1zgOsMjVJU2Wms2Rtp_TL0EG2zBx5cQNOuXWHsY4Bj2Th_jevwnI2hshGwAilviHgWDu2Z_gh2juqo4pDCy2YdmWsHpQobQcTfKBaTDSmq2LkIxc31ST_8a9bp1g/s320/crystal-fairy-poster-header.jpg" id="blogsy-1379762863033.25" class="" width="320" height="193" alt=""></a></div>
<p><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong><u>In Search of a Magical Elixir </u></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span></p>
<p>The quest for a hallucinogenic cactus unites an odd, charming cast of characters in this Chilean road film. </p>
<p>Chilean writer-director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2928364/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Sebastian Silva</a> (<em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1187044/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_6" target="_blank">The Maid</a></em>) has created a film that, much like the character of its title, grows on you as you watch it. The film stars <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0148418/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Michael Cera</a> (<em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446029/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_18" target="_blank">Scott Pilgrim vs. the World</a></em>) as Jamie, an obnoxious young American on an extended visit to Chile to stay with his friend, Lobo (Silva). </p>
<p>Jamie enlists Lobo and his two brothers, who are played by Silva's real-life siblings, on a quest to the desert to find the elusive <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinopsis_pachanoi" target="_blank">San Pedro cactus</a>, which is said to have hallucinogenic properties when cooked and ingested. Before the trip gets underway, Jamie and Lobo go to a party and meet an odd young woman who will give her name only as <em>Crystal Fairy </em>(<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000451/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm" target="_blank">Gaby Hoffmann</a>).</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQ3MdKudGe_zECHg7WT1XUEj0CyAyTYofj34Vmpt9C_qe-tBiUNJNH2lVtA62wM3F2XOPI3mo5l0SoTvLtsNnyLc_4lPJ6HsvTPNItnx3B8YQD8cr8hiYkXF1tjYzAzSZo_UhSU-WJPI/s1600/Crystal-Fairy-Header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQ3MdKudGe_zECHg7WT1XUEj0CyAyTYofj34Vmpt9C_qe-tBiUNJNH2lVtA62wM3F2XOPI3mo5l0SoTvLtsNnyLc_4lPJ6HsvTPNItnx3B8YQD8cr8hiYkXF1tjYzAzSZo_UhSU-WJPI/s320/Crystal-Fairy-Header.jpg" id="blogsy-1379762862967.4229" class="" width="320" height="180" alt=""></a></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Sebastian Silva (left) with Michael Cera and the Silva brothers</em></p>
<p>Jamie gets high and asks her to join their quest, which he doesn't remember the next morning when Crystal Fairy takes him up on the invitation. Reluctant at first, Lobo insists that she be allowed to join the expedition because Jamie did in fact invite her. </p>
<p>It's not long before Crystal Fairy's new age sensibilities, such as tantric exercises, open nudity and belief in the power of crystals, begin to wear Jamie's patience thin. But she has the opposite effect on the Chileans, who find her charming and become protective of her, much to Jamie's consternation.</p>
<p>It's only after ingesting the cactus and descending into an alternate reality that Jamie really begins to see Crystal Fairy as someone deeper than he first thought. Crystal Fairy is not the ditz she appears to be. In fact, she is hiding a terrible pain, which she masks with her mystical beliefs and maternal concern for the boys. </p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Michael Cera and Gaby Hoffmann</em></p>
<p>I found this film hard to get into at first, but the interesting characters that populate it kept me glued. Before I knew it, I was hooked all the way to the end. All of these characters appear shallow and one-note when we first meet them, but Silva manages to imbue them with a humanity that grew on me as the story progressed.</p>
<p>The cast spent a lot of time together prior to the commencement of principle photography, which probably explains the chemistry they all share. Cera moved to Chile and lived with Silva for a few months before the project began, and the dialogue of the film is improvisational. I'm normally not a fan of improvisation, but it works well here, even though I thought it caused the film to drag a little. </p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Michael Cera</em></p>
<p><em><strong>Crystal Fairy</strong></em> had that effect on audiences at <a href="http://www.sundance.org/festival/" target="_blank">Sundance</a> as well, where it quickly became an audience favorite. The film is currently in limited release, but is available widely in VOD on platforms such as <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/crystal-fairy/id670548823" target="_blank">iTunes</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/movies/details?id=T2UEcWQqQpk&utm_source=HA_Desktop_US&utm_medium=SEM&utm_campaign=ActionAds&pcampaignid=MKTAD0610MO1DAM" target="_blank">Google Play</a>. </p>
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<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-26481990590983845132013-09-14T09:21:00.000-07:002013-09-14T09:57:44.228-07:0020 Feet from Stardom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-large;"><u>So Close and Yet So Far </u></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span><br />
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They mesmerize us on stage and in music videos. We imitate their sound with our own voices. Yet we don't even know their names. <br />
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In one of the year's best documentaries, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1365879/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Morgan Neville</a> shines the spotlight on pop music backup singers in <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2396566/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">20 Feet from Stardom</a></i>. Their voices are critical to the sound that makes pop music legends, yet the lives of backup singers are a mystery to the public. This is in spite of the fact that they are highly regarded within the music industry itself. <br />
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Music fans may not know them, but rest assured they are well-known to the likes of Chris Botti, Sheryl Crow, Mick Jagger, Bette Midler, Bruce Springsteen, Sting and Stevie Wonder. These pop superstars are among those interviewed for the film, and they are unanimous in naming names and expressing their gratitude for the contributions of these divas from the shadows. <br />
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<i>Darlene Love, Tata Vega, Merry Clayton, Judith Hill, Lisa Fischer</i><br />
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Neville begins by visiting the height of the backup singer phenomena in the '60s, '70s and '80s and examines the careers of some of the most talented, such as Merry Clayton and Darlene Love. Then he takes us to visit them and see where they are today. It's a mixed bag. </div>
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Most of them started as gospel singers in their local church, and the praise they received there encouraged them to audition for record producers. As they discovered the reality of the music business, both good and bad, some continued to pursue the dream of becoming a solo recording artist. For reasons that remain a mystery, none of them ever made it into the spotlight at the front of the stage. </div>
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It's possible that they did not get much love from record label promoters. It's also possible that they were victims of their own success. By contributing to the sounds of the pop stars they supported, they rendered their own unique voices as just more of the same to the record-buying public. </div>
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<i>Merry Clayton</i></div>
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Some of them stopped aspiring to solo success and reveled in the attention they received from the stars they backed, becoming comfortable in their roles as members of the band. They had found a new family and loved being a part of it. Others became discouraged and walked away. </div>
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As much as I enjoy a good story about talented artists, particularly a great music documentary like this one, I found its appeal to go beyond pure entertainment. In many ways these backup singers are us. We may work hard in our jobs and make the people who employ us look good, all the while remaining in their shadow. Sometimes we feel valued and enjoy the warmth of being a member of a successful team. It becomes our family, sometimes the family we never had. Other times we feel under-valued and under-appreciated. <br />
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<i>Darlene Love</i></div>
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Many of us dream of more. We want the recognition of being the best in our field, even if it's just among the people who occupy our own limited world, and we put everything we have into achieving that success. A lucky few of us make it to the top, but most of us don't, often for reasons that have nothing to do with our talent. Sometimes success is more than that. It's also being in the right place at the right time. <br />
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The singers profiled in this film have had a lot of time to think about their careers and their days in the sun. If they ever felt bitterness that the music industry didn't treat them better, time has mostly healed that wound. They have reached a point in their lives where they're grateful for the experience they shared and understand that their contributions brought joy to many, even if music lovers never knew their names. Most of all, there was the pure joy of doing what they loved. <br />
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<i><a href="http://twentyfeetfromstardom.com/synopsis" target="_blank">20 Feet from Stardom</a></i> is currently in theatrical release in the USA. <br />
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<br />Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-6468046720992987032013-09-07T07:05:00.001-07:002013-09-08T10:07:26.173-07:00And While We Were Here/ Adore/ A Teacher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Cougars Go Indie </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span><br />
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This month features the release of three different takes on the older woman/ younger man romance by three different women filmmakers. <br />
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I don't know what <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougar_(slang)" target="_blank">cougar</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitgeist" target="_blank">zeitgeist</a> could have compelled these women to this material at the same time, but the resulting films are distinct and thought-provoking. The stories are also much less about sex and more about the emotional journeys of the primary characters. <br />
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All are in limited release (read New York / Los Angeles) or available on VOD platforms such as on-demand cable, <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/movies/" target="_blank">iTunes</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Video/b?ie=UTF8&node=2858778011" target="_blank">Amazon Instant</a>. <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>And While We Were Here</b></span></i><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0192478/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Kat Coiro</a>, a multi-hyphenate who acts, writes and directs, delivers her best feature yet with <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1972819/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">And While We Were Here</a></i>. It is also the most accessible and conventional of the the three films. That being said, the plot points that underscore the film are mostly subtle, which means the viewer has to pay close attention to grasp the nuances of the main character's emotional journey. <br />
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That's a bit more challenging than it sounds. The film moves at a slow pace, and one gets the feeling that Coiro was most concerned with the look of the film, which was beautifully shot on location off the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amalfi_Coast" target="_blank">Amalfi Coast</a> of Italy. That combined with the well-developed acting chops of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0098378/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Kate Bosworth</a>, mostly carries the movie. <br />
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<i>Kate Bosworth and Jamie Blackley</i></div>
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Bosworth plays Jane, a woman in a relatively young marriage, who recently suffered a miscarriage. The incident also left her physically damaged and unable to have children, a terrible sentence, as children figured prominently in the young couple's plans for the future. <br />
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Her husband, Leonard (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0325221/?ref_=tt_cl_t3" target="_blank">Iddo Goldberg</a>), is a classical musician with a new gig on the island of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ischia" target="_blank">Ischia</a>. As the couple arrives there, the tension in their marriage is evident. Leonard tries to be the dutiful husband and support the emotionally devastated Jane, but she sees through it and realizes that he's just going through the motions. A childless future was not what he had in mind. What makes matters worse is that the two of them truly love each other, as evidenced by their feeble attempts to withhold their emotional pain from the other. The problem is that it isn't working, and Jane has begun to realize that. <br />
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While Leonard is off playing with the orchestra during the day, Jane transcribes an interview with her grandmother for a book she is writing about her hardships during World War II. She finds inspiration there - a mixture of hope amid great pain. <br />
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She also begins to explore the island and encounters a college-aged teen named Caleb (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3284401/?ref_=tt_cl_t4" target="_blank">Jamie Blackley</a>). Caleb is smitten with her and relentless in his pursuit of her attention. Jane becomes charmed by his youthful enthusiasm and sense of adventure, and despite her initial resistance, begins to fall for him. He enables her to recapture the wonder of her own earlier years and sense of endless possibility. <br />
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She will face a choice. Does she escape her pain and leave with Caleb to join him on his travels to explore the world, or does she return to the dutiful, loving Leonard and continue to face the pain of his disappointment? <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Adore</b></span></i><br />
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The premise of <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2103267/" target="_blank">Adore</a></i> is bound to raise a lot of eyebrows, as it did during its premiere at <a href="http://www.sundance.org/festival" target="_blank">Sundance</a> this year. The story, based on a novella by author <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Lessing" target="_blank">Doris Lessing</a>, is about two lifelong friends who fall for each other's sons. <br />
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The screenplay by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0284774/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Anne Fontaine</a>, another multi-hyphenate who also directed the film, is a remarkable take on a very challenging subject. What makes the script so interesting, other than careful plotting and very good dialogue, is that it offers a compelling window onto its subjects, without moralizing or drawing obvious conclusions. Every time a new plot point develops, you expect the story to turn in an obvious way, but the beauty is that it rarely happens like that. The viewer's expectations and opinions are challenged every step of the way. <br />
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You'll feel you should be revolted by the choices made by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000705/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Robin Wright</a>, as Roz, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0915208/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" target="_blank">Naomi Watts</a>, as Lil, but somehow they seem strangely acceptable within the world these characters inhabit. The film was beautifully shot on location on the Australian coast, and the two leads make very sexy cougars.<br />
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<i>Robin Wright and Naomi Watts</i></div>
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As I pondered the meaning of the story, I kept coming back to the insularity of the primary characters. They live in a small town hours from the big city, and it's an idyllic existence. They want for little, have the beauty of the ocean right in their backyards, and their relationships with each other are lifelong and comfortable. When each character is offered the opportunity to leave and pursue something bigger and better, they can't do it. They live in a comfortable world with few challenges. Why risk it? <br />
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In real life I know a lot of people who live lives of similar insularity, but that doesn't make them bad people, and none have taken it as far as Roz and Lil, at least as far as I know. It's an inbred existence but is it wrong? You have to decide for yourself. <br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Teacher</b></span></i><br />
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There's much less beauty and lot more emotional tension in <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2201548/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">A Teacher</a></i>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4227232/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Hannah Fidell</a>'s character study of a high school teacher's demise after she chooses to pursue an illicit relationship with one of her male students. <br />
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<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2698115/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Lindsay Burdge</a></i> does an outstanding job of depicting the changes that occur in her character's emotional state at each step of the way, often relying more on body language and facial expression than dialogue. it's certain you'll be seeing a lot more of her in future films. <br />
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<i>Lindsay Burdge</i></div>
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It's clear from the start that the teacher, Diana, has emotional issues. She lives a lonely, predictable life, yet finds it extremely difficult to relate to adult men when offered the opportunity. As she digs herself deeper into an emotional well, she is tempted to act on fantasy with one of her students. Eric, played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4311291/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" target="_blank">Will Brittain</a>, offers a perfect opportunity. He's a sexy, good-looking young man who is already popular with girls his age. A hot young man like that should find Diana to be but one more sexual conquest, and he's less likely to get entangled emotionally with her. But there are flaws in Diana's logic, and they come from a place she hasn't been looking - her own damaged psyche. <br />
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A few close calls spook her, and suddenly the risks inherent in their relationship become primary in Diana's mind. She can lose her job, suffer terrible humiliation and even go to prison. She decides to break it off. The problem is that she has already become dependent on the relief that emotional drug provided. It won't be as easy as she believes to go cold turkey.<br />
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<br />Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-79545255426018178722013-08-29T21:36:00.000-07:002013-08-30T17:51:38.067-07:00The Spectacular Now<div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cujmZTVCMckzWyv4qZHMIlcHTwhx0T0BgeRsvMstE7gd-YdWmN2JUQTd49Rwpq1BY8nOYjNELtuniHXO7LH2sOz5bLwBYXFAsZzgBKdqRXHYMwy2LmoXYMZymHJmExEd1F8zwKTbGxQ/s1600/spectacular-now.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cujmZTVCMckzWyv4qZHMIlcHTwhx0T0BgeRsvMstE7gd-YdWmN2JUQTd49Rwpq1BY8nOYjNELtuniHXO7LH2sOz5bLwBYXFAsZzgBKdqRXHYMwy2LmoXYMZymHJmExEd1F8zwKTbGxQ/s320/spectacular-now.jpg" id="blogsy-1377910251929.3037" class="" alt="" width="320" height="165"></a></div>
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</div><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong><u>Breaking the Mold </u></strong></span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span><p> </p>
<p><em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1714206/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank" title="">The Spectacular Now</a></em> reinvents the teen coming-of-age film with a harder look at the challenges faced by today's youth. </p>
<p>Sutter (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1886602/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank" title="">Miles Teller</a>) is the class clown who perpetually lives in the moment. His actions are dictated entirely by what feels good to him at the time, without thought of possible consequences further down the road. He thinks he has it all, until his beautiful girlfriend (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0488953/?ref_=tt_cl_t3" target="_blank" title="">Brie Larson</a>) dumps him because she sees that he has no future. She trades him in for the class president and star athlete. Getting dumped is a shock to Sutter. After all, he's a funny party guy who loves everybody, and everybody is supposed to love him back. It doesn't help that he's also an alcoholic. </p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Miles Teller</em></p>
<p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Aimee (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0940362/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank" title="">Shailene Woodley</a>) is the good girl who does think about her future, but she feels trapped by her mother, who has been emotionally despondent and helpless since her father died several years back. In direct contrast to Miles, who eschews any responsibility, Aimee has more than her fair share.</p>
<p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">After Sutter is dumped he goes on a drinking binge and passes out on a lawn, where Aimee finds him while delivering newspapers on the route her mother is supposed to be covering. The unlikely pair begin to see more of each other, and because each has what the other needs, a close bond develops, much to everyone else's surprise. </p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Shailene Woodley</em></p>
<p>Sutter's relationship with Aimee also awakens in him a desire to discover who he really is, and that involves tracking down the father who deserted his family and hasn't contacted them since. Sutter's mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) has always avoided talking about her ex-husband and won't tell Sutter how to find him. When Sutter does find him, he'll discover it's like looking in a mirror, and he'll be terrified by what he sees. </p>
<p>The screenplay written by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2354099/?ref_=tt_ov_wr" target="_blank" title="">Scott Neustadter</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2352210/?ref_=tt_ov_wr" target="_blank" title="">Michael H. Weber</a>, from the novel by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/321382.Tim_Tharp" target="_blank" title="">Tim Tharp</a>, is a brilliant exploration of how parents influence us, even in their absence. It's also a young man's cathartic journey to discover the past that molded him and face the choice to make himself a better and more responsible human being. </p>
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Director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1242054/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank" title="">James Ponsoldt</a> (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2063781/" target="_blank" title=""><em>Smashed</em></a>) gets a lot of the credit for creating the canvas that allows two fine young actors to excel in their roles. Teller and Woodley are called upon to portray a wide range of emotion, often expressing state of mind with little more than facial expression. It is a near-certainty that both will come off of this film with considerabe acclaim, much as already happened with Woodley following her turn in <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1033575/" target="_blank" title="">The Descendants</a></em>. </p>
<p>It's little wonder that <em><strong>The Spectacular Now</strong></em> has generated such positive buzz among critics and was an audience favorite at its <a href="http://www.sundance.org/festival/" target="_blank" title="">Sundance Film Festival</a> debut. </p>
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<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-80238900759625034502013-08-24T05:24:00.000-07:002013-08-24T05:24:16.918-07:00Blue Jasmine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">The Harder They Fall </span></b></u></div>
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by Mark Dispenza</div>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000095/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Woody Allen</a>'s latest film is short on laughs and long on social commentary. A departure from Allen's usual shtick, <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2334873/" target="_blank">Blue Jasmine</a></i> is a well-constructed character study of a socialite's fall from grace. </div>
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I haven't heard it yet, but I won't be surprised if <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000949/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Cate Blanchett</a>'s performance as Jasmine generates an <a href="http://oscar.go.com/" target="_blank">Academy Award</a> nomination. Perhaps this late summer release date was targeted to bolster her chances. It it comes to pass, it will be an honor she richly deserves. <br />
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Jasmine is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hamptons" target="_blank">Hamptons</a> housewife-type whose life has been shattered by the arrest, conviction and suicide of her once super-wealthy husband, Hal (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000285/?ref_=tt_cl_t5" target="_blank">Alec Baldwin</a>). The problem was that Hal's wealth was built upon a giant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponzi_scheme" target="_blank">ponzi scheme</a> that netted many victims over the years he kept it afloat with creative financial and legal maneuverings. <br />
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Among the victims were Jasmine's sister, Ginger (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1020089/?ref_=tt_cl_t8" target="_blank">Sally Hawkins</a>) and her now ex-husband, Augie (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001048/?ref_=tt_cl_t11" target="_blank">Andrew Dice Clay</a>). Ginger did not share her sister's financial good fortune in marriage. She barely gets by as a checker in a neighborhood grocery store. Augie is a small contractor who came into good luck after he acquired a winning lottery ticket. Unfortunately Jasmine and Ginger talked him into investing the money with Hal, rather than pursuing his dream of starting his own business. </div>
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<i>Sally Hawkins and Andrew Dice Clay</i></div>
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After years of avoiding contact with her working class sister, Jasmine, now financially destitute and recently released from a psychiatric hospital, is forced to seek her assistance to survive. But Jasmine can't accept her new poverty, and she spends much of her energy seeking out creative ways to restore her life of privilege, whether through her own entrepreneurial efforts or by marrying back into it. <br />
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As the story unfolds both in real-time and in flashback, it becomes apparent that Jasmine is an expert at <i>looking the other way</i>. Although she professes to be yet another victim of her husband's deception, she is not the air-headed socialite she affects. It was her choice to turn a blind eye as evidence mounted of Hal's financial machinations and his serial betrayal of their marriage. </div>
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<i>Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin</i></div>
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Intentional or not, Allen has created a powerful parable of how the blind pursuit of wealth for its own sake corrupts the soul and destroys all it touches. Although in many ways, Allen's script comes across as a European intellectual's smug parable about the demise of American privilege in the world, and good riddance to its exploitative origins and corrupting influence, it would be a mistake to dismiss the film so readily. <br />
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This is easily Allen's smartest and most serious work to-date. Whether or not you agree with the film's pessimistic tone, it is an insightful view into the nature of the wealth-obsessed. Despite Hal and Jasmine's generous support of charities, nothing they do will make up for the evil upon which they built their ultimately fragile opulence. <br />
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Jasmine is toxic to everyone she comes in contact with. Despite Ginger's humble life she is happy and fulfilled. That changes every time Jasmine attempts to remake her in her own image. The scorecard for Jasmine's interference is a failed marriage, a lost nest egg and the disruption of Ginger's new relationship with grease monkey, Chili, played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0134072/" target="_blank">Bobby Cannavale</a> in one of the film's most entertaining performances. <br />
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Self-deception is Jasmine's greatest forte. The illusions upon which she based her life are fracturing, and so is Jasmine's mind. She dulls the pain with alcohol, but there will never be enough booze or money to repair what is broken inside of her. </div>
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<i>Cate Blanchett</i></div>
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Blanchett's performance is a key component of what makes the film work. Although it's easy to loathe her superficial values and condescending dismissal of working class people, Blanchett somehow manages to convey the psychological underpinnings of fear and vulnerability that drive Jasmine. In spite of everything she's done, it's hard not to feel sorry for her and hope that somehow she gets her values straight and her life back in order. <br />
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Allen doesn't hold much hope for that. </div>
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Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-38325803113013209182013-08-10T07:45:00.000-07:002013-08-10T07:46:03.647-07:00I Give It a Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Sometimes It's Better to Wait </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2244901/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank"><i>I Give It a Year</i></a> is a romantic comedy that breaks the mold. We've all seen it in real life. A close friend or family member falls madly in love with a partner who is obviously - to everyone else - ill-suited. <br />
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It reminds me in tone of my favorite anti-romantic comedy, <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1022603/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">500 Days of Summer</a></i>, although I believe the latter to be the better film. The humor from writer-director, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0563243/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Dan Mazer</a> (<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443453/" target="_blank">Borat</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0889583/" target="_blank">Bruno</a></i>) is hit and miss, but when it hits it's both hysterical and original. <br />
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<i>Rafe Spall and Rose Byrne</i></div>
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Nat (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0126284/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Rose Byrne</a>) marries Josh (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1245863/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" target="_blank">Rafe Spall</a>) after a whirlwind 7-month courtship. None of their friends and family see the match and go as far as to predict the union won't last beyond one year. As the marriage progresses, and attractive rivals both old and new come into the picture, it becomes harder and harder for the two to remain faithful. <br />
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Nat meets Guy (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0048932/" target="_blank">Simon Baker </a>of the TV series, <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1196946/" target="_blank">The Mentalist</a></i>), a new client at her firm, and the attraction is immediately both mutual and powerful. Much of the comedy from that point on revolves around Nat's weakening resistance to Guy's aggressive romantic overtures, one of which involves the release of white doves in a private dining room at a swanky hotel. The presence of a ceiling fan leads to unanticipated complications. <br />
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Josh is tempted by the return of old girlfriend, Chloe, played by the delightful <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0267506/" target="_blank">Anna Faris</a> (the <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362120/" target="_blank">Scary Movie</a></i> franchise, <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0852713/" target="_blank">The House Bunny</a></i>). In a classic case of bad timing, the two are forced to confront the lack of closure in their previous relationship and face their unresolved feelings of love. <br />
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<i>Simon Baker and Anna Faris</i></div>
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Although I enjoyed actors, Byrne, Baker and Faris in their respective roles, I felt that Spall was miscast. He is much too handsome and earnest-looking to successfully pull off a character with an inner idiot dying to get out. It's not that he's a bad actor, it's just that he stretched the suspension of disbelief too many times in that particular role. The experience was akin to watching <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_William,_Duke_of_Cambridge" target="_blank">Prince William</a> attempt an impression of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000120/?ref_=sr_2" target="_blank">Jim Carey</a>. <br />
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All in all, it's not a bad way to spend an evening if you are a fan of romantic comedy and British humor, with a twist of social farce. The film is scheduled for a limited theatrical release later this month, but you can download it and watch it now with <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/movie/i-give-it-a-year/id604821304" target="_blank">iTunes</a>. <br />
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<br />Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-69666842124772162122013-08-03T08:50:00.001-07:002013-08-03T09:03:45.642-07:00Drinking Buddies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Friendship and Sex </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2265398/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Drinking Buddies</a></i> is a very different kind of buddy film. A genre that goes back to the beginning of cinematic history, the buddy film has been done almost every imaginable way. <br />
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We've had buddy cop films and buddy comedies. We've even had <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bromance" target="_blank">bromances</a>. Although most have been from the male perspective, recently we've seen women get their due in films like <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1478338/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Bridesmaids</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2404463/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">The Heat</a></i>. But rarely do the sexual lines cross, and when they do we get <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098635/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">When Harry Met Sally</a></i>, which fulfills the accepted wisdom of mainstream society. Men and women can't really be just friends. <br />
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<i><b>Drinking Buddies</b></i> is scheduled for theatrical release on August 23 but is currently available for advance screening on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_on_demand" target="_blank">VOD</a> from <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/drinking-buddies/id673500243?ign-mpt=uo%3D2" target="_blank">iTunes</a>. It's a slow weekend for good indie films if you've already seen <i><a href="http://www.ifilmguru.com/2013/07/fruitvale-station.html" target="_blank">Fruitvale Station</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.ifilmguru.com/2013/07/the-way-way-back.html" target="_blank">The Way, Way Back</a></i>, so I took the advice of an online reviewer and stayed home to download <i><b>Drinking Buddies</b></i>. <br />
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<i>Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson</i></div>
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Set at a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microbrewery#Craft_beer" target="_blank">craft brewery</a> in Chicago, the story follows Kate (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1312575/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Olivia Wilde</a>) and Luke (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2159926/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" target="_blank">Jake Johnson</a>), two coworkers who are inseparable, so close they can finish each other's sentences. They eat lunch together; they tease each other relentlessly; they hang out with coworkers for a brew after work. <br />
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Kate is in a relationship with Chris (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0515296/?ref_=tt_cl_t4" target="_blank">Ron Livingston</a>). Luke is in the middle of a six-year relationship with Jill (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0447695/?ref_=tt_cl_t3" target="_blank">Anna Kendrick</a>), and the two are talking a lot more about marriage these days. Although it's obvious that Kate and Luke care deeply about one another and are sensitive to the other's emotional states, they have never been intimate in the biblical sense of the term. <br />
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When Kate and Chris hit a relationship crisis, the sexual tension between Kate and Luke begins to heat up. Her emotional state deteriorates, forcing a very concerned Luke to push the boundaries of intimacy to keep her from making stupid decisions, as she begins to take solace in drink and even casual sex with the boss. <br />
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<i>Olivia Wilde and Ron Livingston</i></div>
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<b><i>Drinking Buddies</i></b> is billed as a romantic comedy, although I found it to be light on comedy. The title of the film suggests <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slapstick" target="_blank">slapstick </a>or even raunchy laughs, but you won't find either here. This is a definitely a fresh take on the buddy film genre, and it explores a subject that hasn't been addressed much at the movies - the concept that men and women can develop close friendships that don't lead to marriage or sexual intimacy. <br />
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I found the film to be on the light side in terms of entertainment, with the twist on the genre as the primary reason to recommend it. It's definitely an actors' film, giving its cast ample opportunity to engage conversationally and emotionally, without the need to play against a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chroma_key" target="_blank">green screen</a>. I feel that the film would have been more enjoyable if the filmmaker, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1846132/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Joe Swanberg</a>, had written more effective dialogue for the cast instead of relying entirely on improvisation. The lack of subtext in the actors' lines becomes apparent as the story unfolds. This results in conversation that are just a cut above the uninteresting reality of on-the-nose dialogue, but not interesting enough to challenge the audience. <br />
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<i>Jake Johnson and Anna Kendrick</i></div>
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Luke comes across as a man content with his life, and although he's certainly capable of making mistakes or letting his temper get the better of him, he's a level-headed sort who won't get into too much trouble. On the other hand, it's clear from Kate's very first scene with boyfriend, Chris, that she hasn't found what she wants. In fact she may be seeking escape from deep-seated emotional issues using alcohol and sex as enablers. Her friendship with Luke may be the only thing keeping her grounded. <br />
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The accepted wisdom of society is that sex will always keep men and women from being true friends. The apparent appeal of this film to younger reviewers may indicate that expectation is changing. I've been fortunate to have very close female friends in my life, whom I love dearly and with whom I've never been sexually intimate. <br />
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I recognize that, like the friends of my own sex, there are mutual interests and viewpoints that connect us, but there are also differences that would lead to disaster if we crossed the line into the close quarters of day-to-day intimacy. Sometimes addiction is the problem. Sometimes we are temperamentally unsuited for prolonged regular contact, and sometimes we share a love of certain things but little interest or even patience with other interests. <br />
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The appeal of this film is a hopeful message that our capacity for love can grow to include a whole world beyond our own families and intimate partners. In other words, love and friendship can be about more than just our own neediness and insecurity. <br />
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<br />Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-31163155494534221322013-07-26T13:22:00.000-07:002013-07-26T13:22:33.777-07:00Fruitvale Station<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><u><b>A Life Unlived </b></u></span><br />
by Mark Dispenza<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2334649/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Fruitvale Station</a></i> is not your typical social justice film. Its message is not steeped in populist outrage, but is all the more effective in its subtle focus on promise unfulfilled.<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3363032/?ref_=tt_ov_wr" target="_blank">Ryan Coogler</a> could not have picked a better time to release his first feature, a story about a preventable tragedy that resulted from the escalation of violence. <br />
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<i>Michael B. Jordan and Melonie Diaz</i></div>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0430107/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Michael B. Jordan</a> (<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1706593/" target="_blank">Chronicle</a></i>) is stellar in his depiction of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BART_Police_shooting_of_Oscar_Granthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BART_Police_shooting_of_Oscar_Grant" target="_blank">Oscar Grant</a>, an unarmed 22-year-old man who was shot dead on New Year's Day 2009 by a <a href="http://www.bart.gov/" target="_blank">Bay Area Rapid Transit</a> police officer. He and his friends were detained following a scuffle on one of the train cars. Grant was unarmed and face-down on the ground when one of the officers inexplicably drew his pistol and fired a shot into the young man's back. Doctors were unable to save him, and he died later that morning. <br />
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Witnesses on the packed commuter route recorded the scene on their cell phones, so there was never any question of what happened. The officer later claimed that he intended to grab his <a href="http://www.taser.com/" target="_blank">Taser</a>, but drew his gun by accident in the heat of the moment. He was charged with first degree murder but convicted of involuntary manslaughter and served 11 months of a two-year sentence. <br />
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The public was outraged and the incident became a cause celebre for black activists and others who work in the cause of social justice. It continues to resonate today. Coogler's film concludes with footage from a vigil held this past year on the anniversary of the incident at the Fruitvale BART Station.<br />
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<i>Octavia Spencer</i></div>
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Although the shooting incident is the climax of the film, the story shows little of its aftermath, especially the politics of it. Instead it largely follows Grant for the 24 hours immediately preceding his death, treating the audience as voyeurs, witnesses who observe the action but are not led in any obvious direction. I say "obvious" because this is not a documentary. Coogler, who also wrote the script, has taken the liberties of a storyteller to frame Grant's life. In using that approach he allows the audience to get to know Grant as a man, and not as anybody's political symbol. <br />
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The camera follows Grant as he alternately argues with and demonstrates his love for his girlfriend, his mother, his sister, his young daughter, and even his closest friends. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0818055/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Octavia Spencer</a> plays Grant's mother in a way that leaves no doubt she loves her son, even if she has to be tough on him at times. The audience is introduced to Grant as a man - imperfect, impetuous, temperamental, loyal, loving and struggling to make his way in a world that often stymies him. <br />
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Many of the best films have a scene in which the audience sees the hero in a moment alone, safe from the intrusion and the judgement of others. In that moment the hero's true character emerges. There is such a moment in <i><b>Fruitvale Station</b></i>, when Grant encounters a stray dog. The dog provides the opportunity to see Grant as he truly is, and it also serves as a metaphor for the tragedy to come. <br />
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<i>Michael B. Jordan and Ariana Neal</i></div>
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Even though I watched the video of the incident at the Fruitvale BART Station, as did many others, I can't tell you what went on in the mind of the officer who shot Grant. It's plausible that he did draw his pistol by mistake. It's also plausible that in that moment, he reacted in the heat of his anger and fear, and whether consciously or not, he intended to fire that fatal shot. Witnesses to the actual incident recalled his horror and emotional distress at the results of his action, as his rational mind caught up with his emotion. <br />
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And that brings us to the real cause of the tragedy. Cool heads did not prevail on either side, and the incident was allowed to escalate until the unthinkable occurred. The debate about the root cause of the tragedy will continue, with all sides claiming the exalted status of victim, and minds will become hardened and entrenched deeper in their opinions. <br />
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Each side will escalate and perpetuate the cycle of conflict, just as they do everywhere in the world today - nation against nation, race against race, religious sect against religious sect. We don't talk about the tragedy of what is being lost . Instead we selfishly seek status as the most aggrieved and then profess outrage when the others don't see it that way. <br />
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But when all is said and done, there is a hole in the world that Oscar Grant once occupied. There is a daughter who will never again laugh and play and share secrets with her father. There is a mother who lost her son, and there aren't many losses in this world equal to that. Only a mother can cherish a child so deeply, despite all of the trials and tribulations he puts her trough. <br />
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There is a sister who will never again be able to depend on her brother to cover her own shortcomings, and a girlfriend who lost a cherished lover and will never know what happiness the future might have brought or what pain. <br />
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There are friends who will never again be able to count on him to have their back when times get rough, and there are strangers who will miss his everyday acts of kindness in days yet to come. <br />
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And that's the kind of conversation we should be having.<br />
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<br />Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-53307799799162795192013-07-20T09:44:00.001-07:002013-07-20T09:47:32.623-07:00Europa Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><u>Into the Abyss </u></span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span><br />
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With space exploration at low ebb in the USA, fans can reinvigorate the excitement of venturing into the unknown with <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2051879/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Europa Report</a></i>. <br />
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One of the few <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_science_fiction" target="_blank">hard science fiction</a> films to come along in recent years,<i><a href="http://www.magnetreleasing.com/europareport/" target="_blank"> Europa Report</a></i> is a unique blend of science fiction with documentary-style filmmaking by Ecuadorian director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0179542/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Sebastian Cordero</a>, a master of the contained psychological thriller. The film was made by unabashed true believers in humankind's destiny to explore the universe and designed to appeal to fans of the films that inspired it, such as <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">2001: A Space Odyssey</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086837/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">2010</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096754/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">The Abyss</a></i>. <br />
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Cordero and his director of photography, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002926/" target="_blank">Enrique Chediak</a> (<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1542344/" target="_blank">127 Hours</a></i>), positioned eight cameras inside a spacecraft mock-up to create the illusion of witnessing the live feed from an actual space mission. The effect brought me back in time to my childhood, watching <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Cronkite" target="_blank">Walter Cronkite</a>'s coverage of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11" target="_blank">Apollo 11 </a>mission to the Moon. <br />
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<i>Daniel Wu and Anamaria Rinca</i></div>
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The story revolves around a private enterprise space mission by Europa Ventures to send humans to explore the vast liquid ocean below the thick ice of Jupiter's large moon, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_(moon)" target="_blank">Europa</a></i>. They hypothesize that there is some type of rudimentary life to be discovered there and assemble a crack team of the best astronauts from around the world to pull it off. <br />
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The mission is a long shot and fraught with peril, as once the crew covers the vast distance to Europa and achieve orbit, they will be called upon to land on top of the ice and drill beneath it to detect what is hidden below. <br />
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The dangers are obvious and the story doesn't miss any of them, borrowing a little too heavily from the films it pays tribute to, namely <i><b>2001, 2010</b></i> and even <i>The Abyss, </i>the latter of which doubtless inspired the edge-of-the-seat tension through much of the film<i>. </i><br />
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The lack of originality was my biggest problem with the story, but it was not enough to preclude my enjoyment of it or appreciation of its <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cin%C3%A9ma_v%C3%A9rit%C3%A9" target="_blank">cinema verite</a> approach to narrative. I'm one of those space exploration fans who grew up with <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek" target="_blank">Star Trek</a></i>, and with Hollywood going off the deep end of pushing the action and special effects envelope, I enjoyed the illusion that I was witnessing something that could truly happen at some point in the future. <br />
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Writer <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3664884/?ref_=tt_ov_wr" target="_blank">Phil Gelatt </a>did a lot of research to inject reality into the storyline, including interviews with <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/" target="_blank">NASA</a> scientists and engineers. "One of my favorite moments in pre-production came out of a conversation with Steve Vance at <a href="http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/" target="_blank">JPL</a>," he said. "I asked him if a manned mission to Europa was possible today, and he said, 'Yeah, just give me a couple billion dollars.' It was a reminder that many of our limitations are simply about a lack of will."<br />
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One of the other things I loved about this film was its embrace of a positive future for humanity. The media loves to go for the ratings these days by concentrating on stories about hatred and killing among different ethnic groups and nationalities. I don't think there was a single member of the crew on this spaceship from the same country, and yet there was no tension at all based on their differences. In fact, I cannot recall a single line of dialogue addressing which country a character hailed from or tension arising from the crew's diversity. This is a crack team, and they have each other's back. <br />
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It also didn't hurt that the cast was assembled from some of the best actors from around the world, including <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1663205/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Sharlto Copley</a> (<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1136608/" target="_blank">District 9</a></i>) and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001110/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" target="_blank">Embeth Davidtz</a> (<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0948470/" target="_blank">The Amazing Spider-man</a></i>) of South Africa, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0638824/?ref_=tt_cl_t4" target="_blank">Michael Nyqvist</a> of Sweden (<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1132620/" target="_blank">The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</a></i>), <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2764521/?ref_=tt_cl_t6" target="_blank">Karolina Wydra</a> of Poland (<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1570728/" target="_blank">Crazy, Stupid, Love</a></i>) and Romanian <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1671512/?ref_=tt_cl_t7" target="_blank">Anamaria Marinca</a> (<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1032846/" target="_blank">4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days</a></i>) and Chinese-American <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0943079/?ref_=tt_cl_t8" target="_blank">Daniel Wu</a> among others.<br />
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<span style="color: #141414;"><i><b>Europa Report</b></i> is currently available in pre-release download from <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/europa-report/id661172900" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, and will be distributed theatrically beginning August 2. </span></div>
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<br />Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-14537363680245349882013-07-12T20:50:00.001-07:002013-07-12T20:50:26.851-07:00The Way, Way Back<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><u><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Stuck in the Back Seat of Life</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">by Zac Ryan</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1727388/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">The Way, Way Back</a></i> makes coming-of-age less traumatic and a whole lot more fun. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Adults over a certain age may remember those old station wagons with the two front bucket seats and a row in the middle, and another row of seats in the back - the way back. It's a spot typically relegated to the youngest member of the family, who is forced to sit facing the road behind him, seeing what has already passed, not what is yet to come.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">When we first meet Duncan (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0416699/?ref_=tt_cl_t7" target="_blank">Liam James</a>), he's been relegated to the way back while his mother's (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001057/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" target="_blank">Toni Collette</a>) new beau drives. Trent (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0136797/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Steve Carell</a>) keeps a keen eye on Duncan, who doesn't make eye-contact with the man he loathes, the man who has stolen his mother's heart with his slimy used-car sales tactics. Trent thinks he's doing well, but when he asks Duncan how he would rate himself, "I don't know, a six", Trent quickly pipes back, "a three." It is crushing to be with a man who thinks so lowly of him. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Steve Carell and Toni Collette</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">When the family arrives, they're quickly greeted by neighbor (and constantly tipsy), Betty (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005049/?ref_=tt_cl_t3" target="_blank">Allison Janney</a>). She's got a mouth like a sailor and a sharp tongue that constantly berates her son and his lazy eye. She's an embarrassment to all who meet her, but she doesn't see it that way. This is her time away, and more importantly, she must host the best fourth of July party in town. While Betty tries pawning her visually-challenged son off on Duncan, he's more captivated by her blossoming daughter, Susanna (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1455681/?ref_=tt_cl_t4" target="_blank">AnnaSophia Robb</a>). Yet he keeps his eyes to the ground and doesn't make a move.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Soon Duncan finds his escape at the local water park. After sneaking in through the employee entrance, Duncan is befriended by Owen (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005377/?ref_=tt_cl_t5" target="_blank">Sam Rockwell</a>), the manager and man-child of the establishment. He spins yarns about legends on the slides, flirts with Caitlin (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0748973/?ref_=tt_cl_t6" target="_blank">Maya Rudolph</a>), and never seems to do any work. But this is his home, a place for Owen and his friends to continue being children and never take responsibility in life They return year-after-year and just can't move on to greener pastures. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Liam James and AnnaSophia Robb</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Owen takes a liking to Duncan and offers him his first job. During his short tenure he quickly grows into his own personality. Duncan takes on his short-comings and his insecurities about girls, and finally makes moves, including standing up for himself and his mother.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>The Way, Way Back</b></i> isn't inventive and it feels familiar, sort of like the old station wagon, but it's the performances and connections that make this film a must-see. Written by <a href="http://oscar.go.com/" target="_blank">Oscar</a> winners, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0269542/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Nat Faxon</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0711110/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Jim Rash</a> (<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1033575/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">The Descendents</a>)</i> in their directorial debut, the film delivers a potent mixture of comedy and drama, never feeling heavy-handed or too light. Liam James delivers a wonderful lead performance, propped up by a wonderful ensemble cast. In the end, Duncan and company are not a six, but closer to a 9. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-17058248521004351282013-06-29T08:16:00.000-07:002013-06-29T08:19:33.784-07:00Some Girl(s)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><u><b>It's Really Not You </b></u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span><br />
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A smart story and outstanding cast make <i><a href="http://somegirlsfilm.com/" target="_blank">Some Girl(s)</a></i> a bold exploration of relationship trauma. <br />
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The screenplay is written by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001438/?ref_=tt_ov_wr" target="_blank">Neil LaBute</a> from his stage play of the same title. Since he debuted with <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119361/" target="_blank">In the Company of Men</a></i>, LaBute has established himself as a perceptive and no-holds-barred chronicler of the ugly side of human nature. Perfect casting and the superior direction of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0902939/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Daisy von Scherler Mayer</a> make <i><b>Some Girl(s)</b></i> a more accessible and entertaining story than it otherwise sounds. <br />
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This film is a bold experiment by <a href="https://vimeo.com/" target="_blank">Vimeo</a> into the new paradigm of indie film distribution. Unless you caught the film's premiere at <a href="http://sxsw.com/" target="_blank">South by Southwest</a> in March, you're not likely to see it on the big screen unless you live in New York or Los Angeles. In concert with its release this week in those limited markets, the film is available as a download from <a href="http://vimeo.com/ondemand" target="_blank">Vimeo on Demand</a>, as the first major release of what the online video content provider hopes will be a very successful foray into the future of film distribution. <br />
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As big screens are increasingly reserved for Hollywood's mega-budget experience films, the last remaining outlet for indie films will be delivery directly to your electronic device or television. I applaud Vimeo for the boldness of the move and what I believe is a fair pricing model for both producers and viewers - $5.00 for the streaming rental or $10.00 for the download. <br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0111013/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Adam Brody</a> is spot-on as Man, a character so shallow and commitment-phobic that he's not even given a name. Boyishly handsome, he's the type of guy who sounds so earnest that he may actually believe the lies he tells. His charm makes him likable in the early scenes, as he comes across as a well-meaning but immature klutz more than a villain. But as the story progresses his character reverses the normal protagonist's arc, as he devolves in perception from harmless, narcissistic man-child to emotional marauder. By the end you'll hope he gets run over by a car. <br />
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As the story begins Man is about to get married. He contacts five women with whom he had intense relationships in the past, telling them that he feels the need to make amends for past wrongs before he can move on. He arranges to travel to the cities where they now live and meet with them one last time. However, as the story progresses it becomes obvious that his real purpose is less apology than repetition of a familiar pattern. By the end of the story, I was gratified that this protagonist doesn't get what he wants from these women, but they are able to achieve a measure of closure and put a painful chapter of their lives behind them. In a sense he does manage to do some good, despite the fact that it's not in the way that he intended. <br />
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<i>Jennifer Morrison</i></div>
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The first rendezvous is played mostly for laughs, with <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0607185/?ref_=tt_cl_t5" target="_blank">Jennifer Morrison</a> as Sam, Man's high school flame. It's clear that she was badly hurt after he deserted her, but somehow she put it behind her and moved on with her life. Now he's re-opened that wound, and she's puzzled as to why. His repeated attempts to apologize keep turning into barbs directed against her, making the meeting more awkward and surreal by the minute. By the end of the meeting, she's grateful just to make it out of the room. <br />
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Tyler (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0535502/?ref_=tt_cl_t4" target="_blank">Mia Maestro</a>) is Man's next stop. She is sexy and playful, enjoying life minute-by-minute and letting the chips fall where they may. For her it's all about the experience and having fun with life. She makes it seem that he's going to get off easy at this stop, but that's not really the case. As the scene evolves to its conclusion, she reveals that she was badly hurt by his abandonment. And now the fun's over. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Emily Watson</i></div>
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The story takes a more serious turn during the reunion with Lindsay (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001833/?ref_=tt_cl_t6" target="_blank">Emily Watson</a>), the professor with whom he had an affair while a student at the college where her husband is dean. The older woman/younger man relationship exploded after Man deserted her when their affair was publicly outed, leaving her to endure the subsequent humiliation alone. It's clear from the start that Lindsay has been nursing a lot of anger over the years, and she has no intention of hiding it. No small measure of that is clearly self-loathing. She should have been wiser. <br />
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Even here it's possible to have some sympathy for the poor young man, clearly outmatched as he is by a far more intelligent and resourceful <i>woman scorned</i>. Watson delivers what is arguably the strongest performance of the film. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Adam Brody and Zoe Kazan</i></div>
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From there the story descends into darker territory with Reggie (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1443740/?ref_=tt_cl_t3" target="_blank">Zoe Kazan</a>), little sister of Man's former best friend. He was a bumbling hormone-crazed teen when he seduced Reggie. She was only twelve years old. Kazan is another example of perfect casting. Even as an adult, she telegraphs a precocious quality that makes it difficult to separate the child from the woman. <br />
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This is a scene that sneaks up on you without warning, and it's all the more effective for doing so. Mayer has reported that one of her crew, who suffered an experience much like Reggie's when she was young, was so affected by it that she had to leave the set while it was being shot. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Adam Brody and Kristen Bell</i></div>
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Finally <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068338/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" target="_blank">Kristen Bell</a> brings it all home as Bobbi, who more than any of his past loves is "the one" that he let slip away, or more accurately, deserted like all the others. Like Lindsay and Reggie before her, Bobbi takes some delight in getting her revenge through psychological torture, all the more effective because she can play off of her status as one of identical twin sisters whom he cannot tell apart. This is a more clever and less obvious device than it might first appear. The significance of that physical attraction, and what it says about their relationship, continues to resonate after he leaves Bobbi, all the way through to the very last scene of the film. <br />
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I'm excited to see that Bell is still delivering great performances and continues to grow stronger as an artist. Truth be told, I'm a big fan of her <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068338/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" target="_blank">Veronica Mars</a> TV series, and I'm excited about the feature film version currently in development, thanks to all of the show's fans who supported it on <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/559914737/the-veronica-mars-movie-project" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and rent the three seasons on <a href="http://www.netflix.com/" target="_blank">Netflix</a>. It was one of the best-written series on TV, and if you come from my generation, you'll find it to be a smarter and more contemporary version of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hardy_Boys" target="_blank">Hardy Boys</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Drew" target="_blank">Nancy Drew</a> teen sleuth mysteries I loved to read when I was a child. <br />
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Although I give it my recommendation, <b><i>Some Girl(s) </i></b>is not a film that you'll want to come back to for subsequent viewings, unless you're an actor, director or writer. In the latter case I particularly recommend viewing it for it's great casting, smart story and wonderful dialogue. It's power comes from the first viewing, and it may hit a little too close to home to inspire a desire to visit it again. <br />
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<br />Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-49045926686779982622013-06-15T07:28:00.003-07:002013-06-15T08:42:35.423-07:00Before Midnight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Romance that Lasts Forever </span></b></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span><br />
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After an 18 year journey of romantic celebration<i>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2209418/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Before Midnight</a></i> delves into the reality of love. <br />
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This last installment of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000500/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Richard Linklater</a>'s Celine and Jesse trilogy explores the challenge of sustaining romance years after the consummation of a relationship. Linklater has directed a number of films that focus less on action and more on smart and expressive dialogue. Included among them are personal favorites like <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106677/" target="_blank">Dazed and Confused</a></i>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332379/" target="_blank"><i>The School of Rock</i></a> and <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1704573/" target="_blank">Bernie</a>. </i>. <br />
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Audiences were first introduced to Celine and Jesse in <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112471/" target="_blank">Before Sunrise</a></i> back in 1995. Jesse (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000160/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Ethan Hawke</a>) was a young American on the last day of a two-week journey through Europe when a chance encounter on a train introduces him to Celine (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000365/?ref_=tt_ov_wr" target="_blank">Julie Delpy</a>), a French girl returning to her home in Paris. He convinces her to get off the train with him in Vienna, and they spend a romantic evening together before he must return to the USA the next morning. <br />
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In <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381681/" target="_blank">Before Sunset</a></i> nine years have passed when Celine and Jesse encounter each other again in a Paris book shop. With only a short time left before Jesse must catch his flight back to the USA, they reignite the romance that both have relived over and over again in their hearts and minds during the long years apart. Complicating matters is the fact that Jesse is now married and has a young son. Will he decide to miss his flight and change his life forever to salvage what might have been that night in Vienna years ago? <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke</i></div>
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<i><b>Before Midnight</b></i> takes up nine years after the events of the second film. Celine and Jesse have been together since that time and have cute little twin daughters of their own. The starry-eyed romantic idealism of nine years ago has now given way to the reality of Jesse's vindictive ex-wife, long periods of painful separation from his son, the challenge of raising a family and Celine's suspicion that she took a wrong turn somewhere in life. It's the end of a six-week vacation in the Greek islands. Their friends arrange to babysit their daughters so that Celine and Jesse can enjoy a rare romantic evening alone in a hotel before they return to Paris. <br />
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What is supposed to be a night of passion turns precarious when the two begin to discuss feelings suppressed during this time of familial obligation that supplanted the romance of their early years. As emotions run high and the night slips away, will love conquer doubt and fear? <br />
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<i><b>Before Midnight</b></i> is worth the time, but be aware that this film is different in tone from the first two installments of the trilogy. It is more cerebral and less romantic. Even the title of the film differs from its predecessors in that it is more allusion than actual ticking clock. <br />
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In fact, the first hour of the film dragged for me. I found myself looking at my watch at least twice while Celine and Jesse engaged in intellectual discourse about the nature of love with the group of friends they stay with in Greece. It's smart conversation to be sure, but the experience is more akin to watching an episode of <i><a href="http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-view/episodes" target="_blank">The View </a></i>or one of those political panels on Sunday morning news shows.<br />
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The story doesn't really take off until the second half, when it's just Celine and Jesse again. It's the chemistry between these two that gives Linklater's trilogy its heart and soul. There's a connection that resonates. How else can you explain how films that consist almost entirely of two people talking, as they stroll through beautiful European cities, continue to attract such a following? <br />
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It's been fun to watch Hawke and Delpy grow as actors. Hawke was just a tad more forced and tentative in <i><b>Before Sunrise</b></i>. After nearly two decades of playing this character, he is now a much more accomplished and mature actor. The emotion with which he plays Jesse is real and believable. And Delpy...wow! From the beginning her face has been so radiant and expressive that she could convey the feelings of her character entirely without dialogue if called upon to do so. <br />
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Taken as a whole, the Celine and Jesse trilogy is the best combination of emotional punch and intelligent dialogue that I've ever encountered in films of the romance genre. In fact, I can't think of the Celine and Jesse films as "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chick_flick" target="_blank">chick flicks</a>" because their impact transcends gender. <br />
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I remember the odd combination of euphoria and sadness I felt at the end of each of the first two films. Memories of my own Celine came flooding back each time. Like Celine and Jesse, we first encountered each other on a train, and it was love at first sight. Her name was Agnes, a sound that comes across as dated and old-fashioned in English, but pronounced in the French manner, is exotic and alluring. It was on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Metro_Ginza_Line" target="_blank">Ginza</a> subway line in Tokyo, when I lived there during the late '80s. She was French-Vietnamese and I loved everything about her - her earnest heart and keen mind, her physical beauty. <br />
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Like Jesse, I was under a ticking clock. In two weeks I would return to the USA, with no idea when I might come back to Japan, if ever. But unlike the lovers in these films, there was no subsequent reunion, no opportunity to explore what might have been. I never saw her again. <br />
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It's strange how all these years later I can't stop thinking of her. For months she won't enter my mind, then suddenly she will invade my memories again in a single unexpected moment. I can still recall every detail about her, long after my relationships with other women have diminished to near obscurity. <br />
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In the last hours of my life, I know that I will think of her again. I wonder if she still thinks of me. <br />
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<br />Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-10816485657887280342013-06-07T20:00:00.000-07:002013-06-08T05:18:54.849-07:00The East<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Torn Between Worlds </strong></span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Zac Ryan</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
Indie darling <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1779870/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" itemprop="url"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Brit Marling</span></a> re-teams with her <a href="http://www.ifilmguru.com/2012/05/sound-of-my-voice.html" target="_blank"><em>Sound of My Voice</em></a> co-writer/director, <span class="itemprop" itemprop="name"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2610231/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" itemprop="url">Zal Batmanglij</a>, </span>in the taut and tension-packed <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1869716/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">The East</a>.</em><br />
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In her first assignment at a new job, the young and innocent, Jane (Marling), is tasked by her boss, Sharon (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0165101/?ref_=tt_cl_t9" itemprop="url"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Patricia Clarkson</span></a>), to infiltrate the anti-corporate and anarchic group known as The East. Jane lies to her husband, dies her hair and takes on the alternate identity of Sarah, befriending someone she believes is a part of the collective that she met while free-riding in a train car. She thinks fast, finding a solution to infiltrate the secretive group.<br />
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As an outsider, she isn't easily accepted into the fold. One of the members, a deaf female, is quick to catch on that Sarah isn't who she says she is. Sarah confides in her, explaining that she is on a mission, in hopes that that she can create a bond with the woman. But that isn't the only hurdle that Sarah faces to be accepted. There is a wonderful dinner scene where Jane/Sarah learns to help others instead of only worrying about herself.<br />
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<em>Brit Marling and Alexander Skarsgård</em></div>
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And the person behind such great wisdom? Benji (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002907/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" itemprop="url"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Alexander Skarsgård</span></a>), with his long locks and beard, is the leader of the group. His piercing eyes, his smooth demeanor and his smile are all he needs to enrapture his flock. Together they fight back against the big corporations that are polluting and ruining society.<br />
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The first of the "jams" in the movie has the group conning their way into an upscale party for a big pharmaceutical company. This is Doc's (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1527905/?ref_=tt_cl_t4" itemprop="url"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Toby Kebbell</span></a>) chance to get revenge on those who caused his on-going seizures and other ailments. Together they'll spike the celebratory champagne with their own drug, hopefully causing harm to get the drug off the market, and in the end, save more lives. <br />
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<em>Alexander </em><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Skarsgård</i></div>
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Will Jane/Sarah figure out what is the right thing to do and successfully bring The East to justice for her employer? Or will <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome" target="_blank">Stockholm Syndrome </a>take hold, causing her to fall for Benji, even though she's not really a captive? She must judge what's right, not only for her, but for her employer, the victims of the big corporations, and the possibility of a bigger catastrophe around the corner. </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Marling consistently creates complex roles that are rare in mainstream films, especially those with a female lead, and we should applaud her for that.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Zal Batmanglij grows as a director from his previous collaboration with Marling. This film is bigger in scope, the cast larger, and at times, the idea seems to outgrow <i>Sound of My Voice</i>. The only problem, like in the previous film, is that it seems to drag in a couple of segments, yet still manages to click along at a steady pace overall. As Batmanglij's budgets grow, hopefully he'll have a shot at an even wider audience, and let's hope he brings Marling along for the ride.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-4711574343680330112013-06-01T08:56:00.000-07:002013-06-01T08:58:51.183-07:00Indies on Demand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZTCOuhzIQncQndM5BxcXsDq13H5u4-14_td_bMgaAATKhQ1QRKA5IMZMrWlL_6FGt7rA1ANAO8lAIYT7c8v0hSvZs-H9aYkBAJ05MIqh9drjcTpovPWNUFxAJWGreQWt3HRszYv044Co/s1600/vod2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZTCOuhzIQncQndM5BxcXsDq13H5u4-14_td_bMgaAATKhQ1QRKA5IMZMrWlL_6FGt7rA1ANAO8lAIYT7c8v0hSvZs-H9aYkBAJ05MIqh9drjcTpovPWNUFxAJWGreQWt3HRszYv044Co/s320/vod2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u><b><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">In the Comfort of Home </span></b></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span></div>
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More and more indies are now available in concert with limited theatrical release, so you no longer have to live in Los Angeles or New York to find art house favorites. In fact you can view them from the comfort of your own home or even on your <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/" target="_blank">iPad</a>. </div>
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Here are notable titles currently available for home download...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpyiCnKm0eTK3z7psLhDU3boqvEMb-VrVR-t05ucwabfgtMyCZ2PY8bYCm1ShjvU1zl0a5sPOZuV3fcwP3dl-KDKma9GnsZSQhuVqm_xKDPxMmF72OctAlZwuRxKL56PL-2IaqGxA_WU/s1600/Lore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLpyiCnKm0eTK3z7psLhDU3boqvEMb-VrVR-t05ucwabfgtMyCZ2PY8bYCm1ShjvU1zl0a5sPOZuV3fcwP3dl-KDKma9GnsZSQhuVqm_xKDPxMmF72OctAlZwuRxKL56PL-2IaqGxA_WU/s200/Lore.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<b><i><a href="http://www.ifilmguru.com/2013/03/lore.html" target="_blank">LORE</a></i></b> - As Nazi Germany collapses around her, a 14-year-old girl must cross a newly occupied and divided nation to bring her younger siblings to the safety of her grandparents. In the process they come to depend on a newly liberated Jewish traveling companion and discover the lies and atrocities in which their parents were complicit. More than a coming-of-age tale, <i>Lore</i> is a metaphor for the German people in the closing days of World War II. The film features a striking performance by young actress Saskia Rosendahl. Available on <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/movie-rentals/" target="_blank">iTunes</a> download or <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/" target="_blank">Netflix</a> DVD. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WpY6A8RaxXyFq3mnvretioeglrJ9HY_kFP4BQbfwCKpQNiXMmx5IkLwG9QIKljjIr-gwFUV15O8-tsiAaZm94BHUPf9UpEU_OzhzmIRb6GKEDEtnvu0V5UfdHThOMrLl46NxK8ASwQ8/s1600/to-the-wonder-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WpY6A8RaxXyFq3mnvretioeglrJ9HY_kFP4BQbfwCKpQNiXMmx5IkLwG9QIKljjIr-gwFUV15O8-tsiAaZm94BHUPf9UpEU_OzhzmIRb6GKEDEtnvu0V5UfdHThOMrLl46NxK8ASwQ8/s200/to-the-wonder-14.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><i><a href="http://www.ifilmguru.com/2013/05/to-wonder.html" target="_blank">TO THE WONDER</a></i> </b>- It's Malick again - beautiful cinematography, great actors, poetic voice-overs, recurring scenes of nature. This may be one of his most accessible films. Ben Affleck plays a disaffected man who can't decide if he wants to be with Olga Kurylenko or Rachel McAdams, while Javier Bardem laments his perceived irrelevance while searching for his true calling as a priest among a largely disaffected flock. Available for download on i<a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/movie-rentals/" target="_blank">Tunes</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxUFvGJB1iDH__Q9I9TX-o2SV3KML3f3oxJk4hv71-02Xvso5WzbmakfBmtZxSyn_RNVYKWovpRqtJD7vZKfnfCvc0heBQcNlohgMXRngRBdtAG3G1m6MEktVekbMbKYjmJdhfAq7rkA/s1600/Upstream-Color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxUFvGJB1iDH__Q9I9TX-o2SV3KML3f3oxJk4hv71-02Xvso5WzbmakfBmtZxSyn_RNVYKWovpRqtJD7vZKfnfCvc0heBQcNlohgMXRngRBdtAG3G1m6MEktVekbMbKYjmJdhfAq7rkA/s200/Upstream-Color.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><i><a href="http://www.ifilmguru.com/2013/05/upstream-color.html" target="_blank">UPSTREAM COLOR</a></i></b> - It's been nine years since former MIT philosopher Shane Carruth wowed the indie film world with <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390384/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Primer</a></i>. If thought-provoking, controversial films are your thing, you'll probably love this allegorical tale. Just who is that enigmatic pig farmer anyway? Currently in limited release, this film is also available as a rental download from <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/movie-rentals/" target="_blank">iTunes</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibe3DWFQex78MbVXxymiryLWCjibTUE_T1FAhGP-N34HcI0ZONBIcrnVBGqDtAlIhY2XvGxPC9JuLvdJOr28Q3rrDFyfaGjk9YNCuNvhMx1FheVhCPQPbfNnimE4mRlUIetARRo6Q3x_Y/s1600/Room-237-010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibe3DWFQex78MbVXxymiryLWCjibTUE_T1FAhGP-N34HcI0ZONBIcrnVBGqDtAlIhY2XvGxPC9JuLvdJOr28Q3rrDFyfaGjk9YNCuNvhMx1FheVhCPQPbfNnimE4mRlUIetARRo6Q3x_Y/s200/Room-237-010.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ifilmguru.com/2013/04/room-237.html" target="_blank"><b><i>ROOM 237</i></b> </a>- Judging from the huge response we received after posting about this doc, there are a lot of Kubrick fans among our readers, or people who are just plain intrigued by hidden meanings and symbolism. There's a lot of that here, as fans of <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">The Shining</a></i> share what they see or think they see behind Kubrick's elaborate and enigmatic scene constructions. Available as a download from <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/movie-rentals/" target="_blank">iTunes</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivD5jgF8Ihvg64qhVQtbYm7TK6_7F9sOVkAtzqb6Ke8hLXPZGnYUSR9zDtBWwSDA4hwPTt2pp0S2Rcnt6ZlG8VaNyILnnmjNP-iAGldbNkeH5oNyw-RJjXXRsdEOCilsde-CGzzLR8crM/s1600/silver2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivD5jgF8Ihvg64qhVQtbYm7TK6_7F9sOVkAtzqb6Ke8hLXPZGnYUSR9zDtBWwSDA4hwPTt2pp0S2Rcnt6ZlG8VaNyILnnmjNP-iAGldbNkeH5oNyw-RJjXXRsdEOCilsde-CGzzLR8crM/s200/silver2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i><b><a href="http://www.ifilmguru.com/2012/11/silver-linings-playbook.html" target="_blank">SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK</a></b></i> - Never before has mental dysfunction been so empathetic, funny and romantic. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence shine as two mentally-challenged lovebirds who work through their problems to a more than merely satisfactory result. An awards season favorite this year, <i>Silver Linings Playbook</i> is available as an <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/movie-rentals/" target="_blank">iTunes</a> download or <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/" target="_blank">Netflix</a> DVD. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWz5A2l_EmpvFH23j1k1KLCJepw8sFzN6qorrTkdL59CJ4C0ZtoGKIdgvf0NpFvASHiP8d3nojSxQNQ8b0RMJc5vGihjDVypDLCzPrVeskROMkk9-L3CPXfymDOothCBTMKQ65YbOK__Q/s1600/The-Impossible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWz5A2l_EmpvFH23j1k1KLCJepw8sFzN6qorrTkdL59CJ4C0ZtoGKIdgvf0NpFvASHiP8d3nojSxQNQ8b0RMJc5vGihjDVypDLCzPrVeskROMkk9-L3CPXfymDOothCBTMKQ65YbOK__Q/s200/The-Impossible.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1649419/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">THE IMPOSSIBLE </a></i></b>- Like the family at the center of this drama about the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, this film will cause you to reconsider your life priorities and relationships. A family separated in the midst of disaster overcome the odds to survive and find one another again. Cringe-inducing, realistic disaster effects and a standout performance by young actor, Tom Holland, makes it worth your while. Available as an <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/charts/movie-rentals/" target="_blank">iTunes</a> download or <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/" target="_blank">Netflix</a> DVD. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MMbvltV4AkRAmDivssO5N_2jOv0rXbahw3c3idiR2O9Y_t9I8ySHQ5Bb71LH2LzMG49Yo6BydKuHK5IK2aAkq7Hl5ZVypyVQ9aSDd_dkEQh_7otAoHPh5FLatvgGOUkldQVP50xcQKo/s1600/Holy+Motors+Flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-MMbvltV4AkRAmDivssO5N_2jOv0rXbahw3c3idiR2O9Y_t9I8ySHQ5Bb71LH2LzMG49Yo6BydKuHK5IK2aAkq7Hl5ZVypyVQ9aSDd_dkEQh_7otAoHPh5FLatvgGOUkldQVP50xcQKo/s200/Holy+Motors+Flowers.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.ifilmguru.com/2012/12/holy-motors.html" target="_blank"><b><i>HOLY MOTORS</i></b> </a>- In French with English subtitles, this is a chaotic film that is one of the most inspired works of artistic vision vision to hit cinema in a very long time. Director Leos Carax has painted a mesmerizing canvas around actor Denis Levant that delivers an unsurpassed showcase for a talented actor. The visual contrast and social commentary that permeates every frame heightened my enjoyment of the film. Available from <a href="http://www.netflix.com/" target="_blank">Netflix </a>as a download or on DVD. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi2Up8chvp9GoQPCVdyApp3u0-Y3cAiLPCAwti8-V-iIiOdll7CqHU602eErA6BvxgiaRCk0hNYw5HLnHNJ-2BADQfa5ufmiO8Oa8PpcCsQQ0FIEDIUh16bdc0Wj6RwCW5ppziZhsab8/s1600/before-sunrise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi2Up8chvp9GoQPCVdyApp3u0-Y3cAiLPCAwti8-V-iIiOdll7CqHU602eErA6BvxgiaRCk0hNYw5HLnHNJ-2BADQfa5ufmiO8Oa8PpcCsQQ0FIEDIUh16bdc0Wj6RwCW5ppziZhsab8/s200/before-sunrise.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112471/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">BEFORE SUNRISE</a></i></b>/ <i><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381681/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">BEFORE SUNSET</a> </b></i>- <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2209418/?ref_=fn_al_tt_4" target="_blank">Before Midnight</a></i>, the last of Richard Linklater's acclaimed romantic trilogy, has just hit the USA in limited release. Before you see it, you can catch up on the early years of Jesse and Celine's story of timeless and tragic love by downloading or ordering the DVD for the two earlier films of the series that began in 1995 with <i>Before Sunrise.</i> Available on iTunes, Netflix and a number of other platforms. </div>
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Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-5889325825319158432013-05-25T05:57:00.000-07:002013-05-25T05:57:27.512-07:00Stories We Tell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKR6MPOUmEkC0PDWVENCr7j-6eEHVfoa9nkvqwlHrK-Uz8FkAQOaBiLi_q-5bMzDW06mvbmB1Q95MjjDjSIW44ZcTqeYU59XXfxsgHgKj7Wp78P3mM4a4FPkhtPJYuUYV6ZEshXPUihww/s1600/Stories+We+Tell+Poster.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKR6MPOUmEkC0PDWVENCr7j-6eEHVfoa9nkvqwlHrK-Uz8FkAQOaBiLi_q-5bMzDW06mvbmB1Q95MjjDjSIW44ZcTqeYU59XXfxsgHgKj7Wp78P3mM4a4FPkhtPJYuUYV6ZEshXPUihww/s320/Stories+We+Tell+Poster.jpeg" width="221" /></a></div>
<u><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Secrets and Lies </b></span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Zac Ryan</span><br />
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As memories of past lives are passed down through generations, the truth can be distorted or changed to protect certain indiscretions. In<i> <a href="http://pro.imdb.com/title/tt2366450/" target="_blank">Stories We Tell</a></i>, director <a href="http://pro.imdb.com/name/nm0001631/" target="_blank">Sarah Polley</a> turns the camera on her father, her siblings and friends of the family to recount the stories and memories of her mother, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0689568/" target="_blank">Diane Polley</a>.<br />
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Sarah Polley was a film and television actress during the 80s and 90s, but moved to the other side of the camera during the past decade, directing notable films that explore crisis points in human relationships, such as <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0491747/" target="_blank">Away from Her</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1592281/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Take This Waltz</a></i>. <br />
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Since Sarah's mother passed away when she was only eleven years old, she feels she never truly got to know her. All she had were the stories that others would tell her over the years. Several inconsistencies started to pop up. So to find the proper answers, she decided to look to those who were close in her life, spending five years in exploration of both the good and the bad.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6svOF_UK3rwA5ODejq2bQYDVNQLvOGFH_dakHYKbVmhOqUstQcVoILfu7b7HZmRCuplHGSN7tk00qFkEJXpN7fGrm6jdH8dYkcm4vfX7vxAfZaCdoKmjXuZAS0Z24iDI9f4h9phvg-cA/s1600/PolleyStories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6svOF_UK3rwA5ODejq2bQYDVNQLvOGFH_dakHYKbVmhOqUstQcVoILfu7b7HZmRCuplHGSN7tk00qFkEJXpN7fGrm6jdH8dYkcm4vfX7vxAfZaCdoKmjXuZAS0Z24iDI9f4h9phvg-cA/s320/PolleyStories.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Diane Polley</i></div>
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In the beginning we meet Sarah's father, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0689574/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" target="_blank">Michael Polley</a>, who, like her mother and herself, is an actor. She sets him up in a booth to record the narration for part of the film, so while this is Sarah's film, it has many poignant moments for him, as well. He has his own memories of Diane, and like others, they are both good and bad. As he recounts his stories, you can see the deep love he felt for her, even if it wasn't returned equally.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Michael Polley</i></div>
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To go further really gives away most of what Sarah was able to explore and dig up, and those moments are best experienced through the film. As the story unfolds, the film sometimes feels like a movie within a movie. The imagery presented of Diane through old home movies and photos starts to show a different side of her than the truth. Then again, she was an actor, so maybe most of her life was just one big role.<br />
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My only complaint is that I wish Sarah was on-screen a little more to see her reactions, instead of just hearing her inquisitive voice asking questions from behind the camera.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Sarah Polley</i></div>
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<b><i>Stories We Tell</i> </b>was recently awarded the Ted Rogers Best Feature Length Documentary award at the <a href="http://www.academy.ca/press/CanadianScreenAwards_FILM_Winners-2013.pdf" target="_blank">2013 Genie Awards</a>, Canada's version of the Oscars. The film is currently playing in limited release.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-39282101614182482062013-05-18T08:22:00.000-07:002013-05-18T08:25:04.880-07:00Eden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>When All is Lost </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1734433/?ref_=sr_2" target="_blank">Eden</a></i>, based on the true life story of <a href="http://theithacan.org/22433" target="_blank">Chong Kim</a>, captures the terror and loss of hope faced by victims of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_trafficking" target="_blank">human trafficking</a>. <br />
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Kim, who escaped captivity against the odds after two horrifying years of sexual slavery, decided to tell her story publicly after she noted that the majority of Americans believe that trafficking is something that happens only to foreign girls, not the girl next door in the United States. She contributed to the screenplay by director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0341722/" target="_blank">Megan Griffiths</a>, from a story crafted by fellow contributor, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1752047/" target="_blank">Rick Phillips Jr.</a> <br />
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Chong was an 18-year-old Korean-American teen working in her parents' shop when she was kidnapped and sold into sexual slavery in 1995. She was selected because the traffickers thought she was younger than her actual age. Let that sink in a moment.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Jamie Chung</i></div>
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In the film the traffickers force her to break completely with her past and lose all hope of rescue, using a very effective combination of both physical and psychological torture. She is given a new name - Eden. Actress <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1512166/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Jamie Chung</a> does a great job of conveying Eden's psychological state during each stage of her captivity. <br />
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She is a spunky girl and spends the early months repeatedly defying the traffickers and causing as much trouble as she can. After the point is made, the story mercifully jumps forward to one year later, sparing us the awful details of how the traffickers ultimately break her spirit to resist. They give us a taste of that horror, and it's all that's needed to make the point. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Jamie Chung</i></div>
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Eden survives the second year by playing along with the traffickers and working hard to win their confidence. The more they trust her, the more she will be allowed access to places that might open opportunities for escape, and that turns out to be the smart move, as escape she does, but not until long after she has experienced horrors that will undoubtedly leave her psychologically scarred for life. <br />
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The filmmakers chose to tell this story without resorting to the graphic detail of torture and sex scenes. Like a horror movie that relies more on psychological terror than gore, they get their message across effectively without forcing the audience to look away. In fact it is difficult to look away, as each new plot twist draws viewers deeper into this world and leave them wondering how Eden can possibly cope with each new setback. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Beau Bridges</i></div>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000977/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" target="_blank">Beau Bridges</a> is chilling in his portrayal of trafficker, Bob Gault, who is a <a href="http://www.justice.gov/marshals/" target="_blank">US marshal</a> assigned to stop the very business he's engaged in. Gault travels around talking to local police departments about how to identify and apprehend sex offenders. In a twist of irony, he tells them in one scene how perpetrators can look like anyone, particularly a trusted member of the community. <br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0641610/?ref_=tt_cl_t3" target="_blank">Matt O'Leary</a> does a great job of portraying drug-addicted, war veteran bad guy, Vaughan, in all of his complexity. He is a volatile personality, forcing Eden to work hard to win his trust during his more lucid moments, while keeping him at arms link during his frequent descents into depraved cruelty. <br />
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Griffiths does an excellent job in straddling the line between depicting the horrors of sexual slavery and crossing over into exploitation. She makes her point by making sensitive choices about a subject in which sensitivity is lost. <a href="http://sxsw.com/" target="_blank">SXSW</a> rewarded the <a href="http://history.sundance.org/films/6779/the_off_hours" target="_blank">Sundance</a> veteran last year after the film's premiere with the festival's <a href="http://sxsw.com/film/awards/past-winners" target="_blank">Narrative Feature Award</a>, along with a special recognition to Jamie Chung for her performance. <br />
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<i><a href="http://www.edenthefilm.com/" target="_blank">Eden</a></i> is currently in limited release in the USA, but is also currently available for download on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/eden/id600653758?ign-mpt=uo%3D4" target="_blank">iTunes</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eden/dp/B00CFYOIMK" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.vudu.com/movies/#!content/424031/Eden" target="_blank">Vudu</a>. <br />
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<br />Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-21302749640312622542013-05-11T13:06:00.002-07:002013-05-12T10:09:51.582-07:00To the Wonder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>The Meaning in Malick </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span><br />
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The films of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000517/?ref_=sr_2" target="_blank">Terrence Malick</a> may not be as ethereal as we think, and maybe that's the point. <br />
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After viewing his latest feature, <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1595656/" target="_blank">To the Wonder</a></i>, I believe that against all odds, I may have finally come to understand him. A perennial favorite at <a href="http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/festival.html#" target="_blank">Cannes</a>, Malick's films feature stunning cinematography, particularly of the natural environment, and a storyline that is slow, uncinematically focused on the inner thoughts of angst-ridden characters, and somewhat spiritual in feel. They are usually period pieces and there is a sometimes nebulous thread that ties together generations. In the <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478304/" target="_blank">Tree of Life</a></i>, Malick famously interwove his protagonist's memories of childhood with scenes of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur" target="_blank">dinosaurs</a>. <br />
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Audiences and critics have struggled to understand Malick's films since he reappeared at the movies in 1998 with <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120863/" target="_blank">The Thin Red Line</a></i>, after an absence of over 20 years. Some of the most talented actors in Hollywood are attracted to Malick, and he has achieved a guru-like status among them that has boggled my mind. I've always chalked it up to the shallow nature of Hollywood. Just because something has the appearance of being deep and spiritual, doesn't mean it's not a load of baloney under the surface.<br />
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If you're a long-time reader of this blog, you likely know that I have historically struggled with Malick and have been unable to relate to his films, because his stories do not appear to me to contain any kind of narrative arc, and his protagonist does not really change or come to any kind of personal resolution by the end of the story. That to me is a fundamental violation of the form and purpose of storytelling. If there is not a discernible <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomyth" target="_blank">hero's journey</a>, what's the point? <br />
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And then I saw <i><b>To the Wonder</b></i>. <br />
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<i>Ben Affleck and Olga Kurylenko</i></div>
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The story follows the off again, on again romance and marriage of Neil (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000255/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Ben Affleck</a>) and Marina (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1385871/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Olga Kurylenko)</a>. Typical of a Malick film, the relationship unfolds visually against voice-overs of the characters, as they question and second-guess each other. Malick's characters are improbably articulate, almost poetic, in their musings. <br />
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Earth is a character in the film, also par for the course with Malick, and his characters are surrounded by incredible natural beauty, captured in stunning cinematography by his long-time director of photography, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0523881/" target="_blank">Emmanuel Lubeski</a>. <br />
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Neil can't seem to stay satisfied, despite many wonderful moments of love and happiness with Marina. The two interact lovingly and tenderly in one scene and hurt each other carelessly in the next. They break up. They get back together. Neil sends her away and has an affair with Jane (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1046097/" target="_blank">Rachel McAdams</a>), who he's known and coveted for most of his life. When he's with Jane, he hurts her, too, even though he knows she's had a tough time and trust does not come easy to her. <br />
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Marina is also complicit in the ongoing sabotage of her relationship with Neil and has considerable trouble in her relationship with her daughter. By the way, it's wonderful to find out that Bond girl Kurylenko is also a talented actress. In typical Hollywood fashion previous filmmakers have utilized her as little more than eye candy. Malick utilizes her to full effect and allows her to show a beauty that is more than skin-deep. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Javier Bardem</i></div>
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Although Neil is the central character of the film, there is the parallel journey of the Catholic priest, Father Quintana, played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000849/?ref_=tt_cl_t4" target="_blank">Javier Bardem</a>, who can always be counted on to deliver a memorable performance.<br />
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Although Neil and Father Quintana live in the same city and Neil is one of Quintana's parishioners, their narratives intersect infrequently, but notably during moments of major transition in Neil's life, such as marriage, childbirth and divorce. <br />
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The film's focus on Neil is broken up by scenes of Quintana going about his priestly duties, engaged in a negative inner dialogue in which he agonizes over the Lord's purpose for him. Quintana does not believe his life means anything, so he seeks an elusive higher calling that will leave him fulfilled. What's amazing is that all of this negative self-talk occurs over scenes in which Quintana is actively engaged with people during the most important moments of their lives, and as he comforts those who suffer, very often their sole lifeline during a terrible time.<br />
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In one memorable scene Quintana goes to the prison to hear the confession of a convict. At first the convict is evasive and defensive, refusing to admit to his actions in some undisclosed crime. As he talks to Quintana, he begins to complain loudly about the bright light coming through the window. He is in an exaggerated amount of physical discomfort and becomes emotional, near the point of breakdown. Is he in pain because his conversation with Quintana illuminates the terrible error of his ways? Quintana is so caught up in his negative self-talk that he hardly seems to notice. <br />
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In another scene a parishioner afflicted with Down's Syndrome notes Quintana's morose state and points out that there are many churches in the city, and therefore, many pastors are required. If people didn't need them, why would they be there? <br />
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Is that Malick's message? As we go through life agonizing over our purpose and fighting to align ourselves with the person or thing that we believe will make us happy and fulfilled, are we missing the reality that the people we touch everyday are the meaning of our lives? Are we missing the beauty all around us by our perpetual unhappiness? Could it be that we are just a speck on the surface of the natural world and on the long axis of time, and all of our personal discomfort is ultimately meaningless against the broad tableau of our existence? If that's the case Malick may be giving us a truly illuminating and profound statement of the human condition. <br />
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Then again, maybe I'm wrong, and my brain is finally fried after seeing too many of these films and trying to decipher their meaning. <br />
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Malick isn't talking. <br />
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<i><b>To the Wonder</b></i> is currently in limited theatrical release and can also be downloaded from <a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/" target="_blank">iTunes</a>. <br />
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<br />Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-71502008796117149142013-05-04T07:16:00.000-07:002013-05-04T07:33:54.887-07:00Upstream Color<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong><u>Beneath the Surface </u></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Zac Ryan</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
As the Hollywood studios ramp up their release schedule of uninspired and unoriginal summer programming, thankfully we can expect something original, albeit a little strange, in the latest film from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1503403/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" itemprop="url"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Shane Carruth</span></a>.<br />
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Carruth first burst onto the scene at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sundance_Film_Festival_award_winners#2004" target="_blank">2004 Sundance Film Festival</a> with his micro-budget film, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390384/" target="_blank"><em>Primer</em></a>, which he claims he made for only $7,000, "because that's how much <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001675/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Rodriguez</a> made <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104815/" target="_blank"><em>El Mariachi</em></a> for." While <em>Primer</em> tackled what may happen in the future with the possibility of time travel, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2084989/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank"><em>Upstream Color</em></a> tries to dig deeper into what may have happened in our past to make us feel how we do in this given moment. It is our own actions, or possibly misfortune, that brings us to who we are now.<br />
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Sure, it doesn't sound too original, but how it builds is what really allows Carruth to shine as the ultimate multi-hyphenate (he directed, wrote, starred, shot, co-edited, scored and distributed the film). And just like his previous film, he wants to give you enough pieces to give you something to talk about once the end credits start to roll.<br />
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Now before I get into what actually happens in the film, I wanted to give a bit of a spoiler warning here. I'm not going to give everything away, but I feel that this film is best experienced knowing as little as possible. I went in without even seeing a trailer or reading a synopsis, and yet I was transfixed from the opening scene until the end, even if the extra large iced tea kept yelling at me to leave the auditorium for a couple of minutes. I couldn't.<br />
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<span class="itemprop" itemprop="name"><i>Amy Seimetz</i></span></div>
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When the film first starts, we witness the Thief (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4264573/?ref_=tt_cl_t4" itemprop="url"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Thiago Martins</span></a>) digging through some blue orchids. Not for the plants themselves, but for the worm-like creatures within the soil. These worm-like creatures have a side-effect when ingested, leaving the person under a spell, a zombie-like trance, allowing the Thief to get them to do mundane tasks, including memorizing and writing down passages of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau" target="_blank">Thoreau</a>'s book, "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walden" target="_blank">Walden</a>". One night he finds the unsuspecting Kris (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1541272/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" itemprop="url"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Amy Seimetz</span></a>), drugs her and uses his power of persuasion to drain her of her life savings, leaving her broke and jobless, as she tries to put the pieces of her life back together.<br />
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One night she is drawn to a pig farm that is run by The Sampler (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2426419/?ref_=tt_cl_t3" itemprop="url"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Andrew Sensenig</span></a>), or so it seems. The Sampler easily blends into any group and setting, and spends most of his time in nature recording its sounds. What for? That's part of the mystery of the film. But it is sound that draws Kris to his farm after several unsuccessful attempts to remove the worms from her body with a knife. The Sampler is able to extract the parasite and implants it within one of the pigs on the farm, which he tags "Kris." <br />
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<i><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Amy Seimetz and </span><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Andrew Sensenig</span></i></div>
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As stated in the opening, this is like nothing you've ever see from one of the major studios (or possibly even one of the many indie distributors), and this is only the first third of the movie. In the last hour of the film, it shifts from the sci-fi set-up to something a little more mundane, a romantic drama. After meeting on a train, Kris finally agrees to have coffee with Jeff (played by Carruth). There's no way to tell how much time has passed, but Kris is on the defensive and attempts to put a stop to any relationship by divulging she has problems which only prescription medicine can help. But this doesn't phase Jeff, as he also has some of his own problems.<br />
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The relationship grows, connections are made, and the bigger purpose of the narrative slowly starts to unfold. To go any deeper would be criminal, but to say it all ends up where you believe, you may be shocked in the end. Or maybe I was just entranced while watching the film, slowly manipulated and sucked in by the beautiful cinematography and accompanied score.<br />
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If <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000343/?ref_=sr_2" target="_blank">David Cronenberg</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000517/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Terrence Malic</a>k had a child together, it just may have turned out to be Shane Carruth. Let's just hope that we don't have to wait another nine years for his next film. In the meantime, I may just have to watch the film once again to grab the hidden clues that were missed the first time around.<br />
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<em>Upstream Color</em> is currently in a limited theatrical run (<a href="http://erbpfilm.com/film/upstreamcolor#screenings" target="_blank">dates found here</a>) and will be available on most digital platforms starting May 7th. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-65093630034207040312013-04-27T13:19:00.002-07:002013-04-27T14:33:51.941-07:00Mud<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzi2jsHr5ZbeqRwaosn4AXNl7yVTg6v9YRf6ieD1Z8Qh12UsPZsJZNnVlbOb2d08T13thvL3Dm2EPXsvvM2weakvNqhZoqkQ3WKoIPCe2V2jA1FBWzgj9ZuTMKC7tvwZER0-SGQvhO5o/s1600/Mud_sundance13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCzi2jsHr5ZbeqRwaosn4AXNl7yVTg6v9YRf6ieD1Z8Qh12UsPZsJZNnVlbOb2d08T13thvL3Dm2EPXsvvM2weakvNqhZoqkQ3WKoIPCe2V2jA1FBWzgj9ZuTMKC7tvwZER0-SGQvhO5o/s320/Mud_sundance13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>The Way 0f the River </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span><br />
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<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1935179/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Mud</a></i> is a coming of age tale that echos the stories of <a href="http://www.cmgww.com/historic/twain/" target="_blank">Mark Twain</a>. <br />
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Although the film is set in contemporary <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansas" target="_blank">Arkansas</a>, the lives of the people who derive their living from the mighty <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River" target="_blank">Mississippi </a>aren't so different from their ancestors of a century ago. It's here that Ellis, played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4446467/?ref_=tt_cl_t2" target="_blank">Tye Sheridan</a> (<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0478304/" target="_blank">The Tree of Life</a></i>), and Neckbone (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm5015107/?ref_=tt_cl_t3" target="_blank">Jacob Lofland</a>), two young men caught between the responsibilities of adulthood and the wonder of childhood, rush to complete their chores so they can sneak out to find adventure. <br />
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Find it they do. They go out to a small island in the middle of the river to locate the wreck of a boat that became lodged in a tree during the last big flood. They hope to make it their secret hideaway, but someone has beat them to it. "Mud," played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000190/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Matthew McConaughey</a>, has made it his temporary hideout, while he awaits rendezvous and escape with Juniper (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000702/?ref_=tt_cl_t4" target="_blank">Reese Witherspoon</a>), the love of his life. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Matthew McConaughey</i></div>
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Mud is a fugitive from the law, and while he does not want to attract attention to his location, he finds the boys to be useful and all too willing allies he can use to make supply runs without giving himself away. Over the course of a few days, Ellis learns a lot about love and personal responsibility, and he has an incredible adventure while doing so. <br />
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<i>Reese Witherspoon</i></div>
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This is a story well-told and a very entertaining way to spend two hours at the movies. Writer-director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2158772/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Jeff Nichols</a>, best known previously for <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1675192/" target="_blank">Take Shelter</a></i>, confirms his status as a filmmaker who knows how to spin a good yarn and keep the audience completely mesmerized for the duration. The cast includes Nichols veteran, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0788335/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Michael Shannon</a>, and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001731/?ref_=tt_cl_t7" target="_blank">Sam Shepard</a> in standout supporting roles. <br />
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The river itself is a character in the film, which is partially a tribute to the rapidly dwindling population of rural river dwellers, soon to be a vanished breed. Mark Twain would be proud. <br />
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"The Mississippi River will always have its own way; no engineering skill can persuade it to do otherwise..."</div>
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- <i>Mark Twain in Eruption</i></div>
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<br />Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-61640210960755503902013-04-13T05:48:00.000-07:002013-04-13T05:48:35.717-07:00Room 237<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Signs and <span style="font-size: x-large;">Interpretations </span> </strong></span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Zac Ryan</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">It has long been known that </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000040/?ref_=tt_cl_t13" itemprop="url"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Stanley Kubrick</span></a> was a perfectionist, som<span style="font-size: small;">etimes calling <span style="font-size: small;">for hundre<span style="font-size: small;">ds of takes with the same l<span style="font-size: small;">ine read over and over, just to get the right nuance and emotion from the actor<span style="font-size: small;">. To say everything that ends up on the screen was meticulously planned and planted by the iconic filmmaker may be a stretch, but <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2085910/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank"><em>Room 237</em></a> goes into great depths to <span style="font-size: small;">bring to light several conspiracy theorists and lovers of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank"><em>The Shining</em></a> to highlight <span style="font-size: small;">the li<span style="font-size: small;">ttle nu<span style="font-size: small;">ances that indicate there may be something d<span style="font-size: small;">eeper there than an <span style="font-size: small;">ad<span style="font-size: small;">aption of the best-selling <a href="http://www.stephenking.com/index.html" target="_blank">Stephen King</a> <span style="font-size: small;">novel - an <span style="font-size: small;">adaptation that the author hated so much that he made <span style="font-size: small;">sure the film was remade into a less-than-stell<span style="font-size: small;">ar, but more faithful min<span style="font-size: small;">iseries adaptation.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In this day and age of the internet, there are countless co<span style="font-size: small;">nspiracy theorists with a <span style="font-size: small;">forum to tout their ideas <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">to the pu<span style="font-size: small;">blic. Several years ago on <a href="http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/luna/luna_apollomissions10.htm" target="_blank">the web</a>, I first came across<span style="font-size: small;"> the documentar<span style="font-size: small;">y's craz<span style="font-size: small;">iest of assertions, that Ku<span style="font-size: small;">brick used the<span style="font-size: small;"> film as a confession that he was hired by <span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/" target="_blank">N</a><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/" target="_blank">ASA</a> to fake the <span style="font-size: small;">first moon landing<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">.<span style="font-size: small;"> Clues validating that theory can be found by watching the film with an obsessive eye through countless viewings. Even that theorist, o<span style="font-size: small;">ne of the many disembodied voices of the docu<span style="font-size: small;">mentary, claims that while <span style="font-size: small;">what we saw on television was faked, <span style="font-size: small;">N<span style="font-size: small;">ASA did in<span style="font-size: small;"> fact land on the moon. It may be a crazy pill to swallow, but this obsessive viewer isn't the only one to find a deeper meaning in Kubrick's film.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <em><b>Room 237</b></em> i<span style="font-size: small;">s filled with accounts of what Kubrick may have been trying to<span style="font-size: small;"> s<span style="font-size: small;">ay<span style="font-size: small;">, and if he were alive today, he may have been filled with glee to see so many different interpretations<span style="font-size: small;">, only to s<span style="font-size: small;">tay mum about why the film diverges so far from King's original novel. Two <span style="font-size: small;">of the <span style="font-size: small;">doc's ot<span style="font-size: small;">her subjects feel Kubrick was trying to deliver a message about genocide<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">. One find clues <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">behind the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calumet_Baking_Powder_Company" target="_blank" title="">Calumet</a> <span style="font-size: small;">pow<span style="font-size: small;">der cans on the Overlook Hotel's supply shelves, with their <span style="font-size: small;">depiction <span style="font-size: small;">of a native <span style="font-size: small;">American on the label, and believes that Ku<span style="font-size: small;">brick was trying to bring to light the demise of the American Indian. Another<span style="font-size: small;"> theorist sees a deeper message in t<span style="font-size: small;">he <span style="font-size: small;">recurrence of the number 42, along with different divisions and multiplications of that number, as a sign of the Nazis and a reference to the holocaust. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The last of the co<span style="font-size: small;">nspirac<span style="font-size: small;">ies goes into great detail about the layout of the hotel, including the patterns in the carpet and how Danny's ride <span style="font-size: small;">on his tr<span style="font-size: small;">icycle is totally impossible. It is o<span style="font-size: small;">ne of the most plausible and interesting of the takes. But honestly, anyone who has ever worked on a film s<span style="font-size: small;">et knows that everything cannot align perfectly or make total sense spatially. <span style="font-size: small;">Films are filled with<span style="font-size: small;"> countless co<span style="font-size: small;">ntinuity <span style="font-size: small;">errors, <span style="font-size: small;">usually missed by everyone on set, including the director, that aren't noticed <span style="font-size: small;">until the film is watched several times. Every film's page on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/" target="_blank">IMDb</a> will have at least one of these errors listed, but with Ku<span style="font-size: small;">brick<span style="font-size: small;">'s madness, cou<span style="font-size: small;">ld there be any meaning beyond that, or were they just mistakes? We may never know.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0038896/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" itemprop="url">Rodney Ascher</a></span> doesn't bring anyone on to counter<span style="font-size: small;"> his subjects' asinine ideas and theories, but the film still works. <span style="font-size: small;">Each theory <span style="font-size: small;">is given in voice<span style="font-size: small;">over, without identifying the theorist, <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">and it works. Scenes from <em><span style="font-size: small;">The Shining</span></em><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">and other Kubrick films are <span style="font-size: small;">shown </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-size: xx-small;">over and over in detail, </span><span style="font-size: small;">with </span><span style="font-size: small;">occasional stock footage or alternate film scenes, to clue us in on what might be seen. Maybe they're right, or maybe they're nuts, and that's why we don't want to see what the theorists look like. Their appearance will not cloud our perception.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><em><b>Room 237</b></em> takes obsessive culture to a new re<span style="font-size: small;">alm, and even <span style="font-size: small;">if the film does drag on a bit in its 100+ minute runtime, I immediately<span style="font-size: small;"> wanted to watch <em>The Shining</em> again to see if I could find any other tidbits that Kubrick may ha<span style="font-size: small;">ve hidden <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">or mistakes in continuity<span style="font-size: small;"> that weren't mean<span style="font-size: small;">t as anything more. Cinephiles<span style="font-size: small;">, Kubrick fans and those who like dissecting conspiracy the<span style="font-size: small;">ories will dig the film, but outside of that small de<span style="font-size: small;">mographic, viewers may be left wanting a little more. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-86705120766089229532013-04-05T11:32:00.001-07:002013-04-05T11:33:16.344-07:00The Sapphires<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXt3Uc-adduosuyw4t0aDlfqFah74GNr_8AdMYwMOPZSeVd_ukP8one_UVZ87ECpJfvKtcUwsciTuUJWjSyjSk6ZS_FzNqyQUB6cBr5OVWJ0_f9Qo-0U9hmUYgBi8Bc96vor6dgsbkX0/s1600/Sapphires.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXt3Uc-adduosuyw4t0aDlfqFah74GNr_8AdMYwMOPZSeVd_ukP8one_UVZ87ECpJfvKtcUwsciTuUJWjSyjSk6ZS_FzNqyQUB6cBr5OVWJ0_f9Qo-0U9hmUYgBi8Bc96vor6dgsbkX0/s320/Sapphires.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<u><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>A Really Good Show </b></span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span><br />
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The latest film from the land down under is formulaic, predictable and loads of fun. <br />
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<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1673697/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">The Sapphires</a></i> has a simple story line that's a proven crowd-pleaser. It's shades of <a href="http://movies.disney.com/" target="_blank">Disney</a>'s <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106611/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Cool Runnings</a></i> infused with <i><a href="http://www.americanidol.com/" target="_blank">American Idol</a></i>, or rather, <i><a href="http://www.tv.com/shows/australian-idol/" target="_blank">Australian Idol</a></i> in this case. An alcoholic, disillusioned white guy stumbles upon four <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aboriginal_Australians" target="_blank">Aboriginal</a> girls with big dreams and unrefined talent. They convince him to become their manager and whip them into shape for the big time - the opportunity to join a <a href="http://action.uso.org/onemillion?sc=google-p_branding-s&utm_source=google-p&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=branding-s&donate=WF13GGPS12&gclid=CIC79dSMtLYCFQr0nAodSFkAsA" target="_blank">USO</a> tour of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War" target="_blank">Vietnam</a>. <br />
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It's easy to root for these underdogs. Each character faces a unique personal challenge, and watching them grow and develop together is fun to watch. In the end they overcome their differences, come closer together, and talent manager Dave Lovelace, played to perfection by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1483369/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Chris O'Dowd</a>, finds that he learns a lot more from the girls than they will ever learn from him. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Wc3TVLev7jzNBTjdZAqK5tnT3EBGu1OdswKBRWyESJaNROhds3Ks7u-TLrh5oblwYx519J9Xg4wp5VpqZK-rIRrn12VLccq3nPxFLqCOO2VWpYbAgyjWUpwuFa2BaxEZKCokOBy8x50/s1600/Sapphires2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Wc3TVLev7jzNBTjdZAqK5tnT3EBGu1OdswKBRWyESJaNROhds3Ks7u-TLrh5oblwYx519J9Xg4wp5VpqZK-rIRrn12VLccq3nPxFLqCOO2VWpYbAgyjWUpwuFa2BaxEZKCokOBy8x50/s320/Sapphires2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Chris O'Dowd and Deborah Mailman</i></div>
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The film is a nostalgic journey back to 1968, a year of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motown" target="_blank">Motown </a>hits, global upheaval and a new era of civil rights for black people in both Australia and the United States. The girls have mixed race parentage and they are survivors of a shameful period in Australian history, when mixed race children were often taken from their parents and forced to live a segregated lifestyle on special reserves or missions. <br />
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Fortunately the politics of the Vietnam War are not rehashed in this story, although the dangers and personal sacrifice experienced by the troops are much in evidence. This tale is all about the girls and their personal journeys together. Director <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0992370/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Wayne Blair</a>, an Aborigine himself, gets it right and he keeps true to the spirit of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Briggs" target="_blank">Tony Briggs</a> play on which the film is based. The play was inspired by the true story of Briggs' mother, <a href="http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/in-conversation-with-the-real-sapphires-movie.htm" target="_blank">Laurel Robinson,</a> and his aunt, Lois Peeler, who actually sang in a USO tour of Vietnam in 1968. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSh95sE9JHvxPU3abY_Gzd-h-3TcYkmqrS1gEh5sRwv8fzehHO6iILygK2hd4cwg4DWatJKnmwu3O-RK1uIvlAYrxHZ66DTQ7LnK0Cf3-cww8A4EkosSeYeONwKYDqlZfjF1vM8VZaOg/s1600/sapphires-image06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSh95sE9JHvxPU3abY_Gzd-h-3TcYkmqrS1gEh5sRwv8fzehHO6iILygK2hd4cwg4DWatJKnmwu3O-RK1uIvlAYrxHZ66DTQ7LnK0Cf3-cww8A4EkosSeYeONwKYDqlZfjF1vM8VZaOg/s320/sapphires-image06.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><i>The Sapphires</i></b> doesn't break new ground in filmmaking or story development, but sometimes it's fun to just sit back and enjoy the show. <br />
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<br />Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-69302210565623603332013-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:002013-03-30T09:16:43.946-07:00The Place Beyond the Pines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwUIqR8pFfh_9UlEKMlMTaoxOxfTtJ7tzL221LAGAdB7mcGjvFQSVwtQpuY5kVwFDijdjiHmsV3qZGVdrzSJfPW25uCxN7FZMtg1AuoBWZjMuYwniF1E5bbVm0OtxlsjcXmRARpAyyQQ/s1600/TPBTPPoster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwUIqR8pFfh_9UlEKMlMTaoxOxfTtJ7tzL221LAGAdB7mcGjvFQSVwtQpuY5kVwFDijdjiHmsV3qZGVdrzSJfPW25uCxN7FZMtg1AuoBWZjMuYwniF1E5bbVm0OtxlsjcXmRARpAyyQQ/s320/TPBTPPoster.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<u><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Fathers and Sons </b></span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Zac Ryan</span><br />
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A triptych yarn of epic proportions, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0161834/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" itemprop="url"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Derek Cianfrance</span></a>'s latest film explores how an individual's choices, right or wrong, affect their own lives and the lives of those around them, even over a decade later.<br />
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"Handsome Luke" (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0331516/">Ryan Gosling</a>), the brash persona of a daredevil cyclist, isn't the most sane of gentlemen. He travels around with a carnival from town-to-town,, his body covered in tattoos, riding around in a steal circular cage with two other cyclists. He's a daredevil, but it isn't until the carnival makes its return to Synecdoche, New York, that his life is thrown into a tailspin. There he finds that Romina (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0578949/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Eva Mendes</a>), the woman with whom he shared a tryst during his last time through, has birthed his kid. It is time to hang up the high-octane lifestyle for something a little more mundane.<br />
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He quits the traveling carnival and tries to find his place within the small town and to weasel his way back into the life of Romina and his child. But Romina has moved onto greener pastures. She now lives with Kofi (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0991810/?ref_=tt_cl_t6" itemprop="url"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Mahershala Ali</span></a>), who has stepped in to be the child's father, offering them his home and a stable future. It isn't until Luke meets up with the garage owner, Robin (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0578853/?ref_=tt_cl_t8" itemprop="url"><span class="itemprop" itemprop="name">Ben Mendelsohn</span></a>), that his life is truly turned upside down. Working in the garage provides a comfortable living, but Robin wants to use Luke's skills behind the wheel of his bike for some high-speed bank robberies. Luke complies, feeling this is the only way to get into the good graces of his baby's mama.<br />
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<i>Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes</i></div>
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Luke is good at what he does, but the law won't be too far behind him, led by the lawyer turned rookie cop, Avery (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0177896/">Bradley Cooper</a>). Together, their lives will intersect, spinning the film to shift focus away from Luke's story, and turning it over to Avery and his battles with a corrupt police force, led by Deputy Deluca (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000501/">Ray Liotta</a>). Avery only wants to do what's right, and after a near death experience, and his own questions of morality, he must do what's right to turn the city around and set the right example for his own son. <br />
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The battles that these two must face, fighting their own demons, their own responsibilities of being a father and setting their own kin on the right path, takes up the first two-thirds of the movie. Cianfrance melds the perfect balance between the two stories. Even if completely linear, unlike his previous film, <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1120985/" target="_blank">Blue Valentine</a></i>, this story still has plenty of twists and turns and is always one step ahead of the audience... that is until the third act, where the film jumps ahead more than a decade. Avery is now a politician, but the story centers around the offspring of the two leads, showing the true repercussions of the past.<br />
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<i>Bradley Cooper</i></div>
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Avery's son, Jason (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2851530/">Dane DeHaan</a>), crosses paths with Luke's son, AJ (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1710309/">Emory Cohen</a>), while in school. Jason is a little more clean cut, but he isn't as clean and as wholesome as he appears on the surface. As AJ befriends him, the differences between the two socioeconomic classes collide. Truths are revealed about the past, bringing the film to its conclusion. By this time the viewer may finally be a little ahead of the film. During the stories of the fathers, the story keeps the viewer always guessing what the characters will do next, but based on their father's prior actions, the story of the sons becomes a slight bit predictable.<br />
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I don't say that to turn you off, as the first two thirds of the film are superb. Gosling and Cooper both cement themselves into leading man territory and justify their prior acting award nominations. I'm not saying that the young actors in the third act are weak (they're not), but the script seems to leave them a little less well-rounded than their fathers. Maybe that's the point that the director and the screenwriters were trying to convey in the battle of nature vs. nurture. The actions of the past cannot be ignored or escaped.<br />
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Besides the great performances, the film is beautifully shot by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0090312/">Sean Bobbitt</a>, including one of the greatest opening tracking shots in some time. Cianfrance also knows when to pull back and let the characters and their actions play out, cutting at the right moment to build tension, and leaving the viewer to question every character's decisions. While the run time is just short of two and a half hours, the film moves along at a steady clip, aided by a superb soundtrack from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0666604/">Mike Patton</a>.<br />
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While the film had early buzz out of the <a href="http://tiff.net/" target="_blank">Toronto Film Fest</a>, the early release date lessens the chances that either of the two leads will garner any of the award attention they justly deserve.<br />
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Currently <i><b>The Place Beyond the Pines</b></i> is playing in New York and Los Angeles, with release planned in further cities over the next couple of weeks. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-32504602697951852162013-03-23T08:00:00.000-07:002013-03-24T07:14:46.711-07:00Spring Breakers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: x-large;">Spring Break, Spring Break Forever </span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Zac Ryan</span><br />
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Indie provocateur <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005101/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Harmony Korine</a> makes a splash with his fifth feature film, as he trades in the grumpy old men from <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1488163/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Trash Humpers</a> </i>for<i> </i>the almost equally depraved setting of Fort Lauderdale during spring break.<br />
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As viewers are aware, thanks to <a href="http://www.mtv.com/" target="_blank">MTV</a><i> Spring Break</i> weekends in the 90s, and the seedier side promoted by the <i>Girls Gone Wild</i> video series, spring break is a time for the highest form of debauchery. Young co-eds can let loose in the small remaining window of time before they must finally grow up, take responsibility and join the real world. The opening of <i>Spring Breakers</i> shows us the hedonistic nature of the yearly ritual - alcohol, drugs, awesome music and men degrading half-naked women on the beach or in the streets. To a twenty-something stuck in a small college town, this is the ultimate dream of escape and exploration.<br />
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And that's exactly where we meet the heroines of <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2101441/" target="_blank">Spring Breakers</a>.</i> Everyone else has left the desolate town, but these four girls are strapped for cash. Three of them are wild and one-dimensional in their characterizations, the polar opposite of Faith (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1411125/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Selena Gomez</a>), who half-heartedly sings or prays along with her church group. While she may not be as wild as her friends, the dull life has slowly been nagging at her, begging for her escape from the ho-hum life she leads. The problem is that the girls can't get away because of a lack of funds. So what bright idea do they have? Rob a local chicken shack to get the money they so desperately need.<br />
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The robbery is the first glimpse of many that show the girls are way out of their league. They have not grown up enough to make such life decisions, and each new choice sends them deeper into the abyss. Even before the robbery, they must pump themselves up, stating "it's just like a video game." The girls try to keep a distance between reality and fantasy, a line that the movie narrowly balances throughout the entire 93 minute run time.<br />
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Once our girls are in Fort Lauderdale, it is the picture-perfect escape they've all been needing. This is the life they want - parties, alcohol, boys, and not a worry in the world. Korine and his editor, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0187954/">Douglas Crise</a>, juxtapose images of the good times among the girls with the first signs of warning from Faith, as she talks with her grandmother on the phone. The images blend into a high octane mix, supported by the soundtrack by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553498/" target="_blank">Cliff Martinez</a> (<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780504/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Drive</a></i>) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skrillex" target="_blank">Skrillex</a>, and it all comes to a head as the girls are arrested and thrown in jail, only to be bailed out by local rapper (and drug lord) Alien (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0290556/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">James Franco</a>).<br />
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Once free, Alien shows our girls the other side of spring break. In case you think the regular images of drunken degradation are bad enough, there is a whole different and darker side. The girls are taken to party after party, meeting new people, but Faith feels uncomfortable in her new surroundings. She senses something bad is coming and must leave her girls behind. She is a bit of a warning shot to the audience, but her friends are too dense to hear it.<br />
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While <i><b>Spring Breakers</b></i> is darker than what the trailers indicate, it is Korine's most accessible film to-date. He has loaded his cast with former <a href="http://disney.go.com/disneychannel/" target="_blank">Disney</a> and <a href="http://beta.abcfamily.go.com/" target="_blank">ABC Family</a> alumni who would love to do anything to break the mold. It's just a shame that <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1667364/?ref_=tt_cl_t4" target="_blank">Ashley Benson</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1227814/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Vanessa Hudgens</a> aren't given deeper characters to play. Some of the performances come across as flat. It is Gomez who shines among the ladies, starting out as a meek girl, escaping her shell for a bit, then realizing the worst is about to happen, and making the grown-up decision to leave it all behind. Hers is the only true character arc, so it's a shame to see her so underutilized.<br />
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James Franco really steals the show. His dirty-south rapper, with grungy cornrows, tacky tattoos and a grill, might make some in the audience giggle, but like the girls, he needs to grow up and stop living a facade. Franco so easily disappears into this role, a woman behind me asked her fellow patron "who is that?" It's great to finally see Franco back at the top of his game, and honestly, I'd love to see him get some awards love for this mesmerizing performance.<br />
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<i>Spring Breakers </i>won't be for everyone. It's sold as a straight forward thriller in the trailers, with some recognizable cast members for the tween and early-twenties female set, but this is truly an art film getting a nice sizable release in its second weekend. It moves with the haunting looping of dialogue and warnings playing over beautiful imagery, the constant shuffling and repeat of scenes and footage, only from different points of view, and then, when you think it can't get any more bizarre, it turns into a music video for a moment, contrasting the beautiful <i>Everyday</i> by <a href="http://www.britneyspears.com/index.aspx" target="_blank">Britney Spears</a> with some of the most horrific images in the movie.<br />
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For me, the film has set the bar really high for the top films of 2013. Sure it's early in the year, but right now there isn't anything close, and it could have easily cracked my top 5 in 2012. Some on <a href="https://twitter.com/" target="_blank">Twitter</a> have the opposite reaction. Countless tweets exclaim, "WORST MOVIE EVER!!" Many want their money back. But there's a few of us shouting that the film needs to be seen. It needs to be experienced, and it probably needs to be seen more than once, which is why I'm signing off now, and heading for a second viewing.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5105434827332876506.post-24016859314733858122013-03-15T21:43:00.001-07:002013-03-15T21:43:26.995-07:00Stoker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Sleight of Hand </u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mark Dispenza</span><br />
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No matter what you think you know, <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1682180/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Stoker</a></i> will mess with your head in ways you cannot yet imagine. <br />
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I admit that I went into this film with the lowest of expectations, despite Korean filmmaker <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0661791/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Chan-wook Park</a>'s impressive filmography, including the cult classic, <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0661791/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank">Oldboy</a></i>. But I made the mistake of reading a couple of reviews this past week, and the critics are not being kind. Coupled with the fact that I had not been able to catch it at a pre-screening, and therefore, missed the opportunity to see it from a completely fresh perspective like the audiences at <a href="http://www.sundance.org/festival/" target="_blank">Sundance</a>, and I was admittedly reluctant. Yet I wanted to take a look, because despite the critics, audience conglomerated reviews are running heavy on the positive side.<br />
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I'm not going to spend a lot of time on the story, because frankly, a 15-minute short film can be made off this plot, but I'm sure it wouldn't be nearly as much fun. It's a noir thriller that begins with the funeral of young India's father. India is played with just the right amount of girlish innocence with a smattering of dark undertone by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1985859/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Mia Wasikowska</a>. After her father's death in an unfortunate accident, she's left alone in the world with her unstable mother (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000173/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Nicole Kidman</a>), not a warm and fuzzy situation. <br />
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Suddenly Charlie (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0328828/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Matthew Goode</a>) appears to comfort the two women and help them through this difficult time. What's really odd is that India didn't know her father had a brother, and she is encountering this man for the first time. He's a nice guy and makes himself as useful to them as possible, but he has a strong and rather creepy interest in India, and relatives and housekeepers who get too suspicious of him have a way of disappearing. <br />
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That's all you need to know, because the fun of this movie is not the story, but the way that Park manages to keep you mesmerized by what you see on the screen, all the while messing with your head and fooling you every step of the way. <br />
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<i>Mia Wasikowska</i></div>
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Recall, if you will, the last time you saw a master magician perform. You knew going into the theater that he really wasn't going to make doves appear out of thin air or cause his lovely assistant to levitate, so you kept looking for the wires and the trap doors. He wasn't going to fool you. <br />
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But unlike the cheap magicians who are just there to get a paycheck, the master obviously loves his craft and loves entertaining the audience. He has mastered his art so completely that no matter how hard you look, you just can't see those wires and those trap doors. By the end of the performance, you know you've been fooled by a real master and you delight in the fact that you can't figure out just how he did it. <br />
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After all, you watched him like a hawk every step of the way. Even better, the master magician loved confounding and entertaining you, and even as the final curtain falls, he can't resist leaving you with the one last trick he has up his sleeve. You respond with enthusiastic applause. <br />
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Watching <i><b>Stoker</b></i> is a lot like that experience. <br />
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Nicole Kidman and Matthew Goode</div>
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Park was inspired to become a filmmaker after he saw <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/?ref_=sr_1" target="_blank">Alfred Hitchcock</a>'s <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052357/" target="_blank">Vertigo</a></i>, and he pays homage to the master of suspense by using the same kind of camera and lighting techniques to maximize the tension felt by the audience. But like any apprentice of real talent, Park has mastered the craft on his own and now goes beyond anything Hitchcock ever did. There are shots of the actors showing too much headroom in the frame, or too little. You're forced to look past objects that dominate the foreground in order to see what's going on with the actors in the background. <br />
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It goes on and on. I marvel at just how much time Park must have spent with his cinematography crew to get those effects. It's obvious that a lot of effort and pre-production time went into every frame of film. Every shot is a work of art. <br />
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Just like the master magician with one last trick up his sleeve, as the final scene concludes, Park delights the audience with a tongue-in-cheek bow to his craft by - SPOILER ALERT - rolling the end credits in reverse. <br />
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<br />Mark Dispenzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11280931460253410296noreply@blogger.com0