There are two distinct Terrence Malicks--the genius, and the GoPro enthusiast. Likewise, there are three David Gordon Greenes--the arthouse guy, the stoner comedy dudebro, and the mainstream nondescript filmmaker. There are also multiple Gus Van Sants. And, of course here we have one of the better Richard Linklaters'. I'll never forget the utter disappointment I felt after The Newton Boys. How could the director of Slackers do this? Last Flag Flying is an excellent film. It's pretty mainstream. It's certainly not Slackers, the Before trilogy, or even Dazed and Confused. Nor is it School of Rock. Whatever it is, it's a really solid movie with some excellent movie stars by an excellent movie director. Last Flag Flying is a buddy dramedy road movie adapted from the novel considered the spiritual sequel to The Last Detail, and takes place in 2002. It stars Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne as three men reunited after 30 years (since they served in Vietnam). This was a 4 tissue film for me. I laughed and I cried. This film balances its lightness with its darkness. I kept forgetting this was a Linklater film, but no matter, go see it. It's superb. 5/5 |
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If I could rename Wakefield, I'd call it A Selfish Man. It's been a month and I still do not know what to think of Wakefield. I was very tired, which didn't help. I admittedly watched a portion of this film through one barely open eye. That said, this was the world premiere of the film and I don't think anyone knew quite what to do with it. No one really laughed, and I feel like this is one of those films where experience hinges on audience reaction. It was adapted for the screen by Robin Swicord, who also directed the film, from a short story of the same name by E.L. Doctorow. The film was largely produced and financed by women, and this makes it a curious beast. The film's premise is that a married business man lives out a midlife crisis turned psychotic break, festering in resentment, when he suddenly decides that instead of returning home one night he'd spy on his family from the attic of the adjacent garage. The film has little dialog and is, instead, comprised mainly of voiceover narration. The result is disturbing, problematic, and bizarre. 3/5 Dope is Dope. I very much enjoyed this clever little coming-of-age dramedy. It's a breath of fresh air. It's fun! Dope is about a self-proclaimed geek, Malcolm, and his two geeky friends who are high school seniors in Inglewood California. The trio ends up being tricked into moving a package of MDMA for a drug dealer. Hijinks ensue. 5/5 Touched with Fire is the newest entry in one of my favorite niche genres, the Mental Patient movie. Touched with Fire is about two bipolar people who meet and fall in love in the psychiatric hospital. It stars Katie Holmes and Luke Kirby. This is a sort-of romantic drama. It's quite purposely uneven and excessive. The film acts as a metaphor for the addictive manic state and its antithesis, crippling depression. While I appreciated the film, I found the pro-med anti-having kids stance was a bit heavy-handed. Or maybe I'm just a bit sensitive to this kind of preachy feeling statement on mental health. The film form forces the viewers to reckon with the disorienting manic state. At times it works, at other times, as I mentioned, it's a tad excessive...but then, mania is all about excess. 3.5/5 If you know what's good for you, you like Flight of the Concords. And, you individually love both Jemaine Clement and Brett McKenzie. People Places Things is a little indie dramedy starring Jemaine that I recently watched on Netflix. It's a bit uneven, but it's charming enough. People Places Things is about a single dad, graphic novelist, teacher who is trying to move on from his recent divorce. I could relate to this film on a number of levels, but I'm not sure it will hit home for everyone--and that is just fine. I laughed quite a bit, though I often laugh at moments in films that no one else would ever laugh at, so I dunno if you want to take my opinion on the comedic value with a grain of salt. And with these caveats I do not mean to pigeonhole this nice little indie flick, it really was good. Jessica Williams of the Daily Show is great as art student Kat. Jemaine is solid. 3/5 tend to have a bone to pick with just about every bio pic out there. Furthermore, did we really need ANOTHER movie about Steve Jobs? I didn't think so... For Winslet and Fassbender's sake I decided to take it in at the Telluride Film Festival and I'm so glad I did. This is not your typical bio pic. Steve Jobs is more like a three-act play than a movie. There are essentially three scenes in the entire film. Each scene takes place backstage in right before the three big Apple product launches (from the original Apple to iMac in the late 1990s). In addition to the film's unusual style and impressive performances all around, the film's form is exciting shot in three different formats that change as the film progresses (from 16mm to 35mm to digital). This film is at times funny, and it's a very enjoyable time. 4/5 This is Where I Leave You is an ensemble family-dramedy about a not-very jewish family whose mother (Jane Fonda) makes her grown children sit shiva after the death of their father. This movie is decent enough. It's not really much to write home about but its was enjoyable. The few good laughs really made me laugh. The stellar cast includes Adam Driver, Jason Bateman, Jane Fonda, Connie Britton, and Tina Fey. 3.5/5 Dancing Arabs is the newest film by Eran Ricklis. This is a coming-of-age dramedy about a Palestinian Israeli boy who is given the opportunity to attend Jerusalem's most prestigious boarding school and has trouble fitting in but befriends a classmate with muscular dystrophy and who, over the course of three years, develops a secret relationship with a Jewish girl, Naomi. This is a delightful coming-of-age film that is lighthearted and enjoyable. Nothing too political or heavy here. I'm a Riklis fan and have to recommend The Syrian Bride. 3.5/5 |
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