Every once in a while a film comes along, that stars a young child who has no acting experience that blows your mind. And, if you've ever seen a movie, you know that child actors get a bad rap at times. Authenticity is key to a strong performances but all to often the young actor below the surface is coming through too much. Not in Sean Baker's The Florida Project! Set in the shadow of the Magic Kingdom, The Florida Project follows 6 year-old Moonee, as she runs amok in and around the motel she lives in with her young, single mother. No film has ever captured the life of a 6 year-old, and her mischief, quite so perfectly. 5/5 |
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Toni Erdmann is a miracle. I went to see Toni Erdmann because I didn't feel like going to a sobfest, I wanted to laugh. I thought "a 3-hour German comedy? How could this possibly work?!" Let me just say, it worked. It really really worked. I can say with confidence that not only was Toni Erdmann 900 million times better than anything I could have imagined. I have also never laughed so hard at a German-anything before. This is a bizarre story about a goofy aging dad who goes to visit his daughter who lives and works in Romania. He creates a goofy character, Toni Erdmann, complete with nutty wig and silly teeth. And so, the daughter plays along halfway mortified. This film could have easily veered into cringe comedy territory. I loathe cringe comedy. I don't think humiliation is funny. Somehow, Toni Erdmann avoids meanness and sticks with silly fun. Without saying too much, Toni Erdmann is reminiscent of a Mike Leigh anti-farce. 5/5 Through the Wall is an Israeli romantic comedy about a hasidic woman who wants to get married but doesn't have a groom. It's a little predictable, but what romantic comedy isn't? Are we ever actually surprised by the coupling at the end? No. No we are never surprised. Through the Wall is quirky and funny and cute and delightful. It's easy and breezy with the right amount of silly and sad. It was a little as though Muriel's Wedding and My Big Fat Greek Wedding had an Orthodox baby. I enjoyed this one. Give it a try! 4/5 Hedwig and the Angry Inch is the film adaptation of the musical play of the same name written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell. This is the story of transperson, Hedwig Schmidt Robinson (internationally ignored song stylist), her escape from Communist East Berlin, her failed marriage to an American GI, her broken heart, and her desire for recognition when it comes to the success for her protege Tommy Gnosis. This is a very fun ride! If you haven't Hedwigged you need to GET ON THAT BANDWAGON!!! 5/5 Life, Animated is a heartwarming documentary about Owen Suskind, a young autistic man who found language and meaningful human connections through his love for animated Disney films. The doc follows Owen as he transitions into independent living. This tugged at my heart stings; I laughed and I cried. This is a very relatable, feel good, plucky and wonderful film. Ultimately, its about the very human need for meaningful connections. Highly recommended! 5/5 The Dwarvenaut is a crowd pleasing bizarre sub-culture doc. It follows entrepreneur/artist Stephan Pokorny as he leads his Bushwick based company "Dwarven Forge" through their third Kickstarter campaign. Pokorny's company Dwarven Forge hand sculpts interchangeable miniature modular terrain for Dungeons & Dragons gaming such as dungeons, caverns, and "Valoria" a complete complex city with its own history and lore. The Dwarvenaut follows Pokorny to gaming conventions as he works to pull off a $2million Kickstarter campaign. Pokorny's passion, talent, and skill combined with his likability and quirkiness make this a fun and delightful film going experience where the audience is rooting for Dwarven Forge's success even if they've never played a game like D&D before. 4/5 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 I wanted to like Sisters but I doubted it for a bit at the beginning. Thankfully, that changed pretty quickly. Yes, I liked it. This is an Amy Poehler and Tina Fey comedy about two wacky sisters who stage a high school-style rager, and invite all their now late-40s high school friends, when they find out their parents (Dianne Wiest and Barry Bostwick) are selling the family home. As I mentioned, it almost lost me before it really got going but came around quickly. So, after a bit of a faulty start this turns into exactly the kind of Apatow-esque adult rauch-comedy you'd expect it to be. Also, there's a dance sequence. 4/5 Magic Mike XXL is the highly anticipated sequel to Magic Mike, one of my favorite films of 2012. This is a super fun time. Many Edmonton women were pleasantly scandalized this evening at the mall. XXL reunites several characters from the first film, adds in a few more good ones, and follows them all to Myrtle Beach for a Male Stripper Convention. While the first film was more about the strippers, this is very much about the audience, and therefore very much about women and the female gaze. Both films were shot and edited by Soderbergh, though this one was not directed by him--this was directed by his longtime Assistant Director Gregory Jacobs. Still, I'm delighted to notice Soderbergh's thumbprints here and there. That was a nice throwback Warner title card. That cold open, no credits? Perfection. Those slow zooms? Nice. Overall, however, this is a completely different film from the first Magic Mike. It's an excellent sequel, and it's more than capable of delivering what the more basic audience wants as well as catering to more sophisticated tastes. Also, this movie is pretty darned feminist. Do it. 5/5 |
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