Category: General News

IT MAY BE LOVE BUT IT DOESN’T SHOW – SLIFF Review


Review by Barbara SnitzerIt took a little time for me to warm up to this very funny, enjoyable Italian comedy.  Not only does Italian star Ficarra (Salvo) look a lot like Roberto Benigni, but he has the same broad, manic comic energy that I personally don’t find funny at all.  This looked like a comedy, but I wasn’t expecting funny.

The creative director of the St. Louis International Film Festival, Chris Clark, who knows that I’m Le Movie Snob, assured me this movie was funny.  Knowing his taste, and knowing that he knows mine, I feel guilty for admitting my doubt.   Ti prego di perdonarmi.

Like the average American who doesn’t have the instinct for when pasta is al dente, it soon reached the perfect temperature.

Yes, it’s a broad comedy, with contrived romantic entanglements.  But the situations and dialogue are laugh-out-loud hysterical.  Pay special attention when you hear the scene from which the title is taken- totally original and unexpected.

Having been made in 2011, it’s unlikely this movie will get a general release, so this may be your only chance to see it.

Keep in mind the majority of comedies produced in the US derive their humor from outrageous inappropriate behavior, bodily functions, and while successful, are not nearly as good as American movies that are more than thirty years old (Animal House, The Blues Brothers, Used Cars….)  How many Hangovers do you want to experience?

Woody Allen couldn’t bring back this much love from Rome.

Vediamo al cinema!!!
IT MAY BE LOVE BUT IT DOESN’T SHOW screens as part of the 21st Annual Whitaker Saint Louis International Film Festival on Sunday, November 11th at 6:00pm at Plaza Frontenac Cinema and Thu, Nov 15th at 9:30pm also at Plaza Frontenac Cinema

Read more of Barbara’s reviews at her blog Le Movie Snob HERE

FATAL CALL – SLIFF Review

Review by Dana Jung

Film noir. Femme fatale. American cinema has borrowed these expressions and made them into a unique style of storytelling all its own. The new thriller FATAL CALL relies on many of the conventions of these genres to tell its tale of greed, betrayal, lust, and phone calls. Shot in and around the bi-state region of St. Louis, Missouri, the film uses its location budget well with muted cinematography and shots of the cityscape giving it a Midwestern BLOOD SIMPLE vibe.

Veteran actor Jason London (who was Jason of the Argonauts in the TV version) is Mitch, an average laid-back white collar guy out for drinks with a few friends. While there, he meets Amy (Danielle Harris), who seems to share some of his interests. They click and start dating, but after their first romantic interlude her angry husband shows up. Things spiral downward from there, and Mitch must rely on his wits and some blind luck to survive.

Writer/director Jack Snyder keeps things moving as the story jumps back and forth using flashbacks, and mostly avoids confusion (noir is by nature hard to follow). Kevin Sorbo (TV’s HERCULES, ANDROMEDA) is excellent in a supporting but pivotal role. The two leads are fine, although Harris (HALLOWEEN) sometimes seems too cute to play the devious Amy. There are actually many potentially fatal calls in FATAL CALL, and it’s a credit to the film that it maintains a certain suspenseful tone each time a call is made.

FATAL CALL screens as part of the 21st Annual Whitaker Saint Louis International Film Festival on Sunday, November 11th at at 8:30pm at the Tivoli Theater

CAMILLA DICKINSON – SLIFF Review

Review by Dana Jung

Newberry and National Book Award- winning author Madeleine L’Engle (1918 – 2007) will always be remembered in the world of juvenile fiction. As the creator of A WRINKLE IN TIME and its various sequels, L’Engle established herself for decades as a unique and prolific favorite of younger readers. Based on one of her earlier and more semi-autobiographical novels, the new film CAMILLA DICKINSON is a coming-of-age story that reflects the special quality that made L’Engle so appealing: a memorable heroine.

Camilla is a shy, intelligent, and quietly sensitive teen attending private school in New York, circa 1950. The film opens on her troubled face as she sits outside her home, waiting. The reason for her hesitation
soon becomes clear as she finally enters to find her mother alone with a male friend. After some awkward moments, Camilla’s father arrives to compound the uncomfortable situation. Thus begins a stressful and ultimately life-altering few weeks where this young girl discovers the wisdom within herself to survive the sometimes emotional turbulence of adulthood. This slow-moving but always interesting drama, written and directed by Cornelia Moore, knows that the key to its story is in its performances. In the pivotal title role, Australian actress Adelaide Clemens is wonderful as Camilla. With her open and honest face that is transformed by her huge smile, Clemens slowly engages our empathy with her softly articulated feelings and reactions. Camilla is a deep thinker, who not only has definite opinions about the world around her, but also has a surprisingly realistic perception of herself. Camilla’s dream of becoming an astronomer is an apt metaphor for her desire to have a more settled family life, as the constancy of the universe must seem very attractive to her. In short, we like this girl and want to see her safe and happy by the end of the movie. The supporting cast is uniformly excellent as well. Cary Elwes (PRINCESS BRIDE) is Camilla’s somewhat aloof father while Samantha Mathis (has it really been 16 years since BROKEN ARROW?) is her distraught mother. Colby Minifie and TV’s Gregg Sulkin (PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, WAVERLY PLACE) are Camilla’s best friends with their own family issues, while Camryn Manheim and Robert Picardo have small but important roles as the happy parental flipside of Camilla’s
situation.

Will Camilla ever realize her dreams? With a literate and faithful script, nice performances, gentle humor, and even a dash or two of romance, CAMILLA DICKINSON rewards the patient viewer with a charming and satisfying answer.

CAMILLA DICKINSON screens as part of the 21st Annual Whitaker Saint Louis International Film Festival on Sunday, November 11th at at 7:00pm at Washington U./Brown Hall


THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY – SLIFF Review

Review by Dane Marti

The Anniversary Party was released a while back and it is a very impressive film, although it has a slight claustrophobic feel of a stage play. However, this is simply a small matter for a film that so cleverly takes on the life, loves and problems of a group of H Hollywood people that have come to the Anniversary party of their friends.

Released through Fine Line features in 2001, the film has a garnered a reputation as a quality work and I’m definitely not going to disagree with that assessment.

First off, I’ve been a fan of the work of Jennifer Jason Leigh since I saw her in the early eighties in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. She is outstanding here.

Joe (played with charming menace by Alan Cumming) and Sally Therrian have been through a lot together. While definitely in love, there have been many rough patches. As this film commences, there will be even more savage and, often humorous, conflict. This goes for a number of people that have come to the Therrian’s 6th Anniversary.

The couple wants to celebrate their reconciliation after a contentious separation. They also want to announce their mutual decision to start a family. The couple lives in a wonderful modern house somewhere in the Hollywood Hills. As filmmakers, writers and actors, the couple and their close friends do not appear to have many issues when it comes to the pocketbook.

However, they are quite neurotic. And this is what makes the film shine: all the wonderful characterizations, all of the meltdowns and all the secrets revealed – especially after people ingest a ‘present’ from one of the guest. Secrets begin to unravel and explode.

Obviously, this is a well-acted film all around. It also helps that the acting has the bedrock of first-rate writing! On occasion, the acting of Alan Cumming seemed a little too precious and clever for me, but he definitely has talent. Gwyneth Paltrow as a sprightly, young, sexy starlet is well cast for her role. She’s grown as an actress. Seeing how young she once was, is fun. Parker Posey is her usual unpredictable self. Her skillful acting has always impressed me.

This is a highly entertaining film that deals with many serious issues such as fidelity, love, commitment, ego and how painfully sad relationships with lovers, friends and family can often be.

THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY screens as part of the 21st Annual Whitaker Saint Louis International Film Festival on Sunday, November 11 at 12:30 PM and Monday, November 12 at 9 PM at the Tivoli Theater with editor Carol Littleton and cinematographer John Bailey.

CASTING BY – SLIFF Review

Review by Barbara Snitzer

CASTING BY is a surprisingly entertaining documentary.  Its title is somewhat misleading as it’s doesn’t really explain the occupation of casting directors, rather it is a valentine to Marion Dougherty, the woman who coined the term as she carved out a unique role when she began working in the entertainment business.  Ironically, she wanted to be an actress herself, but didn’t pursue a career, believing it would be too difficult.  Fortunately, an entry level position at NBC producing live plays sponsored by Kraft proved a better fit for her theatrical instincts.  As she was living in New York City, she had ample opportunity and desire to go to the theater where she discovered the talent whom she cast.  The film has a treasure trove of footage of the first roles given to future stars, the most entertaining one is a 22 year-old Warren Beatty imitating fellow Lee Stasberg graduate Marlon Brando.  Fortunately, Ms Dougherty, who was not an acting teacher, remanded him that “The Method” did not mean “The Mumble.”

The cavalcade of stars whose careers she launched is astonishing, but equally important is the serendipitous era in which she achieved prominence.  The cinema of the 1970s was groundbreaking in that talent was allowed to trump looks, and the collapse of the studio movie-making machine allowed risqué movies like “Midnight Cowboy,” “Panic in Needle Park,” and “Taxi Driver” to be made.

Marion Dougherty’s LA counterpart, Lynn Stalmaster, is profiled as another example of a casting director.  But based in LA, the criteria and talent pool meant that his accomplishments are complementary to hers, but not comparable.

The movie is enjoyable, fast-paced and certain to be enjoyed by cinephiles, but should not be viewed as a representation of the profession of casting directors.

This writer has first-hand knowledge of the acting industry in Los Angeles. The majority of casting directors do not have anywhere near the authority of those interviewed in the movie.  While it is a more difficult proposition for an LA-based casting director to go to the theater to discover talent, few make the effort nor have any appreciation for the actor’s craft.  Crassly, some actually teach acting classes and charge fees for aspiring actors to meet them.

Just as in the modelling world, there are the Victoria’s Secret models at the top and an exploitative ugly underbelly that are not depicted together, so it is in the casting business.  There’s a documentary to be made there, but this movie is not it.  It is about the cream that has justifiably risen to the top and gifted us with some of the greatest actors we may ever see.

CASTING BY screens as part of the 21st Annual Whitaker Saint Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 10th at 8:30 PM at the Tivoli Theater

Read more of Barbara’s review at her blog Le Movie Snob HERE
http://lemoviesnob.com/

Win A Pass To The Advance Screening Of SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK In St. Louis

Life doesn’t always go according to plan…Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) has lost everything — his house, his job, and his wife. He now finds himself living back with his mother (Jacki Weaver) and father (Robert DeNiro) after spending eight months in a state institution on a plea bargain. Pat is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife, despite the challenging circumstances of their separation. All Pat’s parents want is for him to get back on his feet – and to share their family’s obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles football team. When Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a mysterious girl with problems of her own, things get complicated. Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but only if he’ll do something very important for her in return. As their deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and silver linings appear in both of their lives.

The Weinstein Company presents SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, a family drama, comedy and love story based on the bestselling novel by Matthew Quick, written and directed by David O. Russell (FLIRTING WITH DISASTER). Starring Bradley Cooper (HANGOVER, LIMITLESS), Jennifer Lawrence (THE HUNGER GAMES, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS), Robert De Niro (LIMITLESS, MEET THE PARENTS) Jacki Weaver (ANIMAL KINGDOM), Anupam Kher (BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM), and Chris Tucker (RUSH HOUR, JACKIE BROWN). Rounding out the cast are Julia Stiles, John Ortiz, Shea Whigham and Dash Mihok. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is in theaters November 21st.

The Weinstein Company and WAMG invite you to enter to win a pass to the advance screening of SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK on November 19 at 7PM in St. Louis.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW. REAL FIRST NAME REQUIRED.
3. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:  For which 2010 drama was David O. Russell nominated for an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Directing?

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED. DUPLICATE TICKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

The film is RATED R.

Masanobu Takayanagi is the director of photography, Judy Becker is the production designer. Mark Bridges is the costume designer, and Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers are the editors. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is produced by Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon. Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, George Para, Michelle Raimo and Bradley Cooper are the Executive Producers.

Visit the film’s official site: http://silverliningsplaybookmovie.com/

Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/silverliningsplaybook

Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Silver_Linings

10 Animated Shorts Advance In 2012 Oscar Race


PAPERMAN

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 85th Academy Awards®. Fifty-six pictures had originally qualified in the category.

The 10 films are listed below in alphabetical order by title, with their production companies:

Adam and Dog,” Minkyu Lee, director (Lodge Films)

“Combustible,” Katsuhiro Otomo, director (Sunrise Inc.)

“Dripped,” Léo Verrier, director (ChezEddy)

“The Eagleman Stag,” Mikey Please, director, and Benedict Please, music scores and sound design (Royal College of Art)

“The Fall of the House of Usher,” Raul Garcia, director, and Stephan Roelants, producer (Melusine Productions, R&R Communications Inc., Les Armateurs, The Big Farm)

“Fresh Guacamole,” PES, director (PES)

“Head over Heels,” Timothy Reckart, director, and Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly, producer (National Film and Television School)

“Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare”,” David Silverman, director (Gracie Films)

“Paperman,” John Kahrs, director (Disney Animation Studios)

“Tram,” Michaela Pavlátová, director, and Ron Dyens, producer (Sacrebleu Productions)

The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting at screenings held in New York and Los Angeles.

Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select three to five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in December.

The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 10, 2013, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY
www.oscars.org
www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
www.youtube.com/Oscars
www.twitter.com/TheAcademy

Win Run-Of-Engagement Passes To FLIGHT

Paramount Pictures’ dramatic thriller FLIGHT, stars Denzel Washington as Captain Whitaker, a seasoned airline pilot who miraculously crash lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving nearly every soul on board. Afterwards, Whip is hailed as a hero, but as more is learned, more questions than answers arise as to who or what was really at fault and what really happened on that plane. FLIGHT tells a harrowing story about one man’s amazing, heroic feat and how, in the process of defending himself, he discovers his true grace and valor.

The film stars Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, Melissa Leo, Brian Geraghty, Tamara Tunie, Nadine Velazquez, and James Badge Dale.

FLIGHT presents the first pairing of Academy Award® winners Denzel Washington and director Robert Zemeckis, who marks his return to live-action dramatic storytelling after years of success on the forefront of directing and producing movies utilizing motion capture technology. FLIGHT is in theaters now.

WAMG is giving away Run-Of-Engagement passes to FLIGHT. Each pass admits two.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. FILL OUT YOUR NAME AND E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW. REAL FIRST AND LAST NAMES REQUIRED.

2. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: What was the name of the 1995 film that featured performances by both Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle?

WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED. DUPLICATE RUN-OF-ENGAGEMENT PASSES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

RATED R.

Paramount Pictures presents FLIGHT, directed by Robert Zemeckis.  Produced by Parkes/MacDonald Production’s Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, and ImageMovers’ Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey, and Jack Rapke.  The executive producer is Cherylanne Martin. Original screenplay by John Gatins.  Director of Photography is Don Burgess, ASC.  Production Designer is Nelson Coates.  Costume Designer is Louise Frogley. Special Effects Supervisor is Michael Lantieri.  Visual Effects Supervisor is Kevin Baillie.  Edited by Jeremiah O’Driscoll.

Like it on Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/FlightMovie
Visit the official movie site: http://www.Paramount.com/Flight

@ParamountPics #FlightMovie

GRASSROOTS – SLIFF Review

Review by Dana Jung

For anyone who has visited a Disney theme park and ridden their fabulous monorail system, the new film GRASSROOTS will have a nice resonance. Based on the “mostly true” account of the Seattle, Washington city council race in 2001, GRASSROOTS uses the symbolic image of a clean-energy, aesthetically pleasing mass transportation system to explore the themes of passion for a cause, the state of post-9/11 politics, and the forces that impact social change.

Phil Campbell (Jason Biggs) is a struggling young journalist on the verge: on the verge of landing a dream job, on the verge of taking the relationship with his girlfriend (Lauren Ambrose) to the next level, on the verge of moving out of the older house where he has several roommates to make ends meet. In between jobs, Phil half-heartedly agrees to help manage the campaign his friend Grant (Joel David Moore) is intent on running for city council. The basis for Grant’s zeal is simple: he wants to unseat the incumbent Richard McIver (Cedric the Entertainer), who is promoting a “light rail” (i.e., train) system for mass transit. For Grant, the issue is clear. McIver represents everything bad about American politics – a smooth-talking proxy for big business who is only interested in lining his own pockets to promote an ugly, polluting project at the expense of what would actually benefit the community – an expanded monorail. Their journey together from naive but impassioned private citizens to crowd-pleasing public figures makes up the bulk of the film.

Director Stephen Gyllenhaal (father of Jake and Maggie) keeps the story flowing with lots of humor and some really magical moments depicting both the roadblocks and small victories that enliven this tale. Example: when Grant gathers his first supporters, in one of the film’s best scenes, an excited youth proclaims, “Hold my hair back while I spew truth!” The talented cast also makes the most of the underdog formula. Jason Biggs, shedding the last vestiges of his AMERICAN PIE persona, essays the difficult role of Campbell, a person sort of sleep-walking through life until this amazing opportunity is almost forced on him, and who slowly awakens to the very real – and addictive – power of political activism. Ambrose is good in whatever she does, but here has the rather perfunctory role of Campbells’ love interest. Cedric the Entertainer is also excellent as the politician McIver, all fake gravitas and great-sounding rhetoric. Supporting turns by Cobie Smulders (fresh from THE AVENGERS), Christopher McDonald, and Tom Arnold brighten up their brief scenes as well. But the star of the movie is Joel David Moore as Grant, who brings a blistering intensity to his portrayal of an eccentric and almost obsessively passionate individual. Whether agonizing over his first stumbling attempts at public speaking (“I sounded like Nixon!” he laments) or eloquently delivering emotional speeches (and he has many), Moore propels the film through to its bittersweet conclusion. GRASSROOTS ends just after the climactic election, but Gyllenhaal keeps the finale upbeat and inspiring. All the characters have been on a journey, and though the results were perhaps not what they expected, their participation in a social movement that hopefully educated and catalyzed idealism in others is the kind of thing that becomes the basis for change. And lasting positive change is what real politics is all about.

GRASSROOTS screens as part of the 21st Annual Whitaker Saint Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 10th at 8:45 PM and Sunday, Nov 11th at 6:45 pm. Both screenings are at the Plaza Frontenac Cinemas

GUILTY – SLIFF Review

Review by Barbara Snitzer

If your definition of a horror movie involves lots of gore and suspenseful crescendos calculated to thrill through fear, you don’t know real horror.

This movie is a true horror story.  True horror.  A true story……………

Read the rest of Barbara’s review HERE

http://lemoviesnob.com/guilty-presume-coupable/

GUILTY screens as part of the 21st Annual Whitaker Saint Louis International Film Festival tonight, November 9th at at 9:00pm at Plaza Frontenac Cinema and Mon, Nov 12th at 7:15pm also at Plaza Frontenac Cinema

Read more of Barbara Snitzer’s reviews at her blog Le Movie Snob HERE

http://lemoviesnob.com/