Category: Indie

I AM A GHOST – SLIFF Review

If you were to combine GROUNDHOG’S DAY with THE SIXTH SENSE and add some of HBO’s original series IN TREATMENT, what would you get? Well, it would probably be a big mess, but it could begin to resemble something like H.P. Mendoza’s I AM A GHOST. If there’s one thing we have no shortage of in theaters today, its ghost stories, particularly ones that focus on the unfortunate living who are haunted and terrorized by some rarely-seen, malicious paranormal entity. Not that this is bad, but as with all things… its nice to have a change of pace at times.

Thank you, H.P. Mendoza, writer and director of the low-budget, indie horror film I AM A GHOST. What makes this such a refreshing little flick? Mendoza turns the table. I AM A GHOST doesn’t focus on the living, you know… those mostly oblivious, often illogical humans who go into dark basements without a flashlight after hearing creepy noises. Instead, Mendoza focuses on the ghost, or spirit, or whatever you want to call her.

Emily, played by Anna Ishida, is a confused spirit, repeatedly haunted her own house, day after day, following the same routine, struggling to figure out why she can’t move on. In the beginning, her eternity seems like a grueling Hell of monotonous boredom. Frankly, the beginning third of the film could seem quite pointless, if not for a nagging curiosity that revolves around getting an inside look at the life of a ghost. Haven’t you ever wondered what their day is like, I mean, when they’re not trying to scare off the inhabitants.

With each repetition, each time we go through the motions with Emily, a little more is revealed and we get a little closer to the dark secret that lies behind Emily’s being trapped in her own house. I AM A GHOST is strictly a psychological thriller, but is a mystery as well, as she attempts to solve her own afterlife dilemma. The only assistance Emily receives comes in the form of a woman’s voice, a medium brought into the house on a regular basis to communicate with Emily. We never see the medium, but only hear her voice off camera as she guides Emily through a ritual of making peace with her demons and moving on. This doesn’t go well at first, but eventually a breakthrough is made and the horrifying truth is revealed that will shock audiences, emotionally and physically.

I AM A GHOST is a true pioneer of modern indie horror filmmaking. Where PARANORMAL ACTIVITY sparked a financial goldmine with its approach to utilizing technology as a crutch for low-budget horror, Mendoza shuns most of the technological approach — albeit some does trickle in with positive effects in the end — favoring instead a twist on storytelling and perspective. We rarely have the opportunity to feel empathy for and connect with the departed. Not since BEETLEJUICE have I cared about the ghostly main characters as “good guys,” except maybe for THE SIXTH SENSE, but that doesn’t count because of its reliance on the twist ending.

I AM LEGEND does have a twist at the end, a damn good one if you ask me, but the entire film doesn’t hinge on that one plot device. Its a smart, thought-provoking final act, as well as frightening, but its Mendoza’s ability to craft a character we come to appreciate that really sells the ending. If, by the end of the film, we aren’t emotionally invested in Emily’s story, it just becomes another scary horror movie about something bad Hellbent on causing an innocent harm… and those are a dime a dozen.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I AM A GHOST screens during the 21st Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 17th, 11:59pm at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.

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HELLO I MUST BE GOING – The Review

1994’s HEAVENLY CREATURES turned out to be the little flick that launched some big careers (along with helping turn New Zealand into a movie making mecca), This docudrama pushed director Peter Jackson out into the big studios and all the way to Middle Earth (with several Academy Awards along the way). Another CREATURES alum to go home with gold in a few years was Kate Winslet (with a stop on that doomed boat trip that became the second biggest box office hit of all time). And what about poor, young murderess Pauline? I’m speaking of the talented actress that shared the screen with Ms. W. Well, Melanie Lynskey has racked up a lot of screen time ( big and small screen ) since then. Many may know her as Charlie Harper’s stalker-ex in the TV sitcom smash “Two and a Half Men”. She’s also had some great supporting roles in several critically praised films like UP IN THE AIR, THE INFORMANT!, and the recent gem THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER. But she’s not had her date with Oscar…yet. But that may soon happen thanks to her wonderful work in HELLO I MUST BE GOING. And this is not a supporting role, not someone’s gal or pal. Ms. L is the lead here and carries this quirky comedy/ drama superbly.

Lynskey plays Amy Minsky, a woman who’s been knocked for a loop by her cheating husband. We meet her several months after a divorce and she is in quite a funk (to put it mildly). This thirty-something has moved back to her Connecticut family home, much to the consternation of her mother, Ruth (Blythe Danner) and soon-to-retire father Stan (John Rubinstein). Amy sleeps till noon and mopes about the rest of the day while wearing the same shorts and ratty red T-shirt. Ruth nags her to straighten up. Seems they’re going to have a big client over for Dinner (if Stan lands his account then he and Ruth can take that ” Gallivanting the Globe ” tour!). The big night arrives and the client, his wife, and 19-year-old actor son, Jeremy (Christopher Abbott) sit down for a meal. The conversation upsets Amy and she retreats to another room. Presently Jeremy enters this room and plants a passionate kiss on  the very surprised more-than-a-decade -older lady. Soon the two are sneaking out to indulge in passionate carnal encounters. Amy finally feels alive again. But is this a rebound fling or the real deal? Is she finally ready to move forward with her life?

After a few early scenes of Amy floundering at home ( he seems to move about in a thick fog), the film kicks in to be become a gentle comedy and an uplifting ” starting over ” fable. Lynskey’s a real charmer as she finally starts to stand-up for herself (and grow-up somewhat). Her scenes of rekindled passion are heart-warming and very funny (sneaking around like a teen after curfew, throwing pebbles at bedroom windows). Abbott’s very appealing as the sensitive, determined young lover (he’s going to crash through every age-barrier she throws at him). He’s at a crossroads also. After over a decade of acting, he may have lost the passion. Rubinstein is a delightful actor mostly known for his extensive TV works. His sympathetic Stan is a tender-hearted Poppa who still adores his little girl, but is at a loss trying to ease her pain. On the opposite end of the parenting spectrum is Danner’s Ruth. She’s sick and tired of the returned prodigal (darn this reverse empty nest !) and Mom’s dishing up a big helping of really tough love. But she’s not just playing a cranky spin on her feisty senior from the MEET THE PARENTS series or THE LUCKY ONE. Ruth’s had her share of crushed dreams that we learn of after she finally explodes at Amy. Kudos to Sarah Koskoff for a delightful script that never feels forced and to actor turned director Todd Louiso for guiding this talented cast and never letting the laughs get in the way of this story of ‘do-overs’. Oh, and if you’re wondering, those funny comedy brothers do indeed make an appearance. HELLO I MUST BE GOING is sweet romance that gives a terrific actress a chance to truly shine. To quote another song from ANIMAL CRACKERS, ” Hooray for Melanie Lynskey! “.

4 Out of 5 Stars

HELLO I MUST BE GOING screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre

COMPLIANCE – The Review

Time for another movie ” inspired by true events “, but this one sticks much closer to reality than recent flicks THE VOW and PEOPLE LIKE US. So much so, that it’s really thought-provoking. And ultimately disturbing. COMPLIANCE is based on a real incident that occurred in Kentucky during the 1990’s. A couple of lines of dialogue are taken verbatim from newspaper articles and network TV news magazine shows. This is one of those rare films that…well, if you go with some friends, expect to discuss it afterwards, from drinks, through dinner, perhaps past dessert. COMPLIANCE is not a film that will evaporate from your mind the minute you pass through the theatre doors.

The setting is a fast food place called ChickWich, home of breaded chicken patty sandwiches and chicken tenders, located in suburban Ohio during a wintry Friday. Frazzled manager Sandra ( Ann Dowd ) is doing the best she can on this busy day. She’s almost out of bacon ( OMG! ) and one of her cooks is sick with ” that thing that’s going around “. To further complicates matters, she gets a call from an Officer Daniels ( Pat Healy ). He tells her that a ChickWich customer claims that one of the cashiers, a petite doe-eyed 19 year-old named  Becky ( Dreama Walker ), reached into her purse and grabbed a handful of cash. Sandra brings Becky into the back office and puts her on the phone to Daniels. Becky denies the theft. Daniels tells her that he will come to the restaurant, arrest her, and keep her in jail overnight unless she consents to allow Sandra and her assistant manager Marti ( Ashlie Atkinson ) to search her. And so begins a long, long day of humiliations as the directions of the Daniels are conveyed over that office phone and followed through to aid him in his ” investigation “.

Helping anchor this almost impossible to believe true story are three impeccable actors who should ( and hopefully will ) become better known. I was only familiar with Dreama Walker from the TV sitcom ” Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23 “, so I was surprised at her dramatic range in the role of the hapless Becky. At the film’s start, she’s a carefree gal in her late teens, who knows that the future will be much brighter once she’s past this wage slave job. That future seems in jeopardy as the nightmare begins. She’s stunned at first, then outraged at the accusation. But the caller amps up the fear and soon she’s careening from helplessness to hopelessness.  For the audience she becomes everybody’s kid sister. She has to be rescued from that cold, dank room. We don’t see Pat Healy as the caller until well after the interrogation has begun ( beside a brief scene as he buys his phone cards ), but once we see him at the other end of line , Healy becomes one of the great screen villains. We can see the wheels in his head turning as improvises his instructions and peppers the conversation with ” cop jargon ” ( thanks to a several police manuals ). This is the banality of evil as he goes about his daily routines ( taking out the garbage, fixing lunch ) always with the receiver almost attached to his ear. It’s a movie monster we’ve not seen before. A true control freak. Sandra is played expertly by character actress Ann Dowd. Usually regulated to mothers and professionals ( lawyers, doctors, etc. ), Dowd gets a chance to shine as the dithering overseer. She seems to be one of those plate-spinners from the old Ed Sullivan TV shows. She just can’t keep all those dishes moving.When we first meet her she’s berated by another company boss. Later she’s insulted not so subtly by her staff ( maybe she shouldn’t have told them that she and her beau exchange ” sex texts” in an ill-advised attempt to seem ” with it” ). Speaking of him, she struggles to keep her man on the straight and narrow, while believing that he’s going to pop the question any day now ( one last chance at longed for marital bliss ). She may be a more clueless, pitiful female spin on Steve Carell’s Michael Scott of the TV’s ” The Office”. Sandra’s so frazzled that she’s the perfect patsy for Daniels. Confusion turns to confidence as Sandra  convinces herself that she’s being a good citizen ( there may be a bit of resentment going on since Becky represents youthful promise that passed her by decades ago ). She’s an example of the dangers of gullibility, literally naive’ to a fault.

Director Craig Zobel gets everything right about the restaurant world. The customers at the drive-thru and counter have no idea of the drama going on in the back kitchens and offices ( kind of like backstage at a theatre ). You can almost smell the frozen chicken fillets cooking in the bubbling grease baskets. The film begins almost as a fast food take on OFFICE SPACE with a clueless boss, snarky, bored wage slaves, and cranky patrons. But once Daniels calls, Zobel ups the tension very slowly we’re in for a rough ride. It’s almost as if we’re being held hostage in that cold back room along with Becky. Many times I wished I could jump into the screen, grab a character by the shoulders, and try to scream some sense into them. And all the while you just can’t believe this really happened. My only complaint is a somewhat confusing time line. While night has fallen at the ChickWich, the sun shines brightly at Daniels’s home. That’s a minor quibble. COMPLIANCE is a film that may be difficult to watch, but it’ll be bouncing around your head for quite a while…much longer than a meal at your local ChickWich.

Overall Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

COMPLIANCE plays exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre

RUBY SPARKS – The Review

Many men spend their whole lives seeking the perfect woman. In the movies it doesn’t take nearly that long. She can’t be stitched together as with THE BRIDE or using more recent technology as in WEIRD SCIENCE. In the new film RUBY SPARKS, the title character emerges in full flesh and blood after a writer describes her on paper ( well, types her up really ). Sounds a bit like something out of TV’s ” The Twilight Zone”, doesn’t it? As a matter of fact, Keenan Wynn was able to do this via a magic reel to reel dictation machine in the 1960 episode ” A World of His Own..” written by Richard Matheson. But this new film delves much further into this fantasy and grounds it in the reality of modern relationships. And it features two of the most interesting young actors working toward ( they were both producers and she wrote it )! This whimsical little tale is a welcome break from the big, bloated action epics that rule the Summer months.

RUBY SPARKS begins with Calvin ( Paul Dano ) the latest of a long line of cinema’s writer heroes doing battle with the dreaded writers; block ( think a much younger, less twitchy BARTON FINK ). At age 19 he wrote his masterpiece novel and can’t seem to really follow up with anything. A few short stories, a novella, but nothing near that first triumph. His brother Harry ( Chris Messina ) thinks Calvin should get back in the dating scene although he’s still stinging from a break-up with his longest love Lila a few years ago. Calvin spends most days staring at a blank sheet of paper in his 70’s era manual typewriter and taking his cute lil’ pup Scotty out to do his business. At night a lovely red-haired lady named Ruby ( Zoe Kazan ) dominates his dreams. In the longest encounter he meets her while taking Scottie to the park. The next day Calvin tells his therapist Dr. Rosenthal ( Elliott Gould ) about her. The doc suggests that he should try to write a page about her. At home that night Calvin starts churning out pages and pages of prose. The block is broken. A call from his agent awakens him at his desk the next morning. As Calvin’s about to head out to a meeting a voice calls out to him from his kitchen. A lady emerges…it’s Ruby! She acts as though they’ve been sharing the place for quite a while. Is this an illusion? Can others see her? If so, can she be changed by his typing? But why bother, since she just might be the perfect girlfriend.

And that’s not even the half of it, but I don’t wish to spoil the film’s many surprises. As with their previous hit, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, Jonathon Dayton and Valerie Faris have a deft light touch directing film comedies and, like MISS, they get excellent performances from this great cast ( including great work with the often used Los Angeles locations ). Steve Coogan is his usual hilarious self as Calvin’s conniving, pompous, literary rival. Gould brings a lot of warmth to his role as the patient, wise advisor. Messina has a great rapport with Dano. They play off each other like a great classic comedy team ( with Harry the crude regular Joe to Calvin’s intellectual ). A highlight of the film ( featured very predominately in commercials ) is a family get together where we meet the boys’ mother ( Annette Bening ) and her new hubby Mort ( Antonio Banderas ). These screen vets are quite the scene stealers. Bening beams as a true ” Earth mother “, who’s thrilled with Ruby while Banderas charms as the passionate silver Spanish fox. But the film is really carried by the young couple at its center. After seeing him in heavy dramas like THERE WILL BE BLOOD, it was a delight to see Dano’s comic talents. With his smart-guy glasses he reminded me a bit of Cary Grant in BRINGING UP BABY, while other times I thought of Jimmy Stewart’s Elwood P. Dowd in HARVEY ( referenced in the film ) and  VERTIGO’s Scotty Ferguson  as Calvin tried to mold Ruby into his ideal. The big discovery here is Kazan.  Not only did she write a very clever, original script, she as Ruby truly sparkles on-screen particularly in her street argument with Calvin and later as she flirts with him at a loud dance club ( thanks for the subtitles ). She’s hysterical as she is later turned into a clingy nymph by the writer and powerful as she stands up for herself after a disastrous writers’ party. The film takes a dark turn in the last act, but this treats us to another facet of Ruby ( and Kazan’s acting range ). The drama seems a bit out of balance with the fantasy elements, but it doesn’t take away anything from the film’s considerable charm. Like Calvin you too may fall hard for RUBY SPARKS. Let’s hope her creator, Ms. Kazan will find another film to showcase her considerable talents very soon.

Overall Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD – The Review

I recently watched last year’s HUGO and in it George Melies ( as played by Ben Kingsley ) at a retrospective of his fantasy films invites the audience to ” Come dream with me…”. With BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, director Benh Zeitlin also extends that invitation. It’s hard to recall a recent film that goes in and out of dreams so fluidly. A flash of memory here, a romantic fantasy sequence here, often bumping up against the harsh, cruel world. It’s a film that will occupy your head for a long time. A friend said that he wasn’t sure if he liked it, but he’d have to think about it some more. A film that doesn’t evaporate from your memory on the way home from the theatre is a real rarity in these days of interchangeable blockbusters. BEASTS is a unique viewing experience.

The film takes place in an odd ramshackle community outside regular society ( and the levees that keep the Delta water in check ) called the Bathtub. The residents truly live off the grid by trade and barter along with scavenging from distant towns and netting plentiful seafood. We learn this from the narration spoken by six-year-old Hushpuppy ( Quvenzhane Wallis ). She’s a fiesty, frizzy-haired little ball of energy being raised by her single dad Wink ( Dwight Henry ). Perhaps raised isn’t quite the right word as she’s taught to fend for herself as much as possible ( Mom took off when she was a toddler ). This independence is tested when Wink disappears for days due to his fading health.  Luckily the Bathtub does have a makeshift daycare/school for Hushpuppy and the other youngsters. There she learns about the aurochs, fearsome prehistoric mammoth-sized wild boars that ruled the Delta in ancient times. It just so happens that pesky ole’ global warming has broken up a glacier full of the frozen giants. And guess where they’re floating towards? If that’s not enough, it seems that a massive storm is headed to the Bathtub. Will Hushpuppy and her neighbors head the warnings from nearby law-enforcement?  And if they do ride out the storm, what about Wink’s heart? And what about those foul-tempered, tusked and furry beasties?

BEASTS boasts one of the most remarkable performances by a youngster ever. The entire film rests on Wallis’s tiny shoulders and she carries it confidently. Her scenes with Henry crackle especially when she listens to him tell a story about Mom  ( we never see Mom’s face, but Hush imagines her as a fierce force of nature ). Henry is terrific as the boisterous Wink, who must make sure that his precious baby girl is tough enough to handle anything life dishes out. The neighbors truly embrace the ” it takes a village” adage and pitch in to help her whenever possible. The amateur actors are truly believable as this racially diverse, off the beaten track society on the edge of disaster. Zeitlin gives us some memorable images to convey the film’s dream-like quality: Hushpuppy running with sparklers, cooking her meals with unusual tools, everyone crowding into the tavern ( which seems to have an unending supply of bottled beer ) to feast on buckets of boiled crab, the wind and rain pounding on the flimsy, metal roof, and, of course, the lumbering, menacing aurochs. For a modestly budgeted indie, these creatures are special effects marvels ( especially in their big scenes at the film’s finale ). The plot takes a slow turn when government officials show up to ” help these pitiful indigents “, but soon Hushpuppy and her pals are off to more adventures. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD is unlike any film this year and well worth the effort to locate. Just make sure there’s a great seafood place near the theatre.

Overall Rating : 4 Out of 5 Stars

xxx

YOUR SISTER’S SISTER – The Review

Here’s a flick that’s almost the definition of  ‘ indie’ film. It’s mostly improvised, shot in real locations, and concentrates on a very small cast. After the opening party scene, it’s just three actors, really. But what a terrific trio. They make this intimate, little character study more entertaining and interesting than many of this summer’s mega budget, 3D, CGI noise fests. YOUR SISTER’S SISTER is also the definition of ” a pleasant surprise “.

The film does open up with the previously mentioned party scene. To be specific, it’s kind of a wake. Several friends have gathered to remember their dear friend Tom, who left this world one year ago. Everyone is sharing pleasant memories of Tom…except his brother Jack ( Mark Duplass ). After Jack’s buzz killing tale, he’s taken aside by his best pal, Iris ( Emily Blunt ). She wants to get him out of his funk since Jack’s been out of work for a while. She suggests he stay at her family’s empty beach side home nestled on one of Washington state’s islands. He takes her up on the offer. He jumps on his old red bicycle and takes the ferry to the remote island. But it turns out that the home is not empty. Jack surprises Iris’s sister Hannah ( Rosemary DeWitt ), who’s getting away from it all after a breakup with her longtime girlfriend Pam. But, sure,  Jack can still stay. Over the next few days another unexpected visitor arrives, many home cooked meals are eaten, several potables are imbibed, deceptions are hatched, secrets are revealed. laughter is shared, and tears are shed. This is certainly not the getaway any of them were expecting.

And that’s pretty much the film in a nutshell. To say any more would spoil the sense of discovery. Director Lynn Shelton gives each of these fine actors a chance to really get inside these characters. We’re never aware of any camera stunts, it’s just capturing their gifts. I was only aware of DeWitt from her stint on TV’s ” Mad Men “, so I was delighted with her performance as this walking wounded soldier in the battlefield of love. She’s brittle, a bit sarcastic, but slowly gets out from under her dark cloud. Kudos to Blunt for joining this company. She chose to challenge herself artistically rather than jumping into a big studio flick, although she’s awfully in them . Her charm elevates movies like THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU and THE 5 YEAR ENGAGEMENT. Blunt’s Iris tries to shine some sun on her sister and her pal. Speaking of Jack, this is the fourth film I’ve seen Duplass in this year ( he’s like a male Jessica Chastain ), and this is nearly his best ( the eccentric wannabe time-traveler in SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED just edges this out ). After making a name for himself behind the camera, Duplass is one of the most interesting new actors. He brings much-needed warmth to this surly, exasperating nudge. Pair this trio with the gorgeous Pacific Northwest scenery, and you’ve got a little film that’s worth the search. Escape the sweltering temps and spend some time on that rainy little island with these three romantic misfits.

Overall Rating: 4.5 Out of 5 Stars

YOUR SISTER’S SISTER screens exclusively in St. Louis at Landmark Theatres’ Plaza Frontenac Cinema

SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD – The Review

” It’s the end of the world as we know it”…shortly. Or maybe it’s ” Apocalypse Very Soon “. I’m trying to sum up the premise of SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, but then the actual title works pretty well. Many mega-budget blockbusters work the CGI crews overtime to show the end of days in flicks like 2012 and INDEPENDENCE DAY, but just last year MELANCHOLIA took a quieter, more personal look at the big finale. Now that film is a real downer ( but very well done ) while SEEKING has many of the same elements but with a big dollup of humor. It’s also a love story about two people who find each other just as time ran out.

As the film starts a DJ fills us in on the bad, bad news. A fire has broken out on the space shuttle Deliverance ending its mission to destroy the several miles wide asteroid Matilda ( Hmm, so Deliverance fails to deliver ). No options are left. The big rock will crash into Earth within weeks. And that’s all folks!  Dodge ( Steve Carell ) and his wife are listening to this broadcast while parked. When the DJ goes back to music ( ” Oldies to the very end” ), the missus bolts from the car, and dashes into the darkness, never to be seen by her befuddled hubby again. Dodge goes into his office drone job the next day and returns  to his apartment where it’s business as usual with his older, Hispanic cleaning lady ( ” Next Tuesday, Nr. Dodge? More window!” ). Reluctantly he attends a big ” End of Us” party at the home of two married pals ( Rob Cordry and Connie Britton ), but nothing gets him out of his funk. Back home Dodge hears a noise outside his living room window. It’s a young woman, sitting on the fire escape, sobbing. Turns out it’s his down the hall neighbor ( they’ve never really met ), Penny ( Keira Knightly ). Seems she’s missed the last flight to England ( the airlines have ceased service ), so she won’t get to spend her last days with her family. Later, as mob violence nears the apartment building, Dodge convinces Penny to escape the city in her car. He knows somebody with an airplane. Along the way Penny hopes to help Dodge re-unite with the lost love of his youth ( turns out the letter from her to him got put in Penny’s mail slot ). As the two travel the  backroads they meet up with people handing the last days in very different ways. Will they get to their destinations before Matilda pays a visit?

So, there’s no big ” cast of thousands ” crowd scenes filling the screen. This is a much more intimate story. It’s interesting how peoplewe meet in the film handle the catastrophe in different ways. At the party Dodge attends everyone seems to be indulging in every possible vice ( comic Patton Oswalt has a great scene as a schlub who’s happy because Matilda’s leveled the sexual playing field ). While on the road they meet a trucker with a plan for his own end, also Penny’s survivalist ex-beau who believes he and his pals can start society over, a cop intent on keeping up his ticket quota, and ( maybe the funniest ) a chain bar/restaurant ( ala OFFICE SPACE, the wait staff is proud of their ‘flair’ ) that’s turned into its own nonstop orgy/haven. These vignettes are populated with terrific actors known mostly for TV ( nearly all of the Thursday night comedies are represented ). I won’t spoil the delightful surprises.  But the film is really the journey of Dodge and Penny. It’s good to see Knightly out of period costume although she’s playing a variation of the magical, free-spirited pixie that revives a stuck-in-a-rut, stodgy dude ( think GARDEN STATE and SWEET NOVEMBER ). Still with her lop-sided shaggy ‘do and thrift shop chic, she’s darned adorable and endearing. For most of the trip Carell’s her straight man ( along with the assorted eccentrics on the road ), and he’s a pretty gloomy gus, a close relative of his LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE guy. Fortunately he’s got great rapport with a veteran actor playing a man from Dodge’s past in the film’s final act. Carell’s just not allowed to show his gifts as this character as he did for so many years as Michael Scott of TV’s “The Office” ( now that fella’ ran the emotional gamut ). But somehow his unlikely bond with Knightly really works as we wait for the big curtain. This is quite an impressive first feature from writer/ director Lorene Scafaria. If you’re in the mood to escape the big explosions and crashes and spend some time laughing ( and perhaps tearing up ) with a top-notch group of actors then you need to seek out SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD.

Overall Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

Tribeca 2012 Review: ANY DAY NOW

ANY DAY NOW may have a story that seems fitting for a Movie of the Week but that doesn’t change the fact that it is a incredibly well crafted film full of surprisingly powerful performances. Paul (Garret Dillahunt) is a closeted District Attorney and Rudy (Alan Cumming) is an aspiring singer currently working as lead in a drag performance at a gay bar. When Rudy’s negligent junkie neighbor ends up in jail, he looks after her son Marco (Isaac Leyva), a teenager with Down syndrome. Family Services places Marco in a foster home but Rudy soon finds him wandering the streets and takes him in once again. With temporary custody approved by Marco’s mother, Rudy and Paul begin raising him as their own. But when it is discovered Rudy and Paul are not cousins but a gay couple, they face a harsh legal battle to keep Marco in the safe and loving family environment they created for him.

Garret Dillahunt is probably best known for continuing the long-standing tradition of hilarious TV dads on Fox’s RAISING HOPE. I do not watch the show nearly as often as I’d like but he is consistently funny whenever I do. I haven’t noticed him in much else so it was a very pleasant surprise to see that just like Bryan Cranston (another former scene-stealing TV dad), Dillahunt is just as gifted a dramatic actor as he is comedic. He has a strong presence in the film and some truly great chemistry with the equally talented Alan Cumming. This may be Cumming’s best performance to date or at least his most powerful. Newcomer Isaac Leyva is truly captivating as Marco, almost immediately forming a deep connection with the viewer.

Travis Fine also deserves much praise for his expert handling of this story. Not only does he prove himself a very capable director but his writing is sharp and full of emotion. Credit for the script also belongs to George Arthur Bloom who originally wrote it over 40 years ago, which was the basis for Fine’s rewrite. It can be extremely difficult to find the right balance of humor for a film like this but the light touches throughout feel completely natural and welcomed. The only time I was a little caught off guard was the introduction of Don Franklin as a quite comical lawyer who shows up in the third act. At first he seemed to walk in from a different movie but he actually adds a lot of necessary levity that eases us into the finale.

The film takes place in the 70s but its underlying themes are just as relevant today. Full of fantastic performances, this is certainly a film that will have some buzz around it come Awards season. As someone who tends to avoid movies that require a box of Kleenex with ticket purchase, I cannot recommend this movie enough. Go see it, even if you are a cold heartless bastard.

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck – JerryCavallaro.com

Tribeca 2012 Review: EDDIE – THE SLEEPWALKING CANNIBAL

EDDIE – THE SLEEPWALKING CANNIBAL is a fun little dark comedy that will surely find a nice audience although it might not rise to a level of cult phenomenon that one might think based on the deliriously twisted plot. Lars Olafssen is a former well-known artist who lost his muse 10 years ago. Finally content with not painting anymore, he takes a small teaching gig in Koda Lake, Canada where he ends up also having to care for Eddie, a seemingly harmless handicapped adult played perfectly by Dylan Smith. Eddie was traumatized as a child by the death of his parents so he no longer speaks. He also has a tendency to wake up in the middle of the night, shed his clothing down to his tighty-whities and eat people while still asleep. This would be horrible if not for the fact that seeing Eddie’s carnage somehow triggers a creative response in Lars, leading him to start painting again.

One of the things I absolutely hate about movies set in the art world is that often people are depicted as creating their so called masterpiece and when you see the artwork, it is nothing special. A large part of EDDIE is Olaf’s paintings yet they are given the golden briefcase treatment, meaning we never actually see them. This is one of the many things the film gets right. It knows exactly what to show, as evidenced by the very brisk pacing and perfectly short running time. While the film may not always be nonstop hilarity or thrills, it is certainly never dull. I do agree with some other people’s sentiments that the film gets better the bloodier it becomes but I think the restraint from showing much gore at first works thematically as both Eddie and Olaf strive towards their magnum opus. There are a lot of other little details in the film that work equally well, such as the running joke of the radio DJ commenting on how each of the classical music pieces played throughout the film directly correlate to tragedy and scenes of death.

Rather than spoil any more surprises, let me just recommend checking out EDDIE when it finds some sort of a release. This is a damn fun film and despite the outlandish concept, it is easy to relate to especially for creative types. There’s no telling how far some artists will go to get their muse back…

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck – JerryCavallaro.com

Tribeca 2012 Review: FREE SAMPLES

I will throw myself onto the altar as a sacrificial lamb so that fellow critics much better than I do not fall prey to using the following super cheesy & painfully obvious opening statement in their future reviews of this film. Remember me as a hero…

Much like the parked ice cream truck Jess Weixler finds herself stuck in for the majority of the running time, FREE SAMPLES goes nowhere. Yes, I know that’s bad. It’s the sort of line your friendly neighborhood entertainment guru will say in his segment on the local news in attempt to be clever. Unfortunately it does perfectly apply to the film. Hungover and unsure of pretty much everything in her life, Jillian (Jess Weixler) finds herself working all day parked in a vacant lot handing out free samples of an ice cream-like substance to a cast of quirky characters. There are a few subplots including a distant “kind of” fiance, a quick-witted guy she met the night before (Jessie Eisenberg), and a friendship with an elderly patron (Tippi Hedren).

In the end, there is some very minor character growth but it is in no way a substantial arc. This would be fine if the journey was entertaining but even at 80 minutes, the film seems to drag its feet far too often. This is not the fault of the actors; everyone seems to do well with what little material they have to work with. Jess Weixler channels her inner Winona Ryder as the smart yet irritatingly bitchy Jillian and Jason Ritter seems to have fun as Wally. Jessie Eisenberg is on his game as a much more confidant version of the character we have seen him play many times before. Sadly many of the hilariously quirky characters that show up for free ice cream fail to be hilarious or even relevant to the story in any way. The jokes falling flat could be due to poor delivery but it is more likely due to the script that could have used a bit more love before cameras started rolling. There are a few really good moments, namely the ones with Jason Ritter and Jessie Eisenberg, but they do not appear nearly often enough to save this slow mess.

Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck – JerryCavallaro.com