Michiel Huisman – We Are Movie Geeks

THE OTHER LAMB – Review

*Michiel Huisman as Shepherd in Malgorzata Szumowska’s THE OTHER LAMB. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films Release.*

The surreal horror/drama THE OTHER LAMB centers on a teen-aged girl in a cult led by a man called Shepherd (Dutch actor Michiel Huisman of “Game of Thrones”), who has a striking resemblance to traditional depictions of Jesus. But there is little that is lamb-like in this charismatic autocratic leader of a flock of obedient wives as they live a communal pastoral existence hidden deep in the woods, until their lives are disrupted by an event that send them on a journey with a violent end.

The girl, Selah (Raffey Cassidy), is one of the daughters of the Shepherd, although it is unclear whether they are all his actual offspring. Indeed, Shepherd barely looks old enough to have fathered a teen, much less so many. The “wives” are clad in red or purple and the “daughters” are dressed in blue, but some of the wives look little older than the daughters. And then you notice something odd – all the children are girls, there are no little boys. Actually there are few young children at all, with most of the girls adolescents or pre-adolescent, which seems even more unsettling.

THE OTHER LAMB brings to mind the Charles Manson cult, “The Handmaiden’s Tale,” and MIDSOMMAR among others. The film is beautifully shot, an atmospheric tale that opens with dream-like scene in which Selah, clad in long white robes, is floating in water, an image that evokes Hamlet’s Ophelia. That is a lot of unsettling allusions to pack in, but Polish director Malgorzata Szumowska, making her English-language film debut, is just getting started, in this surreal tale of abuse, misogyny and patriarchy.

Selah has known no other life than the cult, and seems content sharing quarters with her sisters and filling her day doing chores for their simple, pastoral life. The cult occupies in several buildings deep in the woods, with the daughters living in one, the wives in another, and Shepherd in his own. The whole compound covered by an awning of strings. At dinner, the wives and daughters praise and thank Shepherd, who concludes the meal by selecting a wife for the night, asking her if she will receive his grace. On Sunday, the wives and daughters dress in white and listen adoringly while Shepherd gives his sermon in a “church” made of a string box enclosing a clearing among the trees. The sermon is followed by a bloody sacrifice of a lamb.

From the beginning, there is something creepy about Shepherd whenever he speaks to Selah, an unsettling whiff of incestuous interest that is hard to shake. Paired with the film’s frequent nightmarish fantasy sequences, the feeling of unease suffused the drama.

However, THE OTHER LAMB is more a surreal and visually stunning study of the topics it raised than either a plot driven mystery or even a deep exploration of the themes it touches on. Still, it is a haunting film that raises questions about how women are treated in society. It also offers a series of haunting, horrifying images, and tense atmospheric scenes between the gifted cast, although what ultimately happens is not entirely a surprise. The mysterious dream-like images that open the film are followed by a series of other surreal, more nightmarish sequences sprinkled throughout, images just as mysterious as the opening one (is this a baptism or drowning?) but far more disturbing – a skinned lamb, the rotting remains of a bird, and other haunting images.

In addition to its striking photography, fine acting performances are a major strength of this symbolic horror/drama. Time and again, the camera focuses on Raffey Cassidy’s expressive face, shifting from innocent wonder to confusion to fear and rage, as she grapples with her nightmares and her shifting ideas about her faith and her life. Selah’s close relationship with her half-sister Tamar (Ailbhe Cowley) is shaken by Selah’s evolving doubts, and all are shaken by the horrific events that transpire. Denise Gough plays Sarah, one of the older wives who has fallen out of favor with Shepherd and is exiled to a hidden shack. The bitter, sarcastic Sarah has been with the cult from the start, and offers Selah her only insights on the outside world and on her dead mother. Michiel Huisman is brilliant disturbing as Shepherd, veering from posing as a benevolent, protective father figure who dispenses wisdom to something much darker, as his mask slips to reveal the selfish egotist beneath.

THE OTHER LAMB is unsettling to watch, and while it does not explore in depth the topics it raises, its haunting meditation on them and its haunting visuals are enough to keep it in your mind long after the film ends. THE OTHER LAMB debuted April 3 as digital and cable video-on-demand on streaming platforms Amazon Digital, Vudu, Spectrum, Apple TV, Xbox, GooglePlay and others.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

THE OTTOMAN LIEUTENANT – Review

As giant apes and mutant loners battle it out at the box office, the multiplex can still spare a screen or two for a love story. Okay, albeit a love story set during a time of violent conflict. Yes, it’s a romance in the trenches, a war-time story of love. But which war (unfortunately we’ve got too many to choose from). World War II was the backdrop for two big flicks last year, ALLIED and HACKSAW RIDGE (mainly in the first half before the near constant carnage). No, this new film goes back a tad further, to that “war to end all wars” World War I. We’ve got to go back a couple of years for that, with 2014’s TESTAMENT OF YOUTH and 2015’s SUNSET SONG. And while they focused on the great battles on European soil, this new film explores a much warmer climate, in the arid desert lands of Turkey. As Sam sang in another classic of this genre, “It’s still the same old story…”. Basically, it’s girl meets boy, or in this movie, American nurse meets THE OTTOMAN LIEUTENANT.

Working at a Philadelphia hospital in 1914, 23 year-old nurse Lillie Rowe (Hera Hilmar) is frustrated. She’s not allowed to treat a badly injured construction worker, due to his race. Lillie’s angered as orderlies drag him away to a far off “colored” facility. Later she joins her parents for a lecture (and charity plea) spotlighting a handsome doctor named Jude (Josh Hartnett) who helps run a Christian missionary hospital in Anatolia (later Turkey). After a reception, Lillie takes Jude to her family’s stable and shows him her late brother’s truck. She offers it to Jude, who is grateful, but fears the vehicle can never make the long, treacherous trip to his hospital. Lillie then makes a decision which shocks her parents. She will accompany the truck nearly across the globe. When she arrives in Anatolia, officials insist that she be guided to her destination by a military escort. Hesitantly accepting the assignment (after meeting Lillie at a local bazaar) is the dashing officer of the Ottoman empire, Lieutenant Ismail (Michiel Huisman). The two cultures clash, but ultimately an attraction sparks between them. After bandits separate the two from the transported truck (filled with vital medical supplies), Lillie and Ismail finally reach the hospital. Empty handed, Lillie volunteers her services as a nurse to Jude and the senior doctor, the haunted scowling Woodruff (Ben Kingsley). As a world war begins, Lillie is caught up in the battles with Armenian rebels and the Ottoman Empire (soon joined by Russian troops). And she finds herself in the center of a love triangle with Ismail and Jude. Can she survive in this foreign land, and just which man will she choose?

Though not the title character, Hilmar’s Lillie is the real focus of the state. Unfortunately her performance seems too contemporary, not fitting in with her surroundings from over a hundred years ago. As she confronts her parents, she’s more like a petulant teen pouting over the loss of her cell phone, rather than a rebellious free-thinker (she’s ill-served by the trite clunky script). It’s tough to see her as the ultimate love prize that the two male leads literally fight over (in the middle of the hospital courtyard, for gosh sakes). Mainly it’s a battle of the squinty hunks with patchy facial hair in need of a real 1914 haircut. Michiel ,in the title role, is attempting the swarthy swashbuckler (think of some of the better movie Sinbads or Omar Sharif), comes off instead as humorless and wooden. In his crisp, lighter colored uniform (really?) Ismail is a dull but indestructible twist on the GUNGA DIN trio. At least he’s more consistent than Hartnett’s character, who changes moods and motivations at the drop of a hat. The quiet compassionate doc becomes a surly Mr. Hyde when Lillie is running about with the dreamy soldier. He too ,may be more 2017 than 1917 in his demeanor. It’s the opposite of Kingsley’s Woodruff who is beastly from the start, then is slowly “cured” of his melancholy by exposure to the “beauty”. His American accent too often recalls his sing-song clipped patter as the Mandarian from IRON MAN 3.

Joseph Ruben’s leaden direction never elevates this from playing as a slightly more polished TV movie, a co-production from basic cable staples Lifetime and the History Channel, with a dash of Hallmark. The cliche-ridden script from Jeff Stockwell goes for several sequences of Lillie and Ismail racing on horseback through endless acres of wheat to convey their passion (easier than having them engage in compelling conversation). And to save a bit, we’re treated to endless black and white film montages (maybe some ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT mixed in with early historical footage). It would simple enough to dismiss this as a trite misfire, but the film veers into some odious areas of historical whitewashing. The sad story of the Armenian people is skirted around, with the film pointing the finger at Russian invaders (just one of many guilty parties). One sequence that’s both ludicrous and offensive occurs when Ismail and Lillie spot a band of renegade soldiers marching some Armenian peasants through the woods. While Ismail and their leader, a lower-ranked officer, argue (c’mon!), we see several peasants walking off-screen followed by gunshots, no cut-aways to their fates. With that THE OTTOMAN LIEUTENANT goes well beyond being a clumsy dud and turns into a real cinematic sink-hole.

1/2 out of 5

HARLEY AND THE DAVIDSONS Available on Blu-ray and DVD December 13

The iconic Harley Davidson legacy comes to life when Discovery Channel’s event series HARLEY AND THE DAVIDSONS arrives on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital HD) and DVD on December 13 from Lionsgate. Debuting Labor Day weekend, the miniseries averaged 4.4 million viewers per night and is the most-watched single network miniseries in three and a half years. Based on the inspirational true story of three young men who risk their entire fortune and overcome adversity, this all-American saga charts the birth of the iconic bike.Harley and the Davidsons stars Michiel Huisman (TV’s “Game of Thrones,” The Age of Adaline), Bug Hall (The Little Rascals), and Robert Aramayo (TV’s “Game of Thrones”) as Walter and Arthur Davidson and Bill Harley. With a behind-the-scenes featurette and “Biketacular,” a special 44-minute showcase of impressive bike builds, the Harley and the Davidsons Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $29.99 and $26.98, respectively.

Check out the trailer for HARLEY AND THE DAVIDSONS:

HARLEY AND THE DAVIDSONS charts the birth of this iconic bike during a time of great social and technological change beginning at the turn of the 20th century. Walter, Arthur, and Bill risked their entire fortunes and livelihoods to launch the budding enterprise. Each of these men faced very different challenges, but it was the motorcycle that united their dreams and ambitions.

BLU-RAY & DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
“Biketacular” Special

THE INVITATION Opens Friday at The Chase Park Plaza with the Director Attending for Two Shows

The 2015 shocker THE INVITATION opens Friday at The Chase Park Plaza Cinema (212 Kingshighway Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108). The film’s director Karyn Kusama, a St. Louis native, will be appearing at the Chase Park Plaza Cinema for two showings. She will be introducing the film and taking part in a post-film Q&A with Andy Triefenbach of DestroytheBrain.com SATURDAY, APRIL 23 at 7:20pm and SUNDAY, APRIL 24 at 2:50pm.

Look for Stephen Tronicek’s review of THE INVITATION Thursday night here at We Are Movie Geeks.com

In the taut psychological thriller THE INVITATION, the tension is palpable when Will (Logan Marshall-Green) shows up to his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard, Into the Woods) and new husband, David’s (Michiel Huisman) dinner party. The pair’s tragic past haunts an equally spooky present: Amid Eden’s suspicious behavior and her mysterious house guests, Will becomes convinced that his invitation was extended with a hidden agenda. Unfolding over one dark evening in the Hollywood Hills, The Invitation blurs layers of mounting paranoia, mystery, and horror until both Will-and the audience-are unsure what threats are real or imagined.

THE INVITATION has been receiving rave reviews:

Michael Phillips at The Chicago Tribune says THE INVITATION is:

“…….an unusually evocative achievement in suspense, and in a brand of cinematic paranoia unique to the hills, canyons and denizens of LA.”

Felix Vasquez Jr. at Cinema Crazed calls THE INVITATION:

“An absolute masterwork mixing horror, mystery, and drama, in to one truly haunting piece of art…”

Ray Pride at Newcity claims:

“Seething paranoia in the form of slow-burn tension marks Karyn Kusama’s scalpel-sharp Hollywood Hills dinner party-gone-wrong chamber drama where agendas overlap and bite.”

Don’t miss THE INVITATION when it plays in St. Louis!

A Facebook invite for the event can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/events/1722769634667694/

THE AGE OF ADALINE – The review

What would you do if life stood still? Now I’m not talking about the world continually frozen, like a projector stuck on one frame of film (maybe a better modern analogy would be a DVD unable to move past an image, perhaps with that annoying “buffer circle” spinning). I mean what if you, yourself, never changed and remained your current age forever. No wrinkles, no grey hairs, and no internal breakdowns (the plumbing works fine, muscles and joints in great shape). That’s been one of the major benefits of vampirism (like the eternal ten-year old Kirsten Dunst in INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE), a theme of fairy tales (SLEEPING BEAUTY), and science fiction (THE MAN WHO CHEATED DEATH, the COCOON flicks). Now comes a film that plays with that notion in a more modern, realistic fashion. Call it a modern romantic fable, or the ultimate May-December love story. Or you might just call most of the 20th century (and a good chunk of the early 21st) THE AGE OF ADALINE.

A somber narrator introduces us to Jenny (Blake Lively), a modern-day twenty-something running an important errand on this New Year’s Eve of 2014 in San Francisco. She’s paying a young computer hacker (in cash, of course) for an impeccable set of phony ID’s (passport, driver’s licence, etc.) that Jenny will use when she leaves town and starts over once more. Wha? But first, it’s off to her job , as a historian archiving research materials at the main library. As she threads some early news film into a 16mm projector (see the previous reference), the narrator returns to give us some info on Ms Jenny. For one thing, her name is actually Adaline Bowman and she was born in SF…in 1908! In the early 30’s she married one of the Golden Gate Bridge engineers and birthed a daughter, Flemming. After her husband’s death on the job, Adaline’s cruising down a lonely stretch of California country road when it suddenly begins to snow. This contributes to the skid that sends her roadster plummeting into a cold lake. Hypothermia leads to heart stoppage, but remarkably she is revived when the sinking car is struck by lightning. But the bolt has an unexpected side effect, Adaline never ages a day. As Flemming matures, Adaline passes her off as a kid sister. It looks like the ruse will work until federal agents attempt to whisk her away (for experiments, no doubt). After a narrow escape, mother and daughter must separate, as Adaline goes into hiding, changing her identity every ten years, but still keeping in secret contact with Flemming. So, that explains the errand.

That night, after a quick phone call with Flemming (Ellen Burstyn) who now goes by Jenny’s grandma’, Adaline reluctantly joins a friend for a New Year’s bash at a local swanky hotel. She successfully swats away suitors, until he walks in, the hunky Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman). After a flirtatious elevator ride to the lobby, Adaline believes she has given him the big “brush off”. But Mr. Jones is not so easily thwarted. A few days later, she’s stunned when Ellis arrives at her job with a big donation to the facility (guy’s rich!). This begins a series of tentative romantic encounters that make Adaline anxious. Reluctantly she agrees to accompany Ellis to a big 40th anniversary celebration for his parents (Harrison Ford, Kathy Baker). But on this journey, Adaline’s past may finally catch up to her.

Ms. Lively rarely evokes her name as the film’s title heroine. Adaline is muted, very low energy, perhaps in order to blend into her surroundings as to not stand out (and she avoids being photographed which reminded me of Bill Bixby as the TV Hulk). This is prominent in her push/pull relationship with Ellis which extinguishes any sparks between the two. She does look fabulous in all the different hairstyles and fashions during the flashbacks, but besides her fugitive double life, Adaline is an enigma. Huisman fulfills all his leading man requirements (including the now obligatory “chick flick” staple of emerging dripping wet from the shower AKA the “beefcake” shot), but we see his passion for Jenny/Adaline without really explaining it. This guy should have a thick “black book”, so why has he set his sights on the woman who often pushes him away (maybe he enjoys a “challenge”). Burstyn makes Blessing more of a supportive girlfriend than daughter (think Rhoda Morgenstern) often encouraging Mom to “go with it” and take a chance. And she’s a good sounding board and confident for the usually tight-lipped Adaline. Ford takes a detour from his recent run of “old grumps” to give us a man both content with his golden years while still more than a bit haunted by his past (that silver goatee helps pad his years). In a couple of flashbacks, his character is played by you tube star Anthony Ingrub whose impression of the screen icon often distractingly veers into “Rich Little-like” mimicry. Unfortunately Baker has little to do as the perplexed, annoyed matriarch.

Lee Toland Krieger’s direction has difficulty keeping up a consistent momentum, which may leave viewers to feel as though they’ve lived all of 107 years. The early century set-up is fascinating, but the drama gets too bogged down by the narration (maybe they should have heeded the anti-voiceover rants in BEING JOHN MALKOVICH), that uses some silly pseudoscientific “gobbledy goop” to explain Adaline’s plight/gift. That’s another reason why the script by J. Mills Goodloe and Salvadore Paskowitz should have gone through a couple more passes. Some unnecessary flashbacks slow the pace (a visit to the bank brings up a memory, as does a glance at a certain park bench) There’s too much dead time during which we ponder the story’s logic. How could Adaline escape the FBI so easily? Why then would she continue to live in the states? Did J Edgar’s men concentrate instead on Dick Clark (he looked 25 for many, many decades)? As the film finally plods to its conclusion, a couple of outrageous coincidences almost prove laughable (I heard a few titters). THE AGE OF ADALINE could have been a compelling journey with one unchanging lady through the eras, instead it’s part tepid love story and part modern “fractured fairy tale”.

2 Out of 5

Rob Simonsen’s AGE OF ADALINE Original Motion Picture Score Available Digitally April 21; CD May 12

Lakeshore Records will release the AGE OF ADALINE – Original Motion Picture Score digitally on April 21st and on CD May 12, 2015. The album features the film’s original score by Rob Simonsen (FOXCATCHER, THE SPECTACULAR NOW) and the song “Start Again” with Simonsen and Faux Fix, featuring Elena Tonra.

The AGE OF ADALINE, a romantic drama, stars Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Kathy Baker, with Harrison Ford and Ellen Burstyn and will be released nationwide by Lionsgate on April 24, 2015.

The film is directed by Lee Toland Krieger from a screenplay by J. Mills Goodloe & Salvador Paskowitz and J Mills Goodloe; story by J. Mills Goodloe & Salvador Paskowitz. Producers are Sidney Kimmel, Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi.

After miraculously remaining 29 years old for almost eight decades, Adaline Bowman [Blake Lively] has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chance encounter with charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones [Michiel Huisman] reignites her passion for life and romance. When a weekend with his parents [Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker] threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change her life forever.

“We all agreed that since the story spans the last hundred years, the orchestra was the appropriate instrument and tone for the score,” said Simonsen. “While there are some ambiences and synthesized elements in there, they’re meant to add atmosphere for the most part, and not sound manufactured, per se.”

With a keen instinct for storytelling, Simonsen has established himself amongst a new wave of composers making a significant impact in the film industry. Under the mentorship of Mychael Danna, Simonsen apprenticed alongside one of the most respected film composers from the last two decades. In addition to co-scoring films like the Fox Searchlight hit (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, Rob provided additional music for films including MONEYBALL and LIFE OF PI, the latter of which won the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 2013.

Working independently, Simonsen garnered two 2013 World Soundtrack Academy Award Nominations for the Sundance hits THE SPECTACULAR NOW and THE WAY, WAY BACK. The same year, he scored the global ad launch for Apple’s iPhone 5 and provided the iconic piano music for their Everyday campaign. His momentum continued in 2014, completing work on Zach Braff’s second feature, WISH I WAS HERE, and Bennett Miller’s multiple Oscar nominee FOXCATCHER. Simonsen also recently completed work on Roland Emmerich’s much-anticipated STONEWALL.

STONEWALL

Simonsen is a co-founder of The Echo Society, a composer collective presenting an ongoing concert series in Los Angeles, providing composers, musicians and artists a new and exciting platform to create and perform progressive musical works. “Adaline’s theme is mostly heard on the piano,” Simonsen described. “We wanted something melancholic and pretty, yet not too sad. And while the love theme appears repeatedly throughout the movie, it is actually not heard in its entirety. I wrote it away from picture and there was never a scene long enough to play it. However by repeating the opening phrases of the love theme, it has a quality of getting stuck in the ‘starting out’ mode, which is fitting for Adaline, who is stuck in time, repeating things in her life over and over, now a woman resistant to letting anything develop.“

TRACKLIST
1. Adaline Bowman
2. At Home
3. January 1st, 1908
4. First Resurrection
5. No Scientific Explanation
6. Never Speak a Word of Her Fate
7. Ellis Brings Flowers
8. Sunken Ship
9. Another Death in the Life
10. Tired of Running
11. Adaline Apologizes
12. Constellations
13. William Recognizes Adaline
14. He Named the Comet Della
15. A Near Miss
16. The Scar
17. Twisted Around the Truth
18. No More Running
19. Second Resurrection
20. Coming Back to Life
21. Hospital Confessions
22. To a Future with an End
23. Start Again – Rob Simonsen and Faux Fix, Feat. Elena Tonra

http://www.lakeshore-records.com/

http://www.theageofadalinemovie.com/

Blake Lively Featured In Magical Poster For THE AGE OF ADALINE

Check out the new featurette, “The Making of The Age of Adaline – A Century of Fashion,” to get the inside scoop from stars Blake Lively, Harrison Ford, and Academy Award winning costume designer Angus Strathie, who developed Adaline’s exquisite wardrobe through the decades.

In THE AGE OF ADALINE, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) survives a car accident that miraculously keeps her from aging. Since then, she’s had to keep this a secret and has tried not to get too close to anyone.

However, meeting Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) will make her reconsider everything. THE AGE OF ADALINE follows the 29-year-old’s intriguing journey through the ages, as her encounter with Ellis ignites a new passion for love and romance inside her.

The film also stars Kathy Baker, Amanda Crew, with Harrison Ford, and Ellen Burstyn.

Directed by Lee Toland Krieger, THE AGE OF ADALINE hits theaters on April 24

Official Website: www.TheAgeOfAdalineMovie.com
Official ‘Adaline Through The Ages’ Website: www.AdalineThroughTheAges.com

Blake Lively Featured In New Character Posters For THE AGE OF ADALINE

Lionsgate has unveiled a series of nine ‘character posters’ for THE AGE OF ADALINE.

After miraculously remaining 29 years old for almost eight decades, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) has lived a solitary existence, never allowing herself to get close to anyone who might reveal her secret. But a chance encounter with charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) reignites her passion for life and romance.

When a weekend with his parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker) threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change her life forever.

Directed by Lee Toland Krieger, THE AGE OF ADALINE opens nationwide APRIL 24, 2015.

www.theageofadalinemovie.com

Blake Lively Remains Ageless In New Trailer For THE AGE OF ADALINE

Witness Blake Lively as Adaline Bowen, a 29-year-old who miraculously doesn’t age, in the new trailer for the enchanting romantic drama, THE AGE OF ADALINE.

Get a closer look at Adaline and the obstacles she must face while living life on the run to prevent others from finding out her secret.

But a chance encounter with charismatic philanthropist Ellis Jones (Michiel Huisman) reignites her passion for life and romance. When a weekend with his parents (Harrison Ford and Kathy Baker) threatens to uncover the truth, Adaline makes a decision that will change her life forever.

Also featuring Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn, THE AGE OF ADALINE hits theaters everywhere on April 24.

www.theageofadalinemovie.com

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