Tag: Nature

THE OUTRUN – Review

Saoirse Ronan as Rona in THE OUTRUN. Image: Natalie Seery. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Saoirse Ronan stars as a woman from Scotland’s remote Orkney Islands is forced to return home when her alcoholism implodes both her career as a marine biologist and her personal life, in the moving, true story-inspired THE OUTRUN. Based on Amy Liptrot’s bestselling memoir, THE OUTRUN tells the story of 29-year-old Rona’s (Ronan) as her life at college in London transforms from a promising one full of new freedoms, to a spiraling struggle with alcoholism. Forced back home to the Orkney Islands, Rona struggles with new found sobriety and regrets, as she also copes with her separated parents, a bipolar farmer father and a cold, religious mother, plus the social isolation and loneliness of life on a sparsely inhabited, remote island.

Saoirse Ronan gives one of her best performances here, and is on screen, usually alone, most of the time, adding an extra challenge. Ronan takes us through the moving inner journey of her character, both as she battles alcoholism and copes with lost love, but as she discovers a new way of being in the world, a journey of self-discovery that brings connection to both human community and the natural world.

The film is divided into three parts, one being Rona’s life of fun and freedom at college in London, as she studies marine biology at college and embraces the party life with her friends after hours and finds new love with Daynin (Paapa Essiedu). But alcoholism takes over her life and destroys it, sending her to rehab and eventually home to Orkney. In Orkney, Rona struggles with sobriety, with her parents’ problems, and her loneliness, until in a third phase, she finally finds a way back, through connection with the natural world and human community, on a tiny, weather-lashed and very remote island in the Orkneys.

But the film opens at the middle part of this story, with Rona just back home in Orkney, and tells her story in London with flashback scenes, plus a few flashbacks to childhood. The film unspools in a non-linear manner but we are aided by the central character’s vividly dyed hair, which helps us keep track of where we are in time in her story, as the blue color she sports in London grows out and an orange one later takes its place eventually in Orkney. Without that marker, it might be a bit hard to keep track.

Since this is based on a memoir and the author, Amy Liptrot collaborated on the film, director Nora Fingscheidt made the wise decision to change the central character’s name and to fictionalize the story a bit, to make things easier for actor Saoirse Ronan and the writer. The story still remains much the same, as powerful and moving, and unconventional as before, with the power of the natural world to transform her life a central key.

Rona feels out of place back on Orkney and living with her stern mother, while checking on her unstable if loving father. But a pivotal moment come when she takes a job as part of a group of conservationists surveying the island population of a rare endangered but once common bird, a corn crake. At first she carries out her work with indifference but as she scans the horizon and listens for the bird’s unique call, she begins to connect with the natural world around her which she has hardly thought about before.

Shooting on location was essential. The film’s photography is stunning, and the screening is frequently filled with breathtaking, wild seaside scenery or windswept views of the scenic, remote Orkney Islands. The islands’ wild beauty and unforgiving weather are almost a character in the film, and connecting with that natural world is key to Rona’s recovery. The sea surrounding everything is both breathtakingly beautiful and harshly unforgiving. Having grown up there, Rona has become so accustomed to the natural world around her that it is nearly invisible, and real change only comes when she becomes deeply aware of both sides of that terrible beauty, its invigorating energy and the danger to the unprepared.

THE OUTRUN opens Friday, Oct. 4, 2024 in theaters.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES – Review

A scene from the documentary THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES.
Courtesy of Capelight Pictures, MPI Media Group and Fusion Entertainment.

A walk in the woods is a lovely thing but when it is nature tour is led by the deeply-knowledgeable, infectiously-enthusiastic Peter Wohlleben, a renowned forester with 25-years experience in forests and deep knowledge of the biology and ecology of trees, it is an entry into a secret world where trees communicate with each other and work together to benefit the whole.

It has a magical ring to it but Peter Wohlleben’s lessons are rooted firmly in science – plant biology and ecology – and his years of experience tending forests. Wohlleben is the author of the 2015 non-fiction book “The Hidden Life Of Trees,” the basis of this documentary of the same name. The non-fiction book, an international bestseller, presents scientific fact in the form of an accessible tale of the secret, social lives of trees. The documentary offers Wohlleben narrating immersive tours of the forests, along with generous excerpts from his non-fiction book presented by a narrator, footage of Wohlleben teaching classes that introduce lay audiences to what plant science knows about how trees interact with each other and their environment, and Wohlleben interacting with loggers, gently making the case for sustainable practices and imparting his knowledge of forests in a friendly, respectful way, drawing on his standing as someone with years of expertise in forestry to strengthen his points.

When looking at animals, we are never surprised to learn that they are social or that they have ways of communicating with others in their group. But people have a different perception of plants. Because they don’t get up and run around, and do not vocalize, it is easy to think of them as being like rocks. But as any student of plant biology quickly learns in class, plants do indeed move, but more slowly and in more subtle ways, something the documentary points out. Actually, it makes sense that a living thing that is rooted to one spot like a tree, which cannot get up and flee from threats, might have other ways to defend itself, and moreover, might want to help out others of its species survive as well. Such examples are all over the animal kingdom, but Wohlleben reveals how they exist in plants as well, specifically trees. Trees release chemicals into their cells and structure to discourage predators, such as insects and deer, and they also disperse chemical signals on the air to warn others of their species, to let them prepare for the threat.

The documentary has a good deal of such scientific information but Wohlleben, natural storyteller, always presents it in an accessible, even entertaining way. We cannot help but be caught up in his enthusiasm for trees and forests, as the charming, upbeat forester takes us on a tour of the woods – several woods, in fact – in his native Germany as well as Poland, Sweden and Canada. In his affable but clear way, he introduces us to the ways in which trees communicate and cooperate with others of their species, shelter and nurture young offspring trees, and form partnerships with other species like fungi for mutual benefit.

Director/writer Jorg Adolph avoids the usual documentary structure of talking head interviews and archival still and footage. Instead, we get lots of cinematographers Jan Haft’s and Daniel Schonauer’s immersive, beautiful photography of leafy forests, combined with imaginative graphics, making the documentary a visual delight. There is just the right amount of scientific detail, so the audience feels informed but not overwhelmed. Part of the documentary is Wohlleben’s nature walks, where he points out aspects of forest, and contrasts the health of old growth natural forests with mono-culture tree plantations of species not native to the region. Another part is sections of his non-fiction book, read by a narrator over images of trees and forests. A third part is Wohlleben talking about how to sustain forests, and people’s ability to use them, and visiting various location to talk with people who work with forests.

He also gently but persuasively presents the case for sustainable forest management to loggers, and to us in the audience, noting that conventional forestry is like putting a butcher in charge of animal care. Such an approach to forest management has a particular focus, which is not the benefit the trees or forest health. But Wohlleben is no unreasoning purist; he makes clear he is someone who enjoys wood products and understands the use of forests, and the people who work in them, from lifelong professional experience. That background gives him standing and credibility that other ecologists might lack, when he talks to those who make their living with trees. Wohlleben thinks people should be allowed to use forests, to harvest trees, but in a more sustainable way. His focus is on sustainability for people more than nature.

As an example of sustainable logging, the documentary presents footage as logger selectively harvests large trees, leaving the smaller ones to grow into the space now opened, and then instead of using heavy machinery, the weight of compacts soil, hauls the log out by heavy draft horse, a traditional method that leaves the forest floor intact and logging to continue with the next generation. In fairness, the documentary also lets other loggers have their say about their methods, and costs, although Wohlleben notes that one needs to look at the whole expense of growing and harvesting trees, not just a portion.

Wohlleben, always upbeat and informative, also visits sites in Sweden to see a tree believed to be the world’s oldest, carbon-dated to 10,000 years old, and a site in Germany where locals are trying to preserve a beloved local forest from development. He visits the site of a forest fire in a stand of non-native pines farmed for timber, to access re-growth and natural regeneration versus replanting. He talks about the hazards of cultivating non-native species of trees and threats like wood-boring beetles. He also goes to a site on Vancouver Island in Canada, where a small tribe of indigenous people are asking for more of a say in what happens in the forest of their traditional lands. It is a pretty wide-ranging documentary but always focused on trees and forests in temperate climates.

“THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES” is both an informative and enjoyable science-based nature documentary, elevated by fine forest photography and the charismatic, positive presence of its knowledgeable leader of our adventure among the trees, forester Peter Wohlleben. If you have not yet read Wohlleben’s fascinating book, this first-rate documentary may prompt you to seek it out – along with a nice walk in the woods.

THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES, in English and German with English subtitles, opens Friday, July 16, at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinema and other theaters nationally.

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars

LAND – Review

After what seems like years (well coming up on one in just a few weeks), lots of folks, especially urbanites, may be yearning, perhaps desperately, to get “away from it all’ and bask in the great outdoors. And for many, a weekend or so in a rental cabin in the woods, or “roughing it” on an RV, will be enough of an escape to appreciate the modern comforts (very little WiFi in the woods) and even the proximity of people. But for the main (or for most of it, only) character in this new film, that’s not enough. She wants no contact with anyone, sort of a modern-day version of a “hermit” (a phrase now mainly associated with the 60s pop group headed by “Herman”). But can she truly disconnect after being part of a major metropolis? Well, she is determined to change her view, from skyscrapers and bustling commuters to open sky and sprawling pristine acres of nearly untouched LAND.

That said metropolis is Chicago, where we first see a compact car pulling a small cargo trailer as it zips away from “the loop”. Inside is Edee (Robin Wright) who is recalling her last conversation with Emma (Kim Dickens) as she begins her long trek to Wyoming. Once there, Edee completes a business transaction with a local. He gives her a set of keys and asks her to follow his vehicle to her new home. They pull off a winding highway to a rough dirt road and arrive at a modest log cabin (and “outhouse”). She asks him to find someone to drive up after she’s unloaded to return her rental car and trailer (and collect a cash tip). He insists that she should have a vehicle of some sort, but Edee waves him away as she disposes of her cell phone. As the seller stated, it is a “fixer-upper” that consumes the next few days with cleaning, repairing, and storing her dozens of canned goods. Edee sees her rentals drive away as she returns from filling water jugs in a nearby creek. It becomes clear that Edee intends to stay here permanently, all by herself, and “live off the land”.  Despite her many survival manuals, she immediately struggles in hunting and trapping “game” and planting a small vegetable garden. Soon the weather and wildlife get the best of her, as she hallucinates Emma, along with a mysterious man and a young boy. Extreme hunger and the bitter cold cause her to drift in and out of consciousness. Will Edee’s desire for solitude lead to a horrific frozen death?

As with most “against the elements” stories its strength hinges on the actor at its center. Luckily the multi-talented (wait for it) Ms. Wright is more than up for this formidable task. The challenge is a bit higher since Edee is a mystery for most of the film. By the time she arrives at the cabin, we only know that she was very sad in Chicago and that Emma (maybe a sister) cares deeply about her. We see that gloom lift from her eyes once Edee begins to prepare for her new life. There’s a sense of joy even as she sweeps out mounds of dust and surveys the “waste facility annex”. Then the frustrations and aggravations begin to build as a wave of unease fills her. Then her despair allows the ghosts, visions of her past, to drag her into a downward spiral, though a hungry bear hastens the plunge. Wright’s compelling performance compels us to root for Edee even as she frustrates us with her refusal to seek aid. But some help does come from a couple of angels, one in the form of a friendly hunter Miguel, played with warmth and humor by Demian Bichir. His kindness and patience, never pushing her to leave, rescues her physically and spiritually. Miguel somehow reignites her belief in humanity. And though she also annoys him, he still charms her with his mangled versions of rock anthems. The other angel is a Native American nurse Alawa played with “tough love” by Sarah Dawn Pledge who trusts Miguel but still thinks Edee belongs in a hospital (for the cold and hunger). And Dickens plays Emma as a very “friendly ghost” who is passionate in her pleas for Edee’s return to the world.

So what was my “multi-talented” comment about? Well, this is the feature film directing debut of Ms. Wright (she previously helmed several episodes of her Netflix series “House of Cards”). A tough “double duty” as she’s in nearly every scene, much like Robert Redford a few years ago in ALL IS LOST. She certainly captures the quiet beauty of the wilderness (Canada subs for Wyoming here), while never letting us forget its dangers. We’re holding our breath along with Edee as guttural growls awaken her from slumber on her first dark night. While showing us her struggles, Wright lets us in on the joys of her triumphs. As Edee becomes more self-sufficient (via the gruff angelic Miguel), we’re cheering on her solitary decision, though we know that Emma must be in great pain. Then we wonder if Edee can interact with society once more. Wright expertly juggles all these themes while keeping the film moving at a brisk pace, clocking in at just under ninety “tight” minutes. Helping to draw us into the natural settings is the gorgeous cinematography from Bobby Bukowski accented by the subtle music score from Ben Sollee and Time for Three. LAND is an emotional dramatic adventure that is a triumph for another great actress/filmmaker. Wright “stuff” indeed.

3 out of 4

LAND opens in select theatres on February 12, 2021

THE GREY – The Blu Review

The Movie: From the very first moments of THE GREY, there is a stark realization that the stark bleakness of the film’s setting is directly complimentary to the story being told. The cold, harsh, brutal weather of the northernmost wilderness sets the stage for a tragic journey of survival. Co-written and directed by Joe Carnahan (SMOKIN’ ACES, THE A-TEAM) and written by Ian MacKenzie Jeffers, the film is adapted from Jeffers’ short story entitled “Ghost Walker.”

THE GREY, at it’s most primal, is a story of man versus nature, but more specifically man versus beast, as a handful of oil workers who survive a place crash must battle the bitter cold and a relentless and hungry pack of wolves for survival. Led by Ottway, the group of men must comes to terms with each other and their own demons as they witness their own numbers gradually decline by the fangs of their canine counterparts. On this level, THE GREY is a terrifyingly horrific tale of a scenario far too easy to imagine in real life. On the other hand, THE GREY is a curiously uplifting human saga that carries with it a certain amount of triumph and epiphanal

Liam Neeson (TAKEN, UNKNOWN) plays Ottway, a poacher with a guilty conscience working security for an oil company in the great white north, tasked with keeping the savage wild wolves from making the workers their lunch. Ottway is an intelligent, tough and resourceful man. He is a peaceful man by nature, but not a man you’d want to make angry. Neeson gives Ottway a quiet intensity that defines the role, creating a character that an audience admires and cares about, despite his gruff demeanor. Neeson is an actor that can say as much with his face as he can with words and this role is no exception.

The group of survivors led by Ottway includes Diaz (Frank Grillo), Hendrick (Dallas Roberts), Flannery (Joe Anderson), Burke (Nonso Anozie), Hernandez (Ben Bray), Lewenden (James Badge Dale), and Talget (Dermot Mulroney). This small group of hardened men, some weak and some strong, clash as often as they unite in their combines struggle. Each of them have something to lose, something they long to return to, except for Ottway who seems resigned to imminent death, willing to let that fate overcome him if not for his ingrained sense of duty to ensuring the survival of the other men.

THE GREY is an extremely well written, well directed and well acted film, but a great injustice would be done if I were not to apply due emphasis on the look and sound of this fantastic film. Cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi (WARRIOR) captures the Alaskan wild with unflinching realism, setting aside the more serene, peacefully dangerous depiction of films like INTO THE WILD for a barren, unruly landscape brutalized by blistering winds and blinding horizontal snowfall. Much of the most brutal weather depicted in THE GREY was captured on locations without the assistance of fans or special effects, a frightening thought in and of itself. The landscape becomes a character, another antagonist through the lens of a master cinematographer. Composer Marc Steitenfeld, whose work will soon be featured in Ridley Scott’s upcoming PROMETHEUS, indulges the audience with a score so fittingly bleak while also subtly emotional that it’s presence is as equally easy to overlook as it is significant to the film’s success. However, Carnahan understands the appropriate use of this tool when he chose to leave the music out of the mix during what is perhaps the best scene in the entire film.

While there is plenty of wilderness action, suspense and beastly terror, THE GREY shines most vividly in it’s most human moments. One of these moments is during Ottway’s reflection on his relationship with his father and a simple but powerful poem his father wrote for him as a boy. This poem carries a great deal of weight throughout the film. The other is perhaps one of the best, most realistic and thoughtful depictions of death as it occurs I have seen in many years on film. This moment takes place shortly after the plane crash occurs and offers a fascinating insight into Ottway and his perspective on life. Overall, THE GREY is as touching as it is frightening, it is as much a sad film as it is a testament to hope and personal strength. It is a film about the human will.

The Extras: THE GREY blu-ray doesn’t have a ton of special features, but what it does have proves to be worth watching. Hey, it’s better than nothing, which is hos far too many films gets packaged to blu-ray in a rush to capture home viewing sales. Start out your blu-ray experience by watching the film (of course) unless you saw THE GREY in the theater. If so, jump directly to the deleted scenes — six in total — where you’ll get a healthy serving of scenes cut from the finished film. These deleted scenes do not come with an optional commentary, however some of these scenes are actually addressed in the feature-length audio commentary.

The feature-length audio commentary for THE GREY is a good time, recorded with co-writer/director Joe Carnahan and editors Roger Barton and Jason Hellmann. From the very beginning, it’s clear that you’ll have a good time listening to these laid back filmmakers. Joe Carnahan shakes his glass of ice, pointing out that they’re enjoying some Scotch while recording the commentary and what follows is a string of interesting, often humorous, anecdotes and off-the-cuff remarks about the filmmaking process and those involved.

>>>>>>> MINOR SPOILERS BELOW <<<<<<<

One of the most interesting things gleaned from the audio commentary comes from Joe Carnahan, when he explains how after seeing the film, his wife suggests that Ottway (Liam Neeson) is the only survivor of the plane crash and the other survivors are merely facets of his own mind, projections of different aspects of his personality, whereas as not only is Ottway in a struggle against nature — the cold/the wolves — but, that he is also in a struggle with himself. Carnahan goes on to explain how he had never thought of this prior to his wife pointing this out, but that it had a significant affect on how he viewed his own film afterward. I have to agree, as I watched the film again after enjoying the commentary. Viewing the film with this concept in mind changes the experience and gives the film a noticeably different appeal, less focused on the action and suspense and allows the viewer to delve deeper into the philosophical implications of the story.

Finally, THE GREY blu-ray also touts the following “bonus features” as described by Universal:

  • UltraViolet
  • Digital Copy
  • U-Control w/ Picture-in-Picture
  • pocket BLU App
  • BD-Live

THE GREY 2-Disc Blu-Ray/DVD Combo pack hits store shelves on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

JANE’S JOURNEY – SLIFF Review

Few people living today have my respect as highly as Jane Goodall. If you want an exemplary case of one person who has devoted her life selflessly to a cause greater than herself, she would rank highly on that list. For this reason alone, I was ecstatic to find out someone had made a film about her life.

JANE’S JOURNEY is a 2010 documentary written and directed by Lorenz Knauer, a film that chronicles Jane Goodall’s life from her roots as a little girl in the UK to her ongoing campaigns of present day. From a strictly biographical, informative perspective, this is a valuable and enjoyable film.

You may sense, however, the eminent presence of a “but” looming in the near future. If so, you would be correct. JANE’S JOURNEY offers a wonderful encyclopedic reference of the fascinating woman, tracing her many accomplishments and contributions. Even more fascinating is that Goodall did this all out of passion. She had no degree or specialized training when she first ventured to Africa in the early ‘60s as a very young woman. That alone took some bravery.

On the other hand, JANE’S JOURNEY feels a bit long and drawn out. Even at merely 111 minutes, the film feels as though its stretching the topic, when no stretching is truly needed. There are definitely areas of the film that could have been tightened up, and while the celebrity interviews theoretically offer added credibility to Goodall’s reputation, they really were not necessary, offering little more than fluff.

JANE’S JOURNEY is an exquisitely photographed film, capturing the beauty of the wild and foreign land she came to know as her home, as well as many moments of her with the chimpanzees she came to consider family. However, the structure and pacing of the film cause it to feel like a television special on the Biography or History Channels.

While Jane Goodall began her unique career in conservation focused on the endangered chimpanzees, JANE’S JOURNEY does venture into her work as a humanitarian as well. This only makes sense, when we consider that our lives and the lives of the species we endanger, as well as the environment we destroy – the same environment that wildlife calls home – are all clearly interconnected.

As a timeline of Jane Goodall’s life, the film succeeds triumphantly, but as a moving, emotional cinematic experience, JANE’S JOURNEY falls short. With such a captivating subject, and with all that’s happening in our world today, the film could potentially reach the hearts and minds of so many unemployed, underprivileged and unaware citizens, if only the film had a bit more heart and identity of its own.

Regardless, JANE’S JOURNEY is a wonderfully thoughtful documentation of one of the greatest women alive today and deserves to be seen by everyone possible. Her ideas and her concerns affect us all, whether we want to believe and accept it or not.

Showtimes
Monday, November 14th at 7:00pm – Plaza Frontenac Cinema

Review: ‘Earth’

shark

Earth… the final frontier… oops, wrong movie!   No, this is the new film from Disney’s nature division called ‘Earth’. I was very apprehensive about this film after seeing the trailer a few months back. It seemed like Disney was just reusing footage from the BBC mini-series ‘Planet Earth’ to make a quick buck at the box office.   After seeing the film, my opinion was slightly changed.

Yes, 70% of the footage in ‘Earth’ is taken right out of the ‘Planet Earth’ mini series, but they did change the narration of the film. Disney swapped out Sigourney Weaver for the great James Earl Jones. They also altered the dialog and information so that it would be entertaining for kids 7-17. Jones add some humor during some of the scenes with the monkeys and woodland ducks.

‘Earth’ concentrates on following three species of animals, Polar Bears, Elephants and  Humpback Whales through a year on the planet. Earth shows the struggles they go through to find food, water and to evade predators to survive the year. This is Disney so the only animal in the film seen killing another one is the Great White Shark (seen above) leaping from the ocean with a seal in his mouth.

‘Earth’ is educational and entertaining for older kids. But in this critic’s opinion ‘Earth’ is a “cliff notes” version of the BBC mini-series ‘Planet Earth’. If you have seen the mini-series, you have seen everything in this film. If you haven’t seen ‘Planet Earth’ it airs regularly on the Discovery Channel and is available on DVD.   But if you have grade school kids that you would have to chain to a chair to watch a 6 hour series, ‘Earth’ is just for you and your kids.   ***Earth Day Alert*** If you see this film  between April 22nd (Opening Day) and April 29th,   Disney will plant a tree for every ticket sold! I can beathe the new oxygen as I am writing this.

Rated G

Running Time: 90 minutes

[Overall: 2.75 stars out of 5]

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Earth Day 2009 – Best Movies on Earth

earthdaygraphic

Earth Day 2009 is upon us and while there are many more beneficial ways to celebrate the planet Earth, nature and the environment than watching movies, there are some worthy films available out there on the fairly vast theme that Earth Day encompasses. So, once you’ve done your recycling, gardening and whatever other Earth Day practices you may have, here’s a few films I’d like to recommend viewing while you relax from a long day’s effort to make our planet a cleaner and safer one to live on.

Planet Earth (2006) – This 11-part epic mini-series is a must see for everyone, seriously! Watch it on Blu-Ray, even better! From pole to pole, this series takes us on a truly beautiful and cinematic exploration of the planet we live on yet typically know so little about. If you have the time, this is a great way to celebrate Earth Day and be mesmerized by the wonders of nature. I know this is what I’ll be watching, for the seventh time, on Earth Day.

Blue Planet (2001) / Deep Blue (2003) – Even though it came out five years before ‘Planet Earth’ and didn’t benefit from the same technology, ‘Blue Planet’ is still an extraordinary series on life in the oceans. Given that they make up 70% of the Earth’s surface, they deserve an in depth exploration. I chose to stick ‘Deep Blue’ in here with it because, while worthwhile on it’s own merit, it acts as a kind of introductory piece to both ‘Blue Planet’ and ‘Planet Earth’. I suppose you could call it a Cliff’s Notes for the two series.

An Inconvenient Truth (2006) / The 11th Hour (2007) – I lumped these two together for a specific reason. I wouldn’t even have ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ on this list if not simply to illustrate a point. That point being it’s not a great movie at all. Subject matter aside, ‘AIT’ features Al Gore (not an electrifying speaker) standing on a stage with a digital slide show talking about how the Earth is dying. Boring! On the other hand, Leonardo DiCaprio’s ‘The 11th Hour’ is an engaging documentary that involves the viewer, gives people solutions instead of just whining and understands that the human species will perish long before we could ever truly “kill” the planet. ‘AIT’ got all the hype, but 11th Hour’ deserves more recognition.

FLOW: For Love of Water (2008) – The one thing we as human being, and life in general, needs more than anything else is water. We love the stuff and in more ways than just nourishment for our bodies. ‘FLOW’ tackles the subject matter of how we use this natural resource and the possible reality that it is dwindling quicker than we can sustain it’s presence and usefulness. This is an eye-opening film and presents information significant to us all.

Garbage Warrior (2007) – What can you do with garbage? What would you do to help make the world a cleaner place to live? What would it take to accomplish this? These are the three questions addressed in this fascinating documentary about architect Michael Reynolds’ The film chronicles his fight to introduce and encourage a radically new form of sustainable housing and his struggle against the bureaucracy that restrains his dream. Definitely an enjoyable film and appealing to anyone interested in green living.

Darwin’s Nightmare (2004)Â   – An amazing and telling documentary about the effects of the fishing industry in Tanzania’s Lake Victoria. The Nile Perch was introduced into the lake by the industry to farm for the European market, but the predatory fish has all but wiped out the other species, leaving little for the native people to survive on. The film is disturbing and sad, but at the same time an honest look at how industry interrupts the natural order of things.

Manufactured Landscapes (2006) – This beautifully shot documentary follows photographer Edward Burtynsky as he travels the world documenting changes in the Earth’s landscapes due to industry and manufacturing. The film puts a spotlight on our effect of business and population on the planet while still somehow finding beauty in it all.

Rivers and Tides (2001) – This portrait of artist Andrew Goldsworthy is an amazing example of a person whose entire life has been influenced and affected by the beauty and power of nature and how he’s taken his creative drive and applied it back to nature without leaving a negative impact.

Microcosmos (1996) – Originally touted as a children’s movie, this up-close look at the insect world is actually quite compelling for kids of all ages. You’ve never been this close to so many bugs and been so mesmerized by the fascinating lives they live. ‘Microcosmos’ also helps to convey the important role that insects have in our lives and in the planet’s ecosystems.

Baraka (1992) – No, this isn’t another documentary about the new president. It is however, an incredibly beautiful visual tour of some of the world’s most pristine landscapes and natural wonders. The film is more of a feature-length music video for nature than a narrative film, containing no true plot other than “Wow! Earth is beautiful!” The movie is a more universally accessible and less-overwhelming experience than Godfrey Reggio’s ‘Life‘ trilogy, but those of worth seeing as well.

Review: ‘The Happening’

Ram Man:

M.Night Shayamalan is back with his first “R” rated feature film …”The Happening” . This film has been cloaked in secrecy since production wrapped. Rumors leaked from a disgruntled projectionist that it was horrible. Everyone says Night’s career is riding on this…He will be fine! If you want to be surprised by what happens in the Happening read this after you see it and see if you agree with me (spoilers coming).

The Happening jumps right into it! The first scene in the movie has a pair of women in Central Park talking on a bench, when all of the sudden one takes a hair pin out a drives it into her own neck! People then begin to fall of buildings and drive cars of the road and die by the thousands. The Happening stars Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Dechanel as a married couple Elliot and Alma Moore. Their relationship “on the rocks” they must try to fix it while staying alive from the invisible force of death. Elliot and Alma together with their friend Julian (John Leguizamo) attempt to leave the city to a safer are outside the hot zone. Soon the force takes over the eastern coast of the country and out group finds themselves stranded in rural Pennsylvania. (I figured any kind of deadly force would be too bored to go to rural Pennsylvania).

After the large cities are decimated people begin to be affected in the smaller communities including the one Elloit and Alma are hold up in. Julian , once he loses contact with his wife leaves to go back to the city to find her (Noooooooo). Can you say Goner? By this time authorities have rule out terrorism and have no Idea what is causing this. Elliot , a science teacher, begins to believe a theory of this old farmer that the plants and trees are turning on us. I now expect to hear a chorus of “Trees” by Rush. Still on the run Elliot and Alma take up residence with a crazy old woman (Betty Buckley from eight is enough) and intended to wait it out and stay alive til this is over.

That is where the movie stops..and the ending takes over. The movie is thrilling and bloodier than anything M.Night has done before. The death scenes are great. My personal fave is a scene in Princeton NJ., Julian riding in a car on a suburban street, where people are hanging from trees like human Christmas ornaments. The movie was good but then he had to end it….that’s where you lose me. Like in his past films (Village & Lady in the Water) the end of his film ruins the ride you have taken up to that point. I’m not going to give it all away but I just have to quote an old TV slogan …Don’t mess with Mother Nature! The film is ok for DVD rental or catch it at a matinee.

I hold M.Night Shaymalan up to a higher mark with his past films (Six Sense, Unbreakable,Signs) and this one is still in that same rut with the Village. I do give him credit for night repeating or falling into the sequel trap. M.Night fans will go see this film and say I’m nuts. But the average movie goer will leave the theater and just say “Huh????”

Travis:

I know I’ve been shunned for having positive opinions for movies that the mass movie-going audience has found repulsively, unforgivably bad … so they say. But that’s the beauty of it … I don’t care. I think M. Night Shyamalan is a talented filmmaker and a promising storyteller. I’m not suggesting everything he does is perfect, but I believe the reason he gets crucified so often is because he’s doing something outside the box.

The Happening is a great sci-fi thriller that deals with a contemporary issue in a creative and entertaining way. What I admire about Shyamalan as a filmmaker is that he chooses to break out of the Hollywood mold [even if he does occasionally get stuck in his own mold] and he makes an effort to tell stories in a way that is fresh. I also respect him for doing his homework in writing an interesting story. The scientific “theory” presented in The Happening is based in relevant scientific concepts and addresses an issue that many, including myself, feel is important.

Like all of Shyamalan’s films, The Happening is rooted in suspense and the fear of the unknown. We can’t fault him for that, as its what he does. It would be like faulting Ingmar Bergman for making beautiful but depressing films … its what he did. I’m not going to start throwing Oscar comments out there, simply because there’s nothing in the movie that warrants any Oscar discussion. So, don’t worry about that. However, I feel this is a solid film that will find its audience amongst the fans who keep an open mind. The performances were perfect in that they served their purpose. This movie wasn’t about the characters, but rather about an idea. Wahlberg was convincing … serious and straight most of the time, emotional when necessary and even dabbled in light humor when called for. Zooey Deschanel … well, don’t get me started with her. I mean, those eyes … [*snap out of it*]

Sorry. Where was I … Oh, the cinematography and the score also carried this same relative characteristic of being subtle and appropriate, masterful on their own but maintaining a humble symbiosis with the film. There’s an organic quality to the flow of the story which is fitting, given the idea behind the incredible events taking place. I suppose the only thing I can really nit-pick about [if I must] is the somewhat convenient circumstance by which Elliot (Wahlberg), Alma (Deschanel) and Jess (Sanchez) manage to survive The Happening. Its a brief distraction, which is followed by the true ending to the film … which actually further illustrates my point that the story isn’t about Elliot and Alma. This is a very good film … I dare you to see it and really think about it. If you’ve already seen it and hated it … I triple-dog-dare you to watch it again without the blinders.

4 1/2 out of 5

Scott:

This movie is being promoted as the greatest B movie ever by Mr M Night, and I have to say..This movie isnt even the greatest D movie ever. This is your typical M Night crap..strange occurrences that have no explanation and the ending is just a big let down. If I wanted to walk away unfulfilled I would have went and watched a Uwe Boll movie, I might have scored it better.

1 out of 5.

[rating: 2.5/5]

Review: ‘ Into the Wild’

Zac:

Sean Penn directs his first movie in six years and knocks it out of the park. Into the Wild follows the post graduate life of Christopher McCandless, an Emory graduate that decides to give up everything he has and set off on a life of tramping around the country in an attempt to rediscover himself.
When the movie opens we find the Magic Bus in Alaska with Chris or Alex Supertramp his adopted name after leaving everything behind, who is played wonderfully by Emile Hirsch. Hirsch really dives deep into the role, is extremely likeable, and we can believe him as some one who is capable of leaving everything behind to live this life. Hirsch is full of energy and carries the movie easily by keeping us constantly engaged and entertained along his journey to the Magic Bus.
Hirsch gets some pretty good help from his supporting roles as well with his stops along the road. Catherine Keener and Brian Dierker play a hippie couple that brings perspective into Supertramps’s life, as well as returning the favor back to them.
Vince Vaughn plays a grain farmer that befriends Supertramp and becomes a pen pal and a source for some of Supertramp’s thoughts that get scrawled across the screen, a narration trick that works very well and I liked a lot.
Kristen Stewart plays young hippie teen and really lets you into her character in her limited screen time, while busting out a pretty good singing voice.
Hal Holbrook becomes an “adoptive” Grandfather of sorts and assists Supertramp with his final preparation towards Alaska.
Jena Malone shares some narration duty with Hirsh as his sister, and does it well, while William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden turn in some amazing performances as the cause of all that happens.
All of these supporting roles do a fantastic job and are all equally likeable, or not likeable, and help the movie to continue moving forward and never really dull.
The last start to mention, and not the least, is nature itself, which is captured beautifully here by Penn and his crew. There are some shots and moments that seem out of a nature doc, and Hirsch is always right up in all the action making it all the more breathtaking and never pulling you out of the moment with a moment like, ‘that’s not him.’
And I can’t give enough credit to the crew and filmakers for making such a potentially horrible subject matter, guy walking around, into a fantastic film by keeping up the pace, not wasting any of the viewers time, superb editing, and rarely leaving us wishing they showed more; just right.
A fascinating story about a fascinating person that is brilliant translated to film carried by Emile Hirsch and orchestrated by Sean Penn, definitely worth your time and money if you love nature and adventure.

[rating: 4.5/5]