Do you want to watch EAST OF WALL before anyone else? Click on the poster above to grab your complimentary passes to an Advance Screening for Wednesday, 8/13 at AMC Aventura.
SYNOPSIS: EAST OF WALL is an authentic portrait of female resilience in the ”New West" inspired and played by the women and girls who live it. Set in the Badlands of South Dakota,
Tabatha, a young, rebellious rancher, who rescues and resells horses, must make hard decisions to deal with her fractured family, financial uncertainty of losing her ranch, and
unresolved grief, all while providing refuge and the skills of the horse trade to a group of wayward neighborhood teens.
Capernaum
Release Date: 2/01
Director: Nadine Labaki
Writers: Nadine Labaki (screenplay), Jihad Hojeily (screenwriter), Michelle Keserwany (screenwriter)
Stars: Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shiferaw, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole
MPAA Rating: Rated R for language and some drug material
Runtime: 119 mins
While serving a five-year sentence for a violent crime, a 12-year-old boy sues his parents for neglect.
Capernaum is Lebanon’s entry in Oscar’s Best Foreign Language Film category this year. The film is in Arabic, with English subtitles. Set throughout Lebanon, with many scenes taking place in Beirut, Capernaum may be the most haunting film you see all year. Ghosts and goblins are nothing compared to witnessing man’s indifference to the suffering of man, depicted in Capernaum. Worse still, that the victims of that indifference are children, makes it so that viewers will be thinking about this story long after the house lights come up in the theater.
Don’t be discouraged from seeing Capernaum by anything written above. Yes, it is gripping and the despair of the landscape, literally and figuratively, is bleak, but Capernaum is ultimately a story of hope. Further, that story of hope is brilliantly told by Director Nadine Labaki using a cast of non-actors, and actual refugees. Zain Al Rafeea (as Zain), Yordanos Shiferaw (as Rahil) and, even, little Boluwatife Bankole (as Yonas) are entirely captivating in roles that reflect the trials and tribulations of their own lives. The performances feel effortless and sincere.
The camera work added a dimension of connectivity to the story. The cameras conveyed parts of the story that the first-time actors did not convey. Tight shots highlighted the dirt on the faces of the children, as well as every helpless expression. Overhead drone cameras captured he vastness of the landscape in which Zain was endeavoring to thrive. The alternating too close or too far shots of the scenes gave the audience necessary perspective. Capernaum is a story of three “throw-away” souls, but why are there throw-away souls? There are many more similarly situated and the film seeks to have the audience understand the severity of the issues presented.
The themes of Capernaum are very timely. Touching on issues such as narcotics trafficking, parenting, immigration, degradation of women, Capernaum weaves a tapestry of realism from which its hard to look away. Parts of it felt heavy-handed, but any optimism would have felt fake. Best of all, Capernaum skips political rhetoric.
Go see Capernaum. Travel, through the screen, to a place you’ve never been to and a reality much different than your own. See the world through the eyes of the children in the film. It will give any viewer something to think about. Capernaum is playing everywhere now.
The Seagull
CAST: Annette Benning, Saoirse Ronan, Corey Stoll, Elizabeth Moss, Marie Winningham, Jon Tenney, Glenn Fleshler, Michael Zegen, Billy Howle, Brian Dennehy
DIRECTED BY: Michael Mayer
SCREENPLAY BY: Stephen Karam (based on the play by Anton Chekhov)
PRODUCED BY: Robert Salerno, Jay Franke, David Herro
RUN TIME: 99 Minutes
RATED: PG-13
RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2018 (Houston)
One summer at a lakeside Russian estate, friends and family gather for a weekend in the countryside. While everyone is caught up in passionately loving someone who loves somebody else, a tragicomedy unfolds about art, fame, human folly, and the eternal desire to live a purposeful life.
The Seagull is one of those small, low fanfare films that will be enjoyed by an arthouse crowd, but not by many others. While the portrayals of the characters and general acting was superb, the film, as a whole, was lackluster and forgettable. It was nothing to register the summer movie radar.
The cast was top notch. With names like Annette Benning, Saoirse Ronan, Corey Stoll, Mare Winningham and Brian Dennehy, the cast could act-out dialogue from a phonebook and it would be memorable. The acting did not disappoint. The acting was completely engrossing. Bening (as Irina) is the quintessential aging actress. She has played the aging actress before and she plays it very well. Ronan (as Nina) is super vulnerable as the wide-eyed starlet hopeful. Corey Stoll (as Boris) is wonderfully over-dramatic and spineless as the love interest. Winningham (as Polina) and Dennehy (as Sorin) had smaller, but memorable roles.
The problem with the film seemed to come from the editing. The film is cut like a series of vignettes. And while the vignettes are supposed to culminate to depict a “everyone loves someone else” plot, the sketches were not strung together tight enough. The emotion failed to build. With a run time of just over ninety minutes, it felt like something was missing. There were supposed to be some heart string moments along the way, and they seemed lost on the audience. By the time the real shocker is played out at the end, there seemed to be a collective shrug in the audience.
The Seagull is period piece that felt old and dated. Period pieces can be entertaining by exposing audiences to something out of the usual, but even the camera work of The Seagull seemed to miss the point. The film is set in the Russian countryside, but the cameras were so focused on close shots of the cast, that the scenery felt wasted. The costumes appeared cliché.
If it’s all about the acting, or you are a fan of the cast, The Seagull is a fine film. On all other aspects, it is wanting. Maybe a movie to save for some at home video format. If you want to catch The Seagull, seek it out at an art house theater near you starting on May 25.
The Leisure Seeker
CAST: Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland, Christian Mckay, Janel Moloney, Dana Ivey, Dick Gregory
DIRECTED BY: Paolo Virzì
SCREENPLAY BY: Stephen Amidon, Francesca Archibugi, Francesco Piccolo, Paolo Virzì
PRODUCED BY: Fabrizio Donvito, Marco Cohen, Benedetto Habib
RUN TIME: 112 minutes
RATED: R
RELEASE DATE: March 23, 2018 (Houston)
Here's your chance to see The Leisure Seeker in Houston. You can present the attached pass on your phone or print out to give day of the screening in person. Screening is for March 19 @ 7pm at Edwards Green Grand Palace.
A Fantastic Woman
RELEASE DATE: March 2, 2018 (Houston)
CAST: Daniela Vega, Francicso Reyes, Luis Gnecco, Aline Kuppenheim
DIRECTED BY: Sebastián Lelio
SCREENPLAY BY: Sebastián Lelio
PRODUCED BY: Juan de Dios Larraín, Pablo Larraín, Sebastián Lelio, Gonzalo Maza
RUN TIME: 104 Minutes
RATED: R
Marina and Orlando are in love and planning for the future. Marina is a young waitress and aspiring singer. Orlando is 20 years older than her, and owns a printing company. After celebrating Marina’s birthday one evening, Orlando falls seriously ill. Marina rushes him to the emergency room, but he passes away just after arriving at the hospital. Instead of being able to mourn her lover, suddenly Marina is treated with suspicion. The doctors and Orlando’s family don’t trust her. A woman detective investigates Marina to see if she was involved in his death. Orlando’s ex-wife forbids her from attending the funeral. And to make matters worse, Orlando’s son threatens to throw Marina out of the flat she shared with Orlando. Marina is a trans woman and for most of Orlando’s family, her sexual identity is an aberration, a perversion. So Marina struggles for the right to be herself. She battles the very same forces that she has spent a lifetime fighting just to become the woman she is now – a complex, strong, forthright and fantastic woman.
A Fantastic Woman (Una Mujer Fantastica) is a worthwhile watch that will give the audience something to think about. The Oscar nominated film from Chile manages to turn regular, ordinary life events into extraordinary and completely unique occurrences because of the film’s heroine.
Marina (played by Daniela Vega), the film’s heroine, is a transgender woman whose love interest died after a romantic night of celebrating Marina’s birthday. The unexpected death of Orlando (played by Francisco Vega) lead to a chain of events and occurrences, none of which are fantastic. It was quite moving and sad to watch Marina’s treatment as she tries to cope with Orlando’s passing and the interferences to mourning him in the manner that she would like.
The story takes the audience to different parts of Santiago, Chile, a police station, a parking garage, a funeral home, a bar, etc., none of which are remarkable. The common settings subtly send the message that Marina’s story could belong to anyone. While Marina's mistreatment occurs because she is transgender person, the issues could easily arise from a difference in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or age. Everyone is susceptible. A Fantastic Woman doesn't preach inclusion so much as it portrays the effects of division, and it does it well.
The scenes, even though shot in ordinary locations, are captured beautifully and the action of the plot is paced slow enough that the audience has enough time to enjoy every detail of a land far away. The audience will feel as if they have toured everyday Santiago locations by the time the credits roll.
Daniel Vega is perfectly cast in the role of Marina. Through Vega's performance, it is easy to see how Marina is, genuinely, fantastic. Vega gave a delicate, but powerful, portrayal. It would nice to see this film catapult Vega into other roles.
A Fantastic Woman is a great movie. It is thought-provoking and multi-layered. It's message is timely and well executed, without being preachy. Broaden your horizons. If you can't find it playing near you, search it out on some at-home format later. A Fantastic Woman is playing now.
The Comedian Release Date: February 3rd at AMC Studio 30 & AMC First Colony 24 MPAA Rating: R Runtime: 120 min.
An aging comic icon, JACKIE BURKE (Robert De Niro) has seen better days. Despite his efforts to reinvent himself and his comic genius, the audience only wants to know him as the former television character he once played. Already a strain on his younger brother (Danny DeVito) and his wife (Patti LuPone), Jackie is forced to serve out a sentence doing community service for accosting an audience member. While there, he meets HARMONY (Leslie Mann), the daughter of a sleazy Florida real estate mogul (Harvey Keitel), and the two find inspiration in one another resulting in surprising consequences. Through the alchemy of their unlikely friendship, Harmony and Jackie overcome their own emotional damage and emerge as better people.
In The Comedian, Jackie Burke Robert De Niro made his name decades ago as the gruff headliner in a Honeymooners-style sitcom, complete with a signature catchphrase. In an all too true story, decades later, that line is what is fans still want to hear. In the age of YouTube, Jackie wonders if he's too old-fashioned, especially after a heckler goads him into a brawl that sends Jackie to jail. It's there that Jackie meets Harmony Leslie Mann, another hothead with a heart of gold, who's also doing community service. Jackie soon discovers that, far from having seen it all, he still has a lot to learn.
This film is full of talent. Clever cameos by Cloris Leachman, Lois Smith, and Billy Crystal lend an air of legitimate comedy to the film and are a welcome addition to an already talented cast. Also short cameos by Gilbert Gottfried, Hannibal Buress, Stewie Stone, Richard Belzer, and Jimmie "DY-NO-MITE" Walker perk up the screen and always keeps us watching for more. Edie Falco turns in an endearing performance as Jackie's long-suffering manager Miller, Danny De Vito playing Jackie's brother - a hard-working deli owner, and Patti LuPone playing Jackie's sister-in-law, who despises Jackie.
According to IMDb trivia, De Niro has tried to get this one off the ground for eight years, with Sean Penn and Mike Newell attached to direct at different points. There’s an underlying sweetness laced throughout the story, one that sometimes saves the overall film from complete failure. Although the movie does have some laugh out loud moments, overall it felt a little flat. At its best, it’s an enjoyable rainy Saturday afternoon movie.
DARK HORSE
Directed by: Louise Osmond
Release Date: 5/20 @ Sundance Cinemas Houston
MPAA Rating: PG
Runtime: 85 mins
Set in a former mining village in Wales, DARK HORSE is the inspirational true story of a group of friends from a working men's club who decide to take on the elite 'sport of kings' and breed themselves a racehorse. Raised on a slagheap allotment, their foal grows into an unlikely champion, beating the finest thoroughbreds in the land, before suffering a near fatal accident. Nursed back to health by the love of his owners - for whom he's become a source of inspiration and hope - he makes a remarkable recovery, returning to the track for a heart-stopping comeback.
I didn’t know that Dark Horse was a documentary. It’s my fault. I should read my materials closer. Not that it matters. It’s just that documentaries are few and far between for me. I was drawn to the picture of a horse on the movie poster. I'm glad the movie poster got my attention. Dark Horse was a great documentary. It is the kind of movie that makes me love screening movies. I have to see a lot of stones to find the gems. Dark Horse is definitely one of the rare gems that I was glad I stumbled upon.
Dark Horse documents the story of a bunch of underdogs. The subjects of the story, the Vokes and the Davies, are an entirely charming group of people that, for every indication, did not belong in the regal sport of horse racing. I loved the unassuming, self-deprecating nature of the dialogue. Sometimes, the talk was funny. At one point Mr. Vokes made reference to the fact that his teeth were in a jar, instead of his mouth. Sometimes, the talk was frank and a bit painful. Mrs. Vokes made mention of the unpleasant looks she received from professional horse breeders and racers. Whether it was light or heavy, the dialogue was real. I appreciated that the subjects of the film wore the their perceived position in the community as a badge of honor.
The film felt like it started a bit slow. In the moment, I remember I wanted to see the horse run. By the end, I appreciated the pace of the film. It has the same build-up that I imagine the sport of horse racing to have. Most of horse racing seems like background. It takes a long time for the horses to prepare to run a few laps around a track. I only learned that from watching the movie. The subjects of the film worked for years and faced obstacles in the hopes that they would achieve their dream.
The race footage looked great on the big screen. These are not horse races that I would have known anything about before the film, so I was engaged in the outcome of each. I would have appreciated even more race footage, but Dark Horse isn’t only about horses or races, it’s about people and events. It is in the people and the events that the audience finds the film’s relatability. It is also what raised this movie from just good to genuinely enjoyable.
I enjoyed the positive message of the film. It’s never a bad thing to see people willing to tackle adversity in order to achieve a dream. The bigger the dream, the harder the work. That’s the very nature of dreams. I think the message is great for families. There isn’t a single four letter word or off-color comment in the whole ninety minutes. Sports families will especially enjoy the “never quit” message. I brought my own children to the screening, and they loved it. You will have to seek it out, if you want to catch it in theaters. Dark Horse is in limited release now. It opens nationally on May 20.
I SAW THE LIGHT Written and Directed by: Marc Abraham
Based on the book, Hank Williams: The Biography, By Colin Escott with George Merritt and William Macewen Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Cherry Jones, Bradley Whitford, Maddie Hasson, Wren Schmidt Release date: April 1, 2016 Runtime: 123 min
I SAW THE LIGHT tells the story of Hank Williams, the iconic, influential country singer and songwriter of the 1940’s and early 50’s whose meteoric rise and fall, including his death at age 29, has become part of American folklore. Writer-director Marc Abraham has created a compelling, historically accurate narrative of Hank’s career that examines his tormented creative genius and the turbulent domestic life that inspired him to write some of his best-known songs. By literally going back in time, you see Hank as he was, living his life on his terms, battling his demons and ultimately creating music for the ages.
I wanted to like this week’s I Saw the Light, the biopic about the life and career of country music great Hank Williams. The film has just about everything I look for in a good evening out. It presented an interesting subject, Hank Williams. It starred a great cast, including Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen. I was even going to get to listen to some of Hank Williams’ hits. As much as I wanted to enjoy this experience, it wasn’t quite what I expected.
I knew only a brief history of Hank Williams. I expected there to be some alcohol, some pills and some womanizing. I didn’t expect it to be all alcohol, all pills and all womanizing. My biggest issue with I Saw the Light was the plot. I needed more than self-destruction. The self-destruction was continuous and really off-putting. I would not have minded some self-destructive behavior, but there was no explanation, motive or plot development to go along with the self-destructive behavior. I mean Hank Williams had over 30 hits in his short life. Williams was doing things other than alcohol, pills and womanizing. Unfortunately, the film doesn't show it.
I actually liked the cast. I wasn't sure that Tom Hiddleston could play the part of William Hanks. He did beautifully. The talk, the demeanor, the look in Williams' signature hat all worked well. Olsen also impressed me in her role as Audrey Sheppard, Williams' first wife. Olsen played the role with just the right blend of cunning and coy. I liked her character as much as I hated her character. That kind of balance takes talent.
I also enjoyed the music. I appreciate listening to movie music because the surround sound is excellent in theaters. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough of the music for a musician as prolific as Williams. In order to get a real feel for Williams' talent, the audience would have to sit through the credits.
I suggest waiting to see I Saw the Light until it hits home digital or video format. There were some aspects of the film that I enjoyed, and the cast was excellent, but the plot and script disappointed. If you still want to catch I Saw the Light in theaters, it's open now.
Directed by: Bryan Buckley Written by: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch Starring: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Haley Lu Richardson, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, and Cecily Strong
Release Date: 3/18 Run Time: 100 min Rating: R
A decade ago, Hope Ann Greggory (Melissa Rauch) was America's sweetheart. Her inspired performance on a ruptured Achilles at the world's most prestigious gymnastics tournament clinched an unlikely bronze medal for the U.S. team and brought glory to her hometown of Amherst, Ohio. But in the years since that epic third place victory, Hope hasn't done a whole lot with her life. Still living in her dad Stan's (Gary Cole) basement, still sporting her daily uniform of a Team USA gym suit with teeny-bopper bangs, ponytail and scrunchie, she spends her days at the mall milking her minor celebrity for free food and favors.
Hope's routine is upended when she learns that she must coach Amherst's newest gymnastics prodigy Maggie (Haley Lu Richardson) in order to receive a sizeable financial inheritance. The hard-edged yet insecure Hope is faced with a serious dilemma: does she jeopardize her "hometown hero" status by devotedly training this rising star to achieve the dreams she never could? Or does she attempt to sabotage the impressionable Maggie to ensure that she remains the one and only star in Amherst?
I didn't know what to think about The Bronze when I got the invite to the screening. The concept looked interesting. I was hoping it would be a gem of an indie film, but it fell short. It was far from a gold medal, for sure.
I thought The Bronze had a lot of potential. It felt original. The story centers on Hope, a once great Olympic gymnast who failed to land a gold medal. Hope brought home a bronze medal instead, and it is her greatest accomplishment and greatest failure all in one. Melissa Rauch plays the jaded Hope. She was likable enough until she opened her mouth, and every third word was something profane or something nasty. At first, I laughed at the shock value, but it quickly got old.
And I realize that this is a smaller production, so I wasn't expecting perfection, but I was hoping for a better script. I would describe the dialogue as movie of the week quality. Felt uninteresting.
My biggest issue with The Bronze was that the redemption of Hope took too long. By the time the redemption came along, I didn't care anymore, because she had made me thoroughly dislike her. And this film isn't even very long.
I was so disinterested with Hope, that I gravitated more to the subplot with Maggie (Haley Lu Richardson), the up and coming gymnast who hopes to surpass Hope's success. Maggie's mom is played by Cecily Strong, as the single mother janitor who is trying to move the family out of the trailer park they call home. I love Strong. But, she had a tiny role. Seemed like a waste of a good actress and funny comedienne. I wanted more of Maggie's subplot.
In the end, I tried to like it more than I actually did. There were a couple of moments where I genuinely laughed out loud. But, I found myself wincing more than I laughed. Also, there is a pretty graphic intimate scene near then end of the film. Viewer beware. If you're still compelled to see The Bronze, wait for it to show up on video or digital. If you want to see it for yourself now, The Bronze opens Friday at theaters everywhere.
Writers: James Vanderbilt (screenplay), Mary Mapes (book)
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Robert Redford, Dennis Quaid, Topher Grace
Rating: Rated R for language and a brief nude photo
Runtime: 125 min
On the morning of September 9, 2004, veteran CBS News producer MARY MAPES (Cate Blanchett) believed she had every reason to feel proud of a broadcast journalism job well done. By the end of the day, Mapes, CBS News, and the venerable CBS News anchor DAN RATHER (Robert Redford) would be under harsh scrutiny.
I have to admit, I love being a part of the TV generation. As much as I enjoy books, it’s the stuff on-screen that really makes me giddy. Giddy enthusiasm is what I felt when I learned that I was going to get to review Truth this week. With busy parents and a big family, I spent a lot of time in front of the television growing-up. Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather were all heroes of mine. It was okay to mess around when entertainment television shows were on, but when the news shows came on, it was time to sit and listen. None of my three heroes anchor the nightly news anymore. Truth is an opportunity to watch the fictionalized events which lead to the non-fictionalized resignation of Dan Rather from the CBS Evening News.
Don’t misunderstand. The 60 Minutes scandal, or memo-gate as it came to be known, was very real. But, I’m not sure how much creative liberty was taken in the making of the film. And it doesn’t matter. Truth is a great movie. It’s a news caper of sorts. The audience gets to watch the blood and guts of the making of a news story, possibly the biggest news story of an election cycle. Everything is at stake. It’s both gory and fascinating. I couldn’t look away. The train was on the tracks, I could see the impending doom, and I had to watch.
As much as I enjoyed the film up to the train wreck, it is in the aftermath of the collision where the cast genuinely shines. I don’t know that I have ever seen Cate Blanchett (as Mary Mapes) better. I very much enjoyed her interactions with Robert Redford (as Dan Rather) and the rest of the stellar cast. I loved that Blanchett plays the role perfectly flawed, down to the smudged eye make-up. Robert Redford always shines. He plays Rather with a vulnerability that the audience wouldn’t expect from a tough newsman, and it works.
I appreciated the intended message of the film. Truth, justice, etc. All good things in which I believe. All things which tend to get lost in the internet era. The message gets somewhat muddled in clichés by the end of the film. Truth tries really hard to shift the blame for the train wreck, and that part only sometimes works. Anyone who watched Dan Rather’s reporting is going to have a hard time painting him as a victim. But, the message, in its simplest form, is a good one. Truth.
Make sure to catch this one in theaters. Don’t take my word on how great this movie is. See it for yourself whenTruth opens in theaters on October 30th.
Posts
