In American cinema, there’s often a focus on ideas of dreams and independence, as well striking out on one’s own and building a life for oneself.  Derek Cianfrance’s The Place Beyond the Pines epitomizes why these kinds of films fascinate me.  He has more than made his mark in the world of cinema simply by the nature of his last film, Blue Valentine, but this time around, he expands and truly outdoes the previous, more modest work.

Provided by: Focus Features
Photo Credit: Atsushi Nishijima

At the heart of it, the film is about two men, Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling), and Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper).  Luke is a drifter/motorcycle rider in a traveling carnival who goes from town to town, and from woman to woman; he’s a broken man from a broken family.  He returns to his home in Schenectady, NY, and is greeted by a former flame, Romina (Eva Mendes).  Their reconnection prompts Luke to visit her the next day, where he finds out that they had a child, Jason, whom he never knew about.  Out of a well-meaning drive, Luke decides he needs to “become a man” and provide for Romina and Jason.  He quits the carnival show and, with the help of a friend, Robin (Ben Mendelsohn), he turns to a life of crime in order to provide for his family.  Despite Luke’s intentions, it all goes wrong, and his life intersects with Avery, a rookie cop, leading to a colossal event that will shape their lives and the lives of their sons in ways they can’t imagine.

Blue Valentine is an intimate picture, whereas this is grand in scope; yet, what stays the same is how grounded the films are in authentic, multifaceted characters who draw us in and repel us at the same time.  Despite being more expansive in scope, Cianfrance never lets the film get away from him.  There’s a commitment to being both self-contained and direct, as well as to staying away from tangents or diversions.  In this way, the comparisons to the work of James Gray and Paul Thomas Anderson are apt.  They are big films, but in a dramatic, existential, and artistic way; what draws us in is how drastic actions affect people whom we often have extreme mixtures of love and hate for.

Provided by: Focus Features
Photo Credit: Atsushi Nishijima

The echoes of Sidney Lumet’s Prince of the City and John Ford’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance seem to bleed through, especially once the arcs of the two sons and fathers cross, showing how a father’s series of choices can both aid and damn their offspring’s existence and upbringing.  But The Place Beyond The Pines trails its own path, much like the characters are desperately attempting to do.

The result is a staggering and captivating picture that tears at our heartstrings, but also provides us with big metaphors.  So much of American history is marked by both the past successes and failures of idealists and dreamers whose choices have put us in the messes we are in, both current and past.  The foundation of such dreams is in arcane, traditional ideas of “being the man,” making a mark, and carrying a huge weight (lest they be marginalized).

Provided by: Focus Features
Photo Credit: Atsushi Nishijima

Cianfrance gets to the heart of this dream/nightmare divide and shows us a tragedy of America that is central to the American Dream: many can only strive so far before they start tearing our world apart (due to an unawareness of a larger context).  What is that place beyond the pines? It’s the dream to live beyond our meager existence, rather than to live day-t0-day and try to improve our world together.  Most of time, the dream seems harmless and ideal, yet it is based in a dangerous masculine impulse to control.  I believe this film provokes that central theme through an effective, multi-threaded drama, and really makes us wrestle with it far beyond our central experience.

Provided by: Focus Features
Photo Credit: Atsushi Nishijima

Pines also contains such an unbelievable assemblage of creative collaborators.  We really latch onto Gosling’s character despite his selfishness and naivety, since he brings out a genuine love and tenderness that makes us want him to succeed.  Cooper (who has never been so strong and understated) is wonderful at playing a tortured man whose cursed by lionization and the admiration bestowed upon him.  The cast is full of great work from exceptional talents (including Mendes, DeHaan, Cohen, Ray Liotta, and Harris Yulin, to name a few), each filling out this full world, and emotionally pulling us in a variety of directions.  Mike Patton’s chilling score drives home the emotional nature of the film without leading or overpowering us.  Sean Bobbitt (a very skilled cinematographer who shot films such as Hunger, Shame, and more) continues to fulfill his reputation for developing a distinct photographic look that is burned into our psyches. One can tell that the writing was done with great detail from Ben Coccio, Darius Marder, and Cianfrance, who collaboratively cover every angle, nuance, and detail needed for such a grand picture.

In finality, The Place Beyond The Pines is a supreme example of layered drama that is visceral and stirring.  It’s a haunting picture that will be hard to shake from your mind.  Every time I recall even the smallest detail, it stirs up so many thoughts and feelings. In summation, Derek Cianfrance is a director who has now proven himself even further to be an auteur for cinephiles to look out for.

Picture Source:

Poster – Collider.com

Photos provided by Focus Features

Provided by: Sundance Film Festival 2013

And with this we end our coverage of Sundance Film Festival 2013.  It was such a thrilling and encouraging genesis to the year that seems to promise so much more to come.  Buckle up everyone, there’s plenty of more cinema outside the mainstream left to discover!

–Matthew Groves

The World According to Dick Cheney

Provided by: Sundance Institute

This was easily the most frustrating/worst thing I saw here at the festival.  It gave us no new insight into Cheney and just parroted establishment talking points (I swear this film was like, outlined on a cocktail napkin and never deviated or expounded beyond that).  The World According to Dick Cheney plays softball with Cheney’s corrupt & criminal responsibility in so many horrid things over the last number of decades, and from a technical level…well, let’s just say any hack could make this with a very small amount of money.  All of this is especially disappointing knowing it was directed by R.J. Cutler, who cut his teeth producing the political documentary classic The War Room as well as made a very solid film of his own, A Perfect Candidate.  But then when you look and see that it has been almost a decade and a half since then, and all his recent work consists of are puff pieces or reality TV, it’s actually not that surprising.  There are books on Cheney that are far more your time than this amateur facade.

–Matthew Groves

Upstream Color

Provided by: erbp

Now here is a true independent film; a film so strange and unique that thrusts us into a world, slowly giving us information, and constantly keeping the audience on its toes.  So far, this is the film of the year for me, and director Shane Carruth has really outdone even the really great work of Primer.  I look forward to revisiting the film as well as seeing where he goes next.  It’s sadly rare to find such a work that is so engaging, enthralling and stunning as Upstream Color.  It starts its run around the country in a few weeks, so don’t miss it!

–Matthew Groves

We Are What We Are

Every year thus far I’ve had the chance to catch one of the Sundance midnight selections. They are usually a lot of fun and usually a bit bloody. This year I saw We Are Who We Are. This one isn’t funny or even darkly humorous. It is a bleak, dreary, and uncomfortable horror film. A horror film that is full of shadows, rain, blood, and real human emotion. Some of the best horror films are those that take complex parts of life and wrestle with them through the use of hyperbolic storytelling. We Are What We Are is about growing up and struggling with forming one’s own identity apart from what was passed down by one’s parents. In this case the tradition that is passed down is cannibalism, and yet We Are What We Are is not a blood bath…rather, it’s a slow-burning, suspenseful film with a rewarding and shocking finale. Despite suffering from some minor horror clichés and a score that every once in a while intrudes upon the film itself, We Are What We Are is one of the best horror films I’ve seen in a very long time.

–Andy Motz

We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks

Provided by: Jo Straube

For quite awhile I’ve felt one of the best and most consistent voices in documentary is director Alex Gibney.  This has especially been the case with two classics, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and Taxi to the Dark Side.  Since then Gibney has directed quite a high volume of work in a short time on a variety of political and social subjects, but none have really reached the greatness of those former two, until now.  This is the film that has been needed about this subject, to capture all the layers and dimensions (the web, some would say to make a nice pun).  It also balances the fact that one can still see Bradley Manning as a hero and victim to an imperial government, Julian Assange as a rebel whose actions and motives become more questionable despite thankfully exposing war crimes, as well as treating Assange’s rape charges seriously and not falling for the conspiracy theories or misogynistically dragging the women through the mud.  But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.  This goes up there as one of the best films of the year, as well as a top film for Gibney that must be seen.

–Matthew Groves

We Are What We Are picture proved by Ryan Samul.

Provided by: Sundance Film Festival 2013

I Used To Be Darker

Provided by: Joyce Kim

If you’re not yet aware of the work of Matt Porterfield and you truly care about independent film, you should acquaint yourself very quickly.  I had the pleasure of discovering his second film, Putty Hill @ AFI Fest a few years ago and was amazed how it blended its naturalistic drama and observational, almost documentary approach.  I Used to Be Darker continues even further in that vein, yet on a smaller scale.

In this one we look at a family of musicians and artists in shambles.  A husband and wife going through divorce, a withdrawn, combative daughter and a cousin from Ireland who has run away from home, all set in the suburbs of Baltimore.  Porterfield, much in the fashion of his other work, lets scenes play out and lets us gain an understanding not just through narrative and dialogue, but through the surroundings as well; the environs are a key part of who these people are as musicians, and Kim Taylor and Ned Oldham truly seem to naturally inhabit the spaces perfectly in their roles.

Porterfield seems to have such an eye for what he wants in every single aspect of production, executing an immensely organic yet strongly structured piece of cinema.  Also, Hannah Gross and Deragh Campbell are such wonderful young talents (as the Irish cousin and daughter) that I look forward to seeing more of in the future.  See this one and let it wash over you; hopefully you’ll be as impressed as I was.

–Matthew Groves

Kink

Provided by: kink.com

Director Christina Voros turns this seemingly simple behind-the-scenes documentary into a true exploration of the topic from a humanistic and intellectual level.  It is a highly important look that needs to be witnessed and debated; one that should bring forth and complicate the discussion about BDSM and adult film rather than close the book entirely.  Voros does a good job of balancing between giving the makers and performers freedom to express themselves while not simply giving them a free pass.  His criticisms fortunately do not come from a seat of harsh judgment (which is an common approach for one outside the worlds of both adult film and the kink).  A lot of hard work in the shooting and editing of this film has really come through in the final product, and I hope it can find a home and spark a tempered and much-needed conversation about expression, kink, and adult film at large.

–Matthew Groves

Mud

Provided by: Jim Bridges

I’m convinced more and more with time that the early work of David Gordon Green is a fluke.  His first two films retrospectively feel more like strokes of luck more than anything, especially since the downward turn his work has undergone through the last few films.  I only bring this up because Jeff Nichols, who was fostered in by Green (who produced his first film, Shotgun Stories and whose reputation garnered an audience for it), but easily has mastered anything Green has done (yes, even George Washington and All The Real Girls).

Nichols is the real deal.  He studies and gives true appreciation to people and the environs cinema usually forgets.  Sure, there are luminaries like Kelly Reichardt, Ramin Bahrani and others, but I think when it comes to The South, Nichols has it pegged.  Mud is a character study, more in the mold of Shotgun Stories than Take Shelter (which is definitely the height of Nichols’s canon), but that doesn’t lessen the film’s effectiveness.  Every part, whether the easy-going direction, the great performances from Matthew McConaughey (riding high on his continuing acting renaissance), Tyler Sheridan, Michael Shannon, Reese Witherspoon (not something I usually associate with here) and others.  Sadly this may go more under the radar for many, but it demands to be seen.  You’ll be surprised how impressed and moved you are by Mud’s subtlety and balance.

–Matthew Groves

Pit Stop

Provided by: Nathan Smith

I’m completely on-board with the “let’s expose the lives of gay men in an area and place that is not usually depicted: Texas” idea.  The sad part is that director Yen Tan doesn’t seem adept to do much more than just trot out well-worn themes.  We get it: the whole “I am in the closet and live in a place I can’t live openly,” the double life, etc.  Not to say it isn’t a reality that straight and queer people alike need reminding of, but narratively it just calls to mind too many other films that are far more worth your time, which in a way is a shame since there’s a lot of potential and a lot of tenderness here.  It’s reasonably well shot and the performances are admirably understated, but…those are the strongest compliments one can give a film like this.  Thank goodness it simply remains a middle-of-the-road disappointment rather than a trainwreck, if that’s any consolation.

–Matthew Groves

Pussy Riot — A Punk Prayer

Provided by: Roast Beef Productions

If one cares about performance art, freedom of speech, or feminism, Pussy Riot is a must-see documentary. Combining footage from Pussy Riot members, the trial, civilian protests, and their own shooting filmmakers GG and GG craft a superb film that fully grasps the depth of the situation. When three members of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot are arrested after a demonstration inside a cathedral, all of modern Russia’s current struggles of church and state, feminism, patriarchy, artistic freedom ,and political control rise to the surface, presenting the viewer with moments of frustration and inspiration. What especially stood out was the three girls parents’ loyal support to their daughters, despite generational differences. Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, due to the filmmaker’s precise execution, demonstrates why this story is so relevant to both the history and future of art for everyone, not just Russia.

–Andy Motz

Sightseers

Provided by: Ben Wheatley

In just two films, Down Terrace and Kill List, Ben Wheatley has made a distinct mark on British cinema and quite the name for himself, creating genre hybrids that both celebrate and subvert their humble starting points.  Sightseers fits right in there, even if it may pale in comparison to the Wheatley’s last work.

From the minds of actor/writers Alice Rowe and Steve Oram, Sightseers is a dark comedy about a couple of tourist lovers on the run, and a situation that goes from bad to worse.  In some ways the film is even darker than Kill List, but this one isn’t quite as focused.  Funny, weird, and twisted, the film takes you on quite a journey, and much like the Coen Brothers makes one laugh at the equally terrible and absurdly hilarious.

It’s nice to see Wheatley branch out to another genre, but it’s clear he’s not as adept to comedy as he is crime, horror, or drama.  The timing (while still funny) seems awkward in a few places, and also there are times where it can’t help but feel repetitive or slight if you’re familiar with his former two works.  That being said, Sightseers is a lot of fun if you have the stomach for the uproarious and over-the-line dark humor.

–Matthew Groves

Provided by: Sundance Film Festival 2013

God Loves Uganda Interview

Provided by: Marc Yankus

Check out Episode 17 of Chronicle Cast: here or here.  In this episode, Matthew Groves interviews Oscar-winner documentary director, Roger Ross Williams, about his film, God Loves Uganda, which tells the story of the influence of conservative Christian missionaries and the dangerous effect they have on LGBT Ugandans, as well as Ugandan politics and religion at large.

Notes:

Sorry about some of the fluctuations in audio in the interview. 

PBS – Independent Lens: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/

Interior Leather Bar Interview

Provided by: Martin Perry

Check out Episode 18 of Chronicle Cast: here or here.  In this episode, Matthew Groves interviews Travis Mathews, co-director (with James Franco) of Interior. Leather Bar., which depicts the artistic response of retooling the missing 40 minutes of William Friedkin‘s Cruising (which the MPAA condemned as overly explicit).

http://www.interiorleatherbar.com/

Kink Interview

Provided by: Jason Elon Goodman

Check out Episode 19 of Chronicle Cast: here or here.  In this episode, Matthew Groves interviews documentary director, Christina Voros, about her film, Kink, which goes behind the scenes of the BDSM adult film company, Kink.com.

http://kinkdoc.com/

Note:

This interview contains a good amount of background noise; it was recorded in a cafe.

Provided by: Matt Wisnieski

I will often approach political documentaries with a heavy dose of skepticism, mostly because I find that even some of the most adequately constructed ones will regurgitate things I already know, as well as simply play softball with issues that deserve radical criticism.  But despite entering in with those reservations, I always hope to be proven wrong, and thankfully I was here.

Directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal play to their strengths in Citizen Koch.  They have an extensive background in producing and directing documentaries, so they know how shape them to proper functionality.  They also recognize that the power of the documentary often lies in presenting many things that the average informed person already knows while properly connecting the dots and providing a context; this is surely the greatest strength of this film, and one that keeps it above reproach to any attacks against its politics.  Agree or disagree with the personal politics, the film is very effective at laying out a case showing the negative effects of big money in politics, shaping detrimental economic policy for the working and middle classes.  Citizen Koch is a film for everyone who cares about democracy and believes a robust debate between the rich and everyday working Americans is imperative.

–Matthew Groves

Dirty Wars

Provided by: Richard Rowley

It’s always refreshing to see a work that remains intelligent, critical, and important while being executed with stylistic prowess.  Much like Citizen Koch (though not in the exact same way), Dirty Wars holds to a classic documentary structure.  At the same time, director Richard Rowley (who’s compelling work I was first introduced to in his engaging special reports for Democracy Now) also presents the film more as a thriller than a documentary, balancing form to fit the content.

I wish this film existed pre-2012 Election, because it further pulls back the veneer that the current administration is not just a continuation of, if not a much worse version of the prior administration when it comes to civil liberties, war, and foreign policy.

This film is right up there with Taxi to the Dark Side, The Oath, and We Steal Secrets (another great film of this festival), in that it is absolutely essential for Americans to see and understand how our foreign policy actually works, and what the overall effect of it is.  Jeremy Scahill is one of the best reporters on this subject, and the questions asked (as well as the damning answers) are exactly the tough truths we all need to understand in order to grow and fight against this criminal imperial cycle that America’s been entrenched in for far too long.  The first step is knowledge and awareness; this film offers just that, and demands to be seen.

–Matthew Groves

Escape From Tomorrow

Provided by: Mankurt Media LLC

The overall concept here is right up my alley: a film made by a troublemaker who’s not afraid to ruffle feathers.  But…despite how much I was rooting for it initially, Randy Moore’s satirical Disney film, Escape From Tomorrow, falls short.

I grew up in Florida, and as much as I loved Disney World as a child, I grew into the realization that Disney was one of the biggest corporations that owns most of what we see, read, and hear in the media, and aren’t quite the cuddly animals they are marketed to us as.  That doesn’t mean that their films can’t occasionally bear quality, but I am under no delusion of what they personify.

Escape From Tomorrow tries to push the right buttons and morph that place into an adult’s nightmare, ripe with visions of high-priced prostitution, light-bondage sex, and sexy French teenagers…but unfortunately, its execution doesn’t quite live up to the concept.  It is a bit too playful and silly, where it should be more pointed and dark. I know Moore was trying to replicate an innocent Disney film and subvert it, but the tone just seems all out of whack.  That being said, it’s amazing he was able to shoot covertly @ Disney World as well as creatively reproduce it, but in the end that doesn’t save Escape from Tomorrow from its mediocrity.

–Matthew Groves

Fruitvale

Provided by: Rachel Morrison

Fruitvale was the winner of both the Grand Jury Prize and audience award this year at the Sundance Film Festival. It is easy to understand why. Fruitvale (based the tragedy of Oscar Grant) is an emotionally wrought journey that gives the viewer a look into the life of Oscar on the final day of his life before he was senselessly killed by a police officer at the Fruitvale Bart stop. First time writer/director Ryan Coogler captures some truly beautiful moments that are all the more heartbreaking because one knows where Oscar will eventually end up. Yet for all the critical praise it’s been receiving, Fruitvale never manages to transcend its conventional narrative structure or emotionally manipulative story beats. Coogler plays it relatively safe, which in retrospect is a bit of a disappointment. This is not to say that Fruitvale is not a success; on the contrary it brings to light an injustice that not will now reach more eyes and ears. It is a film where the characters ring true and, perhaps most importantly, one that reveals the human complexity in those who are often seen by society as menaces or as dangers.

–Andy Motz

God Loves Uganda

Provided by: Derek Wiesehahn

Many know of the sickening anti-gay bill attempting to pass in Uganda. Many have seen the shocking homophobic videos from Ugandan pastors about LGBT people. Some might have even heard of the murder of David Kato, a gay rights activist in Uganda. The unsettling documentary God Loves Uganda tactfully articulates how this hatred towards the LGBT community sprouted (Christian missionaries from the fundamentalist organization IHOP), the devastating affects, and even how their twisted view of the ‘good news’ cares more about numbers than people. Roger Ross Williams is able to articulate so much in the doc, making it an expansive, important piece in the ongoing conversation between the Christian and LGBT communities. It covers a vast array of topics from the ethics behind modern day missionaries to shocking homophobia spread to Ugandan churches by fundamentalists Christians who no longer had audiences in the states. Yet God Loves Uganda bears its title well, for while discovering the origin of this hate in Christianity, it also features some truly inspiring Christians reaching out to those being rejected by everyone else. They preach love, while the others preach hate. The contrast is striking. Unfortunately no matter how hard they try, the damage already done in Uganda is irrevocable and will continue to poison generations to come. Despairing facts aside, God Loves Uganda is a moving, infuriating, informational, thought provoking, and convicting doc that is a huge wake up call to western Christians.

–Andy Motz

Interior. Leather Bar.

Provided by: Keith Wilson

Travis Mathews is doing some of the most compelling, original and exciting work, not just in queer cinema, but in cinema at large.  This, along with last year’s I Want Your Love, are the two films that are really provoking the distinct questions of queerness in society.  Why is representation of sexuality, especially queer sexuality, as it is, still an issue?  Can one make cinema that has explicit, realistic sexual content but also make it artistically relevant to the film?

Interior. Leather Bar. is a film that reflects these questions back in it’s own surreal ingenuous way.  This film is both the work of Mathews and James Franco, the latter of whom seems to not quite know what he’s getting into when trying to re-do the infamous NC-17 leather scenes that were supposedly cut from William Friedkin’s Cruising, but that’s kinda the point.  What is real? What is staged? Does it really matter?

Is it explicit?  Yes.  Should you see it?  Yes.  I guarantee Interior. Leather Bar. will have you thinking, talking, debating, and wrestling with it long after it’s brief 60-minute running time.

–Matthew Groves

Provided by: Sundance Film Festival 2013

After Tiller Interview

Provided by: Yes and No Productions

Check out Episode 15 of Chronicle Cast: here or here.  In this episode, Matthew Groves interviews debut documentary directors, Martha Shane and Lana Wilson, about their film, After Tiller, which follows the lives and work of four doctors who perform third trimester abortions in the wake of the murder of Dr. George Tiller.

Note:

I apologize for the knocking sounds during the interview.

Citizen Koch Interview

Provided by: Elsewhere Films

Check out Episode 16 of Chronicle Cast: here or here.  In this episode, Matthew Groves interviews Carl Deal, who, along with professional partner Tia Lessin, directed Citizen Koch, a study of both the rise of money in politics and the strategy implemented by conservative billionaires David and Charles Koch post-election of Barack Obama, as well as their relation to the infamous “Citizen’s United” Supreme Court case.

Notes:

Trouble The Water was the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary @ Sundance Film Festival 2008.

@ 1:47 Carl Deal is referencing that the Koch Brothers conduct the secret retreats twice yearly for Conservative Donors.

Provided by: Sundance Film Festival 2013

Welcome to our coverage of Sundance Film Festival 2013!  It was an exceptional way to start of the year of film, and set a very strong tone for a year that hopefully will be a chock full of great cinematic works worth checking out, and yet another reminder of why we all care so deeply about the diversity of the art of cinema.

–Matthew Groves

After Tiller

In discussion and in cinematic representation most of our exposure to the issue of abortion has been based on the political debate and heated controversy.  While there have been some fine films made about that, far too often we take out the human element or really understand what abortion actually is, and who the people performing it are.  This is where After Tiller picks up. The film shows doctors and workers in the clinics for third trimester abortions (the rare and controversial form of abortion that is only practiced by a few doctors in the US), therapy sessions and one-on-one discussions, with the before and after with patients (their identities and faces obviously hidden) and the day-to-day workings and decision-making processes of such clinics.  The film inter-cuts between that day-to-day and an inside look at the doctors’ struggles both before and after the murder of friend and colleague, Dr. George Tiller.

Simply on the basis of the subject alone some may unfairly argue Martha Shane and Lana Wilson’s work is more of the same when it comes to documentary on their subject; which is unfortunate and inaccurate.  The goal (I think the two accomplish it brilliantly) is to expose the audience not to politics but the directly personal and human aspects, as well as educate the audience on third trimester abortions and their providers in general.  No matter what one’s personal views are, After Tiller is a direct, tender look that is bound to educate, complicate, and challenge the viewer to grapple with the complex humanistic layers on this issue.

–Matthew Groves

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints

I don’t know how one is not moved, or at least slightly impressed in some sense by David Lowery’s debut, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints.  Through acute eye and technical acumen coupled with exceptional performances by Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Ben Foster, and David Carradine, this Badlands-esque character drama truly marks the viewer (much like a work of Malick, but not in the same way).  The score and the digital-yet-aged photographic look (the film almost seems like artistic recollections of its 1970’s Texas setting) aid the film a great deal, but Lowery’s “only the absolute essential” approach keeps the film grounded and prevents it from veering off-course.  Ain’t Them Bodies Saints is an engaging exercise that will leave audiences a good deal to ponder.  Each frame seems packed with stirrings and feelings that are just below the surface, waiting to boil over, but the film simply simmers and methodically rises at the right time.  I can’t wait to see it again, and I can’t wait for more to witness this work as well.

–Matthew Groves

Before Midnight

From my vantage point Richard Linklater has more than proven that he has been one of the most gifted, consistent (or at least consistently interesting) and underrated directors in American cinema. His fascination with how people talk and what that reveals of internal makeup is something I’ve come to deeply appreciate more over time. Before Sunrise (1995) and the sequel, Before Sunset (2004) have really shown that he is not a filmmaker to take lightly, and these films thankfully have struck a chord.  And happily for like-minded cinephiles, he along with stars, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy return for another chapter in the story of these two iconic romantic characters, Jesse and Celine.

Set amongst the Greek isles on their vacation, Jesse and Celine have a lovely life, are both accomplishing things, have two twin daughters and seem to have a happy marriage. But slowly we see cracks and fractures below the surface that many marriages have.  Will Jesse and Celine survive? Do they still love each other? Are these issues big or small ones that can be overcome?

To me this goes up there with some of Linklater’s finest work.  He seems more with time and experience to really be able to perfect his walking and talking method implemented ever since his debut, Slacker.  Also, he seems to travel to a new tone/approach, delivering the most pointed and grim of portraits of the couple, and he really seems to get at the essence of marital troubles in middle age.  In this way he translates this almost to the levels of Ingmar Bergman’s classic, Scenes from a Marriage or John Cassavetes’s Faces‘ heights, aided not just by direction, but the writing and superior acting of Delpy and Hawke.  Before Midnight is one of the most excellent works of 2013 so far and one I’m sure will be in the cinematic conversation for quite some time after its release.

–Matthew Groves

Blue Caprice

Provided by: Robert Blake

Following in the footsteps of last year’s controversial Compliance, Blue Caprice also dramatizes a horrifying event in recent American crime history. This time around the focus is on the lives of the perpetrators of the 2007 sniper shootings that terrorized Washington DC, specifically the journey of fifteen-year-old Lee Boyd Malvo as he undergoes the transformation from lonely adolescent to stone cold killer. It is an unsettling and dark film that unfortunately loses some of its steam in its underdeveloped, jumbled second act. Blue Caprice does end on a strong note with an intense conclusion, which wisely refuses to exploit the very tragedy it is examining.

Alexander Moore’s filmmaking is visually haunting and shows complete control over what is seen and what is better left to the imagination. The performances are fantastic, especially from the two leads. However, the film as a whole suffers from a sub-par screenplay. It aims to be devastating, but never quite reaches that difficult goal. Still, Blue Caprice is an interesting and convicting look at a society that endorses violence as a solution or as something fun, only to be horrified when it directly affects them.

–Andy Motz

Breathe In

Provided by: Sundance Institute

Drake Doremus’s third feature is an interesting film that at times works marvelously and at others falls flat. It is a much more mature and serious film than his previous outing (Sundance favorite Like, Crazy), which gives me hope for Doremus’ future career. Guy Pierce’s performance is the highlight of the film as Keith, a disgruntled high school music teacher and family man. He loves his wife and daughter, but internally life has taken a stale turn for Keith. Things change when Sophie, an artistically gifted foreign exchange student, comes to stay with them. She ignites old artistic passions within Keith forcing his mid-life crisis to take on physical manifestations with grave implications. The first hour is quiet, introspective, and tonally compelling. Where Breathe In falters is when Sophie becomes more than just a reminder of the past for Keith, but also a romantic partner. Despite the talented cast, one never quite believes this strange jump, and the film becomes more melodramatic from this point on, culminating in a predictable conclusion that wraps things up a bit too quickly. The music is beautiful though, and Breathe In does at least attempt to be a unique entry in the unrequited love genre, even if it doesn’t fully succeed.

–Andy Motz

_________________

Photo Credits:

After Tiller – Yes and No Productions

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints – David Lowery

Before Midnight – Despina Spyrou

In Goro Miyazaki’s debut film, Tales From Earthsea, the first scene depicted an honest king being stabbed through the back by his angry son. Watching that scene solely within the context of the film, it seemed to make very little narrative sense. However, if you know the personal history of Goro Miyazaki and his father, Hayao Miyazaki – the grandmaster of animation, it completely changes the meaning of the scene. It makes that scene say more about the state of the Miyazaki household than anything the Earthsea writer Ursula K. Le Guin came up with. At the time, Miyazaki Sr. felt his son wasn’t ready to take on such a heavy directorial project. Disobeying his father’s wishes, Goro begins his first movie with that particular scene of a boy betraying his good father, then running away. The resulting film felt rushed, angry, and unhinged. Judging by the film and its reception, maybe the good father was right. Maybe his son wasn’t ready for a directorial project yet.

At that time, that is.

Their relationship must have greatly improved since then. Hayao made his next film, Ponyo, with the main character being a lovable boy that was inspired by his son at a young age. Goro next collaborated with his father, Hayao, on Studio Ghibli’s latest film, From Up on Poppy Hill, with the father writing and the son directing. Unlike the angry Earthsea, this feels like a true Studio Ghibli film, filled with good nature and beauty. The collaboration between them is wonderful. The prodigal son has returned home.

From Up on Poppy Hill takes place in the 1960s, in a seaside village on the coast of Japan. It is a confusing time, as the culture was trying to figure out where its values really were. The film explores the decision of whether to keep the values of the past, or whether to focus only on the future. At the heart of this confusion is a high school girl, Umi, who joins a struggle to keep an ancient clubhouse from being demolished (to make way for a modern building). As she struggles to discover her past, a romance is kindled between her and a boy named Shun, who also struggles to discover himself by uncovering and exploring his past. If at this point, you feel that this sounds nothing like a plot-line for a cartoon, you would be correct. This plot could have easily described a live-action film. For the entire history of animation, it’s rare to find a plot like this one.

Animation is mostly used to tell stories about the fantasy, about what cannot be experienced in real life. At first, a movie like From Up on Poppy Hill might seem like it doesn’t need to be told through the same medium that brings dragons, sea-witches, and witty-talking animals to life, but to dismiss this type of animated story would be to dismiss numerous possibilities of what the animation genre can do. First of all, this movie recreates a world that no longer exists. It depicts an era of Japanese history that is gone, and only now exists in memory. It is not reality. Everything from the sea-breeze air, to the bike rides down long hills, to the trips to the fish market, are all evocative of an era gone by. It’s not about what they remember, but how they remember it. They depict it all with wonderful nostalgia and good-heartedness. In this sense, it is closer to fantasy than reality.

Time-period dramas like this are completely welcome to be in the realm of animation. A live-action period film has far too many limitations.  A couple classic cars, some old signs, and a huge stretch of the imagination are the only things readily available to recreate an era. It’s far too expensive to be much more detailed than that. Period films are so expensive to make, that all the money invested in them tends to go to the films with the loudest drama. It’s rare to find a gentle one without action. Seriously, try to think of a gentle period film. Even the “innocent stories” about childhood have rude awakenings, like -gasp- a friend dying! All right, that last one might have been a sweeping generalization, but I do believe that live-action period films have many limitations for tone. Because From Up on Poppy Hill is animated, the limitations are gone. Studio Ghibli has previously proven that dramatic period films can be better fitted for animated storytelling. In Grave of the Fireflies, a World-War II drama about the fire-bombings of Japan, live-action could not replicate the images of children starving. In Whisper of the Heart, live-action could not replicate Shizuku’s inner struggles to write her fantasy story. And in From Up on Poppy Hill, live-action could not replicate the whimsical tone put into this time period.

The movie is charming. The characters have that special Ghibli quality where everyone means well, they say things that reveal the goodness in human nature, and they say it with soaring enthusiasm. Crowds of teenage students grin delightfully at the prospect of Umi’s romance. Archeology Club members try to come up with a new way to make the subject cool, before realizing it is an impossibility to ever make it cool. The movie is genuinely funny, and these are good laughs that come from joy, not sarcasm or mean-spiritedness. Whenever I hear about how mean comedies can be, I always try to steer the conversation in the direction of Studio Ghibli movies.

There is a very steep, very sudden shift in the direction of the movie that comes about mid-way through the film. I won’t say what it is, but I will say that it complicates the romance, giving it plenty of problems to overcome. In most American romantic comedies, the problems usually include two conflicting personalities that are forced to be together due to circumstances.  They hate each other, their feelings grow, they misunderstand, they grow to understand each other, and The End. But in this film, the problems are based on secrets, exploration, and discovery – all through learning about the past. The themes tie together so well, and the characters are led to a maturity so dramatically, that they don’t even need the romance to be fulfilled. Even though the film has romance, it doesn’t need that particular emotional payoff, because it has already succeeded in hitting higher notes. From Up on Poppy Hill dramatically soars.

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Image Sources:

http://www.joblo.com/posters/images/full/up-on-poppy-hill-poster.jpg

http://www.mcmbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/From-Up-on-Poppy-Hill-Shun-and-Umi.jpg

http://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/articles/From-up-on-poppy-hill.jpg?1363640666

For all the idiosyncratic voices already present on the front of American Independent cinema, Harmony Korine is one who won’t be easily forgotten by audiences daring enough to submit to his madness. His films are most succinctly categorized as raw examinations of perverse or perceivably malignant subcultures of American society, often devoid of story or even a coherent semblance of structure, and on first glance, it may seem that one requires a degree of mental distortion to even relate to the characters even on the most basic level. There’s usually little exposition before you’re thrust into vignetted characterizations of either nonsensically amoral behavior patterns (Gummo) or the obscured mirrors of dealing with (the lack of) understanding issues such as mental illness and social abuse (Julien Donkey-Boy).

Spring Breakers, however, deals with a subculture that most young American audiences will find less alien: the college party scene (despite it only serving as the initial backdrop for the film’s thematic downward spirals). This film brings the pattern represented by Korine’s alienating art exercises to an impasse, since it’s technically the first film of his to be released to a wide audience. And yet, by doing so, I feel like Korine has reached a sense of maturity never before witnessed by anyone (perhaps outside of his immediate social circle), and in turn created his most subversive and effective directorial work to date.

Admittedly, the first 15 minutes of this film feel like a more fleshed-out version of an uncensored late-night Snoop Dogg ad for Girls Gone Wild (pun most definitely not intended, since there’s no shortage of ta-tas here). Though ripe with a few MTV-style montages, there’s a dynamic of conscience at work which builds the stakes to the level of a dark crime drama before the first act is out (that’s right, I’m discussing an “act” structure in a Harmony Korine film…strap in). And as an after-thought, the casting of Disney Channel princesses in these roles rings incredibly true to the satire of cotton candy beach culture – which I’d assume is HK’s only reason for creating a film such as this (well, the possibility of getting an actual paycheck might have some say in the matter).

The most surprising part of Spring Breakers for me was actually the remarkable balance it struck between realistic, dramatic tension and absurd comedy. A great deal of this is owed to James Franco’s utter abandon into his most unhinged performance yet. “Alien” (Franco, about as physically recognizable here as Robert Downey Jr. was in Tropic Thunder), the dangerously manipulative yet endearing gangster (slash)rapper, bails the bulk of the female cast out from jail following their series of ethically questionable escapades, some of which surpass the usual debauchery (i.e. robbing a diner to fund their trip), and promising them a great deal if they help him in his quest to settle a personal score. And then, as one might imagine…shenanigans ensue.

On a bit of a side-note, at this juncture, I now find it rather justifiable to categorize Mr. Franco as a less extreme version of Nicolas Cage: an actor seemingly phoning in a great deal of his roles while reserving his true talent only for directors who hand him characters which let him tap into his “bad” side a bit more.**

**I only mention the comparison because I haven’t seen a lead actor have this much fun with a role since Cage did Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (Herzog also co-starred in Korine’s Julien Donkey-Boy…makin’ connections, I am). However, unlike Franco’s previously most distinctive venture into the uneven, misfiring world of Pineapple Express, this film has some interesting craft backing it up to complement the character’s insanity.

Aside from Franco’s sanguine acting-gasm, the next most compelling part of Spring Breakers would have to be the considerable amount of stimulating editing trickery used to pad out the film’s arc, giving what could have been a very plain story in the hands of an average director both a sense of distinct style and superlative visual poetry. It’s safe to say, however, that many Friday night popcorn-ers aren’t getting quite what they’re expecting, and thus you, like myself, might find yourself in a crowd muttering a few “mehn, tha’wuz stoopiiid”s.

But I digress.

Summarily, this is the first time I’ve witnessed Harmony Korine effectively incorporate both dramatic tension (unless you count Kids, his wildly controversial authorial debut) and technical craft into his style, making it a palatable venture for both independent audiences and casual moviegoers.

Well done, Mr. Korine: for the first time you’ve created something I found both thought-provoking and entertaining, thus once and for all extinguishing any doubts I had about your talent.

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Image Sources:

http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/images/2013/02/Spring-Breakers-UK-Quad-Poster-Blue.jpg

http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/spring-breakers-1.jpg

http://www.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2013/03/james_franco_spring_breakers_640x360.jpg

The Die Hard film series is (or used to be) about one tough, no-nonsense, wisecrackin’ guy fighting against a group of terrorists. Last month, the fifth installment of that franchise was thrust upon us. It was pretty bad. The new film, Olympus Has Fallen, could easily have been another Die Hard movie. It also features a tough, no-nonsense, wisecrackin’ guy fighting against a group of terrorists.  The largest difference is that it’s at the White House this time, but it would have made a much better sequel than that A Good Day to Die Hard nonsense.

Gerard Butler plays Mike Banning, a former presidential guard who has been pushed into a desk job after the President’s wife is killed in an accident. He wants desperately to get back into action, and he doesn’t have to wait long. During a meeting with the South Korean Prime Minister, the White House is taken over, and President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) finds himself a hostage of a Korean terrorist group led by Kang Yeonsak (Rick Yune). In the chaos of the siege, Mike manages to get into the White House, and he soon becomes the only man on the inside who can take down the bad guys.

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from Olympus Has Fallen, it’s that the White House is actually pretty damn easy to take over. Dozens upon dozens of Secret Service agents are gunned down until their bodies are literally piled in heaps on the White House steps. There are quite a few casualties on the terrorists’ side as well, but it actually takes a full fifteen minutes for any outside help to arrive. By then, the terrorists already have their feet propped up in the oval office. This isn’t the only improbable event in the film, but they’re all fairly easy to look over. And of course, being a film about an American fighting non-Americans in one of America’s most sacred American landmarks, there’s a fair amount of jingoism at play, but not enough to become nauseating.

These are minor, easily forgiven quibbles though. The film as a whole is wildly entertaining and moves at a brisk enough pace that its minor flaws can be forgotten quickly or missed entirely. It’s wonderful to finally see Gerard Butler playing the kick-ass action hero again after his disastrous foray into romantic comedies. He handles the action and one-liners with confidence and looks right at home in the role. It also helps that he’s surrounded by a good cast that includes Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, and Melissa Leo. Eckhart doesn’t do much beyond play Aaron Eckhart as President, but Rick Yune, while perhaps not as memorable as a Hans Gruber, is a sinister enough villain to root against.

While the script isn’t anything to sing about, Antoine Fuqua directs it well enough. Much like the original Die Hard, the action is fierce, violent, and bloody, with splattering headshots and snapping necks a-plenty. They keep the film from being purely a gun fest by throwing in fist fights and stealthy take-downs as well. There are more than a few moments of great intensity to keep it all feeling dangerous. One scene in particular, where the villains beat a woman half to death, is especially harrowing. Fuqua has enough sense to never get too over-the-top with the action, so there’s no jet plane surfing or motorcycle parachuting here. However, the fight scenes sometimes fall back on the quick editing, shaky camera, and dim lighting that we have unfortunately become accustomed to. On the other hand, I do have to give respect to the film for not relying on the “annoying child and/or innocent wife in danger” trope when they very easily could have.

So if, like me, you were let down by John McClane‘s recent cinematic venture, I’d highly recommend Olympus Has Fallen as a suitable substitute. Even if you did like AGDTDH (what a ridiculous, hard-to-say acronym), or if you’re just a fan of action movies, you’ll find a lot to like here. Those who demand realism need not apply.

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Image Sources:

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/