Smallfoot

Usually animated films are reserved for the summer movie season, but now that we are in a small 'dead zone', there needs to be something to spark interests for audiences, and what a better film than that of :Smallfoot"?

 

An animated adventure for all ages, with original music and an all star cast, this story turns the Bigfoot legend upside down, when a bright young Yeti, Migo (Channing Tatum) finds something he thought didn't exist--a human, Percy (James Corden). News of this Smallfoot throws the simple Yeti community, headed up by Stonekeeper (Common), into an uproar over what else might be out there in the big world beyond their snowy village. Because of the community's skepticism, Migo is banished claiming he actually saw a human. So, as he leaves, he then meets up with several Yetis including Meechee (Zendaya), Gwangi (LeBron James), Kolka (Gina Rodriguez) and Fleem (Ely Henry) to assist him in his quest of finding this human. This is a whole new story about friendship, courage and the joy of discovery.

 

Others to round out the cast are Danny DeVito as Dorgle, Migo's father, Yara Shahidi as Brenda, Jimmy Tatro as Thorp, Patricia Heaton as Mama Bear, Justin Roiland as Garry and Jack Quaid as Pilot.

 

This was directed with brightness and gusto by Karey Kirkpatrick ("Over the Hedge" '06, "Imagine That" '09) plus TV and co-directed by Justin Reisig. Through this colorful rendition of the Bigfoot legend, Kirkpatrick and Reisig were definitely able to bring these characters alive showing just the correct amount of emotion to this otherwise eclectic ensemble cast. Truly filmmaker, Kirkpatrick's claim to fame is his writing, but he certainly has proved himself in the director's chair more than once. It was brilliantly written by Kirkpatrick ("James and the Giant Peach" '96, "Chicken Run" 2000, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" '05, "Over the Hedge" '06, "Charlotte's Web" '06, "Flakes" '07, "The Spiderwick Chronicles" '08, "The Smurf's 2" '13) and  Clare Sera ("Doin' It Yourself" (TV movie) '13, "Blended" '14) plus a short, based on a screen story by John Requa, Glenn Ficarra and Kirkpatrick, which is based on the book, "Yeti's Tracks" by Sergio Pablos. This was written in the way of the old Looney Tunes cartoons in that there was so many physical pratfalls. It is interesting that Warner Bros., who created the Looney Tunes was the company behind this film. Couple this aspect with this having an incredible message of sticking together, especially when the tough gets going, and you have a truly well throughout, heartfelt storyline. If you like Kirkpatrick's brand of writing, his "Chicken Run" has been announced.

 

This is a truly heartfelt and funny film with an original premise and just the right amount of physical pratfalls to entertain us all. This is a must see, whether you be 6 or 96 years old, and where else can you go and learn a great message all the while being entertained?

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                     Rated: PG                                       96mins.

 

 

 

Life Itself

Hollywood has produced many films that test the audience's ability to accept the obscure, the odd and quirky. With all the commercial formulaic films that are made, a certain percentage, albeit small, films are produced which push the envelope of obscurity and bizarre. So, we are offered "Life Itself" which, although has its 'normality', certainly has its obscure parts which the audience won't see coming.

 

As a young couple, Will (David Isaac) and Abby (Olivia Wilde), goes from college romance to marriage and the birth of their first child, the unexpected twists of their journey create reverberations that echo over continents and through lifetimes in this story. This examines the perils and rewards of everyday life in a multigenerational saga. Lives connect in the oddest of ways from these two continents: in Spain--Mr. Saccione (Antonio Banderas), Javier (Sergio Peris-Mencheta) and Rodrigo (Alex Monner) to New York--Will, Abby and Irwin (Mandy Patinkin). Set in New York City and Carmona, Spain, this celebrates the human condition replete with all the complexities and surprises with several people, where ultimately lives become intertwined.

 

Others to round out the cast are Annette Bening as Dr. Cait Morris, Jean Smart as Linda, Laia Costa as Isabel, Isabel Durant as Shari Dickstein, Lorenza Izzo as Elena, Adrian Marrero as Rodrigo (7-10 years old), Jake Robinson as Henry/Hero and Samuel L. Jackson as Samuel L. Jackson.

 

Considering this seasoned writer has limited experience in the director's chair, Dan Fogelman ("Danny Collins" '15) plus a short, was really able to pull off the ability to convince his actors to extract the many emotions it took to make these characters as odd, obscure, and different as they were. Possibly, being the consummate writer helps with his directorial abilities. I'm sure he'll direct more, especially since this was brilliantly and deftly handled. It was also written by Fogelman ("Cars" '06, "The 12th Man" (TV movie) '06, "Fred Claus" '07, "Lipshitz Saves the World" (TV movie) '07, "Bolt" '08, "Tangled" '10, "Crazy Stupid Love" '11, "The Guilt Trip" '12, "Las Vegas" '13, "Danny Collins" '15, The King of 7B" (TV movie) '15) plus shorts. .As well directed as this film was, the writing was as quirky and eclectic. Other than seeing David Isaac's talented acting, the one reason I went to see this was for Fogelman's dark writing. Was this writing flawless? No, not at all. The writing is something that acquires a particular taste for and because of its slow build up, one must be patient with this. I was squirming at first, then, all of a sudden, the plot to this film really picked up and it became the film I was truly expecting. The acting, specifically by Isaac and Olivia Wilde showed its own eclectic energy as their characters unfolded before your very eyes.

 

This, as with most of Fogelman's films, is not for the large mass appeal. Because of its obscurity and quirkiness, this is definitely for a select audience. This is not a bad thing as much as these qualities make this a fresh and original screenplay which in this day and age of banality, it is a breath of fresh air.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                    Rated: R                                       117mins.

 

The House with a Clock in Its Walls

Well, it's that time of year again when Hollywood starts churning out the Halloween type films what with Fall being upon us. We've seen many from our past: "Halloween", "Friday the 13th", "The Strangers", "Purge", last year's "Goosebumps" plus many others. There are typically more than one released during this time, so for our first one to see is "The House with a Clock in Its Walls".

 

It is 1955. Lewis Barnavelt (Owen Vaccaro), after losing his parents, is sent to Michigan to live with his uncle Jonathan (Jack Black). Subsequently, he discovers his uncle is a warlock, and ends up entering a world of magic and scorcery. But this power is not limited to good people--inadvertently, Lewis learns of Isaac Izard (Kyle MacLachlan), an evil wizard who is intent in causing the Apocalypse so he can see what happens afterwards. To facilitate this, Izard has constructed a magical clock with black magic--as long as it exists, it will keep ticking, counting down to doomsday. He died before he finished the clock, but he hid the clock in his house, where Jonathan now resides. Now Lewis, Jonathan and a good friend, Florence Zimmerman (Cate Blanchett) must find the clock before it's too late, and before Isaac's wife, Selena (Renee Elise Goldsberry), gets to it.

 

Others to round out the cast are Colleen Camp as Mrs. Hanchett, Sunny Suljic as Tarby Corrigan, Lorenza Izzo as Mother, Braxton Bjerken as Woody Mingo, Vanessa Anne Williams as Rose Pita Pottinger and Charles Green as Soda Jerk.

 

This was directed by the horror king master, Eli Roth ("Cabin Fever" '02, "Hostel" '05, "Grindhouse" (fake trailer segment "Thanksgiving") "07, "Hostel: Part II" '07, "Inglourious Basterds" (segment "Nation's Pride" uncredited) '09, "The Green Inferno" '13, "Knock Knock" '15, "Death Wish" '18) plus TV and shorts. I'm not typically fond of the horror genre, however this film, presented in a comical format, gave it a whole new slant which makes it more palatable. If this was a straight bore-on drama, it would've been just another banal slasher flick. What makes this a better film is that Roth, a predominantly dramatic director, directing a horror film that is a comedy. His ability to get his actors to be scary but not necessarily horrific was amazing. It was written by Eric Kripke ("Boogeyman" '05, "Haunted" '13) plus TV and shorts, based on a novel by John Bellairs. Again, this writer's style of writing is that of the dramatic horror film, but he, instead, opted to write this film in a comedic format. This certainly made this a fresher, more original storyline. This writer has cut his teeth on a plethora of TV which has served him well, so in writing the two theatrical films that are to his credit, this made writing this film easier with much more effect in how this is to be conveyed to his audience. Other than a couple of slow areas and just a very small lack of continuity, expressly near the beginning, this storyline was uproarious and kept the audience on the edge of their seats. The casting of Jack Black and Cate Blanchett was perfection mostly due to the chemistry. In fact, besides the stars, the house is as much a star of this as Black and Blanchett. This house was wired for sound.

 

If horror with a comical backdrop is your thing, you will love this. I mostly went to see this for the two lead stars, but after viewing it, it was definitely funny and moved quick keeping my attention throughout. Any horror flick that can do that is a well thought-out story. If you want pure escape, grab the popcorn and enjoy this ride.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                       Rated: PG                                         105mins.

 

Unbroken: Path to Redemption

Usually when a film is made and is successful, a sequel quickly ensues, however "Unbroken: Path of Redemption" is not only a sequel, but is a continuation of "Unbroken", and more importantly is more of its own film than the pre-described characteristics. With this, it makes it fresh and different.

 

When the war ended, his battle began. This story begins where "Unbroken" concludes, sharing the next amazing chapter of the unbelievable and unforgettable true story of Olympian and World War II hero Louis Zamperini (Samuel Hunt). Haunted by nightmares of his torment, Louie sees himself as anything but a hero. Then, he meets Cynthia (Merritt Patterson), a young woman who captures his eye and his heart. Louie's wrathful quest for revenge drives him deeper into despair, putting the couple on the brink of divorce, until Cynthia experiences Billy Graham's (Will Graham) 1949 Los Angeles Crusade where he finds faith in God and a willingness to change.

 

Others to round out the cast are Bobby Campo as Pete Zamperini, Louis' brother, Gary Cole as Dr. Bailey, Andrew Caldwell as Harry Read, Louis' buddy, Vincenzo Amato as Anthony Zamperini, Derek Brandon as Chris Johnson and David DeLuise as Howard Lambert.

 

This was effortlessly directed by Harold Cronk ("Jerusalem Countdown" '11, "God's Not Dead" '14, "Pirate's Code" The Adventures of Mickey Matson" '15, "God's Not Dead 2" '16, "The Adventures of Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Treasure" '16, "God Bless the Broken Road" '18) plus TV and shorts. I say effortlessly since the Christian film genre is the one he has practically cornered the market on. He truly knows what it takes to show his audience, through his characters, what it's like to go through life's trials. The realism he conveys is simply amazing. It is well written by Richard Friedenberg and Ken Hixon which is based on the book "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand. Considering that these two writers' brunt of their experience lies in TV movies and the Christian film realm, it's no surprise that they would be able to delineate a strong, heartfelt script to showcase the spiritual trek that Louis Zamperini had to follow in order to rid of the issues in his life. This is the Christian version of its predecessor, "Unbroken" where he is seeking God in his own painful way. This was a truthful journey of what it takes for any person to go through what it takes to make that conversion to Christianity from a world that is killing them. Now, was this script perfect--without flaws? Surely not. There were a couple of places where the script jumped a bit. Did this film have an impact? Absolutely! This film truly gripped at your heartstrings and emotions where it causes one to think of their own lives without an once of feeling like you've been preached to.

 

This shows us what hell Zamperini went through after he came back from the war which spiritually and psychologically was as devastating as the pain of the war itself was. This is a must see film in that it is a history lesson and an amazingly incredible inspirational story that we all can learn from.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                    Rated: PG-13                                    98mins.

 

The Predator

As the summer film season winds down to an end, what a better film to be released than that of a huge franchise? What started out as "Predator" '87, has evolved into "Predator 2" '90, to then "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem" '07 to "Predators" '10. So, like any other self-respecting franchise who simply won't die, we continue with "The Predator".

 

From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home. Now, the universe's most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, have genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a small boy, Rory McKenna (Jacob Tremblay) accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers including Rory's father, Captain Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook), Nebraska Williams (Trevante Rhodes), Coyle (Keegan-Michael Key), Baxley (Thomas Jane), Lynch (Alfie Allen) and Nettles (Augusto Aguilera), and a disgruntled science teacher Casey Bracket (Olivia Munn) can prevent the end of the human race replete with all the dysfunction and unpredictability a crew could muster up.

 

Others to round out the cast are Sterling K. Brown as Traeger, Jake Busey as Keyes, Yvonne Strahovski as Emily, Quinn's ex-wife and Brian Prince as Predator.

 

This was directed by the action-film king Shane Black ("Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" '05, "Iron Man 3" '13, "Edge" (TV movie) '15, "The Nice Guys" '16). The staging and pacing by this filmmaker puts these characters in a place that shows its audience the peril they are going through as they are combatting this creature. But, with the experience Black has, it's easy to see how he can execute this. If Black is a director you can trust, his "Doc Savage" has been announced. It was adequately written by Fred Dekker and Black based on characters created by Jim Thomas and John Thomas. Even though both of these writers have a substantial amount of experience, the storyline is still a bit disjointed in that it has a tendency to meander attempting to find the story that they wanted to convey. As the story was trying to find itself, once it did the story then simply moved right along. It was almost as though new writers were commissioned approximately half way through. With these consummate pros, a bad day at the laptop? Not sure, but it definitely gave us that element of escape which is important in this day and age of uncertainty. The visual effects predominanyly created by MPC (Moving Picture Company) and the makeup special effects designed by pros Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr. were absolutely seamless.

 

Hey, it's still summer so big-budget, adrenaline ridden, explosive films are still in vogue so there has to be an element of forgiveness. When you go see this, you actually get what you'd expect which is an escape, popcorn summer flick that the audience can sink its teeth into. Flaws? Sure, but what a roller coaster ride.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                       Rated: R                                          107mins.

 

White Boy Rick

Hollywood definitely has a fascination for films based on true stories, or believe me, we wouldn't see a plethora of them produced in recent years. Surely, we've seen tons both bizarre and normal: "The King's Speech", "Midnight Express", "The Queen", "Chinatown", "Pain & Gain", "Blow" and the like. So now we have "White Boy Rick" to add to that quickly growing list.

 

Set in 1980's Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic and the War on Drugs, this story is based on the moving true story of a blue-collar father, Richard Wershe Sr. (Matthew McConaughey) and his teenage son, Rick Jr. (Richie Merritt), who became an undercover police informant recruited by FBI Agent Snyder (Jennifer Jason Leigh), FBI Agent Byrd (Roy Cochrane) and Detective Jackson (Brian Tyree Henry) and later a drug dealer, before he was abandoned by his handlers and sentenced to life in prison.

 

Others to round out the cast are Bel Powley as Dawn Wershe, Rick's sister, RJ Cyler as Rudell 'Boo' Curry, Jonathan Majors as Johnny 'Lil Man' Curry, Eddie Marsden as Art Derrick, Taylour Paige as Cathy Volsan-Curry, Bruce Dern as Roman 'Ray' Wershe, Rick's Grandad and Piper Laurie as Verna Wershe, Rick's Grandma.

 

Hollywood has commissioned a number of new to newer directors of late including this director Yann Demange (" '71" '14) plus TV and shorts. What is remarkable is that many of these filmmakers have showed much talent in the director's chair, including this director. It warms my heart that these filmmakers have the talent that I've been made privy of which is a good thing for future films. The cockiness and desperation that both Richard Sr. and Rick Jr. displayed was amazing and even though McConaughey is an incredible actor, this still takes talented directing. It was written by Andy Weiss, Logan Miller and Noah Miller. Although it was a decently written script, it still had some areas of slowness and choppiness that needed a bit more polish. None of these writers have an extensive resumes, but given more work, I believe they could become writers to contend with. Where in the world did they get Richie Merritt? Certainly if this is his first film, I can't wait what he'll act in next, and after this performance, there will most definitely be a next time.

 

This storyline is not warm and fuzzy, so one won't be seeing this for that as much as the audience will want to more see this ensemble cast portray these dysfunctional, over-the-top characters with the talent that was displayed here. Can you say Oscar buzz?

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                   Rated: R                                        111mins.

 

 

Kin

Since the major demographic of films are the 18-24 single males, it is no surprise that Hollywood has gone out of their way to produce films to woo that audience in those seats. In the past ten years, there have been plenty: "The Maze Runner", "Divergent", "The Host", "The Twilight Saga", "I Am Number Four" plus many more. So it should be no surprise as well that "Kin" has come our way to the multiplex.

 

This pulse-pounding crime thriller with a sci-fi twist is the story an unexpected hero destined for greatness. Chased by a vengeful, maniacal criminal, Taylor Balik (James Franco), the feds and a gang of otherworldly soldiers, a recently released ex-con, Jimmy Solinski (Jack Reynor) and his adopted teenage brother, Eli Solinski (Myles Truitt) are forced tp go on the lam with a weapon of mysterious origin as their only protection. So with the help of friend, Milly (Zoe Kravitz), who they meet on their road trip, the three of them attempt to correct their lives with the help of this gun at the same time trying to survive in the process.

 

Others to round out the cast are Dennis Quaid as Hal Solinski, Jimmy and Eli's father, Carrie Coon as Morgan Hunter, Ian Matthew as Snick, Gavin Fox as Dutch Balik, Taylor's brother, Romano Orzari as Lee Jacobs, Stephane Garneau-Monten as Remy, Carleigh Beverly as Audrey, Lukas Renar as Big Man, Lily Gao as Female Cleaner and Michael B. Jordan as Male Cleaner.

 

This was surprisingly well directed by Jonathan Baker and Josh Baker (shorts). Surprisingly since they only have a number of shorts to their credit. These characters came to life and they showed remarkable realism and this is the mark of talented directing. It will be interesting to see what they direct next if this is their first theatrical film. It was adequately written by Daniel Casey ("The Passage" '03, "Secrets of Feuville"- segment "Happily Married Vigilantes" '03, "The Death of Michael Smith" '06) plus TV, based on the short film "Big Man" by Jonathan Baker and Josh Baker. Sequentially, this film was a bit choppy in places, however considering this writer has a limited resume, it was not badly executed. Sure, there is a list of films in his resume, but not a plethora, so with even more projects under his belt, it's no telling what he could produce. In fact, his "Fast & Furious 9" has been announced for a 2020 release. That project will definitely test his ability.

 

If you like young man/teen angst films, you will be in film heaven, but if one is looking for a tight, cohesive script, you might want to Netflix this. Don't get me wrong, this film has strong moments such as some decent performances by Franco and Reynor. Even the newly introduced Myles Truitt as Eli showed true acting ability. In any case, this is a film that one can escape into and just vege out.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                    Rated: PG-13                                    103mins.

 

God Bless the Broken Road

As summer starts to come to an end, people start going back to work and school, so it's time to start getting serious about life. What could be a better time to bring us yet another inspirational film in the form of "God Bless the Broken Road"? Inspirational or faith films have become an integral part of the movie going experience with films such as "Fireproof" '08, "Soul Surfer" '11, "A Dolphin Tale" '11, "God's Not Dead" '14, "War Room" '15 and the like, that Hollywood has caught on and are willing to cash in on people's need for something bigger than they are.

 

This tells the story of a young mother, Amber Hill (Lindsay Pulsipher) who loses her husband in a military ambush in Afghanistan and struggles to raise their young daughter, Bree (Makenzie Moss) in his absence. Two years later as she still grieves, she subsequently meets a stock car driver, Cody Jackson (Andrew Walker) who works for the town's expert mechanic, Joe Carter (Gary Grubbs) and, through Cody, slowly starts to come out of her self-protecting shell. This film combines elements of faith, country music and stock car racing while paying tribute to those who serve in the United States Military.

 

Others to round out the cast are Kim Delaney as Patti Hill, Amber's mother-in-law, Robin Givens as Karena Williams, Jordin Sparks as Bridgette, LaDainian Tomlinson as Pastor Williams, Arthur Cartwright as Mike Nelson and Madeline Carroll as Hannah.

 

This was directed by someone who truly loves inspirational films, Harold Cronk ("Jerusalem Countdown" '11, "God's Not Dead" '14, "Pirate's Code: The Adventures of Mickey Matson" '15, "God's Not Dead 2" '16, "The Adventures of Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Treasure" '16) plus shorts and a video. When people are going through transitional events in their lives, this director has an innate ability to show his audience what's really going on with these characters by the way they act and react to life's trials. It will be quite curious to see how he has handled his "Unbroken: Path to Redemption" which is completed and due to release this year. It was adequately written by Cronk and Jennifer Dornbush based on a story by Andy Fraser and Liam Matthews. This is where this production had its issues. Cronk has the lion's share of the writing experience here, and certainly where he reigns as the director he is, he definitely lacks in the writing arena. Maybe because he hasn't been handed the story ideas that test his writing ability or maybe he hasn't written enough--not sure, but this film starts out with several slow areas attempting to find a film here, and then slowly the movie starts to gain momentum and it begins to get interesting, but it takes way too long in getting there. And, as with other inspirational films, this definitely slides into predictability in how the plot is conveyed. Predictability certainly is something we find in these types of films, but this seemed stamped out--almost trite. The best thing about this is how people finally leaned on their faith to get them through their different trials and this was conveyed to its audience well, even if they had to go through their own personal hell to get there, but isn't this true of us all?

 

Whether you're a Christian or not, there is something for everyone in this story. Even if it's not executed greatly, the message is still spot on which we all can still learn from. And learning new things are something we should be striving for in this world.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 2.5                                   Rated: PG                                    111mins.

 

 

Peppermint

When it comes to the genre of drama, the vigilante film is an audience favorite. Why? Like a number of situations, the reasons certainly vary: people wanting to see unjust corrected, people being a victim of a horrific event and receiving no justice. Not sure, but whatever the reason is, audiences get hyped by these films. Many films have been produced about this subject: "Death Wish" '74, "Vigilante" '82, "Vigilante" '08, "Death Wish" '18 and others, but as long the system keeps failing society, these films will continue to be a part of our reflection of a problem that seemingly won't go away.

 

This is an action thriller which tells the story of young mother Riley North (Jennifer Garner) who awakens from a coma after her husband Chris (Jeff Hephner) and daughter Carly (Cailey Fleming) are killed in a brutal attack on the family. When the system frustratingly shields the murderers from justice, Riley sets out to transform herself from citizen to urban guerilla. Channeling her intense frustration into personal motivation, she spends the next five years in hiding honing her mind, body and spirit to become an unstoppable force-- eluding the underworld, namely a leader of a Mexican Cartel, Diego Garcia (Juan Pablo Raba), the LAPD, namely detectives Beltran (John Ortiz) and Carmichael (John Gallagher Jr.) and the FBI, namely agent Lisa Inman (Annie Honzeh)-- as she methodically delivers her personal brand of justice.

 

Others to round out the cast are Eddie Shin as FBI agent Li, Cliff "Method Man" Smith as Narcotics Detective Barker, Tyson Ritter as Homeless Sam, Ian Casselberry as Cortez, Richard Cabral as Salazar and Johnny Ortiz as Torres.

 

This was directed by a filmmaker whose very familiar with this kind of storyline, Pierre Morel ("District B13" '04, "Taken" '08, "From Paris with Love" '10, "The Gunman" '15, "Clan of the Cave Bear" (TV movie) '15) plus TV. Familiarity does have its benefits as it can be easy to be able to convince one's audience of the sincerity of the different character makeups. If you like this director's brand of filmmaking, you will be able to catch his "The New Mrs. Keller" which is in pre-production. It was effectively written by virtual newcomer, Chad St. John ("London Has Fallen" '16) plus a short. Even though vigilante films have been produced before, this was still fresh and original in that there were some twists and turns. Although there were some problems, such as it was confusing, at times, when the present time was going to the past and back again, especially near the beginning, and there was a slight slow area in the storyline, this script still soared--I haven't seen some seasoned writers as talented as St. John is. If this is as fresh as it is, I can't wait to see what he does with his "Replicas" which is completed and due to release this year.

 

I haven't seen Garner so physical in her others films as with this, and she shined as this hurting mother who loses her family so senselessly. You can simply feel her agony. This is a film certainly worthy of price of admission, because for the reasons it was made and what the filmmakers were attempting to convey to their audience, this ticks all the boxes. Academy Award worthy? No. Problems? Sure, but there is enough going on here to keep you glued to the screen.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                       Rated: PG-13                                   101mins.

 

Juliet, Naked

As we are winding down the summer movie season, we can start seeing a bit more of the quality independent films that always need an audience since it is so costly to advertise-- only the large commercial films have a huge budget to spend millions on advertising, and with that we are offered "Juliet, Naked", a low key indie film that shines in a sea of the big-budget film land.

 

Annie (Rose Byrne) is stuck in a go nowhere long-term relationship with Duncan (Chris O'Dowd)--an obsessive fan of obscure rocker Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke). When the acoustic demo of Tucker's hit record from 25 years ago surfaces, Duncan praises it while Annie does not. In fact, Annie takes a step further and decides to text Tucker to let him know that his demo wasn't great at all. Surprisingly, Tucker, through a series of many texts, agrees with her and subsequently wants to meet her. As he arrives in England, where Annie resides, he ends up having a heart attack and while hospitalized meets her and they strike up a new and different friendship. This demo ends up leading to a life-changing encounter for both Tucker and Annie. Can this once revered, now faded singer-songwriter hold onto this new relationship while trying to save what's left of his dysfunctional life?

 

Others to round out the cast are Denise Gough as Gina, Lily Newmark as Carly, Nina Sosanya as Natalie, Tucker's ex-wife, Azhy Robertson as Jackson Crowe, Tucker's son, Ayoola Smart as Lizzie Crowe, Tucker's daughter, Jimmy O. Yang as Elliot and Lily Brazier as Ros.

 

This was quirkily directed by Jesse Peretz ("The Chateau" '01, "The Ex" '06, "Our Idiot Brother" '11) plus TV and video shorts. What feature film experience this filmmaker may be limited in, he more than makes up with the plethora of TV and video shorts. I've said it before and I'll say it again, it is crucial, most of the time, that directors, writers, producers, actors and the like 'cut their teeth' of other media before hitting the feature film realm. It can truly make the process that much smoother, and it shows with this guy. He makes the characters these actors are playing come to life on a multi-level basis. It was well executed by writers Evgenia Peretz, Jim Taylor and Tamara Jenkins, based on a novel by Nick Hornby. What interests me is that both Taylor and Jenkins have the lion's share of the experience here, however Peretz's name has top billing. Not sure what that's about, but possibly they are giving Peretz that shot in the arm she could use. I'm sure Peretz was instrumental in the input provided--writing being a collaborative effort, but just food for thought. There were a couple of problems with this, such as a song being played at the beginning of the film while Annie's narrative voice is being said--a bit confusing in that the song was fighting with her narrative, and a couple of slow places--yes slow, even though this was only a 90 minute plus running time. However, with these two issues, it still had a worthy script.

 

The acting by both Hawke and Byrne is mostly why you are seeing this. Their chemistry was quirky and heartfelt. Sure, the writing and directing was solid, but, at the end of the day, the acting was the showcase. Who knows, could an Oscar nod come knocking? Who knows.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                    Rated: R                                  97mins.

 

Searching

In a world where we are more and more tech savvy, the societal outcome of that is that Hollywood will produce films that reflect this issue. We saw "Disconnect" in 2012 where bad things happen when we abuse the internet, so now we have "Searching" where a desperate father seeks to find his missing daughter via her laptop. I suspect we will see more of these films in the not too distant future.

 

After David Kim (John Cho)'s 16-year-old daughter, Margot (Michelle La) goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective, Vick (Debra Messing) is assigned to the case. But 37 hours later and without a single lead, David decides to search the one place no one has looked yet where all secrets are kept today: his daughter's laptop. In a hyper-modern thriller told via the technology devices we use every day to communicate, David must trace Margot's digital footprints before she disappears forever. Between David and Detective Vick, will Margot be found or will the search do them in?

 

Others to round out the cast are Joseph Lee as Peter Kim, David's brother, Connor McRaith as Isaac, Dominic Hoffman as Michael Porter, Erica Jenkins as Hannah, Briana McLean as Abigail, John Macey as Mr. Lee, Ric Sarabia as Randy Cortoff and Gage Biltoft as John Watson.

 

This was chillingly directed with an eerie edge by Aveesh Chaganty (5 shorts). This was an original film in that the way that David had to evolve as he  found out more information about his daughter, Margot was executed in an extremely realistic approach. This is a new filmmaker and with this film under his belt, his future is bright. In fact, he has "Run" in pre-production at this time. This was interestingly written by Chaganty (5 shorts) and Sev Ohanian ("My Big Fat Armenian Family" '08). Considering how new both of these writers are to the feature film realm, it is completely surprising to see a screenplay this concise, cohesive and fluid. What makes this intriguing is that as the plot evolves, it becomes altogether clear how much David really didn't know her daughter as much as he thought. Most parents know their kids, but David kept running into roadblocks of who is his daughter? Another aspect of the film is that it was completely shot on the social network or some other technology. I believe this was done to showcase the chilling aspects of the plot that much more. Couple this format with the virtual photography with the cutting edge editing and this storyline was without equal. With this creative script, I'll be waiting to see what these writers do with "Run" in pre-production.

 

This might seem like an ordinary way to make a film if you're a millennial--they were born with I-Pods attached to their hips, but for the rest of us, this is an extremely unique format in which to make a film. I guess the rest of us baby boomers will just have to wake up so we can welcome in the 21st century.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                              Rated: PG-13                                 102mins.