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UserpicLawless (FILM REVIEW)
Posted by Kam Williams
14.09.2012

Lawless
Film Review by Kam Williams

Prohibition Era Crime Saga Revisits Real-Life Exploits of the Bootlegging Bondurant Brothers

It is Franklin County, Virginia during Prohibition, which is where we find the bootlegging Bondurant brothers, Jack (Shia LaBeouf), Forrest (Tom Hardy) and Howard (Jason Clarke), running a thriving moonshining business with the help of a pal with colorful name Cricket (Dane DeHaan). But the siblings' blissful existence starts to crumble the day Jack sees Floyd Banner (Gary Oldman), a coldblooded gangster from Chicago, shoot one of their competitors dead with a Tommy gun.

Not long thereafter, a crooked Federal Agent, Charlie Rakes (Guy Pearce) pays a little visit to the Bondurants' bar to demand a cut of their ill-gotten gains. But hot-headed Forrest isn't intimidated by the attempted shakedown. In fact, he threatens to kill the corrupt cop with a meat cleaver should the greedy creep ever set foot on the premises again.

Of course, that's not the last the lads see of either Rakes or Banner, which soon proves problematical given that the ruthless newcomers are armed to the teeth and will stop at nothing to get their way. That is the ominous premise which sets in motion the grisly goings-on which ensue in Lawless, a picture dedicated to an almost senseless celebration of gratuitous violence.

Directed by John Hillcoat (The Road), the movie was adapted from "The Wettest County in the World," a supposedly-factual, historical novel by Matt Bondurant (grandson of Jack). The picture opens with a warning that what you're about to witness is "based on a true story," a claim presumably intended to discourage the viewer from questioning the veracity of the screen version, too.

However, what's served up is basically a comical cross of Sam Peckinpah and Looney Tunes so farcical that the audience at the screening this critic attended shared a few hearty laughs at moments when none was intended. An over-the-top indulgence in sadism strictly recommended for folks with a stomach for gangster fare so gruesome as to border on the cartoonish.

Star

Fair (1 star)

Rated R for profanity, sexuality, nudity and graphic violence.

Running time: 115 minutes

Distributor: The Weinstein Company

To see a trailer for Lawless, visit


Elles
DVD Review by Kam Williams


Anne (Juliette Binoche in Elles is a stressed-out investigative reporter for Elle Magazine, stationed in Paris, who's a good candidate for a lifestyle makeover, given the overwhelming demands of her job and her family. Her boss has been pressuring her to meet the deadline for the article she's currently working on about college students who moonlight as high-priced call girls.

Meanwhile, she has her hands full on the home front because her husband, Patrick (Louis-Do de Lencquesaing), shows no interest in bearing his half of the burden. Hence, she has to shoulder the full responsibility of motivating their stoner (Francois Civil) and couch potato (Pablo Beugnet) sons to do more than lounge around the flat with a view.

Although Anne also needs to attend to her bed-ridden father (Jean-Marie Binoche), her hubby still expects her to play the perfect hostess by whipping up a gourmet meal the evening he invites his boss over for dinner. And to add insult to injury, he goes out of his way to warn his wife not to embarrass him by making any unpleasant conversation at the dinner table.

Being married to such a cad, is it any surprise that Anne might start to take a personal interest in Charlotte (Anais Demoustier) and Alicja (Joanna Kulig), the two young prostitutes being profiled in her piece? That is precisely what transpires in Elles, a steamy, midlife crisis drama directed by Malgoska Szumowska.

Initially, Anne interviews her subjects in a professional manner, posing probing questions about whether they enjoy indulging the fetishes of their assorted clients, in the process eliciting very graphic descriptions of their kinky liaisons. But the miserably-married journalist becomes intrigued, once it's apparent that they've taken to the world's oldest profession like fish to water.

Then, against her better judgment, Anne shares shots of vodka with the seductive Charlotte, only to cross another line by experimenting with lesbianism. The glaring juxtaposition of the happy hookers with the pathetic plight of the unappreciated supermom seems to suggest that the wife taken for granted might actually be in a worse predicament.

Reminiscent of the incendiary offerings of the iconoclastic Catherine Breillat like Romance (1999) and Fat Girl (2001), Elles is a thought-provoking immorality play apt to stir up just as much controversy by virtue of its seemingly-gratuitous sex scenes alone. Does the fact that the director's a feminist and the star is an Oscar-winning actress provide sufficient artistic cover for carnal clinches which border on soft porn? Does the explicit eroticism serve to advance the plot or was it included purely for titillation purposes?

Those are questions you'll have to answer for yourself upon screening and introspection, unless you're the Puritanical type that considers any lurid depictions of copulation blasphemous. Let the endless debate begin!

StarStarStar

Very Good (3 stars)
Rated NC-17 for nudity and explicit sexuality.
In French, Polish and Arabic with subtitles.
Running time: 99 minutes
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Blu-ray Extras: Edited and unedited trailers; and a stills gallery.

To see a trailer for Elles, visit

 

 


by Kam Williams
For movies opening September 14, 2012


BIG BUDGET FILMS

Finding Nemo (G) 3-D rerelease of the much-beloved animated adventure about a timid clownfish (Albert Brooks) who summons up the courage to embark on a perilous transoceanic trek to rescue a son (Alexander Gould) left trapped in a bowl in a dentist's office after being netted by fishermen near the Great Barrier Reef. Voice cast includes Ellen DeGeneres, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney and Geoffrey Rush.

Resident Evil: Retribution (R for pervasive graphic violence) 5th installment in the grisly, sci-fi franchise finds Milla Jovovich reprising her role as an intrepid defender of the planet and forging new alliances in a high body-count fight against legions of flesh-eating zombies. With Boris Kodjoe, Oded Fehr, Sienna Guillory, Michelle Rodriguez and Bingbing Li.


INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

10 Years (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, drug use and alcohol abuse) Skeletons-out-of-the-closet dramedy about the shocking confessions shared by five best friends (Channing Tatum, Justin Long, Chris Pratt, Oscar Isaac and Max Minghella) upon returning to their hometown for their 10th high school reunion. Ensemble cast includes Rosario Dawson, Anthony Mackie, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Ari Graynor, Kate Mara and Ron Livingston.

Arbitrage (R for profanity, drug use and violent images) Richard Gere stars in this Wall Street thriller as the philandering manager of a sinking hedge fund who implicates a friend of the family (Nate Parker) in the death of his mistress (Laetitia Casta) rather than risk damaging his marriage and reputation. With Susan Sarandon, Brit Marling and William Friedkin.

Bait 3-D (R for profanity, graphic violence and grisly images) Disaster flick about the residents of a beachfront community who find themselves surrounded by a swarm of great white sharks after a tsunami leaves them trapped inside a submerged grocery store. Cast includes Xavier Samuel, Julian McMahon and Phoebe Tonkin.

Barfi! (Unrated) Romance drama about the love triangle which develops when a woman (Ileana D'Cruz) has second thoughts about rejecting a hearing and speech-impaired suitor (Ranbir Kapoor) after he falls for a mentally-challenged maiden (Priyanka Chopra). (In Hindi with subtitles)

Francine (Unrated) Oscar-winner Melissa Leo (for The Fighter) plays the title character in this introspective portrait of an ex-con adjusting back to civilian life in a rural region of upstate New York after paying her debt to society. With Victoria Charkut, Dave Clark and Keith Leonard.

I'm Carolyn Parker: The Good, the Mad, and the Beautiful (Unrated) Oscar-winner Jonathan Demme (for Silence of the Lambs) directs this post-Katrina documentary chronicling the valiant struggle of a feisty, retired resident of New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward to rebuild her home left devastated by the hurricane.

Liberal Arts (Unrated) Romantic dramedy about a just-jilted 35 year-old bachelor (Josh Radnor) who falls for a teenaged college student (Elizabeth Olsen) upon returning to his alma mater to attend one of his professor's (Richard Jenkins) retirement party. Cast includes Zac Efron, Allison Janney, Kate Burton and Elizabeth Reasor.

The Master (R for profanity, sexuality and graphic nudity) Philip Seymour Hoffman handles the titular role of this tale of disillusionment, set in the wake of World War II, revolving around a devoted member (Joaquin Phoenix) of a burgeoning religious cult who gradually grows suspicious of the motivations of its charismatic founder. With Amy Adams, Laura Dern and Jesse Plemons.

The Stand Up (Unrated) New lease on life drama about a comedian (Jonathan Sollis) who retires after the tragic death of his girlfriend (Julia Dennis) only to get a second chance at love when he takes a job as a kindergarten teacher at a grammar school where he develops a crush on a cute colleague (Margarita Levieva). Supporting cast includes Aidan Quinn, Jennifer Mudge and Jonathan Reed Wexler.

Step Up to the Plate (Unrated) Haute cuisine documentary about renowned, French chef Michel Bras decision to hand over the reins of his three-star restaurant to his long-time assistant, his son, Sebastien. (In French with subtitles)

Stolen (R for violence and brief profanity) Nicolas Cage stars in this crime thriller about a recently-paroled master thief's frantic search for a daughter (Sami Gayle) kidnapped for a ransom he can't raise. With Malin Akerman, Josh Lucas and Danny Huston.

The Trouble with the Truth (R for profanity and sexual references) Bittersweet drama about a starving artist who (John Shea) takes some time to reflect with his ex-wife (Lea Thompson ) upon their failed marriage after their daughter (Danielle Harris) announces her engagement. With Keri Lynn Pratt, Ira Heiden and Rainy Kerwin.

 


UserpicRed Hook Summer (FILM REVIEW)
Posted by Kam Williams
15.08.2012

Film Review by Kam Williams
Spike Lee Directs Disappointing Fish-Out-of-Water Drama

Flik Royale (Jules Brown) is 13 by the time his mother's (De'Adre Aziza) finally ready to introduce him to his grandfather (Clarke Peters). Trouble is the bourgie mamma's boy was brought up in suburban Atlanta where he's been raised vegetarian and been attending private school.

So, when his single-mom decides the two should get acquainted over the summer, it means the boy will have to live in the projects in Red Hook, an area of New York City teeming with dangers and temptations he hasn't been exposed to before. Still, she figures he'll be okay, since her dad, Enoch (Clarke Peters), happens to be the pastor of the Lil' Peace of Heaven Baptist Church.

Flik grudgingly agrees to stay with the Bible-thumping bishop, and their strained relationship supplies the raison d'etre of Red Hook Summer. Directed by Spike Lee, the movie might superficially resemble some of his classic films like Do the Right Thing and She's Gotta Have It, being a character-driven drama set in a sweltering Brooklyn.

Unfortunately, that's where any similarities start and end. This is a movie that might earn high marks were it the work of a first time director. However, coming from a two-time Oscar-nominee (for 4 Little Girls and Do the Right Thing), it can only be described as a bitter disappointment.

The primary problem is that the acting is mediocre. Secondly, the screen is littered with the sort of buffoonish stereotypes Spike has been criticizing Tyler Perry for, one-dimensional caricatures running the gamut from ghetto gangstas to church ladies. Third the film fails to generate any palpable tension.

The director makes a cameo appearance as pizza deliveryman Mookie, reprising the role he played as the protagonist of Do the Right Thing. Sadly, that distraction merely serves as a sad reminder of how much Spike's skills have eroded since his glory days.

Picture a two-hour episode of Amos ‘n' Andy on crack. Holy mackerel, Sapphire!

Star

Fair (1 star)

Unrated

Running time: 120 minutes

Distributor: Variance Films

To see a trailer for Red Hook Summer, visit


Reviews
UserpicInventing Our Life (DVD REVIEW)
Posted by Kam Williams
14.08.2012

Israeli Documentary Chronicles Rise and Fall of the Kibbutz Movement

At the time the State of Israel was established in 1948, the Kibbutz Movement had already been thriving there for almost 40 years. In fact, the country might not have come into existence without the kibbutzim, because the settlements, which raised kids collectively, were very adept at turning children into patriotic fighters willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their homeland.

The very first kibbutz, Kvutzat Degania, was started in 1909 near the Southern tip of the Sea of Galilee by a dozen refugees from Eastern Europe. They envisioned the kibbutz (which is Hebrew for "gathering") as a path towards creating a just Jewish nation based on socialist principles.

Founded on benign notions of equality and cooperative economics, the kibbutz system became a powerful magnet for Jews who yearned for self-determination. Participants lived communally, with profits from farming and other enterprises being pooled for the benefit of all.

The rise and decline of that utopian experiment is the subject of "Inventing Our Life," a riveting retrospective directed by Toby Perl Freilich. The film illustrates in detail how the kibbutz system evolved over the course of its century-long existence, and how it eventually came to incorporate such individualistic concepts as differential wages and privatization of property.

This warts-and-all documentary shares a wealth of information by way of the bittersweet reflections of several generations of folks raised on a kibbutz. Most touching are the wistful remembrances of those who recall pining for their parents at night as children because kids slept in separate buildings from adults.

We see that in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union these Israeli communists were finally forced to make many concessions to modernity and materialism. One disappointed adherent grudgingly admits learning that, "The kibbutz system, based on altruism, failed, while the American system, based on greed, works."

A valuable history lesson about an idealistic blueprint for nirvana ultimately frustrated by something as simple as basic human nature.

StarStarStarStar

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 80 minutes

Distributor: First Run Features

DVD Extras: Deleted scenes and an audio interview with director Toby Perl Freilich.

 

To see a clip of Inventing Our Life, visit