“The Overnight” didn’t meet my unrealistic expectations. I was hoping for something akin to Demme’s “Something Wild”, but except for Jason Schwartzman who makes the best semi real comically kooky man since Woody Allen, this film was more like couples therapy than comedy. What was missing was a little more slapstick which I rarely encourage.… Continue reading J. Schwartzman: “I Kissed a Guy and I Liked…”
A Baker’s Half Dozen (Seven) The Wolfpack
I wanted more resolution from “The Wolfpack” (directed by Crystal Moselle) instilled from the former school counselor in me. If anything, the film shows how inept our social services programs are, and on the sick flip side, probably gives hope to abusive parents. The Angulo father seems unphased and unscathed after an intervention landed all… Continue reading A Baker’s Half Dozen (Seven) The Wolfpack
AntiDope for the Last Harried Week of School
There’s only one thing worse than the stress of educating and entertaining kids during the last week of school (picture a manic blonde in pigtails tap dancing, “I’m dancing as fast as I can!”) and that’s being alone in an eerily quiet building with just adults for the week after, some you’ll never see again… Continue reading AntiDope for the Last Harried Week of School
Can a 100 Year Old Man Give You a LIft?
movie poster The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared was highly recommended by my brother. Living in an area with few foreign film fans, I knew I was destined for a solo viewing. Movies alone felt empowering in my 40’s, but now feel downright lonely. SO, I wanted reassurance the movie wouldn’t… Continue reading Can a 100 Year Old Man Give You a LIft?
Hail Hail Cusack’s Back and Dano’s Better Than Ever
John Cusak I was blown away by Love and Mercy and I never liked the Beach Boys. But now I do! An engaging screenplay, co-written by Oren Moverman, who also wrote The Messenger and I’m Not There is the deepest I’ve seen in trying to capture the long term effects of child abuse. The director,… Continue reading Hail Hail Cusack’s Back and Dano’s Better Than Ever
Aging Al Pacino (Danny Collins)vs. Female Robot (Ex Machina)and the winner is…
You would think that an aging Al Pacino in Danny Collins (directed by Dan Fogelman) couldn’t hold a candle to a futuristic Ex Machina robot (directed by Alex Garland), but you would be wrong. Ex Machina makes Under the Skin look like an action flick. A more appropriate title might be “Pregnant Pause”. Conceptually it’s… Continue reading Aging Al Pacino (Danny Collins)vs. Female Robot (Ex Machina)and the winner is…
The world might be back in order: The D Train and Far From the Madding Crowd
Jack Black is back to dark quirky roles in “The D-Train”, where he plays a desperate man looking for friendship intimacy while rejecting the familial kind. The film’s uniqueness is due to the genuine nature of the character’s actions. We all screw up in real life, get caught up doing embarrassing things for meaningless connections,… Continue reading The world might be back in order: The D Train and Far From the Madding Crowd
Clouds of Sils Marie, ‘CirrEus’ clouds that is
I liked Clouds of Sils Marie and was glad that yet another trailer was deceiving. It’s not a shallow Black Swan- cut throat theater actress pic, but more like a dramatic theater like performance; a mountain made slowly with layers of sedimentary rock. In fact, when a dark screen title Part Two popped up, I… Continue reading Clouds of Sils Marie, ‘CirrEus’ clouds that is
Disgruntled and Disillusioned: Listen Up Philip
Upon consulting Alex Ross Perry, writer and director of “Listen Up Philip”, I immediately sighed, “oh that guy!”. He also wrote and directed “Color Wheel” which if you’ve never seen that film, rent it and buckle up, surely you’ll say, “Never saw that before!” Then again, if you’re a Game of Thrones fan, maybe you… Continue reading Disgruntled and Disillusioned: Listen Up Philip
While We’re Young; a six cheek pincher
Noah Baumbach’s writing and directorial oeuvre is impressive. If you’ve never seen Greenberg, The Squid in the Whale, or Frances Ha, get thee to a Netflix account pronto…or go to the theater and see his latest “While We’re Young” which is of a similar stature. Every main character was believable (Watts, Stiller, Seyfried, Driver) and… Continue reading While We’re Young; a six cheek pincher