"Prince Avalanche" Movie Review

My review of "Prince Avalanche" starring Paul Rudd, Emile Hirsch, Lance LeGault.

                    "Prince Avalanche"

       Published on Aug. 30, 2013 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

                             Wayback Machine Archive Post

"Prince Avalanche"   (2013)

Alvin (Paul Rudd) and Lance (Emile Hirsch) are spending the summer painting lines on a new road in the middle of a state park near Austin, Texas. The story takes place in the mid-1980’s after a devastating fire that has destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres, laying waste to numerous homes and lives.

Source: Magnolia Pictures

Photos courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Alvin, the older of the two who is in charge of the job, has hired his girlfriend’s brother Lance, a young man who would rather be in town talking to girls than having to camp out in the wilderness to do heavy manual labor. Alvin, on the other hand, is rigid and pretentious, convinced that this will be a summer of growth and discovery. He embraces his time in the wilderness, listening to German-language lesson tapes as they work and fishing for their meals. The two men are very different, in both how they approach both work and life. Alvin is all about rules, structure and bettering himself, whereas Lance, the more juvenile of the two, is about breaking the rules and having sex.

The film is written and directed by David Gordon Green, whose work in the past has brought us the very funny “Pineapple Express” (2008) and the horrible “Your Highness” (2011). This is a very different movie than those films, much more restrained, while still funny, the movie does’nt go for big the laughs but for more intimate, real moments between two people. Using Tim Orr’s cinematography to great effect, Green also lets us discover the beauty of the recovering forest, spending screen time showing shots of the flora and fauna. The soundtrack, with music from Explosions in the Sky and David Wingo, perfectly matches the scenes in the film.

The cinematic gem is filled with small scenes between Rudd and Hirsch’s two mismatched characters, conversing about life, love and what they want for the future. There is great chemistry between the two, which is fortunate because almost the whole film is just the two of them on screen. There are a couple of scenes with a truck driver (Lance LeGault) who gives them some advice and better yet, some moonshine. Also, there is a woman (Joyce Payne) who is going through the rubble of her fire destroyed house, looking for surviving mementoes.

Source: Magnolia Pictures

Emile Hirsch gives one of the best performances of his career, channeling a young Jack Black while playing the immature, flighty Lance whose main ambition is to survive the week, so he can meet up with girls in town on the weekends. Hirsch portrays Lance as a young man who’s not the smartest guy around but one who has a lot of heart. It is a role that Hirsch could have easily gone over the top with, but while playing the part of a goofy guy, he never seems to become a caricature of Lance. As the film goes on, Hirsch makes us not only like Lance, but also respect him for the warm hearted person he is.

Paul Rudd, playing against his usual type of preppy, quick with a witty comeback characters in films such as “Knocked Up” (2007), is very different in the role of Alvin. In this film, Rudd brings a surprisingly layered dramatic performance, playing Alvin as a man that seems to get grumpier as the movie moves along. Rudd shows what a fine actor he is in a scene with the lady combing through the debris, taking the time to have a conversation with someone who is grieving, having lost her home to the wildfire. It’s a moving scene, one that Rudd perfectly plays off of Payne, showing us a different side to his character.

Green has brought us a film that lets us discover and enjoy a budding relationship where the two men start out as strangers, but by the end of the film’s journey, truly care about each other. It’s a movie that has a nice mix of comedy with touches of drama thrown in throughout the film. “Prince Avalanche” is a film that shows us that like the recovering forest surrounding them, Alvin and Lance, with each other’s help, can survive and grow from adversity.    My Rating: Full Price

The film is playing in Atlanta, GA at Plaza Theatre

Prince Avalanche Website

"Ain't Them Bodies Saints" Movie Review

My review of "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" starring Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster.

                 "Ain't Them Bodies Saints"
       Published on Aug. 30, 2013 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

 

“Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”  (2013)

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) and his pregnant girlfriend, Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara) are on the run from the law. Their luck runs out when they are captured after a shootout with the law. During the shootout, Ruth shots one of the local lawmen, but Bob wipes the gun clean of her fingerprints, then takes the blame for himself. As they are being arrested, Bob tells Ruth “It’s going to be OK.  All you have to do is wait for me.” Bob is convicted and sent to prison, while Ruth is seen as the pregnant victim by the jury and is acquitted. Ruth remains in the small Texas town that they grew up in. Now five years later, their daughter is four, and Bob has escaped from prison. Ruth knows that Bob is on his way to her, though she denies it to everyone who asks, including the local Sherriff (Ben Foster).

The film seems to be set in the 1970s, but the town and the surrounding farms seem to be from a land that time has forgotten. There is nothing apparently new in the town, from the beat up cars that people drive to the houses that people live in – everything seems to be old and worn out. The cinematography of the film, courtesy of Director of Photography Bradford Young, brings this aspect out with remarkable results. The movie is filled with scenes that seem to take place at a perpetual setting of the sun, giving the film and its landscape a golden, amber hue.  Writer/director David Lowery is from Texas, and captures the look and feel of a land perfectly with a beautiful harsh, ruggedness to it. The film is filled with scenes shot through screen doors or looking down long breezeways. It’s as if Lowery wants us to keep slightly apart from these troubled characters.

Affleck brings life to his character, whose whole world revolves around Ruth, to the point of obsession. Affleck narrates a good deal of the film in the form of letters to Ruth that he wrote while in prison. These letters give us a background into the relationship that Bob has with Ruth. Affleck’s narration fits in seamlessly with his character’s undying love and fierce determination to get back to the woman he loves, but it’s his time on screen with Rooney when Affleck really shines as both his stature and his mannerisms show just how much Ruth means to him. Bob is constantly touching Ruth as if he is afraid that if he doesn’t stay in contact with her, she will disappear. The scenes in the film where he is without Ruth, Affleck shows Bob as a tortured soul, someone who cannot bare to live without his lifelong love.

Rooney, portrays Ruth with a quiet resolve, as she seems the more sensible of the two lovers. The one who can actually see that her life with Bob will never be what they want it to be.  She knows that Bob is coming for her but is conflicted to the core because she has come to love her simple life in the small town with their daughter, yet longs for the man she loves. Rooney, who is just getting better and better with every film she makes, is remarkable, bringing a depth and complexity to the role. Ruth is a woman who is in love with a man that she knows in her heart will only bring her pain, Rooney brings this characteristic to the forefront in every scene she plays. The only time that Ruth seems to relax is when she is interacting with her daughter, who in time, has replaced Bob in her heart.

Lowery’s script and his direction authentically capture the people that would inhabit such a small Texas town.  Ben Foster, playing the Sherriff, who is not so secretly in love with Ruth, is excellent playing the part with a resigned and unobtrusive air. It is as if he knows that if he pushes too far in his affection for Ruth, she will run from him. Keith Carradine, in one his best performances, expertly plays Skerritt, a shop owner in the town who is Bob’s mentor and de-facto father figure. Carradine plays Skerritt as a man who has seen a lot, a character that we determine not only runs the shop but probably the town as well. Skerritt is a man, who on the outside is a simple man but Carradine gives us a character that is much more complex than meets the eye. He is someone who can see what is coming down the road and knows no matter what, he can’t stop the events from unfolding.

The score of the film by Daniel Hart fits the look and feel of film, as the movie contrasts the stark present full of doom with the almost idealistic past. We see scenes of Bob and Ruth interacting in their earlier, happier life – where Bob promised Ruth the moon and she was foolish enough to believe him. It’s a movie that perfectly tells the tale of star-crossed lovers, a story where we almost certainly know how it will turn out, but are still willing to go on the journey with them because the characters are so compelling and the performances of the actors are so real.   My Rating:  Full Price

The film is playing in Atlanta at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema

Ain’t Them Bodies Saints Website

"The Spectacular Now" Movie Review

I review "The Spectacular Now" starring Miles Teller,Shailene Woodley, Kyle Chandler.

                            "The Spectacular Now"
          Published on Aug. 16, 2013 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

                                   Wayback Machine Archive Post

                                                                    Photo courtesy of A24

“The Spectacular Now”  (2013)  

Sutter (Miles Teller), a high school senior who is just happy living in the present. He seems to have everything you would want; he’s popular, has a good job, and his girlfriend is the prettiest girl in high school. What more could a guy want? Suddenly everything comes crashing down around Sutter when his girlfriend dumps him, leaving his once happy-go-lucky world now in tatters. Sutter then meets Aimee (Shailene Woodley) who isn’t like anyone he has ever met before and just might be the person to get him back on track.     Main Image Courtesy of A24

The first meeting of Sutter and Aimee is one of the most interesting and unique “meet cute” scenes that I have ever seen. Sutter, having been dumped by his girlfriend, goes on a drinking binge and is awakened by Aimee at 6 in the morning, having passed out on the front lawn of a neighborhood house. You instantly see why everyone loves Sutter as he charms Aimee into giving him a ride around the neighborhood to look for his car. The conversation they have as he helps her deliver her morning paper route, foretells their relationship that will develop in the film as Sutter slowly gets the story that it’s not Aimee’s paper route but her mom’s. Sutter’s big character flaw is that he cares about everyone else, much more than himself. Sutter claims to be satisfied with “living in the now” but we know or at least, have a feeling that it might just be for show his claims of happiness.

The script was written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, the writing team that brought us the brilliant, offbeat romantic comedy “500 Days of Summer.” This film is filled with real situations and real characters. A film that treats teenagers like they aren’t props, unlike what most “Hollywood” films see them as, but as people that have conversations that have depth and substance. The dialogue in this film, while witty, seems like conversations that teenagers would actually have with one another. The movie, while funny at times, shows teenagers dealing with real life situations. They deal with single parents, trouble with school work and trying to figure out what their place in the world is.

Miles Teller is amazing in the role of Sutter, bringing a likeable grace and style to the screen reminiscent of an early Jimmy Stewart, with a little bit of John Cusack thrown in. Teller is able to instantly make you like him, a necessity for a character that can charm almost anyone. Teller has superb timing that allows his scenes with other actors to just flow naturally. The chemistry between himself and Shailene Woodley is compelling as you understand why these two very different characters are drawn together. Woodley, coming off of outstanding appearance in 2011’s “The Descendants,” is perfect in the role of the book smart but shy Aimee. Woodley has a genuine feel to her acting, making it seem that her character is authentic and vulnerable, while also exhibiting maturity to the role.

The supporting cast is excellent. Brie Larson is delightful as Sutter’s ex-girlfriend Cassidy, who wants a future, something that Sutter can’t think about. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, as Sutter’s big sister, isn’t asked to do much with her role. We know that Winstead is capable of great range, having witnessed her incredible performance as the alcoholic wife in 2012’s “Smashed.” The actors that stand out in their roles are Jennifer Jason Leigh as Sutter’s mom and Kyle Chandler as Sutter’s long estranged father. Leigh brings sadness and a weight to her role as the single mom trying to make ends meet. Chandler is outstanding in a thankless role.

The film was directed by Georgia native James Ponsodlt in Athens, GA which gives the film an air of accuracy. As the scenery is filled with small town icons such as the men’s clothing store and the comic shop. Ponsodlt gives us a film that is about teenagers that is accurate and bona fide in its look and feel.

The film can be heartbreaking at times because it deals with some tough issues, but ultimately, it’s a movie about friendship and the importance of love. This is a movie that is filled with warmth, humor, great writing and acting making it one of the best films of the year.     My Rating:  I Would Pay to See it Again

“The Spectacular Now” opens today in Atlanta at Regal Tara Cinemas 4

MORE NEWS: Riverdale - 'Chapter One Hundred and Eleven: Blue Collar'

“The Spectacular Now” Website

"Blue Jasmine" Movie Review

My review of "Blue Jasmine" starring Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Peter Sarsgaard.

"Blue Jasmine"

       Published on Aug. 9, 2013 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

                              Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

“Blue Jasmine” (2013)

In Woody Allen’s lastest film, we learn a lot about Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) in the first five minutes of the film, when she carries on a monologue with a complete stranger on a plane. She is on her way to San Francisco to move in with her sister. She was used to living the good life, with a house on Park Avenue and a summer home in the Hamptons. Then life drastically changes, and she no longer has the means to sustain the lifestyle to which she had become accustomed. Jasmine and her sister, Ginger, played by the wonderful Sally Hawkins, were both adopted. Jasmine seemed to have everything in life, a loving husband, money and a lifestyle where all she worried about was what designer dress to wear to the latest charity party. Ginger, on the other hand, has always felt she was the lesser of the two sisters. She didn’t go to college, got divorced, works in a grocery store and has a highly opinionated boyfriend named Chili (Bobby Cannavale).

Jasmine is the kind of person who can give her sister a compliment and make it seem as if she is putting her down. She tells her sister how horrible the flight was, even though she flew first class. She carries herself like she is better than everyone else, even though she is homeless and has to rely on the kindness of her sister. Jasmine feels that Ginger is always picking the worst men to have relationships with, and she instantly clashes with Chili.

Jasmine is also harboring a dark secret, as she is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She re-lives scenes of her former life in her mind while she zoning in and out of reality, regardless of where she is – as she speaks to characters that no longer exist. We relive these moments, right along with Jasmine, seeing what her past life with her rich investor husband, Hal (Alec Baldwin) was like.

Unlike Allen’s last two movies, “Midnight in Paris” (2011) and “To Rome with Love” (2012), this film is very serious in tone, with only a few lines of dialogue bringing any sort of laughter. This is a study of a character that is slowly sinking into madness, caused by her inability to accept reality and her wiliness to live in the past.

Blanchett gives a tour de force performance that will surely get her a nomination for the Best Actress Oscar. It’s an incredible portrayal of a woman whose life is slowly falling apart, right before our eyes. It would have been particularly easy for Blanchett to go over the top in this role, but she keeps it internal, where you see the pain in her eyes.

Source: Sony Pictures Classics

I have always liked Sally Hawkins, but this role doesn’t give her much to do, other than be the putdown, supporting sister who is willing to change her life to make Jasmine happy. The rest of the supporting cast does an admirable job. Alec Baldwin plays Jasmine’s husband with an arrogant tone that comes off as almost slimy, which wasn’t much of a stretch. Bobby Cannavale as Ginger’s boyfriend and Louis C.K. as a potential suitor for Ginger are decent in their roles. The surprise of the cast is Andrew Dice Clay, who plays Ginger’s ex-husband, gives an astonishing performance. He doesn’t have a particularly big role, but every time he is on the screen he takes over. His confrontation scene with Jasmine near the end of the film is something to see.

While watching Blanchett on silver screen in this role gives an amazing performance, I did not care for this film though overall. There isn’t any character growth for Jasmine, she basically is the same person that she was at the start of the film, not willing to accept that her life has changed. Ginger, after exploring her options, is back to the same life she had at the beginning. We spend an hour and a half with these characters and all we really learn about them is in the first ten minutes of the film.

The script is in the typical Woody Allen style, with character speaking much faster and wittier than most people do, but unlike a lot of his comedies, this film has a weight of overriding sadness to it. You feel that these people in this film will never be happy. The plot, which jumps all over the place, seems to be a device just to give Blanchett scenes to act in, as opposed to moving along the story. My feeling about this film is that Allen could have written and directed it in his sleep, and looking at the finished product he may have done so.    My Rating: Bargain Matinee

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

Blue Jasmine is showing at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema and AMC Phipps Plaza 14 .
Blue Jasmine Website

"Still Mine" Movie Review

I review the drama "Still Mine" starring James Cromwell, Ronan Rees, Geneviève Bujold.

"Still Mine"

Published on Aug. 2, 2013 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

 

Photo courtesy of Samuel Goldwyn Films

“Still Mine” (2013)

Based on a true story, Craig (James Cromwell) and Irene (Genevieve Bujold) have been happily married for a very long time on their family farm. Craig realizes that they can’t keep living in their primitive, two-story house much longer. Irene is starting to show signs of Alzheimer’s and isn’t able to get around the house as she once did. Craig decides to build on his own much smaller house, designed so that his wife can continue to live on the farm.

So Craig starts building his house on his land, just as his father taught him many years ago. But these are different times and soon Craig, used to doing things on his own terms, learns that he must follow the town of New Brunswick building codes in order to continue. At every turn, Craig is given new obstacles to overcome, but he is determined to build the house for the wife that he desperately loves, even if it means taking on the city council and zoning commission.

Craig is a stubborn, set in his ways type of man, who doesn’t have the warmest of relationships with his own grown children. Director/writer Michael McGowan does an excellent job of letting the audience slowly get to know Craig, so that by the end of the film you respect and admire the man and what he is trying to do. I also liked the scenes of showing us a hallway door that has the marks for their children’s height’s as they grew up or the close-ups of the furniture that Craig has created. The house is filled with the history of their lives and so we see that building this new house isn’t something to be taken lightly.

The heart of the film is James Cromwell as he gives a moving and powerful performance. Cromwell has become one of cinemas most dependable actors, and he doesn’t let the audience down one bit in this demanding role. It’s the loving relationship with his wife, where Cromwell really shines, showing us a depth and warmth to his character that Craig allows to come out only around his wife. Bujold plays off of Cromwell with an ease that you really believe that these two people have been living together for a very long time. The scenes where they reminisce over their life together are especially touching because we know that those few moments when Irene is thinking clearly are few and far between.

I liked the supporting cast in this film, especially Rick Roberts and Julie Stewart, who play two of Craig’s grown children. Both characters are a little worn around the edges as if dealing with their stubborn father has put a few years on their age. Their interactions with their father give us an insight to his character, showing just how determined he can be. Campbell Scott does a fine job as the attorney that tries to help Craig with his battle the town council. There are also some enjoyable scenes that Craig has with his cantankerous neighbor, played by George R. Robertson. The good nature ribbing and insults that go on between the two friends brings some nice comic relief to the film.

This is a touching movie that makes you want to savor the moments you have with loved ones. It’s a film that celebrates one man’s devotion to his wife and the memories that they created together.   My Rating: Bargain Matinee

My movie rating system from Best to Worst:  1). I Would Pay to See it Again  2). Full Price  3). Bargain Matinee  4). Cable  5). You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again

Still Mine Website
The film is playing in Atlanta at Tara Cinemas 4