"The Connection"

My review of "The Connection" starring Jean Dujardin, Gilles Lellouche, Céline Sallette.

"The Connection"

Posted on Jun. 19, 2015 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

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Photo courtesy of Drafthouse Films

“The Connection” (2014)

Pierre Michel (Jean Dujardin) is a French police magistrate who works in the Juvenile division. When we first meet Pierre, he is working to reach a young girl hooked on heroin. He’s tough, but it is obvious that he cares about what is happening to the young people of Marseilles. He is determined to make a difference.

He is singled out for his outstanding work and is promoted to the organized-crime unit. He has been hand-picked to spearhead a new campaign to stop the rampant drug trafficking in the city. The organization behind most of it is a crime gang named The French. The French is run by Gaetan “Tany” Zampa (Gilles Lellouche), a stylish crime boss who owns a local night club, lives in a big mansion with his wife and kids and runs the gang with an iron first.

Pierre finds out that it’s not going to be an easy job. Zampa is a very slick operator, never leaving a paper trail and uses an elaborate distribution  system not only in the city but also to the United States. Zampa is so well organized that Pierre discovers the police have almost no information on The French and Zampa. If Pierre is going to succeed, he will have to outwork and out think Zampa.

“The Connection” is based on a true story and was the basis for the 1971 American crime drama “The French Connection.” While that film was about the delivery of drugs into New York City, this film concentrates on the French criminals and the magistrate who was trying to stop them.

Pierre and Zampa seem like opposites, but both love their families and are hard-working. Both men are not above breaking the rules. Pierre isn’t above working all night, sacrificing his time with his family to succeed. Either will kill anyone who gets in his way. As the film progresses, it becomes a cat and mouse game between the two men. Both men are desperate to succeed, and one may have to die for the feud to end.

Co-writer/director Cedric Jimenez keeps the story moving along. The film has a nice seventies feel to it, but other than the music, the time period doesn’t dominate the movie. The action sequences are fast-moving and exciting, making the film seem shorter than its two hour and 15-minute length.

The two leads are the reason to see this film. Oscar-winning Dujardin seems a bit of an odd pick for the role because at first he seems to cool and classy for the role. But as the film progresses, Dujardin allows his character to become more and more uncomfortable in his own skin, not happy with the way his life is turning. Dujardin becomes disheveled as the movie progresses as his character becomes obsessed with bringing down Zampa. Gilles Lellouche more than holds his own when he is on the screen with the magnetic Dujardin. Lellouche is so full of energy that at times it seems that he doesn’t just appear on scenes but bursts onto the screen instead . Lellouche does a remarkable job making us like him; even root for him a little, while he is doing even more despicable acts.

Unfortunately, “The Connection” is going to be compared to the 1971 film “The French Connection” even though they are two very different films. “The Connection” is an excellent addition to the crime drama genre with two outstanding performances by Dujardin and Lellouche.   My Rating: Full Price

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

The film is playing exclusively at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema

If you want to see more of Mike’s reviews and interviews click here

“The Connection” Website

"Barely Lethal"

My review of "Barely Lethal" starring Hailee Steinfeld, Jaime King, Samuel L. Jackson, Madeleine Stack.

"Barely Lethal"

Posted on June 5, 2015 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

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Photo courtesy of A24

“Barely Lethal” (2015)

There is a secret organization run by a man named Hardman (Samuel L. Jackson) that trains young girls from an early age to become Prescott’s, cold-blooded assassins. Agent 83 (Hailee Steindfeld) has always been one of the best trainees. The only problem is that she doesn’t want to be there. She longs for something else. She wants to experience growing up as a normal teenager, concerned with dating and what movies to see, rather than her current choices of killing her target with a knife or a gun.

Agent 83 is sent out in the field to capture Victoria Knox (Jessica Alba), a notorious arms dealer whose repartition of being ruthless is well founded. Agent 83 finds her target and apprehends Knox but in the process, Agent 83 falls from the rescue plane and by all appearances, dies. Agent 82 successfully survives the fall and decides that this is her chance at a normal life, she can let Hardman think that she has died. A few weeks later, she poses as a foreign exchange student from Canada and finds a nice family to take her in. She now realizes her dream of becoming a normal teenager. But soon the former agent, now going by the name Megan, is going to discover that being a high-school student is just as dangerous as being an international assassin.

This movie is a mix mash of several different genres. It’s a teen film with its roots in films such as “Mean Girls” and “Clueless.” Several times movies like “The Breakfast Club” or “Mean Girls” are quoted in the film. It’s a fish out of water film, as Megan has always been home-schooled by Hardman and her only points of reference to being a teen are teen magazines and teen-oriented films and TV shows. It’s also an international spy movie with references to James Bond.

The film is part action film, part romantic comedy (teen edition), and it’s the comedic elements where the film doesn’t always work. There are a couple of very funny scenes; one where Megan explains to her possible love interest, Cash (Toby Sebastian), on how a real life hit is different than the video game he is playing. She goes into great detail on how she would proceed to enter the compound and confront the bad guys. The problem is that most of the attempts at humor are a little heavy-handed and don’t work. The film does a better job at the action sequences, and Steindfeld does a believable job at being a bad-ass agent who can take down a bad guy in just one move.

I liked Steindfeld in this film, as she has a commanding presence and makes the shift easily from the tough agent to the lost high school girl, at almost a moment’s notice. She has great chemistry with both Jackson and Alba, making their roles believable. I also liked Toby Sebastian as Cash, the most popular boy in school who shows an interest in Megan. Sebastian works well with Steindfeld, and he makes the cool guy seem interested in her quirky character. I did get tired of his signing (he is in a popular band in their high school). The actor who steals the movie is Thomas Mann, who plays the first guy who is nice to Megan. Mann is perfect as the nerdy A/V guy who is secretly in love with Megan and their scenes together as some of the best of the film.

While “Barely Lethal” is not a bad film, this movie could have been a game changer for the teen romance genre. Instead, it followed the same old plot lines of the films that Megan watched to learn how to be a teenager. It’s an opportunity lost, especially with the outstanding cast this film has.     My Rating: Bargain Matinee

My Ratings (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

“Barely Lethal” Website

"I'll See You in My Dreams"

My review of "I'll See You in My Dreams" starring Blythe Danner, Martin Starr, Sam Elliott.

"I'll See You in My Dreams"

Posted on May, 29, 2015 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Bleeker Street

“I’ll See You in My Dreams” (2015)

Carol (Blythe Danner) is a widow of over twenty years. She lives alone with her dog and has a daily routine that she sticks to without fail. She has friends with whom she plays bridge and golf with, but most of her days are quite predictable. She gets up at six, reads the paper with a cup of coffee, gardens during the day and ends her day with her dog at the foot of the bed while she drinks a glass of wine and watches a bit of TV. Her world is changed by two events: she has to put her beloved dog down, and she meets her new pool cleaner, a young man named Lloyd (Martin Starr).

Carol realizes in talking to Lloyd that she is in a bit of a rut. While happy in her life, she realizes that she just might want more and begins to try things out of her comfort zone. Even the disaster of a speed dating round at the local retirement community doesn’t deter her. She goes with Lloyd to a karaoke bar and discovers the world of bad singing and appletini’s. She then meets a man named Bill (Sam Elliott), someone who is going to push Carol to examine her life in a little more detail.

Photo courtesy of Bleeker Street

“I’ll See You in My Dreams” is that rare film, part romantic comedy, part drama, whose main character is over sixty and a woman. The film doesn’t always work, but it’s an earnest attempt at exploring the possibilities of life when older and alone.

The weakest points of this film are when it tries to do broad comedy. The disastrous speed dating sequence is played strictly for laughs, compete with a herpes joke. A highly predictable set of scenes where Carol and her three girlfriends get high and hit the grocery store for munchies just doesn’t fit the rest of film. It’s too over the top and encounter with a cop as they stumble back home from the store, goes on way too long.'

What makes this film click is the marvelous performances in the film, especially by Danner and Elliott. Elliott is perfect, displaying his usual manly, gruff exterior, but letting us see that his character has both a sense of humor and tenderness. Elliott can do more with just a smirk and a wink than many actors can do with whole scenes, and it’s obvious that he is having a blast making this film. His scenes with Danner are the best part of the film. Their chemistry is through the roof, and they play off each other with ease. They give the audience the idea that these two characters truly care about each other, and the sparks between them are there right from the start. Danner is phenomenal in the part of Carol, commanding the screen, even when she is on the screen with Elliott. Danner makes us fall in love with Carol, and we are rooting for her right from the start, hoping that she will find love again.

Martin Starr, as the thoughtful poet who is moonlighting as a pool guy, is equally compelling. He has some significant scenes with Danner, as their two characters become friends over the pool, some wine and a rat that keeps showing up in Carol’s house. Starr has a tendency to play very quirky, nerdy roles but in this film he is very restrained and gives a delightful performance of a man who is trying to find his way in the world, something that Lloyd and Carol bond over. The supporting cast of Rhea Perlman, June Squibb and the captivating Mary Kay Place, who play Carol’s band of friends, is equally strong. I especially like the scenes between Place and Danner, displaying a warm and true friendship.

Director Brett Haley directs the rather large cast with a steady hand. It’s obvious that he cares about the characters, especially Carol and propels the story along with a sense of purpose and affection. While the movie has its cliché’s and a couple of cheap laughs, it still treats its subject matter with a gentle touch, making us appreciate Carol’s journey of self-discovery and search for maybe even love.    My Rating: Full Price

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

"Good Kill"

My review of "Good Kill" starring Ethan Hawke, January Jones, Zoë Kravitz.

"Good Kill"

Posted on May 29, 2015 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

“Good Kill” (2014)

Thomas (Ethan Hawke) is an Air Force pilot, or at least, he used to be. He has traded his cockpit of an F-16 flying over Afghanistan for a seat in an air-conditioned portable building in the desert of Las Vegas. He now is flying drones that are thousands of miles away, a virtual video game that he uses to kill people in the real world. It’s killing Thomas, and he desperately wants to be flying again, feeling the pull of the g’s and the thrill of knowing that anything could go wrong at a moment’s notice.

Thomas gets to go home every night to his home in the suburbs to his wife and kids, but he doesn’t seem to find much solace in the comforts of being home. He spends his nights secretly drinking alcohol from a bottle he hides in the bathroom, rarely interacting with his wife, Molly (January Jones). He does all the things that a suburban husband does: he mans the grill for neighborhood bar-b-q’s, helps the kids with their homework and picking them up at school. Instead of enjoying these moments, Thomas keeps daydreaming of flying again, longing for that adrenaline rush.

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

Even the addition of Airman Vera Suarez (Zoe Kravitz) to his team doesn’t pull Thomas out of his funk. He pleads with his immediate commanding officer; Lt. Colonel Johns (Bruce Greenwood) to be giving back a plane falls on deaf ears. Thomas’s world gets even more depressing as their mission changes from the comfort of the Air Force to the shadowy world of the CIA. The CIA doesn’t play by the rules, and now Thomas has to fire his drone missiles at possible innocent civilians. HIs career, his marriage, and his sanity may not survive much longer.

“Good Kill” never hits the mark as it tries to cover too many aspects of today’s military life. The film wants to be about the de-humanizing of modern warfare. Instead of directly interact with your enemy on the ground, now you watch from a distance as your bombs hit their precise targets. It wants to explore the war on terrorism, and the idea that the tactics of remote killing is creating more problems than solving them. The problem is the film never fully explores these ideas with any conviction or purpose, making  those scenes seem just another part of the film.

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

Writer / director Andrew Niccol misses the mark also on the home life scenes. The interaction between Thomas and his wife is just one long silence. Rarely do the characters interact with each other, and if they do show any emotion, it goes way over the top. We have seen the marriage denigrating through lack of communication and understanding too many times, as the film doesn’t bring anything new to its storyline.

Ethan Hawke, as the brooding pilot is never asked to do too much, and much like the character that he plays, it’s a lackluster performance. Hawke’s character rarely interacts with anyone, never giving him a chance to really explore his character or let any layers come through. January Jones is not unitized at all; most of her scenes are of her either suffering in silence or doing a slow burn. Bruce Greenwood gives a somewhat inspired performance of a commander who longs for the old-school way of doing things, but must adapt his command skills as best he can for this new world. Zoe Kravitz is wasted in the role of the possible love interest of Hawk’s character. She has to deliver some of the worst lines of the film as her character tries to survive in the “boys club” of their unit.

“Good Kill” never quite connects with its audience, failing to give anything other than a rather predictable story that can’t settle on what its message is. Like Thomas in the film, we too feel disconnected and empty when the film finishes.    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

“Good Kill” is playing exclusively in Atlanta at the Plaza Theatre

"Slow West"

My review of "Slow West" starring Kodi Smit-McPhee, Michael Fassbender, Ben Mendelsohn.

"Slow West"

Posted on May 22, 2015 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy A24

“Slow West” (2015)

The film opens up with a shot of Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a 16-year-old Scottish aristocrat as he lays on a blanket and stares at the sky full of stars. He points his six-shooter at the starts and reminisces about a girl he once knew. While we see the girl, whose name is Rose (Caren Pistorius) likes Jay, but it’s pretty evident that Jay is more enamored with the girl.

Jay is traveling through the frontier on a mission to find his Rose, who has left Scotland for America. He comes across Native American women and children fleeing the forest. The further he goes into the woods the smokier it gets, until he comes across the scene of a burned-out Native American village. He then comes across a male Native American, who quickly runs by him, followed by three men dressed in Army uniforms. Two of the men run after the other man, and the man in command stays to talk to the suet covered Jay. As Jay talks with the man, it’s apparent that he is in trouble, as the man becomes more and more aggressive towards Jay. Suddenly, the man is struck down by a bullet in the back.

The man who shot the gun is Silas Select (Michael Fassbender) who tells the boy to stay there until he gets back. The man takes off after the other two soldiers and soon you here several shots. Silas returns sizes up Jay and says that Jay will never survive on his own. As Silas says, Jay is certainly “a jackrabbit in a den of wolves.” Silas offers to escort Jay to his destination for 100 bucks and Jay, seeing the reality of the situation, accepts. They start upon their journey, one that will change both men forever.

“Slow West” has the feeling of a modern western film but still has some roots in the classic films with touches of “True Grit” and “The Searchers” flowing throughout the movie. Writer / director John Maclean has written a script that is impressive, imaginative and original. The film is a classic “quest” film; with our hero trying to complete a journey that seems to have impossible odds stacked against it. There is a beautiful contrast between the world-weary cowboy who is only out for himself and sees the world as a horrible place versus Jay’s outlook that you can find the good in everyone. Silas sees the West as something to survive. Jay sees the beauty in, willing even to romanticize a bit about it. Silas is ready to give up multiple times on their journey while Jay is always pressing forward, many times at his own peril.

Maclean lets the film move along at a nice place, knowing when to slow it down and when to accelerate the action. It’s obvious that he loves westerns, and his wide screen shots of the prairies are defiantly homage to old-school directors like John Ford and Howard Hawks. The film balances the violence of the old west with the beauty of the land. There is quite a bit of violence in the film, but it’s never gratuitous and helps propel the story along. Mcclean shines when it comes to the action sequences, especially the many shootouts that occur. The action is fast and well-choreographed in those scenes, and the camera is always in the perfect place.

Michael Fassbender is the reason to see this film. He looks as he is made to be in a western, looking comfortable on the screen in a cowboy hat and cigar in his mouth. He dominates the scenes that he is in, reminding me of a modern western Clint Eastwood, giving us a man who keeps his feelings on the inside. He has a nice rapport on the screen with Kodi Smit-McPhee. They play off each other incredibly well, and they have a bond that the audience can see between the two men. Smit-McPhee is perfect in the role of the wide-eyed and optimistic Jay. He plays the nerdy boy trying to survive in the West to a t, and you instantly root for him to succeed.

“Slow West” is a modern take on the classic western, and you will want to go through the journey with the cowboy named Silas, and the Scotsman named Jay.     My Rating: Full Price

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

“Slow West” Website

The film is playing in Atlanta exclusively at the Plaza Theatre

"Where Hope Grows"

My review of "Where Hope Grows" starring  Kristoffer Polaha, David DeSanctis, Danica McKellar.

"Where Hope Grows"

Posted on May 15, 2015 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Godspeed Pictures

“Where Hope Grows” (2015)

Calvin (Kristoffer Polaha) isn’t doing very well. He is raising his 16-year old daughter (McKaley Miller) by himself, and she is dating a boy who is much too old for her. Calvin, a former professional baseball player who lost his career to panic attacks, doesn’t have a job and drinks way too much. Calvin doesn’t know how to communicate with his daughter, misses appointments, and meetings, and he has barely escaped getting a DUI on multiple occasions.

Calvin finds himself at the local grocery store, stocking up on liquor when he starts up a conversation with a young man named Produce (David DeSanctis). Produce knows the store forwards and backward, and is the hardest worker the grocery has. There is one thing that makes Produce unique, he has Down syndrome.

Much to the dismay of his friends and his daughter, Calvin starts hanging out more and more with Produce. While at times the relationship is father/son like most of the time, Calvin sees Produce as his equal. In fact, Calvin starts seeing Produce as almost his life guide. Produce seems always to have a phrase or philosophy on how to live life to its fullest. If he isn’t careful, Calvin just might learn a thing or two from Produce. There is only one thing that gets Produce down; he is convinced that he isn’t smart enough to win employee of the month.

Writer/Director Chris Dowling has brought us a film with lots of heart. It’s a movie about friendship, love, forgiveness and redemption. At the center of the film is the budding relationship between Produce and Calvin, who become almost inseparable as the movie goes on. The film tackles a number of tough subjects, a little unusual for a movie that has its roots in Christian film. The lead character is an unapologetic alcoholic. His daughter is deciding when to give up her virginity. There is also infidelity, and then there is the treatment of Produce himself, who has to deal with prejudice and judgment at almost every turn.

I liked Polaha in the role of the tortured and troubled Calvin, creating a character that makes a lot of mistakes, human and at times likable. He has a graceful, easy presence on screen and works well with both Miller, playing his daughter and DeSanctis as the lovable Produce. This is DeSanctis’s film as he steals every scene that he is in. From his first appearance on screen, you root for Produce and DeSanctis’s lovable presence and winning smile makes each scene he is in a delight to watch. There are some great scenes between DeSanctis and Polaha, as their banter is witty and amusing. There’s also a nice contrast between the world-weary Polaha’s character, and the glass is half-full world of DeSanctis’s character.

Photo courtesy of Godspeed Pictures

There are some excellent performances in the supporting cast. McKaley Miller holds her own with Polaha playing the daughter that too often has to become the adult in the relationship with her father. William Zabka plays Calvin’s best friend, and he has a couple of well-done scenes with Polaha. A couple of other notables in the cast are Danica McKellar, playing the wife of Calvin’s best friend and Brooke Burns, who plays a possible love interest for Calvin.

Dowling’s direction is never heavy-handed, and he gets a great performance out of DeSanctis. While a little predictable, the film is an enjoyable experience as it examines how faith affects different people in distinctive ways and how relationships can make or break us. It’s a message of hope, where if we work hard enough, we can find the right path to a happy and healthy life. You will look back and remember how much you enjoyed DeSanctis’s performance.     My Rating: Full Price

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

“Where Hope Grows” Website

"The Hundred Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared"

My review of "The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out a Window and Disappeared" starring Robert Gustafsson, Iwar Wiklander, David Wiberg.

"The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared"

Posted on May 8, 2015 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Music Box Films

“The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared”  (2014)

 

Allan Karlsson (Robert Gustafsson) has just turned 100 years old and isn’t happy. A wolf was stealing chickens from his hen-house and had killed his prized cat. So what’s a guy to do? Allan feels it’s perfectly fine booby-trapping some sticks of dynamite with a few hot dogs and blowing up the animal into small bits. Allen isn’t upset over the wolf; he is upset that the result of him blowing up the wolf, he has been placed in a retirement home.

As the retirement home staff is slowly wheeling a birthday cake toward Allen’s room, Allen decides to make a break for it and climbs out of his first story window to make his big escape. Allan makes his way to a neighborhood train station. Through a series of coincidences, Allen ends up on a train with a mobster’s suitcase full of money. This puts Allen on another one of his infamous journeys, this time with the mob trying to hunt him down.

Photo courtesy of Music Box Films

“The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out a Window and Disappeared” is a poor man’s “Forest Gump” without that film’s humor or the heart. The movie is mostly in Swedish and shows Allen’s life in a series of flashbacks that show that through dumb luck and stupidity, Allen was involved with some of the key events in the past 100 years. Allan has a talent for being able to blow up just about anything or anybody. One minute Allan is fighting for the revolution in Spain in the 1930s and the next minute, he saves by accident General Franco from a bomb. Franco rewards Allan with a party. This all plays against Allan’s adventures in present day, as he stumbles his way across the landscape, meeting all sorts of people willing to help him, as he continually ducks the mobster’s henchmen.

The comedic scenes in this film are rarely funny, and a number of scenes border on being incredibly stupid or mean. In one very strange scene, a flashback shows Allen being castrated by a racist doctor. A number of people who threaten Allan end up dying rather grisly deaths. These deaths are meant to be funny or ironic, but the effect is more revolting than humorous.

The screenplay, written by director Felix Herngren and Hans Ingemansson, never finds its footing. It can’t decide what it wants to be, mixing too many genres in, as if they thought it would make the film more interesting. Herngren’s direction is equally haphazard, as he never quite gets a grip on this sometimes sprawling film that wants to be bigger than it actually is. The flashback scenes never mesh with the present day scenes, making both seem out of context as the film transitions back and forth making the film feel that it is full of abrupt starts and stops. The film uses known characters from history to try and spice up the story line, like Joseph Stalin or Harry S. Truman. Most of these historical characters aren’t utilized fully, making it seem as though the script just threw them into the mix to make it seem more interesting.

Robert Gustafsson does an admirable job as the younger Allan but when playing the 100-year-old Allen, it’s as he is sleepwalking through the role. I realize he is playing a man who is 100 years old, but the performance has no life, no energy to it. I did like some of the supporting cast. Mia Karinger, who plays a woman who always picks the wrong man to get involved with, brings a needed energy to the storyline. She is one of many characters that seem to get sucked into Allen’s adventures.

“The Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared” never hits its mark, giving us a rambling storyline and characters we never care about. It’s a film that wastes an interesting premise, never displaying the humor it sorely needs. The film kind of blows up in the end, much like Allan’s beloved dynamite, leaving a rather large hole in the story line.    My Rating: Cable

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

The film is playing exclusively in Atlanta at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema

“The 100-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared” Website