"Sing Street"

My review of "Sing Street"

"Sing Street"

Posted on April 26, 2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of The Weinstein Company

When we first meet 15-year-old Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo), he is alone in his room attempting to write a song with his guitar. He is not doing too well in his songwriting, not because he can’t sing or play, but because his parents are downstairs arguing in a heated conversation that seems to get louder, even as Conor closes his door. The arguing is so loud that Conor starts to incorporate the dialogue of his parent’s argument into his song.

Conor is summoned downstairs for a family meeting. He learns that due to dwindling finances, his parents (Aidan Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy) have decided that Conor will have to leave his private Jesuit school for a local public school run by Catholic priests. Conor is the only one in the family that is affected by this decision. Conor’s older brother, Brendan (Jack Reynor), he dropped out of college and spends his days listening to music and smoking weed in his room. His older sister (Kelly Thornton) is going to college on a scholarship. The kids seem to spend most of their time in the house avoiding their parent’s daily fights. The family appears to spend its only time together watching “Top of the Pops,” a music program that sometimes plays music videos for bands like Duran Duran.

Conor’s first day is full of adventure, in a bad way. He instantly doesn’t fit in, as the other students sense that he is a little different from this rough and tumble group of kids. He is told by the head priest that his shoes must be black, not brown like the ones he has on. He is instantly challenged on the school yard by a bully and is made fun of constantly by the rest of his fellow students. He does make a friend in another outcast, Darren (Ben Carolan), whose life plan is to become some sort of manager, as displayed on his homemade business card.

Conor’s day becomes better when he spots a beautiful girl hanging out on the doorsteps of a building across from the school. He musters up the courage to talk with the girl to the surprise of Darren. Her name is Raphina (Lucy Boynton), and though only a year older, seems much more mature and sure of herself. She is a model with plans on going to London and hitting it big. Conor sees this information as an opportunity and quickly tells her that he is in a band, and they need a model to shoot a video. She makes Conor prove that he can sing and then when convinced that he can, she gives him her “digits,” Conor walks triumphantly back to his friend and tells Darren that they must now form a band.

Writer/director John Carney, who brought us the fantastic “Once” (2007) and the enchanting “Begin Again” (2013), works his magic again to bring us the delightful “Sing Street.” Part love story where Conor tries and mostly fails to woo Raphina, part coming of age story as our hero finds his voice in making music, the film succeeds on both fronts. The music is the heart of this movie. Carney uses the fledgling days of MTV to be the backbone of the music genres that are displayed. As Conor attempts to figure out the sound and style of his band; he is influenced by the latest videos and the almost nightly lessons in rock music that his brother conducts for him. Conor’s brother has a vast collection record collection and delights in giving out his opinion on what is and isn’t good music. We get to enjoy legendary songs from Duran Duran, The Cure, A-Ha, The Clash, and Spandau Ballet. While the classic 80s songs are fun to listen to, it’s the original songs sung by Conor and his band that makes this film a joy to watch. As the band and Conor develop, they take the influences of MTV and Conor’s brother, meshing them into their own songs. Each song is catchy, upbeat and a blast to listen and watch on the screen. The music videos the band creates are hilarious, though I must say, even their first attempt at a music video is better than probably a third of the videos that were on MTV at that time-period. There is a fantasy musical number where Conor envisions a music video that is far superior to a lot of recent Hollywood musical numbers. Equally inventive and fun are the costumes, designed by Tiziana Corvisieri, that change as the band moves forward to embrace the latest styles in both look and music.

Photo courtesy of The Weinstein Company

I loved the chemistry between the two leads. Ferdia Walsh-Peelo is riveting as the talented, but sometimes unsure Conor. Walsh-Peelo has an excellent singing voice that works well with the song styles of the era. He makes you believe that Conor will succeed, no matter what obstacle he has to overcome. Lucy Boynton is perfect as the femme fatale Raphina, who is intrigued by Conor, even when he shows his youth in his attempts to impress her. They work incredibly well on the screen together, making their attraction seem believable, and we sense that it’s inevitable that they will somehow end up with each other.

“Sing Street” is a joyful celebration of a very creative time in music. By the time the film ends, you will wish that Conor and his “Sing Street” band was real because you will want to hear more of their songs, hopefully on that newfangled cable channel that plays all those music videos.    My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again 

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

“Sing Street” Website

"Little Sister"

My Indie Grits Review of "Little Sister"

"Little Sister"

Posted on April 17, 2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Forager Film Company

Film is reviewed from the 2016 Indie Grits Festival screening.

'Little Sister'   (2016)

You know it’s not going to be an ordinary story when a film about a nun starts with a quote from a Marilyn Manson. The film opens with a woman (Ally Sheedy) send an urgent email to her daughter, who she calls sweet pea. We pick up bits and pieces of the email and learn that the woman is writing her daughter about her son, who has locked himself away from everyone in the guest house, refusing to come out. The mother pleads with the daughter to write back or better yet, visit. Colleen (Addison Timlin), who reluctantly reads the email, is nun living in New York, who is in her final stages to making her status permeant. While committed to the lifestyle, she is still very young. We see her as she goes out late at night to attend a friend’s avant-guard play about 9/11. Backstage she is made fun of by cast members of the play. The late night causes her to slack in her duties, including falling asleep while playing the organ during a service.

The mother superior of the order Coleen lives at, figures out that something is wrong. She talks about the next big step in Colleen’s journey to become a nun, and that she should take some time off to make sure that she is fully committed to the life of a nun. Colleen takes this opportunity to borrow a car and travel to her parent’s home. She arrives at her parent’s home empty, and her brother will not answer the door to the guest house. The only signs of life are the constant drumming that her brother apparently is playing inside. Her parents and her brother’s fiancee (Kristin Salesman) finally arrive, with her father, Jake (Keith Poulson), the sole one to warmly greet her. Her mother proudly tells Coleen that she is on new medication, and everything will be OK. Collin now must decide to stay and try to reach out to her brother, or go back to her serene life as a nun.

Writer/director Zach Clark has produced an inventive storyline without creating cliche’s, making us feel that the family we get to know in this film are real and are dealing with real-life problems. Set in 2008, when the country was caught up in the Presidential race and was tiring of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the family is dealing with depression and guilt. Coleen’s brother has been significantly affected by his service during the war and may never recover. Coleen’s mom has apparently dealt with depression all her life, and it’s a daily struggle for her and family to deal with. In the middle of this is Coleen having to decide if she is indeed made for the life of service and commitment to the church.

Clark writes flowing dialogue that makes this families strength and weaknesses very evident. The scenic specially between the mom, played by Sheedy and Coleen are heartfelt and many times distressful to watch, as both characters struggle to understand each other and try to hide their painful memories. Even a supporting character, such as Tricia, the finance, feel fleshed out and believable, as we see her character dealing with much more than she ever bargained for. Clark’s characters, while quirky and full of buried secrets, are honest and conceivable. This storyline could have gone over the top and tried to be a wacky comedy, but instead we get meaningful, painful moments that a real family dealing with hard times has.

The cast is a delight to watch. Molly Plunk is funny as Colleen’s high school friend who may be on the run as an animal right’s activist. Barbara Crampton, at the Reverend Mother, shines as her character goes from understanding to downright angry, as Coleen keeps extending her trip, with the Reverend Mother’s car in tow. Peter Hedges as the put-upon father of the family, is amusing as he deals with all his families quirks and Keith Poulson, as Coleen’s troubled brother, gives a moving performance.

It’s Sheedy as the mom that doesn’t deal with well with change and Addison Timlin as her daughter; that makes this film work so skilfully. Sheedy gives a powerful, multi-leveled performance that keeps surprising us with her raw emotions that come out from time to time. Her scenes with Timlin, cut us to the bone with passion and power, especially near the end of the film, when the two finally have a real mother/daughter moment. Timlin is perfect as the meek nun, who we learn was a Goth kid in high school and slowly, surely shows her independence and determination to help her brother weather the storm of emotions that he is feeling.

My favorite scene in this film sums up how well this movie works on a number of levels. Coleen, in an attempt to reach her brother, has dyed her hair pink and gone full Goth with her makeup. She does a fantastic little dance as she lip sync’s to Gwar’s “Have You Seen Me? ” while dismembering a stuffed baby doll. It’s a scene that is both funny and quirky as well as moving, something this movie is also.   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

Indie Grits Festival Website

"My Blind Brother"

My SXSW Movie Review of "My Blind Brother"

"My Blind Brother"

Posted on 3/25/2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Orion Pictures

“My Blind Brother “ (2016)

Film is reviewed from the 2016 SXSW Film Festival screening.

When we first meet Bill (Nick Kroll), he is running in a marathon. He is struggling a bit, unlike his blind brother Robbie (Adam Scott), who Bill is tethered to. Robbie makes everything look easy, having an almost rock star feel about him as he deals easily with family, friends, fans and the media. Robbie is somewhat a media star, competing in athletic events to raise money for his foundation, never missing an opportunity to be interviewed by the local TV stations. Bill, on the other hand, finds himself always in the background, never getting the attention or acknowledgment, even though he is right there by his brother’s side. It seems that Bill is responsible for Robbie’s blindness, having tricked his brother into diving into the shallow end of the pool.

Bill decides to head to the local bar to forget how much a loser he is compared to his brother, and there he meets Rose (Jenny Slate), a young woman who has just lost her boyfriend to an accident and is participating in his wake at the bar. Jenny confides in Bill that she is responsible for her boyfriend’s death, as she had just broken up with him, upsetting him, and, therefore, he didn’t pay attention to where he was going and was hit by a bus. Rose mentions that she should be doing something selfless, like working with the less fortunate, if just for karma’s sake. Commiserating in their sad lives, they hit it off and eventually end up sleeping together. The next morning, Rose is hit with guilt over her dead boyfriend and makes a hasty exit from Bill’s apartment. Bill, not knowing much about Rose, thinks he will never see her again.

Bill meets up with Robbie, all set to start training for a swim across a local lake when Robbie tells Bill that he doesn’t have to train with him anymore. Robbie announces he has a new guide, a volunteer. His new guide just happens to be Rose.  Now will Bill stand idly by as Robbie works his charms on Rose or will he fight back against his brother and not let his guilt take over?

I loved this film, mostly due to the witty writing and the winning performances of Nick Kroll and Jenny Slate. The humor in this movie can be a little cutting, mostly at the expense of Robbie, but that’s OK because he is a selfish jerk who steps all over his brother, especially if it means that he can be in the spotlight. Sophie Goodhart, who wrote and directed “My Blind Brother” has a real feel for dialogue and the banter back and forth between Bill and Rose seems real and is hilarious. Some of the funniest scenes are between Rose and Bill, with Robbie in their presence, oblivious to what is going on.

The cast is brilliant in this film. Adam Scott is perfect in the role of Robbie, who never met a microphone he didn’t like, lapping up all the attention of his fans and family. Scott plays Robbie as if he is entitled to every perk because he feels he deserves it because he is blind. Zoe Kazan, as the hapless friend of Rose, who is there for support and sometimes bad advice, is terrific and plays off of Slate’s Rose nicely. Nick Kroll is a counterbalance to Adam Scott’s Robbie. Kroll plays Bill as a sad sack kind of person who lets his brother walk all over him, even if it means that his brother gets the girl he is in love with. Kroll has excellent comic timing and meshes fully with both Scott and Slate. He has great chemistry with Slate, making their attraction seem genuine. Jenny Slate is the real star of this film, and she plays the kooky, messed up girl with a sweetness that will make you just fall in love with her from the start.

“My Blind Brother” is a fun ride that will have you laughing from the start and maybe squirming in your seat a few times. It’s not your ordinary romantic comedy, with real characters and a sense of humor that is a little biting. It’s a world you would love to be a part of; we just hope that somehow, someway Rose and Bill will figure out a way that they can end up together.   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

"Operator"

My SXSW Movie Review of "Operator"

"Operator"

Posted on March 23,2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of The Orchard

Film is reviewed from the 2016 SXSW Film Festival screening.

'Operator'  (2016)

Joe (Martin Starr) and Emily (Mae Whitman) are two very different people who balance each other in their marriage. Joe is an engineer for a software company and sees things very black or white. His world is very analytically and data filled; he makes decisions based solely on the cold, hard facts. Joe is also all about regimen and keeping schedules and routines. He takes a 37-minute run every day, always turning around at the halfway point, a jetty that looks out over the water.

Emily is more a people person. In fact, she is amazing in her job as a hotel concierge. She can instantly put a customer at ease with her ability to find the problem and solve it as quickly as possible. She is also able to get the customer to instantly know that she is on their side and will do everything that she can to make it right. Where Joe has problems relating to people, Emily is someone who enjoys interacting with people. Emily doesn’t want to be a concierge for long, as she has just joined a comedy troupe who perform 30 plays in 60 minutes. Somehow they make their marriage work, each playing off the other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Joe works for a company that is developing software/apps for a healthcare system called Welltrix. The product testing of the app is not going well, as callers are getting mad at the app’s personality, making them feel that the company doesn’t care about their well-being. Joe is given a week to come up with a better app, one that reflects the personality of someone who cares. Joe recalls how skillfully Emily does with frustrated customers and volunteers his wife to be voice and personality of the newly designed app. Emily agrees to it when Joe tells her if the app gets the go ahead, she will be compensated, well enough that she could quit her day job at the hotel. It’s a decision that they will soon regret as their marriage will be tested.

“Operator” is a film about trying to keep a relationship going strong in this day and age of electronic devices dominating our attention, multiple jobs and two very distinct personalities who don’t always mesh. This is a story about two people who are very different in their views of the world, but somehow find the time and the patience to listen and understand each other.

The on-screen chemistry between the two leads makes this film work so well. Mae Whitman gives an outstanding performance as the young woman who wants more than anything to be a performer. When her character is performing on stage with her comedy troupe, we see just how gifted she is as a comedic actress, but she is equally brilliant in her most vulnerable and tender scenes with Martin Starr, showing us how complicated her character is.

Martin Starr holds his own with Whitman, though because of his character’s personality, his performance is much more restrained. Starr has always specialized in playing strange characters in films, but this performance is probably one of his best, bringing depth and emotion to a character that has trouble letting his emotions get to the surface. We see the love and determination in his face as his character has to overcome his own shortcomings in order to keep his marriage going.

Nat Faxon as the needy boss of Joe, Christine Lahti, as Joe’s mom, and Cameron Esposito, as a pushy, opinionated cast member in Emily’s comedy troupe, all contribute significantly to the story line, making the film feel rich in character development and give it a great back story.

Sharon Greene and Logan Kibens (who also directed the film) have written a script that is highly inventive and a joy to watch, giving us real characters to follow and explore. The writers make us care about Emily and Joe, giving us a reason to root so hard for their success.

“Operator” is a film that has a lot to say about relationships and how technology can get in the way of two people trying to connect. It’s a movie that will make you put down that smart phone and spend some time with Joe and Emily as they find their way together in this busy and distracting world.     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

"I Am a Hero"

My SXSW movie review of "I Am A Hero"

"I Am a Hero"

Posted on March 18, 2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Toho Studios

“I Am a Hero” (2015)

Hideo (Yô Ôizumi) is an artist who works on Japanese-style comic books called Manga. He once had a promising future, with a girlfriend and an award for “newcomer of the year” from his employer. While others have gotten promotions or their own series, Hideo is toiling on inking other people’s work and wishing for some sort of break. He dreams of being a big artist with his own series, but everything he pitches gets rejected by his boss. His co-workers don’t like him, and he has a tendency to stare off into space, fantasizing about making it big. His home life isn’t much better than his work. His girlfriend has been waiting for 15 years for Hideo to make something of his life and has become more and more frustrated with him, even to the point of blaming him for wasting her youth. She finally hits a breaking point, throws out his prized skeet shotgun and tells him that they are over. All Hideo can do is apologize for his failings and leave with his tail between his legs.

After spending a night on the streets, having been locked out of his apartment by his girlfriend, he heads for the office. Upon his arrival, the office is a mess. A TV blares a report about a virus that is spreading throughout the population, along with multiple acts of violence that are breaking out all over the country. He finds one of his fellow workers covered in blood, and there are bodies with bashed in heads all over the place. His co-worker informs Hideo that he had to kill the other workers because they got sick and attacked him. Just then, their boss stumbles in, looking horrible and muttering about a deadline. Suddenly his boss attacks Hideo and his friend, leaving the friend to bash the head of their manager into a bloody pulp. Suddenly the fellow worker becomes sick, and Hideo is then attacked. Hideo is able to find the strength to fend off his attacker, and ultimately kill  his sick co-worker.

After a harrowing trip through the streets, as mass panic is happening, Hideo finally makes it home. He pleads to his girlfriend to open the door but she remains silent. He looks through the mail door slot to see his girlfriend lying on their bed. She suddenly starts to convulse and then falls to the floor, at which point his girlfriend slowly moves across the room to the front door. Upon opening she suddenly attacks Hideo, and in this moment he is in the ultimate fight for his life. Is this the point that Hideo becomes the man he always thought he could be or will he die trying to become a hero?

“I Am a Hero” is from the creative and imaginative mind of filmmaker Shinsuke Sato, who based the film on a popular Manga series. The film is funny, fast moving and has incredible action sequences that make this a perfect film for a midnight movie setting, such as the one I attended at SXW. As the film went along, the crowd (and myself) got more and more vocal on cheering on Hideo in his adventure and laughing at the numerous comedic parts in the film.

Hideo is an unlikely hero, though he fantasizes that he is, and more often than not, he cannot pull the trigger (literally in most cases during the film he fails to shoot his shotgun at really important times). All Hideo wants in life is to be a man of action and courage, but he is more a man of indecision, often freezing when he should act. Yo Ôizumi is pitch-perfect as the ineffective Hideo. He seems to show every emotion broadly on his face, so we are aware of what he is thinking without having to have it explain it to the audience.

The reason that this film is a blast to watch are the zombies. The zombies keep some of the characteristics of who they were when they were alive. A gifted athlete is still capable of performing fantastic feats as a zombie. Someone who like to shop, in zombie form, will attempt to enter stores with a determined purpose. The zombies can also talk, so very often they are muttering phrases that they often said while they alive, like a zombie barista to kill Hideo while also trying to take his order.
“I Am a Hero” is a brilliant, action-packed film that will make any zombie lover want to see this film over and over again, hoping that if the zombie apocalypses happens, we can also say “I Am a Hero.”    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

"Don't Think Twice"

My SXSW review of "Don't Think Twice"

"Don't Think Twice"

Posted on March 16, 2016  on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

'Don't Think Twice'   (2016)

At a small club in New York City, an improv troupe called The Commune performs nightly. The troupe is made up of 6 members, all who have ambitions to either write or perform for the SNL-like TV show called Weekend Live. The troupe has been together for years, and most were recruited from an improv class taught by Mike (Mike Birbiglia), who came within “inches” of making the Weekend Live cast years ago. The rest of The Commune is made up of Jack (Keegan Michael-Key), his girlfriend Samantha (Gillian Jacobs), Allison (Kate Micucci), Bill (Chris Gethard) and Lindsay (Tami Sagher). They don’t get paid much from the show, so most of the group have second jobs or are unemployment.

The troupe is at a crossroads, as the club they perform at is being sold and becoming an “Urban Outfitters.” This creates a bit of panic within the group, as they start thinking about their futures. As luck would have it, a talent scout for Weekend Liveshows up for one of their performances. When Jack and Sam are picked out of the group to audition for the show, this causes quite a bit of friction from the rest of the troupe (though they try not to show it). What will happen if Sam and Jack are picked for the TV show? Will The Commune survive?

I loved writer/director Mike Birbiglia’s first picture “Sleep Walk With Me,” which was about the trials and tribulations of being a stand-up comic on the road. I am happy to say that Birbiglia has done it again with “Don’t Think Twice,” as this movie is as humorous and inventive as his first film. Being a fan of improv and having done some during a stint in a children’s theatre program, I respect how hard it is to be consistently funny while making up things ‘on the fly.” The film gives you great insight into just how hard it is to make it as a comedic performer/writer. This is illustrated by Mike’s living conditions, as his room is basically a bunk bed in a closet. The life of a comedian in the big city is full of pain, rejection and self-doubts, all of which are part of this film. This isn’t a film that romanticizes coming to the big city and making it big. Instead, it shows just how hard and how many sacrifices that someone has to make to just survive. It’s also a film about friendship and competition, as your friend may be the one person that gets the job you covet, fulfilling their dreams as it crushes yours.

The joy of this film is the improv scenes (which by the way; some were scripted, and others were improvised), which will have you on the floor laughing. Even some of the scenes away from the club are fun to watch as the group make fun of each other constantly, though, sometimes the kidding can go too far and touch a nerve or two. The cast is exceptional and the chemistry, when they are doing improv, is brilliant and effortless. Birbiglia plays the insecure Mike with conviction. Keegan Michael-Key is a blast to watch as the group’s star on the rise and his interactions with Gillian Jacobs make it seem like they have been a couple for years. There is a scene near the end of the film between the two that just might bring a tear to your eyes. Kate Micucci is perfect as the talented writer who is scared to finish any project that she starts. Chris Gerhard plays the sad sack Bill with great comic timing and Tami Sagher, shows her strong improv background, standing out when the group performs.

This is a heartfelt, funny film that deals with all the pain, sacrifice and lows that comedians face in their everyday life just so that they can get those few minutes in the spotlight. “Don’t Think Twice” is a film that shows us that as painful as those struggles are, if you can make someone laugh while up on stage; it’s all worth it.    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

“Don’t Think Twice” comes out later this year.

"Midnight Special"

My SXSW movie review of "Midnight Special"

"Midnight Special"

Posted on March 15, 2016 on CWAtlanta.cbslocal.com

Wayback Machine Archive Post

Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers

Film is reviewed from the 2016 SXSW Film Festival screening.

'Midnight Special'  (2016)

A report of a missing child is playing on a TV in a motel room. We know something is up because the windows are covered with cardboard, and the front door peephole is covered with black tape. Two men (Michael Shannon, Joel Egerton) are moving around the room, getting ready to leave. One man, Lucas (Joel Egerton) removes some of the cardboard while the taller man, Roy (Michael Shannon) packs a bag. We notice that there is another person in the room, someone under a sheet on the floor with what looks like a flashlight. When the sheet is removed, we see a child, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) with blue goggles on who has been reading a comic book with the flashlight. At that moment, we see that the report on the TV is of the same child, and that he has been abducted by his father, Roy. The two men hustle little Alton out the door and into a car under the cover of darkness. They set off down the road, the driver turns off the headlights and puts on night-vision goggles. As they leave, the receptionist at the motel sees the missing child report, and as she sees the car moving down the road she reaches for a phone.

We cut to a church where a preacher (Sam Shepard) is in an office watching the same missing child report. It seems that the preacher is interested in the child and sends a lieutenant to find the boy. We can tell from the tone that this is serious business, and they mean to get the child back as soon as possible. The preacher then leaves the room and goes into a large meeting hall filled with people. The crowd is made-up of men in mostly casually wear and women in extended plain dresses with long sleeves. As the preacher is giving his sermon, the congregation says a series of numbers, as if they have done this many times before. We cut to the outside, and we see a number of black cars and vans rolling into the compound. Out of the cars and vans comes a large military-like police force that slowly and carefully make their way towards the buildings. The Feds come into the church and announce they are taking everyone in for questioning. The preacher tells his congregation to cooperate and go willingly with the government forces.

We cut back to Roy, Lucas and Alton in the car. They are monitoring the police through a scanner in the car. Roy tells Lucas to slow down and put the headlights back on. Just as he takes off the night-vision goggles and turns on the lights, they crash into another car that is entering their road. The men and the boy are stunned but not severely hurt. Lucas gets out to check on the other driver, just as a police car drives up. How far will the two men go to keep the boy from being taken by the police?

This is the compelling opening to “Midnight Special,” an absorbing and intense film from Jeff Nichols, who brought us “Mud” (2012) and “Take Shelter” (2011). When I watched this movie, I kept flashing back to “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Firestarter,” with a little “E.T.” thrown in. Just how far will Roy go to protect his son and what kind of powers does Alton possess that would make both a cult-like religious group and the government want him so badly?

While a chase film with some Sci-Fi thrown in, the heart of the movie is the relationship between Roy and Alton. Nichols lets us slowly learn about Alton and his backstory, getting us to understand just how deeply the love runs between Roy and his son. Along the way, we meet Alton’s mother (Kristen Dunst), who apparently has escaped the cult and is willing to help Roy keep his son away from the government and the church. Because Nichols places relationships above everything else in this film, the movie has a much deeper and richer tone to it, making it more than just a chase film. The relationship between Roy and Lucas, we learn is due to knowing each other when they were children. This friendship is so strong that Lucas is willing to drop everything at a moment’s notice to help Roy and his son out.

The cast is outstanding, with Jaeden Lieberher giving a subtitle performance as Alton, the little boy who is dealing with having a mystical power that everyone seems to want. Joel Egerton has probably the hardest role in the film, as he has to show his conviction and loyalty through actions instead of words. Kirsten Dunst, as Alton’s mother, isn’t asked to do too much, mostly because her character is just a supporting cog in the film, with the center being the father/son relationship. Michael Shannon gives another masterful performance as the father who will protect his son at all costs. It is to the credit of Nichols writing and Shannon’s acting ability that we get this feeling from the start of the film, and there is never a time in the film where Shannon’s character has to explain fully how deeply he cares for his son. Nichols lets Roy show how much he loves his son through his actions rather than his words. We almost instantly know that Roy is a good man, even though at the start of the film, we are being told by TV reports that he has stolen his son.

Credit should go to David Wingo creating a marvelous score that helps produce tension that is allowed to build throughout the film. Director of Photography Adam Stone’s photography gives the feeling that it’s always darkest before dawn, giving the film a shadowy look that helps make each scene feel full of menace.

I was a little disappointed in the ending, and without giving anything away, I would have liked the film to end just a little sooner than it did. I feel that the ending would have been more impactful and moving if we didn’t see everything, that Nichols should have left some things to the imagination. However, the ending doesn’t take away from the fact this is an exquisite movie that touches you immensely. “Midnight Special” is a film that places the love of a father for his son above everything else and we all better for it.    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

“Midnight Special” comes out this spring.

“Midnight Special” Website