THE KINGS OF SUMMER

THE KINGS OF SUMMER
Written by Chris Galletta
Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts
Starring Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias and Nick Offerman

Frank: My house, my rules. This ends today.
Joe: Yes it does.

Being a teenager grounded in your room in the summertime is practically torturous and makes you the king of absolutely nothing. Joe Toy (Nick Robinson) lost his mother recently and is struggling to fit in both at school and at home. The kids at school tease and bully him, while his father micromanages him in an attempt to control and guide him towards a supposedly stable life. Well, Joe is having none of this any longer. He is his own man, dammit, and he will make his own way in the world and he doesn’t need anyone, least of all his dumb dad, to tell him how to do it. And so, he runs away one day and builds an makeshift house in a clearing in the woods outside of town with his two best buds, just like any real man would do. Together, they will be THE KINGS OF SUMMER.

Directed by “Funny or Die Presents” veteran, Jordan Vogt-Roberts, THE KINGS OF SUMMER is a charming and often quite funny indie film. It is however also, a tad forced here and there, a bit too slight here and there, and ultimately just undercooked enough to have left me somewhat underwhelmed. In part, my disconnect with the film stemmed directly from my interaction with the main character. Joe is such a typical teenager that at times, it is difficult to take him seriously as an actual character. Yes, his mother has passed away, and that has clearly left a gaping hole in his life, but he externalizes all of that anger and takes it out on the world around him, mostly focusing it on his father (played by Nick Offerman with great sincerity and earnestness). Does his father deserve his disdain? Of course not. I understand that Joe has to put this anger somewhere but when he aims it at those who don’t warrant it, it isn’t as easy to take his side.

I wanted to enjoy THE KINGS OF SUMMER more than I did. Although I find the concept of a boy wanting badly to grow up, who believes he is doing so by building what is essentially an elaborate treehouse and running away to it, to be quite telling and touching, the construction of this premise is too tenuous to be taken seriously. In fact, I was never quite sure whether Vogt-Roberts wanted me to take all of this seriously or not. On the one hand, the film works as a light comedy. On the other hand though, kids running away isn’t a terribly funny topic. So when something serious like this is only occasionally treated with seriousness, the tone can be confusing and uneven. Coming of age means coming into your own and I feel THE KINGS OF SUMMER, and the team behind it, still has a little ways to go.

THE EAST

THE EAST
Written by Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling
Directed by Zal Batmanglij
Starring Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgard and Ellen Page

Sarah: Why is it self-righteousness goes hand in hand with resistance movements?

The new eco-thriller from the minds of up and coming screenwriting duo, Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling, entitled THE EAST, plays about as far east from the middle of the road as one can expect from a studio picture. And with it, Batmanglij and Marling make the leap from independent filmmakers - their first effort being the festival hit, SOUND OF MY VOICE - to full fledged Hollywood filmmakers, without sacrificing one bit of their independent spirit. It’s a far cry from when they themselves lived the lives of nomads, hopping trains and eating discarded food out of dumpsters to survive. Had they never been there though, they might never have written THE EAST.

Marling also stars, just as she did in SOUND OF MY VOICE, in THE EAST, as Sarah, an undercover operative who infiltrates an anarchist group of eco-terrorists who live in some undisclosed woods. Her journey there was no simple one, mind you. To infiltrate this group, known as The East, Sarah had to convince them that she was just like them, that she rejected certain societal norms like having a home and a job to support said home. It also meant that she had to convince them that she was capable of going along with their plots to bring down giant corporations whose policies, practices and products were doing direct damage to the planet and its inhabitants for profit. Of course, in one of the film’s few conventional leanings, the lines become muddied for Sarah when she begins to get close to the group and begins to see their point of view.

What gives THE EAST its edge is not the supposedly shocking revelation that people eat food from the bins in the back of the grocery store instead of buying it off of the shelves, but rather Britmanglij and Marling’s ability not to pick sides. The company Sarah works for, which is led by a callous, Patricia Clarkson, follows whatever money that is thrown its way. It is not interested in doing any great good but rather will protect the interests of whoever can afford said protection. Meanwhile, The East is not so altruistic either. Naturally, the members are just people and people act upon their emotions. They have families and pasts that influence their decisions as well. In the end, THE EAST paints a rather tense but also rather bleak picture about the selfishness of humanity but in doing so, it just may open a few eyes to a whole other way of life.

THE HANGOVER PART THREE

THE HANGOVER PART III
Written by Todd Philips and Craig Mazin
Directed by Todd Phillips
Starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Ken Jeong

Stu: I told myself, I would never come back. 
Phil: Don’t worry, it all ends tonight.

Todd Phillips debuted THE HANGOVER franchise four years ago and ignited a fiery craze among buddy comedy fanatics everywhere. Unfortunately for Philips, everything he’s given us since that initial introduction to those masters of destruction, the Wolf Pack, has been on par with actually feeling hung over. THE HANGOVER had some unexpected charm to it, fully embracing the notion that whatever happens in Vegas, absolutely has to stay in Vegas. After the horrible THE HANGOVER PART II took the action to Thailand, the whole gang has returned to where it all began for THE HANGOVER PART III, Las Vegas, Nevada, and for the better. Ending a trilogy requires a big bang, especially when the middle film was THE HANGOVER PART II. In the end, THE HANGOVER PART III lacks laughs, crosses lines that shouldn’t be crossed, and is only slightly better than the last mess. That’s a kind of bang, right?

If you’ve seen anything of the first two films, then you know that Zach Galifianakis’s Alan is high maintenance, significantly inept, and always getting himself, and his friends, into serious trouble. Would it really be a HANGOVER movie if the entirety of the problem didn’t stem from him again? After Alan is confronted and refuses to change his ways, the only thing that his brother-in-law, Doug (Justin Bartha) sees fit to do with him is send him into a rehabilitation centre. Unfortunately, due to Alan’s resistance, fellow Wolf Packers, Stu (Ed Helms) and Phil (Bradley Cooper) must accompany him or he won’t go. Cue expected mayhem. Remember when Alan bought roofies and drugged his friends in the first HANGOVER? Well, that’s come back to bite them now. And so has the infamous, Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong). If the guys have learned anything at all over the years, it’s that Chow shouldn’t be trusted. The Wolf Pack never learns though so someone might finally want to wake up if they ever want to bring all the chaos to a close.

Phillips, who has penned and directed the entire trilogy, wanted to leave fans with something they would remember fondly, something they could savour after the Wolf Pack has gone away for good. THE HANGOVER PART III certainly leaves a distinct taste in your mouth, but by no means is it a good one. Think of the taste in your mouth after a night of binge drinking perhaps. Sure, there are some cheap laughs and a great line here and there, but there is also an awful lot that is just plain off putting, including an absurdly unnecessary amount of animal cruelty.  What THE HANGOVER PART III does have going for it, is that it is at least a fitting end for this uneven trilogy. The conclusion does feel natural so at least there’s that. Plain and simple though, a good comedy, like say, the original THE HANGOVER, for example, has many moments of hilarity without necessarily sacrificing character or plot. The fact is I’ve had head-splitting, vomit-filled hangovers that were funnier than THE HANGOVER PART III.

PS. If you still insist on seeing THE HANGOVER PART III, stick around after the credits. Funniest two minutes of the entire thing.

Guest Reviewer: Justin Waldman
@Jdubs12

BEFORE MIDNIGHT

BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Written by Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy
Directed by Richard Linklater
Starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy

Natalia: Just like our lives, we appear and we disappear and we are so important to some but we are just passing through.

*** SPOILERS APLENTY ***

The latest, and supposedly last, chapter in Richard Linklater’s “Before” series, BEFORE MIDNIGHT, is both grander and darker then its predecessors. It is also a brilliantly fitting progression in Jesse and Celine’s story, that will surely satisfy the millions of fans who have been desperate to find out what happened to their favorite couple since they last saw Jesse mulling over missing his plane out of Paris while longing, and lusting, for his muse in her living room. Another nine years has passed since that moment and Linklater takes what started as a modern fairy tale, and what then grew into a potentially devastating regret, and gives the audience the chance to see what might finally happen to Jesse and Celine when they don’t have somewhere else to be before the sun rises or sets.

If you don’t want to know what happens next for Jesse and Celine (again, naturally, played by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy), then read no further. As it turns out, Jesse did miss that plane that day in Paris, and he and Celine then embarked on a spree of passion that led to Jesse’s divorce and subsequent loss of custody of his son, Hank (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick). Flash forward to nine years later and Jesse and Celine are living in Paris but on summer vacation in Greece, with Hank and their two twin girls of their own (Jennifer and Charlotte Prior). They have been together this entire time but the same witty banter that first drew them to each other still flows freely between them. The conversation has changed though. They now speak to each other like a functional couple that is negotiating at all times to ensure the future of the relationship and the future of their individual selves within that relationship. And of course, they have these lengthy chats while strolling through scenic Greece so there is plenty to feast on both visually and intellectually.

Without a concrete reason for them to part company at a specific time, Linklater explores a more organic desire within most of us to break free from another person, despite how much time we’ve spent with them and despite how much we may care about them. In that sense, BEFORE MIDNIGHT imposes its own more metaphoric deadline upon Jesse and Celine. Formally, the film ends at midnight, but midnight can also refer to the fairy tale romance coming to an end, with chariots turning back into pumpkins and gowns turning back into rags. Neither Jesse nor Celine would dispute that the other is, and always has been, the love of their lives, but Linklater doesn’t allow them to have it all without fully realizing what all entails. In that sense, though their love may seem on the surface to be harder than it was 18 or 9 years ago, their love underneath that surface clearly goes deeper than either ever expected.

Click here to read my reviews of BEFORE SUNRISE and BEFORE SUNSET.

FAST AND FURIOUS 6

FAST AND FURIOUS 6
Written by Chris Morgan
Directed by Justin Lin
Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez and Luke Evans 

Brian: Maybe the Letty we once knew is gone
Dom: You don’t turn your back on family, even when they do.

Director, Justin Lin took over the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise in 2006, with the overtly disappointing TOKYO DRIFT. Since the true horror of that experience, Lin has gone back to basics by delivering an adrenaline-filled plot that captures the essence of the FAST AND FURIOUS franchise. FAST AND FURIOUS 6 is a character driven tale of family and revenge, with loads of unspeakably insane action. This stretch of the franchise has been Lin’s baby and he truly has done great things with it, especially considering his particularly rough start. Introducing a movie, then backtracking and doing a three-part prequel is a risky move. (Yes, the last three films are in fact prequels to TOKYO DRIFT.) The move paid off though as FAST AND FURIOUS 6 truly highlights what this ever-growing franchise is really about: fast cars, family, and the lengths we will go for those we love.

The original gang is finally reunited in FAST 6, as Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), the leader of this band of former criminals, is on a mission to find out what really happened to his ex-girlfriend, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), after the events of FAST AND FURIOUS (2009). The entire Toretto family, biological and extended, may have left their life of crime behind them, but a new threat has Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), a bounty hunter who once tracked Dom’s gang, coming to Dom and friends for help. Hobbs needs them to assist in taking down Owen Shaw (Luke Evans), a wanted drug trafficker and killer. Shaw’s team may appear more dynamic and prepared than Dom’s but the only real question is who will emerge from the wreckage.

Chris Morgan, who has penned the last four FAST AND FURIOUS scripts, brings the series to new emotional heights, as he plays with this now familiar family by exploring the extremes in their dynamics and the intensity in their characters. Unfortunately, FAST AND FURIOUS 6 is a fangasm movie. Without the previous knowledge of TOKYO DRIFT and FAST AND FURIOUS (2009) you may be a little lost. What makes FAST AND FURIOUS 6 something of a love letter to the fans, is that it answers questions that have been pondered for years, connects missing dots, and brings back a strong, enjoyable storyline that was lacking last time out. This may be Lin’s final instalment in the franchise, and he almost single handedly killed it in 2006, but he has certainly finished with a bang.

Guest reviewer: Justin Waldman
@Jdubs12

BEFORE SUNRISE / SUNSET

BEFORE SUNRISE

Written by Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan

BEFORE SUNSET

Written by Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke

Directed by Richard Linklater

Starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy

With BEFORE MIDNIGHT, Richard Linklater's unexpected next chapter in the lives of Jesse and Celine, just about to be released, there could be no better time to go back to see how a pairing that has touched so many out there got its start and where it has been since then. 

I can't be certain but I doubt Linklater ever imagined when he met a girl and ended up spending the entire night walking around and talking with her so many years ago, that this event would not only become a film, but rather would become one of his defining works as a filmmaker and also go on to inspire cynical romantics around the globe to believe in possibilities once again. On paper, BEFORE SUNRISE is an experiment at best but on screen, thanks to the charming and somewhat surprisingly innocent performances by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, it is a reminder that love can happen when you least expect it. That being said, it is also a gift that can disappear almost as quickly as it appeared.

BEFORE SUNRISE is a tribute to happenstance. If it weren't for the obnoxious German couple arguing loudly on the train, Celine (Delpy) would never have changed seats and would most likely have never met Jesse (Hawke). Once they strike up a conversation, the exchange becomes a game to see how long they can keep the metaphorical ball in the air while they pass thoughts and ideas back and forth in an effort to impress and to connect.

And pass them, they do. After agreeing to keep each other company for one day in Venice before Jesse's plane leaves in the morning, they get off the train and spend the entire night walking around the beautiful city. It is actually quite fascinating to watch these two individuals carry on about philosophy and novels and art and love. You wait for an awkward silence big enough to take them out of the moment and remind them how ridiculous they're being but it never comes. Pulling this off is again testament to how natural Hawke and Delpy are with each other and themselves. It also doesn't hurt that the characters are in their early 20's and justifiably oblivious to how pedantic they come across.

During the course of their one evening together, they have many a moment that most couples with much more time with each other also have. They are shy but projecting confidence in the depth of their ideas. At times, they boost each other up, while at others, they tear each other down, almost without even realizing it. Their existence is particularly unique as their time together is both limited and entirely their own, given that they are both completely removed from anything they know and because his plane won't wait for him. As the evening progresses though, the reality that they may never see each other again begins to surface in both of their minds.

Their time together ends, just as it always had to, and we pick up with Jesse and Celine again nine years later in BEFORE SUNSET. This sequel was nominated for an Academy Award for its screenplay but I actually found it quite sparse compared to the first entry. Nine years after they met on the train, Jesse and Celine meet again in France, where Jesse is promoting his book that is based on their experience.

There are many things I like about the concept behind BEFORE SUNSET. Jesse and Celine and both nine years older than they were when they first met. Now in their early 30's, it is interesting to see what ideas are still at the forefront of their minds when they have a little more life experience to ground them more. We can also answer some questions that the previous film intentionally left up in the air, like did they sleep together or not that fateful night or did they see each other again six months later when they naively suggested they would do before parting ways. 

There is much to catch up on but barely a moment to do so, which is my biggest complaint about this film. At a scant 80 minutes, the film unspools in near real time, allowing Celine to keep Jesse company, once again, before his plane has to leave. Only this time, he only has a little over an hour. While I'm sure this type of scenario could very well happen in reality, to force this restriction on these two characters feels somewhat punishing and leads me to wonder why Linklater even bothered reuniting them if he wasn't going to give them a chance to breathe.

All the same, their chemistry is still there and, to a large extent, neither character has fully let go of their romantic night together. That night has seemingly informed much of how they approach their romantic lives, with many of their experiences not measuring up with the ideas they've built up over time about just how grande that simple evening truly was. I mean, Jesse wrote a book about it; that's how obsessed he is with it. And of course, both have asked themselves countless times in their head, what if things had been different? What if they had tried instead of freezing that moment in time forever?

Linklater once again leaves Jesse and Celine's future up in the air, as Jesse sits in Celine's living room listening to play her guitar, with his departure time getting closer and closer. Will he make it to the airport on time? Will he catch a later flight and maybe stay the night? Will either one leave their current partners to finally find out what it might be like to be with the very idea of love they hold in their hearts? We will just have to watch BEFORE MIDNIGHT to find out I guess.

BEFORE SUNRISE

BEFORE SUNSET

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS
Written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana and Benedict Cumberbatch

Kirk: That was a good fight.
Pike: Now, there’s your problem right there.

The last time we caught up with the crew of the Starship Enterprise, a new audience was being introduced to some familiar characters who all had fresh faces. J.J. Abrams’ first attempt to boldly go where in fact many had been before, genuinely felt like maybe no one had actually gone there before. The 2009 STAR TREK was an incredible success; Abrams deftly reinvigorated a franchise that many thought was completely played out. He brought in a brand new audience without entirely alienating the original fanbase, which is all the more impressive when you consider how much he changed some of the long established lore of the series. In the follow-up, STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, Abrams picks up where he left off and shows us that many of these young Star Fleet academy fledglings still have a thing or two to learn despite their success. The same can be said for Abrams himself.

Captain James Kirk (Chris Pine) has just inherited the Enterprise after a rapid rise through the ranks of Star Fleet. His expedited journey to the captain’s chair may now prove to be premature as we catch up with him, and his crew, breaking as many regulations as he can, all for the pursuit of what he personally believes to be what is right for everyone. Meanwhile, his commanding officer, and complicated best friend, Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto), is facing the fact that though he may try to avoid emotion in most circumstances, he cannot control how others feel about him at the same time. Both must learn that their egos must be put aside from time to time to see what is going on around them and how it affects the people in their lives and, after they are both very briefly demoted and reassigned, they find themselves fighting alongside each other once again. This time, they will need to work hand in hand if they are ever going to defeat their new foe, the infamous Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Original screenwriters, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, brought on frequent Abrams collaborator, Damon Lindelof (PROMETHEUS), to help bring STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS to a whole other level, with mixed results. On the one hand, as Kirk and Spock become more familiar with Khan and his plan, it becomes more and more difficult for them to discern the truth in their mission. Perhaps it is my lack of familiarity with the Trekkie history or perhaps it is Cumberbatch’s incredible ability to disorient the viewer with his nearly impenetrable stoicism, but I was riveted throughout the film while trying to decipher just who to trust. That being said, Abrams also allows the film to make the most of some of its more manipulative moments, sometimes so much so that it almost takes away from the overall credibility of the project with obvious music cues and blatant foreshadowing. The missteps are minor but the crew best not get too comfortable in future voyages. I wouldn’t want the final frontier to get any more mainstream then this.

MUD

MUD
Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols
Starring Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan and Reese Witherspoon

Mud: It’s a hell of a thing, a boat in a tree.

Do not be fooled. Just because you see Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon above the title, does not mean you are about to watch another mindless romantic comedy. I’m not sure about Witherspoon but it would appear that McConaughey is done with those, at least for now. MUD, the latest film by independent filmmaker, Jeff Nichols (TAKE SHELTER), is also the latest in a string of films where McConaughey is clearly challenging himself as an actor. Here, he has shed his pristine shine and looks like something that washed ashore years ago and hasn’t bathed since. More importantly though, he is actually succeeding in his quest to reinvent himself and MUD may be his best work yet.

MUD is a fairly straight forward, yet still solidly engaging, coming of age tale. Ellis (Tye Sheridan, fresh off his debut turn in THE TREE OF LIFE) is content with his simple life living with his parents along a river in Arkansas until one fateful week where everything changes. One minute, he’s a normal teenage boy, getting himself into trouble by sneaking off to a neighbouring island at dawn to work on an abandoned boat he found in a tree. The next, he finds himself helping out a fugitive he meets on that island, named Mud (McConaughey). Mud is hiding out until he knows the coast is clear for him to reunite with his childhood sweetheart, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon, giving her best performance since WALK THE LINE), who is laying low at a motel in waiting. Their love is complicated and troubled to say the least but in Ellis’s eyes, Mud’s mission to be with her despite all obstacles is exactly the inspiration he needs, what with his parents just announcing that they are divorcing.

MUD reminds us that to come of age today does not have to mean getting lost is a barrage of social media and sexually explicit marketing ploys. And thanks to honest performances from the entire ensemble, which also includes Sam Shepard, Sarah Paulson and a hilarious turn from Nichols regular, Michael Shannon, we are also able to get away from the distractions of our supposedly modern lives and remember what it means to truly fight for love while having no idea whether or not it is truly worth fighting for.

CONTEST: THE KINGS OF SUMMER

WIN TICKETS TO SEE THE KINGS OF SUMMER IN CALGARY, OTTAWA & WINNIPEG!

Thanks to the great people at eOne Entertainment, Black Sheep Reviews has 10 double passes to give away to see Sundance sensation, THE KINGS OF SUMMER in Calgary, Ottawa and Winnipeg in the coming week. Here are the screening details:

CALGARY
Thursday, June 13, 7:00 @ Globe Cinemas

OTTAWA
Monday, June 10, 7:00 @ Coliseum

WINNIPEG
Thursday, June 13, 7:00, Empire Grant Park 8

 If you're interested in procuring one of these double passes for yourself, just follow these instructions:

1. Follow @blacksheeprevs on Twitter. Once you do, tweet your peeps about the contest and link back to this page. Make sure to tell me what city you want the passes for in your tweet. If you already follow @blacksheeprevs, there is a convenient button at the bottom of this post. Just click it and you're in!

2. Like Black Sheep Reviews on Facebook and share the group page with your friends or like the contest link itself. You must then send the Black Sheep page a message so that I can reply with the winning details. No message means no win! There is also a convenient Facebook button at the end of this post that will allow you to share the contest with your friends too.

One entry per person. Winners will be selected at random draw and you have until Sunday, June 9, at 12:00 PM (EST) to get your name in that draw. Only winners will be contacted.

Thank you again to eOne Entertainment. THE KINGS OF SUMMER is now playing in select cities, expanding on June 14. Here is the trailer:

Best of Black Sheep: STAR TREK

STAR TREK
Written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg and Leonard Nimoy

James T. Kirk: Who was that pointy-eared bastard?

How long has it been now? It seems like the last star date was light years ago, that a franchise that had been a cultural mainstay for decades had finally drifted into its final frontier. As the leagues of Trekkies grew older, it seemed that the obsession and admiration for Gene Roddenberry’s benchmark science fiction work would soon die out but one Trekkie would not hear of it. J.J. Abrams, the man responsible for creating a new faction of avid followers with his twisted series, “Lost”, stepped up to bring STAR TREK to this generation. The trick then became how to sell these classic characters to an audience that may widely know them solely as punch lines or wax statues while not shunning those who watched religiously and have had to wait seven years for a new installment. Abrams must be a master trickster then because his reboot feels alive and energized from start to finish. While making a movie to appease particular crowds, both new and old, Abrams has instead made a STAR TREK film everyone can get into.

I never cared much for the original “Star Trek” series and I was only a casual viewer of “The Next Generation”. I have nothing against Trekkies but I most certainly am not one. And I also admit that the thing I was most curious about this film was how Abrams could make STAR TREK relevant again. He did it by owning it. From the very beginning, STAR TREK dives into intense drama. A Starfleet ship is under attack by a rogue Romulan ship that appears out of nowhere and looks like a tentacled mechanical monster. People are dying all around and the situation is grim but the result is instant immersement in an alternate reality that is unfathomable and yet entirely convincing. We proceed to bounce back and forth between Iowa and the planet, Vulcan, as if they were mere minutes apart. Beings, both human and alien, exist in both plains seamlessly and it suddenly isn’t so difficult to relate. Even Michael Giacchino’s score is triumphantly, boldly proclaiming a resounding pride for the project as a whole. STAR TREK makes no apologies for what it is and no concessions to be here now.

Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman’s screenplay is surprisingly concise given their studio background. They were faced with the challenge of reintroducing characters that are cultural icons without desecrating their origins. The truth is that bringing the whole cast of characters from the original Enterprise as is could never work today. They are simply too dated to keep up with today’s pace. And while their new incarnations are much more limber, they also have their original values (and a few hilarious catchphrases) in tact. And Abrams did a fine job weaving the old and new into his fresh cast. Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) is a cocky self-assured womanizer but Pine plays him with a well-hidden insecurity in the back of his head as to what he truly can accomplish. Ohura (Zoe Saldana) is a beautiful and fiercely intelligent woman on a mission to succeed. And Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto), the child of a Vulcan father and a human mother, is the most fascinating of them all. Quinto strikes the perfect balance of internal turmoil between honouring his Vulcan roots and indulging his human emotions. Perhaps most important though, the cast just seems to be enjoying every second of their time on deck.


Maybe I should just have a little more faith in reappropriating the past. This is the age of the geek after all so it shouldn’t be so surprising to see this resurgence now. I haven’t discussed the plot because it simply isn’t necessary. Suffice it to say, it is intricate and tight and a lot more fun not to know where anything is going at any point in time. It is such a smooth ride that you can just sit back and enjoy the comfortable warp cruising speed. I didn’t think he could do it but J.J. Abrams has boldly brought STAR TREK where no STAR TREK film has ever gone before … past the niche and to the masses.

(ps. is it wrong to think mr. spock is hot?)

FRANCES HA

FRANCES HA
Written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach
Directed by Noah Baumbach
Starring Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner and Michael Zegen

Frances: It’s sorta like they say there are all these other realities happening all around us but we can’t perceive them. That’s what I want in a relationship, in life ...

Noah Baumbach has a distinct voice as a director but that voice has been rather heavy handed as of late. This is one of the many reasons why his latest film, FRANCES HA, is such an incredible delight. It is whimsical and insightful and entirely adorable. It is perhaps his best work, as a director anyway, as the man can write a mean screenplay, since his Oscar-nominated THE SQUID AND THE WHALE. And I believe, this is in no small part due to the influence of his latest muse, Greta Gerwig.

Gerwig, who co-wrote the screenplay with Baumbach, and is also dating the director, plays Frances, a 27-year old amateur dancer, living in New York City and struggling to make it. She is, in theory, a total cliche. In reality though, Frances is a fascinating character that is brought to vivid life by Gerwig, in her most illustrious performance to date. When her best friend, Sophie (Mickey Sumner) gets the job, the man and the new apartment necessary to grow up already, Frances embarks on a meltdown that she is completely unaware of. Her struggle is told with so much subtlety and respect, making it very easy to love Frances, despite all of her obliviousness to her very real woes.

Baumbach shot FRANCES HA in stunning black and white, which grounds this otherwise light and airy experience, reminding us the whole time that Frances does have some serious decisions to make in her life. Before she gets there though, and the film is savvy enough not to be too specific about what she really figures out, if anything, we are treated to a charming, witty contemporary tale that dances as freely on screen as Frances does down the streets of Brooklyn. FRANCES HA is purely and simply a vibrant return to glory for Baumbach that will enchant all who are fortunate enough to see it.

THE GREAT GATSBY

THE GREAT GATSBY
Written by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce
Directed by Baz Luhrmann
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton

Owl Eyes: You won’t find him. This house and everything in it is an elaborate disguise. Gatsby doesn’t exist.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” is generally considered by authorities on the subject to be one of the greatest American novels ever written, if not the greatest, and a cautionary tale on the more selfish aspects of the American dream. Before this year, it had been adapted for the screen four times, the most famous of which was made in 1974, directed by Jack Clayton, and starring Robert Redford as the title character, Jay Gatsby, a wealthy socialite and mystery to most who meet him. As effective and timeless as the novel is, the film versions have never resonated with that same weight or properly captured the souls of these seemingly soulless characters. Now, yet another attempt has been made to tame this beast of a work, by one of today’s most vivid filmmakers, Baz Luhrmann, and with it, yet another filmmaker fails to capture what actually makes Gatsby great.

In many ways, Luhrmann would seem like the perfect choice to bring THE GREAT GATSBY back to life. The first half of the novel is all glamour and excess and parties that seem to go on for days at a time. If anyone knows how to party on screen, it’s Luhrmann, whose previous films, like MOULIN ROUGE and ROMEO+JULIET, showcased some of the most chaotic and crafty festivities I’ve ever seen. In those examples though, he was still able to cut through the pandemonium to get to the crux of the characters. In his latest, and most expensive, extravaganza, he doesn’t seem the least bit concerned with what’s hiding underneath all the facade. In fact, at times, the elaborate guise he constructs feels forced and, worse yet, often stinks of overcompensation for a glaring lack of depth. Luhrmann has never been one for subtlety but his work has never felt so far removed from reality either. And when you’re adapting a classic of this magnitude, missing the mark to this degree can almost be misconstrued as an insult to its legacy.

Luhrmann also seemed a good fit because of his ability to bridge the gap between the potentially dated and the contemporary. THE GREAT GATSBY is a commentary on class division and the social injustices suffered at the hands of the disenfranchised to allow for the excessive self-indulgence of the well to do. Given the current class issues faced by many Americans, I would have expected these comparisons to be glaringly obvious, but Luhrmann is too busy throwing money at the problem in hopes we don’t notice (which is ironic really, but not all that engaging). There are certainly elements of THE GREAT GATSBY that work, from Leonardo DiCaprio’s charismatic portrayal of the complex title character to the thrilling, and often thumping, soundtrack. Carey Mulligan is magnificent as Gatsby’s love interest; Joel Edgerton is appropriately creepy as her philandering husband; and Tobey Maguire is, well, competent at least, as the film’s narrator. The cast’s grasp of the subject matter elevates the occasional scene past its visual pomp, but ultimately cannot sustain the bumpy ride. In some ways, I suppose highlighting how the parties were meant to mask the emptiness of the era, is actually authentic to Fitzgerald’s message but, while hollowness on the page can often be haunting, on screen, it is often just hollow.

Best of Black Sheep: STORIES WE TELL

STORIES WE TELL

Written and Directed by Sarah Polley

Michael Polley: When you’re in the middle of a story, it isn’t a story at all. It’s a confusion.

It isn’t often that I feel the need to give a spoiler warning before discussing a documentary, but I feel there is no real way to discuss Sarah Polley’s latest (and dare I say, greatest) film, STORIES WE TELL, without giving away the story itself. Polley decides to turn the camera inward, or as close to inward as is physically possible when you’re still the one directing the film from behind the camera. In doing so, not only does she somehow avoid veering into the hyper-egotistical terrain the subject matter could very easily provide, but she also creates a beautiful film that explores perspective and how it shapes all of our lives. This is the work of a very brave filmmaker.

Polley is very guarded with her information at the onset of STORIES WE TELL, and when you find out why, it only stands to reason. It isn’t quite clear what she’s trying to show us at first but, little by little, and rather organically I might add, the film’s structure takes shape. Polley is interviewing her siblings, or rather interrogating, as she puts it, and filming her father, Michael Polley, as he reads a story he wrote that involves his daughter. It is the story of Polley’s youth, of her parents’ relationship, and of their difficulties. More specifically though, and this is the spoiler part, it becomes clear at one point that this is the story of how Sarah was conceived out of wedlock. 

By having everyone directly and indirectly involved in the film, including her actual birth father, whom I will let the film reveal to you in its own time, Polley is able to piece together a story from so many different sources. As if to acknowledge that she knows that there is no true way to get the real details of this story (as her mother died when Polley was 11), she cuts away to archival family footage of the period her mother would have had her affair, only to later reveal that this footage is staged with actors playing the parts of her parents. Add to this the inevitable filtering Polley has over the overall telling of this story as she sits in the editing room, and you have a crafty and discerning exploration of the art of storytelling itself .The true beauty of STORIES WE TELL though isn’t the scandal or even the insight; no, what resonates most is to see the Polley family still together after surviving what was certainly a difficult story for all of them.

AT ANY PRICE

AT ANY PRICE
Written and Directed by Ramin Bahrani
Starring Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron and Kim Dickens

Irene Whipple: Why can’t you be happy with what’s right in front of you?

The world of genetically engineered seeds is about as intriguing a world as you would expect it to be. It’s aging farmers covertly cleaning seeds so that they can be reused; it’s   men in suits following men in overalls, making sure they aren’t reselling seeds that are not supposed to be resold. It’s interesting from a historical perspective to see how the American farming industry has changed over the years from the backbone of the country to a corporate controlled and publicly traded commodity. To watch this on film though, is as exciting as say, watching corn grow. Fortunately for AT ANY PRICE, the latest film from independent filmmaker, Ramin Bahrani (GOODBYE SOLO), the farmer tending these particular fields is Dennis Quaid. His turn here as the modern farmer makes these doldrums at the very least watchable.

Henry Whipple (Quaid) does not share the same problems his father did when he was running the farm. He remembers being a kid and living on a family run farm where cows were milked and chickens laid eggs to sell at market. Now it’s his turn to run the fourth generation farm and he can barely keep it all together. His relationship with his wife (Kim Dickens) is strained, to say the least. This might be because he is seeing a former flame (Heather Graham) on the side. One of his sons (Patrick Stevens) has already left their Iowa home to climb mountains, while the other (Zac Efron), is his only remaining hope to inherit the farm. Of course, he has no interest in doing so as he would rather race cars instead. Then there is the nasty business with the seed tampering of course. The manner in which Quaid balances all of this is quite impressive really. There is a smile on his face at all times but you can see his entire life falling apart in his eyes and hear it in his voice. It is certainly one of Quaid’s finest performances, just not one of the best films to showcase it.

The rest of the AT ANY PRICE ensemble does a formidable job, including Efron, who continues to push himself, and expand his audience, with more marginal fare. This is Quaid’s game to lose though and, while years of working his own fields have led to strong performances like this one, it is almost all AT ANY PRICE has going for it by the time the cows come home.

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK +

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Written and Directed by David O. Russell
Starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro

Pat Solitano: She is my friend with an F.
Danny: Capital F.
Pat Solitano: Yeah, for friend.

The one thing I took away from David O. Russell’s SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is that you have to deal with the bad in order to get to the good stuff. Always focusing on the silver lining never gives you the opportunity to face your demons and allows them the chance to grow while you’re looking the other way. Russell makes an apt point here as applying this theory to watching this film is really the only way to enjoy it.

There is one other thing I learned while watching this film, that Bradley Cooper has the potential to take on stronger, more dramatic parts. Cooper plays Pat Solitano, whom we meet moments before he exits a mental facility, where he is being treated for bipolar disorder, convincing himself aloud that he’s better now. It is never really clear to either of his fantastically fussy parents, played by Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver, whether he truly is any better but they take him in regardless. Meanwhile, it never needs to be made clear to Pat’s new friend, Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), because she is often just as messed up as he is. Together they learn to heal each other ... through amateur dance?

Considering how visceral Russell went last time out with his Oscar-nominated work on THE FIGHTER, I am genuinely surprised by how tame SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is. A fantastic ensemble elevates Russell’s screenplay, with moments both touching and amusing, but never to the point where it breaks free of its more conventional trappings. But when you weigh the film’s faults against it’s own silver linings, its still worth the experience.

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK BLU-RAY REVIEW

It is time for me to admit that when I first saw SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, I let my expectations get in the way of my enjoyment of the film. I've now had the chance to see it twice more since that initial screening, once again in theatres and once in my living room, and I think I might finally be getting what everyone else is. When the film won the prestigious People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival, I was genuinely surprised. Months later though, the only shock I have left is at my own initial disbelief that it had won. Yes, it is a crowd pleaser, but it is also a very real and relatable story that is not often told on screen. The more I see it, the more I cannot help but fall in love with it and want to see it again and again. You can almost ignore everything I wrote about it initially (all the bad stuff, that is). SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is simply one of the best and one of the most endearing romantic comedies of all time.

I always enjoyed the charm this film exudes, which is of course thanks to its fantastic ensemble cast. As previously mentioned, this is the first time I've seen Bradley Cooper show signs of depth and growth. It is also the first time I've seen Robert De Niro truly bring his best in nearly 20 years. While I initially dismissed Jacki Weaver's performance as too minute to matter, I now see that she is the glue that holds this family together and how close she is to coming completely apart. And of course, there is Jennifer Lawrence. Of the film's 8 Oscar nominations, hers for Best Actress, is the only award the film won. Given the competition, it was the only award it had a decent shot of taking, but if it was going to win anything, I'm glad to see it was this one. Lawrence has repeatedly said in interviews that she never felt like she was playing someone with mental issues, but rather a woman who just lived her life honestly and more openly direct than other people. By not reducing her to a set of quirks and bouts of depression, she was able to craft an incredibly fierce and brave female lead, a rarity if there ever was on in this genre.

What I said then ... "A fantastic ensemble elevates Russell’s screenplay, with moments both touching and amusing, but never to the point where it breaks free of its more conventional trappings."

And now? Well, clearly I was wrong. I've admitted as much already. Yes, it follows a conventional path, but it does so in such an unconventional way without ever sacrificing its romantic comedy roots or its characters' intentions. In fact, it honours convention while subverting it in the most subtle of fashions. Watch Pat and Tiffany's interactions again and you will see that every scene they have together furthers their relationship and bond without either one of them fully realizing it.

Cooper and Lawrence with director, Russell

Special Features: The Blu-Ray features are fairly standard fare but while we're going behind the scenes, we are privy to how much love there seemed to be involved in making SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK. My initial disappointment with the picture was rooted in my expectations of writer/director, David O. Russell. This is his follow-up to THE FIGHTER, and I wanted it to be more raw but now I know the reality he drew from to form this world. His own son has been dealing with mental issues and mood swings for years now. Russell wanted to make this film to show his son, and people who find themselves in similar situations, that there is in fact a possibility of a silver lining, even for those who feel that their issues may keep them from ever feeling a connection with another person.

You can also learn Pat and Tiffany's entire dance routine, as taught to you by choreographer, Mandy Moore. How awesome is that?!

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK is available to rent or own now. Review copy provided by eOne Entertainment.

And now for something I rarely do, I am revising the film's grade to ...

And don't miss my oh so brief push for the film on CJAD 800 ...