Take Shelter

"Take Shelter"
Starring: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Tova Stewart
Directed by: Jeff Nichols
120 minutes
USA/2011

It's rather appropriate to call Take Shelter a zeitgeist film, something that encapsulates the current state of society today. Using film a medium, Jeff Nichols has taken that idea and crafted it into a disturbing domestic drama about the fracturing and reconciliation of the family unit. Nichols's last film Shotgun Stories was a realistic portrait of violence among families in a small southern town; Take Shelter gives you way more to chew on, as its take on our national anxiety disorder is frightening and concise.

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Reel Time: Episode 26

We're back again, this time reviewing two films from Joel and Ethan Coen, the best directing duo in all of Hollwood. Derin also offers some insight from the Philly Film Festival. Joined by Deepayan Sengupta, Tom Stoup, and Derin Spector. Here's a stand-alone link.

Reel Time: Episode 24

What's better than a Lars von Trier/Ryan Gosling duo? Well, nothing really. We're back this week reviewing the Danish auteur's latest work "Melancholia," as well as the new political thriller "The Ides of March." Joined by Deepayan Sengupta, Derin Spector, and Tom Stoup. Listen to Episode # 24.

Reel Time: Episode 23

So many Altman films to choose from, but we settled on "The Long Goodbye," and "Gosford Park," for our Altman special. After the Altman discussion, Tom and I shared our utter disdain for Jonathan Levine's new film "50/50." Joined by Tom Stoup and Deepayan Sengupta. Here's a non-iTunes link.

Reel Time: Episode 22

We're back this week with a review of Bennett Miller's "Moneyball," and our top 5 most anticipated films for the rest of the year. Joined by the usual guests. Here's a non-iTunes link, enjoy.

Drive

"Drive"
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Issac, Christina Hendricks
Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn
100 minutes
USA/2011

The underlying crux of what makes Drive so appealing is the film's synergistic and swooning texture that sets in during the first few minutes and never lets up. What is Drive? Yes, on the surface it's a crime picture about a man with a code. The driver, played by the chameleon like Ryan Gosling, perhaps Hollywood's prettiest face, is launched into a vortex of violence after his stoic nature is invaded upon by outside forces. Leave it to Danish born filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn to infringe upon the genre's most familiar tropes and expand upon them with his own artistic and assured touch. There is this penetrating sense of calmness that surrounds the film, a wave of beauty and muted romance that lets us know this is the EXACT film that Refn wanted to make.

For me, the film represents some sort of pop song that lingers in the mind, its beats and rhythms so catchy and affluent, as to envelop the viewer into the best cinematic high. Refn is clearly influenced by the likes of Michael Mann and others, portraying an urban landscape in the most fitting sense. The juxtaposition of this loner played by Gosling and Refn's doom and gloom aesthetic is so skillfully mastered that audience members not familiar with Refn will be able to pinpoint the director's Euro sensibilities that are littered throughout the film.

After a smooth and extremely telling opening bit, we learn all we need to know about our protagonist. When not operating as a Hollywood stunt performer, Driver moonlights as a wheelman for various criminals in town, offering his services for 5 minutes before he leaves the scene in the blink of an eye. The rest of the first act is about the breezy possibility of romance between Driver and his neighbor Irene, played by Carey Mulligan. The dynamic between Gosling and Mulligan works so well because they're both portraying so much through body language, the film is purposefully short on expository dialogue for this very reason, Refn has no problem letting Gosling and Mulligan do their thing. Gosling brings a sort of pathos to this role, something much different from some of his prior roles. Things get complicated when Irene's ex-con husband played by Oscar Isaac returns home. Driver endangers his own code after he willingly involves himself in Oscar's dilemma.

This is when Drive kicks itself into another gear, unflinchingly delving headfirst into multiple outbursts of violence. Adding to the film's moody quality is the intoxicating score from Cliff Martinez. Blending 80's tunes to the already transfixing narrative is one of the film's best aspects. The supporting cast is having a ton of fun here. Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman as two menacing and seedy gangsters might feel trite and familiar, but both are expanding on their usual shtick and gleefully hamming it up. Unlike most mainstream action films, Drive's pension for bloodshed is earned in that it displays a change in Driver's psyche and cause. Refn's uber-stylized approach may be too over-the-top for some, but in the world of Drive, it all fits like a glove.

Grade: 4.5/5

5 best films seen in August

Films seen: 16

Silent Light (Reygadas, 07)

Millennium Mambo (Hou, 01)

Road to Nowhere (Hellman, 10)

Code Unknown (Haneke, 00)

Vivre Sa Vie (Godard, 62)

Warrior

"Warrior"
Starring: Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison, Frank Grillo
Directed by: Gavin O'Connor
140 minutes
2011/USA

Gavin O'Connor's Warrior is a paint-by-numbers family/sports drama that has no problem cycling through the laundry list of cliches usually associated with the genre. It's tough to be original, I'll give Warrior that much, but to vacate all emotional resonance throughout such a long film is something that doesn't fly with me. O'Connor is no stranger to true life sports dramas, his 2004 film Miracle mostly hit all of the right notes and left you with some takeaway value, however pedestrian and familiar its story was. Everyone who saw that film knew the outcome, and although we can essentially pinpoint the final outcome of Warrior, it struggles to leave you with any lasting emotional connection to its Shakespearean-esque story.

At its core, it's about a fractured family, a father and his two sons coming to grips with the past on their own terms. Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton's portrayal of brothers is convincing enough, but leaves much more to be desired. All of the family's past betrayals and estrangements are introduced to us in the first act, but are glossed over in an unsatisfying manner. Some will be content with how quickly this is all predicated upon, but the screenplay relies less on showing us than it does telling us.

Hardy's Tommy Conlon is an ex-marine hero who has returned home to drop in on his reformed alcoholic father played Nick Nolte. Conlon's motivations are eventually made clear, but Hardy's performance is rather standoffish, making us constantly question if we actually care about him. He's playing this sad-sack guy who lets it be known that he wants nothing to do with his father, save for the fact that he's a damn good trainer and would like nobody else prepping him for an upcoming MMA tournament. On the flip side, there's Edgerton's Brendan Conlon, a school teacher failing to make ends meet. He's less bitter, but still has issues with old man Conlon as well. Edgerton is actually pretty good here, and is believable as a husband and father desperate to make fast cash. To no surprise, both brothers end up entering the same tournament, this much we've already gathered from the trailer.

There are hints of real emotion in the first act of Warrior, but everything is prematurely glossed over to the point of no return. Once the actual fighting begins, there really isn't a whole lot to care about. When we finally take a break from the training montages and the tournament, we're exposed to more of Hardy's character having the same harsh resentment towards his brother and father. The film let's us know this much, Hardy's Tommy saved a life during his military stint and is a supreme physical specimen in the ring, that's about as far as his character goes in terms of development. Nolte is doing his usual thing here, as his character is quietly crumbling on the inside given the circumstances.

Given how under-cooked the film feels, it's entirely watchable and doesn't actually feel long given the near two and a half hour run time. Most of, if not all of the fights in the film are effortlessly blocked and convincing. If you're an MMA junkie, I imagine there's a lot for you to like here. For how melodramatic and inspiring the film intends to be, it really has no juice, and nearly leaves you feeling entirely hollow instead of being emotionally spent. O'Connor is playing it safe for good reason, taking no extreme risks in style or storytelling, but relying on performances and delivery. The former is in tact for the most part, but the latter's attempts at forcing and budging us to care simply falls short.

Grade: 2.5/5

Reel Time-Episode 20

We circle back to a mainstream release this week as our director spotlight centers on Steven Soderbergh. We reviewed his latest film Contagion, and 1998's Out of Sight. Joined by Andrew Cate, Tom Stoup, Deepayan Sengupta, and Derin Spector. Here's a stand-alone link, enjoy!

Contagion

"Contagion"
Starring: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, Bryan Cranston, Elliott Gould, Sanaa Lathan,
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
105 minutes
2011/USA

The latest from Steven Soderbergh is a tightly wound thriller that should easily get under the skin of audience members. We've seen this kind of exercise before, a thrilling global epidemic cautionary tale that pits doctors and government higher-ups in office buildings and meeting rooms constantly exchanging ideas and solutions on how to contain and defeat the threat at hand. This is essentially the gist of Contagion, but perhaps more macro and frantic. It's about a dangerous airborne virus that quickly affects one person, then another, quickly manifesting itself into a global threat. The film dives headfirst into the on-goings of a more than a handful of characters and their hands-on battle with the virus.

There really is a startling addiction and "lean forward in your seat" quality to the first 30 minutes of the film, which are easily its best. After that, the screenplay starts to diverge from its best bits, growing smaller in scale through each scene. True to its nature, there is little to no fat on the film. Aside from the argument that the film boasts way too many characters, Contagion generally moves at a break-neck pace, which is highly welcome given the kind of mood and state of mind that Soderbergh is trying to convey here.

Capturing a portrait of a society overtaken by fear and paranoia is the film's best attribute. Soderbergh is no stranger to this certain kind of sprawling tale, for most, Traffic will come to mind, but Contagion is more subtle in the ways the characters are connected. It's not really a story of interconnected relationships, as it is a cinematic flip-book of normal people trying to wade through the unknown while struggling to keep their cool. The film succeeds mostly from the realism portrayed throughout, as the screenplay sidesteps any herrings in falsity.

Contagion boasts an extremely large cast of familiar faces, which surprisingly didn't dissuade me from buying into the film from the onset. The script gives us a few catalysts to guide us through the film, most notably Matt Damon's character, who in the first act loses his wife played by Gwyneth Paltrow and his son to the unknown disease. Other than Damon, there's the intriguing arcs of both Laurence Fishburne and Kate Winslet's character's. The film also features Jude Law as a gap-toothed, opportunist blogger who brings some freshness to the film. No where near an earth shattering performance, it's refreshing to see Law having fun on screen again. Those complaining that the film lacks a central emotional attachment are clearly missing the point of the film. It's a depiction of losing someone you love in the blink of an eye to something without a face, cause, or motivation. The uncertainty of life in such a small window of time is predicated upon throughout, as lives are lost at an alarming rate.

Contagion however, is far from perfect. Scott Z. Burns's script loses a ton of its effortless "ickyness" as it gently settles in and begins to slow down during the second hour. For having only a 105 minute run time, Contagion could've benefited more from the same go-go pacing of its first third. Once the scenes of social anxiety and widespread panic rear their head, Contagion starts to feel a whole lot like we've seen this same act before. Soderbergh's photography is once again the standout here, comfortably towering over the film's story and approach. The director's persona as both mainstream money maker and artistic auteur semi blends in here, but one can't help wonder why Soderbergh would choose this project at this certain time in his career. This is exactly the type of mainstream fare that Soderbergh likes to put out, but my guess is that audiences would rather discuss their favorite anti-bacterial soap with one another than discuss the film.

Grade: 3/5

Reel Time: Episode 17 (the films of Claire Denis)

We're finally back, and we've decided to change the theme of the show. From here on out, we'll be dedicating each episode to a specific director and reviewing a couple of their films. We will not be neglecting wide releases, but only reviewing the ones we deem significant. We started off by focusing on French filmmaker Claire Denis, and two of her latest works, 35 Shots of Rum and White Material. Joined by Tom Stoup and Deepayan Sengupta. Here's a stand alone link.

Road to Nowhere

"Road to Nowhere"
Directed by: Monte Hellman
Starring: Shannon Sossamon, Tygh Runyan, Cliff De Young, Waylon Payne, Dominique Swain
121 minutes
2010/USA

Monte Hellman's Road to Nowhere is the director's first film in 21 years. The design of this film is convoluted to the point of no return. The actual story and layout is simple on the surface, but once the layers start unraveling, the viewer will find themselves sucked into the film's dizzying vortex. Such a film welcomes audience participation in getting in on the mystery, much like a great noir would do. This film operates on similar rules to an extent, but will alienate those looking for clean cut answers.

The film centers on an odd real life story involving an insurance fraud/murder/suicide that took place in North Carolina. The actors are based on the perpetrators/deceased: Velma Duran and Rafe Tachen. Young director Mitchell Haven is attempting to bring this story to screen by shooting in the small town where the events took place, Haven's film is also titled Road to Nowhere. We're then introduced into the film within a film concept, where fact and fiction effortlessly blend into one another, resulting in one intoxicating narrative.

Actress Shannon Sossamon delivers the best performance of her career as Laurel, a stunning young "non-actress," who fits effortlessly in the role of Velma. Sossamon's natural beauty goes unmatched, as she exudes the persona of a classic femme fatale. Oddly enough, Laurel's uncanny resemblance to Velma Duran is what gets her the role. During the filming of Haven's Road to Nowhere, Haven and Laurel begin falling for each other, much to the dismay of the rest of the crew, most notably Bruno, an insurance fraud agent who believes Laurel isn't who she says she is. There is also Cliff De Young playing Cary Stewart, a veteran actor hired to play Rafe Tachen in Haven's film. Stewart's involvement further complicates matters as we occasionally see him making phone calls from overseas, are these scenes apart of Haven's film, or are they something entirely different? Is the real Velma Duran actually dead?

The timeline of the film is severely fractured, prompting speculation on the actual identities of the characters and their true motives. For all of the head scratching and the squinting of the eyes that took place while I watched the film, it's oddly exciting to see what will occur next. The transition from scene to scene plays out gloriously, as the script has no shortage of cryptic offerings and gestures. It's all an act, a show, a tragic play.

Steven Gaydos' script is effortlessly nuanced. If we play close attention, we can mildly guess at which scenes are being played out in real life and which scenes are apart of Haven's film. Hellman's motives, however dense they are, are routinely hidden from us. Hellman is obviously implicating that there's a strong correlation between art and life, performer and performance. The film goes for broke at times in trying to cover the vast territory of this oddly constructed world that Hellman has created. There is however, no shortage of mood throughout, the film within a film concept has been done to death, but Hellman's approach comes off as fresh and original. If you find that you're not getting much out of the film, just recognize that it's all about the journey and not the destination.

Grade: 4/5

5 best films seen in July

Films seen: 26

Three Times (Hou, 2005)

Straw Dogs (Peckinpah, 1971)

Husbands and Wives (Allen, 1992)

Naked (Leigh, 1993)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Yates, 2011)

Hesher

"Hesher"
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Natalie Portman, Devin Brochu, Rainn Wilson, Piper Laurie
Directed by: Spencer Susser
106 minutes
2010/USA

Joseph Gordon-Levitt goes full grunge as the titular character in Hesher, playing a chain-smoking pyromaniac  with no past and no apparent future. He's a cartoon character, or some product of MTV who happens to step in on the life of young T.J and his family during the grieving process for T.J's mother. Hesher serves as the not so subtle, harshly designed "role model" for young T.J. (Brochu) in the film. Gordon-Levitt has had a string of recent success, but plays completely against type here. It's mostly a one note performance, but Gordon-Levitt has this unpredictable sensibility that keeps his character interesting, even when the film isn't.

The film itself is kind of a mess, but oddly intriguing throughout. Written and directed by Spencer Susser, Hesher represents nothing less than an indie Sundance product, an "in your face" film that wears its heart way too heavily on its sleeve. I lost track of how many times a car windshield or house window was broken, I've already designed a drinking game around this repeated action. While Hesher's motivations aren't outright stated, we pick up on the fact that he's teaching T.J. how to survive and deal with struggle months after his mother's death. He eventually moves in, which is not even frowned upon by T.J's dad played by Rainn Wilson, and his grandmother played by Piper Laurie. For once, Wilson is given a role that is void of any comedic sensibility, playing a straight-faced father with no real idea of what his son is up to. His arc, while not supremely essential, is just as predictable as we'd expect, thus summing up the film's myriad of problems. Natalie Portman also shows up as a geeky grocery clerk, while still stunning, Portman's relationship with T.J. is one of the best aspects of the film. The film's best asset is indeed the young Devin Brouchu, mostly directed to deliver the same reactionary response, but is resilient throughout while being put through the emotional and physical wringer.

While it takes place in Los Angeles, the world of Hesher is just as ridiculous as it looks. We learn through exposition that Hesher was once in juvenile prison, but we're fascinated to hear that he hasn't had any other run ins with the law. Gordon-Levitt's "out of nowhere" antihero lacks any subtlety or insight that would otherwise make the viewer care about the film's central relationship. Most of the film revolves around the same recycled scenes, as Susser's attempts at emotional catharsis are mostly drowned out due to overkill. Even the climax is awkwardly staged, but appropriately fits in with the film's outrageous tone. It's a minor and slightly forgettable work, but there's something admirable about Susser's willingness to go full circle with an idea like this, not completely original, but oddly liberating.

Grade: 3/5

Reel Time: Episode 15

My fellow pod-casters saved my ass this week by viewing Crazy, Stupid, Love and Cowboys & Aliens, I hadn't seen either. Joined by Andrew Cate, Derin Spector, Tom Stoup, and Deepayan Sengupta. Non-iTunes link here, enjoy!

Reel Time: Episode 14

The endless cycle of comic-book films ends this summer with Captain America, we reviewed that, as well as the Mike Mills film Beginners. Other than a couple trailers and recent film news, new guest Tom Stoup chimed in on Friends with Benefits. Here is a stand alone link, enjoy. 

Reel Time: Episode 13

In this episode we discussed Deathly Hallows Part 2, and spoke at length about recent trailers that have been released, including The Dark Knight Rises. After the show, my mic seemed to malfunction, so my apologies for there being no outro. Joined by Deepayan Sengupta, Derin Spector, and Mark Mullicane. Non-iTunes link, enjoy!

Beginners

"Beginners"
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, Melanie Laurent, Goran Visnjic, Mary Page Keller
Directed by: Mike Mills
105 minutes
2010/USA

Beginners represents pure escapism for audiences that are tired of the usual booms and bangs that seem to shroud film-goers during the summer film season. It's a small little film, autobiographical to an extent; director Mike Mills learned of his own father's homosexuality when he came out of the closet after his wife's death. Mills has framed his own experiences into a film that he's also written himself. It's a textured and endlessly appealing work that may or may not be remembered by many at the end of the year, but for the most part, Beginners is something that many can identify with, and it's worth noting that these type of films are harder and harder to come by.

Ewan McGreogor is standing in for Mills as Oliver, a lonely man whose recently been rocked by the news that his father Hal, played by Christopher Plummer, is not only gay, but has terminal cancer. The film jumps between past and present, more or less charting Oliver's consciousness and attitude toward the situation. Oliver is no picnic himself, as we come to learn that he's never been able to hold a stable relationship with a female. Oliver ends up developing a relationship with an actress named Anna, played by the stunning Melanie Laurent. They're essentially a perfect fit, and it's tremendously charming watching their romance gradually blossom throughout the film. Laurent, who burst onto the scene in 2008's Inglorious Basterds, is an actress who can do so much with her eyes and her killer smile. She's one cog in the trio of actors that make this film highly insightful and enjoyable.

Mills gives the film its own little unique spin that separates itself from other so-called dramas of this sort. Since Oliver is the catalyst for the audience, we're presented with a point of reference through Oliver's subjective experiences. Not much happens in the film, but Mills' allows us to get to know these characters and their flaws. Ultimately, Beginners strives to show us the imperfections of life, and the tireless ebb and flow of our journey, warts and all. It's also very revealing in how it exposes the fragility of our existence. One can tell that Mills is holding nothing back from his own experiences. The film is told through portraits, as it effortlessly weaves a handful of characters and their arcs together gracefully.

If anything, the film is too calculated, and while I rather enjoyed the pacing, the third act, particularly the last 20-25 minutes are way too scattered. I sat there thinking it could've wrapped up at multiple spots, but the film continued on. Plummer is his reliable self here, turning in a nuanced, yet un-showy performance. Mills easily could've written Hal differently, perhaps forcing Plummer's performance down Oscar voters throats, but the script and Plummer thankfully go a different route. This is perhaps the truest performance that McGregor has ever given, hardly brilliant, but tuned into the type of aimlessness and numbness that Mills might've felt.

Beginners has a melancholic tone throughout, but in no way is it a film void of hope. The two central relationships are what work the best. Just as Hal is liberated and able to explore his desired sexuality, Oliver's almost muted existence has taken a hold of him. It's not so much a film about Oliver learning to live his life in the way Hal has come to with his boyfriend Andy (Visnjic), but a "live in the moment" commentary on how life isn't always waiting on us. Beginners has a big heart, and at times gives off a tingly feeling of how life can surprise us if we take advantage of it.

Grade: 3.5/5

Reel Time: Episode 12

This was one of the more laid back episodes thus far, if not the most laid back. Joining me once again were regulars Andrew Cate and Deepayan Sengupta, we talked less about Horrible Bosses, and more about our expectations for Deathly Hallows part II, and many other off-topic tangents. Here's a non-iTunes link, enjoy!

Reel Time: Episode 11

Holiday hub-bub now over, we were able to record episode 11 late tonight. I was joined by NextProjection.com's Christopher Misch, and regulars Andrew Cate and Deepayan Sengupta. We've hit the dull patch of the summer film season, but we still had plenty to talk about. Discussion centers around Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Larry Crowne, as well as much more. Here is a non-iTunes link, enjoy!