Movies to See Right Now

LINCOLN

The absolute Must See is Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, in which he and Daniel Day-Lewis push aside the marble statue and bring to life Abraham Lincoln the man.  It’s a top-of-the-line political thriller, and everyone should see this movie.

Argo is Ben Affleck’s brilliant thriller based on a true story from the Iran Hostage Crisis.  The Sessions is an uncommonly evocative, funny and thoughtful film about sex leading to unexpected emotional intimacy. Denzel Washington stars in Flight, a thriller about the miraculous crash landing of an airliner and the even more dangerous battle against alcoholism.  A Late Quartet is a gripping drama with a superb cast led by Christopher Walken and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Skyfall updates the James Bond franchise with thrilling action and a  Daniel Craig’s more shopworn 007.  The Paperboy is a deliciously pulpy crime drama, enhanced by a trashy Nicole Kidman and a canny Macy Gray. I also liked the thinking person’s sci-fi movie, LooperPerks of Being a Wallflower is an authentic coming of age story.

Chasing Mavericks is a predictable and heartwarming true story that is just OK for most movie-goers , but is a Must See if you’re into surfing and/or have an interest in the Santa Cruz and San Mateo coast.  Cloud Atlas delivers six fast paced stories set across six centuries with lots of movie stars playing multiple roles; it’s fun to watch, but it’s not as good a film as the ones listed above.

Paul Williams Still Alive, an affecting documentary about the songwriter, omnipresent in the 70s, but not now, is available on Video On Demand. The poignant French geezer comedy All Together is also available on Video On Demand.

I haven’t yet seen the Danish historical drama A Royal Affair (in contention for Best Foreign Language Oscar), which open this weekend. You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is the engaging indie dramedy Dark Horse.

DVD of the Week: Dark Horse

In this engaging indie dramedy by writer-director Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness), an epic underachiever falls in love with a heavily medicated depressive.

This guy has not moved out from his boyhood room in his parent’s house. He gets a paycheck from his dad’s company although the office assistant does his work while he spends his day bidding for collectible toys on eBay. He drives a bright yellow Hummer that blares the sappiest pop music. Yet he feels completely entitled, is surly to his enabling parents and bellows like a wounded water buffalo when his genius remains unrecognized.

This guy is remarkably unsympathetic. Still, Solondz ‘s clear-eyed and unsparing portrait is not mean-spirited and, eventually, becomes even empathetic. In particular, Solondz makes able use of dream/fantasy segments to explore the yearnings of the characters.

Jordan Gelber is excellent as the hapless blowhard protagonist. The cast (Selma Blair as the girlfriend, Christopher Walken and Mia Farrow as the parents) is quite good, too, especially Donna Murphy as the office assistant and Aasif Mandvi as the girlfriend’s ex.

I saw this at a screening with Todd Solondz, and he said that Dark Horse is a reaction to the Apatowesque man-child movies. In those films, the underachieving slackers are endearing goofs. Here, the underachieving slacker is realistically unattractive, but has a realistic vulnerability and fundamental humanity. Solondz says that the protagonist, at last, finds life in death.

Dark Horse has the trademark Solondz quirkiness, but without the trademark perversion. As with most Solondz films, I’m still thinking about it several days later.

Note: In Dark Horse, Walken and Farrow appear to be watching Seinfeld. Instead of paying the fee to license a snippet of the real Seinfeld, Solondz got Jason Alexander, Estelle Harris and Jerry Stiller to read Solondz-written faux Seinfeld dialogue.

Movies to See Right Now

Emile Hirsch, Gina Gershon, Thomas Haden Church and Juno Temple in KILLER JOE

Killer Joe, which opens this week, is NC-17 for a reason and will either thrill or disgust you; that notwithstanding, it pops and crackles with excellent performances by Mathew McConaughey and Juno Temple. 

The Intouchables is a crowd pleasing odd couple comedy – an attendance record breaker in France.

The brilliantly made Louisiana swamp fable Beasts of the Southern Wild enters the life and imagination of a child and celebrates her indomitability. It’s on my list of Best Movies of 2012 – So Far.

Farewell, My Queen is a lavishly staged and absorbing French drama of Marie Antoinette’s Versailles at the onset of the French Revolution; it features excellent performances and was shot at Versailles itself.

Dark Horse is an engaging dramedy from writer-director Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness); it has his trademark quirkiness, but without the trademark perversion.

The wistfully sweet and visually singular Moonrise Kingdom is another must see. Adults will enjoy Brave, Pixar’s much anticipated fable of a Scottish princess, and it’s a must see for kids. To Rome with Love is an amusing Woody Allen comedy, but not one of Woody’s masterpieces. If you really like Neil Young, then see Neil Young Journeys. The exceptionally popular The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is continuing its long run in second-run houses.

The Dark Night Rises is too corny and too long, but Anne Hathaway sparkles. Magic Mike has male stripping, but no magic.

You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is from Turkey, the long, enthralling and profound Once Upon a Time in Anatolia.  I must add that The Movie Gourmet is the only place where you can read about Killer Joe and Once Upon a Time in Anatolia in the same week!

Movies to See Right Now

THE INTOUCHABLES

The Intouchables is a crowd pleasing odd couple comedy from France, which is finally opening more widely.

The brilliantly made Louisiana swamp fable Beasts of the Southern Wild enters the life and imagination of a child and celebrates her indomitability. It’s on my list of Best Movies of 2012 – So Far.

Farewell, My Queen is a lavishly staged and absorbing French drama of Marie Antoinette’s Versailles at the onset of the French Revolution; it features excellent performances and was shot at Versailles itself.

Dark Horse is an engaging dramedy from writer-director Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness); it has his trademark quirkiness, but without the trademark perversion.

The wistfully sweet and visually singular Moonrise Kingdom is another must see. Adults will enjoy Brave, Pixar’s much anticipated fable of a Scottish princess, and it’s a must see for kids.  To Rome with Love is an amusing Woody Allen comedy, but not one of Woody’s masterpieces.  If you really like Neil Young, then see Neil Young Journeys. The exceptionally popular The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is continuing its long run in second-run houses.

The Dark Night Rises is too corny and too long, but Anne Hathaway sparkles.  Magic Mike has male stripping, but no magic.

You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is Woody Allen: A Documentary.

Dark Horse: an epic underachiever, unattractive but human

Dark Horse:  In this engaging indie dramedy by writer-director Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness), an epic underachiever falls in love with a heavily medicated depressive.

This guy has not moved out from his boyhood room in his parent’s house.   He gets a paycheck from his dad’s company although the office assistant does his work while he spends his day bidding for collectible toys on eBay.  He drives a bright yellow Hummer that blares the sappiest pop music.  Yet he feels completely entitled, is surly to his enabling parents and bellows like a wounded water buffalo when his genius remains unrecognized.

This guy is remarkably unsympathetic.  Still, Solondz ‘s clear-eyed and unsparing portrait is not mean-spirited and, eventually, becomes even empathetic. In particular, Solondz makes able use of dream/fantasy segments to explore the yearnings of the characters.

Jordan Gelber is excellent as the hapless blowhard protagonist.  The cast (Selma Blair as the girlfriend, Christopher Walken and Mia Farrow as the parents) is quite good, too, especially Donna Murphy as the office assistant and Aasif Mandvi as the girlfriend’s ex.

I saw this at a screening with Todd Solondz, and he said that Dark Horse is a reaction to the Apatowesque man-child movies.  In those films, the underachieving slackers are endearing goofs.  Here, the underachieving slacker is realistically unattractive, but has a realistic vulnerability and fundamental humanity.  Solondz says that the protagonist, at last, finds life in death.

Dark Horse has the trademark Solondz quirkiness, but without the trademark perversion.  As with most Solondz films, I’m still thinking about it several days later.

Note:  In Dark Horse, Walken and Farrow appear to be watching Seinfeld.  Instead of paying the fee to license a snippet of the real Seinfeld, Solondz got Jason Alexander, Estelle Harris and Jerry Stiller to read Solondz-written faux Seinfeld dialogue.

Movies to See Right Now

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

The brilliantly made Louisiana swamp fable Beasts of the Southern Wild enters the life and imagination of a child and celebrates her indomitability.  It’s on my list of Best Movies of 2012 – So Far.

The wistfully sweet and visually singular Moonrise Kingdom is another must see. Adults will enjoy Brave, Pixar’s much anticipated fable of a Scottish princess, and it’s a must see for kids.   If you can still find it, I recommend the romantic character study Take This Waltz, starring the great Michele Williams in an exploration of attraction and fulfillment from a woman’s perspective.

Continuing a very long run, the story of aged Brits seeking a low-budget retirement in India, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, is a proven crowd pleaser. Men In Black 3 is delightfully entertaining, as Will Smith time travels back to 1969 and meets the young Tommy Lee Jones (nailed by Josh Brolin).

To Rome with Love is an amusing Woody Allen comedy, but not one of Woody’s masterpieces. Prometheus is a striking and well-acted sci fi adventure with a horror film tinge; I recommend it for sci fi fans.  If you really like Neil Young, then see Neil Young Journeys.

Magic Mike has male stripping, but no magic. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter has blood-sucking, irony and not enough of either to justify watching it.   Your Sister’s Sister wastes a promising premise and a superb performance.

I haven’t yet seen Dark Horse, The Dark Knight Rises or Farewell, My Queen, which open this weekend.  You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is the documentary This Is Not a Robbery, the true story of a nonagenarian serial bank robber.

More July Movies

Other than the superb Beasts of the Southern Wild and Take This Waltz, it hasn’t shaped up to be a very rich July at the movies.  But I’m interested in three upcoming releases.

Dark Horse is an indie comedy by Todd Solondz (Welcome to the Dollhouse) in which an epic underachiever falls in love with a heavily medicated depressive.  Reportedly, Solondz’ take on these characters is clear-eyed, but not mean.

Christian Bale growls on in Christopher Nolan’s newest chapter of the Bat Man saga, The Dark Knight Rises.  The cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Juno Temple and Liam Neeson.

Farewell, My Queen is a lavishly staged French costume drama tracing the end of Marie Antoinette’s reign.  Early reviews focus on the performances by Diane Kruger as the Queen, Virginie Ledoyen as the Queen’s intimate friend and Lea Seydoux as the servant with ambiguous motives.

You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To. Here’s the trailer for Farewell, My Queen: