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Act of Killing

A very crazy story about two neighborhood thugs who murdered many and have been left alone to relive their glory days. Now they want to reenact it...? Initial Grade: 9; Story: 9; Style: 7; Entertainment: 8; Value 10 43/50

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American Hustle

As a movie, American Hustle was enjoyable and well-crafted. For entertainment it was a very good film. The downer however, is when considered as a "great film" American Hustle undoubtedly falls short where it matters most: value. American Hustle was devoid of any real cinematic value. The story was concise, fun, and tightly woven, but there was no innovative telling of the story, no greater moral fable, nothing that elevates this pic into the higher realm of greatness. David O. Russel makes very good films. I also appreciated Silver Linings last year but I also felt that it, like American Hustle was given too much credit and recognition. In all likelihood AH will join Silver Linings with an oscar nod this year. Maybe if I had seen both movies before listening to all the jive, I would have walked in with less expectation. Maybe that is the problem I have with American Hustle, as good as it is, I left wanting more. Initial Grade: 8; Story: 7; Style: 7; Entertainment: 8; Value: 6 FINAL: 36 / 50

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Delicatessen

4.1 / 5

Delicatessen is a black French surreal delicacy set in apocalyptic times. An ex-clown applies to be a handyman for the local butcher in his brooding apartment building. The world outside is dark and devoid of food, yet the deli continues to trade meat to the locals. The clown is a quiet guy, who works hard and befriends the daughter of the butcher. Despite the extremely dark subject matter, the mournful look, and the terrifying circumstances, the movie shines bright. The story is so outlandish that no matter how insane a person might be, they could never recreate this scenario. And that is the joy in this, as with most surreal works of art. You may not relate, but you can appreciate. This was a fun, whimsical journey through a very dark world. It works. The story is brilliant, without any visible holes. The mood is undeniable. The climax rushes like a tidal wave. Little did I know this was directed by the same guy who made one of my favorite movies ever... Amelie. Why watch this? You love movies. You are a fan of Fellini and Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali. You like dark comedies, and you enjoy being taken on a journey of someone's mad mad dream. GRADES: Initial Grade: 8; Story: 9; Style: 7; Entertainment: 8; Value: 9 FINAL: 41 / 50 On Rotten Tomatoes: 88% On IMDB: 7.8 Buy at Amazon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg3V8HDK5go

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El Aura - The Aura

3.8 / 5

The Aura was a movie I had heard nothing about, but it happened to show up on Netflix. I read the blurb, and it sounded interesting. I gave it a shot, and am glad I did. This was a great piece of moviemaking. Now, that being said, this isn't for everyone. A long(er) film, with many slow, quiet moments, this could be classified as a character study. Espinoza is a quiet taxidermist, who enjoys working with his dead animals. It is a slow, deliberate type of work, and one that suits his personality quite well. As with most people who work alone, Espinoza lives inside his own head. One of his recurring thoughts is to rob a bank. He has figured it out perfectly, down to the last second. But, of course, he could never actually pull it off. When a friend invites him hunting, Espinoza's controlled world turns wild. He is separated from his friend, alone in the wilderness, and chasing an animal, he mistakenly shoots a person dead. And this is where the movie really starts. Espinoza is left in the wild, alone, and has to decide what to do with the body. The more he learns, the more he realizes that the dead guy was caught up in some shady business. The good, quiet Espinoza now is caught up in a world in which he only dreamt. The movie works. It is slow, deliberate, and requires a lot of the viewer. You must pay attention, remember details, and be patient. That is asking a lot of a viewer. And that is probably why you've never heard of this movie. However, the patient viewer is rewarded with a very good movie. It is beautiful and haunting, with a good story and a great character. GRADES: Initial Grade: 8; Story: 8; Style: 8; Entertainment: 8; Value: 6 FINAL: 38 / 50 On Rotten Tomatoes: 89% On IMDB: 7.5 Buy on Amazon

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Transsiberian

4.1 / 5 I watched this movie before, I liked it, but couldn't remember why. So, I watched it again. The Transsiberian rail is the world's longest rail, going from Beijing to Moscow, across 7 time zones, and across the north of the Eurasian continent. I happened to take this train a few years back. It was an amazing experience being locked up in a train for so long. Time goes by Moscow time, regardless of where you are. So, if you are in Irkutsk, or another lonely outpost, the clock and your body will be hours off. As well, the people on the trains become characters. Why are they here? Are they just traveling, or do they have an ulterior motive? That is what I was thinking. The movie gets the feel right. As we start on the journey we meet a nice, naive American couple doing missionary work. You may recognize the man as Woody Harrelson, but not the Woody Harrelson from Cheers, or Big Lebowski, or any of his other zany roles. This is a role that I wish we saw him in more. It is understated, and proof that he really is a good actor. As well, we meet a young couple who are traveling after teaching English in Japan (like I did). As someone who has been on the train, the setup was important. They nailed it on the head. It was believable. Great start! The movie started off with intrigue as you knew something was going down, but you don't know what it is, who the bad guys are, or what the heck was going to happen. It builds slowly, and then all of a sudden you are in the middle of Siberia. And when that happens, bad things are sure to come. Bad things happen, but real grip of the movie is how those things happen and who actually does them. When you are detached from the world you do things you normally wouldn't do. This movie gets it right. A great thriller, pitch perfect, sensible and real with amazing twists and turns, this movie is a must watch. GRADES: Initial Grade: 9; Story: 8; Style: 8; Entertainment: 9; Value: 7 FINAL: 41 / 50 On Rotten Tomatoes: 91% On IMDB: 6.8 Buy on Amazon

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Drive with Ryan Gosling

3.2 / 5

The movie "Drive" with Ryan Gosling was on of Hollywoods big summer hits last year, however, Hollywoods big summer hits are usually the movies I stay far away from - too predictable and in all honesty way too dumb. I steered clear of this one as well. Well, after the movie made its way to DVD and On-Demand, i started hearing friends rave about it. And, I trusted these friends opinions! So, I rented it. I was excited based on their reviews, and skeptical if I would really care about it at all. The movie is like a more mature, toned-down version of Fast and the Furious. It involves fast cars and the drivers who make their living, well, driving. Ryan Gosling's character is a quiet, go-about-your-business kind of guy. He doesn't complain, he isn't trying to make it big, and he does his job exactly as he tells you he will. And he's good, maybe one of the best. Okay, it's a nice enough set up. Of course as a driver, he wants to race, we know that, obviously, but his character is so quiet that he never actually says it. The other characters tell us for him. The other characters really make the movie, and they are all exactly what you would expect... The old, broke but talented mechanic who has the driver's back. The unscrupulous bad guy, who wants to make a dollar of the racer, and the girlfriend who has a cute kid that he befriends. The movie is entertaining, with a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming. The beginning of the movie is rather exciting, with car chases, and such, but as the movie starts to build its story, and resolve the protagonists issues, it loses it's edge. In the end, it was as entertaining as you could expect from a Hollywood blockbuster, with good directing and an AMAZING soundtrack (the best part of the movie, hands down). The characters and the script, however were all a bit too convenient. I tried to watch it again, as I do with a lot of movies, not for entertainment, but to learn a little about the movie making experience. After about 10 minutes, I realized I just didn't care enough to sit through it again. GRADES: Initial Grade: 7; Story: 6; Style: 8; Entertainment: 7; Value: 4 FINAL: 32 / 50 On Rotten Tomatoes: 93% On IMDB: 8.0 Buy at Amazon

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Jiro Dreams of Sushi

4.5 / 5 For a foodie, or more particularly, a sushi connoisseur, Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a must watch. Entertaining, enlightening, and informative, the movie will leave your palate salavating and your next sushi bill much more expensive. Jiro is an 85 year old sushi chef who works in a non-descript restaurant in the basement of a train station. He is also the only sushi chef in the world who has 3 Michelin Stars, the highest award in the culinary world. Jiro's restaurant seats only ten or 11 people at a time. The cheapest meal is $300, and you MUST have reservations much in advance if you hope to get a seat. This begs the question... Why would such an accomplished chef serve in such a small, and un-flattering location? And that my friend is why you must watch the movie. I am a filmmaker, a sushi fan, a traveler who once lived in Japan, and a lover of sociology, so this was just about a perfect movie... for me. Jiro is a unique talent, but his drive and ethics relate back to the world he was born into. It presents a very Japanese perspective on life and work. Not to mention that it teaches sushi novices the real way to eat sushi, it teaches sushi fans the art of preparing high-quality sushi, and it educates us all, just a little bit, on the impact of the growing sushi phenomenon. If you care about sushi, Japan, food, art, or sociology, then this is a must watch for you. If you don't care about any of the above, then my apologies to you for your unimaginative life. GRADES: Initial Grade: 10; Story: 9; Style: 8; Entertainment:9; Value: 9 FINAL: 45 / 50 On Rotten Tomatoes: 98% On IMDB: 7.6

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Searching for Sugar Man - SXSW 2012

Grade: 4.8 / 5 I accidentally walked into the wrong theatre. Searching for Sugar Man was playing. I knew nothing about it. Thank God for that accident! This was my favorite movie of the SXSW Film Festival. If you have a chance, watch it... it will blow your mind! Rodriguez was a musician in Detroit in the late '60s and early 70's. He was often compared to Bob Dylan for his political-themed music. After listening to his music myself, I like to compare him to John Lennon. You may laugh at these comparisons, thinking, "Dylan and Lennon, are you kidding?" I am not kidding. So, the next question you should ask is "Why haven't I heard of Rodriguez?" That, my friend is why you should watch the movie. Without giving the story away too much, let's just say that Rodriguez is dead. He hasn't recorded anything in years, decades even, yet in some far away place, the man is a legend. A long lost legend who has many fiery fans who are still trying to piece together the mystery of their musical hero. Okay, I'll leave it at that. If you like movies, or if you are a music fan, this is a must watch. The surprises and twists and turns are enthralling. The story is heartwarming, unimaginable, and uplifting. Rodriguez music is the stuff of legends, and the movie does him and his story justice. Now, let's see how long it takes for Rodriguez to finally get his just due. GRADES: Initial Grade: 10; Story: 10; Style: 8; Entertainment:10; Value: 10 FINAL: 48 / 50 On Rotten Tomatoes: 98% On IMDB: 8.5

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Eden - SXSW 2012

Grade 4.6 / 5 Eden is a story of sorrow, courage, and redemption. It is based on the true story of Chong Kim, a Korean-American who was kidnapped and forced into sex slavery. The movie sounds like it could be a downer, and I wasn't really sure I wanted to sit through a couple hours of torture. I am glad I did. Not only was Eden enlightening to the young girls situation, it actually made for a really good movie. In order to survive you must adapt. Once Eden is abducted, she quickly learns the rules of the game. Despite living in hellish conditions and selling her body to random johns for money she is never going to see, Eden remains a strong-willed heroine who uses her smarts as much as her body in order to survive day to day. As a film, Eden is as good as they come. It tells a very relevant and necessary story, it has a strong central character, and as much drama, intrigue and suspense as a hollywood blockbuster. Add to that the deft touch of the storytellers (kudos to director Megan Griffiths and actress Jamie Chung) for making this feel real, for being powerful without being painful, and for having a great storyline, complete with a high-action, climatic ending. Eden accomplishes what every movie should hope to accomplish. It works on every level. It is a great story, a great movie, and a great cause. *Eden was selected as the Jury Narrative Feature Award Winner at SXSW GRADES: Initial Grade: 9; Story: 10; Style: 8; Entertainment:9; Value: 10 FINAL: 46 / 50

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Low and Clear - SXSW 2012

Grade 4 / 5 Low and Clear is a fly-fishing documentary with the son of Townes Van Zandt. But that is a bit misleading. The famous singer is hardly referenced in the movie at all, and the movie is more about the different world view of two long-time friends and devout fly-fishers, than it is about fishing. And, to call it a documentary is to do a serious disservice to the immaculate cinematography. To be perfectly honest, I went to the movie because it was playing when I had time to kill. I didn't know anything about it, and for the first 15 minutes, I was sure I was watching a narrative movie. It was just so damn beautiful. The story of Low and Clear is about two friends who live hermetic lifestyles. One lives in British Columbia and Colorado, and cuts down trees for a living. The other lives on the Gulf of Texas, and builds boats for a living. They both love to fish. They have complete opposite views of fishing... and life for that matter. Xenie is a rambunctious know-it-all who moves at the speed of lightning. He was once a legendary fisherman and a mentor to JT. JT is the son of TVZ, and quiet recluse who looks to fishing as more of a meditation than a sport. JT loves fishing, but as he has grown older, he has pursued other avenues in life. In Low and Clear, JT and Xenie meet up after going nearly a decade without fishing together. Xenie is clearly the better fisherman, while JT has become more successful in his work. What is more important in life? We all make choices, we all have dreams. Low and Clear is a magically shot meditation on the choices we make, the dreams we chase, and the dreams we let pass us by. It's a fly-fishing movie, yes, but let's just call it a metaphor for life. A beautiful one. *Low and Clear won the Audience Award at SXSW in the Emerging Visions category. GRADES: Initial Grade: 8; Story: 8; Style: 9; Entertainment:7; Value: 8 FINAL: 40 / 50

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Oscar Nominations Include Everyone

Oscar nominations have been announced, and it looks like the Academy Awards are now being run by the general public, and not the movie making elite. Is it just me, or are they including every single movie made from a known director/actor. There are ten movies up for Best Picture this year. While I agree that most of the nominees are very good at what they do, I disagree that any movie they make should be up for The Best Picture. This year we have entries from Darren Aronofsky, Danny Boyle, Christopher Nolan, Coen Brothers, Marky Mark, just to name a few. Just because we know who they are, and respect their movies does not mean they have created the most impressive movie of the year. I have seen three movies nominated and think that all three are unworthy of nomination. True Grit, The Fighter, and Inception do not deserve to be listed here. I know that much. I have not seen the other movies on this list, and the only judgement I can make, is that if they are included with these three movies than they are very un-inspriing films. I went to a theater last night to see True Grit, and while I like Jeff Bridges character, and I thought the young girl did a valiant job of acting, it was apparent the entire movie that I was watching a movie with actors. I never became so engulfed i the movie that I forgot I was watching a movie. The story was so contrived, and the young girls role was so unbelievable, not to mention how much Rooster cared about the little ninkumpoop, it was all so phony. I like the Coen Brothers, but this was not their best effort. Too contrived, too over the top, and all so unnecessary. A few weeks ago, while killing time on vacation, I watched The Fighter, and I expected to see a crappy hollywood fighting movie, but I was actually impressed. It entertained and despite the formulaic plot, it held my interest and got me rooting for the good guy. That being said, the dialogue was written for a first-grader, and they butchered the real-life story so badly that I laughed in a few places, and scratched my head in others. This worked as an entertaining movie, but what have we come to when a movie that works is somehow considered Oscar material? Good movie, doesn't deserve this nomination at all. Inception, that cool, deceptive piece of work from Nolan. I love Memento, Dark Knight, even the Following, but this was contrived Hollywood filmmaking at its worst. By worst, I mean they throw in lots of crazy twists to fool you into thinking they are "deep", and for most 14 year olds, it works. I fell asleep half way through this, and I was watching it in IMAX. Terrible movie. I understand why it did great at the box-office, I have no idea how it got nominated for anything other than a Rasberry. The only movie that I saw this year that truly deserves The Best Picture, is Exit Through the Gift Shop. That movie had suspense, drama, and an outrageous hero who overcame long odds. Great story and great movie making. I know its a pseudo-doc, and was not shot on the highest quality film, but despite that one small detail, this was clearly the best movie I saw all year. I am not sure why the Academy decided to nominate ten movies as the best. This is like having ten players being nominated for MVP. There are usually many valuable players on different teams, and there are usually many good movies, but when the Academy looks at the entire field, they couldn't come up with a better filter than this? If True Grit, Inception and The Fighter all made it on this list, maybe I shouldn't even bother trying to watch the rest.

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vidpunks

I always thought of myself as a filmmaker, but not a conventional hollywood type filmmaker, more like a rough and dirty guerrilla filmmaker. But after thinking about that for a minute, I realized I am not a filmmaker - I don’t use film, and barely have touched it in my life - I use video. And, when you think about it, isn’t the word guerrilla a little too intense. When I think of a guerrilla, I think of the poor and uneducated rebels that live in the Columbia mountains, fighting against a political enemy. No, I am not a guerilla, I wish I had the balls to give my life for a cause I believe in. I don’t. I’m just a punk trying to rile things up a bit, and trying not to get arrested. I guess a more appropriate title for me is a video punk, or as it is much cooler to abbreviate for online consumption, maybe a better term would be a vidpunk. I am a vidpunk. We are vidpunks. vidpunk - a vidpunk or video punk, is a person who records video, usually alone or in a small group, often with consumer grade video cameras, sometimes planned, but often spontaneous, and who then distributes the video in shorter more flexible formats, in a timely manner, through the worlds biggest and fastest distribution channel, the internet.

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Tony, the cool british flick about a lonely mustached man bent on revenge for all of life's troubles.

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TONY

Tony is a British flick about a lonely man ostracized from society. He goes about his business in a quiet way, but he yearns for excitement in his life. Without a job, and  without any friends, Tony hits the streets looking for companions, only to realize most people don't understand him, or just don't care about him.

In the course of a week, Tony goes from a lonely man hidden in his shell, to a lonely man bent on revenge against anyone and everyone that treats him ill. 

This was the best movie I've seen at the festival. It works on all levels.  Tony is a great character with a creepy mustache, played brilliantly by a shockingly normal person (in real life). The story works, the directing is good, and the locations were perfectly simple for this type of story. One of the biggest problems facing indie movies is they try to chew more than they can swallow, and Tony is absolutely NOT guilty of doing this.  One main character, a few locations, lots of tension, but it remains an honest and endearing film, despite the content matter.

The movie has notes of The Following by Chris Nolan, and Taxi Driver by Scorsese. It is that good and I am looking forward to the DVD release sometime in April. If you like horror films, indie films, or just appreciate any good flick, then you should put this on top of your list when it comes out. And if you are still at the festival, then do your best to make it to the next screening. 

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Mr. Nice

The story of Howard Marks is a curious one. He is a convicted drug dealer in the USA, and claimed ties to the MI6, or the equivalent of the British CIA - which eventually got him acquitted. He has tons of personality, made tons of money, and hit bottom a few times, and ended up back in jail without help from any government agencies. 

In jail he wrote a book called Mr. Nice, which uses his alias (that was stolen from a man named Mr. Nice - pronounced 'Neese' as in the city in France).

The book was widely popular on the SouthEast Asia travel circuit. You could buy a pirated copy for a dollar or two, and most people traveling for an extended amount of time had read the book. I guess travelers related to Marks and his adventures smuggling drugs across many countries. I found it on the circuit, and loved it. Howard Marks is a cool guy, and tells a good story. 

Rhys Ifran, who plays Marks in the movie, mentions that Marks is the only non-sportsman or musician who is considered a hero in Wales. That's right, a drug smuggler is a hero. If you have a chance to read the book, definitely read it, and you can understand why he is a cultural icon. The guy lived the high life, and the guy had morals, he fought against the system, and he lived like a rock star. 

Unfortunately, the movie didn't work. The director was trying to do so much, trying to be so creative, that he actually detracted from a script that already had holes in it. 

-Rhys Ifans, who plays Marks, is a youthful looking guy, just isn't youthful enough (without makeup) to play a 14 year old boy. It doesn't work, it is just weird.

-Several times throughout the movie, there is an authentic film archive from the 60's or 70's, and then the characters run out in front of the archive. The new film not matching the archived footage. 

Without a compelling story (Marks is compelling, but the movie itself wasn't), and with amateur effects, the movie was a bit of a letdown. I loved the book, and was hoping for a great movie to go along with it.

My advice: read the book. 

That being said, Chloe Sevigny and Rhys Ifans were both at the premier, and Chloe is hot, so maybe it was all worthwhile. 

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Bill Hick's - one funny routine, one of many.