Out of the Furnace (2013, dir. Scott Cooper) ****/****

“Out of the Furnace” is a raw, gripping tale of individuals driven by their desires in response to circumstances beyond their control in a cruel, unforgiving environment.  It is a violent saga with blood spilled in bare-knuckled, back-room boxing matches and in acts of pure, desperate vengeance. 

The film stars Christian Bale as Russell, a second generation mill worker whose brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) is the aforementioned fighter and troubled gambler who can never seem to pay back his loans.  Russell has an African-American girlfriend, Lena (Zoe Saldana) who dreams of having children with him.  When Russell is jailed for killing someone while driving under the influence of alcohol his relationship ends, his father dies, and Rodney, no longer under his supervision, gets into further trouble.  Rodney, in his visit to Russell in prison elaborates on his bad memories of serving in the Gulf War and hints at PTSD.

Eventually, Russell is released.  We are, around this time, introduced to a character who is truly one of the most despicable, grotesque, and treacherous villains in the history of cinema.  The character’s name is Harlan DeGroat and he is played by Woody Harrelson.  This is a great performance by Harrelson in creating a monster.  In fact, all the performances in the film are phenomenal including smaller parts starring Sam Shepard and Willem Dafoe.   DeGroat lives in the backwoods five and a half hours away from where the main story takes place.  He is a vicious, drug-addicted hillbilly with a heart of pure evil.

Rodney is a proud, reckless young man who refuses to take falls when goaded by his loan-shark (Dafoe).  But, when DeGroat enters the picture things become more serious and lives are put at risk.  

This is a great film.  I won’t reveal anymore of the plot because it would be giving away some surprises.  This film is full of unexpected plot turns and interesting, multi-dimensional characters.  It is not your average, run-of-the-mill movie and will stay with you after it’s over.  2013 has turned out to be a great year for films and this is one of the better ones you will see this year.

The Book Thief (2013, dir. Brian Percival) ***/****

Brian Percival's "The Book Thief", based on a novel by Markus Zusak, is an poignant tale of a young girl's coming-of-age during World War II in Germany.  It stars Sophie Nelisse as Liesel, a girl who's widowed mother, a communist, gives up her daughter for adoption by a couple in a distant German town (Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson).   It is highly emotional, visceral and sheds lights on the harrowing and tragic circumstances faced by German citizens during the second World War.
    Liesel, it turns out, is the book thief of the title.  On her way to her foster family, she swipes a book titled "The Gravedigger's Handbook".  This will her first of many books in a life-long love-affair with the written word.  Liesel will affect in a profound way everyone she encounters in her new life.  She soon meets a neighbouring boy named Rudy (Nico Liersch) who's talent at running in foot-races lead him into trouble when he decides to imitate his favourite athelete, black American Olympic sprinter Jesse Owens.  Liesel and Rudy strike up an immediate bond that will sometimes get them into mischief and trouble.
   Liesel adopted mother does laundry for various people in the town.  One of these patrons is a couple living in a mansion.  When Liesel is assigned to drop of laundry to them, she is invited into the house by the woman to discover a vast library of a large collection of books.  Liesel is allowed to read here for a while but when the man of the house discovers this, he puts an end to it.  This forces Liesel to sneak into the house and steal books from the library (she does, however, return them).
    I don't want to give away the ending of this engrossing film.  All I can say is that it packs an emotional wallop and moves in unexpected directions.  The performances are great especially the lead, newcomer Nelisse.  This is a good film and is essential viewing for older children, young people, and adults alike.

All Is Lost (2013, dir. J.C. Chandor) ****/****

Robert Redford stars in “All is Lost”, a compelling tale of survival at sea.  In it, Redford is  the sailor of a yacht on a solo voyage of the Indian Ocean in a modern day setting.  When a shipping container ruptures the side of his boat, he must do what he can to mend the gaping hole and recover from a sudden influx of seawater into the vessel.  All sources of communication are lost and the whole movie basically consists of one survival game as forces of nature (a storm) and other mishaps force the protagonist to stare his own mortality in the face and do what he can to maintain calm and a last vestige of hope.  

  There is very little dialogue throughout this movie.  Only the occasional attempt at utterances over a faltering radio and one lone f-bomb.   The voice over narration at the beginning is the only back-story we are given in a letter that is read by Redford during the opening of the film.  We learn that he has a family but not much else and he apologizes to them for his predicament.  

  In the hands of another director or if another person were the star, this may have been a far less successful and more boring film but the resulting movie is so gripping thanks to J.C. Chandor’s expert direction and Robert Redford’s masterful performance.  Redford’s every gesture and movement is plush with meaning and emotion as he gradually realizes the dire nature of his circumstances.

The score by Mark Ebert is well-done as well and is highly evocative.  The score adds the appropriate foreboding atmosphere to the overall picture. 

This is one of the best pictures of the year and I highly recommend it.

Certified Copy (2010, dir. Abbas Kiarostami) ****/****

Abbas Kiarostami’s “Certified Copy” depicts a relationship between a man and woman that is never quite what it seems.  At times we are lead to believe that the date the two individuals are on is a “first date” while at others we are given the impression that they have been in some sort of relationship for a number of years. 

A French woman (Juliette Binoche) living in Italy attends a lecture on a new book by its author (William Shimell) called “Certified Copy”.  The subject of the book is the value of and difference between original works of art and copies of the original.  Before the lecture ends she leaves her phone number for the author with another man who is in close contact with him.  Later, we see the author at the woman’s house and she invites him to a museum a half hour away so she can show him an example of such a “certified copy”.  The remainder of the film depicts their conversations and interactions with each other and a few others.  

The film brilliantly leaves a big question mark as to the nature of this man and woman’s relationship.  At first we think they hardly know each other.  At one point however, a cafe server mistakes the two for a married couple and the woman, while the man is outside taking a phone call, decides to play along.  All of a sudden, the relationship seems to change and the playing out of a make-believe game of husband and wife becomes a seeming reality for the two of them and the viewer of the film.

I have seen two previous films by Kiarostami on recommendations from various film journals and was thoroughly impressed by them (“Taste of Cherry” (1997), “Ten” (2002)).  His films are not made for the mainstream, entertainment-thirsty film viewer but are lyrical, hypnotic, artistically-oriented, sublime films for those seeking something out of the ordinary.  “Certified Copy” is no exception to this statement.  Many viewers will be impatient with the slow, meandering, conversational story.  But this film, like his others is rewarding and captivating for the right viewer.

The performances are stellar.  The cinematography of the Italian countryside is beautiful.  The film, with its theme of the value of copies of originals is re-emphasized in the relationship between Shimell and Binoche.  Although we are not clear as to the exact nature of their relationship, it could be said that their quasi-romance is a “certified copy” of a real, loving relationship.  The marriage that the two are pretending to be in is a cover for the unfulfilled, removed and absent nature of the real thing.

This is a film that demands attention and challenges the viewer in subtle and effective ways.  I really loved it.

12 Years A Slave (2013, dir. Steve McQueen) ****/****

I saw Steve McQueen’s “12 Years A Slave” yesterday and was transfixed by this tale of one man’s voyage into and out of slavery and the injustice, dehumanization, and courageous suffering that he goes through.  It is a microcosm for the plight of many different men, women and children in the face of powers beyond their control, many of whom weren’t as lucky as Solomon Northup, who was eventually able to be a free man again.  We know that Northup will eventually be freed but what really matters is the story of his courage and perseverance against indignity and torment.  

   The first shot we get of Northup is when he is a slave.  The movie does interesting things with the manipulation of time in its use of flashbacks and the fragmentation of a linear storyline.  We are thrown into the movie with some brief sequences of Northup’s slave days and it is after this that we are given the story of how he became one.  This introduction gives a sense of just how far away from his origins Northup is taken and the depth of the treachery and injustice which he has to endure. 

   Solomon Northup is a fiddle player and a good one at that.  He makes a living with his art.  He supports a wife and two children in the Northern United States where black people are free from slavery and can live in harmony with white people.  Solomon meets two other artists who propose a job for him.  He travels out of town with these two gentlemen and engages in a night of heavy-drinking.  We see the two white men carrying Northup to a bed in a hotel room.  He wakes up in a prison in chains much to his and the viewer’s dismay and bewilderment.  He is suddenly sold into slavery and there is seemingly nothing he can do about it.  We witness Northup’s trajectory as he goes from slave-trader to slave-owner, never being sure of his own security or safety.

   His first master is played by Benedict Cumberbatch and he is a sympathetic, fair-minded master despite the circumstances.  One of the over-seers on Cumberbatch’s plantation is played by Paul Dano and he is less sympathetic and is downright loathsome.  At one point, Dano’s character intends to whip Northup but Northup is able to overcome him and ends up beating him and whipping him.  At the same time that we are in elation over the empowerment of a slave at the hands of an overseer, we are in agony and suspense over what his punishment for this will be and Northup and the viewer is subjected to a near lynching.  Fortunately, Northup survives but only by elevating himself from the ground by the ends of his toes.

   This master (Cumberbatch) is left with no choice but to sell Northup to another slave-owner played by Michael Fassbender.  He is more evil and mean than anything Northup has experienced in his days as a slave.   Fassbender does a masterful job of creating a truly despicable and treacherous individual that is at the same time a full-blooded human being with his own idiosyncrasies and flaws.  He is in love with and frequently rapes one of his female slaves, Patsey, all the while maintaining a fractured and volatile relationship with his cruel, cold-blooded wife. 

   “12 Years A Slave” contains moments of cinematic bliss and joy.  Many images are extremely difficult to look at.  There is a moment where Patsey is whipped by a forced Northup and Fassbender and the flesh is rendered from her back.  There are moments of shear humanity juxtaposed with ultimate cruelty.  Brad Pitt has a small part as a Canadian labourer who is instrumental in the eventual release of Northup.  The direction is masterful and the cinematography does justice to the themes, plot situations, and characterizations.  Chiwetel Ejiofor is amazing in as Northup in a performance that is sure to garner an Oscar nomination.

   This is one of the best movies of the year.  It is spellbinding and riveting.  It gives the viewer a glimpse into a time in human history when the colour of your skin was a deciding factor in your fate and when there was a lack of justice in the world.  As the film makes clear at the end, Northup was one of the few individuals who were able to escape the bondage of slavery, an institution that was a festering sore on the skin of our collective history and humanity.

Bed & Board (1970, dir. Francois Truffaut) ***/****

Francois Truffaut followed up "Stolen Kisses" (1968) with "Bed & Board" in 1970, continuing his series of films featuring the character, Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud).  While not as satisfying as his previous work in the series, Truffaut gives us an entertaining glimpse into the married life of his iconic character.
   In this film, Antoine is now married to his girlfriend from the previous film, Christine (Claude Jade).  He is working for a flower shop dying flowers various colours.  Soon, Christine is pregnant and gives birth to their first son.  Antoine loses his job at the flower shop and finds work with a hydraulics company maneuvering toy boats on a miniature model waterway.  On the job, he meets a Japanese woman who he starts an affair with.  Eventually, Christine finds out about the affair and the two separate.  Soon, the husband and wife discover that they do in fact love each other and we are left with the assumption that they probably will reconcile.
   There is not as much depth and character development in this film compared to Truffaut previous work.  It is a quirky, eccentric film with odd characters coming and going.  There are humorous moments and surprises but this film doesn't compare to the other films in the series.  The performances are good and the screenplay is witty and charming.  There just isn't enough to warrant a higher rating.  Fans of Truffaut will like it though.

The Hunger Games (2012, dir. Gary Ross) ***/****

I decided to watch Gary Ross's "The Hunger Games" from 2012 this past week because of the hype and anticipation surrounding the release of its sequel, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" at the end of November.  I haven't read the series of novels upon which the films are based but I was won over by the film's vision of a dystopian future and the excitement of the story.
   This first film of a trilogy depicts a time in the distant future when two individuals from varying sectors of a seemingly North American population are selected to participate in the annual "Hunger Games", a frightening, violent, survival-of-the-fittest competition in which the participants must do everything in their power to survive until the end in an outdoor, forest environment.  There are different hazards and dangerous elements that test each of the competitors survival instincts while they struggle to avoid being killed by the other participants.
    The film stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen who volunteers for the competition after her younger sister is initially selected.  She takes her place in a brave attempt to spare her sister's life in a competition in which the odds of surviving are heavily stacked against you.
   Because there are sequels which also star Lawrence, it wouldn't be much of a spoiler to reveal that Katniss ends up the winner at the end of this film.  Still, there are surprises and the manner she goes about winning are worth watching and quite exciting.
   There is commentary on the spectator society of our current world and much of this futuristic society can be seen as a critique of our own, current blood-thirsty, voyeuristic culture.  There are similarities between the Hunger Games show in this world and current reality-based television programming such as Survivor and Big Brother.  The art direction and vision of the future that the film presents is mesmerizing and spectacular.
   The film is really carried on the shoulder's of its stars, mainly Lawrence, who's performance is charismatic and impressive.  There are also welcome appearances by Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland and Wes Bentley.  Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mallark does a good job in the role of Katniss's fellow hometown competitor and possible love interest.
  I look forward to seeing the sequel to this film.  This film though not the greatest of its year is an action-packed, kinetic, and visceral experience that says a lot about reality television, what society does for entertainment, and survival instincts.

Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971, dir. John Schlesinger) ***/****

John Schlesinger followed up his critical and financial success, "Midnight Cowboy" (1969) with this story of a love triangle between three human beings of differing sexual identities and orientations.   An older male doctor is in love with a young hippie artist man.  This same hippie is the object of affection of a female divorcee of around 35 - 40 years old.  This leads to various reactions as the young hippie spends his time with either one, whoever suits his egocentric fancy.  This is definitely a great snapshot of how relationships and their dynamics functioned for these individuals in the post Swinging London, post 60's revolution of early 1970's when some people realized that the dreams of the previous decade didn't come to fruition and it was all over.  The acting is quite magnificent from Peter Finch as the older gay doctor and Glenda Jackson as the woman.  But from Murray Head as the young hippy, you don't get the charisma necessary to reveal why this young man is so passionately the object of two people's affection.  This was a controversial film for its time because it featured with all seriousness and respect two men passionately kissing on screen.  It is interesting to note that these two actors are actually straight in real life.
   At one point in the film the young children of the sister of Glenda Jackson's character who she and the hippie are babysitting for the weekend are seen smoking marijuana.  This is a dangerous allusion to the mindset of some post-60's former flower children's allowances as far as child-rearing goes.  It is dangerous that a film would condone such an image because we all know how vulnerable children's minds are at that age when they are still developing and growing.
   The script is by film critic Penelope Gilliat.  It is does not draw attention to itself which is a compliment.  It is smoothly written and interesting.

Bad Grandpa (2013, dir. Jeff Tremaine) ***/****

"Bad Grandpa" is hilarious at times and pretty funny in others.  It will offend, sicken, and amuse many viewers.  It is basically one Jackass sketch after another.  If you liked it on Jackass when Johnny Knoxville dressed up like an old man and pranked unsuspecting people with things that are inappropriate for a 85 year old man to do, this film is for you.  There are jokes that involve farts, prosthetic penises, drinking, prostitution and strippers and as much Jackass-related injury humour you can fit into and hour and a half movie.
   One of the funniest things about this film is that, supposedly, the people who are being pranked are not actors, but are real, ordinary people who don't suspect a thing.  To see the reactions of these people to the ridiculous things Johnny Knoxville and his co-writers, Spike Jonze and Jeff Tremaine come up with is quite a funny experience.  I enjoyed the performance of young Jackson Nicholl as Billy, the Grandson of Knoxville's old man, Irving.
   Basically, Irving has to bring his grandson across the U.S. to his father because his mother has to serve time in jail.  It is basically a road movie and the genre allows for much shenanigans for the actors to play with.  Over the course of the trip, the Grandfather and Grandson develop a bond with one another as they get into various misadventures.
   If you're a fan of Jackass and reality-based pranking stuff, this film is for you.  It is audacious, risque, offensive and funny.

The Counselor (2013, dir. Ridley Scott) **.5/****

I was looking forward to Ridley Scott's "The Counselor" because it was written by Cormac McCarthy one of my favourite authors.  Films based on books he has written have been phenomenal, including "The Road" and "No Country For Old Men".  I even admired the recent James Franco directed film "Child of God".  My expectations for "The Counselor" were high seeing that McCarthy wrote and Ridley Scott was directing.  But, in the end I felt let down and disappointed by the resulting film.
   The plot basically boils down to a drug deal gone horribly awry and everyone involved being put in intense jeopardy by the mishaps that take place.  Michael Fassbender is the title character.  Penelope Cruz plays his wife.  Javier Bardem is a rich man involved in the deal.  Cameron Diaz is his sultry girlfriend.  Brad Pitt plays another associate who gets in trouble.
  I was confused by this story.  I had trouble figuring out who was who and what was what.  There are some cool individual scenes but they don't add up to a consistent and coherent whole.  I enjoyed the performances and the screenplay is razor sharp and intriguing at times, as can be expected from McCarthy.  Fassbender's character is seen crying no less than three times in this film and he is a multi-dimensional character.  There are just two many questions left unanswered and not enough narrative verisimilitude to recommend this movie.

Runner Runner (2013, dir. Brad Furman) */****

If you want to waste your time with a zero-dimensional, lame-scripted, lacklustre film today, I recommend you see Brad Furman's "Runner Runner".  If you don't want to waste your time, then I highly suggest steering clear of this vapid, idiotic movie.
  The film stars Justin Timberlake as Richie Furst, a Princeton Graduate student with (the script tells us) brains who has a slight penchant for online gambling.  There is a forced montage early in the film to let the audience know just how prevalent and problematic student online gambling is in our modern times: a slew of news items give voice to the widespread predilection.  This type of montage sequence that highlight a social problem is such a cinematic cliche that this reviewer almost walked out after the first five minutes.  But, I gave the film a chance and continued to do so for the remaining one hour and twenty five minutes but the film never answered that allowance with an entertaining spectacle.
   Richie figures out that the online gambling site he just lost nearly $20,000 dollars to has actually cheated him out of his money.  He decides to fly to Costa Rica to confront the owner of the site, Ivan Block (Ben Affleck).  Soon, Block is apologizing and offering Richie's money back but not before offering him a position with the company which promises millions of dollars in a short amount of time.  But, something is fishy about the whole scheme and the FBI is soon bothering Richie about the illegality of the whole operation.
   This is a brainless, forgettable film that will soon be on video and on-demand and I wouldn't even recommend you get the film through these avenues:  it is a complete waste of time and there are better movies out there that will give you much more satisfaction.  The acting is frigid and uninspired, the script lacks any wit or finesse, and there is nothing notable or admirable about any visual aspect of the entire production.  One of the worst films I've seen this year.

Captain Phillips (2013, dir. Paul Greengrass) ***/****

"Captain Phillips" tells the tale of a U.S. cargo ship that was hijacked in 2009 by four armed Somali pirates.  It is tense and provocative.  Tom Hanks stars as Captain Richard Phillips and his unarmed crew who do what they can under enormously pressure-filled circumstances to survive in the face of anger, hostility, violence and confusion.
  The films plot is straightforward and fairly simplistic but it is in the quality of the content that makes this film stand-up to scrutiny.  The Somali pirates are portrayed as victims of there own dire circumstances who are just trying to get by and make ends meet back in Somalia.  They see the open seas around their country as a gold-mine of money-carrying ships and we are sympathetic to their plight  because we know how hard life is for them back home.  They have a chance to get away with $30,000 early in the film but decide to escalate the situation in their quest to get more.  What makes "Captain Phillips" a different and noble venture is the fact that the four Somali pirates are not made into stereotypes or cookie-cutter villains but real, living, breathing individuals who are under pressure to bring home the bacon.
   Tom Hanks does a great job in the lead role of making Captain Phillips into an authentic everyman who is responding under pressure in human ways that any audience member can identify with.  He turns Phillips into a admirable, three-dimensional victim who relies on his own resourceful intelligence and calm to get him through the dangerous situation he's in.
   The final scenes involving a lifeboat and the U.S. Navy are nail-biting and the actions of some of the characters will surprise you.  What makes this film enjoyable is that it doesn't adhere to expectations and despite its straightforward structure does not get bogged down by stereotypes and cliches.

The Fifth Estate (2013, dir. Bill Condon) ***.5/****

"The Fifth Estate" is a thrilling, kinetic film which gives the viewer a (fairly one-sided) glimpse into the mind of one the most internet- and tech-savvy hacker/geniuses of the past decade, Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch).  Using the revolutionary website that he founded, Wikileaks, Assange, with the help of a few others, including Daniel Berg (Daniel Bruhl), was able to expose classified, top-secret information to the general public.  Whistleblowers would send in the information and Wikileaks would post it so the world could see.  As the film portrays, major corporations like banks as well as government officials were brought down with the release of the secret info.  The main question the film asks is at what expense can such data be released and how far is Assange willing to go to keep the mandate of the website alive when lives could easily be in jeopardy.
   The film presents Assange as an egocentric, domineering, and reckless revolutionary who will do anything to get the information out there.  Those around him are alarmed at his forceful nature and are often hesitant to perform the tasks that he masterminds.   Cumberbatch does a terrific job as Assange and turns him into a multidimensional and surprisingly sympathetic character despite the flaws in his personality.
    I am a fan of cinematic eye-candy Alicia Vikander and was happy to see her appearing in this film in a minor role as Berg's girlfriend.  She adds a much needed sex-appeal to this film.
   The story is somewhat confusing for the uninitiated and all the technological jargon and banter will leave some film-goers scratching there heads at times.  But it is best to just sit-back and enjoy the ride as the fast-paced, energetic cinematography and screenplay will entertain you for the duration.  There are multiple locales, mostly around Europe and the art-direction is murky, overcast and dark which seems appropriate for the subject matter.
   This is a somewhat one-sided view of Assange coming from a couple books (one by Berg).  There maybe more to his character than the film alludes to.  Assange was one of the most controversial and contradictory individuals to be given the media's spotlight in the last decade.  This is an entertaining spectacle that reveals the type of big personality that goes into the big ideas of our times.

From Up On Poppy Hill (2011, dir. Goro Miyazaki) ***/****

Goro Miyazaki, the son of famed Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki, has large shoes to fill.  After the eventual retirement of his father he may be forced to live up to the dazzling reputation that his father has set forth in many anime classics.  With "From Up On Poppy Hill" Goro takes the reigns once again (he has directed anime before) and offers a whimsical, delightful tale that, though not living up to the best of his father's work, is an entertaining spectacle.
  The film centres around a young teenage girl, Umi, who helps run a boarding house in the time when she is not attending high school and is busy with homework.  There is an old, run-down clubhouse that the boys of the school attend that is under the risk of being demolished to make way for the 1984 Summer Olympics to be held in Tokyo.  There is a platonic relationship the develops between Umi and one of the boys who, over the course of the story, learn things about their past that brings to light unexpected surprises about their own histories and family pasts.  Meanwhile, Umi and her fellow female classmates along with the males do what they can to prevent the eventual destruction of their beloved clubhouse.
   The story is simple but elegant, the characters are interesting, and the visuals are quite stunning.  This is a winning contribution to the Studio Ghibli pantheon and sets Goro up as an adequate heir to the Hayao legacy.  I liked "From Up On Poppy Hill" and if you are looking for a good anime film to divert you from the drudgery of modern life I suggest you watch this nice little animated feature.

To The Wonder (2013, dir. Terrence Malick) ***.5/****

In a recent Cineaste article the question is posed "What the hell happened with Terrence Malick?" alluding to the fact that in his recent films ("To The Wonder", "Tree of Life) he has fallen off the track of the genius he displayed in earlier titles such as "Badlands", "Days of Heaven", and "The Thin Red Line".  I can't agree with this argument however and found much to be admired in "To The Wonder".  It is a mysterious, lyrical, hypnotic piece that further demonstrates that Malick is one of the greatest, most consistent directors of all time.
  The film stars Ben Affleck and Olga Kurylenko as Neil and Marina, two souls who meet and fall in love in Paris, Marina's home (Neil is visiting from the U.S.)  The scenes in Paris at the beginning of the film are understated, simple and evocative.  Marina's voice-over (in French) gives philosophical outlooks and statements on the theme of the initial wonderment and excitement of two people falling in love while we are shown images of the couple and Marina's young daughter wandering the streets of Paris and enjoying each other's company.  The three of them move to Oklahoma in the United States.  Their relationship starts to cool-off and Marina finds solace under the guidance of a local priest played by Javier Bardem.  Bardem's character and his own voice-over provides interesting comments on Catholicism and religion in general.  He is a conflicted, haunted soul who questions his own divinity.  He brings to mind the existential angst demonstrated in the main character in Robert Bresson's "Diary of a Country Priest".
   When Marina's Visa expires, she returns to France with her daughter.  During this estrangement, Neil starts a relationship with an old high-school flame named Jane (Rachel McAdams).  Their love for each other is passionate but also short-lived.  Marina returns to the U.S. and to Neil where they are soon married but things get complicated once again.
   I can see why many would be put-off or bored by this film.  Not a lot happens.  It requires patience and perseverance but it is a rewarding experience for fans of Malick and lovers of poetic, lyrical cinema with beautiful cinematography.  It is not Malick's best film but it continues with his major ideas and themes and adds a lot to his identification as a true cinematic auteur.

Rush (2013, dir. Ron Howard) ***/****

I should start off this review by iterating the fact that I am not and never have been a fan of Formula One or any other kind of car racing.  Cars zipping around a track at 200 miles per hour continuously for 80 laps could not be more boring to me.  That being said, I liked Ron Howard's "Rush" despite its subject matter.  The car races are filmed in such a way as to garner much excitement and adrenaline-pumping visual splendour to the effect that it doesn't matter if you're a fan or not:  "Rush" transcends its subject matter.  But, such is the machinations of all Hollywood fiction films in that they can turn even the most boring pro-filmic events into something beyond our imagination and expectation.
  "Rush" tells the tale of the 1976 Formula One, year-long competition between British racer James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Austrian Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl).  The two men's personalities could not be different:  Hunt is a cocky, womanizing, hedonistic, throw-caution-to-the-wind, charismatic, trash-talking speedster, while Lauda is a cautious, rat-faced, technically-inclined, well-behaved racer.  The clashing personas add an interesting dynamic to the picture.  The races are all about risking your life in the pursuit of personal honour and glory.  There is a 20 percent chance of losing your life in any given race.  In certain races in the film the percentage goes up because of dangerous weather and road conditions.  At one point Lauda wants to cancel a race because of the rain and the risks involved but those in favour of going ahead with the race outnumber the ones in favour of cancelling.  So the race goes on and Lauda, in a horrific accident, almost loses his life.  He was leading the year-long competition at that time in total points and for about a month, all he can do is watch the television from his hospital bed while the physicians vacuum his filthy lungs and he recovers.
   It all comes down to the final race of the year in Japan once again in the pouring rain.  Hunt must finish third to win the championship and the actions of both men in the race are compelling.    I won't give away the end result but if you were a fan of Formula One racing in the seventies perhaps you already know.
  Some have said this is the greatest of all Sports films.  It is definitely not that but it is a good film and worth seeing.  The performances are good and the cinematography of the races are excellent and exciting to watch.  I probably still won't watch any car racing in the near future but this film has opened my eyes to the wonder and risky drama of the world of Formula one racing.

Don Jon (2013, dir. Joseph Gordon-Levitt) ****/****

Internet pornography addiction, as presented in Joseph Gordon-Levitt's "Don Jon" is a hell of a thing:  like any addiction it consumes the user's entire life and acts as a substitute for reality, including real sex, forcing the addict to resort to it as an emotional balm for insecurities and spiritual emptiness. 

  Levitt directs, writes and stars in an electrifying directorial debut that probably speaks to millions of twentysomethings who look at porn on the internet for masturbational purposes frequently if not daily.  It is no mistake that "Don Jon" sounds and looks an awful like "Don Juan":  Levitt's character Jon is a slick, smooth-talking lady's man who frequents nightclubs every weekend with his buddies to score with susceptible female "10's" who are lured in by his sleazy, guido charms.  But, as we are soon made aware, the sex that he enjoys with these women he picks up at night clubs are no substitute for the satisfaction he garners from his constant internet porn vice.  But, "all guys look at porn", as Jon iterates at one point in the film and it wouldn't be surprising if many young viewers can identify with Jon's habit.  

   Eventually, Jon runs into Barbara (Scarlett Johansson) in a club and is immediately attracted.  But Barb is not like the other girls:  she is not that easy, is smart, sassy and she's even better looking than most of the other "10's" that he's used to.  Soon, the two are dating and in a relationship.  Things go awry when the nasty porn addiction is discovered despite the fact that Barbara has her own superficial quasi-addiction to romance movies.

   The movie is funny and has witty dialogue.  It is also explicitly frank about sexuality and insightful about modern day relationship dynamics.  There are funny moments at Jon's parent's house where Tony Danza, in a hilarious performance, plays Jon's hot-headed father.  Jon also frequents church every Sunday where he confesses to his previous week's sins.  There is critical commentary on modern Catholicism in the confessionals.  Julianne Moore has a welcome appearance as an older woman Jon meets at an adult education class who teaches him about the importance of "losing yourself" in your sexual partner, the importance of close emotional involvement with your lover, and the downside of porn in that it makes real sex somewhat one-sided and egocentric.

  This is one of the best comedies of the year and a clear-sighted, efficient directorial job by first time director Levitt.  I look forward to his future work and so should you.

Gravity (2013, dir. Alfonso Cuaron) ****/****

"Gravity" has jaw-dropping special effects and a suspenseful, engrossing story.  Sandra Bullock and George Clooney play astronauts on a space station 600 km above the Earth.  Things go horribly wrong when an explosion sends flying debris from a Russian missile towards their space station and does horrible damage and destruction.  The rest of the movie depicts how some of the astronauts must do what they can under extreme duress to find safety and return to Earth.  It is a simplistic plot but director Cuaron does a masterful job of creating a distressful, chaotic environment that is never quite free of impending doom and danger.   The 3D effects are amazing and will captivate the viewer.  At one point, Bullock's character sheds tears in zero-gravity and we are given a looming shot of a lone tear as it appears in 3D in the foreground hovering slowly and then vanishing off-screen.  The shots of Earth from above are a marvel and exquisitely beautiful.  At one hour and thirty minutes it is a short film and you are barely given time to breathe.  It is an action-packed sci-fi film that won't disappoint.

Blue Jasmine (2013, dir. Woody Allen) ****/****

I have seen the best film so far of 2013 and that film is "Blue Jasmine".  This is also one of Woody Allen's best which is saying a lot.  No film has entertained this reviewer this much so far this year.  Cate Blanchett will probably be nominated and possibly win best actress for a performance that is intricate, complex, funny, and captivating.  She plays Jasmine, a woman we learn about through flashbacks and present day events who comes from New York to San Francisco penniless, divorced and unhappy to live with and impose upon her sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins).   The flashbacks tell a troubled tale in which she goes from a happy, rich, and fulfilled young woman married to Hal (Alec Baldwin) to a poor, destitute, now older woman who's husband is now dead from suicide after a Ponzi-scheme that was foiled.  The present day portions of the film tells how Jasmine is adjusting to her new life in menial work and a desire to better herself.
   The film is often funny in the vein of typical Woody Allen films but it is more dramatic than anything.  Jasmine is such a complex, troubled and eccentric character that it is impossible not to love her.  Cate Blanchett hits the nail on the head with a gutsy, bravado performance but all the other actors in this film are performing at the top of their game as well.  I especially liked Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Dice Clay as Ginger's former and current boyfriends.  This is the best Woody Allen film in years and deserves awards when the time comes.

Prisoners (2013, dir. Denis Villeneuve) ***/****

When I initally came out of Denis Villeneuve's thriller "Prisoners" I felt somewhat let-down and disappointed.  After some introspection and deliberation however, I came to appreciate the movie more for what it is.
   After seeing this film, you may initially figure that the "Prisoners" of the title are the two little girls who are kidnapped early in the movie.  But, some further thinking might lead you to speculate that the term "prisoner" can be used to encapsulate several more of the principle characters of the film.  The ensemble cast is lead by Hugh Jackman as Keller Dover, the patriarch of the Dover family and the man who's daughter Anna (Erin Gerasimovich) along with her playmate Joy (Kyla Drew Simmons) mysteriously vanish one overcast day in November.  The only thing that stands as any evidence is the remembrance of a camper being parked near where they disappeared.  The owner of the camper is discovered to be Alex Jones (Paul Dano) a weird young man with the IQ of a ten year old.  Jake Gyllenhaal plays Detective Loki who leads the investigation.  When the Dano character fails to admit any guilt in the disappearance he is let go.  Keller Dover (Jackman), still determined of the guilt of the Alex takes matters into his own hands and kidnaps him and holds him as a prisoner trying to find out the two girls location.
   Thus, not only are the two girls prisoners, so is Alex Jones and so is Jackman and Terrence Howard (the father of Joy) who are prisoners of their own obsessions.  Detective Loki is a prisoner of his own determination to solve the mystery.  We also learn later on that Jackman's character is a prisoner of addiction (alcoholism).
  "Prisoners" is a very well-made thriller with a lot of suspense and murky, down-trodden atmosphere.  I had trouble caring deeply for many of the characters which has prevented me from giving it a higher rating.  But the film has many admirable qualities.  The cinematography is gloomy and appropriate, the performances are top-notch, and the story will keep you guessing until the end and on the edge of your seat.  It is a difficult film to love but it stays with you afterwards and leaves a lasting impression.

Child of God (2013, dir. James Franco) ***/****

James Franco's "Child of Good" is an adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy novel of the same title.  It is an often disturbing, chilling adaptation with a fine performance from the lead, Scott Haze as Lester Ballard.

   Lester is the "Child of God" of the title and you won't come across a more vile creature at TIFF this year.  He has a penchant for shooting his rifle and necrophilia.  He is constantly on the prowl in the vast, wild woods of his hometown, squatting in various abandoned cabins for shelter.  The film is divided into three separate acts all depicting Lester as he tries to survive on his own.  

   In the first act, Lester goes to a carnival where he wins in a shooting gallery, three giant stuffed animals.  This provides comic relief and a scene later on where he expresses his rage and suspicion by shooting them to pieces.  This is a scene which Scott Haze, in a Q&A after the film revealed was improvised by him and director Franco.

   In the second act, Lester comes across a running car parked at the side of the road in which are two fresh corpses - a young man and woman.  Lester, after some deliberation, has intercourse with the female body and decides to carry her back to his cabin where he will treat he like a girlfriend for a while.  He goes into town and buys a red dress for her and pretties her up to his liking.  Scenes such as this are hard to watch but they are compelling at the same time.  Lester's dreams and his new "girlfriend" literally go up in smoke when the cabin has a fire that destroys everything inside that Lester isn't able to salvage including the corpse. 

  In the third and final act, there is murder and more mayhem.  Lester must deal with the moral choices that he makes as the a group of townspeople come to forcefully inquire what he has done with a couple of dead bodies.  

  There is a welcome supporting performance from Tim Blake Nelson as a local sheriff and James Franco also appears in a small role.  There is one disturbing image after another and we are made aware early on that this will be hard to watch when we see Lester defecating in the woods.  Actor Haze revealed in the Q&A that he was really shitting in the woods on camera.  This is no ordinary film.  It is shocking and disturbing - a unique cinematic experience. 

How Strange to be Named Federico (2013, dir. Ettore Scola) ***/****

This film I saw at TIFF is a part documentary, part dramatic recreation of the friendship between the director Scola and legendary Italian auteur Federico Fellini.  It cleverly blends archival footage and photos, memoir and recreated events to paint a compelling portrait of the two men's interceding lives.
  The film starts with a recreation of the time in 1939 when Fellini became a cartoonist for a famous Italian newspaper, "Marc'Aurello" the same paper to which the director of this film, Scola, came a few years later for the same type of job.  The two men struck up a friendship that would last well into their old age.  Scola had a unique outlook and insight into Fellini's life with his close proximity to him.  The result of that relationship is this loving tribute of a film to him.
   We are given a lot of different glimpses into Fellini's life at different times in his long career.  From his early days as a cartoonist to his work as a writer in vaudeville to his final and long-lasting tenure as an actor, writer and director in Italy's cinema at Cinecitta's famous Studio 5.
   The use of a narrator who appears live within the film is an interesting technique and adds interest to the film.  At one point the narrator is sitting in a cafe.  A waitress tells the bartender that he has not payed yet to which the bartender responds "Narrators don't have to pay."  There are also interesting scenes taking place in Fellini's car when he is an older man.  He allegedly suffered from insomnia and would drive around at night with friends, often picking up strangers for rides, to alleviate this.  The viewer sees him engaging in conversations with various people of the night such as prostitutes, street artists and friends.  One gets the impression that many of Fellini's screenplays and character ideas came from such interesting conversations and meetings.
   At the films end, the viewer is shown an electrifying montage of many of Fellini's films as various scenes, shots, and characters from a variety of different films fly by.  I was hoping for more of this but instead got mostly recreated events.
  Overall, the film's recreated scenes somewhat detract from the overall film.  I would have preferred more archival footage, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage.  This is not the greatest film I saw at TIFF this year but it is a good one and offers a unique view into the life of Italy's most famous and prestigious filmmaker.

Our Sunhi (2013, dir. Hong Sang-Soo) ***.5/****

The second film I saw at TIFF was Hong Sang-Soo's "Our Sunhi".  It was delightful and funny with vivid characterizations, expert direction, and a great screenplay.
    Sunhi (Jeong Yo-mi) of the title is a former film student who comes back to campus to acquire a letter of recommendation from one of her professors.  She wants to get into school in the United States.  Over the course of the story, she meets up with a former boyfriend and another older male friend from her past (both filmmakers).  What Sunhi doesn't realize is that all three of these very different characters love her and desire to be with her in their own specific ways.
   An admirable quality of this film is the unique camera set-ups and the long takes where the actors are allowed to act before the camera and engage in interesting, often amusing conversations.   A majority of the film takes place in restaurants, bars, and cafes where alcohol-fueled, engaging and deep conversations take place.  There are common motifs in the dialogue and actions that bring a nice symmetry to the story.   One common, repeated conversation element is the idea of "digging deep" into herself to find out her strengths and plunder the resources.  This is repeated to comic effect by all three characters in various conversations with Sunhi.
    The recommendation letter that Sunhi receives from her professor and mentor reveals aspects of her character to herself that she is not all that comfortable with.  By describing her as somewhat reserved and afraid to express her ideas effectively, Sunhi is given a self-portrait that is a little disconcerting.  She asks for a second letter which the professor is happy to rewrite.
   You get the impression that the direction of the story is very meticulous and precise.  It is a small social circle that Sang-Soo is dealing with but he does so in a very effective, effortless manner.  The film seems to end rather abruptly but still it is an appropriate ending and the movie is enjoyable and refreshing compared to most run-of-the-mill Hollywood fare.  It is a film that is rewarding and worth watching.

A Touch of Sin (2013, Zhangke Jia) ****/****

On Thursday September 12, 2013, I attended the Toronto Film Festival.  The first of three films I took in that day was Zhangke Jia's mesmerizing "A Touch of Sin".  I had previously seen only one film by the Chinese master director, that being 2000's "Platform."  I was intrigued by that film and wanted to experience more of the auteur's work.  I wasn't disappointed.
   "A Touch of Sin" consists of four separate stories of characters that are linked by the common thread of violence perpetrated on other's and one's self.  The violence in "A Touch of Sin" is often gruesome but highly stylized.  Right from the beginning we are struck with it when a lone motorcyclist is surrounded by a group of bandits demanding his money.  The man on the motorcycle reaches into his jacket and brings out a gun with which he promptly mows down the thieves in quick succession.  From this point on we are made aware that this will be no light film and a possibly extraordinary film as well. We will join this character (Wang Baoqiang) and his story of violence and sin later on in the film but first we are introduced to Dahai (Jiang Wu) a worker who seeks vengeance for an embezzlement scheme which leaves him feeling cheated.  Another story depicts a young woman (Zhao Tao) who is searching for herself and her own contentment but ends up with a dissatisfying job in a massage parlour.    Finally we are brought into the life a young man (Luo Lanshan) who ends up working in a quasi-bordello where he falls in love with one of the flesh-trade workers.   The details of the stories are difficult to iterate but what really matters is the way that these characters deal with their individual crises.
   The picture painted of modern day China is bleak and has a lot to say about the supposed economic boom of that country and the exploitation of China's underclass and underprivileged.  All four stories are unique and compelling and the director does an expert job of juxtaposing the stories in a way that highlights the common themes that run through each.   There are moments that will make you laugh, smile, wince and perhaps drop your jaw.  This is a difficult film to look at sometimes but Jia makes it beautiful at the same time in his lyrical, breath-taking manner.

Stolen Kisses (1968, dir. Francois Truffaut) ****/****

"Stolen Kisses" is the third official instalment in the exploits of Francois Truffaut's iconic character Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud).  The interesting thing about the character and actor is that all three are interchangeable:  Truffaut is Doinel.  Leaud is Doinel.  Truffaut is Leaud.  The film is really an autobiographical musing on Truffaut's own early adulthood and Leaud, in embodying the character makes him his own as well.
   At the beginning of this feature, Antoine is discharged from the army for insubordination.  He quickly visits a bordello followed by his girlfriend from before enlisting, Christine Darbon (Claude Jade).  Her father offers him a job as a night clerk in a hotel.  He quickly loses this job over an issue with a private investigator who in turn persuades Antoine to join his organization.  Soon Antoine is in full swing as a private investigator himself.  He gets an assignment in a shoe store to find out why the boss is so hated by his employees.  On the job he falls hard for the boss's wife.  Eventually he loses his job at the P.I. Agency and soon finds himself working as a TV repairman.  It is in this position that he is reunited with Christine.
    This may sound like a simple, mundane story but Truffaut suffuses it with so much wit and charm and Leaud is so charismatic in the lead that the viewer will be swept away.  The "Stolen Kisses" of the title comes from a song on the film's soundtrack but it also is a perfect statement of Antoine's way of dealing with his various longings and exploits.  The screenplay is beautifully executed.  The scenes on the streets of Paris are awesome.  I loved the way that Antoine runs through the busy streets of Paris, narrowly avoiding being hit by cars in a carefree manner that beautifully expresses and continues the character that was initially established in Truffaut's first feature "The Four Hundred Blows".
   Antoine is seemingly apolitical but his adventures are a perfect allegory for the experiences of young adults in the late 60's in France and around the world.  Doinel is as complex and eccentric as any character to come out ever and both Leaud and Truffaut do an expert job of bringing the character to exhilarating, comic, and endearing fruition.

Antoine and Colette (1962, dir. Francois Truffaut) ****/****

When a group of internationally renowned filmmakers came together and provided short films for a larger project known as "Love at Twenty", Francois Truffaut was happy to bring back the star of his first feature, Jean-Pierre Leaud, in the role of their iconic character Antoine Doinel.  The result is a short 30-minute film that continues the exploits of the character from "The Four Hundred Blows".
   We join Antoine now in his late teens as he has gotten past his troubled early years as a misunderstood juvenile delinquent and is now a contributing member of society.  He now works at a record company that produces vinyl records of all kinds of music.  Doinel loves music and he regularly attends symphonic concerts with his friend.  It is at one of these that he notices a striking young woman who he is instantly attracted to.  Doinel is able to get closer to the young woman and strike up a friendship with the girl whose name is Colette (Marie France-Pisier).  The two start dating.  Antoine has romantic leanings in his dealings with her but Colette is somewhat standoffish and more interested in just being friends.  Colette's parents like Antoine, and the relationship with her parents offer a funny, unexpected side to the story.  Eventually, Antoine decides to relocate his residence to just across the street from Colette and her family so he can be closer to his object of affection.
   "Antoine and Colette" is a sweet, effervescent, and droll comedy-drama that further develops the character seen in Truffaut's debut.  There is more of a comic tone to this instalment, especially in the final scene.  A lot of people will identify with the theme of unrequited love and disappointment that is experienced by the main character.  It is beautifully shot in black and white and the street scenes in Paris are alive with visual splendour and quirky eccentricity.   For a short film, there is undeniable charm and subtlety to Truffaut's semi-autobiographical escapade.

The Last Picture Show (1971, dir. Peter Bogdanovich) ****/****

A few years before the release of George Lucas' "American Graffiti", another film was released that dealt with the loneliness, friendship, and disillusionment of youngsters in a small American town.  That would be Peter Bogdanovich's wonderful 1971 release "The Last Picture Show".  It would garner several Oscar nominations and launch the careers of several young actors including Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, and Cybill Shepherd.  In the early 1950's two high school seniors Sonny (Timothy Bottoms) and Duane (Jeff Bridges) are best friends who's main interests are cars, Hank Williams, hanging at the local pool hall, and girls.  The chasm between following your heart and your libido is in fact one of the central themes of the film.  There are other characters all given great tender performances by the likes of Ellen Burstyn, Cloris Leachman, and Ben Johnson.  The central characters, the ones the film mainly revolves around are Sonny and Duane.  There is a tremendous arc to their characters and they go through changes and predicaments that will shape their destinies but ultimately we are left wondering whether they will get out of this dismal, near-empty Texas town.  The reason for the title is that the local cinema is shutting down for lack of attendance and we are given a sad glimpse into this theatre when the boys actually attend the last picture show.  It is Howard Hawks' "Red River" and we are left wondering whether the near-adults of Bogdanovich's film could ever find the kind of male mentor that Montgomery Clift finds in John Wayne in Hawk's great western.
   The film is shot in black and white as an homage and imitation of films from the time this film is set.  The jarring editing shows the director's appreciation of French New Wave films from the late 50's and early 60's.  This is truly a masterful cinematic experience and an endearing glimpse into adolescence on the brink of adulthood.

Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013, dir. Lee Daniels) ***.5/****

"The Butler" tells the story of Cecil Gaines, a black man born into slavery on a cotton plantation who would, through adversity and hardship, rise to become a butler in the White House serving several different presidents.  This is set against the backdrop of the civil rights movement in the 1950's and 60's and portrays how Gaines and his family deal with the political turmoil that would shape a nation.  Cecil is played by Forrest Whittaker in a stirring, noble performance.

   There is a lot to like about "The Butler":  the performances from the entire cast is outstanding; the period detail; and the story.  The story slightly reminded me of "Forrest Gump" in that a seemingly apolitical character is shown going through the turbulent times that would play a role in shaping the collective identity of the United States and the world.  Cecil states in his interview at the White House that he is not into politics thus assuring that he will be an ideal candidate for the job at hand.  

   Cecil's family provides a foil to his own character.  His wife, Gloria (Oprah Winfrey) is a hard-drinking, volatile member of the household.  His oldest son Louis (David Oyelowo) is a burgeoning Black Panther who obviously throws a huge monkey wrench into the whole family environment with his highly political, radical outlook on life.  His youngest son, Charlie (Elijah Kelly) decides to fight in the Viet Nam war much to his parents' chagrin.

   There is a sweeping, epic quality to the movie that takes you through several different presidencies.  The performances by the actors portraying the various presidents are spot-on and uncanny at times.  I especially liked John Cusack's turn as Richard Nixon.  

   "The Butler" will not be the best movie to be released in 2013 but it is a good one and may win some Academy Award nominations.  It is worth seeing and entertaining.

The Four Hundred Blows (1959, dir. Francois Truffaut) ****/****

Many would say that one of the best films of the French New Wave and of all time is Francois Truffaut's 1959 feature debut, "The Four Hundred Blows".  It was really the film that kick-started the New Wave and has inspired many filmmakers to this very day.  The film would introduce the iconic character Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud) who would reappear in a series of other films by Truffaut that would carry on his various adventures and exploits.  This debut feature introduces us to the character and portrays Antoine in an unsentimental, endearing series of vignettes and various mischievous encounters that would solidify the film as one of the best films about young people to ever have been made.
    Right from the get-go we are made aware of Antoine's failure to adhere to the mainstream and his inability to fit into the pre-established norms of his society.  We see him in a classroom where he is unjustifiably made the object of criticism and punishment for something he was not really responsible for.  One of the main themes of the film is the nature of injustice and how Antoine is wrongfully accused and unfairly punished at various times throughout the film both inside and outside the classroom.
   The film is semi-autobiographical and you get the sense that Truffaut put his heart and soul into the film, filling it with anecdotes and memories from his own troubled youth.  Antoine and his friend skip school to go to the movies and are depicted stealing a still photograph outside a theatre, actions that Truffaut was obviously fond of doing as a youngster.
   Eventually, Antoine's parents, at the end of the wits and rope, send him to a boy's reform centre where he will be forced to adhere to even stricter rules and conventions.  Antoine however, will eventually escape and, at the film's end, we are left with the memorable freeze frame of Doinel when he has reached the sea and looks back into the camera.  The look on his face in ambiguous and offers both a hopeful optimism about a new future and a glaring uncertainty about the impending reality of what is to come.  This is truly one of the great films of all time and is a brilliant portrait of the troubled life of an unconventional youth on the brink of adolescence and adulthood.

Death of a Cyclist (1955, dir. Juan Antonio Bardem) ***.5/****

Combining elements of film noir and melodrama, J. A. Bardem's "Death of a Cyclist" is a scathing critique of the Franco regime then in power in Spain.  His characters are mostly members of the bourgeoisie and in their self-centred, materialistic outlooks, Bardem paints a portrait of a then-modern day Spain which highlights the moral bankruptcy of the powers-that-be.
   The film begins with two characters - adulterous lovers - in a car that suddenly and unexpectedly hits a cyclist.  At first they stop and investigate the situation but decide to leave the poor man to die by the side of the road and not report the horrible accident.  The remainder of the film centres around the guilt and despair experienced by the two central characters as they try to deal with the reality of their decision to kill a man and not report it to the local authorities.
   There are many other side-stories and detours that the story takes along the way.  The man, Juan (Alberto Closas) is an assistant professor at a university and his preoccupation with the accident causes him to not concentrate on an important testing that would subsequently result in the failing grade of a young female student.  This leads to chaos as the student body protests the fate of the woman.
   Another character, Rafa (Carlos Casaravilla) a musician and art-critique has seen the two wayward lovers together and threatens to blackmail them.
    It turns out that the cyclist, in the end, will not be the only one to perish and all moral equilibrium is finally restored in the end.  Along the way, we are given an interesting, suspenseful tale from the mind of a brilliant Marxist director.

The Great Gatsby (1974, dir. Jack Clayton) ***/****

There will undoubtedly be comparisons between the new, Bazz Lurhmann-directed "The Great Gatsby" (2013) and the 1970's interpretation starring Mia Farrow and Robert Redford.  From my perspective, Lurhmann probably viewed the 1974 version a few times before taking on his updated version:  there are many similarities in the production design and settings of the two films.  At many times, I almost thought that the same sets were used or copied from one film to the other.
   The strongest part of this older version is Sam Waterston's Nick Carroway.  His performance is restrained and subdued to the extent that we really get a sense of the superiority of his performance over that of Tobey Maguire's version.  Robert Redford is adequate as well but the real hindrance of this film is Mia Farrow whose Daisy Buchanan is annoying and over-the-top.
  Obviously comparing the 3-dimensional party scenes in Lurhmann's version is pointless in relation to a 1974 production but I felt that this version got it more historically accurate and true to the Fitzgerald novel.  There isn't any of that crazy 21st century hip-hop music set to a 1920's setting and the effect is more realistic and tangible.
   Karen Black is up to her old nutty routine as Myrtle Wilson and the movie adhere's to Fitzgerald's novel with poise and verisimilitude.  The screenplay was by Francis Ford Coppola and he does a good job of bringing the novel's characters and plot to the screen.  It truly was a busy year for Coppola:  1974 also saw him directing "The Godfather Part II" and "The Conversation".  I recommend seeing both this version and the 2013 version.  It can be interesting and fun to compare and contrast these two different productions of a classic American novel.

My Week With Marilyn (2011, dir. Simon Curtis) ***/****

Michelle Williams stars as Marilyn Munroe in Simon Curtis' "My Week With Marilyn" a straight-forward, lush production that depicts the story of a young film student, Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) who ambitiously pursues a spot in the production of Lawrence Olivier's "The Prince and the Showgirl" (1957).  He is assigned the role of third assistant director and is soon checking up on Munroe in her various late-comings and crises.  The friendship that develops between Colin and Marilyn is the centre-piece of the film and is poignant and often romantic.
   The film's success or failure is really pinned on whether Williams can capture the essence of Marilyn Munroe's fragile personality and I believe she does a terrific job.  Her mannerisms and character-ticks are spot on and you get a real sense that Williams has become the late starlet and takes over her life in way that is not really an imitation but a transcendent embodiment.
   The film is generous to Munroe in that it doesn't pin her down into any one stereotypical, historical account of the actress but leaves it open to interpretation as to which of the renowned stories that are known about Munroe are really true:  there is a mysterious quality to Williams' performance and the film's treatment of her that leaves the myth of her unanswered and unexplained in a positive way.  The filmmaker Curtis expertly reveals only so much of Munroe's persona so that the mystery of her personal life and screen iconography remain mysterious and mystical.
   The period detail of the film is beautiful and spot on.  The supporting performance from Redmayne and Branagh are strong.  You are left wondering if Colin Clarke's remembrances of his short time with Munroe were embellished or not:  some of the experiences of his brief acquaintance with the actress are hard to believe.  But, I suppose there wouldn't be much of a movie if there weren't some extraordinary circumstances to relate to the viewer.  This is a good movie that might have failed in the hands of some less-talented directors and performers.

Monsters University (2013, dir. Dan Scanlon) ***/****

   Pixar's "Monsters University" is a prequel to "Monsters Inc."   Its main protagonists, as in the first film, are two monsters named Mike (voiced by Billy Crystal) and Sullivan (voiced by John Goodman).  It tells the story of how the characters in the first film were educated and came of age.  It is entertaining but it is not the most original, edgy or surprising animated film that there is.
  The film is very knowledgeable about campus life and offers a funny look into the struggles and obstacles that freshman face as they venture into the new, often bewildering territory of post-secondary education.  Mike wants to major in Scaring but he finds that his dreams are often barricaded by his own, unscary nature and nonthreatening disposition.  Sullivan comes from a family of scary monsters and is one of those lazy, laid-back students who seems to take their talents for granted and thinks that he can coast through university on cruise-control.   When the two characters find that their dreams of majoring in Scaring are threatened, they resort to a competition put on by the campus called The Scare Games.  In it, there is a series of events which as an assembled fraternity team, they must win enough events to be crowned the scariest monsters on campus.  Surely, such a victory would impress the hard-nosed Dean and secure their spot in their major of their choice.
   The animation, as always from Pixar, is superb and fun to watch.  The characters are empathetically drawn and possess all the emotional expressiveness of real-life humans.  There are funny moments - kids and adults will both get a kick out of the film.
   The film really starts to take off when the monsters venture into the real-world environment of humans and must use their expertise and teamwork to scare the humans in any way they can.  The scenes of the Scare Games are interesting too and the individual events are exciting and interesting.
   Overall, this is a good film for kids that their parents can enjoy too.  Its only drawback is that it is not all that edgy and inventive.  There are better animated features out there but "Monsters University" holds up and is entertaining enough for me to recommend.

To Catch A Thief (1955, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) ***.5/****

Alfred Hitchcock's 1950's were a legendary time in his filmmaking career.  "To Catch A Thief" is identified as one of his lesser, perhaps even his worst of that decade.  Upon seeing it on the big screen however, I found myself captivated by the lush, beautiful cinematography of Southern France and a story that is entertaining with good performances and witty dialogue.
   Cary Grant plays John Robie, a former bank robber who finds himself implicated and blamed for a new string of robberies even though he isn't responsible.  It is his task to escape from being caught and finding out who the real culprit is.  A simple straightforward premise but one that is impeccably directed and highly watchable.  Grace Kelly plays the love interest Frances Stevens, the daughter of a wealthy family that is the victim of one of the many jewel thieveries throughout the film.
   I found myself carried away by the scenery.  It almost made the picture for me.  The helicopter shots of car chases and the views out of various windows of homes and hotels was absolutely breathtaking in the Vistavision with which the film was shot.  On the big screen you really get a sense of the grandeur of the countryside of the Southern France locale.  The print I saw in theatre was phenomenal and beautifully restored to a point where you could have sworn it came out last week.
   Cary Grant has been in better roles and ditto for Kelly but there performances drove the picture and gave it charm.   Some of their passionately-charged dialogue was witty and amusing.  A lot of it had double entendres and sexual innuendo that cleverly evaded the censors of the time.
    Overall, I liked this Hitchcock film for its visuals and entertaining story and dialogue.

Drive, He Said (1971, dir. Jack Nicholson) ***/****

"Drive, He Said" is messily directed and incoherent at times but it is a revealing look at campus life in the early 70's and contains good performances.  William Tepper plays Hector, a college basketball star who's relationship with his girlfriend Olive (Karen Black) is troubled and complex.  His best friend Gabriel (Michael Margotta) is an off-the-wall draft dodger who's activism veers dangerously close to psychosis.
   The plot of this film (Jack Nicholson's directorial debut) is meandering and unfocussed.  It is difficult to give a good summation of the story because it is so loose and episodic.  Although I mentioned that the performances were good (Tepper, Black) that of Margotta borders on the annoying.  His final scene will leave you scratching your head and wondering what the point of his inane behaviour is.  There are good basketball game sequences and you can tell that Nicholson is a fan of the game because those scene are exciting and well-directed.  It is when the action moves away from the court that the lives of the protagonists are revealed to be troubled and convoluted.  It is a statement of the times in which the movie was made.  Like BBS Studio's previous picture, "Five Easy Pieces", the film speaks to the aimless, uncertain wanderings of the individuals who came of age in the 60's.  The transition to the new decade of the 70's was not always smooth and the precarious place that many found themselves in was reflected well in films such as "Drive, He Said".
   There is a lot that is admirable about the film.  It is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of college-aged individuals in the early 70's.  But it is not well-directed and many scenes are bizarre and defy explanation.  That is not necessarily a bad thing but I felt this film needed more coherence and verisimilitude.

This Is The End (2013, dir. Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen) ***.5/****

      I predict that few comedies that come out in 2013 or any year will be as weird, funny, and wonderful as Evan Golberg and Seth Rogen's new comedy, "This is the End", a post-modern, apocalyptic, gross-out laugh-fest that is self-reflexive and entertaining as hell.  The characters in the film are real movie stars, alumni of Judd Apatow film and television comedies such as "Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared".  Stars such as Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and James Franco all play themselves or caricatures of themselves and the result is riotous and original movie.
   The movie starts off with Jay Baruchel arriving in Los Angeles to be greeted by his pal Seth Rogen at an airport.  They spend some time together hanging out at Seth's.  Pretty soon, they decide to head over to James Franco's house where a party is happening.  Here we encounter a whole bunch of people that are part of their Hollywood circle of friends:  Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Michael Cera and many others.   The party rolls along but all of a sudden terrible things start to happen outdoors and we are in the middle of the apocalypse.  A lot of people both famous and not-so-famous perish and the rest of the movie deals with how the main protagonists must try to survive in James Franco's house while the end of the world is happening outside.
  This movie will offend a lot of people.  It contains drug-use, violence, sex and profanity.  It also has a lot of gross humour and references that are not for the faint-of-heart.  Danny McBride arrives on the scene after a while and he provides even more hilarity and surprises.
   The film is original and daring.  The use of real actors playing themselves is a fresh approach and provides moments of good comedy.  I was somewhat dismayed by the matter-of-fact portrayal of drug-use.  Kids should definitely not see this film.  Overall, it is hilarious and highly-entertaining.

World War Z (2013, dir. Marc Forster) ***/****

        "World War Z" is a surprisingly entertaining and at times suspenseful addition to a genre that has become increasingly popular in recent years:  the zombie flick.  It stars Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane, a retired United Nations Field Agent who just wants to relax and be with his family (wife and two daughters).  The movie takes no time to unroll and soon we are thrust into an action-packed thriller when the Lane family, caught in a traffic jam, find out that all hell has broken loose and their hometown is the seeming centre of a zombie apocalypse.  The "zombies" are actually people who have been bitten by other carriers of a virus that turns them into blood-thirsty, wild-eyed ghouls.  Gerry has to take his family to a safer place and soon he is back from retirement and at the centre of a mission to find the origin of the mysterious disease that is quickly ravaging beings all over the planet.
    The film takes the protagonist to every corner of the globe:  Korea, Israel, the U.S. and Canada.  It is an epic film and there are some highly-entertaining set pieces that are brimming with excitement and action.  It is not all that original and ground-breaking however.  The zombies that run idea is derivative of films like "28 Days Later".  The characters are somewhat unoriginal and uninspired.
   The use of CGI is well done and Marc Forster's direction is adequate but this definitely is not the cream of the crop as far as the genre is concerned.  I haven't read the graphic novel on which the film is based but I'm betting that the film doesn't do much justice to the source material.  But overall, the film is good and worth seeing for the action and suspense.
 

Head (1968, dir. Bob Rafelson) ***/****

    "Head" is a movie starring The Monkees at a time in their career when their popularity was starting to wane.  It defies classification and doesn't really have a plot.  It contains a series of loosely connected episodes and musical numbers.  It is an entertaining film even if it is somewhat derivative of the films of the Beatles such as "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!"
   But, the Monkees were never famous for their originality or daring.  Many saw them as a rip-off of and a nostalgic yearning for the Beatles in their "Hard Day's Night" days before they became all serious and stopped touring.  The Monkees were better known for their  zany, free-spirited antics best captured in their famous television series "The Monkees".  "Head" was written and produced by director Rafelson and actor Jack Nicholson who, if you look closely, has a brief cameo in this movie.   The writers do a good job of capturing the essence of the band and putting them in situations that highlight their charm and talent.  They expertly interweave the musical moments with those of the anti-plot action.
    "Head" is a movie that takes the zeitgeist of the late 60's as its main theme.  It makes comments on war, consumerism, commercialization, and free love.  It is anti-establishment and youth-oriented.  Many of its sequences have a psychedelic nature to them, utilizing surrealistic colours and special effects.
   I really enjoyed the music in this film.  Some of the numbers are so catchy that I hit the rewind button on my remote control to hear them again.  It is a film that could not have been made at any other time in history and is an eccentric, entertaining counter-culture spectacle.

Five Easy Pieces (1970, dir. Bob Rafelson) ****/****

       "Five Easy Pieces" is one of the greatest films of the 70's and contains one of Jack Nicholson's greatest performances.  Nicholson stars as Bobby Dupea, a conflicted, complex man who has abandoned the values of his upbringing to live a life of humble squalor and dead-end oil rig jobs in California.  He is a man who is not functioning at his highest potential and lives his life among working-class, uneducated people who don't stimulate him intellectually.  His girlfriend Rayette (Karen Black) is likeable but dim-witted.  He is attached to her in a way but we are constantly aware of his discomfort and ambivalence about being with her.
     Eventually, Bobby learns that his father back home has suffered a stroke and his sister tells him it would be nice if he could come home to see him and his family one last time.  So, with some reluctance, Bobby decides to make the trek up north with Rayette at his side to pay his respects.  The Dupea family is no ordinary family, they are group of accomplished musicians and prodigious piano players who live in an isolated existence somewhere in the country-side of Washington State.  There is a jarring difference in the cinematography and mise-en-scene of the two locales.  The road-trip in between slices the film into two distinct halves.
    "Five Easy Pieces" represents the mind-set of the post-sixties ex-flower-child.  The drifting, aimless, vagabond lifestyle expressed by Bobby Dupea reflects the zeitgeist of the approaching 70's and the disillusionment felt by many at the crossroads of two distinct eras.  It is a moving portrait of a fractured time in American history and speaks volumes of the spirit of the post-60's baby boomer.  It features an unforgettable, heart-rending performance by Nicholson and a gripping story.

Man of Steel (2013, dir. Zack Snyder) **.5/****

      "Man of Steel", the new Superman movie is an ambitious, high-energy spectacle.  It offers enough action to please most action movie aficionados but it's light on the charm and humour of the Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve from the 70's and 80's.  It doesn't pack the emotional wallop or bravura of its predecessors.  It left me longing for those days when Superman did things to aid the average, every-day man on the street and help fight crime on a microcosmic level.   Instead, the man in the red cape (played by Henry Cavill) is called on to take on the beings from his former home, Krypton, led by General Zod (Michael Shannon) in a showdown that leaves streets destroyed and buildings pulverized.  
    One interesting direction that this movie takes that was only briefly touched upon in the original series is the life on Krypton before its demise.  Russell Crowe plays Superman's biological father Jor-El with swagger and intensity.  In a world where there are no longer any real, biological births, Superman or Kal-El as he's known back home, is a daring exception.  When the livelihood of the planet's inhabitants and the planet itself is threatened, Jor-El and his wife decide to send their newborn son out on a vessel that will carry him to Earth.  The scenes on Krypton are imaginative and exciting.
   Instead of telling the story in a straightforward, chronological order, we are shown images of Kal-El at various stages of his life with flashbacks.  Eventually, his alien status and superpowers are discovered much to his father (Kevin Costner)'s dismay and he is told that he must hide them from people.   Lois Lane (Amy Adams) comes into his life and soon he is on his way to donning the familiar red and blue costume with pride.
   There is much to admire about the new Superman movie but I found myself feeling let-down and somewhat disappointed.  It doesn't surprise in convincing ways and it lacks the humanity and depth of a great movie.  In todays climate of high-budget, CGI-drenched spectacles, "Man of Steel" offers little in the way of complexity, daring, and emotional-connection that would have made the movie soar to new heights of originality and inventiveness.

Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953, Jacques Tati) ***/****

     "Mr. Hulot's Holiday" is full of gags and comedic moments as the title character bumbles his way through a vacation at a beach resort in France.  Looking at it from today's perspective, the film is not very funny.  I didn't laugh once and the humour is somewhat stupid and childish although there is a particular charm to the film.  I've heard it is considered a cult film so I guess there is an audience for a film like this today and that others will appreciate the humour more than I did.  But, to me Jacques Tati's character and sense of humour in situations pales in comparison to the likes of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.
   The plot unwinds in a sort of cyclical structure in which a number of days unfold with certain recurring time points:  the morning when the day starts, meals which everyone attend at the appropriate times, and various things to fill the afternoon, until nighttime.   This gives the film a very understandable and grounding structure with which we can make sense of the cinematic universe of Hulot.
    Hulot as a character says very little and seems to exist in a bubble.  He is totally oblivious to his surroundings and the other guests except for a potential love interest.  This is what the comedy is built on and the source of much of its comedic elements.
   There are two sides to the picture:  silence and sound.  In many ways, the film is like a silent picture because of the way that the visual gags are set up and the animated way that Hulot functions in his world.  On the other hand, sound plays an important role, both comedically and normally, throughout the picture.  There is a constant background noise of children playing on the beach that accompanies all the scenes in the resort that lends a sonic ambiance.  Also, the simple sound of a swinging door in the dining room is brought about in a funny way.
   Even though I didn't find it that funny, I enjoyed "Mr. Hulot's Holiday" for its whimsical portrait of the meanderings of a dimwit on a beautiful resort in the French countryside.  It is relaxing experience and a charming endeavour.

After Earth (2013, M. Knight Shyamalan) ***/****

   When it comes down to it, "After Earth" isn't a startlingly original nor deep science fiction tale from the mind of director M. Knight Shyamalan.  Its plot is fairly straightforward and easily comprehensible.  But, it is an entertaining spectacle and a vast improvement over the director's more recent ventures in cinematic storytelling.
   It takes place 1000 years in the future when humanity, having abandoned an inhospitable Earth now inhabit the planet of Nova Prime, a world that has been threatened by creatures who weren't so welcoming of the human newcomers, called Ursa.   Will Smith plays Cypher, a commander of space missions, who's son Katai (Jaden Smith - Will's son) would love to be a success in the eyes of his father.  Unfortunately, Katai didn't earn the recent promotion that would have solidified his reputation in his father's eyes.
   That's the setup and we are shown the preparations and eventual launch of a space mission in which Cypher commands the ship and Katai is allowed to come along.  They unexpectedly encounter an asteroid storm which damages the ship, forcing it to crash land on the long abandoned planet that we know as Earth.  No one but the two main father and son protagonist survives.
   It is here that the mission of the film is hammered down because Cypher's leg is broken and now Katai must go on the 100 km journey through the dangerous wilderness of the planet to reach the other half of the ship where an emergency beacon is located.  This is their only hope.  "Fear is a choice," Cypher instructs his son.  And so the movie's main plot is established.  Pretty simple, right?
   Katai's adventure and struggle through the environment is exciting and the dangers he encounters are well directed by Shyamalan.
   It will be of little surprise that the final showdown will be between Katai and one of the awful Ursas that have so troubled his family in the past. (We learn from flashbacks that his sister was killed by one of them).   The film's messages and themes are as straightforward as the plot:  overcome your fears if you want to succeed and the idea that a son must establish his own path in life even if it means going against the wishes of his father.  It is about the transcendence of boyhood into adulthood and the importance of individual liberty and family.
   This is not the greatest movie to come out so far in 2013 but it is an entertaining one and exciting at times as well.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013, dir. J.J. Abrams) ***.5/****

     The new Star Trek movie is a sequel to a 2009 film "Star Trek" that reintroduces, re-energizes, and reinvigorates the original series and movies giving us a cool origins story of the crew of the Enterprise.  The film will deliver the goods for fans of the show and movies and also win over new fans who have not yet been initiated into the series.  In fact, you don't even have to have seen the first movie in this new series to enjoy "Into Darkness".
   Actors such as Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto do a great job of embodying the characters that have already been inhabited by the likes of William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.  They breath new life into the old characters and riff on the established conventions of the series.  Pine in particular does a cunning  Shatner-like impersonation but never falls into the trap of being simply an imitation - he has all of the swagger of the Shatner original but adds new dimensions and depth to the character.
   The special effects are fantastic and the action sequences are quite unforgettable and breath-taking.  You are left little time to take catch your breath as there is constant action and excitement.  There is never a boring moment.
   The interactions between the various members of the crew is well-done and interesting.  There is a cohesiveness in the group of actors and they work well together.  There are funny moments too.  Some of the lines will bring a smile to the face and a laugh to Trekkies and non-Trekkies alike.
   The main enemy in this picture is Khan.  Fans of the old Trek movie "The Wrath of Khan" will remember him.  The actor who plays him, Benedict Cumberbatch, does a great job and is complex and often even sympathetic.
   I saw the film in 3D and the effects will really immerse you in the film and keep you on the edge of your seat.  This is a fantastic Summer blockbuster.

The Great Gatsby (2013, Baz Luhrmann) **/****

    Baz Lurhmann's "The Great Gatsby" is a visually appealing, faithful adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Jazz-era novel.  It features Leonardo DiCaprio as the title character and his performance is good.  Carey Mulligan plays Daisy Buchanan in a role that leaves much to be desired.  It is not a very complex or demanding role and Mulligan does little to bring the character to life.  Tobey Maguire plays Nick Carraway, the story's narrator and main protagonist.  His Carraway is not as an appealing character as Gatsby and Maguire is not charismatic enough in the lead to carry the picture.
    I saw the film in 3D and the effects are somewhat wasted because it is not a story that requires the use of the 3D effect.  There are some cool scenes where the 3D immerses you in the story more and creates an eye-popping landscape when used effectively but other than a few scenes, the effects are not necessary.
   I also didn't like the use of modern hip-hop music in a movie taking place in the 1920's.  Luhrmann's choice of using this modern music takes away from the verisimilitude of the film and like the 3D effects, is off-putting and distracting.
   This is a pretty boring movie to sit through.  Even though I read and enjoyed Fitzgerald's novel, I felt that the inconsistent performances and lack of restraint on the part of the director Luhrmann took away from the overall enjoyment of the movie.  His attempt to boost the adrenaline of a somewhat slow-moving story is unsuccessful.  What you are left with is a boring, over-the-top, inconsistent and disappointing spectacle.