"Slim pickings" is the best way to describe this week's releases. Isn't anyone planning to stay home and watch DVDs?
Two Lovers Joaquin Phoenix can't decide between Gwyneth Paltrow and Vinessa Shaw. Directed by James Gray, this suffocating drama is dark, thoughtful, and "more true to real human existence than most of the dreck that comes out of Hollywood studios," wrote Kim Voynar. I wasn't quite as impressed by it as she was, but it's still my top pick in a slow week. Also on Blu-ray. Rent it.
12 Rounds Wrestler John Cena stars in Renny Harlin's latest train wreck (as I described it in my review), a sober drama that resolutely refuses to embrace its loonier plot elements (fire engine smashing through New Orleans, an out-of-control street car). Aidan Gillen (The Wire) provides one of the few pleasures as an exceptionally-nasty master criminal. Also on Blu-ray. The "Extreme Cut" adds less than three minutes of footage. Skip it.
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li I was hoping against hope that this might provide some cheesy fun, but Nick Schager slammed that door shut: "Fighting sequences are dreadfully lethargic ... their choreography is of a dull, unimaginative sort." Not even Kristin Kreuk can save this one. Also on Blu-ray. Skip it.
After the jump: "Indies on DVD" provides several good rental choices, a landmark film by Spike Lee hits Blu-ray, and a long-dismissed effort by director Hal Ashby gets dusted off.
The decidedly un-PC Brunohas gone sensitive. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal has decided to err on the side of caution, and cut a Michael Jackson related skit from Sacha Baron Cohen's raunchy comedy. The edit was made just hours before its Los Angeles premiere. "We decided to take it out for tonight, and we'll reassess before the release whether to keep it out," said director Larry Charles at the premiere's afterparty.
The scene involves Cohen's gay Austrian interviewing an unsuspecting LaToya Jackson about a number of topics, but focusing on her brother, Michael. As I haven't seen the film, I don't know what the jokes are, but THR says that they center on Jackson's high-pitched voice, and his one-time white glove trademark. It's already screened for critics, none of whom found the scene particularly offensive, but Universal was concerned it would upset his grieving family and fans. However, Universal might restore it for the film's wide release, as a studio spokesperson also confirmed that they were still undecided about whether it should stay or go. The film opens in two weeks, and cutting the scene out of every print would be expensive, and possibly delay the film a'la Spider-Man 2.
What do you think, readers? Is Universal making the right call to err on the side of caution or good taste? Or should they leave Bruno alone, and trust audiences will be less sensitive about Jackson in the coming weeks?
More Bruno: Check out this hilarious report from the Bruno premiere on Moviefone Minute.
The story centers on Robert Axle (Spacey), an inventor who has forgotten his humble roots after making billions, and become an egomanical jerk. In a Lex Luthor twist, one of his inventions has gone awry, maimed hundreds, and landed him in prison serving an eight-year sentence. Freed from his sentence, he goes about rebuilding his personal and professional life, but finds remaking his name and fortune easier than repairing his fractured family. Rounding out the Axle family is Belle, who plays his daughter, employed as a social worker and reluctant to reconnect with her father. Graham plays her lesbian roommate (is there ever any other kind) who sleeps with Spacey, undoubtedly making the situation that much more prickly. Knoxville plays a store manager who gives the ex-con a job. Somewhere in the mix there's an ex-Mrs. Axle as Robinson plays her new husband, who now lives in the billionaire's house, eats his food, and drives his car, but is nice enough to help him get back on his feet.
There's a whiff of Arrested Development to the plotline, and Robinson makes just about everything funny, so let's all watch out for this one. Production begins this week in New Orleans, so it'll be here before you know it.
"Let me get this gay stuff out of my system." Richard Berkowitz (pictured above in both images) did not set to be an AIDS activist, or even to live openly as a gay man. He fully intended to meet and marry a woman, settle down, and raise a family, which would have pleased his liberal New Jersey Jewish Democratic family. Enrolling at Rutgers University in the early 1970s, however, changed his life.
Berkowitz's journey from college student to S&M hustler to safe sex advocate to gay community outcast is carefully chronicled in Sex Positive, a documentary by Daryl Wein that opens today in New York after a successful series of festival screenings. (Regent Releasing will open it in Los Angeles and Denver next week and in San Francisco on July 3.) Berkowitz is nearly forgotten today, despite co-writing two key texts that introduced the concept of "safe sex" and generated considerable controversy upon their publication.
Wein's film succeeds in reasserting credit to Berkowitz, virologist Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, and the late musician / activist Michael Callen for vigorously proclaiming that a promiscuous lifestyle increased the likelihood that gay men would contract AIDS. That message, initially delivered in 1982 and 1983 when the gay community was devastated by scores of deaths and little or nothing was being done by the government to research and try to cure or at least slow the spread of the "gay disease," got them branded as "anti-sex." Yet the three men asserted that a "sex positive" lifestyle could be enjoyed as long as certain safeguards were employed.
My, my, the Tribeca Film Festival (TFF) has certainly grown up. It seems like it was born only yesterday, and already it's celebrating its eighth edition. This year's festivities got started on Wednesday evening with a "by invitation only" screening of Woody Allen's Whatever Works, the director's first NYC-based film in five years. Only a few members of the press were allowed to attend: three of the four reviews linked at Rotten Tomatoes were negative. Coincidence?
Deals. ESPN picked up TV rights to Jonathan Hock's documentary The Lost Son of Havana, according to indieWIRE, and will broadcast the film in August. The doc follows Luis Tiant, a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1964 to 1982, as he returns to his homeland of Cuba after 46 years of exile. Tiant once said: "We should never forget what has happened to the people in Cuba for forty years."
First Run Features acquired Yoav Shamir's Defamation, and plans a fall release. As reported by indieWIRE, "In the doc, Shamir embarks on a quest to answer the question 'What is anti-Semitism today?'" Ex-paratrooper Shamir previously made the excellent Checkpoint; when his latest debuted at the Berlin fest in February, Howard Feinstein in Screen International praised the director's "lighter approach," calling the film "a well-researched but unapologetically subjective essay."
Our Coverage. Public screenings began on Thursday afternoon, and our own Eric D. Snider caught The Swimsuit Issue, which is "about a group of ordinary men of varying ages and physiques who combine to create Sweden's first all-male synchronized swimming team." He observed: "Hard to believe this and Ingmar Bergman came from the same place." Eric also reviewed Fear Me Not, "a slow-burning psychological thriller" from Denmark, starring Ulrich Thomsen and Paprika Steen.
After the jump: Blog Talk (i.e., what other people are saying.)
Is it possible for gay and lesbian ultra-Orthodox Jews to reconcile their sexual orientation with their devout religious beliefs? Director Sandi Simcha DuBowski examines the question carefully and quietly in Trembling Before G-D, a documentary available for free online viewing at SnagFilms.
Over a period of years, DuBowski interviewed Hasidic and Orthodox Jews in New York, California, Florida, Britain, and Israel, all individuals struggling with their feelings. One man has undergone therapy for more than 10 years in an attempt to "cure" his homosexuality. Others have been ostracized from their families and the communities in which they were raised. Still others prefer to remain anonymous. DuBowski also talked to different medical experts and religious leaders.
In his review for another site, Eric D. Snider commented: "Though the stories are compelling in their humanity and the striking quandaries they present, even for straight viewers, they develop a sameness after a while. None of the stories are outrageous or especially moving; in fact, most of them are not stories so much as case studies ... They are portraits of people, and good ones, but the film falls into a rut long before it's over. That said, it offers several interesting insights into the seemingly incongruous matters of homosexuality and orthodox religion." Reviewing it for The Village Voice, Jessica Winter concluded: "DuBowski's sober, scrupulous documentary doesn't lash out at an oppressive religious structure so much as offer a hopeful prayer-out of love and devotion-that it be made better."
We've embedded the video below for your viewing convenience. More information is available at the film's official site and at SnagFilms.
Deals. As Eugene Novikov informed us, hard-hitting dolphin doc The Cove was picked up by Roadside Attractions. Via our friends at indieWIRE, we also learned:
"Don't run! If we must die, we will die." Street protest doc Burma VJ will be released by Oscilloscope in theaters this spring. If you don't think a monk with a megaphone can make for riveting footage, watch the trailer, embedded below.
Biopic Pedro (about the late gay activist who memorably appeared on MTV's The Real World) will skip a theatrical release and instead debut on MTV before hitting DVD.
Box Office. The three-director team-up Tokyo! took the top spot last weekend, raking in $23,460 at a single theater in Manhattan, per Box Office Mojo. The film, featuring segments directed by Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, and Bong Joon-ho, opened to generally good notices. Eric D. Snider said: "Think Paris Je T'aime, only a lot weirder (and about Tokyo, not Paris, duh)."
Festivals. Michael Lerman posted the news that John Cooper has been named Director of the Sundance Film Festival. Cooper told indieWIRE that he wanted to "establish a clearer distinction between the event's festival director vs. its programming director." He also emphasized that Sundance is a "discovery festival, we're not launching Academy Award campaigns." That sounds good as a means of preserving Sundance's artistic integrity and stated mission, but he's not really saying Sundance will eliminate star-studded screenings, is he?
The Tribeca Film Festival has been in the news lately for significant personnel changes, but what about the movies? This year's edition gets underway on April 22, and Cinematical has received a list of the first 38 of the 86 feature films that will be screened. A few titles that jumped out at me:
The Eclipse. The great Ciaran Hinds stars in an "atmospheric drama about a widower who sees and hears strange things in his house." Hinds was fairly magnificent in the TV series Rome and stood out in Steven Spielberg's Munich. Add to that Iben Hjejle and Aidan Quinn as writers the widower encounters at a literary festival, and this is a drama that I want to see.
The Fish Child. Lucia Puenzo made the well-regarded XXY and now comes a "a passionate love story in the arms of a pulsating thriller." I love the idea that for her sophomore feature, the director has made what is evidently a very different type of movie than her quieter debut drama.
Stay Cool. The Polish Brothers (Northfork) return with a "charming comedy" about a high school reunion of sorts, with Winona Ryder and Hilary Duff. Manure was sharply criticized at Sundance just a couple of months ago; could Stay Cool possibly be any good? Winona Ryder doesn't get seen enough, and Hilary Duff has made interesting choices, so this could be surprisingly good -- or another train wreck.
Outrage. Documentarian Kirby Dick, who made the terrific This Film is Not Yet Rated, turns to the subject of "the hypocrisy of closeted politicians who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to." I'm hoping it's as sensational as it sounds.
After the jump: The complete announcement. Browse away, and tell us what looks good to you!
Milk Sean Penn won an Academy Award for his portrayal of openly gay San Francisco politician Harvey Milk, and Dustin Lance Black won another for his script, which focused on Milk's activist years in the 1970s. "It's a minor miracle of sheer film making joy and determination," wrote James Rocchi, "and one of the best American films of 2008." With deleted scenes and mini-features "Remembering Harvey," "Hollywood Comes to San Francisco," and "Marching for Equality." Also on Blu-ray. Buy it.
Let the Right One In My top pick from last year is a dramatic thriller about vampires and young people, old souls and eternal fears, yearning for the unobtainable and the inevitable pains of loving another person. Director Tomas Alfredson takes a traditional tale -- the youngster who is picked on and the new friend who helps -- and rubs in a touch of supernatural, a touch of the old world, and a touch of heart on the sleeve, wrapping it in beauty and agony. Also on Blu-ray. Buy it.
Transporter 3 I have no easy defense of my love for Jason Statham as Frank Martin in the Transporter films. Suffice it to say that the action -- fights, car stunts, people stunts -- keeps me occupied, the plots are not hard to track, and I like the interplay between the main character and Inspector Tarconi (François Berléand). In this episode, Jeroen Krabbé as the bad guy is a nice bonus. Also on Blu-ray. Rent it.
Back in January, we all recoiled a little bit at the news that Neil LaBute was remaking Death at a Funeral -- a nice little British movie that only just came out in 2007, making a remake seem even more superfluous than they usually are. The fact that he was making it with Chris Rock made the whole thing seem even more cheesy. (Not that we don't like Rock ... it's just that we like him in original, edgy stuff.)
Well, the remake just got a lot more over the top. The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Martin Lawrence and Tracy Morgan have joined, along with Loretta Devine, Ron Glass, Danny Glover, Regina Hall, James Marsden, Zoe Saldana and Columbus Short. (Who wants to bet money that Marsden is the gay lover? Anyone? Anyone?)
It's keeping the exact same plot of misplaced cadavers, gay blackmail, hallucinogenic drugs, and family secrets, though Rock cowrote the script with Ayesha Carr, so we can expect some changes. It's just not clear yet what they might be ... but at least it probably won't involve bear suits or misogyny. I'm still not convinced this needed to be remade, but I suppose if you're going to do one, it ought to feature Danny Glover. Let's just hope Tyler Perry stays a million miles away from the set.
ETA: Yes, the title originally read Tracy Jordan. I watch way too much 30 Rock.
With Valentine's Day looming at the end of the week -- don't forget your lovey-dovey gifts, boys and girls, or Saturday night might end up extra cold, if you know what I mean -- why not go beyond the superficial and consider the meaning of true love. Our friends at SnagFilms are featuring two "true love stories," and we've embedded one of them below in its entirety for your viewing pleasure (US only).
James Crump's doc features new interviews with Smith, writer Dominick Dunne, and many others, plus archival interviews with the two subjects, rare footage, and a bevy of gorgeous photographs. It's probably most illuminating for the focus on Wagstaff, a figure who is now forgotten but who, the film argues, deserves much greater recognition. The title refers to a hugely influential exhibition that Wagstaff staged in the early 60s.
Note: the documentary includes brief instances of frontal nudity (in photographs), so it may not be safe for work.
Not that it's any of my business, but are your halls decked? Is your gay apparel donned? Good! Then you have time to go to the movies, and the Indie Spotlight is here to tell you what's playing beyond the multiplexes!
'Tis the season for limited-release pictures that are sort of indie films and sort of studio productions. For example, this weekend there's Doubt (in NY, LA, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco), The Reader (NY and LA), and Che (NY and LA) -- but you've heard plenty about those films elsewhere. There's also Delgo, which is a truly independent animated film -- but it's opening on 1,800 screens, so you don't need me to tell you about it here.
Our focus is the stuff that might be under the radar, which this week includes: Adam Resurrected, Dark Streets, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Timecrimes, What Doesn't Kill You, Where God Left His Shoes, While She Was Out, and Wendy and Lucy. For the details, read on!
Wendy and Lucy (pictured) What it is: A quiet drama about a penniless woman (Michelle Williams) whose car breaks down in rural Oregon while she's heading West to find a job. Lucy is the name of her dog and traveling companion. The film is not, as I previously believed, a biopic about the red-haired girl from the fast food place and Linus' older sister. What they're saying:Cinematicalraved about it at Cannes earlier this year, and 89% of the critics at Rotten Tomatoes agree. The consensus is that it's a tender, beautifully shot, emotionally intimate little film. Where it's playing: New York City (Film Forum), Los Angeles (Laemmle Sunset 5). More info: The official site has a list of release dates for a few dozen other cities.
Put down that leftover-turkey sandwich and pay attention! There are movies to be watched! The majors have Punisher: War Zone, Cadillac Records, and Nobel Son to amuse and/or annoy you, but the Indie Spotlight is here to tell you about the independent flicks opening in limited release today. They are: The Black Balloon, Ciao, Hunger, and Let Them Chirp Awhile. See what strikes your fancy, and keep an eye out for when it comes to your neck of the woods.
Herewith, the lowdown on each of 'em:
The Black Balloon What it is: An Australian drama about a young man and his autistic brother. Toni Collette plays their mom. What they're saying: Wow -- that premise sounds fraught with peril, but so far 100% of the review at Rotten Tomatoes are positive. Now we're intrigued. Where it's playing: New York City (AMC Empire 25, Clearview's Port Washington, Cinemart Cinemas) and Los Angeles (Laemmle Town Center 5, Majestic Crest). More info: The official site is certainly precious-looking.
Hunger What it is: A true story about Irish hunger-striker Bobby Sands, shot with brutal, unflinching realism by up-and-coming filmmaker Steve McQueen (no relation). What they're saying:Cinematicalraved about it at Cannes, where it won prizes. At Rotten Tomatoes, an impressive 93% of the reviews are positive, often saying it's hard to watch but undeniably well-made and unforgettable. Where it's playing: Only at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles. It's there for a one-week run to qualify for Oscar consideration; it'll be released for reals in 2009. More info: Here's the U.K. site.
In a fitting move to, ahem, milk the boycott against Cinemark Theaters and its subsidiaries for having openly supported Proposition 8's ban on gay marriage, moviegoers are now being encouraged to see Gus van Sant's new film, Milk -- a biopic about Harvey Milk (played by Sean Penn), who valiantly fought for gay rights before his tragic death in 1978 -- at any theater but those owned by Cinemark.
The website No MILK for Cinemark! also feature a printable PDF for flyers that say as much, as well as a link to its corresponding Facebook group, which had over 17,000 members as of this writing. Their revised aim is to cost the business $10,000, or equivalent to the amount donated by CEO Alan Stock to the Yes on 8 campaign.
It's a film well worth watching, though I can't say much (and don't really need to -- our James Rocchi will say his piece soon enough), but chances are that those going to see this film will be equally willing to give this movement some consideration.
On a normal weekend, there are usually eight or nine new independent films opening in limited release, compared to three four wide releases. But for Thanksgiving, those numbers switch sides -- the multiplexes will be crowded with Twilights and Bolts and Transporters and Christmases and so forth, while the art houses have only a few new titles arriving.
In other words, there's not much to say in this week's Indie Spotlight, and there won't be any need for a Spotlight next week at all. So enjoy these few limited-release films opening today and next Wednesday: The Betrayal, I Can't Think Straight, Lake City, and Special.
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon) What it is: A documentary about a family that emigrated to the U.S. after the bombings in their native Laos that occurred during the Vietnam War. What they're saying: Wow -- all 12 reviews at Rotten Tomatoes are positive. "Lyrical, expansive, unbearably beautiful," etc. Where it's playing: New York City (IFC Center). More info: The official website has a list of release dates, most of which are several weeks hence.
Lake City What it is: A drama starring Troy Garity as a man who returns to his Southern home and his mom (Sissy Spacek) after a tragedy separated them for many years. What they're saying: Lake City is a lovely title, but the critics are saying it's all wet, or some other water-related metaphor. With 11 notices at Rotten Tomatoes, only one is positive, the rest indicating that despite Sissy Spacek's good performance, the movie is too serious, contrived, and banal. Where it's playing: New York City (Quad Cinema). More info: I can't find an official site anywhere.
Kevin Spacey never really went away, so I hesitate to say that he's making a comeback, so let's just say "Hey, it's nice to see 
Is it possible for gay and lesbian ultra-Orthodox Jews to reconcile their sexual orientation with their devout religious beliefs? Director Sandi Simcha DuBowski examines the question carefully and quietly in 
The 
Back in January,
Not that it's any of my business, but are your halls decked? Is your gay apparel donned? Good! Then you have time to go to the movies, and the Indie Spotlight is here to tell you what's playing beyond the multiplexes!
Put down that leftover-turkey sandwich and pay attention! There are movies to be watched! The majors have Punisher: War Zone, Cadillac Records, and Nobel Son to amuse and/or annoy you, but the Indie Spotlight is here to tell you about the independent flicks opening in limited release today. They are: The Black Balloon, Ciao, Hunger, and Let Them Chirp Awhile. See what strikes your fancy, and keep an eye out for when it comes to your neck of the woods. 
In a fitting move to, ahem, milk the boycott against Cinemark Theaters and its subsidiaries for having openly supported Proposition 8's ban on gay marriage, moviegoers are now being encouraged to see Gus van Sant's new film, 
On a normal weekend, there are usually eight or nine new independent films opening in limited release, compared to three four wide releases. But for Thanksgiving, those numbers switch sides -- the multiplexes will be crowded with Twilights and Bolts and Transporters and Christmases and so forth, while the art houses have only a few new titles arriving. 
