Trainwrecked

In July, I saw Trainwrecked, starring Amy Schumer and Bill Hader. Unfortunately, I didn't write a review for it at the time. But I loved it.

Ted 2

Last night I saw Ted 2, starring Mark Wahlberg and the voice of Seth MacFarlane.

When we last saw Ted the talking teddy bear (MacFarlane), he had fallen in love with his colleague Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth). When this film opens, they're tying the knot.

But just like any other couple, soon there's trouble in paradise and Ted is desperate to save his marriage. On the advice of a mutual friend, Ted suggests they have a baby and Tami-Lynn couldn't be happier. The only problem? Ted doesn't have the appropriate baby-making body part.

After a few attempts to find a surrogate, they decide a smarter route would be to try to adopt, but when they apply they're told it won't be possible because the state of Massachusetts doesn't recognize Ted as a real person. Hilarity ensues.

Actually, the whole movie is funny. It's ridiculous, filthy, and wildly inappropriate, but yes—it's funny. A running Google joke had me in tears it was so good. The delivery of each actor (and some phenomenal cameos) was brilliant. I'm not remotely ashamed to admit I liked it.

On the negative side (if you don't mind the filth) was the continuation of Hasbro villain Donny (Giovonni Ribisi) trying to reclaim Ted. What was supposed to be creepy induced yawns and what could have been the climax (pun intended) was anything but that.

It's okay though, I laughed enough at every other part of the story to forgive it for this sin.

~~~

Magic Mike XXL

Tonight I saw Magic Mike XXL, starring Channing Tatum and Joe Manganiello.

You know what? This film is what it is. It is what it's supposed to be and it's supposed to be a movie for straight women and gay men to see with their friends and hoot and holler at the screen.

Mission accomplished.

The plot, if you could call it that, finds Mike (Tatum) re-joining his tribe of "male entertainter" mates as they take a road trip to the annual strippers' convention. Yeah, that's about it.

While that's pretty predictable, I will say that they do a better job this time around of fleshing out the characters (Kevin Nash's Tarzan is a budding artist; Matt Bomer's Ken experiments with energy healing), and it's later revealed just why we're supposed to care.

All of the men are charmers, but Manganiello really steals the show with a convenience store scene that can't be missed. His finale was also my personal favorite, but I've always liked Nine Inch Nails, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Jada Pinkett Smith is a perfect addition to the cast, adding a jolt of feminist strength, and the varied sizes of women they entertain throughout give me new respect for whomever cast the film. 

Put simply it's a really fun romp—lighter fare than last time, and that's a good thing. The only thing missing was Matthew McConaughey

~~~

Inside Out

Tonight I saw Inside Out, starring the voices of Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith.

Pixar has done it again. They've gone and created a visually stunning, colorful, magical film that not only pleases the aural senses, but pulls your heart out and presents it to you on a platter.

Riley (Katilyn Dias) is a happy-go-lucky 11-year-old girl living a cozy life with her parents in Minnesota until one day everything changes: the family moves to San Francisco for her dad's job.

She keeps a brave face and tries not to get too upset when the house they arrive to is nothing like the one they left, and the moving van with all their stuff is delayed. The emotions inside of her are fighting the good fight to keep her safe and content, but Sadness (Smith) keeps grabbing her memories and forcing them to change shape. In an effort to keep Riley from getting dismal, Joy (Poehler) tries to rescue those memories and in the process gets catapulted out of "headquarters," leaving only Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) to rule her feelings.

Soon Riley is miserable at her new school, mad at her parents and ready to run back to the Midwest where she can again find happiness. Joy and Sadness have to do whatever it takes to get back inside headquarters to prevent her from going too far down the dark path.

What an amazing metaphor for an adolescent brain!

Didn't we all feel like a crazy train wreck of emotions during those years? Or was it just me because my parents put me through a move when I was the same age as Riley's character? I'm bargaining that most young people—male and female—feel so much uncertainty as their mind and body matures that they're often overwhelmed.

The voice actors here are well-known, but thankfully it's not distracting, because they're so perfectly suited to their assigned emotion (especially Smith, who everyone will remember from the American version of The Office).

I laughed, I cried, I mused, I remembered, I reflected, I hurt, I healed... I loved this film.

~~~

Tig

Tonight I screened the documentary Tig.

I remember opening my email in October of 2012 and seeing one from Louis C.K. that started like this:

Greetings to the people and parts of people that are reading this. 
Hi. This is Louis. I'm a comedian and you bought a thing from me. 
Well, I'm writing to tell You that there is a new thing you can buy on 
my website louisck.com. It's an audio standup set by not me but 
another comedian named Tig Notaro. Why am I selling someone else's 
comedy on my website? 

This film answers that question and so many more. 

It begins with a chronicle of the horrible life events that Tig endured leading up to her cancer diagnosis (which is the news that led to the standup set that Louis C.K. mentioned in that email) and progresses almost to present day as she navigates reclaiming her career and building a family.

Sounds depressing, eh?

Don't think that for a minute. This was the most hilarious, life-affirming, just-what-anyone-going-through-anything-should-see documentary that I've ever witnessed. Throughout death and disappointment—and facing more death—Ms. Notaro sees the funny in everything and can't help but deliver it. That's the entire film. Whether she's in front of an audience or chatting with loved ones, she's making herself (and anyone exposed to her) laugh. 

I enjoyed learning how she endured all of the tragedy, and was inspired by her strength throughout. 

Though I did purchase her routine at the time, and knew of her previous struggles, I had no idea what she has faced since then and I was so (relieved and) thrilled to see her walk into our Q & A after the film, healthy and strong in good spirits.

The film is dangerously raw and heartbreaking .... so basically perfect.

~~~

Tig screened at the 41st annual Seattle International Film Festival. It will be released on Netflix July 17.

The Little Death

Tonight I screened The Little Death, starring Josh Lawson and Kate Box.

There are many ways to participate in and enjoy sex—the couples in this film give several methods a lighthearted spotlight in this story about relationships.

In a suburb of Sydney, a community seems to be plagued by various 'issues' in the bedroom. One pair has tried desperately for three years to conceive, making sex more routine than pleasurable; another sees a counselor for their lack of communication and begins role play as a homework assignment.

Perhaps less conventional, there's a man who wants his wife primarily while she's sleeping and another couple who promises to nurture the fetishes of the other only to discover one of them is horrific.

Add to that a deaf man who asks a sign language interpreter to translate phone sex and a cookie-baking sex offender who has just moved into the neighborhood and you have quite a tale to tell.

I laughed throughout, and so did the rest of the audience.

The way these men and women are portrayed is comical, but not too far-fetched to be real. From their difficulties come real challenges and the absurdity of how they're presented makes them accessible.

I hope to see more from director Josh Lawson (who also stars in the film) because he's found a refreshing new way to tell a story.

~~~

Our Summer in Provence

Today I saw Our Summer in Provence, starring Jean Reno and Lukas Pelissier.

When Irene (Anna Galiena) takes in her daughter's children for the summer as she navigates a new world as a divorcee, her husband Paul (Reno) is furious. He has been estranged from their girl for 17 years and feels she's dumping her children upon them unfairly.

The children, Adrien (Hugo Dessioux), Léa (Chloé Jouannet) and Theo (Pelissier), are equally unexcited to be there, used to the fast Paris lifestyle. In their eyes, Provence is rural and boring and lacks a strong Internet signal. Plus, Theo is deaf, so only his brother and sister know how to properly communicate with him via sign language.

They all get off to a rough start with Léa's rebelling like her mother, and Adrian's typical teenage laziness acting as a catalyst for frustration from his grandfather. It seems for a while that Theo, who is proud to help with the olive trees on their estate, may be the only one willing to embrace the change.

As the summer continues, a problem Paul is battling comes front and center, and the family reaches a turning point. I can't say more than that without spoiling the film, but it's conventional, yet powerful.

In fact, that's a great way to sum up the whole film: conventional, yet powerful.

Where the main plot and characters are painfully formulaic, their story is redeemed my superb acting, gorgeous scenery and an abundance of scenes that don't take the dramatic too far.

The film made me think of my own family's dynamics and made me yearn for another European summer.

Our Summer in Provence screened at the 41st annual Seattle International Film Festival.

~~~

All Things Must Pass

Tonight I screened the documentary All Things Must Pass.

Full disclosure: I was a financial backer of this film by way of a Kickstarter donation in 2011 and my name does actually appear in the credits (1st name, 3rd column if anyone's looking). Since I had absolutely no creative control, I don't think it's a conflict of interest to script a review. If you disagree, then feel free to leave this page.

Now that I got that out of the way, let me tell you how much I loved the film (and am relieved/excited my modest contribution went toward making something so great).

The first ten years of my life in Portland, Oregon, I lived directly across the street from a mall, and in the corner of that mall was Tower Records. There was no place more sacred than this store. Because it was open 365 days a year, my parents made a habit of buying Christmas gift certificates for my sister and me, so we would shuffle across the street and spend hours deciding how to use them. They were the only store open on Christmas and we couldn't have been happier. We also had their free calendar hanging on our bedroom door every year. And numerous album flats they would discard into the trash if we didn't claim them first (Millennials: an album flat was a cardboard image of an album cover used to promote new records; like a poster, only more legit).

In high school, on an extended stay in Washington, DC for a journalism workshop, my new friends and I spent afternoons in the Tower Records store that was near our dormitory at George Washington University—a common bond amongst teenagers from different backgrounds.

When I moved to Seattle at age 23, I spent a lot of time at the Queen Anne Tower Records, attending midnight release parties for U2 albums, etc. I wept when it closed a few years later.

This film isn't about just me, though, it's about the millions affected by the collapse of this eternally likeable brand. Director Colin Hanks gets testimonials from those closest to the company (its founder and executive team, who all came up as clerks) and many notable musicians (Springsteen, Dave Grohl) about what the stores meant to them and what its loss meant to the greater community.

It may sound silly to personify a brand so passionately, but Tower was so much more than a brand, it's fitting in this context.

From the joyful beginning that stemmed from the founder's father's drugstore to the international expansion and fame the company got from its celebrity shoppers (i.e. Elton John, who gives a sincere interview about his obsession with the store here), there really wasn't anything like it and because the way we consume music has changed so much there probably won't be again.

For those who remember Tower's glory, the film will serve as a sort of personal time capsule; for those who are too young to remember, it offers a glimpse of the golden years.

An entertaining final verse, sung with a lot of heart.

~~~

Racing Extinction

Today I screened the documentary Racing Extinction.

There are lies, murder and an abundance of history lessons, but this isn't a war movie. It's a documentary about the war humans are declaring on our rapidly deteriorating earth.

Oscar-winning director Louie Psihoyos (famous for The Cove), teamed up with scientists, professors, photographers and technology innovators to deliver this gut punch of a wake up call, urging all of us to take action immediately.

So, what's the problem?

Well, there are a lot of them. Climate change. The market for 'exotic wildlife.' Methane generated by livestock. I could go on.

These are problems we hear about in abbreviated news mentions or headlines we see on articles we never get around to reading, but seldom do we submit to an emotional responsibility for them. Here, we do.

The photographer that is on a quest to take a picture of every species before it dies out especially got to me. Posing a petite frog for a close up or searching deep into the eyes of a tiger, we see the beings crying out for help in their own intimate way. Hearing a type of whale call out for a mate that no longer exists because their gender has been wiped out brought me to tears. Imagine being the last of your gender. Anywhere. Ever.

It's not all doom and gloom, though. We can slow some of these terrible things down if not prevent them completely. The film's official website invites you to take action, even if just one day at a time.

If we don't do something, the food we eat and the air we breathe will be a much different story in just a few decades.

Racing Extinction screened at the 41st annual Seattle International Film Festival.

~~~

One Million Dubliners

Tonight I screened the documentary One Million Dubliners.

Our final resting place is something most of us try not to think about. At least not until later. When we're old.

But as the years go by, and more loved ones are lost, it's hard to avoid having the conversation about what the wishes we have in the event of the unthinkable.

For much of the residents of Dublin, Ireland, there's only one choice: Glasnevin Cemetery. Since 1828 everyone from the working class to the most famous of political activists have been buried there with the philosophy passed down from it's founder Daniel O'Connell, "To bury people of all religions and none."

Welcoming those of all faiths, as well as atheists and unborn/stillborn children, the cemetery has become such a cultural draw that it is now one of the most visited tourist attractions in Ireland. This film, narrated primarily by employees of the cemetery, tells the story of its history and how it cares so deeply for the dead.

Morbid, eh? Not really. With charismatic tour guide Shane MacThomais leading the charge, the tales told here are sometimes funny, or just merely fascinating. Some of the dead celebrities have "groupies" who visit regularly; some of the workers at Glasnevin have family members of their own there. None of it is boring.

As someone with a fair amount of Irish blood and an unabashed love for the country (and Dublin specifically), I'm ashamed to say I've never visited the site. Surely I have ancestors there—most people with Irish heritage do, because the dead in this cemetery outnumber the living population. After what I learned from this documentary, it will undoubtedly be a stop for me on my next trip to the Emerald Isle.

Anyone with a connection to Ireland should see it.

~~~

One Million Dubliners screened at the 41st annual Seattle International Film Festival.

Monkey Kingdom

Today I saw the documentary Monkey Kingdom, narrated by Tina Fey.

The film traces the lives of monkey families in Sri Lanka as they navigate a year in their natural jungle habitat. The most surprising element for this viewer? The strict class system that the primates adhere to, and for which dictate where they can hunt, eat, sleep, etc.

The heroine of the story is a gentle, "blue collar" monkey named Maya. She's a peaceful, calm girl who knows her place in society... at the bottom of the barrel. She doesn't try to challenge the "white collar" sisters who rule the roost; she merely keeps to herself on the bottom branch, carrying on her affair with a visiting monkey in another part of the forest.

Their love yields baby Kip, an adorable whippersnapper who clings to his mama as he learns the ropes of lower class life in the wild. We see her do what she has to do, like so many mothers do, to keep her little one safe. And yes, the father does run off for long periods of time.

The family survives monsoon season, various vicious predators and even a monkey-napping attack from others in their community. It's scary to watch, but almost comforting to know every species has to work hard to just to exist.

A venture into the city was the highlight of the film for me: monkeys stealing cake from a human birthday party; trying to sleep through the obnoxious street parade and dangling over open-air markets to steal fruit when no one was looking.

The delightful narration by Tina Fey only enhances the scenes, which are slow-paced, but not boring.

If you're a fan of nature and want to catch a glimpse of authentic jungle life, unharmed by our modern society, you could do worse than spending time with this film.

~~~

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck

Tonight I attended the North American public premiere of Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck.

I'll start by saying this: I'm a huge Nirvana fan. I was the "right age" when they became famous, and Kurt Cobain's life and death have haunted me ever since. I knew that I would see any documentary that was ever made about him/the band; I had no idea I'd see one that moved me this much.

Director Brett Morgen, privy to unprecedented access to the Cobain family storage vault, traces the genesis of the grunge genius in this raw, unvarnished, unpretentious series of moments captured by various friends, family members and journalists.

Beginning with Kurt's mother Wendy, his entire life is constructed by memories of those who were closest to him—and by Kurt himself.

When so seamlessly weaved together as they are here, the stages of his soul's progress are jarring. What begins as a picture perfect life for a boisterous blond baby soon becomes a cloud of shame for a child embarrassed by his parents' divorce. His energy—instead of being channeled into the music and art he was so good at—instead turns to mischief and darkness as he bounces from home to home, feeling rejected at each stop.

His family loved him, but he was out of control. Fortunately he found a good girlfriend to float him through periods of unemployment and allow him to perfect his creative crafts: writing, drawing, playing the guitar and singing. Unfortunately, he also learned to self-medicate his chronic stomach pain with heroin. And alcohol, and marijuana, etc.

Then along came Nirvana, and later Courtney Love, and the rest is music history.

The film shows us many things we already knew about Cobain, but what makes it special is how it conveys the things we didn't. Kurt's glorious innocence and sweetness as a toddler; his tender love for his wife; his sophisticated cries for help masked by elaborate artwork; his absolute dedication to being a better father than the one he had.

There was an innate kindness to Kurt that many spoke of in interviews after he passed, but here we get to witness it first-hand, from the little boy trying to feed the ceramic turtle his saltine cracker, to the proud papa throwing himself all over the room to make his infant daughter giggle.

It's painful to think that if his family unit had remained intact or if he hadn't been the victim of ridicule as a teenager that he may not have become an addict and could be alive today.

But there's also the chance that if his young life had been more conventional, he may never have been driven to express himself so deeply, or ever have shared his gifts with the world. And as tragic as it is, his passing brought awareness about the evils of drug use and the senselessness of suicide to the masses.

There has never been a more beautiful sacrificial lamb.

~~~

Cinderella

Today I saw Cinderella, starring Lily James and Cate Blanchett.

The story of Cinderella is sewn so tightly into the fabric of our collective memories that the plot doesn't need repeating, so instead I'll just highlight the pros and cons of this live action rendition:

• I missed the music. I like a little Bibbidi-Bobbiti-Boo with my fairy Godmothering and the fact there was only a drop of song here and there was disappointing.
• I loved the cast of ladies. Lily James was convincingly sweet as the star and Blanchett equally so as the villain. Helena Bonham Carter too.
• The pace was a little slow. Knowing every step of the story going in is an obvious disadvantage, but it's exaggerated when things don't move swiftly.
• The costumes and scenery were gorgeous. I loved getting lost in that forest and dancing across that ballroom. 
• I wish there had been more of the stepsisters. Nasty as they were, they brought great comic relief to the story. But they were hardly there.
• The overall theme of kindness was well executed. The screenwriter did a beautiful job of capturing the true spirit of the fairy tale, sending the message that good people finish first.

In conclusion, the magic is there if you believe in it.

~~~

Kingsman: The Secret Service

Just realized, a full month after I saw this film, that I never reviewed it. Shame on me, but I think it's too late now to remember specifics and provide fair commentary, so I'll just say this: it was fun, Colin Firth was delightful and if you're looking for something that doesn't make you work too hard as a viewer, you'll probably enjoy it.

~~~

American Sniper

Today I saw American Sniper, starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller.

Chris Kyle (Cooper) is a hard-working American cowboy who feels moved to fight for his country and enlists at age 30. He trains to become a Navy Seal and soon becomes a legend for his precise sniper skills in the desert.

His wife back home, Taya (Miller), is proud of the man he's become, but tired of playing single mother to their two children while he keeps returning to duty. Each time she speaks with him, she begs him to quit the service and come home.

The entire film, based on a true story, details Kyle's wrestle with his sense of responsibility to defend his country and his genuine love for his family. Much like we've seen in films like The Hurt Locker, when soldiers come home, they have an understandably tough time acclimating back to "real life." They've endured so many horrors in the field, there's perhaps a survivors' guilt for enjoying the basic things that Americans are free to experience. In Kyle's case, he also carried the burden of being "the best in the business" at his particular craft, so he felt no matter who was fighting in the war on our behalf, he would do a better job (and save more lives) if he was there.

Director Clint Eastwood does a predictably great job making us feel as if we're in the war with these Seals. Cooper holds his own with a convincing Texas drawl and pained look in his eye; Miller genuinely captures what so many military wives must endure on a daily basis.

Basically? It's a good, solid, sad, inspirational entertaining film.

I procrastinated seeing it because war is hard to watch, but I'm glad I went because now I'm aware of a real-life hero who I previously knew nothing about. I also understand the Oscar nominations and the box office success, both of which I believe are well deserved.

If you can stomach the violence, and don't mind shedding some tears, you shouldn't miss it.

~~~

Fifty Shades of Grey

Tonight I saw Fifty Shades of Grey, starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson.

Those who were able to make it through the not-so-well-written book know the story: a handsome Seattle billionaire becomes enamored with a virginal college student and requests that she become his submissive. There is paperwork and playrooms, and all sorts of kinky toys.

At the heart of the "plot," Christian Grey (Dornan) and Anastasia Steele (Johnson) play an extended game of cat and mouse, each giving up parts of themselves in pursuit of the other, while deciding whether or not to stay the course.

The film stays pretty faithful to the book, which means there's really not a lot to it, but that is no fault of the actors, who do the absolute best with what they are given.

Dornan is like a young Colin Firth, endearing and doe-eyed; Johnson just sweet and innocent enough to be convincing. Their chemistry is strong and they sell the love/lust debacle as best as could be expected (though I could have done with less of Johnson's bony rib cage and more of Dornan in general).

But the dialog is ridiculous (again, faithful to the book) and the pace is painfully (no pun intended) slow. The only saving grace is that if you view it as pure camp, it's actually pretty fun.

Go into the film not planning to take one tiny moment seriously and you will laugh sincerely as you blush your way through the (not so) explicit sex scenes. Cheer every time you see a shot of Seattle (the local audience I saw it with did) and chuckle when the pillow talk is nonsense.

You'll have fun with it (and maybe even anticipate the sequel).

~~~

Two Days, One Night

Today I saw Two Days, One Night, starring Marion Cotillard.

Every one of us can name a time in our lives when we've been at the mercy of others—whether it be due to issues of health, finances or circumstance. The vulnerability that we feel in those moments is gripping.

Take that vulnerability and pile it on top of a woman who has just recovered from a terrible spell of depression and you have our main character here, Sandra (Cotillard). Her horrible boss has just asked each employee at her place of business if they would prefer to get a bonus or keep Sandra on the team. Financially, the business can't do both. Naturally, the majority choose the bonus, but after a confrontation with Sandra (and her supportive colleague), the boss agrees to have a 're-count' via secret ballot on Monday in case some felt pressured to vote against her.

With the eleventh-hour appeal granted, Sandra sets about (with the help of her husband) to visit each of her colleagues over the weekend and convince them to change their vote. This is a humbling feat, to say the least.

Sandra is the perfect hot mess; she wears bright-colored tops that contrast her unwashed hair and ashen face, only intensifying the pain she feels each time she has to 'beg' someone she works with for a second chance. She drinks water almost compulsively (choking down the pills that dull her feelings) and passively admits defeat when some say there's no way they will change their vote.

Marion Cotillard plays her straight, as the directing team of the Dardenne brothers always command. She's clearly the most beautiful person on screen, but you wouldn't know it from her demeanor. She just seems like someone who loves her family and tries harder than most to get out of bed each day.

The entire film is really a series of uncomfortable conversations, but as find ourselves shifting in our seats, we realized we're also glued to them—not even dreaming about getting up until we learn the outcome.

The gift the Dardenne brothers have for making us care about those down on their luck (see: The Kid with a Bike and L'Enfant for further reference) still burns bright.

~~~

Still Alice

Tonight I saw Still Alice, starring Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin.

Alice (Moore) is a linguistics professor who has just turned 50 when she realizes she's becoming very forgetful. To be on the safe side, she begins working with a neurologist, who slowly rules out strokes, a tumor, etc. leaving her with the diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's Disease.

Alice takes the news as well as can be expected, but harbors horrible guilt over the fact she may have passed the same gene on to her children. Her husband John (Baldwin), is a pillar of support, never leaving her side, never making her feel a burden.

Things are more complicated with her youngest daughter, Lydia (Kristen Stewart), who she has always wished would do more with her life than pursue an acting career. They bicker and battle even after the diagnosis, though they clearly both love one another very much.

It's a solid movie about a horrible ailment with a very authentic fictional family demonstrating how hard it can be in every aspect of the patient's deterioration. Events like this are every person's worst nightmare, but somehow we keep watching films and reading books about them, perhaps to prepare ourselves in case it strikes someone we love.

The performance by Julianne Moore here is predictably phenomenal. She communicates the strength of her character well, while also showing the complexity of her vulnerability as her condition progresses. Baldwin is also great in what is perhaps his most understated dramatic role.

It's not an easy film to watch; nor enjoyable, but will serve as a catalyst for tears if you're in place where that sort of release would be welcome.

A piece of cinema that will be difficult to forget.

~~~

Live Action Short Film Nominees (Oscars® 2015)

Tonight I saw all five of the nominated films in the Live Action Short category. I'll present my reviews in the order they were shown.

PARVANEH (Switzerland)

When Afghan refugee Pari (Nissa Kashani) attempts to send money home to her ailing father from Zurich, she realizes she can't because she's not of legal age for the wire transfer. A chance meeting with a local shows her that not everything in life is awful; sometimes you just need a friend. I found this story (and its actors) sweet, but I didn't feel it carried the emotional heft of the usual nominees.

BUTTER LAMP (France and China)

A photographer in a remote Tibetan Village makes lasting memories for townspeople and tourists with his inventive backdrops. Yep, that's basically it, and it's as exciting as it sounds. Short of a few charming instances, I was pretty bored throughout.

THE PHONE CALL (United Kingdom)

Most likely the one that the Academy will crown the winner, this is the most traditional of the nominees. A linear story of a sad man (Jim Broadbent) calling a crisis clinic to reach a sympathetic soul (Sally Hawkins). It's a tender conversation filled with expected tension that perhaps goes on too long (although in real life those moments admittedly feel like forever). Hawkins shines, but there's nothing new here to see.

AYA (Israel and France)

The film I'd vote for if I had a ballot, Aya, combines kidnapping and a case of mistaken identity with a happenstance road trip. Did I mention this is also a rom com? I fell for this film from the opening frame and it had me through to the very end. Well-drawn characters, unpredictable dialogue and enough action to make it feel like it was speeding by (though it was the lengthiest of the entries). I couldn't find fault with anything here, except that I wish it had been a full-length feature so I could spend more time with the characters.

BOOGALOO AND GRAHAM (Northern Ireland)

Two adorable children get baby chicks from their Dad as a gift and refuse to part with them when they grow into full chickens. Their pregnant mother is not amused, so they go to great lengths to protect their pets. This sweet scenario happens amidst the contrast of terrorism and violence that plagued Belfast in the late '70s. A tender look at the layer beneath the historic geographical unrest.

~~~

Cake

Today I saw Cake, starring Jennifer Aniston and Adriana Barraza.

Claire Bennett (Aniston) suffers from chronic pain. After a debilitating car accident, she becomes a different woman: bitter, angry, stiff and mean.

Silvana (Barraza) is the sympathetic housekeeper/caregiver who worked for her prior to the event. She does what she can to ease the suffering, and seems to be the only one around who hasn't given up on her (Claire's kind husband has since moved out).

Mrs. Bennett, as Silvana calls her, goes through all the motions of coping with her ailment: she attends a therapy group; shows up for swimming therapy and takes her medicine. Actually, she takes too much medicine, as evidenced by hiding pills behind paintings and forcing Silvana to take her to Mexico for additional prescriptions. Quite frankly, she's a mess. But she knows it and doesn't seem to care.

Her situation takes a different shape when her friend Nina (Anna Kendrick), commits suicide. Claire suddenly has something else to focus on, and that focus manifests into visits to the death site and time spent with Nina's surviving family. The question is: does she want to learn about it so she can build the courage to go through with it herself, or attempt to get better in spite of it?

The journey Claire takes isn't easy, and Aniston is so phenomenal in the role, you'll start to feel your muscles ache as you shift in your theater seat. Her communication of the pain—both physical and mental—is nearly tangible it's so real.

In fact, after seeing this, and remembering Aniston years ago in Friends With Money and The Good Girl, I wish she'd pursue more dramatic roles, preferably with scripts as great as this one.

So let's talk about the writing by Patrick Tobin: the dialogue is authentic, the scenarios believable and the plot's not even close to formulaic. The pace mirrors real life in that it speeds up sometimes and goes frustratingly slow at others. We're never sure where Claire is going, because she isn't either.


At heart, we're asked to examine how we react when confronted with the unthinkable and how that reaction determines how or if we'll recover from it.

Go see the film for Aniston's performance, and be reminded that most of us have it very easy.

~~~